Oral History Interview with Tiy Reed Part 1

Title: Oral History Interview with Tiy Reed Part 1
Interviewee: Tiy Reed
Interviewer: Kaleb Seay
Description: Tiy Reed of Washington D.C. was interviewed by Kaleb Seay, a Sewanee student, on November 30th, 2023 on Zoom. While their conversation was primarily on the Black Lives Matter Movement, other topics included discussing Reed’s athleticism and upbringing in New Orleans, Louisiana. We hope that this conversation will assist scholars with a further understanding of race in the United States during the early twenty-first century. Please click on the link to see the full interview.
Transcript: 0:01 KALEB SEAY: Alright, we are recording in progress. Alright. Hopefully you all can hear me Okay. This is the second time recording part one. Before the break we had, I had some Difficul fees on the other end that they got fixed and resolved. But do the introduction again. I'm Kaleb Seay from the University of the South Sewanee. It is actually right now December 5th, 2023 at 9:54 PM And I'm going to let this guy, this man right here, introduce himself.

0:42 TIY REED: Yourself. Yeah. Thanks for having me, Kaleb. My name is Tiy Reed. I'm a graduate master student at Georgetown University, originally from Nashville, Tennessee.

0:53 KALEB SEAY: Okay. Okay. Okay man. How's Georgetown been for you?

1:00 TIY REED: Georgetown's been cool, man. It's been a good experience. Definitely been challenging, but I think it's definitely been a good place to grow and prepare me to transition into adulthood and in my career.

1:17 KALEB SEAY: Yeah. How do you think, what would you say, I guess social life at Georgetown is like?

1:25 TIY REED: Social life, man, I'm an introvert, honestly, bro. So I do spend a lot of time dolo anyways. But socially, I mean, Georgetown is in DC so you know what I'm saying. It's a pocket for every type of person. I do still have friends, I do still have community. And Georgetown itself can be, the school itself can be kind, monotonous, a lot of the same type of people with the type of school it is. But so many different schools in DC that's close. You know what I'm saying? So many different type of ways to build networking community. So I'd say more so DC it's cool socially rather than Georgetown. So,

2:23 KALEB SEAY: Okay. Now I don't know how it's up. There ain't ever been, not yet, at least. How is it up there? Is it everything on top of each other or is it kind of like university spread out over a vast amount of land? Well, how is it?

2:37 TIY REED: The school, our campus is actually pretty cool for the space we have and the size of students. You know what I mean? We in DC space is very limited anyway, but I say campus, it's not a big campus. So we do have closeness type of stack type of vibe, but it's in, it's organized well. So yeah, it is a cool, unique style campus.

3:12 KALEB SEAY: Yeah. What do you get in, you've already got your undergraduate before your grad, now you're trying to obtain your masters. What you getting your master's in and how has that been for you?

3:25 TIY REED: Yeah, I'm getting my master's in public relations and communications and it's been, well, I learning a lot, attending a lot of skills that will be transformative for my career and the things that I want to do. Whether it be marketing, entrepreneurship, whether it be public service, politics, lawyer, any type of thing. I can use these skills from this PR and comms program and apply it to apply those skills to every element of my career that I want to do. Since I want to be versatile and do many things, this is something I can apply to many things.

4:09 KALEB SEAY: Yeah. How's that been different bro, from your undergrad? Yeah, that's what, how's it different?

4:17 TIY REED: It's different, bro. It's different because I'm in class with people who got real world experience and already got either already done, had experience in the career, you know what I'm saying? Or they about to transition to it, but they already got real world career experience and that's knowledge that you can apply to these classes, bro. I'm studying PR and comms, but I never worked in the pr. I never worked for somebody, I never done anything in this field. Whereas I got classmates who done did 10 years already, but that's the only thing. But that's just because I'm in there as a straight out of undergrad. It's something that people can do up to no age, you feel me?

5:10 KALEB SEAY: Yeah. Would you happy about going straight out, I guess straight from undergrad going and doing that? Or do you wish you kind of had a break in between?

5:21 TIY REED: No, it was smooth transition. Yeah. I highly recommend if you are in a position to do something like that, do it. Cause why not? Why not?

5:32 KALEB SEAY: Yeah. How'd the application process go trying to, for Georgetown? Did they already have your stuff or was it kind of like reapplying?

5:39 TIY REED: Yeah, I had to reapply, go through the whole process, apply just as a regular student, of course. And it is really good because you get to really want to write a purpose and mission statement about why you want to be in this program, how these skills can apply to what you want to do with your life and what you bring to the program. That just helps you more, helps you better choose, understand why you want the program you want. Sometimes a little bit in this first semester I was feeling like maybe I chose the wrong program, but sometimes you got to reflect on that mission statement you wrote in the application process to really for it to click again while you there. You know what I'm saying? So application process was cool. It was cool.

6:37 KALEB SEAY: What other programs they offer? Were there any other programs that I guess was competing with with the program you chose?

6:43 TIY REED: Yeah, man, I was looking at a court school of public policy. I was looking at sports industry management. Those were the real estate. So those are three other ones that I was also considering PR and communications was something I actually chose last out of those other four, PR and comms was after all those in the process of me trying to figure out what I wanted to do. So yeah.

7:21 KALEB SEAY: What made you choose it? Was it just like other things full or you be

7:27 TIY REED: It was just like I was just kept researching. I just kept rereading everything. It was my first time and it was when that came across it, I read the descriptions. I was like, this is cool. This is something I feel like because at this moment of me applying, I don't know what career I want to choose. I still don't know, but I do feel like this is a program that I can apply to any endeavor and many of my interests that I do want to pursue. So at least until I figure it out, I can study something full speed that's going to still be beneficial to what I want to do down the road and it just hit it like a puzzle. So it put me in position to consider different avenues what I want to do next and how can I apply what I'm doing now to what I'm leaning towards. And it's still lining up, so it's working out

8:18 KALEB SEAY: Good. Hearing that too, being at that point trying to figure it out. But I'm at the point too where it's starting to clear up a little bit, but it's most definitely a little foggy. But I think to get through the fall, I'm going to keep on working, therefore going to school, going to keep on staying school, keep on the same. Another question I wanted to ask you,

8:51 TIY REED: I can't hear. It's like your microphone covered.

8:54 KALEB SEAY: Oh, like it's covered. Is it still covered now?

8:57 TIY REED: Not

8:58 KALEB SEAY: We good?

8:59 TIY REED: Yeah.

9:00 KALEB SEAY: Alright, bet. You said something about law. Wait, what's the motivation behind that? My bad. My bad. What'd you say?

9:15 TIY REED: Even if being a lawyer, the end goal is something that I do want to do and I feel like I want to be a leader, man. I want to be an activist advocate, a prominent figure for the community in my own unique way. And I think law, I'm really inspired by law, being able to see inside of the criminal justice system by having close family deal with it and sitting in on their trials and wanting to speak and advocate for people, represent people, and being a lawyer, you help create legislature. You know what I'm saying? Laws and having an impact to decriminalize black people through law is something I want to do in order to make real change and impact. It is got to be ridden in stone. That's an avenue for that, but it's a career path where I can see the workday. I'm flexible, I'm free, I can make my own schedule.
10:35 I don't work in the office all day. I'm out in the field. I got to meet with clients. I got to go in court and argue and you know what I'm saying, present myself. And I can also include different types of law. I can be an agent having a deep background and interest in sports. That can always be something that I can get into, represent athletes. So it just lines up. It makes sense and I know it's something, it's a career that's very well respected and that's what intelligent people do, intelligent person. So I'm going to do it. You feel me? Basically.

11:20 KALEB SEAY: Yeah. That's what I intelligent people do. I'm intelligent, so I feel, yeah. When you say being an activist, has anything that you've seen in DC or even back home in Nashville, is there anything that you've seen that kind of drove that? Or is it just kind of stuff you've learned in class reading and stuff like that?

11:45 TIY REED: Yeah, I mean, it's not much. I honestly learned in class, learned a lot from home and experience, and that came from seeing Trayvon Martin. That came from experience, like I mentioned with my family and my upbringing, being exposed to different types of communities, you know what I'm saying? And seeing how black people navigate those spaces. They come from just leadership. Being in high school, having that bridge club, my bad. But in that school, having that bridge club, being opportunities to do things like that really inspired me to lean more into that. And I feel like that platform with the Bridge Club was really organic and representative of me stepping into that. I like that. I used to that feeling, you know what I'm saying? Organizing, leading discussions about real world topics, just listening to public opinion. We ran a democracy in there. When you think about the things we was doing, bro, we was really laying the foundation of who we would become in the world. That's one thing that was unique about going to that private school was we maneuvered. Just like how we maneuver in that career

13:36 KALEB SEAY: Field on call. My bad, my bad.

13:40 TIY REED: But yeah.

13:45 KALEB SEAY: Yeah, my bad about that interruption, man. That's one thing that's always driven me, especially at this point now, bro. Trying to figure it out. Not even just figure it out, but really reflecting on my senior season, thinking about being a leader and what it means to me now that I've been a leader for two, three years. I've been a leader all my lifetime. I've never really follower, but having a title as a leader and what that looks like outside of when the ball starts rolling, you feel me? I'm figuring that out as well. When you think about, I guess, leading, I just want to go real brief over this. Give me just a minute. Would you deem the Black Lives Matter movement as something that sparked or led change for our generation? We really haven't. I mean, we have seen police brutality and things like that, but as seeing a movement, do you think it sparked change for our time while we've been here?

15:25 TIY REED: Yeah. Yeah. I think it definitely leads to change, and I think that's just always what's most important because liberation ain't just going to happen at the flip of the switch. It's a continuous struggle. So the Black Lives Matter isn't, of course, as notoriously known or impactful as the Black Panther movement or the Civil Rights Movement and things like that. But all of those are all just as impactful by their influence and they're inspired. Those movements inspire people to continue being the next change agents of their society. Every generation needs a movement. You know what I'm saying? If there wasn't one, then I'll be concerned, but every generation needs, it's going to be a next one generation. The next generation of, I'm saying Gen Z, whatever's at Gen Z is going to need their own Black Lives Matter, their own civil rights. You know what I'm saying? And if there wasn't going to be one, then that'd be an issue. So all in all, yeah, I think it was impactful. It gives people identity and something to connect to, and that's important, and it's consistent in this constant pursuit of liberation and black nationalism, things like that.

16:58 KALEB SEAY: Yeah, I agree 110% with that.
17:06 Would you? I don't know. I kind of see it as literally the youth, us being a big drive, us being a huge drive and getting those things started, even from at the universities, even in high schools, things didn't get started until we had student leaders step in and get things going. We outnumber the people that are in charge, especially admissions and stuff like that at these schools where these issues are going on. Did you see anything? How did you respond to the reaction of Black Lives Matter? Maybe the All Lives Matter stickers or Blue Lives Matter. How did you respond to that? Or what did you think it was?

17:46 TIY REED: Man, those are people colors, you know what I'm saying? It's like why does there need to be a counter attack to Black Lives Matter? Why do we have to debate this? Why do we have to say, well, this who, why can't it just be an independent statement that Black Lives matter with without anything? You know what I'm saying else? Well, if that means, bro, it ain't got nothing to do with saying White Lives Matter or All Lives Matter, because now we got to include L-G-B-T-Q, element, NOP. You feel me? Like now y'all making this whole activist thing and this whole activist ideology, it is becoming too weird. Now y'all turning it into it into funny business. Black Lives Matter, man, you feel me?

18:59 KALEB SEAY: Yeah. We didn't make the choice to feel

19:03 TIY REED: So if you can't just stand on Black Lives Matter, bro, whatever you got to say after that, bro, for the Birds, what I mean, but I mean, everybody got their own opinion. Everybody entitled their own opinion. But what I'm saying, I kind of feel like we already understood that White Lives Matter. We already know. Excuse my language, but that's just how I feel about it. We already know. Excuse my lamb

19:40 KALEB SEAY: Excuse,

19:45 TIY REED: But yeah, man. But yeah, man, we already know all lives about, man. Got to remind y'all. Sometimes Black Lives matter too.

19:54 KALEB SEAY: Yeah. Do you think people may making it political kind messed up the traction of Black Lives Matter a little bit.

20:07 TIY REED: I kind of feel like maybe it's not as genuine and authentic. We losing some of the, we're some The purpose of it. Purpose of it. Yeah. I kind of feel that way.

20:28 KALEB SEAY: Purpose. When you say purpose, you mean the strength behind the name almost like it's losing. When you say purpose, what you mean by the purpose?

20:39 TIY REED: The focus and the intention of the whole movement itself. You know what I'm focusing and the intention of the hook movement itself, man, I kind of feel like it only matters when we need to be reminded, and that's after something tragic happens.

21:00 KALEB SEAY: Yeah.

21:01 TIY REED: You know what I'm saying? It is a lifestyle. So it's more so a lifestyle. It is not just something that you respond to when the turbulence hit. You know what I'm saying? By that time, it's too late. We don't want another black male, black female killed for us to start screaming out and marching. We already know these problems exist. Let's attack it before it arrives. So that's more of a lifestyle type of deal, not more so like a phase and a wave. You know what I mean?

21:42 KALEB SEAY: Yeah. I feel that. I understand that, bro. Yeah, man. I ain't want to get too deep into the bulk of it. So right now, I'm just going ahead and stop the recording. This is part one. I'm putting this on and we'll continue on.

Part of Tiy Reed