VOA – CONNECT EPISODE #157 AIR DATE 01 15 2021 TRANSCRIPT OPEN ((VO/NAT)) ((Banner)) Making a Path ((SOT)) ((Ron Taylor, Production Manager)) Our children, they do have the best of both worlds in having a black father and a white mother. In life, they don't have to think about choosing a side. ((Animation Transition)) ((Banner)) Making a Move ((SOT)) ((Stephanie Robesky, Participant, Tulsa Remote)) Do I need 700 restaurants? No, I probably need, like, three restaurants but I do want some culture. I do want a sense of community. I would like reasonable cost of living. ((Animation Transition)) ((Banner)) Making Magic ((SOT)) ((Randy Shine, Magician)) Prior to Houdini, Doug Henning, David Copperfield, David Blaine, the very first American-born magician was a Black man. ((Open Animation)) BLOCK A ((PKG: INTERRACIAL COUPLE)) ((TRT: 9:52)) ((Banner: Breaking Expectations)) ((Reporter/Camera: Deepak Dobhal)) ((Map: Lincoln, Nebraska)) ((Main Characters: 1 Male, 1 Female)) ((NATS)) ((Courtesy: Ron Taylor)) ((Ron Taylor, Production Manager)) We were at the Union at the university. That's basically a place where people come and relax and you check your emails and your class schedules. And I just happened to see this head of curly hair and I had to get closer to her. And the closer I got, the better she looked. And I had to introduce myself. So, here we are 20 years later. ((NATS)) ((Rachel Taylor, Homeschooling Mother)) I have three kiddos. Isaac is our oldest. Ian is our middle child. Isabella is our youngest. She's seven-and-a-half. We homeschool them. We have for the last five-and-a-half years. ((NATS)) ((Ron Taylor, Production Manager)) Our children, they do have the best of both world s in having a Black father and a white mother. In life, they don't have to think about choosing a side. I’m originally from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines which is in the eastern Caribbean. ((Courtesy: Ron Taylor)) ((Ron Taylor, Production Manager)) I was evacuated due to a volcano in 1979. I was seven years old at that time. Came to United States, lived in New York City for few years. And I also was in the military myself. The only questions that the kids have asked us about race is, “Dad, why is your skin darker than Mom's?” And, so, I went ahead and took a DNA test and I explained all that to them. OK. Daddy is 50 percent Nigerian. Daddy is 25 percent from Sierra Leone. Daddy is 11 percent Scottish. Daddy has four percent Native American. Daddy has three percent Asian. So, I break it down for them. As far as what we're teaching them, it's what's appropriate for their age. We don't put them in that environment where they can be harmed or anyone can share their negativity with them. So, we protect our children. They're still trying to learn how to do their multiplication tables, you know. So, the issue of slavery and systemic racism, you know, that's not at their level at this point. ((Rachel Taylor, Homeschooling Mother)) But we're not clueless that it's there. And in due time, as those discussions come into play, he's like you're old enough, you're mature enough, it's time for you to learn this. And it may come up because our child has a question, or it may come up because of something they're exposed to. ((NATS)) ((Courtesy: Ron Taylor)) ((Rachel Taylor, Homeschooling Mother)) Couple months ago, there was protests right here in our neighborhood. They chose South Lincoln neighborhoods, where we live, because they felt that they needed to expose South Lincoln. So, the kids got to see that first-hand right here at the end of our street and what that looked like and it was a peaceful protest. But then when they see something on the news that's violent and people are literally hurting each other and causing vandalism, that's not a peaceful protest. That's literally riots. And so, I've talked to them about knowing that we live in Nebraska and in some regards their exposure looks very, very different than if we lived on the East or the West Coast. ((NATS)) ((Video Courtesy: Ron Taylor)) ((Popup Banner: George Floyd, an African American man, was killed in police custody. His death led to widespread protests against racial injustice in the US.)) ((Ron Taylor, Production Manager)) We explained to them about George Floyd and what happened and that's when I showed them the video. ((Courtesy: Reuters)) ((Ron Taylor, Production Manager)) And then we all went through the steps of, okay, who was wrong at this point, who was right? Not the color of their skin, but, you know, who did something wrong at point A? Who did something wrong on point B? So, we went from A to Z. ((Courtesy: Reuters)) ((Ron Taylor, Production Manager)) Ultimately, once you're in handcuffs, the police have you apprehended. Your job is to put someone in handcuffs, take him to jail, and then the judge will take care of the rest of the process. ((Courtesy: Reuters)) ((Ron Taylor, Production Manager)) Due process happens in the court, not on the street. ((NATS)) ((Video Courtesy: AP)) ((Rachel Taylor, Homeschooling Mother)) To actually participate in a protest, I don't know that I have enough information to make an educated statement on that. But when I look at those things, I say where did this come from? Who started this? What is their goal? Who's funding it? What is the purpose of this? So, I ask a lot of those questions, which is why, I mean, I myself, I'm not going to go intentionally be a part of that if I don't align with that. But that has nothing to do with my view on race. And so, to intertwine that would be mangled. ((NATS)) ((Courtesy: AP)) ((Ron Taylor, Production Manager)) The political side of some of these matters have been cloudy. It's something that people that want to manipulate the process and cause confusion as opposed to dealing with the issue. ((NATS)) ((Courtesy: AP)) ((Rachel Taylor, Homeschooling Mother)) Of course there's empathy, empathy for those going through that is generated from ((Courtesy: AP)) ((Rachel Taylor, Homeschooling Mother)) sincerity and heartbreak and recognizing, hey, I have no idea what it felt like to be [Civil Rights icon] Rosa Parks that day, but do I need to teach and train the childrenhow to be strong, courageous people like her or how to be a Dr. Martin Luther King and speak up and be able to use his voice? That's not just history. That's who do you want to be today. So, yes, I empathize with that because I care and I want our kids to be able to live their life in that way. ((NATS)) ((Courtesy: AP)) ((Rachel Taylor, Homeschooling Mother)) Much of what people are seeing and hearing today is based on the hate. And when hate is represented, it doesn't matter what form you're seeing it in, it's a matter of the heart. These are interpersonal relational conflicts that have been stirred up. In some people it just started. Some people that was inbred in them from the day they were born. And heart issues can only be resolved within someone's most inner thoughts. We can't go around and fix other people's heart. ((NATS)) ((Rachel Taylor, Homeschooling Mother)) My job is to figure out how to keep the five of us and this family focused on who holds our tomorrow? Where do we go from here? Because if this is our last conversation and the world ends today, is what we've shared and reflected and discussed upon without our children, something in which they can then make an educated decision without us? ((Rachel Taylor, Homeschooling Mother)) When you use faith as your foundation in your discussions as a family, it's really simple actually to integrate that into the relationships that you choose to expose them to. So, instead of shielding them from life, we've just chosen the tribe of people that we want to associate with. ((NATS)) ((Rachel Taylor, Homeschooling Mother)) Their exposure is so diverse. We were talking yesterday about who their friends are and where they're from. And I'm like, I feel like we could pull the whole United Nations to the park for a gathering if you really look at color as who we're exposing our children to. It's not a selection pool. It's just who we have grown to love and who the Lord's brought in our path to be friends with. ((NATS)) ((Ron Taylor, Production Manager)) Our goal is to, you know, not pigeonhole their thinking. We want them to be whole brain thinkers. We want them to think beyond someone's color of their skin or their eyes or their hair. Because if we solve one problem, there's always going to be a next. And we're always going to find something to talk about with someone and to judge. ((NATS)) ((Ron Taylor, Production Manager)) Based on what we're experiencing now and the divisions that we have in our society, I have to be above that. If I were to dwell on what I look like and what somebody thinks what I look like, I won't be successful as I am right now. ((Rachel Taylor, Homeschooling Mother)) Hmm. I think you look good. I am just saying like, I don’t know. ((Ron Taylor, Production Manager)) But, you know, we shouldn't deny that there's something going on and it's bad. ((Rachel Taylor, Homeschooling Mother)) Yeah. ((Ron Taylor, Production Manager)) You know, we need to focus on how can we make it better? ((NATS)) TEASE ((VO/NAT)) Coming up….. ((Banner)) Time to Move ((SOT)) ((Stephanie Robesky, Participant, Tulsa Remote)) An article for Tulsa Remote popped up in my news feed and I thought, that's super interesting. Ten thousand dollars to move somewhere. But then I was also, had to, like, “Where is Tulsa, Oklahoma?” BREAK ONE BUMP IN ((ANIM)) BLOCK B ((PKG)) TULSA REMOTE ((TRT: 03:46)) ((Banner: Moving to Tulsa)) ((Reporter: Julie Taboh)) ((Camera: Jeremy Gosset)) ((Adapted by: Zdenko Novacki)) ((Map: Tulsa, Oklahoma)) ((Main characters: 1 female; 1 male)) ((NATS/MUSIC)) ((Text from Tulsa Remote website on screen: Hi, remote workers! We’ll pay you to work from Tulsa. You’re going to love it here.)) ((Stephanie Robesky, Participant, Tulsa Remote)) I first heard about Tulsa Remote, I felt like it was kismet. I was thinking about leaving the Bay area where I was living in San Francisco. And so, I was searching around for, you know, different locations like researching where, you know, ((Stephanie Robesky, Participant, Tulsa Remote)) what's the cost of living like? What is the quality of life like in different cities? And I looked at all the, kind of, obvious things that I think people migrate from California to, which were Portland, Austin, Seattle. And, you know, I just kept coming up with the fact that those cities have, kind of, been overplayed at this point. And when I was doing this research, an article for Tulsa Remote popped up in my news feed, and I thought, like, that's super interesting. Ten thousand dollars to move somewhere. But then I was also, had to, like, take a step back and go “Where is Tulsa, Oklahoma?” ((NATS/MUSIC)) ((Ben Stewart, Interim Executive Director, Tulsa Remote)) Tulsa Remote is an innovative program which seeks to bring remote workers from across the country with various diverse skill sets in order for them to have an opportunity to join our community. The program was created as it's truly an additive talent program which brings people with jobs to Tulsa in order to see a better life for themselves and their families. ((NATS/MUSIC)) ((Stephanie Robesky, Participant, Tulsa Remote)) I made this list and I said, you know “What do I need? Do I need 700 restaurants? No, I probably need, like, three restaurants. Do I need all of these bars? No, but I do want some culture. I do want a sense of community. I would like, you know, a reasonable cost of living, the ability to buy a house.” ((NATS/MUSIC)) ((Stephanie Robesky, Participant, Tulsa Remote)) I never anticipated even when I was flying out here, that it was something that I was seriously considering. I was, kind of, like, “This is interesting. I'm going to go with an open mind. I'm going to see what this is about. But probably, like, this is probably not going to happen.” And by the end of three days, I was sitting there with another participant that had come to visit and we looked at each other, we said, he was from New York and we said, “Are we doing this? Are we actually going to move to Tulsa, Oklahoma?” ((NATS/MUSIC)) ((Ben Stewart, Interim Executive Director, Tulsa Remote)) Over half of our applications come from California and New York. And those folks are looking for a higher quality of life. They're looking for more space. They're looking for the ability to purchase a home. They're looking for the opportunity to engage more deeply with the community. They're looking for that presence where they know people by their first names. And that's something that Tulsa can provide. ((NATS/MUSIC)) ((Stephanie Robesky, Participant, Tulsa Remote)) I rolled into town and I immediately had 50 plus connections. I can't imagine, like, trying to make that solo move to a new town as a remote worker. And how do you even start making those connections, right? I mean, we had instant community built-in already for us. They helped us, you know, even with simple things. “I don't know how to change my driver's license.” You know, like, people from the program would help us with this. ((NATS/MUSIC)) ((Ben Stewart, Interim Executive Director, Tulsa Remote)) The ten-thousand-dollar headline number for Tulsa Remote grabs attention. However, the disbursement of the checks really just de-risks the proposition of moving to Tulsa. We found that people come for many different reasons. Cost of living, quality of life, ease, lack of pollution, all kinds of reasons. ((NATS/MUSIC)) ((Stephanie Robesky, Participant, Tulsa Remote)) I felt so at home that I have now purchased a home here because it is affordable. I purchased a home. I got a boyfriend. I mean, I feel like I'm the Tulsa Remote success story. ((NATS/MUSIC)) TEASE ((VO/NAT)) Coming up….. ((Banner)) The Magic of Possibility ((SOT)) ((Randy Shine, Magician)) So, when you think about magic, you have to think about creativity and most importantly, making the impossible possible. BREAK TWO BUMP IN ((ANIM)) BLOCK C ((PKG)) THE MESSAGE OF MAGIC ((TRT: 06:41)) ((Banner: The Message of Magic)) ((Reporter: Marsha James)) ((Camera: Lisa Vohra)) ((Editor: Philip Alexiou)) ((Map: Vienna, Virginia)) ((Main character: 1 male)) ((Sub character: 1 female)) ((NATS/MUSIC)) ((Randy Shine, Magician)) ((Courtesy: Randy Shine)) When it comes to magic, there's no logical solution why did that coin vanish from your hand? Then, the next things is, do it again or do something else miraculous. ((end Courtesy)) ((NATS/MUSIC)) ((Randy Shine, Magician)) Is magic real or is magic an illusion? I'd like to show you what comes to mind just as an example. And we're just going to use these three half-dollars right here. Focus on this first one. Three coins, two hands, no sleeves, no bracelets. So, you think of things happening that's impossible, but you're making the impossible possible and you're also creating astonishment. So, when you think about magic, you have to think about creativity and most importantly, making the impossible possible. ((NATS/MUSIC)) ((Courtesy: Randy Shine)) What is real? So, I got started in magic, not when I was young like most people. I got started in magic when I was in graduate school at Penn State studying health education research. It was just a hobby for me, something to do to just to pass the time, card tricks. Me and a group of friends, we used to get together and do card tricks. ((Courtesy: Randy Shine)) So, I just took a leap of faith and I just said I'm going to give myself one year. If it doesn't work out in one year, I'll just go back to school, get a job and just continue on with life. ((end Courtesy)) ((Randy Shine, Magician)) Well, one year ended up being 16 years and I haven't looked back yet. ((Courtesy: Randy Shine)) So, that's when I decided I want to do magic full time. ((NATS/MUSIC)) Showtime. ((NATS/MUSIC)) ((Randy Shine, Magician)) I believe that every artist should use their platform to talk about greater issues beyond their art. ((NATS/MUSIC)) ((Courtesy: Randy Shine)) So, there's some elements in my show that are subtle and then some that are not subtle, that I speak about those issues and I let people into my world and what I think about it. For example, I was performing in Iowa one time. ((end Courtesy)) ((Randy Shine, Magician)) It was at a college campus but it was two hours outside, two-and-a-half hours outside of Des Moines, Iowa. I get there. I set up. I'm behind the curtain. I peek out. 500 people here. I was like, ((NATS/MUSIC)) ((Courtesy: Randy Shine)) “Oh my gosh. Okay, I know exactly what I'm going to say.” As soon as the emcee announced me, ((end Courtesy)) ((Randy Shine, Magician)) I walked on stage. The first words out of my mouth is, “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming to the show. When I got off the plane this morning, ((Courtesy: Randy Shine)) the Black population increased by 100 percent.” Now, it came off as a joke but as they say, there's truth in comedy. ((NATS/MUSIC)) That’s proof that some stereotypes are true. ((end Courtesy)) ((Randy Shine, Magician)) And it resonated with everyone because they realized, wow, ((Courtesy: Randy Shine)) this is not a diverse town. Wow, I've never seen a Black magician before, ((end Courtesy)) ((Randy Shine, Magician)) but we've always been out there. ((Courtesy: Randy Shine)) As a matter of fact, one part of my show, I'll talk about the very first American-born magician by the name of Richard Potter. So, prior to Houdini, prior to Doug Henning, prior to David Copperfield, prior to ((end Courtesy)) ((Randy Shine, Magician)) David Blaine, the very first magician on American soil was a Black man. And that's something to be proud about because ((Courtesy: Randy Shine)) because people like Richard Potter, Henry Box Brown, Hiawatha Johnson Jr., these are all African American magicians. ((end Courtesy)) ((Randy Shine, Magician)) If I could see it, I could be it. ((Courtesy: Randy Shine)) Yes, I am one of the co-founders of the International Association of Black Magical Artists. That was an organization that was formed ((end Courtesy)) ((Randy Shine, Magician)) as a need to bring African American magicians together. ((Courtesy: Randy Shine)) There has never been an African American magician, a Black magician, who has had a national TV platform. ((NATS/MUSIC)) ((Courtesy: Randy Shine)) Every one of these gentlemen are headliners for this one show or has had a household name or a touring show. So, that glass ceiling hasn't been broken yet. And in 2001, ((end Courtesy)) ((Randy Shine, Magician)) I came up with this idea called The Heart and Soul of Magic. ((NATS/MUSIC)) ((Courtesy: Randy Shine)) So, The Heart and Soul of Magic, it was a brain- child of mine that I had in 1998. And my goal, my life goal is to have this as a national touring show because currently, it's just self-funded, me and the magicians who believe in that. And that's what we do. So, if we could get that, or if we could get one African American magician to be a household name like the David Copperfields, like the David Blaines, I would say that would cracked the ceiling, that glass ceiling, but it wouldn't break it, but at least it's cracked the seal in that glass ceiling. ((end Courtesy)) ((NATS: Randy Shine and Alyssa Gokhale)) ((Alyssa Gokhale)) Wow. ((Randy Shine)) Wow, you did it. ((Alyssa Gokhale)) Let’s try again. ((Randy Shine)) You saw it with your own eyes. You saw it live. No smoke, mirrors, no TV screens. Right here in your face. So, one person will walk away and say, “Hey, it's real.” ((Courtesy: Randy Shine)) Others will say, “Oh, no, it’s some trick. You see, he's very good at slight of hand or some other technique.” It's up to that person's views and perspective. And so, ((end Courtesy)) ((Randy Shine, Magician)) there's a saying by a famous magician named Joseph Dunninger. He says, “For those who believe, no explanation is necessary. For those who don't, no explanation will suffice.” ((NATS/MUSIC)) ((Courtesy: Randy Shine)) ((Randy Shine, Magician)) So, is magic real or is it an illusion? That's up to you to decide. ((Courtesy: Randy Shine)) ((NATS/MUSIC)) NEXT WEEK ((VO/NAT)) ((Banner)) In coming weeks….. Finding Faith ((SOT)) ((Wendy Hook, Christian gift store owner)) We just wanted people to have the availability to get a Bible, to walk into a store and pray. ((Caleb Szymanski, Lead Pastor, Oasis Community Church)) Lord, you meet us in the darkest places of our lives. ((Wendy Hook, Christian gift store owner)) With the virus that we have this year, it’s just been difficult for people. We don’t get to fellowship any more and church has been cancelled. I think God’s trying to get our attention and I’ve had people buying Bibles, you know, during the shutdown that we need a Bible. People are searching and wanting to kind of know what’s going on.” CLOSING ((ANIM)) voanews.com/connect ((PKG)) FREE PRESS MATTERS ((NATS/VIDEO/GFX)) ((Popup captions over B Roll)) We make a difference When we unmask terror When we explain the impossible When we confront an uncertain future When we give voice to the voiceless The difference is Freedom of the Press We are the Voice of America where A Free Press Matters CLOSING ((ANIM)) voanews.com/connect ((PKG)) FREE PRESS MATTERS ((NATS/VIDEO/GFX)) ((Popup captions over B Roll)) Near the Turkish Embassy Washington, D.C. May 16, 2017 President Erdogan’s bodyguard attacks peaceful protesters “Those terrorists deserved to be beaten” “They should not be protesting our president” “They got what they asked for” While some people may turn away from the news We cover it reliably accurately objectively comprehensively wherever the news matters VOA A Free Press Matters BREAK THREE BUMP IN ((ANIM)) SHOW ENDS