00:00Months ago, before we all had to quarantine in our homes and before all the events on our
00:10calendar started to disappear, you and I had this weekend circled on our calendar. We were
00:16all planning to be in New Orleans. What I wouldn't give to be there with you right now.
00:20Hi, I'm Victor Terry, Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President of Public Affairs at State Farm.
00:27State Farm has been a proud sponsor of the Essence Festival of Culture, which we all
00:32know is a one-of-a-kind experience. It's like a family reunion, full of people you know very well
00:39and full of people that you're meeting for the first time, even though we act like we've known
00:44them all of our lives. And that's just on the flight to New Orleans and standing around a baggage claim.
00:49The Essence Festival is that way because we make it that way. The empowerment workshops,
00:55the food, the fellowship, and of course, the music. Essence is truly a celebration of Black excellence.
01:04And if there's ever been a time to celebrate Black excellence, this is that time. Even as we
01:11celebrate in our homes, we still have to have that sense of community and that sense of pride. But along
01:18with that sense of pride comes a responsibility and an obligation. We're living in a society today that
01:26we should not simply accept as it is. We have to continue to call out injustice, inequity, and racism
01:34where we see it. And at State Farm, we embrace that responsibility. We've always been committed to
01:41building safer and stronger communities. And we're committed to doing even more to help create a
01:47better society. I've been with State Farm for over 20 years, and I know firsthand how we help people
01:52recover from the unexpected and realize their dreams. Since 2017, State Farm has invested over $44 million
02:00in our Education Assist Program, which supports minority students in Atlanta, Georgia, and Phoenix,
02:07Arizona. We help them gain skills for long-term economic security for themselves, their family,
02:15and their community. Recently, we donated $1 million to the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund,
02:21and we have a long history of supporting organizations like the National Urban League,
02:26the 100 Black Men of America, and the National African American Women's Leadership Institute.
02:31And for our nearly 60,000 employees and 19,000 agents, we match their donations to nonprofits of
02:39their choosing up to $4,500 a year. Since the start of the pandemic, State Farm has provided about
02:47$15 million in grants and low-interest loans across the country. And since people are now driving less,
02:54we've returned over $2 billion of premium credits to our customers, and we're reducing rates by an average
03:00of 11 percent across the board. At State Farm, we proudly accept our role as a good neighbor.
03:08When life becomes uncertain, and when plans change, we often need to be reminded how important self-care
03:14is. And we tend to turn to things that give us comfort, and music is certainly one of those.
03:21Music touches us emotionally and in ways that words simply can't. Music has the power to unite,
03:29to bring us together, and State Farm is proud to have supported the Essence Festival and the artists
03:35who make it so special since 1995. Now, it is truly my pleasure to introduce our featured artist,
03:44Andra Day. Andra is a friend of State Farm. In 2016, we collaborated on the Artist Stories Program
03:52with iHeartRadio and our Neighborhood Sessions. We share her vision of social equity and community
03:59service. Please help me in welcoming an artist whose music can truly heal and build hope for us all.
04:06Andra, how are you today? I'm good. Thank you so much. Thanks for that introduction. Wow.
04:14I'm great. Happy to be here. Truly honored to be here.
04:17Good. I know you're excited about your performances even. Tell me a little bit about
04:23what you personally get out of performing for people.
04:25You know what? I personally get out of it. That's actually a really great question because
04:31that's kind of the way I look at a performance, right? It's not just like me
04:36imparting something to an audience or me performing for them. It's an exchange, you know?
04:40Right. And so, you know, I get out of it. I feel their spirit. And I think, you know,
04:46everything that they go through and when we connect it, it just, it feeds me. I think it also,
04:50there's a relatability there. You know, you just, you see a bunch of faces in the audience that have
04:55probably experienced similar things and have overcome similar things. And so it's, I don't know,
05:02it's, it's just a mutually just nourishing experience. And so, you know, it's, it's challenging
05:09though, in the midst of the quarantine, trying to perform through a computer when you don't, like,
05:15when I'm not feeling as much, you know, the energy of every single person in the audience. But,
05:21you know, it's still amazing to be able to do it and make it work.
05:24Well, it's, it's our honor to get to watch you perform tonight. And we're really looking forward to it.
05:32Andrew, I know you have a charitable fund that is offering to help those most in need during
05:38this pandemic. You mentioned the quarantine. Why don't you tell us a little bit more about that?
05:44Yeah. So it's hashtag I give directly. And I really was just, I think when everything hit,
05:50I was just in prayer pretty heavy about what was going on. And, and I remember the people that came
05:55to mind, right. I was thinking about kids who, you know, at school, their only meal is at school,
06:01you know, or people who are kind of trapped at home with their abusers or people who can't work. And,
06:06you know, having to choose between, you know, should I stay living in this space or could I
06:11feed my family? That's a really, you know, heavy place to be. And I've been for, I know what that's
06:15like, you know? And so I think during this time, I was just trying to think, all right, what's the
06:20best way that I can help? You know, like, cause everybody was like, rise up is trending again. I'm like,
06:25yeah, but that's fine. Like let the song do what it does. You know what I mean? So I'm like,
06:29what are we actually going to do to make a difference? And so I charged my manager to
06:34find me an organization, you know, that we could team up with, that we could give to,
06:37and that we could work with and bring awareness. And he found this organization, GiveDirectly.
06:42And I love them. I read about them. I love them. We all agreed. We love them. We want to work with them.
06:47And, and so I released a song called Make Your Troubles Go Away. And every dime that I make from
06:54the song goes to GiveDirectly. And their goal right now is to get at least a thousand dollars
07:00into the hands of a hundred thousand families and more, you know? And so raising a hundred million
07:05dollars and we're doing it and they're doing it. And what I like most about them is that, you know,
07:12I think when it comes to people needing money and needing provision right now, there's so much
07:16about tape and there's so much about the process that's so undignified, if that makes sense. You
07:23know, you have to prove to me this, show this, show me where you can to show me. And to me,
07:28when I think about giving, I just think about giving the idea of having to control what you give
07:33to people is a very, it's very much, forgive me for not having a better way to say it's a very
07:38colonizer mentality. And so I love that they just give people, they say, no, we trust you.
07:44You do what you need to do. We'll give you the dignity to decide what you need to do with this
07:48money, have the autonomy over how you spend. And the data shows that most of the time when you give
07:53that to people, they spend it on things that, you know, they need. And so I think I love that it sort
07:59of creates that, you know, it gives them that dignity to do that. And so what I really liked about
08:05the organization. Yeah, I've read similar studies that suggest the same thing. People in need,
08:12they are best positioned to know what their needs are and how to execute on what their needs are based
08:20on, you know, the resources that have been given to them. So, Andrew, we applaud you for your efforts.
08:26And we want to further assist. So on behalf of State Farm, I want you to know of our donation of
08:35$10,000 to iGive directly. Oh, that's okay. Great. Oh my gosh. That's amazing.
08:43Thank you guys. Oh my God. I love State Farm. I could kiss the screen.
08:47You are welcome, Andrew. And we appreciate you so much. And we thank you for all that you do
08:56and how you show up and act as a good neighbor every day. We're excited to see and hear you
09:03perform tonight. So I will gladly turn the stage over to you. Perfect. Thank you very much. And I
09:09will gladly sing Rise Up and Make Your Troubles Go Away for you guys. Thank you so much, though. Oh,
09:15wow. That is good. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
09:17You are broken down and tired of living life on a merry-go-round. And you are...
09:33You can't find a fire hurt, but I see it in your side. We gonna walk it out and...
09:41Ooh, mountains. We gonna walk it out and... Ooh, mountains. And I'll rise up. Rise like the day. I'll rise up.
10:05In spite of the ache I rise up. And I do it a thousand times again.
10:16A fire, you, you, oh, you... A fire you...
10:26You go...
10:31And when the silence isn't quiet
10:39And it feels like it's getting so hard to breathe
10:44And I know you feel like dying
10:48Promise we'll take the world to its feet
10:54Ooh, mountains, oh, bring it to its feet
11:03And ooh, and I rise up, rise like the day
11:16I rise up, spot of the ache
11:20I rise up, and I'll do it a thousand times again
11:28Oh, for you
11:33For you
11:38For you, God
11:42For you
11:48All we need, all we need is hope
11:56And for that we have each other
12:00And for that we have each other
12:04And we will rise, we will rise
12:11We'll rise, oh, rise
12:23I will rise up, highlight the waves
12:28I'll rise up, spot of the ache
12:35I will rise a thousand times again
12:42I rise up, highlight the waves
12:46I rise up, in spite of the ache
12:53I will rise a thousand times again
12:59You, you, I will rise for you
13:29Mmm, waste now
13:47Oh, now, does that work in time?
13:55Cause I want more of you
14:05Even when I'm at your side
14:10I wish I could take your pain
14:16But I can't help you stand
14:19I try to bring a soothing breath
14:24To every song and dance
14:28But staying out all night
14:31Won't make your troubles go away
14:35Crying, starting a fight
14:38Won't make your troubles go away
14:42You'll be looking for the quick things
14:47And it's leaving you helpless
14:51But I will give you all of me
14:54To make your troubles go away
15:01Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
15:06You have so much
15:22But nothing all the same
15:28My heart and my life are what I have to offer
15:36I'll even kiss them to the sky
15:40Until you all hand them over
15:44Staying out all night will make your troubles go away
15:51Crying, starting a fight will make your troubles go away
15:59You've been looking for the quick fix
16:03And it's leaving you helpless
16:07But I will give you all of me to make your troubles go
16:16You don't have to hide from me
16:20I've seen the gruesome scenery
16:24I still have my hands out
16:28I'll only give you everything
16:32Cause staying out all night will make your troubles go away
16:40Crying, starting a fight will make your troubles go away
16:46You've been looking for the quick fix
16:50And it's leaving you well-placed
16:54But I still give you all of me to make your troubles go away
17:00Troubles go away
17:02Troubles go away
17:04Troubles go away
17:06Troubles go away
17:08To make your troubles go away
17:12Ooh
17:20Ooh
17:22Ooh
17:24Ooh
17:26Ooh
Comments