Nancy Mobley and Correll Hammond

00:01 Is that

00:05 Start us off and you guys just take it away?

00:08 My name is Nancy Mobley and I am 36 years old and today is November 11th 2020 and I'm in Shreveport, Louisiana. My partner is Corey Hammond and he is my small steps partner.

00:28 Awesome, and my name is Correll Hammond. I go by Cory. I am 37 years old are today's date is 11 11 2020, which is Veterans Day a located in Bossier City, Louisiana. As I have one small step partner on for today's meeting.

01:01 Just what I heard about it just was like cool NPR listener. So I'll listen to the opportunity just to do what it says just to talk to someone to have a conversation or firm believer again. We don't have enough conversations actual dialogue as people are so quick to just call me on Facebook and Twitter and Instagram a little sound bites and that frustrates me, so I don't really think you can have a good understanding of drunk by just doing that. So I just like the whole idea storycorps in the whole idea to the first time I heard dad for for the story Corp was in the middle of a block down on a right after it and there was a lot of just civil unrest everywhere is it was during all

02:01 The protest and Riot and put you dings and I had a lot of friends you had very final exam all of it. And I grew up in her middle class white neighborhood went to school. With a lot of people who are divorced for me in that respect. And so, how can I understand what everyone's going through and what they're saying without actually talking to somebody Hewitt has experienced a different life than me.

02:43 Kul tiras know when you say some finite positions. Can you elaborate on that give you one specific insurance? I mean, you can say OK shooting that just to relax and whatever and then somebody would specifically say oh, but we don't know if there was no wait a second. Why is this even happening in the first place? It's not.

03:23 It's not the people deciding to you know, get mad and go Bulbasaur whatever there has to be a reason, you know, and not doing anything or just quietly protesting or whatever. It's not it's not getting your voice hers, and I'm not condoning it proper to discuss destruction, but I don't think just the idea of everything will be fine. Works. Yeah, I actually agree with that like it's

03:54 Tammy juster I can just hang out. The blackmailing is being someone's Injustice has this summer it definitely don't like it get it like in terms of the sum of Destruction that happens and I think it's always a levels to a situation and I think the most frustrating thing to keep me from some of the news and just kind of love and everybody up in someone group. Like you said, it's kind of green blanket it like, okay. Well All Pro custom is bad was like, oh no we wouldn't have some right to even have today without it without us having a little bit of civil unrest you know, too kind of push the country for work and myself were very quiet or very civil very peaceful and things and it seems like a lot of crazy stuff happen at night when it was like the cover of Darkness. So, of course, you know, it's just like you would hate to be associated with you know,

04:54 Alex media

05:07 I have a friend and then I'll get back to the second question. But I have a friend who is in a biracial marriage the white girl and a black man. And about time does the Georgia Boys shooting you got a flat tire while they were on a road trip and she automatically would just because that's what we have been raised to do and her husband was immediately concerned. Have you ever experienced any sort of difficulties like that are in I don't even know if we are always talked to be it's a weird dynamic of being respectful.

06:04 Horses and also nine trusting of the police

06:11 And it's crazy how you can kind of have all of that mixed into one but I experienced it like like you use her. Maybe she will talk about having the talk with with their their their kids. Like you're my dad have to talk with me about the least. I have the talked many times about my son about just how you conduct himself in public and but he's only twelve don't get middle school stuff about being respectful conducting yourself into not seem threatening at all, you know to either way so that you don't end up being a statistic and so those conversations have always happen, you know in in our home where of you just are taught that and you know, that some folks are there still have that combativeness or frustration. So I hate that I even have to sometimes look at some of those situations and justify it to be like you just being quiet like

07:11 Explain that remark because I was taught that to like okay the biggest thing like tape right out the way you going to get to come home at night. Suck it up limited. Just want you to be home at night in the things how some of the other situation has played out has really dislike. Yes. I definitely agree kind of what your your friend's husband kind of how I felt like you might have to have that that weird dynamic with police and I have police officers that are in my family friends. My wife is former military, but still find me and I've done nothing wrong like I'm scared to death.

08:05 Getting pulled over and he's the one that happens. I still am scared crazy mixture of introduced.

08:22 Strassenfest I can't even imagine.

08:29 I can't even imagine that.

08:32 Yeah, I know tell me about it, and I'm considered middle-class and living in the suburbs. So I've been with a lot of people all the time with the college work with and in the neighborhood. So, you know if my kids and leaving my son like he ran together last year to get him in shape for basketball so he was doing football this year.

09:32 I can't happen but you can't run in the morning by yourself because it's between dark and being like you're a blackmail and tell me by neighborhood. I don't want to assume that you don't belong and of course they do Louisiana and most everything. We were just supposed to be like I'm forcing you can't do it because I have to be elegant Savannah Place Bossier Facebook page today, but he have footage of blah blah blah. I mean, it's just it's not even like neighborhood watch if it's just

10:31 Anything without a plate like a flower Music for running by himself all the sudden that something suspicious something out of place. And so I think exactly what you need.

10:53 Yeah, it does Facebook pages for definitely knew I'm not presuming from here to be here about 5 years. So sing how much activity takes place on those Association Facebook pages is a lot of Comedy a lot of onion is a lot of pettiness all the same time it just like wow that are we really talking about this on the Facebook page.

11:16 All right. I'll get there as early as this question number two, just so make sure we are doing have a great conversation delicious. I just answered so I know and I don't even know what I wish for. I was born prematurely. It has completely molded me regarding anything around woman's right to shoes.

12:00 Altiris will read my bio on a weekend.

12:11 Location for over 13 years working on college campuses in all three states mention. I love people and connecting the folks to learn their stories as an educator evaluation in the doors that can be open morning. I'm a husband and father Freemason can is 14kt 12 + 18 + 10

12:33 Awesome, so I guess we'll just know about your bio. Of course. It's just I know I just found the forces that if you would want it whatever you would like to share and just having a little bit more into like how that state you in terms of women's rights in Arkansas severe severe pre-eclampsia. I went from being fine one day and had just gotten on the twice a week doctor appointment schedule and the second doctor appointment. I was not at the doctor's appointment. I think my blood pressure was being like 188 over a hundred and he was delivered about an hour and a half later and over 118.

13:23 And he spent three and a half months and have some scars but other than being a little speech the way it is a perfectly happy healthy for a little boy.

13:42 What it was before and I really just don't turn out that great. But I distinctly remember being in the situation in my my OB asking me know we can either put preference on protecting your baby or protecting you and myself and my husband and I have tried for almost a year before we got pregnant friend pregnant. And in that moment, I still picked me because what good is a baby born three and a half months early without his mother.

14:28 And we pick me again if the situation were to occur again, but we're just having we're just having one son. Yeah, that that such a deeply personal decision that why should the government ever be the one who decides how you react in that situation and like a lot of people think so no Reproductive Rights as being somebody who has no one night stand and get pregnant abortion. And yeah,

15:02 But it's not the only situation.

15:05 And so

15:15 Well now I

15:19 Okay, so just leaving going back to politics. I just in general on that issue. I use some contacts and then I just hope with with that cuz that's so deep. But I think what was your political affiliation? Like what what are you do you have one family? My parents say they're Democrats with the older they get it's it's like Democrat in name only I grew up thinking household, but

15:59 I absolutely would consider myself a little.

16:03 Awesome. Okay. Well, I would say I thought it was not something big going up. I think probably talk to my family and looking back at like democrats for like for the people and those are like evidence to me that there was a really difference of Holly college and I really don't like how people to Apothic never been like a big mystery thing to me / say I think I was more so say I think I'm weird. My wife and I are

16:51 Because I could swear you a conservative or a liberal like I'm a liberal conservative and see both sides because nothing is black-and-white. She was always so great. So I think in terms of use the portion teeth like identify the Christian born and raised in the church my parents and all that good stuff. So on that particular subject again, that is just something that's been taught from day one that of course you don't value life, but then the other side of it but life happens to you. Can you add tissues of the rate issues of incest issues up again?

17:51 We have to choose with the side. So as an adult that really is kind of abortion. Do you know but you have to understand this is always so many different size and it's so hard to clean that the kids because I'd like yes or no. It's like I can't like it so hard to stand on one side to be like, yes, it is pecan, but I think as I've evolve evolve them in the door. Like I really don't think it is the government's decision to the side, but I really do think that's more a personal decision within a hard decision because he really is an individual thing though where that person is. So I think sometimes when people are so right about abortion on that principle that they miss getting to figure out what happened to that person. Is it something that

18:51 Incest like in Granite you can create for a man to say life will just have the baby and give it away. But how are you making someone deal with that for are 9 months and the psychological and depression evolve into something even worse because they are being told they have to keep a baby that they never wanted because they were taken advantage up so I can feel like if you like specifically has genetic anomaly you're bringing that child of the world and enforcing child to Lititz life as an innocent bystander know with whatever genetic mixed up at Haslam and it's just it's so specific that no Broad.

19:35 It is what's up for me? I guess we're against pro-life but understanding is she still be the person's Choice. And then another part of me. Is that for me being a Christian in in hating that professional politics? Like what now has happened this like the Republican party has really didn't know sale sites where the Christians and Democrats are there cheetahs in the hell when you know, there's good people on both sides with all different flavors. And so I really hate that special deposit accepted a get his turn to like all the Republican party is for the country and it's God's country. It's just like know all of us who are personal don't feel that way and we don't feel that you represent us because it can you stand so sew on a few or a position so much that you willing to gay people at the same time. And that's not what Christianity is supposed to be about the top of messenger. Jesus part of your loving your fellow man who sings about the person first.

20:35 Lesbian my kind of challenge Festival past couple years with everything was going on in the country.

20:58 I will honestly say I loved it at first and I think we're going to stay in but I think the things that I loved about it when I hate about it.

21:14 Some things that we love them. Can I get really laid-back relax for a little bit behind the times around is like takes the farmers. I left like that, but it was just like for example, we went Sunday morning is all like people out it was no but you're shaking and moving His Life. OK I like it like that is being a Christian and just seem like you like you don't miss Donna school at all. Like I know they got in trouble by doing.

22:14 Those are low to slow people are open to anything else for just what they know and the babies be everyone's very quick is everybody stays in their click from being born and raised and dying here people at times when black beans are very of

22:39 Chicano one way at times like this is like

22:44 Okay, so don't post things that I kind of like again not to like and even for like or our kids and then mean school like I hate that with everything from here and what their parents of bed and knowing that our kids are coming home saying like idiots and high school boys are putting that negative pressure on my kids are just trying to go to sleep.

23:37 It's so bad that has been a really tough. I think as of late though. I feel like it has to be like the one that's that's that's not in Conflict. Don't let people stress you out and I happened to that time be the bigger person will just other people of the culture you note for funeral family white white white be kind of Reckless and not have any repercussions from it in another case in point by this like one of my friends that that they are at the same school with their child is African-American and she got on the bus and she said that

24:37 Like I'm going to check all the in words and pictures on this bus and just to even know that a white student could be comfortable with eating things that without even giving his life.

24:54 Don't need to put yourself out there to stick out like a sore thumb and for someone to feel so comfortable that they can just say that on the bus that has you do a nice bunch of black people on there and I feel like it's okay at all. It's just like, okay. I'll see.

25:13 Where were at Eton with our kids just going to tell them like you're glad that we are here because like this is for the ship emoji guys. Like you had you guys are bored up north, you know that experience an hour and a different skin so we can really good conversations about what's going on with you guys to be better though as you grow up without no regards, but I definitely kind of just be like it was definitely different and election season has definitely brought out the worst.

26:13 People in a

26:22 Which you know both you and I are now like not that we're just becoming adults but when you're 18, you don't know what's going on are penguins like this is this is how we stand but

26:41 I don't know. I remember growing up with the kid and watching Peter Jennings on the news and it would be this is what happened today. Have a good day. And now it will this is what happened. But here's our slant other person plant.

26:54 There's a hater by everything has a slant now. It's not this is what happened had to have a good day for our younger years and I feel like it's doing the future as far as what's what's history what's happening now, and and also remembering the past a great Injustice because it's not just in this happens, and that was it.

27:34 Yeah, I agree with that in some regards like especially in terms of all again our country. I think I've never really healed from the deep wounds of of of slavery and things like that. Ain't she something that a lot of people just don't want to talk about or is she right now talk no more about this and it's like we want to move on and it with the future. But again, we have been like really talked about the past and it's typing it for us to make everybody feel bad about the time but just to say like, okay, this is maybe the reason why things have evolved the way the baby boss. So I passed out of the acquaintance is just a like everybody. Everybody has to be everybody has everybody.

28:32 But it still system the things that place that kind of make it unfair dislike. Yeah, like I still kind of have to know my place, Hollywood back then, you know, like I know my place I have no one to speak when not to speak like when should be proud when not to be like, I believe you have to shake and move to different kind of Worlds. Like I have to pee in their boxes like know everything.

29:32 I don't know if it's the country. But at least in the south is hard.

29:37 To have the conversations if it would even me and general did this conversation but difficult because how do you even get to the point of having that conversation?

29:50 If it's just that it's such a different life.

29:55 And it is based on our past or history and I do think that he has the Americans like we just we just pretend like it didn't happen. There's nothing but do you think about how how did Black and you know, it's it's it's stuff that is very deeply ingrained but yet nobody ever wants to talk about it and it's funny. I went to old man and his very very Progressive places that I have ever been to you because its history is a checkered and so diversity and acceptance and inclusiveness was something that was always puts on constantly until while I was in college. There was a brief time that I didn't know that it was just because my colleagues around me.

30:55 Did have the same access that I had and then you get out and I graduated from college in 2007 the right before everything collapsed and then you come back into the world and then you're like what this is not how it is outside of the bubble of Oxford, Mississippi. And I mean it was hard for me just to kind of figure out like how to fit back into that world where it's not so accepting and then you know just is

31:28 Okay, I'm curious to know just from hearing you talk how how has religion shaped any of your views are being very liberal like wasn't anything important when you were growing up was not in any that just how I was raised Presbyterian. My dad was a self-proclaimed Jesus freak but not so much on the scripture or anything like that. He just wanted to go to the weird.

32:08 As I got older I had a little bit of rebellion from my church. And feel like you don't that's fine. I can go wherever you want and it's a time is a very inclusive environment welcoming environment and then said Jacob owes me. He was hired as the bishop of the diocese and about that time as whenever Supreme Court legalized gay marriage and not with this big stage that you know, we're going to bless same-sex unions were going to welcome people in church were going to be welcoming Community. I love that was great.

32:55 And he became bishop and they hired a guy from Madison, Mississippi and immediately. He got rid of all that there is no more blessing of same-sex you at unions there is no what they love our neighbors and welcome everybody in and so I've had a lot of trouble with faith as a plate not that I'm an atheist or agnostic. I don't

33:23 Now is the way that

33:29 They were supposed to love everybody and welcome people but not these people over here.

33:38 Yeah, that's deep in the end. I asked text. I just was curious to know what we talked about how it is fate and I'll give you a quick story. We actually came down here to Ashley start a church denomination. So grew up Baptist which is different then became Full Gospel Baptist, which is different and became a nation in which is different and our current church back in on my work on the small group of people in that time as we transition down here and got a chance to really lives outside of the comfort of just having the Fortress walls and having that space unit people and kind of have that stuff reflection of

34:38 Really living the message of what is taught in? So I really had us take a step back to really look at the Simplicity piece of of the gospel and of religion and kind of going back to what you said little bit. It's like, you know, what did Jesus I honestly really teach and yes, we have some principles and things that of course the Bible says it's like do's and don't for the most important thing was that he always with the people first thing we do that excited you get you in the gate people and how can you even reach them for them to even want to change the oil change place? If you're if you're wanting someone to even change address for how to say like I'm here at all if it's just like cutting you off and so that is really really shaped reshaped Us and how we have just taken her to look at as a big picture and as a

35:38 Now like we're honestly have in this back to the house. He just having church at our home and our kitchen table on Sundays because we've just seen that the see a lot of domination churches in this area. Everyone is so driven about programs and driven about make it this topic or that talking like it's so busy like a relationship family of of just getting to know one another so that kind of approach that we've taken and my wife is using a little bit more further kind of cheese and some type of like they are not to bring her back cuz I'm like, okay like not even a little weird with it, but she's like my perfect desired. She's like, you know, sometimes our gardening and I am with my plants like I just believe since God and I'm just at peace not feeling like he's talking to me and I'm in a good place now. I'm like, okay like okay now you're being weird cuz it's like I did it, but she's just like

36:38 Simple and we make it so complex. We make just doing all this stuff so complex that it just pushes people away and people don't want to know about God and I want to learn about guys like we just went back to the simplest of just relationships and just dealing with nature and just be a while when they searched his like in all experience like God in this way. Am I okay, but I get what you saying? I'm not there just yet. But I get what you're saying that has been our journey as of late the past my husband. He's a he's real big into going on walks in Nature's look like that and talks about how you can feel connected to the roots of the trees and and and he just I don't know. I feel presence around you and and stuff and so funny that you mention Garden.

37:33 Download song I don't want to do it is where the light I don't want to be. That is so it's yeah, it is funny. But I even though I feel very uncomfortable, being down here into play. Everything is going on. This is like, I think it's a good place for us because we've been able to experience so much being away from the safety net of our church non-denominational absolute a relationship with him. I talked to my pastor every every so often just to connect in in but he and my life is just like she like this if it's my way she's like, I would never lose sleep step back into our church. That looks like but I love what we're doing to your at home and having church at home songs with kids about God about what's going on in the world and just connecting them that way to give Lucy like more to life and everything being

38:32 Black & White 2 * so everybody's

38:49 Yet yet exactly is. So for us to be playing down here and then she's also like feeling like that is like, okay like I want to get there babe, but I know we're on this journey together, but I'm not right there just yet. But I guess I got to get some really cool just like okay just in in in our own churches like doing so much you are so much like this goes back to the simple things of not just doing so much in church stuff, but I might want to ask you one last question about politics and just how things have gone this election cycle. I have you felt about that how you been doing with it with maybe even seem like a family for the workers and just kind of all this has happened.

39:37 My husband is MSNBC all day if I would let him and wants to talk about it constantly I is the beginning of a pandemic I can handle about 20 good minutes of a new cycle and I'm done today. That's that's my limit and he's allowed to talk about it with me for five minutes, either whatever you want just five minutes, but that's it. But as far as the election cycle between Tuesday and whatever riding was announced at the winter. I mean, I think that's all I've ever been in my life just because it just felt so consequential your house is going to come down and in the ramifications of whom ever want, you know, what's going to happen if Trump wins, what's going to happen to find when's is the United States going to blow up like what's going?

40:37 Happen and I was pleasantly surprised that there hasn't been a lot of you no recourse there's a celebration honestly, but nobody has taken to Let's Blow stuff up Ur are taking a lot of negative stances. I don't think the president is handling it. Well, I think that there's a circle around him fueling he's not handling it. Well, I'm kind of nervous about the inauguration like is there going to be a truly peaceful transfer of power but the same time I can't control that right now. I kind of have to say, all right. Well, this will be what it'll be and I will deal with it as it happens.

41:21 I think for me I turned off everything several years ago and I just started when it's new cycle play the past honestly six months got back into it. Simply eating NPR. Like I first moved here like I love them PR and I will watch CNN and getting everything seems to be a little bit more pleasant and then never was a Fox News watch her every now and again, I like to see their other side of it by now, they're very conservative. But by the time election hit I turn off everything. I can even listen to NPR cuz everything was just so like of his depressed. So again Sabrett backup been listening to CNN and sit back to NPR and I almost like like you mentioned like seeing in his really slanted. I'm like all y'all understand. Everything is low slanted of like everything she does is so bad.

42:21 I was I was a little anxious to buy things for a couple different reasons as being a black person in America. I did feel like okay.

42:30 If you if you did when I didn't see it when income lost like I was really concerned about what would be the ramifications of of things and just hope that he may wind up by this was like if he does win at 5 person like I want to know life is just lie is what it is another Hard Knock Life, whatever but I'm like, okay so many black people. Who are you going to lose their mind and believe how to blow some stuff up or racial things make it even crazier. Like if you looked as though I've been concerned and worried about that just kind of seeing what will happen if I think the other things by is

43:14 Does Elena get back to some of the Christianity at times or just the people who are so conservative and Republican and just like the character piece? Cuz I will it be the first to admit like with some of the policy the truck actually did it was some good things that kind of happen, but it's so overshadowed by him having a horrible character and it's been a horrible person and for me it's been a person of color is like I couldn't get away with any of that and still be a leader of anything and that's something we teach our kids about kids about having Integrity when no one's looking and so were so many people in people that I felt that I have no relationship with we were friends and stuff like to be so much on his team in for him and released adding me to this is like, I don't even know where are least. It would be more because I guess maybe some of what you're doing is principal because she liked parties and stuff to do in that acted but to have someone with such a horrible character like Indie such a horrible person.

44:14 Everything like that, once that just because you don't want a portion in or do you want to protect same-sex New York? So, you know, I don't like to think God is for that when a person is overshadowing off all of that. I have been a real challenge of what I've been like really I really may not know who you are and it has also safe to self just looking at the world. So I think I'll just say that I appreciate it our conversation for sure. I think we definitely were little bit similar beliefs and I just wish that further me doing this and you wishing that like as I connect with people like I'm hoping that they was at the open to that but you don't have to agree.

45:13 I just noticed other side. I know I'll have to be just so like I'm standing on his principal till I die and not knowing that yeah, there's a gray area in their protective angry and I think you the problem is is like both sides have to go and open. It can't just be one side or the other or both have to go in and spend be open. This is a great conversation. Like I kind of want to get dinner.

45:45 There's no reason why you can't do that. I'm going to stop a recording.