- Oh no, you're not.

- I just can't believe it.

- Well, thank you for inviting me to

do this little interview with you.

- Thank you for even being a part of it

like I'm so (indistinct) right now.

I don't even know what to say.

(light hearted music)

- Really excited to talk with you this afternoon.

Thank you for taking the time.

So Representative Waters wrote you a letter

in support after your New York times op-ed

your really wonderful New York times op-ed this fall.

And I'm wondering if you can speak a bit about

what it meant to receive that letter from her.

And then Representative Waters.

If you can speak a little bit about

what moved you to send that letter.

Just to receive any type of recognition

from the wonderful Ms. Waters.

It really blew my mind because

I know that it's me being a young black woman

in my generation the things that I fight for,

the things that I talk about every day,

it seems new for us because we're just now going through it.

But to be recognized by a woman that has always spoke out

about these issues and has always been an advocate

for black women and just black

the whole black community, I felt,

I felt overwhelmed.

I felt seen,

I just felt very appreciative because I'm like, okay,

it's hard to feel like you're doing something new.

It's, it's hard to feel like

I'm speaking about something for the first time.

Cause I've never done it before.

And I'm seeing the things that people are saying to me

and how so, you know, some people

may not agree with what I'm saying.

They feel, they feel like it's controversial.

And all I'm saying is protect black women.

And now people are taking it like it's,

I'm saying something crazy.

So just to be supported by another black woman who,

sends the same message, I feel like, you know what?

I am doing the right thing and I'm gonna keep doing it.

Cause Maxine Waters said I can.

- Great, that's great.

Well, let me just tell you that

I was moved by your article.

And I was so pleased that you wrote the article

for a lot of reasons.

Often times, particularly happens with entertainers.

They put you on a box.

And somehow they don't see you as a person who has a life

that includes family.

That includes interactions,

decisions that you have to make.

That has nothing to do with your performance.

And so they don't see you

as thinking about the plight, for example,

of black women or civil rights or any of these issues.

So that's why I was very pleased that you wrote it.

And so when we saw it, we thought, wow, this is great.

And I'm so pleased.

Let's let's write her.

Let's, let's let her know that

we think that, that she's doing a great thing

and has done a great thing.

And I want you to know that when you,

you know speak yourself and you say maybe,

people think you're being too controversial,

et cetera et cetera, pay that no attention.

But some people who don't have courage,

and don't have confidence,

they don't understand it when they see it in other people.

So you, you should be proud of that.

You should be proud of who you are.

And I know you are, and not only are your talent,

but you're a person who, what do you care about?

And, and what is it you're doing,

that is not only good for you but good for others?

So thank you very much.

And I'm pleased to be with you.

- Wonderful, thank you so much.

That sort of brings me to my next question, which is,

what's the biggest lesson you hope

that young black women can sort of learn

from this current moment that we're in?

- Well, you know, I think that because black women

have not been respected in ways

that will help them to feel good about themselves.

And they looked to others in particularly men,

in order to get approval,

then, you know, we need to say to black women,

first of all, concentrate on whom you are

and what you think, and what you care about.

And approval does not always have to come from others.

Other people's opinions do not make you.

And the opinion of men do not determine who you are.

And so we want women to have the kind of confidence

that we're talking about today.

That you have Megan.

And so I think it is anything that we can say,

to other black women is that get grounded,

get grounded you have an opinion.

And you, your thinking and

you're taking charge of your life,

rather than have everybody else telling you what you can do

what you should do, what you shouldn't do.

And so building confidence

is the most important lesson that we can share.

- Wonderful.

- So happy to be here.

- That brings me also to my next question

which is, how do you build community with other black women?

You know what I'm seeing right now between the two of you

is like, it's like a

it's like an example of how you build community,

which is showing words of affirmation for another person.

Saying, I see you when I see you.

So I'm just wondering how you build

those sorts of community.

What sort of actions you do to build community

with other black women.

First of all, we have to take people where they are.

And we have to be honest with people about whom we are.

And we have to be honest in ways

that will help people to open up and be honest with you.

And so if we put ourselves high on a pedestal somewhere,

and we're talking about, I'm your role model

and you gotta do this,

you gotta act this way and you got to dress this way

and you should be doing this, et cetera.

First of all, we're not being honest.

And secondly, we have people who address

the issues in different ways.

We have people certainly who have you know,

different thoughts

things that we don't even think about or know about.

And we have people who,

you know, don't accept you know,

what is considered the tradition.

And we have to respect that.

And we have to take people where they are.

And when we approach people,

it is not trying to have them believe

that somehow you are more pure,

you are more knowledgeable, you are more anything.

Accept people where they are,

and they'll accept you where you are.

So when I see someone and I'm talking with them,

I'm looking at them, and I'm listening to them.

I don't care what they have on.

I don't care about anything else,

but what this person is expressing.

And I'm not judging them on anything else

except what they are sharing with me.

And for me, that is a way that you connect with others.

That is the way you build community.

That is where you get trust.

And that is where you come to other people's aid.

When people need you, you come to their aid.

I'm talking about just having the ability

to have someone listen to you.

That's hearing that's hearing what you're saying

or you are sharing a moment.

And so that's how you build community.

You respect people, you take them where they are

and you come to the aid when they need you

- All my life, I was raised by women.

I had my mother, my grandmother, and my great-grandmother

and my aunt.

Growing up,

they always taught me maybe

you can do whatever you wanna do,

be whoever you wanna be.

As long as you're a woman

who knows that at the end of the day

you don't have to depend on anybody else.

Get out here in the world and making yours.

So I never knew that, I never grew up thinking,

oh my gosh, I can't do this.

I'm a gosh, I'm not Megan, and I'm not beautiful.

And I'm not an amazing, like I always grew up thinking

so highly of myself that

when like obstacles came towards me, I'm like

I'm gonna beat this or I'm gonna get over it,

because I'm Megan and I'm awesome.

And then my mom said I was great, so I must be amazing.

So nobody else can tell me any different.

So when I grow up and I started becoming aware of

everybody else, because I was in my own little bubble,

I'm the only child.

But when I started growing up and realizing that

everybody might not have had the same household as me,

I realized that other women may not have been told

all their life that they're so beautiful and that they

are amazing, and you can grow up

and you can be whatever you choose to be.

Don't let anybody put you in this box.

Girl be you.

And when I realized that,

a lot of my friends didn't have that.

Like I really was like, you know what Megan,

maybe God put these women in your life,

so you could be in other women's lives

and you can uplift them the way that

the women that I gave you uplifted you.

So now that I'm in a position, to where I took my mindset,

and I turned my situation into this,

I felt like I have to give back to my community.

Like my women.

Like, I want everybody to feel the way

that I felt growing up.

I am currently still in school.

I remember what it was like to be a freshman on campus.

And I'm like, Oh my God,

my mom said she is not paying my student loans.

What is (indistinct)

Like, I was so confused about everything.

And I just remember that it was a real struggle.

When I got in a position to do that for other women,

I was like I'm definitely doing that.

Because girl, I know what it felt like

to be confused and struggling.

And you didn't want to give up on your dream.

So you just worked super hard to like stay there.

And I really want to be a part of other women's story,

where they're like,

I was going to give up, I couldn't do it.

But guess what Megan Stallion said I could, so I did.

And she really helped me, so it really makes me feel good.

Everything is not gonna come easy,

but I know that if I can make it easy for somebody,

I wanna do that.

- Wow that is so commendable.

To, you know, talk about how you can help other women.

And let me just tell you, when I think about you

and you continue in your education,

I said to myself, you know what?

She doesn't have to go to nobody's school anymore.

She's got it.

She's done it.

She's got it made.

So that is so absolutely commendable