This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Narrator: Next up on Destination Freedom.

[0:02] Evelyn: Get the hell off of me! You know these damn handcuffs were way too tight. Can I get some milk for my eyes, please? My eyes are still burning!

[0:12] Claire: Hello! Wow. I can't believe this. What are the friggin' odds? Wait, am I seeing this correctly? Claire Johnson. Claire Oreo Johnson from high school? What the hell are you doing here?

[0:30] Claire: That's Claire Olson. I'm married.

[0:33] Evelyn: Someone actually married you.

[0:36] Claire: Cute. Not just someone, sweetie. Soon to be Senator John Olson this election year.

[0:43] Evelyn: John Olson, of course. A white man.

[0:46] Claire: White man.

[0:57] Narrator: Welcome to Destination Freedom Black Radio Days Podcast, a copyrighted program of No Credits Productions LLC. Our producer director, Danielle Betts. In this episode of Destination Freedom Black Radio Days, Denver is in crisis. And everyone has an opinion. After a housing protest erupts, five women from different worlds end up in the same holding cell. An activist, a conservative commentator, an ally, an artist, and a homeless mother with nowhere left to go. Written by Kenya Fashaw, Intersectionality is a sharp, tightly wound audio drama. Tense, dark and funny, and brutally human. Who gets heard? Who gets blamed? And what does it take to see each other clearly? Directed by Danielle Betts, with technical production and post-production by Maurice Smith of Diatonic Labs. When the drama ends, stay tuned for a live talk bite with playwright Kenya Fashaw, Dr. Regina Richards, and Danielle Betts. And now, destination, freedom, freedom.

[2:11] ♪ Musical number: "Freedom" — performed by Unknown artist ♪

[2:41] Narrator: A unhoused white woman huddled halfway in a tent on a homeless encampment. A half bottle of wine is clutched in one hand, like a precious secret, and a torn picture of her husband and Dougie in the other. A dimly lit street corner at Eighth and Logan in Denver, Colorado. The air is frigid. A fragile sanctuary against a biting cold. She sings to herself.

[3:43] Evelyn: She takes a drink. Suddenly, the beam of a flashlight pierces the darkness. Officer Lisa Martinez steps into view. Her uniform, crisp, against the chaos of the encampment. She bangs on the tent.

[3:56] Officer Lisa Martinez: Excuse me, ma'am. Can you please step out the tent?

[3:59] Evelyn: What? Who's asking?

[4:01] Officer Lisa Martinez: Officer Lisa Martinez, Denver PD.

[4:03] Evelyn: (struggling to stand) What do you want? Can't a woman get some damn sleep around here?

[4:12] Officer Lisa Martinez: You weren't asleep. I heard you singing.

[4:14] Evelyn: Did you like it? I love singing. You know, I tried out for American Idol once. I didn't make it to the second round. Well, any round really.

[4:25] Officer Lisa Martinez: Ma'am, this whole area is off limits. We've got a lot of complaints from the neighbors, and the city wants this area cleared. I need you to move.

[4:32] Evelyn: But this is my spot. I can't move. You can't tell me to move. I've been here for three days. This is my spot.

[4:38] Officer Lisa Martinez: Your spot looks like a pile of trash. We're cleaning this place up. Get your things and clear out. Let's go.

[4:44] Evelyn: Wait, but get your things and move. I have nowhere else to go tonight. It's cold out here.

[4:50] Officer Lisa Martinez: Look, I know it's tough, hard, and you're struggling, yada yada, but we can't have people camping here. It's not safe.

[4:55] Evelyn: Safe for who? I've been beaten, robbed, raped, and left for dead out here. Are you keeping me safe then? Huh? Please just let me stay here. Just for the night.

[5:05] Officer Lisa Martinez: It's the law of the city, ma'am. You don't have a choice. This area is banned. Now move and get your things before I start throwing them in the trash.

[5:12] Evelyn: You think I give a damn about the laws of this city? The city doesn't give a damn about me, and you? You have no humanity. There's nowhere else to go. It's freezing cold out here.

[5:22] Officer Lisa Martinez: Not my problem. Now move.

[5:24] Evelyn: You heartless piece—

[5:27] Narrator: Her legs give out and she stumbles, crashing into a pile of cardboard boxes.

[5:33] Officer Lisa Martinez: Oh now, easy. You're too drunk to stand let alone fight.

[5:37] Officer Lisa Martinez: (reaching for her handcuffs) Please, officer, I'm begging you. Just let me stay. I won't bother anyone, I promise. You don't understand. I'm alone. And and and my husband, he and my daughter, she all have is this damn tent and this damn bottle.

[5:54] Evelyn: (taking another drink from the bottle)

[5:57] Officer Lisa Martinez: I'll take that. I don't know about your tent, but I'm pretty sure you'll do fine without this bottle. You can't attack an officer, ma'am. I'm taking you in. Maybe you can sleep off some of that liquid courage when you have a nice cell tonight. Turn around, put your hands behind your back.

[6:12] Evelyn: What about my things? You have to bring my things. I can't just leave it here. I'll lose everything I have.

[6:18] Officer Lisa Martinez: Unfortunately, your things will be trashed, ma'am. Now let's move.

[6:29] Evelyn: Please, just let me get some of my things. I can't lose them again, please.

[6:33] Narrator: Officer Martinez leads her away. They exit, leaving the pitcher and tent behind. A fragile cocoon abandoned in the frozen shadows.

[6:50] Narrator: Breaking news. Good evening, Colorado. We're coming to you live at what was to be a peaceful housing protest that occurred in the heart of downtown Denver this afternoon that has now taken a chaotic turn. Earlier today, hundreds of demonstrators gathered in front of the state capitol to voice their concerns about Colorado's affordable housing crisis and homeless encampment issue.

[7:16] Narrator: Colorado's severe housing shortage is hurting families and communities in every corner of the state. With Colorado now having the fifth highest housing cost in the country. Today, over one third of Coloradans are spending more than 30% of their income on their rent or mortgage, leaving little left over for other basic necessities. Denver's high cost of living, lack of affordable housing, unemployment, poverty, and low wages contribute to the homelessness crisis. This afternoon, dozens of demonstrated action for change. This has been breaking news.

[8:02] Claire: (a conservative black woman, wearing a clean, semi-formal long coat and slacks, filming the crowd)

[8:11] Conscious: (a militant black woman sits, reciting a poem while playing a djembe drum over the chaos in the streets)

[8:18] Catherine: (a white woman stands on the side with a sign in one hand that says affordable housing for all, and a Starbucks in the other)

[8:29] Maria: (a feisty Chicano woman, holds a can of stray paint)

[8:34] Narrator: They wear a graffiti jacket and a bandana around their wrist, a symbol of rebellion. All four women break out in the midst of the protest as it is happening. Claire has her phone out, recording.

[8:47] Claire: I have this on video for my protection. So let's talk, Denver. Roots of concrete, tangled in red tape. I fight for my people. Fight for my people's escape. If you will not hear us, we will write our demands all over the city. Nuestras voces será escuchadas. Our voices will be heard. Isn't this just exhilarating? I mean, look at us standing together, fighting for justice. It's like we're in a real life movie, isn't it?

[9:15] Claire: My friends, these demonstrators out here, oh bless their little hearts, are chanting about the high increase of homelessness in this city. Waving their little signs, demanding government intervention, and affordable housing. The only thing affordable about your demands is the price you're willing to pay for it.

[9:36] Conscious: Five points. Now a gentrified rhino. I weave resilience into stories untold. Listen to the rhythm of our pain. Hope wanes in our battleground. I stand here, a proud queer Chicana. Not just for me, but for every soul that's ever been evicted from their homes and from their life's memories. Like losing familia.

[9:57] Maria: You know, I have always been passionate about social issues. Back in college, I took a whole semester on poverty and inequality. Fascinating stuff. And now, here I am, right in the thick of it. Justice is earned through hard work, personal responsibility, and pulling yourself up by your bootstraps, sweetie.

[10:20] Conscious: Cades, racist deeds denied the right to plant our seeds. Redlining, they called it. Escúchame, listen to me. Because this Chicana will not back down. I carry the spirit of my ancestors, the fallen dreams of my dead father, and the resilience of my mother. Our wealth choked, our roots severed. We will still rise like sunflowers for every brick laid for every generation.

[10:46] Maria: We will break the chains of discrimination. Homelessness isn't just about housing. It's about how you people deal with mental health, addiction, bad life choices. We need comprehensive solutions, not quick fixes. I've got this brilliant idea. Let's build affordable housing, but with a twist. We'll call it gentrification chic. Just a little makeover. We'll sprinkle some yoga studios here, craft breweries there, some dog parks, and voila! Progress!

[11:22] Conscious: We live in a city that sees you but doesn't acknowledge you. Mi corazon, once full of the warmth of my family, now beats to the rhythm of protest chants. Viviennas para la gente! Viviendas para la gente! Affordable housing isn't a privilege. It's a basic human right. And we'll plant our roots deep in defiance until we see change in the cold black night.

[11:46] Maria: I will not be moved. I will not be moved. Viviennas para la gente! I will not be moved. So, my friends, let's keep marching, keep chanting, and keep pushing for change. The American dream isn't about freebies. It's about freedom. The freedom to succeed or fail based on your own efforts. So make the choice.

[12:13] Claire: Stay the hell back.

[12:14] Narrator: Claire pulls out a pistol and shoots one time in the air. Police sirens are heard. A dim fluorescent light flickers, is claustrophobic, hollow, and cold. There are three benches, one in the center, the other two on each side. Evelyn is sitting on the center bench in and out of a drunken sleep.

[12:17] Claire: Oh, I can't believe this. It's called self-defense, you incompatible idiots. I'm the victim. My husband is going to have all of your jobs once he finds out I'm locked in this damn cage.

[12:17] Claire: (looking around and seeing Evelyn sleeping) Just great. Claire, how'd you end up in here?

[12:17] Evelyn: (sitting on the other side of the bench) Well hey, they got me some company. How you doing? I'm Evelyn.

[12:17] Claire: Waiting on you, unlikely. Okay, you just look familiar. Were you out in the cold too?

[12:17] Evelyn: No, I was not out in the cold. What are you in here for?

[12:17] Claire: Why? Just trying to make conversation. Did you steal something?

[13:39] Evelyn: No. Rob a bank? No. Kill somebody? What? No. Can you leave me alone, please?

[13:39] Claire: Hey, okay, you just kind of gave me killer vibes. I'm in here because some overzealous cop decided defending myself was a crime, but I have it all on video, and once I'm out of here.

[14:01] Evelyn: I'm going to sue the hell out of all of these incompetent dumbass tyrants.

[14:06] Claire: Oh, cool.

[14:08] Evelyn: Oh.

[14:09] Claire: And guessing by the way you smell, you robbed a liquor store, right?

[14:13] Evelyn: Fantastic.

[14:14] Claire: You know, I have no sympathy for drunks or criminals.

[14:17] Evelyn: None.

[14:18] Claire: Zero.

[14:18] Evelyn: Criminals?

[14:19] Claire: But yet you're in here with me.

[14:21] Evelyn: You don't know anything about me, Miss High and Mighty.

[14:23] Claire: I don't need or desire to.

[14:26] Evelyn: And it's a mistake that I'm even in this crap hole.

[14:30] Evelyn: I will be out of here soon and back home to my beautiful life.

[14:34] Claire: So you can roll on back over to your drunk and sleep criminal.

[14:40] Evelyn: Can I ask you something?

[14:43] Claire: You ever lose something?

[14:46] Evelyn: Something you loved so much.

[14:48] Claire: Oh, please.

[14:49] Evelyn: Miss me with this.

[14:50] Claire: Look, I don't want to engage with you or your sad pathetic story about losing.

[14:56] Evelyn: You think I want your pity?

[14:58] Claire: No, just forget it.

[14:59] Evelyn: I'll go back to sleep.

[15:01] Claire: Oh, queen of the holding cell.

[15:03] Evelyn: Thank you.

[15:05] Claire: You're too kind.

[15:07] Evelyn: Wait a minute. I know who you are.

[15:10] Claire: That annoying voice.

[15:11] Evelyn: Yeah, you're Claire Olson.

[15:13] Claire: I've seen your talking head babbling out on Fox News.

[15:17] Evelyn: But you're in a holding cell?

[15:20] Claire: The media's gonna have a field day when they find out you're here.

[15:23] Evelyn: Do you want the top bunk or the bottom?

[15:26] Claire: You have me mistaken, criminal.

[15:28] Evelyn: Oh, yeah, you're her. Always running your mouth about your conservative views on the condition of this country.

[15:34] Claire: Blinded by the realities in life.

[15:37] Evelyn: You ever wonder why some folks end up in here, huh? Life's not a neat little equation.

[15:40] Claire: Sometimes it's chaos.

[15:44] Evelyn: Real chaos.

[15:46] Claire: Whatever.

[15:47] Evelyn: Can chew you up. Swallow you whole with no remorse.

[15:51] Claire: What do you know? You're just attacking babbling heads spewing out fake news like it's gospel.

[15:52] Evelyn: Fake news?

[15:57] Claire: I speak the truth, criminal.

[16:00] Evelyn: Right? You think your truth is the only truth?

[16:04] Claire: Maybe you should listen more and talk less.

[16:06] Evelyn: Talking less is the problem. People aren't talking enough.

[16:11] Claire: Wait a minute, Claire. Why are you explaining yourself to a drunken criminal who clearly has no intellect?

[16:18] Evelyn: Wow.

[16:19] Claire: So you are cold.

[16:21] Evelyn: (turns over and falls back to sleep)

[16:23] Claire: (begins to pace back and forth)

[16:33] Narrator: Breaking news. A young woman reciting a poem at the protest refused police orders to move out of the street to de-escalate the violent crowd.

[16:42] Narrator: She was then pepper sprayed and arrested. This has been breaking news.

[16:59] Evelyn: My eyes, my eyes are still burning.

[17:02] Claire: Hello?

[17:03] (No response from the guard)

[17:05] Evelyn: (turns around, rubbing her eyes, and immediately locks eyes with Claire)

[17:10] Evelyn: Wow. I can't believe this.

[17:13] Claire: What are the friggin' odds?

[17:15] Evelyn: Wait. Am I seeing this correctly? Claire Johnson.

[17:19] Claire: Claire Oreo Johnson from high school.

[17:24] Evelyn: What the hell are you doing here?

[17:26] Claire: That's Claire Olson.

[17:28] Evelyn: I married.

[17:29] Claire: Someone actually married you.

[17:32] Evelyn: Cute.

[17:33] Claire: Not just someone, sweetie. Soon to be Senator John Olson this election year.

[17:39] Evelyn: John Olson, of course. A white man.

[17:43] Claire: Wasn't he the politician who spoke out against the Colorado Right to Rest Act?

[17:49] Evelyn: I'll be sure to cross that jerk off of my ballot.

[17:52] Claire: Oh, honey, you sound bitter.

[17:54] Evelyn: And looking at the nakedness of your ring finger, no one wanted to come near you.

[18:00] Claire: Oh, remind me of your name again.

[18:03] Evelyn: It's one of those ghetto hood names, right? La La La Kisha La Quinta.

[18:09] Claire: La Toya LaToya Jones.

[18:12] Evelyn: Yes.

[18:13] Claire: LaToya Jones. The girl in high school who always got suspended for fighting and stealing.

[18:19] Evelyn: How's that working out for you now?

[18:21] Claire: I go by Conscious now. My mind is changed.

[18:25] Evelyn: I'm not like that anymore. So let's not bring up my past, I.

[18:29] Claire: Oh, watch out. Don't go all black rage on me.

[18:33] Evelyn: Look, sweetie, just because you decided to loot a Walmart for a TV and got caught does not warrant that type of anger.

[18:42] Claire: Look, sis, I am not angry. I know all skin and kinfolk.

[18:48] Evelyn: We may share the same history of struggle and strength, but clearly we stand divided.

[18:54] Claire: Now move out of my way. I need to call my grandparents to tell them I'm here and to make sure they're okay.

[19:00] Evelyn: We get a call in here, right? Right?

[19:03] Claire: You would know better than me. I've never been into jail before.

[19:06] Evelyn: What makes you think I have?

[19:08] Claire: Well, from what I could remember, your future wasn't so bright.

[19:12] Evelyn: (wakes up) Killer.

[19:14] Claire: I'll help you hide the body.

[19:16] Evelyn: Claire, whatever you're trying to do to get me to whoop your ass won't work.

[19:22] Claire: My mind is stronger now, and I've been caring for my grandparents for the last five years after my mother died.

[19:31] Evelyn: That's what I've been doing with my life. I've been advocating for my grandparents' housing rights so that they won't get kicked out of their home.

[19:39] Claire: My grandparents' house stands in the heart of Five Points. It's more than just a building, it's a sanctuary, a testament to their resilience, a piece of our family's history.

[19:52] Evelyn: They moved here seeking refuge from Jim Crow. This neighborhood was supposed to be their American dream.

[19:59] Claire: But that dream turned into a nightmare when the face of Denver began to change.

[20:04] Evelyn: Gentrification.

[20:05] Claire: They call it progress, we call it theft.

[20:09] Evelyn: Feels like a new age Tulsa race riot all over again.

[20:13] Claire: Investors swarm in like locusts, devouring block after block.

[20:18] Evelyn: Everybody ran all, they called it. But what was renewed when our community was uprooted?

[20:24] Claire: Less violence?

[20:25] Evelyn: Go to hell, Claire.

[20:27] (Evelyn turns over again)

[20:28] Claire: She's already been there. Her and Satan are BFS.

[20:32] Evelyn: Oh, you know I'm right. The neighborhood needed cleaning up.

[20:36] Claire: According to who? You?

[20:38] Evelyn: When I was at the housing protest today reciting my poem, a gunshot rang out.

[20:44] Claire: Everyone started running. I was peacefully protesting, and I was pepper sprayed and arrested.

[20:49] Evelyn: I can't believe I got arrested. What about the damn shooter?

[20:54] Claire: Oh, uh, well, I'm sure there was a more profound way you could have voiced your concerns.

[21:01] Evelyn: That's the very reason I showed up to that protest to exercise my voice.

[21:06] Claire: You were there too? What was your voice saying?

[21:09] Evelyn: Look, I'm not against affordable housing or homeless encampments. But John and I believe we can't just hand it out like candy.

[21:20] Claire: People need to work hard, earn their keep.

[21:23] Evelyn: Our people have been working hard for centuries. Thank you. Slavery, Jim Crow, redlining.

[21:29] Claire: Our sweat and blood built this country. And now they want to price us out of our own neighborhoods and send more people living on the streets.

[21:38] Evelyn: Our people?

[21:40] Claire: Okay. I've seen the consequences of well-intentioned policies.

[21:47] Evelyn: Sometimes they hurt the very people they're meant to help.

[21:51] Claire: We need sustainable solutions, not handouts.

[21:55] Evelyn: That's what your people's been getting.

[21:58] Claire: What are you talking about? Families are sleeping in cars. Many of them are on the streets.

[22:04] Evelyn: We need radical change.

[22:06] Claire: That's how we end up with failed experiments. We need to empower the community through education, entrepreneurship, and personal responsibility.

[22:16] Evelyn: Claire, you sound brainwashed.

[22:20] Claire: You sound like those politicians who blame single mothers for poverty. It's systemic.

[22:25] Evelyn: We fight together or fall apart.

[22:28] Claire: Listen carefully, sister soldier. I've worked my way up, and I've seen both sides.

[22:35] Evelyn: But we can't ignore personal choices. We need strong families, not just government programs.

[22:43] Claire: Our strong black families are dying.

[22:47] Evelyn: Sorry for your loss. But I don't have time for yet another sad sob story.

[22:54] Claire: I was already bombarded with one. Guards! Where is my phone call? I need to call my husband.

[23:02] Evelyn: I'm sure your white savior will come soon.

[23:05] Claire: Evelyn, you're conscious a stare of death.

[23:14] Narrator: Breaking news. As the protest intensified, tensions rose. The police issued a dispersal order, but many failed to comply.

[23:23] Narrator: A woman who was asked to leave the protest threw her coffee at an officer and was arrested immediately. This has been breaking news.

[23:37] Claire: This is ridiculous. Do you know who I am? You're violating my rights.

[23:41] Claire: I know my constitutional rights. This is police brutality.

[23:47] Catherine: (turns and sees Claire and Evelyn, two black women staring at her)

[23:52] Catherine: (turns away quickly in fear) Oh, great! Guards! Guards, please! Anybody? Please! I can't survive in a place.

[24:00] Evelyn: Shut the hell up!

[24:02] Claire: For once I agree with the criminal.

[24:04] Evelyn: Criminals!

[24:05] Claire: Oh my gosh! Looks like we have ourselves a Karen, ladies.

[24:08] Catherine: How dare you call me that? I am not a Karen!

[24:12] Claire: I am not how dare you!

[24:14] Evelyn: Yeah, how dare you!

[24:16] Claire: She's no Karen. What's your name, hun?

[24:21] Catherine: Catherine.

[24:21] Claire: Oh. Close enough.

[24:24] Catherine: I am not supposed to be in here with you.

[24:26] Evelyn: Oh, you what? With you.

[24:29] Catherine: Oh.

[24:30] Catherine: I donated to Black Lives Matter.

[24:33] Evelyn: Oh.

[24:34] Catherine: I was down at the housing protest today, and the police sprayed me with tear gas.

[24:40] Evelyn: Well, that was after I threw my coffee at them.

[24:42] Claire: But look, you're still waving.

[24:46] Catherine: You were at the protest, too?

[24:48] Evelyn: Yes.

[24:49] Claire: Wait, is that why all of you are in here?

[24:52] Evelyn: No, we just thought it would be a beautiful day to get locked up.

[24:57] Claire: Said no one ever.

[24:59] Evelyn: Speak for yourself. You know, this bench ain't half bad. Comfier than my tent and my cardboard box.

[25:05] Catherine: And the company's top notch.

[25:07] Claire: Well, I was just trying to help. I'm an ally, you know.

[25:10] Evelyn: Ally.

[25:13] Claire: Yeah, okay.

[25:14] Evelyn: Excuse me. You look like all you do is sip $10 lattes in your penthouse while we're out here fighting eviction notices.

[25:24] Claire: Be careful. Your privilege is showing.

[25:27] Evelyn: I face struggles too. I understand.

[25:30] Claire: Like what?

[25:31] Evelyn: My Pilates class was canceled last week.

[25:34] Claire: I depend on those classes to keep me grounded and to keep my anxiety neutral.

[25:39] Evelyn: Fragging Pilates. You're comparing fighting to have a roof over your head to Pilates.

[25:45] Claire: Hey, latte lady. Try sleeping on concrete. It's great for the core.

[25:50] Evelyn: Oh, and cardboard bedding is all the rage.

[25:53] Claire: This is no time for jokes.

[25:55] Evelyn: (gives Claire the middle finger and falls back to sleep)

[25:59] Claire: There are proper channels for change. My father always said, privilege comes with responsibility.

[26:06] Evelyn: Lady, your father's privilege built this system.

[26:10] Claire: And now it's time to dismantle it.

[26:13] Evelyn: Criminal, stop your snoring. I can barely hear myself think.

[26:18] Claire: Wow. Just wow.

[26:21] Evelyn: I just believe.

[26:22] Claire: Believe. What do you believe, huh?

[26:24] Evelyn: I care about what's happening. I live here too.

[26:28] Claire: You moved into a neighborhood and decided to wake up one day and become whoa.

[26:32] Evelyn: Hijacked a movement that's supposed to be for people of color. And now you want to swing your Gucci booted foot over the fence of our oppression.

[26:42] Claire: Oh, break out by a lens for the continuous oppression of black people.

[26:47] Evelyn: What?

[26:48] Claire: Look, Catherine is just trying to help in the best way she knows how. So instead of attacking her with your old Negro spiritual speeches, show her some compassion, will you?

[27:01] Evelyn: Wait a minute. I know that tone of voice anywhere. Are you? Are you Claire Olson?

[27:05] Claire: Political commentator, author, and activist.

[27:09] Evelyn: Well, activist. I follow your podcast.

[27:12] Claire: The Real Truth with Claire Olson.

[27:15] Evelyn: I even read your book, Out Blacked.

[27:18] Claire: Out what?

[27:19] Evelyn: Oh, you've read my books?

[27:21] Claire: I read it twice, front to back. I especially love chapter eight, the chapter where you said life is like a sewer. What you get out of it depends on what you put into it.

[27:42] Conscious: Speak the truth, sister.

[27:43] Claire: Oh, thank you.

[27:45] Conscious: Thank you.

[27:45] Claire: See Lakisha.

[27:47] Conscious: The name is Conscious.

[27:48] Claire: Yeah, sure.

[27:50] Catherine: Catherine is an ally.

[27:52] Conscious: I understand her. We should all give her grace and understanding.

[27:57] Maria: Don't you want the same for yourself?

[27:59] Conscious: You're defending her now that she's part of your fan club.

[28:02] Claire: The only thing that's understood is that they've always had a head start to the finish line.

[28:07] Conscious: But suddenly, wanna join in on our movement?

[28:10] Claire: A movement they know nothing about.

[28:13] Conscious: I'm not as privileged as you think.

[28:16] Claire: You look at me and you just see a white woman and believe it tells the whole tale.

[28:22] Conscious: But let me tell you, life hasn't always been a straight path paved with privilege for me.

[28:28] Claire: I have known the sting of hardship and the bitter taste of loss.

[28:34] Conscious: I've worked for every scrap on my plate.

[28:37] Claire: Yes, I have had my share of sunny days, but don't mistake the light for a lack of shadows.

[28:45] Conscious: I have come out stronger, not because of some birthright, but because of my will to survive.

[28:52] Claire: So before you judge, remember that the surface is just that—a surface.

[29:01] Conscious: A struggle and a life lived.

[29:05] Claire: Mine is a tapestry of triumphs and trials, not a monochrome painting of privilege.

[29:13] Conscious: Beautiful.

[29:16] Claire: Interesting.

[29:18] Conscious: You should take your own advice, especially when you see two black women in a cell right along with you.

[29:34] Narrator: Breaking news. Police also apprehended a young woman who was seen vandalizing buildings and police cars that read housing for the people.

[29:45] Narrator: This has been breaking news.

[29:48] Maria: (walks in slowly) She turns around, afraid, like a scared little girl. Lost.

[29:55] Conscious: Hey, it's okay. No one in here is going to hurt you. It may not look like it, but it's a safe space so far. What's your name? What are you in for?

[30:07] Maria: Oh, okay. Um, yeah, uh, I'm Maria. I was at the housing protest today, and what a surprise.

[30:17] Claire: Will you hush?

[30:19] Conscious: Go ahead, Maria.

[30:21] Maria: And while I was demonstrating my right to protest, writing my demands on the walls of the Capitol building, someone started shooting. Police came and I got caught up and arrested for vandalism.

[30:33] Claire: You think this is some kind of game? Protesting doesn't give you the right to break the law, young lady.

[30:39] Maria: And what law is that?

[30:41] Claire: The law that keeps people like us out of homes and opportunities.

[30:45] Maria: No, the laws that keep people like these from destroying our city.

[30:50] Conscious: (begins to walk towards Claire) People like these. You know, your people, Armiga.

[30:57] Claire: I just don't understand why everything has to be about race and class. We are all women. We are all suffering under the attack of the male species. We need to stick together.

[31:08] Conscious: This lady has missed the entire point. We're not so different, you know. We all just want a place to call home. A safe place.

[31:19] Claire: And if people work hard enough—

[31:21] Conscious: And what about the people who work hard and still can't afford it? What's their mistake, huh?

[31:27] Claire: Hey, I'm not your amiga.

[31:29] Conscious: Oh, you're right about that. Vandalizer. Stoopy la Scoopy La Vieja Ignorante.

[31:36] Claire: Oh.

[31:36] Conscious: I'll show you a vandalizer, huh?

[31:38] Claire: Oh, bring it on, chica.

[31:40] Conscious: Anale.

[31:41] (Maria goes after Claire. The room falls into a tense, heated argument.)

[31:45] Catherine: Kant just jumped in between Claire and Maria.

[31:48] (Catherine covers her ears and runs away. The yelling and screaming becomes so loud it wakes Evelyn out of her sleep in a fury.)

[31:55] Evelyn: What the hell? What the—you people shut the hell up?

[32:00] Maria: Mom.

[32:05] Evelyn: What the hell are you doing? I've been looking all over for you. But why haven't I heard from you? I thought you were dead.

[32:14] Maria: No, no, get off me. Get the hell away from me.

[32:17] Evelyn: What? Why?

[32:18] Maria: Why are you in here in the first place?

[32:20] Evelyn: I could ask you the same thing. Your mom's a white woman.

[32:24] Maria: Yeah. My papa's from Mexico.

[32:26] Evelyn: Mm.

[32:27] Maria: Mixed breed. And after he died and you left us, you left me. You left me alone, Maria.

[32:34] Evelyn: I had to leave, mom. After Papa died, everything went to crap. Your drinking took over. We could barely afford food, rent. I couldn't take it anymore. You couldn't take care of yourself, let alone me. So as soon as I turned 18, I left. Started living on the streets. I met my partner, fell in love, and now they're my family.

[32:56] Evelyn: I'm your family.

[32:58] Maria: And what do you mean, partner? Partner of what?

[33:00] Evelyn: Crime?

[33:01] Maria: Crime. Hmm. Must run in the family.

[33:04] Conscious: She means her lover. She's a part of the alphabet rainbow coalition. I use they, them pronouns.

[33:10] Evelyn: Please.

[33:11] Maria: Christ, Maria, you're a lesbagaino. You know I don't believe in that stuff.

[33:15] Evelyn: Yeah, I know you're a homophobe.

[33:17] Maria: I'm your mother. You don't need a damn partner. I can take care of you.

[33:21] Evelyn: Like you ever did. Look, Maria, I've been looking for you for two years. My only daughter for the last two years. On the streets homeless for two years, still looking for you. I'm not gonna lose you again.

[33:33] Maria: I'm not a child anymore. You don't have to find me. I don't need you.

[33:39] Evelyn: I tried, Maria, I tried. God knows, I tried. I didn't have the money. When Papa got sick with COVID and he had to stop working, and I couldn't keep up, it was too much. And when he passed away, he left us with nothing. I didn't make enough. I couldn't. It was either food or a roof over our heads.

[34:01] Maria: Or a drink in your hand. That's all you cared about. Getting drunk, you stopped caring.

[34:05] Evelyn: I never stopped caring. I'm just a piece of crap.

[34:10] Maria: I know, I know. It's okay. Let it out. I know exactly how you feel.

[34:18] Conscious: Oh, please. You have sympathy for her. She's been torturing us the whole time we've been here.

[34:24] Evelyn: No, she's been torturing you. Have some compassion, right? I know what it feels like to not have a family. Not to have a mother.

[34:35] Conscious: Evelyn, listen, we're all broken pieces in this cell, but sometimes it's the cracks that let the light in. You hear me?

[34:43] Claire: She'll never see the light. You heard her. She's a piece of shot.

[34:49] Conscious: Just show your mother some damn respect. Some of us wish we still had a mother here on this earth.

[34:55] Evelyn: And yet, here I am standing right in front of my mother, who turned into an embarrassment. It's been nothing but a struggle with her.

[35:03] Conscious: I know what struggle feels like. Trust me.

[35:06] Claire: See? We all have some common ground. Despite our differences, we all face struggles.

[35:12] Conscious: Let's not pretend those struggles are the same.

[35:14] Claire: But don't you see? That's the point of intersectionality. It's about understanding that our paths intersect and diverge in complex ways.

[35:24] Conscious: Intersectionality? Please. We're not here to play oppression Olympics. We all made choices.

[35:31] Claire: She didn't make the choice to lose her family.

[35:34] Conscious: When she started drinking, she did.

[35:36] Claire: Claire, shut the hell up.

[35:38] Conscious: All you are is a sellout Uncle Tom ass fool.

[35:41] Claire: Don't you tell me to shut up.

[35:43] Conscious: You project crack baby ghetto queen. You think you know what's right? You set our people back thousands of years.

[35:51] Claire: Right. Especially when you married a white man.

[35:54] Conscious: Don't you bring my husband into this? You're so ignorant. All you believe is justice for the laziness of your people.

[36:02] Claire: Laziness of my people? Somebody shut her up before I slap some sense into her.

[36:08] Conscious: Oh, and you're just mad because people won't give you a handout. Stop asking for free stuff and work.

[36:15] Claire: We just need unity in the community. You know my housekeeper Isabella, who is also from Mexico, by the way.

[36:22] Conscious: Shut up.

[36:24] Claire: You're the one who gets free handouts, don't you, Claire?

[36:28] Conscious: When did the dream of prosperity become exclusive?

[36:32] Claire: When people stop working for it, I talk about it all the time on my podcast.

[36:39] Conscious: Ask Catherine. She's a fan.

[36:41] Catherine: Please don't put me in this.

[36:42] Claire: You're so freaking judgmental. You don't have any idea what any of us have gone through.

[36:47] Conscious: I don't need to, honey. I can tell looking at you.

[36:51] Claire: Uh-huh. And I can tell by looking at you, you're rotting from the inside. From lack of love, honesty, and acceptance. I feel sorry for you.

[37:01] Conscious: Well, she can still get slapped.

[37:03] Claire: Oh.

[37:04] Conscious: Oh. I guess you can take the girl out the ghetto, but you can't take the ghetto out the girl.

[37:10] Evelyn: You are all acting ridiculous. What is wrong with you people?

[37:13] Conscious: You people?

[37:18] Evelyn: You know, I heard someone say freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose. If you have nothing left to lose, you can do whatever you want. It might be a cold, scary kind of freedom, but it is freedom.

[37:35] Conscious: It also comes with the cost of losing yourself. I never wanted that kind of freedom. But it's good to know I found commonality. I'm not alone in all of this.

[37:48] Conscious: Our struggles, our dreams, they're not so different. We're all fighting, loving, living. Just want to find a safe place. The latte lady called it intersectionality. I think it's just a fancy word for truth.

[38:03] Conscious: We're all woven from different cloths, cut by the same scissors of fate. And maybe just maybe if we recognize the patterns of each other's lives, we can stitch together a quilt of compassion and understanding.

[38:18] Conscious: It requires us to acknowledge that everyone has their own unique experiences of discrimination and oppression, and to consider all the things that marginalize people. Because at the end of it all, we as humans desire the same thing: love, peace, and freedom.

[38:41] Narrator: Breaking news. As we come to the close of our broadcast, the echoes of today's turmoil still resonate through the streets of Denver. Now grappling with the aftermath of a protest turned riot, a stark juxtaposition. What began as a collective outcry for affordable housing spiraled into chaos.

[39:01] Narrator: Yet in the face of adversity, there lies a resilient spirit, a community's unwavering resolve to stand up for what is just and right. We will continue to follow this story, providing updates as they unfold. For now, we leave you with a reminder. In the quest for progress, let us not forsake compassion for our fellow citizens. Be kind and good to yourselves. Good night, Colorado.

[39:31] Narrator: Oh, you have just heard Intersectionality. This episode featured Zarah Levy as Evelyn, Adrienne Martin Fullwood as Claire, Nadiya Jackson as Conscious, Rachel Turner as Catherine and the news anchor, and Iliana Lucero Barron as Maria and Officer Martinez.

[39:50] Narrator: And now stay with us for a talk back conversation with the themes behind Intersectionality. We are joined by playwright Kenya Mahogany Fashaw and Dr. Regina Richards. Kenya is a Colorado-based artist, actress, playwright, spoken word artist, educator, and producer, and founder of Black Artist Apple Five.

[40:09] Narrator: Dr. Regina Richards is vice chancellor of the University of Colorado and heads the Office of Access and Engagement. She holds a PhD in social work education and higher education leadership from the University of Denver.

[40:22] Kenya Fashaw: Be free. Can everyone hear me? No? Yes. You can? All right. So once again, thanks to everybody for being here. I really appreciate it. Our first show back in quite some time doing live with Destination Freedom Black Radio Days. I've been able to produce—is this a third? It's a fourth one. So obviously I love this writer here. Sorry. So Kenya Fashaw, please give her a big round of applause.

[40:49] Dr. Regina Richards: Thank you.

[41:01] Kenya Fashaw: So, Dr. Richards, that we spoke a little bit before everybody came in. I said, first question I was going to ask you is what is intersectionality?

[41:43] Kenya Fashaw: So when you ask about what intersectionality is, it's all of my identities. When I open and or at least have find ways to connect with individuals, I know that what I see is not all who they are. And I like to be able to have people be able to open up and be themselves authentically. And though we might visibly be different, when I disclose the intersections of my identity, we have so many more connections than we have difference. And so when I think about what is intersectionality, it is all of that. And when I think about the works of Kimberly Crenshaw, it is how do we show up in a system that's been designed to oppress us? And it only really factors in one of the identities that seem to be most important to the people that are judging us and or interacting with us. Beautiful.

[42:44] Donnie L. Betts: Thank you so much for sharing that. Kenya, when you wrote this particular piece, what did you have in mind that you wanted to get across to an audience that would receive your beautiful work?

[42:57] Kenya Fashaw: Well, originally this piece was a part of the democracy cycle. The democracy cycle is when we brought the community members in and we had conversations with them. And we talked to them about the issues of Denver, of Colorado. Of course, the unhoused was an issue. And just all of the things that are happening, it was a pretty segregated group of people. And when we were asked to get into groups, all the black women congregated together, and then all the white women congregated together. And so I'm sitting there writing my notes, watching this, like, okay, this is interesting. And the conversations were very interesting too. Like, uh, the black women talked about uh Tosa. They talked about so many things that happened, the Tulsa riots, um, talked about just all kind of history going on in Denver.

And then I would listen to the white women and they were like, well, why are the black women all together? And that was their conversation. And I was just like if you only knew, if you guys connected the conversations, you could only piece all of the things that you guys are saying together, we can connect all of this conversation. So it was just interesting to kind of visually like observe these conversations and see how they kind of segregated themselves in the conversation. So I thought, okay, if they only knew how much intersectionality they have, that's the title of okay how can I bring them all together knowing that they're all um there's certain backgrounds that they all encounter and um no one's above no one else and I just thought a jail cell would be amazing for them all to really inspiration from the community conversations but just wanting to to basically get the point that we are all connected um like Miss Regina said we are all connected in some type of way and if you listen and have conversations with someone who does not look like you can find so much more um more depth into who they are so yeah.

[45:08] Kenya Fashaw: So in a time that we living in now intersectionality really is seen to be something that people do not want to intersect with each other. They want to separate talk about what you see in now what are you seeing in the streets and the and the temper of the country so for many of us this is not our first rodeo where the country has come to divide us. When you think about the beginning of time when the laws and the political systems and the structures were set up, it did not include people that looked like us. We were not counted as individuals as humans, we were counted as property. And the country has been built upon that. And so systems of oppression in the political world, the economic world, in the class structures have been designed to oppress and keep people of color, historically marginalized individuals, oppressed.

What we have and what we see now with 4547, I choose not to speak that name, is trying to resurrect division. Trying to setting up systems that keep us divided because our power of the human being, the power of our intersectionality and our connections, if we just focus on the strengths that we have, and what was so well depicted in this piece today is it didn't matter where people came from, it didn't matter who they were, but the common piece and the common thread was just as was spoken in the very end. We're all trying to come together for the common good. Hate is driving what we see happening. If we stop loving and connecting with each other, the system will do what it has historically been designed to do. Oppress some, elevate others, and keep us divided. It's history repeating itself.

[47:32] Donnie L. Betts: Yes, it is. Right. Taking us backwards, actually.

[47:35] Kenya Fashaw: Yeah. Trying to.

[47:37] Donnie L. Betts: Can you go ahead?

[47:39] Kenya Fashaw: I mean, I mean, just to piggyback off of everything you said, Mr. Gina, I think the turmoil and the state of this country is going backwards. Um, and in that in that going backwards, I feel like um intersectionality isn't even it's something that can be erased. Like it could be something that could be um not thought of um because of the appearance of who you are, and not not, you know, really in depth of of learning who people are. Um but yeah, I don't know. I just I I think so many layers of what this country is going through, um, and intersectionality can speak love if we dive into that. But right now, like Ms. Regina said, it's a lot of hate, so we can't even pinpoint the love because the hate is is overpowering everything to the point where we can't see each other.

We just see the physical, we don't see the mental, we don't see what's inside, but it's just like, oh, we can't have anything in common. You're a man, I'm a woman. There's nothing. Or there's white man, black, you know, something like that. It's just, I feel like it's preposterous for me to put my mind around. Like we have so much in common as people, as humans, um, as living on, you know, in this country and in in Colorado especially, like I feel like there's so many um small circles of connections that we have that people don't understand. So yeah.

[49:05] Kenya Fashaw: I say we're in a moral moment. And America needs the revolution of the human heart. So until we get that, you're talking about love. I think until we get that, we're going to remain in chaos.

[49:19] Donnie L. Betts: Right. And love will lead the way. That's why I love your work so much, Kenya. Because almost all of your work is about love. You know, you're wearing this t-shirt for one of your current things that's across the street here. So because you know it's about love.

[49:36] Kenya Fashaw: We got to talk about that for a moment. Happy to be nappy.

[49:39] Donnie L. Betts: I love it. Happy to be a good thing. And so you know that's a big thing too is people's hair. It used to be the 50s, 60s, you know, long hair, you know, like Graham's gestacious dad, a length of your hair, you know. So now if you want to have braids or you know cornrows or whatever the case may be, you can be othered. Tell me about this piece.

[50:04] Kenya Fashaw: So yeah, so I wrote a play called Happy to Be Nappy, our hair story, inspired by the works of Bell Hooks. If you guys know who Bell Hooks, of course she is an amazing philanthropist Arthur, feminist. So Bell Hooks wrote a children's book called Happy to Be Nappy. And I thought it would be amazing to write a whole complete play encouraging young girls to love their hair, their natural hair. The show is playing across the street at Manos right now. So please um look it up if you can uh we'll be running for two more weekends um until March 1st. But like um like Donnie said it's about you know love of hair. It's about celebration. I hate diving into trauma porn is what I call it. Um and I hate talking about the downfall of black people, but the celebrations is what I try to focus on.

And the positive. And so this is all about positivity. This is all about nostalgia. It's all about, you know, just laughs and cries and it will take you back to some memories, I'm hoping. You know, with hot combs sizzling on the forehead. You know, put your ear down, put your ear down. Y'all know what it is. So those little moments those little moments um are the black experience. And I feel like it's not captured on a stage as often. And so um yeah this is my love letter to black black women. This is my love letter to black people for black history month. Um for my ancestors and all that. So yeah this is something that I think everybody should come to. It's not just for you know the black diaspora but it's for everyone um because there's some education and awareness in that too.

So I think that's what we all try to do. Uh Oscar Brown Jr. always said uh it's the goal of an artist to um to educate as well as entertain and then you can call yourself a true artist if you do those things.

[51:51] Donnie L. Betts: You know but what's been really important to me the last few years is doing speeches, film screenings and senior centers. Because people forget about us seniors. And they always said you know young people this and young people that well they were young at one time too.

[52:12] Kenya Fashaw: That's right.

[52:13] Donnie L. Betts: And what did they learn? So when I go into a place now we have these great conversations about things they weren't taught things they didn't know and things they teach me that I didn't know about their culture or whatever the case might be. But it's been it's just been beautiful. I just had a been having a great time with talking to seniors and sharing some of my story and they're sharing their stories with me, you know, from Holocaust survivors to people who felt like till recently they were still enslaved. You know, former Tuskegee airmen. It's just been like a myriad of individuals that I've been able and blessed to encounter the last few years. And some of them we'll be listening tonight.

So again, I can't thank everybody enough. The next Destination Freedom, Black Radio Days audio podcast is titled A Letter from a Denver Jail. And it's about Michael Marshall. So that's the next one. And the one after that is Michael. It deals with Emily Rice, who was also died in the Denver jail. Okay. Young white woman was not taken care of and passed away. So those are the kind of things we're doing. And like I said, we're doing one on the real Uncle Tom. So you'll see the real story behind that. Are we fair when we call somebody Uncle Tom? You know? Once you hear the real story, you may not feel the same way.

[53:39] Donnie L. Betts: Resisting the use of force is the film that I'm working on. That's going to be a whole YouTube channel that has all these things that I've worked on over the years. And a lot of that would be Denver's Black Theater history. And we have several icons in the audience tonight. Joe Button Keel, Shahada, you know. So that will be part of what I do too. So working on that now. First two would be uh Vince Robertson and Carlton Bacon. That'll be the first two that'll be finished working on that right now. So, anyway, that's what's coming up. Thank you all for being here. I'm gonna shut up so you can go home.

[54:24] Donnie L. Betts: All right. That concludes this episode of Destination Freedom Black Radio Days. Send this episode to someone you care about and use it to start a real conversation, the kind where people are allowed to be complicated. Follow Destination Freedom Black Radio Days wherever you get your podcast. And share the show if you want more stories that push us towards truth, dignity, and justice. Destination Freedom Black Radio Days is a copyrighted program of No Credits Productions LLC. Any unauthorized rebroadcast, recording, or any use of this program is strictly prohibited.

[55:17] Donnie L. Betts: Be free.