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Only a couple months. No no no no no no. I think I recognize.
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Rob Lee
Welcome to the truth and this Art. Your source of conversations connecting arts, culture and community. These are stories that matter, and I am your host, Rob Lee. Today, I'm welcoming two guests onto the program to share insights and stories behind their organization. Be more Transform and its upcoming Graphic Novel Festival. My guests are abolitionists, educators, committed community organizers, and vital leaders for transformative change.
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Rob Lee
In Baltimore, we have Gab Sussman and Victoria Leboun. They are the founders of BMore Transform. Welcome to the podcast.
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Victoria Lebron
Hey, hey you happy to be here.
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Rob Lee
Thank you both for for coming on. And, here's the thing. It's it's great where, you know, seeing the two of you last year at kind of what we're going to talk about. I'm teasing a little bit, but seeing the two of you last year at this illustrious event, we going to get into it. And being able to, like, circle back or, as they say, spend the block and, have this conversation and then sort of in real life, we're doing this online.
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Rob Lee
It's, it's truly a treat. But before we get into sort of the, the deeper conversation, I want to give you to the space to introduce yourselves and share a bit about yourselves and your roles at Be More Transform. So the floor is yours.
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Gab Sussman
Hi everyone. My name is gab. I use basic pronouns. I am one of the co-founders of Be More Transform and also one of the worker partners. I'm one of four people in our, educational worker cooperative. I, identify as an RnB abolitionist. So I'm non-binary and queer. I'm from New York, but, a happy transplant to Baltimore and, have been an educator and a school building leader for a very long time.
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Gab Sussman
And although I've transitioned out of the classroom full time, our work as being more transform leads me to still be an intentional educator and show up for students, faculty, admin, and the rest of the school community.
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Rob Lee
Thank you.
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Victoria Lebron
Hi, everybody. I'm Victoria LeBron. I, from Queens, New York originally. You can take me out of Queens, but you cannot take Queens out of me. I love queens so hard. But I also really love Baltimore. And I'm so happy that I get to live here and call it home. I am the other co-founder of the Moore Transform, and, also one of the worker partners.
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Victoria Lebron
I will say that I'm extremely proud that we can count ourselves among the other organizations, the other worker co-ops that are. Part of the beautiful history of worker cooperatives. And like organized movements like that. I'm really, really proud that we're a part of that. That's something I care deeply about. And, there's something really special about our city that there are so many worker cooperatives, and there's something really special about, our state that it just, a few months ago made it legal to have a business entity that is a worker cooperatives.
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Victoria Lebron
So you don't need to be an LLC or a level or an ILP or anything. You can just go like street worker cooperative, which is really exciting. So, that's, a little bit about me. I also have a teaching background. That's how gab and I met, and, I'm extremely passionate. Like I said, about, like, worker cooperatives, which are like flat democratic spaces.
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Victoria Lebron
And that was how I taught. And that's something I love a lot about our work. Is that we are always, that's always front and center is how to keep it without that. Like hierarchical structure.
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Rob Lee
That's that's great and makes sense. And I'm going to go a bit deeper also New York and New York. Hello. So let's put to New York here we what do we do it. Hold on, hold on.
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Gab Sussman
It's a coincidence that I'm.
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Rob Lee
Sure and and also also I must admit and you know, I do this at every, every podcast and this is, is usually the one on one setup I do have occasionally, you know, maybe a two on one and sort of but, you know, whenever I have guests on that are bespectacled individuals, I have to acknowledge the glasses. So thank you both for wearing your glasses.
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Rob Lee
I can't see without mine.
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Victoria Lebron
So just Sam, Sam.
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Gab Sussman
Who goes there? Okay, okay, I see. Okay. You got me. Like, I still, like, require, tools to see better.
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Rob Lee
I was told, by by my partner that if I take off my glasses, my eyes disappear, and I was like, that's really mean. It's really been that way.
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Gab Sussman
Our eyes are no good.
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Rob Lee
But it was really funny because her eyes are very big. So it's just like, what are we doing?
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Gab Sussman
What are we doing? Oh my gosh, have fun.
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Rob Lee
So going back into it, so for the for the listeners who aren't familiar, what is be more transform would inspire the, the the founding of it. I mean, just I have both of you here so I can get like sort of the, the straight dope, the directness. So please, if you will.
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Gab Sussman
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Victoria Lebron
I'm happy to start. So.
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Gab Sussman
Yeah.
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Victoria Lebron
Be more transform is I mean, it is like our baby, we have birthed this thing and and it is like, truly, it it comes from a place of love. It comes from a place of loving the the education. Like loving education loving the act of education in community, loving youth, and knowing that this system that exists right now is not serving them.
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Victoria Lebron
And it is not serving any of the stakeholders. And so it it is our, our goal is I've been saying this lately. It's not a big deal. We just want to decolonize our city's educational system.
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Rob Lee
That's a small it's just just too small. Nothing too.
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Gab Sussman
Big.
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Victoria Lebron
And we do that by providing services to schools, and other youth serving organizations. So was can look like professional learning communities, book clubs, workshops, trainings. We also do programing. Sometimes a lot of it is on the weekends. We have like we have a graphic novel club. We do we have a series that we do with even Enoch Pratt called the Marines together.
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Victoria Lebron
Honestly, we love reading. We love literacy and we love to talk about books, which is, you know, part of the reason why we're here today.
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Gab Sussman
So another thing that I think about, when I think about the how be more transformed came to existence is through the like shared trauma and community and joy that comes with being a teacher and an educator. Yeah. Like Victoria and I both found ourselves outside of the classroom and still yearns to teach and be connected and and connect with kids in a meaningful way.
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Gab Sussman
But as Victoria said, outside of, like, traditional school because. Yeah, as as stakeholders, like as teachers, like we were just like this is this, ain't it? Yeah. So after several rounds of iterating and just figuring out, like, what do we want to do? How are we going to fuel our passion, continue learning and growing together as business owners?
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Gab Sussman
But also, like, how do we make this sustainable both financially but also like holistically? And, yeah, it was like just through my years as a small business owner, right? Like things are just always changing and Baltimore, has a lot of, a lot of resources for small businesses that, you know, like, and there are a lot of people who are kind of plugged in.
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Gab Sussman
So we just did a lot of digging and had a lot of coffee chats and just went to a lot of things to figure out, like, what do we have access to, you know, impacting. Make this work. And so, yeah, through that, like through that partnership that Victoria and I nurtured for a really long time, we were able to then like through with some stepping stones and support, end up with a cooperative of four people now and in partnership with some really amazing organizations and, small businesses who similarly, want to show up for community in an authentic way.
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Gab Sussman
And ensure that educators, the, the folks who are pouring into our youth are supported now, but also like, have touchstones and resources to help us all get to a better world where like, kids love school and, love learning and, you know, as we said earlier, like there aren't police there. And. Right, yeah. But I mean, I can even name a billion things right now.
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Gab Sussman
So. Okay.
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Rob Lee
Thank you, thank you. And, and I think, like, you know, as I look at sort of this season of the podcast and really having this theme of community, of people getting together and, and sharing sort of resources or what have you, and even, you know, over the years, taking what I do hear in a much more serious way and sometimes like reaching out for I don't need to talk to this painter that does this because they're hard.
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Rob Lee
And it might be a few more clicks here or there. It's just like, what? What the what do I think has relevance in the community and what do I like and sort of how does it connect and serve multiple goods. And that's what's driving a lot of stuff, because right now, and this goes to sort of, you know, a bit of the conversation we were having before putting on the red light, red Mike light, that we're kind of all in this together.
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Rob Lee
So, you know, where is there's an opportunity to sort of support and give light and give space to just good work that's happening around the city that may get missed, may get overlooked or main. I sort of get that, that, that, that a proper amount of shine on it. I think that's one of my responsibilities.
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Gab Sussman
And thank you for like enabling that. And you know we talk a lot about walking the talk and so like really appreciate that. Yes. Are able to use your platform in that way.
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Rob Lee
Absolutely. Thank you. I, I can't just get on here and just talk about your nonsense. So I, you know like yeah there's.
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Gab Sussman
So many podcasts I do that right. Yeah.
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Rob Lee
No that was, that was the first ten years of me podcasting. Now it's time to give back. You know, as I manifest this energy of the proper, so I want to I want to hit on this because this was a, a term that that came up and, I was joking earlier about, you know, I introduce myself sometimes as a, a word wizard, which doesn't quite work.
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Rob Lee
Abolitionist, educator. Give me, give me a bit of a definition of what that is. How does that sort of show up in your work and in your sort of day to day, like, you know, is it like, sort of like like John Brown energy, but with books or like.
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Victoria Lebron
I had love that.
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Gab Sussman
I love listening to that.
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Rob Lee
I do think so. Tough.
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Victoria Lebron
Wait, that's another, that's another. The he he is someone that Gabe and I are obsessed with.
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Gab Sussman
Is it is. Yeah. That is a whole other like niche. Deep dive has it. So it go down. Will we should we like TBD? Probably not right now, but I would say, as one of our other cooperative members always reminds us like how people receive us is how people receive us. So like if people perceive or receive our energy, as John Brown with books like that's on you.
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Victoria Lebron
Honestly though, hell yeah.
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Gab Sussman
Thank you. Yeah. Wow.
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Victoria Lebron
So I mean, that's for me. For me, yeah.
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Gab Sussman
But honestly, so this abolitionist educator piece, comes from or abolitionist teaching and abolitionist educating comes from Doctor Bettina Love, who coined this term, and defines it as using and leveraging the resources and the value within communities and of color in schools and working with those communities in order to bring out and to it's similar to what you said, like shine light on those values and those resources so that it's less hierarchical.
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Gab Sussman
It's more like undoing white supremacy. This idea of like, I'm the teacher, I pour into you, you empty vessel, sort of like thinking and mindset that is still very prevalent in education today. But instead, like, again, working with all of the stakeholders, knowing that with every student in your classroom, there's a village around them and seeing them, seeing the individual in front of you as an individual, but also recognizing that they're part of, you know, a long history.
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Gab Sussman
They have heritage, they have a story. They have, you know, like, again, just like so much wealth, community, wealth connected to them and like, just not just leveraging it and from like an exploitation place, but from, like, I see you and want to, ensure that like other families and other kids and that you yourself understand like exactly how beautiful and joyful and, complex, you know, your you and your history and your people are and, which means, like, you, I mean that.
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Gab Sussman
Yeah. It like, means that you have to not just teach to the test. You have to not just, you know, like, clock in and clock out. It does require a level of emotional energy and requires, emotional intelligence and an understanding of white supremacy. And intersectionality and capitalism and how all those things show up in all of us.
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Gab Sussman
And, what, what we love about or like what we embody as abolitionist educators is. And then in our work with the youth serving organizations in schools and districts and other institutions, we are constantly reminding people of how these organizations are made up of so many adults. Oftentimes oftentimes they're more adults than kids, right. I mean, like other universities, but like schools, non-profits, like, so they have like the word children, youth, kids in their mission statement, a bunch of times.
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Gab Sussman
But ultimately, like there are more adults and therefore, like there's a power imbalance, but also they're just in their midst. There needs to be that, the level of intentionality of like, what are we doing? How are we doing it? And how can we be better for the people who need the center, which is like the youth? So, yeah, there's been lots of situations where we're just like, do y'all like it?
00;17;28;02 - 00;17;58;02
Gab Sussman
You know, like, yeah. Do you like it? Because if you don't like. And what's. Let's just dance. Go. Do you hear like and the honest. There's just, like so much unlearning and learning that happens. When we work with these, like, these schools and organizations that need to happen, and they obviously needed to have happened to like when they first started.
00;17;58;02 - 00;18;09;25
Gab Sussman
But ultimately it's like, let's start now, and let's really think about, like, how are we moving through the world and then who are we helping and how are we helping them?
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Victoria Lebron
Yeah, I, I think about the intentionality piece. So all the time.
00;18;16;26 - 00;18;18;01
Gab Sussman
All the time.
00;18;18;03 - 00;18;42;29
Victoria Lebron
And how like that. I think that's something that was very frustrating to some of the people we've worked with when we taught, but also like some of the people we we've worked with. And like those those contracts did not continue because it was usually like both cited where it was like, this isn't going to work. And it's because there is.
00;18;43;01 - 00;18;44;06
Gab Sussman
A.
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Victoria Lebron
Adults have,
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Victoria Lebron
They don't want to do extra work. Right. And I and I think like when we when we talk about intentionality, the extra work has a purpose, right. Like if you are teaching, if you are aiming to be an abolitionist teacher, that intentionality means that, like, yeah, maybe you're spending a little more time on a lesson, or maybe you're spending time, like making a phone call to a parent or, you know, having starting a club where kids like that are an affinity space or something.
00;19;24;00 - 00;19;53;06
Victoria Lebron
But like, that's work that will bring you and the community joy, and it will help people to feel seen. And it was the thing that fills me with rage is, the adults who could do it, but they and I get it. Everyone has different. Everyone has different capacity. But it goes back to what gab was saying. Do you actually like kids?
00;19;53;06 - 00;20;19;04
Victoria Lebron
Do you actually want to be here? Because we all have stories of being in schools and having a teacher who said something that was detrimental and stuck with us. And so, like, if you're not like you, the the time we're we've been living in for the last several hundred years has required this kind of education. It's too late now.
00;20;19;04 - 00;20;24;19
Victoria Lebron
Now it needs to happen. Be quiet. It make it lit. Just be quiet. Sit down.
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Gab Sussman
Let's. Or at least.
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Victoria Lebron
Go take a nap. If you don't want to do the extra work, then move out of the way.
00;20;32;27 - 00;21;06;21
Gab Sussman
Yeah. And yeah. And like, one more thing that I just wanted to add is that, like we also when we talk about abolition, we also talk about the systems and structures that are in place, and helping to dismantle them. And so some of the work that we do, now, like people are barriers, but also there are policies, there are, you know, unwritten or unspoken about norms that we uncover in conversation and in our discovery with, with clients.
00;21;06;23 - 00;21;22;03
Gab Sussman
And ultimately, it's about being able to identify, why is your, you know, like you say that, kids don't feel safe or the students,
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Victoria Lebron
Have or something.
00;21;23;24 - 00;21;24;20
Gab Sussman
I'm sorry.
00;21;24;22 - 00;21;33;02
Victoria Lebron
Sorry, I interrupted. No, but I said they like when they're like the students don't behave or when it's like, yeah, but what's the other side of that look like?
00;21;33;02 - 00;22;11;21
Gab Sussman
Yeah, yeah. So the the systems and structures and all of these barriers and challenges, just like sickness, you know, like sometimes you know very clearly what's going on, but also sometimes you don't. And as abolitionists, we are looking very strategically at things like the curriculum, the language that is used, the adults in the building and the policies and practices so that we can, once we're able to name like this is where, y'all need support or like, this is what's going on, then we're able to help.
00;22;11;23 - 00;22;38;19
Gab Sussman
Like, these schools, institutions be more effective and happier places. Kids feel like safer. They feel more included. Attendance. There is lower, you know, behavior issues like there. All of this is, like, there's research around, like, when kids feel safe. They are. And like, they have stories that are like, we we personally don't care about test scores, but like other people do.
00;22;38;19 - 00;23;09;03
Gab Sussman
And so we say like, oh, you care about absentee rates? While guess what? Right. We invest in I think in these spaces, or when you train your teachers in culturally responsive teaching, like those things get better. And it's not really gonna be like it's that hard. But like, it's really it's really about just seeing the dignity in everyone to know that, like, everyone deserves access and to joy, even in school.
00;23;09;03 - 00;23;38;07
Gab Sussman
Like, was it joyful for you? Probably not. And that's not. And I'm so sorry, but that doesn't mean you have to be complicit in all of this world sucking for everyone. So it's like, let's break this cycle of things feeling draining and and us feeling disconnected and, like we're, you know, on the opposite side of, you know, the spectrum.
00;23;38;07 - 00;24;00;18
Gab Sussman
One where, like, we all have the same goal. We all want to walk away here feeling like, empowered and yeah, it's really just like, no, it comes down to it like the abolitionist piece is really just like, let's make sure we're all doing this. Yes, all the time right now.
00;24;00;20 - 00;24;32;07
Rob Lee
Oh, sure. It's, you know, I find that in these instances where, you know, people will tell me like, hey, you, you'd be good to to teach. You should do this. You, you know, people will listen to us or shouldn't listen to me. And then when the opportunity presents itself, even doing this, when the opportunities to do some type of education where the formal or informal, I think about some of those experiences and some of those things that I've been been told when I'm a person that questions things.
00;24;32;07 - 00;24;48;08
Rob Lee
I'm a data analyst and, and I look for a root cause analysis and things of that nature. I was like, why is this actually happening? Let's get down to it. No, no, no, that's going to take too much time. It's like it's worth it. You do it once and then you figure it out and you kind of utilize that and you roll it over and you adjust as you go along.
00;24;48;11 - 00;25;18;13
Rob Lee
And you know, I just look at some of these systems that have been around, whether it be education, obviously, whether it be in health care, it is these different areas that is this sort of rush. But these things are so important and they carry over generationally. They carry over into community and all of these, these different pieces. And when those opportunities for me to have any impact, teaching formally and informally, you know, if I have like a a young artist on here, I'm like, this is your first time you've been interviewed?
00;25;18;13 - 00;25;36;21
Rob Lee
It's like, let me be very mindful of for them. How are you presenting yourself? You know, so my questions are going to be got it in a different way. Still sort of the same tact and same sort of pursuit. But all right, let's let's help them along or what have you versus leaving them on an island.
00;25;36;24 - 00;25;37;14
Gab Sussman
You know.
00;25;37;16 - 00;25;59;11
Rob Lee
There may have been instances where other people have left them on the island. I've left the model island or even and I love this. This is a goofy quote that I got in, you know, in school that I remember very well. And I think I'm able to identify folks that they heard a similar quote. When you ask a question in the class that you're like, I don't know if this is fair, is something like, well, I got mine, so you need to get yours.
00;25;59;14 - 00;26;18;24
Rob Lee
What I think is fair is what's fair is and that's that power dynamic that's being touched on. It's just like, oh, this, this the way did your testing this or what did your grading this or the way this is being presented is not quite fair. Well, I'm not here and it's and it's a weird it's a weird vibe because everyone's sort of adhering to that.
00;26;18;24 - 00;26;37;17
Rob Lee
So to here sort of breaking away from that analyzing and finding out like what's really happening and trying to fix and adjust and have a system that fixes and adjusts this, to move it along, to make sure everyone's feeling like this, this fit are, you know, the people involved that are teaching that have sort of this power dynamic.
00;26;37;19 - 00;26;48;28
Rob Lee
Do they they actually like it. They actually like what's happening here. And that transfers over because like, I think kids can tell it's like, you don't like me.
00;26;49;01 - 00;26;50;10
Gab Sussman
Yes, I teach me at all.
00;26;50;10 - 00;26;54;05
Victoria Lebron
They can always tell.
00;26;54;07 - 00;27;23;21
Gab Sussman
It's like and some kids like, really do try to like it cater to the adults and their like feelings. And which is always it makes me feel uncomfortable because it's like, obviously you weren't that that's important in, like, how you pull up. Which like, I see adults, like, actively, learning, like, why do I care how other people think, right?
00;27;23;23 - 00;27;40;05
Gab Sussman
Why am I centering other people's needs over my. But, Rob, earlier, when you're just like when you said that the student was like, oh, you're old and that, you know, like with.
00;27;40;08 - 00;27;46;06
Rob Lee
These grades have wisdom in them, each one the right amount each month has wisdom in it.
00;27;46;08 - 00;28;42;02
Gab Sussman
Yeah. Honestly. Like that. That's what I, what I love and Victoria like has two very adorable kids who, parent or spouse are raising, bravely raising in this world. They will like, just, you know, call for a spade. They're they're very observant and they ask questions and when you treat kids like they have brains that are functioning and have eyes and ears, you know, that are helping process information, then you understand and hopefully then value how you show up around them, how, it doesn't even necessarily how you show up for them or to them.
00;28;42;02 - 00;29;18;04
Gab Sussman
It's how like if they're in a room, like you need to assume that they're watching you and learning from you. And that's why, when we talk about educators and surveying educators, we literally mean anyone who interacts with you at all. If you like, are interacting with kids, you are inherently educating them. So when we talk about our like educator program, we are literally talking about like and like that's a lot of people.
00;29;18;04 - 00;29;55;00
Gab Sussman
And it's because if we shift the way that we see our role in society around youth, then perhaps we'll all take more of, more accountability in how we show up for youth, because that's what they deserve. And we have programing that's called queer Family Village. And that's because, like, truly, the African proverb of it takes a village to raise a child like we are in many kids villages, whether we know it or where do we want to be in it or not.
00;29;55;04 - 00;30;08;23
Gab Sussman
Yeah. And so like unless you are literally, literally under a physically under a rock like tactic and you have no children around you,
00;30;08;26 - 00;30;15;16
Victoria Lebron
Maybe you are not an educator. Yeah. You're just you're good. Just stay there.
00;30;15;18 - 00;30;17;22
Gab Sussman
So people love it.
00;30;17;25 - 00;30;33;19
Rob Lee
So I want to I want to move into this. So if you're talking about programing to touch there I want to move into this this next piece that I'm seeing one of these examples of like some really like cool, and strong like community like that like programing. And I love alliteration, by the way. I like puns and alliteration.
00;30;33;19 - 00;30;36;20
Rob Lee
So this is, what is it? Liberation libations.
00;30;36;23 - 00;30;38;08
Gab Sussman
Yeah, yeah.
00;30;38;10 - 00;31;01;00
Rob Lee
And in that, in that, and I was touching on this, but some of the conversations I've had, like, you know, this season talking about third spaces and just folks getting together, like, folks see this illusion of connection via like social media, but really are isolated IRL. And there's this, this thirst for sort of these genuine in, in person sort of connections.
00;31;01;02 - 00;31;17;20
Rob Lee
How, how why is that important from your perspectives? And why is this important for, for, for be more transparent to be a part of that as far as this sort of community coming together and sort of addressing these, these needs and just being in dialog and being around each other.
00;31;17;22 - 00;31;45;26
Victoria Lebron
Yeah, I mean, it came about because we it started when we were teaching gab, the first one, the first Liberation, like it was in Gab's living room. And it started because we were at this school. There were a group of educators and we were siloed. So we didn't really have an opportunity to talk to each other and that is still the case today, right?
00;31;45;26 - 00;32;14;05
Victoria Lebron
Where, you know, teachers, all different kinds of people, whatever field you're in, you're if you think about it, you're siloed. You're not really like connecting all the time. You know, and then the, the field of education is like that, where teachers are encouraged to collaborate, but they're also not really given that opportunity during the day in like an authentic time.
00;32;14;07 - 00;32;39;07
Victoria Lebron
And so that we we wanted to create this real space. I always say liberation libations is like a place where you can come in and release a deep sigh, and everybody knows what you mean, right? That like, and it's like you don't actually you don't even need to explain. It's just like, yep.
00;32;39;10 - 00;32;40;27
Gab Sussman
00;32;40;29 - 00;33;02;24
Victoria Lebron
We know there was like there was a, there was a kid in that site, there was an administrator in that side. There were three and a half colleagues in that side. Right. And we get it. We get it. It's like and I and I love that about it because people come, they're ready. People have cried. People have laughed.
00;33;02;24 - 00;33;23;02
Victoria Lebron
People have got like talked about like switching jobs. People have gotten like consulting, you know, positions from like all sorts of stuff. People have made friends. No, no. Like, marriages yet from collaboration, migrations. But you never know.
00;33;23;04 - 00;33;53;17
Rob Lee
Coming, coming saying I'm sure that that's that's Yeah, it's it's great. And I find like even in doing this like this, this, this podcast really started in 2019 as a response to, you know, it's kind of he spun the block with it because he's still talking about Baltimore, but sort of the, you know, the orange thing and, that it's that dialog around Baltimore and, you know, it was maybe 20 episodes in that first year, in 2019, starting in July of that year.
00;33;53;22 - 00;34;12;04
Rob Lee
But once I got to like 2020 and folks were inside and it's like, yeah, we got to connect, how can we connect? And I would imagine some of the conversations I was maybe getting to like 25 minute, 30 minute podcast in 2019 when I got to 2020 was like, yeah, we're at minute 80. Oh, we're just having a hangout virtually.
00;34;12;06 - 00;34;32;00
Rob Lee
It's be we have to connect. We have to commiserate. We have to be able to share these things. And, you know, some of the the guests that I have on of certain disciplines or certain like areas that they're, they're in, I find that they're a bit more chatty because often they don't get the chance to talk. I can have a conversation with a chef.
00;34;32;00 - 00;34;49;27
Rob Lee
I'm like, yo, we're good. We're two hours and we've talked about everything you want to come back on next week? We're. And I was like, this is great. And and I love those conversations. And I love the opportunity to have those conversations because I think the bears the opportunity and the capacity for growth on those those opportunities.
00;34;49;29 - 00;35;26;09
Gab Sussman
Yeah, absolutely. And what you know, so Liberation libations being for educators and people whose their views. There's also this other community that's like blossoming and bubbling, which is very sweet. And it's for small businesses and other nonprofits who serve the educators who serve, you know, or who care about the educators who serve youth. So there's like, you know, we have teachers, we have coaches, we have university folks.
00;35;26;12 - 00;35;53;27
Gab Sussman
You know, like nurses and like literally anyone who, like, works with youth. And then we have these other organizations who like, again, see that those people are working so hard and deserve community. And it started with just having some really incredible sponsors, people like, yeah, we'll give you some, you know, whiskey, we'll give you some whatever.
00;35;53;27 - 00;36;23;13
Gab Sussman
Yeah. No, but we had some of the kindest and delicious sponsors in Baltimore and a lot of those folks who knew we are doing the, you know, the, like, footwork to get some stuff for our folks, like for these educators to be able to, as Victoria said, like laugh, cry, just like take a load off. They're like, oh, yeah, like my wife's a teacher.
00;36;23;15 - 00;37;04;11
Gab Sussman
My mom was a teacher. Or like they so they really firsthand understood just how taxing and challenging, but also how much joy and and like, pride the educators holds in their hearts. And so, but like so it started with these sponsors and then grew to and then we just have more and more sponsors and other organizations. So I said that like, just love showing up and love as individuals, meeting people and hearing about like what their story is connecting, just like sharing the shared.
00;37;04;13 - 00;37;26;14
Gab Sussman
And then also like from an organizational standpoint, love just being able to like offer resources small like offer like, oh, like, let's partner on this or. Yeah, like can do a field trip. Oh yeah. I can push you to push into your classroom and talk about mental health and like all of these things come from that.
00;37;26;14 - 00;38;02;15
Gab Sussman
And, and then at the like that sponsor level, they're becoming partners. So what's, which is just, again, just so lovely because the silo issue is not just with one with one group of people. It's right. Or siloed capitalism wants that. And so what Liberation Libations is kind of is, is actively disrupting that, that individualism. And the idea that, like, if I want to be in the wellness space, I need to do it all right.
00;38;02;18 - 00;38;27;21
Gab Sussman
Yeah. Oh, there's like a bajillion other people who want to do that. And if you partner now, like, you have more capacity and you're going to reach more people and it's going to be less work for it, you know, like, it's just so yeah, we're just it's really it's a really beautiful, tangible space where, a lot of people are getting their needs met.
00;38;27;21 - 00;38;53;24
Gab Sussman
And like, as humans, we're relationship oriented folks. And conversion oriented people and beings. And so this is, this is that it's like at the core, it's just people wanting to connect with other people who they know are going to see them and understand them. Everyone like it just happens. We're just we're values behind. Right? Like, yeah.
00;38;53;24 - 00;39;02;04
Gab Sussman
Thank you. Like someone who voted for Trump at Liberation Libations. It just sounds too cool for them, you know? And I really like,
00;39;02;06 - 00;39;34;16
Rob Lee
That whole that whole piece, that whole description. And thank you for that. It's it's it's it's just it's a thing that I look for, you know, and and doing that, it's like I, I'm as I'm closing in on 900 episodes of bang. Yeah. In six years. And I try to like, share like, hey, you know, I know this with and it's, it's such, I got this out of the mud on my own, a bootstrap saying I do a lot of work in this myself, but I always frame it as this is a collaborative art project.
00;39;34;18 - 00;39;46;28
Rob Lee
And I was like, I'm only as good as my dance partners and so on. I do all of this work on the front end and the back end, but if I have some folks come on and they're like, not really into it or they don't, they're giving the short answers. They're being like the Migos. That's a reference.
00;39;46;28 - 00;40;06;00
Rob Lee
Don't worry about it. And they're not quite giving enough to put themselves in position themselves to show themselves in their best capacity in this platform, then it doesn't quite work. And then in it, you know, as I continue in, have other things present themselves. I try to like this person would be a good fit for that. With that person would be a good fit.
00;40;06;00 - 00;40;22;15
Rob Lee
This is a resource you should do. And I just find people just don't find it to be true. Don't find it to be a thing to try to connect. And I'm always looking for that. I if this was basketball and I'm moving to the next question, if this was basketball, I am a point guard. I'm going for the assist.
00;40;22;15 - 00;40;42;04
Rob Lee
I don't need to shoot it. I'm going for the assist. That's sort of what it is. And, you know, I was very reticent even in doing the branding for this. You know, there are other podcasts. They have a solid picture of their face on the tile. I was like, not being not not this mug. And first season, the first season I did that and I was like, oh, this is so corny.
00;40;42;06 - 00;41;00;26
Rob Lee
And subsequent seasons I was like, I want to hire an artist, have them do a rendering of it, and I'm putting money back into the community and giving opportunity and credit. All of that stuff is always about sort of that collaboration, and it has to be aligned values. It has to be aligned missions. All of these sort of sort of different things that are there.
00;41;00;26 - 00;41;02;19
Rob Lee
So it's just really cool to hear that.
00;41;02;22 - 00;41;04;00
Gab Sussman
Yeah.
00;41;04;02 - 00;41;23;07
Rob Lee
So I want to move into sort of the, the main event. We've we've gotten into some really robust conversation, but I want to get into sort of the main event for today, one of Baltimore's best monikers. And as she comes back to prominence. So you two going to be responsible for this? I, I can't do any that don't do anyway, I was talking to microphones.
00;41;23;09 - 00;41;53;10
Rob Lee
But it's you come back to prominence the, the city that reads and in be more transform is doing that's doing your part to make this a reality. I've always thought of graphic novels and comics as kind of a gateway drug to to more reading, improving literacy. And in a world where access to the arts and access to in that area is becoming smaller and smaller, the arts, including the literary arts, it can, you know, share can you share a bit about sort of the graphic novel?
00;41;53;10 - 00;42;02;18
Rob Lee
First of all, what is that all about? Tell folks about it. What inspired the idea and specifically here in Baltimore, give us some of the the details and the rundown around that.
00;42;02;21 - 00;42;32;26
Victoria Lebron
Okay. Wait. So I love that you included that moniker because that was something that we latched on to when when we launched the festival was like, yo, this is the city that reads. But like, what are we doing? Right? And I mean, like, there's book festivals, but. Ultimately, we are people who some of us started out as like comic book nerds and then just kind of like shifted to graphic novels.
00;42;32;28 - 00;42;37;14
Victoria Lebron
Some of us still love comics and also loved graphic novels.
00;42;37;17 - 00;42;38;20
Gab Sussman
00;42;38;23 - 00;43;13;26
Victoria Lebron
We all love graphic novels, though, and what we noticed was, like among the festivals that happen in the city, there wasn't any there weren't any that focus specifically on graphic novels. And this is this is like a genre. It's a medium that is so rich and complex and beautiful and deserves like talking about dignity, right? Like it deserves to be celebrated, appreciated, understood.
00;43;13;28 - 00;43;45;25
Victoria Lebron
But like, it's so big, it really can't be folded in that, like, look at how there's comic cons, like, because comic books are so interesting and like complex and the fandoms are so like, like you, you can't it can't just be folded in. And so we felt like graphic novels needed their time in the spotlight. And and like you said, they are sometimes like a gateway into a lifelong love of reading for kids.
00;43;45;25 - 00;44;18;28
Victoria Lebron
My own daughter is proof, she started. I remember and I remember my mom being, well, maybe not my mom, but one of the grandparents saying you should get her reading chapter books. And I was like, if she's reading, she's reading. And in our you know, a whole. Just this process of of learning about, like putting on a festival and, you know, writing lots of material.
00;44;19;00 - 00;44;28;17
Victoria Lebron
We learned that graphic novels require more brainpower than reading just a straight prose book. So I'm going to stop there.
00;44;28;19 - 00;44;30;05
Gab Sussman
But, because I could just.
00;44;30;06 - 00;44;57;12
Victoria Lebron
I will never stop talking because I love graphic novels. Yeah, I have some of my most powerful reading experiences that I've changed my life, challenged me, made me happy, scared me from reading graphic novels like I can't say enough positive things. I just they're incredible. And the people who create them, like, talk about a labor of love. Like just you are pouring.
00;44;57;14 - 00;45;09;02
Gab Sussman
Your heart out. Yeah, it's. And honestly, that's what I was I that's why I was going to highlight is that,
00;45;09;04 - 00;45;36;07
Gab Sussman
Yeah. I mean, like, as, as teachers, we loved teaching with graphic novels and always had graphic novels in our classroom and know that they I love that you said that they're gateway drug. But they truly are a bridge to help, readers who are not feeling connected to reading for whatever reason. Maybe not necessarily reluctant, although they're maybe labeled as reluctant.
00;45;36;09 - 00;46;03;29
Gab Sussman
But help them find, a love of reading and also the like the, but like, the artist community in Baltimore is so incredibly rich and, we can say that about the author community and the writing community because, again, we have so many festivals, we have so many festivals about them that revolves around literacy, which is incredibly important.
00;46;04;01 - 00;46;26;29
Gab Sussman
But or and, like, and we as a fellow of like love Red Emma's and also it says a lot when there are like little to no graphic novelists featured Baltimore book fest and.
00;46;27;02 - 00;47;16;25
Gab Sussman
You know, like that is it is what it is. And, but again, it's like a missed opportunity to engage this extremely, talented and complex community of people who also care about literacy and, intertwine. You know, visual art and sequential art into their work. And so we love that graphic novel festival is dedicated to just that, the like, you know, the weaving of words and, pictures together, just as we should be.
00;47;16;27 - 00;47;46;24
Gab Sussman
So, and the fact that also like, graphic novels come are for all are for everyone, like, literally like kids from a very early age are able to understand pictures and adults like can there are there is such a wide spread collection of graphic novels and manga like for adults written just for adults. And so it's something that it brings all ages together.
00;47;46;24 - 00;48;20;12
Gab Sussman
And, graphic novel festival also like because it's a, it's a partnership between us, you know, like the, the rag tag educators and then the like dope folks, you know, at dreamers make believers the bookshop folks. And then now we have like librarians up in here. And so it's just like a ton of, like, really special nerdy, love it.
00;48;20;14 - 00;49;11;12
Gab Sussman
You are just like, you know. Yeah, yeah. And really, like, we are using all of our resources to write grants to get people that, you know, to speak, to sign things, to give us stuff like it's it's truly a year long process because and, because, you know, all of us have our own job, like, we literally do a billion other things, but take time out of our week and like, out of our, take energy out of our budget to dedicate to building and executing this like celebration of the craft and also ensuring that we're highlighting, those folks who are local and who are able to speak directly to what it's like
00;49;11;12 - 00;49;34;12
Gab Sussman
to create a graphic novel, to sell a graphic novel, you know? So it's like anyone who wants to learn, whether it's kids or whether it's, it's like aspiring artists or writers. Graphic Novel Festival has so much to offer the community. And so, like literally the other day, it was like exactly one thing. I was like, oh, I haven't exactly.
00;49;34;12 - 00;49;37;02
Gab Sussman
Yeah. But yeah, yeah.
00;49;37;04 - 00;49;55;26
Rob Lee
So, so so one of the things I would say, and I really dig it, like dreamers make believers, is one of my favorite places in the city. I go there probably, probably once a week at this point, and I'm either buying something or just grabbing a coffee or what have you, one of my six coffees in a day.
00;49;55;26 - 00;49;59;08
Rob Lee
And let's not not talk about that. Let's not talk about my caffeine.
00;49;59;11 - 00;50;00;14
Gab Sussman
00;50;00;17 - 00;50;19;16
Rob Lee
But I, you know, I make it a point to go over there because it's a small business. It's, it's in a lane in which I dig. And I've seen, again, connected to a lot of different people. And it's cool. I'll troll like my different friends. Like, you know, I'm buddies with, Ben Passmore, for instance.
00;50;19;19 - 00;50;25;23
Gab Sussman
Yes. Oh my God, yes. His new. Oh, my God, I already preordered it from dreamers, but keep going please.
00;50;25;23 - 00;50;40;28
Rob Lee
And and I saw, like, I saw, like, maybe, it was a, it was a postcard or something from one of those earlier books. And I sent it to him and he was like, I got to send him something new. I got update. I've been like, you know, I'm cool with like, Reagan Buchanan or what have you.
00;50;40;28 - 00;50;59;16
Rob Lee
And I do the same thing. So it's just like kind of doing that nudge for my people who are out of town that I have a connection with of like, yeah, pull up to Baltimore and try to like, drum that up and and again, it it speaks to, like last year when I saw the two of you there, you know, and I was like, what is what's happening here?
00;50;59;16 - 00;51;21;28
Rob Lee
What is this? And I was like, oh, graphic novel what? And I was like, oh, this is pretty dope. This is pretty tight. But it was that stamp of approval. It's just like, I like the folks. They're dreamers make believers like the two of you. And I saw that. It's all like, working together. And then it was sort of the stamp of approval of, like, like minded people, folks that are all working together to make something, a thing.
00;51;21;28 - 00;51;42;27
Rob Lee
And it's like developing and it's working and, you know, it's this other thing that happens. I mean, no small individual and just the folks there and dreamers make the leaders. They actually recognize me because I'm there every week. Oh, hey. Rob was like, hey, how's it going? And it's sort of that. So when I'm making any decisions, any purchasing decisions is like, I'm going to go over there, buy some books.
00;51;42;29 - 00;51;59;20
Rob Lee
You know, I got like step grandkid and I've been getting them like stuffies renounced like, oh, make it this, Mothman stuffing. And that's what's favorite thing is like your seven months. So there's more to come with. My guy and, and I have a niece who's like a year and it's like, oh, let me get your book.
00;51;59;20 - 00;52;19;02
Rob Lee
And trying to like though that I also seeing that together and you know, and also like last year and I'm really, you know, eager to hear about some of the stuff perhaps teasing in store for this year. But last year's festival just, you know, sitting in and and listening to like, maybe it was this panels and hearing that conversation.
00;52;19;02 - 00;52;31;06
Rob Lee
And one of the people that was in the panel is like one of my partners, friends and partners working on a comic that I might or might not be in. I might be a cat and that comic, we'll talk about it later.
00;52;31;08 - 00;52;35;12
Gab Sussman
You know, not to being a cat. This is so exciting.
00;52;35;16 - 00;52;41;25
Rob Lee
So it's like all of these things are sort of connected, and it's just like, organically. That's community coming together.
00;52;41;25 - 00;52;44;10
Gab Sussman
It feels like. Yeah.
00;52;44;12 - 00;53;01;17
Rob Lee
If you will, could you touch on a bit of like, you know, what could folks, if they've never heard of and this is the first time they hearing about it. Like, you know, what can they look forward to. You know mostly panels or is it like just getting sort of like a, you know, an overview what folks can look forward to for this year?
00;53;01;20 - 00;53;40;15
Gab Sussman
Great question. So we are so excited. We have a full day packed. We have so we're still going to have like super engaging panel discussions that are moderated by fantastic moderator. Yeah. We're going to have really, really like interactive unique workshops. And so well before I move on to the workshops, so like our panels are going to kind of said earlier, we have some folks who have experience creating all kinds of graphic novels who will be up to speak on their experience.
00;53;40;18 - 00;54;09;18
Gab Sussman
Because again, like, there's just there's so many steps to creating a graphic novel. And like, even when I just want to like, oh, there's one person that, like, literally does all the letters. Oh, there we go. Letterer. Okay, so like learning about all of the really, niche but important, incredibly important roles that, kind of that build a graphic novel.
00;54;09;20 - 00;54;39;16
Gab Sussman
And then we have the business side of graphic novels. So, you know, the world of publishing is vast and unique and pitching and edited it like that whole thing. So as we were saying earlier, like, if you are someone who's curious about, like, what does it take for you? Somewhere in the mix of start to finish, like these panels are going to everyone's going to walk away with, knowing like, okay, if I need support, I have a question.
00;54;39;16 - 00;55;05;14
Gab Sussman
Like, I have at least one person I can reach reach out to, or just more insight as to like an appreciation for what you're holding in your hand because you know exactly like what happened to get it to where it is now. Right? And then we have a couple of, interactive workshops. I like the they're they're all fantastic.
00;55;05;19 - 00;55;41;16
Gab Sussman
Our like last one of the day is going to be about Junji Ito, who is an incredibly like spooky, like spooky horror, like very black and white manga artist. And it was actually. Yeah. Okay. So literally was my spouse's intro to graphic novels and like sequential art. He was gifted that by his, younger sibling and he had for the longest time and was overwhelmed by how big it was.
00;55;41;16 - 00;56;13;01
Gab Sussman
But I read it and I was like, listen, you like her, you're going to actually like this. And then he probably mentioned it at least once a week, but so really workshops. And then we also this year have another group of, of programing. And it's called like edutainment. So I knew that. But last year we did a graphic novel game show, which I hosted and I like was a complete clown, but I had.
00;56;13;01 - 00;56;20;01
Victoria Lebron
So much fun. It was great. I, I laughed so hard, my face hurt by the end. It was fantastic.
00;56;20;07 - 00;56;43;06
Gab Sussman
Like, it barely strings and like I was laughing and I guess it was. But. So we're doing the graphic novel game show again. And now this year we also have a kids version, so we'll have a kid host who is also hysterical, local kid, like down the block. And then a bunch of kids from our graphic novel club who are going to be the contestants.
00;56;43;06 - 00;57;06;25
Gab Sussman
So we have like a very sweet kid version. And that is right at the start of the festival. It's at 9 a.m., where kids get to pitch and like, talk about their favorite graphic novels. And it is like just I'm like, so excited just talking about it. And then we have a new thing. This year, which is called Project Cosplay, which is a play on Project Runway.
00;57;06;28 - 00;57;29;05
Gab Sussman
We have a couple of cosplay experts, local cosplay experts who are going to be judging and kind of leading the activity. But anyway, if you come, and we get that noone but anyone can come and basically we break up into teams and then just like Project Runway, you have to like make a cosplay for your model and then you off the runway.
00;57;29;08 - 00;57;49;24
Gab Sussman
But so, cosplay is huge in the not just the con world, but also with the graphic world because there is so much like, visual elements that is, that overlaps. But, we're so excited. It's going to be like the funnest day. Oh my goodness.
00;57;49;26 - 00;58;14;06
Rob Lee
I love this. This is so robust. It's like I'm trying to keep my idea composure. I have so many ideas. I'm just writing down notes. It's like I want to share these. I'm going to share all of these with you. Because I've gone to a fair amount of cons and I'm very interested in and invested in it and just really happy we're able to talk about it and really looking forward to this slate of robust programing.
00;58;14;06 - 00;58;16;07
Rob Lee
I mean, it's it's going to be tight. Sounds amazing.
00;58;16;09 - 00;58;41;26
Gab Sussman
Yeah. We're really excited. And we have, yeah. We've just been like it's the second year. So first year was incredible. We had over a thousand people come through over the course of the day. And we're just excited to have been able to iterate and build and, yeah, that, like, we just get to do it again.
00;58;41;28 - 00;58;43;15
Rob Lee
Oh, yeah.
00;58;43;17 - 00;58;54;14
No, no, no no no no no no no no no.
00;58;54;17 - 00;59;22;29
Rob Lee
There's so I want to move into, sort of the rapid fire portion of the pod and then, you know, we'll have some just like, shameless plugs to go right back in just to give those folks those final details and dates and all of that good stuff for the festival. So I got four, three, three rapid fire questions turn into four because I like to troll sometimes I like to watch, I sweat, I don't know why I get joy out of my guest sweating.
00;59;22;29 - 00;59;25;29
Rob Lee
I stay booked, so I don't know. It must be working.
00;59;26;01 - 00;59;36;28
Gab Sussman
But we're also not only just both from New York, we're both Virgos. So, like getting it off right? Look.
00;59;37;01 - 00;59;45;00
Rob Lee
So okay here's the, here's the first one is the first one. Don't overthink this please. What is your favorite graphic novel?
00;59;45;02 - 00;59;46;29
Gab Sussman
Oh.
00;59;47;01 - 00;59;50;05
Rob Lee
See, I like diversity. I never write there.
00;59;50;07 - 00;59;58;25
Victoria Lebron
Oh, a Snapdragon Snapdragon delayed snapdragon. I can't remember the author's name. I have to look at that.
00;59;58;27 - 01;00;20;26
Gab Sussman
I have a feeling you're going to say stat, say Snapdragon. I love that because, it reminded me so much of you. The different elements of, Snapdragon. Beautiful book. My favorite, graphic novels, probably holds a very dear place in my heart, which is the new kid. And then.
01;00;20;28 - 01;00;39;03
Rob Lee
Next one I have for you. What is one creative hobby or activity that you do outside of your your work, your day to day? You know, I've, I've been seeing more people pull out, like the crochet needles. I was, I was like, going. I think it was yesterday. I was coming back from like on the mark train.
01;00;39;05 - 01;00;41;08
Gab Sussman
I was like, those rules laid.
01;00;41;08 - 01;01;03;06
Rob Lee
Oh no, no, you're crocheting. Not a not a weapon. I was like, what are we is you know, DC is presents. I was, I was, I was confused, I was like, you're doing a hobby. Not like pre-planned, things, you know? So what is a creative hobby or activity that you do that it's just like, this is great, but it's not does anything to do my work.
01;01;03;09 - 01;01;08;26
Gab Sussman
Love to dance. Okay. I've been dancing my whole life.
01;01;08;29 - 01;01;21;17
Rob Lee
I like it, but I don't know how to move my body. I'm just committed to this seat thing. So he says like. Yeah, exactly. Woo dance. That's amazing. That's a, that's great.
01;01;21;19 - 01;01;42;15
Victoria Lebron
For me. Anything involving my hands I'm there. And so lately I have to pick just one. Wow. I've been doing embroidery. But I don't I'm not talking like little cross stitch. Like I have. The one I'm working on right now is a massive, lucha libre.
01;01;42;20 - 01;01;44;25
Rob Lee
Mary Price.
01;01;44;28 - 01;01;52;05
Victoria Lebron
And I'm very excited to see it more, but it's not finished yet, so it's going to take a while.
01;01;52;07 - 01;02;12;23
Rob Lee
Okay, here's here's the last one. And this is, this is different than I normally do. Usually it's a question using this little trolley. This one is more in the manifestation of things. So let's put it out there in a world, if you could invite any artist writer who have you to year three at the festival, who would you choose?
01;02;12;26 - 01;02;19;22
Rob Lee
Oh my God, I mean, this is an international podcast. So I mean, maybe they are here, you know, maybe I know a person.
01;02;19;24 - 01;02;22;23
Gab Sussman
I have the pressures on Etsy.
01;02;22;23 - 01;02;38;12
Rob Lee
That's that's the stuff, right? I kind of like how I trade these things. The original version of this question wasn't it was dead or alive or, you know, oh, I was just like, no, let's not go morbid. We want to manifest this. We want no.
01;02;38;14 - 01;02;39;10
Gab Sussman
Here.
01;02;39;12 - 01;02;42;10
Rob Lee
We're about to give you back. That's a whole different conversation.
01;02;42;12 - 01;02;45;14
Gab Sussman
It's just like the zombie job I'm not.
01;02;45;17 - 01;02;50;05
Victoria Lebron
Oh, hell yeah. Any form ghost John Brown.
01;02;50;07 - 01;03;06;01
Gab Sussman
Yes. Actually, if you were, go spend half the time just. Yeah, I prefer him as a zombie. Some like mummified pile of ashes. Ghost. Either way.
01;03;06;04 - 01;03;13;29
Rob Lee
While specific, I'm over here like, I think I have a, I think I have a contact on the first person mentioned for like.
01;03;14;02 - 01;03;16;14
Victoria Lebron
But not for the ghost of John Brown. Rob.
01;03;16;14 - 01;03;17;17
Gab Sussman
Come on.
01;03;17;20 - 01;03;23;06
Rob Lee
It's you. I'm not big time quite yet. Think you know I'm in places.
01;03;23;09 - 01;03;54;19
Gab Sussman
Yeah. Yeah, I think honestly, though, I. Well, John Brown would be very funny, but, I think, I think, like Doctor Patina Love, who we talked about, like, I guess, right now she's doing some really dope work with, I think New York with Teachers College and, you know, I, I saw a speak, actually kind of remember where, but at some point.
01;03;54;19 - 01;04;19;26
Gab Sussman
But, like, I just love how, embedded she is in her community. And I think that, like, our work with Graphic Novel Festival. Yeah. I was just, like, some love to see her kind of, like, receive it, and have her experience it. But, yeah, that's that's me.
01;04;19;28 - 01;04;20;14
Rob Lee
I mean.
01;04;20;20 - 01;04;21;21
Gab Sussman
I love this.
01;04;21;23 - 01;04;36;17
Rob Lee
This episode is going out there and I shoot shots, and so, I'm just saying I've there's a few, manga cars out there I've connected to other cons, one that I'm going to be seeing soon. I might put the, the bug out there. I say, hey, you know.
01;04;36;19 - 01;04;37;11
Gab Sussman
Yeah, maybe.
01;04;37;11 - 01;04;59;17
Rob Lee
Interesting. They're they're big Ito fan too. So, you know, connections. But as I tease these things, so there's two things I want to do as we sort of close out, and these, these final moments here and, one, I want to thank both of you for coming on and spending some time and, you know, chatting it up with me and just one informing me and giving me some details, but also details for the listeners.
01;04;59;20 - 01;05;18;26
Rob Lee
And, and two, I want to invite and encourage you both to, in these final moments, share any like closing details on be more transform on the festival details, all that good stuff, social media, all that good stuff. The floor is yours. I did that would gesticulate because I like to use my hands as well.
01;05;18;29 - 01;05;20;01
Gab Sussman
Yeah.
01;05;20;03 - 01;05;32;25
Victoria Lebron
When this comes out, our first liberation libations of the fall will have already happened. But it's a monthly event and so the the second one is, oh my gosh.
01;05;32;28 - 01;05;35;07
Gab Sussman
This whole area October time.
01;05;35;10 - 01;05;57;06
Victoria Lebron
Thank you, thank you. I was like, is it the 13th? No it's not. Yep. And I would love for people to come through for that. That's what I've got. My camera just did something really weird. Also that just like dark. Oh, there it goes again. Okay, well, I'm done.
01;05;57;08 - 01;06;31;09
Gab Sussman
Mic. No. So no thank you for watching that up V because Yeah. Liberation Libations is, something me love telling people. And I feel like a great way to connect with other people get, you know, have a couple of free drinks and, on some bites from local, you know, spots, you care about educators. But, also just kind of like, learn more about what we do and how we show up in spaces to hopefully, like, learn how to support you and your work.
01;06;31;11 - 01;06;43;11
Gab Sussman
So like Liberation Libations happens monthly, October 10th November 14th, December 12th only because I've written them in like emails a billion times.
01;06;43;15 - 01;06;44;24
Victoria Lebron
I'm so glad you remember all of them.
01;06;44;24 - 01;07;14;16
Gab Sussman
Yeah. Me too. I'm. I'm serious. So and they happen at impact. So right middle of the city on North Avenue. Really easy to get to you. We have folks who come from all over Maryland, some people from DC. We've had folks coming from Philly. And so it's really like we love the space. And it's truly for anyone who, like, works like the 13th.
01;07;14;18 - 01;07;51;03
Gab Sussman
But then as far as graphic Novel Festival, we have a website. It's called Graphic Novel festival.com. Surprise, surprise. And, on that website you can find, the program for the day. You can find, more information about, like, who's running it, the history of it. If you happen to work for an organization or a business who would like to sponsor the event by feeding us things or by getting us some money?
01;07;51;06 - 01;08;21;02
Gab Sussman
Also find out how to do that. You can donate as an individual. But also like then we have our Instagram connected through the website. So you can also just see like what is happening on the back end. So we'll post more about who's going to be vending because we have an incredible artist alley. We had a lot of people apply this year, which was so, so exciting, to want to just share their work, and their expertise with others.
01;08;21;02 - 01;08;43;21
Gab Sussman
So we'll be sharing more, about who's going to be ending and who's whose work here will be able to see her, graphic novel festival. But then, yeah, we also have our own website, Be More Transform Talk. You can learn more about us as an organization, as people, because there's a that we're two out of four of the people in our cooperative.
01;08;43;21 - 01;09;12;17
Gab Sussman
And and then also we have a, a lots of programing, something that we also love to talk about is that not only do we run programing, but we also help other educators launch programs out their own. So, if you or someone who is interested in running a club or doing teaching other kids how to do an activity like, you know, something with your hands or something, right?
01;09;12;17 - 01;09;52;18
Gab Sussman
Like, we would love to support you and help you do that, because part of abolitionist education is seeing the value in our community and being able to share that with the youth who deserve it. Youth who deserve it. Not just the youth who deserve it because all youth deserve it. So, yeah. So, like, we love being able to help, bring, you know, to fruition these really cool clubs and these really cool cohorts that kids would get in school because they're not school worthy, you know, they're not like strict math or strict science.
01;09;52;18 - 01;10;11;18
Gab Sussman
It's like, right, cool things like dad, like learn how to play daddy, which includes things like math and social skills and go and reading and all that stuff. So anyway, if you are someone who is like, I have some extra time, I love to like work with some kids on how to do this, then like we can help make that happen.
01;10;11;23 - 01;10;44;17
Victoria Lebron
Yeah, we another one I'm thinking of is, Writers Workshop for kids and how like that all kids are learning how to write in school. It's usually so structured and it's a specific type of writing they're usually working on. And this was like they explored all different types of writing. They they use different forms of writing. My my daughter participated in it, and a good friend of ours taught it, and it was like every week something new.
01;10;44;17 - 01;11;01;00
Victoria Lebron
And she improved as a writer. And we had families who were like, are you doing it again? Like second session? Are you doing it again? And it was just like, yeah, we have to, honestly. And so we are. So that'll be up. Yeah. On the website.
01;11;01;04 - 01;11;03;08
Gab Sussman
So
01;11;03;11 - 01;11;31;17
Victoria Lebron
And Rob I also wanted to just like thank you sincerely for giving us the time to talk about this festival, but also like the work we do that we love to share. Like I think a lot about how abolition is really about like tapping into the joy that comes from understanding. Like we all have gifts and we can share them with each other.
01;11;31;17 - 01;12;00;11
Victoria Lebron
Right. And like that. This has been a very special experience. And joyful as well. And this is something that I love about our work, the like opportunity for joy in every honestly every week. And it's not always easy, but it's very rewarding. And so I wanted to just thank you for giving us this time to tell you about it.
01;12;00;14 - 01;12;22;25
Rob Lee
There you have it, folks. I want to again, thank Gab and Victoria for coming on to the podcast and sharing a bit of their story behind Be More Transform and letting us know about the upcoming Graphic Novel Festival, as well as Liberation Libations, and for gab and for Victoria. I am Rob Lee saying that there's art, culture and community in and around your neck of the woods.
01;12;22;28 - 01;12;24;22
Rob Lee
You just have to look for it and.