Latest / Dad Needs To Talk / Black History Month: I Am Here, We Are Here

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Black History Month: I Am Here, We Are Here · Dad Needs To Talk

• 0:06
  What's up, y'all? It's your boy Rob from Danny's
• 0:09
  to talk and just wanted to speak with you all today because it is
• 0:14
  currently February 2nd 2023. I'm here in DFW and Texas.
• 0:20
  We've been iced in our week due to this winter storm and so it
• 0:27
  is like 5 a.m. couldn't sleep been up since like two or three
• 0:33
  and had the idea to just come in here, recording talk to y'all
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  because it's February Black History Month.
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  And so, I kind of wanted to give potentially some maybe some
• 0:45
  hope, some encouragement to somebody out there that might
• 0:49
  come across this and reasoning for is because a lot of times,
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  you know, we think that there's not many people out there like
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  us that are into the same things we are.
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  But I am here, we are here. And for those of you who do not
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  know, like I said, I am Rob host and creator of daddy to talk
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  where it's all about fatherhood and family, manga, anime and
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  gaming. And I am.
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  Like I said, I am a father of five, three boys, twin girls.
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  I am a husband. I am a IT professional in the
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  medical field and so much more. You know, I'm a, I'm a son.
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  I'm a brother. I'm a nephew, I'm an uncle.
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  I'm a friend. And just a guy who loves all
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  things nerdy. And so I have been in this
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  creative space, for almost two years, starting my journey and
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  March 20, 21, and who we are February, 20 23, and I have
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  discovered. There's a lot of us.
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  There's a lot of people out there.
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  They look like me, the sound like me.
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  Me. And it has been awesome but it
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  is it is one of those weird things to wear.
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  One of the reasons why I started doing what I'm doing and the
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  evolution of how I did things cuz doesn't know that have known
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  me since the beginning. I only did, you know, just a
• 2:42
  Audio, Only version of my content, my podcast and stuff.
• 2:48
  Just because, of course, you know, at the time and if If
• 2:51
  you're interested in the four-star go listen to Danny to
• 2:53
  Talk podcast episode 04 the for backstory.
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  But you know, I started this journey out of a place of grief
• 3:02
  and pain but found kinship community and so much more
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  through doing what I'm doing and that's what kind of led me to
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  this being on camera. Murrah having video and stuff.
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  Because at the time I felt like and I thought that man, there's
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  not many other people out there, there look like me that are
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  doing this and so, hey, I want to do what I can to try.
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  Maybe encourage the next person to like, hey, you know, we are
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  out here, you know, and the wild thing is, is that once I started
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  doing this stuff, I discovered that.
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  Hey, okay, there are lots of people out there.
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  There are also black people out There that are doing this.
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  That have been doing this way longer than I have, but, you
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  know, just a mixture of just many various things, you know,
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  all the various algorithms across all these different
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  platforms and stuff. You know, and sometimes, you
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  know, it's just, I don't know. It was like a weird thing to her
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  is, like, I had a hard time finding people before I got in.
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  But then once I got in, it was like, oh there's there's There's
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  thousands millions of us out here but you know, it is always
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  just encouraging to always see another new face.
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  Another the here, another new voice coming to the space
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  because I can't count how many times I've come across a post on
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  social media or a comment on something that's like, yeah.
• 4:46
  Okay, well okay, there's there's somebody else out there like me
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  that Into this type of stuff and they're like, I had no clue and
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  that is like, yeah, there's a lot of grass but it's just like,
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  it's just like, hey, knowing where to look, what you would
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  just kind of weird and sad to say that, you know, we, we
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  shouldn't have to hunt to find people that are like us.
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  But I feel like and I feel like this can kind of go for anybody,
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  you know, regardless of your background, your nationality and
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  stuff like that. But just being from my
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  experience as a black man. I know I always find some sense
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  of comfort and peace any time somewhere and I see someone that
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  looks like me just because it's especially as I've grown older
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  and stuff and you know, kind of been venturing out into the
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  world more because and just for context, I am I am a 33 year old
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  person. Just had a birthday about a
• 5:54
  month ago and but you know, through My life and my career
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  been an it. And doing what I do, you know,
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  I've got to go into a lot of different places to where it's,
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  you know, at least initially not common to see too many other
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  people that look like me and stuff.
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  And so, I just remember a lot of just like key moments over the
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  years, like heck, even though when I finished college and I
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  moved up here to the the Metroplex where I'm at now.
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  How to live with my sister for a while back.
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  When I first moved up here over a decade ago and I had to
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  transfer to another Game Stop store and it was just so dope
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  when I came in and got introduced to the staff and
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  there was another black guy, it was like yo that there's
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  somebody else. There's another one and even now
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  at my current job you know it's you know if it felt like a rare
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  thing to see her. Other black, IT professional
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  within the medical field but it's like, you know, I found,
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  you know, there there was a guy there, that's around my same
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  age, and then find found out there or there was some other
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  more senior guys that are, you know, 10, 20, 30 years older
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  than me or whatever they have been there for, you know, 15
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  plus years or whatever. And so yeah, so it's just a
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  beautiful thing regardless of, you know, the In the place when
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  you're at a convention, you know, I'm at Barnes and Nobles
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  whatever and just seeing a potentially familiar face or
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  just something like I said it just feels like it's just a
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  sense of comfort even even if you mind not communicate and
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  interact with a person, just kind of knowing the like, okay
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  I'm not the only one here, that looks like me it gives at least
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  for me sometimes depending on the circumstance and stuff.
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  You know, some some sense of peace and comfort.
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  And so like I said that that is why I do what I do because you
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  know, like I said as a father as a husband as an uncle you know,
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  I wanted I like being able to Bring more visibility and to
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  also to show my kids, my nieces and nephews people from Back,
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  Where I Come From, because I come from a small country town
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  and deep Southeast Texas, in the woods.
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  And so, you know, there's not much down there and so if, if
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  somebody out there, you know, is online and, you know, searching
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  on YouTube or whatever for thoughts on a video game.
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  Game or a TV show or anime or whatever and they come across me
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  and my face and stuff whatever and it's like oh okay, there's
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  somebody out there that kind of looks like me that is into the
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  stuff that is dope. And hey, it is okay to like this
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  stuff, because I even have a younger cousin of my family who
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  she was so happy when she discovered that, she had a
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  relative who was also into all of those nerdy stuff because she
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  She's like she's like Robert. I feel like there was nobody
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  else I could talk to but when I found out that you were into
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  this stuff you know it's like yeah I have somebody that I can
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  talk to about this stuff and so having that connection is just
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  been very beautiful. I love when my kids coming, you
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  know, ask me about different stuff, talk to me about
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  different things and things like that they're interested in and
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  stuff especially if it's like something that I've been into
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  for a long time, whether it's a game or anime TV, show movie,
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  whatever and we can kind of find that connection and stuff.
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  So so yeah. So like I said, just just wanted
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  y'all to know anybody out there is watching or listening to this
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  that. Hey it is okay to be you.
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  It is okay to like what you like, you know, there is room
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  and there are spaced out there for all of us because even if
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  somebody who you know I do Do reviews and stuff for a lot of
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  manga and stuff in particular. When I started doing it it was
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  like man there's people there's been doing this for over a
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  decade. There's millions of people out
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  there that are doing reviews and stuff but somehow someway I
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  still sometimes I'm the only person or or one of a handful of
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  people in the whole world that are even talking about some of
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  the stuff that I'm talking about which you know just goes to show
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  that. Hey Don't knock it till you try
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  it. You know.
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  Just because you know there might be other people in the
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  space. There is room for you because
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  you are, you, you are unique, you have a unique perspective, a
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  unique voice, a unique Vibe, and there might be somebody out
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  there that has waiting for you. There's somebody out there that
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  might be waiting to hear your particular thoughts on something
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  or for you to recommend something.
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  Thing or whatever the case may be, because sometimes, you know,
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  somebody might be, I'm a okay, I've seen a lot of people may be
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  talking about this thing or whatever, but you might be able
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  to give a unique perspective on it because I know it's like for
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  myself being a father. A lot of times, I might look at
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  a series from a different angle or be able to add extra context
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  or thoughts to certain subjects, whatever because I'm coming from
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  the fatherly or parental. Whole mindset that a certain
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  character or person might have been into in a series or
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  something that I'm reading or watching or a game I'm playing
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  and so yeah that that type of representation matters a lot and
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  that is why a lot of times, you know I know some people are of
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  course the internet being the internet but that is why it is
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  dope to see. Let's get to Rally behind
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  different things where they would be like, it's like oh
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  cool. This this video game finally
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  has, you know, a black protagonist or some black main
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  characters or, you know, this this show, I'm watching this
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  book, I'm reading, whatever the case may be, because I know
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  sometimes people get kind of weird where it's like, oh, why
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  are people taking these images of these existing characters and
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  making them black Black or black and find them, you know,
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  changing they're like black hair styles or or clothing style
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  whatever. But that is because for so long
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  and of course things have gotten way better than what it used to.
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  But there's still lots of work to be done but it's because we
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  don't get to see ourselves too much and know that there's
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  there's been a lot of characters and stuff that I've learned over
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  these couple years of me being in this space as Creative and
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  meeting out. If those people that is like,
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  oh, I had no clue about all these various, you know, black
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  characters are our characters of different backgrounds and stuff
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  with them Marvel and DC or whatever because, you know,
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  they're not the big note, another big name was like, you
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  know, like but the Batman is in the Superman and Spider-Man and
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  all that stuff, whatever. And so, it's like, I didn't know
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  that, you know, that these characters existed because Cuz
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  they don't get you know that push to the Forefront like these
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  other bigger characters and stuff dude.
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  And so that's why I was like oh okay.
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  Hey yeah, so what if somebody takes some characters from Spa
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  family and change their skin color, whatever just because
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  it's just like, hey we are just trying to have fun.
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  We're just trying to be included.
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  Because like I said, don't get to see it that often.
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  And so that is why it has been encouraging meeting.
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  So many awesome people that have credit things because they
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  didn't see anybody else doing them or, you know, whatever the
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  case may be, whatever. Because I even have like, some
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  of the stuff behind me like this novel, child of water that is
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  done by black Arthur Olivia. Thompson.
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  This a magical girls got to Life by Jackie.
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  The creator of adorned by Chi death bride, very awesome.
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  Comic dark Vulcan, very awesome series.
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  And so it's like okay, like we like we are out there, we are
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  making moves. Even this a Saturday I am done
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  by a Or one of the founders of that brand, is a black creative
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  and so it's like, okay, you know, we are getting out there.
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  We are networking, we are collaborating.
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  We are making our present, our presence known and we're getting
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  just more opportunities that stuff which is just been a
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  beautiful thing to see. Like I said, as I've become more
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  ingrained in this community and stuff and kind of getting to
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  meet lots of people, it's like, okay, a lot of people Taking the
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  initiative of our. Okay.
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  Well, if these bigger companies, you know, aren't including us
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  and different things themselves or are pushing those kids.
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  The kids, they have credit to the front.
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  Then we would create things ourselves.
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  We will create our own characters, our own worlds, our
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  own stories for us as so. Yeah.
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  So just like I said, I just wanted to just touch on that
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  stuff a little bit, you know, not going to drag this out too
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  long. But I hope that maybe like I
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  said, this might give encouragement to somebody out
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  there. Whether hey if you have an idea,
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  You know, whether it's no a comic you want to draw or a
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  shell, you want to create or a game you want to make or you
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  want to get into a certain field or industry or whatever you can
• 16:30
  do it. You can do, it doesn't matter.
• 16:35
  You know what your upbringing was doesn't matter if you came
• 16:38
  from a small country town. If you were in the big city, you
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  came from a foreign country, wherever the, whatever the case
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  may be. The opportunity is out there.
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  Now of course, you might have to work at it way harder than the
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  person next to you, but there is a path out there for you and not
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  saying it's going to be easy and nice and it's going to happen
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  overnight, but be strong be diligent be persistent and
• 17:12
  consistent in your Venture and Your journey and you will get
• 17:20
  there, you know, like I said, it might take it might happen in
• 17:25
  short term or it might take you many, many years to do it.
• 17:30
  Also shout out. Shout out to the to the homies
• 17:32
  that are manga brownies. You know, it's got a always got
• 17:35
  to show the lovely ladies that manga brownies some love as well
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  but but yeah, so just be encouraged, y'all, you know.
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  There is room, there is space out there for you, for your
• 17:50
  voice, for your creation and four.
• 17:55
  Your love and your passion, even if you just want to do YouTube
• 18:00
  stuff, you want to do, Tick, Tock, or podcasts, whatever the
• 18:04
  case may be to talk about the things, you are passionate
• 18:07
  about, get out there and just do it because with the power of the
• 18:12
  internet's nowadays, and we're talking and we're technology is
• 18:16
  now a lot of times you don't need the biggest and fanciest
• 18:21
  things to get started. Just start with what you have.
• 18:25
  Have and work your way up from there because we all have to
• 18:29
  start somewhere. You don't have to start at, you
• 18:32
  know, lover, 100. Hey, just start at level 1 and
• 18:36
  do what you can do because that's all anybody can ask for,
• 18:40
  as long as you were doing the best you can do and given the
• 18:43
  best effort you can give there you are already on the right
• 18:48
  path to making your hopes and dreams come true.
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  And with that being said, Said, I think that's it for me today.
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  Like, I don't want to drag this out too too long, but I hope
• 19:02
  somebody out there enjoys this. I hope somebody out there took
• 19:06
  something away from this. I hope somebody out there finds
• 19:09
  comfort and peace and what I'm saying and shout-out, just
• 19:15
  speaking of characters and stuff, whatever because this has
• 19:17
  been on my mind, of course, thing about gaming stuff,
• 19:19
  whatever Lincoln clay from Mafia 3 and Marcus from watched.
• 19:25
  Dogs to two of my favorite black protagonist in a video game and
• 19:32
  the last decade. And so, and also, you know, now,
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  I've only played the demo over there, whatever, but I also just
• 19:40
  shout out to, to the main character of for spoken, you
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  know, for, you know, them, at least like trying to make an
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  effort, you know, to try to get more diversity stuff out there,
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  I hope, you know, I hope, That the actress behind that gives
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  more roads and more opportunities.
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  And that goes for everybody out there.
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  I hope everybody gets more shine and things like that, so but but
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  anywho, I'm a wrap it up there. As always, thank you so much for
• 20:10
  watching and listening. Like I said, this has been your
• 20:13
  boy Rob at Danny's to talk, get find me everywhere.
• 20:19
  And yeah, and as I always say, treat yourself to something.
• 20:21
  Nice. Read some manga wash them.
• 20:25
  And Me and TV play some video games and live your best life
• 20:29
  and make your dreams happen. And I will catch you on the next
• 20:32
  one. Yeah, I'll be easy piece.
• 20:25
  Me and TV play some video games and live your best life and make
• 20:29
  your dreams happen. And I will catch you on the next
• 20:32
  one. Yeah, I'll be easy piece.