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The State News discuss black culture, trending topics, issues in the black community, black clubs at MSU, and educate listeners about the black community.
Hey, y'all. It's your girl, Shakara Maybaum.
Jada Vassar:Jada Vassar.
Anthony Brinson III:And Anthony Brinson. And this is All Shades of Chocolate where we bring
Shakyra Mabone:The sweetest. The hottest.
Jada Vassar:Black culture to MSU.
Shakyra Mabone:Yes. We back y'all.
Shakyra Mabone:Hey. Newest season.
Jada Vassar:Hi. Are y'all familiar?
Anthony Brinson III:Newest season. Hi. Are y'all familiar with what season we're on specifically? Are because I'm 4. Season 4.
Anthony Brinson III:4. It don't feel like that, to be honest. Like, I still remember, hearing y'all talk about it and then y'all bringing me on the show. So I will always I I feel like I always say it every time we record. But thank you all for having me a part of this project and this podcast.
Anthony Brinson III:And thank you guys listening for continuing to give us a platform with the award winning, wait a minute.
Shakyra Mabone:Right. Yeah.
Anthony Brinson III:Yeah. Yeah. Podcast
Jada Vassar:Yep. Season 4. Yep. So how
Anthony Brinson III:y'all feeling, Jada and Shakira?
Jada Vassar:I feel good, girl. I'm happy to be back. I was talking out there during our staff meeting, and I was like, man, I can't wait to record. That's, like, the highlight of my Fridays. So now I get to do it again.
Jada Vassar:I'm like, I have something to look forward to because I don't have class on Friday. So I'm, like, okay. I come here, you know, do a little bit of work or don't work. Right. But this is my work, but then it don't feel like work.
Jada Vassar:I'm just hanging out. I'm talking with y'all. I'm I'm I'm ready to get back in the swing of things.
Anthony Brinson III:And especially for me, I completely agree because you guys will not be, seeing them on the camera or in this case, in the audio, but we have a new podcast editor. So clap it up for
Jada Vassar:Taylor. Taylor.
Anthony Brinson III:Shout out, Taylor. They are the new podcast editor for the semester. And so, I guess, to sort of segue into the topic of our episode. I've started recently as the documentary specialist.
Shakyra Mabone:Oh, I get to tell people how I feel, you know?
Jada Vassar:Oh, yes.
Anthony Brinson III:Okay. You have
Jada Vassar:to do it right.
Shakyra Mabone:How did you feel?
Anthony Brinson III:How do you feel?
Shakyra Mabone:I feel really great. You know, it's great to be back on here with you guys. You know? I'm excited to create more content for you guys. You know?
Shakyra Mabone:It's just really important because that's what I like to do. You know? Absolutely. And, of course, we gotta back us another award. You feel me?
Shakyra Mabone:I know.
Jada Vassar:I know.
Shakyra Mabone:So, yeah, I'm just, like, really excited for the school year. You know? As Anthony was about to get into it. We got we all got new positions, so I can't wait to, you know, delve into that. So yeah.
Anthony Brinson III:And before I finish that transition, I was doing as the Allstate, the chocolate family. I'm a start calling your family audience. Can y'all help me be on our fellow Shakyra's, podcast host here for starting her own podcast back up? Because chill. Listen to me.
Anthony Brinson III:Listen.
Shakyra Mabone:I am listen. That's one thing I should really, like, get into, and I've been saying that for, like, past 2 years now. But, like, no. Because the last time I recorded my personal podcast, which is the Project Goddess Show, it was back in 2021, 2022. So that I was a freshman.
Shakyra Mabone:Yeah. And the last episode on that, on that show, it was basically, like, the review of Bellaire, which was new back then. So yeah. So I'm just, like, in the midst of, like, you know, just revamping it. I just really wanna talk about, like, film or film and TV reviews and things like that.
Shakyra Mabone:More pop culture y. Yep. There we go. Excuse me. But yeah.
Shakyra Mabone:Because I would like to get into, like, entertainment journalism, like, as I graduate. So I just feel like that podcast is, like, really what I really need to expand more. So
Anthony Brinson III:Could you expound upon, what specifically or what part of the industry you'd wanna be in in the entertainment industry or for entertainment journalism?
Shakyra Mabone:Yeah. So, basically, I just wanna talk about, like, film, film writers, filmmakers, you know, producers. So, basically, just in the film industry. Like, not really a music journalist because I mean, I like I know music personally. I love music, but I wouldn't wanna, like, get into it, like, as my career because that's more of a hobby for me.
Shakyra Mabone:But I really love film. I really love seeing the behind the scenes. I really love critiquing it and things like that. I'm a film studies minor. I just finished my minor last, semester too.
Shakyra Mabone:So Oh.
Jada Vassar:You can do that. Celebrate that. Celebrate that. Yes.
Shakyra Mabone:Yeah. So it's really cool to, like, get into that, and I really wanna do that for my career. So yeah.
Anthony Brinson III:Yeah. And why I've been on her head so much is because as you guys hear from this podcast, she's good at her job or she's good at that part of her, journalistic career. So shout out to Project Goddess Show, and thank you for still Spotify. Spotify is on Apple Podcast too?
Jada Vassar:Yeah.
Anthony Brinson III:Spotify and Apple Podcast. Make sure you guys check that show out and our show. And what's on your mind podcast is my podcast. But, yeah. So for today's episode, as Shakira mentioned earlier, we all got new positions.
Anthony Brinson III:So if we wanna, I'll let you guys start off first to Good. Person in general. You know, obviously, I'm biased, but
Shakyra Mabone:across the board.
Anthony Brinson III:Oh, it's all over. Whether it's documentaries, podcasting, writing, etcetera, all of it, not only are things that Jada are phenomenal in, they all, in a way I view it, make up this position that she's currently in and helped create, give her a little extra little something, created this new position that'll hopefully be lasting for the state news way before or way longer after we've graduated and everything. So doctor Vassar, if you could describe to the audience what I'm referring to.
Jada Vassar:Gosh. We're back to doctor Vassar. That's how you know we're back to Allstate to talk. If you're a listener, you know, he always calls me doctor Vassar. But yeah.
Jada Vassar:Hey, y'all. It's glad to be back on the mic. I'm happy to be here. If you listen to any previous season of Allstate Chocolate, you know I was always a copy girl. I was a copy editor, then I became senior copy editor, then I became copy chief.
Jada Vassar:And this summer, I came to the state news. This is my first summer, like, living in Lansing. So I had a lot of talks with Chris, and I really told him that I wanted to get back into doing diversity stuff. Because when me and Anthony do a diversity rep, for 1 spring semester, it's something I really, really love to do. And I realized that I always love editing, but I saw that this place needs inspiration to other aspects that I feel like I could really help with.
Jada Vassar:So we worked together and, you know, we had a few trials and errors. We had a few titles that I didn't really like. We had, some brainstorming sessions with it, and we came up that I am the DEI manager for the state news. Yes. Thank you.
Jada Vassar:Thank you. I'm really excited to do this position. I wanna do a lot of just not so heavy educational workshops, but I really wanna just make people understand that it's okay to have conversations, and it's okay to have respectful conversations. And those are conversations that I wanna lead because I always want this to be a place of education. Like, yes, you can have fun, and, yes, this is meant for a place where you can make mistakes and, you know, grow as a person.
Jada Vassar:But as long as you go about it in an educated way, then, you know, you won't have any malicious intent or people won't label you as, like, ignorant or ignorant if you're black or, you know, any of terms like that because, you know, the state news, we we've had our turmoils this past year. You know? We've had a lot of downs, and I really wanna keep it get back going up. And I really feel like we needed someone in a position that would have that mindset and wouldn't lack passion with it. And like I said, I wanna do diversity work for as long as I can.
Jada Vassar:I wanna do that after I graduate because DI is failing and it's going away in the workforce. So if I can make any attempt to make sure it stays here and beyond wherever else I work, I wanna do it. So, yeah, that's me for right now. Oh, Demonti's a little bit distracted me.
Anthony Brinson III:Roxy not in here with us.
Jada Vassar:That's what I'm saying. Hey.
Shakyra Mabone:Are you talking about hating in
Anthony Brinson III:America? Welcome, good sir. We are we are on air, but we were just talking about, like, we surprised you not in here. So shout out to my team.
Jada Vassar:Audience. You're late.
Shakyra Mabone:Slow news late. Yeah.
Jada Vassar:Man, that just distracted me. But, yeah, that's that's that's really what I wanna do. I just wanna bring educational conversations to the state news, and I know that some employees here that are of, minorities haven't felt the most welcome here. And I wanna make sure that they always remember their space for them here. That's why they got hired.
Jada Vassar:And even if they don't see the space when they come in here, they can make it for themselves. And they won't have to do it alone because I'm a do it. Even if you're not black, I'll do it for you. Like, I know I'm a preach for the black people today that I die because, you know, I am black and this is a black podcast, but I really wanna be there for everybody because I know there's other people that aren't black that go through the same things that I do that just want I'm gay.
Shakyra Mabone:What? But she is black.
Anthony Brinson III:She's saying she is a black gay woman.
Shakyra Mabone:I am not gay. I'm bisexual actually, but I was just joking, but I'm just
Jada Vassar:Where do we where do we go from here? We just
Shakyra Mabone:Where do we go from here? Week. Damn it. You're right. You're right.
Jada Vassar:Like she said, you know, gay, whatever.
Shakyra Mabone:I will be here for you,
Jada Vassar:you know, even if we have our differences because it's all about representation, and that's what I wanna be. That
Shakyra Mabone:spun me, Bob.
Anthony Brinson III:There's so much that just happened in the past
Shakyra Mabone:30 seconds.
Jada Vassar:That spun me.
Anthony Brinson III:And I would What did she say again? I forgot to do at the beginning of this episode, but just to always put the disclaimer that the thoughts and views and things we say on this platform are just ours of me, my own Shakira's or Jada's and y'all's Shaded's podcast, not necessarily the state news network or as an organization.
Jada Vassar:Yeah. We not gang affiliated either.
Shakyra Mabone:Right. We also I don't know why
Anthony Brinson III:you said that, but
Jada Vassar:We are not just prefacing for
Shakyra Mabone:the season. I don't know what can happen.
Anthony Brinson III:Jada Jada Bowser and Lee Branson are not gang affiliated. Whatever I was about to say, whatever Shakyra Mabon does in her, private life is up to her. But, yeah, we silly. If you, Taylor, if you if you recognize, we gonna be silly.
Jada Vassar:Yeah. This is gonna happen a lot, but it's great.
Anthony Brinson III:But, Shakyra, if you wanna go, forward.
Shakyra Mabone:Yeah. So my position this year, I'm on the multimedia desk, and I am a video producer. I know. That's like a really big turn. You know, I always said that I wanted to do multimedia, like, in my last year.
Shakyra Mabone:So I really just took that leap of faith because I was kinda I don't I'm not gonna hold you up. I was kinda, like, shy and just, like, intimidated by it because, you know, the culture here, you know, they like, the photographers and the videographers, they're, like, really award winning. You know? They, like, really good what they're doing. Yeah.
Shakyra Mabone:And this is, like, my first time, being, like, doing anything, like, within a video aspect and things like that. But the only reason why I wanted to get into it because I am a broadcast student, and what I really wanted to do, I just wanna be on camera, like, be a correspondent as you as you will. So I told myself, like, why not? Just try it. You know?
Shakyra Mabone:Just take that leap of faith and just go ahead and do it. So I'm just really excited. I got a lot of projects up my sleeve and, yeah, can't wait to see how this semester is gonna go.
Jada Vassar:That's awesome. That's awesome. I can't wait to see the stuff you produce. Like, even seeing you in your meetings and stuff like that, I'm like, oh, yeah. You got it.
Jada Vassar:Yeah. Thank you. You.
Shakyra Mabone:I really do wanna get to video edit because that's what you do on your
Jada Vassar:past on my minor. Yeah. Yep. I'm a director of production minor. So I've I edit videos all the time.
Jada Vassar:It's fun.
Shakyra Mabone:It's really
Jada Vassar:no. It really You're like me. It's really fun. Yeah.
Anthony Brinson III:And to continue giving shout outs to my cohost and cross reference stories. So if you are if you are unfamiliar, unfortunately, a car crashed into the Curious Bookstore. Guys, let's let's I'm so As pedestrians and drivers, let's try and be more careful on both sides because even with that crash, there were more crashes going on. I was in a Uber yesterday, and we rode past the crash. And my Uber driver said he had saw saw another one previously or 2 other ones, one being the Curious Bookstore and another one being a different crash.
Anthony Brinson III:So let's just all, one, be safe.
Shakyra Mabone:Be careful. Do not drink and drive either. Don't do that.
Anthony Brinson III:And any intoxications or, anything, just let's drive sober.
Shakyra Mabone:Yeah.
Anthony Brinson III:Let's try to. But I say all that to save, if you were to see the pictures taken with that story, miss Shakira Latrice Mabel took those pictures. I did.
Shakyra Mabone:I did. So that was, like, my very first photo assignment, and it was breaking news too. So I was like That's
Shakyra Mabone:a crazy adventure. So in
Shakyra Mabone:our newsroom, our editor in chief, you know, they wanted to know, like, okay, who's gonna take pictures? So I was like, well, I'm here. So let me give this a shot, you know? Yeah. Just have, like, little more little bit more skills under my belt.
Anthony Brinson III:And a shot she took. Man. Yeah.
Shakyra Mabone:Yeah. Those pictures came incredibly, like They're clean. Really good. I was surprised at myself. I was like, oh, I know I can do it but I didn't know I can do it that well, you know?
Shakyra Mabone:Yeah. But I'm like, I'm really open to learning and just, like, gaining more expertise and, you know, skills and things like that. But that was really fun. I mean, the the situation is not fun at
Shakyra Mabone:all. Yeah.
Anthony Brinson III:No. The curious bookstore is, or the curious bookshop is completely okay or for the most part everything. But Yeah. You would have thought those pictures were taken by natural or somebody who has been doing this for many years because
Jada Vassar:Thank you.
Anthony Brinson III:When, for reference of my, how I formed my opinion, I had looked at our group chat. We have All Shades of Chocolate group chat, and I saw a message from Jada saying that this picture could have been used in GTA. I'm like, what's she talking about? And I looked at the picture Shakira took, and I was I was blown away, honestly.
Shakyra Mabone:Thank you.
Anthony Brinson III:Thank you.
Shakyra Mabone:I was just listen. I just went out to the scene. I just, you know, start thinking about what I want in the story, and I just start clicking away, honestly.
Anthony Brinson III:And it's a perfect showcase of what journalism is because, like you mentioned, you hadn't, that was your first assignment. It was breaking news. So it wasn't a a more comforting, like, oh, okay. Well, this your place go here. It was like
Shakyra Mabone:put myself out there.
Shakyra Mabone:So
Anthony Brinson III:Like, we need these pictures. Do.
Shakyra Mabone:You know? I wanna keep putting myself out there because how else you gonna learn? You know? So And
Anthony Brinson III:if you wouldn't have, they wouldn't have got the pictures at least in that moment because they're like, we need these, like, now. There's a car in a bookstore. We need somebody to take these pictures.
Shakyra Mabone:That was really crazy, though.
Shakyra Mabone:Yeah. Yeah. Really odd.
Anthony Brinson III:Usually, sometimes things are, exaggerated. Like, oh, a store crashed or a car crashed to the bookstore. Maybe it's in front of the bookstore.
Jada Vassar:It was
Shakyra Mabone:in the
Anthony Brinson III:door pretty much.
Jada Vassar:Store, like, for real.
Anthony Brinson III:Shout out the bricks surrounding it because if you walk by at night, it looked like nothing went on. So shout out the bricks.
Shakyra Mabone:Yeah. The car their truck, it didn't crash into the bookstore. It just, like, hit the entry. So, like, it basically just damaged the car or the truck. So
Shakyra Mabone:Yeah.
Shakyra Mabone:Good thing it didn't, like, mess the shop. Yeah.
Jada Vassar:Structure of the building. That would have been crazy.
Shakyra Mabone:That
Shakyra Mabone:would have been so sad.
Anthony Brinson III:And, there were no, like, everybody would like, no lives lost. Nothing like that. No.
Shakyra Mabone:But, Damase, if you can remind me it was like some people that was injured, wasn't it?
Demonte Thomas:It was one person.
Shakyra Mabone:Yeah. Yeah. But when the
Jada Vassar:hospital was injured injuries. But,
Demonte Thomas:person that was behind the truck,
Shakyra Mabone:and
Demonte Thomas:correct me if I'm wrong, but I think they're arrested.
Shakyra Mabone:Yeah. Because they They
Jada Vassar:were hit or run.
Shakyra Mabone:Yeah. They were.
Shakyra Mabone:Yeah. It was a hit or run because the
Jada Vassar:They hit the
Demonte Thomas:bait literally, and they just run out behind
Jada Vassar:the side
Demonte Thomas:of the,
Anthony Brinson III:the bookstore. So Yeah. And that is a crazy occurrence to happen on a random what? That was yesterday or Wednesday? That was Thursday.
Anthony Brinson III:Yeah.
Shakyra Mabone:That was yesterday?
Anthony Brinson III:Yeah. So much so much happens in a day. Right?
Shakyra Mabone:That's crazy. And it yesterday?
Anthony Brinson III:No. I don't remember. Yeah. That was yesterday. If we're wrong and it was Wednesday crazy.
Anthony Brinson III:Then it was Wednesday. But, you know, I think it was, yesterday. But it's crazy the things that can happen just randomly on Grand River. It's already a busy area. So
Jada Vassar:It is. So, Anthony, you kinda started, but, what's your position?
Shakyra Mabone:So
Anthony Brinson III:right. Just to make it full circle moment, you guy you had mentioned, both of you had mentioned, documentary and filming. And, coincidentally, I will be the documentary specialist here at the State News Now. Yay. And with Chris, it was it was it still shocks me that Chris came to me for the opportunity because it was a random day.
Anthony Brinson III:I'm always in the office, and I also stayed in Lansing. It was my 1st Lansing, summer, Lansing summer, quote, unquote. And, I was in the office, and Chris had just mentioned if you know Chris, he was working on something, and he just randomly mentioned, like, hey. You got a second, like, tomorrow?
Shakyra Mabone:And I'm
Anthony Brinson III:like, well, I mean, I worked I had worked at the Breslin, the next day. But I'm like, what's going on now? Like, what's on your mind? And then he proposed the idea.
Shakyra Mabone:What's on your mind? What's on
Jada Vassar:your mind?
Shakyra Mabone:What's on
Jada Vassar:your mind? Shout
Anthony Brinson III:out to What's on Your Mind podcast. That's my podcast if you guys aren't familiar with what I referenced earlier. And, he mentioned some of the ideas he has for the state news of documentaries he wants to produce, and we're still in the works of, take taking care of, like, the background information, the paperwork, all the business side of everything. But I'm really excited, and I never thought of myself to be the documentary filmmaker because, like, I know people like you guys who are more, versed in that field. And I like a Damonte who's good at pretty much everything, but specifically with cameras.
Anthony Brinson III:And to be someone who's, like, kinda doing what you guys are, like, are used to doing, 1, I wanna make you guys proud because hopefully, y'all will be a part of the documentary. Y'all work here and y'all I wouldn't say, I'd say I wouldn't be here without all of you guys. And also, it's, it's a potential another avenue I could go down
Shakyra Mabone:for, like, my journalism career if it turns out good or if
Anthony Brinson III:I, like, enjoy doing it. And, career if it turns out good or if I, like, enjoy doing it. And I
Shakyra Mabone:would it perfectly it's a position that allows me to tell people stories
Anthony Brinson III:and help people. And that's really just all I wanna do in general. I'd love to get people like Suzette, our 1st black editor in chief, black woman editor in chief as well, in the documentary, semi overall. Just there's a lot of potential that could be, in this documentary. So Jamelle,
Shakyra Mabone:if you're listening to this girl
Anthony Brinson III:Jamelle Hill, listen.
Shakyra Mabone:Please come on our podcast, please.
Anthony Brinson III:In a right. In a BJ. Like, there's there's so many possibilities that could be for this documentary. So tune in throughout the year, and we don't know. I'm still unsure if there'll just be, like, one big documentary or multiple mini documentaries.
Anthony Brinson III:Just keep, I'll keep you guys posted.
Jada Vassar:And That sounds fun.
Anthony Brinson III:Is like Chris mentioned, I'll be able to use a drone to get, like, a big overshot of the build. I'm I'm so excited. Oh, that's
Shakyra Mabone:Right. Yes. We go. Right. We
Jada Vassar:need to use that for myself. Apparently, we have a drone.
Shakyra Mabone:Wait a minute. In
Jada Vassar:in this
Anthony Brinson III:fashion, just randomly, like, yeah. I gotta make sure you're using the drone.
Shakyra Mabone:I'll be sure you have it. Chris, we got a drone. I don't know that. That's Well,
Jada Vassar:that's gonna be fun. Yeah. That's gonna be fun. This is gonna be a lot of fun.
Anthony Brinson III:Just a shout out our general manager and our board of, directors. I'm pretty sure they approve the position one. Shout out them for approving the creation of that position. And funny enough, shout out Taylor for the work they're doing because I'm noticing you're adjusting the audio as the as, like, our vocal inflections go up. I ain't doing it.
Anthony Brinson III:I did it in edit I did it in the editing process, so shout out to you for your expertise.
Shakyra Mabone:So I did. The the OG podcast editor. Yeah.
Anthony Brinson III:In many ways, the skin of cat, and I I wouldn't do it in the middle of recording.
Shakyra Mabone:No. That's so real.
Anthony Brinson III:Because we had vocal inflections. That's why I do it in editing. But shout out to Taylor.
Shakyra Mabone:And Are you excited the semester with your new position? I am. That sounds pretty dope.
Anthony Brinson III:I'm very excited.
Shakyra Mabone:We should I wondered, like, if we can collab though. Like, I don't care
Jada Vassar:what we're talking about.
Shakyra Mabone:Like, you know, video and then documentary.
Shakyra Mabone:Oh, I mean, shoot.
Anthony Brinson III:Definitely. I'd probably most likely
Jada Vassar:be working with
Anthony Brinson III:Mhmm. Multimedia and you specifically probably a lot for the documentary. So Yeah. Yeah.
Jada Vassar:I was so Why
Shakyra Mabone:not? Right. I also was just gonna ask, like, do you know how to work your camera? Like, you would
Anthony Brinson III:Not at all. Like Nope. Oh, what Never used one. Alright. Never used one.
Shakyra Mabone:No. I'm saying, like, you mean I wanna learn though. Yeah.
Anthony Brinson III:I would wanna learn. Yeah. I just I never never had it all.
Shakyra Mabone:Like I just said, I don't know how to work with Kim or either, but
Jada Vassar:guess what? We got it.
Anthony Brinson III:As I said
Jada Vassar:I got you.
Anthony Brinson III:I've been around them cameras and people with these cameras. And Jada's a whole this is kinda
Jada Vassar:her thing. Her aim. Right. That's right. We we we got this.
Jada Vassar:So Yeah.
Anthony Brinson III:We are. Room.
Jada Vassar:Raise the roof.
Anthony Brinson III:So yeah. So that'll also be another part of the journey of, a, learning a camera. Or if, because I don't know how what specifically Chris want Chris wants me to do specifically for the documentary of, like, if I were to make a team and, like, I do the interviews, somebody do the cameras. A lot of stuff we're still figuring out. But if I will be the one doing, like, mainly everything or learning on hands on, then luckily, I have a lot of resources, that know how to use a camera.
Anthony Brinson III:About 2 hosts being literally 2 people. So
Jada Vassar:Absolutely. Absolutely. But in
Anthony Brinson III:general, I'm very excited because as I, as we as I've mentioned a couple times in the episode, I'm not the podcast editor no more. And this position really meant a lot to me. So I wouldn't have left the position if I was if I still had the opportunity to do the position, I wouldn't have left it unless there was another thing on the table that was with the state news. Because I was actually coincidentally mentioning to Jada before we got on the mic that I try to be a pretty loyal person to, like, my entities. So, like, the person who do my hair is 1 person.
Anthony Brinson III:1 person who do my tattoos, 1 person. And the job I work at currently, I would wanna stay here and stay podcast editor. But when Chris mentioned the, opportunity, it's it was everything it reminded me of the current podcast editor position, but, like, on a bigger scale. Because I still get to talk to people, still get to interview people, still producing content that is for the state news and in this type of way.
Jada Vassar:So And
Shakyra Mabone:it's on video too.
Anthony Brinson III:And it'll be on video. Everybody. You know? Yeah. And it's just it was an opportunity that I was grateful to be chosen for and excites me to try and learn things and still do, like, what I'm used to doing on a bigger scale.
Anthony Brinson III:So it seems awesome. But what about y'all 2? The opposition?
Shakyra Mabone:Alright. I already said my piece. So, yeah, Jada, like, how
Jada Vassar:do you feeling? How you feeling? You know, I'm I'm excited. You know, it's a lot of hard information comes from my position, but I guess that's kinda why I made it because, you know, if you know me, I'm not one to shy away from, like, deep conversations or I'm usually the one that's, like, you know, saying my opinion or, you know, trying to get people to, like, engage and stuff like that. So that's kinda what I really wanna do here.
Jada Vassar:I know it's kinda gonna be a shock to a lot of people because if you're not used or if you don't live those experiences, it's kinda stuff you don't think about or it's kinda stuff that somebody will say like, oh, diversity. Yeah. No. No. No.
Jada Vassar:Okay. We do that or we do it enough when it's really never enough, but I feel like the state news, we're not at the enough level to where people could sit down and be like, okay. We do this enough. So that's why I really sat throughout the summer those 3 or 4 months and, you know, I wrote so many Google Docs, and y'all saw them. I shared them with y'all, and I wrote so many bullet points, and I was like, no.
Jada Vassar:I really wanna do this. I really wanna be this person because when I was diversity rep, I remember the first time I became diversity rep. All I wanted to do is advocate for I'm a huge advocator, and if I care about you, I'm gonna defend you till the sun comes up. Y'all know this because I do it for y'all. I want to do that because I know what it feels like to not have that person, and you kinda have to build yourself up to be your own self advocator, But it's easier when you have somebody to do it with you because it's like, okay.
Jada Vassar:I don't have to do it by myself, but when I get to the state where I could do it by myself, I can thank you for it. You know? If I ever fall back, you'll still be here with me if I one day still can't do it by myself. And I know it's a lot of students when you come in here. It's intimidating.
Jada Vassar:You know, this is a big office. It's a lot of faces you don't know. It's a lot of
Shakyra Mabone:scared my first time.
Jada Vassar:Me too. I came in here and sat down like this. Oh, we're not on camera. Y'all can't see us right now. But, you know, hands folded, head down, talk to my desk.
Shakyra Mabone:I did it. I'm scared.
Jada Vassar:I'm scared
Shakyra Mabone:to go up to her. To be honest, I was like, well, I don't know.
Shakyra Mabone:She don't wanna be bothered. I'm afraid.
Jada Vassar:Because I didn't know what I was walking into. You know, this is my first real not real not first job, but this is my first job actually figuring out what I wanted to do with my life. So I was like, what am I doing here? They accepted me, number 1, but what am I doing here? But when I got the groove on things, I was like, well, I couldn't have asked for a better place to start off, you know, to get my kick.
Jada Vassar:And I know that's what a lot of people coming in here want. They just wish that somebody could be their leader or their guider with it. So that's what I wanted to be. And I know people hear DI and they think, oh, race or oh, it's just that.
Shakyra Mabone:Just race.
Jada Vassar:Which that's a big part of it, but I'm really just that support system. That's what I really wanna be because I do that in my personal life, so I know I can do it in a work setting. Because even with the people that say here, not DeMonte included, I've counseled and helped them with a lot of work experiences, and they came to me and I was like, bro, Jada, I don't know if I woulda did that without you. And I'm like, bro, say less, bro. Like, what?
Jada Vassar:Like, what's t? We can keep this going. And I wanna keep going, like, with this. So I'm really happy that I made this position, and I stuck with a lot of goals that I wanted it to look like. And even now, like, when I do my trainings, like, if, yeah, you are gonna say news, yeah, we can still gonna do that training.
Jada Vassar:Y'all don't know when it's gonna be we gonna have that for for sure for sure. You're right on. Yeah. That is a You got it? Yep.
Jada Vassar:It's required. Yep. But we're really it's just gonna be a back forth. Because you ever signed a work training, you had to watch a video and you're like, I'm not watching this video. Oh
Shakyra Mabone:my god.
Anthony Brinson III:That's a shit. Training school.
Jada Vassar:Yeah. I know. I'm not watching that.
Shakyra Mabone:Like, I'm
Jada Vassar:not gonna sit up there and do that to me, bro. Facts.
Shakyra Mabone:Y'all know about to sit
Jada Vassar:up there and do that to me.
Shakyra Mabone:So we're gonna do
Jada Vassar:a back and forth. Yeah.
Shakyra Mabone:It's gonna be a how y'all doing today. Good. Good.
Anthony Brinson III:Is gonna be as right.
Jada Vassar:Absolutely. Because that's the only way I can gauge how much you understand and what you're comprehending. I have to ask you a question or I have to say, well, how y'all feel about that? Because me, personally, I don't really like it. Then you get the person that's like, yeah.
Jada Vassar:I don't like it either because of x, y, and z. But at least I can gather that you're understanding what I'm telling you, and you can apply it to real life. So that's all that I wanna, you know, teach reporters, and I feel like it's so important for a journalist because you have to learn how to navigate your sources, especially if they don't look like you. And being a black journalist, most of the sources you talk to don't look like you.
Shakyra Mabone:Yeah.
Jada Vassar:So we kinda already have the backpack in our head, like, okay. We know how to switch it on and off, but a lot of white reporters don't know how to do that because a lot of their sources look like them. But when you get that topic or you enter this field and you're like, okay. Your boss is like, no. You gotta cover this event with this heritage month or, you know, black or smoke.
Jada Vassar:You gotta do this. Right. And you're like, well, shoot. How do I talk to them? Right.
Jada Vassar:We don't connect on any level.
Shakyra Mabone:You just remind me, you know, you brought up sources and things like that.
Shakyra Mabone:Yep. Yep.
Shakyra Mabone:Please please please bring out the, you know, the book that you worked on over the summer as well.
Jada Vassar:Yeah. I forgot about that book. I didn't even forget. I knew a lot, y'all. It's been a lot.
Jada Vassar:But yeah. So over the summer, while I was basically, like, you know, figuring out this position and, you know, working all the details out and stuff, I joined a really, really cool book at Michigan State, and group. They're called the black book. And the black book is based off giving a quick little history lesson. So it was this guy really back in, like, the sixties seventies.
Jada Vassar:His name was Victor Green, and he made a black book that basically was a book that helped African Americans or black people in the South travel. Because, you know, when you cross state borders, one state might have had rules as to, oh, black people can be out past this time. They could go to this hotel. They can go to this gas station. But in the next state, it's completely different.
Jada Vassar:And a lot of black people get arrested for that because they didn't know the rules that separated the states or the differences between the places. Sun downtown. Sun downtown. They were there's still a thing now, but they were really a thing back in the day. I was just gonna
Anthony Brinson III:say the fact that those still exist is crazy.
Jada Vassar:It's crazy. But imagine that, you know, years ago when it
Anthony Brinson III:was for real. Actually for our audience, could you explain what a sundown town is? Mhmm.
Jada Vassar:It's basically definition. Quick definition. Well, I'm a give you what my definition is because to be honest with you, I never I don't know if there's a technical definition for it really or if I ever
Anthony Brinson III:got it. It's low key self explanatory, but just for us,
Jada Vassar:it's self explanatory. You know, when the sun go down, you shouldn't be there.
Shakyra Mabone:Yeah. You shouldn't be there because that's
Jada Vassar:Yeah. Because that's when the more, you know, racist population or the true people of the neighborhood come out. And if they don't like somebody that's not supposed to be there, they're gonna hear about it or worse, they're gonna kill you for it. Like, try not to be blunt, but that's kinda what happens in these towns.
Shakyra Mabone:Yeah.
Anthony Brinson III:And it's mainly, like, black people. If you're not if you're there and you're not supposed to be there, but and it's the reason why I asked you to explain what it is is because the whole point of your position and what you were saying is sometimes people outside these cultures don't know. So what is a normal town to them? They probably some people, they most likely know. It's a whole another conversation.
Anthony Brinson III:But let's say it to give benefits out. They don't know that that's a sundown town or Yeah. They may not know what a sundown town is or that they still exist. Because even as a black person, I didn't know those still existed. I thought that was, like, a history thing and no.
Jada Vassar:Still thing. Yeah, man. I wish, but, no, they're very that would say they're more hidden. Like, you kinda have to hit a town to realize, like, okay. This is a sundown town.
Jada Vassar:Mhmm. But, yeah, they're still there. And that's kinda what the black book group that I joined was really about. Mhmm. So take kinda what I said about Victor Green.
Jada Vassar:He made this book for, you know, really black southerners because the south obviously has most people know historically. That's where it was really, really hard at. So take this book for black people to travel safely. If they want to go on vacations, these were the black friendly places. These are the places that were less likely to get detained and arrested at, you know, less likely to get segregated against or, you know, get aggression towards and kinda transform that to incoming black students at Michigan State.
Jada Vassar:You know? It's a book that has people you should know on campus. So black advisors, black professors, black RAs, and, you know, going on Grand River, they have black owned businesses, you know, black friendly, LGBTQ, places and restaurants and they don't care about it. You know?
Shakyra Mabone:But, you know?
Jada Vassar:Yeah. But it has these things for those groups that don't feel like they have a place in Michigan State or they don't know where their place could be because this campus is huge. But the book the book kinda made the campus feel small in a way, but still kinda big. It kinda lets you know, like, hey. We're not many, but we're here.
Jada Vassar:And once you find us, you'll wanna always stay. Like, you'll always have a place you could come to. And I always remember, like, hey. This campus might be 30, 40000 people deep, but I got these 10. I got these 20.
Jada Vassar:You know, I got these 50 maybe if you're lucky. That'll, you know, just ride for me. And that's kinda really what I wanna put the attitude in here with for a newsroom because we always say that the newsroom feels like a family. But there's there's the little loopholes in between that I kinda wanna sew together, and I think DI is where it's lacking it.
Shakyra Mabone:The gaps.
Jada Vassar:Yeah. I think DI is where the gaps that could really bring it together and really make us as inclusive as possible. Because I will say, honestly, since I've been here and with the work that I've been doing or trying to do, as far as our coverage, it's on the right track. But now I'm just trying to work in house. Mhmm.
Shakyra Mabone:Because I
Jada Vassar:feel like once you do the in house part, then the outhouse has to follow because you'll be used to it. So I ramble, but, you know, y'all know that.
Shakyra Mabone:No. That's really
Shakyra Mabone:I'm really glad that you got into it because it's so it's great that, you know, you really really wanna make change in here because that's what needs to happen, seriously. So
Anthony Brinson III:And to give the disclaimer again, but I'm giving it for a reason, that these are only our thoughts and not of the state news. But I repeat that disclaimer, a, to save our own butts for our, like, jobs. But also, I completely agree. Not to leave you guys hanging as if, only 1 host or 2 host feel one thing. I also agree that not only does this newsroom, but really the world needs a lot more representation in DEI or in, inclusive works.
Anthony Brinson III:Because like you mentioned, and I actually wanna ask a question about it, just some organizations, they would think of their diversity quota as if, like, oh, it's enough. But you mentioned something that I also agree with and is interested in that. There's really never a stopping point. There's never really enough of diversity you could do to represent people outside of your culture, whether it's black, Asian, etcetera, etcetera. So if you could just expound or if you wouldn't mind expounding upon what you meant by it's never enough, and then what work could be done to either make it enough or at least get on that path of working towards the right direction about representation and
Shakyra Mabone:Yeah.
Jada Vassar:That work. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So kinda what I mean when I say it's never enough, I feel like certain businesses, kinda like you said, when they finally get, like, that black worker or they get, like, the native American worker or they get the Asian worker.
Jada Vassar:You know what I'm saying? The Hispanic worker. They're kinda like, okay. Now we kind of we met what our audience wanted. We have the one person that looks like them, so now we'll get the viewers and, you know, the subscriptions and, you know, all that stuff because now we finally have the representation matters, so to speak.
Jada Vassar:But that one black person doesn't serve for the whole black community because there's so many different variations of what each of us look like. Even the 3 of us, we're not all we're black, but we're not all the same person. So it's hard for you to put this one person there and be like, yep. That's for y'all. When it that person, we don't they be saying some, you know, some crap.
Jada Vassar:You know what I'm saying?
Shakyra Mabone:I was just gonna ask. Do you think, like, that's performative to, like, the company? Like, do you know okay.
Jada Vassar:I definitely think it's performative, and I definitely think it's all for show, which kinda sucks because when DEI really became, like, the thing in business, we're getting, like, the backlash for it. They definitely did it for the performative action. You know? They definitely did it for the, okay, here. Like, you you're on us for it so much.
Jada Vassar:Here, take it. And, you know, that's all we're giving you Right. When that's not fair. No. You're right.
Jada Vassar:You're happy now we finally gave you this person because that's not fair. You're using this black person for your own media and, you know, reputational gain, but that's not fair to them because who's to say they waited their whole life for this job. And then to feel like you only got this job because they needed you to keep their status up, that's not fair. When you don't know what that person could bring to your team, like, business wise, administration wise. To their talents.
Shakyra Mabone:You know?
Jada Vassar:Actually looking at them as a person, not just as their race, can go so much better. And I feel like that kind of ties into when I say there's there's so much more you can do and it's kinda infinite because the second when DEI really just becomes second nature to everybody, then I feel like people won't have to look at it as a racial issue. Then I feel like people will look at it as more of, like, a equity issue. Okay. Am I giving everybody equal chances?
Jada Vassar:Is everybody getting a fair chance? Is everybody getting the opportunity to do something at least once? Then you look at it as an inclusivity, you know, option. Okay. Is everybody going to see these after work activities?
Jada Vassar:Am I having lunch with all my workers? Am I making sure everybody's voice is heard when we talk about these ideals? Does the business reflect everybody? But we're still stuck on that diversity part of just accepting other races into these businesses that we can never move forward with the other letters. But that's why I say it's infinite.
Jada Vassar:Because once you finally step your door, open your door, and be like, okay. I'll let you in here. Okay. I'll see what you're talking about. I'll see what this culture and this perspective can do for me, then we'll flourish.
Jada Vassar:But it's so hard to get people past the racial point because it's just, you know, systematic oppression, stereotypes people have against other races. Oh, they're not motivated. You know? They don't work. They're the most unemployed race out there.
Jada Vassar:They don't do nothing.
Shakyra Mabone:Yeah. And then, you know, this is probably, like, a different conversation. But, you know, are you aware of the term oppression Olympics?
Jada Vassar:Yeah.
Shakyra Mabone:Yeah. You know, that's some some of that is in the workplace too. You know?
Jada Vassar:It is. 1 person always wants to say, you know, they had it worse than the other. You know? I went through this at 5, and I went through this at 10. And, you know, they didn't accept me until I was 24.
Jada Vassar:Y'all saying the same thing. You know what I'm saying? Maybe maybe you did have it harder than me. Okay? But we're still having it hard.
Jada Vassar:They don't accept either of us. So right now, we're at the same square. So you might have had it harder than me, but they're saying no to both of us. So what's what really needs to change is not what we're trying to talk about right here right now.
Shakyra Mabone:Yeah.
Shakyra Mabone:So You're focusing on the wrong
Jada Vassar:shit. The wrong stuff. Okay. I'm a clean up for you. They're wrong.
Jada Vassar:You're focused on the wrong stuff. So, yeah, basically, you know, that's a whole I give a whole explanation to you, but, you know, you like them long answers. So, you know, thank you. I appreciate that. But, yeah, the the second I feel like the world can take their head out of their superior people out here, I feel like we can do it better.
Jada Vassar:And if I can make that change at the state news or I can make sure that this place is as inclusive as possible by the time I graduate, then I feel like I've made a mark. And I feel like I can do it somewhere else because my first step is here. Because I know people better. You know, I've been here for a few I've been here for a few years. So I feel like I have the authority and the respect by the staff to be able to make decisions like that.
Jada Vassar:Mhmm. Because they know us in the right direction and so do I, and so do Chris. That's why he he didn't let me make this position. So, yeah, I wanna start it here. And then if I feel like I've made somewhat of a change here, then I know I could I'm a do it wherever I go, basically.
Anthony Brinson III:And I wanna continue talking about that with a couple more questions I have for you. You. So, unfortunately, in these type of scenarios, we may it may not be a stranger that we're working on. These are probably, like, mutual friends we may have of, like, a friend who may not be a a minority and a person who may be a part of a minority group. So how, with your best experience and knowledge, how do you handle those hard conversations when it's 2 people you may know or 2 people you may not, maybe a person who may or may not be of that minority group who you wouldn't have expected to make a mistake makes that mistake.
Anthony Brinson III:And how do you go about it in an educational way rather than a put them on blast way?
Jada Vassar:Mhmm. I definitely feel like especially if, like, this person is, like, your friend or someone you would consider hanging out with, like, in the office or out of the office, I definitely feel like there needs to be 2 separate conversations. I definitely feel like there needs to be a work one and then a personal one because, say, you give the work conversation, you know, everything's calm 9 to 5. You know? We work better.
Jada Vassar:We make great business plans together. You know? We're a team better, but the second you leave the office, it's like they still running at the mouth with the same comments, with the same, yo, I told you I'm not cool with that. I don't really like that. I don't find that funny.
Jada Vassar:That's why I say it needs to be 2 separate conversations because I feel like the personal one goes deeper into, okay, you're hurting me as a person, not as the work person to me. Like, my individual self is hurt and I consider you a friend. And if we still want to be friends, you have to stop talking like that. Because if you flip the script, you wouldn't hang around someone who constantly said things that brought you down, which brings up to why I really want to have a segment on microaggressions and how sly they can be and how people don't realize what microaggressions are until the person goes to complain. I put quotations around complaining because it's not complaining.
Jada Vassar:It's sticking up for yourself. But people view it as complaining because they don't understand why you're so upset. Or, oh, I just said you
Shakyra Mabone:or
Jada Vassar:I just said you speak so proper
Shakyra Mabone:for a black person. What's wrong with that?
Jada Vassar:What's what's wrong? What's so wrong with that? I just said you speak so well.
Shakyra Mabone:Talking proper mean? What is, like, seriously?
Jada Vassar:Black mean? Like, what? For a black person, what other black people do you talk to? What how do they sound? Or what's different from to the white
Shakyra Mabone:guys sound?
Shakyra Mabone:Have AAVE, but, like
Jada Vassar:Come on now. Yeah. That being.
Shakyra Mabone:Oh, my bad. African American Vernacular English. That's what AAVE means. You know?
Anthony Brinson III:And if you notice throughout the episode, the reason why I keep doing that, like, what do you mean? What do you mean? Is because the point of this convo is people don't be knowing. Yeah.
Shakyra Mabone:I'm really I'm sure. Yeah.
Anthony Brinson III:Because it even like, I don't not to speak for y'all, but it becomes annoying for me when I have to explain, like, a simple thing that's simple for me because I'm black, but these are the necessarily these seeming like the necessary steps to take to kinda bridge that gap because it's sometimes we feel it should be pretty common sense. Like, if when you heard me laugh from saying, oh, you talk like a black purse or you talk proper for a black person, obviously, to us sitting here, that's a wild statement. But Very welcome. Most people, unfortunately, I speak from experience, don't know why that's a bad ex moment moment thing to say. Family.
Jada Vassar:So it's just a
Shakyra Mabone:It's like, oh, you sound so proper. You sound like, I
Shakyra Mabone:was just on the phone with my cousin the other, well, it wasn't the other day. It was, like, couple weeks ago. She was like, dang, you still talk proper, girl. And I was like, oh, thank you.
Jada Vassar:I was I gave
Shakyra Mabone:them just how to talk.
Shakyra Mabone:I'm a her to death, but, you know, you
Jada Vassar:know Just a little thing.
Shakyra Mabone:Yeah. And that but that's what
Jada Vassar:I really want to get, you know, especially through as a journalist because that can't fly when you're speaking to a source because now you just excommunicated anything for the future for yourself. And now you put yourself on a bad pedestal because they're gonna tell their people like, no. They said this, this, and this. They didn't even understand why I said let's cut the interview short, you know. And I'm not saying you're gonna know everything in the world about every culture.
Jada Vassar:But at least if you go in with an understanding of wanting to learn and when you make the mistake, you apologetic, oh, I'm so sorry, you know. I'm still learning on here. I wanna learn. Matter of fact, let's cut the interview. Can you tell me more about your culture?
Jada Vassar:You know? What happens? What's the main points? You know? What should I be aware of?
Jada Vassar:Continuing to speak to people that look like you when that comes from somebody that looks like me. You know what I'm saying? It's all about how your delivery sounds, because you definitely can get the delivery of, well, why you mad? You mad for no reason. I didn't say anything bad versus the I didn't know that was a bad thing, because that doesn't hurt me.
Shakyra Mabone:Yeah.
Jada Vassar:But it hurted you. Even if I'm not offended by it, that doesn't mean I offended you. And that's what I'm and that's kind of a people thing too. A lot of people don't really get that. Like, the well, I didn't say it in an offensive way.
Jada Vassar:That doesn't mean it still didn't offend the other party or the other person.
Anthony Brinson III:And that statement, just to let it breathe for a second, important lesson. Because not only is, like you said, a lot of it's a people thing, even us, we can make that mistake as well. Even if it's in our own community or our own friends, we make those same mistakes as well. And this isn't just a us as black people teach white people thing. Like, this is a like, if you go
Shakyra Mabone:like a humanity lesson, basically. Yeah.
Anthony Brinson III:And if you go through the three letters like you did of DEI of diversity, equity, and inclusion, that don't say black, white. It don't say a specific we don't specify. We're trying to bring everybody together.
Shakyra Mabone:Heavy on the e, equity. Heavy on the
Jada Vassar:e because I feel like people forget the e. Yeah. And the I and
Shakyra Mabone:the e.
Jada Vassar:And the The whole thing.
Shakyra Mabone:Get the whole thing, actually. So
Jada Vassar:but, yeah, it's gonna be a lot of especially here, I feel like it's gonna be a lot of, changing things around and, you know, like I said, trial and error, but I'm willing to work with the error and, you know, willing to work with the people that make the mistakes. I'm never gonna shame you if you make a mistake. That's not who I am. Personal or work, I make mistakes. It would be crazy of me to sit up here and say, oh, no.
Jada Vassar:I do everything right. No. I do not. I do not. But I what I wanna do is be vulnerable and be relatable.
Jada Vassar:So if you see me making a mistake, that means you can make it too. And if you come to me and be like, ain't I messed up?
Shakyra Mabone:Troy Hill, our, broadcast professor and documentary professor, he said No.
Shakyra Mabone:Shut up, Troy.
Shakyra Mabone:He says, oh oh, it's okay to make mistakes. That's what you're here for.
Jada Vassar:Exactly. It's okay to make mistake. I'll take that one thing from him. It's okay to make mistakes. That's what you're here for.
Jada Vassar:And it's okay to make a mistake with me. That's what I'm here for is to tell you that, yeah, baby, that was a mistake. Let's not do that no more. But let me tell you why. Mhmm.
Jada Vassar:They may not just shun you because you did it. Let me educate you so you could feel better about 1 yourself and feel better. All about, if you will, and feel better about it going forward.
Anthony Brinson III:Mhmm. Yeah. And just the last question I had as far as this specific topic is just as a general statement, if you were talking to a non person of color who's maybe a reporter or just a person in general, what's something or what's a main thing you would say is important when speaking to somebody of a minority group?
Shakyra Mabone:I agree. I was just gonna ask that question too. You had the same quest
Anthony Brinson III:You're in very mind.
Jada Vassar:Like, don't think alike. Uh-huh. If if I had to pick something, like, off the top of my head, it would definitely be that remember that your source is still a human. Because I feel like when you get into work and, you know, your editor, if you will, working here, you know, we have editors and all that stuff. They pitch you something and they say, hey.
Jada Vassar:I need you to cover this event. Or, hey. I need you to cover this person that did some, extraordinary work. I need you to talk about why they did it, what challenges they went through, you know, how they become who they are x, y, and z. I sometimes feel like we think of sources too much as, like, a object to complete or a goal to accomplish, Forgetting that that's a person we're still talking to and who knows what they went through to get to what they are.
Jada Vassar:Okay? And who knows what they went through to get to where they are. So sometimes even entering your interview, getting background off the mic, off the record if you will Yeah. Goes a long way because now the comfortableness is there. Now the environment is okay.
Jada Vassar:They wanna hear what I have to say. They care about me. They don't care about just referencing me in a story, you know, such and such said. They care about, you know, some of the stuff I may not wanna be in the story, but I wanna tell them because they made the space so inviting. So I definitely say if you enter these, you know so especially at Michigan State where, you know, the university we attend, unfortunately, as well has not had the best track record when it comes to their black community and the representation they hold.
Jada Vassar:You have to enter it and understand why they're fighting so hard. You have to understand why the fight that they have can't go away, and it'll never go away. You gotta understand that some of these people aren't here just for them. They're here for their family. They're here for their kids, if they got kids.
Jada Vassar:They're here for their spouse. They're here for their siblings. You gotta understand why their fight is different from yours, and that's okay because we're all fighting for a different reason. But as long as you go in and understand what they're doing before the, you know, the story stuff come up, then that's the best thing. You know?
Jada Vassar:Don't don't be so heavily stressed on, oh my god. They're the professor. They're the doctor. I gotta talk to them just because they're a doctor. Talk to them because they're just Anthony.
Jada Vassar:Or talk to them just because they Shakira. Or talk to them just because they, you know, they're them first. Then, of course, they'll touch on them being a doctor because of their accomplishments. They'll go in just wanting to talk to them as a person. Yeah.
Shakyra Mabone:Like, just just another one.
Shakyra Mabone:You know? Absolutely.
Jada Vassar:Because even with the stuff I've written, that's kinda how I wanted to navigate. I my sources look. I talk all day. Y'all see this now. And even and they know this too, but, like, my sources, we've had such long conversations before I even interviewed them that I was like, oh, I didn't wanna interview you no more.
Jada Vassar:Because I feel like I got everything I need to know. You answered my questions. I didn't even ask you anything. I asked you okay. I asked you, oh, I like your name.
Jada Vassar:What's the background of it? Or, oh, I like, you know, the way you dress is different than me. What's the background? What culture are you? What do you represent?
Jada Vassar:What do you know? What's why is today so important for you? What are you doing? Where'd you come from?
Shakyra Mabone:But why orange?
Shakyra Mabone:But why orange? We're gonna get them in. You know you know, but why orange?
Jada Vassar:But those are the questions that give you the best answers, not, oh, why did you study this in college? Or why did you become you know, that'll you'll get an answer. But I feel like your best relative answer is really that makes the story, like, wow. That was a good story. Right.
Jada Vassar:Pop, if you will. Ask about themselves as a person. Take all the degrees and the accolades and the, you know, I did this for so long. I traveled overseas, stuff away, and it's just like, who are you?
Shakyra Mabone:Who are you?
Jada Vassar:Are you are you?
Anthony Brinson III:And What's
Shakyra Mabone:Matter of fact, what's
Shakyra Mabone:your story? Matter of fact, what's your story? Matter of fact, in the comments
Jada Vassar:I just I just completed an assignment for my triple a s. That's African American and African Studies class.
Shakyra Mabone:Mhmm. And, basically, the assignment was about, like, what's your story?
Jada Vassar:Like your story?
Shakyra Mabone:What has people told about yourself? What do you know about yourself? It was really a fun assignment. I did a video.
Jada Vassar:Because the beauty about hearing stories, you realize there's so much more that connects people when you take race out of it. Yeah. There's so much more that connects us by not just, okay, my skin is darker than yours, or, okay, we have the same skin complexion.
Shakyra Mabone:That was the whole point in the assignment because, we have, like, a lot of, you know, biracial students in that class too. We have a couple, white students in that class. When everybody presented their story, I was like, oh, we got a lot in common, really. And that's literally the point of the, you know, assignment.
Shakyra Mabone:So Yeah.
Jada Vassar:That's the whole point. People have so much in common than what they realize, but they're so scared because of the whole race thing or, oh, they're not gonna accept me because of how I look, and those are things people can't change. But if you take that away and you just walk up to somebody, be like, oh, no. I wanna know about you. You know what I'm saying?
Jada Vassar:Of course, race will come into play because, you know, that's a community thing. It's a cultural thing to some people. But that's okay because other people, there's so many cultures. You can connect with, like, oh, I like doing this because, you know, it connects me to my family. Well, I do this and it connects me to my family.
Jada Vassar:Connection. Or, oh, I dress this way because it builds my my confidence. Why do my hair this way because I lack confidence in this area so I do it to build it. Connection. We're not even talking about I'm black and you white or I'm black and you black.
Jada Vassar:You know what I'm saying? We're not even talking about that stuff. But people be so scared, but it's okay. You just gotta get, you know, just throw yourself out there. You never know what could happen.
Jada Vassar:Some people might shut you down too. That's okay. Right. Because everybody's not so nice. You gonna get
Shakyra Mabone:Everybody's not your cup of tea.
Jada Vassar:Everybody's not your cup of tea. You're gonna get your people that's like, I'm not talking to you, gang. Leave me alone. Leave me alone. And you know what?
Jada Vassar:Leave them alone and keep going. Don't let them stop you.
Shakyra Mabone:Okay. Okay?
Anthony Brinson III:And to piggyback on all of that, just at the end of the day, this isn't necessarily a don't see color conversation because that sometimes gets muddied in these type of conversations. Just whole another conversation. We'd be here all day if we dove into every conversation. But we just the best way I could think of describe it as race is a piece of somebody, but it's not the whole puzzle. And usually, as journalists, we're talking about the puzzle.
Anthony Brinson III:We're trying to talk about why this puzzle is important. But if you only focus on one piece, you're only gonna get one piece, and that piece is only gonna feel as though you only care. So if you only go into this, oh, okay. This is a black person. That's all they're gonna feel.
Anthony Brinson III:That's all you're gonna get, etcetera. You look at it as a person like Jada mentioned, then you'll see just below that color and below that surface. So just the work you're doing and you're gonna do, one is necessary because as we've seen, whether it's a worldly view or from any other perspective, it is a needed position. And just from the work I've seen working simultaneously and side by side with you as the diversity rep last semester, I know you're perfect for the position. So just Thank you, Keith.
Anthony Brinson III:When we go for our audience and for anybody else interacts with us, if it may seem sometimes it may seem repetitive or it may seem OD for lack of better words, but it's really necessary because this is a part of people's lifestyles. Not even just ours, other minorities go through things every day that even we may not know of. We joked about the, why orange though? That joke stems from a microaggression about Jada's hair that she had orange color in her hair. And we may laugh about it, we may joke about it, but these things happen very, quickly, very often, and sometimes very quick.
Anthony Brinson III:So just if you have if you have a person of color or just a minority or just a person in your life, take the time to learn more about them. Just and it can happen very easily. It don't have to be that deep of, like, so who are you? Just listen sometimes.
Jada Vassar:It helps. Mhmm.
Anthony Brinson III:So with that being said, do you guys have any other things you wanna touch on or end the show off at all?
Shakyra Mabone:I just can't wait for this semester. I love news, you know. I'm still looking for internships, so I don't know. I may be here, I may not be, but I'm gonna have a good time as long as I'm here.
Jada Vassar:So And I know that's sweet.
Shakyra Mabone:Bring it on.
Anthony Brinson III:I just been telling people for my senior year, I just wanna have fun. And thankfully, so far, it started off pretty fun.
Shakyra Mabone:So I know. Really.
Anthony Brinson III:I'm just grateful to make it to senior year because I always I'll be, hearing the, quotes of, like, oh, I'm used to I went to college or I went and I forget, like, dang. I'm about to graduate college.
Shakyra Mabone:I miss MSU so so much. Like, I walk around campus, and I was just like, dang. Like, I work, I'm a receptionist at my other job, you know, just trying to get extra money or whatever. You know? My last name is getting money.
Shakyra Mabone:Stop playing.
Shakyra Mabone:The hiring attorneys get money. Yes. Mhmm. I mean Mhmm. I like it.
Shakyra Mabone:I like it.
Shakyra Mabone:But, I work, like, where I used to live my freshman and my sophomore year, and I was just like, dang. It's so nostalgic. I'm gonna miss it. It's so bittersweet. Yeah.
Shakyra Mabone:Yeah. Get
Anthony Brinson III:an episode off by Wegano. Wegano.
Shakyra Mabone:Oh, it was just my birthday. Yes.
Shakyra Mabone:So you
Jada Vassar:left there with us now. Perfect. When I
Anthony Brinson III:end the episode, if you wanna end it off before our outro, talk about yourself, miss 21.
Shakyra Mabone:Yeah. Big one that Yeah.
Shakyra Mabone:Yeah. So I turned 21 last Friday. That was September 6. I went back to our hometown, Detroit. You know, it was okay.
Shakyra Mabone:But, you know, family family gonna be family, but I have fun overall, and I cannot wait to see what the rest of my twenties have for me, honestly.
Anthony Brinson III:And we just starting, so it's gonna be a lot more work.
Shakyra Mabone:Yeah. We most definitely getting started.
Jada Vassar:Absolutely.
Anthony Brinson III:And with that being said, shout out all the other, podcast networks are part of this State News Podcast Network. Shout out the new, what's the main copy position? Senior copy chief? Copy what's the name of the
Jada Vassar:senior copy chief? Player.
Anthony Brinson III:Copy chief. Shout out Claire Donoh for the, position.
Jada Vassar:Chief. Yeah. She's she's doing amazing on Reagan. I can't wait to see all she does.
Anthony Brinson III:And shout out Liz Nas. I mean, the work that you're doing is senior chief from the people you've brought in to the things that you I see you running around like Chris Nas. So just shout out to you. You're doing a great job as editor in chief. And to everybody that makes everything a part of this newsroom possible, thank all of you guys, and we're so grateful for tuning in, for you guys tuning in to season 4 of our episode.
Anthony Brinson III:And this has been All Shades of Chocolate, where we've brought
Shakyra Mabone:The sweetest, the hottest, black culture in MSU.
Jada Vassar:And remember to stay sweet. Bye.