Gospel singer and Author Lynda Randle shares her experience as a musician in a predominately white industry, the importance of racial reconciliation and how we can bring communities together by having hard conversations. Practice: Diversify Your Table
The 10000 MINUTES Podcast is a weekly deep dive into the adventures and struggles of living out our daily lives WITH Jesus, not for Him. Also, we like to laugh. A lot. Maybe too much.. Ok, maybe too much.
Episode Summary:
Gospel singer and Author Lynda Randle shares her experience as a musician in a predominately white industry, the importance of racial reconciliation and how we can bring communities together by having hard conversations.
Practice: Diversify Your Table
If you’ve found this or another practice helpful, let us know at mail@10000minutes.com and we might include your story in a future episode!
Show Notes:
Album: https://gaithermusic.lnk.to/PilgrimJourney_LyndaRandle
IG: https://www.instagram.com/lynda_randle/
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Friend the Colsi Mullin says, our skin may, uh, describe us, but it doesn't define us. Mm-hmm.
I'm, hello everybody, this is Tim Timmons with another 10,000 minute podcast. I was
Gonna do it. Go. And then I didn't
What? Ooh.
I've never done, I, I don't think I've ever opened one like that.
I'm glad you did.
Yeah. Something new just for you
Guys. It felt new. It, you know what? It did fresh. It felt fresh. Mm-hmm.
So I was in Costa Rica with
Bob. No, no, no, no. That was last time.
Uh, yeah. Did we already say our names? I did. I nailed mine. Oh,
Nice. Hey guys, I'm Chris
And I'm Moy. Hi everybody.
And we are the
Three amigos. Gosh.
That's all. I think. But what about Voltron? I was thinking about like, Thundercats Activate
Love Velveeta cheese.
Yeah. Yeah. Why can't we beat the three Veda
The entire family.
Mm. Uh, speaking of Velveeta cheese,
Do you like craft?
Do you like craft? Some people love those things. Craft American slices.
Um, I'm, I'm not into the slices. What we used to do is we'd take ro, like the hot ro Yeah. In the melted Velveeta. Make a little dip. Yeah. Yeah.
That's, that's delicious. Nutritious. Yeah. Would you ever put an American slice on your sandwich? Mm.
I don't think so. I don't think I've had a craft slice in is a
Yeah. Mm. Okay. I feel like, so when I was growing up, my parents, they would always buy like the, always save. Do you guys know this brand? No. Okay. Well, whatever. Like shopping center that we had, Walmart or whatever, they had their own brand. Mm-hmm.
Gotcha.
Yeah. But it was always save. And I don't know why what it was, but it was like, I, it wouldn't be Velveeta, it'd be like veto or something, you know what I mean? Or like, ve not Doritos, but like, you know,
Soritos Yeah. Spicy chips. Yeah.
Cheese chips or something. So I wouldn't, I wouldn't know anyway. Like, we probably had some slices, but they were just like, you know. Yeah.
Wasn't even America yellow
Cheese. Say
You know,
Please. Single, single slice.
Yeah.
Yeah. So who knows?
That's good. Because you were poor. We
Were poor. Right. I mean, I don't think, I don't know that we were poor. Yeah.
You through there a were thrifty.
We were thrifty. Yeah. We were thrifty.
That's just what you did.
Mm-hmm.
Can totally do so now have you gone the opposite way? I mean, like with, with snacks, like the little, uh, things that you used to be addicted to. Oh, do go like high end
For sure. Yeah. Yeah. I get the name brand. Yeah. Like, uh, uh, we could never have toaster strudels. And I always wanted one
Commo. Como said what was, what is that?
A toaster strudel. Yeah. You're like, you put your own icing on. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. And I always thought, man, if I have money one day I'm gonna buy toaster strudels. I don't eat 'em now. But
Yeah. This, this the snack for the creatives. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. There's some to this snack
Fajitas or something. You gotta make your own. Why do they cost more? It doesn't make any sense.
Fajitas.
Well, you gotta put 'em together. You know? It's like they should come similar.
I'm just mean, I don't know. Toasted SRUs well
Oh,
Must have been a Midwest thing. It's
Like a pop
Tart. It's like a pop tart without the icing on top. And then you put the icing on. Oh.
But it was always like too thick. So it was never really like an image. It just kind of,
I just saw the commercials and flipped the pop. That looks good.
Yeah, it's true. It's true.
Carol didn't let us have, we, we didn't have white bread or
We never had
White breads. Any of that kind of stuff. It was like health. Mm-hmm.
Okay.
Yep.
Whipples.
Yeah. It felt like that was awkward. And I
Said no. I'm, it feels like a
Fifties. Yeah. It was w h i p p l e S. Yeah. Whipples. Sorry, just that just hit me funny at the
Place. Could we could talk to Carol next time she's off.
I might be
Awkward conversation.
Carol, will you tell me about Whipples? Yes.
For the H Yeah.
I'm like, please.
Yeah. Whipples. Uh, they actually had, uh, like a little thing where you could get like a, a, it was, you know what it was cuz I'm, I was born in 1814 mm-hmm.
In Whipples. You could go there cause other places you could get ice cream. But Carol would not have us get ice cream. No.
Yeah.
Come in cold yogurt. Yep.
Hmm.
Anywho, speaking of this
Is great.
Sweet.
Breaking of Froyo.
Speaking of Froyo, I don't know. Uh, we have a wonderful guest, uh, another woman that I did not know before this. Hmm. Um,
I heard of her.
Mm-hmm.
But heard of her. Right. Because she's an artist, a singer, songwriter, author, speaker, television host and dancer. All
The things. She is all the things. She's
Amazing. I don't know if she dances. I don't know.
I
Bet she, she talks about dancing. Remember? Yeah.
Okay. Okay guys.
Uh, but so this is Linda Randall. Linda. And does she Is Tate in the beginning of that. Linda Tate Randall. I don't know Linda Randall. Uh, she is Michael Tate's brother, who is a lead of a band.
She's Michael Tate's sister. Right? Gosh. Michael Tate is her brother. Mm-hmm.
If she had Vel Vita. That was my, that was my question. And or if he had Vil. Not got nothing. I got nothing.
Okay. Okay. We can do this yet.
Today we have Linda, we're so excited.
Yes.
Anyways, today we have Linda. Yes. We're so excited.
Mm-hmm.
Veta on the table. You
Know, that was
Transition. That was it. Found it.
And what's on your always fresh And what was it? Always Safety. Always saving. Always.
At least saving
Always always save.
Is that what I said? I don't remember. Guys, this is our second is seven minutes. Yes.
Didn't. I have. We're gonna, we're gonna talk, talk about
Line to make friends and who belongs at your table. So enjoy this episode with Linda Randall. Everybody. Welcome to another 10,000 minute podcast. My name is Timothy Howard Timmons or Tim Timmons. Mm-hmm.
Chris. Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
But he's here and his heart's in it. Like anything.
A little more special. Honey, look at her hair.
The both special.
I mean this. Now that's me coming from a guy with no hair. Linda, let's be real honest. Everybody. We've got Lin, Linda, Randall on here. Hey
Guys.
Cuz it's l y n d a. Yes.
G a i t
Yeah.
You're just, I'm just saying you're making it, you're making it hard for everybody. But you're making people work for it because it's like, who needs an eye? Eyes are so dumb. Like, I hate the eye. It
Should be t
Y. We're gonna go t y from
Nowt y I like it. You can go. Why
Have not? And then at the end, the, the e at the end of Randall, everybody. So if you didn't know that was there, um, put it there because ran the A should not be. Yes. Randall.
I get like Rain Doll, you know, ran, I said no, it's Randall like candle, but wasn't R you know. Gosh,
This is that. Doesn't
That kinda suck that you, you've had to say that for? How many years have you had to say that? A
Long time. I've been married to my husband going on 33 years. So at least that long.
Wow.
Okay. My cause Moy, just a second ago you were asking about Mo's name and she's like, it's Moy. It sounds was like joy. But you say, you know, you've got the whole Yeah, I
Have to explain it. Mm-hmm.
I know it's like a band name. Like you have to, I have to tell people so many times what my band name means, which is nothing. Yes. And then you gotta come up with a story and it's a whole thing. It's like, can we just skip this, please? Yes. And not know what we're doing right now. And talking about it for 10 minutes. I
Don't mind it too much. You don't. Then I feel like people who are really trying, you can see it. Cause they're trying to remember your actual name. I'm like, oh, you're being intentional. I like that. Yes,
Absolutely. But you like, can, can we move on? Right? You just, yeah.
They get
Just see how many people get stumped when I go, like, after they try to spell Randall, I go, it's, it's like candle, but it was an R and they go, oh, okay. I mean like candle, but like, oh, so, and it gets, yeah, it's just too complicated. Like really just Exactly. Spell however you want. But anyways, I'm glad to be here with you guys.
Glad to have you on. So Linda, Linda is a singer songwriter, which you're in great company. So we can all just, let's just write a, we should be writing a song right now. This is a four-way co-write. Sorry, George, producer, you're out of this one. Um, and you're also an author, speaker, television, personality, uh, all the things you do a you do, you do everything. What
Don't you do? I guess
Do you, okay. What, what don't you do? Like, this is actually a real question. Like, what are you not good at?
Well, lemme think. Um, and I'm not saying anything like, like this pride. Let me think. I'm I good at so many things. Totally.
That's
Like
Goodness. No, but you know, lemme just say this. Put an ease. Put ease. Because one of my friends Kalin is like, you look good in every color. Is there not a I said, no, no, no. Lemme just tell you this. The colors I don't look good in, I don't wear.
Uh, yeah, yeah, that's right.
Yeah. Yeah. That's right.
It seems like I do everything cuz I try to do what I do. Well, the things I do do, but there's some things I don't do. I don't ride motorcycles.
Like,
Because you have a tried like, or what?
No, no, because I'm scared. Crazy. Yeah. There you go.
Ok. Ok. But
I like that though. I'm, it's like, I might not be good at that, so I'm just not gonna do it. Yeah.
An old bungee jump or mountain climb or snow key,
But feel you. Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah. Probably. But common. Some of it's probably common sense too. I don't know. I'm
Just feeling like you could probably do those things. Cuz you also said I was, you know, you could say I was scared to write a book, but you've written a book. There
You go there.
Linda, I don't want to get too deep into this thing, but I feel like this is more for you than this for us.
Goodness. And if you might need to, you know, pay us for a counseling session. You
Guys, you're taking me in. I've been wanting to go to this place for a long time, so Yeah. This is good. I need, I need to, you know, seriously guys, I'm not just saying I really need to laugh today. I'm not. Those people just like, oh, it's been so hard. Everybody's going through stuff. That's right. It's been like next level stuff for, you know. Yeah. Me, I know that we're, what we are doing even this year and some of the things we're involved in, in music and ministry and trying to bring folks together. I mean, that mean no devil is fighting way hell. And it's been, it's been crazy. Yeah. So, so I I I need, I need the life today. I need that. Yeah.
Well maybe, maybe we should do our dance. That, that I, you know what?
That will probably tie to another level.
Fun.
Oh goodness.
And what you don't know, Linda, just so we can, and this isn't even funny, but, but Moy over here. Oh, goodness. She, the way she works out is, you know, some, some people like Chris, he gets on the elliptical. I just stare at myself.
So, okay. But I, that sounds like a flex, but I don't, and it's not like, you know, I'm not doing flips in my home, but I learned that dancing helps trauma, like stuck trauma move. Wow. Um, through, and I, I've had a lot of trauma in my, in my life. And so I've been dancing a lot lately to help me feel unstuck. But I'm not like, you know, jazz hands or doing like the moonwalk in my living room.
Like, no, that's really good. You know? Um, Moy, because I, I do that as well. I incorporate that in some of my exercise and I've made it my own kind of yoga dance moves, which that's pretty funny to watch. But also just dancing and moving. And the house was dancing the other day and I was so happy. And I just, you know, and typically in the chocolate black church, you know, we, we physically shout and weak mm-hmm.
There has to be something. I mean, now I grew up in the Whitest Baptist church in Oklahoma that you can, and like people didn't like you barely clap, let alone raise their hands. You know what I mean?
A little better's. It's, it's, it's,
It is,
It is so freeing. You just, you just gotta try it. You gotta try it. Mm-hmm.
So my, my daughter, well she's not here like right now, she just flew to Atlanta this morning cuz um, her first cousin, my niece is getting married, uh, this weekend Arab. Anyway, so week, weekend, April, something, whatever. Uh, and then my husband is here and our oldest daughter, uh, lives in Oregon now, who just recently got married. Oh. So, so yeah. And we just actually guys who just moved out of our home after 16 years, having it built and designed for us to hold nine yards. But we are right sizing. So we're in this interim space and it's pretty, pretty interesting. I mean, it's, it's nice. It's beautiful, but it's a little close quarters when we used to having so much space. But, uh, but I am, I'm, I'm grateful that we, at least we have, we have shelter and it's, it's pretty nice. It really is. It's just, it's just kind of me chilling today. And we took our little Yorkie out. He's about 15 years plus old, but he has good,
Oh
Wow. He has this hacking cough that's really bad. And we're getting Ooh, me too. Something for him. We could mess up the whole interview today. So my assistant is out with him walking. Oh my God.
Aww.
A good assistant.
Yeah, it's good as well.
We've got a couple dogs that she could come grab from us if
She wants. You need a few more dogs cuz Chris and I are literally on almost every podcast, we're trying to give up our dogs. So
This be fun.
Yeah. They'd be great therapy dogs for your dog. Yeah. Be
Film like empty nested or something like that.
No, if you were, if you would hear our dog cough, uh, you would go, you would probably call, uh, dog Protective Services on
It's so bad. And it's like, there's nothing that we can do. I mean, we're trying to get some kind of cough medicine type thing and I do all natural herbal stuff and everything and thank God I haven't had to be on any, uh, medications and I'm grateful for that. Um, so we're looking at maybe something natural for him and it's, you know, cuz my daughter was really the dog's mama. I'm, I'm the grandmama
She,
She don't wanna get him on drugs any sooner than she has to. So, oh
My, I just, I don't wanna say this too loud, but I know Chris is probably gonna say this and what he generally recommends is chocolate
Cannot. No. That's a, that's a, a death sentence.
No, no, no, no, no. I'm thinking, I was trying to think. Child Protective Services. Oh boy. So P PPPs,
Puppy Protective Services.
Yeah. Yeah. Puppy Protective Services.
Y'all are, y'all are fun. Y'all have y'all having too much, too much fun.
Well, that's, that's our whole deal. And this is mm-hmm.
On my land? I just don't care to see people not do things. Well. It's, and I'm not talking about perfection. I'm, I'm just saying if we're supposed to be people of excellence and I just like to see things done in excellent way, um, in an excellent way. I, I'm just, I mean, if it's something you're of course you're just starting at, I know, you know, but if, if you are professional at what you do, yeah. Um, it's not like, even when I sing, I'm not gonna always hit the right notes. Yeah. You know, I mean, your voice is gonna crack or break sometime or whatever, but I'm not saying, but I'm, but I do, I literally, guys even to this day, been singing for so many years, I actually vocalize my voice prior to concerts, days prior to, to build those vocal muscles and strength. And because I wanna be able to just be my absolute best. So I really don't halfway do a lot. And my husband said to me, it wasn't long ago, we were somewhere and I had, you know, I, I tell people I have a let's make a deal first. That means I've got everything in that purse. They will probably call a lesson.
And he says, says, he said, babe, he said, you are always prepared. And I go, no, no. I said, I don't like the feeling of not being prepared. Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Ooh. Just for fun, Linda, because we're in a counseling session. So if, if you do something and you don't do it well or you are not prepared, who are you? So are there people in your life that have been that, and you're like, you don't have to name them out, but like, are you, what do you see yourself as if you are unprepared?
What do I see myself as?
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Again, this is Linda counsel.
Just, you know, I don't, that's a good, this is, this is, oh wow. I'm on the, I'm on the counseling seat. Come,
Come on.
What do we think about that? No, I, I just know that I'm better than that. Um, and I was not made a mediocre human being. I was made to soar. And I really, I'm not trying to like super spiritual lot of things, but I mean, really even, even times when I know I'm not doing everything well, of course, cuz you're, you're, I'm far from perfect. But I, I just know I would feel less than the person I was created to be. And that's the honest to that truth. Uh, when I settle, I know that there's, there's more and I don't wanna settle. And sure, there are days that I don't always do, you know, everything I'm learning now that, you know, you can't do everything in a day. And I'm, when I just, the other day I told my assistant, I go, I was feeling this, this angst and this push and pull.
And for a moment I just kind of settle into that feeling. And I said, well, why, why do you think you're feeling that pushing pull? And I felt like for me as a child of God, it was literally like, okay, I was leaning toward maybe having a little bit more fun or doing some work. And the minute I thought about having more fun, I was pretty free. And so now I'm, I'm kinda learning when I feel that mm-hmm.
Well, we, we wanted to talk to you about your, uh, color sh of your shirt today. We didn't feel like it really, um, is the right color for you today, but I I I feel like you're
Cool. No, I'm totally kidding. I'm totally ta what Carol? My mom, she always says, oh, Tim, that Timothy, she says Timothy, that that color sings on you. Oh, that color sings. So Linda, that color sings on you. Let's be
Real. I, my my blue today.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
The bigger story for me is just going back to my roots after having been in a predominantly white southern gospel community. Even though I tell people, and I don't mean this any disrespect to the southern gospel, singer, artist, friends, family. Yeah, yeah. Uh, I don't like to be introduced as a southern gospel singer because I have a gospel singer. I'm a singer. I'm not a southern gospel singer. I happen to mm-hmm.
On. Come on.
Growing up in the city, DC and, and not blaming it on the city because there are great things that come out of the city, unlike some people think, uh, and are afraid of the inner cities. Um, but I grew up there and got put in this Christian school, and then music just started in my life. And, and a predominantly all white choir, the only chocolate black kid in the choir, they kept giving me these spirituals to sing. And one thing led to another, then you go to a school like Liberty University, which at the time opened a lot of people of color. Uh, and my world just opened up on another whole level. And I got kind of snatched up into this white community, this white world I didn't know really much about other than when I seen white folks on television. I thought you guys were all rich and smart. And I, I have a lot of white friends now, and I know that's not true
I don't believe that for one moment. But for,
But
For then I thought, man, I sure. Because the one we would see us on tv, the images weren't so beautiful. Right. You
Know, the pip so true.
Gosh. And the gang bangers and stuff. I'm like, I don't wanna be that, you know? Yeah. I'm taking the long way around. But all that being said, so I've been in this whole kinda white world doing this thing, and in the churches and the homes and the schools and the communities, and during the pandemic guys, oh, my word. When I saw all, hell break loose again and again and again. And after George Floyd, I go, okay, I'm over it. I'm over it. I'm, I'm coming out. I'm coming out.
You're over. What, what were you I like
Over, like I, yes, I love people and I haven't had a lot of verbiage as I was in those communities. Yeah. About, you know, I would say things from stage, you know, getting along this, that, the other, but I hadn't really told my story. Yeah. I hadn't really told people, like, share, like, really guys, there's a lot we can talk about. There's a monster in the closet that some of some white folks just don't wanna even talk about. Like, there are no issue. What do we have to talk about? People wanna talk about cancel culture, this stuff. And I'm like, I'm not even, that's not even where I'm going. I'm thinking we as, especially God's kids, I'm like, we got a lot to talk about. There are a lot of things that people are missing. And so during the pandemic, when I saw all the, the, the, the, the, the riots and all of the, um, the, the unrest and everything just came to head.
And how people, I don't care whether it was Biden, Biden, Obama, uh, Trump trauma, whatever, it was a politician. I mean, a politician get people on this side or that side and folks love each other, hate each other. And I said, I'm, I'm, I'm over it. And I said, God, please, is it my time to say something? Is it my time? And so I felt like he said, I, I have some projects for you. I called my friend Cindy Morgan. We started writing songs. We started on this pilgrim journey. We didn't even know guys. We didn't even know what it looked like. I just knew that I had cried long enough and I was tired. I was worn out. Um, during the, the, the Capitol thing, uh, on December, sorry, January 6th, I wept like a baby. That, that's where I used to go swim in the fountain at the Capitol as a kid right there. Hmm. That's where I grew up. And it grieved me to no end to see all of this crazy. And I'm thinking like, you guys, this is a piece of skin. It's a piece of flesh. What's the big deal? I mean, can we, can we just, you know, so, so this is something, and this is not even to sell anything at all, but look at this guys. Come on,
Come on.
This, this little shirt here. When I would go to my, my white, my, my my my white friends, and I would say, so you don't think there's something to talk about? And I said, my baby
Wore, what, what's the saying? My
Babies wore this bandaid. It says, time to heal,
Time to heal. And on
The back please
Bandaids on it like a white band-aid and a black band on there it says, time to heal. I love that. And I
Tell my babies, I said, my babies wore this band-aid on their little chocolate skin their whole entire life. Yeah. Just recently this bandaid came out and I said to people, I go, yeah, you know what? Um, and there, there's wrong with it, of course with the cross, but I tell 'em, I say, Hey, here's the thing. If you think there's nothing to talk about, like, they're mostly, they're like, oh, oh my lands. I I, I never even, I never even knew that. I, I never, yeah. I said, well, look, I can tell you a lot more things that you never knew. So it's like, again, the kid goes, there's some monster in the closet. There's, oh, there's no, there's no problem. So now when I'm able to share that with my friends, and they'll go like, wow, Linda, tell, can you tell me some of your stories?
And now I'm actually telling people, and this is not, I don't want, I don't believe in the whole white guilt thing. Not, not even going there. I'm not getting going there. But to be able to sympathize and empathize. And we went out with one of our, um, uh, white couple friends just a couple weeks ago, and we just shared at dinner some of our stories. And I, and I, I'll just share just one with you really with Yeah, please. This, this happens every single day of our lives. And it's, it's something that I know I'll live with until the day Jesus returns. But this is, it's okay because I feel like I have a special gift, uh, in communicating with people and loving people. Somebody ask me in an interview, they go, well, why aren't you cynical? And why aren't you bitter? And then, right.
Because this, it doesn't help. But we, we had our tour bus, uh, that was parked in front of our home. This is a few years back. And the driver we had at the time, uh, was white. His name is Randy. And if I ever use white or black to describe a person in a story, it has to be related to a story. Please don't tell me. Come up to me and just go, I have a friend and I'm like, oh, is your friend black? Oh yeah. I know they're gonna, cause they're just trying, people just trying to relate. I'm like, don't, please
Don't. That's nothing.
Got it. If, if a kid comes to your door and they're selling Girl Scout cookies, please don't say A black girl came to my door. A white girl. Right. It doesn't, it doesn't change the door. It's
Perpetuating. Yeah. Yes.
So, so this, I'm looking out of our pantry window at the time, and I see Mike and Randy are cleaning the bus. My husband's Mike. Uh, and so, uh, uh, my husband's in the front of the bus by the door and he's cleaning the bus. And then Randy's about maybe four feet behind Michael. And he's cleaning that part of the bus. I see a pickup truck come into our, in our driveway, up on our driveway, and a white guy gets out. I go, uhoh. I said, I, I know what's about to happen. Cause it's, it's a predominantly white neighborhood of, of a large home. And um, of course we wouldn't live in anything like that. Cause you would just, we just wouldn't. Right. Yeah. Okay.
So how many, how many, how many, uh, black couples and families are in your neighborhood?
Oh, it was, we, we were, other than one other family, we were, it, um, okay. And the neighborhood that was developed about 16 years ago when we first moved in, there were only four houses from there and there. And now it's there. Ton of homes there. Uh, and that's another whole story. Cause we were there before people even got there. Really? So, so this guy pulls up, excuse me. He says, um, he says, excuse me. He, this is what he, he passed, he bypassed my husband who was in the front of us and he went to Randy and he said, um, and this is what I hear. Cause I couldn't hear him from the window cause it was cold. Yeah. But this is what I, I was told he said, he went to Randy and he said, excuse me, do you mind if I park my truck in your driveway, um, while I do some work on the house next door?
And Randy said to this guy, well, you'll have to talk to the owner of the home. That happens guys, when I tell you, depending on where I go in a given day. Yeah. It's every single day. Yeah. You have to either not apologize for being black cuz I am so happy God made me who I am. I'm so happy. Made you who you are Yeah. And all of that. But you almost have to just kind of like, you go in and you're not expecting, you know, somebody, I go in the store and somebody's looking at me kind of weird. I don't wanna go, okay, they're white, I'm black, they're looking at me and they're racist. No, I, I try not to think that so far, not you, but I've been in too many stores where depending on the, the, the store, like if you, especially if it's a higher end store and you come in and if you're not dressed a certain way, can she afford it?
Cuz you know what happened Oprah a years ago? Yeah. I think it was Nordstroms. I'm like, she could buy Nordstroms. You know? Right. Um, but it's, it's that thing that you almost have to, you have to prove that you have worth and you have value mm-hmm.
Uh, and so I'm on the set and I get done. And this guy came to my table and he said, boy, I tell you what, and I'm just telling this how you talk. Yeah. I tell you what he said, the first time I saw you on that GA video, I said, what she doing on there? I looked air. And I go, what you doing on there? He said, but boy, when you open your mouth to sing, I tell you, bless me. Now you come on. I tell my, tell my wife my, my on. I hear that guys. I have to laugh to not cry.
Totally. Right.
It's, it is like, oh my lance, I Mm
Are there, are there people in your life? Thank you for sharing that. Wow. Are there people, and I'm sure there are millions of other ones, and even, you know, your brother Michael Tate just shared a story just on the Jesus Music, uh, movie. Yes. You know, just that was just that one little story that he shared about being in a restaurant even just recently. Yeah. You know, down in South and anyways. But are, are there any, um, h how did that shape you, like into who you are today when you're kind of looking at all these, all the narratives that have happened, and I'm sure you have a, I've got so many questions for it now, but how, how did all that stuff shape you into who you are today and what you're actually trying to invite people into today? You
Know, my parents taught us to love people. Didn't matter where they came from, just he said, God made us all. And that's a fact. And my friend, the Colsi Mullin said, our skin may, uh, describe us, but it doesn't define us. And so I've tried to live in that place where, you know, I can't, um, I can't get overburdened with other people's ignorance. Um, God's made me a pretty intelligent person. And when I see, um, when I see the, the hate, I just, I just, my heart goes out. I feel sorry because I'm thinking you're missing out on such a huge blessing cuz if you really got to know me. Yeah. But it's made me like, it's made me love hard and, and forgive to a place where some people may never have to forgive like this in their lifetime. And I'm not trying to be the, you know, like this, like I said, this super sane, but it really, it really, it has.
And when I was called the N-word, sitting in my, uh, friend's car from college years ago, we were singing at Liberty and we had an event on the weekend and Winston, some Salem, and something happened with our hotel situation. And he said, Hey, it was, uh, he and I and uh, uh, um, another girl. So the both of them are white. And so we're sitting in the drive. He said, we stay at my grandma's house, pulls up to the drive. And uh, the grandma looked in the car to get that in outta my yard. Oh
My God. And years,
My gosh. Just scream down my face. Cuz I thought, man, like, oh my. And, and, and so shaping me. It's just those things like that this is okay, I can take it. I can you've heard it better or better. I wanna be better. And I always feel like if I'm the first black person that some people will ever kind of cozy up to or get to meet. Yeah. I wanna represent Wow. Sadly. Mm-hmm.
A lot of people is just kind of how they were raised. And, and, and, and some of them have never had anybody have real conversations. Now, what I'm encouraging people to do is I want people to come to the table, sit down and talk, and have the hard conversations. I want you to tell me how you feel and if you feel like I'm a threat as a black woman, and why do you f why do you feel that way? What makes you feel that way? Um, if I feel intimidated by you as a, as a white person, why, why do I feel that way? Let's talk about those hard things.
Um, if you were to say, Hey, let, let's have a conversation. What would that conversation look like? Because with 10,000 minutes, we're always trying to figure out how do we practically live all week long? And you're an expert in this because you've lived how 23 years? That's how old you are
Have you done? It starts, you know what, it starts go with relationships. Mm-hmm.
Every single time I say that, I go, so what's that look like? I said, so that's where it starts. Who's coming to your table? Like, whether it is a actual physical table or it's just Yeah. Uh, it, it, it's not who's coming to your table, who's in your inner circle that doesn't look like you. Yeah. Are you attending with you? You go to church, you don't, whatever. Where are you worshiping? I mean, when I go, I get invited to churches all over and I look at the staff and when I see a church of so many thousands of people and you got a staff of 40, 50 people and you see maybe barely one person of color, even if it were a black church, I'd say the same thing. Something you guys, something's wrong with that picture. Yeah. It starts relationships. Invite somebody to dinner, invite somebody to lunch.
Mm-hmm.
When you see on television, the media that portrays any of us in a certain light mm-hmm.
I love the kind of idea that this kind of, um, acknowledgement and beginning of understanding, I think, uh, in race things happens around a table. Um, I think that's huge. And in relationship and like the stories that you've told so far of like, friends sitting down at a table and you're sharing your story, it's kinda what we're doing right now, which is amazing. One other thing that kind of struck me as you were talking, um, and as you began to describe kind of the black experience, um, which is something that like, we just can't understand, you know, like you just, you, when you don't know it and don't see it, even the image that you brought up of those two band-aids in different colors, like brought tears to my eyes because why would I know that there's not a, a dark-skinned band-aid? And I saw when that got rolled out, like in the last year.
Like how crazy is that? Um, but I wondered, and this is, this is, there's a question here. Um, as you talked about your first pet peeve and about how, um, if I'm gonna do something, I'm gonna do it really well. I'm gonna be the best. Like, I I get this energy from you, like, I'm gonna show up every time and you're gonna see the best. Yes. And I wonder if some of that comes from that experience of growing up black thinking like, if I don't come as my best, these people are gonna think X, y, and Z about me, and I'm gonna, I'm gonna prove something to them, you know, by, by showing up this way. Do you think that's formed you in any way?
I don't really think so. Uh, I just like to do, I just like to see people do well. Um, yeah. But, but, but, but there are some times I've gotten in white communities where you already know they've formed a stereotype about me, right? Mm-hmm.
But if, if I were honest guys, you know, I don't wanna cry on your show. Um, but it, it, it makes me weak because we've got so much work to do. But it's only gonna get better if we do what we're doing right now with 10,000 minutes. We can times this a hundred thousand times and probably still not get through. I don't wanna discourage anybody, but it's, it's a lot to work through because here's what's happened. Yeah. We've buried stuff so deep. And I tell people this all the time when people say, oh girl, we don't need to talk about in the past. The past is the past. I go, but yeah. Right. Let me ask you this. How many of you wanna, when you go to the doctor for your checkup and they ask you about your family's history? Mm. You go, oh, I don't, I don't.
But if there's cancer, if there's heart disease, if there's diabetes, don't you wanna know that? Right. Don't you wanna know so you can be better? So you can say, oh, oh, okay. So I know there's a thing with my family this, so I need to eat. I I I probably don't need to be eating this. I probably, because, you know, and then if you choose not to do something, uh, better based on what you found out about your family, your past history, then that's between you and God and, and your body. But yeah, so I, I'm, I'm discouraged that people are trying to get us to not talk about stuff that's happened before. And I'm not talking about belaboring. Oh yeah. They just beat 'em in the slaves. Just and making people feel, I'm not talking about beating anybody. Oh. But you kind of have to have some of these conversations.
Cause I can tell you if you're hearing this from me, guys, I can bring, I can fill our space right now with all of my friends of color and they would all have similar stories, but different stories Yeah. And affect them every single day. And you'd go like, wow, how did I miss, how did I miss this bandaid thing? How, how, how did I not know that? You know why? Because keep it a real Yeah. You're in this kind of bubble world where you don't have to do it. There's not many places that I can go any given day that I'm not even made to know that I'm black or I'm, yeah, it, it, yes. Yeah, you, but there, when we go to Walmart and we get hair products, a few years ago there was only a little tiny shelf that said mm-hmm.
I don't even know what it was. But now there's a pretty big section. Um, and which is, which is good. Things are, things are changing. But I, I wanna say, even though you didn't ask this question, but I do wanna say this, Sony asked me, they said, Lynn, do you think things are getting better? Mm. And I said, you know what? I think we're starting to move in the right direction. And lemme tell you how I know the, the temperature gauge commercials on television years ago, for the most part, you know, of course. Well, for back then it was all white. You know, everybody, every family was white. You know, you didn't see anybody really have a color much at all. Now then as we started progressing a little bit, then you would see a, a black woman, but she would be kind of a lighter complexion.
Yeah. You know? Right. She wasn't really like rich black or deep, deep black. Uh, so you would see that. And then if you saw a guy on a commercial, maybe he didn't really say much. He wasn't really involved with a black woman. It's just kinda like somebody in the, have you guys noticed that there, I can't say this without even feeling so much emotion. Wow. Like you would think somebody put 2 million in my bank account, or 10 million when I turn on the TV and I see these commercials and there are black families sitting at a table together and his father is interacting, like my dad did with us, interacting with his kids. They're teaching him things, they're playing games, they're telling stories. He's, he's married. I mean, it's, it's great. But, but that was not the image. Right? Right. Mm-hmm.
And so now I'm like, and then I see these really deep, rich, beautiful, midnight black women color skin glowing. And I'm like, God, thank you. So that's why I say, for me, things are changing. Things are getting weird. I love seeing that. I love seeing that. We've not seen enough of that. And there might be some people like mm-hmm.
Totally. That is, that's great.
It's not their birthday. So what, what are you getting upset about? So we all matter. Your birthday matters your life. We all matter, but it's time to get us out of the shadows. Yep.
Put
In the light, in the good light that we deserve to be in as human beings. Yeah. And, and that's why I get emotional. I told, I said Yeah, after George Floyd, this time, there was a shift, there truthfully was a shift in the atmosphere. Yeah. We started changing and I'm seeing people wanting to really have conversations and people wanna be in covenant relationships, you know? Yeah. And I'm loving it. I mean, it's, and
How, how is the church doing in this terrible, I mean, you, you've been such in such a white space, um, for so long, and now you, since George Floyd, you say you're speaking up and you are in, gosh, thank you. And my God, um, how are we doing? How can we be better? And
I shouldn't say I said, I said terrible. I'm like, let me just say church at large.
I don't No,
I,
I'll agree with you. I, I, yes. We still agree in that hearing room to improve. Yes.
We're still as segregated as we've ever been. And sometimes I think it's getting
Staff? Yeah. Mm-hmm.
And we just wanna be a blessing and Yeah. You know, that, that mentality I don't like, well, I think we, we should work in other, each other's communities. I think that's a great thing. But how about we come into your community and come in your homes? And we had, that happened in one of the white families church. My husband went to the mom's home to help with some, and that was the first time there had ever been a black person in that mother's home. And she's probably 70 something saying something is something's wrong. And the church. Mm-hmm. We've got to get it together guys. We're supposed to be leading out on this healing thing. We're supposed to be leading out, but we're still so far behind. And so I'm just trying to get in places now, y'all where I can get up and I can just tell my story and come get real.
If you never invite me back, I'm sorry. I don't hate you. I love you. I mean, I really, it's not like old Jesus. I genuinely as from one human to the next. I love you. We are brothers and we are sisters. And, um, that's what they, one of the records and the album. Uh, uh, my Feet may Be Tired Song that we are brothers and sisters. We, we got a lot of work to do. So the church, it's, it's, I don't, I don't think we're doing great. We're making little bitty strides. Mm-hmm.
You're, yeah. You're totally right. Mm-hmm.
By the ways. I like what you just said, represent him, not
Yeah. It's, it's different. Representing is a really different thing than if, if Adam, the first Adam was a representer of God naming things, giving, I mean, it was like this real representation of God. Yes. Not just like, oh, I'm a representative of God. Yes. I'm a representer of God. So that's what you get to be Yes. With black skin on Yes. A representer of God. Yes. To the white people, to the Yes. Anybody to your friends. Anybody.
Anybody.
So it's just, it's just such a gift to have mm-hmm.
Guys for having me. This has been, this has been so great for me. Uh, good. And I honestly, it wasn't you guys at all today, but it was one of those, I'm not a person who will not do what I'm supposed to do, like with interviews, but today it is just been, it's been really some tough days. I was like, I'm not sure I'm really up to this
Come on. I love it. I love it. Yeah. I'm glad, I'm glad we got that side
Of you and you guys just, it it's, I I figured it was gonna be next level because the struggle was, was pretty strong prior to getting on with you guys. So there's some, there's some warfare and I really mean that in the, the most holy, righteous sense. Yeah. We, that we're in territory that the enemy hates and so he's gonna fight like he's been Well,
Thank you. He's also gonna fight these next three minutes,
I would say my mommy and my dad. But my really, I'm just a daddy's girl. I love my mom, but really? He was like,
Guys, that's correct. That was so perfect. Um, okay. Something that's on your bucket list.
You said what's on, what's on my bucket list? Yep. Oh. You know, it's on my, I got a dream list. Bucket list. Okay. So, but I don't, some things I can't share because I don't want people to make it happen. Um, but
But, but, but okay. I can, I'll say this. I, I, I wanna do, uh, I wanna do movie soundtracks. Um, Ooh, that's one. I'll just say that's one of the things that Yeah. But there are other things that are like, they're kind of like those private kind of mm-hmm.
Them. And uh, yeah, we'll leave those as as unspoken
Regret.
Come on. Come on.
Let's some of my, some of my hairstyle
That does not sing. Does not sing. Um, okay. Bad habit. Bad
Habit. Ooh, okay. Uh, overthinking. Overthinking. Oh,
Okay. Yes. Yeah. Strong. Okay. Last one. Uh, what is your, if you were gonna do karaoke, what, what's your go-to song? Oh, my
Go-to song. Oh, let's see. Karaoke Go-to song. Probably don't laugh at this because y'all No,
No. That, that's, that's the hard
Point. Cause it's so cornball. You light up my life.
Yes.
About us? My life?
You guys are crazy.
So dumb. Okay. Linda Randall, thank you for being amazing. Yes. So much people go check out. And where can they, where do they check out stuff? That is
Then Apple Music and Amazon Music, I, anything, whatever. So you can Perfect. Uh, Instagram, Facebook, all the social media, whatever outlets. Um,
Well we, the the last thing we just wanted to tell you is that we have, um, we have all gotten together and we have purchased you a motorcycle. So that's coming your house. Oh God, you get so much.
That's, that was on the bucket list. Really
Riding Bruce. Oh gosh. My brother Michael ride.
Michael has a Harley. Uh, my brother, he does. Michael is like you talking about a daring guy. He, I mean just all kinds of, I'm saying that's daring, but yeah. So he is a motorcycle. So if I ever really wanna ride, I could, I guess Yes. But thank for the purchase. I appreciate it,
Thank you so much. Thank you.
Thank you guys. Bye.
Thank you so much. Thank you. All right people. So that was Linda Randall, uh, another great episode.
Amazing conversation. I
Wish she was here with us. Yeah. She was one of those people that you just want to be with.
Yeah. Especially when people are telling you, um, their story. Mm-hmm.
If you're out there and this racial conversation has been, um, pushing on you or you've felt pushback or you want to push back on it, I think maybe just the invitation here is how do we just hear people's stories Right? And really listen well and be curious in it. Not just jump to our political agenda or what's their political agenda, but really hear stories. There's something so powerful. And just a reminder for me, I just wanna listen to people's stories before I quickly go to judge a whole, uh, group. Does that make sense?
Yeah. I think the, the powerful thing about diversifying your table mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah. Be present. Lean in to what people bring to the table. I think another beautiful part about this practice is that I experienced God in a very specific way in my life through my experience. And when we diversify our communities, we start to see a bigger, more complete view of God's character in the ways he shows up for other people. Hmm. And so be curious about seeing God in someone's story, not just making space for them, but truly saying, if God is always with me, he's also always with this person. So how am I going to see God in their story today?
Gosh. E even in people that, that we are with all the time, like doesn't have to be sure. That's a challenge to me just thinking about the people that are already in my life. Mm-hmm.
Comment below.
Yes. Um, also I want to thank, uh, Lisa p Thank you.
Thank you, Lisa.
I know who you are. Thank you. Some, some of these times, sometimes I don't know who these people are, but Lisa p thank you for supporting us. You can go to 10,000 minutes.com and in the upper thing it says donator partner or something like that.
And we'll have the links below
In the district. Yeah. Also Ryan. C
Thank
You Ryan. Uh, thank you Ryan C not related to Ryan
You're not? No, not this time. Not,
Not that. I know. Last time he had Gen C and he was Jennifer c mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Thanks. Alexa.
Um, K and C sound alike, but they're not the same thing. Okay.
Yes.
Uh, anyways, thank you guys. Thank you for being a part of this. We love doing this and Yep. We are actually supported by you, so thank you. Okay. Um, see you next.
See you next time.