Humane Rights with Dr. Akilah Cadet
Episode 10 — Kendrick Sampson
INTRO
Dr. Akilah Cadet: I'm Dr. Akilah Cadet and this is Humane Rights, a show that flips the traditional talk show on its head. This isn't about debate. It's about dialogue. Each episode, I invite guests from different walks of life to unpack the messy, beautiful realities of being human. Welcome to Humane Rights, where being human is the ultimate act of resistance.
OPENING
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Hi.
Kendrick Sampson: What up? [laughter]
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Welcome to Humane Rights. I'm so excited to have you here today. You know, you're one of my favorite people.
Kendrick Sampson: And you're one of mine.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: I know, and thank you for saying it for the record.
Kendrick Sampson: That's it. That's done.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: We did it.
Kendrick Sampson: Now it has to be held accountable.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: We gotta be held accountable.
Kendrick Sampson: So now we're in trouble.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: We are.
Kendrick Sampson: We are now in trouble on this date and time.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: I am so excited to have you here in our studio in Berkeley. We're seated. In my lovely studio that's surrounded in gold 'cause vibes. With Taylor Smalls' painting behind us, come on. Which is a story we're going to get into. Okay.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Today, my wonderful golden braids are paired with a vintage black leather jacket and vintage leather mini skirt, stockings and, you know, heels that say I run shit like — boots that go up to say I mean business. Actually, men like these boots more than women. And I think it's because I see the — the player in me.
Kendrick Sampson: Ah. Yeah.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Yeah. See what I did there?
Kendrick Sampson: Yes. I understand. Yeah. Thank you. Yeah. You did — you get it.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: I think it's really important to note that we are light eyes for justice. We are doing the work. We can't look into the sun but we can dismantle white supremacy. Glistening. Light skins will always overcompensate.
Kendrick Sampson: I'm Black as fuck. [laughs]
Dr. Akilah Cadet: I know, I know.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Uh oh. I know. You ready?
Kendrick Sampson: Yep.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Okay. So. Wait, lemme put my —
Kendrick Sampson: Your glasses on? Put glasses on?
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Okay. Go ahead. The man that has like, damn near a million followers because of your thirst traps, sits on the —
Kendrick Sampson: Skilled thirst trapper.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: You're what?
Kendrick Sampson: Skilled thirst trapper.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Oh yeah. So we both show our titties for justice as well, because I do award winning cleavage.
Kendrick Sampson: I mean, you just do the —
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Side boob.
Kendrick Sampson: Side boob. The side boob.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: And you throw the abs in there, too. But we can't see the abs right now because you have on a black T-shirt, slightly oversized, but perfect fit. And then we have on some black pants, a white sneaker, black ball cap, and glasses that are hiding your light eyes for justice. The eyes that get you whatever you want.
Kendrick Sampson: So essentially. Yeah.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Predominantly Black.
Kendrick Sampson: With the minority white?
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Yes. Exactly. Yes. Predominantly Black.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: And also your signature golden like little thing things.
Kendrick Sampson: Grills. That I've had since —
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Ever. Forever.
Kendrick Sampson: Seventh grade.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Not since seventh grade?
Kendrick Sampson: I have had since middle school. Some sort of —
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Are you serious?
Kendrick Sampson: Yes. Not these particularly. These but like... vibes. Yeah. My teeth have changed a little bit since then.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Yeah. Because you got. Yeah. You grew.
Kendrick Sampson: Yeah, little bit. But, always some sort of fangs.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Some sort of.
Kendrick Sampson: Some sort of fangs. Yeah, grill, yeah.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Okay, I'm not done. You have on a chain.
Kendrick Sampson: One. Just one today.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Just one chain.
Kendrick Sampson: Just a casual.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Just as I'm here. It's not a huge, 'Hello.'
Kendrick Sampson: Yeah. Usually it's four.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: And then you have a beard and red shade glasses on. And then you're also one of the hottest men in America, right?
Kendrick Sampson: I'll take it.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: You know what I'm saying?
Kendrick Sampson: From your mouth to God knows, yeah. You know. Oh, the glasses came off. I just came off.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Am I? I might be.
Kendrick Sampson: Warm blooded.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: You know it.
Kendrick Sampson: We both live this life of beauty which works well for both of us, so.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Yay. But can you tell folks who you are?
KENDRICK INTRODUCES HIMSELF
Kendrick Sampson: Yay! Thank you. Yeah. I am Kendrick Sampson.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: You are? That is true.
Kendrick Sampson: Yeah. That is true. Grew up without any Kendrick Lamar or any other Kendrick to compare it to, so I had to correct people on that too many times. No. It's Kendrick. I love my name. I am a curious... headache to my homies. I challenge people on values. I challenge myself on values. And I do my best to build my work around that. I'm a storyteller. I have an organization called BLD PWR where we focus on building power.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: And. That was profound.
Kendrick Sampson: Thank you. Yeah. I'm profound.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Yeah.
Kendrick Sampson: And, I love the arts. Love storytelling, love creativity. Love discipline. And, doing my best to be transformative wherever I'm an abolitionist. You know, Black radical liberation. It is my grounding. And, yeah, I'm doing my best to get us as free and healthy as we could possibly be. And I love community. Oh, and I forgot. I can't — I can't not say, I'm from Texas and I'm country as hell. You know, my family is super rural. Texas and Louisiana and, and, you know, I grew up in Houston in the Mo. What we call the Mo — Missouri City. Mo City. South Way.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: You left out that you are an exceptional writer.
Kendrick Sampson: I do write.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: You do write. Now. That's hard for me to say. I'm a writer.
Kendrick Sampson: I do write because you know why?
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Why?
Kendrick Sampson: Because I am an actor. I'm a performer.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Oh, you're an actor.
Kendrick Sampson: I'm an actor. Is that how people know you? Sometimes it depends on when I — when I. Yeah. When people are paying me for it. You know, produce, you know, that's my storytelling. That love storytelling, activist — but writer, when it comes to writer, I have so much respect for people who can actually put together something from beginning to end and edit it. And you know what I'm talking about already. When it comes to editing, for some reason, I have a magical, magical skill of making my editing process make shit longer. Than instead of making it shorter. So. That's why I'm always like, am I a writer? But I do write and I love it.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Yeah, it's, you know, if only like if I were an editor and an author, I — if I had those skill sets, then maybe what I said about you being a writer would have some validity. [laughter]
Kendrick Sampson: Hell yeah. I'm telling you. Challenged. Okay?
Dr. Akilah Cadet: No, no, no, you're a great writer. Wonderful actor and I think everyone needs to know that you are more than a pretty face because you are brilliant.
Kendrick Sampson: We talked about this. Listen.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: I appreciate that. Yeah. No, I mean, you really, really are. The way you see the world, the way you're able to communicate with the world, the way you're able to help people think differently is really, really great.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Folks have been asking me, 'Who's coming on the podcast? Who's coming on the podcast?' And I was like, Kendrick Sampson, who's that? And I was like, well, you know, he's, you know, Issa Rae's boyfriend in Insecure.
Kendrick Sampson: Well which one?
Dr. Akilah Cadet: The the one with the oh, the light eyes.
Kendrick Sampson: Yeah.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: And then people are like, oh, wow. Wait, do you mean Kendrick? Then alludes to your Instagram handle. And I'm like, yeah. Because you get to folks through your storytelling and your activism on social media as well, which I think is really, really important. It's not easy to be someone who's a creative and a writer and a dismantler, and you've found the way to do that. And I'm just very proud of you.
Kendrick Sampson: And working on being more effective in that every day. I'm like, Imma use whatever I got. You know what I mean? Yeah. If it's the word. We like that you use what you have got.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: If it's the words that I'm speaking, it's one thing. If I feel a little bit more brilliant than I am. Don't get mad at me. You know what I mean? If I. If it's acting. If it's the platform. It's PR. If it's social media. If it's side boob. If it's side boob. You know what I mean? Like if you want to see my feet, you got to do this call to action, you know?
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Do you know what I mean? Wait. The feet? We're doing that now?
Kendrick Sampson: It's an OnlyFans reference.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Oh, the feet. No, no, it's not OnlyFans. It's FeetFinder. Get it right.
Kendrick Sampson: FeetFinder. My bad. FeetFinder. Yeah. Thank you. If you want it. If you want to see the feet, you gotta liberate. You know what I'm saying. You gotta get out of the streets, you gotta jump up. You know what I'm saying? Fight the — You know what I'm saying? Yeah. That's how I... Anything I got. Food. Yeah. You know what I'm saying. I'm a good cook.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: I'll make you this meal if you show up at the senator's office. And tell him to fuck —
Dr. Akilah Cadet: So why. Why haven't you made me a meal yet?
Kendrick Sampson: Okay. You have to think about that. We've got — we've had other, I mean. Yeah, yeah. You can't get it all. Oh, you know what I'm saying? I said whatever works. So you know what I'm saying?
Dr. Akilah Cadet: That's fair. Where we work together.
Kendrick Sampson: We do work together, I know. Oh so. Okay. Well. Maybe I'll just stop working with you just to see if this food is good.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Oh, the food is bomb. I don't know. That. You know, what I don't do is bad food. I grew up with my family. Came from — you talking about dirt and mud. It might remind you of the boonies. Poor — po'. We would po' — country, and my mom and my dad both made their own clothes, grew their own food. My dad hunted, you know what I'm saying? And I can't — our ancestors have made some of the most delicious cuisine, you know what I'm saying? Some of the best food in the world with scraps. You know, and some of the healthiest, some of the most, you know, transformational culture. So, I don't ever give nobody no excuse. I'm like, if it don't taste good, if it ain't right, it ain't right. We need to get it right. You know, if I got to pick the herbs. If I got a grow them myself.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: That's true. You are quite the foodie.
Kendrick Sampson: Yeah. Yeah. But I passed the test today, so I did not cook for you for the record. But I take you to a lovely restaurant.
SAFE WORD & WHAT DOES HUMANE RIGHTS MEAN TO YOU?
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Okay, so I'm gonna ask you a question. Okay. Well, we didn't discuss this.
Kendrick Sampson: Yeah, I don't know. You can't ask me no questions. No. I'm just playing. Should we establish a safe word?
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Yeah. Yeah. Okay. What is that going to be? Find the question? What's the safe word?
Kendrick Sampson: Safe word is going to be... Ooh. The brilliance that's happening right now? Real time? Hummingbird.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Hummingbird?
Kendrick Sampson: Okay.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Hummingbird it is. All right. What does Humane Rights — Hummingbird!
Kendrick Sampson: No, I am just playing.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Go ahead. Go ahead. What does Humane Rights mean to you?
Kendrick Sampson: What is Humane Rights to me? It reminds me of this hummingbird. No. Humane Rights... And thinking about that, you know, that's been a difficult thing to process in 2025. Yeah. Even like where I guess the areas, sectors, institutions, organizations that claim to be about human rights, you know, and understanding what people's baseline is and you know, that you ain't got — you ain't ready to really jump in even when people say genocide, you know? Yeah. You know what I'm saying? That's where I'm like, what are — what we've understood as human rights. And of course the specific question around Humane Rights, but I think it really boils down to the purpose of our existence here. The purpose of our life here to get a lot of time. You know, we think so much about career advancement and things. And I'm like, I don't care if you believe in the universe, God, or what you believe in. Nothing's going to ask you about that promotion when you die. And so. You know. Not at all. What we're supposed to be doing is taking care of each other. What we're supposed to be doing. And there's no species that ain't more powerful when they not, you know, when they not taking care of each other and protecting each other. And so, more than anything, it's understanding who people are, what they need, and how to fight for that. And provide for that and —
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Yeah. True love really looks like. Yeah, I gave up fighting 'cause I'm too cute for that. But —
Kendrick Sampson: Thank you.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: You agree? That's good to know. But I do speak the truth. So there's a difference there. I don't need to fight for my existence 'cause I'm — I was born here, too. I can live here. I can, and move through. But I can give someone an opportunity to learn and unlearn. I don't have to prove why or how I am deserving of anything. And I purposely took fight out of my language with the work that I do because I'm already a Black disabled woman in the white ass world, so you know what I mean.
Kendrick Sampson: But you — you do that like, you still use the word fight, but you do that the same, the same way. So, I was about to say, you know, you need to rub off on me because I be ready to knuckle —
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Don't.
Kendrick Sampson: Yeah.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Be careful with rubbing.
Kendrick Sampson: Yeah.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Yeah.
Kendrick Sampson: I don't know. It's awfully true. But that's actually why I've always, well. I liked you for other reasons, because, you know, you're cute and you're light eyes. But, as I got to know more about who you are, particularly through your social media, I was just like, you have a choice. And you chose to speak the truth, and you chose to be in a position of advocacy. You chose to be in the streets with folks, and you have all the privilege in the world to not do that. And I think that part is really powerful.
THE MEET CUTE
Dr. Akilah Cadet: So I feel like I should share the story of our meet cute. You were there. I don't know if you remember this.
Kendrick Sampson: Was I? Oh, that's what it — 'cause meet, right? Okay. Got it. Oh, my God, you're an actor. You should know about the meet cute. That's like the most important thing in a movie.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Is it? Like you do all these fucking romcoms. Okay. How do we get to the most important thing in the movie being meet cute? Because you are always like the love interest. Do you want to talk about the — what is the Tiffany's? What is it?
Kendrick Sampson: Tiffany's. The most important in that is the meet cute? You have a meet cute in those movies. I didn't say we don't. You said the most important thing in the movie as an actor is to know the meet cute. And I said. Anyway. I think it's bullshit.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: So it was — it was, we we met last year. We met last year, which we just figured out because calendars are helpful. But, we met last year, and it was during my, my book tour. Yeah, partly that — partly hurts my heart. Not hurts my heart. My heart is fine. But it makes me a little — because it was last year, but it's like at this point, almost two years ago.
Kendrick Sampson: No. Right. Exactly. That's fair. That's fair. Yeah. Yeah. Because I think it was February. And these in 2025, and 2024 has been seven years.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: That's right. Together. So. Yeah. So it feels like forever ago. It does it does feel like.
Kendrick Sampson: Yeah. Now we're getting on two years. What are we doing for our anniversary.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: We got to figure that out. A meet cute.
Kendrick Sampson: [laughter] That was good. But I'll let you have that one.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: You're welcome. It's March 2nd. But not that you asked, but that's what it is.
Kendrick Sampson: It's my brother's birthday, too.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Is it really? It's right before your birthday.
Kendrick Sampson: We Pisces.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: I know. You Pisces, you Pisces men in particular. I've heard some things.
Kendrick Sampson: Okay. So we're going to go into this meet cute. I was dating a Pisces at the time. Boom. Yeah. And I had — because the book tour is out, I had an interview. TV interview in my home. Then I had to go into Oakland. I had to go into the city to do an NPR interview. Then I had to fire someone on my team in my car. And then I had to yell at the guy I was dating because he was supposed to come with me to an event, at a very fancy, museum event. And he didn't come. And I was like, you know what I'm going to do?
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Kendrick Sampson's in town. And I'm going to go find him, and I'm going to fuck him. And that's what I told the guy. And I hung up the phone. So that's what you don't know. So then I go do this. I had to change in my car. Look all fancy. I look very cute. So that's why I looked all like gala when I came in, because everything was very what we're wearing now. It wasn't a whole gala thing. And so I, did that. I left that part early. I told Taylor Smalls, the painter, I'm coming. I'm not paying for shit. I'm just going to say, can you introduce me to Kendrick? And she was like, no problem. So I come. And it was after you did your talk right at THROUGHLINE, where she did a gallery show where my face was five by five times two.
Kendrick Sampson: Your face, with my sister's face.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: With you, with your sister's face. And Goapele.
Kendrick Sampson: And Goapele and Swan. Yeah, I know it was. It was a good group of folks.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Oh, yeah. And we all hung out. That's. I'm now realizing that you had three. Okay. For your birthday. And so, I find Taylor. I was like, Taylor. Long day. Tired. Can you, you know, introduce me to Kendrick? And she was like, sure. You had no problem. You were seated on a couch surrounded by women.
Kendrick Sampson: Surrounded. A lot of them.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: So Taylor's like, trying to find a way. And then she comes over to me, and she was like, I just don't think it's a really good time. I said. Uh hum. So I went over to you, you were seated just like that and I said, 'Hi.' Kendrick, my name is Dr. Akilah Cadet. I think you're going to like my book. And I showed it to you on my phone. And then you stood up. You're like, tell me — like a book. And we had a chat and I was like, I would love to be in conversation with you. My book just came out, blah, blah, blah. And you're like, no, it sounds great. And then we exchange info so I can get the team info. And I was like, okay, cool, great. Do you want to audiobook or do you want a physical book?
Kendrick Sampson: You're like, I want a physical book.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: And I said, okay, cool, I'm going to go get the book and I'll just be right back. And you're like, no, no, no, I'll come with you. And I was like, no, you have to do this, so I will just bring it to you. But now I'm realizing that you probably wanted to break free.
Kendrick Sampson: I had to leave. Did you? I was like, we were walking out at the same time. I'm ready to go. Excuse me. But also all those women. That is a little deceptive. All those women around me were also like great people. Incredible. Yeah, yeah. No, you were just popular. But the incredible leaders who I wanted to connect with and collaborate with, and so it was work. And at the same time I was like. I got to go, I got to get. Yeah. So I'm like. I got a flight.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: I was like, I wanted to go as well. So, and we connected more than just the book. It was quite a few points and, and yeah. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. So then we talked about the book. I signed a little copy for you.
Kendrick Sampson: I don't remember what I said, but I'm sure it was profound.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: It was so profound. Yeah, I know you think about it all the time. I remember it everyday. Words mean so much.
Kendrick Sampson: Yeah. And then, we had our first meeting on February 29th, 2024. And I will always remember that because it's the leap year.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: So. Yeah. Good observation. So I, I was meeting with the executive director of the time and like my team and your team were on a call. And then they're like, you know, Kendrick is really busy. So we don't know if he's going to join. I'm like, that's fine, because we're just trying to figure out when to do this conversation. And then like ten minutes and you popped in and I was like, oh, hey. So we talked about some things and I was like, cool, I'll be in L.A.. I was in Texas. I was in Austin at the time when we met for the book tour, and I was like, I'll be in LA for the weekend. He's like, oh, cool, we should get together. Text me. And I said, Kendrick, I don't have your number. And then you gave me your number. And then I didn't know I was going to see you or not, but you sent me pages that night for a project you were writing. And I read those pages. And then we had we had oysters.
Kendrick Sampson: And as a vegetarian, I don't really eat oysters, but now I do. I eat oysters. Today we had branzino. You could do a whole diet, but my, my. Yeah, my. Yeah. I mean, you already know. I've already talked a bit about this, that obviously, food is a huge part of my life. I mean, my God. My dad and my mom can cook their asses off. Just like. Oh, I didn't realize how spoiled I was with food and that that that isn't, it wasn't extravagant. It wasn't like, you know, rich people. I mean, listen, when we went out on Fridays or whatever. We got our treat for the week. It was probably Burger King. Timmy Chans in Houston, people go. To be like. Frenchy's. You know, things like that.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: The Frenchy's yes.
Kendrick Sampson: But, but my family's food was always like top tier. And my mom grew up in Port Arthur on the port. And my, my grandpa worked on the docks. And there was always. It was always seafood. I mean, my mom loves seafood. So it's like in me. It is. And in the past few years, I've always eaten oysters growing up but not raw.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Oh, okay.
Kendrick Sampson: And I didn't start raw oysters till like 2020-21. And now. And so I'm like. I don't know, it was new. It's a new recent obsession. Yeah. And so I was like, 'We gotta get oysters!' But also you know, my two passions. Right. So I got this food right. And then storytelling. Right. So of course, since you, you know, this project that I'm working on — because you've done the incredible work of putting together this book and, and going through the process, which we both talked about how frustrating. Frustrating. That can be. Absolutely. How terrible and traumatic and, and how much work it is putting a book together. I'm not going to say it's always terrible and traumatic for anybody, but I'm just saying how terrible and traumatic it can be and the things that we have gone through. Yeah. And yeah, working on that has been a, task, you know, a whole lot of work, but also some of the most, I think transformative and, powerful work that I've done in, like, exploring the values of the people that we work with, you know, the movement for our freedom, the movement for sexual liberation, for Black radical liberation, abolition and, like, what those things mean. Yeah. And like, why I've been drawn to them, and what we need to do, how — with the practical way of moving forward with those values are in these days, especially when every day is a mind fuck.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Okay, in 2025.
Kendrick Sampson: Okay, in 2025. I mean, you know, just having Donald and Co in offices. It adds. It adds a bit much to the day, right?
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Evil people doing evil things.
Kendrick Sampson: Evil people doing evil things, yeah. And it's — it's a level of — for people like us, it's a level of, exhaustion I've never felt before because, you know, even even the first time with Donald in office, you know, like, you knew there's going to be some fuck shit, but they didn't really know what they are doing. This time around they absolutely do know what they're doing. And it's having a profound impact on obviously BIPOC people, Black, Indigenous, People of Color, disabled folks, the LGBTQ+ community, anyone who is an hourly worker, you know, anyone who may be viewed as low income, anyone who has health care. And the list goes on and on and on.
ACTIVISM & ABILITY TO TURN IT OFF
Dr. Akilah Cadet: And so with all that stuff that happens, how are you able to decide when you want to be that activist and abolitionist? You know, like, are you taking breaks and you're like, okay, you're about to get this carousel of, of information. Can you turn it off at all?
Kendrick Sampson: No. I think my... The way that I am programmed, I've always been, you know, whether it's ethnic, you know, race, gender, you know, any — anything that, you know, health, wellness, mental health. I've always been at these strange intersections that make me question what. When two things don't add up, when they don't quite line up, why they don't. Right. And, you know, I've always felt like a misfit, so I liked corralling the misfit. I, like, convene them together, getting together, be like, okay, let's be misfits. This our home, you know, they don't want us to have their own. We make our own, you know? And it's going to be better than theirs. Yeah. And, you know, making sure that whatever advantages I find, whatever power I find that I show the other folks that are going through the same thing as me, that have the same questions and don't line up, you know, with life and the way people operate culture in the way that other people think they should. I'm like, these are the secrets that I found. You share your secrets with me. I'll share my secrets with you. We'll gonna be with all the power together, you know what I'm saying? Yeah. And, and that is down to, like, it's just like, if the two things don't add up, you leave a broken necklace or something on my my desk, you know, on accident. I'm be obsessively figuring that thing out. So it's not as much that I have to think about activism. As much as I'm constantly assessing. I'm constantly looking at different situations, people, conversations and being like, some don't add up here and I have to figure it out. And the more I build the people around me, culture around me, you know, and they build me up with those same — that same intention of solving those problems or connecting the dots and, and, you know, making us healthier. And, that drives me. You know, same thing in storytelling. It's literally the same thing. Like what? Don't add up here. And how do we connect it? We need to get from point A to point B. That's the story, right? You point A to point B and that's a long journey up to B. And how do we get there? Figuring out that journey is what interests me and and what I feel like my purpose in life is, figuring out who I am in these intersections at the center of all the, the these, meeting points that don't add up and and why I don't fit in and figuring out who else don't feel like they fit in. I might be targeted by this or other things and how we can be better at it and, you know, help each other out and and thrive and, you know. Feel good. Okay. Be celebrated. Make the world a better place. Yeah. Transform the shit, you know? Yeah. Our energy transforms whatever energy we — I mean, whatever situation we enter.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Yeah. Yeah. No, I mean, you — you really do a great job of, not being an ally, but being an accomplice. Like you're the one who's going to say, like, you know, because allyship allows for comfort, you know, when you want to show up and how you want to show up for someone, but you're like, no, I ride for everyone. So if you're a person who is historically excluded or oppressed, whether you have points of intersectionality or shared with them or not, you know, you have an opportunity to be an accomplice for them, which I think is, powerful and great and another part of storytelling too, right? To help people learn and unlearn.
MENTAL HEALTH
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Another thing you're really wonderful at is talking about mental health, which is great. Yeah. You know that I live with a major depressive disorder because I live in chronic pain disability, and I dismantle white supremacy. So it's a fun combo platter there. Why is it important to you to talk publicly about mental health? Because you can't have any problems because you're an actor and Hollywood. And, you know.
Kendrick Sampson: That would be the argument for why we have problems. But yeah, no I — I definitely I like that word accomplice you know. Comrade. You know. Yeah. Right. We in the trenches together. Exactly. Let's get the best way to get through it. If we both have some insight. If we both have some skills. If we both have some fight in us. If we both have the power to build. You know, if we do it together, we're more likely to get to where we want to go, right? If we got the same goal. So I, I'm definitely like yeah, I'm not like let's just get in here and figure it out. I'm like, we got a plan. Let's do it together. I feel like we got some things. Whatever you afraid to use? I might be afraid to use it too. We going to get over that fear real quick. You know what I'm saying? We're gonna to use whatever we got to do what we need. And, my family has dealt with so many health issues. People don't really think a lot about. They think about their health in different ways. My dad was like obsessed, you know, and and like I say, he grew up in the country, country, orphaned like in segregation. You know, he had to teach himself a lot of, you know, what plants were healthy. What makes you — what he is has healing, you know, abilities. What is going to make you worse, less healthy, weaker, whatever. Without going to culinary school, without going, you know. And, and I know that a lot of people think about that physical health, but but my dad had heart issues with severe, you know, so many health issues. But what I, what I really noticed more than anything was, you know, people like my brother who had, you know, go through different misdiagnoses, you know, wrong diagnoses, bipolar. There's, there's so there were so many, taboo thoughts around if your brain doesn't work like everybody else's. And I knew mine didn't. I knew it was so clear when I went into certain situations that my brain moves slower than everybody. Sometimes I felt — I felt like that was something that held me back in a challenge. And other times it was a huge advantage where everybody else is going a mile a minute, I'm over here like, I ain't got no higher speed. So I'm a process things at my speed. And, I didn't ever think that that was an evil thing or something that showed that somebody was worse or, not worse than other people are, not good. It was just a different way of being. Yeah. And my mom was, went to school, even though she didn't. This was not her career. She went to school for counseling. And so I had a early, introduction to, like, mental health. He had to go through. One of my brothers, had to go through, several programs and, go to hospital and, and I saw how different people thought extremely different about that process and what that means and what getting people to think about their, their brain and how they think and how they improve that and how people how people didn't didn't make that a high priority. They didn't think it was important. Or they thought it was evil or they, you know, the church was painting it as something that was, you know, made you further away from God. Right. Or. Whatever it was, or a punishment or something like that. And not that, that was bullshit. Yeah. And I was like, you're not about to tell me that my brain work differently, so I'm wrong. You know, you know, I'm I'm slower. My brain works slower than everybody else, so I must be evil. And I wanted to make sure other people considered those same things. And, you know, at the end of the day, I know the more, the better we think, the healthier our brain is, the more likely we are to make great decisions, good decisions that are healthy for each other. And the less healthy our brain is, the more likely we are to make decisions that are less healthy. So I have a passion, a huge passion for making sure people, people factor that in. And just to be real, everything that this country America has done to Black people in the history of this country, has made us, has targeted us and made us, less healthy or given us more obstacles, and been more traumatic, evil, and tried to make us think that we were less than. Yeah. And there's, process we have to go through as Black people to get that shit out of our mind. To disregard it, to to recognize that that is the evil thing. Even the way they manipulated Christianity and spirituality and, and religion to say that, to justify that we are less than we are, that we are evil or we are, some sort of negative thing. And I'm like, I mean. There's nothing less appealing than, no color. So I was like, so that can't be right. You know what I'm saying? It can't be right. And so, you know, I do think that is one of the key, consideration strategies to get us to be freer, to get us to be more powerful, to stand in our power to help each other and to understand the importance of helping each other and how we exist together, and how important it is that each of us plays a role in, in that.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: What you're talking about is really reconnecting, getting back to or still moving forward in, humanity. And remembering that. I think that's why BLD PWR is so great, because you purposefully have pillars that get into sexual liberation, to community and activism, mental health. Like it's a holistic approach to remind folks that it's more than one way. Like sexual liberation is still an act of resistance, particularly for Black/Brown people, right, or for trans folks like, you know, and it shouldn't have to be that way. And 2025, 2026. We shouldn't have to have those conversations. But, you know, here we are. Just living and being who you are can still be something that is radical.
Kendrick Sampson: Yeah.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: You know, like rest for Black women is radical. You know, for me to say I need help is radical. You know, like all of these things. Because as a Black woman this was supposed to take care of everyone, but we — we told y'all.
Kendrick Sampson: No one listened. Yeah. We have. I mean, you did.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: We helped you already. Right. We fulfilled her. Right? We we fulfilled her. Right? We done. And we're here.
STORYTELLING & ACTING — FRIENDS AND LOVERS, QUINCY JONES
Dr. Akilah Cadet: So I think another thing that you actually do for humanity, is that you have these really great ways of being on film and on screen, to talk about, like, you know, Nathan and bipolar for, you know, Insecure. And any other — your — you had, and to quote thespian Lil Jon, Lovers and Friends.
Kendrick Sampson: Ahh? Yeah. So that's like your newest thing.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Oh, Friends and Lovers.
Kendrick Sampson: Friends and Lovers, Friends and Lovers.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Oh, I was about to say. I was like, Lil Jon, the thespian?
Kendrick Sampson: Ha ha. Like, what did I do? Yeah the thespian. I'm like, was he in that movie?
Dr. Akilah Cadet: So you just had that come out. Which is pretty cool.
Kendrick Sampson: Yeah, Friends and Lovers. Directed by D'Angela Proctor. And written by Aireka Muse, which is, you know, your first, you have an important connection with Aireka, and then my twin sister's bestie, which I think is just really cool to see all that come together. And then, like, I heard that, like, you're playing Quincy Jones for a movie.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Okay. Great. Congrats on that. How does it feel to play a legend?
Kendrick Sampson: Yeah. I mean. I think that you know at the essence of what we do at BLD PWR, as you were talking about, you know, with mental health, sexual health, liberation, reproductive rights, state violence, labor rights, whatever it is at the, at the center of anything that we do is storytelling. And realizing and in the same way that I'm saying, you know, white people, we talk about white supremacy. We we like to call it — go to Sonya Renee Taylor. White delusion. We like, is white delusion has had such, unhealthy, detrimental, traumatic, evil impact on our how we think of ourselves, with the history of America. And like you said, queerness or being a woman or like, how degrading, how much we have been taught it is something that makes us unworthy of rights. Yeah. Of health, of wellness. Good. And, and I think it's so important to, as we're looking at Hollywood in the entertainment business, film making, television, social media, content creators and things to understand the importance of story. Because Hollywood's made us think, you know, that storytelling is like an art, is like a pastime. It's a extracurricular activity or something you get extra credit for. But it's actually at the center of power building. It's at the center of community building. It's at the center of us understanding the story of why we're here, why are we belong to each other, why we're family, whatever it is. And we talk about our ancestors and folks a lot, which, you know, Quincy Jones is a recent ancestor. But he is connected to so many important stories and not in even thinking about. Stories we know. And so we don't even know. He's into stories we don't know. Stories that have transformed our — the way that we think of ourselves. So we totally thinking about The Wiz, and when The Wiz came out. And what's possible, thinking about what was possible. And how big it was, and how beautiful it was, and how expressive it was. You know what I'm saying? And and even thinking about Thriller. And how Thriller specifically was a transformative thing in filmmaking and music. And I, you know, I was obsessed with Quincy Jones for several reasons, but a lot of it was his composite, his composing. And I was obsessed with jazz as a kid. So I came up from a different angle. And then my dad was like, you know, he, you know, in the 90s, he's like, you ain't — Q's Jook Joint, and you don't know, you know. Oh my god, but people, if they don't know. You, they don't know about Q's Jook Joint — to the youth, to the youth. Listen, take some time and listen to that album. Tevin Campbell also on that too, which is like incredible in so many ways. But. So many. Brandy. Tamia. Yeah, but I, I got to meet him, you know. I didn't get to have a whole — I didn't even have the script on the first day of the job for the Michael biopic and playing Quincy Jones. But I got to it — how I got in there and what I got to do, made is so, is so it shows so much of what we were talking about — values and, and building this up together. Leigh Jonte, you know what I'm saying? Hit me like, hey, you in town? You think you could play this because somebody said they don't know who you are? And I'm about to make sure they know who you is. I'm going in there on FaceTime. You know what I'm saying? She was like, I think you could play this. And having people that understand and believe in you like that, even where you might not even believe in yourself, you know what I'm saying? And and like I said, the first day I didn't I still didn't have the script, so I didn't have the time. It was such a fast process, and it was right after the strikes. I didn't have time to really dig into it. But God, right?
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Yeah. Hallelujah.
Kendrick Sampson: Wont he do it. I went to a Grammy party a couple years before that and sat in the corner. I'm notorious for sitting in the corner at these events because I'm country.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Yeah.
Kendrick Sampson: I want to find my little food and be in my little corner and talk to whoever come across my path if I run into him. If I don't, I ain't gonna talk to nobody.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: You're selectively social. You're selectively social. You talk to the people you like.
Kendrick Sampson: So I went in the corner. And I head out there and Quincy found the corner. Quincy Jones found the corner, and I was sitting there like, oh my god, that is Quincy Jones. And these these people put this line, they started lining up, to talk to him. And he had security that was helping him. And this is at a Grammy party where, like, it's supposed to be exclusive. These are celebrities and executives and managers and lining up to be like, that's Quincy Jones, and I'm over here like, this man sitting next to me. And he grabbed me, told me all types of — we're talking about how many stories he represents. He would tell me, he would say things like, you know, oh, you know, the, you remember the Olympics in China? I produced that opening number. And I'll be like, what does that even mean? How do you produce that? Like, you know, I'm like. He was. Full of these stories. He's such an incredible storyteller. And thinking of the importance of that. That was in his even, you know, because God love me. I went to another event where he was there again, and he did the same thing both times. He grabbed me, sat me down. Every time I tried to get up, he would grab me, sit me right back down and be like, I ain't done talking to you, and with and talk to me for hours. So my preparation came long before I got the job, right?
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Yeah.
Kendrick Sampson: I got to sit there and soak up every single second, every story. You know, he said some things, you know. Yeah, well, we know that, but also to get like the mannerisms and the tone and the inflection. Yeah. And here's, here's what it was crazy a lot about it. He's a he's a Pisces, you know. You know as Pisces we be doing the thing. Alright. Exhausting. You know. It might it must mean something because a lot of his mannerisms, a lot of the way he carried himself, the laid back, chill, and, you know, is how people describe me. So a lot of anything that I had to play on was, was internal. It was like, I hope we are more similar than I think we are. 'Cause I ain't got time to study and prepare. Yeah, yeah. So that was a beautiful, beautiful thing and a chance to do what we, center at the core of our work, which is go back to the original story. Where is the truth? Where is, you know, who are our original storytellers? The griots, you know, the people, that hold the truth of who we are and that we need to honor. And I got to honor one of them. And, I pray he's proud because, you know, I got to book it before and shoot it before he passed. But he did pass.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Yeah, shortly after and I'm like.
Kendrick Sampson: Yeah. I was devastated. I was like, no! Helping he would see. But you had the other moment.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: That's much more valuable than seeing it. There is a — I do believe in the power of spirits and energy and connection. And they're y'all Pisces linked up. You know, so you can have that moment. And so. And it came right before this evil, evil —
Kendrick Sampson: Oh, yeah. Motherfucking chief. Evil pedophile and chief. Got into office with all these other evil motherfuckers, who want to and in Hollywood. Yeah. Have been attacking our stories, have been attacking. And that's down to libraries, education, propaganda — propaganda, DEI.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: The military.
Kendrick Sampson: Whatever it is.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Infusion, yup.
Kendrick Sampson: We have CRT. Critical Race Theory, yeah. They're coming after our academic institutions. So, so just like. And it's important to note this impacts the film industry — attacking DEI because film programing, and we talk a lot about this, film programing specific to women, to Black and Brown people. All of that is gone. And if it's still there, it has a different name. And so we're already in a film industry that limits the stories we have of ourselves, and we're going to see that again until we are able to get through this, I believe we will get through Donald and Co to get to the point where we can start to see our stories.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Yeah. Yeah.
Kendrick Sampson: So it was strategic at the time. Yeah. Yeah. For putting some power in me and making me feel like I, you know, I'm worthy of this fight, of this, of building, together and that life that we deserve. You know, I get to honor my people and move forward and use what those lessons from who they were and how they operated, to empower, the strategy moving forward.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: I think it's beautiful.
WHY DO YOU LIKE WORKING WITH ME?
Dr. Akilah Cadet: I need to know something also on record. On record. Are you ready?
Kendrick Sampson: Okay. I ain't got no Bible. I'm not putting my hand on it.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Why do you like working with me?
Kendrick Sampson: Why do I like working with you?
Dr. Akilah Cadet: We need us on record.
Kendrick Sampson: Oh. boy. I don't. I mean, I mean, there's general, obviously, I only, I mean I think, you know, by now, if I'm not enjoying working with somebody, it's going to last a very short period of time.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Yes, I'm very aware.
Kendrick Sampson: And, and I really do see that, you know, enjoyment isn't just like having fun, but it is how we build each other up. Even if it's frustrating. I can get through, you know what I'm saying? If I know that we have the intention to make each other better, and that's something that I know for since the first meeting, since because that's what I was saying. We connected further than just the book. It was the themes in the book. It was the work moving forward. What needs to happen in our own lives. Where, how we process reality. Whatever that is. Yeah. You know. But, you know, that is my favorite thing is understanding that at your core, you want to make everybody around you better. And even if that's taking time for yourself, it's kind of like that putting your, yeah, oxygen mask on first. But like, your intention is to do that so that you can move the work forward to make all of us better. And, and I know that you have my best intentions in mind.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: I do. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. Well thank you. I like that.
Kendrick Sampson: And of course, we, you know, relate, on the values of what we want to — how we want to transform the world and spaces that were in.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Yeah. Okay. Well, thank you for that. I think you're cool.
Kendrick Sampson: Thanks. That's it? No. Sorry. Let me put my sunglasses back on so I'm even cooler.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: No, no, no, we have, we have a lot of, we have a lot of synergy, which I really appreciate. So. And there's not a lot of us that are out there. So I'm glad we have each other.
Kendrick Sampson: Well, yeah.
POCKETS OF JOY
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Thanks for being a little source of joy for me, but what are you doing for pockets of joy?
Kendrick Sampson: Oh, in 2025? I'm breathing. I and the people who have come before me have been through some of the most evil, scary, stressful circumstances. And, if you read the comments on social media, you will always see Black folks talking about how unserious we are. And I think that's just one way of saying we could find humor in anything. Because we've been through so much, what we not going to do is lose our spirit and our soul, and that in — in the middle of some of the most traumatic experiences, we can step back and be like, you really gonna sit like that?
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Wade in water. Right. Exactly.
Kendrick Sampson: You're going to say it just like that? You know what I'm saying? We can find. So I've been finding my joy. One in the purpose of what I'm doing, because sometimes it's so frustrating and so stressful, but in the purpose of what I'm doing, and understand and what we're building towards, what the vision is, what a freer us looks like, what a more powerful us, you know, pleasurable existence looks like for us. But also I can — I can find a laugh at any time, in any circumstances, in the middle of the battlefield. I'll be over there like, man, that ladybug ain't had to look at me like that. You know, I'm gonna figure out some reason to laugh at something.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Which is good. You got to find, you got to find the joy. You know, where you can in this America. I do believe it will get better. But having the joy along the way makes sense. It's just good.
Kendrick Sampson: Well, I mean, I just want to remind you to. Just Keep Being Amazing as you already are.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: I would normally give you a T-shirt at this time, but you already have one, so I'm going to give it to you.
Kendrick Sampson: I do have your shirt. You support all the merch, which is good, I think.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: I greatly appreciate that. And I'm excited for what is to come for you to see this, you know, this big film that's coming out next year and a book and all these other things that you're doing. And I really appreciate you putting humanity, putting yourself first and humanity second, which does make the world a better place.
Kendrick Sampson: Hey. Listen. Thank you. That is the plan. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, if anybody want to come on down to BLD PWR. 'Cause we're out here. Yeah.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: So let folks know how to find BLD PWR. Find you.
Kendrick Sampson: Me? I'm Kendrick38. I'll be in the streets. You can find me, in the streets, in the theaters, you know, somewhere over there. No. But Kendrick38 is —
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Where the thirst traps are.
Kendrick Sampson: my handle. Yes. Sorry. Yes. Where people can learn. Yeah. And where the magic hour settles, and then BLD PWR is BLD PWR. You know, we do our best to build community. We have really fun events. We have good time, and we we get our knuckles, you know, ready. We have our, our tools, our partners, our organizational partners, our comrades. And we know that people teach us to be, what is it called? Bipartisan. And diplomat, diplomatic and compromising in certain ways when people really straight up attacking us and, and doing evil things. And we want to ground ourselves, and nothing but the truth to say, No, this is what it should be. And this is how we address this, and we ain't afraid, to do what we need to do by any means necessary to get things done. And make sure that we have the life that we deserve. So, you know, that's the work ahead.
Dr. Akilah Cadet: All right. Well, thank you so much. I appreciate it. Thanks, Boo.
OUTRO
Dr. Akilah Cadet: Big love and gratitude to our guests for showing up with truth, humor, and of course, humanity. If this conversation moved you, you got to like it. You got to share it. You have to talk about it, bring it into your circle, spaces and places because that's how change multiplies. You can catch more episodes wherever you get your podcasts and watch the full series produced by Ciel Media and me on the Ciel Media YouTube channel. Now what is that YouTube channel? What you need to subscribe to so you can get more of this. But until next time, stay curious. Find your joy and Keep Being Amazing.