Episode 28 - A Conversation with Malynda Hale

This episode features Malynda Hale, who is an award-winning actress, a singer, an activist, the Executive Director for The New Evangelicals, a content creator, and an all-around multi-hyphenate. During our conversation, Malynda shares about her background and experiences of being an activist, of navigating the entertainment world, and of trying to find a balance between her artistry and her activism. Additionally, we talked about the topics of being a content creator/the social media world in general, AI and its impact on music, and we talk about our experiences of being Black Women navigating the present socioeconomic climate, specifically that of the one here in the United States.

Watch the vlog of this episode here: https://youtu.be/QkLHZYZ-3rQ?si=GJq-Ek-RhwyEgaA1

To connect with Malynda Hale:

Website:  https://malyndahale.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/malyndahale/#

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@malyndahale?xmt=AQGzm0yksKkfQ7RapEJbxsD6sA0UbR4GAd5kFjxJ454BA6Q

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/malyndahale

Substack: https://malyndahale.substack.com/

IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5470231/?ref_=fn_all_nme_1

TNE (The New Evangelicals): https://www.thenewevangelicals.com/

Listen to full episode :

Here is a transcription of Episode 28:

0:17: Hello and welcome to the Broke PhD Podcast where we build relationships or kindle emotions with every episode. I'm your host, Dr. G!

0:26: On this episode, I have a conversation with Malynda Hale. Malynda is an award-winning actress, a singer, an activist, the Executive Director for The New Evangelicals, a content creator, and an all-around multi-hyphenate. During our conversation, Malynda shares about her background and her experiences of being an activist, of navigating the entertainment world, and of trying to find a balance between her artistry and her activism. Additionally, we talk about the topics of being a content creator/the social media world in general, we talk about AI and its impact on music, and we talk about our experiences of being Black Women navigating the present socioeconomic climate, specifically that of the one here in the United States.

1:08: [Dr. G] Hey y’all, Dr. G here and I'm so excited for my guest today and we have the Malynda Hale. And yes, I will say the Malynda Hale. She is an actress, a singer, an activist, the Executive Director for the New Evangelicals and an all-around multi-hyphenate. So I'm so excited for you to be here and to get to talk to you.

1:28: [Malynda] Thank you so much for having me. I'm glad to be here too.

1:32: [Dr. G] Yay! And while we are getting started, and so that the listeners can get to know a little bit about you, if they don't already know who you are, can you please, in your own words, share a brief overview about your background.

1:44: [Malynda] Sure! I'm so bad at this and I feel like I've, I've done a million interviews and I still just, I hate talking about myself. Yeah I mean I yeah I’m an actress, a singer, an activist, all of those things, a storyteller creator and I'm originally from Santa Barbara, CA. I grew up singing in one of the only Historically Black Churches there and I had a really just great foundation with my parents. Just and, they've really my faith and, and their Pro Black Stance is really has informed a lot of what I've done and, and gotten involved in. I went to a, a liberal conserve…, I shouldn't say liberal, a liberal arts, but it was a conservative Evangelical Christian college and that made me more liberal and more Pro Black, I always say. But you know, I've lived in New York, I lived in Chicago, I'm in Los Angeles now. I love connecting with people. I love having conversations and I get involved in everything. I know it's, it's exhausting probably listing all of the things that I do, but I just, I one I'm impatient and I get bored and I just, I want to make an impact, you know, in the world. So I just like to be involved in so many things. Yeah.

2:57: [Dr. G] I love that! And there's nothing wrong being multi-hyphenate. I'm here for it. Like the days of just being in one niche are kinda, you know, I feel like they're going behind us a little bit.

3:05: [Malynda] I agree.

3:08: [Dr. G] Well, thank you for sharing about your background and again, for the listeners, if you do not know, hopefully you get a little bit more insight about Malynda as we are having this conversation today. And you shared that you want to be well through your experience you have become more Pro Black and so I want to kind of tap into that activism side because that's kind of how I got connected with you. For those out there, I found her and I started following her on Instagram and I just sent her a DM. So again, shoot your shot cause you never know what can happen. And I love that you are an activist and that you are out there sharing your insights and lifting up voices that oftentimes are left out of the narrative and that's kind of what I'm trying to do on my podcast so I thought this was a great fit. So here we are. And I just want to ask you, can you share more about your activism? I know you shared a little bit about how you got started, but if you want to talk about what's happening now and kind of your thoughts for moving forward.

4:02: [Malynda] Yeah, I mean, honestly, I first, foremost, I would say the music that I did, cause I started really doing music and singing. A lot of it had like a social justice foundation behind it, right? But in 2016, that's when things really started shifting for me, really being more vocal about how I felt about Black Lives Matter, how I saw people that I thought would be there for me and would stand up for me saying all lives matter and I ended up writing this song called “We Run.” It was specifically about how Black People are always running from something and we're tired, right? And so I started using my music and even the acting and directing that I've done to be more of a storyteller. In addition to posting and educating and always having these conversations, but I've been involved with a lot of organizations. I'd really love to give back. But, and it's funny to say this, I always feel say my platform isn't for Black People because they all know what I'm saying. My, my platform is for people that y'all need to like listen and understand, right? And so I have no problem and I know a lot of people do get tired, but I I call my activism more educating activism because I want to have a conversation with people and I want them to understand. I'm not really like a protest activist.

5:22: [Dr. G] I feel that, I feel that!

5:23: [Malynda] I'm not, I'm not I I don't like crowds. Like I, I mean, I've been out before, but it's ohh God, it makes me so comfortable. So I would rather like have a conversation with somebody, educate, donate, share where people can, can volunteer. I’ll volunteer like, I like volunteering at like shelters or like things like that. I'll do that. But like just being out on the street with a picket sign is like not really my vibe.

5:47: [Dr. G] And that's OK. Like we need people at all lanes, right?

5:51: [Malynda] Activism is a wide spectrum, right? There's, there's so many different lanes. So find the one that works for you and do it unapologetically. So yeah, I mean, and, and I feel like I'm the type of person, especially because I have, I've grown up a progressive Christian. And so my faith really informs everything that I do. And I personally feel being, if you claim to be a Christian activism supposed to go hand in hand. And what Jesus was doing right. And so I have, I have really taken it seriously to show up for as many groups as possible, talking about whatever I can, advocating obviously for Black People because imma root for Black People first. But you know, showing for LGBTQ community, showing of the Jewish community, showing up for the Muslim community. Doesn't matter who's shown it for women i just feel like there's 1) a seat at the table for everybody but everybody also has their own individual I think if we all collectively cared a little bit more about each other and had empathy, we could actually make a lot more progress. So my, my activism is really rooted in love and compassion and empathy, but also education and conversation because I think a lot of our issues are stemmed from people not talking to each other.

6:54: [Dr. G] Yes, yes. Yeah, I love that. I love that you were here to root up or lift up as many voices as possible. And I feel, yeah, if you're an activist that ideally you're, you're an activist for all and you're trying to bring up as many communities as possible because collectively we are stronger, right? And yeah, if we all just sit down and have conversation and we get the information out there, we actually probably agree on a lot more than we think we disagree on.

7:19: [Malynda] Yes, absolutely. Absolutely. I mean, again, there are those people that, we all know those. But that's not who I'm trying to like extend an olive branch to. Like, I know who those people are. I'm not wasting my energy on that. But I do think that there are some people that like, they just don't know what they don't know, right? And so I do want to kind of give them a gentle on ramp to unlearning things that they may have known or learning things that, that will help them, whatever the case may be. I do think that there are people that want to do good and want to do better, but you really just don't know. I, I, I, I feel like I am a safe space, quote unquote, I don’t necessarily like using that word, I do feel like I'm the type of person that if you wanna learn something, I'm here to teach you. And I'll have that conversation for sure.

8:09: [Dr. G] And I love that, that you are trying to be not quote unquote that like safe space, but trying to provide that opportunity for those who don't know where to get the information or may not have been exposed to the information that they can, you know, come across your content on social media or encounter it in some form and be like, ohh, I didn't know that. And hopefully they're open to learning. I think that's another key part of it too, is that the people you are kind of reaching out to you have to also be open to learning new information and to kind of going against what they may have seen as their norm or, you know, what was readily available.

8:45: [Malynda] Absolutely. And I think the other thing for me that I'm really always trying to push is just the humanity of, of, of each other. I think that a lot of people fear. That you see a different color, the color of someone's skin, and think you can't relate to them. That you're not gonna have a similar experience or, you know, somebody practices a different religion and you're not going to be able to relate to them. But even if you don't relate to that experience, we still are all going through a human experience, right? And also learning other people's experiences and being exposed to their cultures and their religions makes you a better more well-rounded person. So I, we shouldn't be afraid to be exposed to that. I have traveled the world like and truly traveled the world as a performer, just going with my husband, whatever the case may be and I love being immersed into other people's culture and learning because it's so beautiful and also if you take your ego out of it knowing like, ohh, I'm not I, what I do isn't the only way to do something right. This works for them or this works for them. And so I wish people would get out of their bubbles and just experience life a little more because again that would also make us have a little bit more progress.

9:59: [Dr. G] Yes I agree and we can learn so much from each other that even, even if you're in the same community though, like you and I being Black Women in the community, we have different experiences. So even within your community, if you don't feel comfortable yet to go outside your bubble, just talk to your neighbor or talk to somebody else who you assume has a similar background as you, which isn't always the case. Everyone is different, everyone's unique, everyone's experience is not going to be the same. So just yeah, we just need to be more open to learning from one another because we can learn a lot more and have so much more fun and take in more insights and be like, oh, I didn't know I could do that, or I didn't know I could do that, or ohh, they do this. So yeah

10:37: [Malynda] I completely agree. I love that.

10:39: [Dr. G] So tapping back onto your background, you said that you started out as a singer and an actress, which I don't know if a lot of people know that. I think if they meet you and nowadays they know you as an activist, but you know the real ones, we know you started off as a singer and an actress. So can you please just share a little bit about that experience and navigating that world?

11:00: [Malynda] Sure. It's so funny because I feel like I've lived 3 lives. It's wild. So yeah, I mean, my, my degree was in classical voice and opera and my minor’s in in musical theater. And I really thought I was gonna be Whitney Houston. Really did. But like, I, I, I feel honestly as an independent artist that I have had a successful career. But I think, and my husband tells me this all the time, like who I am and who I was meant to be and the impact I was meant to make in the world was beyond just being an artist. And that's no like shade to people that are artists because there are people like, I could never do what Beyoncé does. Like, that woman is insane, right? Like an artist. You you look at all these people that like they put their heart and soul into all of their art. And I just was always so involved in so many other things that I didn't. He was like, I couldn't see you being just kind of confound to that one thing. Right. But with that being said, I have some really incredible milestones that I hit with being a singer. I did get to tour the world and I opened for, I always joke, I opened for O-Town. If anybody remembers that 90s group, Yeah, I mean, like, come on, 90s boy bands. So that's yeah. Oh my God, I could die now. I'm fine. I've opened for them

12:08: [Dr. G] Liquid Dreams.

12:12: [Malynda] You know. Right. I got to open for Smokey Robinson, I opened for Tyrone Wells and Ernie Halter. So like, I did a lot of stuff. I had, you know, residencies, I've released albums. I'm still, you know, I still record music and release it for fun, but it's just not what's driving me right now. And then in terms of acting, I kind of had like a huge peak of it and then I stopped for a while and now I'm kind of coming back, but I'm more looking at the filmmaker side of it and not just the acting. But about two years ago I re-entered it and this is a huge reentrance to acting. And I starred in a movie with Loretta Devine. And now she's a huge mentor and a huge friend of mine and now I just got to direct her in a film, this past summer, which was amazing. And that film was also with Amy Madigan, who’s like making waves from being in Weapons. And So what I realized also from a directing standpoint is that aspect of being an artist really has also made sense for me because it's telling people what to do to make a beautiful product and make sure that everybody feels included and they're the best version of themselves for whatever the film is. And so I've really enjoyed directing. But yeah, I mean, yeah, I've done a lot of acting, I’ve done quite a few Lifetime movies. Like, I just don't post about it. And I know, I know. I just don't post about it. And so, like, I've had a couple people message me recently, like, are you in a Lifetime movie? It's like, yeah, I feel like, why don't you say anything? I was like, I don't know. I don't know. I just feel

13:44: [Dr. G] Like you're like, so humble with it. But like, that's so big thing.

13:47: [Malynda] It's just so funny. I know. I just forget because I'm so like, we gotta change that, you know? We gotta save democracy. You know, so I’m like, if we don't have democracy, I'm not going to be able to act in anything. So yeah, I'm, I'm trying to get better about that. I'm trying. People always tell me you need to post more stuff. So I know, I know, I know. And so I, and I will, I'm trying to find the balance of like the artist to activist. So, but yeah, I've, I've done quite a bit and I'm really proud of the things that I’ve accomplished. But I, I really felt when I took a break, it's been because my voice was needed in other ways.

14:21: [Dr. G] I, I, I will hype you up I know like it's a growing thing but I will be here to hype, y'all check her stuff out like she’s going to be humble about it but here we are. But I also get that yes, there are bigger, fish to fry, or bigger problems to kind of focus on at the forefront, so totally get that. Wanting, you know in the line of things that yes the Lifetime movies versus like hey, you know our rights are being stripped away. I guess the rights would be more important.

14:50: [Malynda] Right. And that's like big. It's like, I'm not gonna be that. I just can't be that person where it's like, ohh, my gosh. Like, exactly. Right. So people don't have food SNAP benefits, but hey, guys, I'm in a Lifetime movie. Oh my God. Yeah. So I know I do. I want to find a balance, but I think it's just a matter of like the timing, you know, like, yes. It's like, hey, like I do have a film that it's gonna be coming out, then I'm gonna be streaming that I we did this festival circuit. So I feel like now it's kind of safe to post about it in the holidays, like if you want to take time to watch this movie. As long as nothing crazy, crazy happens.

15:25: [Dr. G] Pops off and yeah in the next week or so, we’ll see. But let's pivot into the creator world so kind of going in again, activist, actor, singer, but you're also a creator that you have a large following on social media platforms. And being a creator, being an influencer is kind of a niche in itself and a hyphenate or A hyphen in itself, for sure, being a content creator myself, It's a lot of work. And so can you talk about your experience with that and your platform?

15:57: [Malynda] Yeah, sure. I mean, it's interesting because I feel like I kind of just fell into this like there was never like the intention of I'm gonna be a content creator. I think there are people that make that decision and you can even tell with like how things are produced and everything. And I'm trying to be a little bit more branded with my stuff. But yeah, I think it was just like one of those situations where like I had a couple of posts go viral a few years ago and I was like, ohh, maybe I should just keep this up. Like, you know, And so then I started being a little bit more intentional and working with like creator agencies and doing different campaigns and partnerships, but I, I'm very, very specific on the type of content creation I do the type of partnerships I do the things I talk about because I know that there are content creators where it's like they're in their bag and I'm like, get your bag, do whatever you want, right? For me, it, it, it still has to feel very values aligned and it has to feel authentic to who I am. 'Cause I feel like if I just all of a sudden started like buy this skin care cream, like people be like, I mean, you have good skin, but right, you know what I mean, it'd be, it'd be, it'd be different, right? So I do try to be very authentic in the, in the things that I do in terms of content creation. But it's, it's interesting because there are sometimes when like I'll write a script out and then I'll film it and I'll, you know, have to do like the lighting and make sure. And it's like, gosh, this is like a you have your own mini studio as a content creator. And it's a lot of work. And So what I have learned is that I wish people would put more, give more respect to people that choose to do content creation time because it isn't just posting on Instagram. It there is actually a lot of thought and time and energy that goes into creating And also there are times when I don't feel like posting anything and. Then you do feel that kind of like dip in your engagement and then you're like, ohh, I need to. And I know, and I've had, you know, conversations like that with other creators where it's like it's exhausting because you are your own business, you're your platform, you're your manager, you're your own producer or whatever the case may be. And so you have to just go, go, go, go, go. But I, I hope that. People that are content creators do realize it's okay. Like social media is not going anywhere. The people that follow you follow you for a reason, and they're not going to be like they haven't posted in three days. I'm unfollowing them. And if they do they shouldn't have been your followers. But I do think that content creators and influencers are one, a huge part of like the information ecosystem now. And they're gonna be even more important in like the next five years because people are pivoting away from like mainstream media. They're pivoting away from even like TV shows, like vertical short form shows on TikTok? I don't know if you know what those are. They're huge. They're, I mean, they're like mini soap operas on TikTok and they get millions of views. Like, like by and large, like they're generally not good, right? Let's just be honest, like, It's fine to say that neither are Lifetime movies, but, but we watch them. It's entertaining, it's escapism, it's fun. So I think that we really should start paying attention to it a little bit more and also giving it a little bit more respect because I think it is going to grow more and more. And people are also looking for their own forms of income. I mean, going back to my activism. You see how many people have lost jobs this year? Yeah. And there hasn't been any new real job creation or you know, anyway, because he's taking away the jobs reports. But yeah, that's also another conversation. But so I think that there's no, I see no issue with people trying to create their own, their own income, their own space. Also taking money from big platforms, get that Meta money, get the TikTok money, they have tons. So if you're able to utilize that and work the system and make a living off of that, more power to you. So yeah, yeah, there's a lot that goes into it. There really is.

20:17: [Dr. G] Yeah. And sorry. It’s a lot to take in.

20:21: [Malynda] I know I just like dumped, sorry.

20:23: [Dr. G] But i love it. I'm here for it, I was like processing all the information, but no I’d like to start from the beginning being a creator it needs to get more respect nowadays. There is so much that goes into it. Like you said, it's not just someone just snapping a picture and posting it. There's so many things, whether it's the right caption, whether it's the right lighting, whether they edit it, whether they use a filter, or whether, yeah, there's so many steps that go into it. And then if you were trying to follow a trend, you have to make it your own in some way. And if you're filming, like you said, you have like a mini studio and the different angles and the different things you're using to capture these angles. It yeah, It is a lot of steps. And also, yeah, if you can get that bag on those social media platforms, that is a great way to do it. So many people use it as their side hustle, but then a lot of people are using it as their main form of income because they either lost their job for XYZ reason and we're you know with everything happening right now in society, specifically here in the United States, with things being up in the air as they are this becomes a stream of income, especially if you are let go from a job for various reasons that like we don't have enough time to talk about and so yeah, if you're able to use that as a way to better your life and your family's life and all of that, why should that be frowned upon, right? And also, yeah, mainstream media isn't the go to anymore for a lot of journalism input that a lot of people are getting their news and getting their information on TikTok and on social medias. And again, take those things with a grain of salt because me being a researcher myself, I'm always like, do your research people don't just take things blindly. Like even if I'm saying it, make sure you look it up for yourself. Like don't just take it in and just like, ohh, OK, well, such and such said that because you don't always know the sources that they're using. And there's a lot of things with that, but that has become, social media has become a way that people get their input, their information, their insights, because I know I'll hear something and be like, ohh, this is this happened. And it might be like around the corner for me. Whereas on, you know, any outlet or something, whether it be like a newspaper or an article that we read, ohh, that happened like a day later so. So here to support those content creators, those influencers. We’re cheering y'all on? So now that you've shared about you being an activist, about you being an actress, a singer, about you being a creator. I would like to pivot this conversation into something that we are connected by, by both being Black Women. So taking this lens of being a Black Woman doing all three of those as well as also just a Black Women living in today's social economical world, specifically for those listeners who may be outside of the country, but we're here in the United States. So with all the things that are happening right now, just adding on top of the layers of layers and layers. And as you said in the beginning, like we're tired. Personally, I'm tired. I know others are tired. So if we wanna talk. About those experiences, because again, we have different experiences, we have different perspectives, different lenses. And let's just, just share about that, if you want to start with that.

23:30: [Malynda] I think. I mean, I do think collectively Black Women are exhausted. But, you know, I first and foremost, I will always root for uplift, prioritize, you know, root, whatever. Yeah, I know I said that. But Black Women, they will come first for me always. love how we show up. I love the way in which we show up, whether it is with a little bit of softer love and compassion or with that tough love that like, y'all need to listen, right? What's frustrating for me as a Black Woman in this time, is the amount of times I hear listen to Black Women and then they don't do it? We are the only demographic that has the vantage point and the perspective that we do. And I say this because society has put us at the bottom. We aren't at the bottom. But, society has put us at the bottom. And because of that, all we've ever been able to do is look up and see everything that's happening. So when you have that vantage point, you're like, well, they shouldn't be doing this, we should probably be doing this and maybe if they would listen to this, we know what the solutions are, but they're not listening to us. And so that's what's frustrating to me because we have the education, we have the experience, we have the, the street smarts and the book smarts like we have the heart, we have the compassion because we show up for everybody and, and we have the organizational skills, right? We are just not being listened to. And so that's what's been frustrating for me. So when I see currently Black Women being like, I'm, I'm sitting this out, you sit it out Sis. Because they don't want to listen. I get, I get that Black Women are tired. I get their like, I'm tired of showing up y’all ain’t listening to us. I'm tired of doing all of this organizing and you're not doing what we say. If people would just listen to us, we would not be where we are right now. We are, yeah we're just a demographic that is not respected yet expected to be the ones to always show up and save. So while I will continue to fight in the way that I do, I’m not gonna fault any Black Woman for choosing to step down and go to brunch. Go to brunch. You go enjoy your brunch, please. Yeah, yep That's where I'm at. That's where I'm at. I'm not gonna back down right now, but I'm not going to fault any of us if we decide to.

26:14: [Dr. G] No and same. And I think after the most recent election here in the United States, that was just it wasn’t eye opening. It was a part of, there was that little part of me and I feel like maybe some other Black Women connect to this too, that like we had a feeling we were like, OK, this is hope. But realistically we were like, huh, is this gonna, is this gonna play out how we hope and we wish it will. And so when the results happened. I wasn't surprised by those results.

26:39: [Malynda] I wasn’t surprised I just disappointed. I was just like, y'all ain't gonna learn. Y'all ain’t gonna learn, that's what I said. I was just like, Yep, we done told you and you don't. So what do you want us to do? Yeah.

26:49: [Dr. G] And I think recently overhearing and I don't know, I'm probably. This isn't an exact quote. So it's one of those things where even just hearing like Kamala Harris being like, well, I can't help like they I can't do anything either. And I was like the fact that she went through that and she even is like, you know, I'm washing my hands with it too, kind of like, I feel that.

27:10: [Malynda] Right! What do, you had the opportunity to have her lead and help. So why are you trying to get her to do stuff now? Like, what do you want her to do?

27:17: [Dr. G] Right? And then there's still trying to come at her and it's like, no, no, no, y'all didn't pick her, let her rest, let her have her moment, let her go on her book tour, promote her stuff, get her bag. Y'all had an opportunity and he fumbled it. So yeah.

27:31: [Malynda] And I'm like, let her do whatever she can do. Whatever. If she decided that she wanted to have a Netflix show like Meghan Markle. She could have, if she wants to just start cooking to be a trad wife. I ain’t mad at her because she put everything into that campaign and they put her through the ringer and y'all still messed it up so.

27:51: [Dr. G] But no, we're just tired, just tired. And yeah. And it's just, I even think of just like how did like those that came before me went through. Because you know, when you think in perspective that nowadays and you can say it's better because like of other acts, like aspects of like, OK, we may not need to like fight for our lives every single day kind of thing that we can be in a position that we can make our own money and those kind of things. When you think comparatively to those that came before us that we're not doing XY and Z, that could be even more detrimental. And you know, we can have these moments of trying to focus on mental health and focus on other things rather than just survival, that in that aspect it's better. But then, better is relative. And like you said, in society, Black Women have been put at the bottom, even though, even though statistically we are the most educated group, the most educated group. And I can sit here and point at my PhD in the corner being one of the very small. percentage, but still as you said, we're at the bottom looking up because of the lack of respect, because they are painting that other characteristics, other qualifications are more acceptable or desired when they don't mean anything. And they normally while they might be the loudest ones in the room they're normally the most wrong in the room, so yeah.

29:16: [Malynda] Yes, and it's so interesting because, you know, obviously we, we always get that stereotype of the angry Black Woman, right? And, and while I'm not gonna ever claim that, I do always say, would you not be angry if you were treated the way that we are? And I feel like I've given some people something to think about when I've said that, it's like, I'm not gonna claim that stereotype, but if I were to be like, yeah, I am angry, I have every right to be. We, we have every right to be. You don't listen to us. You disrespect us. You put us at the bottom, and then you're going to tell us that we're angry. Yeah, you know what I mean? And so, so it's just it's, I don't like how we are always, we always have these stereotypes put on us that they caused. It's, it's what we respond to it's a reaction. It's not necessarily it's not who we are if we're responding to you that way think about your behavior and what you caused us to respond to you that way, but there's never any accountability. It's always put on us and us being the problem. My little vent and my little rant about that stuff.

30:25: [Dr. G] And I second that. I second that. Cause it’s true because people, if if someone is going into a situation and they have an emotional response, and that's something that also we have to think about as Black Women, is that we can't react as we naturally probably would sometimes. That we have to consider, and this is another burden that for anybody listening out here who's not a Black Woman, you may not be aware of that we always have to consider how we react in situations so that we are not adding or creating or whatever to whatever stereotype has, has been placed on us and that, that's not, that's not a normal way to be, that we are always on the offense because we can't be on the defense because if we're defensively reacting, then it becomes XYZ stereotype. And we're at fault because someone did something or XY and Z so. This is where we are constantly always on the alert, always looking, always scanning, always trying to do stuff. And it's fascinating when you have these conversations with others.

31:25: [Malynda] We don't have the privilege of expressing emotions.

31:29: [Dr. G] No, no. But yet we still have to be the most emotionally aware and emotionally mature. We have to be aware of others emotions. We have to be aware of our emotions, but we don't have the privilege of actually expressing those emotions as we naturally probably might want to in certain situations. And when we do, then we are labeled with whatever stereotype in that moment. So it's a very interesting juxtaposition of the two.

31:56: [Malynda] Yes, very much so.

31:58: [Dr. G] Which adds to the exhaustion.

31:59: [Malynda] It adds to the exhaustion. It's so exhausting trying to navigate it. I mean, just yeah. We could talk about for the rest of the time.

32:13: [Dr. G] But now with all of that, I'm, and I just have the thought right now of just like with all of that, us also being in that public forum in the same manner of being creators too. How does that add like another lens on top of everything because we are putting ourselves out there in a public space, but then still having to make sure that like some of the things that we might talk about and both of us are unapologetically ourselves, that we're not curating anything. That what you're getting is what like what you see is what you get. Like we're not gonna be here and like, ohh, it's perfectly like, I could never do that. My face won't let me. Like I will give away all of my, all of my feelings and emotions that I'm the one that you're nudging, like, hey, fix your face. But there are some aspects that we might talk about things that we do have to think like ohh, wait, do I wanna post this or ohh, wait, do I wanna post that? That we might have that extra layer of kind of filtering or thought that we have to go through. Is that something that you've kind of?

33:12: [Malynda] no, I do, but you know. When I, first of all, I will always say what's on my mind. But I, but I do try to say and like preface things to prepare people, right? To be like, take this as you will, or I mean this with love. Like I, I say that a lot. I'm like, I'm saying this with love. So I do try to preface it to prepare people because sometimes, listen, people don't want to hear truth. People don't want to hear honestly people want to feel good. Yeah, but we're not in a time when, feeling good is a privilege right now. Like it is a privilege. It doesn't matter what your race, your color, your gender like, feeling good right now is a privilege regardless, because there are people hurting, there are people suffering and there are people dying, there are people being killed. We're gonna be honest, right, and so sometimes you have to just tell people what it is. And, and so, but I do, I do try to, I'll have tough love, but I do try to preface things so it's not coming across like cruel or mean or in a way that, but again, that you can't control how people perceive and receive things. So, you know, and I've gotten plenty of messages like, when you said this, I was like, well, what I said and what you heard are completely two different things. And I can't, I can't change that. So I don't know what you want me to do right now. You know, and I've said that to people. I'm like, well, that's not what I said. That's what you heard, that’s not what I said. So it is what it is. Yeah, you gotta let it be. You just got to let it be. Yeah yeah that's what it is yeah Yeah, Yeah. That's what it is.

34:39: [Malynda] Yeah. It's just, it's a lot to think about. It’s a lot to process.

34:43: [Malynda] It is. it really is. It's a it's a hard space, especially because so much of our human interactions are online also. Right? So like even somebody watching a video of mine and then messaging me about it. I respond. They'll hear my response in a different tone. Come back to me with a tone that I'm also perceiving in a different way. I mean my gosh it's like how do we, I wrote a Substack about how do we human. It's like how do you, everybody responds differently, everybody communicates differently, everybody thinks differently, but for me, the beauty of it is trying, right? You, you have to make the effort. I mean, my husband and I communicate, right? He's a lawyer. So everything is so analytical and literal and it gets on my damn nerves because I'm like, can you just feel this for a minute? It's like, whoa, what? did it? I'm like, ohh, like no, just have the emotion to it. And he was like, I hear you. But I'm also looking at like, whenever we talk about politics, like he's totally liberal like I am, but he's always like, well, I could see it from this. I'm like, I don't want to hear how you could see it from that perspective. I want you to just agree with me. Right, let it be. So, but, and so I'm very, you know, and I'm, I'm ruled by my emotions and my heart. And, and that's like how, how I react first, right? And so we're very different in that way, but we've learned how to communicate with each other based on how we perceive information and how we do that and so it's hard when you to do that with all of your relationships and then you have to do that with people that you don't even know on social media, Right. So trying to apply like all of those tools and stuff to strangers, it's again, exhausting. That's the theme for this.

36:29: [Dr. G] Exhausting. Yeah, that's the theme for this episode.

36:31: [Malynda] But the thing is, is that you try, you know, and you know, my Substack, the log line is everything begins with the conversation. And I fully believe that like you can't have any form of progress or any form of anything without having a conversation. And we just need to be able to, to try. I think that's what's super important and also what I've learned is I want to always assume positive intent from people. I don't want to think that people are going into conversations to be combative, to start a fight, to try to dehumanize me. Now there are the people that are and they show up immediately like that, but there are other times when people just want to be heard, and I realize that. And so, yeah, I, I, I really, I try to apply those thought processes, when I'm having interactions with people, but it is hard because there's a lot of people online.

37:23: [Dr. G] And that what parasocial relationship is something I’m trying to figure out too, that, yeah, that we've kind of turned away from the interpersonal that that used to be a thing of face to face. We have this communication and we can kind of do it now. Like right now we're on Zoom and we're doing this virtually, but still there's those little nuances, body language and just that, being able to read someone's face that's you don't get when you're responding in a comment on a social media post. So those little things kind of make it interesting. And then also with the parasocial that you've developed this relationship and then some people who are following and in your community online. You know, get more connected because of something and they might only see only one type of your content. So they only perceive you in one niche. So when something else happens, it throws it. It's it's very, it's a very Wild West kind of world right now that it's been around for a while, but it's only going to keep getting more and more. And then also with the addition of AI that's gonna throw another loop because are you actually interacting with a human or is it now an algorithm?

38:30: [Malynda] Right. Ohh, my gosh, I know. That's the other thing. Like who am I talking to?

38:36: [Dr. G] Who are you talking to? Yeah, that's the other thing is who's on the other side of that response, that comment, or even that post. That I think now we can, hopefully most people can, kind of tell, what's AI and what's not. But some things are getting better that you're like, ohh, I don't, I don't know.

38:50: [Malynda] I know it's gonna get harder, yeah. That worries me. It also worries me for like my parents cause like my Dad has sent me AI videos before and I’m like, don't believe that Daddy, it's not real. And he's like, what? It’s not real, and I’m like, it's not real. It’s not. And so yeah, it concerns me because well also like they have like super fake, like super AI but like realistic profiles now like with pictures and like, those are weird. Like I can tell when it’s a bot like because you can look and see that like the way the the username is made or when their last post was I'm like OK, this is fake but like now like these AI created characters that look like real people they're posting regularly. But like why? What is like, what is the point? Aren’t there enough people on the planet like why are we creating fake people to have conversations and arguments with. Like you're arguing with a robot? Yeah, I just. I don't. Ohh my gosh

40:00: [Dr. G] Definitely some of those comments, i'll be like you know what we're just ignoring that.

40:04: [Malynda] It’s just like, we’re failing the human experiment. That's just what's happening that's what i've decided because like there's no reason for this there's no reason. Even from like a business and company standpoint, I don't understand the point of creating fake profiles. You have billions of people on these platforms. You don't need to create fake people. And what are you doing?

40:24: [Dr. G] Yeah, that you can get a real person to, like, respond or do the thing.

40:28: [Malynda] It's so bizarre to me. I just don't get it. I don't get it. I could go off on AI for another hour. From the music industry AI, from the fake actors that they're creating from like all the like. Ugh girl.

40:41: [Dr. G] Yeah. Now I am, so with the music side, I am curious what's gonna happen with that because there's been a lot of recent like AI songs that have gotten released and while, you know some of them are bangers. I like them.

40:54: [Malynda] I know and that’s also the thing that actually upsets me and I'm like, this is good. Like the number one Christian artist named like Solomon, I forget his last name. I listened to the song and I was like, this is incredible. I'm so mad. And so ohh, my gosh girl, you know, you get me, get me all worked up and we're like, almost at the end. But here's the thing with the music AI, This, these are the two things that I, this is how I see it. The positive that I view AI for music that could be used for Indie artists is being able to produce your own music and not break the bank. It's very hard for independent artists to consistently make content and music because it's expensive to pay a producer, to go to a studio, to rent out all of that, right? Now I have a producer that I've worked with, two producers that I've worked with, on occasion, and we're very close, so they don't charge me much and they get part of the publishing and everything. We have like a whole thing that we worked out whenever I release a song and it's fine and it's affordable, but there are a lot of producers who charged like $2000, $2500 per song and independent artists don't see that kind of money so it's hard right? So if you're able to use certain AI tools because there's a lot of AI tools that have come out recently to help you produce the kind of song that you want to do, I think that independent artist should take advantage of that. Because if you want to be an artist, don't wait for other people and don't, then you don't have to make the excuse of well, I don't have the money because you can pay $15.00 a month for some of these programs. Type in, you know, I want to have this type of vibe. I want it in this key. I want this sections or whatever. And they can help you build a song. And I think that that is beautiful and that's great. The downside now is that it's not limited to the music production, it's also the voice creation. And that's what's terrifying because again, this Christian artist, his names, I'm going to look him up right now because I was, I was so mad. And also if the person who made him I'm just like annoyed by it because he's a Black maga person. I, I'm just, I'm very upset. Um, um, I'm trying to look it up. No, no, no, no, no I can't find it. Where is it? Number one Christian artist Spotify AI. I'm gonna find this right now. Yes. Solomon Ray. OK, it's this Black AI singer. Girl, he's singing down on the songs, but it's AI. And I'm like, this is blasphemous, first of all, but it's so upsetting. And so I don't know, I don't know what the future is for artistry anymore because the number one Christian artist on Spotify is a robot. That's wild to me. But it's even more wild that it’s good. I listened to one song that I had to, I had to like on principle, I couldn't do it anymore because I was like, this is wrong. But this slaps. Like, this is a really good song. And so it's upsetting, but I'm hoping that real artists can utilize the production tools to be able to elevate their own music so that they can continue creating. Yeah, I wanna, I wanna hear the real voices. I wanna hear. The, the rawness I wanna hear. But, and I just, I don't know if we're ever gonna really fully get back to that, but I, I, I hope that this actually pushes independent artists to want to create more rather than turning them away.

44:39: [Dr. G] I love the accessibility that AI can bring to different things. My only fear also with the music thing, and I was thinking about it with more, again, more recent AI songs that have been popping off and becoming trending. Copyright. Like how do you protect the artists? And there's, there's no, I don't think there's any set laws yet about AI specifically and copyright. So I'm like, is that something that's gonna, it should be in there sooner. Because there's too many things that are. Yeah. That was like, how does how do you navigate that world? It's like, I guess in the litigation sense, it's a Gray area.

45:12: [Malynda] Yeah. Very much so. Very much. I don't know. I mean, I know that they've figured it out with like, with acting like Gavin Newsom, California’s Governor, he made, just put into law, you can't do AI for actors. Which thank god because I know that they were trying to, but with music I don't know what they're gonna do. I don't know it's interesting with the copyright stuff yeah so we'll just have to wait and see but it is something that I’m sure it's going to be a part of the conversation and probably sooner than later.

45:42: [Dr. G] Yes, for sure. OK, Now we are coming, I guess kind of to the end of our conversation. We've been all over the place. I hope y’all have enjoyed this journey and I'm here for it. That's what a good conversation is, though. There's not really one trajectory. It's kind of like we're all over the place. But before we kind of come to a close, is there anything else that you wanted to talk about or share about?

46:03: [Malynda] Ohh, gosh. I mean just, I mean, people can just follow me and, and stay up to date with all the things that I'm doing. I have a, a, a film that I'm waiting to hear back on for some festival, for a festival run. Christmas song coming out soon. I'm trying to, I started a couple years ago a project called the Black Voices Heard Project and that's kind of been like a when I'm able to. I had a production crew that I was working with and unfortunately they lost their house in Altadena Fire at the beginning of the year. So we've put that on pause, but it is something I'm really, really passionate about and I'm hoping to bring that back soon because I think hearing Black Voices talk about their experiences is, it's something I'm deeply passionate about. So I'm hoping to do that as well. And then with the New Evangelicals, running that organization, it's been really meaningful because it's a way for me to put my faith in action and show up in the way that I believe people who claim to be Christians are supposed to show up. So we're doing a lot over there with having community. We have a community space that's off of Meta. We have a lot of educational resources, theology classes, how-to resources, church directory of churches that are deemed safe and we have a bunch of stuff that we're doing. We just had a really big Giving Tuesday campaign. So yeah, again, I'm just, my hands in everything.

47:27: [Dr. G]I love it. Again that multi-hyphenate. You gotta you gotta rock all the things, right? And for those listening, I will definitely have Malynda’s  contact information so you can reach out if you're not already following. You can contact her via the social medias, her website, All of that information will be in the description box or in the caption below, so check for that. And before we officially end this conversation, can you just share some words of wisdom or some takeaways that you want the listeners to kind of walk away with?

47:53: [Malynda] Sure. You know, there are a couple of things that I, I tend to tell people. A lot of people asked me how they can show up, what they can do. They don't know what to say, they don't know what to do. And what I always tell people is start by saying that, if you want to make a post that says, hey, I really want to get involved, I really want to, to say something, I just don't know where to start. You will probably be met with more grace and more people that feel that same way than if you're silent and then people realize you've been silent and they're coming to you like why are you ain't saying nothing right. So I think it's, I think it's more important to be honest about how you're feeling about things. If you want to get involved, but you don't know where to start, say that. I think that that's super important because also that means that you care. That shows that you care, but you're just unsure of what the next step is, which I think a lot of people are in that boat. They don't know what to do. This is a really uncertain time and there are a lot of people that are leading the charge and there are a lot of people that want to do something, but they feel like they don't have the tools. You don't need a big following to make a difference. You don't. You don't need to have a huge platform to make a difference, to show up to, to be a part of a movement. Just do the best that you can and also give yourself grace. I think a lot of people are hard on themselves in this time. So that's, that's the one thing that I would say. I would also say if you're a creator, if you're an artist whatever the case may be, make for yourself. Create for yourself. Don't worry about fitting into a niche or a bubble. Because what I've found is someone who's built a platform brick by brick, slowly but surely, and has also, you know, sat back and watched people surpass me. I've realized that like, I'm gonna stay authentic to who I am and what I'm doing and the people will come, right? And I and I think that that's what's important. And also what I found is the people that do come, they're so engaged. They are so bought in. And it's, it's really incredible because I get, I get a lot of messages from people of just gratitude and, and saying, you know, you made me think about something differently or I learned something from you or people always ask me what my Venmo is and I'm like, I'm not giving you my, it's so it makes me so awkward and uncomfortable. I know there are creators that do that. I hate it. So I'm always like just subscribe to my Substack. Like if you really, I've had people find my Venmo and I'm just like, thank you, but like, I don't want you to do that. I, I will, I'll take money from Meta, but I don't really want to take money from you unless you are subscribing to my subscribing to my Substack because then I’ll feel like I'm actually giving you something. But just create and do whatever your medium is because it's what matters to you. And don't do to try to like, please somebody. And, and to find an audience, your audience will find you. So those are my little wisdom Nuggets. Just from personal experience of what I felt. Has worked. Yeah.

50:55: [Dr. G] I love that. I love those. And yes, the theme of just be unapologetically yourself, don’t try to fit into a bubble, just be you. I love that. Yes Aww, well thank you so much for having this conversation.

51:06: [Malynda] This was wonderful, this was so wonderful. I, I mean, I'll, I'll talk to anybody, but I really enjoyed this, thank you!

51:13: [Dr. G] Thank you for being here.

51:14: [Malynda] Of course, of course.

51:16: Well, that concludes this episode. But if you have enjoyed listening to my conversation with Malynda Hale and you would like to listen to more episodes then please check out my website – brokephdpodcast.com – to continue to follow along. I thank you for being here. And remember – YOU GOT THIS! Again, I'm your host, Dr. G, and I hope you have a wonderful day!