The Social Work Lens Presents… Audio Nuggets Episode 35: Myah Overstreet

Transcript:

Cassie Gillespie (00:00:01):

Hello, I’m Cassie Gillespie, and you’re listening to the Social Work Lens. Lately, it seems like we start every one of our episodes with me saying something like, today we’re gonna bring you something new, but we need to say it again because it’s true, especially true today. Today we’re gonna bring you something new. The producers over here at the Social Work lens. We’ve been working really hard on a story, and we’re hoping to get that out to you soon in just a couple of weeks. But in the meantime, the new thing we wanted to share is one of our favorite podcasts, in case you haven’t heard it before. So today we wanna bring you an episode from Corey B. Best and Mining for Gold. You might remember, Corey, he’s been a guest on our podcast many times, but you may not know. He’s his own podcast. It’s called Audio Nuggets. And today we wanna share audio nuggets. Episode 35. It features a discussion between Corey and Myah Overstreet about Myah’s recently published an absolutely incredible documentary called To Be Invisible. Myah’s work focuses on reproductive justice, rights of black women, and the policing of black bodies. So give it a listen, and if you enjoy it, go check out audio nuggets, give them a follow. You can find them wherever you get your podcasts, or we’ll link to them and to Myah’s work in the show notes for this episode. Okay, thanks. See you soon.

Corey B Best (00:01:19):

Welcome back to The Cipher, right here on Audio nuggets today. This conversation was recorded on Juneteenth 2024, with the one and only Myah Overstreet. A little bit about Myah, one, you’ll feel her excitement, her humility, and also her modesty. However, she’s a filmmaker, a journalist, born and raised in Oakland, home of the Black Panthers, and is currently living in Brooklyn, New York. Her areas of focus is on the intersection of culture and racial injustices among marginalized community. Myah is dedicated to amplifying bold, untold stories. Myah received a master’s of journalism from graduate school at UC Berkeley, concentrating on documentary filmmaking in short film production. Today, today we’re gonna go behind the scenes and really understand the battle of the story, the elements of this story To Be Invisible. We’re gonna hear and see and witness the conflict, the riveting problem, the characters, abolitionist, operation stop CPS, Amanda Wallace families, the state agents, children. We won’t talk today necessarily about victims, villains, and heroes, but as you watch the film, you’ll see whose voices often get ignored and disappeared. Myah, through her filmmaking and her artistry, she will show and not only tell powerful images of what’s really happening. the film also provides us with some foreshadowing challenging us as individuals to really understand our underlying assumptions about why it is we’re so reliant upon a system with the efficacy of light and lightning promotes, perpetuates so much structural harm and damage. There’s an intervention in this short film as well, and that intervention is to understand that freedom and abolitionism is the only way out. It will challenge our own vulnerabilities, and hopefully this story will indeed show you how frames are really, really important to understanding narrative power. Because with the frame, it also allows Myah through her work to define points of view and the power in the story. I’m stoked about this one, good people. I hope you’ll enjoy all that’s about to happen right here in the cipher. Let’s get into this right now with Myah Overstreet. Myah Overstreet. Woo hoo!

Myah Overstreet (00:04:25):

Hey, hey, <laugh>.

Corey B Best (00:04:26):

what’s going on with you queen?

Myah Overstreet (00:04:29):

Nothing much, nothing much. How you doing?

Corey B Best (00:04:32):

I am so much better now. We are having this conversation on Juneteenth. I dare a call it a celebration. I don’t know what to call it, but I feel good. We moving. We got vibration here. And you know, Myah, let’s just let it out right now. Today we are not only celebrating right Freedom Day. It’s not just Jubilee, but there’s something magnificently amazing in your world today that just dropped literally hours ago.

Myah Overstreet (00:05:10):

mhhm <Affirmative>.

Corey B Best (00:05:11):

I would usually say, let’s discover who you are, but I want to feel, and I’m sure my listeners want to feel some of this excitement. So Myah, welcome to Audio Nuggets and what the hell is going on in your life this morning.

Myah Overstreet (00:05:27):

Thank you. Thank you for the welcome this morning, my debut film published on the New Yorker site today, my very first film, on a platform that has been around for decades and decades and decades and decades has published today. And I’m just beyond words. And there’s so many feels, so many feels, so many feels, I’m feeling so good. I’m feeling so good.

Corey B Best (00:05:57):

Yeah, I, I’m, I’m riding some of that energy with you. And again, you know, as, as we talked about before we went live today, how, how proud I am and thank you how honored I am to have gotten a chance to, to see, and the screening in DC we met, it was Black Mother’s March. I mean, a lot has been, been happening in your world, and I appreciate you, you really joining today. I mean, I know your email’s blowing up. You got text messages.

Myah Overstreet (00:06:32):

Lots going on, <laugh>.

Corey B Best (00:06:33):

Right? You got links to be sending out to people. Like, here you go. So you mentioned, you know, you mentioned your family, your friends, and you also like said that there’s, there’s a lot of angst, in this release. So what is, what is that about?

Myah Overstreet (00:06:49):

It’s quite a process, getting a film out into the world. And I don’t know if people realize that. Of course, you know, people who aren’t in film probably don’t know, which is obvious. But it was just a lot of work. It was a lot of work. I mean, I worked really hard on this. My friends who helped me with this project, Noah McMillan and William Jenkins, they helped me a lot, getting this film out into the world. Noah staying up late, I’m on the East Coast, he is on the West Coast, time difference and we’re both working. We’re like, I’m like, can you do this? Can you do that? He’s like, girl, I need a second. I’m like, fair, fair, fair. Valid, valid.

Corey B Best (00:07:34):

<Laugh>.

Myah Overstreet (00:07:35):

And then, you know, like with like, traveling and, you know, really, really focusing on our impact campaign and going to festivals, it was just like a huge, a huge buildup. You know, I signed my contract with a New Yorker last summer, so it’s been a year of, of edits, of perfection, of getting the film out there, of talking about it, you know, meeting more families. And so and then like, working with the New Yorker team, they’re fantastic. They’re amazing, and we all put a lot of work in. And so the anxiety just comes from, you know, wanting it to be just amazing, an amazing experience, an amazing watch. So happy, relieved. I’m relieved. I’m, I’m like, whew. We’re done.

Corey B Best (00:08:23):

Yeah. And next next project, right there, there are more dots to connect. And, you know, one, let’s just, the film is entitled What

Myah Overstreet (00:08:36):

The film is called, To Be Invisible.

Corey B Best (00:08:39):

To Be Invisible. Just, just hold that, Myah. And we’re gonna unpack some of all of this the dedication, the heart, the comradery, the, the folks, the constituents, the base, the people. But before we do all of that, and getting to, To Be Invisible I can’t say it enough, but just, I mean, it, it’s like that old school Biz Markie record. He says, it feels good to see people up on it. Right? You remember that?

Myah Overstreet (00:09:21):

Yes,

Corey B Best (00:09:21):

Back in the day. At first they wasn’t. Right. <Laugh>. So

Myah Overstreet (00:09:27):

yes,

Corey B Best (00:09:28):

That’s how we roll here Myah. But what, who are you as, as a, as a person, as a, as a queen in, in these Americas? Like, let’s discover you.

Myah Overstreet (00:09:41):

You know, I’m just, I’m just a black girl from Oakland, and I’m from Oakland, California. I, you know, I have a master’s degree from uc, Berkeley. That’s where I made the film. And I up and moved to New York right after graduation to pursue this filmmaking career. And yeah, I don’t know, Corey, I’m just a girl. I feel like I’m just a girl. And, you know, I have always loved film. I’ve always loved art. I’ve always loved performance. And I’ve always loved writing. I’ve always loved journalism. And so film is my way of combining all of my passions. But also, you know, growing up in Oakland, the home of the Black Panthers, art has always been paired with activism. And you know, growing up in a family that was big on education and big on, you know, being black and being proud, as cliche as that sounds, but like, I, it’s always been drilled into me that like, you know, your education is the one thing that they can’t take away from you. So I’ve always taken that seriously. I’ve always taken my passion seriously. And so yeah, that’s, that’s who I am. That’s how I got here, where I am today.

Corey B Best (00:11:08):

Yeah. I mean, I, dare to say, and, and just, just a girl is, is an understatement, <laugh>. So we’ll remove just, but the amazing Myah Overstreet filmmaker dropped today for the world. If you didn’t hear us at first, but you talked a little bit about what motivated you, right? And, and I’m learning that, as you said, right there in Oakland, the home of the Panthers, you know, that, that art and poetry and film has always been a way for us to be disruptive and to also share true narratives.

Myah Overstreet (00:11:48):

Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>,

Corey B Best (00:11:49):

Because there’s a, there’s a narrative out there, but then you are what you’re, what you’re doing. And to be invisible is really looking at a true narrative that counters what’s happening in America and how we think about things. But let’s go a little bit further into sort of what motivates you. So think about your, your earliest memory, like of you with a pen, a pencil, a, a sketch pad, a you know, and behind a camera. Like, what was happening? What, what kept you stuck on this way of being creative?

Myah Overstreet (00:12:27):

Hmm. When I think about my earliest memory, Hmm. Being creative I think my mother was the first one who really encouraged me to write, and especially write my feelings. I’ve always been a very emotional person. And as a child, I couldn’t really articulate that. And so my mom would encourage me to just write about it. So I started with writing poems. I would fill journals up with poems. And to this day, I still keep a lot of journals. I still have a notebook, and I keep a lot of journals with me, and I keep all of the notebooks that I fill up. I, I like to keep all of my notes just because it’s like fun to look back and see where you were. And so yeah. Sorry, can you repeat the second part of your question? Sorry about that.

Corey B Best (00:13:17):

Yeah. I’m just, no, today is huge for you, Myah. It, it, it’s all good. Right? I, I’m just trying to think about like, what was to, to help us understand like this one motivation and, and with all the distraction in the world, we can, we can get sidetracked on our passion, what we’re serious about, what we’re hungry for, and to stay stuck on that is a feed in of itself. Right? So, so what was happening, like with, with little Myah, like, right, with that, with those, those journals and those books, like what, what were you thinking? What were you imagining? What were you dreaming for for a world in the future?

Myah Overstreet (00:14:08):

Mm. What was I dream? I don’t know. I, oh, what was I dreaming about? I was, I’ve always jumped about what true happiness is and what that looks like. What that feels like. I think in a world of mass consumerism, we are never truly satisfied.

Corey B Best (00:14:31):

Hmm.

Myah Overstreet (00:14:32):

And so I think, I don’t know if this is exactly true, but as a kid, for some reason, I was just very conscious of the fact that you know, I needed to express myself for some reason. I don’t know why. And so, yeah, I’ve always dreamt of, you know, of happiness. And so to put it plainly. And so as I continued to write I graduated from, you know writing little notes to my mom. We called it our call and response journal. So I would write to her, and then she would write back. And we did that for a very short amount of time. ’cause Then I started writing poems and you know, I thought I was gonna be like a poet or something, but my dad was like, you need to have career. It’s gonna make you a little bit of money. So I’m like, fair, valid, valid. You know? So you know, I went into journalism, started writing, I started writing for my high school newspaper.

Corey B Best (00:15:30):

<laugh>.

Myah Overstreet (00:15:30):

And so, you know, I thought I was gonna go into political science. I thought I was gonna be a lawyer. I was like, well, I’m opinionated. You know, there’s things going on around me. I remember one of my earliest articles at Berkeley High School was about the Oscar Grant plaque that was gonna go up at Fruitvale Station, because years earlier, he had just been killed. And so that was my earliest I, that, that’s my earliest memory of, all right, I’m gonna write about something that is impacting me as a black girl is impacting my community as black people, that’s impacting other people who come in and out of this bar station. You know so yeah, that’s where, that’s where it all started. And so I think with journalism there is like this, how do I articulate this, for me personally, it all stems back from what does it mean to be happy? Who are people who are, where are the people who are fighting for freedom, justice, happiness, and how do we elevate those stories? So for me is a co That’s where it started, if that makes sense. It was a combination.

Corey B Best (00:16:50):

Yeah. It, it does. And, you know, I, I’m just hearing, and, and for those, you know, people will, will, will get to see in what you look like. But I’m, I’m seeing little Myah, right. As, as a, as a dreamer, radicalized Little Myah, thinking about love and joy and freedom and happiness. Right. And it takes perseverance to, to do that. So, so thank you for, for gifting us with that. To go a little bit deeper into how your how you’ve been positioned, you know, through journalism and being creative and in search of happiness and other people’s happiness as well, to magnify.

Myah Overstreet (00:17:32):

Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative>,

Corey B Best (00:17:32):

what that means to, to us, especially in black body, there are some nuances that I’m, I’m learning about, right? I’m not I don’t consider myself a creative and artist, but I’m, I’m learning more about narrative versus story, right?

Myah Overstreet (00:17:52):

Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>.

Corey B Best (00:17:53):

And I think, I think filmmakers and artists know a little bit more than I do. So I’m understanding narrative one as a coherent set or system of stories.

Myah Overstreet (00:18:07):

Yes.

Corey B Best (00:18:08):

And that narratives are bigger.

Myah Overstreet (00:18:10):

Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>.

Corey B Best (00:18:10):

Right. And more open-ended and less bounded to a linear sequence while like containing these smaller little in interconnected related stories that are actually emblematic of a larger narrative now in America.

Myah Overstreet (00:18:27):

Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>,

Corey B Best (00:18:28):

we have the American dream as a big narrative, right. With a whole lot of false bunk stories that we <laugh> fall into and believe, right?

Myah Overstreet (00:18:41):

Yeah.

Corey B Best (00:18:42):

But the most marginalized Myah experiences and stories are often hidden by journalism media. And this leads us to believe those false stories are real.

Myah Overstreet (00:18:56):

Right?

Corey B Best (00:18:56):

And because we have been sort of hooked by that narrative in to be invisible in my sort of witnessing that I also was reminded of a, of a, I wouldn’t call him a colleague, but a, a a psychologist that I have worked with in the past. His name is Ken Hardy, and he talks about hidden wounds, right? And so sometimes we don’t know how to heal hidden wounds because we don’t see them, nor do we touch them.

Myah Overstreet (00:19:34):

Right.

Corey B Best (00:19:34):

And so, I’m, I’m seeing you bring right life and love to, to, to magnify what’s been hidden in plain sight. And so these, these hidden wounds that he talks about are internalized devaluation, assault, sense of self, things that I saw in, in, in the film. And with constituents like Amanda. You know, we work with these organizers that have been a part of this evolution of to be invisible, internalized, voicelessness, the case of nobody he talks about. Right. And the wound of rage. And he says, the wound of rage is often misidentified as anger. And so he says, don’t, don’t, don’t minimize my like that. Right. <laugh>, like, call it what it is.

Myah Overstreet (00:20:29):

Yeah.

Corey B Best (00:20:29):

And so there, there, there had to have been some, some rage when you started to, to ideate around what might I do to, to, to lift up some of this. So take us sort of behind the scenes or behind the idea of, of making to be invisible. Like even how did the title come about and what’s the filmmaker’s point of view?

Myah Overstreet (00:21:00):

Yeah.

Corey B Best (00:21:01):

Before the first, I don’t know, conversation with operation Stop CPSI have no idea. So let, let us in.

Myah Overstreet (00:21:11):

Yeah. Yeah. It’s layered. So first and foremost, I have always been fascinated. Mm-Hmm. I, I don’t know. Well, fascinated is the term, but I’ve always wanted to just shine a light on black women. I like, when I look back on the times in my life when I’ve been hurt, I’ve been, you know, down and out. I’ve needed some uplifting, I needed support. I’ve always leaned on the black women in my life. And so I’ve always also felt like we have not been seen and heard. You know, if it’s not, like, if we’re not being, if it’s outside of being, you know, hypersexualized, then it’s like, what are we to everybody? And so as I started really trying to figure out what are the kinds of stories that I wanna tell? ‘Cause In the past, you know, I’ve written all kinds of different stories. But I started to think, especially as I went into grad school, like, what kind of story tells do I wanna be? What, and what kind of stories do I wanna tell? And I was like, you know what? I wanna focus on black women and like, really, and take that really seriously. I just wanna report on black women. And this is around the time when, you know, the maternal mortality rates that was heavy in the news. A lot of people were talking about, you know, the black maternal mortality rates. Now, there was a crisis going on. And so I had done some reporting there about what doulas are doing to kind of combat that. And so after I kind of wrapped up reporting for that story, I said, okay, like, what else is there? And like, what are we not talking about? Like, what has never really been reported on in this way? And so I started reading and learning about the foster care system. I was in a class at uc, Berkeley called race and Journalism Taught by Lisa Armstrong. And so we had an assignment one day to just like, you know, read and read up about a system that we just didn’t know about. And for me, that was the foster care system. I genuinely had no idea, you know, like I had an idea of what it was. We all have an idea of what the foster care system is. We see it in movies, we see it in media. But in terms of the journalism around this system, I felt like it was deeply under-reported. And it is still deeply under-reported. There’s not a lot of reporting that goes on, especially compared to other things that are being talked about constantly in the media. And so when that, when it comes to systems, you know, we talk about policing we talk about the healthcare system but rarely do we ever talk about the foster care system. And so I just got ultra curious. I started reading up, and a couple other things led me to this too. I actually so crazy how the universe works. I had an internship where I was doing some development for this company called the Documentary Group. I was a development intern, and I read a New Yorker article about this woman who was conning families into adopting children. They, they were under the impression that they were adopting children never existed. She conned them out of millions and millions of dollars, tons of families. And so, in the New Yorker article, there was this section about the history of foster care in the US. Like, this is absolutely fascinating. And so I’m like, wow. The idea that like, children are currency is weird. Like, it’s just, to me, it was just very, very strange. And so I just always kept up that curiosity. And so when I got the assignment, thinking about that article, I’m like, okay, like, I’m gonna really dig in. And of course, with my focus on black women, I, you know, started to think about the role of the, of the, of black children in the black family in foster care. And so one day I am talking to my class about, you know, what I, what I read, what I learned, and when am my classmates said, Hey, you know, there is this movement to abolish Child Protective Services. I’m like, what? That’s absolutely insane. How are we going to abolish Child Protective Services? Don’t we need child protective services? Like, there are children out there who are being abused, who are being neglected. Like, we need this system. This was my thinking back in 20 21, 20 22, right. Of, of course it was right, because I had no idea. <Laugh>, I genuinely did not know. And I also, like, there was no one around me who had been impacted by the system. You know what I mean? Like, I didn’t have friends who like came up in foster care. I didn’t, you know, I didn’t, there weren’t people around me who were foster parents. Like, genuinely had no clue, right? And so then I’m like, okay, so there’s a movement going on. There’s something happening. I like to report on stories where things are actively happening. You know I like to be solutions oriented in my reporting. And so I started to dig into this movement. I tried to figure out, alright, well, who’s leading it? Where is it happening? Who are the, you know, the really the found, or not the founders, but you know, who’s leading the movement? And so I started talking to people in New York. I, I spoke with Lisa Sankoy Sangoi over at the Movement for Family Power for formerly. I talked to some people at Imprint, which is a online publication that does a lot of reporting on the foster care system. Like, that’s their niche. Talk to their editor, talk to a journalist. But I really wasn’t getting anywhere, you know what I mean? And, and I understood, you know, like it’s a, it’s a sensitive topic, you know, I, I understood why people didn’t really wanna talk to me about it. I also genuinely, I also did not really even know what to ask. I was like trying to, you know, do this reporting without really knowing, like, what am I even trying to get to the bottom of? Because there was just so much going on that, you know, I wasn’t really prepared. And so fast forward to Spring,w hat year is this now? 2022, I’m at another internship. And so I’m kind of you know, expressing my grievances. Not my grievances, but, you know, kinda like venting to one of my supervisors. Like, I think I’m gonna drop it. You know, like, no one wants to talk to me. I don’t really know what to do. I don’t know what direction I’m going in. And you know, I know this thing is going on, it’s really fascinating, but I’m just not getting anywhere. And so one of my supervisors goes, no, no, no, keep going. Here’s someone that you can talk to. Her name’s Amanda Wallace. She runs this organization called Operation Stop, CPS. I’m like, oh, interesting. She gives me her email address, I think, and I look her up on Instagram. I’m like, oh my God, she’s got like tons of followers. Like she is, and she is loud about what these mothers are going through trying to bring their children home. And I said, wait a minute, you can fight to bring your children home. I had no idea.

Corey B Best (00:28:41):

Right.

Myah Overstreet (00:28:42):

People have no idea that you could actually fight to bring your children home. ’cause We don’t see that in the media. And a lot of the movies that we see is like, oh yeah, my kid was, you know, I I was left on the doorstep, you know, in front of the fire department, and they picked me up and I was in foster care. You know? That’s it.

Corey B Best (00:28:59):

Yeah. The, , the orphan stories and

Myah Overstreet (00:29:01):

The orphan story. Exactly.

Corey B Best (00:29:03):

The amazing foster parents.

Myah Overstreet (00:29:05):

Right.

Corey B Best (00:29:06):

You know, you, you learn through the conning of millions of people for millions of dollars. That adoption is the cornerstone.

Myah Overstreet (00:29:14):

Right,

Corey B Best (00:29:15):

right.

Myah Overstreet (00:29:15):

exactly.

Corey B Best (00:29:16):

So babies, especially black babies are parent, but go for it. This is, I I’m gonna step back.

Myah Overstreet (00:29:22):

Yeah, No, totally. It’s, it’s okay. And, and also on top of that too, there’s this other narrative and, you know, I remember watching The Sopranos, I love The Sopranos. I was binging it, I was binging the Sopranos. And there’s this episode, I don’t remember what season or what episode, but this was around the time they were talking about the crack cocaine epidemic. And there was this scene where you know, there’s, I don’t know the context of this. ’cause I watched this show a very long time ago. I also binged it, so I’m like, episode, episode, episode. But I just remember seeing like, you know, how black people were portrayed in this, in this series. And there was an episode where, you know, the, there’s just, there was like a crack house and there’s like, you know people smoking crack everywhere, and there was a kid there. And I just remember thinking like, oh, wow, like, that’s how we’re portrayed. They talked about, you know, foster care and this, this and that. So there, on top of the narrative that there’s, you know orphans, there’s, that’s what we see in the media. There’s this other side of it where, yeah, black kids are gonna get taken away from their families because their, their parents, you know, got caught up in the crack epidemic. Right? so anyway, so that was where my head was.

Corey B Best (00:30:45):

Yeah. And, . And, and I mean, not to, but the, I think it’s important because the, the crack epidemic wasn’t something that we got caught up in. It was something that was thrust on us, right?

Myah Overstreet (00:30:59):

Yes, Exactly. <Laugh>,

Corey B Best (00:31:01):

right? Yeah. Yeah. I didn’t wanna use the term.

Myah Overstreet (00:31:03):

I didn’t wanna use any like, terrible terms, but you are exactly right. It was something that was thrust upon us. We didn’t get caught up in it.

Corey B Best (00:31:09):

Right.

Myah Overstreet (00:31:11):

And so yeah. So anyway, fast forward to Amanda Wallace. I’m chatting with her. I talk with her and they say, Hey, I’m looking at your your page, your feed. And I’m like, wow, these mothers are really vocal about what they’re going through. I think it would be really interesting to like, do a documentary on that. And she said, yeah, like, I’m down. So I’m like, okay, cool. And so I remember she was on the road. Amanda’s always on the road, she’s always traveling. And I just remember that the conversation kind of sort of started there. And I said, do you think I could speak to some of the mothers that you’ve been, you know, working with? She said, yeah, absolutely. I’ll introduce you to a couple. So she introduced me to Alexis, and she introduced me to Kelly. And and from there it was history. And so that’s how the story came about through a lot of research and reporting and asking a lot of questions, and just trying to figure out what is the story I wanna tell. You know, and then I later, you know, learned, or I pieced it together, that this movement to abolish Child Protective Services is a movement of mothers who are fighting to reclaim their bodies, their children, you know, control over the reproductive justice rights. I mean, this is reproductive justice.

Corey B Best (00:32:40):

Absolutely.

Myah Overstreet (00:32:41):

And so you know, I also learned that it’s just another way that the black body is police. This is policing that we don’t talk about. And so the title I came up, I didn’t have the title right off the bat. It took some time. And so, again, I was talking to a lot of people, and I remember, again, I had another internship. I had a lot of internships, <laugh>, I had an internship at Firelight Media, and we had an opportunity to meet with Stanley Nelson who founded Firelight Media. He’s a big time black filmmaker. Someone that I look up to. And he’s done a lot of documentaries on policing and the black experience in America. And I remember, you know, talking about my film, and he was like, oh my gosh, like, that sounds amazing. And I said, you know, what advice do you have? He said start with the music. He said, start with music. See where that takes you. So I said, okay. Interesting. Never thought about that, but lemme just see. So, when I started to, as I was developing the film, I started listening to a lot of different soundtracks. ’cause I was like, what kind of music even goes with something like this? Like, I’m gonna be following two moms who are fighting to bring their children home. What does that even sound like? I don’t know what that sounds like. And so I actually, again, went back to my childhood. I started thinking about films that were related to this topic. And I thought of Claudine <laugh>, 1974, Diahann Carroll. I know that sounds so crazy, but it’s like one of those films that just is a core memory in my mind, because watching it as a kid, I was like, yo, this is crazy. But like, really entertained. My mom and I watched it, like, we would talk about it. And and I remember, you know, there’s a so social worker in the film that comes to her house. She does like, you know, wellness checks and everything. So I’m like, oh, Claudine is related to what I’m, to what this documentary is gonna be about. And so, as Stanley Nelson said, you know, start with the music. So I started listening to the soundtrack of Claudine. And so there was a song on there by Last Night called To Be Invisible. And so I started listening to the song, and I was like, oh, wow. Like what she’s singing about is one, what I have experienced as a black woman, what it feels like to be invisible, what it feels like to be unseen, unrecognized. And she’s putting that within the context of this film. And so I’m like, there’s a title right there. I hope I don’t get into, you know, copyright trouble, but I’m like, this is gonna be the title of the film because Gladys Knight articulates it perfectly.

Corey B Best (00:35:25):

Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>,

Myah Overstreet (00:35:26):

it was used you know, in the soundtrack. And so, anyway, that’s how it was a long story, sorry to be so talkative, but.

Corey B Best (00:35:34):

no,

Myah Overstreet (00:35:34):

how the film came about. Every single instance that made me think about this, like watching Sopranos thinking about orphans, that New Yorker article. And then you know, listening to music, listening to the soundtrack and landing on, you know, this, not only is it a song title, but it’s just a concept. It’s like, as a black woman in America, I think every single black woman has an experience where they have felt like they were unseen, unheard. Whether that is, you know, in school, work, relationships, family, you know, like any kind of instance I think a black woman can relate to with feeling unseen. So that’s where it all came from.

Corey B Best (00:36:22):

Thank

Myah Overstreet (00:36:23):

Yeah. It was a lot. Sorry, <laugh>.

Corey B Best (00:36:24):

No, no. That, that is it. It is a lot. And, and you have connected so many dots, right? To this notion of dis belonging that black women experience in these Americas, especially when it comes to feeling and seemingly being invisible, right? Invisible when it comes to justice, freedom, autonomy, but targeted when it comes to ality punishment, pain, right. Inflicted upon it, it’s a, it’s a duality that is constantly creating a lot of angst. And I see joy in what folk like Amanda, Lisa, MFP are doing, right? I I, I, I’m, I’m also honored to have been invited to be a part of their circle as a black man, right? That, because, you know, there’s a lot of ish there. Like, there’s.

Myah Overstreet (00:37:36):

yeah.

Corey B Best (00:37:36):

So, so, so to, to, you’re right. Woman led and I’m, I’m honored to follow.

Myah Overstreet (00:37:43):

<laugh> Yeah.

Corey B Best (00:37:43):

100, right? Like, that’s just what it is for me.

Myah Overstreet (00:37:46):

Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative>.

Corey B Best (00:37:46):

But, you know, I know that story-based strategy and intervention is meaningful for, for, for, for what you’re doing. But there’s something on today that, that you’re reminding me of as you’re saying, you know, you’re going through this process, you’re excavating like, who do I talk to and where do I turn? And what does this ship mean? And don’t we need this system and all of these things, right? You were making small acts, like those were acts of justice. You were seeking, you were going to find out. And whoever told you not to give up, it reminded me of what Cornell West says. Despair can never get the last word right? But Frederick Douglas says that if there’s no struggle, there’s no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom. And yet deprecate educate agitation are men and women who want crops without plowing up the ground. Right? You were plowing, you were you, were you outdid plowing, right? They want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters. This struggle may be a moral one, or it may be a physical one, and it may be both moral and physical, but it must be a struggle. Power, Myah, you’ve heard this one before. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did. And it never will. And I know when you first saw Amanda, you said, power concedes nothing without a demand. Right? And so that takes me to, to a couple of more curiosities, like, why do you believe that being solution oriented in your storytelling and utilizing story-based strategy for change can indeed change the world? Not necessarily trying to change the hearts and minds of the target, right?

Myah Overstreet (00:40:02):

Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>.

Corey B Best (00:40:04):

But to provoke or to put something out there so that the target can do nothing but respond.

Myah Overstreet (00:40:12):

Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>,

Corey B Best (00:40:14):

Right? So, so why do you believe your stories will or can indeed change the world?

Myah Overstreet (00:40:20):

You know, to be completely honest, I actually, I don’t think my stories can change the world. I think that change from a cult change comes from a collection of stories. I don’t think that mine is gonna do it alone, singularly. I think that this story is a small, as you were saying earlier, you know, it’s a collect, it’s, it’s part of a narrative. And and it’s part of a narrative that we haven’t seen take full fruition yet. Of course, there have been tons of black female artists, intellectuals, scholars, filmmakers, you know, who have put work out there. You know, I have taken great inspiration from them. So I see it as a, as a contribution to what, you know, they have done already. It’s a contribution to the conversation. And I don’t know how far in the future we’ll see this change, but I do know that with, you know, consistency and you know, every small story in this narrative counts to changing the future. You know, I try not to promise that, especially to my sources, you know, because that’s a big promise <laugh>, that, you know, this story’s gonna change the world. Of course, I wanted to influence people. I wanted to, you know, kind of break down whatever stereotypes or assumptions that they have in their heads about black women. You know, especially this notion that for some reason we can’t take care of our children. So, you know, yeah. I, yeah. I don’t, I don’t think my story can change the world. I do think that, you know, a collection of stories can influence the future. It can influence how other people see us. And that’s what I want. I want, I want people to you know, drop their assumptions and see black women for the soft humans that we are. You know, so, so, yeah.

Corey B Best (00:42:52):

Yeah that, that’s, thank you for that, because to, to me.

Myah Overstreet (00:42:58):

Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative>,

Corey B Best (00:42:58):

you know, I am, I’m growing more and more attracted to this notion of true narratives without the compilation of collective stories, neighborhood stories, stories of black mamas doing the thing, right? Resisting we won’t, we won’t be seen as the black women especially, won’t be seen as the beautiful bodies and the advocates and the warriors and the truth seekers that they, that they are. And you’re absolutely right. I mean, how can today on June 19th, right? How can we even believe 2024? How can we even believe that black mothers are incapable of caring for their own children, even with just a small dose?

Myah Overstreet (00:43:51):

Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative>.

Corey B Best (00:43:52):

of history. Myah one will see that black women not only cared for their children,

Myah Overstreet (00:43:58):

mm-Hmm. <Affirmative>.

Corey B Best (00:43:59):

throughout history have cared for other black women’s children and have cared for the planters’ children,

Myah Overstreet (00:44:09):

white people’s children,

Corey B Best (00:44:10):

right?

Myah Overstreet (00:44:11):

Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>,

Corey B Best (00:44:12):

right?

Speaker 3 (00:44:13):

Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>.

Corey B Best (00:44:15):

So, so, so, so again, this, this, this abolition discourse is, is countering, and I believe Myah, that these stories, experiences from those most impacted, specifically black women, it’s poking holes in the guise of benevolence and charity and orphan children left on doorsteps or the horrors of smoking crack in the eighties and nineties. You know, all of these myths and tropes have been completely destroyed over time. So, you know, I am, I’m also so curious about, so you mentioned what you didn’t know.

Myah Overstreet (00:45:05):

Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative>.

Corey B Best (00:45:06):

about foster care, and now I believe your framing might be family policing, right? After a few short years of.

Myah Overstreet (00:45:13):

Yes, Correct.

Corey B Best (00:45:13):

Being radicalized in a different way.

Myah Overstreet (00:45:16):

Yes.

Corey B Best (00:45:16):

Right? <Laugh> family

Myah Overstreet (00:45:17):

Policing. Yes. It’s the family policing system. Yes. Yes.

Corey B Best (00:45:21):

Right?

Myah Overstreet (00:45:22):

Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative>.

Corey B Best (00:45:22):

So, so how did, or how have your, your ideas really changed about, so from a, a young Myah radical in Oakland journalist, maybe a lawyer, I don’t know. I’m just stick with this thing in film, but I knew nothing about the inner workings or the historical context of America’s foster care system, and now I see that it’s a legacy.

Myah Overstreet (00:45:54):

Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative>.

Corey B Best (00:45:55):

of family separation, enslavement, incarceration and, and separation. So how have your ideas changed?

Myah Overstreet (00:46:04):

Yeah. they’ve changed a lot. And I think now, because so many people, when I show this film or when I talk about the film, you know, they just say like, oh yeah, like, I was at foster care, or, oh, yeah. Like, I was raised, you know, by these, by foster parents. And oh, yeah. You know, like, my parent was in foster care. I think that my brain because I don’t wanna invalidate anybody’s experience, you know what I mean? I don’t wanna just straight up say like, oh, well, you’ve been lied to, you know, and this, this and that. And you know what I mean? Like, every case is different. Every situation is different. And I think it’s important also to put out there that this movement isn’t supportive of abuse and neglect. I mean, that absolutely does happen. And I don’t want to, you know, invalidate any experience. Sometime a child does need to re removed from an environment when they are being abused. You know, there’s sexual abuse, there’s neglect. However I do, my mind does automatically raise questions like, oh, I wonder if, you know, your parent needed resources. You know, I wonder if you know their parent was, you know, kind of like made to believe that they should give up their child to the system. So that’s where my mind goes. I think now that I’ve been radicalized you know, I think, yeah, like, like I said, every situation is different. I don’t wanna, you know, straight up say to them like, oh, well, you know, yeah, you’ve been lied to and this, this and that. ’cause You never know. And in these kind of instances, it’s not like, you know, I’m sitting down with this person and we’re in a room, and, you know, it’s just me and them, and I can ask them a lot of questions about their history in their case. Usually it’s just in passing. And so you know, I don’t, I don’t, I wanna be very, very sensitive to that. This is a very, very sensitive topic. But I do ask a lot of questions. And I think being very aware of the amount of families who have been impacted by this, you know, and like knowing that poverty has been equated to neglect, I do in this system, I do, you know, just start to ask questions like, Hmm, I wonder what would’ve happened if, you know, they were given the resources that they need to you know, if they needed resources to take care of their child, and what were they lacking? What were they seeking? And you know, why not to, I don’t wanna say like, oh, where was the village? Because the village is always there. I think, you know there are people, whether it’s a chosen family or, you know, your, your, your blood family people have, you know, someone that they could lean on. So where is that village? Yeah, that’s where my mind goes.

Corey B Best (00:49:12):

Yeah. I believe, I mean, you know, what I’m, what I’m hearing more than anything is that your, your views have changed based on how frequently.

Myah Overstreet (00:49:24):

Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative>,

Corey B Best (00:49:24):

you ask questions, remain curious to help you understand a truer narrative.

Myah Overstreet (00:49:30):

Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative>.

Corey B Best (00:49:31):

And, and yes, there are yucky things that actually happen in the world, but what, what we do know is that if we were positive deviance, we would say more that over 75% of black mamas are not hurting their children. Right?

Myah Overstreet (00:49:58):

Correct. Right. Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative>,

Corey B Best (00:49:59):

80% of black mamas are trying very hard working multiple jobs.

Myah Overstreet (00:50:07):

-Hmm. <Affirmative>.

Corey B Best (00:50:07):

and still cannot afford quality childcare.

Myah Overstreet (00:50:12):

Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative>.

Corey B Best (00:50:12):

, where is the real lack in the black mama or the water that we drink? Right? So we, we, we have an opportunity with these questions to put the responsibility where it lies, and then while those responsible for conflating racism and poverty, or poverty and neglect, while they’re responsible for, for handling or solving their own problems,

Myah Overstreet (00:50:38):

Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative>

Corey B Best (00:50:38):

Black mamas and neighborhoods are actively being the ones that are keeping themselves and their children safe.

Myah Overstreet (00:50:46):

Exactly.

Corey B Best (00:50:46):

’cause We can no longer rely on the state to do.

Myah Overstreet (00:50:50):

Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative>.

Corey B Best (00:50:51):

what they say they need to do. And, and, and I mean, it’s, it’s so much. But, but you know, these, these, these stories, these depictions, they all are a part of a racialized trope.

Myah Overstreet (00:51:01):

Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>.

Corey B Best (00:51:02):

But I, I am most fascinated with the fact that, as David Mura said, imagination is intervention an act of defiance. It alters beliefs. Right?

Myah Overstreet (00:51:19):

Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative>.

Corey B Best (00:51:20):

And, and I see that in many creatives, but I, I feel that in, in you today. So let us, let us talk about a little bit before we wrap up. Like, you’ve been screening the film, right? It’s been, it’s been like unplug here there, right? And you’ve screened it in front of different kinds of audiences.

Myah Overstreet (00:51:43):

Oh, yeah. Lots of Different,

Corey B Best (00:51:45):

<Laugh>. Yeah.

Myah Overstreet (00:51:47):

Lots of different kinds of audiences.

Corey B Best (00:51:49):

So, <laugh>, what’s what’s some of that feedback at the intersection of race or identity or class? Like, what’s been, Hmm, what’s been the buzz?

Myah Overstreet (00:52:00):

Yeah. No, I’ve showed this to a lot of audiences. We premiered at Sundance at the very beginning of the year, and it’s pr and it’s from there, which is in Park City, Utah, by the way. After that we went to, where did we go next? There’s just been, I’m so grateful there’s been so many screenings. We went to Big Sky, which is in Montana. We went to Docklands, which is in Marin County in California. Oh, man. We screened in North Carolina, we screamed in Los Angeles. We screened and so many places. And I think generally, again, it’s like I get asked a lot of questions, and every once in a while I do get that question. Like, that’s basically like, well how do I phrase this? It’s basically like how one person asked me, you know, like, what was your, it was a weird questionLike, what was your first impression of Kelly and Alexis, and you know, what they did, and blah, blah, blah. And I’m like, Hmm. I don’t know what you’re asking. But you know, they did not abuse and neglect their children. Just wanna make that very clear. That’s what it says in their case files. But again, this is a system of policing, and the police have a history of you know, to put it plainly lying and, you know, so that is not what happened. It was just, it was just a very strange way to phrase this question of, well, you know, do you really believe them? Do you really believe that they didn’t, you know, do these things and this, this and that? So, I, I get a lot of those questions. Generally, people are very moved though when they see this film. ’cause I think immediately their assumptions about who the people that get thrown into this system are broken. You know, Kelly and Alexis, their love for their children really come through in the film really effortlessly. I mean, you see it when they’re, when they’re seeing their children. When Alexis is on the phone with her children at the beginning of the movie you know, just as they day in and day out, they’re doing little things every day to bring them home. Whether that’s pain, child support, or, you know, talking to their caseworkers and their social workers. And, you know, and like protesting with Amanda you know, going to therapy. They have yoga sessions. Like there’s all of these requirements that they have to do every day that is assigned to them by, you know, the system, but also, you know, they’re just mothering their children from afar. And so I think that really comes through in the film. Just, we just, all I did was say, okay, this is where you’re gonna be cool. We’re gonna come and we’re gonna film it, and we’re just gonna watch you. Like, that’s it. So I think when audiences see that, they’re like, wow. Just wow. Like and you know, at the end of the film, I also make it a point to say that indigenous families have also been greatly impacted by the system and Latinx families as well. You know, all of these marginalized groups have a history of family separation caused by states, you know, institutional powers. And so, yeah. At the end of the film, I wanted to make that very clear.

Corey B Best (00:55:40):

Yeah. You know?

Myah Overstreet (00:55:41):

Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative>.

Corey B Best (00:55:42):

Yeah. I, I can only imagine you know, without, I, I don’t have the luxury of, of not knowing, right. Of the impacts of, of this institution. And I think, you know, some of the viewers and some of the questions that are asked, I, I, I often wonder if, if they’re, they’re moved to, to change, moved to ask more questions or, or, or moved from a place of pity or, or, or move to say, well, I, I couldn’t, I couldn’t even imagine a day in the life, right?

Myah Overstreet (00:56:30):

Yeah.

Corey B Best (00:56:32):

or, or move to remain stuck from a perch that says, you know, I, I can look down, right? I, I’m, I’m here regardless of my, my race, but if I’m an advantaged identity, whether it be cisgender, male, white, affluent, whatever the case may be, those are advantaged identities. If I didn’t struggle in that way, I often wonder, are some of these places that the screenings occurred if they walked away with, whoa.

Myah Overstreet (00:57:08):

mm-Hmm,

Corey B Best (00:57:08):

I’m grateful that I’m here.

Corey B Best (00:57:11):

Mm-Hmm. And you’re there. Thank God for your struggle. Thank God you might get you, thank God these things are happening positively in your life. But it’s still that, that American dream narrative.

Myah Overstreet (00:57:25):

Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>,

Corey B Best (00:57:25):

right? I, we need the perpetrator. We need the criminal. We need these false tropes on black moms to say that we are at a place that’s not them, which continues the othering. Right.

Myah Overstreet (00:57:44):

Right. They need that. Yeah. Yeah.

Corey B Best (00:57:45):

They, they need that, not me.

Myah Overstreet (00:57:47):

Yeah.

Corey B Best (00:57:47):

But if we really look at the, at the numbers and really crunch the data we see Mm-Hmm. We see who does more things, white bodies do more things.

Myah Overstreet (00:57:57):

Right.

Corey B Best (00:57:58):

Criminality. substance misuse. Abuse.

Myah Overstreet (00:58:02):

Yeah.

Corey B Best (00:58:03):

Child mis abuse and neglect, like all of these things at a higher rate than, than black bodies. Yet the narrative is still deeply embedded that something is defective with us.

Myah Overstreet (00:58:20):

Right.

Corey B Best (00:58:20):

When it just ain’t true. So, I appreciate your, your push for these, these true narratives. and, and through to be invisible. I, I think you have already connected to a multitude of other folk.

Myah Overstreet (00:58:39):

Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative>.

Corey B Best (00:58:39):

sharing similar stories to build the narrative that we wanna see. And, and, and through that lens of building, Myah, what are your, what are your hopes and dreams? I know earlier you said on to the next, so maybe, you know, what are your hopes and dreams regarding lifting, continuing to lift up true narratives, whether it be in family policing or Other intersecting injustices?

Myah Overstreet (00:59:10):

Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>.

Myah Overstreet (00:59:16):

Yeah. I, this is so bad. I really don’t know. I you know what, I do hope that this sparks more people to gain the courage to tell stories about this system. I think it, it take, it takes a lot of courage. It’s, it’s, it’s, it’s a scary thing to report on. Especially because, you know, if you are working with impacted parents, you don’t wanna put them further at further risk. You know, this is a system of surveillance, and so they’re watching your every move. And so, you know, with Alexis, when, when we were filming this with her, she actually had a gag order placed on her. Like she could not talk about her case. And so I had to kind of pivot and try to figure out, okay, well, how can we still tell the story without putting her at further risk? So, you know, it’s things like that, it is a scary thing to report on, but I do want more people to have the courage to, you know, tell stories about this. I, I also think that as a society, again, like we have this idea that if your child was taken away from you, or, you know, if you were a kid placed in foster care, your parents did something wrong, they don’t deserve to have you, you know, around they’re dangerous. They’re this, they’re that, wanna break those notions as well. I want more people. Yeah. Just to have the courage to you know, tell the truth, <laugh> speak up about these things, <laugh>, you know, like, it’s really just, it’s really just truth telling. You know, when this, you know, going back to this, this, this system being severely under-reported you know, we’re, we’re, we’re leaving room for these assumptions and notions to exist and perpetuate. And I wanna close that gap. You know, there’s so many areas in which black people are policed that we don’t talk about. And so I hope, my hope is that when people watch this, you know, they have the courage to ask questions. And if you’re a journalist out there, if you’re a filmmaker out there, I hope you gained the courage to be like, you know what? I’m gonna tell a story about this. This was my experience. This is what happened to me. I’m gonna start, you know, breaking some of these cycles of this narrative that, you know, that I, you know, my parents did this, or my family did this, or whatever, whatever the case is. I just want people to have the courage to speak up. And you know, it was scary for me pitching the story, doing the story. You know, I had always one, I’ve always been shy, and so I’ve always shied away from doing a big quote on quote, hard hitting journalism, you know, story like this. But I said, you know what? I’m gonna get outta my comfort zone, and I’m gonna tell a story that is big like this. Like, this is a big story, and I wanna do it because this is important to me, and I wanna level up and this is what I wanna do. So I hope more people, you know, gain that courage. And, you know, I hope parents who have been impacted by the system gain the courage to speak up. I hope that, let me, lemme take a step back, and this might make me emotional, but like the amount of women who have come up to me after watching this film and say, you know, like, my children were taken away from me.

Corey B Best (01:02:51):

Mm-Hmm.

Myah Overstreet (01:02:52):

And this is what happened to me. And, and when I watched your film, I, I felt validated. I felt seen. And so my hope is for parents who are out there, because it’s not just mothers, it’s fathers, you know, it’s families, it’s people, it’s transgender people, it’s indigenous people. It’s Latinx people. My hope is for I want people to find the courage to find community as well. I think this, this film is also about community. And so I’ve been so grateful to really be welcomed into this community of people like you and Amanda and the movement for family power and all a ton of other organizations out there who have been, who have been talking about this for years and years. I’ve been really grateful to just be welcomed into the community. You know, I’m a journalist. We don’t really have the best reputation out there. You know, I, some journalists do like really messed up things. So, you know, I’ve just been grateful to, you know, be welcomed with such open arms and community is so, so, so important. And I just hope that, you know, impacted people watching this out there. Find the courage to, you know, find community. I think that people also don’t talk about it because it’s really hard to talk about. Like, I can only imagine, and I’m assuming here, but like the shame, the embarrassment. It’s hard to talk about when your child is removed and you know for a fact that you did not, you didn’t do anything. But, you know, there are women out there who were being abused by their partners who were, you know, Alexis was in a shelter for victims of domestic violence when she was abused. She was seeking help. She was seeking shelter and safety when she was reported. And to be in a state of mind where you are being abused by your partner, but then a state comes in and takes your children away, what that does to your psyche, I cannot imagine. And I just know it takes a lot of bravery and courage to speak up, you know, and to find, you have to speak to find community. You have to go out and you have to find it. And so I just hope that you know, people who are impacted, you know, they speak up and they, and they find their community and they put them themselves out there and, you know, they just surround themselves with people who love them and, you know, who are going through the same things, who can give them the strength to continue to fight and, and speak up. So that’s what my hope is.

Corey B Best (01:05:30):

Yeah. I, and thank you so much for that, that hope it’s inspiring and it’s fitting for today. Being Juneteenth, we know.

Myah Overstreet (01:05:43):

Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative>.

Corey B Best (01:05:43):

, our, our ancestors rather know that we ain’t start getting quote, unquote free from chains until we started to watch and witness other ancestors act free. And so it’s important because that builds some cover in the collective AKA community, right? And, and I’ll say, I can’t speak for everybody out there, but I believe we Myah, who have been intimately involved, impacted, scarred, speaking from wounds today that aren’t hidden as much anymore. We, we need folk who are from the AKA general public to, to really help to shape a truer narrative in, in this, in these Americas. So I’m, I’m grateful for your accepting the invitation from, from Black Mamas to, to be a part of this community. And I’ll just say thank you for, for gifting us with who you are, your body of work. And we don’t know what’s coming next, but all I know it is that it has to be the bomb <laugh>. So Myah, right? Like,

Myah Overstreet (01:07:10):

yeah. Thank you.

Corey B Best (01:07:11):

What you, you got a final word for us?

Myah Overstreet (01:07:16):

But my just thank you. Thank everybody out there who watched the film, who embraced me you know everyone out there who’s been patient with me as I’ve been learning about this system. Thank you. Just thank you, thank you to, I am grateful beyond words. Seriously. I mean, this is my, this is my very first film. And so this has been a lot to process throughout two years of creating this. And so there have been so many people who, you know, supported me along the way. And I’m just endlessly grateful and I’m excited to keep going. I’m excited to, you know, develop more projects in this area. And yeah, I’m just, just thank you and thank you, Corey. Like, and thank you for being patient with me. You dumb, like, you’re probably like this girl takes forever in a million years to reply to an email. I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Corey.

Corey B Best (01:08:16):

It’s all good. <Laugh>.

Myah Overstreet (01:08:17):

Thank you. <Laugh>. <Laugh>. But thank you. I’m just, I’m so happy to be welcome. So thank you.

Corey B Best (01:08:23):

Yes. And I’m so happy to, to have you in, in, in my circle and village. So Myah, we, we don’t say goodbye here just until next time. , right. And today, breathe, like, take it all in, because you should be rattling right now. All right. And congratulations again on all of your accomplishments up to now, and thank you. Can’t wait to see what happens next.

Myah Overstreet (01:08:54):

Thank you so much, Corey. Thank you so much.

Corey B Best (01:08:55):

You got it.