The Scoop with Tanya Flanagan

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Good morning, and thank you for joining me for the scoop with Tanya Flanagan. I'm so happy you decided to wake up and start your day with me. Here on the scoop, where we talk about life, joy, funny moments, trending topics, and so much more. We promise to keep you in the know and find out what you know. So let's get started.

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Good morning, Las Vegas and welcome once again to the scoop with me. Tanya Flanagan. Thank you for waking up on this beautiful Sunday morning and the season of spring to have a little conversation. I'm very pleased to welcome to the studio with me my guest this morning, Miss Ashley Dotson.

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Good morning, everyone. Happy Sunday.

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Good morning. Beautiful. Thank you for getting up and joining me. Absolutely. Thank

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you for having me. I'm excited.

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I am so excited about your new venture, you have a new chapter of life that you're writing. And I think it's so timely to talk about it. We are in the midst, although I don't get into politics too deeply here on the show, out of respect for the requirements and the rules. But in the midst of this political season, you are the new Chairwoman, the newly elected share woman of the Nevada Democratic women's caucus. That's a mouthful, right? It is my first like how tongue twister. And I'm looking at you with this. But you but you got it? No, because people you can't see what I can see in the studio. Ashley has this gorgeous necklace that says aspiration. And I thought how cool is a necklace was named named for you after you that is inspiring. And what? What's more appropriate than someone who is as energetic as you are? Thank you taking on this new challenge of being the chairwoman of the Nevada Democratic women's caucus. So how did Who are you to find yourself here? What's that journey about? And why did you decide to do this?

Unknown Speaker 2:21
Wow. So I can definitely say that the journey has not been a straight path. What is ever linear, right? It definitely has been broad and has become a little bit more narrow. But what I can say is that when I was younger, I did not see myself in this space. And it was definitely more of a I'm not going to do politics. But as I got a little bit older and more involved in what was I would look at advocacy and things of that nature is how I got here and to be even more forward facing in 2021. I entered the cohort of eMERGE, and I became an emerging stuff and graduated in 2022. And that led me into a whole nother realm I had already entered in the space of advocacy and other spaces. But that right there like set me in a whole nother direction

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just changed the trajectory after you. I want to say fellow amerge, alumni sister, I am class of the 2019 cohort, which I always brag, of course, is the best people will hear me talk about emerge often. And I hope many of you out there listening are familiar with emerge. It's an amazing program that welcomes women of various backgrounds, cultures, ethnicities, gender identities, what have you, and to talk about civic engagement. And, and it's more than just that a lot of it is just like, the building of self self development is a big piece of it, discovering who you are. There's personality assessments, which was one of the things I loved about it finding out like, if you are a type type A personality or what have you. What are the things that you gravitate toward in terms of how you express your thoughts, forming your thoughts, position yourself around your opinions, interact with others, I loved that piece, right? If it if you were honest with yourself when you went through the program, and then you learned a lot about how you think and why you take in different positions of the years on different issues. So I I do understand how eMERGE is transforming? Yes, and has transformed your space. So that was the push right? That pushed you into this really into this space and said hey,

Unknown Speaker 4:49
yeah, I can do this. It really prepared me. Shout out to Miss Diana Lavelle. She is the executive director and she has a very keen spirit and I, and a few other people, of course that have really put you in, they'll put you in a position to believe in yourself, as you said, like, it's a lot of self awareness that goes on during that time. You learn how to campaign, you know, fundraise, though, that was another one of my issues, because I know when you're running a campaign, fundraising and big money dollars are involved, right. And I don't like asking nobody for money, I'm barely like asking them for anything. But I learned in that space that people who are willing to go the extra mile, sometimes I saw that they can do because they don't want to voice their opinion. They don't necessarily want to be seen in those spaces. So I really can appreciate what it has done for me. And it definitely prepared me for the space that I'm in now. And I'm now the chairwoman. So

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what does the women's that what does the democratic women's caucus do? When? And why is it because there are many other caucuses? Yes. And so help the listeners as much as you can understand the purpose of a

Unknown Speaker 5:59
caucus? Absolutely. So for me to put it in as, as much layman's terms as possible. I am under the Nevada, the state party, right. So our caucus is newly chartered. We are a group of women, essentially, who have come together to make sure that we are being the Ford Focus for women in a space of advocacy and the Democratic Party. So I like to say in my specific caucus, that it is more about building a community, we were, I would say that sought out and had the opportunity to really be under the leadership of our state chair, which is, you know, the mm, Danielle Memorial right now. And getting the information that I had from her was, it was just the push that I needed to understand that it's not necessarily just about getting people to see a specific opinion about a party, it's more or less building a community, getting people to buy into their issues, you know, knowing that we are representing them at a level that is one relatable I myself, I'm a mom of five. So I understand what the day in and day out comes when it comes to reproductive justice or when it comes to education or, you know, equity and all those different things that we are seeing up and down the ticket in the ballot. So I believe, right now, it's more about me advocating for those who don't advocate for that. So I feel like I've always kind of been that way. I don't find myself as talkative. But I do find myself in a position where if I do have something to say, I'm gonna make sure that it's meaningful. And I'm gonna say it.

Unknown Speaker 7:55
So in that vein before you found yourself in this space, which has a tort facing political purpose, you were still a person who was very much engaged in community Yes, and trying to make a difference. So before this life, who were you that? What did you evolve from? I'm curious to make sure our listeners know what you evolved from. Absolutely.

Unknown Speaker 8:19
So I'm most I'm a social worker by trade. So that right there, I'm already you know, the grand challenges the 12 grand challenges of the world and being very involved in making sure that underserved populations are always being represented, I have always wanted to help in the space of homelessness, affordable housing, just because I was very much involved in those things, especially in high school, and just seeing how my friends were growing up the relationship types that I was often in, and then when I started getting into entrepreneurship and seeing how small businesses were being affected in the policy space, and then eventually I wandered into the cannabis space. And that was really when I had got my feet really wet. in the policy arena in Nevada. It was getting to a point where it was no longer as taboo as it was. And I wanted to make sure that those who were not only under represented but also had been, you know, incarcerated and different things for something that was now socially accepted. And I wanted to make sure that those people were not only being advocated for but having the opportunity to have a second chance. You know, I'm big on you know, not having the school to prison pipeline. I see that all the time. I used to see school fights and they seem to just constantly be happening now. You know, as the generation has,

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and it's very different. Now. Now you do have it's frightening. There were fights I was growing up and pray and there was change happening in terms of territory illness itself. But in the space, I think of education is so important that we make schools safe. Yes. And students feel safe, teachers feel safe. Students should be able to learn and teachers should be able to do the job to teach them. And so how do we get to that point? Right? That's, that's another conversation, or

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one of the themes, right?

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But because that in itself is just comes with so much, and what do you do to begin to unpack all of the things that factor into where we rank in education, curriculum, the administration, the financial structures set up its

Unknown Speaker 10:44
economic ecosystem that, you know, revolves around everything, but definitely around it.

Unknown Speaker 10:50
It's interesting how all of these different things that are, I guess, if you would think about it, I remember when Kamala was stomping, one of her things was, what are the things that keeps you up at night? And these are the kinds of things that as I'm listening to you talk, the challenges that many American families face? Often? Absolutely. Maybe not in the same sense, but people are business owners, small business owners are looking at policy and things and how it affects them. Education, you know, what's going on with my children? Are they getting an education, equality and justice, depending on your cultural experience in this country, access versus being marginalized. So these things empowered you or revved you up to say, hey, and you just slowly started finding yourself as it became an issue for you. Not sitting on the sidelines, and getting more and more engaged and involved. Absolutely

Unknown Speaker 11:55
process. It was like a snowball effect, you know,

Unknown Speaker 11:58
so yeah, you're young now so well you know, I'm wrong to say what a woman's age is going to spill it all out on the table. I'm gonna spill my tea your tea this morning here on the radio, but you know, I could but then you might tell me when we

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just a good flavor, a good season flavor.

Unknown Speaker 12:24
Turnabout is fair play and says I don't want my tea spilled. Right? I want to drink all of my coffee. I want to sip my coffee, my tea, whatever, slowly. I want my chi and Chai to stay right here. Yes. So no,

Unknown Speaker 12:39
no putting you on frustrating Ashley, but I am a mother of five and my oldest is 13. So I mean, they can do what they will with the age guessing.

Unknown Speaker 12:50
Still be like a whole baby I know anyway. Can be a whole baby, whatever. 33 with that. So anyways, but I'm listening to those those and like I said normal things that people find themselves dealing with putting you forward into a space is so visible, and you're not that old. But I'm going to ask this question, because now that you find yourself leading an organization, and you said you didn't think you would see yourself in when you were younger? What would you tell your younger self about political engagement?

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Definitely, to fall into it with no expectations. I I came into the space with especially in Nevada, because you know, everybody, what did they say you're like six degrees from snowing or whatever,

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I felt like it's two degrees. And well, that's what I was gonna say is six degrees of separation from everyone, but in Nevada is two degrees of separation. So

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now, that's how I felt. And I'm like, as I became more involved in the community, and I grew up here, essentially, I didn't, I wasn't born and raised here. But I've been here long enough to consider myself to be like, you know, an honorary native. And when you get in these spaces, you're like, well, everybody knows everybody, or is the same, you know, groups of people that you see at these different events. And I just really started understanding that it wasn't even about that it was about the work and doing the work, who the people who usually are showing up are usually the people who are doing the work. You know, and

Unknown Speaker 14:34
but to that point, I understand and I'm gonna dig into that a bit just because you're right, you get into the room, and you see the same faces. So that always said to me, the people in the room, get the message. How do we get to the people who aren't in the room? Yes, whatever the message may be about. It could be about financial literacy. It could be about first time homebuyer, it could be about self care. It could be about anything, but if I'm in this room I'm and I'm engaging around this issue means I'm a student, I'm aware. I care. Yes. How do I reach the people who need this information but aren't in the room? And that's always to me. The challenge, right? That's.

Unknown Speaker 15:13
So we added that it makes me circle back to what you first asked me like, how did I get in that space? And I, at one time, I used to ask him, like, Are you sure you want me? No, no, you know who I am my story, that and I think it's just being able to know that, you know, everybody has a story. Everybody has some type of relatability. And yet, you know, your resume, or maybe your story was relatable because you are walking proof of that. And I don't know, your entire backstory, you know, we sought to knock it I guest on the show who's just super transparent, and all of it gets laid out. But all the tickets fail, because she wants to bring home.

Unknown Speaker 15:50
The pain, absolutely. And then the purpose and the triumph until let you into all of that. But I don't know the whole backstory. But there was a moment where you become relatable. Yes. And the everyday person can see themselves in you. Because in some ways, we're all role models. Yeah, somebody's watching, you

Unknown Speaker 16:08
absolutely never know who's looking at what you're doing. And that, for me was one of the things like, again, I started, I had children, I not necessarily very young, but I started having children, I was working full time, I was in a, you know, full time relationship, I had many different circles that I would run with some that weren't the greatest circles to be around, and then trying to figure out what these aren't necessarily the friends that I want to be around all the time, I aspire to be in certain places with certain spaces. But I also was someone who was very well educated, I went to magnet schools, I ended up going to college and then getting my masters. So just always keeping faith. And then I was also, you know, one who was raised in the church. So you, you can only run so much. When you are somebody who has been raised with people by faith, you know, you're always going to have your morals and values, those different things are going to come up your code of ethics, you're always going to be facing you know, I know this isn't so right, but it's not so wrong, and you're always in your gray areas. And then you get to a point where it's like, okay, I'm tired of running. I definitely know that I'm a change maker, how do I show up in this space being my true authentic self, and eventually, I just got to that point, I'm like, This is who I am you guys, you know, like it or love it. Take it, you know. And I'm here. And I'm grateful to say that, especially in the last several years, that people have grown to love me for me and Ashley for Ashley, and they absolutely tell me, I wouldn't have had you any other way to show up in this space, and lead this organization. So that right there spoke to the little girl in me like you didn't have nothing to worry about back then. But

Unknown Speaker 17:55
isn't it nice to kind of like finally reached a point in life where you realize you can color outside the lines and like, It is exciting to know to begin to know who you are. And I say to young girls all the time, if you are fortunate to make the discovery of self, the younger you make the discovery yourself and find that inner spirit of being unapologetic for who you are. I think the more you take the the bulls of life by the horns and you ride and you ride you know, you ride, right? Because if you spend time apologizing or trying to get approvals. That's just a really tight race to run. And you've never win that race at all. So I think that when I say young girls, if you can find those lessons in life that help you walk into the spirit of who you are, unapologetically. Yes, bravo. For you. Yes, I love that, you know, so we'll put

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let's keep Ryan Naboo

Unknown Speaker 18:56
your style is so unique, you know, and a lot of times as a African American woman, as a black woman, there are so many things in life where you are trying to fit or adjust or modify. And we do it we do it all over the place from hair to just everything right? Because there's so much creative expression in life and then when you're not apologizing for it anymore, because some part of it really is truly you and it's not an experiment. Yes. There's comfort in knowing that you've settled into that. And now you can spend time focused on what's important which is the voice which is whatever the work is that you're passionate about because you're not spending your time worrying about if this is good or bad, you know after this outfit I put out the class Am I okay that I want to wear this particular hairstyle today or for me what color wig it was because I you know loud colors, but it was fun for you and it was part of personality, you know, and I come from the more conservative side so I would see you as pink today. Yeah, okay. Okay, but that every time I see you and watch you, and you will begin to talk about something I'm like, really used to gather that. bow hair. Okay? It just, that's what I mean by the authenticity, right? Because I am conservative for all intents and purposes, but I have my own unique. Absolutely. I guess style, too, because we all figure out who we are right? So loosely. Yes. I remember Sydney used to joke and she used to you ever dress down? You would wear a cardigan with sweats, Tanya? I love it. I was like, it was cold Sydney. I'm trying to learn to wear a hoodie. You know, we would just joke with it, but it's becoming comfortable in itself. And you talked about someone who inspires you, which was Danna? Yes. And, but what else inspires you like? We kind of have a bit of the who and if there's anyone else you want to add to that list of who inspires you? What inspires you? Who are we know what the drive? I think it's the drive for equality. The advocacy for the underdog, if you will, yes. So

Unknown Speaker 21:11
that's one of my favorite lines, I've always felt that way that I have been the underdog. And as you speak to that, like, as we mentioned, being an African American woman, and then being a darker skinned African American woman in these spaces and showing up and being able to realize that, you know, your voice is just as powerful as the next and then when I would start to see women and shout out to Danny because she's one of our allies. But women such as the Aisha Goins and the ASHA Jones, and you know, DMEM, those women who have gone multiple times for multiple years, and even you like I and my, I remember when I used to first see you, and I'm like this woman, like it said it just so well put together. Like, I want to hear what she's talking about. And just the way that you eloquently always talk about how policy and our community has been put at a disadvantage and being able to make sure that people understand it in a very calm, and I love the tone of your voice, you're always speaking so calmly, but that keeps people together, as well.

Unknown Speaker 22:21
Think I've extracted that from others. And I don't know if there's something about being heard doesn't require you to yell at people. You know. And now that you have this space, and you have the mic, you know, figuratively and literally, yes, in the room, what do you want to accomplish as as chairwoman of the Nevada Women's Nevada Democratic way? A tongue twister, what do you want to accomplish?

Unknown Speaker 22:46
I want to in this space, and in this role, be a beacon of light, for sure. For women, and especially those women who are marginalized, black and brown, I want to build a community, it doesn't necessarily have to be considered a sisterhood because, you know, we start getting into more extravagant conversations when we say those things, but I want the gaps to be filled and be able to be a conduit to all these other organizations, I want us to be able to collectively come together because there's so many caucuses, there's so many different clubs. And we are, you know, even though like you said, we're technically two degrees away from one another, but when you start talking about community, in Las Vegas, and how everything is just so dissected and separated, and it shouldn't be that way, you know, and especially with the way that this electoral season looks, we need to be together as possible. You know, we need to show up as humans in a community who want to move forward and just be genuinely loving and caring to one another and see each other, do well and prosper in this life, whatever that looks like, whatever your success looks like. And for me, that's making sure that I leave a legacy and leave a legacy for my children who I aspire to leave something great for, you know, I would have never been thinking that this would be the life I was leaving, leading with my children, but I am and I'm grateful for it.

Unknown Speaker 24:25
And then further for you. The caucus I said was open to people of all ages. All backgrounds, yes. All professional Yes, varying beliefs. Absolutely. Just a space where you can try to forge some common ground and I know we have these conversations and it's often branded in black brown, but I love when i The reality is that people as a whole just have similar struggles for different reasons. And I think the most important way to gain ground is to hear each other Regardless of don't have to agree on always, but there's similarities and common ground across, you know, everybody's experience, especially as women, I remember reading a book Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg is one of my favorite books. And I really enjoyed the book because it talked about how sometimes in environments, women just don't have things that they need in the workplace, because they just didn't ask because the workplace has been for so long dominated by men. And the idea of what a woman may need is just not at the table is a conversation because there was never a woman there to introduce the need for consideration, right. And it could be parking this closer for women while they're pregnant.

Unknown Speaker 25:46
Just the smallest.

Unknown Speaker 25:48
I'm reading this going, Oh, even as a woman because I'm not pregnant at the time that I'm reading it, so I'm not thinking about it. And due to my breast cancer history, I never had children, it just kind of sucked up the years that at that I would become maternal. Biologically, maternal anyway. I was gonna say you, mama, mama, mama, mama auntie. But it was just the simplest thing that said, if we put it out there, and the company changed their policy, and for whatever period of time, the mothers who the women who have the few who were employed who happened to be pregnant at the time, got parking, it was closer. Yes. Just as simple as that. Wow, just that simple consideration, right. But it made me realize that sometimes it's just you don't have things because there isn't a conversation around a new idea. And it's just introducing improved work, space culture improved. Absolutely, you know, human culture, across races in different rooms for whatever it is that the group may be trying to do. I don't want us to run out of time before you share how people get more information get involved. Is it membership based, is it it is membership based, but

Unknown Speaker 27:03
we are still open to the community as well. I have several channels, but for the Nevada Democratic women's caucus, on Instagram, we are in V dem, women's caucus, and that's d m dem, women's caucus, I can be reached via email at cheer woman at envied them women's caucus.com. That's long. It's a mouthful game to spell it quick enough for you guys. And then also, on my personal platform, which I'm very open and eclectic to bonding and getting to know people, it's Coach, underscore, Ashley D. And I am you know, just open to conversations. Again, I'm a social worker, I try to meet as many needs as possible. And I just want to be resourceful. So if I, if I don't know the answer, I'm sure I know somebody who does. I

Unknown Speaker 27:56
know you do. I want to say thank you for coming on. And I want to make sure I just shine the light a little bit brighter. Thank you, because I had the pleasure of working with you, almost a year ago, in October 6 seventh. But we had the pleasure of working together to put together a women's conference. So I don't want to I'm not gonna sit here and have this morning, you know, dialog and that. Go back and reach back to our time together. Yeah, that we shared. So as the show comes to a close, I just want to say thank you for coming back and hanging out on the scoop to talk with me it is I'm excited to see where you are and to see where you are going to have watched a little bit of your journey along the way. Kudos to you. Thank you doing great things reaching higher heights. I look forward to seeing what comes of the Nevada Democratic women's caucus. And it took me an entire show to get that out with Nevada Democratic women's caucus, that Ashley Dotson Chairwoman, thank you for spending some time here with me. Thank you my fellow emergy sta emerge sister, yes, folks out there. Also shout out to the National Coalition of 100 black women there madam CJ Walker lunches today. And I'll be headed over there a little bit later on today. But wait, good morning. Have a great week. And if you go into the luncheon, we'll see you there. Meanwhile, have a wonderful weekend. Thank you for tuning in once again, here on 91.5k u n v jazz and more. I want to thank you for tuning into the scoop with me Tony Flanagan and I want to invite you to get social with me I'm on Facebook and Twitter. My name is my handle ta n YAFLA na GA N You can also find me on Instagram at Tanya almond eyes Flanagan and if you have a thought and opinion or a suggestion, don't hesitate to shoot me an email to Tanya dad flanagan@unlv.edu. Thanks again for joining in. Stay safe and have a great week.

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