VOA – CONNECT 
EPISODE  #  143  
AIR DATE  10 09 2020   
TRANSCRIPT 
 
 
OPEN  ((VO/NAT)) 
((Banner)) 
Peace in the Water 
((SOT)) 
((Lizelle Jackson, Surf Instructor, Black Girls Surf)) 
For me this morning, I definitely want to leave stress on land. 
And in the water, I'm just looking to find playfulness 
today.  Just have fun and let everything go. 
((Animation Transition)) 
((Banner)) 
Forging from Scratch 
((SOT)) 
((Sara Dahmen, Founder, House of Copper and 
Cookware)) 
As far as I can tell and find, I am the only woman building 
copper cookware from scratch. 
((Animation Transition)) 
((Banner)) 
Spreading Joy 
((SOT)) 
((Ali Chrisler, Owner, Blue Ribbon Floral)) 
For people who are still hesitant to leave their house, this is 
a way to bring nature into their house.  It's a little bit of 
beauty and enjoyment.  
((Open Animation)) 
 
 
BLOCK A 
 
 
((PKG))  BLACK GIRLS SURF   
((Banner:  Black Girls Surf)) 
((Reporter/Camera:  Arturo Martínez)) 
((Courtesy/Extra footage:  Dave Malana, Tandem Boogie, 
Black Girls Surf)) 
((Map:  Los Angeles, California)) 
((Main characters:  2 females))    
((Sub characters:  5 females;  2 males))  
((NATS)) 
((Lizelle Jackson, Surf Instructor, Black Girls Surf)) 
When I was growing up, I heard so much, “Well, Black 
people don't swim”.  And I heard that from my father.  When 
he first took me to the beach, he said, “Don't go out past the 
whitewash.  If something happens to you, I'm not coming to 
get you.”  And for me that meant, “OK, well, I got to learn 
how to swim.  I got to learn how to take care of myself out 
here because he's not coming to help me.” 
((NATS)) 
((Lizelle Jackson, Surf Instructor, Black Girls Surf)) 
My name is Lizelle Jackson.  Pre-COVID, I was an active 
travel guide.  Post-COVID now, I'm a surf instructor. 
((NATS)) 
((Lizelle Jackson, Surf Instructor, Black Girls Surf)) 
Paddle.  Paddle.  Jump.  That’s better.  
Black Girls Surf, you know, their intention is to get more 
Black women to be professional surfers.  And so, right now, 
we're just working here in the L.A. chapter trying to get as 
many women of color in the water as possible.  And then, 
eventually, hopefully there'll be some women from that stage 
that would like to progress on to the professional stage. 
((NATS)) 
((Lizelle Jackson, Surf Instructor, Black Girls Surf)) 
I mean, you take something like Bruce's Beach.  In the early 
1900s, there was a Black beach resort there and 
eventually they were kicked out.  They were forced to move 
further inland and so, Black people lost one of the few 
beaches that they could go to.  So, I mean, you look at 
something like that.  If there is only one slice of beach that 
Black people could utilize at that point, then it's no wonder 
we don't have more Black surfers.  A lot of times, surfing is 
something, is passed down from generation to 
generation.  You see surfer dads out there with their little 
daughters, pushing them into the waves.  Well, our dads 
didn't have that opportunity. 
((NATS)) 
((Lizelle Jackson, Surf Instructor, Black Girls Surf))  
So, on a board like this, you are going to do something 
called the turtle roll. 
((Samantha Johnson, Chef, Surf Learner))   
Oh, I've seen that.  I’ve YouTube-ed it.  I YouTube things 
and yeah, I've never done that. 
((Lizelle Jackson, Surf Instructor, Black Girls Surf)) 
So this one, you can't duck dive.  
One of the reasons I keep coming out here is because I wish 
there had been somebody when I was first learning, that was 
there for me to look up to and someone that looked like 
me.  And, I think, when you don't see yourself represented 
in, whether it's those media images or whether it's just 
looking out in the water, it can be difficult.  And so, if we can 
create this space where women of color, Black women, feel 
safe to come into and feel safe learning and that they 
already feel like, “OK, I can handle myself here.”  And that’s 
what we're really looking to do, right, is just to empower 
women to feel that they belong in this ocean, no matter 
which beach they go to. 
((NATS)) 
((Surfer)) 
Everyone circle up. 
((Sayuri Blondt, L.A. SoCal Chapter Coordinator, Black 
Girls Surf)) 
I want to thank everyone today for coming out.  It's wonderful 
to see you all and all your beautiful faces.  If you don't have 
a flower, please stop by and grab a yellow rose.  I will have 
Rhonda speak today from Senegal and she's speaking at all 
the other paddle outs worldwide. 
((NATS)) 
((Rhonda Harper, Founder, Black Girls Surf)) 
Good morning.  This is Rhonda Harper from Black Girls 
Surf.  These paddle outs are peaceful protests for lives lost 
to police brutality and racism in America.  Black lives matter. 
((NATS)) 
((Sayuri Blondt, L.A. SoCal Chapter Coordinator, Black 
Girls Surf)) 
Today, we're honoring the lives of those lost:  Breonna 
Taylor, George Floyd, Vanessa Guillen and hundreds of 
more lives.  The belief is that it’s our individual, collective 
responsibility to participate rather than ignore, to prevent 
rather than react, to preserve rather than degrade, because 
this is our time to do so.  When you paddle out into the water 
today and you release those roses in honor of those who 
have fallen, think of something you want to bring back with 
you into this new society we are creating, something that's 
healing, something that you wish to see more of in the world 
that you feel that is not there. 
((NATS)) 
((Sayuri Blondt, L.A. SoCal Chapter Coordinator, Black 
Girls Surf)) 
It's beautiful, isn't it?  
My name is Sayuri and I am the Los Angeles SoCal Chapter 
Coordinator for Black Girls Surf.  This is happening 
worldwide today in several other counties as well as around 
the world.  And the support was real, like, we started out with 
eight people and then it went to, like, 20.  We brought 60 
roses.  All the roses are gone. 
((NATS)) 
((Event participant)) 
Thank you so much. 
((Sayuri Blondt, L.A. SoCal Chapter Coordinator, Black 
Girls Surf)) 
Thank you guys for coming out.  Did you guys get in the 
water?  Did you go in the water? 
((Event participant)) 
Yes, they did. 
((Sayuri Blondt, L.A. SoCal Chapter Coordinator, Black 
Girls Surf)) 
Awesome. 
Surfing?  Are you interested in surfing? 
((Event participant)) 
I would love, like, I've always wanted to learn to surf but I 
never knew anyone and never had, like, friends to go to take 
a class. 
((Sayuri Blondt, L.A. SoCal Chapter Coordinator, Black 
Girls Surf)) 
All right, cool.  Then you should come out to one of our 
board meetings because all we do is get together and surf.  
((Event participant)) 
That is awesome. 
((Sayuri Blondt, L.A. SoCal Chapter Coordinator, Black 
Girls Surf)) 
So, we have events like this.  We have surf therapy 
days.  We have board meetings.  And we are also starting 
our surf camps up this summer.  And that's where we get 
girls that are ages 11 to 17 in the water and on the board 
and we start training them to surf professionally. 
((NATS)) 
((Darryl Knox, L.A. Resident)) 
I wish I could've got that one.  That's OK though.  I love 
seeing her in the water.  It’s not just about African American 
versus any other race.  It's just seeing your children have fun 
and doing things that they like to do is always a 
pleasure.  As rare as it is to see somebody like Tiger Woods 
in golf, it's probably just as rare to see African Americans out 
on the water and I don't think we live in a lot of the beach 
communities, especially in the US. 
((NATS)) 
((Lizelle Jackson, Surf Instructor, Black Girls Surf)) 
Inhale that action. 
((NATS)) 
((Lizelle Jackson, Surf Instructor, Black Girls Surf)) 
Big exhale. 
((NATS)) 
((Lizelle Jackson, Surf Instructor, Black Girls Surf)) 
Sayuri and I would just like to start by officially welcoming 
you to the Black Girls Surf, the BGS Surf Therapy 
Program.  Today, we just kind of want to address those, you 
know, what are those things that you're looking to leave on 
land and what is it that you want to find in the water?  For me 
this morning, I definitely want to leave stress on land.  And in 
the water, I'm just looking to find playfulness today.  Just 
have fun and let everything go. 
((Sayuri Blondt, L.A. SoCal Chapter Coordinator, Black 
Girls Surf)) 
So, I want to leave frustration on land and then what I want 
to find in the water is always peace. 
((Event participant)) 
I want to leave my anxieties on land and I want to find, have 
some stoked moments. 
((Lizelle Jackson, Surf Instructor, Black Girls Surf)) 
There we go.  Stoked. 
((NATS)) 
((Lizelle Jackson, Surf Instructor, Black Girls Surf)) 
A lot of experiences that you have in the water parallel life 
itself.  I mean, just getting out into the water is this constant 
battle, right?  But then you have these moments of calm and 
peace.  Like, I can see some of the choices that I make, 
whether it's, “Am I going to paddle into this wave?” or, “Am I 
just going to keep paddling all the waves?”  That kind of 
parallel, the way I behave in the real world.   But also, I think 
water, just in general, is extremely therapeutic.  Just, it's 
incredibly calming.  I think it's, our bodies are what, about 70 
percent water.  So, it's almost like you're going home, 
right?  Like, going back into the womb and just feeling 
comfortable and at peace. 
((NATS)) 
((Lizelle Jackson, Surf Instructor, Black Girls Surf)) 
My hope is that we'll just start to see a much more diverse 
lineup.  And so, my hope is that one day, when we go out in 
the water, when I see another surfer of color, it's not, like, 
this kind of surprise.  And I just want to get to the point 
where that's normal, where we go out into the water and we 
see all different shades, creeds, colors, whatever it is, and 
that nobody bats an eye. 
((NATS)) 
 
 
TEASE  ((VO/NAT)) 
Coming up….. 
((Banner)) 
Sticking with Tradition 
((SOT)) 
((Sara Dahmen, Founder, House of Copper and 
Cookware)) 
I will build traditional reproduction cookware that is built 
exactly the way it has been done since the 1700s.   
 

BREAK ONE 
 
 
((ANIMATION EXPLAINER -- W/ GFX, CAPTIONS, 
PHOTOS))  
US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2020:  
NOMINATION CONVENTION 
 
                                                                    
BUMP IN  ((ANIM))                         

 
BLOCK B  
  
 
((PKG))  FEMALE COPPERSMITH 
((Banner:  Female Coppersmith)) 
((Reporter:  Faiza Elmasry)) 
((Camera:  Sara Dahman)) 
((Video Editor:  Lisa Vohra)) 
((Map:  Grafton, Wisconsin))   
((Main characters:  1 female)) 
((NATS/MUSIC)) 
((Courtesy:  Sara Dahmen))  
((Sara Dahmen, Founder, House of Copper and 
Cookware)) 
As far as I can tell and find, I am the only woman building 
copper cookware from scratch, both the vintage ways and 
more modern rendition of copper cookware. 
((NATS)) 
((Sara Dahmen, Founder, House of Copper and 
Cookware)) 
I had never taken a shop class.  I didn't know how to operate 
power tools.  I didn't know any of the terminology. 
((NATS)) 
((Sara Dahmen, Founder, House of Copper and 
Cookware)) 
As a historical fiction writer, it's important to get your facts 
right and to really dive into the past in order to bring it to the 
future.   
((Courtesy:  Sara Dahmen)) 
((Sara Dahmen, Founder, House of Copper and 
Cookware)) 
So, when I started to write Widow 
1881 and eventually Tinsmith 1865, I was writing 
about Pioneer women and discovered so much of what they 
did.  And where they spent their time was in the kitchen. 
     ((Courtesy:  Sara Dahmen))  
((NATS)) 
((Sara Dahmen, Founder, House of Copper and 
Cookware)) 
So, over time, I started to do more and more research 
about Pioneer kitchens, American cookware and how was it 
made and what was used?  Eventually that became me 
saying to my husband, ‘I want to start a cookware line.  I 
want it to be American made.’ 
((Courtesy:  Sara Dahmen))  
((NATS/MUSIC)) 
((Sara Dahmen, Founder, House of Copper and 
Cookware)) 
Flash forward a few more months and I decided to do even 
more research and ended up discovering Bob Bartelme, who 
is a traditional tinsmith, who lived a few minutes from my 
home.  He was generous enough to take me under his wing 
and I ended up going there, multiple times a week, and I still 
do even though it's been over four years now.  I’m learning 
from him. 
((NATS/MUSIC)) 
((Sara Dahmen, Founder, House of Copper and 
Cookware)) 
In my new book, Copper, Iron and Clay, A Smith's Journey, I 
talk about the process of starting a cookware line.  I had to 
ask a lot of questions and screw up and redo things over and 
over and over again.  I will build traditional reproduction 
cookware that is built exactly the way it has been done since 
the 1700s.  I will also create more modern heavy-duty 
pieces.  I'll do custom designs based on people's specs that 
they give me. 
((NATS)) 
((Sara Dahmen, Founder, House of Copper and 
Cookware)) 
All these machines are originally from the early 1800s, 
starting about 1810 to 1820s.  So, they still work.  I still 
use them and I’m still able to use them to build custom 
pieces from scratch and everything still works the same as it 
did 200 years ago. 
((NATS/MUSIC)) 
((Sara Dahmen, Founder, House of Copper and 
Cookware)) 
There’s a lot of pieces that go into the elongation and the 
heat treatment and that's all poured and done and ground 
out on the West Coast and then shipped back here to 
Wisconsin. 
((NATS/MUSIC)) 
((Sara Dahmen, Founder, House of Copper and 
Cookware)) 
After that then, they're in my hands and they're raw.  I have 
to prepare them.  Once I get a piece of copper cookware 
over the tinning fire, then we can apply that very necessary 
interior lining of tin which will make the cookware food-
safe.  And when you're done with that, you still have a 
beautiful piece of cookware, but there's usually a little bit of 
clean up on the edge.  There's definitely some polishing that 
needs to happen to this piece, both on the buffing wheel and 
hand polish.  And once that is done, then, then this can go 
home and be used for the next several hundred years. 
((NATS/MUSIC)) 
((Sara Dahmen, Founder, House of Copper and 
Cookware)) 
The reason many chefs especially are gravitating towards it 
still after all this time, is because of the precision you get 
when you're cooking with it.  Tin-lined copper cookware is 25 
times more conductive than stainless steel.  So, for a fraction 
of the heat, you're getting the same if not better results.  So, 
it is not only energy efficient, but it allows for extreme 
precision when you're cooking.  
((NATS)) 
((Sara Dahmen, Founder, House of Copper and 
Cookware)) 
It all comes down to using the right tools for the meal that 
you're preparing in order to offer nourishment that is 
correctly and beautifully and well prepared. 
((NATS)) 
((Sara Dahmen, Founder, House of Copper and 
Cookware)) 
So there's investments, there's fearlessness and there's 
asking a lot of questions.  And eventually over time, over 
mistakes, over trial-and-error, you can eventually start calling 
yourself a coppersmith. 
((NATS)) 
 
 
TEASE  ((VO/NAT)) 
Coming up….. 
((Banner)) 
Spreading Joy 
((SOT)) 
((Ali Chrisler, Owner, Blue Ribbon Floral)) 
This is flower food.  It just gives them some nutrients, keeps 
them living a little bit longer.  
 

BREAK TWO                                                                  
 
 
((ANIMATION EXPLAINER -- W/ GFX, CAPTIONS, 
PHOTOS))  
US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2020  
 
 
BUMP IN  ((ANIM))                         
 
 
BLOCK C 
 
 
((PKG))  BLUE RIBBON FLORAL  
((Banner:   A Blooming Business)) 
((Reporter/Camera:  June Soh)) 
((Map:  Washington, DC;  Fairfax, Virginia)) 
((Main characters:  1 female)) 
((NATS/MUSIC))  
((Ali Chrisler, Owner, Blue Ribbon Floral)) 
Here you go.  And just sign here.  We are all set.  Awesome, 
enjoy! 
((Customer)) 
Thank you. 
((NATS)) 
((Ali Chrisler, Owner, Blue Ribbon Floral)) 
There you go. 
((Customer)) 
Okay. 
((Ali Chrisler, Owner, Blue Ribbon Floral)) 
Hi, good morning. 
((NATS)) 
((Ali Chrisler, Owner, Blue Ribbon Floral)) 
Today is one of the busiest days I’ve had because it rained 
yesterday and also the owners of this shopping 
center promoted as well on social media and I actually had 
some return customers too who saw it on my Instagram 
post. 
((NATS))  
((Ali Chrisler, Owner, Blue Ribbon Floral)) 
Hi. 
((Customer)) 
How long have you been in business? 
((Ali Chrisler, Owner, Blue Ribbon Floral)) 
So, I started in November.  I officially launched in 
January.  And then when the pandemic hit, I did a lot of 
contactless deliveries which I’m still doing now, but now that 
we can all be outside…. 
((Customer))  
Yeah. 
((Ali Chrisler, Owner, Blue Ribbon Floral)) 
And I feel safe outside. 
((Ali Chrisler, Owner, Blue Ribbon Floral)) 
I am Ali Chrisler.  I'm the creator and founder of Blue 
Ribbon Floral which is a mobile flower truck in Washington, 
DC.  I do a number of fun activities.  One is doing pop-ups at 
different locations in Washington, DC and Maryland and 
Virginia.  I do all the preparation in my home studio and 
then bring it outdoors for a truck pop-up. 
((Courtesy:  Blue Ribbon Floral)) 
((Ali Chrisler, Owner, Blue Ribbon Floral)) 
I grew up on a dairy farm and my mother owned a flower 
shop in my hometown in Wisconsin and before that, my 
grandmother owned a flower shop in my hometown as 
well.  So, I've always been around flowers in that capacity. 
((Courtesy:  Blue Ribbon Floral)) 
((Ali Chrisler, Owner, Blue Ribbon Floral)) 
And I am a trained researcher.  I have a PhD in Human 
Development and Family Studies and I've been doing 
research and evaluation for about 10 years.  I had a 
miscarriage about a year ago and it threw me for a loop and 
decided that I needed to really take stock of what was 
important to me.  And I decided to start this business 
because starting a business has always been something I 
wanted to do. 
((NATS)) 
((Ali Chrisler, Owner, Blue Ribbon Floral)) 
I am off to purchase flowers for this week.  I often go once or 
twice a week, sometimes more, depending on if I have more 
orders that come in the week.  The question I'm asked 
the most is, “Can you drive legally if you have a car where 
you're sitting on the right side?”  And yes, you can.  When I 
registered it with DC, it was never a question whether or not 
it was legal.  It's a legal vehicle.   
((NATS)) 
((Ali Chrisler, Owner, Blue Ribbon Floral)) 
So, my truck is a Japanese imported.  I bought it online, 
sight unseen, from Miami and had it actually delivered to my 
house.  Then had it painted this bright blue and had an 
awning fit for it.  It is very small.  It's a three-cylinder engine 
meaning it's a size of a motorcycle but it's been a great fit for 
me. 
((NATS)) 
((Ali Chrisler, Owner, Blue Ribbon Floral)) 
Often when I am choosing flowers, I am picking a variety of 
colors, textures and also really focusing on long-lasting 
flowers. 
((NATS))  
((Flower Wholesaler)) 
We’ve checked pretty much everything. 
((Ali Chrisler, Owner, Blue Ribbon Floral)) 
Okay, cool. 
((Ali Chrisler, Owner, Blue Ribbon Floral)) 
That’s for a wedding. 
((Ali Chrisler, Owner, Blue Ribbon Floral)) 
And then I will come back Friday for another pick-up….. 
((Flower Wholesaler)) 
Okay. 
((Ali Chrisler, Owner, Blue Ribbon Floral)) 
…..for an event on Saturday. 
((Flower Wholesaler)) 
Oh, cool.  Okay. 
((Ali Chrisler, Owner, Blue Ribbon Floral)) 
Okay, cool. 
((Flower Wholesaler)) 
Perfect.  Okay.  See you right back. 
((Ali Chrisler, Owner, Blue Ribbon Floral)) 
Yep. 
((NATS)) 
((Ali Chrisler, Owner, Blue Ribbon Floral)) 
This is flower food.  It just gives them some nutrients, keeps 
them living a little bit longer.  I don’t need a lot of 
space.  Sometimes feel as though my home studio, I have 
already grown out of, but obviously I'm very happy I didn't 
have a storefront given COVID. 
((NATS)) 
((Ali Chrisler, Owner, Blue Ribbon Floral)) 
So, to build the flower cooler, I watched a YouTube 
video and simply followed their instructions on how to build 
it.  I saved about anywhere from $5,000 by building this on 
my own.  So, the flowers will stay in here for at least 24 
hours.  It gives them enough time to hydrate, to cool down 
and then, I start to use them in all of my flower bouquets. 
((NATS)) 
((Ali Chrisler, Owner, Blue Ribbon Floral)) 
Going into COVID, I was very nervous about doing 
contactless deliveries.  I thought this seems so trivial, 
you know.  Flowers are such a minor thing in this of what's 
going on with this pandemic.  How could anybody be 
interested?  And I had a friend say, “Look, flowers bring a lot 
of joy to people’s lives.”  And I really took that to heart 
and when I started advertising that I was doing contactless 
deliveries, people were really excited about it.  I consistently 
have people text message me, “These flowers bring so 
much joy.  I look forward to the flowers every week or every 
other week.  They're always beautiful.”  So, for people who 
are still hesitant to leave their house, this is a way to bring 
nature into their house.  It's a little bit of beauty and 
enjoyment.  But also, because people can't see friends and 
family right now, a lot of people are sending flowers for 
birthdays, anniversaries, weddings that have been canceled 
and this would’ve been their wedding day.  So, I also 
think it's a great way for people to feel more connected to 
others and bring a little joy to them as well. 
((NATS)) 
((Ali Chrisler, Owner, Blue Ribbon Floral)) 
I do deliveries sometimes every day of the week, sometimes 
two times a week.  It depends on when people 
are requesting the delivery days. 
((NATS)) 
((Ali Chrisler, Owner, Blue Ribbon Floral)) 
Don’t worry about it.  You can always manipulate them in the 
vase.  Roses have heavy heads.  
No, these look great.  I love it. 
And then also, I have virtual design classes. 
((NATS))  
((Ali Chrisler, Owner, Blue Ribbon Floral))   
So then, you can see it just gives it more like a finished look 
with the salal. 
((Ali Chrisler, Owner, Blue Ribbon Floral)) 
Running a business is very challenging.  It has a lot of ups 
and downs and you're thinking, “How am I going to keep 
on doing this?” 
((NATS)) 
((Ali’s son)) 
What now? 
((Ali Chrisler, Owner, Blue Ribbon Floral)) 
Okay, let’s count them. 
((Ali’s son)) 
One, two, three, four, five. 
((Ali Chrisler, Owner, Blue Ribbon Floral)) 
Wow! 
((Ali Chrisler, Owner, Blue Ribbon Floral)) 
It’s also really challenging when you have a family.  I have a 
two-and-a-half-year-old.  I'm now expecting.  You know, 
I have a husband.  So, that is also a balance 
because flowers don't stop being sold on the 
weekends.  That's when most of my events are. 
((NATS))  
((Customer)) 
So, I follow you on Instagram. 
((Ali Chrisler, Owner, Blue Ribbon Floral)) 
Oh, that’s great! 
((Customer)) 
And I saw it yesterday that you would be here today. 
((Ali Chrisler, Owner, Blue Ribbon Floral)) 
Yeah. 
((Ali Chrisler, Owner, Blue Ribbon Floral)) 
Some people ask me, “Are you going to make this into a 
massive business?”  And I said, “Absolutely not.”  That’s not 
what I‘ve ever wanted to do with the business. 
((NATS)) 
((Ali Chrisler, Owner, Blue Ribbon Floral)) 
I want it to be a small business.  I want this to be something 
for me that I enjoy doing.  And I think what people enjoy 
about this business is that it's small and it's local and 
everybody who receives flowers gets them designed by me, 
by the owner.  And I think people like that personal 
connection with their florist. 
((NATS)) 
 
 
CLOSING  ((ANIM)) 
voanews.com/connect            

 
BREAK THREE 
                                                                
 
((ANIMATION EXPLAINER -- W/ GFX, CAPTIONS, 
PHOTOS))  
US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2020: 
CAN ANYBODY BE THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED 
STATES?

 
BUMP IN  ((ANIM))        
 
 
((ANIMATION EXPLAINER -- W/ GFX, CAPTIONS, 
PHOTOS))  
US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2020: 
YOUTH VOTERS

 
SHOW ENDS