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The Culture Xperience with Mel & Bruce is a Monthly program on 91.5 KUNV Jazz & More dedicated to elevating cultural dialogue, community engagement, and diverse leadership across Las Vegas and beyond. Hosted by Mel Tillar and Bruce Milam, the show provides a structured platform for meaningful conversations with business professionals, civic leaders, educators, artists, entrepreneurs, and community organizations whose work contributes to cultural advancement and social impact.
Each episode highlights relevant issues and opportunities within the community, including economic development, the arts, education, health, local history, cultural events, and emerging initiatives that strengthen the fabric of Southern Nevada. Through thoughtful interviews and informed discussions, the show aims to connect listeners with valuable resources, promote visibility for underrepresented voices, and encourage informed participation in cultural and civic life.
Committed to authenticity, professionalism, and service, The Culture Xperience offers listeners a balanced blend of information, insight, and inspiration—reflecting the rich diversity and vibrant spirit of the communities KUNV serves.
Wesley Knight 0:00
This is a KU NV studios original program. The content of this program does not reflect the views or opinions of 91.5 jazz and more the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, or the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education.
Music 0:19
The culture
Music 0:25
experience.
Mel Tillar 0:36
You're listening to the culture experience with melon Bruce, my guest today is Jerry Merritt. She is the Senior Vice President and the Community Development Manager with over 45 years of banking experience. She's with the bank of Nevada, currently called the Western alliance bank. Jerry. Welcome to the show.
Jerrie Merritt 1:03
Hi. It's so nice to be here.
Mel Tillar 1:05
I'm thrilled to have me. Yes, listen, I'm thrilled to have you here, because we're going to talk about your bank. We're going to talk about how individuals in our community can start businesses, grow businesses, and how they can work with your bank, how they can work with you. One of the things that happens is individuals are often, I don't want to use the word afraid, but they are often very cautious about working with banks, because they don't believe that banks will work with them. What do you have to say about that, that feeling that people in the community have, that banks are not willing to work with us?
Jerrie Merritt 1:58
Well, that is a very true fact, and I happen to think I have the answer, after all my years of being in banking, of the reason why small businesses feel that way, and I think the number one reason is because the small business do not start out by forming A relationship with their bank. So if you think about anything else in life, right, if you if it's unknown to you, or if you're not comfortable, or if you don't have a relationship with that person or with that organization, you would naturally feel uncomfortable, right? Yes, so, it's about relationships. Most small businesses or business owners or entrepreneurs usually have a personal account with the financial institution that they really don't really need to have a relationship for, because they usually keep their money in a checking account. They save his account, you know, they have a credit card, and they may go into the bank to take out a loan, okay, you know, a car or something like that. You know, even when they get ready to buy a house, you know, they reach out to a realtor, and that realtor then looks for the financial institution for them, so they still don't have to form a relationship. But it's different when you actually start a business. When you start a business, you need your bank to be your first partner.
Mel Tillar 3:36
I love that. Let's talk about a couple of things that might help people feel more comfortable with banks and start making and forming that relationship with the bank. So So let's say that you are an entrepreneur and you're just getting started. So what the first three things an aspiring entrepreneur should do before applying for business loan,
Jerrie Merritt 4:00
before they apply for a business loan, they need to make sure that all of their state documentation is in order, okay, okay. They need to make sure that they have their tax identification number with the IRS, okay. They need to make sure their name, whether fictitious or not has been filed with the secretary of state. You know, they need to make sure that they have their business license in the county or the city in which they're actually doing business. So that documentation is so important, all right? And then the next thing is making sure that their finances are in order. Okay? Typically, for most banks, a new business need to be in business two solid years before they can actually qualify for a loan from a bank. You know. Notice I said bank, right? I didn't say credit unions or or there are different other financial institutions that have different guidelines, which we'll talk a little bit about later. But if you're coming into a bank to apply, you need two years of financials for that business. And I know you just said startup, most startup don't have two years, actually, of financials, but those are the guidelines in order for a small business to be able to to qualify. So all right, okay. Now I
Mel Tillar 5:34
know from a personal experience that you bank of Nevada, Western alliance, bank you all have, you all have some ways of helping people who are just starting out tell us about that.
Jerrie Merritt 5:49
Yes, we do. And the reason why we have this particular product that I am going to tell you about is because bank of Nevada, slash Western alliance have always been a bank that was actually engaged within the community. Yes, and we identified the fact that there were too many entrepreneurs or small businesses that started up that did not have access to capital, because, as you well, know, any small business needs access to capital, right? Yes. So, so we created a product where, if you come bank with us, and I want you to get that, that word come bank with us, come into our bank. You want to bank with us. You want a relationship with us, you open up a bank account with all of your documentation. In order, we will qualify you for a small, what we are calling overdraft protection. Actually, me, it's a small line of credit that is actually attached to that checking account. And I know you're probably thinking, but I haven't been in business two years yet, okay, but that's right, if you've been in business at least six months, okay, you you have all your everything in order. Okay, six months, Secretary of State, proves that you can do that. You have done that, we will then open up a checking account for you. We won't worry about your personal credit, and we won't worry about your business credit, because as a new startup, you don't have a bit in the business credit. That's right, we will use the guidelines that you filed all your documentation and that you are a legitimate business, doing business within our footprint, and that would be Nevada, California or Arizona. You open up that account, and we actually qualify you for that small line of credit attached to your checking account, if, if you use it, fine. You know, if you decide not to use it, it just sits there until it's available for you
Mel Tillar 8:07
to hear the full interview and all of our bonus content. Visit our YouTube channel, the culture experience with Mel and Bruce, and don't forget, hit those buttons, subscribe, share and luck. You're listening to the culture experience with Mellon Bruce. I'm Mel tiller, your host. I'm thrilled to be with you today. Our guest today is Pastor Kelsey West, pastor of Nehemiah industries, and Dr Robert Bush, President of the Las Vegas chapter of man, the National Action Network. Gentlemen, welcome to the show.
Dr. Robert Bush 8:50
Well, thank you, Mel, for having us on the show. I listen to the show quite often, but thank you for having us on the show and having this very important conversation.
Rev. Dr. Kelcey West 9:01
Amen, I echo those sentiments. Brother Mel, it's an honor to be not only with you on this show, but to be with my other brother. I'm Dr Bush as to pastor Nehemiah ministries. I'm honored to spend this time with both of you.
Mel Tillar 9:15
I'm looking forward to this gentleman. You know, all of us are friends. We hang out in the same circles. It's always a pleasure to spend time with you. Yes, sir, it is Pastor West, yes. Dr bush. Are here representing a new organization, the black leadership collective. Please tell us about your organization. Yes,
Rev. Dr. Kelcey West 9:36
sir. Newly formed organization, literally, the best way I can describe it is an all star team of leaders in our community, yes, who have joined forces to do what we've talked about doing in the past, and that's simply to make sure before we enter another election cycle, before we enter a man another political run, we want to make sure that we have a cohesive agenda. Agenda for our community. And so as we look at all the different things that affect us, we are coming together to serve as voluntary. We're volunteering our time to serve as voices for the voiceless and to give strength to the weak, but to make sure that our community is not forgotten. And so that's that's the purpose of us coming together is it's not to create just for the sake of creating. It's not to create to take away from what other entities are doing, but it's simply to bring our most committed minds and hearts to the table.
Mel Tillar 10:37
And congratulations to you. I understand that you have been named vice president of this organization.
Rev. Dr. Kelcey West 10:42
Yes, sir, I have accepted that, that invitation, that honor, and so I'm in the midst of all that I'm doing as well as the two of you. We both understand that it's just this is just not the time to not step up when being asked. So I have said yes to that position.
Mel Tillar 10:59
I want you to understand what he just said, this is not a time to step back. This is not a time for you to sit on the porch. Our our culture, our country, is being attacked, and everybody has to figure out a way to stand up. Everybody has to figure out a way to make a contribution. I know you're busy, I know you're working hard. I know you have things going on, but every single individual who's listening to me must stand up. You must make your contribution. Dr Bush, the black leadership Collective is supporting a national initiative called black out Black Friday. Please explain what that initiative
Dr. Robert Bush 11:49
is. Black Out Black Friday was originally conceived in the mind of Dr Jamal Bryant, who I know very well through my relationship with National Action Network, and that is, he came up with the tagline, I'm not buying it. I'm not buying it. And it was mainly originally focused on target, but now has been extended to not buying anything, to withholding our dollars from November the 27th November the 27th and November the 27th is, or the 26th I'm sorry, is actually Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving night. A lot of times stores open up, and that's when people start buying. Yes, until December the second, until December the second. And so it's a collective action from from us as black folks, us as those that support the DEI, or the withholding of dei from our communities, which not just affects black folks, but it affects Latinos, and it affects those that are in the LGBTQ plus community. And so it's a collective action that we believe is going to hit corporations in their pockets and let them know that we're not standing for it anymore.
Mel Tillar 13:24
Great, great pastor West, could you give us a historical example of an economic boycott working? Because that's what we're talking about here, ladies and gentlemen, we're talking about an economic boycott. Pastor West tell us about a time when economic boycotting worked.
Rev. Dr. Kelcey West 13:44
Listen, I wish we could turn back the hands of time and go back to that Montgomery boycott, bus boycott. I wish we could go back to that time where for almost 400 days we worked together. We were committed. We had a goal, and it was working in the midst of not only working to gain seats at the front of the bus, what I most love about that particular time, we had developed our own system. We had developed our own transportation. And so you look at a Black Friday, you look at this, at what's what's about to take place. We need that same mindset where we embrace the fact that we have economic power. It's the economics when we really affect people economically. That's when people, for whatever reason, tend to listen to our voice. They tend to say, come sit a little bit closer. For some reason, when we not spending our money, people get a little nicer. And so I think we need to stop fooling ourselves and thinking it's not economics. We give away our power, we silence our own voices by spending money, and sometimes we do it in places where people don't even say thank you and. And so it's imperative that we come together and we understand marches are wonderful. Protesters are wonderful. Speeches are to be remembered and spoken over and over again. But the real impact comes when we close our wallets, close our pocketbooks, close our pocketbooks, and we speak by not spending
Mel Tillar 15:22
I love it. Dr Bush, give us a mind. Hey,
Bruce Milam Jr. 15:26
what's going on, everybody? This is Bruce Milam Jr, and you are listening to the culture experience with melon. Bruce and I have the wonderful Miss Nadia Jones from Nova home loans in the building today. This is a special mortgage loan originator from Nova home loan. She does wonderful work and disclaimer, this is the woman who did the mortgage on my first home and made my dreams come true for me and my wife and my family. And she's helping people get assets. She's a she's a teacher, she's phenomenal, she's smooth, she's, you know, will be like a family member when you do business with her. Have a lot of love for and respect. And so I want to welcome to the show. Miss Nadia Jones, how you doing? Queen? I'm doing well. How about you today? I'm doing magnificent, magnificent. Yes, indeed. I'm feeling great. I'm feeling great. So okay, so tell me, Miss Nadia. We got you. We got you in the building. We're gonna talk about a couple things that's going on in the market. So, you know, let people know who you are. Introduce yourself to first, to the to the audience and everybody who's listening out there.
Nadiyah Jones 16:37
Once again, my name is Nadia Jones. I am a mortgage loan officer with Nova Home Loans here in Las Vegas, pretty much specializing in first time home buyers and mortgage education, if you will. Been in the mortgage industry for a little over seven years, been, or actually almost nine years, almost 10 years. Wow, been in real estate overall since 2003 as a real estate agent at the at the entrance of my career into real estate. So I know pretty much both sides of the of the table here, but I definitely love working with first time home buyers and educating people on how they can grow their assets. I don't want to be that person, that's a salesperson that's that's been my, been my, my pet peeve a lot of times about the industry with real estate, especially with the lending side, which is why I actually got on the lending side, because as a real estate agent, there were some things that I did not like on lending side that occurred with clients of mine that I said I would never do that, and how dare they so. That has been my thing, of I will not allow that to happen to one of my clients. So I like to make sure that everyone is fully educated, understands everything that's going into the process, and is happy with their with their terms and what they're doing. That's just, that's just me. I'm just I'm honest. Sometimes you might not like what the honest thing I have to say is, but I'd rather you know than to sugarcoat something and then you know later you find out something else, sir.
Bruce Milam Jr. 18:10
So tell me, um, what's the state of the market right now? Let's just jump straight into it. You know, what do today's mortgage rates really look like? And what's the trend you're seeing closing out 2025
Nadiyah Jones 18:21
so the market right now, the last quarter every year, is pretty much very slow. And that is a trend that is is constant. It's always been that way, and it will probably continue that way, simply because we're working around the holidays. People just don't like to move around the holidays. So you will see a little bit of a slowdown around the end of the year, but it's a great time to purchase also, because then houses sit longer in terms of pricing. Prices have, as people, I'm sure have read, have dropped a little bit nationwide. Just depends also, though, on the actual economy of that particular location. Places like Houston, Miami, you've probably heard, have higher drops. Las Vegas does not have that much of a decrease. We have dropped on our on our median price, sale point, I believe, about 15 to 20,000 not huge, but that's just like a part of a market correction, and and that could be due also to the timing. I mean, we are again at the end of the year. We are also seeing some economic changes with the with the, you know, politics and things and pricing and groceries and things and people are talking about and just overall affordability. So those do have an effect as well. But I don't think that we've seen all of that play through just yet.
Bruce Milam Jr. 19:42
What Nadia said was very important that this is a good time to buy. Don't wait to the summertime. And when everybody want to move with their kids, because everybody want to move when it's time for to change their kids out of school, or the kids are getting out of school, let's change. Let's move. Then. You got to catch them now when it's all slow, don't get into the market when it's all busy. So call Nadia. Nadia, um, how can they get in contact with you? Um, just while they're excited right now, somebody's ready to buy home, they want to call you tomorrow morning. What? Um, what's your phone number, and how can they get in contact with
Nadiyah Jones 20:15
you? My direct number is 702-303-8845, again, 702-303-8845, and just to reiterate that absolutely, this is the now. Now is the time to buy versus waiting until tax return season and or summertime. You want to get in when the demand is low, when the demand is low and supply is high, that's when you'll get your best opportunities when you have high demand and low supply is when prices start to increase and you're going to get potentially priced out of the market, or you're just going to get a deal that maybe you thought I should have just bought six months ago.
Mel Tillar 20:52
I'm Mel tiller, along with my partner in crime, Mr. Bruce. My um Junior, aka Las Vegas Bruce, we host the culture experience with Mel and Bruce, where we celebrate, inspire and inform the culture tune in every fourth Sunday at 9am for the culture experience with Mel and Bruce right here On 91.5 jazz and more or through the KU NV mobile app or listen to past shows wherever you get your podcast. I'm Mel tiller, and you are listening to the culture experience with Mellon Bruce, my guest today is a keeper of history, a teacher who celebrates our culture, a storyteller who sings the praises and greatness of our forefathers. Her name is Catherine. Duncan, Catherine, welcome to the show.
Katherine Duncan 21:52
Thank you so much for having me, Catherine.
Mel Tillar 21:56
I understand that you are the owner and operator of the historical treasure that we call the Harrison house.
Katherine Duncan 22:05
Yes, I am and I do, yes,
Mel Tillar 22:09
the Harrison house Las Vegas. All right, we're going to talk a little bit more about the Harrison house, but first, I understand there's a major celebration that you all are going to be having. Tell us about who you are celebrating and why you are celebrating this
Katherine Duncan 22:25
gentleman. Well, first of all, let me say thank you to gladhouse productions for stepping up and helping us celebrate not only then Sammy daveurse Junior's 100th birthday celebration. So much to celebrate. We're going to celebrate all year long,
Mel Tillar 22:48
an entire year Listen, I love Sammy. I know he was great. He was fantastic, but you are going to be celebrating Sammy all year long,
Katherine Duncan 23:00
the day before his birthday this year, we're going to have a filming of his where he starred in a movie called a man called Adam. That's going to be Sunday, December 7, 115 at the Beverly theater downtown Las
Mel Tillar 23:14
Vegas. Okay, wait a minute. Let me make let me make sure. Okay, so we're going to be celebrating Sammy. Yes, we're going to, we're going to show a film called a man called Adam, all right, at the Beverly theater, and it's starting at 115
Katherine Duncan 23:31
1:15pm Las Vegas time. And as soon as the film is over, we're going to have an amazing reception so we can get together and just celebrate what we're going to do for the rest of the
Mel Tillar 23:43
year. All right, that's fantastic. So where can I get the ticket? Where can I get the ticket for the filming?
Katherine Duncan 23:51
Okay, two places you can go to, the Beverly theater.com Yes, the Beverly theater.com website, or at the Harrison house, Harrison house, lv.org, or you can come to the Harrison house, 100, 1f Street here
Mel Tillar 24:06
in Las Vegas. Okay, that's fantastic. Now I understand that I'm going to need tickets for the filming to watch the film, okay? And I'm also going to need a ticket to attend the reception,
Katherine Duncan 24:18
yes, because there are some people who can come to one and not the other. So we'll have a whole package deal put together where you can go to the Harrison house and get the reception and film, or film only, or reception only, depending on your time and you know your availability,
Mel Tillar 24:33
all right, so the film is the film showing, okay, we'll start at 115 what time will the reception start? Reception starts immediately afterwards, at three o'clock. All right, what can I expect if I could come to the reception?
Katherine Duncan 24:46
At the reception, you will be hobnobbing with the elite guests who will be attending sammy's friends and loved ones. We'll also be live streaming an event that's happening in New York City that day. Out of the. Dollar studio 54 it's a celebration of sammy's 100 birthday in New York as well. You know, because Sammy was coast to coast, and we tried to have the celebration here, but New York beat us out.
Mel Tillar 25:11
So well, you're telling me that sammy's friends and family will be there. Tell me about some of the friends and family who will be there?
Katherine Duncan 25:21
Well, the main person who we're working with here in Las Vegas is his son, Manny, Dave is yes, he's leading the initiative here, and a lot of his friends, I'm not sure. Barbara Streisand, I believe she's going to be in New York. Blinky Williams, in New York. Everybody's going to New York, because the live event is in New York. Watch that event in Las Vegas. You know what the film will those of us who are not going to New York will be at the Beverly theater with his friends on the west coast. So we gotta guess, we're gonna have an East Coast, West Coast competition here.
Mel Tillar 25:56
I love that. I'll be there. I want to hobnob with Sammy son. We'll hang out. We'll hang out with him a little bit. That's That sounds fantastic. So let's talk a little bit about the Harrison house. Why was the Harrison house needed, and what role did the Harrison HOUSE Play?
Katherine Duncan 26:14
So for those of you who don't know, America was once separated by skin color, you could stay in a hotel, eat in a restaurant depending on the color of your skin. So black people coming up out of slavery had not been necessarily integrated into American society, so we had to find places that would accommodate us as we travel across country, and especially entertainers who were playing in Las Vegas, even though they couldn't stay in the resorts where they were performing. So Mrs. Genevieve Harrison built the Harrison house in 1942 for the purpose of being a guest home for our famous entertainers. And as I understand it, it was a very exclusive home with white marble tile floors, Persian rugs, it would rival any 1942 Las Vegas hotel room, and right now, we're in the process of restoring that home to accommodate anyone who would want to stay here today.
Mel Tillar 27:12
That is so that is so interesting. Tell me. Give me some names who stayed at the Harrison house.
Katherine Duncan 27:18
Okay, we all talk about Sammy, Dave as junior, because he's probably the most famous that stayed here. The billboard outside says he stayed here so long that the neighbors thought it was his house. Sarah Vaughan, Eddie, Rochester, Anderson, Pearl Bailey. Those are some of the people that that actually stayed here, Nat King Cole they named the porch after him, the Nat King Cole ports, yeah.
Mel Tillar 27:39
All right. So we have now, if I come to the Harrison house, what am I going to see today?
Katherine Duncan 27:46
We offer tours of the house. We have, we were educational facilities. We teach people how to deal with, understand and overcome racism. We have a film series. You come in the door. You watch the 13 minutes. Tell them about a little boy coming up out of Texas, and he's talking about what segregation is so that the young people can understand how we came to be in the situation, how we are today.
Mel Tillar 28:13
To hear the full interview and all of our bonus content, visit our YouTube channel, the culture experience with Mel and Bruce, and don't forget hit those buttons, Subscribe, share and like the culture
Music 28:33
experience. The culture experience, is fourth Sunday of the month. I know what to do.
Music 28:56
Turn my radio to 91.5 one fun fact, Mel
Music 29:07
and Bruce will take me on a ride the culture experience, the culture experience, the culture experience, the culture experience,
Music 29:23
as the culture experience. Now.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai