0:00
standing next to a senior advisor to the
0:02
president of the United States former
0:04
mayor of Atlanta but she still makes
0:06
impact give it up for Keisha Lynn's
0:11
thank you Keisha um or what is the title
0:15
how do I professionally would I senior
0:17
advisor bottoms uh Keisha
0:23
and then if you really want to get me
0:25
say Keisha Lance and I'll go oh did we
0:27
go to high school together yeah
0:29
okay okay Keisha uh first of all thank
0:33
you for allowing us to visit you in your
0:35
office yes it's great to have you all oh
0:38
absolutely and really talking to us
0:39
about what your day-to-day activities
0:41
are since you be since you left in the
0:43
mayor's office in Atlanta a lot of folks
0:45
are wondering what is she doing so for
0:47
our audience can you tell them how have
0:49
you progressed since then oh I'm working
0:53
um on behalf of the president of the
0:55
United States so it's incredible just to
0:58
have a seat at the table and to reflect
1:01
who we are and and all that our
1:04
ancestors ever hoped that we could be
1:06
and the great thing is that when you
1:08
look at the policies that are coming out
1:10
of this White House whether it's a cap
1:12
on insulin drugs for our seniors student
1:16
debt relief if we're talking about how
1:18
we can decrease gun violence in our
1:21
country and the list goes on and on then
1:24
on it's because we have a president and
1:27
a vice president who are keeping people
1:30
across America top of mind and and I'm
1:33
not just saying that because I'm talking
1:35
to you all I see it every day it's
1:37
reflected in how we are instructed to
1:40
think and and how we are asked to engage
1:43
as reflected by you all being here today
1:47
the backdrop of the White House
1:49
incredible this is crazy this is
1:52
incredible with the champion world
1:55
it's a good thing Daddy what up the
1:58
Warriors because it made me think about
1:59
a question we had literally just asked
2:01
Steph and Curry about how we're seeing
2:03
so many of the Suns now playing
2:06
basketball you'll see like Tim Hardaway
2:08
Jr Jr you know you're just seeing all of
2:10
this coming up but for you and your
2:12
family you were talking to sway and I
2:13
Mike about your kids is it is Politics
2:16
the family business do you see your kids
2:18
uh coming up in politics no not at all I
2:22
have one who memorizes polls uh so uh
2:26
you know I told them today that when he
2:28
become when he becomes the president
2:31
um you know we talked about what we
2:32
could do when he becomes the president
2:34
but every day just behind us is what we
2:37
call the tradesman's entrance and it's a
2:40
way that you can come into the White
2:41
House and you come through in their
2:43
cardboard boxes and it's where you see
2:45
the work getting done and there's not a
2:48
moment that I don't walk through that
2:49
entrance and I think about my
2:51
grandfather my grandfather used to haul
2:54
cardboard paper out of hotels and
2:58
businesses in downtown Atlanta and would
3:00
sell them to recycle them and it's paved
3:04
my way helped pave the way for me to go
3:06
to college so when I come into the White
3:08
House and I think about coming from my
3:12
to today when walking into The West Wing
3:17
you know that's better than any family
3:19
business you could think of because as
3:21
the president said today our country is
3:23
about possibilities so for my kids
3:26
it's just if you can see it you can be
3:28
it so if it's me coming through here if
3:31
it's owning a business like my
3:33
grandfather as long as it's an honest
3:35
day's work that's all that matters but
3:37
I'm just grateful to reflect so many
3:40
hopes and dreams as a part of the team
3:44
Mayor Bob do you have represented
3:46
Atlanta so well I I can't not think
3:48
about Atlanta being the home in place of
3:50
like art and culture and film and music
3:52
as you transition into the role now in
3:55
Office of Public engagement how are you
3:56
thinking about art and culture as a way
3:59
to bring in constituency groups as a way
4:02
as for messaging and as a way of
4:04
aggregating that system we talk about it
4:07
a lot on one how do we amplify our
4:09
messaging because when I look at my kids
4:11
I know that the reality is that they're
4:14
not going to get the message on CNN or
4:16
MSNBC it's just an interest in they're
4:18
probably going to get it it's going to
4:21
be streamed to them or they're going to
4:22
talk to or or get it from someone who
4:25
they see as influential and so we're
4:28
constantly talking about how we engage
4:31
differently but it's also important that
4:33
we get people inside the gates of the
4:35
White House which we've been doing that
4:37
getting people in here so you can see
4:39
this really is the people's house this
4:41
work is being done on behalf of the
4:43
people and we know that art and culture
4:45
have so much to do with everything I
4:50
used to say as mayor great cities have
4:52
great culture and we know that from the
4:55
White House that a great country has
4:58
great culture great art and it's it
5:01
should be reflected in everything that
5:04
thank you one of the things as you talk
5:06
about Atlanta and even answering Mike's
5:09
question it made me think about people
5:11
seeing us in these spaces and walking
5:13
through the west wing and going into
5:15
your office I see a lot of powerful
5:17
black women walking around the hallways
5:20
we spoke with Shalonda young we spoke
5:22
with Kareem Jean-Pierre we're speaking
5:25
with you Atlanta became an epicenter for
5:29
black women as change agents we've done
5:31
incredible things in industry and
5:32
otherwise what advice would you give to
5:34
leaders of other environments to create
5:36
that type of space for black women can
5:39
strive well and I'll just say this when
5:41
you all were in the office I should have
5:42
pointed out just across the hall is
5:45
Susan Wright Ambassador Susan Rice's
5:47
office it's our domestic policy Council
5:50
who who has been responsible for so much
5:53
of the great policy that's making a
5:55
difference but what I would just say for
5:57
for black women for whomever you are
6:00
when you get that seat at the table on
6:02
that seat and it's it's
6:04
easier said than done but I have to
6:07
remind myself the president didn't ask
6:09
me to come here to think like a white
6:11
man to be a white man to to act like
6:14
somebody else he asked me to come here
6:16
because of who I am and all that I
6:20
reflect and all that I bring to the
6:22
table and so sometimes it means raising
6:25
your hands and I think we should think
6:26
about it this way it often means that he
6:30
will sit across the table and ask you
6:32
what do you think and not that my seat
6:35
is just as a black woman but our
6:39
if we don't speak up and reflect who we
6:43
are then who else will because I I don't
6:47
expect that anybody else who's not me
6:49
will be able to speak on our behalf and
6:54
it's just it's it's an honor and the
6:57
best part about it is that it matters to
6:59
the president that he wants us at the
7:02
table and as you said even what you see
7:04
out front most people may not know who
7:07
Shalonda young is they they may know my
7:10
name because I was mayor but Shalonda
7:13
has one of the most important jobs or
7:17
and hopefully everybody knows their name
7:19
will know her name now to the extent
7:21
that they don't but it you know we we
7:24
are seeing and we are heard around here
7:26
amen well thank you Keisha for joining
7:28
us today thank you listen to your world
7:30
thank you and we're rooting for you and
7:32
we're on your team oh well thank you I'm
7:34
honored to join you all thank you all
7:36
for being here we'll do more right
7:37
sounds good sounds good to me okay Sway
7:40
in the morning at the White House Mike
