1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:02,080 Speaker 1: KBLA Talk fifteen to eighty. 2 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:07,000 Speaker 2: Good morning, Good morning, and God bless I'm Dominique Kaprima. 3 00:00:07,080 --> 00:00:09,519 This show is called First Things First, and my first 4 00:00:09,519 --> 00:00:13,560 thing every single day's prayer, giving, thanksgiving, praises and asking 5 00:00:13,599 --> 00:00:16,320 for blessings from God, asking for the blessings of. 6 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:19,440 Speaker 1: The ancestors and the elders. And let's go. You know 7 00:00:19,519 --> 00:00:21,359 how we do it. I hope you do. If you're 8 00:00:21,399 --> 00:00:22,399 new here, welcome. 9 00:00:22,960 --> 00:00:25,960 Speaker 2: So it's a Freedman Friday, because that's what every Friday 10 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:29,399 is around here. On First Things First. That means that 11 00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:31,879 our one we look local, what's going on on the 12 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:35,799 left coast side of town. Our two we focus on 13 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:38,640 reparations every week, as we have for over two years. 14 00:00:38,679 --> 00:00:40,039 We want to be up on it. We want to 15 00:00:40,079 --> 00:00:42,719 pass the test. We want to be part of the 16 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:46,960 vanguard that makes this happen for our people locally, nationally 17 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:51,159 and internationally. So we will do that. Doctor Quicku Ramel 18 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:55,119 Smith joins us today and we'll talk about the mental health, 19 00:00:55,119 --> 00:01:01,079 the psychological aspect of repair. And then hour three we 20 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:03,280 do well, it's kind of a grab bag. On Fridays, 21 00:01:03,280 --> 00:01:06,000 we do a thing, we do something today. I'm really 22 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:10,079 excited because I get to talk to two young people 23 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:14,959 who have just graduated from Saint Mary's. The valedictorian and 24 00:01:15,079 --> 00:01:17,920 the salutorian will be here, which I try to bring 25 00:01:18,079 --> 00:01:21,920 more young people's perspectives. I think we talk to our 26 00:01:21,959 --> 00:01:27,200 own generations a little too much and not enough intergenerational conversation. 27 00:01:27,359 --> 00:01:31,359 So Rema tech Le and Sofia Ometo will be here 28 00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:33,799 to chop it up with us, and we'll get their 29 00:01:33,879 --> 00:01:37,480 views on what's going on in the world and also yours. 30 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:40,120 So you're invited in at eight hundred nine to oh 31 00:01:40,159 --> 00:01:43,359 fifteen eighty, eight hundred nine to oh fifteen eighty, you're 32 00:01:43,359 --> 00:01:47,159 invited in every hour, and not only that, you can 33 00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:50,599 see us on Facebook where we are streaming every day 34 00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:55,439 Monday through Friday, and then on YouTube there's a whole 35 00:01:55,560 --> 00:02:01,359 conversation in the comments section where my kblad allegation has 36 00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:04,480 a lot to say, and you are more than invited. 37 00:02:04,599 --> 00:02:07,079 I love to peep out what you have to say 38 00:02:07,079 --> 00:02:09,080 in real time as we move through this. So go 39 00:02:09,199 --> 00:02:13,840 to YouTube dot com and then KBLA fifteen eighty. We're 40 00:02:13,879 --> 00:02:16,840 starting off live today. We're starting off live and in 41 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:19,479 studio and giving you just. 42 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:22,159 Speaker 1: A full Friday as we celebrate. 43 00:02:22,879 --> 00:02:26,240 Speaker 2: However, many years have gone by since nineteen sixty five. 44 00:02:26,319 --> 00:02:30,879 This is the anniversary this week of the Wats Uprising 45 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:34,919 and certainly the tradition of. 46 00:02:36,479 --> 00:02:36,960 Speaker 1: Rebellion. 47 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:40,240 Speaker 2: I guess you could say of this area, LA will 48 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:43,800 celebrate that right now. Joining us right now live in 49 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:47,599 the studio, we have the pastor of the historic Fame Church. 50 00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:52,800 He serves as pastor one of the nation's oldest and 51 00:02:52,840 --> 00:02:56,319 mostly influential African American congregations. You know that if you 52 00:02:56,400 --> 00:03:00,159 live here, you know that if you track churches. He's 53 00:03:00,199 --> 00:03:03,759 an advocate for justice as well as a preacher committed 54 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:07,319 to proclaiming the Gospel, he says while addressing spiritual, social 55 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:12,240 and economic needs within the community, Doctor Timothy Tyler, Welcome, 56 00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:14,280 good morning, Thank you for coming in. 57 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:17,199 Speaker 3: I'm glad to be here and have a little tag 58 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:17,879 along with me. 59 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:21,159 Speaker 2: Your minders here. 60 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:26,639 Speaker 3: Yes, the Reverend Judy Wortham is the executive director of 61 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:30,240 our five o' one c three at Fame First Amy Church, 62 00:03:30,599 --> 00:03:33,400 Los Angeles. Slack Deck and I'll let her tell you 63 00:03:33,439 --> 00:03:35,240 what slack deck stands for. 64 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:39,000 Speaker 4: Good morning and thank you for having us. Slack Deck 65 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:44,560 is South Los Angeles Community Development and Empowerment Corporation. 66 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:48,400 Speaker 3: Yes, and together Fame and Slack Deck will be doing 67 00:03:48,439 --> 00:03:49,840 some great things this weekend. 68 00:03:50,599 --> 00:03:51,719 Speaker 1: It sounds like it. 69 00:03:52,039 --> 00:03:55,800 Speaker 2: Well, I mean, thank you for coming in to Reverend 70 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:57,960 mar them, It's nice to meet you. 71 00:03:58,159 --> 00:04:00,159 Speaker 3: And to her defense, I made her come. 72 00:04:02,479 --> 00:04:05,479 Speaker 1: Killing. I'm not going to ask for the backstory about that. 73 00:04:07,439 --> 00:04:13,680 Speaker 2: I'm gonna leave that all the way Ala. But you know, 74 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:17,000 I think one of the things we think of when 75 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:20,839 we think of Fame is exactly that, the combination of 76 00:04:20,959 --> 00:04:23,600 worship and activism. 77 00:04:23,639 --> 00:04:26,959 Speaker 1: Would you call it activism, community organizing justice. 78 00:04:27,279 --> 00:04:31,519 Speaker 3: I called it activism, community organizing justice. And I would 79 00:04:31,519 --> 00:04:34,879 even throw the word politics in there. A. It was 80 00:04:34,959 --> 00:04:37,839 Fame that gave birth to the first black mayor of 81 00:04:38,079 --> 00:04:42,319 Los Angeles, Thomas Bradley, who was a trustee at Fame 82 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:46,240 under the leadership of the then Reverend H. H. Brookings, 83 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:49,399 one of the famous freedom fighters of Los Angeles, and 84 00:04:49,439 --> 00:04:56,040 then social justice community activism. Of course, everyone knows the 85 00:04:56,199 --> 00:05:00,639 historic cecil Chip Murray, who brought calm to the city 86 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:04,279 during the Ridney King uprising. And so I would say 87 00:05:04,279 --> 00:05:06,839 that all of that goes into make Fame a very 88 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:11,399 special place, and I think a very biblical place if 89 00:05:11,399 --> 00:05:14,240 we look at the Jesus, who we really serve. 90 00:05:14,399 --> 00:05:17,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I love that you're not afraid to say politics, 91 00:05:17,959 --> 00:05:21,519 even in this environment that we're in right now, right, yeah, right. 92 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:24,920 Speaker 3: It needs to be said more than ever. And if 93 00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:27,560 we don't get involved in this politics, we are hitting 94 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:29,759 down a slippery slope based on where we are in 95 00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:30,480 our society. 96 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:35,199 Speaker 1: Reverend Wartham, are we do you see us getting more involved? 97 00:05:35,199 --> 00:05:38,000 I mean, I feel like I don't know. I'm not an. 98 00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:40,720 Speaker 2: Expert, but from folks I've talked to and what I've 99 00:05:40,759 --> 00:05:45,480 observed that we are moving into an era when the 100 00:05:45,519 --> 00:05:49,079 Black Church is returning more to it its roots of 101 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:52,480 help and social justice. 102 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:55,720 Speaker 4: I think that our roots definitely tell us where we 103 00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:58,399 need to go back to. And I also believe that 104 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:03,240 I'm looking at your sign then, apologic, unapologetically progressive. That's 105 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:05,120 who we are and that's who we have to be. 106 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:07,519 The church has been in a place where we can 107 00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:10,000 do what we need to do as people of color. 108 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:12,680 Black folk need to get back to our roots, and 109 00:06:12,680 --> 00:06:13,680 that's what we're doing now. 110 00:06:14,560 --> 00:06:17,079 Speaker 1: Yeah. And when you say roots, you're talking about all 111 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:21,079 the way to the roots. It's funny. I was I 112 00:06:21,199 --> 00:06:22,040 was writing. 113 00:06:22,639 --> 00:06:25,439 Speaker 2: Just a little article that I was writing outside of here, Yes, 114 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:29,480 and I mentioned Biddy Mason, and this friend of mine 115 00:06:29,560 --> 00:06:30,480 was looking at it. 116 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:32,920 Speaker 1: She's from New York. 117 00:06:33,399 --> 00:06:36,279 Speaker 2: She said, well, not everybody knows who Bittty Mason is. 118 00:06:36,879 --> 00:06:39,319 And I say, what, Maybe. 119 00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:41,639 Speaker 1: That's an LA perspective. So talk to me. 120 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:45,560 Speaker 2: Let's talk about Bitty Mason because maybe people don't know. 121 00:06:45,639 --> 00:06:48,560 And certainly that would be an inspiring thing for your 122 00:06:48,600 --> 00:06:50,120 Friday if you learn. 123 00:06:50,079 --> 00:06:55,639 Speaker 3: Bitty Mason will be the reason for our celebration this weekend. 124 00:06:56,199 --> 00:07:00,560 Biddy Mason. We will be celebrating her birthday coming up 125 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:05,079 this weekend at Fame Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Betty Mason 126 00:07:05,199 --> 00:07:08,959 was born in eighteen eighteen, and I call her one 127 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:12,879 of the mother founders of Los Angeles back in the 128 00:07:12,920 --> 00:07:17,720 early day. Betty Mason is our hero and our hero. 129 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:22,040 She walked all the way from Mississippi to Los Angeles, 130 00:07:22,079 --> 00:07:23,439 literally walk literally walked. 131 00:07:23,600 --> 00:07:23,800 Speaker 5: Yeah. 132 00:07:23,839 --> 00:07:30,360 Speaker 1: I remember reading that and thinking, okay. 133 00:07:28,319 --> 00:07:30,079 Speaker 3: Literally literally. 134 00:07:33,279 --> 00:07:34,240 Speaker 1: Give me a few months. 135 00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:37,600 Speaker 3: I told my wife the other day, you left them 136 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:40,560 ask me to walk, so I don't even like walking 137 00:07:40,600 --> 00:07:45,199 to the bathroom. She walked from Mississippi to Los Angeles 138 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:49,920 and that walk was revolutionary because she became an entrepreneur 139 00:07:50,160 --> 00:07:54,959 and she founded First Am Church along with other founders 140 00:07:55,240 --> 00:07:58,800 who saw the need for a place of spiritual strength 141 00:07:59,439 --> 00:08:02,160 while they were while they were while they were fighting 142 00:08:02,199 --> 00:08:06,480 for their liberation. And so we're going to lift up, remember, 143 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:11,480 celebrate and help people to know who Bridget Biddy Mason was. 144 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:15,160 Speaker 1: Well, I want to also just add a little context. 145 00:08:14,720 --> 00:08:18,519 Speaker 2: Here before we move on. Yes, she walked from Mississippi 146 00:08:18,560 --> 00:08:21,279 to Los Angeles and became one of the founders and 147 00:08:21,759 --> 00:08:25,920 most influential persons in early Los Angeles. But it's not 148 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:29,120 like she was just leaving Equinox Club and going to 149 00:08:29,879 --> 00:08:30,800 twenty four hours. 150 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:33,240 Speaker 1: This is a woman who was enslaved. 151 00:08:33,279 --> 00:08:36,799 Speaker 3: She was enslave and she was she was forced to walk, 152 00:08:37,519 --> 00:08:39,639 and in fact, when she got to Los Angeles, they 153 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:42,559 tried to they tried to drag her back to They 154 00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:45,919 tried to drag her to Texas and put her back 155 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:49,000 in slavery, and she took the She went to court 156 00:08:49,039 --> 00:08:51,679 over the issue and she won the court case, which 157 00:08:51,720 --> 00:08:55,000 was phenomenal back then. We can't hardly win court cases now. 158 00:08:56,639 --> 00:09:00,919 Speaker 1: Into right, So she she was enslave when she left. 159 00:09:01,120 --> 00:09:03,720 Speaker 2: Came to California, which we know has its own history 160 00:09:03,759 --> 00:09:07,200 of enslaved minifies. If you're unclear on that, just check 161 00:09:07,200 --> 00:09:11,240 out the Reparations Task Force reports about twelve hundred pages. 162 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:15,720 Speaker 1: But they were trying to when she got here. She 163 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:16,639 got her freedom. 164 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:19,200 Speaker 3: Yeah, she got her freedom, and she. 165 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:22,600 Speaker 2: Took that freedom to court and tested it. That's something 166 00:09:22,639 --> 00:09:24,360 that didn't happen too often. 167 00:09:24,039 --> 00:09:24,320 Speaker 1: Did it. 168 00:09:24,519 --> 00:09:26,960 Speaker 3: No, it didn't happen too often. As I said then, 169 00:09:27,559 --> 00:09:30,759 and I want to say it doesn't happen too often 170 00:09:30,799 --> 00:09:31,879 now that we go to court. 171 00:09:31,960 --> 00:09:34,080 Speaker 2: I wouldn't even want to try it, you know, I 172 00:09:34,080 --> 00:09:36,360 wouldn't even know you report to Seacott. 173 00:09:36,399 --> 00:09:41,679 Speaker 4: And I'd like to add something about Absolutely, I love 174 00:09:43,080 --> 00:09:46,240 she was a midwife, so as she walked across the 175 00:09:47,200 --> 00:09:49,879 with the wagon train, she birthed all the humans and 176 00:09:49,960 --> 00:09:53,799 all the animals that were born all the way across 177 00:09:53,799 --> 00:09:56,879 the country. That always just makes me like, wow, you 178 00:09:56,960 --> 00:09:59,240 were all that Anta baggageis I have on this dress 179 00:09:59,279 --> 00:10:01,759 today because it has black women on the front. 180 00:10:01,840 --> 00:10:03,200 Speaker 1: Its beautiful dress, by the. 181 00:10:03,120 --> 00:10:05,519 Speaker 4: Way, and it's my she will dress, So I wore 182 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:06,240 it onn of her. 183 00:10:06,399 --> 00:10:07,279 Speaker 3: That's why I brought her. 184 00:10:09,279 --> 00:10:13,960 Speaker 1: But absolutely, I mean imagine I had not. I don't know. 185 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:15,399 May I may have read that, but I hadn't. 186 00:10:15,679 --> 00:10:21,120 Speaker 2: Really that detail hadn't sunk in walking from Mississippi to California, 187 00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:26,519 you know, leaving a trail of little babies living, you know, 188 00:10:26,879 --> 00:10:29,480 safe babies in your wake is pretty amazing. 189 00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:31,519 Speaker 3: And then giving birth to a great church. 190 00:10:32,360 --> 00:10:36,279 Speaker 2: And yeah, well we'll go a little deeper into that 191 00:10:36,320 --> 00:10:40,000 when we come forward. Reverend one of them is here, 192 00:10:40,159 --> 00:10:43,919 Reverend Tyler is here, and yes it's Friday, not Sunday. 193 00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:44,639 Speaker 1: And listening to the. 194 00:10:44,679 --> 00:10:49,679 Speaker 2: Kids right now, right now, if you're in l A, 195 00:10:49,840 --> 00:10:52,440 you know First day e Church. If you're not in LA, 196 00:10:52,879 --> 00:10:54,440 you're going to get to know it a little right now. 197 00:10:54,480 --> 00:10:57,879 But not just the church. Everything that stands for the 198 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:03,720 church has been was founded in eighteen seventy two. 199 00:11:03,840 --> 00:11:05,200 Speaker 3: Is that correct? That's correct. 200 00:11:05,399 --> 00:11:09,000 Speaker 2: So Bittty Mason born in eighteen eighteen. I'm not sure 201 00:11:09,039 --> 00:11:13,080 if we know exactly when she arrived in LA. 202 00:11:13,799 --> 00:11:18,159 Speaker 1: But she ends up winning her court case, yes. 203 00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:20,879 Speaker 2: And then somehow, and this is the part that is 204 00:11:21,039 --> 00:11:26,679 not always clear, ends up owning massive swaths of real 205 00:11:26,799 --> 00:11:29,279 estate in LA. 206 00:11:29,480 --> 00:11:33,320 Speaker 3: It is amazing. And I was thinking about that this morning. 207 00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:36,399 A lot of her real estate is right was right 208 00:11:36,440 --> 00:11:40,600 across from what we call Pershing Square today, and there's 209 00:11:40,639 --> 00:11:44,039 a mass effort by the community to have that area 210 00:11:44,559 --> 00:11:48,960 renamed after bridge of Bittty Mason. But it's amazing because 211 00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:51,360 I was thinking, how much would I have to pay 212 00:11:51,360 --> 00:11:54,679 if I purchased the property across from Persian if I 213 00:11:54,720 --> 00:11:57,279 could today, how much money would that be? 214 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:02,000 Speaker 4: And also fascinating about that is that she was not 215 00:12:02,559 --> 00:12:06,000 just the first black woman to purchase land in downtown 216 00:12:06,080 --> 00:12:09,440 she was the first woman to purchase land in downtown LA. 217 00:12:09,639 --> 00:12:11,639 That's amazing to me. The first woman. 218 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:15,679 Speaker 1: Yeah, that is amazing. Do we know how she managed that. 219 00:12:17,960 --> 00:12:21,200 Speaker 4: Through her midwifery, Yeah, she saved it her my name 220 00:12:21,200 --> 00:12:22,600 became a serious entrepreneur. 221 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:26,120 Speaker 2: I mean, I know one thing about formerly enslaved and 222 00:12:26,279 --> 00:12:27,279 enslaved black folks. 223 00:12:27,279 --> 00:12:28,679 Speaker 1: We were saving, right. 224 00:12:28,639 --> 00:12:34,039 Speaker 6: Yes, people were saving trying to exactly whether we're trying 225 00:12:34,080 --> 00:12:37,919 to buy our freedom or buy land or buy you know, 226 00:12:38,759 --> 00:12:40,600 a whatever it was. 227 00:12:40,679 --> 00:12:41,600 Speaker 1: We were saving our. 228 00:12:41,559 --> 00:12:43,399 Speaker 3: Back and then if we got it, we were saving 229 00:12:43,399 --> 00:12:45,440 it because we didn't know when it was coming back again. 230 00:12:45,799 --> 00:12:46,120 Speaker 1: Yeah. 231 00:12:46,200 --> 00:12:49,799 Speaker 3: Well, and some of us are waiting for it today. 232 00:12:49,919 --> 00:12:56,519 Speaker 2: See yeah, yeah, Well, so I mean that at what 233 00:12:56,720 --> 00:13:00,960 point does she become one of the founders of the church. 234 00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:02,919 Connect the dots if you will. 235 00:13:02,799 --> 00:13:06,799 Speaker 3: Now, Well, at one point I don't know the exact year. Uh. 236 00:13:06,879 --> 00:13:09,360 And and we often say she was the founder, but 237 00:13:09,440 --> 00:13:13,919 I'm always prouded by my history historians to underscore that 238 00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:16,960 she was the primary founder, but they were. There were 239 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:20,440 a group of founders who saw the need to start 240 00:13:20,480 --> 00:13:21,720 a worship center. 241 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:22,320 Speaker 5: Uh. 242 00:13:22,399 --> 00:13:25,960 Speaker 3: And it did not start out as First Am Church. 243 00:13:26,039 --> 00:13:31,200 That name evolved over years. Uh. There was the one 244 00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:35,519 of the original names, Saint Stephen's uh Church, and so 245 00:13:35,639 --> 00:13:38,559 that name evolved over the years, but it was but 246 00:13:38,679 --> 00:13:43,679 she along with the group of founders, were the primary 247 00:13:43,799 --> 00:13:46,720 prime movers of the worship space that we know as 248 00:13:46,759 --> 00:13:52,480 First Am Church today. Uh. And we've over the years 249 00:13:53,159 --> 00:13:56,279 in our history, we've always tried to live up to 250 00:13:56,320 --> 00:14:01,759 that that high standard that Biddy Mason set for community 251 00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:09,080 activism and for entrepreneur entrepreneurial spirit. And it's just I'm 252 00:14:09,200 --> 00:14:11,360 very proud to be the past of a church, especially 253 00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:14,480 where a black woman is the I call it the 254 00:14:14,519 --> 00:14:15,559 patron Saint. 255 00:14:17,399 --> 00:14:20,559 Speaker 2: Well, I mean, I also think there is something very 256 00:14:20,720 --> 00:14:27,120 powerful about the mission of First Church, the position of 257 00:14:27,200 --> 00:14:31,919 First Damn Church coming from that ancestor who was, as 258 00:14:31,960 --> 00:14:36,159 you pointed out, not just you know, clearly an activist, 259 00:14:36,679 --> 00:14:40,879 but also an entrepreneur. You don't buy up downtown l A. 260 00:14:40,919 --> 00:14:44,480 I don't care how low the prices were. Those were, 261 00:14:44,600 --> 00:14:47,159 you know, you know those were those price those were 262 00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:50,440 eighteen seventy prices for eighteen fifty. 263 00:14:50,159 --> 00:14:54,919 Speaker 3: Price equivalent for them. Yeah, for them, Yes, absolutely. 264 00:14:55,000 --> 00:15:00,480 Speaker 2: So the fact that the church has main attained a 265 00:15:00,559 --> 00:15:04,080 commitment to that spirit is quite remarkable. 266 00:15:04,399 --> 00:15:08,159 Speaker 3: It has maintained a commitment to that spirit. And in 267 00:15:08,279 --> 00:15:10,799 the history of First Ami Church, it is no secret 268 00:15:11,279 --> 00:15:14,960 in our community that First Aami Church has had some 269 00:15:15,080 --> 00:15:20,080 major ups and some very creative downs at times. But 270 00:15:20,120 --> 00:15:22,440 I often say to I've been at First Amy Church 271 00:15:22,720 --> 00:15:25,600 as their pastor for ten months now, and one of 272 00:15:25,639 --> 00:15:28,799 the things that I remind the congregation is that you 273 00:15:29,039 --> 00:15:32,799 have had times in your history when you have been bent, 274 00:15:33,440 --> 00:15:35,720 but it is a credit to your history that you've 275 00:15:35,759 --> 00:15:39,639 never been broken. And that's the spirit of Bitty Mason. 276 00:15:39,720 --> 00:15:43,759 She had bad times and good times, but her legacy 277 00:15:43,840 --> 00:15:47,120 is strong, and First Ammy Church is legacy is strong, 278 00:15:47,919 --> 00:15:51,399 and the people there, I just I don't think any 279 00:15:51,440 --> 00:15:54,879 other church could have gone through some of the years 280 00:15:54,960 --> 00:15:58,360 and struggles that First Aami Church has gone through and 281 00:15:58,799 --> 00:16:01,919 even be here today. But it just it it amazes me. 282 00:16:02,399 --> 00:16:05,440 It oftentimes make it. I pinch myself in church to 283 00:16:05,480 --> 00:16:07,600 make sure I am the person that they sent to me, 284 00:16:07,679 --> 00:16:11,080 the pastor, and I'm just grateful for their history and 285 00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:13,639 for how they have overcome so much. 286 00:16:13,799 --> 00:16:17,080 Speaker 4: And our model is first to serve. And I'm so 287 00:16:17,120 --> 00:16:20,399 proud of that because I'm always asking myself what else 288 00:16:20,440 --> 00:16:23,559 can we do to be first to serve? People need 289 00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:25,120 to be able to look at us, and they do 290 00:16:25,679 --> 00:16:28,559 as the place that go to for what they need, 291 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:30,840 and we need so much right now. So it's a 292 00:16:30,879 --> 00:16:35,960 blessing to be serving at a place where our primary 293 00:16:36,039 --> 00:16:38,039 focus is first to serve. 294 00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:42,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, I imagine as a pastor stepping into a spot 295 00:16:42,559 --> 00:16:45,960 with the legacy of you know, Reverend Brookings and you 296 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:50,639 know pastor of Murray. Yes, you know, it's a little 297 00:16:50,679 --> 00:16:51,840 could be a little daunting. 298 00:16:52,120 --> 00:16:55,879 Speaker 3: Well it's a little it's very dauntant. I grew up 299 00:16:55,879 --> 00:16:59,000 in Los Angeles, uh, and so I'm coming back home. 300 00:16:59,440 --> 00:17:02,159 I was my last stop. I was in Denver for 301 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:05,680 seventeen years, but I remember growing up in Denver, I 302 00:17:05,759 --> 00:17:10,279 was I was brought into the ministry and ordained under 303 00:17:10,279 --> 00:17:15,279 Bishop Brookins and Cecil Chip Murray helped to finance my 304 00:17:15,599 --> 00:17:19,880 seminary education and he also mentored me during my working 305 00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:25,119 on my doctoral education. And so these men were part 306 00:17:25,160 --> 00:17:27,599 of my preparation. And so I'm very proud of that, 307 00:17:27,960 --> 00:17:30,720 and I honor that as I don't want to say 308 00:17:30,920 --> 00:17:34,680 I'm stepping into their shoes, but I'm certainly aware of 309 00:17:34,720 --> 00:17:36,960 their footsteps at fame and I'm honored. 310 00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:39,279 Speaker 1: So they planted the seeds for their succession. 311 00:17:39,559 --> 00:17:44,920 Speaker 4: What you're saying, I also think, Pastor, you should share 312 00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:45,839 who your mother is. 313 00:17:46,359 --> 00:17:53,279 Speaker 3: So my mother is a longtime Los Angeles activists. She 314 00:17:53,440 --> 00:17:57,079 was then presiding Elder Carolyn Tyler Guidry. She worked with 315 00:17:57,160 --> 00:18:01,640 law Pack and my mother was the first black, first female, 316 00:18:01,720 --> 00:18:04,759 second female bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. And 317 00:18:04,799 --> 00:18:08,480 it's two hundred and thirty years uh, and she served 318 00:18:08,559 --> 00:18:13,720 proudly in the Caribbean. She served in Mississippi, Louisiana. She 319 00:18:13,880 --> 00:18:18,720 retired and uh, she passed away last year. But thank you, 320 00:18:18,799 --> 00:18:22,880 But my mother has a strong history here in Los Angeles. 321 00:18:23,240 --> 00:18:27,000 And so while I'm dealing with Bishop Brookings ghosts and 322 00:18:28,079 --> 00:18:32,319 Reverend Cecil Chip Murray's ghosts, my mother's ghost office show. 323 00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:35,480 I needed all the shows up in. 324 00:18:35,440 --> 00:18:39,480 Speaker 2: My office full of ancest es, full of ancest but 325 00:18:40,279 --> 00:18:43,440 also your mom, you know, being such a mover and 326 00:18:43,480 --> 00:18:45,559 shaker in law pack as well as you know in 327 00:18:46,279 --> 00:18:50,279 the church. So it sounds like that combination of activism 328 00:18:50,359 --> 00:18:54,359 and church, sort of the classic Martin Luther King Junior 329 00:18:54,440 --> 00:18:58,160 blend Is is a tradition in your own family, it's 330 00:18:58,160 --> 00:18:59,279 a tradition in my family. 331 00:18:59,319 --> 00:19:02,920 Speaker 3: And also the spirit of my father. Carrie Tyler, you 332 00:19:02,960 --> 00:19:07,640 were talking about the anniversary of the wats Uprising in 333 00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:11,799 Los Angeles. My parents moved us here in nineteen sixty four, 334 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:16,200 eight months after I was born, and they were coming 335 00:19:16,200 --> 00:19:19,200 from Jackson, Mississippi. They were the last people to see 336 00:19:19,519 --> 00:19:22,640 Edgar MegaR Evers before he was shot. They were at 337 00:19:22,680 --> 00:19:25,200 a meeting with him, and they were the last person 338 00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:27,839 to see him before he died. And I think they 339 00:19:27,880 --> 00:19:30,440 may have thought that coming to Los Angeles may have 340 00:19:30,480 --> 00:19:33,160 been kind of coming to a different place than my 341 00:19:33,240 --> 00:19:35,519 dad used to talk about. It was in sixty five 342 00:19:35,880 --> 00:19:38,680 when the Wats Uprising happened that he gathered us all 343 00:19:38,720 --> 00:19:41,079 in the car and was driving around the city looking 344 00:19:41,119 --> 00:19:44,160 for some milk for his babies, and the police pulled 345 00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:46,920 their guns out and told him to go back home. 346 00:19:47,039 --> 00:19:51,039 And then I think that was when reality hit that 347 00:19:51,319 --> 00:19:54,119 you can be in Mississippi, you can be in Los Angeles, 348 00:19:54,319 --> 00:19:57,319 and you can still be in danger. And so I 349 00:19:57,359 --> 00:19:59,480 have all of that inside of me, and I'm grateful 350 00:19:59,480 --> 00:20:02,559 for what my parents gave me because I don't want 351 00:20:02,559 --> 00:20:04,599 to live my life in danger and I want to 352 00:20:04,599 --> 00:20:06,960 help the people of God and the people in the 353 00:20:06,960 --> 00:20:08,920 community not be in danger. 354 00:20:09,799 --> 00:20:12,839 Speaker 2: Yeah, we only have a minute here before news, traffic 355 00:20:12,839 --> 00:20:15,599 and sports, and we'll keep the conversation going on the 356 00:20:15,640 --> 00:20:18,400 other side. So it's probably not fair to ask, but 357 00:20:18,480 --> 00:20:21,680 we can do the thirty second version and then continue 358 00:20:21,680 --> 00:20:24,400 on the other side, which is how do those how 359 00:20:24,440 --> 00:20:27,680 does that mission manifest today? Like what are the programs, 360 00:20:27,759 --> 00:20:31,119 what are the services and of course this weekends events 361 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:35,079 that that are the manifestation of that legacy. 362 00:20:36,720 --> 00:20:37,960 Speaker 3: You want to do that in thirty seconds? 363 00:20:38,319 --> 00:20:41,519 Speaker 1: You want to start it? Okay? Started, Okay, we'll finish it. 364 00:20:41,640 --> 00:20:50,039 Speaker 4: So we we have a dermatology services at the Wellness Center. 365 00:20:50,079 --> 00:20:53,039 We have a Bitty Mason Community wellness center that I 366 00:20:53,079 --> 00:20:57,359 am the proud director of. And in addition to that, 367 00:20:57,400 --> 00:21:02,559 we have mental health services, we have have caregivers program. 368 00:21:03,279 --> 00:21:06,599 We also have a eight bed garden in the backyard 369 00:21:06,640 --> 00:21:10,799 that is flourishing. We have classes that are going to 370 00:21:10,839 --> 00:21:15,079 start on cooking. Amazing quilter is that thirty seconds? 371 00:21:15,079 --> 00:21:19,000 Speaker 1: That seconds? That's good. 372 00:21:19,039 --> 00:21:21,640 Speaker 2: We're gonna keep it going because these are important things 373 00:21:21,680 --> 00:21:24,119 for folks to know about, news, traffic, and sports. Then 374 00:21:24,240 --> 00:21:29,119 more on KBLA Talk fifteen eighty and we are talking 375 00:21:29,240 --> 00:21:32,599 with the folks from First Amy Church. But we're talking 376 00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:36,039 Biddy Mason. We're talking history. We're talking LA history and 377 00:21:36,440 --> 00:21:42,400 service service, social justice activism, the things that First Ammy 378 00:21:42,920 --> 00:21:48,480 Church is known for. The pastor of that church, doctor 379 00:21:48,519 --> 00:21:53,759 Timothy Tyler, is here, and Reverend Judy Wortham is here. 380 00:21:53,960 --> 00:21:55,880 Can you tell me your title again, Reverend war. 381 00:21:55,880 --> 00:21:59,799 Speaker 4: Them executive director of Flack Deck, our nonprofit of. 382 00:21:59,799 --> 00:22:04,279 Speaker 2: An Okay, yes, So we're talking about a lot of things, 383 00:22:04,359 --> 00:22:06,599 really the history of Bitty Mason, which is what you 384 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:10,279 are celebrating this weekend. And if you don't know who 385 00:22:10,319 --> 00:22:13,240 Biddy Mason is, well now you know you can call 386 00:22:13,279 --> 00:22:14,960 in if you have something to say about it eight 387 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:17,920 hundred and nine two oh fifteen eighty. I feel like 388 00:22:18,160 --> 00:22:21,799 she should be more known nationally, but even here in 389 00:22:21,920 --> 00:22:24,960 La should be on the level of you know, the 390 00:22:24,960 --> 00:22:28,440 people we talk about all the time, the Tom Bradley's, 391 00:22:28,519 --> 00:22:29,720 the Popicos. 392 00:22:30,319 --> 00:22:33,119 Speaker 3: Absolutely, if it were not for her, I don't think 393 00:22:33,119 --> 00:22:37,079 any of those people would have found their their footing 394 00:22:37,799 --> 00:22:41,559 in Los Angeles. So we owe a lot of our will, 395 00:22:41,599 --> 00:22:43,680 We owe a lot of who we are to Bridgie 396 00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:46,000 Biddy Mason and the reason. 397 00:22:45,720 --> 00:22:50,000 Speaker 2: That she her descendants don't still own Pershing Squores. She 398 00:22:50,079 --> 00:22:51,359 ended up selling that land. 399 00:22:51,480 --> 00:22:53,519 Speaker 1: Correct, Yes, yes she did. 400 00:22:53,839 --> 00:22:56,920 Speaker 2: I mean I say that because we assume, oh it 401 00:22:56,960 --> 00:22:59,720 was stolen from her, you know, she was terrorized, it 402 00:22:59,759 --> 00:23:02,400 was taken by eminent domain. No, she actually made a 403 00:23:02,440 --> 00:23:07,319 business decision to sell it. So in a way I 404 00:23:07,359 --> 00:23:09,480 think of Bitty Mason. I mean, she had a hard life, 405 00:23:09,920 --> 00:23:12,160 but she definitely had agency. 406 00:23:12,799 --> 00:23:16,519 Speaker 3: She had agency. Yeah, and we want to hopefully we 407 00:23:16,559 --> 00:23:19,640 will be able to get will at least mark that 408 00:23:19,759 --> 00:23:22,720 space in a way that will that people will always 409 00:23:22,759 --> 00:23:25,359 know that her legacy and her spirit is still there 410 00:23:25,440 --> 00:23:27,839 even though she had to sell it, or she chose 411 00:23:27,880 --> 00:23:28,400 to sell it. 412 00:23:28,720 --> 00:23:32,079 Speaker 2: Now we were going through the list, Reverend worthm of 413 00:23:32,480 --> 00:23:35,119 the kinds of things that we know for Stammy for 414 00:23:35,359 --> 00:23:37,200 But some people may think, oh, well that was back 415 00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:39,799 in the day, it's not anymore. You said mental health, 416 00:23:40,200 --> 00:23:44,000 a caregivers program. I'm assuming you're talking about the Sandwich 417 00:23:44,039 --> 00:23:47,720 generation and those folks who are caring for elder family members. 418 00:23:47,759 --> 00:23:50,039 You talked about a thriving garden. 419 00:23:51,400 --> 00:23:53,960 Speaker 1: And would you like to add on to that. 420 00:23:54,039 --> 00:23:58,079 Speaker 3: Absolutely, Tyler First, Amy is still known in the community 421 00:23:58,200 --> 00:24:01,359 to be that church that that we want to be 422 00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:04,440 proactive and not reactive to what happens in our community. 423 00:24:05,359 --> 00:24:10,079 We are still interested in making sure that we have 424 00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:13,759 part a role to play in gang intervention and violence 425 00:24:13,839 --> 00:24:18,000 prevention in our community. I'm oftentimes told the stories of 426 00:24:18,039 --> 00:24:20,160 how Cecil Chip Murray would just come out of his 427 00:24:20,279 --> 00:24:24,680 office and walk around the neighborhood and make sure everything 428 00:24:24,839 --> 00:24:27,200 was in order, and if it wasn't in order, he 429 00:24:27,240 --> 00:24:29,519 would grab some church members and he would get it 430 00:24:29,559 --> 00:24:32,200 in order. And I want to have that kind of 431 00:24:32,279 --> 00:24:36,240 legacy where sometimes I will walk out of Now I 432 00:24:36,279 --> 00:24:38,759 need to walk out of my office also because I 433 00:24:38,799 --> 00:24:47,319 need to walk We all I need to, but it 434 00:24:47,440 --> 00:24:50,079 is it is I see my role as not only 435 00:24:50,119 --> 00:24:53,079 to be the pastor inside those four walls, but to 436 00:24:53,160 --> 00:24:57,839 be a community pastor, such as the Bishop J. H. 437 00:24:57,920 --> 00:25:01,319 Brookins and Cecil Chip Murray. They were community pastors. 438 00:25:01,319 --> 00:25:03,200 Speaker 1: And I have a feeling if we were in Denver, 439 00:25:03,640 --> 00:25:06,799 we would know that that is your legacy already. It's 440 00:25:06,839 --> 00:25:09,400 not something you just started up ten months ago. 441 00:25:09,480 --> 00:25:10,799 Speaker 3: It was a story. 442 00:25:10,960 --> 00:25:13,599 Speaker 2: I mean, yeah, for those who you know follow these 443 00:25:13,599 --> 00:25:18,160 things which a lot of our KBLA delegation do. The 444 00:25:18,200 --> 00:25:22,319 death of an unhoused man named Marvin Booker, Yes this 445 00:25:22,359 --> 00:25:25,680 is in twenty ten. This was a battle that you, 446 00:25:25,880 --> 00:25:28,720 as a pastor, took up from a social. 447 00:25:28,720 --> 00:25:32,079 Speaker 3: Justice Yes, it was a battle, and the whole church, 448 00:25:32,759 --> 00:25:36,319 the entire shorter community Ammy Church, took up this battle 449 00:25:36,319 --> 00:25:39,640 when very few people wanted to. And it taught us 450 00:25:39,680 --> 00:25:44,920 that sometimes the church has to give leadership. Short as 451 00:25:44,960 --> 00:25:48,440 a historical church in Denver, first black church older than 452 00:25:48,440 --> 00:25:49,599 the state of Colorado. 453 00:25:49,759 --> 00:25:54,680 Speaker 2: Well yeah, but that I mean, even though obviously we 454 00:25:54,720 --> 00:25:59,359 couldn't bring back mister Booker, the family was awarded a 455 00:25:59,480 --> 00:26:04,480 sizeable settlement, which was the biggest excessive force yes settlement 456 00:26:04,519 --> 00:26:05,720 in Denver history. 457 00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:09,119 Speaker 3: Right awarded by an all white jury in an all, 458 00:26:09,799 --> 00:26:13,440 in a very white city, in a very white state. 459 00:26:14,359 --> 00:26:15,720 That was telling. 460 00:26:16,079 --> 00:26:19,720 Speaker 2: And I imagine the presence and activism of the church 461 00:26:19,759 --> 00:26:22,559 around this had a huge role in that. 462 00:26:22,880 --> 00:26:25,240 Speaker 3: I think it did. And it was a five year process, 463 00:26:25,880 --> 00:26:28,880 so it didn't happen overnight, but the church played a 464 00:26:28,880 --> 00:26:29,720 major role in that. 465 00:26:30,079 --> 00:26:32,839 Speaker 2: I mean, that's notable too, because there are some folks 466 00:26:32,839 --> 00:26:36,400 that like to, you know, not just in churches, in 467 00:26:36,839 --> 00:26:41,759 community organizing, in the media, like to run out when 468 00:26:41,799 --> 00:26:44,680 a story is so called hot, correct and then leave 469 00:26:44,720 --> 00:26:46,960 it and go to the next so called hot story, 470 00:26:47,359 --> 00:26:51,920 leaving a grieving family or an impacted community to fend 471 00:26:51,960 --> 00:26:54,839 for themselves after the cameras go yes, yes. 472 00:26:54,880 --> 00:26:59,359 Speaker 3: And it happened when when the fight first started, there 473 00:26:59,480 --> 00:27:02,240 there were a lot of leaders who chose and churches 474 00:27:02,279 --> 00:27:04,319 who chose not to be a part of it. And 475 00:27:04,359 --> 00:27:08,000 then when the when the jury came back with their 476 00:27:08,079 --> 00:27:12,240 verdict in that case, a whole lot of people all 477 00:27:12,279 --> 00:27:14,359 of a sudden became a part of that victory. 478 00:27:15,160 --> 00:27:19,000 Speaker 5: And that's okay, Yeah, that's okay, Well it's not okay, 479 00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:23,799 but yeah, it's what happens, right, And so we celebrated 480 00:27:23,880 --> 00:27:27,799 with that family and hopefully that opens the door. 481 00:27:29,279 --> 00:27:32,000 Speaker 3: Denver is a rough place. It's just a rough place. 482 00:27:32,079 --> 00:27:35,319 It's it's a historical place for black people. It has 483 00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:38,599 quite a history in itself. But it's rough. It's not 484 00:27:38,839 --> 00:27:43,400 it's not Los Angeles. It is a very small black community. 485 00:27:43,480 --> 00:27:45,799 So we we celebrate our victories there. 486 00:27:46,039 --> 00:27:48,599 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, I think we should celebrate the mayor too. Yes, 487 00:27:48,960 --> 00:27:51,039 but yeah, I actually. 488 00:27:50,759 --> 00:27:52,720 Speaker 2: Spent a little bit of time there. My mom would 489 00:27:53,119 --> 00:27:56,359 teach in Colorado summers, and it is quite a shell 490 00:27:56,400 --> 00:27:58,160 shock if you're used to I was used to the 491 00:27:58,200 --> 00:28:01,880 Bay Area and then lak you know, there's they'd say 492 00:28:01,920 --> 00:28:04,119 we're a small in number here, but eight percent of 493 00:28:04,160 --> 00:28:09,279 four million is a lot of black people. Yeah, yeah, 494 00:28:09,519 --> 00:28:14,279 it's definitely, it's definitely yeah, it's definitely a different energy, 495 00:28:14,319 --> 00:28:17,799 even though they say it's a democratic state. Anyway, Another 496 00:28:17,839 --> 00:28:22,839 thing I noticed, pastor about you, doctor Timothy Tyler's who 497 00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:25,880 I'm talking to in case you're just waking up, is 498 00:28:25,920 --> 00:28:31,920 that you actually have your commitment to black lives matter 499 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:35,680 in your bio. Most pastors wouldn't want. 500 00:28:35,440 --> 00:28:36,079 Speaker 1: That, how do you? 501 00:28:36,559 --> 00:28:38,359 Speaker 2: I mean, or they would be if they wanted it, 502 00:28:38,400 --> 00:28:40,799 they might be too afraid to put it there. 503 00:28:41,559 --> 00:28:44,000 Speaker 1: Why do you do that and how does that connect to. 504 00:28:44,079 --> 00:28:49,079 Speaker 2: Your way of preaching, your way of reaching your congregants. 505 00:28:49,160 --> 00:28:53,279 Speaker 3: It's important to me because I always, I always marked 506 00:28:53,319 --> 00:28:56,279 the period of Black Lives Matter. First of all, I 507 00:28:56,319 --> 00:28:59,440 think that it should always be in our history alongside 508 00:28:59,519 --> 00:29:03,000 the Civil Rights movement and the Middle Passage, and I 509 00:29:03,039 --> 00:29:06,000 think it was a time and a space in our 510 00:29:06,039 --> 00:29:08,759 country where but I think it also it was a 511 00:29:08,799 --> 00:29:11,440 wake up call to the Black church, because I think 512 00:29:11,519 --> 00:29:14,720 Black Lives Matter was the first and maybe the only 513 00:29:15,119 --> 00:29:18,240 large movement of black people in our nation where the 514 00:29:18,319 --> 00:29:21,519 church did not start it or give leadership to it, 515 00:29:21,759 --> 00:29:26,440 or was not much involved in it. And so Black 516 00:29:26,480 --> 00:29:31,519 Lives Matter always reminds me that that if the church 517 00:29:31,720 --> 00:29:34,759 is not a part of the struggle, then the church 518 00:29:34,839 --> 00:29:38,400 is not fulfilling its mission and its call. And so 519 00:29:38,440 --> 00:29:40,680 I keep it in front of me so that when 520 00:29:40,680 --> 00:29:44,279 I'm preaching, when I'm having a church meeting, when even 521 00:29:44,319 --> 00:29:48,119 when we just downstairs eating fried chicken, God and help us, 522 00:29:48,880 --> 00:29:53,680 we are always reminded that community is first, and that 523 00:29:53,839 --> 00:29:59,759 the struggle should always be that the church should always 524 00:29:59,799 --> 00:30:03,359 have its feet in the struggle. And so Black Lives 525 00:30:03,400 --> 00:30:06,759 Matter I celebrated and we should be reminded in the 526 00:30:06,759 --> 00:30:10,000 Black church that black lives do matter. All lies and. 527 00:30:09,920 --> 00:30:12,240 Speaker 2: Of course the boots on the ground aspect of black 528 00:30:12,240 --> 00:30:12,759 lives matter. 529 00:30:12,839 --> 00:30:17,400 Speaker 1: Black Lives Matter. Grassroots was born in la Yes, and yeah, I. 530 00:30:17,319 --> 00:30:19,960 Speaker 2: Do remember the conflict between some members of the church 531 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:24,279 and the organizers. Now the organization has fifty six chapters, 532 00:30:24,319 --> 00:30:27,200 and there are pastors involved, not too many, but a 533 00:30:27,240 --> 00:30:32,559 few pastors like Pastor Starsky Wilson of the Children's Defense. 534 00:30:32,440 --> 00:30:37,000 Speaker 3: Stark Wizard is my mentee and my student, my seminary students, 535 00:30:37,079 --> 00:30:40,920 and so I'm proud of it. 536 00:30:41,880 --> 00:30:45,000 Speaker 2: Or dots get connected, you know, it's hard to talk 537 00:30:45,039 --> 00:30:48,759 about your own way of preaching or your own way 538 00:30:48,759 --> 00:30:52,559 of organizing. So maybe that's why one of the reasons 539 00:30:52,559 --> 00:30:56,359 why Reverend Judy worthm is here. What would you say 540 00:30:56,400 --> 00:30:57,480 about what he just said? 541 00:30:58,559 --> 00:31:00,440 Speaker 4: So the reason why I want him to about his 542 00:31:00,519 --> 00:31:04,759 preaching is because he is not afraid to tell the 543 00:31:04,839 --> 00:31:08,160 truth about what's going on. And so many times we 544 00:31:08,200 --> 00:31:11,880 want to, as fallowers of Jesus Christ, we want to 545 00:31:11,960 --> 00:31:16,640 sugarcoat things. This man right here, he lays it out. 546 00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:21,039 And anybody who I have friends who are not going 547 00:31:21,079 --> 00:31:24,319 to church, they are watching him because they hear the 548 00:31:24,440 --> 00:31:27,720 truth and we hide the truth streaming. 549 00:31:28,119 --> 00:31:30,039 Speaker 1: Yes, so you can stream. 550 00:31:29,759 --> 00:31:32,319 Speaker 4: The services now, Yes, absolutely. 551 00:31:33,640 --> 00:31:36,920 Speaker 1: I left since twenty twenty exactly. 552 00:31:37,400 --> 00:31:39,200 Speaker 4: But I'm so pleased to hear when they call me 553 00:31:39,200 --> 00:31:41,160 and say your pastor's off the chain, and I say, 554 00:31:41,200 --> 00:31:43,279 why do you say that? Because he's telling the truth. 555 00:31:43,519 --> 00:31:45,720 He tells the truth about Trump, about what we need 556 00:31:45,759 --> 00:31:47,839 to do, about how we should not be afraid, how 557 00:31:47,880 --> 00:31:49,680 this is. We've been through this before, we can do 558 00:31:49,720 --> 00:31:52,440 it again the same God. So we hear that over 559 00:31:52,480 --> 00:31:55,680 and over again, and we leave excited. And I don't 560 00:31:55,680 --> 00:31:57,839 want to use the word pep rally, but that's what 561 00:31:57,880 --> 00:32:01,480 I think about it, right, But we feel like we 562 00:32:01,559 --> 00:32:04,720 feel energized and ready to fight the good fight. 563 00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:08,640 Speaker 2: And for the folks in the chat room, Reverend Judy 564 00:32:08,720 --> 00:32:15,119 worthm is over the Community Foundation, right, some folks are 565 00:32:15,160 --> 00:32:16,319 just assuming that you're. 566 00:32:16,839 --> 00:32:21,359 Speaker 1: At doctor Tyler's life. She might have the last name Tyler. 567 00:32:24,720 --> 00:32:26,720 Speaker 4: They need to meet her though. She's brilliant. I call 568 00:32:26,799 --> 00:32:27,680 him Michelle Obama. 569 00:32:27,799 --> 00:32:33,599 Speaker 2: She's brilliant, the first lady two PC yes, yeah, yes, yeah, 570 00:32:33,640 --> 00:32:35,960 Well she also made the bio, which I mean and 571 00:32:36,960 --> 00:32:40,319 not just like oh and my beautiful ones, not just that. 572 00:32:41,079 --> 00:32:43,440 Speaker 3: You know, her section is probably longer than mine. 573 00:32:46,599 --> 00:32:51,240 Speaker 2: Doctor Juanita Moseby Tyler, who is known for equity and 574 00:32:51,319 --> 00:32:54,559 a usion, which is quite a battle right. 575 00:32:54,400 --> 00:32:57,000 Speaker 3: Now, quite a battle, quite a battle. But she's she 576 00:32:57,119 --> 00:32:59,440 has weathered the storm. And I tell her to her 577 00:32:59,640 --> 00:33:02,720 to her credit in a time when those are bad words. 578 00:33:02,759 --> 00:33:05,559 Evidently the people that have relied on her think that 579 00:33:05,599 --> 00:33:08,839 she's doing her work well because she has she still 580 00:33:08,880 --> 00:33:11,759 continues to do it, and we're very proud of her. 581 00:33:13,079 --> 00:33:17,160 Speaker 2: Indeed, well, we are talking with yes, we're talking with 582 00:33:17,200 --> 00:33:17,880 the pastors. 583 00:33:17,920 --> 00:33:18,759 Speaker 1: But don't be shy. 584 00:33:18,839 --> 00:33:20,839 Speaker 2: If you want to call, you're always welcome in eight 585 00:33:20,960 --> 00:33:24,599 hundred nine to oh fifteen eighty. Eight hundred and nine 586 00:33:24,720 --> 00:33:27,799 to oh fifteen eighty is the number. If you want 587 00:33:27,799 --> 00:33:30,319 to say something, you can hop on YouTube at KBLA 588 00:33:30,400 --> 00:33:34,200 fifteen eighty. Reverend doctor Timothy Tyler, Reverend Judy Wortham are 589 00:33:34,200 --> 00:33:38,200 with me. Betty Mason might be somewhere in here, Yeah, 590 00:33:38,519 --> 00:33:42,200 she's here, might be around here too. We're celebrating la 591 00:33:42,279 --> 00:33:46,519 we're celebrating activism. We're celebrating the birthday of Bitty Mason. 592 00:33:46,640 --> 00:33:50,160 On KBLA Talk fifteen eighty community. But if you need 593 00:33:50,240 --> 00:33:53,200 some church Sunday mornings at nine. 594 00:33:53,039 --> 00:33:55,759 Speaker 3: Sunday mornings at nine am. 595 00:33:55,279 --> 00:33:59,839 Speaker 2: Old school, get up, go to church. But also it's 596 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:03,519 sounds like very modern in terms of you can stream 597 00:34:03,599 --> 00:34:07,200 it on the website. On the Fame website. 598 00:34:07,279 --> 00:34:11,039 Speaker 3: Is that the first AMI Church Los Angeles website and 599 00:34:12,519 --> 00:34:15,559 see how worship service. I'd love to see you in person, but. 600 00:34:15,679 --> 00:34:20,880 Speaker 2: Absolutely Fame Church La dot org. Famed Church La dot 601 00:34:20,960 --> 00:34:26,280 org show up at nine at YouTube visit or on YouTube. 602 00:34:26,320 --> 00:34:27,840 Speaker 1: Okay is a streaming. 603 00:34:27,880 --> 00:34:31,320 Speaker 2: And a lot of churches are saying that they're having 604 00:34:31,480 --> 00:34:35,559 trouble getting folks in and that people are either leaving 605 00:34:35,639 --> 00:34:39,840 the faith altogether, going into a sort of more generalized 606 00:34:40,559 --> 00:34:44,519 relationship with God that's not tied to any particular institution 607 00:34:44,880 --> 00:34:49,360 or faith tradition, or that they just want to watch online. 608 00:34:49,559 --> 00:34:52,079 And we're still in the post COVID era. 609 00:34:52,199 --> 00:34:54,679 Speaker 3: It's an interesting phenomenon. I have met so many people 610 00:34:54,719 --> 00:34:58,400 in Los Angeles since I arrived who have introduced themselves, Oh, yes, 611 00:34:58,440 --> 00:35:00,760 I'm one of your online members, so I'm like, I'm 612 00:35:00,760 --> 00:35:04,280 glad to meet you. Or we've had people now they're 613 00:35:04,400 --> 00:35:07,320 they're they're joining the church online so they'll tell me, Well, 614 00:35:07,320 --> 00:35:09,360 they were about five people the day and they said 615 00:35:09,360 --> 00:35:11,719 they want to join the church, and they were watching 616 00:35:11,800 --> 00:35:14,320 us online, and so I have somebody to contact them. 617 00:35:14,639 --> 00:35:18,840 So it has forced us to broaden our imagination of 618 00:35:18,920 --> 00:35:21,639 how we include people in church. And I'm okay with that. 619 00:35:21,920 --> 00:35:24,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, but you also have people showing up, is what 620 00:35:24,480 --> 00:35:28,239 I'm yes, yes, yes, yeah, And maybe I mean I'm 621 00:35:28,280 --> 00:35:31,679 sure it's you know, you're you're preaching, but also maybe 622 00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:35,800 what Reverend Wortham was talking about is that folks need 623 00:35:35,920 --> 00:35:39,079 encouragement right now. I mean people are and it's not 624 00:35:39,239 --> 00:35:41,199 just I mean yes, I don't mean to say just, 625 00:35:41,760 --> 00:35:43,599 but only in the sphere of religion. 626 00:35:43,679 --> 00:35:47,280 Speaker 1: It's also people need encouragement for the fight right politics 627 00:35:47,280 --> 00:35:48,800 and social justice in life. 628 00:35:49,320 --> 00:35:54,159 Speaker 3: A lot of boomers especially, but also young adults. Uh, 629 00:35:54,320 --> 00:36:00,440 we're we're living in a time you're where where military 630 00:36:00,440 --> 00:36:04,440 people are jumping off of ships, you know, and it's 631 00:36:04,639 --> 00:36:07,400 we're living in a crazy time. We're living I call 632 00:36:07,440 --> 00:36:11,559 it in the Trump era, and people need encouragement. People 633 00:36:11,599 --> 00:36:14,599 need hope, and it's my prayer that they're coming to 634 00:36:14,719 --> 00:36:17,159 church and they will come to church in order to 635 00:36:17,280 --> 00:36:19,559 look for that hope and to find that hope, and 636 00:36:19,599 --> 00:36:22,920 so that puts a heavy oness on us as people 637 00:36:22,920 --> 00:36:25,760 of faith to make sure that what we are giving 638 00:36:25,800 --> 00:36:28,519 to people is that thing that they are looking for. 639 00:36:29,599 --> 00:36:32,519 Speaker 2: Willie from Palmdale, what are you looking for? You're home 640 00:36:32,559 --> 00:36:35,159 with Reverend Tyler and Reverend Wortham and me. 641 00:36:36,960 --> 00:36:41,000 Speaker 7: I thank you for taking my call. I was just wondering, 642 00:36:41,440 --> 00:36:46,159 how do you balance serving God and living in the 643 00:36:46,199 --> 00:36:47,119 political world. 644 00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:51,559 Speaker 3: That's an interesting question the way that I balance, And 645 00:36:51,599 --> 00:36:55,559 thank you for that question about balancing, balancing living for 646 00:36:55,639 --> 00:36:58,559 God and living in the political world. I always remind 647 00:36:58,599 --> 00:37:02,440 myself that Jesus had to live in a political world. 648 00:37:02,639 --> 00:37:04,960 Oftentimes they would come to him, remember when they asked 649 00:37:05,000 --> 00:37:09,960 him about, uh give do you give to God or 650 00:37:09,960 --> 00:37:14,320 do you give to the government. He was always balancing 651 00:37:15,480 --> 00:37:19,280 issues about politics and about religion. And so I realized 652 00:37:19,280 --> 00:37:21,559 that I have to do that as well. And the 653 00:37:21,599 --> 00:37:25,039 Black Church has always been involved in politics because it 654 00:37:25,079 --> 00:37:27,119 was our religion that got us through a lot of 655 00:37:27,159 --> 00:37:30,760 political crisis. And so it's not really even a balancing, 656 00:37:30,880 --> 00:37:35,639 it's just a natural, natural sinking up of the things 657 00:37:35,679 --> 00:37:38,039 that we have to deal with in the world and 658 00:37:38,480 --> 00:37:40,920 our goal to get to the other world, and so 659 00:37:41,320 --> 00:37:42,519 it comes very easy for me. 660 00:37:43,760 --> 00:37:46,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, thank you. Willie appreciate good to hear from you. 661 00:37:47,239 --> 00:37:49,480 Will He usually calls in when he needs some solace, 662 00:37:49,559 --> 00:37:53,360 so I guess he's feeling feeling us today. So tell 663 00:37:53,360 --> 00:37:55,679 me about the weekend. What is going on at the weekend? 664 00:37:55,760 --> 00:37:58,199 I assume folks are invited, Yes. 665 00:37:58,079 --> 00:38:00,119 Speaker 3: And it's going to be a very exciting week And 666 00:38:00,119 --> 00:38:03,920 it starts today at eleven o'clock am. We're going to 667 00:38:03,960 --> 00:38:07,599 gather at the Evergreen Cemetery and we are going to 668 00:38:07,599 --> 00:38:11,719 pay homage to the founders of fame, and we're going 669 00:38:11,719 --> 00:38:15,360 to lay a wreath at the burial place of Bridget 670 00:38:15,360 --> 00:38:20,039 Biddy Mason, and we're going to acknowledge and see where 671 00:38:20,079 --> 00:38:23,239 some of her other family members have been buried. And 672 00:38:23,239 --> 00:38:26,400 so it will be a day of remembrance and a 673 00:38:26,480 --> 00:38:30,760 day of solace as we honor our founder at the 674 00:38:30,840 --> 00:38:32,960 place where she is resting. 675 00:38:33,000 --> 00:38:35,679 Speaker 4: And then on Saturday, on Saturday, we have the Bitty 676 00:38:35,760 --> 00:38:39,840 Mason Birthday Brunch. It is actually her birthday on Tomorrow, 677 00:38:39,920 --> 00:38:44,039 August fifteenth. We will be starting at eleven am going 678 00:38:44,119 --> 00:38:47,199 to two pm and it's like a reception to honor 679 00:38:47,239 --> 00:38:51,480 her and there as a home that we own that 680 00:38:51,599 --> 00:38:53,239 is beautiful. 681 00:38:52,840 --> 00:38:56,719 Speaker 3: Twenty two forty one Home Barks Yes, twenty one South, 682 00:38:57,280 --> 00:39:01,960 built in nineteen ten, and the builder of that house 683 00:39:02,039 --> 00:39:06,599 is also the founder of the Grand Central Market downtown. 684 00:39:06,920 --> 00:39:09,400 It's a historical home that first day and Me purchased 685 00:39:09,800 --> 00:39:13,440 and it's going to become the same community house. So 686 00:39:13,480 --> 00:39:16,159 we will do our gang intervention, We're going to do 687 00:39:16,320 --> 00:39:21,400 a liberation academy stepping in to teach history to adults 688 00:39:21,440 --> 00:39:24,159 and children. We're going to do micro business work, and 689 00:39:24,199 --> 00:39:27,039 all that will happen at the same community house. So 690 00:39:27,119 --> 00:39:29,599 tomorrow we're going to be feeding you and we're going 691 00:39:29,639 --> 00:39:32,280 to ask you to feed us with donations yes, so 692 00:39:32,320 --> 00:39:34,559 that we can renovate that beautiful We're going to keep 693 00:39:34,559 --> 00:39:37,880 it in that nineteen ten spirit, but we're going to 694 00:39:37,920 --> 00:39:40,960 renovate it and we've already started working on that. And 695 00:39:41,000 --> 00:39:43,159 so we're going to ask the community to help us 696 00:39:43,199 --> 00:39:48,480 to remember Biddy Mason's entrepreneurial spirit tomorrow as we celebrate 697 00:39:48,519 --> 00:39:50,599 her birthday. And then on Sunday. 698 00:39:50,679 --> 00:39:54,639 Speaker 4: Our Biddy Nation Worship celebration service, where we will asking 699 00:39:54,679 --> 00:39:57,840 to have an actress who is going to her whole 700 00:39:57,920 --> 00:40:02,920 life is around impersonating Beatty Mason costume and everything. Yes, 701 00:40:03,039 --> 00:40:06,199 so she's gonna come in full costume, and the whole 702 00:40:06,239 --> 00:40:10,519 service is dedicated to honoring Biddy Bridget Mason excited. 703 00:40:10,599 --> 00:40:15,360 Speaker 3: The famed mass choir will will sing on Sunday close 704 00:40:15,400 --> 00:40:18,440 to one hundred and it's gonna be. It's gonna be. 705 00:40:19,000 --> 00:40:22,000 It's gonna be a great worship service. I'm not sure 706 00:40:22,039 --> 00:40:23,760 if I'm gonna be preaching. I think I'm gonna be 707 00:40:23,760 --> 00:40:24,519 preaching Sunday. 708 00:40:24,599 --> 00:40:25,079 Speaker 1: My question. 709 00:40:25,239 --> 00:40:28,199 Speaker 3: Uh uh. They told me. They told me I better 710 00:40:28,239 --> 00:40:32,360 preach Sunday. So somewhere between the dancing, the singing, the acting, 711 00:40:32,679 --> 00:40:35,280 and the celebration, I'm gonna get two or three words 712 00:40:35,320 --> 00:40:39,280 in there. But it's gonna be a great, great weekend. 713 00:40:39,920 --> 00:40:41,960 We wanted everyone to come and share it with us. 714 00:40:42,119 --> 00:40:42,360 Speaker 1: Wow. 715 00:40:43,960 --> 00:40:46,400 Speaker 2: I probably shouldn't say this, but I'm gonna say it anyway. 716 00:40:46,679 --> 00:40:47,840 Is this the first annual? 717 00:40:48,760 --> 00:40:48,920 Speaker 6: Oh? 718 00:40:49,079 --> 00:40:51,239 Speaker 1: Amen? Yeah, you should say it. 719 00:40:51,280 --> 00:40:51,679 Speaker 2: You should. 720 00:40:51,960 --> 00:40:53,880 Speaker 3: I think it's the first time we've done it in 721 00:40:53,960 --> 00:40:59,599 this way, in this magnitude. Yes, because why why wouldn't we? 722 00:41:00,159 --> 00:41:00,360 Speaker 7: Right? 723 00:41:00,400 --> 00:41:04,159 Speaker 1: I like that, it just it kind of makes sense. 724 00:41:04,320 --> 00:41:04,960 Speaker 4: I like it. 725 00:41:05,280 --> 00:41:08,159 Speaker 2: Tell us we only time flies when you're on the radio. 726 00:41:08,239 --> 00:41:11,800 We only have a couple minutes left. Tell us about 727 00:41:11,840 --> 00:41:17,239 how to contact you, track you access the services other 728 00:41:17,320 --> 00:41:20,480 than coming this weekend. I mean you've got three opportunities Friday, 729 00:41:20,559 --> 00:41:25,800 Saturday and Sunday. Yeah, today today at eleven, starting at eleven. 730 00:41:25,760 --> 00:41:27,239 Speaker 1: At the Evergreens Cemetery. 731 00:41:27,320 --> 00:41:30,239 Speaker 2: Tomorrow the brunch is at. 732 00:41:30,320 --> 00:41:32,679 Speaker 1: Twenty to forty one Hobart, Yes South. 733 00:41:33,000 --> 00:41:36,280 Speaker 3: So we're going to give people an opportunity to experience 734 00:41:36,679 --> 00:41:39,320 that space much like it was in nineteen ten and 735 00:41:39,360 --> 00:41:40,440 it's a beautiful space. 736 00:41:40,639 --> 00:41:43,159 Speaker 2: And then Sunday, of course at nine, yes for the 737 00:41:43,199 --> 00:41:45,960 regular services. That won't be the regular services because it 738 00:41:46,039 --> 00:41:48,679 sounds like right right, No, it won't be there and 739 00:41:48,840 --> 00:41:51,960 cosentry and honoring of Biddy Macey. 740 00:41:52,199 --> 00:41:55,119 Speaker 4: Yes, the website is the best place to find us, 741 00:41:55,920 --> 00:41:57,360 famed Church la dot org. 742 00:41:57,880 --> 00:42:01,360 Speaker 3: That's the best place to get our contact information, to 743 00:42:01,480 --> 00:42:05,400 call the church office and to get a handle them 744 00:42:05,480 --> 00:42:08,480 on all of the wonderful activities that will be happening 745 00:42:08,519 --> 00:42:12,239 this weekend. Now, the premier way to find us is 746 00:42:12,360 --> 00:42:16,960 just to get up at about Sunday, get in your car, 747 00:42:18,280 --> 00:42:24,880 Amen pastor seventy Harvard Boulevard. 748 00:42:25,679 --> 00:42:28,719 Speaker 2: So why do we have to get up at Can 749 00:42:28,800 --> 00:42:31,000 we get up at eight forty three? 750 00:42:31,400 --> 00:42:37,920 Speaker 4: Well, okay, that works my wife. 751 00:42:38,360 --> 00:42:41,000 Speaker 3: Wife, My wife would agree with you. 752 00:42:42,599 --> 00:42:44,800 Speaker 1: We'll take it. We just want to see you just 753 00:42:44,840 --> 00:42:48,599 get there. Love to see us get there. Well, it's 754 00:42:48,599 --> 00:42:50,199 been a pleasure talking with you. 755 00:42:50,840 --> 00:42:54,440 Speaker 2: Thank you for this opportunity, and doctor Timothy Tyler, thank 756 00:42:54,440 --> 00:42:56,639 you so much for coming in. Thank you, thank you, 757 00:42:57,280 --> 00:43:01,320 and happy h Biddy Mason weekend, all of us, thank 758 00:43:01,360 --> 00:43:06,320 you so much. Indeed, we're talking reparations next hour. Doctor 759 00:43:06,400 --> 00:43:08,320 Quaiku will join us and we're going to look at 760 00:43:08,320 --> 00:43:13,159 the psychological aspects of our repair. Boy, the ancestors are 761 00:43:13,239 --> 00:43:16,960 dancing around here today. It's KBLA Talk fifteen eighty