Hey everybody and welcome back to Decca Live. It has been a week am I right? Tell us where you're tuning in from what you might be sipping and welcome. We hope this can be a time to relax and recharge. We do that here at Deccan Live by getting to know people who inspire us and rolling our eyes a bit of those who don't so we're so glad you're here and please you know, give us your comments. give us your questions out. We'd love to engage with you throughout this time together. so we have someone Super. Firing with us tonight, I am so happy to welcome the first African-American woman nominated to run for Congress in the tenth District of Ohio and she's surging this race is targeted. she's getting more and more attention. It is a really exciting way, so I'm very excited to have with us tonight. Desiree Timms Thank you. Katie. Having me, I'm so excited and thrilled to be here. Thank you. Desiree Okay. So you and I we got to talking a couple of months ago. We talked about the possibility of doing this since then you start in one of our Red line and blue videos about women across Ohio running from quarantine. You are amazing. I love I love the shot and the pink of bathrobe that was memorable. Yeah. Hot you. Bathrobe and I said you know, I don't think she's she knows how far I'm willing to go for this so that we're gonna do. I love you. thank you for bringing it anyway, that was awesome and then you know, honestly, I wouldn't quite sure when we would find the time in our schedule lined up and everything else, but with everything going on right now, you know I reached out and I just this is the moment I wanted to have you on Desiree. I just wanna say thank you for saying yes. Thank you. yeah. Alright. So alright, everybody comments and questions put em. you know if you have questions put them in the comments. I'm gonna dive right in Desiree. There's so much so much going on you know pandemics at every level of society right now. Right. I just wanna know how are you staying grounded? You know it is really hard to see what's happening In our country, and when I say what's happening, I don't mean the protest. I mean the videos that we see time and time again of black and Brown men and women and girls being murdered and nothing being done. It's like yeah. it's a it's a hashtag. folks are upset about it and then you know we go to sleep and we wake up and we go back to our routine and then there's another video and so I think and. This I say you know I've been for 32 years and for 32 years, this has been a part of my life. It's not something that I can turn off when the hashtags stop rolling and so I'm really inspired by all of the young people out protesting and demonstrating in cities and suburbs and rural areas and small Ohio, and so we're seeing and and let's be clear. they're mostly White. Out there Yeah, and we can't fight the fight alone and so it's just it's beautiful to see people exercising their privilege their right to protest their first Amendment rights and say this is wrong and I'm sick of it. I'm sick of it. I don't wanna see it anymore. It's impacting our lives too. And so I had a therapist on the other day and we talked about the impact that racism has on White people and. Was a very powerful conversation. It impacts people who look like me negatively, but it impacts White people too, because it's you know why are you doing this? You're making us the bet? Why do I have to deal with this? I always have to come defend you or I have to come save the day for White people because we're not all like this in the same with the good cops who come out and say this is wrong. You should not do this and so that one cop that second that third cop in this city and this town look how many cops. Overtime or not getting paid for it. Look how many cops are out working when they can be at home with their family right now because of what's happening and so we have to nip it in the bud, but I'm encouraged by everyone out there who's demonstrating and marching for human rights. Yeah, that's really powerful Desiree and it's so true. This isn't this is about all of us. You know, I mean, I'm raising two little White boys and I want them to grow up in a different world than the one. We've got right now and it feels like gosh with the help. Coming on generation to be within grasp, you know, but you're right. You can't just be a hashtag. What do you say? Do you hear? I mean what are you hearing from your future constituents? we are people expressing concerns about Oh well, you know that that was that was bad what we saw in the video, but these protests you know that that's that's bad. I don't like that. you know. I'm really honing in on concern over you know, property damage and other things that we've seen are you hearing that or? Much if you do hear how do you respond to it? So I've been asked about my position like how do you feel about the the looting or the property damage and in my answer is and will continue to be. It's a from we're doing. I've been out protesting and demonstrating with the young people. Most of these are organized by high school students. I have seen you, I have seen those videos and our students. These are young people organizing and I say well look don't be distracted by what's happening. it's someone's looting right because the vast majority of people are protesting for human rights for civil rights and for equality, and that's the message we have to stand on and we have to continue to press forward. so I am I have to now anything that does not meet the demands of what we're asking for and I think as a as a as a community and I say this is not just in Dayton or Beavercreek as a community of people around the World 50 States 17 countries we're seeing demonstrations for civil rights. Something we can't ignore, We can't be distracted by what one or two people are doing to take away from our message. I think that is called it right. That's my concern and we have to make sure that when the kids are out there and the young people out there demonstrating that they have on us. Yes and that is the most important thing and I think you know, it's it's a concern that people are willing to to fight for equality. Yeah and you're so. It's not just in the city. I mean you know here at Red White and blue. We're all about harnessing the power of the women in the suburbs all across Ohio and I cannot tell you in our private Facebook group all of the pictures and the videos the people are are are posting most of these have been organized by high school students exact same story in the suburbs, but you know I love how your district so represents Ohio. you just said dating and Beaver Creek. You know that's that's downtown. That and you know Beavercreek out in the suburbs and to see this kind of action and in places all over Ohio and Ohio represents the United States. We had it all here. just like your district. Does you know and I think that's that's what's so powerful about your story too and you're running and you're running and making this district flippable. Yes, I mean we we know it can be one and you know for such a time as this You're here but. You know, it's interesting what you're saying too about the concern. you know, I saw that the governor announced today. the data of you know the the numbers trending in the wrong direction in southwest Ohio. so I mean why do you think that is or you know or is it do you think that's a big concern? I do think it's concerning and I told this to one of my good friends. I said it appears as if people think it's over. Yeah it ain't over. And so the restaurants are opening at you know, half capacity or a quarter of the capacity. people are the Sun is out know the days are longer and I think people are just like okay we shelter in place for three months. They said. The second wave was coming in the fall. We've got two months to party and I think literally people would not be nice So partying and that's happening. people have forgotten that hey, it's not. And so it's so important that people wear the mask continue to practice a safe and social business, but it's not over and I think that comes from the top and the top has to say you still need to maintain social distance. You still need to figure out how you're gonna navigate the next couple of months of life without interacting with people because that's what's going to take to save lives and we have to wear the mask and we have to enforce it and so I wanna give a shout out. To the lovely village of Yellow Springs who became the first town and city in Dayton or in Ohio to require face masks and so it's that right, I didn't know that yeah the village of Yellow Springs and so now we know, okay, They're taking action right but we can't wait for a National demand or requirement or a statewide. What what makes you think the Ohio Legislature wouldn't wouldn't go along with the hiring for all of Ohio. That is the only answer That's so good. Yeah. Yes, Thank you Meredith For those who don't follow. Perhaps you are the legislatures closely as Desiree and I do the Republican Super majority is actually voted against you know requiring masks in the state House. You know just stood up and and you know that that would be the proper thing to do which I find so ironic cuz we all could actually have a lot more freedoms if everyone just would wear the damn masks right-I I I went to the store to pick up something and we're standing in line. They have the markers where you're supposed to stand and maintain your distance and a woman like right next to me and I thought. Clearly, you see the marker on the ground. Could you please give me some space. I'm trying to live. I do not want my mom's a nurse. She takes care of my parents in a nursing home. I'm responsible for so many people I have to wear my mask. Keep my distance wash my hands and do all sorts of things to ensure that we limit and mitigate the chance of prot. I'm so thrilled my pastor is leading the charge here and my district offering free. Test a different churches. Oh, that's so good and it's so great. So if you're in Ohio's tenth district, get tested, Follow me on Facebook and I will make sure you have access to the resources to get that test. I love that I love that your pastors offering those to us. It's so important and good. okay. So you mentioned your mom. I wanna talk about your story cuz I love it and I know that this was not like some long plan. You're thinking, Oh, when I run for Congress and plotting your path to do that. I mean I'd love your story. You're like you can't sleep one night right. I mean, give us the back story here cuz this this district is competitive cuz you are working hard to make it and we do not know that it's winnable. but no no. it's no woman. No african-american has never been elected from the tenth right. That's right. Okay, but you're like huh. I'm doing this game on so backstory. so yeah. I'm born and raised in the Inner city here in Dayton. I'm a proud graduate of Dayton Public Schools. I tell the story because I think it's important to talk about the role of education. My great grandparents who lived in Middletown, they actually moved to Dayton and they integrated the neighborhood here in West Dayton and my grandma and her siblings integrated the high school and it was because my great grandfather believed that education was just so important now Day in high school, I had mostly straight A's few rebels teenagers and later attended Xavier University in Cincinnati. Now when I got to Xavier, I did not have straight A's and Katie, you know inner city schools public schools, schools do not receive the same funding that suburban public schools, our private schools receive and I was devastated. I felt cheated when I got to Xavier and I talked to some of my friends who are from Chicago or bigger cities, or maybe the boarding school and they. I've seen this material years ago and I thought. Someone's gonna pay for this because this is not right and then low and behold a man came to campus talking about hope and change. We can't believe in. I'm not familiar this guy. Yeah. he's running for President and I was like, okay. I'm in Barack Obama and so I knocked doors for him and it really helps kick off my whole experience in perception of the role of politics and I knock doors for. Landed at the White House internship work in the White House didn't know anything about public policy didn't know anyone in there don't know how I got there but I they let me in so and it was a sponge for information and then I just wanted to really focus more on. but how can I help people in my community in southwest Ohio? A GM Delhi. My neighbor's homes are getting foreclosed. They were losing their jobs. They weren't making the 20 - five and $30 an hour they were making in the nineties. What are we gonna do to help And this man with curly hair and a essy boy was talking about jobs in Ohio manufacturing and I was like, Oh I like him. I wanna go work for him and so I made it work for our I my husband of Conney Schultz we. had Sherry Brown and it was such a A wonderful experience learning more about the role of Congress the role of the legislative branch, how people empower people who are elected can effectuate change, but To have courage and so I spent a career on Capitol Hill later work for Senator Kirsten Gillibrand work in different think tanks traumatized myself by going to law school at night for four years and working full time during the day. Don't recommend it just go full time or don't go finish at Georgetown and I reached this in Katie you and I talked about this. I reached this point where I said, Okay, I could take this job at a firm and make really. I'm pescatarian so I was just like you know how much I can afford to eat on this is really expensive Super expensive a bit nice and I laid in bed and I've thought you know what I could do this, but I have a customer who text me and said, Can I have some gas money and I have another person who texted me and said, can you figure out how to help me get tuition next semester because I don't have enough and another cousin who says. I need help filling out the fast food and another uncle who says, help me fill out my my unemployment paperwork and so all of these things. I'm thinking I can't. I can't help you just by giving you $20 or sending you a link. you need a law to change so that you can have opportunity to help yourself. and in that moment, I knew where my heart was leading to and so I came back home and I was like I'm all in. I'm running. I'm gonna flip. See are gonna get this guy out who's not helping my community and my family people need help. We need someone with courage and that's someone who's there for the paycheck or for power or for comfort we need more and so that's that's why I made it to really help people and I think anytime you if you get up every morning and it's the job for you. if you get up every morning and it's just a paycheck, get up every morning and it's just TV and camera. now you're in it for the wrong reason. So. Are you doing this with you know in quarantine? you know now with all this with the National. Now, you know that's close to home and global. how and yet you know I'm hearing more and more about you know like I don't live in southwest Ohio and I feel like every other phone calls have you heard that Desiree Timms down in you know and like why am I hearing so much about you? How are you doing that in the Middle of all this? You know Rihanna has a song. It's like work work work. I am busting my butt I think that obviously I went to school at Yale Law School Georgetown undergraduate degree from Xavier, a lot of education from the streets of Dayton, Ohio, Nothing could have compared prepared me for this cycle, so I moved home. That weekend the KKK March downtown Dayton three days later, we have 15 tornadoes that ripped through the city and the suburbs two months after that, we had a horrible Mass shooting now infamously known as the Dayton shooting five months after that, we're ushering into a pandemic two to three months into the pandemic. We're watching the video after video along the way the whole time videos of black men and women being killed throughout all of this. And then you finally hit a tipping point with young people who said I've had enough all the while I'm running for office. And I just it it pushes me further because what it said was there's disaster after disaster after disaster and the person who's supposed to be in charge and the congressional level is doing nothing. Yeah. Okay. So let's talk about that for a second. so like there was something that happened coming out of your part of the state. you know yet another bright shining example. Lack of leadership you know in the last week or so and you know we're state Senator Steve Huffman made these remarks in a appearing on whether or not racism was gonna be declared a public health crisis, which seems like kind of a no brainer but and he asked well. maybe you know, is it that black people? Oh, no. what did he say, African-Americans or colored population is which? That he said that for sure, but I feel like the worst part was that he said. You know it just that they're getting covid- 19 more because they don't wash their hands as well, which is basically saying like are they just dirt or something? I don't know. I just don't like it but anyways, he says this and then I was thinking. Oh the condemnations are gonna come down like raining hot fire on this guy. So what did your opponent say about that? nothing Does literally nothing absolutely nothing he has tweeted anything I believe since May 20, - eight, he hasn't said anything and you know it gets to a point where we are human beings and we have to show some morality regardless of if you disagree with me on my policy position or my politics. at the end of the day, you should care about me as a human being like I care about you it Very disappointing discouraging and concerning that he is in a position of leadership or he doesn't feel the need to condemn such a remark. He even worse, this guy Stepp Huffman, who's actually my state senator. I'm in his district. He's my state senator who doesn't know that we are definitely washing our hands. We've been washing our hands. We kinda have that part down but he's also an ER physician. What happens and we talk about a lot of black women infant mortality and talk about the way. women are treated when we go to the hospitals and we're advocating for and we're paying or we're experiencing X Y and Z and the doctors don't believe us and so there's this whole trust Black women movement because of that the health care disparities that exist and so when you have someone who's a trained professional medical professional ER position, God ER emergency room. I'm having an emergency and you may not. You know that I have, you know some. I did something to cause this and that's really the sad part when we talk about racism being a public health crisis and we have a public official who's also an emergency room physician, saying things like not only the racist comment about color people but saying something disparaging we don't know how to wash our hands. It's very sad. You just laid it out. so clearly, though I mean just beyond the ignorance of that remark just the problem. Right, you know like that goes deep. Thank you okay, Desiree. we always like to lighten it up here a little bit before we get to the eye of the week nominations very important. We did just mention someone who could be deserving but I got I gotta I gotta ask you a few questions like this. So what is your hidden talent? What is the thing that's might be a secret. That not everybody knows, but we get to know right now. in a dancing is a talent I like to dance. Yeah. Okay now Beyonce and there it goes there. It goes. Alright. Alright. Alright. Well. so I'm I'm gonna take that actually as like a commitment of some sort, you know, post pandemic you know or actually I don't know why we can get you on. We can get video of you busting some moves like during remotely. So, okay Next video. Oh, no. Yes, you heard it here. First. It's coming. it's coming to America. Alright, okay. What about favorite TV show because I know you're working hard but come on like come on. There's gotta be something you do that isn't working. I don't know if it's a favorite TV show, but I will will that I did watch something on Netflix, which most of America watched Tiger King. all you did a train wreck. You couldn't look away from it. You have to just keep. And then before you know it, I was like Oh next episode amazing. So I don't know if I'm like proud or ashamed to say that I actually haven't seen it. I feel like I just I don't get like half of the references made and that is not because I have some high-minded television watching. I'm watching in order to understand the references because I sleep on and I'm like Ah, that's funny. I get it because of that. Yeah exactly you gotta have the knowledge man at every level okay. Alright. so we are. Out of time so we've got to do our of the week. This is where we I nominate someone you nominate someone and and then everybody you guys get to get to vote and comments for who has the stronger contender for eye roll of the week this week, we believe in democracy so Desiree I don't get to choose who wins you do okay, so I don't know who you have lined up to to to go first but let's I mean, let's just let's just. Of the week, we always look Tina to introduce that for us because nobody's better than okay. so Desiree. Why don't you take it who gets who gets a roll of the week? I feel like I can't compete with this. My of the week is State Senator Steve Huffman. I mean. He represents 9000 African-Americans and didn't know that we knew how to wash our hands. I mean Julio with the Hand-wash challenge and so you know like I'm an example like we got this. We got this. Yeah no very deserving and I'm and I just have to add in there, though, like Mike Turner, Mike Turner, you'll also get an honorary nomination there just for being so silent in the face of that. You know, there's there's a lot of suburban state senators who just you know, defended him or quiet about it. you know not cool guys. just like not cool. We're rolling our eyes at you. Okay. So my nominee is a little less close to home, but very deserving of the eye roll this week. It's Trump's former National security adviser John Bolton, who. That guy he has, you know this this new book coming out and there's so much you know there's a lot of anticipation right because right thing. why why because he's saying I have all these secret son spilling all this knowledge of these multiple impeachable offenses that Trump committed during my time as National security adviser Okay great now. can you tell us what would have been nice to you know? maybe if you while you're National security adviser if you came out and you know, ring the alarm and protected our country by Expos. Going on that, that would have been nice or maybe when Trump was getting impeached and you have knowledge about impeachable offenses, maybe come forward, then you know like feel the Hill and all those other really inspiring strong women did in that hearing at great risk to their own careers, but you waited until you could boost those book sales. so you my friend are very deserving. also of viral a week okay. So. Can vote while I get in one last question to you Desiree Honestly, it's like those nominees just week by week. It's just like the gift that keeps on coming. you know, I mean, there's just never any shortage. It's that's Raider is probably correct, but it is a tie. I love all these. I I I love these women in office. I'm running for office jumping on here and supporting Desiree Tims. I love it. Thank you. Yeah. Betsy Rader, who's running for state Senate up here in Northeast Ohio and suburban area. okay, so alright. I'm like I said we'll we'll give a couple of more minutes one thing I just wanted to ask you about is that there was this viral video earlier on in your campaign and I it's it's a I mean it's it's a it's a song. It's a wrap about the importance of voting and why it really matters to vote and It's it's incredible. I thought I checked I had like I don't know 45 million views is way more than that. now. Yeah way. more. Yeah. Okay. So and I'm watching the thing cuz it's showing up in my Facebook feed and everything and I watched to the end and I'm like that's still tims. That's so weird. How did she end up in that video? and I asked you about it and it turns out your cousin wrote that song, but not just that you co-wrote that you corrode it with your cousin right and so what I was so curious about was everybody. Go her cousin goes by yellow Paine. Check it out on Facebook or any platform. It's a really incredible. It's just clearly breaks down the importance of the Democratic process of voting and it just makes a claim but that's how did how did that happen Like how did you how did that evolve? Do you get questions about that? And what was your purpose in making that happen. So in this we have five colleges and universities, Central State will force and. Sinclair Community College University of Dayton Brisa, and we saw the drop-off rate with African-American voters in this district from 2012 at 73 percent to 2018 to 43 percent, and when I went door-to-door free and when I talk to young people, what I found is in order to tell them I'm running for Congress. This is why I am blah blah blah blah blah many of them thought I was. In Columbus, they thought I was running for city Council they they didn't know and I was like what so I was making this chart in the chart, you'll see in the video if you watched it that it takes time and it takes time away from the story and I thought okay, I have to figure out how to make people understand why it's important to vote but also the different levels of government and why it's important to vote, not just for the President of the United States, but for state and local office and the legislative branch and the important role of judges and I thought okay, I wanna create. Of Rock, but hip hop song Yes, that's what it is. It's exactly right. It is that I'm gonna do it and so I linked up with my cousin. I taught him everything we went over it. I kept writing. I was at the chart to the video and we have to really break it down. He added his own spin to it and I was like look these are the points so they say that and the third verse was talking about judges because I thought people don't realize judges are on ballots and we have to talk. That and so I thought look at what happened with the the the different places where people are still protesting today because the judge let them off cuz the judge may have had a friend and someone else look at these cases where judges aren't doing the right things because guess what they may not have ARD on their next to their name on the ballot, but they haven't already next to their name right and so we put together this song I honestly it was just for my district. I made a song for. Here in the district and then I saw Chelsea Clinton retweeted it and then Stacey Abrams it and then Kamala Harris and I said, Wow. Wow. This is like I was excited with the first 100000 views. I was like, Yeah, we reach people and then it one million two million three million and. then there's so many different iterations like people have their have taken it and made it their own. We've lost track honestly, Oh well. that's so cool. so I saw that show up everywhere. It's like I was following your cousin, you know and so that's why I showed up on my feet like I'm in a bunch of like Mom, Facebook groups you know and like in this local groups of Suburban across Ohio, it's popping up everywhere and I think that what's so significant about what you're saying you were inspired to do this because you are hearing this and questions from you're watching that drop off locally with students, but I mean, let's be honest like most people don't know who their state senator is who their Council members are you know and those people are making these decisions that impact our lives and you mentioned judges. I mean we've got. Two state Supreme Court seats up in Ohio that could make some of the most consequential decisions here in the next couple of years here. so you know, thank you for doing that. and I just think it's so cool that he reached way beyond like any filter bubble with that is such a great and I wasn't supposed to be in the video I I was in the bed you know wearing my Olivia of hope. I was like nope. do this do that and he said, Well you have to get in it and I said no, I made this to educate people. I'm I'm not trying to. It's not a campaign opportunity. It's for educational purposes, so you have to get in it. I jumped in at the end. Yeah, I know it's low key, but it's solid no-I. I'd love to see you seeking you in that, like just making the connection was very cool. So I'm I'm glad you asked you to do that. you stepped up just like you're stepping up now. Alright. I can't this time has gone by so fast as a thank you so much for doing this for joining us, we do have the winner of viral of the week you win. It's a state Senator. Steve Huffman, your state senator look at him with that cute little crown just the eye of the weak crown He deserves it good nomination. My hat is off to you. Yes, you're welcome. Okay, Desiree Thanks again. you know look, I think my parting message here is like WoW. You know less like Steve Huffman more like you. thank you for stepping up. It is not an easy task. you know we we're we are cheering you on. thank you for working so hard. Thank you for having me and for anyone watching if you wanna run for office and people will say it's hard. It's too hard. I'm gonna. It's a fight and it's a fight worth having and so you may have to take a few punches but keep fighting because we need to. Thank you love them.