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Advocacy For Artists with Mercedez Davis- Circuspreneur Podcast Ep.95
31 Plays5 months ago
#LegislativeSession #Advocate #BlackActivism #FilmTax #BlackHistoryMonth
On this episode of the Circuspreneur Podcast celebrating Black Activism, host Shenea Stiletto interviews Merecedez Davis, a local community activist and artist, who most recently moderated the Film Tax Incentive TownHall at UNLV organized by Eccentric Artists. Working with Senator Dina Neal as a community organizer, Mercedez advocated successfully for the passage of the Windsor Park Environmental Justice Act. Windsor Park is a historically Black Neighborhood in North Las Vegas which was built on a geological fault and aquifer. As the underground water reservoirs began to deplete, this caused all of the homes to start cracking and breaking to the point of sinking for decades.
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Transcript
Introduction to Circuspreneur and Guest Introduction
00:00:04
Circuspreneur Podcast
This podcast is also available via StageLink dot.com, the groundbreaking new platform for live performing arts. Please support the podcast by liking, subscribing, commenting, and tagging the podcast. It helps us to continue to bring the industry high-level content. I'm your host, Sinead Saleto, and my guest on today's Circuspreneur podcast is grassroots organizer and artist, Mercedes Davis. Welcome to the podcast, Mercedes.
00:00:28
Mercedez
Yeah, thank you for having me. Excited to be here.
00:00:32
Circuspreneur Podcast
It's a pleasure. um I think that you're so fantastic and so wonderful. And I'm glad that we finally got you on the podcast because I've been wanting to interview you now for a minute and to let listeners know a little bit about you.
Mercedes Davis: Storytelling and Strategy in Advocacy
00:00:45
Circuspreneur Podcast
Mercedes Davis is a creative storyteller and communication strategist with a rich background in community engagement, project management, and grassroots organizing. experienced in crafting compelling narratives, managing diverse teams, and executing impactful campaigns across sectors, including political advocacy, nonprofit initiatives, and the arts. And that is how we met. And I'm really grateful to you, Mercedes, because you know as a circus arts advocate, I find myself not always invited to the table.
00:01:15
Circuspreneur Podcast
in a lot of advocacy spaces whether they're political or they're within the arts and you've you know remembered me and I'm really grateful for that especially being an advocate locally to Las Vegas which Vegas is so diverse and many times I find people think that we've just got kind of like the circus thing covered um and you really have listened to me and gotten to know and understand like what my you know what my message is and what my intention is in terms of in terms of mobilizing the industry and with respect to like policy and legislation and so I've you know been really fortunate to have you highlight you know my um individual activism for the circus arts industry on a local level here in Las Vegas in the way that you know people aren't usually used to, um folks showing up and advocating for us and and asking for similar things that members of the arts community already have or or other you know types of grassroots movements have that We have not had ah you know um historically in a similar way, but these last you know few years we've been really hitting the ground and working very, very hard to make a statement in terms of you know the rights, the labor rights um of this
Circus Arts and Nevada Film Tax Bill Discussion
00:02:26
Circuspreneur Podcast
industry.
00:02:26
Circuspreneur Podcast
And so um you know we recently came together um with the over the Nevada film tax bill Um, that is really in folks basis right now and, um, is being pushed very strongly and prominently by Senator, uh, Roberta Langley.
00:02:44
Circuspreneur Podcast
Um, I think I said her last name incorrectly. Please or correct me if I'm wrong.
00:02:48
Mercedez
senator roberta lang
00:02:50
Circuspreneur Podcast
Lang, I don't know why I said Langley.
00:02:52
Mercedez
yeah
00:02:52
Circuspreneur Podcast
I'm so sorry, Senator, Senator Roberta Lang, who is very, very lovely. I've had the opportunity to meet her and speak with her and commune with her and connect with her um about you know the impacts to the circus arts industry ah with the possibility and potential of this bill that is being introduced soon into the upcoming legislative session that starts, I believe, like February 3rd of this year, if I'm if i'm if i'm correct, Mercedes.
00:03:11
Mercedez
Senator Roberto Lang. Yes, yes, it starts. Is that literally next week, February 3rd?
00:03:20
Circuspreneur Podcast
yes
00:03:21
Mercedez
Yeah, yeah, so it's next week, everyone.
00:03:22
Circuspreneur Podcast
but stay
00:03:25
Circuspreneur Podcast
It's perfect timing. I mean, they put a lot of energy into this bill. um Obviously, there's a big push in bringing Hollywood essentially to Las Vegas. And then not only that, bringing a full workforce of curriculum and support to UNLV by training um you know students and and and the academia aspect to the film industry and bringing them in, which is such an interesting kind of pairing. And so again, because it's a very, you know, kind of popular thing that's out there right now, um I'm excited to talk to you about a little bit about the bill, but more or less about what's the process ah with the legislative session, Mercedes, and how that works when you're introducing a bill. We have been apart and seen the buildup to a bill being introduced. And there's so much work that goes into that before it's even introduced after it's drafted and obviously ratified, which we've discussed previously too. So ah before we get to that part, I would love you to tell listeners a bit about your journey as an artist and as a grassroots advocate advocateca advocate get because you have done some really incredible work ah locally here in Las Vegas with respect to policy and legislation. I would like for listeners to understand and discover how you're able to do all of that magic.
00:04:40
Mercedez
Yeah, well, thank you again for having me. um You've been such a pleasure to be around in every space that I'm working in. I feel like you're around, you're active, and so if you've just been in such a great presence.
00:04:53
Mercedez
um But yeah, I started because I, so I went to school for environmental studies and I had this idea in my mind, I was thinking about climate change, I was thinking about the environment and how much I love it.
00:04:53
Circuspreneur Podcast
Thank you.
00:05:05
Mercedez
And while I was going to school, I realized that so many people didn't have access to things like clean water, to clean air, to to trees, just things that are natural that everybody should have access to. So I graduated with my environmental studies degree and I started getting into more community advocacy.
00:05:24
Mercedez
um specifically environmental justice. And I moved to Vegas about two years ago now.
Environmental Justice in Windsor Park
00:05:30
Mercedez
And during the legislative session of 2023, I came across a film um by UNLV film students called The Sinking Streets. And that film documented basically the plight of a historic black neighborhood in North Las Vegas called Windsor Park. And Windsor Park um was built in the 1960s before segregation ended in Nevada. um And it was basically built on geological faults and an aquifer. And in the 1980s, when the North Las da Vegas started pumping water out of that aquifer, all of their homes started sinking and cracking and breaking. So this film beautifully documented in a and and short um in a short narrative way, in about 13 minutes, how
00:06:21
Mercedez
like devastated these families were and how they were getting ignored and neglected. So I was already contracted with an environmental justice organization. They wanted me to focus on national legislation, but I just kind of have a way of kind of finding in the moment locally what needs attention and what needs help. And so I found that issue and I was like, yeah, let me like, what can I do? And I realized that awareness needed to be spread. I met with Senator Dina Neal,
00:06:48
Mercedez
um And she was working on the Windsor Park Environmental Justice Bill and it just happened to be like divine timing. Like I met her at the right time. She's like, I have this bill. People need to be aware of it. The community needs to provide testimony, all these things. And I was like, okay, I have some skill with this. I can put on so a couple of events. I can introduce myself to the community.
00:07:10
Mercedez
I can spread awareness wherever I talk about the environment. I can talk about this. so I pretty much did that during the entire legislative session. I started off by just going door to door in the Windsor Park neighborhood, introducing myself, talking to people, like asking what's going on. and they're and The people there were super welcoming. and like like, yes, come inside my house and look look at the cracks in my floor, look at how it's sinking, all this stuff.
00:07:34
Circuspreneur Podcast
Ooh.
00:07:34
Mercedez
And they trusted me and I let them know like, okay, this is the next the next point that we need you to provide testimony.
00:07:40
Mercedez
This is where we need you to be. This is where and how to provide testimony. And they really showed up and um other people in the community showed up that aren't living in Windsor Park and they they provided testimony.
00:07:52
Mercedez
So we got that bill passed by the end of the legislation legislative session um in 2023. And now 93 families are getting brand new houses, 93 families are getting restitution payments.
00:08:04
Mercedez
So yeah. And that's kind of what, yeah.
00:08:08
Circuspreneur Podcast
Wow. like yeah you know wow i just you know I'm clapping over here, clapping and snapping. you know Every time I hear you tell that story, it's just like, wow, because it just shows that it works. And I think sometimes folks get really distanced from policy and from how government works and what it takes also to the amount of effort it takes and you know being personable and engagement and the hours that no one sees that goes into getting a bill passed and that it's a real person that can put their energy into that, like activism in real time, you know seeing results. Because sometimes I'm with you know people, especially you know industry workers in circus and um other spaces of advocacy. I don't know why I can't say that word today, advocacy.
00:08:59
Circuspreneur Podcast
However, they are always like, it just takes so long. And when will it ever happened? And, you know, like, ah you know, will it ever will it ever go through? And it does take that much diligence. It does take that much time. And I'm imagining, you know, what type of challenges do you feel like you had during that time, Mercedes, in pushing that? Because I'm sure it wasn't always welcoming and it wasn't all inviting.
00:09:21
Mercedez
For sure. I mean, i I was new to Vegas. I felt the imposter syndrome all the time. I was new to the political space. I was always doing community work and stuff like that, but never like in the political space, which is a whole different like arena. and um Yeah, so I had imposter syndrome and I was doing it off of intuition and kind of like just like by myself a lot. um I had just started this contract and I'm new to Vegas and so literally I needed i knew I needed help. There's nothing you can do by he yourself and my mom was my first volunteer because
00:09:56
Mercedez
Because I'm like, I just need, I'm like, she's who I knew.
00:09:56
Circuspreneur Podcast
but
00:10:00
Mercedez
And I could tell, and you know, she knows my heart and where what I wanted to do. And she was like, yeah, I'll help you like drive you around the neighborhood so you can pass out flyers for all the events and all that stuff.
00:10:08
Circuspreneur Podcast
hey Thank you, Mom.
00:10:09
Mercedez
Like, yeah. And so it's doing, right. Thanks, mom. It's doing things with little to no support and trusting the process. And also knowing that like, people had been working on this since the 1980s.
00:10:24
Mercedez
It's been that long that this has gone without justice. And people have come along, done what they can, and then passed the torch. And I was just the last person to get that torch to be like, OK, this is now what needs to be done. This needs to be carried to the finish line. And even though we got that bill passed, the houses still have to get built. All of that still has to be done. And so with advocacy, you have to understand where you are now, what be present to what's ripe and ripe for you right now.
00:10:54
Mercedez
and understand that it is like many people came before you and many people have to come after you at the same time.
00:10:58
Circuspreneur Podcast
man
00:11:02
Circuspreneur Podcast
he Oh, I love that.
00:11:02
Mercedez
so
00:11:04
Circuspreneur Podcast
I love that. I love that you talked about too, about how it needs to, it's ripe and that there is a door. There's timing. A lot of things are timing and if you're ready and if you're available, that might be your time.
00:11:15
Circuspreneur Podcast
And sometimes that's the really big time to push because you never know who's going to be in those positions of power, who's going to be holding on to those levers of power. and I discuss this on the podcast a lot of you know when you have folks in positions that are open to your ideas, that are open to your cause, that is your time to strike because it doesn't last forever. And I get that a lot you know in working in DC. A lot of representatives in DC are like, that door, once it's open, will not stay open forever. And then once it closes, you may not be able to get it open. And you may not be able to get it open during your level of advocacy. Like you're saying, it might not open again until someone has come behind you and to finish that really profound work. And so I love that you were there in the way to finish and support that work. When do you see, do you think that the homes and things will be built and that, you know, like the the process will be finalized?
00:12:06
Mercedez
I think they're supposed to be breaking ground this year.
00:12:09
Circuspreneur Podcast
Wow.
00:12:10
Mercedez
um i I haven't stayed super connected, but I know that there's some complications with the funding that was allocated. There's always complications. There's always it never like a clear um thing.
00:12:19
Circuspreneur Podcast
Yes.
00:12:24
Mercedez
But yeah, ah they're supposed to be breaking ground.
00:12:25
Circuspreneur Podcast
Yes.
00:12:27
Mercedez
They they have a developer. um And they're supposed to survey the land to make sure it's actually safe this time.
00:12:33
Circuspreneur Podcast
Oh,
00:12:33
Mercedez
And then they're supposed to break ground, I think, starting this year. So hopefully hopefully it still goes through.
00:12:38
Circuspreneur Podcast
that's just.
00:12:41
Mercedez
And it's also part of why I still talk about it. Because like until people moved into that their new house, until they're no longer in the danger zone, it needs to be talked about, right?
00:12:44
Circuspreneur Podcast
Yeah.
00:12:51
Circuspreneur Podcast
Yeah, because it's not done. And like you said, so many things could and maybe potentially impede that process. And even after you already said the bill has passed, the funds have been allocated, this can be another how many years before it's actually finished, and it's actually done. And I think that's the part I'm consistently trying to remind folks that this is a marathon and this is not a sprint with respect to policy. I have been amending, ah for example, safe sport policy. It's now safe for sport policy. We have been amending this ah this policy now, this bill, um for about the last seven years. And so for seven years, yeah you know offices come back and there is a new amendment. There is a new revision. to making this bill better the entity obviously already um exists as safe sport but there is again things that were not in the initial bills that people didn't think were that important and then a few years later they're like we should have put that put that back in that actually was really important seeing it actually work. you know And just again, how many moving parts there are where it's like, it's never really finalized and finished and in some ways that's frustrating. But in other ways, it shows that you're able to get policy right and you can fix things even after they've been solidified, um you know after you get to see them in real time and see the impacts in real time too. Because a bill I think is not real until you're living it in real time and you get to see
00:14:14
Circuspreneur Podcast
how it breathes and how it lives. So moving on to the Nevada Tax film Bill Bill, your most recent bill that you have been advocating and discussing the impacts of, and I like to be very careful with the way I discuss that for myself, because when folks have seen me out, they have seen me use very specific language of me discussing the
Impact of Nevada Film Tax Bill on Arts Community
00:14:33
Circuspreneur Podcast
impacts the bill would have on the circus arts industry, not necessarily saying that I'm advocating for this particular bill.
00:14:39
Circuspreneur Podcast
Those are two very different things and they're two very different spaces, which I think is very ah very um timely to show folks that we deserve to understand the impacts to our industry of any bill that's going to come about.
00:14:40
Mercedez
Yeah.
00:14:55
Circuspreneur Podcast
um that could be connected or utilize this and so I'd love to understand a bit about that and then again also to going back to the steps that they have taken or that will be taken shortly coming um with the legislative session for February 3rd.
00:15:08
Mercedez
Yeah, okay, so during the 2023 session, they also had another bill, a film bill, um that was going through, it was sponsored by Sony and Senator Roberta Lang.
00:15:18
Mercedez
It was a partnership that they were going into the Howard Hughes Corp. And Sony wanted to come and build studios, but they needed this giant film tax incentive bill, way more than we're proposing this year, or Senator Lang is proposing this year.
00:15:32
Mercedez
I forgot the figure, but it was a lot of money that they were asking for. And so,
00:15:36
Circuspreneur Podcast
always a lot of money
00:15:38
Mercedez
Yes, so you're paying attention at all. um You noticed Jeremy Renner was up there in Carson City advocating for the bill. um Mark Wahlberg was up there.
00:15:49
Mercedez
and Basically, it didn't get passed. Even though it had the star power behind it and all this stuff, it didn't get passed. And there's a bunch of different reasons. Mostly, I don't think it had enough time.
00:16:00
Mercedez
But I also think it was because the community wasn't informed, and the community wasn't made aware, and they didn't it didn't seem like they put effort into getting the engagement from the community that I think is needed.
00:16:03
Circuspreneur Podcast
It's always a lot of money.
00:16:13
Mercedez
when it when it comes to this. So Senator Lang promised that she's going to do it again and she has. um This time she is partnering with Warner Brothers. Sony is still in the picture.
00:16:23
Mercedez
There room might be two bills coming to the legislation next week um or they might
00:16:26
Circuspreneur Podcast
and Oh my God.
00:16:30
Mercedez
merge. Who knows? A lot of things can happen. But yeah, um so i I kind of went the Warner Brothers route because it seemed like they were doing more. They had a plan with UNLV to build those campuses, those studios. um And it was just easier for me to reach out that way. So I decided because people kept talking about it, people kept talking about it. And they're like, you know, someone should do something about this. The community should be aware. And I have this weird thing of like, whenever it's like someone should do something, I'm like, well, I'm someone. and
00:17:03
Mercedez
you know and And this is also aligning because I'm um an artist, but I'm also like a community activist. And it felt like the perfect kind of merge of my different passions. And so I was like, well, if someone should do something, I should. And so I kind of went looking and I found an amazing group of women called eccentric artists. And I was like, will you partner with me?
00:17:25
Mercedez
um to produce an event at a town hall. And the purpose and angle of it was that we, the community needs to understand what is being proposed and we need to advocate for our own interests.
00:17:37
Mercedez
We need to be active co-creators in what's coming and not just wait and see what Warner Brothers does, right?
00:17:43
Circuspreneur Podcast
Right.
00:17:44
Mercedez
To do that, you have to be engaged, you have to be educated, you have to be paying attention and involved. And so the whole point of um putting that town hall on, it's like, I want this to be a point for the community. to ask questions, to raise objections if they need to, to really understand what they're proposing, and to and to maybe come up with their own propositions, you know?
00:18:05
Circuspreneur Podcast
Right.
00:18:06
Mercedez
at the table and co-create, right?
00:18:09
Circuspreneur Podcast
wow
00:18:09
Mercedez
So that was the point of the town hall and it went really well. Senator Roberta Lang was there. We had Caroline Lent from Warner Brothers there. We had UNLV there with ant Professor Andy Isaacs.
00:18:22
Mercedez
um And we had Denver, no, oof, sorry, this is Vegas. I came from Denver. but film things endeavor. And we had Las Vegas film, um the no the Nevada film office there. So we had some great representatives talking about different impacts of the bill and answering questions. And I'm hoping that that sparks a coalition of artists and filmmakers to continue to stay engaged with this film bill and the process to come to terms with what they desire and what what what would be meaningful and most impactful for the community. There's a lot of ways that the bill can be written. um Some things that we have in particular in Nevada for our film tax incentive is that there is a minimum spend
00:19:07
Mercedez
Um, and unless you hit that minimum spend, you don't get any taxes back. And so for independent filmmakers that have smaller budgets, they're already not benefiting from a film tax incentive bill. Right. So I'm like that um spend doesn't have to be there. A lot of States don't have a minimum spend. So those are certain things you can advocate for while we're already discussing film bill tax incentives. Like make sure, you know, what would actually benefit you and what you want to advocate for.
00:19:37
Mercedez
on your behalf so yeah that's thats yeah
00:19:42
Circuspreneur Podcast
I think that's a very valuable lesson, especially within such a big bill because I think folks get intimidated by by bills, especially of this nature where you have Warner Brothers involved and Sony and thinking, you know who's going to listen to me? And mostly it's like, well, they'll actually listen to the voices that are there that show up that are in the room. Because so many times there is just no one that shows up. And so I'm grateful for the level and of engagement that I've been able to have with the bill because I've had a lot of meetings around it and then, you know, ideas have come to me. I've discussed it and seen, you know, again, theoretically, you know, kind of what the impacts could be to the circus arts industry. and the ideas down the line. And it's like you said, if you're not in the mix of that, then you're just going to be underrepresented and and and unaccounted for. But I do love the fact that you were like, we need the feedback from the artists in the community that are going to be living this
Community Involvement in Legislation and Advocacy
00:20:35
Circuspreneur Podcast
bill. And I think so many times folks do not get the opportunity to do that. And they think that it it doesn't, it's um it's just not connected to them. I think people feel so you know disconnected from government. Is there a part of the legislative legislative session, Mercedes, that you can
00:20:50
Circuspreneur Podcast
be an active participant in when this bill is officially introduced in the coming week.
00:20:56
Mercedez
Yeah, and basically all parts of it.
00:20:59
Circuspreneur Podcast
you
00:21:01
Mercedez
um The way the legislative session goes is that the during at any point in the session, you can introduce a bill. An assembly person or a senator can introduce a bill. And that bill has to go through several different rounds and processes. It has to go through like both of the houses, the assembly and the Senate to get approved, right?
00:21:22
Mercedez
So wherever it originates from, um it goes through different stages and people provide testimony and people um give public comment. And at the every meeting that it goes through, the different committees that it goes through, the public is asked to engage.
00:21:37
Mercedez
And if you can't go to Carson City and look for against or say that, yes, I'm for this, but I want this included, bla blah, blah, blah. You can still join virtually. You can join virtual and you can be engaged at every point because at every point there is public comment and like.
00:21:56
Mercedez
The lobbyists are going to be there. you know Warner Brothers is going to be there advocating for what Warner Brothers wants.
00:21:57
Circuspreneur Podcast
Right.
00:22:01
Mercedez
The developer is going to be there being like, this is what we want. The community has to show up and and be consistent and show up and be like, this is what we want and we need, and this is our input.
00:22:05
Circuspreneur Podcast
and
00:22:12
Mercedez
um So yeah, at every point, and every meeting is is broadcasted. It's not secret. You can tune in.
00:22:21
Circuspreneur Podcast
right
00:22:22
Mercedez
You could see who's for it, who's against it. You could see everybody else's comments as well. So, yeah.
00:22:26
Circuspreneur Podcast
and The transparency of it all that again, I think that if you're not, you know, directly connected to these things, you don't realize again how accessible it is to you as a public as a public member because you are a citizen and this bill is for you. And so folks listening in again, that's our work as part of the circus arts industry. to stay involved with this bill, to participate in the legislative session, to give public comment. I have been giving my comments already very, very robustly about how I feel about the impacts of ah this bill. um And again, the encouraging you know the encouraging nature I feel of this bill. you know there's There's always pros and cons to everything. And I think it's so important to put that perspective in there and to remember that you can be connected either in person or virtually, um and that it's not a process that you
00:23:13
Circuspreneur Podcast
Get that you have to sit out. It's not a process that folks are going to do for you. They don't know better than you. And nobody knows our industry better than we than we do. And that's the other part of educating. I think when I have the opportunity to engage with folks from Warner Brothers and they're like, I didn't know that about the local Las Vegas circus industry and Cirque industry. That is so enlightening. That is so helpful for us in the future to make a note of that because it's very important and see where we can fit that in, where that could show up you know in the future, maybe not immediately, or even like we're saying right now because there's so much power in numbers if you have a robust opinion that you want to get out there. and That's when it comes back to, again, advocating for your own interests and how important that is because if you do not,
00:23:56
Circuspreneur Podcast
folks will be standing right there to override you and get their interest inserted over you and you'll be wondering why you don't get as much from something when it becomes once it becomes a lot more days we were discussing before the podcast that you're actually going through a transformation of sorts and within your path and your journey as an advocate and as an artist. and you know And we were discussing as well that Black History Month is coming up soon and um you know both of us are are women of color. And you know that's obviously a conversation and a topic around how it feels to be an advocate and a grassroots mobilizer.
00:24:33
Circuspreneur Podcast
When you are a woman of color and how our experiences are very different um and how many times so many efforts come from women of color or black women um You know um over the years that you know, I've really got some really important things done um and I you know, I was gonna ask you do you feel like that has changed?
00:24:53
Circuspreneur Podcast
you know what your experiences of being a woman of color in advocating in this way and do you feel like a It has created some very interesting challenges for you that are unique to your experience and has that shaped your experience and how you're moving forward as an advocate.
00:25:11
Mercedez
yes okay so you know i have been so i'm very clear thank you i'm so clear with my values and i have yes i have turned down opportunities and
00:25:16
Circuspreneur Podcast
yeah Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.
00:25:25
Circuspreneur Podcast
Amazing.
00:25:36
Mercedez
situations that would have benefited me more because I'm like no I have all my heart I have to give I have things to give and do and I'm the person to do it, you know, like I have been very I I don't wait for things to get done if I see something that needs to get done I'm the person that I'm like, I'm gonna do it because I know if I do it, it's gonna be done well being right But um Recently, I'm just like I realize how tired it can become
00:25:46
Circuspreneur Podcast
Love that.
00:25:56
Circuspreneur Podcast
Yes.
00:26:06
Mercedez
how fearless the work can be.
00:26:09
Circuspreneur Podcast
um
00:26:09
Mercedez
And especially for women of color who just uphold such high, I think they uphold such high standards. They're so community-oriented. They're always thinking about other people.
00:26:21
Mercedez
and um And I'm just like, these days my cup is not being filled. you know like I'm just like, I haven't passed on things that would have been better, monetarily, or other ways for me to be able to give to the community.
00:26:27
Circuspreneur Podcast
Yeah, yeah.
00:26:36
Mercedez
And I'm just like, at some point I have to receive. Every advocate and every activist needs to receive, needs to take a step back and be like,
00:26:41
Circuspreneur Podcast
Ah.
00:26:44
Circuspreneur Podcast
I'm exhausted.
00:26:47
Mercedez
I'm depleted.
00:26:50
Mercedez
i Especially women of color. like Oh my gosh.
00:26:54
Circuspreneur Podcast
Oh, yeah.
00:26:55
Mercedez
i think you guys We give so much. We give so much. We carry so much. And we deserve to be like nourished. we you
Challenges for Women of Color in Advocacy and Self-Care
00:27:04
Mercedez
know so Yes, and I think that's that's the transition is just like a lot of the work I do, I do for free.
00:27:04
Circuspreneur Podcast
Yes.
00:27:10
Mercedez
you know and i And we were just talking about how like you can't always go into a space thinking like, how am I going to get a job out of this? How am I going to get paid out of this? But I also can't go into space always giving and do and not receiving anything back.
00:27:25
Mercedez
And so that's kind of the transition that I'm at.
00:27:25
Circuspreneur Podcast
right
00:27:28
Mercedez
I'm like, oh my gosh, Mercedes, I literally just have this conversation with my mom. I'm like, okay, I can get legislation passed to get 93 families, a new house, but I can't afford a new house. I can't afford, like, what?
00:27:40
Mercedez
Like something's got to give. It's all mixed up right now. Like, but say so yeah I'm rethinking some things, you know, I used to say,
00:27:44
Circuspreneur Podcast
wheres du position here like
00:27:51
Circuspreneur Podcast
is
00:27:53
Mercedez
I can work for free, like I can do this. I'm like, girl, like you're not just like an angelic spirit that's like pouring blessings on everything. You're a plant that needs sunlight and water.
00:28:04
Mercedez
Like you're an earthly being, like do something for yourself. Like that, that's kind of the transition and it's, and it's not knowing what's next. It's just like, it's kind of an energy and mental shift and we'll see what comes from that, but yeah.
00:28:13
Circuspreneur Podcast
Where is new position here?
00:28:19
Circuspreneur Podcast
What is so powerful and that's why we are here on the podcast to give you your flowers and as many ways as we possibly can to shower you with that with those blessings that you deserve and to get that mirroring back because that's the thing that you know folks again don't realize the money that's not in advocacy that you're doing it because you're passionate about it and that you need the support of others in a real way you know you know show up for me the way I'm showing up for you Um, you know, I've had very similar experiences.
00:28:46
Mercedez
Right.
00:28:52
Circuspreneur Podcast
I've been advocating for a long time, you know, it started almost, you know, or a decade ago as a survivor, if you see gymnastics and it is carried on into advocacy now for the last five years, you know, for the circus arts industry.
00:29:02
Circuspreneur Podcast
And it's like, what are we getting out of this? Well, We want to see profound change. We would love to you know affect the lives of those that will come after us and that are here right now. And there's so much beauty and integrity in that. But the weight and the burdens, um I was just talking to ah Amazon Labor Union founder, Chris Smalls, and he talked about the burden of of knowing that I'm the person to do it, that I'm the person that, you know,
00:29:30
Circuspreneur Podcast
And it's like the falling onto to push this this this forward and to have the ideas and how much more can I do and how much more can I shift if I don't have the proper support. And I found myself sometimes leaning out and even in the podcast saying, you know support the Circus Arts Guilds of America, support me in the ways that I'm asking for. to be supported and how important that is for folks to show up for you in the way that you've asked for them to show up for you. right When you are putting on the events, when you're doing the outreach, when you're taking out time in your day and still trying to run your normal career and make a living. When you're you know when everyone's saying that they're tired, you're like, yes, I know I'm also tired, but I still showed up. you know I had four and five meetings today too, but I still made it because I want to support you. so Giving that support and that reciprocity, I think, is just such a big deal and something that I have started to not just ask for, but demand much, much more for myself. Because again, you know there's this there there is a certain space, I think, for folks and then they will eventually leave if they don't feel honored. And I think that this is a new time as well for folks where if they don't feel like they have the support that they need that you you know from generations before,
00:30:40
Circuspreneur Podcast
they'll leave. they will they will they will take They will take the time to take better care of themselves. And I am trying to remember that for myself as well throughout my levels and layers of advocacy now too, because it is not, and I never thought that it would be easy to unionize the circus arts industry, either locally or on a federal level, or even like globally.
Balancing Advocacy with Self-Care and Support
00:30:59
Circuspreneur Podcast
And it's something that I very much not just believe in, but do the work. But you know like you're saying, no one sees the meetings, no one sees the constant Zooms. No one sees the meetups that aren't online, that aren't public events, um and the spaces where you show up and no one else shows up to support you. So those are the things that we have to consistently remind folks that people are doing things on your behalf. um You know, when you feel like you can't advocate for yourself, that's the brilliance and the beauty of an advocate. And I wanted to say again, thank you so much, Mercedes. We are, you know, um we're so grateful on the CircusBinner podcast to have you today.
00:31:32
Circuspreneur Podcast
to speak such beauty into local advocacy and grassroots advocacy here in Las Vegas and to learn from you because what you did was so amazing and the energy and the beauty that you put into this space is very inspiring and again I'm so grateful for you taking out the time to acknowledge my efforts as a circus arts industry advocate um and then to support my work as well through the Circus Arts Guild of America and you are such a treasure and I know that whatever space you're in it's going to benefit from it because that's just who you are.
00:32:02
Mercedez
Yeah. Well, thank you so much. This has been delightful and you are a blessing to the community. I hope you're getting everything you need as well. Yes.
00:32:14
Circuspreneur Podcast
working on it. And like I said, instead of asking, demanding. And and I think that's a great way to finish out the podcast. And for listeners, the Circus Pernod podcast is also available on Stagelink.com. S-T-A-G-E-L-Y-N-C.com. The groundbreaking new platform for live performing arts that provides unmatched access and connection to this vibrant world of shows and entertainment.
00:32:35
Circuspreneur Podcast
If you're a professional in the performing arts, visit stagelink.com slash pro, S-T-A-G-E-L-Y-N-C dot C-O-M slash P-R-O. StageLink Pro offers industry professionals higher visibility, networking opportunities, and tools to support and enhance their careers. Until next time, everyone, I'm your host Sinead Saleto. Thank you so much for tuning in to the Circus Renewal Podcast, and please support the Circus Arts Guild of America and local advocates.