.png)
Small Lake City
Small Talk, Big City
Join host Erik Nilsson as he interviews the entrepreneurs, creators, and builders making Salt Lake City the best place it can be. Covering topics such as business, politics, art, food, and more you will get to know the amazing people behind the scenes investing their time and money to improve the place we call home.
Follow along for more!
Small Lake City
S1, E94: Unity Block Party - Michelda Castro
What happens when you move to a new city and can't find the community you're searching for? For Michelda Castro, the answer was simple: build it yourself.
In this illuminating conversation, Michelda shares her journey from South Florida to Salt Lake City and the culture shock that inspired her to create Unity Block Party—now celebrating its third year. Drawing from cherished childhood memories of neighborhood gatherings with boom boxes and street basketball, Michelda crafted an event that brings authentic connection to Utah's Black community and beyond.
"I was always the person behind several projects, helping people's dreams come true," Michelda reveals, discussing how she transitioned from financial services to nonprofit leadership. With remarkable candor, she opens up about the mental health challenges she faced during the COVID-19 pandemic and George Floyd's murder, and how these struggles ultimately fueled her commitment to creating spaces where people feel seen.
Now expanded to a three-day festival featuring Grammy-nominated artists, film screenings, marketplace vendors, and a creatives brunch, Unity Block Party exemplifies Michelda's philosophy that "arts always equaled economics." The event intentionally bridges creative expression with business development, helping participants build sustainable careers while celebrating Black culture.
Michelda also offers fascinating insights into Utah's little-known Black history, including the Black pioneers who explored the territory before Brigham Young arrived—a narrative often missing from mainstream accounts of the state's settlement.
Whether you're interested in community building, cultural events, or the experience of Black Americans in predominantly white spaces, this conversation provides a blueprint for creating meaningful connection in unexpected places. Follow Unity Block Party on social media or visit unityblockparty.com to experience this remarkable celebration for yourself.
50% Off Minky Couture Blankets: softminkyblankets.com/SMALLLAKECITY
RSVP to Live Podcast at Flanker: posh.vip/e/small-lake-city-podcast-live-recording
www.skydiveutah.com
Head to www.smalllakepod.com/merchandise for Small Lake City Gear!
Please be sure to like, review, follow, subscribe and share the podcast with your friends and family! See you next time
Join Small Lake City: https://www.smalllakepod.com/subscribe
Instagram: @smalllakepod
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SmallLakeCityPodcast
TikTok: @smalllakepod
What is up everybody and welcome back to another episode of the small lake city podcast. I'm your host, eric nilsen, and this week's guest is someone who's not from salt lake city, utah, but moved here and didn't feel like she had the community that she wanted or had back home, so she decided to build it herself. Now michelle de castro is the founder of unity block party. That is now in its third year running. Now, unity block party aims to bring the black community together and empower each other and truly build community around growth and supporting each other in the process. We also talk about what it was like of being a Black woman and moving to Salt Lake and the culture shock that it was. So if you're curious about the perspective of someone moving to Salt Lake and being a member of the Black community and wanting to support the Black community, then you're going to love this episode and the conversation with us. So, yeah, let's jump into it. And excited for you to listen to more.
Speaker 2:It's lots of work but having the right group of people to work with who have their own thing going on, and it's just like Salt Lake Scoops, that was a good partnership for you guys. It just made sense because you guys are moving in the same direction, kind of being able to highlight things that are happening in Salt Lake City. Like it just made sense for you guys to partner up and kind of expand y'all base with the base that you had they had. It just made sense.
Speaker 1:And it's fun when you find people like because there's so many things that people start to do that are very like niche or specific, like it's hard for me to talk to my life with I mean majority of my friends. I mean, let's call it typical nine to five corporate america they don't get it, real estate, real estate, tech.
Speaker 1:Like, oh, yeah, you know, I really have to create this content, I have to do this, or there's this post, or blah. They're like, okay, like, like, they just like I don't get it. Or like, oh, that's all you have to do. I'm like, uh, never mind, and so it's nice. When I mean especially like being I was talking to someone about it the other week of like being a male content creator, it's not like there aren't as many of us and like there's a table of us at this um conference. We were at one of them because I've been to enough where I'm like okay, like I know kind of who's who more or less always like excited me people, but at the same time, like they're exhausting, and some of the people there, you're like I'm okay like I, like you, like I don't need this, but he was just so grateful, be like it's so nice to meet other people who are doing the same thing, and I was like yeah, it made
Speaker 2:me like reflect I was like, especially here in utah, if you're not a certain type of content creator, both male or female, a lot of people resonate or kind of gravitate to the like, lds, mormon type of content because of the base yes, majority LDS or Mormon people. So it's being able to see white men create cool, engaging content that is not centered around either fangirling over the church or, yes, it's saying no, I mean, it is what it is or like bashing the church like you know, you being authentic and like true to like finding what your niche is.
Speaker 2:I like your content. I love looking at your stories and stuff like that.
Speaker 1:So it's been it's refreshing it's been fun to see because, like I, just hang on, do not disturb, or else I know yeah, I just.
Speaker 1:I take mine off and I flip my my phone over, because I'll get distracted um, but yeah, because I remember I promised my, because, like when I was first putting together the idea and like really putting, like just noting everything down, what do I want the vibe to be, how do I want this to go, what do I want the flow, who's the guest? And because, like again to your point, so much of the people that I know that create content saw like it's either super pro or super anti and I'm like I, like I don't I'm obviously not active more man and I talk about all the time but like I'm not going to do the other, like I'll jest at the culture of it sometimes but I'll never be like it's funny, your content it's funny I, and it's fun too, because, like there's this like anxiety that people get about posting, being like, oh, I don't know.
Speaker 1:I like some people that like literally send me pictures, text, or like, hey, should I post this? Like, yeah, just like you're thinking way too much about, like the amount I think about, like I'll think about a post, but it's not like I'm like all right, let's go through every sound on tiktok or instagram, or like let's make sure this is perfect. Like there's this guy I was talking to. He's like just just send it out. Like, yeah, the things I spend the most time on flop, the things I spend five seconds on to the moon.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's what I'm talking about, and then have people be like hey, I like this, just offering myself out there honestly, hey, doing your thing.
Speaker 1:I would love to help. But enough about me and the podcast. I'm curious to learn about you because you reached out. We hopped on a call and heard about I mean unity block party your child of an event that you've thrown. Now has brought and brought your own experience. Like there's one thing I love about so many people that aren't from here that come here in an entrepreneurial way is they come here, they feel like they're missing something from home and want to bring it here yeah and so hearing your story of growing up in New York.
Speaker 1:Right, is it New York I?
Speaker 2:wish. What was it? Florida, florida, my bad.
Speaker 1:No, it's okay, why did I think New York?
Speaker 2:I love that I have New York vibes. I'm here for it.
Speaker 1:I feel her. But yeah, so, growing up in Florida, having these experiences that you had as a child, moving here, I want to build something that makes me feel like home and then building it from there. So I'm excited to hear, I mean, more of the story and hear about it all. But I mean, let's start from the beginning of Florida and again these experiences that you eventually brought to here.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, you know what? I moved here to Salt Lake City in 2019. My profession is polar opposites to the creative world, which, to me, arts always equaled economics to me, but hey, for some people they don't see the parallels. So my career is in financial services. I'm licensed, I work in private equity, so I have extensive experience with estate planning and wealth management, things of that nature. So I was coming to work at Wells Fargo to continue pursuing my career in wealth management, to get my series six, seven, 26, you know all of the stuff. And that's how I ended up here in Utah. So I mean, I knew I was moving to Utah. Obviously I didn't think that it would be like South Florida, but you're absolutely right, there was just something that I was like oh my God, I need this thing here. And that's how, really, the block party started.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because when we first met you were telling me about you'd have these experiences in your neighborhood to come together and like I mean, what was the original block party? But tell me about those and how those got started.
Speaker 2:So I lived kind of like not in a cul-de-sac, but like where my house was there, like it's like a T, and so you have a street that goes that way, street that goes right in front of my house, and then you have a street coming directly to my house, and so I created this little cul-de-sac and so right there we would like cut off that street and we would play like basketball and someone would bring the boom box out and we had those little grills that you can just wheel to the street, and that's really just how things happen. Or we would do it in the front yard or in the backyard, like gathering was something that we always did, no matter where it was.
Speaker 1:That's awesome and it's like, it's fun when it's I mean at the times of like before internet, before phones, before everything, where it's like oh, it's just everyone on their bikes in their neighborhood, and the people around you, the people that you have. Yeah, and that's it. Yeah, and that's all that you need to have. I mean these meaningful connections. It's all like geographically based.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:But then at some point along the way we all kind of, I mean, grew up, moved out, did things, got busy, and but then, like it always comes back around and like, oh, I remember that that was a good time.
Speaker 2:It was very nostalgic for me because it was almost like thinking about just like raw human connection Right. Like social media makes things and communication a lot more easier, which we appreciate the advancements of technology but like we have a grassroots approach to how we're advertising and getting the information out about the block party. It's like I was when I was a child. All you do is like ride your bike and knock on your neighbor's door and say, hey, can so-and-so come out?
Speaker 2:You know he can come outside and be like we're down the street or we're going to the park. You know what I mean. Because he'd come outside and be like we're down the street or we're going to the park and we would all just be like 10, 15 bikes riding to the nearest park or basketball court and that was us having a good time. And that was like every single day too. It wasn't like every night Nowadays it's like every once in a while when you have those type of gatherings but it was like every single day where you had an opportunity to like, just get together authentically and just have fun. And with the minimal resources that we had to, it wasn't a lot. One person had a dollar, somebody had five. We go to the corner store, get a bunch of bag of chips and like a two liter soda and we're all drinking from it. Oh my gosh, don't do that. But it was just like that.
Speaker 1:It was just like whatever, let's just have a good time, yeah those days when you hop on your bike and you start to look for everybody else's bikes to see everybody's at yep just so simple, I mean.
Speaker 1:I mean, obviously it's nice to think of the times where I mean there isn't stress, there isn't any like worries about oh yeah, you're not, you know that. Yeah, but there are those times, like I always love those moments where you're completely present and you don't have it all kind of dissipates. For me that's a lot of nature time, a lot of exercise time. Especially live music is one of my favorite things. So it's been. I think summertime is my favorite. I love going to shows. At America First Amphitheater, I'm going to see it at Rust tomorrow, a big show, I'm excited for actually the whole and just going to see, I'm going to see Russ tomorrow. Big Sean, I'm excited for Actually the whole Scoop Squad's going. I'm excited for that. But so you moved to Salt Lake and then, before you moved here, I mean, what was your thoughts of it? Were you excited to come here? Were you a little different?
Speaker 2:Probably not. No, not really. No, I'm not going't completely new? No, it wasn't completely new to me at all. Honestly, I'm going to say my transition to Utah probably was the smoothest ever.
Speaker 2:And you moved here from South Florida, from South Florida, and you'd been in South Florida like pretty much for life, born and raised Like my parents, migrated from Haiti, so I was born in South Florida. I have five older siblings I'm the baby and the only girl. Florida. I have five older siblings, I'm the baby and the only girl. And so yeah, born and raised in South Florida. But one of my brothers, which is right above me, he moved to Richfield, utah.
Speaker 1:And why did he go to Richfield, utah? I can't think of a more polar opposite place of South Florida. Like, literally Like my grandpa, my uncle, at separate times lived in Richfield. I remember going there as a kid from Salt Lake and being like can we leave? What are you doing?
Speaker 2:like, can we stay here for not too long, like you know what I mean, so I'm not gonna lie, I do like richfield also. I love that like small hometown feel when you wake up and there's like produce on your front porch and like everybody's like hey, they know you. And like my nieces are like celebrities there.
Speaker 2:Like you know it's like you know. So I love that, but I can't live there per se. I feel like my personality is a little too rambunctious for Main Street. You know what I'm saying. If you know Richville, you know what I mean. Like everything's right off of Main Street. So my brother lived there. He's a police officer officer. He also serves in the military and he had just had his first daughter.
Speaker 2:I am a very active aunt, okay, I take antique life extremely seriously. So god thought it was funny, like, yeah, go visit your brother. He just had his daughter go have a good time. And so that's what I thought it was. It was like, oh yeah, let me go and, like you know, just spend time there. And god was like, um, I think you kind of missed the message. I'm gonna going to need you to go back. And so I went back and then it was like kind of seeing Utah through God's eyes and I was like, oh, this is really my vibe, like entrepreneurship, like small business, like economic development, like you know, finding gaps of opportunity and making something from nothing, like that is literally the core of my existence as a person.
Speaker 1:So I was like, if you will, yes.
Speaker 2:So I was like, yeah, that's it, this could work. But my I had friends who already lived here too, from Fort Lauderdale. We all lived in the same.
Speaker 1:Oh, you're from Fort Lauderdale, yes, so my day job's based out of Fort Lauderdale, so I go there at least like two or three days a month.
Speaker 2:Oh wow, I love, obviously I love Fort Lauderdale. I love the food there too. Oh, my God, I love being able to just go down the street and get Jamaican food or Indian food or Hispanic food. I miss that. I'm not gonna to lie yes um, but I had a whole bunch of friends. We all lived in the same neighborhood. Legit eric, I lived here, she lived on the corner, another one lived around the corner, another one lived right down the street and they all lived here in salt lake.
Speaker 2:Oh, no way, it was the weirdest thing. The weirdest thing. Like everyone thinks I'm lying, and then when they meet the business, oh, it's a real thing. We all lived in the same neighborhood and then you all ended and they all ended up here. Madeline princess jasmine, who else lived here, um kelly lived here too like they all all in the same neighborhood and they all lived here. That's why my transition, I felt like, was just so seamless, because I kind of already had a little bit of a community here, cool so it was cool.
Speaker 1:I mean, it's nice. Like hey, that's like wild Be. Like hey, I don't know, because I imagine it wasn't like you all hopped on a Zoom, like hey, we're all moving here. It's just like all of these random paths that you are.
Speaker 2:Absolutely not. No, it wasn't like oh, I'm moving to Utah, so you pack. They were already here and they had lived here for years. They're just getting ready for you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, literally, because one of my friends madeline her apartment is the apartment that I moved into. No jazz, did you know? Yes, she was there. No, when I walked. I know that this probably sounds crazy, but god is like literally the center of my life. And so I feel like when I walked into her apartment just going to go interview for where I I was going to be working at the time I didn't know I was going to be working at wolf's fargo, but it's like when I came there to do the interview, I walked into her apartment because she was letting me stay with her. I said the. I felt like the holy spirit was like this is where you're gonna live and I was like okay, like whatever. That's was like this is where you're going to live and I was like okay, like whatever. That's weird, like you know what I mean. If you're a spiritual person, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And I was like, yeah, whatever. So then later that night she was like yeah, I'm looking for somebody to like take over my apartment, like sublease my apartment. I want to go take a look at this opportunity in North Carolina, this, this job. And I was like I'll take it. And literally later that night in that conversation she said yeah, I'm looking for somebody to sub leave my apartment. Yeah, cool and then boom.
Speaker 2:I said I'll take it. She was like, are you sure? Because there's a train. I hate it, it's so loud. I said no, it makes me feel like I'm living in New York and I've always wanted to live in New York. So yeah, it was. It was kind of like divine order, personally, for me as an individual, that I ended up here in Utah.
Speaker 1:Well, and it's nice when you do those like large life transitions, especially like to move somewhere, when you've been in poor Lauderdale forever To have these little like breadcrumbs of being like, hey, like it's going the right way. Here's a little validation. Yes, like you're going to do great, compared to like where you're just sitting there and your thoughts are like what am I doing? Is this the right thing? I'm a mom.
Speaker 2:And you know what's so funny? I never had any of those thoughts. I'm like a person that if I believe wholeheartedly that God is telling me to go and do something, it's a wrap. That's it. Like it's never a second guess, I never think about it twice. It's not that I'm going to go talk to my friends and be like, hey, I'm thinking about moving to Utah. What do you think it's like? Nope, god said we're moving to Utah. And I'm like let's pack up our stuff and let's go.
Speaker 2:And that time when I got that spiritual confirmation, it was random. I really thought that it wasn't Utah. It was like I was kind of going around to like California and New York and possibly going to move. I was passing out a few places and my parents the whole time was like no, you're single, we want you to stay home until you get married. I was like I'm an adult, I can take care of myself. Like it's not that deep. And I'm like, no, we want you to stay home.
Speaker 2:So the night after I got the spiritual confirmation that I was moving to Salt Lake City, utah number one, I cried the entire night. I cried the entire night. My friend was walking by the table and she was like Michelle, are you okay? Do you need water? And it was like what you said, those little breadcrumbs. God was like how did you not know you're moving here? Do you not remember this? Do you not remember this? I introduced you to this person. Like what, did you not get the message? And the morning I woke up I called my parents. I said hey, I'm gonna be moving to utah. And they said okay. And I'm thinking to myself like did y'all talk to jesus?
Speaker 1:this morning. Last time we talked, you were trying to convince me to stay here for as long as you possibly could, and now you're having now you're just like okay, we'll get the car ready. I was like okay like pick a lane mom. Yeah, seriously but.
Speaker 2:I also.
Speaker 1:Obviously it's good that there's somebody.
Speaker 2:I don't want you but I felt like the. I felt like they literally talked to jesus that morning and when jesus was like, let her go, it's like heads up a total little thing yes, just let her go. And they just said yes, okay, we'll help you get ready. Cool, and that was how I got to.
Speaker 1:Utah. So you have these confirmations, you pull the trigger, you move in, you take over your friend's apartment, you start working at Wells Fargo. I mean, talk to me about how you eventually are like you know what, I'm going to go do my own thing. Well, actually, no, let's talk about Black White first, because I think that, chronologically, I would imagine that happened first. Yeah.
Speaker 2:No, actually it happened after.
Speaker 1:Okay, so talk to me about that, because I mean again, like I mean it's a good industry, it's a good career, yeah, but to be able to look at it and be like, ah, I'm out, like walk through how that happened.
Speaker 2:I worked at Wells Fargo for four years actually. I was rebuilding my company Versatile Image, simultaneously to me having a full-time job. I worked at Wells Fargo full-time. I had a part-time job at Target because I needed income to support what I was doing with my business right. And then I was in school part-time trying to finish my economics degree. So I was doing this all simultaneously at the same time while living in a new state. You know it was a lot going on, but I I was driven. I had my goals. I knew I needed money to be able to support what I wanted to do with my business. I didn't want that to impede my ability to take care of myself. Like right, you're an adult, you have like insurance myself. Like right, you're an adult, you have like insurance, rent food, gas, and so that's where Target came in. I was making decent money. It was like $15 an hour. I was like heck yeah.
Speaker 2:So all that money literally went into a business account and it helped me fund my new logo, my new website, you know, being able to start taking on some clients to hire assistant who can do certain things. If I was like still at work in school, so that's really how it was up until like 2020 COVID hit and then George Floyd happened and most people, I think, in the world who had a human bone in their body that that was a bit of a shifting kind of redefining moment for us as an American society and I just was. So I was tired and I was so sad. People at work were like having these conversations of like well, what if this happened? Like playing these devil advocates, conversations of, oh, this is how, why did he do this? And it was just like do you guys know that people who are human beings are literally dying on the street. Like this isn't like work conversation.
Speaker 2:So I kind of felt very isolated, being the only Black person who was also working for a company in the entire state of Utah. I was the only Black banker, and that was for four years, and so it was challenging having those types of trying not to escape it. So, from a mental and emotional standpoint. I kind of just was at my wit's end and I kind of looked inward and was like, michelle, when did you feel joy? Like when did you feel happiness? Let's figure out what that is and let's do something.
Speaker 2:And that's really how the block party started. I was just strolling on instagram one day and I saw this traveling memorial that started in portland, oregon, and I just slid in their dms and I said, oh my god, can I please do this here in utah? And their first reaction was like, are there black people over there? And I was like, yeah, I mean I'm here. Get all 12 of them over there, it'll be fun. Get all three of us together. Um, I mean, we may go less than two percent, but it's a fairly decent size of a black community here.
Speaker 1:So I mean like a very strong community yes because it's like there's there's certain things that you can go into a room, be like. Well, we're obviously like to get. Like there's similarities between us, right, like there was one time it was actually with scoop we were getting together, for no, I was doing a shoot for one of our um advertisers and shows up and it's my friend who's with his other friend who's black, and I would like my videographer, chris black, and like oh, hey, do you know xavier's? Like oh, what's up? Like, what's up? Like, how do you know each other's? Like we're black, I go back in Utah. It's like we stick together.
Speaker 2:Yes, like most people. If they're, we don't know them. It's just because like they're spread out, like they're in Ogden and like we just miss them at an event or whatever. But it's a very strong, tight-knit community in Utah and it's two things.
Speaker 1:Number one is it's nice when and I've talked like I mean I hate to say this, but I have black friends it's like and they're like hello, what kind of back whatever, what kind of black friends are you got?
Speaker 2:or just kidding her? No, I'm just messing with you. You know, you saw, you gotta be specific, oh fair and it's like going off.
Speaker 1:What you were saying is like you're having these unique experiences. There's a lot of internal conflict about the course of america. What's going on, which is like a lot to take in, oh my god, but then also having that people be like well, no, we're sure that you're the only person like don't tell us about this. I don't want to talk to you about this let me tell you something.
Speaker 2:The amount of times that I have to have had to say I am not a representative for the entire black race here in america and throughout the african diaspora here in America and throughout the African diaspora here in Utah is exhausting. Like it's almost like common sense doesn't like exist. Yes, I tell people sometimes it feels like I'm living in the Truman show, and that has been my experience here in Utah. I wish it wasn't, especially because I'm a devoted Christian and apparently the predominant religion here is Christian. But that hasn't been my experience, not even within my own church.
Speaker 1:It's interesting. I totally agree on that piece. But it's interesting to see because, again, you're having these experiences, they're having these experiences. But to have someone come together and be like hey, it's so nice to have a friend in this that I can actually like put my hair down, relax and like talk about it. Because, that's one of the things that I mean. Brings people together more than anything is similar experiences, especially the more nuanced and niche.
Speaker 1:Right the more that they're going to have and going to happen. And then the second thing that I really appreciated about it was like because it's something that I had to do years ago as well about saying like, hey, I don't like where I'm at. I like I was doing everything that people told me to do. I was checking the boxes, but I got far enough down this path. I'm like I don't even like this path. Why did I even do this?
Speaker 1:Who are the people that like, I don't even know why, but like that's usually the advice I give to people because I had to do it, it worked and it's worked enough. It's like go back to the last time, turn around in the path, go back to the last time. Oh, this is when it felt right, this is when I was happy, this is when I could be present and not have to have my brain full of all these other thoughts of if or what, or I can't believe this and all of those, and you can just kind of go back to this, like I mean for lack of a better term, there's a lot of people I've read that agree with it's like that childlike state of play where you're just having fun. Again. It's no longer about quarterly reports and earnings, and I am still done with a metric system, exactly.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, I, I appreciate that that you said that, because I think, especially here in Utah, even though we are doing something that is centered around Black people, it doesn't necessarily mean all people are not welcome. I think, as a Black community, we've never been segregated in the sense of we just want our own community and you guys stay out. We've also always been a very inclusive community, and so that was one of the things that people felt like, oh well, maybe they're just it's just for black people and it's not just for black people just say you know, you can come to the uniblock party. The whole point of it is for you to be able to discover the you in community. We want to be able to model the world that we live in. Yeah, not the make-believe world, but the world that we actually live in, especially here in amer America, is extremely diverse. So we want to be able to model the world that we, that we actually live in, and so we welcome all people.
Speaker 2:But that's how it started, with just a traveling memorial. I just like cut off a road, um, just like I did back home, and right outside of my apartment project opened there was super cool, they let us use the gate and we just invited some vendors and from some food trucks we had a dj volunteer their time. It was like magical and we just like danced in the street and kids were there and ice cream and food and music and we had like two or three artists come and perform like poetry and stuff and we had an art installation on the gate and it was just, it was magical. I was like, oh yes, like this.
Speaker 1:This is what I used to be doing this is it especially. You can look around and you can see people having that experience.
Speaker 2:Oh my god, it's like this.
Speaker 1:Look in people's face yeah like you can see it, it's like wow, I feel comfortable I feel seen, I feel like present in this moment that we're creating collectively together in this space. Let's call it an interesting experience where someone was just kind of like. I was like, was that racist Talk about it? And I, well cause they were essentially just like. So I've been essentially just being like how do you take care of your hair? How do you do like just a lot of questions, right. And they kind of walked away after I was like I asked them, I was like but that race, like I was uncomfortable, were you like?
Speaker 1:There's this experience I've learned in Utah, where they haven't had access to black people, and so they just it's almost like they don't know how to like act. And he's like it's an ignorant thing, not like an intentionally negative thing, right. And so, going back to your point of like, hey, this is for everybody. Like, come, hang out, come, come experience my culture. And like I don't know why and you can tell me to fuck off respectfully if you disagree on this one but like, because, like one thing is like if I'm out with friends and someone's like hey, we're gonna go to like a gay bar, a gay club, I'm like sure, let's go, let's go. And so I was like you went to a game where I'm like, yeah, it's fun, like I get free drinks, and then when they ask me like I'm actually really straight, and they're like I'm so sorry, I'm like actually, if there's one thing I've learned, it's like gay men have really hot, straight female friends, so we can help each other out rusty.
Speaker 2:You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:Be my wingman and then we're all singing and singing backstreet boys all night and in the pinks only club having a great time, and but then some people like I could never like it's not like, you don't have to, because you know what, what I found?
Speaker 2:eric, thank you for being so open and like having this conversation, because there are two, two sides of the coin. Right, one, especially even like being black in utah, like where, when I wear my natural hair, people want to come and pet me like a, like a dog insert whatever petting thing that whatever here is, y'all are crazy, crazy here in Utah about y'all dogs. Okay, you can't say you are not a golden doodle.
Speaker 2:Oh, my goodness, I am not a poodle, thank you, but it's like yes, right, there's a certain level of ignorance to it, but there also needs to be a certain level of common sense.
Speaker 2:Yes, you don't walk up to someone that you don't know and think it's okay for you to pet them like a dog. Yeah, I'd be throwing hands, like you know what I mean. Like if I was back in florida, you would be dragged all up and down this street. Like it's like, yes, there's ignorance, but there's also like a common sense, totally side. Yes, to like just human engagement it's.
Speaker 2:I think it's that that I struggle with, because I would never meet someone for the first time and think it was appropriate for me to come and ask you intimate questions about how you take care of your hair. That's just, you don't know me. Yeah, I don't know you. And though it seems like something like, oh, what conditioner do you use, as I'm like stroking your hair? Like that I just met you for the first time? Yeah, that is not. It's like give me and ask me my name. Yet my name is Michelle Doug. Good to meet you.
Speaker 2:Like it's just like there's like you're interacting with another human being. The fact that I'm black does not change the fact that you can still approach me as someone that you've never met in your life. It's like there's just a way you go about having conversation and you might just want to say hello first. Crazy concept, crazy concept. So, yeah, there's that, but also the other side of like being able to just go to a gay bar as a straight man and being comfortable and being able to be in that space. There's a lot of people here in Utah who are not comfortable with who they are. Right, and that's just the reality of the situation. I feel like if you're comfortable in who you are, you know your boundaries, you know where you stand, you should be able to go in any space and be able to conduct yourself accordingly. I just feel like what's the problem?
Speaker 1:Yeah, and like I'm lucky enough that I've built a life around me where I get to experience like a myriad of different contexts and people like it's funny with Scoop because like I joke with them, I'm like cool, I get to be your guy's token white friend and then I get to go to I love being somebody's token black friend.
Speaker 1:I'm telling you like again, you can tell me to fuck off respect to run this one, but like, but like. The one of my favorite stand-ups of all time is Dave Chappelle Killing Him Softly oh my God. And there's part of it where she's like he's with his friend who's white and he's like drinking, driving and speeding and he pulls over and he's like, oh, I've got this one, dave. He like tells him I didn't know, I couldn't do that. And he's like putting memes, I'm like.
Speaker 2:And there's another skit where he talks about he's like token white friend to go talk to the cops when, when they show up, and so I naturally um comes to, comes up every now and then. Yeah, I know I love being people's token black friend. Yeah, absolutely, it's a good. It's a good um like card to have in your pocket. I would say it's about strategy. You know what I mean.
Speaker 2:I guess amongst friends it doesn't seem like that um, anyone or whatever you guys are friends, so it's something that you know that, yeah, if a white woman or a white man goes into a place, they are most more likely to get treated a certain way. So it's like, yeah, man, go go get us a free. You know, go get us a free drink or whatever. Just like me being a woman, I leverage being a woman sometimes too and say, oh yeah, I can go get me and my friends free drinks because I'm a pretty girl. I'm going to go get us free drinks. This guy's going to try to talk to me, but I'm not. I'm just going to get the free drinks for us and we'll just like go off to another club. Like it's just leveraging certain aspects, I guess.
Speaker 1:And it's fun Cause, like again, like yeah, and it's fun because, like again, like I get the scoop experience where I get to be like quote token white person, and then I go, like even one weekend, like we, on thursday we recorded these reaction videos, um, in the hotline with scoop, and now I saw them oh, it's gonna get be craved newly. I'm like I, because when we started to record, I was like I'm not a youtube reactions person, I don't know who this is, and then we started getting these calls. I'm like, yeah, and I watched it back. I was like, oh, yeah, that's that's how these work. Okay, yeah, yeah, no, it's fun, it's good content.
Speaker 1:So it's like I have that and then, like the next day, I go to a rave and then I go to a hosier concert and then I come here for a drink and then, like you're on, like yeah, and then I'm golfing and then, like even tomorrow, I have a gala for, like, american Cancer Society and then I get a dip out of there to go to Russ and Big Sean. At least it's fun to be able to live a life that there's so much dynamic to it and I get to have conversations with interesting people and have access to so many spaces and people where I look at something like my other friends and people and it's no direct negative to them, but their life is very homogenous and they see the same people, same background, same belief system, same everything.
Speaker 2:Because they have chosen that life for themselves and they can. But then they worry about, they wonder why you know people, engage with them a certain way, like you're not making an effort to intentionally go out into different spaces to meet different people. And then you wonder why you never have experienced black people or never have experienced good things with gay people, or you never wonder why you don't have certain lived experiences or like a a cultural um, I get outlook on certain things because the things that you do are like I want to say, cookie cutter, but cookie cutter experiences, like you don't put yourself in different environments that challenge your way of thinking or speaking or engaging with people, and so yeah, I know a lot of families that don't let their children, or them themselves, don't, engage with people who are not LDS or Mormon, and so it's like, well, do you live in a world where it's just only LDS and Mormon people?
Speaker 2:It's like, just go outside, like it's not that big of a deal. But I know people who don't let their kids play with people who are not LDS or not Mormon or don't go to church. They want to know if you're active or not active. They want to know if you pay your tithe or don't pay your tithe, and these are all like qualifiers on whether they let you in to their life or whether they even speak to you or build a relationship with you. So my experience here in Utah has been unique. Unique in the sense of like not really, because there's a lot of people who experience some of the same things, but I would say unique for me, like just as being a black person trying to navigate this state as if it's like not a part of the United States. It's just weird.
Speaker 1:It's an island.
Speaker 2:It's weird. It's weird how people in Utah just act like it's not a part of the United States, like as a US citizen, I can't live and work anywhere in the United States. You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:Like what a concept.
Speaker 2:Like you know what I mean. It's just like y'all do know. Utah is in the United States, right, it's like here, it's like flat-out, almost in the middle. Yeah, just so y'all know.
Speaker 1:Love, just so y'all know, love it. So you have the Unity Block Party, the first one or the memorial. Yeah that they come through and you look around, you have these feelings. You see people having a good time and is that when that first light bulb started to flicker? You're like I want to do something.
Speaker 2:No, no, eric, I'm going to be honest with you. Okay, I thought it was just going to be a one-off done off, like I have fed my soul for another maybe year, and like I'm fine again. I was working two jobs and in school and rebuilding my company. Yeah, like I didn't think that I would have like the capacity or the time or the resources, like money, to like put something on. So, no, I did not think no, not at all, not at all. It wasn't. Until people kept sliding in our dms on instagram.
Speaker 2:It was like yo, when are y'all doing another block party? And we're like block party. It wasn't even a block party, like you know. It was just like a little you know, I don't know what to call it. At that time parking lot, like you know, we just blocked off a row, but I guess it was a block party because it was on the street, but that's not what we called it. So I was like it wasn't even a block party. But I was like, okay. So people just kept asking us can you guys do it again? Can you guys do it again? And I was like all right, well, let's put an events committee together. And we converted my company into a 501c3. And so now we're a nonprofit and we're like okay. Then all of a sudden people are just like yeah, I want to serve on the board or I want to be on the events committee. I on the events committee, I can do graphic design, I can do the.
Speaker 1:I was like whoa, I did read. Chill out for a minute. Let me think, let's chill out.
Speaker 2:For the last 12 years it was just like contracting people I didn't have to manage people directly, you know what I mean and like overseeing an organization. It wasn't like that time consuming. But now people want to be the turn versatile image into like a full blown company and I was like, was like whoa, wait a minute. I was like three years out here, yeah, hello. But people just wanted to, companies wanted to support, and I was like, okay, let's figure out how to do this thing. So we partnered with Brownies, brownies, brownies. The next year, um, her business was in Sugar House.
Speaker 2:yeah, she had on 11th East yeah, she she had to close, obviously, like COVID was hard on a lot of small businesses, but Molly was like super down to support our event and what we were doing, and so she offered her space to a lot of people to come and do a lot of different things in her parking lot. And so that was the second one we did. It was the 100th year celebration of Black Wall Street, which was probably the worst massacre that ever took place in Tulsa, oklahoma, and we're like, okay, for every event that we do, we wanted to make sure that there was a story behind it. It was like more socially impact driven, like it was sharing some light on something to make people feel something. And so that was what we did for that year.
Speaker 2:And again, everybody, again everybody was like, okay, we love this, like let's just keep it going. And so we thought, okay, we're a 501c3, we need to make money. I said, how are we going to do that but also meet the need of the community? Yeah, I said, all right, let's do what we do best, let's create a brand, let's turn this into an actual event. And that's how the uni block party came about. Cool, well, I love when I'm sorry. I gotta my eye and my hey do your thing nose is running like I'm cold.
Speaker 2:I'm not even cold. I don't know why my nose and eye are running thank you, it happens.
Speaker 1:But the thing I love about it is I think it's like a great indicator when you're onto something special is like when people just come out of the woodworks and like how can I do something, how can I enjoy it?
Speaker 2:I was I'm not going to lie. I was just like, well, I don't even know y'all. You know, I was like I don't even know y'all, I'm a very social butterfly, like I love people. But I also was kind of going through something personally within myself of I was like kind of becoming a hermit, a little bit of just I don't know. But something happened to me personally like during this time and I just didn't want to be around people and I just started to become a little antisocial. Yeah, started getting like Social missing. Yeah, just like I've never had social anxiety before.
Speaker 1:So it was like COVID time. Yeah, oh yeah. I've never had social anxiety and I got social anxiety, okay.
Speaker 2:I was just like maybe it was just me, but like there was a lot going on like inside of me, and so I wasn't really interested in keeping something going or having people depend on me for something year after year. I just really wasn't in that space. And then ultimately I kind of had to walk away from Wells Fargo and say, ok, like I'm leaving, this is such a toxic work environment for me, I just have to just move on. And so I was going to quit. And then they offered, hey, just take a mental health leave and just like, take a break, it's a lot going on, let's see where you are. So, all right, fine.
Speaker 2:So during that time I actually checked myself in for treatment for depression and anxiety with ketamine, and so I was trying to figure out how to take care of me but also like fulfill this, like need in the community of them, like needing to feel this love and this joy and this like space of belonging, and I was kind of like trying to kind of keep things going behind the scenes.
Speaker 2:I'm, like you know, checking, like doing my treatments and in four different types of therapy, and and everyone just saw like, oh, this block right and on the inside I was dying, like you know. I was just like I needed some time to really take care of myself, and so a lot of my team kind of did a lot of the work on the front and thank God right that I had people who wanted to support because at that time I couldn't give 100% completely and so they are who carried us into our third year, when the block party took place at Library Square and we had Aniko as our headliner, and so those were the people who carried us through to the third year, which I'm super grateful for, because for me personally, I was going through a lot.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's nice. Like my family right now is going through a lot we just had a recent death and it's like similar to trust, like you can't ever trust someone until you have a reason to trust someone. Because there has to be a moment like I need this from you. Here's an expectation, here's a request Ball's in your court and either we're going to come to the end of this and I'm going to have increased trust for you, or decrease or zero trust for you.
Speaker 1:And in the same way, we spend all these time with people, we build the communities around us. We have these social, all these time with people, we build the communities around us. We have these social um, uh, complexities of our life, but we don't know the strength of it until they need to catch you. And so it's amazing. You hear that I mean, hey, you created this amazing thing. These right people came in to the boy. We're like hey, guys, like I know this is all great, you want to be this, but I, I can't be this right now and I just need to take a step back. And they, they're like we got here, like we're going to make this happen, it's all going to come together and to see that be like oh shit, like all right, I guess you guys can yeah it was overwhelming.
Speaker 2:To be honest, I had been always been the person behind several like a lot of different projects, just helping people dreams come true, whether it was like in my professional career, of them reaching their financial goals or getting that PPP loan, or like getting that line of credit or getting capital they needed to take their business to the next level, or whether it was my family who had this thing that needed to be done.
Speaker 2:Like you know, I've been the executive assistant for my parents for I don't know how long, so they there's always like some family life thing that needs to be taken care of, and I'm like always the person like driving those projects or those things to be done. And there came a point in my life where I had to like really let things go and say, ok, I can't do it. So, yeah, if you guys could do it for me, that would be great. That was really hard to like trust somebody to do something for you, knowing that you just there was nothing that you can offer. I felt kind of like helpless and felt I felt small and I felt weak and I felt like Vulnerable and hard, yeah it was just a lot.
Speaker 1:And that's like the. To me, that's a definition of charity, yeah, of someone coming in to help someone with something that they can't do on their own, with no expectation of anything in return.
Speaker 2:Yes, and I have to say I think I said it recently that I'm living in my like find people who want to build with you stage of my life, and I could not be more grateful the way people have like rallied around me to say, hey, michelle, do we got you? And it's it's really hard because, like you don't have money to pay people, like you're doing this out of your own passion and you want people to feel like you value them. And in America, as capitalist society, the dollar is what tells someone that you value them. And then people say I don't need your dollar. I know you value me. Like I know you value me, you've been here for me for this and this and this and this. I value the relationship that we have and you're like whoa, you know there's like people helping you create this new outlook on just what service looks like and what vulnerability, and being able to tell the people that look up to you and that come to you for help and advice that, hey, I don't have anything to give right now and they still look at you like you're a leader, someone for them to admire and still seek advice from.
Speaker 2:That was my biggest fear of like letting people see that I wasn't strong and that I wasn't capable, because would they need me anymore? Would they want to come to me for advice? Am I still going to be the person that they admire, that they inspire to be like? And I always tell people that don't never really aspire to be me, like me, be like Jesus, because that's where I get my strength from, that's who helped me form my identity. But still there's this thing like I can't tell my nieces not to look up to me, look up to Jesus, like that just doesn't make sense to their eight-year-old and five-year-old brain. But that's what was so scary for me is like, wow, if I show this vulnerability, if I say that I can't do this, will I ever have the opportunity to do something again? And that was really hard for me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's a hard one, that I mean there's a lot of different flavors of that, of like will I ever be able to do this again and I hear that a lot from, like, my creative friends, I hear that from, like, my intramural friends of just like this anxiety, of like I've done it once. Is this going to be a one-hand wonder or is like people going to leave? Like it's a tough emotion to navigate.
Speaker 2:Yes, it is no-transcript.
Speaker 1:I like obviously the biggest year you've had yet, but, um, tell us what you're excited for and how this year's gonna be better than any other ones you've done before okay, number one, I'm excited because we'll be all together again, like um, it's just something about being together in community that just lights my soul absolutely on fire.
Speaker 2:Yeah, maybe it's like that scripture when one or two are gathered, you know what I mean. Oh, that just, oh, just lights me up on the inside. I'm always looking for those types of experiences like aggressively wait, I love it. Um, but this year, oh man is, it's beautiful. So it's grown from one day to three days and so we have. Our first day is Friday, august 29th.
Speaker 2:We have a partnership with Utah March, we thought, because at the beginning of the year we had the executive orders that wanted to take and strip DEI out of a lot of organizations, you know, schools, etc. I think about two years now the state of Utah also passed the HB 261 that retracted DEI out of like government universities, you know whatever. Like government universities, you know whatever. And so we partnered with the Utah March to do a little bit of a rally for us to be able to say something. We had like two federal grants get pulled because of that, and also five corporate sponsors decided that they were taking a different direction and so that hurt us financially being able to really get us the funding that we needed to produce the block party to the degree that we would like. And so we partnered with Utah March and was like, yeah, we should say something. So we're having a little bit of a rally at Washington Square, excited about that. And then we transitioned into an outdoor film screening at Library Square, across the street. In partnership with Sundance, we're doing Summer of Soul. It's a great documentary and that day is completely free. Anybody can come, anybody can join. We're excited about that.
Speaker 2:And then day two is like the main day. That's the meat and potatoes, as people will say. So we have Grammy-nominated Duran Benar, who is currently on tour. We're like officially one of his tour dates and so he is our headliner for the Benefit concert. But we also have, like Miles Minnick, who is a Christian hip-hop artist coming from the Bay. We have Quell, who's coming from Florida, my home state. We have Honey Baby that's coming from New Bay.
Speaker 2:We have Quell, who's coming from Florida, my home state. We have Honey Baby that's coming from New York. We have Cure Paranoia, which is crazy. They will be here. Insane artists, and then we have a lot of local artists and poets that's going to be opening up for these artists, so we're really excited about that. But during the day between 11 and 4 we have like um shades and strengths, um, strength and shades market, and then we have 520 arts that's coming to do like a dance battle, like activation. We have a vip lounge that's hosted by a former utah jazz player, cj miles, sponsored by unclearest, and we have a ton of activations happening in there. And, yeah, it's just going to be crazy. We have two fashion drops oh my God, by Akomi and Soul by Ame, which are these really cool, trendy, like brands that are based out of here in Utah, that are also Black-owned which is amazing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's just like so much stuff happening on every day. Oh, we added a kid zone because my babies were bored last time. They weren't like really bored, but like they didn't have a lot of activities for them to do. So, yeah, it wasn't a lot of kid stuff. So we partnered with Curly Mean to do a kid zone with, like a bounce house and activities, and like they won't be bored this year until you have to deliver. So shout out to the kids that are gonna benefit, because my nieces were like bored last time. Um, so we have a kid zone this year where we're really excited. All kids under the age of 12 are free, and so they can come and enjoy with their families and some of the activities. Also, their parents can also join in, and so we were really thoughtful in that way. So, yeah, that's like day two, and then day three is the black creatives excellence brunch.
Speaker 2:A lot about what we do is really bridging the gap between arts and economics. Like I'm all about being creative and doing a whole bunch of dope stuff, but like how are we going to get to the check though? Yeah, like where's the coins coming from? So we decided to like curate this panel. That would help really open up creators minds to say, okay, these are things that you should be considering if you are looking to scale your business or kind of get out of that starving artist like kind of mentality or way of running your business. Like, okay, you have a great Instagram name, but are you actually registered with the state, though? Do you have an EIN? Like, what are your personal finances look like?
Speaker 1:What does your business model look like? How are you going to do this?
Speaker 2:Yes, Like how are you going to scale, like you know that types of conversations, and then we'll have a fireside chat with an actual artist that's based here in Salt Lake City, that has done all those things, so you can see the product of actually taking your business serious or your craft seriously from a business standpoint, what that can yield you, and so that's what that day is going to be. It's private invite only. We didn't want to like spring on another day with another ticket, like a cost for our audience, especially since we just expanded to three days, and so it's private invite only. I'll get you on the list if you want to come.
Speaker 2:Thank you, and in the scoop team yeah um, and so, yeah, that's gonna be super chill.
Speaker 2:Then, last but not least, we have an after party.
Speaker 2:Um, that's gonna be taking place at driftift Lounge with Black on Mars.
Speaker 2:We partnered with them and like tickets are like five dollars and like just come and vibe, and it's an opportunity for that partner to be able to gain some revenue for them to continue to do the things that they do.
Speaker 2:A lot of what we do is like how can we collaborate and partner to give people a platform or opportunity to like generate some income so they can go out and continue to do the things that our community needs them to do? So they threw they throw a ton of different types of events that are very intentional, and so we wanted to partner with them and allow them the opportunity to like make some money so they can go off and continue to do it more than just once a year like us and be real like you're too nice, michelle, that you're like a non-profit, like you're just doing too much and I'm just like I feel like god will provide for me and, um, he has been through the community support, like opportunities like this to come on a small business with a podcast to be able to highlight us and elevate us.
Speaker 2:So I feel like you know, you reek what you sow and I want to plant and sow good seeds, and for me, it's more about being there for the community and, yeah, I trust that what I do professionally outside of this company will yield me the life that I want.
Speaker 1:Hey, if you can ever invest in, absolutely and because, then they invest back and you create your own community, your own people to bring it all together. And I'm excited. I mean hearing you talk about. I mean it's fun to see your face light up about it, first and foremost, but also, like I'm excited for it, I'm always excited to see what people bring, what people come together with. I mean, meeting more people is always something I like to do, and hearing about people's backgrounds and everything comes together. So I'm looking forward to it.
Speaker 2:It's gonna be an exciting one yes, it's gonna be great, and I want you and the guys to be there, um, because we're also looking for people who can give us that constructive criticism, yeah, and so there's, like, certain people that we invite to with the eyes of like, yeah, I have a good time, but help beat our eyes and ears on the ground, like as it's hard sometimes when you're like, hey, like how was it?
Speaker 2:like it was great, it was perfect, it was amazing yeah that doesn't help me, thank you that doesn't help me so we do ask like a few, like people to come and like have a good time, but look through a critical lens and like, as a person coming, like what have you have wanted to see and experience? Were the people nice, like some real, like you know how they do those like secret shoppers?
Speaker 1:Yes, so if you see Eric, just know that he's secret shopper, he's got some like aviator glasses on and a clipboard Fake mustache because I can't grow one.
Speaker 2:So yeah, we just want to be intentional about the space that we're curating, so I want you guys to come and have a good time, but I need some people to tell me the truth.
Speaker 1:Cool, we can do that. No, I feel like we had a great conversation, I agree.
Speaker 2:I want to talk about these black friends. You got Eric, I love black culture.
Speaker 1:It was funny. So one of my friends she is from Florida moved here, then moved back and she had a going away party and she's Haitian, I think she's half black, half Latin American. Somewhere in there I I think she's. I think she's half black, half Latin American. Somewhere in there I was like yeah yeah, like I didn't think much about it, I was like, yeah, I'll be there and I walk in. I'm like, yes, like like it's exactly it, and so it.
Speaker 2:Do you prefer to be around black people?
Speaker 1:Um, I mean, it feels weird to say like yes or no. I would say I always appreciate any sort of unique experience I can have and especially in Utah that is a very unique experience, and so it's like yeah, I mean I always gravitate towards it, just because I don't. I mean, if I want to go talk to another Ashley from Orem, utah, who has fake blonde hair, blue eye, like I can rinse and repeat that conversation all day, but I'd rather meet unique people and have unique conversations.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I personally feel like you are definitely the white like token friend, like you definitely give those vibes like you just like to be around like multicultural people. Yeah, whether they're black or hispanic or whatever, I think you value like um unique experiences, like you said, and like here in utah it's it's unique to just be around anybody who's like not white yes, it's like, it's even like again, because I go to florida semi decent around, just travel in general.
Speaker 1:A lot like I was in florida the last time and I was at. Where was I?
Speaker 2:I was at public sitting at pub tub and I'm telling you this, eric, you about to be my friend? Hey, we're Telling it. Miss, eric, you about to be my friend? Hey, we're already there.
Speaker 1:There's not a lot of people who know about Publix. I could have a breakout bed some. Every time I go because I go enough like my boss would be like, hey, what do you want? I'm like, let's go to Publix. I got to go get my buffalo chicken tender sandwich. And he'll be like, really, I'm like, yeah, I do.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and get you some of that lemonade, brother.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, you get it. You don't understand. And I was sitting there in line and I was like, oh shit, that's right, like multi-cultures exist outside of Utah. Because I'm just so weird, you just get so like blah, that's what I want to use.
Speaker 2:Just so, like whatever that means. Like you know there's a hey, you know there are people there's like this thing of them keeping Utah Utah and just remember why you moved here and why it, like you know it's the family living and the this and that. Like there's this kind of like blanket statement of like let's keep Utah Utah. And I don't know what that means per se, but got a sense of an idea of what that means. But it's like keep Utah Utah.
Speaker 1:Can you expand on that for me? Can you?
Speaker 2:elaborate, because what's is it not a part again? Is it not a part of the United States Like it's, like this island.
Speaker 1:I would say there is like a little bit of lingering sentiment about that, just because, like I mean, utah was founded by the Mormon pioneers who were trying to escape from persecution and they found this place and like I mean, there's so much history to it of how it became a state, blah, blah blah, but like so I think there's kind of this lingering, like this is our place, you just kind of live here.
Speaker 2:Oh, you mean the Black Mormons, like the Black pioneers, who came here Because Brigham Young sent the Black people here to check it out first and they were already actually like an established community and that was the first community block party. Okay period so.
Speaker 1:I'm a nerd. Brigham's sitting there on top of the mountain. He's like this is the place.
Speaker 2:I'm like, yeah, so to be transparent, I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I don't, really, I'm not going to say really I do not consider myself LDS or Mormon. Like I don't take those labels on because I don't see it anywhere in the Bible, like the Bible says to take on the name of Jesus Christ. And especially when labels start to create a sense of classism or elitism or separation, I don't want to be associated with it at all. So you're either Christian or you're not.
Speaker 2:So for me I can talk from like the inside looking out and from the outside looking in, because apparently I'm a convert to the gospel, because I wasn't born into the gospel. But I mean whatever. Again, I'm not the sister cousin to brigham's young like second third nephew, so I don't have the right to speak I would have for you to tell someone that you are and watch their boy.
Speaker 2:He's just like someone asked me oh, where are you from? I said I'm from nevi and they're like what really? I was like, yeah, they're like really.
Speaker 1:I was like, yeah, I'm born and raised there all my life yeah and I was like, yeah, you just go to the corner store all the time and debase the man.
Speaker 2:And I was like it's developed over the time and I've been a kid like, oh, wow, like you know, and this is like, so, yeah, I do love to play with people and be like, yeah, I'm from Nevi or I'm from wherever. Like when I learn new like cities, I switch to Payton. I'm like, oh, yeah, I'm from Payson, like these little small places throughout Utah. So I feel like for me as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, especially as a Black one like I have have a. That's why I said I have a unique experience from the outside looking in, and from the inside looking out, where it's just, it's disheartening to see the level of of separation that takes place and how, um, they're very adamant about keeping it a certain way when historically, it's not even correct. Yeah, because it was already, as established, placed by the indigenous people. So you can't say you found somewhere that already exists, especially if you were just like up north. Like what do you mean?
Speaker 1:Imagine me walking your house and be like wow never seen this before. This is my apartment. I found an apartment Exactly. You're like oh, excuse me.
Speaker 2:Eat this and in Ogden. There was an established black community there already before the LDS or Mormon people found Utah.
Speaker 1:Interesting.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, they can say whatever they want to say. It's also not historically correct.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:But you also can't do that. You just can't. Like you said, a very plain, simple example. You just can't do that. But anyways, yeah, it was the Black pioneers that you never hear about in conference or you never hear about anywhere, that actually came to see if the land was viable before Brigham Young and the rest of his posse came and talked about. But the University of Utah has a great digital archive of the Black pioneers for over a century and so I encourage folks to go and research and look, and they also have the catalog online. So all you have to do is like search 100 centuries of Black pioneers and you'll be able to see it. It's at the University of Utah. They did a good job of black pioneers and you'll be able to see it. It's at the University of Utah. They did a good job of archiving it. So, yeah, it's not historically correct, Thank you.
Speaker 1:Go get learnt. That's how I tell my grandpa. He'll say go get learnt, yeah go get learnt. Yeah, I like that.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:Michelle, I want to end with two questions. I always ask everybody at the end of each episode Number one if you could have someone on the Small Lake City podcast and hear more about what they're up to and their story. Who do you want to?
Speaker 2:hear from. That's hard. There's a lot of people doing some stuff here in Utah. I think you guys should interview this young lady named Lexi. Okay, she owns a hair accessory company and she started it in her college apartment. Wow, and like now she's doing like these, like partnerships with these really big brands and doing these big activations as a vendor. Like she's amazing, she is a mother. I think she just well, she's pregnant now, so I don't know, y'all might have to hurry up and get her on here before she pops. Yeah, clockstick, yeah she is, she's killing it right now, killing it right now. Lexi is like killing it. She has a great social media presence and everything you know. She year. She's killing it. Uh, if not lexi, who else?
Speaker 2:Our sundays, which is one of our um partners, community partners for this block party, um, they specialize in community retention and people don't understand how important it is to have community retention, especially if you're talking about, like, marginalized communities and a predominantly white and red state. It's really important. A lot of people move here for work, like I did. I moved here for work and they often stay for a little bit and they don't find a community or like a tribe and they just like go off somewhere else and I feel like, as a state, we're losing quality. Like you know, professionals and potential entrepreneurs, or like other people that can contribute to our civic leadership and, just like you, just never know, if they don't stay long enough, they can't like find like where they want to be?
Speaker 1:We might be venting out another block party.
Speaker 2:Or like the next movie theater or the next like great invention or manufacturing plant, like there's just like a lot of opportunities here in the economy for Utah where I feel like people don't get Community retention.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Community retention. It's a real thing. So I would say that because I think that that's really important, and then that's it.
Speaker 1:Cool, I got some other people. We can chat later, yeah, and then, lastly, if people want to find out more about Unity Block Party and all the other stuff that you're doing, what's the best place to find information?
Speaker 2:Unityblockpartycom. First of all, also follow us on Instagram Unity Block Party. It was the kids who had me create a separate everything for the unity block party, just like no, um, miss gastro, it's gonna be big, like these little tiktok kids like you know what I mean. Um, they were like no, you gotta have its own instagram, its own facebook. And so we have like a unity block partycom instagram, facebook and tiktok. And so follow us on all the platforms so these kids can leave me alone.
Speaker 1:Yeah Well, michelle, this has been amazing. Everybody come hang out. Unity Black Party end of August.
Speaker 2:I'll be there. I'm excited. Yeah, I'm going to come join. We're going to have a good time. Yeah, sounds good. I got your tickets ready for you Deal. Thank you.
Speaker 1:Thank you. Oh, that was so great. Oh, you're such a gem.
Speaker 2:Oh, thank you for having me. First of all, I didn't know we were recording that whole time Until you were like let's just jump into the conversation. I said, okay, so we're not going to start recording, but I love how you do it. It's just like free-flowing into a conversation. We're always just like.
