WEBVTT

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Hi,

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my name is Kyra Taylor,

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and I'm the co-founder and executive director

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of Erie's Black Wall Street.

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We've been building this work since 2018 and became a nonprofit in 2020.

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People often ask me why I do this,

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and my answer always goes back to how I was raised.

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My parents were foster parents.

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I grew up watching them

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open up our home,

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our hearts,

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and our lives to children who had nowhere else to go.

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My dad used to always say,

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if you can help someone,

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you should.

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And my mom,

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now a pastor,

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lived that out every day,

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even during family vacations.

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So,

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I've always been that person,

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the one trying to make sure that people are OK.

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My family nicknamed me grandma growing up

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because I've always carried that caretaker energy.

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But before founding Erie's Black Wall Street,

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I worked as a behavior counselor,

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a caseworker with the Office of Children and Youth,

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and as a corrections counselor at the local prison.

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And in all of that,

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I saw the same pattern,

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systems that weren't built to help us thrive.

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I didn't grow up here,

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but I saw the disinvestment,

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the disparities,

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and the disconnect,

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and I knew that I just couldn't complain about it.

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This was my home now,

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and I had to do something about it.

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We started with just a few people,

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a few ideas,

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and a deep belief in what could be possible,

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and we began to build.

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Since 2021,

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we've helped to educate over 200 people

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on the benefits of homeownership

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and made it possible

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and accessible by

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providing down payment assistance to 15 families and counting.

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We've supported over 60 Black and minority entrepreneurs.

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We've purchased and are renovating historical

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black-owned buildings on Erie's East Side,

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where redlining and disinvestment

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have become the norm.

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And we are creating physical space for our community through the Onyx Exchange,

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a hub for business connection and culture

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without discrimination or gatekeeping.

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But what I'm most proud of is how we've done it.

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We don't just build buildings,

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we build with our community.

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We ask,

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we listen,

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we shift.

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We've changed our plans based upon community feedback.

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We've pulled weeds side by side,

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we've cried together,

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and we've celebrated together.

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This is real,

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this is rooted,

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and this is ours.

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This work isn't about the spotlight,

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it's about economic justice.

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It's about legacy.

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It's about giving people

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a reason.

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Giving people a reason

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to stay

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and a reason to believe in a city that's overlooked them for too long.

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What I gained from this,

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clarity,

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calling,

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and purpose.

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Every home we help close.

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Every business we help build,

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every block we help restore,

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it's one more step towards healing,

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ownership,

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and collective power for those who have been historically left out.