Note: Sister Melannie is on the mic solo in this episode. Sister Audrey is on a wellness break.
The story continues — and what you are witnessing is relentless coverage of one of the most consequential accountability conversations happening in Washington State right now. Sit down and get comfortable, because today on What Say U?, we are going deeper.
We are back on the reparations study matter. Details are still unfolding, questions are still being asked, and we are not letting up. This is a real inquiry. Real analysis. Real social commentary on what is happening to sacred work in real time — and we will stay on it until we get real answers.
Today, Sister Melannie connects with Will Townsend and Deborah Oneal of the American Renewal 1870 Project. These are not people who arrived late to this fight. They were in Olympia. They testified. They pushed. And when Washington State made history by funding a reparations study, their fingerprints were on that win. Credit where credit is due — and today, we give it all around – and take some away from those that have been perpetratin’.
And, this episode doesn’t stop at the celebration. Because we have been doing our homework. We have been asking hard questions about who was selected to lead this sacred study, how they passed through the procurement process, and whether their qualifications meet the law’s requirements. The answers are not adding up. Folks are playin’ in our face. And we deserve better than that. The milk still ain’t clean.
Why This Matters
“If the process that produced this study can be challenged at every step — the procurement, the scoring, the debrief rights — then the outcome of that study can be challenged too. All the way to the Supreme Court. This is not a drill. Sacred work requires a sacred process. And we are not going to let either one be stolen.” ~Peace Queen
Stay with us through the whole episode. A surprise voice joins the conversation before it’s over — and what they bring to the table changes the picture entirely.
Resources
Procurement Integrity Analysis (.pdf)
ESSB5167_Legislator_Briefing_Document (.pdf)
THE STUDY — TRUTH, POWER, AND ACCOUNTABILITYAI-VOICE-BETTER_FINAL – Frame.io
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