Rina Risper and Sherrie Ross

00:04 Hi, good evening. I am attorneys rira and I am 60 years old and today is December 18th of 2020, and I am located in Bloomfield Hills Michigan and I am here with one of my dearest friends for life Rina risper editor and publisher of the new citizens Press newspaper.

00:31 Asbury said my name is Rina risper. I'm 54 years old. I'll be 54 on December 27th, and I am in Lansing Michigan and today's date is my mother's birthday, which is December 18th. And I am speaking with my friend my longtime friend Siri Ross to is so much more than friends. She's

01:01 A sister to me a confidant and

01:06 Just someone who is always there and recently we were having a conversation story and I asked you how we met.

01:18 So you can tell the story since I forgot what was really interesting because I thought about it. I remembered even before that. That's when I was living in Lansing in an apartment. Bardaville Apartments. I think that that's where I first saw you outside. I think you were married during that time and it was like an initial view of you and then some years following that you came to my home with a young gentleman with a proposal for starting a newspaper and at that time the owner of I think believe at that time with the Metroplex newspaper have passed away and you were so concerned and enthusiastic about carrying on that torch and providing a vehicle if you will wear.

02:18 The African American Community could have a source of information and Bear Avenue birth went on from that in perfect your own newspaper. So that's how I remember our meeting and not to mention. I think that you knew my brother as well somewhere down the line.

02:38 Who doesn't know your brother? He's so serious friendliest people that I know and in such a professional. I actually met. He is working at that Greek the Parthenon restaurant that used to be on Washington downtown in Munising Michigan. And I love that restaurant cuz you know, New York has Wheel of baklava. So I'm still in search for the best baklava in in Lansing, but it's been a long time how many years has it been almost one? It's so long. I can't remember. It's been almost 20 years. What are the things that I

03:27 Wanted to say to you.

03:30 Can you hold on one second, let spray cure my grandson has decided to.

03:40 What are the things that I wanted to say to you is that I appreciate your your friendship. It's not very often in business. And I feel especially as a black woman in business that you that we can really keep long-term relationships.

04:03 Are you working in the media? People? Come people go about their?

04:17 Business were about what's going on in their life or where they want you to be Investigation ID, and if I don't have enough mental space to do that kind of research for you, and I'm very sorry. If you know, I can't do that in that dated work and people get people get angry with you. If you can't do something for them right away when newspaper still wanted to thank you for that. We had some pretty interesting experiences together.

05:02 I'm sure that you can bring up a couple. I'd love to hear what you have what you have remembered?

05:11 Oh, wow, there's been so many experiences. But let me ask what you're talking about and our professional round with respect to the kind of work that you do or the kind of work that I do. Not really sure when you talk about experiences. Are you talking about some of the whatever you want to talk about? This is following back for if we both interesting interesting lives in.

05:44 What is the common denominator is our friendship? So we was interesting that went on in your life so that I

05:56 I feel like sometimes we don't have this great opportunity to sit down and talk to each other and make it really meaningful place that you can really absorb and really feel like wow did I miss that? So I'm I'm trying to

06:18 You know what it is that you think.

06:23 Well, I think one of the

06:26 An experience that I I think serves as a constant reminder that you don't give up no matter what is watching you with your kids in tow. I mean when your kids were really really really really little and you were starting off the newspaper and delivering the newspapers. When should I won here pushing the other one in the stroller and you just did what you had to do get the getting the paper to the Press. I'm traveling around the stage you're able to assist us with and come out to some of the basketball camps that we were doing with Jackie day in Lansing there and and mrs. Johnson all with your kids in tow and you never used having your kids as an excuse for not being able to get the places weather was cold hot, you know, no matter what

07:26 I was like, wow, you know, there's read skillfully doing what she does best and not having the children serve as an obstacle in any kind of way. And so I think that that assisted me with all the kids that I have as life history is to be able to make those kinds of those efforts to do the things that are important with the people that are important and I feel like the best one of the experiences that you and I have grown.