Killeen NAACP President TaNeika Driver-Moultrie

In this episode of Inside Killeen, TaNeika Driver-Moultrie discusses her roles as president of the Killeen NAACP and executive director of the Greater Killeen Community Clinic. She discusses local youth and their achievements, community health concerns and emphasizes the importance of advocacy. Driver-Moultrie also highlights upcoming events, including an election forum and the Freedom Fund Banquet, which aim to inform voters and celebrate local youth.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:13

Hello, welcome to the Inside Kaleen podcast from KDH News. My name is Himina Botchway, one of the hosts of Inside Kaleen, a podcast about news, events, and politics in the Kaleen Fort Hood area. Today's guest is Tanika Driver Moultrie. This episode is sponsored by Ann Nails. Treat yourself. Enjoy$10 off gel nails with and nails because you deserve it, located at 4110 South Clear Creek Road in Kleene, Texas. We'd also like to thank Guiding Light Concepts Empowerment. Empowerment is at the heart of Women's History Month, and it's at the core of our sponsor Guiding Light Concepts. Just as we celebrate the women who uplift our community, Guiding Light Concepts empowers Kaleen's children diagnosed with autism. Their expert team champions children with autism by providing highly individualized ABA therapy, behavior reduction, and IAP support to help your child build independence and thrive. Visit GuidingLightConcepts.com or call 254-432-7041 today. And our final sponsor, WDF Express. Relax. Let us do your laundry. At WDF Express, we understand that life is busy, but your laundry doesn't have to be. We offer free pickup and delivery as well as drop-off service. Conveniently located only one mile from the Clear Creek Gate in Winfield Plaza. Quick, easy, stress-free. This month we are featuring prominent women women in the Kaleen Fort Hood area as part of Women's History Month. Today's guest is Tanika Driver Moultrie. Hi.

SPEAKER_02 1:50

Hello.

SPEAKER_00 1:51

And KDH reporter Jada Holcomb. Hi, you guys. Thanks for being here. So Tanika Driver Moultrie is the president of the Kaleen branch of the NAACP, and she's also the executive director of the Greater Kleen Community Clinic, which provides free health care to those in need. So can you tell us just a little bit about your journey to becoming the president of the NAACP?

SPEAKER_02 2:16

So my journey on becoming the president, I never thought that that's what I wanted to eventually become. But being a part of the NACP, I was a youth count, a youth member when I was young. And then when I came to Colleen, I saw how prominent the NAAC NACP was in the community. And so just being a part of it and doing the work of the association just really made me that much more proud. And so to have the opportunity to lead, which we were coming up on elections back in 2010. And so the opportunity presented itself for me to become the branch president. And I uh absolutely threw my name in the hat and was quite surprised that I was the only individual who wanted to do it. But now I understand because of the work that is put into it. But it is a volunteer opportunity to lead such a great civil rights organization that has been in existence for 117 years. I love it. I love what we do, I love what we stand for, and it makes me that much more proud to see those who are coming behind me, especially my daughter. So it's great to be able to bring her up in the association as well and see what upcoming leader that she will aspire to be. You know, she's already a leader in her own right. Yeah, but just to aspire, yes, yes, she's the president of the Kleene Us. That's really good. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 3:44

Yeah, I remember Jada did a story on that, didn't she?

SPEAKER_01 3:47

I've done a couple different NAACP uh articles and I got to meet your daughter. She's lovely. Thank you. Yeah, I know you definitely do a lot within the community. I think I've been working here for maybe about three years. So even from my first year, I believe I meant you. And yeah, I wanted to ask you as well. Um, for those who don't know like the behind the scenes of the NAACP, how do you climb up that? Like, so were you in a NAACP chapter outside of Texas before or within the area before you got to Kleene?

SPEAKER_02 4:20

Yes, I was. So I was a part of the NACP back in Illinois through my aunt um who made us be made us become members. But just traveling to the various national conventions, it just really, you know, showed you the work of the association and you definitely wanted to be a part of it. And so coming to Kaleen, as I said, you know, just all the good work that they were doing here in the community. Most importantly, you know, being a voice for the voiceless and hope for the hopeless. And so I wanted to be a part of that. I wanted to be able to make positive change in our community, be able to stand up for people who, you know, again, who felt hopeless and helpless, that have been discriminated against, who were experiencing racism, you know. And so that what helped me, you know, come up starting young, but then of course, you know, just still constantly being a part of it. I will tell you all, I never stopped learning about the NAACP. And so since I've been the president since 2011, I have not missed a convention. And so I make sure I go every single year because of the learning portion of it, because the NACP continues to evolve still to this day.

SPEAKER_00 5:36

That's amazing. And how does someone um just join the NAACP, like as a member?

SPEAKER_02 5:40

Anyone can join the NAACP. So I love to tell people that. Um, it's for all persons. And so the youngest of young to the oldest of old. We even have membership for newborns, newborn babies. And so anyone can be a part of the NAACP. Again, it's about doing the work of the association in the realm of you know advocacy. And so that is what we're looking at now. That is what the NACP is looking like now, is you know, really focused on advocating for others. And so that others could take on different forms and different shapes, you know, whether it's ICE, whether it's the government, whether it's individuals who, you know, have hate groups, you know. And so advocating for others is what we are doing right now. So anyone can join if they are just willing and wanting, you know, to be boots on the ground and support the work of the association.

SPEAKER_00 6:35

That's good. And I know you guys do like a lot in the community. I feel like I see you guys everywhere, which is really good. So, like, what do you guys do?

SPEAKER_02 6:43

So, again, uh as I said, we advocate, you know, of course we speak up and help those who have been discriminated against, who have experienced racism. We because we say discrimination and racism doesn't have a face to it. You know, anyone can be discriminated against. And so, what are some of the things that we do? Well, yes, yes. And so we try to look at the empowerment programs. And so we look at it from the national level, so it works from national all the way down, but on the local level is where you actually see the work, the impact of the work. And so, but on a national level, they establish what our empowerment programs are. So whether it's education, whether it's health disparities, economic empowerment, environmental, and so it takes on different forms. And then we just look in and see where we can fill in, where that work, those programs are impacting our communities locally because everything may not fit in there. But voting rights we know fits in for throughout the nation because every city and every community should be having an election cycle, correct? Yeah. And so it just sees where it can fit in, where we can make a positive change, and where we can make an impact in the work of the association.

SPEAKER_01 7:59

And I wanted to ask as well, like since you've been the president, you said 2011. Um, what are the changes that you've personally seen or that you would like to highlight from your earlier years within the group all the way to now 2026? Because I know there's definitely been a change and not just NAACP, but you know, different cultural things, different things within the community, um, you know, different businesses. Are is there like a few or a couple of different things you want to highlight?

SPEAKER_02 8:28

Yeah, so making the NACP become more visible. And so a lot of people knew about the NACP, but they didn't know about the NACP. And so with us being such a transient community, you know, some people were coming from cities such as Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, you know, and so those bigger cities have bigger NACPs, you know, as far as membership goes, which is over a thousand, you know. So here in Killeen, we have 221. But my first priority was to make us more visible in the community. And so we began to attend other events, you know, making sure we were just not doing our own events, but making sure we were supporting other community outreach events as well. The second part of that was just getting more involved in the work and partnering as well. And so we partnered with churches, we partnered with the Divine Nine, we partnered with the Lulac, you know, other entities as well, that we continue to do, still do today. However, we just want to make sure that they are in alignment with not word for word, our mission and our goal, but similarly, you know, so such as voter engagement, voter empowerment. You see a lot of nonprofit organizations, especially the Divine Nine, that are really focused on voter education, voter registration drives. And so those were the top two things that I wanted to do. And then as I got more into down the line, my next priority was the young people. I needed to revive our youth council because it was stagnant. And so my goal was to make sure that our youth were being empowered, that we were allowing them to have a seat at the table, that we're allowing them to amplify their voice, we are encouraging them, motivating them, and mentoring them to pass the torch to because we're not gonna be here. Because we're not gonna be here forever, right? And so we are one of the empowerment programs, other empowerment programs of the NACP is next gen leadership. And so this is our next generation coming up through the ranks, you know, that we are trying to empower and to take on, you know, those those leads in the NAACP.

SPEAKER_00 10:48

And I think the NAACP does have a really good youth council. I've heard a few of your past presidents speak, and I was just blown away by just how articulated they were. I think you guys did a really good job with that.

SPEAKER_02 11:02

Yes, they are wonderful. Dennis Tago, Skylar Mims, who is now Skyler is now our uh Texas State YC president. Oh wow. Dennis is our Texas State YC secretary, or assistant secretary, I'm sorry. And Kalina is our Texas State YC treasurer. Skyler also serves on the national board, the youth national board. So to see them go up through the ranks is truly, you know, it it's a proud mama moment.

SPEAKER_00 11:34

Yeah, that's true because you go from stagnant to them and composting all those goals up to the stuff.

SPEAKER_02 11:39

Yes, and I I have to tell you all how that happened. And so when we really said, okay, we're going to do this, we're going to put a lot of firepower behind it, and we're not going to back down, we went from four members at the end of December to within two weeks to 64. Wow. So four to sixty-four in two weeks. And so we were very proud of it. That was back in 2000 and let's see, Kalina was born in fifth 2015. So it had to have been like 2017. Okay. About 2017, 2018. Yeah, because she was still fairly young. So now she's been a lifetime member since she was born. Yeah. But, you know, we had to get more because to be compliant, you have to have at least 25 for the youth council. And so we had to get to that number. So you guys exceeded that. Oh, we exceeded that. That's really like a 16 person difference or something. Yes. Yes. So we are very proud of that. And just proud of the work that they are doing in their community and how involved they are. They've been to Advocacy Day, they've written letters to their senators, their representatives, you know, to voice their concerns on anti-bullying. I love that. You know, the vouchers, and you know, they're against the vouchers. Just so just to see them is truly so. Thank you for that. You know, we we do it because of course we want them to grow up and like I said, to become leaders, but you know, for someone to see the work that we're doing. I greatly appreciate that.

SPEAKER_01 13:09

Yeah, it's really good. And you're a really good leader, I noticed throughout the years. Do you have experience doing business or anything related to either being in a leader role or where you're good at interacting with people? Because for me it's hard to do that type of thing.

SPEAKER_02 13:24

So I one thing that I do, and I was sharing this with you all is when I go to conventions, I make sure that I'm continuously learning. I I want to make sure that I'm always learning, you know. So when you stop learning, you stop growing, you know, and so I want to make sure that I'm always learning different things, you know, whether it's policies, procedures, ways to interact with individuals, you know, how to mentor, how to supervise. And so I think where I get my biggest lesson from is being the executive director of the Greater Culling Community Clinic because it's such a diverse group of patients, clientels you're working with. And so you're working with homeless people, you're working with, you know, just your average normal Joe Bo, you know, that comes in in and out of the clinic. And so different personalities, different individuals, you know, that you're continuously dealing with, you know, that gives me, that teaches me my biggest lesson. And and one of the things that I see is, like I said, you know, I don't look at them as homeless. I don't look at them as a number.

SPEAKER_01 14:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:31

They're like family, you know. We're here to take care of you, we're here to be there for you. And when you treat people like as such, you know, I know it says treat people how you want to treat be treated. I always say treat them better than you want to be treated. Because you never know when you are going to be in that situation, you know. A lot of times I know that those who are homeless didn't ask to be put in that situation. Life happened, you know. And so my mom always told me, be careful how you treat people, because the same people you treat going up, see going up, you'll see those same people when you come down. Yeah. So you want to be very careful how you treat people. So that's why I always say treat them better, you know, than you want to be treated.

SPEAKER_00 15:16

Yeah, I feel like everyone's always like one bad situation from becoming homeless. And I love that you guys treat them with such care and respect because like one hello, one handshake, one hug can make a difference in their lives. Absolutely. Absolutely. That's really amazing.

SPEAKER_02 15:32

Absolutely. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 15:33

And I think for me too, like, because you made me realize something when you said that, like taking yourself out of the equation. Because I know uh at least for me in the past and a lot of people, we tend to always center ourselves around the universe and or you know, the universe surrounds us, and we keep putting ourselves in the equation. But I think once you take yourself out, you realize, oh, it's not about me always. It's it's a way it's a much bigger world than it is.

SPEAKER_02 16:00

Yes, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 16:02

And so you are the director, creative director of the clinic. Can you tell us a little bit about that?

SPEAKER_02 16:09

So being the executive director of the Greater Clean Community Clinic, again, like I said, it has very it has humbled me. It truly, truly has. And it is such a blessing. It's such a blessing to hear patients say, You saved my life, you know, I could have been dead. Yeah. You know, thank you so much for having compassion on us. Thank you so much for helping us, you know. And so when one person tells us that, I feel as if when I say tell us, my team and the volunteers that I feel like we've done our job for, you know, for the day. And so being in that position, like I said, it has it has really taught me such a a big lesson on life, you know, because sometimes what we see on the outside is truly not the whole story until you actually get on the inside looking out. And so to be able to be in this position, again, it is such a blessing that, you know, I truly, honestly thank God for every single day because he chose me for a reason. And I always say he chose me to take care of the least of his. And I feel like not only is that a challenge, you know, and I say it's a challenge, but it's an honor, you know, that God chose me to be in that position to take care of those individuals. Because had not it been me, it could have been someone else. Yeah, you know, and so that someone else probably wouldn't have done the right thing, you know, or doing the right thing, you know. And so when those patients come in, I hug them, you know, I give them tough love, you know, but we also take care of them. And so to see the smiles on their faces and you know, the appreciation that, you know, they have for the clinic, it it's like home to them, you know, and I know that's not their residence, but it's like home to them and they know that they can call on us, you know, to take care of them. And they greatly, greatly appreciate that.

SPEAKER_00 18:05

And how does the clinic work? Is it donation-based or is it completely free for those residents?

SPEAKER_02 18:12

So it used to be called the Greater Klein Free Clinic, it's now called the Greater Klein Community Clinic. And so the reason for the name change is because there is a small nominal fee that patients pay to be seen. So$10 for acute care,$20 for chronic care. Cardiology patients are seen for free, and indigent health care patients are seen for free. I will tell you all, there's five different clinics that we run under that one roof. And I know it's hard to believe. Some people don't think so, you know. So we have acute care clinic, chronic care clinic, indigent health care, cardiology. We also see patients for behavioral health, and we do mindset counseling in there.

SPEAKER_00 18:53

So you guys do a lot of ones, that's we have it all.

SPEAKER_02 18:56

We even have a wonderful program that I love. It's called Prescription Assistance Program. So those patients who are experiencing chronic issues such as diabetes or uh high blood pressure, they can get those high-costly medications at zero cost. Wow. And so that is truly a blessing because when you look at some of the prices of this medication, you know, it it is really great that we have that program in place. And so a patient will call or individual will call to be seen at the clinic. They'll get an appointment, they'll come in for their appointment, but before they come in for their appointment, they'll go get labs done. And so those labs pretty much help us tell us, you know, what are the underlying issues? What are issues, you know, health issues they are experiencing. So by the time they come to the clinic, they're still put with a provider, they'll see that same provider. We don't move them around, you know, they see that same provider to establish a relationship with that specific provider they're assigned to. That's good. So they'll see the provider, just like a normal clinic, they'll get a they'll be discharged, they get medication, they get a referral if they need it, they get a follow-up care. And so once they get enrolled in our program, we've had patients enrolled in our program over 10 years. And so we we have patients that have established care with us and we're their primary care provider. So what I like to say, because you know, of course, with the individuals who are stakeholders, our health care partners, you know, we have to put data with numbers and all that good stuff. And so one patient I always say receives anywhere from$5,000 to$10,000 worth of services from the time they walk in to the time they leave the clinic. And so the clinic is located in downtown Killeen, right? We we share a building with human resources from the city of Kleene. Okay. And so we face our door faces 2nd Street, right across from Green Avenue Market. And we're there for a specific reason. And I say that because we are in the process of expanding and moving. However, my number one priority, and I tell my board this all the time, and it's not comfort for me where we move to, it's comfort for my patients. And if they can't get to us, it won't work. Yeah, and so we are based in an area where our clientele reside, where they can get to us at, you know, and we do some of them do experience transportation issues, but we are at the core of the downtown area where we can make the most impact to our uh clientele.

SPEAKER_00 21:36

Yeah, that's good. And so I know you for the NAACP, you guys like are really heavy with voting. And I know you have an event coming up in April 17th, an election form.

SPEAKER_02 21:50

Yes. Can you tell us a little bit about that? Yes, so the NACP does a candidates form every single year, and so we make sure that we do that and it allows voters to engage. With the put the candidates that are running for office, and it gives them the opportunity to talk to them, to engage in conversation with them, to get them to know them better, even to ask those hard questions. And so what we try to do every year is make it different. And so I'm not gonna let the cat out of the bag and tell what we're going to do for this upcoming candidate's form, but it is going to take on a different feel to it, I will say that. And also because we have so many candidates running for Clean City Council, we've got to, you know, make it a little bit different, but also more engaging for the voter to have the opportunity to be, you know, speak one-on-one with the candidate. And so, yes, so that candidates form will be on Friday, April 17th at Dows Community Center. And we'll start about five o'clock and we'll go up to about 7, 7:30.

SPEAKER_00 22:59

All right, that's good. And then how was last year's like or previous years?

SPEAKER_02 23:03

So previous years, yes. So we we again we change them up to make it a little different. So one year we did it like a speed dating. And so the candidate would sit at the table and then the voters would just move around and we'd say, time, time, you know, and so they they'd move around. This last time we did pizza and politics. And so we had pizza, you know, and so, you know, because a lot of times when we have them, it's during dinner time. So we tried to make it a little bit fun. So we did a pizza and politics, and they just sat around the table and wasn't able to engage in conversation with candidates with certain topics, and so we picked like three topics for them to discuss with the various candidates. And so one of those, of course, you know, we had the KISD Board of Trustees running. And so one of those issues or topics was about bullying, you know, safety and all that good stuff. But we encouraged our young people, even though they can't vote, we encouraged them to come out and be engaged in that conversation as well because we want to hear their voices. And I know some people are like, oh, they can't vote, they don't have a say in this, you know. What we do today and the decisions we make today, and I always say this as adults, is going to affect the future generation. And so when you said that, you know, I try to pull me out of the equation, I do that all the time when I'm voting because my daughter standing next to me, you know, I'm not gonna be here, but I want to make this world better now so that it's even much better when she gets ready to vote, when it's time for her to vote, or when it's time for her her to begin adulting.

SPEAKER_01 24:40

You know, I love that approach too, because I know for youth, for many people, even first-time voters who can vote 18, 19, 20, a lot, including me at the time, we don't know much about the process, how it works. We've never spoken to candidates one-on-one. So, yeah, that approach, definitely switching it up every year, is a really good approach for people who even can vote but just don't know what to do.

SPEAKER_02 25:07

Yeah. We even had them moderate one year. Wow. We had our youth council moderate, you know. So I'm like, okay, what are the candidates gonna say to them? Yeah. So are they gonna tell them what they want to hear or are they gonna tell them the truth? You know, and so we want the candidates to be able to speak their truth and tell their truth, you know, good, bad, and ugly, you know, and so but we want to hear the truth because you are my vote vote when you're up on those on the those daises and in those meetings, yeah, making decisions.

SPEAKER_00 25:42

And I like that you guys are really creative with this because a lot of people don't go out and vote, but when they hear something as creative as like a speed dating thing, it gets people interested and then they think, Oh, I think I should go vote. Yes. Because I think Bell County doesn't have a really good voting turnout, right? So I think that's really good.

SPEAKER_02 26:01

Now, this past election, I will tell you it was quite a few, and I was so proud of them, you know. And I want to share this because the NACP is nonpartisan. When we are doing voter voter uh registration drives, we're doing voter engagement, voter mobilization. We're not telling the people who to vote for. We are all we are doing is encouraging you to go vote. Exercise your right and just go vote. Yeah. And we're just trying to educate you also on the process, you know, because some people do feel, some voters do feel intimidated, you know.

SPEAKER_01 26:35

Yeah, because it's under in double ACP, so they assume.

SPEAKER_02 26:39

Yes, yes, yes, and so we don't want people to think that, you know, we just want you to go out and vote. So we're just here to answer the questions for you. If we can, if we can't find the answer, we're gonna go search for the answer to make sure that you are doing, you know, your responsibility as a citizen, you know, and going to vote.

SPEAKER_00 26:58

I think that's really important because a lot of people are scared to go to different organizations and ask about voting because they think, oh, if I talk to them, I'll have to vote for who they want me to vote for.

SPEAKER_02 27:08

So I think that's really good that you guys Yes, we are nonpartisan and we are not here to tell you who to go vote for. When I'm at the polls, I'm just excited to see people go vote. What is frustrating is, and this is this is a message honestly for our soldiers, when they come to a new duty station, you know, one of the things on their checklist, to-do list is to change their voter registration address, update their voter registration cards, because we've seen a lot of them turned away because they were registered to vote in their home state or home and could not register, could not vote here in Bell County. And so I would encourage them to put that on their to-do list, their checklist, as they're in processing, you know, and and make that a priority. Yeah. Because to see their faces as they were turned away, you know, they look defeated. And so we want them to have the opportunity to go vote as well.

SPEAKER_00 28:05

Yeah, I think that's really important. And then speaking of like April 11th, I hear you have a Freedom Fund banquet April 10th.

SPEAKER_02 28:12

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 28:12

Can you tell us a bit about that?

SPEAKER_02 28:14

Yes, I can. I love the Freedom Fund and Scholarship Banquet. The overall purpose is, of course, to award our recipients who we've chosen to receive a scholarship, whether it's from the NACP or from a donor. And so we recognize them on this wonderful night that we get together as a community. And so I call it our one of our family reunions, and to where the entire community is able to come together, dress up, have fun, fellowship, eat with good food. And so we have that coming up on Friday, April 10th at 6 30 p.m. at the Kleene Civic and Conference Center. This year we are guest uh graced with a wonderful guest speaker, Mr. Taliq McMillan. He is our new YC director from national uh NAACP. So he will be coming to be our guest speaker. And what makes this more prominent is that this year we just celebrated on March 9th, the 90-year anniversary of the youth and college division for the NAACP. So to have this young speaker come, you know, and be able to empower us and inspire us is just truly wonderful. So we're very excited. It's a Western theme. And so we're tying it around that. And our overarching theme is the fierce urgency of now, because there's a lot going on in this nation. And so we just want to make sure that everyone is putting some urgency, not just going out to vote, but also to become engaged and involved is with in what is going on throughout this nation so that they do uh, you know, know what's taking place, you know, and and not be blindsided. And so we want to encourage them to stay woke and keep their finger on the post. So we're very excited about Mr. Talek coming and gracing us as a guest speaker for that night.

SPEAKER_00 30:16

And if anyone wants to attend, how can they do that?

SPEAKER_02 30:19

Yes, so they can actually go to the Facebook page of the Kaleen N A C P and type in uh the fierce uh the upcoming 51st annual Freedom Fund Banquet. If not, they can always email me at Tia's and Tom, N is and Nancy, Diaz and David 2475 at gmail.com, and I will send them the link to be able to make reservations and show. And I know some people are like, well, why is she doing it like that? You know, I love to interact with the community. Yeah, and so I I don't want people to get just a stale, you know, flyer or something. I like to actually talk to, I was talking to a lady this morning, she was like, Oh my god, you called me. Like we walked through it, and I walked her through everything. She was like, You really walked me through this, you know. But building relationships is what we need to be doing more of. And so even for MLK Day, our theme was building our beloved community that we're carrying through on throughout the entire year because we need to get back to that where we are building our beloved community because we need to come together as one in love, in peace, in harmony, so that we continue to carry out Dr. King's message.

SPEAKER_01 31:32

That was a good turnout. Yes. It was very nice. I've been getting emotional every time.

SPEAKER_02 31:39

Yes, yeah, thank you. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 31:42

I like that you do a lot of those events. Like I know you guys also do the Juneteenth um parade.

SPEAKER_02 31:46

Yes, yes. So we will have Miss Juneteenth pageant. That will be on June 18th, and then we will have our Juneteenth celebration, of course, on June 19th. And on June 20th, we will have our Juneteenth parade. Billy Snake Juneteenth parade. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 32:02

And I know, was it Kayla? Did she win last year? Yes. Yeah, I got to interview her. She was so beautiful. Yes. And I was interviewing her. She's so sweet, so kind.

SPEAKER_02 32:13

Yes, she is wonderful. She attends the University of Houston.

SPEAKER_01 32:17

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 32:17

And so um, she keeps in touch, and so every time she's home, she wants to, you know, go out with us and do some community outreach, community service. And so I really appreciate that we have young people, you know, that don't just come, you know, and win a couple to be a war. Okay, be gone. Yeah. Like she's still like, you know, hey, Miss Multry, you know, I'm home, da-da-da, you know, and so I really love that about you know. She truly deserves that. Yes, yes, she did a wonderful job. She went did a wonderful job. She was very nervous, but she did an amazing job. She didn't. Didn't didn't at all, yeah. Didn't at all. No.

SPEAKER_00 32:55

Yeah. And you do so much in the community. What keeps you motivated to just keep going?

unknown 33:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 33:02

The biggest thing that keeps me motivated is that, you know, I moved here from Illinois, and when I first came here, I really didn't know a lot of people, you know. But as I started going around throughout the community, I met such wonderful people as Mrs. Brenda Coley, Jim Bondi, Dr. Ann Ferris. And so these individuals, Carlisle Walton, they invested in me. And so because I saw how much they invested in me, and they continue to do so, I felt it was my responsibility to make sure that I give back and invest in my community. And so that's what keeps me motivated, is to, you know, there's so much to do here. There's so much, so many things you can pour into this specific community. And so that is what keeps me going. That is what keeps me motivated, is that if I just make an impact on one person's life, make one change each and every day, it does me good, you know. And it can be something as opening a door for somebody at H E B and they're like, Thank you so much for opening that door. You know, I'm like, I did something good today, you know. And so those individuals took the time to invest in me. I want to make sure that I take the time to invest in my community as well. Now I do sleep, I want people to know that because some people always say, When do you sleep? You know, uh, but I love what I do. I I truly, truly do. And I wouldn't have it any other way, you know. I'm a mommy first, first and foremost. Yeah. When she tells me she needs me, I shut everything down. Nothing else matters, you know. Yes, nothing else matters. You understand? Yes, because you only get one shot at this. So nothing else matters, you know. All the other things, you know, come. Gotta have a job because you gotta pay the bills, right? So, but the the work that I do with the NACP, I enjoy PTA, you know, I love that as well. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, I love that. The Links Incorporated, I love that, you know, being on various boards and commissions, you know, I love that as well, you know. But you do have to learn how to balance it, you know. And so there are days when I get home and she's mommy, that's it. You know, nothing else matters. But I enjoy what I do. She loves what I do because she sees it. Yeah, you know, and I know it's making her a better person. It's making me a better person. But that's what keeps me going because these individuals took the time they didn't have to to invest in me. And so I feel the return on the investment is for me to give back to the community.

SPEAKER_00 35:47

Yeah, and you definitely do make impacts on people. Like for me in the 11th grade, you were the first person to give me an award. And that really did like make an impact on my life because I felt like really confident in my work, and I feel like it just like helped me grow.

SPEAKER_02 36:02

So you did an amaz, but you did such an amazing job, you know. The biggest thing that I will never forget is your professionalism as a young person. I was like, wow, she is so professional, you know. And so, and it is still to this day, you have not wavered from that. You continue to be professional, and so yes.

SPEAKER_01 36:23

And I think it's also a good thing for me to hear that you enjoy it like truly, because I know a lot of people get caught up in, oh, it's just a job, or it's just this, or it's my role, and they uh, you know, talk about the different things they do. But to sit back and actually hear them say out their mouth, oh, I actually enjoy it. Like I look forward to it, it's something I love to do, so it doesn't even seem like mature most of the time.

SPEAKER_02 36:48

Or yeah, or a job, you know, because some the people couldn't believe. I had a young lady, we were driving a Corpus Christi for the NACP, and I was just on the phone the whole time. And she's like, Miss Tika, I didn't realize you don't get paid for this. She said, I always thought you got paid for this. I said, Well, I do, you know, I said, not monetary, but the reward is the impact you make. I said, that is the part. You know, that's where I get paid. You know, it's the reward you get when someone feels as if they've been helped. You know, thank you for helping me. Thank you, you know. And so she said, I never saw it like that. I never thought I all this time I thought you got paid for the NACP. No, ma'am. Not at all.

SPEAKER_00 37:34

Yeah, I feel like that's such an important like way to live. Like it's so it seems so healthy and just so carefree. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 37:43

Yeah, yes, yes.

SPEAKER_00 37:45

And what advice do you have for women who want to make a difference in their community like you have in ours?

SPEAKER_02 37:52

What advice would I give women? Do what you love to do, what you're passionate about if you want to get back, you know, like you were just saying, you know, it's good to hear someone who really enjoys doing it. I truly enjoy doing it. You know, if you wake up in the morning and you're going out to pick up trash, you know, because you recycle or whatever, and you don't like it and you don't enjoy it, don't do it. Do what you enjoy doing, what you're passionate about, because that is where you will make the most impact. You know, doing what you don't love to do, it becomes a task.

SPEAKER_03 38:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 38:31

You know, and you don't want it to be a task. You want to enjoy what it is that you do, how much of an impact you're making, that you're compassionate about it. You know, when I hear certain things, especially when it has to do with health and helping people, I'm like, oh, okay, what are we what are we gonna do? You know, I'm excited about it. You know, we're gonna walk, we're gonna do, you know. So I get excited about it. So if you don't have those same type of feelings when you're doing different things, you know, don't do it. Don't do your task, do what you enjoy doing, what you're compassionate about, what you're passionate about, where you know you can make the most impact.

SPEAKER_00 39:11

Yeah, that's really good. Was there anything else you'd like to say or anything coming up you want people to know about?

SPEAKER_02 39:17

I'm just happy that Women's History Month is this month, you know. And so to all the women, you know, in our community, you know, from the farthest afar to the closest of close from you know, within this general area, I do want to rest in my happy women's history month. Keep doing great things, you know. Don't make the glass ceiling as far as you want to go. Break through that and go even further. You know, if there is something that you're passionate about and you definitely want to do, you know, reach for it, achieve it, aspire to do so, you know. But always make sure that you're doing good in your community and don't do it for self, but do it to give back.

SPEAKER_00 39:59

Yeah. I love that. And Jedi, was there anything else you had?

SPEAKER_01 40:03

Um, no, I just, you know, this is the most I've ever heard you speak. So I really enjoy it. And you know, you're very, very intelligent and such a lovely person. So yeah, I definitely love that I got to come on this episode of the podcast and um get to hear more about you and some of your background. So thank you.

SPEAKER_02 40:23

Yeah, definitely. And thank you all for the opportunity. I greatly, greatly appreciate it. So and I know we're gonna talk more about what's coming up for the NAACP. Well, of course, we have the back to school rally, and we have our breast cancer walk, and then we'll do our HBCU college tour. Yeah. So when School Star S back. So we've got some exciting things coming up, and most importantly, we will be involved in voter engagement. Yes, consistently, always. Yes. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 40:53

I really appreciate you coming on. Thank you so much. That's Tanika Driver Moultrie, the NAAC president and executive director of the Greater Kleen Community Clinic. Thank you for listening, everyone. Inside of Kleen podcast is brought to you by KDH News. This episode is produced by Kevin Limity. This episode is also sponsored by Ann Nails. Treat yourself. Enjoy$10 off jail nails with and nails because you deserve it. Located at 4110 South Clear Creek Road in Kleen, Texas. We'd also like to thank our sponsor, Guiding Light Concepts. Empowerment is at the heart of Women's History Month, and it's at the core of our sponsor, Guiding Light Concepts. Just as we celebrate the women who uplift our community, Guiding Light Concepts empowers Kaleen's children diagnosed with autism. Their expert team champions children with autism by providing highly individualized ABA therapy, behavior reduction, and IAP support to help your children build independence and thrive. Visit GuidingLightConcepts.com or call 254-432-7041 today. And our final sponsor, WDF Express. Relax. Let us do your laundry at WDF Express. We understand that life is busy, but your laundry doesn't have to be. We offer free pickup and delivery as well as drop-off service. Conveniently located only one mile from the Clear Creek Gate and Winfield Plaza. Quick, easy, stress-free. Mention KDH and receive ten dollars off your wash and fold service. Fast, affordable, and reliable here at WDF Express. Watch for more podcast episodes featuring prominent women in March as KDH News celebrates Women's History Month. You can also read feature stories about local women in the Wednesday and Sunday editions of Kaleen Daily Herald at kdhnews.com. Thanks for listening. Bye.