What happens when you bring together a lineup of incredible artists like Larry Stunnaman, Young Simi, and Guapale to celebrate Juneteenth in the heart of San Francisco? The result is a vibrant, unforgettable event filled with music, unity, and a deep sense of community. This episode sheds light on the significance of Juneteenth, reflecting on our connection with ancestors and the collective joy of commemorating the end of slavery. Amidst the rhythm and revelry, we dive into the pivotal role of the Soul Beat Network, a pioneering platform that has empowered the Black community for years, and share our personal experiences, including memorable interactions with influential figures like Sway and Stunnaman.
Feel the excitement as we recount the positive changes happening in the area and the joy of being part of such a meaningful celebration. We emphasize the importance of embracing our heritage, honoring our ancestors, and taking pride in our identity. The sense of safety and community at the event was palpable, making it an ideal environment to bring family along next time. As we celebrate Juneteenth, we encourage you to be intentional, grateful, and actively engage with your history. Happy Juneteenth, everyone!
What happens when you bring together a lineup of incredible artists like Larry Stunnaman, Young Simi, and Guapale to celebrate Juneteenth in the heart of San Francisco? The result is a vibrant, unforgettable event filled with music, unity, and a deep sense of community. This episode sheds light on the significance of Juneteenth, reflecting on our connection with ancestors and the collective joy of commemorating the end of slavery. Amidst the rhythm and revelry, we dive into the pivotal role of the Soul Beat Network, a pioneering platform that has empowered the Black community for years, and share our personal experiences, including memorable interactions with influential figures like Sway and Stunnaman.
Feel the excitement as we recount the positive changes happening in the area and the joy of being part of such a meaningful celebration. We emphasize the importance of embracing our heritage, honoring our ancestors, and taking pride in our identity. The sense of safety and community at the event was palpable, making it an ideal environment to bring family along next time. As we celebrate Juneteenth, we encourage you to be intentional, grateful, and actively engage with your history. Happy Juneteenth, everyone!
Juneteenth in San Francisco was so powerful, wow, so powerful.
Speaker 2:
Hosted by Shea Diddy. Shout out to Shea Diddy.
Speaker 1:
So many artists? Yes, larry Stunnaman. 2. Nice, young Simi.
Speaker 2:
Guapale, nice, the Simi Guapule, nice. The city was wild. I love it, it's.
Speaker 1:
Soul Beat Network. Shout out to Soul Beat. And if you don't know who Soul Beat Network is, that was one of the first television shows. Networks For the black community yes In history, yes. Networks For the black community yes In history, yes.
Speaker 2:
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Speaker 2:
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Speaker 1:
Welcome back to another episode of the big dog talk podcast. It's me the one, and only me, big charles baby.
Speaker 2:
Hey y'all, it's your girl, big shay, and I'm back in the building with big chops.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:
Yeah.
Speaker 1:
Uh-huh, uh-huh. First of all, happy Juneteenth.
Speaker 2:
Happy Juneteenth. Yes, lord, yes, happy Juneteenth. Happy Juneteenth, yes, lord, I just want to sit in that Right. Happy Juneteenth. Happy Juneteenth, it's a holiday, it's a holiday. It's a holiday, a day of appreciation. My goodness, celebration, my goodness. Ancestors, yep, yep. What they had to endure for the end of slavery in the united states 1865. They let about 250000 slaves go at the end of the Civil War in Texas. That is something to commemorate and that should have been a holiday.
Speaker 1:
That should have been a holiday.
Speaker 2:
That should have been a holiday. You freaking, kidding me.
Speaker 1:
Happy Juneteenth. Happy Juneteenth. You know it's funny, though, because I don't want to use the word funny, I purposely. Well, every day I can still feel like the spirit of my ancestors inside of my body and that feels good, it feels, it feels powerful. When I make decisions, sometimes I channel up the energy of my ancestors before me. This juneteenth, I had an experience of a lifetime I had. I had the best experience of this Juneteenth.
Speaker 2:
It was amazing, okay. So hold on, we're going to get to that, okay. So this was, I'd say this was like your second time going to Juneteenth, right? Last year we went as a family In LA To Lamar Park to celebrate Juneteenth and, baby, when I tell you, la know what they doing, they know what they doing, they know how to celebrate the holiday and they did it well, right, but this year you got to keep it home base, home base, home base, home base. Let's hear about it. I'm here.
Speaker 1:
Bay Area. Let's hear about it. I'm here. Bay Area, listen. San Francisco. Shout out to San Francisco. By the way, shout out to the city of San Francisco, london Breed. Shout out because Juneteenth in San Francisco was so powerful, wow, so powerful, wow so powerful. Hosted by Shea Diddy.
Speaker 2:
Shout out to Shea Diddy.
Speaker 1:
So many artists? Yes, Larry Stunna man. 2. Nice Young Simi Guapule.
Speaker 2:
Nice. The city was wow, I love it. Soul Beat.
Speaker 1:
Network, shout out to Soul Beat. And if you don't know who Soul Beat Network is, that was one of the first television shows Networks For the black community. Yes, in history, yeah.
Speaker 2:
You understand me and go back and watch episode 49. Episode 49.
Speaker 1:
If you don't, know Soul If you don't know Soul, beat Network episode 49. You're welcome, joan Tink was so powerful to see so many Black folks, to see so many even other minorities of ethnicity, ethnicities of people coming together celebrating blackness. The city of san francisco allowing that to happen. No violence, no crime, nothing no incidents pushing positivity. It was so rewarding to see the richness of Juneteenth and San Francisco. They done an amazing job. That's so awesome. I had the opportunity to be backstage, nice, different viewpoint Different viewpoint. Shook hands with Sway.
Speaker 2:
Shout out to Sway Okay.
Speaker 1:
Sway say oh, I know who you are. Big dog talk, right, yeah, the biggest big dog talk. The biggest baby. You got it. That was a big moment for me. That's really cool. Shook hands with stunner man, too, young god king, pushing positivity, pushing eating healthy. Yeah, pushing doing self-work, pushing faith, pushing faith. Then I saw there's a bunch of artists on there, right, but these are people that I got to interact with. Yeah, yeah, young semi talking about mental health, the importance of it man that's loaded.
Speaker 1:
Loaded, we don't talk about that in the black community. Loaded, we don't talk about that and we don't push that. To meet the to meet some of the pioneers of this bay area, san francisco oakland, across the bay right to meet some of the pioneers that opened the gates for the Bay was huge.
Speaker 2:
To share space with people like that is absolutely like. It's in you, it's in you now. This has to keep growing.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, the city of San Francisco, the mayor, this has to keep going. It changed me, it changed my perspective, it changed the way I view the Bay. It changed the way that I will love to see the, the, the collaboration of the different cities, collaboration of the different cities. I went home and just like prayed about it. Prayed about Oakland and San Francisco and Vallejo and all the different cities just coming together and just making something so special. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:
Loaded. You was in the mix, I was in the mix.
Speaker 1:
You was in the mix. Big Dog Talk podcast was in the mix. I was in the mix. You was in the mix. Big Dog Talk podcast was in the mix.
Speaker 2:
I was like, wow, the beauty of that with you being able to share space in that way and not just be like a festival goer, right, but to be able to share space with people like that. I would envision that it would be a huge source of like, motivation and inspiration for like the next level of the podcast, the next level of networking, the next level of collaboration, just the next level on bigger and better.
Speaker 1:
What I love. It inspired me. The pioneers was shaking my hand and they the words and wisdom that they shared with me, because some of them already knew the Big Dog Talk podcast.
Speaker 2:
Right, right, right. So they had the opportunity to see your work.
Speaker 1:
And the words that they were saying we love the energy that you bring to the Bay to keep going. It was like wow.
Speaker 2:
I was wowed by it. Yeah, you needed that, I needed it. You needed that for your soul. You needed that for your soul. Like we've said before before, a couple weeks ago shit was getting hard, yeah, and you was ready to be like you know what I've done, all that I can do, you know, hopefully people get the message, hopefully they spread it, but I don't know if I can keep doing this. No more, right, you know so again, to be in a space like you were at the San Francisco Juneteenth and to share that energy and that space with people I'm talking about.
Speaker 1:
So many people Reignited, reignited I'm talking about the food trucks out there to watch, like Guapule singing on stage. To see all of these artists, larry, on stage, meeting people behind the scenes, right To experience. I was on the stage with a bunch of heavy hitters Right, heavy hitters Right, and that was a big deal To see all of these people who contribute to the community. To bring unity, yeah, to bring black power, black excellence to the forefront of the city. To bring the culture, to bring the culture of blackness. What, what is like of living inside of a black body? History, history, hip hop, that legacy.
Speaker 1:
Yes, it was amazing, it was truly amazing. And Big Dog Talk podcast. I want to continue to do my part in serving and attributing, to continue to spread this message, this energy, this positive change. Because, listen, let me tell you something.
Speaker 1:
Let's just deal with reality change Because, listen, let me tell you something, let's just deal with reality. San Francisco, oakland, going through some of the worst times they've ever been in in a long time yeah, the communities, the city, we're not getting the best rap right now. We're not getting the best rap. We're not getting the best rap. You and I, we took it upon our. We made it our business to shine light on the Bay Area. We made it Nobody was taking their part using their platform to shine light on the Bay Area. We decided we're going to, we're going to use our platform. Our kids are from here, absolutely.
Speaker 1:
Although we're not from here. You're from New York, Harlem, New York. I'm from Waverly Mississippi, but our kids' home is the Bay Area.
Speaker 2:
We have some proud. Bay Area kids.
Speaker 1:
My children. I'm from the Bay.
Speaker 2:
I rep the Bay. Come on now.
Speaker 1:
that's culture, that's culture, yeah, and to see my kids be proud my 22 year old daughter, my 13 year old son, my 11 year old son. They carry pride In repping the bay.
Speaker 2:
How could you not?
Speaker 1:
The way that they honestly, the way that they accepted, accept the bay. It made me realize that the Bay is home now. Yeah, yeah, proud of where I'm from. Yeah, that doesn't need to be explained.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, that doesn't. No, that's understood. But my kids yeah.
Speaker 1:
Home, yeah, is the Bay. Why wouldn't we want to help bring change and change the image of the, the yay area?
Speaker 2:
let me just tell you something. While we, in the spirit of talking about culture in alignment with juneteenth, we had the opportunity to experience um oakland at its finest on first friday.
Speaker 2:
Oh, oh my baby, let me tell you, let me, let me, let me tell you something. Okay, I don't be it. Look like I'd be outside, but I don't be outside like that. No, we work too much. We work too much, so we don't be outside like that. Okay. But you know what? We decided to go outside on first friday of this month because my husband had this super cute date night planned for us. So in the midst of the date, starting in downtown oakland, right when that, when we were done with that location, we were downtown Oakland, yeah, with that location, just right in the center of downtown Oakland we decided to walk the streets Right, not even realizing that it was first Friday, not even realizing.
Speaker 2:
We step outside the doors and when I tell you the culture of the city was at an all-time high, I think I fell in love. You were shocked, I fell in love. He be outside, y'all, I be outside. He gotta be outside, I be outside. I'm not with him all the time. You were shocked, I was shocked and I fell in love. We fell in love with the culture that the city of Oakland and the unity and the energy of the people and the history and the blackness and the diversity of the city of Oakland. I fell in love. I'm sorry, it was lit, it was lit, it was lit. That's why I say the cars, the motorcycles, the band on the side of the street, like the street was lit, it was lit, it was lit. That's why I say that the cars, the motorcycles, the band on the side of the street, like the street was packed with some of everybody. Let me tell y'all something, man.
Speaker 1:
Loved it. Let me tell you something Loved it. You want to respect the Bay Area. Loved it why? Because it has so much the history and the legacy that it have here. Because it has so much the history and the legacy that it have here and in Oakland, in San Francisco, the Bay Area may be getting a bad rep Right, but Bay B, it's an energy change that's happening. Listen, it's an energy shift that's happening in the Bay.
Speaker 2:
And I'm. It's just like you know, what's going on in a Bay is causing people to lock in with each other. Humanity, just like you know, during slavery times you had to lock in with each other to get through tough times. So I felt the spirit of like everybody is just locking in to preserve and to um keep and protect the history of such a beautiful place. Listen, such a beautiful place.
Speaker 1:
And what I love about it, it's not just black folks.
Speaker 1:
It's not acting Cause, the event that we, we went. We still it's whites, mexicans, asians. Age we still it's whites, mexicans, asians. Age, age diversity, age, I'm talking about it's, I'm talking about 21 year olds, 60 year olds, yep, all coming together, yes, for the cause of elevating and starting something new. I loved it. Oh, my God Loved it. Oh my God Loved it.
Speaker 1:
Shout out, man, y'all better respect the Bay Area, man. Yep, shout out to the Bay. Yep, it's a change coming. Yep, we're warning y'all. Now Get with it. It's a change coming. Yeah, they show y'all the stuff that's on the TVs and the news. And that's on the TVs and the news and the social media, and that's true. But it's not the core. No, it's not the core. And there is so much positivity going on here. The June Chief was lit man. The June Chief was lit man. First Friday was lit. Baby, baby. So much so I wanted to bring my kids next time. Yep, yep, because it felt safe to me. Yep, nobody. First friday was lit. It did not feel dangerous at all. It felt like culture. It felt like culture. It felt man listen. It was beautiful. Yep, june teeth was lovely in san francisco, litty, I'm talking about thousands of people out there, baby, you took your ass on the bar. I got on the bar. I wanted to experience the entire Shout out to my man.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, the experience, experience, you know.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, what's understood don't have to be explained, you know. Yeah, but the area is changing. Yeah, for the better. Yeah, but the area is changing.
Speaker 2:
Yeah For the better. Yeah, we outside, we outside. Follow the Big Dog Talk page because I'm telling you all summer long we outside, I'm outside, he outside without me, I'm outside with him and the kids. We outside, happy Juneteenth. Happy Juneteenth, be proud. Yeah, it's a holiday. Be proud, yeah, it's a holiday, be proud, we off work.
Speaker 1:
Be proud of living in your skin. Do something intentional. Be grateful for the ancestors before you. Read some history. Create for the ancestors after you.
Speaker 2:
Yep, pull out that Pan-African flag and just embrace it. Yes, be thankful, be grateful that we get to be free, freer than our ancestors were, and that's that on that. Happy juneteenth. Happy juneteenth y'all, love y'all oh, I love y'all, we love y'all.
