We're coming to you bi-coastal baby! Welcome to the first long-distance episode of "We Got This! Or Do We?!" Wow, what hasn't happened in the past few months? Have you had a journey of your lifetime? Ali and Yunie both had big journeys recently, Ali’s at the end of 2018 from NYC to LA and Yunie's to the Dominican Republic at the beginning of 2019. This is a two part series where the ladies share their stories and how their worlds have changed.

In this first part, Ali shares what happened on her solo trip cross-country and the lessons she will continue to learn from while building a life in Los Angeles.

To learn more about Ali’s coaching endeavors, check out her website: coachaliruns.com and follow her on instagram @coachaliruns.

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Stay tuned next week where Yunie will share what happened during her trip to the DR, where family and ancestry come together in a beautiful expression of love and togetherness. 

Let’s start with some important matters: Midterm elections are THIS UPCOMING TUESDAY, NOV. 6. Please go vote.

The “We Got This!” ladies are getting educated by one of the most real deal women, hustle queen, and genuine person out there. Patricia Lewis Roman is taking NYC by storm, and not just by any storm but by way of Hurricane María, which devastated Patricia’s hometown in Puerto Rico September 2017. Forcibly displaced from her home, her family, and her career as a musician and artist, Maria came to NYC and relied on the generosity of the community around her to help her begin again from nothing. After coming to the difficult realization that music needed to be put aside for the time being, she has focused on giving back and education, specifically on issues of climate justice and injustice (did you even know that’s a thing?!). She has used her creative soul to educate and bring the community together in a variety of ways and has begun to work on her personal musical projects again. We can’t wait to hear more from Patricia (an album coming soon!) and love what she has to say about the importance being open to the generosity and beauty of human kind.

You can find Patricia at @melogia_music!

The Climate Museum

YUCA Arts

Book: “A Colony in a Nation” by Chris Hayes

Never heard of Hurricane Maria? Now ya know.

On Thursday, September 27 Dr. Christine Blasey Ford swore to tell the truth and nothing but the truth in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee. She was telling her truth about what happened to her when she was in high school, a terrible incident took place that has affected her since it happened. Dr. Ford’s story is not particularly out of the ordinary, sad to say but true. She was sexually assaulted by a boy her age, an evening that was fairly unremarkable to anyone else, including her assaulter. What is remarkable about this situation is that the accused is a man currently being interviewed for the highest appointment in the United States of America, to be a judge on the Supreme Court. A lifetime appointment. Lifetime. A position where, if approved by the Senate, he will be making life altering decisions for the American people. His name is Brett Kavanaugh.

On this episode of “We Got This! Or Do We?!” Yunie and Ali discuss the taboo nature of speaking out on sexual assault, why it’s important to talk about, and how we (but in particular WOMEN) can feel supported and hopeful in a time where we aren’t sure if we got this. The ladies are joined by the incomparable, Paola Piers-Torres, who bravely shares her personal story of sexual assault.

We’re honored to have Paola as a guest on the show and we invite you to learn more about her work as an award winning Cuban filmmaker, educator, and activist. Paola was born and raised in Chicago and received a masters from the Media Studies program at the New School where she created and directed The Chicago Mixtape.

The Chicago Mixtape is a short documentary that tells the stories of marginalized Chicago youth who are utilizing transformational programs, to find their voices through the arts and express and empower themselves.

Other works include contributions to “America By The Numbers with Maria Hinojosa,” a PBS series whose episode, The New Mad Men, won the Imagen Award for Best National Informational Program.

She is currently a freelance producer residing in Brooklyn, New York where she tends to her garden and overall coziness of her house when she is not making films. (Real life: magic garden in BK).

RESOURCES:

If you are a survivor of sexual assault or abuse, please know that you are not alone.

National Sexual Assault Hotline

Me Too https://metoomvmt.org/resources

Safe Horizon https://www.safehorizon.org/get-help/

Susan B. Anthony https://www.sba-list.org/pregnancy-help

National Organization for Women (NYC Chapter) http://nownyc.org/service-fund/

@2:15 Senator Klobuchar questions Brett Kavanaugh regarding drinking to the point of not remembering

The Daily (by The NY Times): https://www.nytimes.com/column/the-daily

Vice News: The Most Outrageous Questions Senators Asked Anita Hill In 1991

60 Minutes: Rewind Clarence Thomas Talks About Anita Hill

Yunie and Ali are ecstatic to bring a very special guest to the show who’s dropping some serious wisdom on the “We Got This Ladies” and we know you’ll love it! She’s owning motherhood with beauty and strength all while setting an example of what it means to own your identity, narrative, and history. Welcome the REAL DEAL Angelika Beener to this episode of “We Got This! Or Do We?!” We talk about what it means to be a black woman working in the music industry, sharing roots and being part of a revered musical family, and how we can advocate for women and girls RIGHT NOW. Let’s not wait for the future. Mmmmk?

Born and raised in New York, Angelika is a Creative in so many ways. You can find her writing and musings at Kultured Child as well as a variety of media outlets including DownBeat, Jazz at Lincoln Center, National Public Radio, and Nextbop. She is on the Board of Directors for the Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls and lectures on event panels and universities about jazz journalism in the contexts of race, gender, and generation. Basically she’s a Boss. Listen and love.

Follow Angelika here! instagram.com/kulturedchild/

Mentions in this episode:

Weldon Irvine Film Instagram!

At Carnegie Hall

Yunie and Ali are ecstatic to bring a very special guest to the show who’s dropping some serious wisdom on the “We Got This Ladies” and we know you’ll love it! She’s owning motherhood with beauty and strength all while setting an example of what it means to own your identity, narrative, and history. Welcome the REAL DEAL Angelika Beener to this episode of “We Got This! Or Do We?!” We talk about what it means to be a black woman working in the music industry, sharing roots and being part of a revered musical family, and how we can advocate for women and girls RIGHT NOW. Let’s not wait for the future. Mmmmk?

Born and raised in New York, Angelika is a Creative in so many ways. You can find her writing and musings at Kultured Child as well as a variety of media outlets including DownBeat, Jazz at Lincoln Center, National Public Radio, and Nextbop. She is on the Board of Directors for the Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls and lectures on event panels and universities about jazz journalism in the contexts of race, gender, and generation. Basically she’s a Boss. Listen and love.

Follow Angelika here! instagram.com/kulturedchild/

Mentions in this episode:
Kultured Child 

Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls

Digging for Weldon Irvine

Weldon Irvine Film Instagram!

At Carnegie Hall
Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane

Hey everybody! We are BACK with more “We Got This?! Or Do We?!” Ali and Yunie took a brief summer break and were hustling like crazy. They have a LOT to catch you up on and all the feelings to share, so sit back and relax while listening to this episode all about growing up and creating a life that is authentic and true to you! 

Ali and President Obama shared another year around the sun, not together, but a girl can dream...

And Ali shares some BIG news!

Please take 30 seconds to rate, subscribe, and share!

Hey everybody! We are BACK with more “We Got This?! Or Do We?!” Ali and Yunie took a brief summer break and were hustling like crazy. They have a LOT to catch you up on and all the feelings to share, so sit back and relax while listening to this episode all about growing up and creating a life that is authentic and true to you! 

Mentions & Thangs: 

Yunie performed with the Diva Jazz Orchestra at the Newport Jazz Festival this year!

Ali and President Obama shared another year around the sun, not together, but a girl can dream...

And Ali shares some BIG news!

Please take 30 seconds to rate, subscribe, and share!

This is an epic "We Got This! Or Do We?!" moment friends! Our second guest and first "We Got This!" MAN is dropping knowledge and stories with Yunie and Ali on a topic that we all like to dish on...DATING APPS. Grab your popcorn, snuggle up (with your Tinder date??!), and get your listen on for this super fun episode!

Our bodies, our choices, our lives. Simple, right? This is one of those topics where individually or as a whole, people may think, "We got this!" "I got this!" "You got this!" "Ya'll got this!"....but do we? We hope this conversation creates other conversations and brings up questions and answers in your circles that typically aren't spoken about. Dive in and open your ears as Ali and Yunie share experiences, thoughts, frustrations, and inspirations on BODY IMAGE. 

Check out these ladies who inspire us (this is only the short list!):

Mentioned in this episode:

Who inspires you? We'd love to know. If you have any stories, thoughts, comments on body image you'd like to share, we'd love to hear from you. Comment or send us a DM @alimagistrali @yuniemo.