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In today's episode, I welcome Jaja Smith! Jaja is an actor, filmmaker, photographer, and influencer. He is the host of new podcast, "Just a Thought," and has starred in the web series, "Quarter Water Juices." He shares his thoughts about becoming an actor, continuing to take acting classes to sharpen his skills, starting a podcast, being the one behind the camera instead of in front of one, and so much more. With sound advice for beginners, and lots of great stories along the way, JaJa's influence is always intended to create positive change. (Fun fact: the cover image for this week's episode is Jaja's podcast cover art!) Get in touch with Jaja Smith: https://www.facebook.com/jaja.k.smith | https://www.instagram.com/jaja.smith/ | https://anchor.fm/jaja-smith Support Artfully Told: www.paypal.me/elevateartArtfully Told links: www.facebook.com/artfullytold | www.artfullytold.podbean.com | elevateartskc@gmail.comGet a free audiobook through Audible!  http://www.audibletrial.com/ArtfullyToldSchedule your interview with Artfully Told! https://calendly.com/artfullytold/podcast-interview Episode 39 - Jaja SmithLindsey Dinneen: Hello, and welcome to Artfully Told, where we share true stories about meaningful encounters with art.[00:00:07] Krista: I think artists help people have different perspectives on every aspect of life.[00:00:14] Roman: All I can put my part out into the world.[00:00:16] Elizabeth: It doesn't have to be perfect the first time. It doesn't have to be perfect ever really. I mean, as long as you, you're enjoying doing it and you're trying your best, that can be good enough.[00:00:24] Elna: Art is something that you can experience with your senses, and that you just experiences as so beautiful.[00:00:33] Lindsey Dinneen: Hello, and welcome back to another episode of Artfully Told. I'm your host Lindsey, and I am so excited to have as my guest today, Jaja Smith. He is an actor, filmmaker and influencer, and the host of a brand new podcast, as well as so many other artistic endeavors. I can just tell from our brief intro conversation. So I'm so excited to have you. Thank you so much for being here today.[00:01:01] Jaja Smith: Oh, thank you for having me, Lindsey. It's such a pleasure. I am, I'm excited. I'm excited to debunk and just talk art and all things creatives.[00:01:09] Lindsey Dinneen: Yes. Excellent. My favorite thing. Okay. So I would love if you would share just a little bit maybe about your background, kind of what got you involved in art, and then maybe a little bit about what you're up to these days.[00:01:22] Jaja Smith: Sure. So for me, it's actually kind of funny. Yeah. I started as an athlete. I was an athlete and a musician. So music was my first intro to art. And then I just, over the course of time, you know, I did what we were supposed to do, which it was, you know, the college thing and, you know, try to get a job and stuff. And I just got to a point where I just, I dropped out and I was like, this isn't, this isn't enough. I don't feel fulfilled. And I just, as soon as I did that, a web series fell into my lap, "Quarter Water Juices." And we did two seasons. And then once that ended for me, I had the bug. I was like, how do I keep going? How do I continue acting? And so I found my acting class, Cincinnati Actor's Studio, and I have just been going now for five years strong. And, you know, it's been a, a beautiful journey, you know, finding agencies and learning learning the business behind all this and just continuing to develop myself. And I realized the more people I play , the more I learn about life, 'cause you're seeing life through the characters that you portray. So that's really cool.[00:02:30]Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, absolutely. And so. Oh, my goodness. I have so many questions. There's one in my mind, but first of all, so I'm really kind of curious, because the first thing I thought about when you mentioned getting to play other characters has sort of helped you understand life even better. Do you have any sort of, did it kind of help develop additional empathy? 'Cause I know that's kind of-- you would think that maybe embodying other characters might, might help you realize more and more about just humanity? I'm just curious.[00:03:05] Jaja Smith: A hundred percent, because you know, when you play these characters, you have to walk a mile in their shoes, you know, you really have to think about, okay, how did, how did their -- what's their point of view? You know, how do they handle conflict? You know, what happened to them for, to get them to this point? And, you know, when, when I play these characters, I find it interesting when people feel the need to method act. You know, if you're playing a psychopath, but there's no need for you to go out and be a psychopath before you play this role. But I understand, right, right? Everybody has a layer, they love somebody died and that's what set them off. So, you know, you, you picture what it would be like to lose that, that person for you. And then, your whole basis is heartbreak. So, when you start to peel the onion back, you know, and all the layers, you really start to see, like, people are people. You know, there are still your, your terrible people in the world, your Hitlers, your Castros, and all those things, but they're they're still people. They just made a series of decisions that took them in a very different direction.[00:04:16] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, absolutely. Have you ever played a character that you absolutely hate,  like somebody that you just, you could not-- you obviously would do well, you know, portraying this character--but that you just could not align with who they were, so to speak.[00:04:33] Jaja Smith: Role-wise, not yet. I, I'm sure that that role, that's coming, but I did an audition for a, a deputy--or I was an officer--I was an officer and he was just very pompous. And you, he couldn't be told anything by his superiors or anything like that. And for me, I was just like, "This guy's just a, just a jerk." Ooh, if I had to meet this person, I want to like fight this person or something. Like, I'm just like, why, why are people like this? But we'll see if I get the role. So then I'll be able to say yes. Yes, Lindsey. I did.[00:05:10] Lindsey Dinneen: Okay. Fair enough. We'll check back in. Okay. Perfect. So, obviously your career as an actor, it sounds like, you know, you've gotten to do a few different roles now--have you done mostly things for film? Have you also done any theater work or is it sort of a combination of all of that?[00:05:32] Jaja Smith: So thus far from me, I have done predominantly film. Now, I am not turned off to theater. Like, theater is one of those things that terrifies the heck out of me because you get one take. So it is like, if you miss a note or you forget a line, then you have to figure it out from there. And I try my best to do all of the things that scare me. So when an opportunity comes up for me to be in a play, I will jump at it. Terrified, but I will jump at it.[00:06:05] Lindsey Dinneen: I love that. I love that. Yes. Somebody--I will not remember who to attribute this to--but I remember somebody once talked about how you should do something every day that scares you. It doesn't have to be big, just a little something to help you grow every day. And I kind of hung on to that. I like that idea that, you know, you can, you can be afraid and do it anyway, right?[00:06:31] Jaja Smith: Yeah.[00:06:31] Lindsey Dinneen: Awesome. Okay. And so then you're taking classes regularly, I'm imagining, still, is that correct?[00:06:39] Jaja Smith: Yes. Yes, I am.[00:06:40] Lindsey Dinneen: Perfect. So it's, it's interesting to me because you're getting paid to do this, you are a professional, but so you still place a lot of importance on your own growth and learning opportunities. Do you feel that you will continue taking classes for the foreseeable future is that sort of the way that it works, I'm not as familiar with this world. So I'm really, really curious.[00:07:01] Jaja Smith: The, the beauty of this is you will never be a master at this, you know, because there, the basics are always something that will always require you to be brushed up on, you know, keeping sharp. This is definitely one of those industries where you, you are only as good as your last film. So when you move on to your in--in the in-between time for your previous and your latter, you still have to develop yourself and continue to sharpen, sharpen that craft, that tool of yours. So, I will take classes the rest of my life indefinitely because there's always something to be learned.[00:07:41]Lindsey Dinneen: Oh, I love that perspective. Yeah. I agree with you. I think artists in general are probably like that in a lot of ways. It's just, it's art, right? So it's subjective and there's no, there's no one thing to achieve that's like, "Oh, I made it." And then there's nothing else to do, right? You can always grow and improve. And so, yeah, kudos to you. That's really, really cool.[00:08:06] Jaja Smith: I, I was hoping somebody might tell Orson Welles the same thing because with "Citizen Kane," he created the perfect film for that time. So for him, he was like, "I don't know what else to do. You know, I'm 24 years old and I made the perfect film. So what happens now?" And so he just didn't do a whole lot.[00:08:24]Lindsey Dinneen:   And maybe if he had taken some more classes, he could have. I love it.[00:08:28] Jaja Smith: We'll never know, you know, but we, we appreciate "Citizen Kane" and for everything that he made and created it for us. So I give it back to the, to the historian himself.[00:08:39] Lindsey Dinneen: There you go well. Okay. So you also mentioned being a filmmaker. So what kinds of things have you been working on and what did that journey look like?[00:08:49] Jaja Smith: I really enjoy the writing process. I truly, truly do, because for me, if I can create something that you, as the reader and my audience can read and see it playing out throughout, and it's just fluid, then I know that I'm doing my job. Personally as a writer, and you know, something else that I've learned throughout this process is I can't do it by myself. Like, there are so many pieces in so many unknowns and unknown unknowns that I'm just like, I, I can't keep it all together. So it's, it's definitely humbled me a lot to realize. And it's, it's a relief at the same time because I realized I don't have to do it all by myself. You know, I have all of these, these different, you know, actors and people in the industry who look, who just wants to create something great. And so, you know, to be able to put my script on the table and say, "Hey, what do you guys think about this?" And everybody jumps on board. It's encouraging. You know, I think it's really encouraging. And I think there's a lot of people here in Cincinnati and you know, all over the, all over the world who just want to get that start. And sometimes you don't know where to go. So, you know, for me just to be able to kind of jump into things, it's just really, really exciting.[00:10:10] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, absolutely. Do you have any current projects in the works either for your filmmaking or for acting currently?[00:10:19] Jaja Smith: No. I did just brush the dust off of a project that I had written a little while ago and I have a feeling it may be coming to fruition here soon.[00:10:30] Lindsey Dinneen: Ooh, how exciting. Okay. Well, we'll have to keep in touch in and find out what that all looked like. I'm excited. Excellent. Okay. And so then I know all of this is only a small little snippet of all the different things that you do. You recently started a podcast, is my understanding. You want to share a little bit about that and that journey?[00:10:52] Jaja Smith: Yes. So "Just a Thought" is one of the things that terrified me because, you know, I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to have a solid content or talk too much or not talk enough. But for me, "Just a Thought" has been--it's, it's a vehicle for people to take, you know, situations and, you know, we, we are one mind. So to be able to give a secondary perspective on, you know, different situations that we all go through and to be able to-- I'm geeky in the sense of, I love philosophy, you know, Seneca, Emerson , Socrates, the whole thing. And to be able to take the thoughts and the practices of these philosophers and make them applicable to today and the situations that, you know, we may come to come with, come into contact with. So, I just really want to spread positivity and help people wherever I can. And so I saw that the the podcast may be the best way to do it. And, you know, with each thought that I have, for every episode, I realized that I'm truly just talking to myself. If anything, it's just like a reaffirmation journal entry. And that ends up being this really nice thing that I can have and carry with me and, you know, help other people along the way.[00:12:12] Lindsey Dinneen: Oh, I love that. So is it something that it's, it is just your thoughts, or do you have guests? Is it kind of interview based or is it mostly just, you know, taking your, your own learning and ideas and kind of putting them into positive, you know, affirmations for, for yourself and others?[00:12:31] Jaja Smith: It's funny you should ask that because I just posted last week my first episode, but it's a baby. Yeah, we are, we are the baby steps. So for me, my first episode was on my own, but I know that, you know, come time--because everybody has a story-- I want to open up the door for people to be able to share that story. It was, it was really interesting and I was so grateful for this. I posted my first episode and then I had someone stop me at the gym and was like, "Hey, I listened to this." And how relatable it was to something that they just went through. And I was like, "Okay. I, I have to have you talk about this and we have to pick this up apart." and I was like, "This is, this is amazing!" So I was like, this wouldn't have happened if I didn't do this. And so it was just a really, really special moment. And so I will definitely be having people on to be able to tell their story, because again, I am one conscious mind and I don't think we are supposed to work on a linear plane. So I would definitely love to, you know, bring some people on and have a couple episodes where I just talk about what, you know, it was weighing on my heart that day.[00:13:44] Lindsey Dinneen: That's perfect. I love that. I think magic happens with collaboration and I think it's exciting that you can do some of both. And I think that's the perfect platform for that. And, oh, what a great story too about, you know, that immediate feedback from somebody who goes, "Hey, Thank you. I, I've been there too. And that was such a helpful perspective." I mean, gosh, talk about encouragement right out the gate. I love it. That's fantastic. Good. I'm so glad.[00:14:12] Jaja Smith: My coffee that morning tasted so sweet.[00:14:14]Lindsey Dinneen: Oh, I love it. Yes. Excellent. Well, okay. So I know you kind of refer to yourself as an influencer and podcasting is obviously a fantastic way to do that, but you have other avenues for art as well if I'm not mistaken. Do you want to share about some of the other things that you're involved with as well?[00:14:32] Jaja Smith: Yes. So I've recently, in the last couple of months, have dabbled in the art of photography. And I never realized because I've been in front of the camera so much, you know, as an actor and as a model that I'd never realized, you know, just how much it does for the, the eye of a photographer and the heart of the model. Because I, I think oftentimes like modeling gets lost in translation of, "Oh, you're just pick a pose and you and the photographer shoots it." But it's like, no, this is a story being told here. Like, I, you are, you are choosing an emotion. Like if I ever modeled for anyone I ask, "What is one emotion that you want us to sell? What is the story that we're telling here?" And now it just becomes this, this beautiful, like, play back and forth between the photographer and the model that the people who see the final product get to get to kind of live through. You know, people admire the photo.[00:15:38] But, you know, I realized when I, you know, show my friends who are creatives, they're like, oh, you're, there's confidence here, but you're dealing with something in this photo and it's just, it's just this really cool thing. So to know that, you know, I was able to capture--'cause I'm not always playing myself when I'm playing a model--but to be able to say that they, they saw what, what my self and the photographer, or myself in the model were going for, that lets me know that I did my job. And then as a photographer to see the confidence boost in the model, you know, because I I've shot a lot of people who'd never really saw themselves as models before. And so to be able to shoot them and kind of bring that to life and just see this, this vigor in them, I'm just like, ah, this is a high, this is why it's harder for us to do this. So for me, that's probably been the most special part about that particular art.[00:16:38] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. And that's such a great perspective. I'm so glad that you shared that with us, 'cause I think, like you said, there are misconceptions about maybe modeling or, or even acting and things like that, where we just, those of us who aren't part of it don't necessarily understand everything that goes into it and what it takes. And it, like you said, it's not just standing there and making a pose, it's telling a story and it's, and it's work. I mean, you know, there's no-- Right. I mean, so, that's so interesting. I'm actually, it kind of begs a question of, what are some of the misconceptions that you have had to maybe help overcome or help educate when it comes to some of the art forms that you're involved with, maybe specifically modeling and acting, even filmmaking? I'm sure, you know, there are some misconceptions that you kind of are able to help people understand, "Oh, it's actually this."[00:17:40] Jaja Smith: Oh, yes. So for acting, especially because that is my meat and potatoes, my bread and butter. So I love unpacking these things with acting. It requires a certain level of vulnerability. You can't just jump in front of a camera and then play yourself because you're lying to yourself. When I do a scene with my scene partner, it requires a certain level of trust not just in the person that you're doing the scene with, but with yourself. You have to let go of a lot of inhibitions and say, "Okay, I'm fully here. I'm fully present, not just in front of this class, but as this person that I have chosen to play. I have a job to do first and foremost."  I have a responsibility to this person that I'm playing to do them justice. I look at acting sometimes as I am the PR, I am the lawyer of the character that I am portraying. And so I have a due diligence to make sure that their story gets told and that they get what it is that they need. So, and I never want to cheat that because I think that that's something really special.[00:18:53] Another misconception is that it's, it's easy. You know, I feel the longer I'm in this industry, there is such a business to this. You know, it's not just, I'm this pretty person, and I'm going to show up and they're going to pick me now. A lot of the job is, do you look the part? But that only gets you the job, but when you get there, you can easily lose the job because you didn't give the director what they wanted. So that's another reason why continuing to sharpen your tool, your acting ability, is so important because you have to keep the job just like any of them. The business aspect of this industry is, is something that I am progressively learning. I'm learning to ask a lot of questions almost to the annoying fault, but I just want to understand it so that way I can be the best person I can be on a set, for the director or with my partners, the rest of the cast and crew. I just want to make sure that I'm doing due diligence where I can.[00:19:59] So I think, it's very easy for people to get caught up in just watching a movie and saying, "Oh, I can do that." I promise it's so much deeper than that. You know, 'cause I'm sure we've all thought it at one point or another. You know, I remember being a kid and watching "Space Jam," and you know, you've watched it a hundred times. So now you like start moving with the movie and you start quoting it. And you know, I, it's funny 'cause we've always, we've all, all been actors at a time in our life, from birth or a baby. You know, my, my coach, he made a point, he was like, "When you wanted to eat, you cried. You didn't have to cry, but you just cried. And then, because you knew you would get what you wanted." And so, throughout life, we do what we believe is necessary to get that thing. Or, you know what, we as actors call a bridge. It's like, "I want this. So to do this, I will do this to get my scene partner on my mom to give me that juice." You know what I mean? Like, when you break it down like that, you're like, "Oh, I guess I really have been doing this for longer than five years, but I've just been doing it, you know, with the intent of acting for five years." So those are just some of the things that off the top of my head, I would say are common misconceptions.[00:21:22] Lindsey Dinneen: Perfect. Yeah. Thank you. Thanks for, yeah, shedding some light into that. And I, I love that. I think that a lot of times, you know, art is perceived to be very glamorous. If you're an artist on any level, it's very glamorous and, you know, there are those moments where it feels, it feels lovely and very, very glamorous, but then there's all the hard work behind it. And I think it's important to talk about that too, because time is not equally spent. The glamor happens, what 5%?[00:21:52] Jaja Smith: Right. And that's at a certain level. Like that's not a thing right now. It's a lot of hurry up and wait like, "Oh, we need you here at seven o'clock. Now you're going to sit here for six hours before we actually need you." It's not this beautiful, it's not this glamorous thing that we see on TV by any means. Like this is such false advertising.[00:22:09] Lindsey Dinneen: Yup, yup. Yup, exactly. But it's good. And, when you're willing to put in the work, there are those opportunities for such incredible reward, but, but it is hard work. So thank you for sharing that. So I'm curious, are there any particular moments that you've had that really stand out to you as sort of basically moments to remember, where you may be encountered art or you were a part of art and you just had this like encounter that was something to tuck away and think about later?[00:22:43] Jaja Smith: So my first big city audition was in New York City. And you know, this was probably my first, first year. Yes, it was my first year in acting, like going to pursue this as an endeavor and it, it was such a special moment because I learned so much. I learned that my confidence will tell the casting director everything that they need to know, and without it, you know, if they, if I don't believe in me, then neither can they.  I would say there was a feature length film that I was a part of and I had a monologue, and it was just one of those things to where I... I've always learned, I've always been taught by my coach to never break, you know, let the director tell you to cut. And, you know, I'm doing this monologue and I know that I'm missing a line, that my face gave me away that I forgot, but I kept going. And then at the end, the person that I was delivering this monologue to that when the director said, cut said, "Hey, man, that was great." So it was just one of those beautiful moments to where it's, if you trust the character, the words don't matter so much. Like people will forget what you said and remember how you made them feel.[00:24:07] Lindsey Dinneen: Right.[00:24:07] Jaja Smith: So now that was a really special one. So those are, those are the two.[00:24:12] Lindsey Dinneen: Those are great. Thank you. Oh my goodness. Yes. So I have a couple questions that I like to ask my guests if you're okay with that, all subjective.[00:24:21] Jaja Smith: Yeah, yeah.[00:24:23] Lindsey Dinneen: Okay, perfect. So the first one is , how do you personally define art or what is art to you?[00:24:30] Jaja Smith: Art is expression. Art is a hundred percent expression. You know, whether you are a painter or you are a, a sketch artist or a actor, or whatever your canvas is, it's this release of energy. Some people don't know how to articulate themselves. So for them to be able to have this outlet, it's this beautiful thing. And then when it comes out, sometimes it's angry. Sometimes it's heartbroken. I remember very vividly my dad passed away on the night of an acting class, but I had to go because I didn't know how to handle my emotions outside of that. And you know, my, my acting class is my family, but I just needed that, that outlet, you know, it was just one of those things. It's like air almost. I think for a lot of other artists out there, I think art is their microphone to tell the world how they really feel, and in the way that best articulates it for them.[00:25:33]Lindsey Dinneen: Perfect. I love it. Okay. And then what do you think is the most important role of an artist?[00:25:41] Jaja Smith: To be honest, because we as people have dealt with enough bologna sandwich that, you know, it doesn't do anything for anyone, if you're just doing something for the sake of the adoration or the sake of a finished product. But if you're true and you're intentional and you're authentic, I mean, that is the product that people can truly get on board with. You know, I think that that is to not just to people, but also to the work itself, and then to the artists, because there have been a few times I may have flubbed or played it safer. And then, you know, I stepped back and the scene is over and, you know, I was just like, "What are you doing?" Like you, you know that you cheated yourself and you're like, "Why did I do that?" So the biggest thing to me is just be honest, be authentic with your work and everything that you do. You know, I don't see any need to talk about things that you don't understand. You know, like if, if you're a music artist, that's like, you know, tell your story. You know, you have a story. And it's beautiful. I mean, it's yours and it deserves to be told.[00:26:46] Lindsey Dinneen: I love that. Yeah, absolutely. Okay. And then my final question--and I'll define my terms a little bit--is do you think that art should be inclusive or exclusive? So inclusive referring to an artist who puts something out into the world and provides some context behind that? Whether it's show notes or a title or the inspiration behind it, versus exclusive referring to an artist who puts his or her work out there, but doesn't provide context, and essentially leaves it completely up to the viewer to interpret it the way they will.[00:27:21] Jaja Smith: That's such a good question because I, I can appreciate both. And Jordan Peele is, is such a believer of the exclusive, you know, he just kind of puts a film out and he says, "You know, what's it mean to you? Like, what do you see?" And when it's exclusive it creates such a beautiful dialogue for people because, if you don't know, then you're just sharing perspectives with everybody who's seen this piece of work. But if it's inclusive--you know, I'm definitely going to side with exclusive--but if it's inclusive and you can allow people to see the project through your eyes or the piece of art through your eyes and how you intended it... But I really think, art should be left up for interpretation because when you go to a movie, you're not looking to see how the director wants you to see it.  You're picking the film apart scene by scene and trying to understand, "Okay, I want to know what the main character was like before the movie started. And like, why are they like this?"  I think we live in a society where we do enough being told what to think and letting that be it. But for me, I think art is truly meant to be exclusive in the sense of, you know, think for yourself and tell me what you see. And nine times out of 10, they're going to tell you that you're right, because it is your thought and it is what my art says to you.[00:28:58] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, absolutely. Well, and I liked that because that's a pretty unique perspective in the way that you communicated that of, of being able to think for yourself and interpret it the way that is meaningful to you. And I think there's a lot of value there. So that's, that's definitely cool. Thank you for sharing that. Well, thank you so much for being here today and sharing your stories and all the exciting things you have going on, and just, you're very inspiring. I'm so excited to continue to kind of watch your journey. And I would love if anyone who is listening to this episode would like to get in contact with you or follow your path, is there a way for them to do that?[00:29:42] Jaja Smith: Yes. So I am on Instagram. My Instagram is Jaja.Smith. Very simple, very plain. My podcast is "Just a Thought." And I am also on Facebook as Jaja Smith. You know, I post a lot of when my projects are coming out, I will make sure to dish all of those things out there. And, you know, I'm, I'm pretty approachable. You know, if you reach out to me, you have a thought or something, then I'm very quick and very open to just sharing a dialogue because  life is short, you know, you never know who you're gonna meet in life.[00:30:19] Lindsey Dinneen: Perfect. Thank you. Yeah. Okay. Well, and so what would be your one biggest piece of advice for someone who would be interested in being an actor?[00:30:32] Jaja Smith: Find a great class. And I mean, you just have to start. I think a lot of times, a lot of actors, especially here, locally that I know for sure, we stand idle whether it be fear, or we just don't think we'll be good at it. I think it's very important to just move, and it does the body good. Find a good class and absorb as much as you can, and understand that the world is your playground.  I can't tell you how many times that I've gone about my day and then just met somebody that I didn't know, and I just played a completely different person just to see, is this authentic? Does it work? And then, of course I leave the person and I say, "Hey, by the way...."-- and then I go back to being who I am, and I'm a local actor-- "did that, did I sell that to you?" And they're like, "Dude, that was amazing!" It's just, it's fun, not just for myself. And it keeps the, the craft of acting very, very light and fun and enjoyable. But it does the same thing for the, for the people around me. So just continually be a student of the game. That's, that's probably the biggest thing that I would say, and just find a class and do it, because you might be the next Robert Downey Jr. or Cate Blanchett or something, and you just don't give yourself that opportunity.[00:32:00] Lindsey Dinneen: I love that. Great advice, thank you so much. Thank you so much again for being here and sharing your stories and all of your adventures. I just so appreciate it. And thank you also to everyone who has listened to this episode. And if you're feeling as inspired as I am right now, I would love if you would share it with a friend or two, and we will catch you next time.[00:32:27] If you have a story to share with us, we would love that so much. And I hope your day has been Artfully Told.[00:32:36]Hey, Artfully Told listeners! I'm excited to share with you about Audible. As a podcast listener yourself, you already know how great it is to listen to something while you're driving or doing dishes or whatever it is. Audible has thousands of titles of audiobooks, as well as podcasts and other cool things, and they're offering a free audiobook to Artfully Told listeners when you sign up for a free trial membership. You'll have 30 days to decide if Audible is right for you, and you can cancel at any time without being charged and still keep your free audiobook. Sign up for your free trial and audiobook at www.audibletrial.com/artfullytold. Again, that's www.audibletrial.com/artfullytold. Thanks, Artfully Told listeners!

The second wave is starting to take form, the vaccines are scarce and not to be trusted, the economy is really being lashed, this will never end, Times are hard, times are tough..... that's the word on the ground. And because of this ongoing banter many have lost hope and given up on their vision and goals. Crisis may be new to you but it is not new to the God you know. So Just because many say there is no help and no hope doesn't mean you have to join the conversation. What do you have to say about it? Listen in and hear some of what God said in times of crisis and how you can change the conversation, take back your power and transform your life!

Well Christmas Is Gone and the New Year is almost here. But it's still cold outside and full of chills.  Closing out the year with a little warmth of love. So Just tune in with some hot stuff of Bed Time Vibes hugs.     

Barr-Durham investigation drags on despite mountains of evidence pointing to coup. The Duran: Episode 700. Via Just The News (https://justthenews.com/accountability/russia-and-ukraine-scandals/40-key-russia-documents-president-trump-must-still)... President Trump earlier this week vowed complete and final transparency in the Russia probe, ordering the declassification (without redaction) of all relevant documents that show how the false Russian collusion narrative was created by Hillary Clinton operatives and then investigated for three years by the FBI. With less than four weeks to Election Day 2020, there is little time to complete the mission so that voters can understand the foreign influence, dirty tricks and misconduct that began in the last presidential election and continued for years. So Just the News put together a list of the 40 most important documents yet to be released that would help America understand what really happened and who is most culpable. Most of the documents have been sought by Congress dating all the way back to 2017 and have been withheld from public release, mostly by bureaucrats at the State Department under Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the FBI under Director Christopher Wray. *** The Patriot Beacon #1 Tactical Flashlight on the Market Link: https://www.patrioticlegacy.com/product/patriot-flashlight/ Coupon code: Duran20

Join Us on Simple Beauty #Podcast Episode 2 Season 4 w/ Special Guest Jarmel Evans! Singer, Songwriter, Producer & BillBoard Charting Artist! We dive into a nessacary discussion on Worship! Such a fun and Awesome Show! Follow Jarmel Evans & Worship Forever on Social Media: Instagram: @iammyworship @worshipforever Follow up on All Things Simple Beauty: https://linktr.ee/MissAugust Remember You Cant Put Makeup on Inner beauty, So Just do the Work!

Join Us on Simple Beauty Podcast for Our Season Premiere w/ Special Guest Lonnie Bee! We dive into Beauty Is In where we discuss all things Real Raw, & UnCut! Catch the Full Podcast for #WhatBurnsMeUp & More: https://linktr.ee/MissAugust Follow Lonnie Bee on Social Media: Instagram: @IamLonnieBee Grab His Merch: www.gggfcornerstore.bigcartel.com www.lonniebeeyourjudy.com Save $10.00 on Merch @ Offer Code: Lonnie www.SimpleBeautyWorld.com Remember You Cant Put Makeup on Inner beauty, So Just do the Work! 

The DarkCast, is a “bi-weekly collection” of conversations about video games and the culture that surrounds them. This episode is about Hideo Kojima’s latest game, Death Stranding. To describe the conversion here would take too many words. So Just listen.TIME STAMPSStranding Death

"All that Free Nourishment y'all was given." Welcome back to another installment of this illustriousness. This week, back to how we get down. The pure essence of our podcast. Random Nourishment. -College Education -Movies, and TV shows are discussed -Random Topics - Rick Ross Appreciation -Hot Girl Summer - Game Of Thrones Much More! So Just listen! Follow @thenourishmentpodcast on IG as well as @simplyshani89, @alljojoeverything (Desmond gets his password reset, he'll be back.) Email: thenourishmentpodcast@gmail.com Peace and Blessings!

So Just who is Boris Johnson? Alexander Boris De Pfeffel Johnson as is his full name and he grew up as the eldest of four children. According to friends and family. Boris grew up believing that life was one big competition and he wanted to come out on top. In fact, as a young boy  he was asked what he wanted to be when he grew up, he answered, “I want to be King.”

Have you ever been in a situation where things just don’t seem to be going right? Have you ever tried and failed? Have you given up because you think you’re not just good enough? Well don’t stop trying. How dare you give up when God hasn’t given up on you? Learn from from the process then try again. God has a unique purpose for everyone of us, all you have to do is just ask Him and let Him direct you. Do not constrain Him to time, the fact that it hasn’t happened yet doesn’t mean it’s never going to happen. So Just do it!!!

To help create an inclusive classroom, this episode give you 3 common core based lessons that will foster an interest in each child’s cultural background. I do have a freebie available with this episode. It’s a graphic organizer template for each of the mini lessons I’ve described below. So Just go to thecelticclassoom.com to grab that freebie on the home page. You’ll see it listed with all the other freebies…so just grab a few more while you are there!    This episode was brought to you by the Celtic Classroom. 

Restrictive Covenants - Covenants, conditions, and restrictions (also called "CC&Rs") are used by many "common interest" developments, including condominiums and co-ops, to regulate the use, appearance, and maintenance of property. If you think 5 years down the road, you might need a shed or a barn or a structure that will be expensive that won’t fit the look of the neighborhood, you might want to think about a different neighborhood… Wrapping your mailbox August 2017 Southwood neighborhood here in Tallahassee, which is an work, play, live.. St Joe designed neighborhood… very uniform A veteran who became ensnared in a dispute with a local homeowners' association over a patriotic mailbox wrap says the display will get to stay. Retired U.S. Navy Officer John Ackert says the Southwood Residential Community Association is changing its rules and will now allow American flag wraps on mailboxes in the Southwood neighborhood. Ackert says he was informed of the news on Monday and that the rule change is already in effect. The decision came after Ackert received a letter stating that his flag mailbox cover violated HOA rules and would have to be removed. Ackert wrote an appeal and the SCRA held a meeting to review the rules before ultimately deciding on the change. So Just be cautious prior to moving in… Your Realtor cannot change the restrictive covenants….and even if you read it one way .. like literally, they can still sue you… js. LRV FROM THE LRV GURU What is LRV? What is Light Reflectance Value?Understanding LRV is crucial when choosing color for the built environment, interior and exterior. LRV – You may have noticed these three letters on manufacturer’s color specifications, on the back of paint swatches or noticed an entire column dedicated on precious few square inches of space available in the index of paint fan decks. What do those letters stand for? What does the LRV number mean and how is it used? It is rather simple. Paying attention to a color’s LRV can prevent poor color/paint color selections by helping you determine and evaluate certain color characteristics.Keywords: LRV, Light Reflectance Value, brightness, lightness, visual ergonomicsINTRODUCTION LRV is the acronym for Light Reflectance Value. As mentioned, LRV is on the back of most color swatches and in the index of all major brands’ fandecks. Value is often confused with the term intensity. Intensity is about vividness or dullness – is the color clear or muted. Value is an important term used in color and it speaks strictly to the lightness or darkness of a color.What is LRV Light Reflectance Value?Light Reflectance Value (LRV) is the total quantity of visible and useable light reflected by a surface in all directions and at all wavelengths when illuminated by a light source. (ref. British Standard BS 8300:2001/A1:2005) LRV is a measurement that tells you how much light a color reflects, and conversely how much it absorbs. LRV runs on a scale from 0% to 100%. Zero assumed to be an absolute black and 100% being an assumed perfectly reflective white. An absolute black or perfectly reflecting white does not exist in our everyday terms. Approximately speaking, the average blackest black has an LRV of 5% and the whitest white 85%. Some yellows can measure up into the 80’s or 90’s as well.METHODS/PROCEDURESHow do color pros use LRV Light Reflectance Value of Paint Colors? Color consultants, architects, and designers use LRV data in several stages of color planning.Many examples can be found in the workplace. Careful planning for proper visual ergonomics is paramount in color design. From individual work surfaces to the outside walkways, ramps, hand-railings and everything in between. From a sustainability point of view, a wall color with a higher LRV supports lighting plans by helping to propagate daylight deep into the space. Thereby reducing the standard number of lighting fixtures required to enable employees to efficiently and safely perform their tasks.Find the perfect paint color – How can homeowners use LRV Light Reflectance Value of Paint Colors?Most important for the do-it-yourselfer is to refer to color specifications for exterior products. For example, vinyl siding. Painting vinyl siding with a color that has too low of an LRV, that absorbs too much light and energy and thus retains too much heat, could result in warped siding. Some paint manufacturers have developed special formulations for painting heat-sensitive exterior surfaces. They offer diverse color choices. However, if you do not use one of those specially formulated products, you are limited to a paint color that is within the same LRV range as the original color. Else you risk warping and voiding any warranties.Interior Color: LRV provides a reference as to how light or dark a color could look and feel once up on all the walls. Remember LRV runs on a scale of 0% to 100%, 50% would be a mid-value paint color. Fifty percent LRV is the common guideline for residential interiors.Below the mid-point of 50%, and you know the color will tend to be darker absorbing more light than it will reflect back into the room. Thus, an interior lighting plan that accounts for the darker paint color should be a priority.Colors with LRV higher than 50% will be lighter and will reflect more light back into the room than is absorbed.When sampling paint colors, paying attention to Light Reflectance Values as you try different hues, tints, tones, and shades create benchmarks that can assist you in arriving at color selections quicklyand efficiently. What are the precautions of LRV Light Reflectance Value of Paint Colors?It is true that LRV Light Reflectance Value communicates a lot about a potential wall color, possibly provides even more of a sense of the color than those very small color chips – and we all know the issues with relying on just the small color chips.LRV refers to the percentage of light reflected by the paint color regardless of how much light is present. The LRV number is a measurement, a piece of data and is one of the few things about a color that is a consistent factor. No matter from what direction the natural light enters a room, no matter what reflection of color you get from the other elements in the room, no matter what other conditions exist that will affect the context in which the wall color is experienced, the LRV is the LRV. However. . .LRV can be misleading when it comes to yellow. Yellow is one of the most reflective hues in the spectrum. In addition, the more area it covers it grows more intense exponentially. People err when choosing yellow more than any other color. They end up with a too bright Lemon Chiffon yellow that borders on needing eye protection to enter the room when they really were going for a softer, more muted Buttercream color. There is a difference between Light Reflectance Value or luminance and visual brightness albeit subtle. When choosing yellow wall colors, consideration of visual intensity – how bright or dull the color LOOKS – would be a more prominent consideration than the LRV Light Reflectance Value number.GARNET & GOLD - This is where we review a local or not so local wine (garnet) beer/bourbon (gold) Thanks for listening! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

WWI Centennial News SPECIAL This week and next week, we are going to break format as we present a 2-part special podcast version of  “In Sacrifice for Liberty and Peace”. This two part special is an adaptation from a live staged event the Commission produced on the April 6, 2017 centennial of America’s entry into: The war that changed the world. Edward Bilous as the artistic director, and Chris Christopher as the US WW1 Centennial Commission’s executive producer pulled together an amazing group of artists, historians musician, actors, and others for a live performance staged outdoors at the National WWI Museum and Memorial  in Kansas City to an audience of over 3,000 attendees. For this 2-part special we have excerpted key moments from the story that unfolds, the music that was performed and the readings from a cast of amazing actors, orators, musicians and other luminaries. Part 1 examines the great debate in America about getting into the war----more---- Talent Credits This podcast was adapted from the live event In Sacrifice for Liberty and Peace: Centennial Commemoration of the US entry into WWI   Credits for the live event include:   Edward Bilous Artistic Director John Rensenhouse Narrator Michelle DiBucci Music Director Sarah Outhwaite Video Designer   Carlos Murillo Script and Adaptation Greg Kalember Music Producer, Mix Engineer, Sound Design   Portia Kamons Executive Artistic Producer For Virtua Creative Shelby Rose Producer, Media and Special Events For Virtua Creative   Dale Morehouse Speaker   Carla Noack Speaker   David Paul Pre-Recorded Speaker   Janith English Principal Chief of the Wyandot Nation of Kansas   Sergeant Debra Kay Mooney Choctaw Nation   Col. Gerald York Grandson of Sergeant Alvin C. York   Deborah York Great-Granddaughter of Sergeant Alvin C. York   Noble Sissle Jr. Son of Noble Sissle   Featuring Musical Performances by 1st Infantry Division Band Michael Baden John Brancy Francesco Centano Billy Cliff Peter Dugan Ramona Dunlap Lisa Fisher Samantha Gossard Adam Holthus Christopher T. McLaurin Chrisi Poland Aaron Redburn Reuben Allen Matt Rombaum Alan Schwartz Yang Thou Charles Yang Alla Wijnands Bram Wijnands   Cast (In Alphabetical Order) Freddy Acevedo Yetunde Felix-Ukwu Jason Francescon Khalif Gillett Emilie Karas Chelsea Kisner Christopher Lyman Marianne McKenzie Victor Raider-Wexler   Artillery Master Charles B. Wood MEDIA CREDITS National World War I Museum and Memorial:  TheWorldWar.org Library of Congress: LOC.gov New York Public Library: DigitalCollections.nypl.org National Archives: Archives.gov National Historic Geographic Information System: NHGIS.org State Library of New South Wales: SL.nsw.gov.au Imperial War Museums: IWM.org.uk National Museum of African American History and Culture: NMAAHC.si.edu The Sergeant York Patriotic Foundation and the York Family: SgtYork.org Australian War Memorial: AWM.gov.au National Media Museum: NationalMediaMuseum.org.uk Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library Archive: WoodrowWilson.org Mathers Museum of World Culture: Mathers.indiana.edu Front Page Courtesy of The New York Times Company   PODCAST THEO MAYER WW1 Centennial News is brought to YOU by the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission and the Pritzker Military Museum and Library. I’m Theo Mayer - the Chief Technologist for the Commission and your host. Before we get into the main part of the show - - Let me try to set this up:   [SOUND EFFECT - WAYBACK MACHINE] We’ve gone back in time to June 28, 1914. Today, a 19 year-old radicalized teenage Serbian nationalist named Gavrilo Princip guns down Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie - ON their wedding anniversary no less. So this was all kicked off by a misguided kid - after all - what does anybody know about consequences at 19, and gunning down celebrities - is - pretty dumb and definitely misguided. And the archduke was a celebrity - he was in line for the throne of the Austro-hungarian empire. Things are already pretty tense in Europe! Austria-Hungary, blames the Serbian government for the attack and sees this as great justification for settling the question of Slavic nationalism once and for all - with a little war action. BUT….  Russia supports Serbia, SO… Austria-Hungary asked Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm to back them in the event of a Russian intervention… An intervention that would probably suck in Russia’s ally, France, and maybe Britain too. So - Just a month later on July 28, 1914 Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, and a big burning match gets tossed on the very dry tinder of european tension… the tenuous peace between Europe’s big powers goes up in flames. Within a week, Russia, Belgium, France, Great Britain and Serbia line up against the Austria-Hungary and Germany, and World War I begin. But remember - no one knows at the time that this is a global war. It’s just a little imperial action which Germany sees as a great opportunity - Remember - in German the word Kaiser means EMPEROR - so emperor Wilhelm thinks that this is a good time to expand German imperial holding with a rush west -  across Belgium - to deliver a quick and decisive blow to France for an imperially profitable end to a simple, messy little conflict. BUT….at the First Battle of The Marne, 90 miles from Paris, the German plan falls apart and the Germans suffer a defeat at the hands of the Allies – over a million soldiers face off and fight over 6 days, and sadly more than 100,000 die. This is where we join up with the live production beginning with a quote from Barbara Tuchman from her book - The GUNS OF AUGUST: “After the Marne, the war grew and spread until it drew in the nations of both hemispheres and entangled them in a... world conflict no peace treaty could dissolve. The Battle of Marne was one of the decisive battles… not because it determined that Germany would ultimately lose or the Allies ultimately win the war, but because it determined that the war would go on…. The nations were caught in a trap… from which there was… no exit.”   NARRATOR Even with the United States remaining resolutely neutral, many young Americans needed no persuasion to join the War effort. Mary Gladwin, a nurse from Akron, Ohio, was among the first American Red Cross nurses to go to Europe during the War, serving as the supervisor of nurses at the American Hospital in Belgrade. She wrote:   MARY GLADWIN The cannonading lasted all the time. There was no time during twenty-four hours in the first six months  that  some of the guns were not fired. My room was a little whitewashed one. Every time one of the big French guns would fire.... It would illuminate all the wall and then... I would hear the boom of the guns. That kept up night after night, until the time came that we did not hear them any more…   NARRATOR Eugene Bullard, the only African American pilot to fly in World War I, did so not for the United States, but for France. The son of a freed slave, Bullard stowed away to Europe in 1912, determined to escape racism in the US. After working as a boxer and vaudeville performer in England, Bullard settled in France. When hostilities broke out, he joined the infantry of the French Foreign Legion, earning the Croix de Guerre for bravery at the Battle of Verdun. After sustaining injuries and declared unfit for infantry service, Bullard earned his wings with the Aeronautique Militaire of France, and joined the Lafayette Flying Corps in 1916. His plane was decorated with the slogan” “All Blood Runs Red.” When the US entered the war, Bullard tried to enlist as a flyer for the Americans:   BULLARD “I was more and more puzzled until it suddenly came to me that all my fellow countrymen who had transferred were white. Later, I learned that in World War I Negroes were not accepted as flyers in the United States Army. This hurt me, deeply.”   THEO MAYER When hostilities broke out in Europe, thousands of Americans touring the continent descended on London hoping to find safe passage home, only to find themselves unable to obtain accommodations or tickets for the few ships sailing. A forty year old mining engineer and financier from Iowa by the name of Herbert Hoover was living in London in 1914. Hoover organized an American relief committee that provided food, shelter and financial assistance to over 100,000 Americans. Hoover’s leadership earned him the respect of the US Ambassador to Great Britain, Walter Hines Page. Ambassador Page tapped Hoover to lead a relief mission to Belgium. After the Battle of Marne, Belgium faced starvation. Germany had invaded, but refused to take responsibility for feeding the populace. On the other side, Britain’s Naval blockade prevented ships from entering Belgian ports. So in October of 1914, Herbert Hoover established an organization to procure and deliver food to the starving Belgian population, rescuing a nation from certain ruin. Herbert Hoover wrote:   HERBERT HOOVER "...there was no former human experience to turn for guidance. It would require that we find the major food supply for a whole nation; raise the money to pay for it; get it past navies at sea and occupying armies on land; set up an agency for distribution of supplies for everybody justly; and see that the enemy took none of it. It was not ‘relief’ in any known sense. It was the feeding of a nation.   THEO MAYER This will later earn Herbert Hoover the job of heading the united states food administration… and of course he also becomes the 31st President of the United State [SOUND EFFECT] Dateline May 8, 1915 Headline of the NY times reads: LUSITANIA SUNK BY SUBMARINE, PROBABLY 1,260 DEAD; TWICE TORPEDOED OFF IRISH COAST; SINKS IN 15 MINUTES; FROHMAN AND VANDERBILT MISSING; WASHINGTON BELIEVES THAT A GRAVE CRISIS IS AT HAND   SONG: WHEN THE LUSITANIA WENT DOWN A thousand more, who sailed from our shore, Have gone to eternity. The Statue of Liberty high Must now have a tear in her eye. I think it's a shame-- Some one is to blame, But all we can do is just sigh!   Chorus Some of us lost a true sweetheart; Some of us lost a dear dad; Some lost their mothers, sisters, and brothers; Some lost the best friends they had. It's time they were stopping this warfare If women and children must drown. Many brave hearts went to sleep in the deep When the Lusitania went down.   Refrain Many brave hearts went to sleep in the deep When the Lusitania went down.   THEO MAYER US neutrality faced numerous tests. Vying for control over shipping lanes across the Atlantic and through the North Sea, Germany and Britain both found themselves on a collision course with the United States. Britain, in their effort to blockade commerce from the US reaching Germany, seized American ships. Germany, in retaliation to US shipments, introduced a new weapon of war – the U-Boat – which could strike without warning. In 1915, German U-Boats sank over 90 ships.   NARRATOR Leading up to the Election of 1916, many Americans favored the Allies in the War, yet embraced President Wilson’s urging to remain “impartial in thought as well as in action.” At the time, one third of US citizens were either born in Europe or were descendants of European immigrants. Sympathy for both countries on both sides of the conflict ran high. The descendants of German immigrants found themselves torn, on the one hand identifying firstly as Americans, yet on the other, sympathizing with their relatives abroad. When the US entered the War, German-Americans were labeled “alien enemies” and faced severe restrictions on their civil liberties. Irish Americans preferred neutrality as well, as the prospect of the U.S. entering the War on the side of the British was an anathema to Irish nationalist sentiment. The sinking of the Lusitania led many Americans to call for an immediate reprisal against Germany. Wilson proceeded with caution, demanding an apology, compensation for the victims and assurances that Germany would cease unrestricted submarine warfare. In a speech delivered at a Citizen Naturalization Ceremony on May 10, 1915, Wilson affirmed the anti-War US stance:   WILSON “America must have this consciousness, that on all sides it touches elbows and touches hearts with all the nations of mankind. The example of America must be the example not merely of peace because it will not fight, but of peace because peace is the healing… influence of the world.... There is such a thing as a man being too proud to fight. There is such a thing as a nation being so right that it does not need to convince others by force that it is right.”   NARRATOR Wilson’s measured response faced opposition from figures like former President Theodore Roosevelt, who believed Germany’s aggression warranted a strong military response:   THEODORE ROOSEVELT “I am pretty well disgusted with our government and with the way our people acquiesce in and support it. I suppose, however, in a democracy like ours the people will always do well or ill largely in proportion to their leadership. If Lincoln had acted after the firing on Sumter in the way that Wilson did about the sinking of the Lusitania, in one month the North would have been saying they were so glad he kept them out of the war and… that at all hazards fratricidal war must be averted.”   NARRATOR Theodore Roosevelt’s words were not mere bluster. He would eventually see three of his sons off to war. Two would return alive. His youngest son, Quentin, died when he was shot down over France in 1918.   THEO MAYER The conflict  about  US neutrality  didn't just rage in Washington, but was reflected throughout  american society and culture  - Here is the great debate playing out as musical counterpoint in two popular songs of the times sung from the hearts of two mothers.   SONG MEDLEY: “I Didn’t Raise My Boy To Be A Soldier” - “America, Here’s My Boy”   Verse 1 There’s a million mothers knocking at the nation’s door A million mothers, yes and they’ll be millions more, And while within each mother’s heart they pray Just hark what one brave mother has to say: Chorus America, I raised a boy for you America, you’ll find him staunch and true Place a gun upon his shoulder He is ready to die or do America, he is my only one; My hope, my pride and joy, But if I had another, He would march beside his brother; America here’s my boy   Verse 2 There’s a million mothers waiting by the fireside bright A million mothers waiting for the call tonight And while within each heart there’ll be a tear She’ll watch her boy go marching with a cheer   Chorus America, I raised a boy for you America, you’ll find him staunch and true Place a gun upon his shoulder He is ready to die o My hope, my pride and joy, But if I had another, He would march beside his brother; America here’s my boy.   Verse 1 Ten million soldiers to the war have gone Who may never return again Ten million mothers’ hearts must break For the ones who died in vain Head bowed down in sorrow in her lonely years I heard a mother murmur thro’ her tears:   Chorus: “I didn’t raise my boy to be a soldier, I brought him up to be my pride and joy.” Who dares place a musket on his shoulder To shoot some other mother’s darling boy? Let nations arbitrate their future troubles, It’s time to lay the sword and gun away. There’d be no war today If mothers all would say: “I didn’t raise my boy to be a soldier.”   Verse 2 What victory can cheer a mother’s heart When she looks at her blighted home? What victory can bring her back All she cared to call her own? Let each mother answer in the years to be, Remember that my boy belongs to me!   Chorus: “I didn’t raise my boy to be a soldier, I brought him up to be my pride and joy.” Who dares place a musket on his shoulder To shoot some other mother’s darling boy? Let nations arbitrate their future troubles, It’s time to lay the sword and gun away.   NARRATOR At the other end of the political spectrum, the editors of the conservative North American Review argued for U.S. participation:   THE EDITORS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN REVIEW We know now… what this war is. It is the last of the great battles for Freedom and Democracy. America fought the first a century and forty years ago. France followed through seas of blood and tears. But lately the Great Charter has passed… from the barons to the people of England. Japan has ceased to be a monarchy except in name. China as a Republic defies the power of might…. Can anyone doubt that the beginning of the end of absolutism is at hand….?   NARRATOR Legendary newspaper reporter Walter Lippman offered this third-way assessment of the role America could play in the War:   WALTER LIPPMANN In May 1916, the President made a speech which will be counted among the... decisive utterances of American foreign policy…. The speech was an announcement that American isolation was ended, and that we were prepared to join a League of Peace….. …it was intended to make clear to the world… that if America has to fight, it would fight for peace and the order of the world. It was a great portent in human history, but it was overshadowed at the time by the opening of the Presidential campaign.”   THEO MAYER The United States, like Canada and the British Empire, absorbed a massive influx of immigrants from the end of the 19th Century through the war. Capitalizing on the idea that immigrants traveled to distant shores seeking freedom from tyranny, recruitment efforts in all three countries appealed to immigrants’ indebtedness – in exchange for their freedom, and their children’s freedom, they were urged to show their patriotism by enlisting in the fight.   “THERE’S NO HYPHEN IN MY HEART” SONG   Verse 1 To these broad shores my fathers came From lands beyond the sea They left their homes they left their friends To breathe an air more free To them an alien land it seemed With customs strange and new But my heart knows just one dear flag The Red, the White, the Blue   Chorus: There is no hyphen in my heart It can’t be cut in two Oh flag of bars and silver stars I’ve given it all to you   Verse 2 Columbia to me you’ve been A mother fond and true My heart’s best love and loyal trust I gladly offer you Let others sing of native lands Far o’er the ocean’s foam The spot where floats the stars and stripes Shall ever be my home   Chorus: There is no hyphen in my heart It can’t be cut in two Oh flag of bars and silver stars I’ve given it all to you   NARRATOR The 1916 election hinged on the question of America’s neutrality in the War. Wilson, running for a second term, built his candidacy around the idea that America ought to prepare for the possibility of war, yet the campaign slogans “He Kept Us Out of War” and “America First” persuaded the American public that a vote for the Republican candidate, Charles Evans Hughes, would be a vote for war. While many embraced the slogans, others criticized them. Teddy Roosevelt:   TEDDY ROOSEVELT President Wilson’s ignoble shirking of responsibility has been mis-clothed in… the phrase of a coward, “He Kept Us Out of War.” In actual reality, war has been creeping nearer. . . and we face it without policy, plan, purpose, or preparation.   NARRATOR In September 1916, Wilson accepted the Democratic nomination for President:   WILSON “We have been neutral not only because it was the fixed and traditional policy of the United States to stand aloof from the politics of Europe… but also because it was manifestly our duty to prevent … the indefinite extension of the fires of hate and desolation kindled by that terrible conflict and seek to serve mankind by reserving our strength and our resources for the… difficult days of restoration and healing …, when peace will have to build its house anew.”   NARRATOR The Debate reached every corner of American society. Voices for and against the US joining the war included not only politicians, but men who would likely be called to serve, women, African Americans and Native Americans fighting for an equal role in American Civic life.   NARRATOR American Arthur Bullard, who had lived in war-time France and England, wrote in early 1917:   ARTHUR BULLARD Whatever the diplomats may like to call it, this is War. And we do not know how to fight…. We have no American general who ever commanded an Army corps, not one of our naval officers ever fought against a Dreadnought, none of our artillery men ever fired a real shot at an enemy aircraft. We must learn…. The war is upon us and we... must decide what we are going to do about it… We who love peace ought to keep out of war as long as possible and when we are forced to go in – go in hard!   NARRATOR For women, the prospect of war also provoked debate. Many nurses of the American Red Cross nurses had experienced the tribulations of War first hand. Jane Delano, founder of the American Red Cross Nursing Service, wrote in the winter of 1915:   JANE DELANO We have learned that women can be mobilized without confusion; that their chances of illness when ... seem to be no greater than men’s; that they face danger with equanimity…. Out of this experience we should be…. able to guarantee a satisfactory nursing personnel not only for national relief in time of calamity, but for efficient service should our country be confronted with that greatest of all disasters – War.   NARRATOR A year later, Bessie R. James of the National League for Women’s Service wrote:   BESSIE R. JAMES On November 8, 1916, the foresight of the women… is something which cannot but arouse admiration. That anyone should organize to prepare half the populace of the country for war while a president was being put back into office because of a supposed peace policy would seem ridiculous. This however, was exactly what happened.   NARRATOR The first years of the War coincided with the beginning of The Great Migration, a transformative period for African Americans who fled the entrenched racism of the south for better wages and living conditions in northern cities like Chicago, Pittsburgh, Detroit and New York. At the outbreak of war, many African Americans viewed service in the military as an opportunity to show their willingness to serve and improve on their standing as second-class citizens. Others were more skeptical. In a 1917 issue of The Messenger, Chandler Owen and A. Phillip Randolph challenged the hypocrisy of American democratic ideals in relation to African American struggle:   OWEN & RANDOLPH; Patriotism has no appeal to us; justice has. Party has no weight with us; principle has.   NARRATOR In his 1914 editorial, “World War and the Color Line,” W.E.B. Dubois drew connections between the crisis in Europe and the conditions experienced by African Americans at home: W.E.B. DUBOIS Many colored persons… may easily make the mistake of supposing that the present war is far removed from the color problem in America…. This attitude is a mistake. The present war in Europe is one of the great disasters due to race and color prejudice and it but foreshadows greater disasters in the future….   NARRATOR As the likelihood of war increased in early 1917, DuBois again unleashed his pen to reflect on the institution of segregated training camps:   W.E.B. DUBOIS We must choose then between the insult of a separate camp and the irreparable injury of strengthening the present custom of putting no black men in positions of authority here is only one thing to do now, and that is to organize the colored people for leadership and service, if war should come. A thousand commissioned officers of colored blood is something to work for.   NARRATOR Diplomat, lawyer, and official of the NAACP James Weldon Johnson called for an end to what he termed the “Excess Patriotism” which had led the world’s nations to war: JOHNSON It is this hot, high-tempered, foolish, bad-mannered patriotism that keeps farther away the day for which all lovers of humanity pray; the day when men shall not hate each other because of the boundaries of domain or the differences of race, but when universal brotherhood shall be established and a lasting peace shall reign.   ARE THEY EQUAL IN THE EYES OF THE LAW SONG Verse 1 As they sit in consultation Seeking peace for the wide, wide world I wonder if their thought e’er turn to me. I was at the concentration of the troops that stopt the whirl Of the Kaiser in his dash to the sea. As I sit in meditation Seeking solace from on high I wonder if they see I stand in awe, As they plan the federation for the races far and nigh Are they equal in the eyes of the law?   Chorus: Are they equal in the eyes of the law? The black man faced his death and cried, “Hurrah?” His soul was pure and white, He fought a manly fight, No more patriotic sons you ever saw Are they equal in the eyes of the law? The black man faced his death and cried, “Hurrah?” They were the same in no man’s land, Tell me how so they stand? Are they equal in the eyes of the law?   Verse 3 God, the Father of creation, Hear, oh, hear my humble plea, As with contrite heart I call thy holy name. In this land of desolation, Where they lynch and torture me, Keep them, Father, from this life of sin and shame. Oh thou God of restitution, Though with vengeance in Thy hand, We pray Thee, Keep us from grim hatred’s mighty claw Show them, Lord, that retribution, Runs its course throughout the land, To make men equal in the eyes of the law.   Chorus: Are they equal in the eyes of the law? The black man faced his death and cried, “Hurrah?” His soul was pure and white, He fought a manly fight, No more patriotic sons you ever saw Are they equal in the eyes of the law? The black man faced his death and cried, “Hurrah?” They were the same to the God of the hosts, Tell me in your Freedom’s boasts, Are they equal in the eyes of the law?   NARRATOR America’s native peoples overwhelmingly supported the United States during the Great War, although a few leaders such as Dr. Carlos Montezuma, a Yavapai-Apache, objected. He wrote:   CARLOS MONTEZUMA They are not citizens. They have fewer privileges than have foreigners. They are wards of the United States of America without their consent or the chance of protest on their part.   NARRATOR But most Indian leaders saw the conflict as an opportunity to gain recognition and to affirm tribal sovereignty, as did the Onondaga and Oneida Nations that declared war on Germany.   In 1917, Oglala Chief Red Fox, a nephew of Crazy Horse, went to Washington and urged Secretary of War Newton D. Baker, to offer the services of the Indians in the Great War:   CHIEF RED FOX From all over the West, we now stand ready--fifty thousand Indians between the ages of seventeen and fifty-five. We beg of you, to give us the right to fight. We guarantee to you, sir, our hearts could be for no better cause than to fight for the land we love, and for the freedom we share.   NARRATOR Chief Red Fox’s sentiments were echoed by the Seneca Arthur Parker, President of the Society of American Indians in 1917, who wrote:   ARTHUR PARKER The American Indian has common cause with the Allies.  The Indian fights because he loves freedom and because humanity needs the defense of the freedom loving man. The Indian fights because his country, his liberties, his ideals and his manhood are assailed by the brutal hypocrisy of Prussianism. Challenged, the Indian has... shown himself a citizen of the world, [and] an exponent of an ethical civilization wherein human liberty is assured.   NARRATOR The outcome of the 1916 election reflected divisions in the country. Winning by a slim Electoral College margin, Wilson’s second term would soon face a series of crises that would determine the fate of his neutral position in the war.   NARRATOR - ALL READERS While debate raged in America, the slaughter continued in Europe. Rapid advances in the technology of weapons of war led to vast devastation. For the first time in history the battlefield saw the use of tanks, chemical weapons, machine guns, long-range artillery and aircraft. Sixty five million men fought in the War from 40 countries. Twenty one million were wounded. Eight million died – roughly 3,000 every day. Six and a half million civilians were killed including two million in Russia alone. One hundred and ten thousand tons of poison gas was used, killing nearly half a million men. In Europe alone, approximately 10 million people were displaced by the war, including 1.8 million Armenians forcibly deported to the Syrian desert. 1.5 million Belgians were refugees from the Germans. In the Battle of Somme, fought between July and November of 1916, 1.2 million men perished for a meager Allied gain of 7.8 miles of territory. During the Battle of Somme, it is estimated that in the first week of fighting over one and one half million artillery shells were fired… almost three shells per second for 168 continuous hours. (NEED THIS STATISTIC!!) Never before had humankind unleashed terror on this scale and it’s effects permanently scarred the landscape and the souls of those who were there. THEO MAYER And that is the end of  part 1 of “In Sacrifice for Liberty and Peace” Join us again next week for part II   The US World War One Centennial Commission was created by Congress to honor, commemorate and educate about WW1. Our programs are to-- inspire a national conversation and awareness about WW1; Our podcast is a part of that endeavor We are bringing the lessons of the 100 years ago into today's classrooms; We are helping to restore WW1 memorials in communities of all sizes across our country; and of course we are building America’s National WW1 Memorial in Washington DC.   If you like the work we are doing, please support it with a tax deductible donation at ww1cc.org/donate - all lower case Or if you are on your smart phone text  the word: WW1 to 41444. that's the letters ww the number 1 texted to 41444. Any amount is appreciated.   We want to thank commission’s founding sponsor the Pritzker Military Museum and Library for their support. The podcast can be found on our website at ww1cc.org/cn   on  iTunes and google play ww1 Centennial News. Our twitter and instagram handles are both @ww1cc and we are on facebook @ww1centennial. Thanks for listening to this special presentation of WW1 Centennial News… A full list of the many talented people who contributed to this production is in the podcast notes.   [MUSIC] So long.

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