Episode 41 | Meteorologist Alesha Ray is Making Climate Make Sense - From Data to Daily Life

Episode 41 | In this episode of Compost, Cotton & Cornrows, Dominique Drakeford sits in conversation with meteorologist and climate storyteller Alesha Ray, whose journey from journalism to national broadcast weather reframes environmentalism through a lens that is both scientifically rigorous and deeply human. Together, they unpack the power of meeting people where they are, redefining sustainability beyond perfection, and challenging the narratives that make climate action feel inaccessible to the very communities most impacted. As Alesha shares, “sustainability is meeting people where they are… being resourceful, knowing what you need, and utilizing what you have to make a difference.”

From rising heat as a public health crisis to the emotional weight of climate anxiety, this conversation moves through the urgency of now while holding space for color, joy, creativity, cultural expression and of course thrifting. Dominique and Alesha explore sustainable fashion as a practice of ingenuity, the necessity of representation in science and media, and the role of storytelling in translating complex climate data into something people can actually feel, understand and act on. Also Alesha speaks about the evolution of her educational offerings merging science with accessible and stylish storytelling! 

Compost, Cotton & Cornrows: the space where Black & Afro-Indigenous Vanguards are redefining sustainability through storytelling!

@Compost_Cotton_Cornrows

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Once you start thinking about climate change, but also thinking about I think meteorology gives it the intellect. Some people think environmental science is just an activism thing. Some piece of a grassroots thing. People just don't know what they're talking about. I think we need to have more scientists, have more journalists. And journalists who are scientists.

SPEAKER_00 0:51

Alicia, I'm so excited to have you on the podcast.

SPEAKER_02 0:57

I'm so happy to be here. Thank you so much for the invitation. I'm very excited. I mean, when you see nothing but tea, yes. I'm tickled, I'm tickled, I am, I am. So I'm ready. Whatever you got, I'll have the right answers for you. You know, because sometimes I could just I'm here for it.

SPEAKER_00 1:15

We want we want the dialogue. I'm ready for all the colorful meteorologist energy. Bring it.

SPEAKER_02 1:22

There you go. Nothing, nothing but sun rays and sunshine over here. That part. I'm trying to glow for you guys. And I'm just happy to be on the other end. So be nice to me, Dom, okay? Because I'm not used to being on, I'm not used to being on the receiving end often, not unless like I'm in a studio or something like that. But then, you know, I interview people and things like that. So hey, I'm just overjoyed. I really am.

SPEAKER_00 1:46

Likewise, you'll be good. Okay. Uh, and I would love to kick it off by having you define sustainability.

SPEAKER_02 1:55

I think the standard definition of what sustainability is, not only do people get lost, but it is not to me, to me, it's not inclusive. So for me, I think sustainability is meeting people where they are. And what I think being sustainable is, is being resourceful. And I like to give an example of, you know, how some people tell you, this is the simplest example, don't waste water. If you're brushing your teeth, turn off your water. Okay, that's a small baby step to a larger picture. So what I think about sustainability is taking the baby steps, all right? Being resourceful, okay, knowing what you need and knowing the difference between what you want and utilizing what you have to make a difference. And that's really all that I'm doing. I'm utilizing what I have to make a difference. I'm giving knowledge, I give it to people for free on my social media platforms, um, because I was able to do it. I went to school to become a meteorologist. And so, hey, why why am I sitting over here gatekeeping? I'm not gonna do that. So for me, sustainability means being resourceful and meeting people where they are. I mean, that's meeting people where they are, being resourceful. Thank you. You're welcome. And oftentimes, even when I was growing up, I didn't understand what it meant, right? I didn't understand. I had to learn what sustainability really means. And then oftentimes some people who are in the climate advocacy and all this other stuff, they don't really understand what sustainability means.

SPEAKER_00 3:14

From your vantage point, why do you think that this just the cultural aspect of sustainability has been invisibilized in the mainstream discourse?

SPEAKER_02 3:24

I think, me personally, I think it's because it's been given this title. Um, and and it's it's a it's a form of entitlement around it, right? But because it was taken away from people of color and redefined into something else, so I think they had to create some type of level of hierarchy to make you feel like you cannot reach this, right? So if I define sustainability as, let's just be honest, what some people can think of rich white women or rich white family, then it's hard for you to sustain. And then it keeps you in the track of uh trying to become something that you are. And the reason why I say that, I want to pause on that because some people may not understand what I'm saying when I mean that. Like today, I'm wearing something that's thrift, right? And this is what I like to tell and preach to people. I think even in the realm, and I'm talking about sustainability, sustainable fashion, okay? Not if, you know, because sustainability could be in different categories, right? But if we think about it and think about the construct of what sustainability is, and if we think about sustainable fashion, if we start shopping secondhand, doing things through creating things on our own, which we are known to do as creatives, then it really does eliminate the person who is creating all of these things outside of sustainability and putting a large price tag on you. So you're really gonna be saving money. So it keeps the consumer happy when we don't understand sustainability. It keeps the consumer happy when we think sustainability comes from the rich. Because what you know how to do when you have limited circumstances is create. And you wear something thrust, but this right here is the best quality ever. Seriously. And you look at the tag, right? And it's like, okay, this is gonna outlast everything. It's already been through um at least 20 years.

SPEAKER_03 5:08

Right.

SPEAKER_02 5:09

Right? But if you think about it as something, and you can shop secondhand and and have expensive um designers, which you can still be good. But I think to answer your question, why sustainability has been redefined, I think that's why. Because it it it's it's supposed to be something that you feel as though you can't obtain.

SPEAKER_01 5:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 5:29

Just like me being a scientist, right? When I became I became a meteorologist because I've always loved science ever since I was like nine years old. And don't let me go off on a tangent, no, I'm sorry, but I I just wanted to uh tell me, tell me about, tell me about the baby you.

SPEAKER_00 5:44

Okay, okay.

SPEAKER_02 5:45

And then I promise I'm I'm gonna cut it short so you can have the other question. But it was when I was nine and I had this guy come in and speak to my class, and he was actually a chief meteorologist. I didn't know what that was, but I knew he was on TV, he was telling the weather. I wanted to be an archaeologist. I knew all about rocks and minerals. I was doing that thing, digging in the ground, finding fossils at a very young age. And when I saw him, that's when I realized, okay, this could be you. So when you, but I had a teacher who told me, you can't be a scientist. She was like, why do you want to be that? When I was in the third grade. And so I didn't go to my first degree, it's not in science. And I asked her why, she said, because you'll be in school a lot. And I thought because she was my teacher, she understood. And I just didn't, you know, I'm like, okay, you told me that. Let me find some other way to be on television. Okay. Became a journalist, love being a journalist, but it wasn't me. It wasn't where I was being drawn to and I wanted to be a scientist. And so I say that say this. If people try to make it seem as if it's something that you cannot get, then and they win, then they do their jobs. But we could all be sustainable. And and we can be sustainably fly too, it can look good.

SPEAKER_00 6:53

Oh yes. For me, for me, because my nucleus is cultural sustainability. And so there is no dichotomy between being and looking and feeling fly and how I understand and interpret sustainability. I don't separate the two. We don't have to. And I don't and and we shouldn't. We should. It's not this sacrifice that we have to make in terms of that level of adornment. Yes. It's actually woven into the essence of the what sustainability means from a cultural lens.

SPEAKER_01 7:26

I love that. Sounds poetic. Yo, why why why? Why? It's move it. Oh, I love it. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 7:31

Yes. Yes. So you gave a little bit of background about why you wanted to be a meteorologist. Um and I love that for you. How did you actually enter into the space of meteorology? And what was blowing your mind when you first started entering into this broadcasting space as it related to environmentalism?

SPEAKER_02 7:56

So environmentalism actually came years down the line. Right. So I started off being a um a medium, uh, started off being good getting a degree in journalism, right? So let's just start there. So I did that. Four-year degree. Loved it, was in college, homecoming, clean everything, lived my best life. Okay. Especially when I tell you, oh, I I don't know. Hey, I don't care about any other generation, but millennials, but maybe with future, and especially by me being originally from Georgia, South Carolina, when future blessed us with different songs, it was a party. And so I was a waves and change. I might not agree with how yet with that music, okay, and everything. And then we had Travis Porter era, it was, it was just everything, right? So that was amazing for me. And so what right when I did that, I actually graduated from college with my four-year degree, did not go right into being a journalist at all. I was working at Express, I was working as a photographer, and when I worked as a photographer, I remember me going to meeting with all these business owners. And now that you make me think of something, I see actually how that even helped me become the person that I am today. I didn't even think about that until now, until you asked that question. Because I would go, my young little self, I didn't even know what I was doing. I would go literally go to the news station that was in my area, be like, can I talk to the owner or creator? Who would you look like back then now? People are more forthcoming now. But, you know, talking about you want to talk to the owner of the station just to get some insight and try to figure out what to do because I wanted to get out of my community. It was like a small suburban metropolitan area. Everybody, you know, we were all just bunched together. So I was doing that hustling, and then my family, they ended up moving to Charlotte, worked in journalism, and then I actually said, I'm gonna go ahead and go to school and do what I want to do. Didn't have no money, just moved to Mississippi. And I know exactly how much money was in my account. I had I had nothing, really. And so I had my suitcase and I went to Mississippi. I only had enough for that flight to Mississippi, and then I had in my suitcase a whole bunch of food. Couldn't even get it on the plane because the suitcase was too heavy. They said it was 300 pounds because I said I'm gonna take everything that not 300 pounds.

SPEAKER_01 10:14

I'm serious. I'm not lying.

SPEAKER_02 10:16

Me and my mom was over there in the line and it was 300 pounds. And they were like, and they looked at me and they was like, Are you crazy? They said it's best for you to just ship this. And I was like, Mama, what are we gonna do? I can't take all my food. And you know I need to eat, I don't have no money for no meal plant, I didn't have anything. So um did that by the grace of God, I remember it was this guy, he saw my umbrella, and it was the school that I went to prior. And when he looked at my umbrella, he actually saw that I went to USCA campus and he helped me throughout. So I went there to take practical courses to become a meteorologist. Left there, I actually got a call from this local news station that said that I want you to come here and be a part of our team. Because in between that time when I was working, um, not even into my journalism degree, I was actually interning. And my mentor at the time, he was amazing. I give it all to him, Ed Bloodsworth, taught me everything. So when I went to Ms. Mississippi State, and I took all these meteorology courses, I was good. Like there was, I literally was so good. I was taking meteorological you can I can't name not one meteorology course, I didn't get like an ARB in science. And he taught me so much so that it was like me, I was going to school. He taught me so much to the point that when I went to MSU and went to school, there was nothing that they could teach me already. So I got a call from that news station, and they said our chief meteorologist was looking at you. He did, he was my mentor, he was like, and they've seen your work and they really want you to be a part of the team. I'm like, what? So I left, I didn't have any money then. Stayed with my brother, started the news at the news station, but it was the chief meteorologist that came to my third grade class when I was little that was watching my work. So it was a full circle moment for me. And he wanted me to be a part of his team. And so I got to be able to work with the person who inspired me when I was nine, when I was told I couldn't do it. And he was actually the best um boss I've ever had. One of them. He treated me fair. Now, everybody else on the on the team can say the same. But he was amazing. He really was. You got me kicking back, thinking about things now.

SPEAKER_00 12:24

No, I love it. Because shout out to people who really made a difference in our journey. Oftentimes we have to think about the trajectory of, you know, the courses and the compasses that we've gone through. And you're like, yo, there are people who were real pillars in my development.

SPEAKER_02 12:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:44

And it makes you smile because that's not always the case.

SPEAKER_02 12:46

It's not always the case. And then I got into environmentalism. So that was actually my second degree, but that was my second bachelor's. And then I ended up getting a master's, and that was where the environmental science came into play. And so I kind of did that afterwards, and I still feel like I'm growing and developing um in that space. And then I've gone on. I've I have like uh an environmental and sustainability certificate now, and climate change leadership awareness, you know, all this stuff, green digital, all that stuff, but that stuff came after. And I still feel like, thank you, thank you, dog. Flowers. Flowers. Thank you. Because you know, sometimes people won't give them to you, and then you don't think about it. And like, I don't really give them to myself, but I need to. No, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_00 13:31

I'm a big proponent in giving you tulips when you are, whether you're on the come up or whether you're thriving here for giving, especially black women, their flowers.

SPEAKER_02 13:41

Thank you. And I and I receive them, especially them tulips, because I love yellow tulips.

SPEAKER_00 13:45

That's my favorite. Yes. What do you feel like is is there, do you are you seeing a bridge between meteorology and environmental science and just environmentalism? Like what are these intersection points that you'd be able to share with folks who aren't in the nitty-gritty of of either of those?

SPEAKER_02 14:03

Once you start thinking about climate change, but also thinking about I think meteorology gives it the intellect. And the reason why I say that is because some people think environmental science is just an activism thing. Some people say a grassroots thing. People just don't know what they're talking about, but they just don't uh what they're talking about, the world is going to explode. I think we need to have more scientists, have more journalists. Uh, and journalists who are scientists, and actually scientists that actually step in and say, hey, this is what's really happening. Right. Or if you don't know, you don't know. I'm quick to tell you if it's something I don't know, because you know, science is always, it's always an ongoing thing. But hey, what I do know, I'd like to share it with you.

SPEAKER_01 14:46

Right.

SPEAKER_02 14:46

I really do, you know, to let people know that certain things aren't all in theory. But then I do go to certain, I go to a lot of climate and environmentalist um events. And because I am a scientist, I can tell you this though. I do realize that some people are speaking on more or less opinion than knowledge. Yeah. And so I'm able to, yeah. And so it's kind of like, okay, all right now, what are you really telling the people? You know what I mean? Or, or I know you're fighting for this, but did you also, do you see it this way, or this is what it is? Because as a meteorologist, I have to, and I think sometimes it's even hard for me to even talk to people like, you know, sometimes even if someone does have an opinion, it's fine. I can talk to people who have their opinions. But I know this even with family, I'm a person that I have to be accurate, right? Because I have to be. I can't sit up here, I didn't make it national, top in the country, and can't be accurate or try to be right in that forecast. You know what I mean? So whatever information I put out, I do my best to make sure she is accurate. And I was taught that with my first station. They always taught us you need to be, you want to be instead of being first, you need to be right. So don't race to be first. Don't just put content and put things out there and put the news out there just to be first. No, you need to be accurate first. And I always kept that with me, and I love that. And I did learn that from um starting off the WJBF news channel since where I'm originally from. But um that's the thing. And a lot of times we don't see that accuracy, and then people just start to create their own dare, which in a way that's beautiful, right? That's colorful. I mean, I'm a creator, I I also have a minor in fine owners, right? You know, it's beautiful for us to have our opinions.

SPEAKER_00 16:31

Beautifully put, opinions are colorful. I love that.

SPEAKER_02 16:35

I'm telling you, they are, and it's it's a beautiful thing. Right. But then sometimes we got to reel it in a little bit, you know.

SPEAKER_00 16:42

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think speaking like just just leaning in on climate fact, like you've literally forecasted everything from hurricanes to heat waves. And this is across the country, again, flowers to you. What are some of the most important patterns that you're seeing as it relates to climate from a factual lens?

SPEAKER_02 17:06

Heat. And we really, we really need to well, heat, but my thing, heat, but my thing is um is actually what I like to do, and I've been doing this ever since I started, um, even going to meteorology school. I say meteorology school, but to become a scientist, watching the hurricanes. That's always been my thing, right? And seeing is there, seeing, looking at the rise in sea level, right? And what does that mean? Because I was a person, you know, I lived through the era of uh of Katrina. And I had one person actually DM me on my Instagram and tell me, oh, it's the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. How could you be a scientist and not post something? I said, ooh, what a low-key light check that they DM'd me. But what you don't understand is, okay, yeah, we had the Great Recession and we had Katrina. Okay, I'm originally from the South. I knew those kids, they came to my school. I knew those people they came to work with where we were working. We were affected by that too. Okay, I understand what they went through. When we all saw it on TV, it hurt me. It was traumatic. My friend to this day still has PTSD from that. A lot of people don't know. A lot of the people from Katrina, they came to South Carolina and they came to Georgia because they we had to be these um evacuation sites. So when you go and try to, and I'm just saying this, not to go on a tangible just to say this nugget, you never know how certain things affect people, even me as a meteorologist, I'm still human. Some things I don't want to relive, you know what I mean, just as a human. And then by doing and forecasting things nationally, I have to be able to, it's just like people, some people, some people don't understand, but we can actually go some of the credits, you can go to med school, um, or we can be engineers. I have to be able to, when I'm up there on air, turn my way of thinking to not panic, right? Don't be freaked out when I see certain things coming and I see certain things happening in certain neighborhoods where I know it can destroy people. I have to be able to mentally psych myself out, become, do your job, and also look at these models and make sure you're right. Also look at the certain things when you were taught to say, hey, that's a bo echo. Okay, that's not, that's not actually a tornado. Or hey, when you're looking at certain things and things with philosophy or philosophy, excuse me, or you're looking at um hell, is that really hell? What's going on? What is it? What is a BWER? That's a boundary weak echo region. But what is that stuff? You know, and I I like chasing that and understanding that. But I say this something that we should really look at too, back to your point, is of course the hurricanes, the level above the hurricanes, how um high they're getting, right? We don't really need to be at a category five, praise God, um, hurricane to make landfall as that, right? We really don't even need all these category fours. However, looking at heat too is a major thing because heat is what really actually kills a lot of people. And I think it's very important. I was actually speaking with someone, um, they were telling me some type of fact that I said I'm gonna look more into myself because I didn't even realize this. How I think if you are without AC, I think it's either mandatory, don't quote me on this, because I'm still looking in this. Your landlord does not have to legally provide AC. So my thing, right. And so you guys look it up, you know, don't quote me on it, but I think I did a little search, I think that's um actually true. So we were talking about that because I said I want to do more research onto that because heat really is a factor, and that and that that's really what kills people. So my thing is if you don't have, if it gets really, really hot in your place, and if your if that is true, and your landlord does not have to man to does not have to mandate the AC, or you don't, it's not mandatory for them to give you AC, you can die. And um, I think people really need to understand that. And by us, if we relate it to climate change, it shows a pattern where things are getting hotter, and then we got to think about ozone. Ozone is depleted, you know. So what are we doing? Why are we ignoring the fact that we need solar panels or we can start introducing solar, right? Why don't we have more of that? It saves us a lot of money. Other countries are already doing it and it saved their country a lot of money where they're where they are good. Why?

SPEAKER_00 21:24

No, for real, why, why? Do you know why? Why we don't do it? It doesn't make sense if it save saves money, helps people and planet, and this is my this is my philosophy, my philosophy, because especially with the precedent that we have now, because it saves money.

SPEAKER_02 21:41

You see what I'm saying? So you're not you're not putting money into different right. Got it. Because I don't see any, and we and I've been to meetings about soul and all this other other stuff, but we all come to kind of come to the same same thing. Like, what is what is the other, why? Why not? But we know we should have them, but now we have that um what they call it, the big beautiful bill. I think that kind of put a halt on a lot of the solar plants. Solar panels are are good. It's not a bad thing. It could say it's could save us a lot.

SPEAKER_00 22:15

Yeah. Especially with all of these initiatives and innovations, you have to weigh the opportunity costs, right? Because there's not gonna be a perfect fix within a system that is, you know, a capitalistic democracy. And so weighing the opportunity costs and and and looking at the pro and con lists and and figuring out the ways to really mitigate this, but also heal and and implement care. Yeah. Yeah. But yes.

SPEAKER_02 22:44

Yeah. And I think, you know what? It could be really small. I mean, it's hard for us to imagine it because we we we didn't um we kind of grew up in this world where we had it, right? So it's hard for us to imagine, okay, switching to solar panels. Or it's also hard for us to imagine maybe not use using plastic. But you gotta think about it. Way back when a lot of our ancestors, even grandparents, didn't use plastic. They used glass. Right. You know, so it's like we can do it. We can do it. We can do it. We can we can actually do a lot. It's a lot of stuff we don't really need.

SPEAKER_00 23:18

That we just 100%. I I think the the I think the uh a big thing that we have to do in this day and age is create and be able to articulate the incentive because everything is driven around, you know, money and and economy, right? So being able to articulate the incentive for folks who have power and and can implement those changes, I think is is really pivotal. Because so much makes sense to me, right? And and so many folks who are impacted, you know, folks on the front lines especially. But a big piece, I think a big gap is how do we incentivize this for folks who have the power to dictate um the health of people and and and planetary well-being.

SPEAKER_02 24:11

And you know what? And I'm and I'm glad you said that because this is what I've been thinking about doing. And I as our son, it's just slowly gonna go down. Exactly. Our beautiful son. What one thing that I've had on my radar is to have more things where just locally we talk about within, especially black and brown neighborhoods. Just talk about, you know what? How can I lower my electric bills? How can I eat better? Okay, because it's actually, actually, I save money when I eat healthy. Healthy eating has has saved me a lot of money.

SPEAKER_00 24:52

And look, look, look, look, look, in the short run, it saves you money, like in the here and now, but then it also saves you money when you when you mitigate having to go to the hospital.

SPEAKER_02 25:00

Thank you, because it's also saving your life. Right, that's what's saving your life. So, so I do get that. My son, there we go. I'm gonna get closer so you can see me, because my son ain't but my son went away. My son went away. There it is. It's just a little bit. But that that's what's very important because you save money, you set you're saving your life, and then you're also saving energy.

SPEAKER_00 25:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:21

And so, hey, yeah, we can do it. It's actually very easy. And I know I have people ask me, you know, how do you do it? Or how do you even shop thrift? And I'm not saying every piece has to be thrifted. And I'm not, and I'm not, and I'll say this, and I know this will make people mad. I don't tell people to not shop from not buy fast fashion items. And I know a lot of people are against that. But my thing is too, hello. I've been a person where I didn't have money and I had to go. 100%. You know what I mean? And even still, if you have to go today, I'm not gonna say I might not still have some fast fashion garments. Of course. You have to do that, mix it up. It's not a one-size-fit-all.

SPEAKER_00 25:58

It's not, and that's to meet people where they're at peace. Yes. Yes, right. And then and then you can't have a conversation about how to consume certain things without talking about socioeconomic status, right? And talking about these other layers that affect our consumption and our identity and things of that nature. So it's it's a very layered discussion. Um, but it gets back to your original definition of meeting folks where they are and and getting back to being resourceful and and taking the taboo out of being resourceful, right?

unknown 26:30

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 26:31

Did you want to pause? Did you want me to move so you can see me better?

SPEAKER_00 26:34

Uh oh, you did get a little, you did get a little melanated.

SPEAKER_02 26:38

Exactly, because I don't think you can see me. Uh yeah, let's get dark in here. Yeah, let's pivot. Is there is this okay?

SPEAKER_00 26:45

Yeah, I think I think you're okay.

SPEAKER_02 26:48

Because this this place is naturally dark. Right. So when they don't when they don't have um lighting, it's gonna be like dark, like black in here.

SPEAKER_00 26:56

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 26:57

Yeah. So I want to make sure we try to get that now, then later. Let's see. Is it here? Okay, you see how it's darker.

SPEAKER_00 27:06

I think you're back right now.

SPEAKER_02 27:08

Yep. Let me see.

SPEAKER_00 27:09

I'm trying to see if you swing on the other side of the table.

SPEAKER_02 27:14

That's right.

SPEAKER_00 27:14

Yep, yep, yep, yep.

SPEAKER_01 27:16

There we go.

SPEAKER_00 27:17

Perfect.

SPEAKER_02 27:18

Now, yeah, because this is they don't there's a lot of light here. Okay, now we'll be good. Much better.

SPEAKER_00 27:24

And yeah, so I mean, and I think this is a good segue into again giving you some more flowers because you, as a uh climate engineer, a meteorologist, a climate engineer, a meteorologist, digital strategist, and a storyteller, you're able to intersect your not only your lived experiences, but your expertise and be able to educate folks and be literally that bridge that we were discussing before. And I think that that is pivotal, that education piece. So it makes sense that you would want to hyper-localize the ways in which we can adopt more sustainability efforts. I do. I do.

SPEAKER_02 28:08

That's that's actually a part of one of my goals, you know, is to be able to do that and have people be able to understand things differently. Because, like I said, you're actually saving a lot of money and you can still dress well, you can still feel like you have on something expensive. Not only that, you have expensive things in the in the cabinets or in the cupboards, whatever you like to call it, because the food is rich. You're getting real food, you know, real items. And then when you start to understand what non-GMO means, or what does it mean to have uh a USDA, or you know, you and you start to understand these labels, right? And then once things start to taste really good, you start to crave it, and then maybe you start to build these farms. And I got something coming coming soon that I want people to know more about. So you can you share or you I can probably share. So I do have a platform that uh that I started and it is growing. It's very, very new. Just started as um a part of one of my startups. It is called Um Grow Forward. You've probably seen it. It's very small though. The Instagram page just got started.

SPEAKER_00 29:10

You're right.

SPEAKER_02 29:10

Um however, yeah, like it I mean like a couple of weeks ago. So it it it's um maybe a month or two, so it is very new and very fresh. But with that, that is a sustainability database where everybody will be able to come and understand these things and actually see all of these um platforms to where they can start to put sustainability first. I'm saying this and being vague with it because right about it. Maybe we can do a part two that I can really tell you. Got to. You really do. You really do. But it is it is a great resource, and people will be seeing a lot more of that.

SPEAKER_00 29:45

Yeah, absolutely. Um, and I think a database is brilliant. And what I love, especially with creating a podcast, also, is being able to speak to different folks across every industry to to not stop silo these sustainability discussions, right? How you're a meteorologist, uh, what did I just say? How you are just saying a scientist, how you're a scientist, but you're able to also speak to sustainable fashion. You're talking about thrifting, right? We could talk about there, everything is intersected and interconnected, and I think that that's so important and rich um in our community to be able to discuss and making it applicable to us. And it reminds me of a question that I had. Um just wanting to know how, what's your practice in taking very complex frameworks or ideas or thoughts and massaging it in your brain or in your machine so that it feels accessible in a storytelling format. So that we're not you're not losing any accuracy, but you're also having the cultural nuance.

SPEAKER_02 31:03

Beautiful question, Don. And so well spoken and well put.

unknown 31:06

Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 31:07

And I'm glad you you're welcome. And I'm glad you, I'm glad you asked that because, and I'm gonna say this because I think more people need to understand how it is actually a skin. And it's something that we had to be taught because I get so many people, you know, are trying to say, especially men. It's really not honestly, I'm I'm gonna say, I'm gonna be straight up. Women don't ever say this. Women don't ever say this. I get more white males than uh most, but it is men all across the spectrum. They often will come up to me and say, um, you guys are never right. Or they will try to quiz me on my weather knowledge, and I say weather knowledge because that's all they talk about. They don't talk about any other thing, you know. So they'll try to quiz me on that to see if I know. I'll never forget I have one guy ask me, so what what is it? Can you have rain that never touches the ground? What does that mean? He thought I didn't know, and I was really young. He thought I didn't know, okay, Virgin, all right? And I know what it is because I had to see that on on the on um see it, especially if I'm broadcasting or look at radar or whatever. So anything, something, something like that. So when to answer your question, throughout all of these years, I had to be able to master that. Say that in not only three minutes, a minute and 30 seconds, sometimes 30 seconds and wrap, sometimes 10 seconds. And sometimes they will cut our whole segment. Usually they always try to have weather or at least put it at the end. But sometimes you may not be able to have two minutes and 30 seconds, that's a long time. Especially three minutes, 30 seconds. That's for beginners. That's a very long time. You need to be able to do it in a minute and 30, 50 minutes, 50 seconds. And I would have to do naturally 30 second hits, 50 second hits, even maybe even have to do just a quick little 10 second something, you know. But I say that to say this. When you think about it in those increments, that means all of my knowledge and everything that I've learned. I gotta be able to tell you dog. I gotta be able to tell everybody across our country. And then what I say now is people throughout the world, right? Because people can critique me. And that's one thing that I used to flex because I went through a lot by being the first at many stations and um first black female or even first black meteorologist, right? And I've worked for top five in the country too. So and I say this, I want treat, you know, the best all the time. But one thing I always tell people is my forecast you can't play with it. So my thing is I had to be able to be, and I did this for me. I didn't live up to any standard. I was always taught that it's not your fight. You don't have to go in here proving nothing to nobody wanted to work harder because you play it. No, you do your thing. You is it was me against myself. I wanted to prove to myself that I can do it, right? So when I I when I understood that, I wanted to be good, and I love being good because I love what I what I do, and I was just able to understand, like, hey, this is what people want to know, right? And what people want to know is different than your knowledge. That's what people gotta understand. All right? All right, because people may not want to know that we got um what what bombogenesis means, right? They may actually want to know, is it just gonna smell? And that makes you, as a meteorologist, you're like, oh my gosh, I don't feel, I remember me going through sometimes, like, I want to show my knowledge, especially by me being a woman. Sometimes you want to talk, I want to teach. You're gonna be able to teach somebody in two minutes and 30 seconds or a minute in 30 seconds where they really don't even care. You know? So you have to make sure you have that that you come across as knowledgeable and intelligent, right? Especially me, because sometimes that's a challenge for women and for black women too, or black people, period. They want to put that on you like you don't know nothing. I actually had a guy come and try to question my education and let him know. Um But I I say it. I said that to say to you you really do. And I'm and see the thing is I've been feeling like Jasmine Crockett sometimes, because it's like even before she was on Main Street, it's like I don't I don't mind letting you know.

SPEAKER_01 35:06

Right.

SPEAKER_02 35:06

I don't I don't mind letting you know. So it is what it is. Yeah, I love that. Yeah, but you do have to be able to be knowledgeable.

SPEAKER_00 35:17

Yes, 100%. And you have a very uh your voice is so soothing. Thank you. It sounds very meteorologist-esque.

SPEAKER_02 35:29

So I I don't want to I remember one person told me that she actually worked at one of the CPS stations I worked at. And she was like, um, notice I say work at, I don't say work for. And I even said people on my team, yeah. People, even people on my team, I tell them, you know, we work together. You work with me, you don't work for me. I always try to change that. Yeah, we don't work for people, but you work with me is a together. And so that's why I always say, I know it sounds wrong, like, oh, I work at, I work, no, but we don't work for, you know what I mean? I love that. I love that. Thank you. And so she would say that though, and I was like, oh, I hope I'm not putting you to sleep. She's done. Not at all. Okay. Soothing younger.

SPEAKER_00 36:15

For me, soothing is energizing. Yes. Yeah, soothing is energizing. It's not a lullaby to put me asleep. It's it actually is electrifying to make me want to learn more and engage and be better and do better. So, so I don't know if I used the wrong language, but I had to clarify what that meant for me.

SPEAKER_02 36:36

Thank you. No, that really just lit the candle up for me.

SPEAKER_00 36:39

So thank you. Word, word. Uh I have a utopia-centered question. If you could create your own dream weather segment, what would that be?

SPEAKER_02 36:52

I already thought about it. I actually thought about that. I was like, how can I create that for myself? I don't know what's gonna happen in the future, but I actually been thinking on this, you know, when they say go and put something on you. But if I have my own, we can we can talk about it in a segment because I thought about it in a different aspect too. It would have climate. What have we would talk about in Jane, which is environmental justice. And within that segment, it will be polished. Because I do like having to come studio ready. You know what I mean? And and it would be, you know, glam, because that's just me. I just I just like that. You know, and I want people to and however you put things on, you put things on. You know what I mean? That don't necessarily mean you gotta have heels on. But put that thing on, yes, you know, men and women, whatever you do. And I want people to always be able to feel their best and be their best. Because uh, not oftentimes do you have opportunities to just, you know, dress up. You know, and and your casual can be casual can be the baddest, can be sly, it can be nice, it can be distinct. Yeah, yeah. So um, you can have the bandit strip on, you know, whatever you want to wear. But that's what would be part of a part of my segment, and it would be also getting those nuggets, getting pieces of knowledge, understanding people. And that's what I want to have come across in my podcast, which is NYAM. And it's growing, it's very new too, because now I have the opportunity to be able to do these things. I didn't have that opportunity because the hours that I worked were so crazy, it was hectic. It takes away from your life, it really does. So that's why I wanted to do all this after I made it to where I wanted to go. But I say that to say this that's NYAM. And the reason why I'm saying it is because it stands for not your average meteorologist.

SPEAKER_00 38:34

Okay, I was just gonna say, what's the acronym? Got it. Not your average meteorologist.

SPEAKER_02 38:39

Love it because I'm I'm not, and I've actually had people, I even had a guy that wanted to go out on a date with me, and he said he was nervous because he didn't know how to speak to me. Because I was a meteorologist, and I'm like, you know what I mean? Yeah, you better come correct.

SPEAKER_01 38:52

But I was like, I'm not gonna be talking about I'm not gonna be talking about be bright though.

SPEAKER_02 38:56

You really do. They really didn't need to come all the way correct. But the thing about it is, okay? The thing about it, I'm like, we had I'll be able to have the same conversation with you. We don't have to talk about science. I mean, it's things that you love at home, dog. You don't have to, yeah. So I'm like, okay, but I'm not. I I'm not your no. I'm loving. And I say that because I don't want people to put me in the box, which is why you I don't ever put on, and and I've always kept my numbers, especially like through Instagram. I could have used like celebrity, you know, to try to gain numbers and all this other stuff to get a lot of followers, but I didn't do that because I wanted to have some privacy in my life. Number one, I wanted to still be able to have fun because I know how this industry is. Like snoot it go through your um Instagram stories. They do everything, you know, to try to have something on you. But I've also always wanted to not have wherever I worked, because notice I don't say that a lot, be my image. Because people would put that on you. And I I have it all the time. So where are you working now? Oh my gosh, where are you at now?

SPEAKER_00 40:00

So that was the quintessential New York question when I first moved out here. It was like I don't embody who I work for. Do people understand that? Do they under they don't? And that's what I they don't, you're right.

SPEAKER_02 40:13

They don't. They don't, they don't, and then and what I want people to get and game to, and people who are coming up and who are um establishing their careers and getting into their careers too, is to understand that you are you're yes, it's beautiful to have a career. But my job, that did not define me where I work. Yes, I was happy to make it there. Yes, I was. Yes, I was, you know. But just because it is the dream job, if I leave, I'm gonna be okay. Because I'm the creative. I brought that to the table. And I think people have to understand, and my friend maybe understand this when he said he was like, he was on a job interview, and I was like, Did you get the job? I know you really want the job, you want to be a pilot. He was like, No, but that's their loss. And that right there stuck to me, with me, because it's the thing about it is you have to know your worth. They're not just seeking you. It could be, you know, how we had a DEI or whatever, but that's part of it, but they also know that you're good at the job and you can do the job.

SPEAKER_00 41:12

Yeah. And you can do it.

SPEAKER_02 41:13

And that's why too.

SPEAKER_00 41:14

If you're thinking about traditional job interviews, when it's time at the end to ask questions, you're interviewing them as well. Okay. Let me interview you to see if y'all are worthy to have me at your organization.

SPEAKER_02 41:29

Let me see how you come with the done with. Okay. That part. That part. That's so funny. That's true. And they all want to, you know, get a little trippy when you kind of switch it up. But that's true. And so you know you're worth. And so I'm like, no, I'm all right. And and I actually even stopped asking or answering questions like that. Because it's like, but I'm always, you know, and I am meteorologist, and it's you ain't gonna take it from me. That part. But I'm not your average.

SPEAKER_00 41:57

I love it. I love the pod, and I cannot wait to tune in. But uh Sister Thor, Sister Ray, thank you so much for just the colors that you're bringing to the science space. Like, thank you. Not only are you like a bomb as digital storyteller and strategist and just climate knowledgeable, I just feel like your approach and your presence is so needed in this space and your style. It's so needed in this space. I think you're so dynamic, and I love everything that you're creating, you building. You out here building. I'm building. I'm building the database, the podcast. Yeah, it is.

SPEAKER_02 42:38

Yeah, yeah. And and and you know what the thing about it is, it's it's all it's hey, it's all it's all new. You know what I mean? I'm just blessed to be able to have the opportunity to do it and to call this opportunity now.

SPEAKER_05 42:51

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 42:51

Because I'm trying to tell you, a couple of months ago, this probably wouldn't happen, but I I knew it needed to. And I had to make certain certain decisions in my life to make it happen.

SPEAKER_00 43:00

It is new and necessary. That's the that's the it's new and necessary. Sometimes we knew new new is cool, and sometimes new isn't needed, but this is new and necessary, and both of those combined means that you are creating a critical pathway for our future.

SPEAKER_02 43:21

And I try to.

SPEAKER_00 43:23

Thank you. Thank you so much for your time and energy. And to wrap up this episode, I am doing something cool this season called the Sustainability Soundtrack. So I'm gonna ask a couple of rapid fire questions that's going to create uh a playlist for this season. All right, you ready? Okay, yeah, I'm ready. Go ahead, let's go. All right. What song is bringing you joy right now?

SPEAKER_02 43:49

Right now, um, I'm listening to it's old. It's it's back in my time. It's um D4L. Ted it up. I don't know why that's in my plan. You know, like what defrail for it? Tat it up. Oh, oh, oh, tat tat tat it up.

SPEAKER_00 44:05

I thought you said defrail, like laughy taffy, but tat it up. Got it. Yeah, tat it up.

SPEAKER_02 44:09

This brings me um nostalgia right now.

SPEAKER_00 44:12

I love it. I love it. Um what song is bringing you wellness? Like when you're going through tough times, what feels healing?

SPEAKER_02 44:24

Oh it's that one is by I think your last oh is it Chase? It is uh I I do listen to old school gospel. Sometimes it's I love it. I know uh being changed. I'll listen to that or Jill Scott. Or Jill Scott. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 44:41

Give me one song by Jill Scott Golden. Golden, okay. Come on, come on, Auntie Jill. And then what song sounds like sustainability?

SPEAKER_02 44:52

Oh, everyday people. I don't know why for me.

SPEAKER_03 44:58

Everyday people everyday people that gets me every time.

SPEAKER_02 45:03

Okay. I don't know why it feels like that sustainability to me all the time. Every time I'm looking for like a little sustainability thing or yellow my neck candy.

SPEAKER_00 45:11

Okay, I love it. I love it. Different strokes for different folks. Come on now. It shows how vast the diaspora is as well as all the work that we gotta get to going, right? Ah, and then yeah, and that's that's all of the good the the questions I have for the sustainability soundtrack. No, no, no, no, no, no. But I'm like, if I say that, I'm like, ooh, I don't know. No, no, no, no, no. It don't matter the genre, it don't matter old or new we want it all, because then it's gonna be really ecliptic, right? Okay, because I really love Lorilla. So it's so good. Okay. And then can you just tell the people how they can follow you and support your work? Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 45:57

So you guys can follow me at it is long, Alicia Ray, A-L-E-S-H-A-R-A-Y, underscore the underscore meteorologist. Just put in my name, Alicia Ray. I know I need to shorten it up. People are mad because it's too long. You know, people tell you don't have those long names, but that's it. And you can also um look at at N Y A M pod. That's um, you can find that and at growforward. And I'm pretty sure I could send it all to you, and everybody can know, or just hit me up. Just hit me up.

SPEAKER_00 46:28

I know that's what I'm saying.

SPEAKER_02 46:28

It's me. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 46:30

Okay. All right.

SPEAKER_02 46:32

I'll let you know.

SPEAKER_00 46:33

Thank you so much. And that is a wrap. Now, if this conversation shifted how you see climate, share it with somebody who needs to hear it. See you next time.

SPEAKER_05 46:45

Compost and cut in the corner.

SPEAKER_06 46:51

We've turned nothing to go since the birth of our soul is to grain the north. Black is more than flesh and bone. Planted deep in our cold, and we bear the fruit fruit. Yeah, they wonder our stride so bold, and our prize stone gold after all we've been through. We pass it on to the youth.