So I always ask, now, are you ready? I'm ready. I'm ready. I try to stay ready. Sorry, come on, that's how you kick it off. Let me get my sleeve pulled up. Let me get myself because ready. This is gonna be a good, high energy and high obtain conversation, and I'm ready for it. Let's kick it off. Hey, y'all, Hey, what's up? And welcome to Let's Red Table that. I'm Tracy t Brow and I'm Coral Pressley and I'm feeling pretty excited about today's episode and conversation. What about you, Tracy, how are you feeling about today? In the words of our guests, I'm let's Cora, I'm I love it. Hey, wait till we bring them on today. Okay, listen, and we're gonna have a message straight from the Red Table talk host later in today's episode, So anyone listening, please do not miss that. And I mean, like for real, straight up lit. I cannot wait to hear the message. I cannot wear for this conversation. I am super geeked up. Super excited would be the nineteen eighties version, but super super geeked is the nineties version. I'm geeked all the woe geeks. But first we are going to circle back. This is a real gift for us. We're gonna go back to the Red Table episode about fitting All. It aired in May of this year, and we are being joined by guests from that very episode. We're making Virtual Red Table Talk history today. Car like we should we go ahead and introduce them? I I don't know if anymore, So come on, come on, introduced, introduce our guest. You don't have to wait any longer. Our guest today is not new to the Red Table, but this is his first time at the Virtual Red Table, so we appreciate him for coming. Dominie DuPont is here with us. You of course remember him from his appearance on the actual Red Table Talk where he shared about his uncle Michael Kay Williams and their relationship through both of their ups and downs. Don't we have them all? Right? So we arevited him on here on our Virtual Red Table to dive deeper, talk more in depth about the topic that he touched on at the Red Table, as well as here about the reception from his uncle's book entitled Scenes from My Life. So welcome, welcome, thank you, thank you so much for having me how are you doing. I'm good, I'm good. Every day above Ground is really an opportunity to just on a Michael on his legacy and to add something additional to this thing that we call life, right, And sometimes life is hard to figure out. Sometimes it will throw you some curveballs and you're trying to figure this out and trying to figure that out. But it's a good place to start at to wake up and I have life and have breath and for your bed not to be a cooling boy. So thank you so much for having me. I'm excited. You just said a whole word right there. Absolutely, this is an amazing opportunity. So I just want to say thank you as well again for just joining us today. I'm excited to jump into the episode Old So we're gonna kick it off with our weight what segment. Okay, this is a part of the show where we reveal which moments made us pause, rewind and listen again. So actually we're gonna be dipper right into a previous topic and we haven't had the opportunity to have wait what with the person we were waiting on the scenes. So Dominick, I'm excited because I can say Okay, now wait what what? Now? Absolutely? Wait what that's it? What happened? Here's what I want to know, Dominic. When you shared you were living with Michael's mom, I just thought that was beautiful. My understanding is that you're actually living with Michael's mother. She's an amazing human being. She's ninety four years old, and her grit, her strength. You know, I see what Michael got it from. How did living together affect both of your grieving journeys. Yeah, so unfortunately my grandmother, Michael's mother, passed away July fourteen, and so it's sort of like moves into this important conversation that we're having about how things can impact people and can affect people. And that's why you heard me begin this conversation by talking about how grateful I am to have life and breath and to have hope, because one of the things I realized is when you don't have those things, you are hopeless, and that is a dark place to be. And I realized that in ways that a lot of other people may not have really understood the brevity of what that means and how that feels. And to just think about some of those things, I mean, like you said, I was living with my grandmother, Paula Williams. That happened for me about two days after Michael died. I immediately left Brooklyn. Took me two days to coordinate with the Medical Examiner's office here and officials to have his body transferred to Harrisburg, where he was ultimately laid to rest. At What happened was two weeks after that, Michael's brother, my father, had torn a yota uttery, went into the hospital and unfortunately he passed away on the second week of November. That impacted my grandmother greatly to lose two of her children's, one September six and one in mid November. You know, you asked me, I think she really passed away from a broken heart. So I stayed there from September to July, just taking care of her, making sure that she's good. We had other family members and support that were there, and like I said, ultimately, the same way I went upstairs and found Michael deceased is the same way that I went upstairs and found my grandmother deceased in July four team. She was suffering, Yeah, she was suffering. She was going through a lot of Alzheimers in dementia had set in at a rate that was unprecettented in my mind, and one she was ready to go. She made that clear, and to she just said, I want to be with my boys. So we went through that. I am still back between New York and Pennsylvania where my grandmother was living in where Michael we call that michael second home, and that is now where he rests that right with his brother and his mother in the same place. So this she has been rough, but I'm grateful. I'm hopeful. I see Michael winking at us often about the work that needs to continue. Well, let me say that I offer my sincerest sympathy to you and your faith because having been in the position where you were to find your uncle and then have to suffer through the loss of two others so close and near and beloved family members, I just can't even imagine your grief. Thank you. At the same time, I could tell through just your stories and how you speak of them, that Joe family has a strong legacy that will be upheld, and I'm grateful that You're able to be here and speak it, spread their joy and spread their love and everything that they meant to you. Thank you so much. Thank you for picking up the mass Soper Import Dominic and carrying that torch to have that strong family Williams legacy lived through you. Thank you so much, Carla and Tracy. I wouldn't have it any other way. And I know that God has a reason and a purpose for me to just be involved in this process the way there I am. And the reality is I just walked by faith. Understood. Understood. You speak so holly of Michael. We heard you say that he was an amazing human being. People are gonna be listening, They're gonna be watching, They're gonna be saying to themselves, if this can happen to an amazing human being like him, it can happen to me. And if we can prevent that, then we're doing the right thing. A lot of us were entertained and amazed by him, right, But you got to get that additional personal insight, like can you share a story just behind the scenes, another legacy piece that just demonstrates what you saw and your uncle, or what you'd like to just share about his legacy that people don't know or people need to know. One of the things that was incredible about Michael is that he found the way to breathe life into his characters, and a lot of that was because of his ability to turn his pain and his trauma into art. And a lot of people don't know that Michael went through a lot of challenges. That was one of the purposes that we thought it was so important to bring light shed light on his new book, Scenes from My Life. Those things that you hear about are the catalyst to conversations that developed as Michael worked on healing himself and dealing with the struggles of life, soro on life's terms and understanding that there are points in our life where at times we feel worthless and that is a difficult place to be at. But through that all, Michael was committed to helping people understand that they matter. And one of the things that Michael was committed to was just ensuring that people know that he was there to support them. And one of the stories that I have, personal stories that I have, and pretty recent right before he passed away, we were shooting a docuseries that Michael had produced called black Market. It's this idea that when the system fails you, you create your own systems to survive financially and in other means. We were leaving a pretty well known seafood restaurant called Jimmy's. You know, they make pretty much like the best crab cakes in Maryland. They are like in the top two, and we could never find ourselves from Baltimore, Maryland without stopping there to eat. Of course feed you well, they take care of you. So everybody collecting their doggy bags and getting them ready, and we had ordered a few extra crab cakes to take home with us. We saw this individual who didn't have a place to stay, and they were looking for food, and it was clear that they were suffering. Michael said, everybody pull a car, but pull a car when we like, you know, we're in Baltimore, Like, what's the matter? What happened? What's going on? And he said, pulled up, car over, and we pulled the car over, and he looked at everyone and said, everybody, give me your bag, and he took stuff that was untouched, unopened, and we we fed that young lady. But what was even really more interesting to me, Michael didn't just like throw them a bag and give them some cash. They pulled over, he said, Hi, how are you doing? What's your name? And I just looked yeah. The person said Janine, and he said, Janine, how you doing? My name is Michael. How you doing, sister? And she said things are tough, but and Mike said I know, I've been there, and he said, since, I have this for you, and he gave a nice amount of cash and he gave up some food and he said, I'm praying for you. And that next day, when we went back and we saw the same individual, Mike told over again and said hi, Janine, and she looked and her eyes lit up, and he said, do you remember my name? And she said, of course I remember your name. Your name is Michael. And you know why I remember that, not because you was on a wire, not because you're a TV star. I remember that because a lot of people who stopped and make thrown me a few quarters or feel sympathy for me. I didn't feel that from you. I felt the person who cared enough to ask me what my name was. It don't matter how I looked, or that I didn't brush my teeth for a few days, or that I didn't have money or food, or that I didn't look good. And I was like, this is amazing, this guy right here. It's just amazing and to see his humility and to see how much he cared. Most people, like you said, they just know him from how he breathed life censer characters, and Mike was just such a genuine, amazing human being and that really humbled every person that was in the cars with us that he thought as much. There's a ripple effect that happens from that because you get a chance to witness the humanity of human to human connection. And he actually saw, affirmed and loved Janine and let her know that she mattered to him as a person in real life, in real life, not just something to say, not just how are you? You know, we rushed through the journey so fast, but he was able to slow down, like I love that. I appreciate you for sharing that. And that's why these conversations are important so we can continue this legacy. Right. Yeah, that was definitely a wait what because Michael kay Williams said wait what when he saw the name, what are we gonna do? Said? And then it was like wait, like what, like somebody say something, right, we just the true mission that we all have service true example of leadership. Yeah that's good, absolutely, all right, We're going to take a quick break, but when we come back, we'll ask Dominic all our burning questions. Plus we'll share that surprise message from the Red Table Talk host. So you don't want to miss the rest of today's episode, stay tuned. Let's get back into the rest of this episode. Dominic, what did you think about this episode of Red Table Talk? Overall, and just as a reminder of where the nation is at with drug abuse? Provisional Day from cdc s National Center for Health Statistics indicates that from April through a drug overdose deaths increased by twenty eight point five percent as compared to the previous years. So clearly, COVID has made an impact on drug abuse. I think just drugs alcohol. We were struggling. We still are struggling, Okay, sitting all another. Synthetic opioids are the most common drugs involved in overdose deaths. Even in small doses, it can be deadly. Over one hundred and fifty people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fitting all according to the CDC. How do you feel overall about continuing to spread the word? How are you feeling, Dominic? Yeah, thank you, thank you for asking that that is so important. I think it's really important that we make sure that people are aware that they're conscious of the decisions that they're making, how it can impact them, impact the people who love them that are closest to them, and impact the overall community. You know, we all suffer when we lose someone, but if it just things just a little bit more when it's preventable. We know that overdoses can be prevented. We know that test kits and some of the other things that people like in groups like a SAP Foundation are working on where they provide pentlone test strips and communities to ensure that people, if they are going to engage in that type of behavior, that they do it safely. How did I feel about the overall episode? I loved it. I love the fact that I was able to connect with people who had similar experiences, that we could tap into that for each other and with each other. And it was also really just humbling to meet other people who had what I identify survivor's remorse and some aspects felt guilty was hoping that they could do more, but also people who just acknowledge the importance of this issue and are using their platforms to tell these stories about how not to be in situations like us and our families have been. It's preventable. We can do better, we should do better, right. I love that the transparency of your story through your uncle's story is going to help someone not have to relive what you're living through. Now, that part that's a that's big though, Tracy that you said, because I think a lot of times people think of the person who has the addiction, and I mean, that's always something to work on, but the people closest to them, family members, are directly impacted as well, and how can we continue to share it and give them the support that they need? Or absolutely absolutely one of the things that is on top of mind for me from the book, which I absolutely love and encourage anyone who can hear me to get this book because it is a amazing. I have notes throughout that I've made that we're just absolutely resonating with me, and one of them was about addiction and how he said that his mother told him, you know, you gotta be careful because we got alcoholics running through our family, and the part that he said that before he even smoked crack, he was an addict, that addiction was just as much a part of him as the sound of his voice as the color of his skin. When you hear that and read that, how does that impact you as a family member? Are you super conscious and careful now to say? Now, hold on a second, not only do I have this legacy, but I gotta really be careful about what it is I indulge in and make sure that I'm careful about any kind of anything that I've exposed in myself to Yeah. No, that's a great question, Tracy, And the answer is that I don't indulge in drinking or drugs at all at all. I never have. And the reason why I never have is because of a come a ssation that I had with Michael and an elevator as he was coming down from being high and in an argument ensued at our apartment in the Vanderver States now currently known as Flatbush Gardens, and he Michael looked in my eyes and said, don't you ever use drugs? Dominant? And I think a huge part of that conversation that he had with me when I was seven years old and a project elevator was because he never wanted me to be experiencing the things that he was experiencing. How control substances, how it will handcuffy. It will take you farther than you want to go, it will keep you longer than you want to be kept. And that's how it works. So I was always conscious of that, and that is the reason why to this day, I am hyper sensitive to making sure that I do what's necessary to stay away from control substances, and I encourage other people who are deal with this sickness to to get the help that they need. I know it's difficult. I acknowledge that it can be with you, it can draw you in, and I want to be sensitive to that. I want to be there to help people who are dealing with trauma and pain and trying to find effective ways to do that without putting themselves in a position where they can accidentally kill themselves because of it, because they're trying to cope. You said at the Red Table you were still processing what happened and what you saw in September when Michael died. Where are you now on your journey of healing and grief. I will forever be affected by that. Those dates means something, that your means something to think that Labor Day is a day where someone will feel free and feel joyous and just celebrating. Those are things that I think about. So, yeah, those things stay with me and on the journey of healing, I just have to be mindful of of the important things that I need to do to maintain my sanity and not allow insanity to creep in on me. And a huge part of that is staying connected to the work that Michael was doing scenes for my life, honoring his legacy, and knowing that Michael is winking at me when we are doing this work to help save people. I love that you said he winks at you. How do you identify when you know that he's giving you a wink? Yeah, so a lot of how I identify when I feel like Michael is present in the room. It's almost hard to put into language. It almost escapes language for me. And one of the things is when I connect with people in my space, there is something I feel like a sort of like a tug at my heart when there are things that are happening in a room, when their connections being made on so many different levels that has absolutely nothing to do with me. Oftentimes absolutely nothing to do with the people who are in the room. It is something beyond that has aligned us and brought us two together, and everyone who was involved in that process is an AWE is saying, wait a minute, what just happened here? And more importantly, why is it happening? And I see Mike winking, and I hear his voice saying, because I am present and I am involved in, how do we help make the world a better place? Even though I am not in the world right now, even though I'm not present here, I am in a place where I am watching over things and doing the best that I can to look out for people to help people. Where I am, the spirit is still present. And what I often like to say is God was short on a few angels and said this day I will see you in paradise. This day I will bring another one. He gives life, he takes it away. But there are things that we are involved in. And I believe as a believer that God uses us and sends angels to encamp around us and protect us, and that humbles me. And those are things that correlate with how I feel when I sense Michael's presence and when he's winking and saying I'm here, I'm still making moves. Say what right? As you continue to navigate this journey and go day to day and, like you say, encounter other people personally and professionally. How has the release of your uncle's memoir, even just months after his death affected your actual journey? Has it helped you to power forward? Tell us how you feel unequivocally absolutely, yes, I have been empowered. I've been made more aware, more sensitive to the core, alling all my life and how I can serve be of service. Michael was about all of those things his book. Scenes from My Life are true. Scenes from his life are true experiences, They are true things, real things, transparent things. Mike went deep, he pulled the layers back, and he did the same thing with his characters, and the reality is those things, doing those things. Being that transparent, being that vulnerable helps people because they say, if Michael Kay Williams can do it, if he can be that vulnerable, if he can be that transparent, he can talk about his struggles, then so can I. And that is the first start to healing, communicating, talking about it, getting it out, addressing whatever those issues are so that you can move forward and do that in a way that's consistent with your vision and your purpose for your life, and no one should know that better than that individual. Yeah, now that's true. We're going to take a short birth right now, and when we returned, we'll be back to continue our conversation with our amazing guest, Dominant. Dunt Okay, I have to ask you a question here because as we're all nieces and nephews of somebody, right, yes, ma'am your uncle, you're right. He was vulnerable. He pulled the layers back, he gave us all the t all the milk. He didn't hold back a single piece of fruit. Everything is out. Okay, when you read this book, Dominant, were you like, oh, wait a minute, I didn't want to know that. Hold on, I'm feeling some kind of way about knowniced by my uncle at or were you like I already knew that. So there's a few things. I think. One of the main things was how Michael struggled with his idea who he was, how comfortable he was with his masculinity, what that meant to pee bull, some of the challenges that he had being identified as blackie or fagged, some of those derogatory things that helped thrust him into trying to identify who he is. Those challenges are present in the world of addiction. Those things impacted me because we have been together a very long time. He supported me throughout my incarceration. The reality is is, you know, I was aware of some of the challenges that Michael expressed about being molested and some of those other things that he talked about. You know, we talked later on about how that happened and who some of those individuals was, but those things really shocked you did get an opportunity to talk to him about that. Absolutely. Me and Michael very close if you'll read the book. But there's one thing. Yeah, we were like brothers. I mean, he is my uncle, but you know, he speaks to that in a book or whatever about his support and that, which in a lot of ways, that's that's very accurate. Me and Michael were like even though I spent twenty close to twenty one years in prison, he was like a brother to me. And I have a twin brother, Mike. Mike's like my third you know, He's like my third ground. Oh wow, we didn't know you were a twin. I did not know that, right. Shout out to thank you and shout out, shout out, Nolan. And there's a whole another conversation we could have about one years from carceration, because that experience also brought you here and knowing that you had your support with your family and from your uncle too. But we'll have to have you back for a conversation about that. Okay, when you do your own memoir, we'll have you back. Absolutely. Let me ask you about some of these roles, because I personally loved on my little role and I'm about the way he used to walk down the street. I want to ask you, say, what chocolate man with that sweat, come on in the trench? I just come on now. The roles are so powerful, you know what I mean, I can I'm just I just want to say thank you to the honor again. It just talked to you as I think about that role is just where we are. Everything he brought to these roles, the power and just what you remember. I mean, you don't have to remember the story of the actual wire episode. Do you know what admits when you heard that little everything from oh my little in the Wire, the chalky white Boardwalk Empire and which he couldn't escape his own reality. Do you think those things and the power you had to bring to these roles it encouraged his off and on drug use. Do you think it impacted it or are you aware in any way based on conversations and just your relationship. You know, I think certain roles kick up trauma. And one of Michael's last roles in Lovecraft Country the Tulsa massacre. You know, I think the reality is when you are involved in this line of work, you know, you sacrifice a part of who you are. Michael had concerns about killing Edris Albert and the wire. You know, he's vocal about that right, talked to Davis Signment about it. And you know, the reality is is that you know, it's a sacrifice. When you go to the places that Michael went to breathe life into these characters, it's a wonder terrible things that happened earlier. Yes, it takes a lot of therapy, a lot of conversations and support from loved ones and family members to get through this process. And you know, but Michael also loved art, and he also loved helping people, and his roles the space that he created a black, openly gay mail to still have strength and power and not be weak or not be soft. Was something that had never been accomplished in the history of and that's what I'm just calling it. What it is, that it had not been accomplished, that's anything I've ever seen. It was necessary, something I can tell you. Let me say this. I'm representing what we laughingly call the gay community here, the leg booty community, and as a member of the community, I appreciate and respect and honor that it is unparamount, okay, because there are so many people who are people of color, who are in the gay community, who are queer, who are quiet and never acknowledge, whether personally or professionally, in any character ever. And so for him, for him, it takes a lot of strength and grit to be able to do that and stand firm and that. So, no, that is absolutely something to celebrate, and I applaud it, no doubt. It is not lost on us. And so now I'm gonna tell you this some other stuff that's not lost on me, because there's so much from scenes from my life. Oh my gosh, like this book. I'm telling you, I felt like I was having a conversation with him. It was so good He emphasized the belief in pursuing dreams and callings and that it includes breaking free from the labels and the limits of to put on you. Have you had to break out of the boxes other try to put on you so that you can live your life your way. We talked a little bit earlier about some of my challenges being formally incarcerated in a place where I had to get permission to use the bathroom, being told when they eat, when I can't eat, how much time I can have on the phone, being told when I can walk somewhere, and how I can walk somewhere, how fast I did would be back from that place I walked to. Are all things that can impact you. And you can feel like you're in a situation where you are in a box even when you get out of that box. So there are some emotional psychological and you heard me earlier talk about it when I talked about not allowing insanity to creep in on me, figuring out a new way to do things in my life and to live my life in a way that makes me happy. And so yeah, I've had several times where I've had to work really hard to pursue my dreams and my calling, and to ensure that I don't subscribe to labels. I don't subscribe to an inmate or a prisoner, identify myself as someone who made a bad decision, was held accountable and responsible for that decision, and understands that there's not a perfect person on this planet. We learn from those decisions and choices, and we move forward, and we work really hard honor people, our victims, people that we have hurt. We use that to elevate an important conversation about awareness and how do we help people heal. And that is my life's work. So I'm happy about that. I'm happy to be broken out of that box sensors, to be in that place where I'm able to do that now it's a blessing to lift as that is so powerful. And then I want to believe that your uncle, because he knew what it was like to be in a box of sorts, right, he knew how hard it was for him to try to live kind of the best of both worlds. He'd be in Vandevere and then he'd be with Robin, and he was kind of living that double life. At no point that I ever feel while reading the book that he felt like he had to choose and that he had an opportunity to still pursue his dream. And the one thing that I wrote, and this is a note that I took from the book as a quote from him, is the permission to dream is so important that even if you are in a place where you literally are incarcerated, you still have the permission to dream. And so I'm so grateful that even though you had to overcome some obstacles, and like you said, you paid your restitution and now you're having an opportunity to fulfill your purpose. And I'm grateful for that. So thank you. Yeah, no, I appreciate that, and thank you. Thank you so much. Look, like said, the reality is, I know certain people I've experienced that you can just walk in the streets of New York City and you can see people prison as a place where you're at in your mind and your space. If you're on bondage, even if you free, you're really not free. But what I also learned is freedom is not free. You gotta be responsible, and you gotta do the right thing. And having permission to dream and having the things that you need gives you some space to breathe. It gives you some time to think about things that may seem impossible. That's how Michael thought about his life. Who would think someone like me would reach the place that they've reached in their life, not just because TV actor that is a job, but to be in a place where he can help people and use his platform where his voice mattered is something that he was really happy about. So so thank you. And he said, at the core of his work is served. Yes, ma'am, and I was your no voice still matters, you know what I mean? Like to have his legacy continue the way it is, And I'm grateful that you are here to continue carrying that torch for him, for us, for your family. Again, I'm just honest. Let me ask you, was there anything else that you wanted to share or any other point that you wanted to make at the Red Table that you couldn't because now you can make it right table. Well, no, thank you so much. I appreciate that the team Jada, her mom, her daughter, everyone was just amazing her staff there, and thankfully they gave me an opportunity to, you know, such an important conversation. So I was really honored and blessed to be there and to just see the work that's happening there. Um, I'm honored and blessed to be able to have this platform now, and I just want to say thank you to Jada, thank you to her staff the rest of the host there for giving us an opportunity to highlight such an important issue. I said that there, but I think it's worth restating and just so privileged to be able to connect with you guys, and thankful and humble. So even though I said that there, I think it's worth restating here. I just want to thank you, Tracy and Carla. The Red Table has given us such a gift of awareness and healing and growth, and having you there and then at this virtual Red Table has been a gift for us as well. I would like to wrap our conversation with you up by quoting from the book that I encourage everyone to get. Scenes from my life from memo are from Michael kay william book, and this is what it says. I don't want to be in the spotlight. I want to be the spotlight itself shine on others. I love powerful. I love that indeed powerful. Okay, So, now speaking to Sharon Dominic, are you ready, okay, because we actually received a message from someone who was especially grateful you came to the Red Table and we finally get to share it with you now here it is. Hey, Dominic, just wanted to take a moment out to thank you so much for joining us at the Red Table to share your journey with your uncle Michael Kay Williams. And I'm excited that you're continuing to share that journey on Let's Red Table, that it's so important for so many people, and I can't wait to hear what else you share at the Virtual Red Table. Thank you, Thank you. Gam Yeah, that was a message right from Gammy. We love our gam and details it like it is so you know, she wanted to make sure that you got a special acknowledgment from her from the Red Table to the Virtual Red Table. Thank you so much for being here with us today. Thank you so much, guys, it's really a president appreciate you guys so much. Keep up the great work. Thank you so much. We want to know how you're feeling about this new season a Red Table talk. We are open to talk about anything with you all, so please send in your questions at Let's Red Table. That's at red Table talk dot com or don't forget. You can also leave us a voicemail at speak pipe dot com slash Let's Red Table that Yes, we can't wait to hear your voices. Go to speak pipe dot com. Just talking out and why are you talking? We want to talk to you one more time and say thank you, yes you, thank you so much for listening. Make sure you subscribe on I Heart Radio app and please rate this podcast on Apple podcast. Y'all know we want to find We'll be back next week for another episode of Let's Red Table Back Special. Thanks to executive producers j Pett Smith, Valon Jethro and Ellen Racketon. Thank you to our producer Kyleague Canehru and our associate producer your land to Chow. And finally, thanks to our sound engineer Stephanie Aguilar. Let's Red Table. Hey, that's table, that's tables. Hey,

So I always ask, now, are you ready? I'm ready. I'm ready. I try to stay ready. Sorry, come on, that's how you kick it off. Let me get my sleeve pulled up. Let me get myself because ready. This is gonna be a good, high energy and high obtain conversation, and I'm ready for it. Let's kick it off. Hey, y'all, Hey, what's up? And welcome to Let's Red Table that. I'm Tracy t Brow and I'm Coral Pressley and I'm feeling pretty excited about today's episode and conversation. What about you, Tracy, how are you feeling about today? In the words of our guests, I'm let's Cora, I'm I love it. Hey, wait till we bring them on today. Okay, listen, and we're gonna have a message straight from the Red Table talk host later in today's episode, So anyone listening, please do not miss that. And I mean, like for real, straight up lit. I cannot wait to hear the message. I cannot wear for this conversation. I am super geeked up. Super excited would be the nineteen eighties version, but super super geeked is the nineties version. I'm geeked all the woe geeks. But first we are going to circle back. This is a real gift for us. We're gonna go back to the Red Table episode about fitting All. It aired in May of this year, and we are being joined by guests from that very episode. We're making Virtual Red Table Talk history today. Car like we should we go ahead and introduce them? I I don't know if anymore, So come on, come on, introduced, introduce our guest. You don't have to wait any longer. Our guest today is not new to the Red Table, but this is his first time at the Virtual Red Table, so we appreciate him for coming. Dominie DuPont is here with us. You of course remember him from his appearance on the actual Red Table Talk where he shared about his uncle Michael Kay Williams and their relationship through both of their ups and downs. Don't we have them all? Right? So we arevited him on here on our Virtual Red Table to dive deeper, talk more in depth about the topic that he touched on at the Red Table, as well as here about the reception from his uncle's book entitled Scenes from My Life. So welcome, welcome, thank you, thank you so much for having me how are you doing. I'm good, I'm good. Every day above Ground is really an opportunity to just on a Michael on his legacy and to add something additional to this thing that we call life, right, And sometimes life is hard to figure out. Sometimes it will throw you some curveballs and you're trying to figure this out and trying to figure that out. But it's a good place to start at to wake up and I have life and have breath and for your bed not to be a cooling boy. So thank you so much for having me. I'm excited. You just said a whole word right there. Absolutely, this is an amazing opportunity. So I just want to say thank you as well again for just joining us today. I'm excited to jump into the episode Old So we're gonna kick it off with our weight what segment. Okay, this is a part of the show where we reveal which moments made us pause, rewind and listen again. So actually we're gonna be dipper right into a previous topic and we haven't had the opportunity to have wait what with the person we were waiting on the scenes. So Dominick, I'm excited because I can say Okay, now wait what what? Now? Absolutely? Wait what that's it? What happened? Here's what I want to know, Dominic. When you shared you were living with Michael's mom, I just thought that was beautiful. My understanding is that you're actually living with Michael's mother. She's an amazing human being. She's ninety four years old, and her grit, her strength. You know, I see what Michael got it from. How did living together affect both of your grieving journeys. Yeah, so unfortunately my grandmother, Michael's mother, passed away July fourteen, and so it's sort of like moves into this important conversation that we're having about how things can impact people and can affect people. And that's why you heard me begin this conversation by talking about how grateful I am to have life and breath and to have hope, because one of the things I realized is when you don't have those things, you are hopeless, and that is a dark place to be. And I realized that in ways that a lot of other people may not have really understood the brevity of what that means and how that feels. And to just think about some of those things, I mean, like you said, I was living with my grandmother, Paula Williams. That happened for me about two days after Michael died. I immediately left Brooklyn. Took me two days to coordinate with the Medical Examiner's office here and officials to have his body transferred to Harrisburg, where he was ultimately laid to rest. At What happened was two weeks after that, Michael's brother, my father, had torn a yota uttery, went into the hospital and unfortunately he passed away on the second week of November. That impacted my grandmother greatly to lose two of her children's, one September six and one in mid November. You know, you asked me, I think she really passed away from a broken heart. So I stayed there from September to July, just taking care of her, making sure that she's good. We had other family members and support that were there, and like I said, ultimately, the same way I went upstairs and found Michael deceased is the same way that I went upstairs and found my grandmother deceased in July four team. She was suffering, Yeah, she was suffering. She was going through a lot of Alzheimers in dementia had set in at a rate that was unprecettented in my mind, and one she was ready to go. She made that clear, and to she just said, I want to be with my boys. So we went through that. I am still back between New York and Pennsylvania where my grandmother was living in where Michael we call that michael second home, and that is now where he rests that right with his brother and his mother in the same place. So this she has been rough, but I'm grateful. I'm hopeful. I see Michael winking at us often about the work that needs to continue. Well, let me say that I offer my sincerest sympathy to you and your faith because having been in the position where you were to find your uncle and then have to suffer through the loss of two others so close and near and beloved family members, I just can't even imagine your grief. Thank you. At the same time, I could tell through just your stories and how you speak of them, that Joe family has a strong legacy that will be upheld, and I'm grateful that You're able to be here and speak it, spread their joy and spread their love and everything that they meant to you. Thank you so much. Thank you for picking up the mass Soper Import Dominic and carrying that torch to have that strong family Williams legacy lived through you. Thank you so much, Carla and Tracy. I wouldn't have it any other way. And I know that God has a reason and a purpose for me to just be involved in this process the way there I am. And the reality is I just walked by faith. Understood. Understood. You speak so holly of Michael. We heard you say that he was an amazing human being. People are gonna be listening, They're gonna be watching, They're gonna be saying to themselves, if this can happen to an amazing human being like him, it can happen to me. And if we can prevent that, then we're doing the right thing. A lot of us were entertained and amazed by him, right, But you got to get that additional personal insight, like can you share a story just behind the scenes, another legacy piece that just demonstrates what you saw and your uncle, or what you'd like to just share about his legacy that people don't know or people need to know. One of the things that was incredible about Michael is that he found the way to breathe life into his characters, and a lot of that was because of his ability to turn his pain and his trauma into art. And a lot of people don't know that Michael went through a lot of challenges. That was one of the purposes that we thought it was so important to bring light shed light on his new book, Scenes from My Life. Those things that you hear about are the catalyst to conversations that developed as Michael worked on healing himself and dealing with the struggles of life, soro on life's terms and understanding that there are points in our life where at times we feel worthless and that is a difficult place to be at. But through that all, Michael was committed to helping people understand that they matter. And one of the things that Michael was committed to was just ensuring that people know that he was there to support them. And one of the stories that I have, personal stories that I have, and pretty recent right before he passed away, we were shooting a docuseries that Michael had produced called black Market. It's this idea that when the system fails you, you create your own systems to survive financially and in other means. We were leaving a pretty well known seafood restaurant called Jimmy's. You know, they make pretty much like the best crab cakes in Maryland. They are like in the top two, and we could never find ourselves from Baltimore, Maryland without stopping there to eat. Of course feed you well, they take care of you. So everybody collecting their doggy bags and getting them ready, and we had ordered a few extra crab cakes to take home with us. We saw this individual who didn't have a place to stay, and they were looking for food, and it was clear that they were suffering. Michael said, everybody pull a car, but pull a car when we like, you know, we're in Baltimore, Like, what's the matter? What happened? What's going on? And he said, pulled up, car over, and we pulled the car over, and he looked at everyone and said, everybody, give me your bag, and he took stuff that was untouched, unopened, and we we fed that young lady. But what was even really more interesting to me, Michael didn't just like throw them a bag and give them some cash. They pulled over, he said, Hi, how are you doing? What's your name? And I just looked yeah. The person said Janine, and he said, Janine, how you doing? My name is Michael. How you doing, sister? And she said things are tough, but and Mike said I know, I've been there, and he said, since, I have this for you, and he gave a nice amount of cash and he gave up some food and he said, I'm praying for you. And that next day, when we went back and we saw the same individual, Mike told over again and said hi, Janine, and she looked and her eyes lit up, and he said, do you remember my name? And she said, of course I remember your name. Your name is Michael. And you know why I remember that, not because you was on a wire, not because you're a TV star. I remember that because a lot of people who stopped and make thrown me a few quarters or feel sympathy for me. I didn't feel that from you. I felt the person who cared enough to ask me what my name was. It don't matter how I looked, or that I didn't brush my teeth for a few days, or that I didn't have money or food, or that I didn't look good. And I was like, this is amazing, this guy right here. It's just amazing and to see his humility and to see how much he cared. Most people, like you said, they just know him from how he breathed life censer characters, and Mike was just such a genuine, amazing human being and that really humbled every person that was in the cars with us that he thought as much. There's a ripple effect that happens from that because you get a chance to witness the humanity of human to human connection. And he actually saw, affirmed and loved Janine and let her know that she mattered to him as a person in real life, in real life, not just something to say, not just how are you? You know, we rushed through the journey so fast, but he was able to slow down, like I love that. I appreciate you for sharing that. And that's why these conversations are important so we can continue this legacy. Right. Yeah, that was definitely a wait what because Michael kay Williams said wait what when he saw the name, what are we gonna do? Said? And then it was like wait, like what, like somebody say something, right, we just the true mission that we all have service true example of leadership. Yeah that's good, absolutely, all right, We're going to take a quick break, but when we come back, we'll ask Dominic all our burning questions. Plus we'll share that surprise message from the Red Table Talk host. So you don't want to miss the rest of today's episode, stay tuned. Let's get back into the rest of this episode. Dominic, what did you think about this episode of Red Table Talk? Overall, and just as a reminder of where the nation is at with drug abuse? Provisional Day from cdc s National Center for Health Statistics indicates that from April through a drug overdose deaths increased by twenty eight point five percent as compared to the previous years. So clearly, COVID has made an impact on drug abuse. I think just drugs alcohol. We were struggling. We still are struggling, Okay, sitting all another. Synthetic opioids are the most common drugs involved in overdose deaths. Even in small doses, it can be deadly. Over one hundred and fifty people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fitting all according to the CDC. How do you feel overall about continuing to spread the word? How are you feeling, Dominic? Yeah, thank you, thank you for asking that that is so important. I think it's really important that we make sure that people are aware that they're conscious of the decisions that they're making, how it can impact them, impact the people who love them that are closest to them, and impact the overall community. You know, we all suffer when we lose someone, but if it just things just a little bit more when it's preventable. We know that overdoses can be prevented. We know that test kits and some of the other things that people like in groups like a SAP Foundation are working on where they provide pentlone test strips and communities to ensure that people, if they are going to engage in that type of behavior, that they do it safely. How did I feel about the overall episode? I loved it. I love the fact that I was able to connect with people who had similar experiences, that we could tap into that for each other and with each other. And it was also really just humbling to meet other people who had what I identify survivor's remorse and some aspects felt guilty was hoping that they could do more, but also people who just acknowledge the importance of this issue and are using their platforms to tell these stories about how not to be in situations like us and our families have been. It's preventable. We can do better, we should do better, right. I love that the transparency of your story through your uncle's story is going to help someone not have to relive what you're living through. Now, that part that's a that's big though, Tracy that you said, because I think a lot of times people think of the person who has the addiction, and I mean, that's always something to work on, but the people closest to them, family members, are directly impacted as well, and how can we continue to share it and give them the support that they need? Or absolutely absolutely one of the things that is on top of mind for me from the book, which I absolutely love and encourage anyone who can hear me to get this book because it is a amazing. I have notes throughout that I've made that we're just absolutely resonating with me, and one of them was about addiction and how he said that his mother told him, you know, you gotta be careful because we got alcoholics running through our family, and the part that he said that before he even smoked crack, he was an addict, that addiction was just as much a part of him as the sound of his voice as the color of his skin. When you hear that and read that, how does that impact you as a family member? Are you super conscious and careful now to say? Now, hold on a second, not only do I have this legacy, but I gotta really be careful about what it is I indulge in and make sure that I'm careful about any kind of anything that I've exposed in myself to Yeah. No, that's a great question, Tracy, And the answer is that I don't indulge in drinking or drugs at all at all. I never have. And the reason why I never have is because of a come a ssation that I had with Michael and an elevator as he was coming down from being high and in an argument ensued at our apartment in the Vanderver States now currently known as Flatbush Gardens, and he Michael looked in my eyes and said, don't you ever use drugs? Dominant? And I think a huge part of that conversation that he had with me when I was seven years old and a project elevator was because he never wanted me to be experiencing the things that he was experiencing. How control substances, how it will handcuffy. It will take you farther than you want to go, it will keep you longer than you want to be kept. And that's how it works. So I was always conscious of that, and that is the reason why to this day, I am hyper sensitive to making sure that I do what's necessary to stay away from control substances, and I encourage other people who are deal with this sickness to to get the help that they need. I know it's difficult. I acknowledge that it can be with you, it can draw you in, and I want to be sensitive to that. I want to be there to help people who are dealing with trauma and pain and trying to find effective ways to do that without putting themselves in a position where they can accidentally kill themselves because of it, because they're trying to cope. You said at the Red Table you were still processing what happened and what you saw in September when Michael died. Where are you now on your journey of healing and grief. I will forever be affected by that. Those dates means something, that your means something to think that Labor Day is a day where someone will feel free and feel joyous and just celebrating. Those are things that I think about. So, yeah, those things stay with me and on the journey of healing, I just have to be mindful of of the important things that I need to do to maintain my sanity and not allow insanity to creep in on me. And a huge part of that is staying connected to the work that Michael was doing scenes for my life, honoring his legacy, and knowing that Michael is winking at me when we are doing this work to help save people. I love that you said he winks at you. How do you identify when you know that he's giving you a wink? Yeah, so a lot of how I identify when I feel like Michael is present in the room. It's almost hard to put into language. It almost escapes language for me. And one of the things is when I connect with people in my space, there is something I feel like a sort of like a tug at my heart when there are things that are happening in a room, when their connections being made on so many different levels that has absolutely nothing to do with me. Oftentimes absolutely nothing to do with the people who are in the room. It is something beyond that has aligned us and brought us two together, and everyone who was involved in that process is an AWE is saying, wait a minute, what just happened here? And more importantly, why is it happening? And I see Mike winking, and I hear his voice saying, because I am present and I am involved in, how do we help make the world a better place? Even though I am not in the world right now, even though I'm not present here, I am in a place where I am watching over things and doing the best that I can to look out for people to help people. Where I am, the spirit is still present. And what I often like to say is God was short on a few angels and said this day I will see you in paradise. This day I will bring another one. He gives life, he takes it away. But there are things that we are involved in. And I believe as a believer that God uses us and sends angels to encamp around us and protect us, and that humbles me. And those are things that correlate with how I feel when I sense Michael's presence and when he's winking and saying I'm here, I'm still making moves. Say what right? As you continue to navigate this journey and go day to day and, like you say, encounter other people personally and professionally. How has the release of your uncle's memoir, even just months after his death affected your actual journey? Has it helped you to power forward? Tell us how you feel unequivocally absolutely, yes, I have been empowered. I've been made more aware, more sensitive to the core, alling all my life and how I can serve be of service. Michael was about all of those things his book. Scenes from My Life are true. Scenes from his life are true experiences, They are true things, real things, transparent things. Mike went deep, he pulled the layers back, and he did the same thing with his characters, and the reality is those things, doing those things. Being that transparent, being that vulnerable helps people because they say, if Michael Kay Williams can do it, if he can be that vulnerable, if he can be that transparent, he can talk about his struggles, then so can I. And that is the first start to healing, communicating, talking about it, getting it out, addressing whatever those issues are so that you can move forward and do that in a way that's consistent with your vision and your purpose for your life, and no one should know that better than that individual. Yeah, now that's true. We're going to take a short birth right now, and when we returned, we'll be back to continue our conversation with our amazing guest, Dominant. Dunt Okay, I have to ask you a question here because as we're all nieces and nephews of somebody, right, yes, ma'am your uncle, you're right. He was vulnerable. He pulled the layers back, he gave us all the t all the milk. He didn't hold back a single piece of fruit. Everything is out. Okay, when you read this book, Dominant, were you like, oh, wait a minute, I didn't want to know that. Hold on, I'm feeling some kind of way about knowniced by my uncle at or were you like I already knew that. So there's a few things. I think. One of the main things was how Michael struggled with his idea who he was, how comfortable he was with his masculinity, what that meant to pee bull, some of the challenges that he had being identified as blackie or fagged, some of those derogatory things that helped thrust him into trying to identify who he is. Those challenges are present in the world of addiction. Those things impacted me because we have been together a very long time. He supported me throughout my incarceration. The reality is is, you know, I was aware of some of the challenges that Michael expressed about being molested and some of those other things that he talked about. You know, we talked later on about how that happened and who some of those individuals was, but those things really shocked you did get an opportunity to talk to him about that. Absolutely. Me and Michael very close if you'll read the book. But there's one thing. Yeah, we were like brothers. I mean, he is my uncle, but you know, he speaks to that in a book or whatever about his support and that, which in a lot of ways, that's that's very accurate. Me and Michael were like even though I spent twenty close to twenty one years in prison, he was like a brother to me. And I have a twin brother, Mike. Mike's like my third you know, He's like my third ground. Oh wow, we didn't know you were a twin. I did not know that, right. Shout out to thank you and shout out, shout out, Nolan. And there's a whole another conversation we could have about one years from carceration, because that experience also brought you here and knowing that you had your support with your family and from your uncle too. But we'll have to have you back for a conversation about that. Okay, when you do your own memoir, we'll have you back. Absolutely. Let me ask you about some of these roles, because I personally loved on my little role and I'm about the way he used to walk down the street. I want to ask you, say, what chocolate man with that sweat, come on in the trench? I just come on now. The roles are so powerful, you know what I mean, I can I'm just I just want to say thank you to the honor again. It just talked to you as I think about that role is just where we are. Everything he brought to these roles, the power and just what you remember. I mean, you don't have to remember the story of the actual wire episode. Do you know what admits when you heard that little everything from oh my little in the Wire, the chalky white Boardwalk Empire and which he couldn't escape his own reality. Do you think those things and the power you had to bring to these roles it encouraged his off and on drug use. Do you think it impacted it or are you aware in any way based on conversations and just your relationship. You know, I think certain roles kick up trauma. And one of Michael's last roles in Lovecraft Country the Tulsa massacre. You know, I think the reality is when you are involved in this line of work, you know, you sacrifice a part of who you are. Michael had concerns about killing Edris Albert and the wire. You know, he's vocal about that right, talked to Davis Signment about it. And you know, the reality is is that you know, it's a sacrifice. When you go to the places that Michael went to breathe life into these characters, it's a wonder terrible things that happened earlier. Yes, it takes a lot of therapy, a lot of conversations and support from loved ones and family members to get through this process. And you know, but Michael also loved art, and he also loved helping people, and his roles the space that he created a black, openly gay mail to still have strength and power and not be weak or not be soft. Was something that had never been accomplished in the history of and that's what I'm just calling it. What it is, that it had not been accomplished, that's anything I've ever seen. It was necessary, something I can tell you. Let me say this. I'm representing what we laughingly call the gay community here, the leg booty community, and as a member of the community, I appreciate and respect and honor that it is unparamount, okay, because there are so many people who are people of color, who are in the gay community, who are queer, who are quiet and never acknowledge, whether personally or professionally, in any character ever. And so for him, for him, it takes a lot of strength and grit to be able to do that and stand firm and that. So, no, that is absolutely something to celebrate, and I applaud it, no doubt. It is not lost on us. And so now I'm gonna tell you this some other stuff that's not lost on me, because there's so much from scenes from my life. Oh my gosh, like this book. I'm telling you, I felt like I was having a conversation with him. It was so good He emphasized the belief in pursuing dreams and callings and that it includes breaking free from the labels and the limits of to put on you. Have you had to break out of the boxes other try to put on you so that you can live your life your way. We talked a little bit earlier about some of my challenges being formally incarcerated in a place where I had to get permission to use the bathroom, being told when they eat, when I can't eat, how much time I can have on the phone, being told when I can walk somewhere, and how I can walk somewhere, how fast I did would be back from that place I walked to. Are all things that can impact you. And you can feel like you're in a situation where you are in a box even when you get out of that box. So there are some emotional psychological and you heard me earlier talk about it when I talked about not allowing insanity to creep in on me, figuring out a new way to do things in my life and to live my life in a way that makes me happy. And so yeah, I've had several times where I've had to work really hard to pursue my dreams and my calling, and to ensure that I don't subscribe to labels. I don't subscribe to an inmate or a prisoner, identify myself as someone who made a bad decision, was held accountable and responsible for that decision, and understands that there's not a perfect person on this planet. We learn from those decisions and choices, and we move forward, and we work really hard honor people, our victims, people that we have hurt. We use that to elevate an important conversation about awareness and how do we help people heal. And that is my life's work. So I'm happy about that. I'm happy to be broken out of that box sensors, to be in that place where I'm able to do that now it's a blessing to lift as that is so powerful. And then I want to believe that your uncle, because he knew what it was like to be in a box of sorts, right, he knew how hard it was for him to try to live kind of the best of both worlds. He'd be in Vandevere and then he'd be with Robin, and he was kind of living that double life. At no point that I ever feel while reading the book that he felt like he had to choose and that he had an opportunity to still pursue his dream. And the one thing that I wrote, and this is a note that I took from the book as a quote from him, is the permission to dream is so important that even if you are in a place where you literally are incarcerated, you still have the permission to dream. And so I'm so grateful that even though you had to overcome some obstacles, and like you said, you paid your restitution and now you're having an opportunity to fulfill your purpose. And I'm grateful for that. So thank you. Yeah, no, I appreciate that, and thank you. Thank you so much. Look, like said, the reality is, I know certain people I've experienced that you can just walk in the streets of New York City and you can see people prison as a place where you're at in your mind and your space. If you're on bondage, even if you free, you're really not free. But what I also learned is freedom is not free. You gotta be responsible, and you gotta do the right thing. And having permission to dream and having the things that you need gives you some space to breathe. It gives you some time to think about things that may seem impossible. That's how Michael thought about his life. Who would think someone like me would reach the place that they've reached in their life, not just because TV actor that is a job, but to be in a place where he can help people and use his platform where his voice mattered is something that he was really happy about. So so thank you. And he said, at the core of his work is served. Yes, ma'am, and I was your no voice still matters, you know what I mean? Like to have his legacy continue the way it is, And I'm grateful that you are here to continue carrying that torch for him, for us, for your family. Again, I'm just honest. Let me ask you, was there anything else that you wanted to share or any other point that you wanted to make at the Red Table that you couldn't because now you can make it right table. Well, no, thank you so much. I appreciate that the team Jada, her mom, her daughter, everyone was just amazing her staff there, and thankfully they gave me an opportunity to, you know, such an important conversation. So I was really honored and blessed to be there and to just see the work that's happening there. Um, I'm honored and blessed to be able to have this platform now, and I just want to say thank you to Jada, thank you to her staff the rest of the host there for giving us an opportunity to highlight such an important issue. I said that there, but I think it's worth restating and just so privileged to be able to connect with you guys, and thankful and humble. So even though I said that there, I think it's worth restating here. I just want to thank you, Tracy and Carla. The Red Table has given us such a gift of awareness and healing and growth, and having you there and then at this virtual Red Table has been a gift for us as well. I would like to wrap our conversation with you up by quoting from the book that I encourage everyone to get. Scenes from my life from memo are from Michael kay william book, and this is what it says. I don't want to be in the spotlight. I want to be the spotlight itself shine on others. I love powerful. I love that indeed powerful. Okay, So, now speaking to Sharon Dominic, are you ready, okay, because we actually received a message from someone who was especially grateful you came to the Red Table and we finally get to share it with you now here it is. Hey, Dominic, just wanted to take a moment out to thank you so much for joining us at the Red Table to share your journey with your uncle Michael Kay Williams. And I'm excited that you're continuing to share that journey on Let's Red Table, that it's so important for so many people, and I can't wait to hear what else you share at the Virtual Red Table. Thank you, Thank you. Gam Yeah, that was a message right from Gammy. We love our gam and details it like it is so you know, she wanted to make sure that you got a special acknowledgment from her from the Red Table to the Virtual Red Table. Thank you so much for being here with us today. Thank you so much, guys, it's really a president appreciate you guys so much. Keep up the great work. Thank you so much. We want to know how you're feeling about this new season a Red Table talk. We are open to talk about anything with you all, so please send in your questions at Let's Red Table. That's at red Table talk dot com or don't forget. You can also leave us a voicemail at speak pipe dot com slash Let's Red Table that Yes, we can't wait to hear your voices. Go to speak pipe dot com. Just talking out and why are you talking? We want to talk to you one more time and say thank you, yes you, thank you so much for listening. Make sure you subscribe on I Heart Radio app and please rate this podcast on Apple podcast. Y'all know we want to find We'll be back next week for another episode of Let's Red Table Back Special. Thanks to executive producers j Pett Smith, Valon Jethro and Ellen Racketon. Thank you to our producer Kyleague Canehru and our associate producer your land to Chow. And finally, thanks to our sound engineer Stephanie Aguilar. Let's Red Table. Hey, that's table, that's tables. Hey,