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Voices aren’t being heard: Danielle, 25.

Danielle, Reported by Maceo, Philadelphia, 4 min

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Answers What do you think of the United States? and What would you say to someone under ten?, see how other cities answered

To quote this piece: Danielle, “Voices aren’t being heard: Danielle, 25,” We Them Media, https://wethem.xyz/watch/voices-arent-being-heard-danielle-philadelphia. Each transcript line links to its second.

Danielle is 25, grew up in Jersey, moved to Philadelphia in high school, and works in education. What does she think of the USA today? “I hate it. Okay. Sucks. Government sucks. Healthcare. Like, there’s a lot of things. I work in education and the system’s not great and there’s not funding.”

Asked to say more, she puts herself in it: “I’m a black queer woman,” she studies political science, and what she is watching is subtraction. “A lot of people, things my people and women have fought for And a lot of it is being, you know, stripped away from us, like, piece by piece.” The reply she gets is to get over it, “but we’re looking at it and a lot of people are suffering.”

Her answer to what the everyday person is not making enough noise about turns the question around. They are making noise. “most of the everyday people are, you know, really trying to say things, but it’s, you know, being blocked out,” and either “our voice is not really being heard, or they’re being heard and just ignored.” Her own question for the city is about action, not opinion: “what are ways you guys are showing up?”

On Philadelphia, she loves the people and has notes for the local government, starting with the potholes she just drove over. And then the thing she saw on TikTok that she wants more of: groups of Black women organising picnics, because “a lot of time now people don’t really want to go out because there’s, you know, police or ICE like in the streets,” so “they find little pockets of people that are really trying to build with each other.” Her message for anyone under ten: “keep reading,” and “Just because you’re 10 doesn’t mean you don’t have important things to say or ways to feel. Talk about it.” The transcript below is from the original audio.

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0:00Boom. All right. So what’s your name? Danielle. Okay. And where are you from? I grew up in Jersey, but I moved out to Philly in high school. Okay. And how old are you? I’m 25. 25. Oh, yeah. And what do you think of USA Today? I hate it. Okay. Sucks. Government sucks. Healthcare. Like, there’s a lot of things. I work in education and the system’s not great and there’s not funding. There’s really not a lot good going on. There’s people out there trying to, you know, say stuff and do stuff, but a lot of the government isn’t really helping. Say more about that A lot of our, you know, riots are being taken away

0:38I’m a black queer woman, so, you know, all my, you know, riots will be weighed You know, I study a lot of political science and I’m watching history And so I’m watching a lot of the stuff that, you know, we work for A lot of people, things my people and women have fought for And a lot of it is being, you know, stripped away from us, like, piece by piece And a lot of the times we’re being told that, oh, you know, just kind of like get over it. It’s nothing, you know, Trump’s doing what he can for the country. But we’re looking at it and a lot of people are suffering. So I don’t really see what great is happening.

1:10What do you feel like the everyday person isn’t making a big enough deal about?

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1:17I mean, I feel like, I feel like most of the everyday people are, you know, really trying to say things, but it’s, you know, being blocked out, you know, we’re not really seeing each You know, on the news, a lot of things are being, you know, blocked out so, but I feel like, you know, the people I talk to, they’re doing a lot, they’re saying stuff, but, you know, it’s just being blocked out, so our voice is not really being heard, or they’re being heard and just ignored. So would a platform like this, where you get to see, hear what your neighbors are thinking, be interesting to you?

1:44Yeah, absolutely, I mean, you know, if work can spread out and, you know, hear other people that are feeling the same way about us, we’d love to do that, we’d love to see it. Okay, do you have any questions for people around the city? Um, what are ways you guys are showing up? I mean, I know I say I’m, you know, doing this stuff and I go to protest when I can, but what are other ways that, you know, you guys are really showing up for everybody? Okay, and what do you think about the city? Um, the people I love, I mean, it’s a city, you know, when you’re from here and grew up here, I’m a person that moved here, what, over 10 years ago, but, you know, I really love the community that I’ve made here.

2:23And it just, again, local government’s also trying to show up Like, just drove down the street and hit, I don’t know how many potholes Like, that’s not great, but where’s that money going to? But everybody that I’ve, you know, met out here and the people I’ve met, I love Okay, and what do you, talk about community in Philadelphia Yeah, I mean, what I was scrolling on, you know, like TikTok the other day And I’m seeing, like, groups of, you know, black women trying to support each other Having events where we can just go and have a picnic outside just to, you know, build a community and see each other. Especially because a lot of time now people don’t really want to go out because there’s, you know, police or ICE like in the streets and so we don’t really get to, you know, see each other in a way that isn’t really a protest. So they find little pockets of people that are really trying to build with each other. It’s great to see and I love that we do that out here in Philly or just even smaller events that go on. It’s nice to see. Okay. And any message for people under the age of 10?

3:20Under the age of 10, keep reading. I know there’s not a lot going on in our books, but try to reach out, look out to people who are older than you or even just same age. You guys have a lot to say too. Just because you’re 10 doesn’t mean you don’t have important things to say or ways to feel. Talk about it. I like that. I like that. Thank you. Yeah, absolutely. Have a good one.

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