I for it not wishing with no man. That wasn't made for me. See, this love, we have gotta be tailored. They question with no man. That ain't no fit for me. Do you pray, cause I pray? You want kids? I won't. Are you faithful? Always tell me, can you send a ring? You a king, I'm a.
Speaker 2:We require certain things, and that's what I pray for. So that's what I wait for, dear God, I'm in your center, I'm gon' be ready. Dear God, you do this for me. I won't forget it. My heart, I've been through so much and I just wanna feel your love for once. And, dear God, I hope he's happy already here, but if it's too, I know he is. I hope he's happy, already, healed, if you see, I know he is, I know he will. Dear God, that's what I pray for. So that's what I wait for, and I vow to be everything you need, share my life with you, on the right, with you, and I promise to support all your dreams, but I gotta know that you were made for me. Do you pray, cause I pray. You want kids, I want a. Are you faithful? Oh wait, tell me, can you send a ring? You a king, I'm a queen. Me require certain things, and that's what I pray for. So that's what I wait for.
Speaker 1:That's what I pray for. That's what I wait for, dear God, I'm gonna be ready.
Speaker 2:That's what I pray for.
Speaker 3:So that's what one of my favorite songs y'all right now um, and I already got the person I prayed for, but it just it brings back so many emotions and it just makes me so humble and just thank god so much for the man that I prayed for. God just he gives it to you, just just like you asked it, and, and that girl, she hit every bullet point that you ever think in this song. So you know, I really love that song. Welcome you guys to this edition of the Women of the Waiting Room Takeover.
Speaker 3:Well, I will be the person in the hot seat and my guest host today is my sister, my friend, my confidant, my ride or die, my poetic genius, the queen of poetry, the empress of imperial words, herself the voice. How you doing, mel, hello, hello. Everyone. Doing Mel, hello, hello everyone. You forgot one adjective to describe me Mel, let's see what you say. Your cousin I hear y'all my Mississippi cousins. Okay, you know, we gotta have our roots in it. So hopefully she remember that when she asks these questions. Take it easy on me. Hey, you know how family do you know how we do?
Speaker 3:Good evening everybody, you got to introducing me and I was sitting here like I thought I was the guest host.
Speaker 1:I forgot who you were talking about.
Speaker 3:Good evening everyone. Thank you for joining this edition of Listen. Linda, when the women of the waiting room take over, I'm your guest host. Melanie DeVos Johnson, and my beautiful sister has did such a wonderful job introducing me, did such a wonderful job introducing me, and I just want you guys to just give her put some claps in the chat for none other than Miss Lisa Linda herself. Jackie Cox, she is the vessel and the vessel is in the hot seat tonight. I don't know how hot the seat is, because you know, anytime she's around it's like a spark or a fire brewing anyway. So let's welcome Miss Jackie Cox to the show tonight. Yes, yes, bravo, bravo. Thank you, sade, thank you, thank you, okay.
Speaker 3:So tonight I want to start out with prayer and I just want to go to the Lord. So if you would join me in prayer tonight, I just want to say thank you, lord, thank you for all the things that you've given us this day, a day that wasn't owed to us but was given to us as a gift because of your presence in our lives. Dear Lord, we understand our role here in this world to be that, to bring others unto you, to show people the light, and we just ask that this platform, all of the platforms, everywhere we walk, every space that we talk in, that we do it, that do everything that we do in honor of you, dear Lord, we want you to get all the glory and the blessings and, lord, I pray for my sister tonight, jacqueline. Even though she is the vessel and she does so many things for so many people, we know that it can be hard on the vessel at times, that your workers can be some of the most misused and abused people in this world and be some of the most misused and abused people in this world. So, just like the rest of us, she keeps worn down too, and we just ask that you keep your arms of protection around her, her family, everyone, all of your children that are within the sound of my voice.
Speaker 3:I just ask you to cover them, dear Lord. Whatever is ailing them, fix it. Wherever they have a void in their life, feel it. Let them know your presence and understand your presence, and give them the will and the power to be able to go and draw others unto you through their lives and their testimonies. And, lord, what we do here tonight, we just ask that someone will be blessed by it, someone will be better off by it. We just ask that someone will be blessed by it, someone will be better off by it. And let us be mindful of the things that we might say that may trigger someone, because we know that these are some hard times and sometimes some things can be brought up. But if we do unknowingly trigger someone, dear Lord, please send that comfort there to let them know that you are there, in the midst of all hurt, harm and pain, to heal each and every one of us, for whatever is out the one in our side.
Speaker 3:Lord, we just pray for all those that are within the sound of my voice and those beyond. We thank you for everything that you have done, we thank you for what you're doing and we thank you for what you're going to do to come, and thank you, lord, for this opportunity. In Jesus Christ's name, we give all thanks, honor and glory and power. Amen. And now let's hear a little bit of God did it because, no matter what you've gone through, no matter what you've experienced, it didn't kill you, it didn't take you out. He got you through it and you didn't get through it alone. God did it. And this is by Miss Evelyn Tarantino, ag.
Speaker 1:Come on, clap your hands. Let's give God some praise for the good things he's done. Everything that happened to me, I was good, god did. God did. Yes, oh yes, he did. Oh, everything that happened to me that was good, god, god did it. Yes, he did. Oh, yes, he did. He picked me up, turned me on, placed my feet on solid ground. Everything that happened to me that was good, god, god did it. God did it. Oh, yes, he did. I said everything that happened to me that was good, god did it. God did it. Oh, yes, he did. Oh, everything that happened to me that was good, god did it. God did it. Oh, yes, he did. Thank you, I know it did. I've been sick. I thought I couldn't get well, but he healed my body and now I've got to tell that everything that happened to me, I was good, God did. God did I know it did.
Speaker 3:Oh, yes, he did. God did. God did it. I know he did it. God did it. I make Him. God did it, amen. God did it. Yes, he placed my needle Solid ground and I was lost in a world of sin.
Speaker 1:Jesus came and took me home when I was sick. The Lord put me in the world, he healed me and I can tell I'll say yes, yeah, yeah, yeah. I can't tell Now say yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Who did it? Who did it? Who did it? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Thank you. Who made a fire in the spring? Who rolled the law for the robbing machine? Who saved the rain at the time of the death? Who gives a fight talking about the faith? Oh baby, let it never die. Let it come to do it. Let it come to do it. Let it come or do it. Let it come or do it. Let it come or do it. Let it come or do it. I went to a preacher. I found he could say I went on to a doctor.
Speaker 3:I found out he could heal me. I went to a lawyer. I found out he couldn't do it and I went on the roof of the block and I talked to my friend. Only tears, only tears, only tears. Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah. Remember, before the dance A holy dance. Make people shout A brand new shout, shout, hallelujah, trouble no more. Oh Jesus, oh Jesus, oh Jesus, oh Jesus, oh Jesus, oh Jesus, oh Jesus.
Speaker 3:So as you look back over your life and I know, jack, you've had a whole lot of time as you're writing your books to look back over your life and to see what you come through, um, when you look back over your life, do you just get the sense of sometimes wondering how you've come through? When you look back over your lives, do you just get the sense of sometimes wondering how you made it through? You know what? I look back over my life and I think things over and I can truly say that I've been blessed. I got a testimony. I know it's another song. People often wonder how you do it. Never, never, never have I ever questioned how I did it, because I know everything works according to god's plan that's's right.
Speaker 3:Jeremiah 29, 11 is stitched in my heart. Wow, I just used that Sunday. Wow, I just used that scripture Sunday. So that just lets you know how connected we are. That scripture is etched in my heart. I named my child after that scripture. I named my cow after that scripture.
Speaker 3:Jaden's book, the Honorable Bee Shameless plug Bestseller, catch it on Amazon, catch these hands, or you can go now to ListenLindaPresents1.com and buy it Signed copy. His book was actually a parable from that scripture and the scriptures in the book. So it's based on that book. That, uh, that verse of the Bible, uh, jeremiah 29, 11, where I know the thoughts, um, and the plans I have for you. So you know, um, no, I never once in my life, um, you know, thought about the things that I've went through in my life. You know thought about the things that I went through in my life and wonder how I did it. I knew how I did it. I just wonder how I was able to remain focused through it all. Right, yes, yeah, because you're a lot stronger than me. That was a point in my life when I was I wasn't as strong in my faith that things weren't going the way they were supposed to go to according to my plan and I had to learn. It's not my plan, it's his plan, so I had to learn that. Uh, it's a pricey lesson too, but yeah, yeah, I had to learn it.
Speaker 3:Okay, miss Jackie, you've been in this hot seat a few times before me, so I'm going to give you the opportunity up front. Is there anything that you want to divulge to us before I get started? Yes, okay, hot off the press. Hot, hot, hot, hot. I will be speaking in africa. Yes, yes, I saw it, and hot off the press. I ain't even supposed to be saying this right now, but I'm not gonna put it on global platform. But it's been stated. But I have my own channel going on on TV called Women Win TV Network. I'll be on Roku Fire TV and all things podcast, so I'm excited about that and I am looking for hosts. Everything is on my new website that's up and running called ListenLindaPresents1.com, a paid contributing writer. Paid contributing writer for uh, patheos, which is a global religion, one of the biggest global religious websites in the world, and I have three articles. All of them are top 10 trending number one, number two and number seven on the whole platform. Wow, to God, be the glory. Look at the Lord. To God be the glory.
Speaker 3:That's just a few things, just a little bit.
Speaker 3:Just a little bit. You know sprinkling people with love dust. You know we get around over here. You know that's what I'm talking about just always giving of yourself to help, empower and better someone else. And god is going to continue to give you those opportunities as long as you are obedient and and work according to his will, amen, um. The next question, and this one is going to be kind of weird for you what gives me the authority to interview you? Wow, what makes me, um special? Why me? I only picked people that I can trust. Oh, important, you know what. I could have put it out there and everybody would have been 10 down the walls, exactly, if you guys notice you don't see me within the past year, or maybe a little more.
Speaker 3:Get interviewed on anybody's platform. Now I do panel discussions Quite a few. I have done quite a few panel discussions, but one-on-one interviews. I've done one Other than on my platform. I've done one and that's with my best friend, my ride or die, my ace, boom, boom, miss carolyn, gentry journey. Okay, I don't. I don't trust a lot of people Because people will try to interrogate and try to you know, take, you know the platform and use you know you at your most vulnerable state and try to attack you or get you know certain type of information out of you, or just try to get you out of character.
Speaker 3:Right, and so I had to be. The same way. I selected the women in the anthology was the same way I selected the women to interview me. God gave me, I got this, and, and god did it, and he told me who to pick, who not to pick. So you are special because you are you and you are one of one of none. Okay, so no, there will never be another the voice for me. It could be a million dub voices, show voices, her voices, him, they voices, but it'll never be another the Voice for me. When I hear the Voice, only two people come to mind, and one of them gone Whitney Houston. I have nothing. Melanie Johnson, that's it. Awesome, awesome. Thank you, sis. Thank you so much.
Speaker 3:I wanted to get that out there because you know you don't do a lot of interviews and I wanted you to tell your listeners why we were allowed to interview you, because it wasn't, it was god's direction telling you to uh who to choose. So but, like you just showed us, you gotta use discernment. You gotta know who you can can put yourself in front of and not just make yourself vulnerable to anyone. Exactly, exactly. And I don't do a lot of interviews. And I don't do a lot of interviews because people they pry and they bank on. And they bank on usually these days, especially like with podcasts and TV shows, they bank on your most weakest points and they want to infiltrate you know the enemy and try to come steal, kill and destroy and humiliate people in their most vulnerable states.
Speaker 3:I don't do interviews. That's why I make my own table and I invite people to come to my table Same way I do at my. I don't go to people's houses, mel. They really can't come to mine. We can FaceTime and we'll be right in each other's living room. That's just how I see it. I just try to keep my space sacred. Yes, yes, ma'am, I understand. I don't even have a couch in my apartment because I ain't trying to have a whole lot of visitors. It's no problem, all right, my phone roll is safe. Did you call first? Yes, I don't even know what my eyes say. Okay, yes, I don't even know what my eyes say. Okay, let's get into these publications because, baby, my sister is the bomb In your first publication.
Speaker 3:First of all, what inspired you to compile a book of your poetry? Did you just have something laying?
Speaker 1:poetry Did you?
Speaker 3:just have something laying around. Did you write it specifically for the book? You know what? I did have something laying around. I've been writing poetry since the fifth grade. I've been writing at a certain standard, but before then, you know, when I first got introduced to poetry it was actually now that I think about it I was still at home. My grandmother hadn't even went to school. 40, and you know when you, when, when I first got introduced to poetry it was actually now that I think about it um, I was still at home, my grandmother hadn't even went to school yet. And you know, you, you look at lamb chop and barney and all that stuff, and there's a lot of poetry. You know, roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweeter. So are you? You?
Speaker 1:know, I.
Speaker 3:I wrote that for a little boy named Carlos back when I was in kindergarten, you know so. You know, I've been hotter than fish grease my whole life. It just ends. The male species is very beautiful. Okay, you know, poetry is just. You know my mom was a writer. You know, poetry is just. You know, my mom was a writer. My mom is a writer because she's still here, china, don't kill me. Okay, she took journalism in college and you know, I think that's probably where I got this spark from Awesome, awesome, awesome, awesome. Because I can tell the reading this first publication how some of the poems are compiled. I can tell some differences in themselves, but I ain't going to spoil it. I'm going to get into the rest of the interview, but I love the title of your first publication interview. Um, but I love the, the title of your first, first publication.
Speaker 3:I can remember when we were on the book slam and you first came on and you were introducing this book and you said it was entitled it can't always be night. I almost dropped my phone because it just spoke to me. I was like I gotta get it. I gotta get that book. It was the title spoke to me. It can was like I gotta get it. I gotta get that book. It was the title spoke to me. It can't always be night. So what inspired that title for you? You know what? It was?
Speaker 3:A few things. It can't always be night, you know. Daylight comes, you know it can't always be night. It's always light after the darkness in your life. You know so. No, know it can't always be night. It's always light after the darkness in your life. You know so. No matter what you're going through in life, you know there is a light at the end of the tunnel. God is still waiting for you to make it through. Whatever it is that he's given us the tools that we need. We just have to have that faith and dig deep and know that God is there right and he's gonna see us and bring us to the light.
Speaker 3:Another thing when I was sitting there and I was, you know, compiling the poetry and you know kind of, of course, you know, I added, you know, a little extra to a lot of it, but, um, I was actually watching Stranger Things at the time. Me and my husband was doing like a Netflix and chill type of thing and I was in my phone doing my poetry and I was on because I first published it through Bookly right through the 21 Day Challenge. And while we were sitting there they said so what's the title of the book? It was like book title in the bar and I'm like I ain't got no title for the book and we was watching Stranger Things in the bar and I'm like I ain't got no time for the book and we was watching Stranger Things and it was the last finale of the episode of the series.
Speaker 3:Right, and the devil got the girl. I don't know if you watch Stranger Things, but the devil had the girl. Right, the the monster had the girl and it was the devil. You know, in my eyes it was the devil because he was red, there was blood everywhere.
Speaker 3:She was down deep, right under underground, down deep, and she was trying to get out and she couldn't get out and that's because the devil had her and he swamped her mind with all these bad thoughts. Well, guess what? That white girl had that black boyfriend and he was at the top, okay, and he was up there with the light and the light was shining on her and he just told her think happy thoughts. And she started thinking them, happy thoughts, girl and she was able to break free from the devil and get to her man and got to the light and he kept saying just look at the light, just look at the light, and that's what makes it. It can't always be night. Wow, just look at the light, and that's what they say. It can't always be night. Wow, yeah, that and a little, you know, um, um, it was. It can't always be night. So it was like all that it was just confirmation. I was like that's gonna be the title right now. That's it it is. It is awesome, um, how we encounter just little things in our day-to-day activities and they spark such creativeness in our minds.
Speaker 3:So when you introduced that book on the book slam, I was like I got to have it and I do have my signed autographed copy. You can get yours at LindaPresents1.com. Yes, yes, order it now. Now, most of your poetry in it Can't Always Be Night is direct and to the point, and many of it is written to address the naysayers that many of us encounter in our daily lives today. To address the naysayers and that may many of us encounter in our daily lives today. Um, what kind of mindset were you in when you chose the particular pieces for the book, were there several that, uh, that you chose from or or, and you know you say, okay, this is not gonna make the cut, this one will, or did most of them just stem from issues that you face, facing your youth and coming up and you just put, okay, I'm gonna compile all these together is there?
Speaker 1:is there like?
Speaker 3:some extras out there that they make the cut, that we might want to hear too. You know what the ones that did not make the cut I've been posting on facebook, on my facebook page, this past week. Okay, um, and those will be in the Women at a Waiting Room journal that I have coming out. So I got a self-affirmation journal that's coming out right after the anthology and the devotional. I might bring it out at the same time, I'm not sure, but I know it's a bonus gift in my bundle. But, yeah, it was a few of them that didn't make the cut.
Speaker 3:But what I wanted to do was not focus on one subject and I wanted to reach different audiences and not just one specific audience. So when I wrote the book, when I wrote the, when I, when I compiled the poetry I'm sorry, when I compiled the poetry in the book, I wanted to touch every woman, and you did, you did. I wanted to touch the hood woman, the cultured woman, the white woman, the black woman, the, the abused woman, the neglected woman, the strong woman, the soft woman. I wanted to come from every aspect the mama, the daughter, um, the sister, the friend, whoever can read this book, and I promise you, they will find one piece that they can resonate with. Well, what I did was I went through and highlighted some phrases that stood out to me in some of these poems I did, and on signs and wonders, it's the one that's been back to me. It said we kneel for the aggressor and we stomp on the weak. How relevant is that today? Because that's what we do. If we can see somebody who we consider weaker than us, we stomp on them, beat them down and it's so backwards. But what a people that's hurting you. You kneel for them. But the ones that's treating you bad, the one that's aggressive to you, the one that that's trying to put you down and keep you down and anchor you, you people, please them, you can stay till? Yeah, absolutely. I see that so often today's um, in today's world. And I don't know when you wrote that particular piece, but it was so relevant to now. I wrote that, uh, around the time that ge Floyd passed, wow, okay. And then another one that I highlighted was on page 27 of that book Chestnut Checkers. Oh man, that one I wrote that was just you know what. That was actually a dissertation that I wrote. It was a post that I put on Facebook Chestnut Checkers oh man, yeah, that was one because us, as women, you know, we, truly you know and I try not to say this when my husband is around so I hope he ain't listening but you know, women.
Speaker 3:Just we don't know the power. A lot of us don't understand our power and who we are in this world. They call Mother Nature Mother Nature for a reason. You know, we are the nurturers, we create life. We are the most valuable people in the world, we are the most valuable living being on the planet, and we do not recognize that within ourselves because society has, uh, made us feel like we are not worthy. They took away well, they, they started off not wanting us to read and write. Then they went from there to not wanting us to work, not wanting us to vote. We've always had to fight for everything that we have, but yet and still, we are multiplying the earth and creating people to keep the world going. We have so much value to us, just as a living being, and it's not just human, it's animals, it's birds.
Speaker 3:You name me a living creature that can birth or reproduce other than the female. You won't find one. No, no name an insect, a book, uh, uh, you know a whatever or whatever, an animal, a mammal, you name me something that reproduces. That's not a female. You can't, and we are the most undervalued. And then take that and turn it into a black woman. And then take that and turn it into a black woman.
Speaker 3:When God has given us the most gifts that he has given anybody, our will never runs dry. If we really ask God to just truly show us the gifts that he has planted in us and we hone in on those gifts, our well will never run dry. But in order for our well not to run dry, we have to cherish our gifts. A lot of times we people please and I'm I'm guilty, but I'm learning now, oh baby, I'm learning now. Oh baby, I'm learning now. Put some, put some steak on and put some dollar signs in front of it over here, because God gave me this oil and I'm just giving it away.
Speaker 3:When people are using you for your gifts and your talents, or men are out here using these women for their gift and their you know what's sacred to them, but then they want to plant in your head. If you ask them for anything, they'd have made up this word gold digger, but they don't want to give you a ring because we don't need titles, but they want to take your most prized position every night. So if you could be with me every night then, yeah, that piece of paper gonna mean a lot to me, because that stamps and solidifies and certifies everything. It becomes law, just like the word of God is love. Guess what? We wouldn't know how to be guided in this earth, we wouldn't know how to live on this earth if we didn't have the love, which is the word. So you know.
Speaker 3:Next question, question girl. Next question hey, girl, I am so sorry, my mama called me and it just threw me off the whole broadcast. Next question here's the next question. Okay, on page 45 you have a poem entitled Listen Linda. Now your whole platform is Listen Linda now. Yes, it is. Was this something that you thought about way back then in the corners of a book? And then, like voila, here we are.
Speaker 3:Yes ma'am, I always knew that I wanted to do something. Um, I always knew that I wanted see when I went to college. Initially I went to columbia college, chicago, and I went for broadcast journalism. Okay so, and I interned with channel seven and channel five, with Jerry Tapp, with Cheryl Burden, with Sylvia Perez, so, and with Chris Michaels on 107.5 GCI.
Speaker 3:So I always knew that I was going to be in radio, tv, I was going to be doing something, whether it was, you know, audio, like radio or TV, like a broadcast journalist, like you know, like a TV, you know channel, what is it like? A news broadcast or something. So I always had my mind set that that's what I wanted to do. So when the opportunity came for this book, the little boy came out with this and Linda this, and I told my husband, I said that's a tagline. I said ooh, I could use that for a podcast or a radio show, because at the time I was on station head already I had a radio show called Listen Linda on this same platform, but I was only playing music, I wasn't interviewing, I wasn't thinking about interviewing, but I always would like play music, give some affirmations and just jam for about three or four hours, you know, and that's what I would do to kind of pass up my time, especially right after I had my son and I was um, I had dupes and I was on bed rest for six weeks. That's how I kind of, you know, found something to do with my time at home because he was a C-section baby. So, you know, I had to heal before I could go back to work. So that's what I did to pass the time. So I always knew that that was something that I was going to do. So when I wrote Listen Linda, I knew that I was going to be speaking to black women. I knew that I was going to be speaking to women in general and uplifting women.
Speaker 3:So if you read Listen Linda, then you would know that that poem is the base of everything that I write, everything that I do, everything that I breathe. That is my mission. My mission statement is listen Linda, and I noticed that because I put in my notes. I was like is there a notice to all of us, the Lindas of the world who need to listen up? Because that's exactly what we needed to do. Awesome, you should read it. To listen up, that's exactly what we needed to do. Yes, awesome, awesome, you should read it. Oh, you want me to read it? Okay, you know me, you know me. You don't have to do nothing but ask. I'm only telling you that because I don't have the book right in front of me. Okay, you probably do, so go ahead. Can you read it for the audience? I can. It's entitled Listen, linda? By none other than Jacqueline Cox.
Speaker 3:I want you to put your foot down with your mate. Love me the way I need to be loved, or I'm out. I want you to set boundaries with your people and stick to them. I want you to dive headfirst into your business goals. I want you to take control of your life instead of letting things happen to yourself. I want you to realize that you're worthy of everything your heart desires. I say all of this because I can relate. There was a time when I would rather stay in bed because it was easier than dealing with life. There was a time when I was afraid to set boundaries with people. There was a time when I thought I wasn't worthy, but life is much better now that I know my worth and walk in my greatness. I want the same for you all. I hope every woman man gets to see this and knows that I'm rooting for you.
Speaker 3:Girl, I could have did it better myself, honey, there right now, when I said that, I said, oh, she wrote that for me. Yes, yes, I love it, I love it and I think everybody needs to hear it. Like you said, and I'm glad you put woman slash man, because it's not just for a woman, it's for all of us. All of us needs to be, need to be uplifted, because I see a lot of times the men in society today are beat up more than women. Yes, they are, and a lot, of, a lot of men in society, especially our black men, are undervalued and unappreciated as well, and then they lash out and then they become bitter and then it just starts a whole new cycle. A whole new cycle, as much as I can. People say all you do is talk about how much you love your husband and she loves Mr Cox, baby, she loves Mr Cox. Do not play about him.
Speaker 3:Do not play about him. You're going to see him all over my page and I don't care who he is. This is my page. If you don't like it, if Mr Cox is on my page, you might as well edge it to the left and never come back, because he ain't going nowhere and you're betting. I say nothing about Mr Cox, but good afternoon or good morning, girl. I had somebody come on my Instagram girl, that's for another story. Somebody come on my instagram and try to say something about my husband, baby, and I'll tell you what I said behind closed doors when we get off the air, because they might be listening. But, baby, I read them from genesis to revelation. Don't you ever listen, man? Don't you ever speak on my black man who served three tours you know what I'm saying overseas and fought for this country and kept your stankin tail alive. How dare you?
Speaker 3:and you here because of that and he wasn't cooking, in no kitchen and on no navy boat. He was infantry in the army in the. Okay, he was one of the first people to get through that door and capture saddam hussein. We got saddam hussein slippers in our house. Okay, put some respect on my husband name, amen, amen, the cocks, or that's gonna be the day that you lose everything, any type of connection that you got with me. Amen, I don't play with him. Okay, with the fire hustle. You get an ode to Maya in that book as well, and I spoke to you earlier. This stood out to me because it was written in a pattern of phenomenal woman. I love that poem. I also, in my earlier years, had written the poem using the same um, the same uh rhythm as phenomenal woman, but I love that piece of yours. I told you to be ready. I got my piece.
Speaker 1:You got to get ready.
Speaker 3:You got to get ready when you want, when you say ready, okay, I got Old Tamaya on my phone.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 3:I want you to do Old Tamaya for me, please. Okay, so this one we going to do, we going to do each, you going to do yours, and then Tamaya for me, please. Okay, so this one we gonna do, we gonna do each, we gonna do, you gonna do yours, and then I'm gonna end with Tamaya. Okay, cool, so we gonna do like, yeah, let's do this. Alright, let's do this. Okay.
Speaker 3:Mine is called Melanin Marvel and it is a play on my name. Society has yet to understand how I can exist without a man. But when I divulge information, they think I can't. When I can, I say it's in the fire of my soul, the power of my words, my head raised high, my voice unheard. I'm a marvel, melanated, melanin marvel, don't hate it.
Speaker 3:When I enter the scene, I'm often ignored and neglected. When I start to speak, the naysayers and haters stand to be corrected. All of their thoughts, good or bad, are appropriately affected. I say it's in the relevance of my language, the complexity of my brain, the reach of my influence that cannot be contained. I'm a marvel, Melanated, melanin marvel, don't hate it. Some are intimidated by my intellect. They try to ignore until they can't anymore, continue their level of disrespect, but instead recognize the value they see in retrospect. I say it's in the power of my tongue, the formation of my lips, the swag displayed when my melanin drips. I'm a marvel, melanated melanin marvel, don't hate it. So the verdict is in and now you should see, I don't need another to clearly define me. When you encounter my presence, grateful you should be. I say it's in the soul of my ancestors that made me free, the teaching of my parents and the God in me, because I'm a marvel, melanated Melanin marvel, don't hate it, thank you.
Speaker 1:Ay, ay, melanated melanin marvel, don't hate it.
Speaker 3:thank you, hey, hey, hey classic women wonder where my secret lies. I'm cute but not built to suit a fashion model side. But when I start to tell them they think I'm telling lies. I say it's the reach of my loyalty, of my character, the spin of my mind, the stride of my step, the need for my kind. I'm a woman, wonderfully Wonderful woman. That's me. Now I walk into a room just like a summer breeze and to my man, the fellow stands. Well, they fall back with ease and I say it's the glow of my skin and the point of my chin, the logic of my brain as I dance through my pain. I'm a wonderfully wonderful woman. That's me.
Speaker 3:People themselves have wondered what did Maya so much about me? They try so hard but they fall quickly apart trying to figure out my God-like abilities. When I try to show them, they say they still can't see. I say it's the power of my tongue, the passion of my faith, the loyalty to God, the ride of his ways, because I'm a woman. Wonderfully, just call me Wonder Woman.
Speaker 3:Respectfully, woo, respectfully baby. Love it, love it, yes, yes, yes, ooh. Okay, now I got it in my head what you sound like. Now, when I read it, I can hear your voice, their pitch and everything. Awesome, awesome job, thank you. My mother has to tell me to say that Because I often read people's pieces and I hear it in my voice and I know what your voice sounds like, so a lot of your pieces I can kind of figure out what I think it sounds like. But, baby, to hear it in person, like like memories, people will never understand it. People be like how is girl good at everything? What ain't she good at? Because you're wonderful, it don't matter, no matter what you put your hands to, you're wonderful Respectfully, like Midas, and Midas touched everything you touched in the gold. That's right. Thank you, sade. Thank you so much. Now I want to tip a little bit because I know a lot of people have been asking you about your second publications. Mountains Can't Rise Without Earthquakes.
Speaker 1:You know we always say mountains.
Speaker 3:But you, you know, you got to put the whole name out there but you know mountains got poetry in that too.
Speaker 3:I know, I know I got some questions about that, um, but I'm gonna get into it because I know you know that's how I'm speaking. But, uh, memoirs of a grown girl. That stood out to me because most of the time we relate grown to woman. But you said memoirs of a grown girl. That was powerful to me because a lot of time let me hear this why did you use that term grown girl? Well, you know, if you noticed, um, I also used that terminology, for it can't always be night. It was poetic memoirs of a troubled grown girl. And the reason why it was two reasons why I picked that.
Speaker 3:First, my grandmother used to always say you think you grown girl? And I could never understand that Because I'm like, if I think I'm'm grown, why is you still calling me a girl? Right? But then when I, when I got grown at quote unquote 18, we all I'm grown, you know, and we go out and we try to prove to the universe why, at 18, we are grown. So we go out and we do so much dumb stuff. And when I say dumb stuff, I'm not calling us dumb, no, we go out and do the dumbest things, like.
Speaker 3:I got a total of 17 tattoos. Why, I don't know. I went and put a perm in my hair. I cut it. I got I got tattoos, I got piercings. I did everything that my daddy told me I could not do when I turned 18. I'm talking about I dated the wrong ones. I drank, I smoked weed. You know I even smoked cineries, girl me, just so I could be at the bus stop and people see, because I could buy a pack of squares now. So now I'm finna, smoke because I'm old enough to go to the store and they said I could buy that 18. So now I'm finna, stand at this bus stop and smoke this black and brown or smoke this square, so I could prove to people that I'm old enough. Right, the grown was the age, but the girl was the mentality, the mindset, and that lasted throughout this whole book. I saw that. I saw that Now the structure of this book Mountains Can't Rise Without Earthquakes is different from your first one.
Speaker 3:Uh, it can't always be night. The first publication was strictly poetry, but this one is like uh, you're telling a story, but there's poetry infused in the book. My question to you, because I've done, um, a journal like that, and I've done one publication that was a mixture of poetry and writing, and I know how I did it. But for you, did the poetry come first and the story that you told was a backstory to the poetry or did the? Did you write the, the, um, the story first with that forefront, and then the poetry just came along as like seasoning to your story.
Speaker 3:You know what? The way that I crafted this? Um, first of all, the story is a memoir about my life, so it's, it's non-fiction, it's not fiction. So, with that being said, I had to live it. And so I went through a roller coaster of trying to get this book out of my mind, out of my body, and put it on paper. And I found myself back in therapy, you never know, because I had a few mental breakdowns just writing this book, because I had to unpack and relive a lot of those things. And while I was in therapy with my pastor, he told me he said what is something that you do that relaxes you? And I said he said other than reading the word, because obviously that ain't enough, right now.
Speaker 3:So what is it that you do that just makes everything better for you. And he said I want you to go home and think about it. And he said maybe if you incorporate that into your writing, right, you might be able to just get through writing this book. Well, that's always been poetry for me. So the book was not even nearly done because I had to go back and kind of add smell and taste and hurt and pain and how did it feel and what did it feel like? And you know what was in the room when that was going on? Was it plastic on the covers? Well, how did that smell, you know, and add those things. And that took me back into those times in my life and it was like I'm right back there all over again. So it's very traumatized.
Speaker 3:Um, getting this book out. And I still didn't unpack the way. I should have to be honest with you with this book because it was just that hard for me to do. But when I went back because I take the first one, because I started all the way over and I started to unpack, and as I started to unpack in order for me to get through the chapters, I wrote poetry first To soothe me and get me through the next chapter.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 3:Well, that's amazing. I know poetry has been therapeutic to me as well. Poetry has been therapeutic to me as well. And, uh, the construction of this publication, um, it seemed just like a um to me as I was reading it. It takes you all the way through the ups and downs, the pitfalls, the twists, the turns, the roller coasters of your life, and I know how detrimental that can be reliving those things, because in order for you to write about it, you have to mentally take yourself there, to those places. And I commend you for being open and transparent about those moments in your life, because people see you now and they see the vessel. They see Jackie, um Jacqueline, the one that's you know beautifully displayed all throughout social media, but they don't know the the things that happened to Jackie to get her to this point.
Speaker 3:Um, and I commend you For opening up your life and allowing us to experience it Through your words, through your poetry, through your writing, through your podcast, everything about you. You open it up and you share with us, and I appreciate that, because you don't ever know who's listening, who may be going through similar things and thinking they can't make it through, and then they see you. I appreciate that and you know, in the words of Fantasia to God be the glory he has done. Baby, yes, yes, yes, yes, because without him and that's why I tell people and that's why I say, you know, be a little faith. You know what I'm saying you at least surround yourself, even if you don't have the faith, surround yourself with people who do have faith, because Jesus healed a man based on his friend's faith. So we have to be mindful, like you may be down or, you know, we all fall short. You know and we all and I think I just posted that in the group the other day where I said something of you know, we all have those times where we have to pray for our pastors too.
Speaker 3:Y'all don't understand the attack. I'm not talking about you guys, like that's on the air, but people don't understand. You know, when you are walking with God about some things and you are following God, the enemy only attacks the good. The enemy only attacks the righteous. The enemy only attacks what is good and pleasing to god. If you are doing something bad, the enemy ain't gonna attack that and he ain't gonna reward it either. He gonna move on. His main purpose is to attack what's righteous in the eyes of God. So we have to be mindful and know, yeah, we're going to be attacked, but we also have to know that God has that legion of angels around us that's going to protect us. So we just keep going. We let God and the angels fight that and we keep moving because if we turn around we're going like Lott's wife, we're gonna fall, like us out, not me, not me not Lott, and I ain't got one.
Speaker 3:So, yeah, in Jesus night, okay. Well, I just want to say thank you for allowing me to interview you tonight. I know I got some parting words for the listeners, but I want to end with your parting words and a song that reminds me of your story, my story, a lot of people's story. So the song that I want to end with tonight is called scars to your beautiful by alissa alissa cara, I think I say that name correctly yeah, but I want my parting words I want to leave people with is don't be afraid to try something new, try something different.
Speaker 3:If things are not going positively for you in your life, turn to God. He's the chief architect. He built you with a blueprint, just like Jeremiah 29, 11 said. He knows the plan he had for you. So he's the original architect. Turn to him and be willing to try new things. Be willing to step out there on faith. And if you don't like something, just don't do it again. But it's a learning process. So even if you fail at something while you're trying it, it's a success because you've learned something from that. But don't give up just because it doesn't look promising at the moment. Keep going, keep walking in your faith. That, but don't give up just because it doesn't look promising at the moment. Keep going, keep, keep walking in your faith. And what parting words would you have for our listeners tonight? Well, I want to leave the listeners with um a poem yes, since I got the voice on here.
Speaker 3:You know, and you know I'm not trying to show up the voice, so I'll let y'all know that right now.
Speaker 3:Okay, she got it. Okay, she got it, but I do want to leave you guys. I think that I wrote this past week that I think would be very benefiting to this segment. It's called when I Wake Up. When I wake up, I say thank you, lord Pops. Grant me the serenity and you know what's next. Because when it comes to being the best guy, you pass every test and I don't need to second guess that. You got my whole family back and we blessed A lot of times, I stress, because I lack in certain skill sets.
Speaker 3:But you tap me on my shoulder and tell me it's not your time yet, but stay patient and content. So I bite my lip and I get a grip on what I need to achieve in my own life in order to be ready for that mindset. But, god, see, you always send that curveball to pick me up when I fall and help me stand when I'm tall. When the enemy thought I would lose it all, he was banking on me to miss that call. But see, god, you kept my phone charged. I always got four bars, 100% charged up, and I never call it luck. Too blessed to mess it up and too strong to ever give up.
Speaker 3:I'm built, christ, tough like Ford, I'm super rough, but a princess and a dove. Lord, you show me I am love, just like this gift of writing, so magical and profound. I wear my crown proud. I say it with my chest and out loud, no matter which crowd. I plan to touch all souls, not just with one sound. See, it's like I speak different languages.
Speaker 3:The way I write in different angles got their minds all in shambles. How can I create poetry, baby? I'm an animal, and if I were one in reality, I'd be a giraffe. Because they can't see me. My mind is too high. I'm in another dimension, I'm in 4D. Y'all Now pay attention. My mindset is different. And did I mention I don't crave for attention. I don't need it. I bleed it so it can drip on the ones that starve for it. So don't bite the hand that feeds you, because if you lack of loyalty, I'm done with you.
Speaker 3:I'll forever stay true, but enemies I don't do. I pray for you from over here, but your presence I could never be near. I'll forever steer clear, because what's the point of God's protection if I don't learn a lesson and miss my blessing? Nah, I'm cool on all of that. I got to keep going, no matter what I'm knowing, just keep on showing up, no matter what is up and it's stuck. I'm gonna keep it.
Speaker 3:A buck, you want a buck? Try your luck, because god keep a legion of angels around me so I don't get distracted from the mission he gave me. So come close and you'll see exactly why I'm the vessel. I'm like a tree planted by the water. I'm his daughter.
Speaker 3:So be careful when you barter other enemies to do your work. Oh, they'll get this work, but it'll lead back to you. And then that's when you'll get school on how not to be a fool by Jehovah Nissi himself. He wins in defeat. He can't be beat. He makes all my enemies retreat and find something better to do. So go pick up your Bible and convert to and hope you'll stay true. And let me do me, because I ain't studying you. Come on, god, help them. And that's that piece. Wow, amen. That's that girl. That's that girl. That's that Jacqueline baby, awesome, awesome. Well, I thank you, my sister, for allowing me to just be in the room with your greatness and to interview you and allow you to share your thoughts and your methods of writing tonight with our listeners, and I just I know I like that.
Speaker 3:Now to him yeah, come on with it. Oh man, I thought I was going to come on oh man, I thought I was gonna get out of here.
Speaker 3:come on, pull it out of here, let's get it. I thought I was gonna get out of here without you, without you. Give me, okay, um, let's see, let's see. Uh, I think I want to do one of my favorites. Um, I don't have you ever heard me do. I am no, and you're gonna do it. See, let me tell y'all something. See, we did something similar. We did our odes to Maya. Right, she thought she was going to get up out of here, and we poets Like, no, this is my platform. We could be on here for four hours if I want to. Okay, I got you, I got you. So I'm going to do my piece.
Speaker 3:I Am, because it reminds me of the spirit in which this broadcast is going tonight. So this is one that's not published in my publications yet, but it's going to be an incoming publication, to be in an incoming publication, and the story behind this piece is that I was writing it because someone asked me to write a piece that discussed Harriet Tubman, because the daughter was getting picked on because she wore her natural hair to school and people called her Harriet. So that's what's inspired this piece. It's entitled I am. A name is more than a label. It describes the character of you, the emotions you feel, the thoughts you have, even the things you do. There's an importance placed on that title, making it vital that you don't sit around idle but instead do those things that make you proud to say, upon your arrival I am Harriet.
Speaker 3:Harriet Tubman, conductor of the Underground Railroad. Born a slave, I risked my life to escape and help others find their freedom along the way. Thirteen missions I helped to save, and not one life was lost on either one. But saving slaves was not where I was done. I worked for the Union Army from cook to nurse, to spy, and I wouldn't change any of it. Why? Because my name represents the strength of a woman's sacrifice, and that's why I'm glad to say I am Sojourner. Sojourner, truth abolitionist and women's rights activist. I was slavery born, but that I did not stay, though my owner would try to have it the other way. I endured trading and harsh treatment from several of them until when I fell in love with the love of my life. They tried to condemn us, beating him and keeping us apart, and with a broken heart I escaped with my daughter, having my son taken from me. I helped to lead others to become free, traveling the Underground Railroad, helping them find places to go. But I didn't stop there. Oh no, I was the first black woman to win a case against a white man. Yes, I sued to get my son back and hold him in my hands. But that victory was not mine alone, because now my name is well known, for I am Rosa, rosa Parks, civil rights activist.
Speaker 3:Early in life, I created garments with my hands, activists. Early in life, I created garments with my hands, but later I became known for taking a stand against the corruption of this land, segregating the world in black and white, indicating to be right, your skin had to be light or you would suffer, even without breaking the law, unless they saw an opportunity to change it, rearrange it, like moving the colored signs on the bus, trying to make them superior to us. Until one day I refused. You see, I had heard on the news of the acquittal of the murderers of Emmett Till and on this day I was determined I will not move from my rightful place just to make room for their race. Yes, I was tired of all the mistreatment and it was shown on my face. This brave act started a movement with the Montgomery boycott. We marched for the improvement of the treatment of all. And, no, I wasn't the first to answer the call. But together we stood and united, we fought. So I vowed never to quit and I'm so glad that on this day I decided to sit, because I forever will say say I am Michelle, michelle Obama, former first lady of the United States.
Speaker 3:Coming from the Chicago South Side, I learned early not to let my situation devalue my pride. My parents worked hard to provide for me the kind of education which allowed me to think freely. Hard to provide for me the kind of education which allowed me to think freely, working hard despite meager beginnings, meeting opposition that I wouldn't let alter my position. No, I was on a mission to educate myself and not let this brilliant mind sit on a shelf. I worked hard to achieve the highest of honors in high school, college and even beyond. I did not sit back and wait to respond. I went after what I wanted, along with Barack, the city streets we pounded, working for the betterment of the community. I did not know the opportunity that would lie ahead. Nevertheless, I continued without dread to serve the people, showing those along the way that they could achieve their dreams, no matter what others might say, don't give up. Persevere to the end, because one day you'll win on the world's biggest stage. Your life is remarkable and you compete. You can't compete, no matter the color, religion or age.
Speaker 3:I had no idea the title that would await first lady of the united States yes, I am Harriet, I am Sojourner, I am Rosa, I am Michelle. I am you. Yes, you, just like those before you have the ability to. You can make a difference that can change someone's course. Your strength and determination are formidable forces. The life sacrifice before you were there to reinforce that. You can be what you want to be. Live your life unapologetically, free. Blaze a trail for others to see themselves in you, so they too can know what it's like to say hello, ma'am.
Speaker 3:Allow me to introduce myself. I am and that's that piece girl. That's that piece. Yes, oh, she done. Slayed me y'all. Oh, no, it's not a slay girl. You better come through. I am, that's it, I am, I am, I love it, I love it, thank you. That was our outro and our inspirational piece for the Waiting Room. Take over With the one and only Miss Melanie johnson. Thank you so much for coming on and being a guest host and not, you know, taking it too hard on me. I appreciate you well. You know we always have a key, of course. Of course I wasn't going to be too hard on you. You're my cousin. I'm not talking about cousins, I ain't that kind of too.
Speaker 3:Okay, you the good cousin. Okay, you know I'm the big cousin, that's right. That's right, that's right. Mel, I love you, I adore you. Thank you so much. Thank you, ms Carolyn. I love you, I adore you, thank you so much. Thank you, ms Carolyn Coleman. Sade, all the listeners that are tuning in and who will be tuning in, this podcast will go live on all platforms on the 2nd of May. I appreciate you guys so much, and we are going to end it with one song again Scars to your Beautiful, by Alicia Alissa Carr I can't say her name right Alicia Alicia Alicia Carr.
Speaker 4:Scars to be beautiful. She goes unnoticed. She knows no limits. She craves attention. She praises an image. She prays to be sculpted by the sculptor. Oh, she don't see the light that's shininger than the eyes can find it. Maybe we're made of blind souls. She tries to cover up her pain and cut her woes away. This cover goes on crying After the face is made. But there's a hope that's waiting for you in the dark. You should know you're beautiful just the way you are, thank you, and you don't have to change a thing. Your world could change its heart. No scars. See, you're beautiful. The stars are beautiful. She has dreams to be an envy. So she's starving.
Speaker 4:You know, cover. Girls eat nothing. She says beauty is pain and there's beauty in everything. What's a little bit of hunger. I can go a little while longer. She fades away. She don't see her perfect. She don't understand she's worth it. All that beauty goes deeper than the surface, oh, oh. So to all the girls that's hurting, let me be your mirror. Help you see a little bit clearer the light that shines within. There's a hope that's waiting for you in the dark. You should know you're beautiful Just the way you are and you don't have to change a thing. The world could change its heart. No scars to your beautiful. The stars are beautiful, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, and you don't have to change a thing.
Speaker 1:You have to change inside. No scars to your beautiful. The stars are beautiful. No better you than the you that you are. No better you than the you that you are. No better life than the life we're living. No better life than the life we're living.
Speaker 4:Thank you In the dark. You should know you're beautiful Just the way you are and you don't have to change a thing. The world could change its heart. No scars to your beautiful. We're stars and we're beautiful. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh oh no-transcript.