shaelisha stevens and Jacquline mutisya interview seeing things in a diffrent perspective

00:00 Questions? Where are your questions?

00:06 Hello, Shailesha. It is. The recording has started. My name is Jacqueline Mutisya And you are a long day.

00:24 I know, huh? I am Shalishia and today I will be answering your questions. Looks like about racism, discrimination, police brutality, economic education.

00:38 So what steps do you think can be taken to address systemic racism, you know, and discrimination both within institutions and in the society at large?

00:55 So because I do see a lot and because I am a black woman, I've seen a lot with black situations, even more so on personal level, not with me, but other people in my family. The way I would address the systematic racism and discrimination requires to me, it requires education, awareness, policy changes. Also initiatives like diversity training, equal opportunity employment policies, anti bias training can help also. And I also think people should be evaluated to see where their brains at when it comes to that because I honestly think young people already be racist and maybe they just can't wait to get out there and do whatever they do because of our color or whoever else color if you're not their color. So I think they should do like mental evaluations and I dang on polygraph tests, all kinds of things. I know a lot of problems, yes, avoid that kind of thing because I really don't understand. I just don't understand like people that are like that, like why would you want to teach a black kid but you don't like black kids? Or why would you want to keep teach a white kid but you don't like white? I don't. That's kind of just like police. I don't understand how that even works, honestly. Because honestly, I think everybody the same color, they just went to the top of the world and got brighter or whatever the case.

02:24 That's true. That is definitely true because in some sense it does hum. Especially our kids if the teachers don't like, you know.

02:32 Yeah, you don't like black kids teaching.

02:35 A black kid and you keep picking on them in class. So. All right, so on police brutality. How can police violence against black men and women be curbed? And what can be done to hold police officers accountable for unjustified use of force?

03:00 Curbing police brutality kind of involves, I would say, implementing. They do have body cameras, but I think they should actually use them more or use them at all. Independent oversight, de escalation training and holding officers accountable for what they're doing because I know they know they're doing and honestly, I think they should not have guns out there unless it's like, unless like you really need a good light. I kind of think they should take the taser. Right. But. But even using a taser, they kill people.

03:33 You know, in England, they're not allowed to carry guns, even cops. Right.

03:37 I would love to live in England. I hate guns.

03:42 I don't think I have taser guns, though. Don't get me wrong. You gonna be taser?

03:45 Tasers are fine. I think the tasers are fine. But I also seen where a taser can harm someone. Somebody has a heart defect, and that's when it comes. Like, when you're in a medical field, you're learning it about heart defects. A taser will kill them no matter their age. So I think I really, again, the same as the first thing. Mental evaluation. That is a big thing, because I'm sure these people show some kind of sign that they are ready to get out there and not really protect. They're really there to have a higher authority. And because ain't no way the way they get paid, I wouldn't be out there trying to be put myself in horns waiting for that little bitty money. I just really think they just out there to try to act like they're bigger and better than the law and whatever the case that is.

04:32 Okay. Okay. What measures do you think can be taken to address economic disparities between black communities and other racial groups when it comes to economic inequality?

04:50 So, to address economic or economic disparities, I think policies can focus on increasing access to education and job training, because, like, people that don't be able to finish school due to personal things, family things, no matter all kinds of things, I think they should still offer and not make it so hard for them to be educated, let alone get a degree in some sort high school diploma. Yeah. Some kids that struggle so much through school that they do not finish, and now they just out here doing God knows what. And it's hard because so many jobs prefer you have a high school diploma or this and that. And I also think entrepreneurship and opportunities in black communities, as well should address wage gaps and discrimination, leading practices, or just basically give people a chance. Like, it's hard.

05:52 Yeah, I know. I know. I know it's hard. And it can surprise you when you give somebody a chance.

05:57 What they mean. Exactly.

05:59 Yeah.

06:00 Don't know their backstory. Like, some people really didn't have a choice as to what they got going on. Like, give them a chance. Don't look at them like. Or whatever the case, or you think they won't be nothing. You're getting off my nerves. He does not look, you gotta go by nerves, right? Why you even asked me to do like your facial expression tells it all when you do that. And that would kill somebody inside or how they feeling or all of that.

06:32 I've seen that look before. Okay. On education reform, on what can be done to improve educational outcomes for students that are black or underprivileged, including to address the issues such as inadequate resources and, you know, systemic racial biases in the school system.

07:01 I think improving educational outcomes for blacks and any other race who. Because it's, I would say it's blacks, Latinos, it is some Caucasians as well because some people are not always fortunate as well in that department. I might just think it will involve like equitable, like funding cultural inclusive curriculums, teacher training and like combat bias. Like it all goes to training these teachers and whoever else are out there teaching those youth and those people trying to get somewhere else in life. Also addressing the school to prison pipelines. Like it has, like kids do stupid things all the time. I have black children, I'm black, I have an eleven year old. He did a stupid thing. He didn't know it was a stupid thing to him. It was funny.

08:00 I got two boys.

08:01 Exactly. And he got in serious trouble again, he doesn't understand what he did, but the punishment definitely not fit what he did. But it's like they just went, oh, did it do? And then, you know, whatever. And it's like, what? He's never been in trouble. Like he's, he's a straight a student, but he did one stupid thing because he thought it was funny and now it's just like, what in the crap is going on? They definitely should do more. Do more.

08:32 My son, he say he laughed at something stupid that was done by another student, but I think it's the catalyst that made the other student really mad. So whatever happened, he was included in the group. So he got suspended and he didn't even say anything.

08:55 Or a. LAUGHTER yes. That's insane. Insane.

08:59 So I know about being biased and.

09:03 Punishment, I think because the person he thought was funny, what he did, like he did a literally 1 second. He had a split decision to record somebody because they thought it was funny in the bathroom using the bat. Number two. Door number two. Because again, he's a little boy, he's eleven, close to years eight. So he's still learning to do what.

09:32 You do cannot be taken back.

09:34 Exactly. And I think even though in his mind it was, oh, I thought it was funny. I didn't, you know, and all his auto kids, of course thought it was, but it was like a literally split. 1 second video, 1 second. But I get what he did was wrong, but it's also like the punishment, like, and I think it's because the person's color and I think he may have been like not on the same level as my son, although he was older and I understand that. But it was just like to kick him out of school though, like.

10:06 Oh, yeah, yes, that is a bit much. So, when it comes to health disparities, what can be done to address disparities in health outcomes? That and how to access healthcare for people who don't have enough, let's say, in black communities that rely on government funding.

10:38 I think it would include expanding healthcare access community health programs, researching on healthcare disparities while addressing social determinants. Because, like, again, like health, like poverty in education, a lot of people can afford health care. I mean, they do have Medicaid, they have all these things, but it's also limits to that. So like, been working in the medical field. I had a patient, he needed a TDAP because he was going out the country, but because he had Medicaid, they went covered. So he has to leave the doctor's office to get this particular shot where he was getting all the rest of his shots in one place. I gotta think that was kind of, you know, stuff like that. But again, if you can't afford regular health insurance and you are able to get Medicaid or Medicare, so they sent.

11:31 Them to community health. Yeah, okay.

11:34 Whereas the doctor he goes to, that is his doctor, but they cannot give.

11:39 This because I've never understood, when it comes to doctors offices, they can take all other insurances except a couple like Kaiser and stuff like that. And I mean, Medicaid and Medicare is a health insurance, but all right, I.

12:02 Don'T understand it neither, but. But it does make it hard for a lot of people.

12:06 Yeah.

12:07 Certain medications they need, they can't get. They gotta pay for that amount, but then they're on the fixed income, they can't afford, you know, like all of that. It just horrible. It's just horrible, like. Cause again, you don't know what people are going through. I met a homeless man and he, I've seen him for years walking up and down the same road. And I know his daughter and she's like, I don't know why he wants to be homeless. He gets a check, he has money, he chooses to live on the street. You don't know what these, you know, you don't know these mental of these people. But TST chooses that. But you look at him and you're like, he needs help, he needs to go. But no matter what, he's not. He just, that's just what he chooses.

12:52 So, okay, the next question goes to mass incarceration. How can we reform the criminal justice system to reduce the disappearation number of black people who are incarcerated?

13:14 So I think like reducing mass incarceration requires criminal justice reform, alternatives to incarceration, reentry programs to support former inmates, successful reintegration into the society. I feel like if it's not a murdering crime, they stay in there. I understand. If somebody robbed somewhere at gunpoint, I don't think you should give them ten years for that. They didn't kill anybody. For all we know, the gun, it wasn't loaded, they wasn't gonna kill nobody. Just use it to scare somebody. But to put a minor behind bars like that. Because again, you don't know their mental, you don't know what they're dealing with. I understand. I trust, I truly understand. Like they, again, they don't know. They don't. You don't know their mental. So if they're out there robbing and doing all of this stuff, yeah, yeah. Put them in jail, but not for life or not for 20 years. Not for ten years. 15 year old boy or girl should be in no lockdown for ten years is no telling what those people doing to them or what kind of things are going on in that. Now they're murdering. Kill them, block them all that. Do that. They was big enough to kill somebody there. I honestly don't think they should be injured. I think they should be buried as well. I don't. I don't think so.

14:36 I feel the same way. Especially kids. They should go through a psych eval. Yeah, something that way you can also know whether this was a mistake, it was peer pressure, it was influenced or did this person sit down and actually plan it, you know, some of these things with something as small as a psych eval, unless they are hard and criminal and they will play with your mind. But.

15:09 Yeah, the more money they make because that's how they get people to jail, people to make things and do things. It's all. It's a business. Yeah, it's a business.

15:21 When it comes to voter suppression, how can we ensure that all black people have equal access to voting, including addressing issues such as voter id laws and gerrymandering insurance?

15:37 Equal voting? I would say maybe fight for voter suppression through legislate legislation, probably promoting voter education and maybe being fair by redistricting practices. Like, I don't think because I live in this county, I gotta wait to go to this county to vote. I think if I'm already in Fullerton County, I need to just vote in full county because I'm literally right there. I don't want to have to go all the way back to Kennesaw. Cause that's where I was at. I live at the time. Or I just think if you. If you're somewhere close to a voter thing, just go vote. I don't think you should have to go by county. Cause maybe you're not right there. Maybe one day you're just at work, so one day you just want to go vote real quick versus.

16:22 I learned something, too. My, not my last address, but when it came to the previous voting, I had to go back to vote in Marietta because my address was in Marietta. But I learned something as simple as changing your address with the driver's license, it puts you in a new district.

16:49 Yeah, but why do you have to do all that? Why can't I just go vote? Because my mom is down the street, and she at the voting place, and I'm right here by her, you know, like, why do I have to wait till I drive 45 more minutes to my house in my county to go vote if I'm literally grocery shopping right here? You know, I don't think I understand it. Maybe. Maybe because of the lines or whatever, but nobody voting all at the same time. And you could just. If I'm right here at the grocery store on the south side of the area, let me just vote right here, all that district. Because, honestly, I think they do that to cheat the system. I don't think they do that to win. I just think they do it to cheat.

17:29 It makes it difficult. If. If you think about it, let's say you're at work and your boss is like, you work in Atlanta and you're supposed to work in Kennesaw, but your address says you live in Douglasville. It makes you not even want to take that trip from Atlanta to Douglasville to go vote, you know, while Kennesaw is closer.

17:52 Exactly. Exactly. And that's exactly. They should not. They should definitely change that.

18:00 Okay. When it comes to housing discrimination.

18:08 What.

18:08 Policies can be implemented to address the housing discrimination against black people and provide access to affordable housing options?

18:25 I would say policies to combat housing. So I think them. It could include stricter anti discrimination laws, affordable housing initiatives.

18:41 Be a challenge. Why I included that question is, like, in Kennesaw where I live. I live by way Green, where you cut through Shiloh and get to Jameson. And apparently they voted out the bus and they refused the train to come this way because they're saying it will bring a lot of black people and it'll increase theft and. Yes, so black people or something like.

19:19 What they talking about, if your car.

19:22 Breaks down, basically you're out of luck.

19:25 Now, what they gonna do? They cannot stop a black person from going to live nowhere.

19:30 I understand, believe me. It's when I. When the thing came in the mail about voting, I was like, who? You know, now at least if somebody wants to come visit, you know, and they don't have a car, it's cool. But then it. Two months later, it was voted off. And. And I realized it's the more affluent people. They want that kind of mode of transportation on this side.

20:04 Since we and black people been so horrible, y'all all are black. We is not. Everybody is one race. Read the freaking Bible. We are one race.

20:13 We're one people. But one other people who don't see that.

20:17 Gracious. That junk is ridiculous. You can't get a bus because you think, but black folks got cars, too. They could still live there. I don't think we have a bus where I live at, honestly, I'm thinking about. I never seen a bus. Never seen a train. That's crazy. And it's probably why. Cuz they don't vote it. Cuz they thinking I live. It's a lot of black people where I live, and they have cars you cannot stop.

20:41 If you want american to the bus here, you. You have to get Uber to drop you off at Barrett Parkway so that you can get the bus to go to Cope county. It's more money than gas. You're right, because you'll have to go and come back.

21:05 That's crazy.

21:06 I know. On environmental justice, how do you feel about the environmental disparities that disappropriate the impact on black communities, such as exposure to pollution or lack of access to clean water? The reason why this question came up is, you remember Michigan? Michigan had that water that was so thick.

21:41 They're dealing with that water because I get emails about it every time and I don't even live there.

21:46 And I found it that it was bad because the lady that came to do an interview on the television said that it only. It's only affecting that black community. So I was wondering how somebody does that kind of divide that you can get a city quite on one side of the city. And not the whole state.

22:21 So environmental justice, so I can say it can be promoted through um, regulations to reduce.

22:33 Where we dump stuff, factories.

22:39 Marketing out areas, community involvement, this indecision making. Sure, let me see. Interest. I don't know, introduce us to allowing us to assist with the structuring of the improvements. Um, they're building so much and it's like we have no trees. Like, yeah, um, I feel sorry for the deers around my neighborhood because they're getting hit every day. Their environment is being destroyed. They need justice. I know they need justice. I'm like, God, it's a deer a day. I'd be like, who? Jesus. And it's a family of them. Like they just, it's so many because they're tearing down everything. I'm like, good gracious. And the pollution, don't even get started with that. It's just ridiculous. I think gas is too high. It is. I think they're putting things in the gas. So yeah, I don't know this. I get my coming out. Yeah, I understand the electric cars, but they're too expensive. They are. They should. And that's nothing. They should make those cheaper.

23:53 Like if they want to clean up the environment, they should.

23:56 Yeah, they should make that cheaper.

23:58 But they also come with a downside.

24:00 You know, um, the can't drive far, right?

24:04 Not even far. Let's say. You never get out of state with them. You're in state and you know, that's the only challenge. But from somebody I know that hasn't fully electric car. They upgrade themselves in their. Tesla kind of ordered oil change for their. It scheduled an appointment to go for oil change on a certain day.

24:32 Oh heck no.

24:33 Yeah, because you know, it's electric.

24:35 It's linked to a system that's a police car.

24:41 So like I said, they have their down systems and you can't be late for any upgrades or any, you know, initial on the software.

24:51 Expensive as I know what.

24:53 And then yeah, the maintenance too is.

24:56 I did hear like if the battery, something happened with that battery after about a whole new battery is like $10,000. Yeah, rich I am. Thanks Honda. Me all day. Don't pay me for my car right under all day. I am a Honda and Chevrolet girl no matter how much money I have.

25:19 Hey, don't.

25:22 I do have an acro. I love acro as well. But is not touched is. It's my pearly white and it sits there unless I go somewhere on the weekends. But. Nah.

25:35 Well, yeah, there's that. If we were talking about deers I was going to tell you at some point this year, during the summer, somewhere about May, April, they became my enemy because I have a huge garden at the back and, oh, no, they would jump the fence and come.

25:55 You know, they need environmental justice.

26:00 I need environmental justice.

26:07 They hungry. They killing their trees. They got nowhere to go. They gotta find the food. And that was my therapy, you know, getting the three. You might be one of those, what they call them the. They call them dog fence. I have a fence, but you can't have those fence.

26:27 We have a wooden fence, but you'll be surprised how high those things.

26:31 Oh, my God. They're jumping over the dog privacy fence. Like the wooden fence. My God.

26:39 And then I have rabbits. And my therapy was slowly spiraling. So I was like, I need help. I got out one day and I screamed. Asked my husband of honey was frog. And I was like, our garden is gone. But yeah, I mean, it's where I went to when I had a problem. Weed. Weed out the tomatoes and the cilantro and the kale and the spinach is huge. The garden is huge from one end of the fence to the other. So it's sizable. So I felt like my world was crumbling. It was all green. And then now I had big footsteps inside, some eaten and chopped halfway. My peace of mind kind of got this far, but I. Yeah, I guess they were hungry. And I was hungry, too. All right, Shailesha, that's the end of the interview.

27:55 Nope, we have one more.

28:00 Mental health.

28:02 We already been talking about it, though. Yeah, we have talked about it. I was just saying the same thing I said before addressing mental health, because I know the question. So you can go and ask me the question.

28:15 Yeah. What can be done to address mental health and reduce barriers to accessing care, including the stigma of lack of insurance coverage? I know we spoke about this, about.

28:30 Basically reducing stigma, increasing culturally competent mental health services, and expanding mental insurance coverage. I know a lot of people now, they're offering free mental health screenings when you work. Of course they are offering a lot of that. That's a good step. But what about the people that don't work? They need that as well. So they should offer, like, free outreach programs that does that for them. Community support networks can also help and people that doesn't really judge. If somebody can go to anybody that's around them, that does not judge them, I think that'll help as well.

29:12 That's true. The minute you become biased, people close off. The minute you share your biased input, they close off. Yeah, that is true, um, between, um, ourselves, I mean, whether it's family or friends, I think people should put issues out there. You may not necessarily speak on what's happening to you at the moment, but something concerning that issue, that topic, that's we. It can be discussed, you know, I've learned that nowadays. But we know. We know our vague and shallow friends, and we know who our actual, actual friends. So we know when you put some of your information out there to who you put it out to, to. And, you know, we have those friends who tell you, you know what? You know, I love you, but this is a no no, and this is a yes, and this is how I feel. And then you take from each and every category and, you know, combine them and see what works for you. Sometimes going to a specialist is good because you're guaranteed the privacy and everything, but most specialists listen.

30:54 Exactly.

30:55 And sometimes you. Well, somebody told me when women talk, they didn't need you to answer.

31:03 They just wanted somebody to listen.

31:07 But there are times when you're actually stuck and you could need a couple of suggestions and whatever else you can add on top of that to make your mind up and see what will work, you know?

31:26 So, Margarita? I'm good. Margarita in the quiet room. I'm perfect.

31:40 I'm not even going to.

31:41 I'm not even going to for a week. Just take me out of the country for a week. And we good?

31:46 And I'm good. I hear you. I just want to go home and I'll be back.

31:54 Yeah. Oh, my baby.

31:56 All right. All right. Let's see. We have eight minutes remaining, and, well, we'll have. I'll have to stop the recording. And we have concluded this interview.

32:13 Yes, we have. We have concluded. Thank you for my questions. It was lovely to get all of it out. I know.

32:23 All right. Thank you so much. And thank you for your input. Some of them are answers that I will use, so.

32:33 Me too. All right, thank you. So just send it, I guess, you know. Send it to me.

32:39 Yes.

32:39 Okay.

32:43 Do you want to stop recording?

32:47 Yes.