Breaking Cycles and Building Legacies: An Inspiring Discussion

WEBVTT

00:00:00.017 --> 00:00:03.077
Good afternoon and welcome to another episode of The Kickback.

00:00:03.257 --> 00:00:07.697
As I do every episode, I like to leave this disclaimer that says,

00:00:07.837 --> 00:00:11.637
if you're going to be racist, we do not want you on our platform whatsoever.

00:00:11.937 --> 00:00:14.977
So if you've got a racist bone in your body, please, please,

00:00:15.157 --> 00:00:15.937
please keep it to yourself.

00:00:16.437 --> 00:00:23.717
We don't want it here at The Kickback. So if that's your intentions is to be racist,

00:00:24.017 --> 00:00:27.457
please stay away from this Tonight is Topic

00:00:27.457 --> 00:00:32.317
Tuesday and as of every Tuesday We always have some ordinary people that are

00:00:32.317 --> 00:00:36.897
doing some extraordinary things in the building Tonight we have the honor of

00:00:36.897 --> 00:00:42.957
having two extraordinary gentlemen in the building That does two ordinary gentlemen

00:00:42.957 --> 00:00:47.017
that do extraordinary things Dave, how are you doing, my brother?

00:00:47.017 --> 00:00:49.717
We are doing wonderful my brother how was

00:00:49.717 --> 00:00:53.117
your day today man as per usual

00:00:53.117 --> 00:00:58.977
it was wonderful i just wish that the hawk would go south for the winter right

00:00:58.977 --> 00:01:05.297
right right right right right i wish but i just heard on the news that the south

00:01:05.297 --> 00:01:12.057
is about to get a snowstorm and it's a possibility that Florida may be getting snow.

00:01:12.717 --> 00:01:14.217
It's not a possibility.

00:01:15.157 --> 00:01:19.977
Pensacola got six inches right now. There's a spot in Louisiana.

00:01:20.177 --> 00:01:22.037
Lafayette, Louisiana's got 10 inches.

00:01:22.917 --> 00:01:24.197
Houston's got snow.

00:01:25.137 --> 00:01:32.837
New Orleans is covered with snow. Biloxi's got snow. I mean, the Gulf Coast is white.

00:01:33.917 --> 00:01:38.237
Man, what's going on with this world?

00:01:38.757 --> 00:01:41.597
God is in control Yes, yes,

00:01:42.277 --> 00:01:48.997
Totally, I totally agree that God is in control But you know When was the last time Louisiana,

00:01:49.677 --> 00:01:55.277
When was the last time I-10 Let's call it I-10 When was the last time I-10,

00:01:55.877 --> 00:02:00.277
Below, we're going to call it the deep south I-10 When was the last time they

00:02:00.277 --> 00:02:04.897
had snow Yeah, it's been a long time Probably the last time they prayed.

00:02:08.937 --> 00:02:12.697
He said probably since the last time they prayed hey

00:02:12.697 --> 00:02:15.657
hey that's pretty funny

00:02:15.657 --> 00:02:20.017
man but how have you been man it's

00:02:20.017 --> 00:02:22.937
been all gravy over here staying warm trying not to

00:02:22.937 --> 00:02:26.257
spend too too much time outside the inclement

00:02:26.257 --> 00:02:32.997
weather hey i understand you know my job hey i am i get out in it early in the

00:02:32.997 --> 00:02:39.937
mornings and then I'm on the bus for about four hours and then I am I'm driving

00:02:39.937 --> 00:02:44.057
for about an hour and a half and and keep my bus pretty warm.

00:02:44.257 --> 00:02:47.717
Gentlemen how are you all doing this afternoon and welcome to the kickback.

00:02:48.930 --> 00:02:54.570
Yes, sir. Hey, how y'all doing? We're doing wonderful, wonderful.

00:02:55.350 --> 00:03:01.190
OK, so we have two wonderful guests in the building tonight.

00:03:01.850 --> 00:03:06.310
This is a two for one. And I'm thankful to have both of these brothers here

00:03:06.310 --> 00:03:08.430
as we like to do all the time.

00:03:08.650 --> 00:03:10.710
Welcome, everyone, to the kickback.

00:03:11.250 --> 00:03:15.270
I usually tell all my guests this at the beginning. I said, it's like a mullet.

00:03:15.370 --> 00:03:19.110
We're going to get the business out of front and then we're going to have fun in the back.

00:03:19.210 --> 00:03:23.030
And what I mean by that is I like to ask my guests a series of questions about

00:03:23.030 --> 00:03:24.850
their life and different things like that.

00:03:24.970 --> 00:03:29.590
Nothing too personal, but we're going to dive into your life because this is

00:03:29.590 --> 00:03:34.770
a place of transparency and vulnerability when it comes to the space of men.

00:03:34.890 --> 00:03:40.550
And I always tell my audience that we are here interviewing ordinary men doing

00:03:40.550 --> 00:03:42.210
extraordinary things in their lives.

00:03:42.210 --> 00:03:46.250
And both of you brothers are doing some extraordinary thing,

00:03:46.390 --> 00:03:51.370
have done and are doing some extraordinary things in your life because it takes

00:03:51.370 --> 00:03:56.170
a lot to be in the positions that you all are in in this world and understand

00:03:56.170 --> 00:04:00.210
the anointing that God has put on you all's life.

00:04:00.810 --> 00:04:02.350
Good sir. Yes, sir.

00:04:03.210 --> 00:04:11.530
All righty. So let's start here with what I like to do is I like to get my guests

00:04:11.530 --> 00:04:16.550
to tell the audience about themselves, tell them who you are,

00:04:16.710 --> 00:04:19.470
where you from, where you grew up,

00:04:19.730 --> 00:04:25.170
what your business is, meaning your occupation and whatever other things you

00:04:25.170 --> 00:04:28.810
have going on, whether it's a business, a nonprofit,

00:04:29.550 --> 00:04:31.270
a for profit, whatever it is.

00:04:31.270 --> 00:04:37.210
I know I said the same thing twice, but whatever it is that you do in this world

00:04:37.210 --> 00:04:40.010
to make you an extraordinary person.

00:04:40.170 --> 00:04:45.270
And let's go with Mr. Morrell.

00:04:46.086 --> 00:04:50.046
Yes, sir. How are you doing today? I'm doing fine. I am the dude,

00:04:50.266 --> 00:04:51.266
the host of the kickback.

00:04:51.866 --> 00:04:54.506
Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Well, first of all, I just thank you for the opportunities

00:04:54.506 --> 00:04:58.646
to be on your podcast, just to come out and give me advice and express myself,

00:04:58.686 --> 00:04:59.706
and I pretty appreciate that.

00:04:59.826 --> 00:05:04.226
So I'm Tony Morrell, born and raised right here in Nashville, Tennessee.

00:05:04.726 --> 00:05:11.646
I grew up on the east side, out east. I'm 46. I graduated from Stratford High School in 1996.

00:05:12.786 --> 00:05:16.186
What I do for a living, which I love, I love helping community.

00:05:16.346 --> 00:05:20.566
I love doing things for people. I am a firefighter. I work for the Nashville Fire Department.

00:05:21.166 --> 00:05:25.786
I've been with the Nashville Fire Department for 20 years, a little bit over

00:05:25.786 --> 00:05:29.166
20 years. I've been a captain for the Nashville Fire Department for the last

00:05:29.166 --> 00:05:31.866
five years, and I love what I do.

00:05:32.086 --> 00:05:35.486
A lot of people ask me why I chose to be a firefighter.

00:05:35.766 --> 00:05:39.746
The reason I'm a firefighter, I didn't necessarily want to be a firefighter,

00:05:39.746 --> 00:05:44.706
I was kind of lost in my own journey of what we call life.

00:05:44.986 --> 00:05:49.486
My dad was on the fire department, so I had the chance to actually get on the fire department.

00:05:49.646 --> 00:05:54.066
So when I did, I just did that truly honest just to kind of make ends meet,

00:05:54.166 --> 00:05:55.466
to make money, because I had two

00:05:55.466 --> 00:05:58.606
young kids trying to do, trying to be a father to take care of my kids.

00:05:58.726 --> 00:06:02.466
But when I got on the fire department, I fell in love with it. I loved it.

00:06:02.786 --> 00:06:06.246
Been with the fire department ever since. There's some really,

00:06:06.326 --> 00:06:07.906
really good people that work for the fire department.

00:06:08.486 --> 00:06:12.746
I've learned a lot. But the most important thing to me when people say,

00:06:13.026 --> 00:06:15.846
you know, why do you like being a firefighter? What do you get out being a firefighter?

00:06:15.946 --> 00:06:21.606
And I always answer this, the job, it humbles, it humbles me because I get to

00:06:21.606 --> 00:06:26.286
see people, I have to see people at their worst. And it lets me know how blessed

00:06:26.286 --> 00:06:28.186
and truly, truly blessed that I am.

00:06:28.306 --> 00:06:31.586
So I love helping out the community and being a firefighter.

00:06:32.321 --> 00:06:37.741
Wonderful, wonderful. And, you know, you get to see people at their best and their worst.

00:06:38.101 --> 00:06:42.681
In some instances, you get to see people at their best and their worst.

00:06:42.981 --> 00:06:48.461
So, yeah, it is very humbling to understand that that what God is giving you

00:06:48.461 --> 00:06:53.841
or what he's, you know, you know, put in your hands is precious.

00:06:53.841 --> 00:06:56.601
Is precious you know whether

00:06:56.601 --> 00:06:59.961
it be your kids your wife or whatever it may be your

00:06:59.961 --> 00:07:03.301
life is precious and sometimes people make

00:07:03.301 --> 00:07:09.461
mistakes or do things to put themselves in positions where they're not treating

00:07:09.461 --> 00:07:13.761
themselves precious or the people around them precious and so that's when you

00:07:13.761 --> 00:07:17.841
see them you see them when they've you know done something to themselves or

00:07:17.841 --> 00:07:22.301
not being safe or it could have just been an accident. Yes, sir.

00:07:23.061 --> 00:07:26.781
So, you know, thank you. My hats off to you. Thank you.

00:07:26.961 --> 00:07:31.761
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Because I know that that is a hard job mentally,

00:07:32.121 --> 00:07:35.141
physically and emotionally. That is a hard job.

00:07:35.301 --> 00:07:39.941
And and it takes a special kind of person to do that job. And we're not all

00:07:39.941 --> 00:07:44.041
cut out for that particular space in life.

00:07:44.501 --> 00:07:49.821
Yes, sir. Mr. Fox, come through and introduce Introduce yourself and tell us

00:07:49.821 --> 00:07:51.421
who you are and what you got going on.

00:07:52.301 --> 00:07:57.101
Yes, sir. My name is Antoine Fox. I was born and raised in East Nashville.

00:07:58.521 --> 00:08:02.521
Grew up going to the local elementary schools.

00:08:02.721 --> 00:08:07.021
I graduated from Maplewood High School in 95.

00:08:08.301 --> 00:08:10.201
I've been working since I was 16.

00:08:11.641 --> 00:08:17.961
I've learned a lot from working different jobs. I had some good jobs. I had some bad jobs.

00:08:20.132 --> 00:08:28.812
I grew up not having my father in my life you know so i had to navigate through life as a young man,

00:08:29.472 --> 00:08:36.692
dealing with stress and depression that's where i had to you know make that choice and,

00:08:37.332 --> 00:08:46.292
build that relationship with god and i have a a non-profit called breaking cycles foundation,

00:08:47.192 --> 00:08:52.392
Our mission is to help the inner-city community create the path to breaking

00:08:52.392 --> 00:08:55.952
generational or negative, everyday negative cycles.

00:08:56.952 --> 00:09:01.392
I have a business called Breaking Cycles Cleaning Services.

00:09:02.332 --> 00:09:08.232
Our mission is to specialize in detailed cleaning to separate ourselves from

00:09:08.232 --> 00:09:10.552
mediocre cleaning services.

00:09:13.472 --> 00:09:20.812
I like to say that you know i wouldn't be where i where i am now if it wasn't for,

00:09:22.192 --> 00:09:28.252
my heavenly father you know being the leader in my life showing me the way growing

00:09:28.252 --> 00:09:33.632
up as a young man i've been through trials and tribulations i'm not perfect

00:09:33.632 --> 00:09:36.952
i don't i'm i'm I'm not better than anybody else.

00:09:37.792 --> 00:09:44.332
But one thing I do have is confidence in myself and what I can do.

00:09:46.092 --> 00:09:52.252
That's because I had to have understanding with my relationship with God and

00:09:52.252 --> 00:10:00.452
for him to show me the right way and to break cycles in my own life.

00:10:02.272 --> 00:10:03.432
I'm grateful and thankful.

00:10:05.891 --> 00:10:14.391
For getting to know my siblings my brother tony we grew up on different sides gallatin road,

00:10:15.671 --> 00:10:21.991
we came to know each other in 2009 and that's where i found out about my other sibling.

00:10:24.611 --> 00:10:32.171
So i have uh it's not it's nine of us on my dad's side and i'm number seven

00:10:32.171 --> 00:10:36.951
and i'm just grateful man I'm grateful.

00:10:37.451 --> 00:10:44.231
I understand my purpose. My purpose is to help other people break generational cycles.

00:10:45.351 --> 00:10:51.051
And I love people. I know it's good and bad in everybody, but I just love people.

00:10:52.991 --> 00:11:00.991
You know, and I'm here to be a leader, be a mentor. I volunteer for the 413

00:11:00.991 --> 00:11:06.231
Strong program in which they help young men build structure in their lives.

00:11:07.311 --> 00:11:12.351
I also volunteer with another nonprofit called Book'em in which they provide

00:11:12.351 --> 00:11:18.771
books for Metro school kids, kids in the community.

00:11:19.731 --> 00:11:26.671
Go, I'm in my third year, school year of going, volunteering and going and reading

00:11:26.671 --> 00:11:30.651
to the kids and providing them book through book.

00:11:32.611 --> 00:11:35.431
Go ahead, my brother, go ahead, finish what you had to say.

00:11:36.411 --> 00:11:43.311
I plan on, you know, this year it's going to be better than last year because I plan on, you know,

00:11:44.211 --> 00:11:50.631
putting more consistency on everything that I do And that's what I'm volunteering

00:11:50.631 --> 00:11:55.271
in my personal life and in my business life.

00:11:56.191 --> 00:11:58.031
What I was going to say is this.

00:11:59.371 --> 00:12:02.131
On Friday, you know, we do a freestyle. If you guys don't know,

00:12:02.191 --> 00:12:06.611
on Fridays, we do a Freestyle Friday, which is we do an open conversation with gentlemen.

00:12:06.611 --> 00:12:11.971
It's a two hour of live show where you can come in and we talk about different

00:12:11.971 --> 00:12:16.611
topics. And the topic that I'm going to present to the panel this Friday is

00:12:16.611 --> 00:12:19.651
Black Family Secrets. Let me tell you something about you guys.

00:12:19.871 --> 00:12:24.231
We are we are basically all brothers in some form of fashion.

00:12:24.491 --> 00:12:28.131
And what I let me explain to you what I mean by that. I am.

00:12:28.351 --> 00:12:33.891
Y'all. Y'all was we we all we probably seen each other and knew each other in

00:12:33.891 --> 00:12:38.431
some form of fashion because I grew. I came out of Maplewood in 97.

00:12:38.871 --> 00:12:48.051
My first address was 533 South 7th Street. Then we moved to my high school address was 710 Lishy Avenue.

00:12:49.003 --> 00:12:52.983
Oh, yeah, definitely. You understand what I'm saying? We definitely was in the

00:12:52.983 --> 00:12:57.203
same room, same vicinity, same area at some point in time. At some point in time.

00:12:57.423 --> 00:13:01.203
And here's the thing that makes us brothers. The story that I just heard from

00:13:01.203 --> 00:13:04.683
you, gentlemen, is exactly just like my story.

00:13:04.923 --> 00:13:10.783
My father had 15 or 16 children. I'm from Nashville, born and raised.

00:13:11.243 --> 00:13:14.903
Went to high school with my sister at Highland Heights. Didn't know she was

00:13:14.903 --> 00:13:18.503
my sister. Went to Maplewood with my brother and didn't know he was my brother.

00:13:20.523 --> 00:13:23.623
You understand what i'm saying so we basically y'all just

00:13:23.623 --> 00:13:26.383
told my story in the story that you all just

00:13:26.383 --> 00:13:29.523
told about you all's life but it

00:13:29.523 --> 00:13:32.343
all boils down to the black family secrets that's gonna

00:13:32.343 --> 00:13:35.063
be the show on fridays but right now we want to get it to you two

00:13:35.063 --> 00:13:37.863
gentlemen and just learn about who you are

00:13:37.863 --> 00:13:40.603
and and your stories and how you both got

00:13:40.603 --> 00:13:43.583
together so and i am i

00:13:43.583 --> 00:13:46.503
just turned 45 so that's why i said we're all we

00:13:46.503 --> 00:13:49.403
like you said mr morrow we've we've been in the same we've

00:13:49.403 --> 00:13:53.543
probably been to either east park mcverne i

00:13:53.543 --> 00:13:56.463
played at red shield for boogle bear

00:13:56.463 --> 00:13:59.383
i played football for boogle bear and red shield

00:13:59.383 --> 00:14:02.703
cleveland center cleveland center yeah

00:14:02.703 --> 00:14:06.903
i've been to all them places because that's why i love it you know what i'm

00:14:06.903 --> 00:14:14.803
saying so over here mr morrow says you are a marathon runner yeah I run marathons

00:14:14.803 --> 00:14:20.003
I probably started running probably about 11-12 years ago.

00:14:20.781 --> 00:14:24.221
So it was a guy on the fighter pump. He's a chief now. Chief Benny Gasson.

00:14:24.361 --> 00:14:28.561
He used to ask me to, he was running before me. So he asked me to run marathons.

00:14:29.221 --> 00:14:33.761
And I was like, man, I ain't run no marathon. That's crazy. Running all the miles like it.

00:14:34.201 --> 00:14:38.541
But, you know, just like everybody else, man, I went through some things in

00:14:38.541 --> 00:14:40.721
my life, man. I suffer from depression.

00:14:41.401 --> 00:14:47.241
You know, I didn't, just like most black men, you know, I didn't want to go to counseling.

00:14:47.421 --> 00:14:50.221
I definitely didn't want to take no medicine or anything. So I was struggling mentally.

00:14:50.781 --> 00:14:54.461
So I just after about four years of him asking me, I said, yeah,

00:14:54.561 --> 00:14:57.001
OK, man, I'm going to run a marathon with you.

00:14:57.121 --> 00:15:00.421
So, of course, I had to start training for the marathon. I started running.

00:15:00.681 --> 00:15:04.821
And man, after one or two times running, I just fell in love with it.

00:15:04.981 --> 00:15:09.641
Like it helped me so much mentally and gave me so much mental clarity,

00:15:09.941 --> 00:15:11.921
you know, helping me just deal with depression.

00:15:12.661 --> 00:15:17.721
I've been running ever since. So I was running by three marathons before COVID

00:15:17.721 --> 00:15:20.261
because I was running the one here in Nashville. I was going to Vegas,

00:15:20.401 --> 00:15:21.281
running the Vegas Marathon.

00:15:21.501 --> 00:15:23.901
I was going to Disney World, running the Disney World Marathon.

00:15:24.361 --> 00:15:27.381
Then COVID came, so all the marathon kind of got shut down, but,

00:15:27.381 --> 00:15:29.661
you know, they're back up. So I've just been running.

00:15:30.161 --> 00:15:34.221
So I do two or three marathons every year. So it just, I love it,

00:15:34.261 --> 00:15:35.261
man. It just helps me mentally.

00:15:35.461 --> 00:15:38.721
So I'm a marathon runner. It's a form of therapy.

00:15:38.901 --> 00:15:44.561
And the thing is, a lot of people don't understand that therapy comes in so many different forms.

00:15:44.821 --> 00:15:48.241
This, what I'm doing right here, yes, it is to help the community.

00:15:48.241 --> 00:15:52.881
Is to help get stories like you all's out so young men can understand that they're

00:15:52.881 --> 00:15:57.261
not, because I've learned from a lot of young people that they think what they're

00:15:57.261 --> 00:16:01.461
going through right now is what's going to be their lives forever.

00:16:01.801 --> 00:16:07.381
But look at the situation that God has brought you all through and brought you all together.

00:16:07.561 --> 00:16:13.521
And I'm pretty sure back then, let's call it 20 years ago, 25 years ago,

00:16:13.701 --> 00:16:16.441
you never thought that you'd be a fire chief.

00:16:18.207 --> 00:16:23.307
And you never thought that you'd be running marathons. But that's what I'm saying.

00:16:23.687 --> 00:16:31.607
This podcasting is my therapy. It's my therapy. It's how I deal with the things that I have.

00:16:31.707 --> 00:16:35.447
We all have had bouts with depression at some point in our lives.

00:16:35.747 --> 00:16:41.827
And we have to find an outlet. And I think that's the biggest problem in the

00:16:41.827 --> 00:16:47.847
black community is that we find the wrong things to be our outlets when it comes

00:16:47.847 --> 00:16:50.807
to depression and stress and the things that are going on.

00:16:50.987 --> 00:16:56.907
We find the wrong outlets to try to fix whatever's going on with us.

00:16:56.987 --> 00:17:02.847
And I praise the Lord that you found running as a form of therapy to figure

00:17:02.847 --> 00:17:06.807
out, hey, I could run. You know, it's like like Forrest Gump.

00:17:07.027 --> 00:17:09.087
And I just started running. Running.

00:17:09.427 --> 00:17:13.947
I just started running.

00:17:14.467 --> 00:17:17.567
Now, it says you went to MTSU. What did you get a degree in?

00:17:18.107 --> 00:17:24.567
I got a degree in business entrepreneurship. I got a BSS in entrepreneurship from MTSU.

00:17:24.867 --> 00:17:29.467
All right. And it says you have a lovely wife and three beautiful children.

00:17:29.467 --> 00:17:33.827
Yes, I've been married My third year anniversary is coming up It'll be March

00:17:33.827 --> 00:17:39.787
12th And so I've been married for almost three years To my lovely wife Congrats,

00:17:39.927 --> 00:17:44.467
congrats And I have, I know I'm about to say three I really have four kids I

00:17:44.467 --> 00:17:49.507
have one stepchild, but that's my son too Hey man, we don't do that over here

00:17:49.507 --> 00:17:50.867
We don't do that over here.

00:17:51.533 --> 00:17:54.693
We'll do that. You got four children. I got four kids.

00:17:54.933 --> 00:17:58.853
You have four children because we need to stop.

00:17:58.973 --> 00:18:01.473
We need to stop those type of things, the steps and all that.

00:18:01.573 --> 00:18:06.933
If we're married and you're mentoring these children and they look at you as a role model.

00:18:07.213 --> 00:18:10.953
I tell people all the time when you're in the presence of a child, you're their father.

00:18:11.613 --> 00:18:14.693
Yes, sir. When you're in the presence because you're impressionable,

00:18:15.073 --> 00:18:17.933
either you can make or break a child if you're in front of them,

00:18:17.933 --> 00:18:21.353
because all of us need a dad at some point in time.

00:18:21.553 --> 00:18:26.053
For years, I have been a fatherless father, but there are men in my life that

00:18:26.053 --> 00:18:30.113
when they come around, I look at them as male role models and father figures,

00:18:30.113 --> 00:18:35.353
and they don't even know it, and they make impressions on my life even at 45 years old.

00:18:36.453 --> 00:18:40.973
So we all got to, at some point, take some responsibility for our communities

00:18:40.973 --> 00:18:44.773
and say, hey, young man, young woman, pull your pants up.

00:18:44.973 --> 00:18:48.533
Young lady, you don't need to be out here like that. respect yourself

00:18:48.533 --> 00:18:51.633
respect your parents you know just general stuff that

00:18:51.633 --> 00:18:54.813
i think that we as a society has strayed away from

00:18:54.813 --> 00:19:02.333
and also says you have four grandbabies i have four grandbabies yes how is how

00:19:02.333 --> 00:19:06.793
is the grandpa club because i my daughter's pregnant right now and it'll be

00:19:06.793 --> 00:19:12.513
my first grandchild yes i i love it you know i get the i'll get the love on

00:19:12.513 --> 00:19:14.793
them hug on them send them back, but no, I'm just saying.

00:19:15.793 --> 00:19:18.573
I love my grandkids and,

00:19:19.224 --> 00:19:25.664
It's different, man. It's different, but it just makes you young all over again, you know?

00:19:26.304 --> 00:19:29.684
So, like, I don't mind up, but my youngest is 18.

00:19:29.864 --> 00:19:33.944
So, you know, I'm out of the diapers and all that, but I'm right back.

00:19:34.124 --> 00:19:38.664
So, it's like starting all over. So, but I love it. Your youngest grandchild is 18?

00:19:39.304 --> 00:19:43.764
No, no, no. I said my youngest. Your youngest child is 18. It's 18, right.

00:19:44.164 --> 00:19:47.944
So, but my grandkids is like starting all over again. Right.

00:19:48.344 --> 00:19:52.764
Yeah. Right. You're lucky. You're lucky. I still got young babies and I still got young babies.

00:19:53.224 --> 00:19:57.044
My youngest, my youngest is eight and my oldest is twenty nine.

00:19:57.724 --> 00:20:02.684
Yeah. Yeah. It was it was a jump. And I told my wife, I said,

00:20:02.804 --> 00:20:04.964
look, but she she can't. She's older.

00:20:05.104 --> 00:20:08.304
You know, we're we're at that age where we're not trying to have any more babies.

00:20:08.744 --> 00:20:12.484
We have five kids. It's a blended family, but I have five children.

00:20:13.084 --> 00:20:17.404
And I'm like, I told her a year or two ago, I said one of my daughters,

00:20:17.404 --> 00:20:20.564
because I have two older daughters, a son and two younger daughters.

00:20:20.704 --> 00:20:24.944
I said, what do these children need to make me a grandbaby? I need a grandbaby.

00:20:25.684 --> 00:20:30.164
I can't have them. I don't want to have. I don't want to start over back at

00:20:30.164 --> 00:20:35.104
that point all over again, waking up every night with that responsibility.

00:20:35.344 --> 00:20:39.024
And I'll do it for a grandchild because I can send them back. I can send them home.

00:20:39.404 --> 00:20:43.664
I can send them with their parents after I've loved them and filled them up

00:20:43.664 --> 00:20:46.844
with Flandy and send them home. You know.

00:20:48.024 --> 00:20:50.664
Buy them all the toys to make noise and send them with them.

00:20:50.844 --> 00:20:57.284
Yes, sir! You already know. I'm sending them all and sending them with all the noisemakers.

00:20:57.804 --> 00:21:01.504
All of them. Alrighty. So, Mr. Fox.

00:21:02.264 --> 00:21:10.524
Yes, sir. So, it says that you grew up in East Nashville. We got through all of that. Maplewood.

00:21:11.104 --> 00:21:15.064
I drive a school bus out of Maplewood.

00:21:16.406 --> 00:21:20.826
That's the cluster that I drive out of. I drive Maplewood students in the morning,

00:21:21.486 --> 00:21:24.826
Tom Joy students in the afternoon, well, in the middle.

00:21:25.006 --> 00:21:27.746
And then I do Jerry Baxter Middle School.

00:21:27.946 --> 00:21:31.146
So those are the schools that I tell you what, God is good. When I got this

00:21:31.146 --> 00:21:33.866
job, they were like, we don't send you whale on the other side of town.

00:21:33.946 --> 00:21:36.906
Are we going to do this and we're going to do that? But thank God to my brother.

00:21:37.226 --> 00:21:41.386
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Bubba, for getting me close to home because

00:21:41.386 --> 00:21:44.646
I live in Madison. And so Maplewood is right down the street.

00:21:44.906 --> 00:21:48.986
So I don't even have to go that far in the morning to get my get my bus and

00:21:48.986 --> 00:21:51.526
get my kids and run my route and do my thing.

00:21:51.706 --> 00:21:59.086
But, Mr. Fox, it says here that when you were 16 years old, you and a neighborhood

00:21:59.086 --> 00:22:01.286
friend robbed a gas station.

00:22:01.546 --> 00:22:05.826
What where was your mind at and what was going on in your life that made you

00:22:05.826 --> 00:22:12.726
want to go and rob a gas station? Well, during that time, I was lost, man. I was lost.

00:22:13.646 --> 00:22:18.186
My home was chaotic.

00:22:19.126 --> 00:22:21.046
I was dealing with depression.

00:22:22.006 --> 00:22:29.146
I just wasn't in my right mind as far as thinking clearly or didn't.

00:22:33.809 --> 00:22:42.329
I was trying to impress a girl, you know, just doing wild things.

00:22:42.629 --> 00:22:47.349
I mean, that was one of the wildest things I've done in my life. Now, quick question.

00:22:47.929 --> 00:22:52.129
Uh-huh. After you did that, did you get the coochie? No. Let me say yes.

00:22:53.029 --> 00:22:59.409
Right, right, right. I did. Hold on. Hold on. Hold on. I did when I was on house arrest.

00:23:00.149 --> 00:23:06.929
Okay. All right. Now, children, folks, people, we are not advocating doing crimes

00:23:06.929 --> 00:23:09.329
at all. We're not advocating that.

00:23:10.089 --> 00:23:15.449
No. We're not advocating crimes. Okay. So you were lost. Your home life was

00:23:15.449 --> 00:23:17.189
really messed up. You were depressed.

00:23:17.609 --> 00:23:23.349
And you did this to impress a female. And did you wind up getting caught?

00:23:24.589 --> 00:23:31.029
Yes, I did. I had to do a few months in juvenile. Then I was released on house arrest.

00:23:31.649 --> 00:23:37.029
I did a few months on house arrest then i had to go to woodland hills for juvenile

00:23:37.029 --> 00:23:46.129
it was a juvenile facility i spent like nine months there then i had to do a

00:23:46.129 --> 00:23:47.929
group home for a few months.

00:23:49.009 --> 00:23:56.709
But when i was locked up i i had the opportunity to get the credits that i needed

00:23:56.709 --> 00:23:59.349
in in school when I was locked up.

00:23:59.769 --> 00:24:05.669
So when I came home, I had to go back to Maplewood for a half a Christmas.

00:24:06.089 --> 00:24:10.349
I was supposed to graduate in 94, but I graduated in 95.

00:24:11.069 --> 00:24:16.469
Okay. I mean, go ahead. So some good did come out of the set.

00:24:16.729 --> 00:24:24.529
You know, and that was my first and last time of doing something like that.

00:24:24.989 --> 00:24:30.769
All right. All right. So we all have a similar story.

00:24:31.029 --> 00:24:35.049
There are a few elements that are different between all of us,

00:24:35.129 --> 00:24:42.749
but it seems like we all grew up in an environment that wasn't always the best environment for us.

00:24:42.869 --> 00:24:49.829
And it sounds like there were no strong male role models around at this time.

00:24:50.109 --> 00:24:52.249
Where was your father at?

00:24:53.089 --> 00:25:00.409
Well, my stepdad had claimed me when I was six months, but, you know,

00:25:00.569 --> 00:25:03.209
it's kind of different when, you know.

00:25:04.109 --> 00:25:09.729
When your younger sister dad is in the picture, you know, in the house,

00:25:10.369 --> 00:25:15.249
you know, and plus my parents were working two jobs,

00:25:15.929 --> 00:25:20.529
you know, so we really didn't have that, that.

00:25:22.313 --> 00:25:26.913
You know, it was discipline in the house, but it wasn't no teachings,

00:25:26.913 --> 00:25:30.353
you know, where we had to do chores.

00:25:30.653 --> 00:25:36.813
I mean, it really wasn't that one-on-one thing with me and my stepdad,

00:25:36.813 --> 00:25:40.233
but I did learn a lot from him, you know,

00:25:40.373 --> 00:25:46.193
because I remember him taking me on cleaning jobs with him, you know,

00:25:46.293 --> 00:25:50.513
and so it was some things that I did learn from him.

00:25:50.513 --> 00:25:53.893
Okay yeah he passed

00:25:53.893 --> 00:25:56.793
last november but i

00:25:56.793 --> 00:26:00.233
hold on to all the good memories we have together all

00:26:00.233 --> 00:26:07.413
right okay tony did you have a role model in your life um i did have my father

00:26:07.413 --> 00:26:16.093
and he was in my life until later on to it until i got older like adulthood

00:26:16.093 --> 00:26:19.253
and then there was a kind of falling out.

00:26:19.533 --> 00:26:22.393
But in my younger days, he was in my life.

00:26:23.693 --> 00:26:27.873
But my mom and my dad, they said they were never married.

00:26:27.973 --> 00:26:31.813
They separated at an early age, probably when I was five or six.

00:26:32.253 --> 00:26:37.373
But I did have a relationship with my father. So it wasn't until I was maybe

00:26:37.373 --> 00:26:43.993
a sophomore in high school, my mom married, and then I had a stepfather in my life.

00:26:44.113 --> 00:26:50.293
And he was very, very instrumental. and, you know, raising me and being there for me and whatnot.

00:26:50.553 --> 00:26:56.473
So at one point, I had two good men at some point in my life.

00:26:56.893 --> 00:27:00.293
Like I said, until I had a father with my dad earlier, you know,

00:27:00.373 --> 00:27:01.393
when I got older, whatnot.

00:27:01.553 --> 00:27:06.093
But my stepfather was always there since he came into my life when I was like

00:27:06.093 --> 00:27:08.713
a sophomore in high school. Okay.

00:27:10.013 --> 00:27:14.053
Fox, it says that you have five children.

00:27:14.973 --> 00:27:23.533
Yeah. I was heading down my biological dad, Tav, to being a Rolling Stone,

00:27:23.833 --> 00:27:26.193
because I started early.

00:27:26.393 --> 00:27:29.233
I had my first kid at 16.

00:27:30.593 --> 00:27:38.313
And that was a cycle within itself that I had to understand and break to stop,

00:27:38.313 --> 00:27:41.773
you know, stop having kids out

00:27:41.773 --> 00:27:49.813
of wedlock and with different women and my last child which she's 13 now.

00:27:52.480 --> 00:27:57.020
Was in a marriage with her mother on two occasions, and it just didn't work.

00:27:59.060 --> 00:28:05.160
Hey, things happen. Yeah. Things happen, and I always say they happen for a

00:28:05.160 --> 00:28:07.560
reason, and people are in your life for a season.

00:28:08.120 --> 00:28:09.900
Right. It's a teacher lesson.

00:28:10.740 --> 00:28:17.260
Yes, I learned a lot from just being in her life for 14 years.

00:28:17.980 --> 00:28:25.340
Right. So let's talk about how you came up with Breaking Cycles Foundation.

00:28:25.700 --> 00:28:30.500
Let's dive deep into how you came up with Breaking Cycles Foundation.

00:28:31.260 --> 00:28:39.540
Well, that was part of my journey. And it was part of my purpose.

00:28:39.920 --> 00:28:43.140
That's what God put on my spirit to do.

00:28:44.420 --> 00:28:51.300
Is to help people and creating the path to breaking generational cycles.

00:28:51.980 --> 00:28:57.480
Because a lot of people don't understand that, don't understand the cycles are

00:28:57.480 --> 00:28:59.220
handed down from generations.

00:29:00.920 --> 00:29:06.980
And in order for a person to really understand it, they have to self-evaluate themselves.

00:29:07.780 --> 00:29:14.660
You know, everybody's all about, you know, other people and what they're doing

00:29:14.660 --> 00:29:15.760
and what they're not doing,

00:29:16.000 --> 00:29:23.020
but take the time out to evaluate yourself before you can start putting yourself

00:29:23.020 --> 00:29:26.140
in the middle of anybody else's situation.

00:29:28.520 --> 00:29:34.840
And so I lived a life of growing up having to,

00:29:35.880 --> 00:29:40.440
understand the cycles on my mom's side and on my dad's side,

00:29:40.440 --> 00:29:46.260
which was not a part of my life at a young age.

00:29:46.920 --> 00:29:55.560
Not up until I met Tony, where I was able to have that relationship with a few

00:29:55.560 --> 00:29:57.680
of my brothers and a few of my sisters.

00:30:00.285 --> 00:30:10.705
But it was a reason why, you know, God didn't didn't have it where my my little father was in my life.

00:30:11.085 --> 00:30:18.505
And and I've seen things from him that that gave me the clarification of that.

00:30:19.065 --> 00:30:23.805
You know, you saw things from who Tony or your father that gave you clarification?

00:30:24.545 --> 00:30:26.645
Yeah, from my father. OK.

00:30:27.825 --> 00:30:32.425
And I'm not trying to talk bad about him. I'm just speaking the truth of what I've seen.

00:30:33.065 --> 00:30:37.845
State the facts, bro. Be honest, man. That's how we can be. Yeah.

00:30:40.025 --> 00:30:52.145
You know, his ways, his manipulative ways, and I experienced manipulative ways myself growing up.

00:30:52.145 --> 00:30:58.625
And I had to come to the conclusion that I didn't want to be like that you know

00:30:58.625 --> 00:31:05.525
and that goes back from understanding how God made me how,

00:31:06.645 --> 00:31:12.545
much I love people I'm a people person and so,

00:31:13.485 --> 00:31:20.325
I told him not to be like that you know and when you dealing with depression

00:31:20.325 --> 00:31:25.285
and you've been in the dark and at your lowest point in life.

00:31:26.265 --> 00:31:32.965
You don't want to carry those negative traits.

00:31:32.965 --> 00:31:42.645
You don't want to carry those negative cycles because that's not what God created me to be.

00:31:43.605 --> 00:31:49.605
And I had to really understand that. And God gave me the clarification and understanding

00:31:49.605 --> 00:31:52.585
to be able to be the man that I am today.

00:31:53.565 --> 00:31:58.165
And we thank God for that, man. We thank God. We thank God for giving you the

00:31:58.165 --> 00:32:01.425
clarification and the understanding because a lot of us, you know,

00:32:01.545 --> 00:32:06.005
a lot of people say, once I become 21 or once I become 25, I'm a man.

00:32:06.185 --> 00:32:09.045
Or once I become this certain age, then I'm an adult.

00:32:09.325 --> 00:32:14.005
But the truth of the matter is there's still a lot of 4, 30,

00:32:14.325 --> 00:32:17.985
40, 50, 60 year old children.

00:32:18.605 --> 00:32:22.585
Running around out here. They're still running around because they don't know

00:32:22.585 --> 00:32:27.705
their purpose and they don't know who they are and they're not living by what

00:32:27.705 --> 00:32:31.625
God has given them because God will give you all the answers you need.

00:32:31.985 --> 00:32:36.945
He will give you all the answers you need but nine times out of ten we ignore

00:32:36.945 --> 00:32:39.665
them as humans. We ignore them.

00:32:40.125 --> 00:32:44.205
My story is similar to you all. My dad died in 12.

00:32:44.865 --> 00:32:49.105
When he died in 12 I met probably 10 of my siblings I'd never met.

00:32:49.645 --> 00:32:52.985
Yeah, but we've been there. You know what I'm saying?

00:32:54.092 --> 00:32:59.312
I walk in. That's how I figured out my sister was my sister and my brother was

00:32:59.312 --> 00:33:01.152
my brother because my dad was dying.

00:33:01.452 --> 00:33:05.292
And one of my other sisters that I knew that he had kind of connected us to

00:33:05.292 --> 00:33:07.412
along the way, she called me.

00:33:07.492 --> 00:33:10.652
She's like, bro, daddy's dying. He's at the hospice on Charlotte.

00:33:10.852 --> 00:33:15.572
So I'm like, OK, I closed down the restaurant I'm working at at the time and

00:33:15.572 --> 00:33:19.252
make my way to Charlotte to the hospice place. And I walk in.

00:33:19.572 --> 00:33:22.932
And as this lady said on the bed, I says, D.D., what you doing here?

00:33:22.932 --> 00:33:25.872
Because Didi is my friend from junior high school.

00:33:26.572 --> 00:33:29.792
I knew this girl from junior high school. She had a little crush on me in junior

00:33:29.792 --> 00:33:32.632
high school. Didi, what you doing here? This is my daddy.

00:33:32.952 --> 00:33:35.392
This your daddy? This is my daddy.

00:33:35.932 --> 00:33:40.292
I'm glad it didn't go no further than a high school crush. Yeah.

00:33:40.792 --> 00:33:45.992
You understand what I'm saying? Mm-hmm. But it's the black family secrets that

00:33:45.992 --> 00:33:49.112
we are dealing with right now.

00:33:49.992 --> 00:33:57.792
Right. You understand? I have a friend who just found out that the man that

00:33:57.792 --> 00:34:02.492
they thought this person is our age and the person that they thought was their

00:34:02.492 --> 00:34:03.972
daddy is not their daddy.

00:34:04.792 --> 00:34:07.772
Yeah. And they probably went their whole life thinking that it was their daddy.

00:34:08.012 --> 00:34:10.372
And their mama took it to the grave. Yeah.

00:34:11.992 --> 00:34:17.352
They thought that these whole 40 some odd years that this man was their daddy.

00:34:17.552 --> 00:34:20.532
Took a DNA test and it came back,

00:34:21.252 --> 00:34:25.412
this ain't even this person's daddy you understand

00:34:25.412 --> 00:34:28.152
what i'm saying these black family secrets are killing us and we're trying

00:34:28.152 --> 00:34:31.792
to clean up here on the back end 40 years later you

00:34:31.792 --> 00:34:37.192
know these our parents they were great they did all they could do in the moments

00:34:37.192 --> 00:34:41.492
and the times that they had to try to survive and try to make the best lives

00:34:41.492 --> 00:34:46.512
for us but i just like i had a conversation with my mom i said you were a wonderful

00:34:46.512 --> 00:34:49.892
mom you taught me all the things that you you You needed to teach me.

00:34:50.012 --> 00:34:53.872
But on the other side of it, you also harmed me.

00:34:54.092 --> 00:35:00.212
You harmed me so much. And now in my 40s and being on the other side of God,

00:35:00.392 --> 00:35:03.932
being with God and being in my purpose, you hurt me.

00:35:04.972 --> 00:35:10.232
And God presented the opportunity for me to have this conversation with my mother

00:35:10.232 --> 00:35:15.872
and for her to be open ears and receive what I was saying to her.

00:35:16.778 --> 00:35:22.558
You see, like my story is I grew up in a household where the domestic violence was opposite.

00:35:23.178 --> 00:35:27.518
My mother, I watched my mother beat me in my whole entire life.

00:35:28.618 --> 00:35:34.318
You know what I'm saying? Because of something that happened to her on an important day in her life.

00:35:34.318 --> 00:35:38.838
When she was 18 years old, graduating from high school, the man she was dating

00:35:38.838 --> 00:35:43.498
at the time beat the living hell out of her the night before she graduated.

00:35:43.498 --> 00:35:47.478
She had to get up with a black eye and a busted lip to go graduate.

00:35:47.838 --> 00:35:53.338
And at that point, she said, no man will ever put his hands on me ever again.

00:35:53.578 --> 00:35:58.918
And from that point on, she became the aggressor and she beat me in my whole entire life.

00:36:00.358 --> 00:36:04.758
And that's what I grew up watching. You know, a lot of people watch their dads

00:36:04.758 --> 00:36:06.638
beat on their mom and stuff like that.

00:36:06.798 --> 00:36:10.958
But that's what I watched. I watched my mom be the aggressor my whole entire life.

00:36:10.958 --> 00:36:13.778
And it's it it in a lot of ways

00:36:13.778 --> 00:36:17.838
it's like i tell my wife now i said if we ever if you ever got to put your hands

00:36:17.838 --> 00:36:22.518
on me and i ever got to put your hands on on you we we're done yeah it's time

00:36:22.518 --> 00:36:29.738
to yeah we can't be together no more if we physically have to hit each other

00:36:29.738 --> 00:36:33.498
in an angry manner i don't I can't do this.

00:36:34.218 --> 00:36:37.198
I can't do it. Mr. Morrell,

00:36:37.478 --> 00:36:42.698
talk to me about 413 Strong and tell me what that's initiative about and tell

00:36:42.698 --> 00:36:49.598
me how you brothers are going about mentoring men and helping them get on the right path.

00:36:50.545 --> 00:36:54.585
Yeah. So, you know, me and my brother, we mentor at 14 for 13 strong,

00:36:54.725 --> 00:36:59.125
which is outside from like Foster Avenue just for young men.

00:36:59.565 --> 00:37:02.185
What's the age is torn like 18 to 30?

00:37:02.925 --> 00:37:07.525
Yeah. About 18 to 30. That's been incarcerated or headed down the wrong path

00:37:07.525 --> 00:37:09.325
and they're trying to get their life back on the track.

00:37:09.725 --> 00:37:15.165
So we go and mentor. We have what's called like a lunch and learn where we eat lunch with them.

00:37:15.245 --> 00:37:19.245
We can talk about our lives or just like we just have open conversation.

00:37:19.245 --> 00:37:22.925
We can talk about anything or we can talk about a certain certain topic.

00:37:23.105 --> 00:37:26.725
So we're just trying to help them, you know, get on the right path and just

00:37:26.725 --> 00:37:28.365
try to instill confidence in them.

00:37:28.485 --> 00:37:32.025
Because, you know, we all grew up in East Nashville in the hood or whatnot.

00:37:32.165 --> 00:37:35.585
We all hear people tell us, you know, we can't be this. We can't be that.

00:37:35.745 --> 00:37:39.465
Or, you know, we just trying to be what we see, what we're used to,

00:37:39.645 --> 00:37:43.205
which is, you know, rap songs, which is drugs, which is money,

00:37:43.345 --> 00:37:48.145
which is women. And, you know, and sometimes it's not sometimes it's easy to

00:37:48.145 --> 00:37:49.385
get down that wrong path.

00:37:49.625 --> 00:37:51.925
We easily look at my brother. I've

00:37:51.925 --> 00:37:55.945
never been arrested or in trouble or anything, but I've been around it.

00:37:56.065 --> 00:38:00.505
I could have easily kind of went down the wrong road. I think the only thing

00:38:00.505 --> 00:38:02.545
that kept me on their path is I play sports.

00:38:02.685 --> 00:38:05.145
I love when I say I love basketball, I love basketball.

00:38:05.505 --> 00:38:08.705
And I wouldn't let nothing interfere with that. But, you know,

00:38:08.845 --> 00:38:13.345
some some people make some young people make bad decisions or,

00:38:13.365 --> 00:38:15.405
you know, they're just not handed

00:38:15.405 --> 00:38:18.965
a good card in life or they just grew up around and it's all they know.

00:38:19.245 --> 00:38:21.405
So we're just trying to help this to get them on the right track.

00:38:22.125 --> 00:38:29.085
That's wonderful. Wonderful. Mr. Fox, tell us about your organization and what

00:38:29.085 --> 00:38:33.545
you do. I know it's you have a cleaning service and then you have a foundation.

00:38:34.485 --> 00:38:41.745
What is the foundation doing to help the community in its aspect of what it is?

00:38:42.939 --> 00:38:51.039
Well, right now, I'm still working on getting the board together because I really

00:38:51.039 --> 00:38:54.599
can't make no moves until I get that board in place.

00:38:54.779 --> 00:39:01.479
And I have a secretary and a vice president, and I'm going to be the president

00:39:01.479 --> 00:39:03.279
for the first six months.

00:39:03.739 --> 00:39:09.979
So I'm looking for a president intern and a treasurer and a social media person.

00:39:11.659 --> 00:39:14.859
But James Casey community is

00:39:14.859 --> 00:39:18.339
the first community that that breaking

00:39:18.339 --> 00:39:23.899
sex foundation will be reaching out to I'm already connected with Martha O'Brien

00:39:23.899 --> 00:39:29.399
community center because they've been over there for years so I'm gonna be breaking

00:39:29.399 --> 00:39:35.479
sex foundation will be working with them that community is the First,

00:39:35.739 --> 00:39:38.939
because I remember, you know,

00:39:40.559 --> 00:39:44.999
standing on my aunt's house over there when she used to live over there when I was younger.

00:39:46.519 --> 00:39:52.259
And they are renovating, tearing down the projects and building mixed income

00:39:52.259 --> 00:39:54.519
communities over there.

00:39:55.639 --> 00:40:01.359
And I found out that some of the residents who are getting the move in the mixed

00:40:01.359 --> 00:40:07.399
income community are getting put out because they're bringing those old cycles

00:40:07.399 --> 00:40:11.299
with them into this new beginning setting.

00:40:13.559 --> 00:40:20.579
My vision is to follow the construction to the next community,

00:40:21.139 --> 00:40:26.899
project community. I think we have like two or three left in the Nashville area.

00:40:27.419 --> 00:40:30.679
So I want to be able to follow the

00:40:30.679 --> 00:40:34.719
construction and be able to help those residents in the next community.

00:40:36.279 --> 00:40:43.639
Yeah, I think it's Cheatham Place, University Court, J.C. Napier, and...

00:40:44.982 --> 00:40:50.002
What's the ones on Herman Street? Andrew Jackson. Andrew Jackson. Yeah.

00:40:51.642 --> 00:40:57.782
About three or four? There's four. If you don't put South Nashville together,

00:40:57.782 --> 00:41:04.482
because you got JCUC, and then you got Cheatham Place, and then you got Andrew Jackson.

00:41:04.782 --> 00:41:10.902
So if you look at by sets, because the ones on Charles Davis Boulevard,

00:41:11.202 --> 00:41:16.702
you know, people kind of combine them together. But there is two separate housing projects.

00:41:17.042 --> 00:41:22.482
So if you if you look at it in sections, yes, it's four housing projects left.

00:41:22.762 --> 00:41:28.282
I think it's amazing and I think it's wonderful because a lot of people in housing

00:41:28.282 --> 00:41:31.802
projects don't get an opportunity to clean their slates.

00:41:31.982 --> 00:41:37.722
And shouts out to Chaplain Miller over at Martha O'Brien, man.

00:41:37.722 --> 00:41:41.822
And we did an interview with him a few weeks ago, man.

00:41:42.002 --> 00:41:44.282
He that brother is amazing.

00:41:44.542 --> 00:41:48.242
Chaplain Miller, man. If you have you do you already know who he is?

00:41:48.742 --> 00:41:53.102
Yes, that's my connection at Martha Brown. Man, that is a wonderful brother.

00:41:53.362 --> 00:41:58.622
I tell you what, he is a wonderful brother and he is a ordinary man to have

00:41:58.622 --> 00:42:01.102
a conversation with him being a chaplain.

00:42:01.322 --> 00:42:03.902
Of course, I knew he was a chaplain going into the interview.

00:42:03.902 --> 00:42:07.022
But once I had the interview with him and we started talking,

00:42:07.182 --> 00:42:08.502
he was like an ordinary brother.

00:42:08.642 --> 00:42:13.762
But he understood that the anointing that God had put on his life was that as

00:42:13.762 --> 00:42:15.242
of what God put on his life.

00:42:15.342 --> 00:42:19.662
But he still understood the mission of I'm a man. I put my pants on one leg

00:42:19.662 --> 00:42:21.222
at a time like everybody else.

00:42:23.242 --> 00:42:30.722
So here's a question, my brothers, with where you guys come from and where where God is taking you all.

00:42:30.722 --> 00:42:40.622
What do you see The urban Outlook of Nashville In the next five years Well,

00:42:43.065 --> 00:42:45.525
Overpopulated. Yeah.

00:42:48.745 --> 00:42:51.725
Overpopulated. That is that we already there.

00:42:51.905 --> 00:42:57.585
We're already at that point. We are overflowing with people.

00:42:57.845 --> 00:43:02.985
And I tell people every day, please come visit Broadway and go home.

00:43:03.365 --> 00:43:07.545
Just come and visit Broadway and go home.

00:43:08.545 --> 00:43:11.525
We don't need any more people. The neighborhoods I grew up in,

00:43:11.645 --> 00:43:12.885
I don't even recognize anymore.

00:43:13.065 --> 00:43:15.785
At all i grew up i grew up on

00:43:15.785 --> 00:43:19.045
straightway and it's maybe that whole

00:43:19.045 --> 00:43:21.785
street is maybe six or seven houses that was still there

00:43:21.785 --> 00:43:24.625
when i grew up the house i grew up in is knocked

00:43:24.625 --> 00:43:27.325
down it's completely gone so it don't even

00:43:27.325 --> 00:43:31.265
i can't even recognize my street yeah you

00:43:31.265 --> 00:43:34.985
said straightway boy that brought up some memories yes

00:43:34.985 --> 00:43:38.025
sir man that brought up some memories fox where were

00:43:38.025 --> 00:43:42.325
you where'd you grow up at different places throughout

00:43:42.325 --> 00:43:45.265
eastern ashfield but the last place i

00:43:45.265 --> 00:43:50.105
grew up on was delmas delmas are

00:43:50.105 --> 00:43:58.405
you okay delmas was delmas wasn't as bad as lishon or as straightway but delmas

00:43:58.405 --> 00:44:02.985
had had its own little it had its own little reputation because there was a

00:44:02.985 --> 00:44:05.365
few people over on Delmas, you know,

00:44:05.525 --> 00:44:08.725
that was, and then you walk across the street to live in apartments.

00:44:09.775 --> 00:44:15.115
So you still had that going on up there in your neighborhood.

00:44:16.995 --> 00:44:22.435
The real Litton Apartments. The real Litton Apartments.

00:44:23.615 --> 00:44:26.735
In the comments, I'm going to say straightway, man. Yeah, straightway.

00:44:28.735 --> 00:44:33.235
Man, straightway was about as bad as the bottom half of Lisha, man.

00:44:33.835 --> 00:44:39.015
I tell you what. But, you know, it is it is amazing because a lot of the times

00:44:39.015 --> 00:44:45.735
I do interviews, most of the people that I interview are not original Nashville natives.

00:44:45.975 --> 00:44:51.235
I've done a few like I did from the projects to the pros, which was the Riley Walton story.

00:44:51.375 --> 00:44:54.295
Shouts out to Riley Walton. He's in the comments.

00:44:54.495 --> 00:45:01.495
But he's a gentleman that grew up in West Nashville, went to TSU and made it all the way to the NFL.

00:45:01.495 --> 00:45:09.655
And is still here in Tennessee and still doing wonderful, married for 35 years,

00:45:09.815 --> 00:45:13.495
worked for the sheriff's department for 32 years. You understand what I'm saying?

00:45:14.055 --> 00:45:22.195
So there are still people here in Nashville that are doing wonderful, but it's like,

00:45:22.375 --> 00:45:27.395
how do we get these young men to understand, like I said at the beginning,

00:45:27.395 --> 00:45:32.255
how do we get them to understand that what they're going through right now,

00:45:32.495 --> 00:45:36.255
it's not what's going to be going on in their lives in five years,

00:45:36.675 --> 00:45:39.175
not going to be going on in their lives in 10 years.

00:45:39.615 --> 00:45:44.355
You know, how do we get how, you know, I was talking to my brother and I said,

00:45:44.535 --> 00:45:50.655
I was talking to this kid and I gave them some advice three to five months ago.

00:45:51.655 --> 00:45:56.775
And it's like it went in one ear and fell back down on the floor. Yeah.

00:45:58.255 --> 00:46:02.935
And it's it's it's a it's a different generation i think like what me and my

00:46:02.935 --> 00:46:06.195
brother trying to do is trying to like give back and give advice to young people,

00:46:07.470 --> 00:46:12.590
I'll just take the example because we was in their shoes. We've been there and done that.

00:46:12.990 --> 00:46:16.970
I think when I say different generation, I think kind of when we were younger,

00:46:17.450 --> 00:46:19.530
we kind of listened to our OGs.

00:46:19.610 --> 00:46:24.910
We kind of listened to the older people from a certain standpoint, a certain extent.

00:46:25.370 --> 00:46:30.290
Now, this generation now, it's almost to the point where you can't even tell them nothing.

00:46:31.810 --> 00:46:35.430
That's my point. That was my point. Yeah,

00:46:35.790 --> 00:46:39.250
but we just got to keep trying to reach out just trying to just

00:46:39.250 --> 00:46:43.390
trying to give the best advice we can and also be

00:46:43.390 --> 00:46:46.410
there when they choose not to listen and they still fall

00:46:46.410 --> 00:46:49.730
flat on their face and they have to get back up instead

00:46:49.730 --> 00:46:52.910
of really beating them down or like i told you so you

00:46:52.910 --> 00:46:55.750
still got to be there for them because at some point

00:46:55.750 --> 00:46:58.490
in their life they're going to get to that point or

00:46:58.490 --> 00:47:02.130
something's going to happen or some kind of situation to you

00:47:02.130 --> 00:47:05.530
know get their attention whether that's jail whether

00:47:05.530 --> 00:47:08.630
that's getting shot whether that's something you know

00:47:08.630 --> 00:47:11.810
we hope it's not to the point where they're not here anymore but

00:47:11.810 --> 00:47:14.690
when they get to that point we still have to be there with open arms and say

00:47:14.690 --> 00:47:18.970
okay let's start over let's regroup come on you know so you know and that's

00:47:18.970 --> 00:47:23.790
what part of 413 is trying to give a clean slate to those who don't have any

00:47:23.790 --> 00:47:27.510
other option or their last resort or whatnot but we try to be there for them

00:47:27.510 --> 00:47:31.790
right so what you're saying is when they fall pick them up and dust them off. Go ahead, Mr. Fox.

00:47:32.250 --> 00:47:38.470
They also give opportunities to guys locked up with felons, with probation.

00:47:40.490 --> 00:47:47.930
So they're giving young men, black young men and white young men the opportunity at a second chance.

00:47:49.583 --> 00:47:56.363
I want to give a shout out to my mother, because my mother, she was fine, black woman.

00:47:57.103 --> 00:47:58.663
She's my first queen.

00:48:00.443 --> 00:48:05.863
She's held me down. She instilled God in me.

00:48:06.003 --> 00:48:10.843
That's the best thing, the best present that anybody has given me,

00:48:11.163 --> 00:48:14.283
because I took what she instilled in

00:48:14.283 --> 00:48:17.663
me and and had to

00:48:17.663 --> 00:48:28.343
backtrack and finally build my relationship with god at a young age and i'm

00:48:28.343 --> 00:48:35.983
just so blessed to have a strong mother who was who wasn't who didn't bore me,

00:48:36.763 --> 00:48:38.443
She gave me responsibilities.

00:48:39.763 --> 00:48:47.843
She instilled a lot into me. And she's one of the main persons in my life that

00:48:47.843 --> 00:48:55.603
has helped me to take a different role and to be the man that I am today.

00:48:56.443 --> 00:49:00.223
Shouts out to all the strong mothers out there.

00:49:00.603 --> 00:49:04.383
Shouts out to all the strong mothers out there. because without a strong mother

00:49:04.383 --> 00:49:08.163
in a lot of our lives, a lot of us wouldn't be here to tell the stories today.

00:49:08.743 --> 00:49:13.703
Definitely. A lot of us wouldn't be here to have these conversations and tell these stories.

00:49:14.703 --> 00:49:18.343
So we've got a lot of the business out of the way. I got a few questions just

00:49:18.343 --> 00:49:22.623
to ask you guys on the backside of it. This goes out to both of y'all.

00:49:23.383 --> 00:49:27.363
Either way you want to answer, either person can go first.

00:49:27.523 --> 00:49:32.563
It does not matter, but I just got a few questions. OK, so if I was to get in

00:49:32.563 --> 00:49:37.483
either one of you gentlemen's vehicles, what would be playing on the radio right now?

00:49:39.924 --> 00:49:46.184
104.5, Titans Radio. I do have some XM panels.

00:49:47.644 --> 00:49:54.244
92, 101, 97.1. So you're just eclectic.

00:49:54.284 --> 00:49:58.664
But I'm talking about if we was to get in your vehicle right now, it'd be on Titans Radio.

00:49:59.604 --> 00:50:05.964
Yeah, most definitely. Tony, if we got in your car right now,

00:50:06.044 --> 00:50:07.064
what would we be playing on the radio?

00:50:07.064 --> 00:50:14.204
He's for me he's a jizzy a gucci one of the two it's the snowman,

00:50:16.024 --> 00:50:21.284
that's what's up that's what's up okay so here's the next question what are

00:50:21.284 --> 00:50:23.444
you gentlemen's guilty pleasure.

00:50:25.484 --> 00:50:32.344
I already know man man i i i run i'm a marathon so i can eat what i want to

00:50:32.344 --> 00:50:40.464
man i i'm just or sweet, addictive, anything, Reese's, Hershey's, all that. That's me.

00:50:41.004 --> 00:50:43.064
All right. I got a sweet tooth.

00:50:43.804 --> 00:50:46.664
Mr. Fox. Guilty pleasure.

00:50:48.544 --> 00:50:53.304
I would say sweets too, but I'm cutting back a whole lot on the sweet.

00:50:53.764 --> 00:51:02.324
All right. So if you can have the perfect job, what would it be? The perfect job.

00:51:03.024 --> 00:51:05.444
But SAS, the perfect job I have now.

00:51:07.363 --> 00:51:11.663
I would say have my own business also. Probably have my own business.

00:51:12.483 --> 00:51:17.503
But what, give me an example. What would you go into business? Are you a cooker?

00:51:17.823 --> 00:51:20.903
Are you a painter? Are you a mechanic?

00:51:21.423 --> 00:51:23.863
Where would you land at?

00:51:25.923 --> 00:51:29.103
I would probably land like a stylist.

00:51:29.363 --> 00:51:32.223
I like clothes. I like to dress up.

00:51:32.483 --> 00:51:38.303
And when I say stylist, I'm talking about like dress up. like suits and stuff.

00:51:38.843 --> 00:51:43.363
Okay, okay, yeah, yeah. Like a clothing stylist, like you would style something.

00:51:43.983 --> 00:51:49.003
Fox, what would that be for you? Well, I'm already in business,

00:51:49.123 --> 00:51:51.963
but business is my life. It's my future.

00:51:52.283 --> 00:51:55.823
So, I'm just two years.

00:51:56.123 --> 00:52:04.043
I'm in my third year in business, and I plan on creating more once I'm able

00:52:04.043 --> 00:52:07.883
to later finish to land a foundation for the church.

00:52:08.703 --> 00:52:10.263
So, multiple businesses.

00:52:11.403 --> 00:52:16.263
So, here's the thing. They say if you love what you're doing,

00:52:16.263 --> 00:52:18.743
you never work at the end of your life. Do you guys agree?

00:52:19.423 --> 00:52:24.803
I agree. Yeah. So, you guys feel like you're not really working because this

00:52:24.803 --> 00:52:27.363
is what you love doing, what you're doing right now.

00:52:27.783 --> 00:52:29.843
That's true for me. It's 1% true for me.

00:52:30.623 --> 00:52:34.923
Alrighty. So, another question. It's going to throw you for a loop.

00:52:34.923 --> 00:52:39.403
Okay describe your perfect boo.

00:52:41.903 --> 00:52:46.683
My wife my wife wonderful answer

00:52:46.683 --> 00:52:49.943
wonderful answer I gotta

00:52:49.943 --> 00:53:04.743
go home wonderful answer Fox we can be on one accord with each other we can

00:53:04.743 --> 00:53:08.723
and build a legacy together.

00:53:10.523 --> 00:53:15.243
She can play a part in my purpose and I can play a part in her.

00:53:16.083 --> 00:53:21.283
Another wonderful answer, my brother. That is, I mean, because most of the time

00:53:21.283 --> 00:53:27.623
when you ask a man about what his perfect woman looks like, nine times out of ten it's measurements.

00:53:29.263 --> 00:53:33.143
It's measurements. Nine times out of ten it's measurements. Twenty-fold,

00:53:33.363 --> 00:53:35.663
thirty-six, twenty-fold thirty-six.

00:53:36.303 --> 00:53:37.983
The measurements get you in trouble too.

00:53:38.643 --> 00:53:43.003
Exactly. The measurements have nothing to do with her moral compass.

00:53:46.263 --> 00:53:51.363
We might have things that we like,

00:53:51.363 --> 00:53:56.863
that we won't, but God is not going to necessarily send you what you want.

00:53:58.163 --> 00:54:03.283
I can testify to that, my brother. He didn't send me what I wanted. He sent me what I needed.

00:54:03.483 --> 00:54:06.603
And when I tell you my life has been amazing.

00:54:07.143 --> 00:54:09.323
Like, my anniversary is tomorrow.

00:54:11.003 --> 00:54:13.803
Tomorrow how many how many years we've been

00:54:13.803 --> 00:54:18.443
married since 2021 okay 2021 and

00:54:18.443 --> 00:54:21.623
i've got to walk on eggshells tomorrow because i'm

00:54:21.623 --> 00:54:25.123
just gonna give you a bit of and it's not like that i'm gonna tell you i'm gonna

00:54:25.123 --> 00:54:28.583
give you the reason why i gotta walk on eggshells tomorrow because tomorrow

00:54:28.583 --> 00:54:37.683
makes one year that on my anniversary i flipped a garbage truck oh my one year

00:54:37.683 --> 00:54:40.463
ago tomorrow i was working for a garbage company,

00:54:40.823 --> 00:54:45.423
and they begged us to come out and do trash because they were trying to win a contract.

00:54:46.243 --> 00:54:50.923
And it was still icy, and there was black ice on the road.

00:54:51.063 --> 00:54:56.643
And I hit a patch of black ice on Browley Parkway, and I flipped a trash truck.

00:54:56.883 --> 00:54:59.563
By the grace of God, and a seatbelt.

00:55:00.863 --> 00:55:08.663
Was that over there by Skyline? No, I was at Gallatin Road in Browley Parkway.

00:55:09.641 --> 00:55:16.301
Okay. Last year, January 22nd. I think I was working and I think I heard that.

00:55:16.601 --> 00:55:19.901
It was a small. It wasn't a big one. It was a small one.

00:55:20.221 --> 00:55:25.561
That was me. I flipped a small. So I got to I got to get up tomorrow and pray

00:55:25.561 --> 00:55:31.421
and pray and get on this bus and put on my seatbelt and drive really,

00:55:31.521 --> 00:55:34.141
really slow and get these kids to school.

00:55:34.141 --> 00:55:37.741
And get them home from school and get home to my wife.

00:55:38.721 --> 00:55:42.061
Because it'll be one year anniversary. So here's the thing.

00:55:42.461 --> 00:55:48.161
We talked about young people. We talked about you guys' past and where you came

00:55:48.161 --> 00:55:49.601
from and where you're at now.

00:55:49.921 --> 00:55:58.381
If you could give a heartfelt message to a young man who's going through something

00:55:58.381 --> 00:56:04.841
right now And he thinks that the situation that he's in right now is his forever and beyond.

00:56:05.061 --> 00:56:08.201
What would you tell him? I can go first.

00:56:08.981 --> 00:56:13.101
First thing I would tell him is he is good enough.

00:56:13.101 --> 00:56:19.001
I think that's not expressed enough to our young men, because,

00:56:19.001 --> 00:56:21.661
you know, mentally, when you're going through things, you know,

00:56:21.721 --> 00:56:25.301
that devil got a way of making you think you the dumbest person in the world.

00:56:25.301 --> 00:56:27.961
You by yourself you're nothing you know

00:56:27.961 --> 00:56:31.081
those voices in their head get to going and i

00:56:31.081 --> 00:56:35.081
think that leads to kind of input decisions of making

00:56:35.081 --> 00:56:39.581
negative decisions they're going the wrong way down the right path so the thing

00:56:39.581 --> 00:56:44.301
that i the one thing that i always tell people or say oh this is this is my

00:56:44.301 --> 00:56:47.761
little saying that i stole from something i i tell young people i say a true

00:56:47.761 --> 00:56:53.981
desire in the heart for anything good is proof sent beforehand to indicate that it's yours already

00:56:54.421 --> 00:56:57.221
and you have to hold on to that and just know that whatever you're going through

00:56:57.221 --> 00:57:00.321
right now doesn't mean you're going to go through that your whole life just

00:57:00.321 --> 00:57:03.821
like you said and you talked about it you made that point and that's what I

00:57:03.821 --> 00:57:04.821
try to express to young people.

00:57:08.134 --> 00:57:10.454
What I would express is that.

00:57:12.834 --> 00:57:18.794
Is Philippians 4.13, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

00:57:19.234 --> 00:57:26.874
With that scripture being said, I would tell any young man, make that choice. Make that choice.

00:57:27.614 --> 00:57:32.394
Do you want good or bad in your life? You got to make that choice.

00:57:32.974 --> 00:57:39.614
You got to build that relationship with God because he is the one that's going

00:57:39.614 --> 00:57:44.774
to show you the way to walk on this earth nobody else,

00:57:45.334 --> 00:57:50.774
can do that better than him and i'm saying this because i can testify to this.

00:57:52.334 --> 00:57:58.614
You know he brought me out of out of the darkness when i was at my lord's and,

00:57:59.934 --> 00:58:06.654
I haven't looked back since and that's why I'm the man I am today.

00:58:07.274 --> 00:58:11.094
He brought me out of the storm, he'll bring you out of the storm.

00:58:11.914 --> 00:58:14.754
He'll bring anybody out of the storm, but they gotta want him.

00:58:15.834 --> 00:58:18.954
You gotta want that relationship with God. And we're not perfect.

00:58:19.074 --> 00:58:22.474
He knows that. But he wants to see our effort.

00:58:23.334 --> 00:58:24.894
He wants to see our drive.

00:58:25.954 --> 00:58:29.714
He wants to see our strength. Amen.

00:58:30.754 --> 00:58:35.914
And in a comments, Dave said, death and life are in the power of the tongue. Choose life.

00:58:37.074 --> 00:58:41.614
That is exactly what you say. You got to choose life. And I feel like so many

00:58:41.614 --> 00:58:45.714
people out here are not choosing life. They're choosing the moment.

00:58:47.374 --> 00:58:51.574
It's we we have become such a microwave culture. I want it right now.

00:58:51.714 --> 00:58:53.534
I want it right now. I want it right now. I want it right now.

00:58:53.674 --> 00:58:55.574
I want it right now. I want it right now.

00:58:56.534 --> 00:59:01.034
And wanting it right now and not thinking about tomorrow is not going to get

00:59:01.034 --> 00:59:06.314
you anywhere because whatever you like, I keep reiterating whatever you're going

00:59:06.314 --> 00:59:09.994
through in the moment right now is not your forever. It's not your tomorrow.

00:59:10.414 --> 00:59:13.274
It's not your 10 years from now. It's not your 20 years from now.

00:59:13.374 --> 00:59:18.374
And if God blesses you to live, it's going to change.

00:59:18.394 --> 00:59:23.414
That's the only thing that's promised to us in this world that it's that something's going to change.

00:59:25.054 --> 00:59:29.114
Something's going to change but we all have to put in that effort,

00:59:30.174 --> 00:59:34.554
you know we got to make courses we got to put in the work,

00:59:35.394 --> 00:59:42.734
and some people don't know how to do that you know and God can only do so much

00:59:42.734 --> 00:59:49.154
in the spiritual form but us as physical beings we have to put in the work,

00:59:49.774 --> 00:59:51.754
what did it say?

00:59:51.954 --> 00:59:55.554
Faith without work works is dead. Is dead.

00:59:56.984 --> 00:59:59.944
It's dead. But here's the thing.

01:00:00.204 --> 01:00:06.684
I'd like to say thank you to both of you brothers for coming on here and sharing

01:00:06.684 --> 01:00:11.224
your experiences with life and sharing what you've been through.

01:00:11.224 --> 01:00:14.344
Because here at the Kickback, our goal is

01:00:14.344 --> 01:00:22.084
to help and save and get one brother out the dark because your story may be

01:00:22.084 --> 01:00:26.544
the story that helps a brother get out of the dark and understand that where

01:00:26.544 --> 01:00:31.664
he is right now and where he's going is not the same place.

01:00:32.904 --> 01:00:36.124
It's not the same place. and if

01:00:36.124 --> 01:00:39.324
if young men understand that hey

01:00:39.324 --> 01:00:42.384
your emotions matter your feelings matter

01:00:42.384 --> 01:00:45.484
what you're going through matters just to

01:00:45.484 --> 01:00:48.444
sit down and have a conversation and you'll never

01:00:48.444 --> 01:00:51.484
know what that brother in the suits been through until

01:00:51.484 --> 01:00:58.744
you talk to him because most of the time they'll look at us oh hey unk pops

01:00:58.744 --> 01:01:03.524
whatever you know whatever acronym they want to put on you in that moment you

01:01:03.524 --> 01:01:06.904
don't know what's going on out here in these streets you don't know what life

01:01:06.904 --> 01:01:09.844
is like for me out here you don't know what's going it's hard.

01:01:11.384 --> 01:01:19.064
Okay but i grew up in the projects i i i sold drugs when i was younger i ran from the police,

01:01:19.584 --> 01:01:26.784
i've been in the shootout yeah but the person you see right now don't look like

01:01:26.784 --> 01:01:31.944
none of that And I thank God that I don't look like any of the things that I've been through.

01:01:33.784 --> 01:01:40.324
And why is that? Because you embrace change. Yes, sir. I embrace change.

01:01:41.584 --> 01:01:50.964
So that's for the growing. That's part of getting yourself out of what you grew up in.

01:01:51.484 --> 01:01:53.984
You got to want to embrace change.

01:01:56.067 --> 01:02:00.647
Make the right decision. All right. Amen to that, my brother.

01:02:01.147 --> 01:02:04.827
Amen to that. But I like what was said here.

01:02:04.987 --> 01:02:11.627
It says that's where a friend and a brother steps into jumpstart another soul.

01:02:11.807 --> 01:02:16.267
And that's what we do here at the kickback is we're trying to jumpstart other souls.

01:02:16.487 --> 01:02:21.467
We're trying to get the message out that, that you as a fireman didn't come

01:02:21.467 --> 01:02:27.547
from Ivy league or, or, or Brentwood or, or Donaldson or something like that.

01:02:27.647 --> 01:02:34.167
Now you came from out East and you spent 20 years being a firefighter and now you're a chief.

01:02:34.587 --> 01:02:39.567
Shouts out to you, Fox. You grew up out East, but now you're three years into

01:02:39.567 --> 01:02:41.387
your business and you're starting

01:02:41.387 --> 01:02:44.567
a nonprofit organization that's going to bring back to the community.

01:02:44.587 --> 01:02:49.347
But you didn't start out way out in Noseville Road in Antioch,

01:02:49.407 --> 01:02:52.227
or you didn't start out in Westmead.

01:02:52.887 --> 01:02:56.207
We didn't start out nowhere. We all came from the same soil.

01:02:56.367 --> 01:02:59.187
We ate the same dirt. We played at the same playgrounds.

01:03:01.907 --> 01:03:09.127
But God instilled something in our parents that instilled something into us.

01:03:09.267 --> 01:03:14.887
Now, it may not always been the best, but we're here to tell the story.

01:03:16.407 --> 01:03:23.067
And I thank God for the opportunity to meet you two brothers and have a conversation.

01:03:23.067 --> 01:03:25.987
Now, at the end of we're about to end the show here in a few minutes.

01:03:26.147 --> 01:03:31.067
And I always extend an opportunity for you to come on the Friday show and just

01:03:31.067 --> 01:03:33.927
hang out, whether you just stop in and say, hey, fellas, what's going on?

01:03:34.007 --> 01:03:35.907
How y'all doing? Listen to the conversation.

01:03:36.087 --> 01:03:40.907
Come in and text. Do whatever you want to do. But every Friday at 6 p.m.,

01:03:40.907 --> 01:03:45.067
we host a Freestyle Friday where we have open conversations about life,

01:03:45.187 --> 01:03:46.947
love, mental health, children.

01:03:47.947 --> 01:03:52.427
Black Family Secrets is what's going to be the topic for this Friday.

01:03:52.427 --> 01:03:56.067
I usually don't do a topic, but this is something that's weighing heavy on my

01:03:56.067 --> 01:03:59.687
heart because there's been a lot of situations that have come up in my life.

01:03:59.787 --> 01:04:03.707
And I think I need a panel of brothers and we need to talk about some of these

01:04:03.707 --> 01:04:06.827
black family secrets because right now it's hurting us.

01:04:08.974 --> 01:04:11.934
It's hurting us it's hurting us

01:04:11.934 --> 01:04:15.514
it is hurting it's hurting the community because we are

01:04:15.514 --> 01:04:18.474
finding out things like y'all found out y'all was brothers how old

01:04:18.474 --> 01:04:21.854
were y'all when y'all found out y'all were brothers oh it

01:04:21.854 --> 01:04:25.394
was about 15 years well we well

01:04:25.394 --> 01:04:28.174
when we were younger and we would

01:04:28.174 --> 01:04:32.074
see each other how my mom would be like there go your brother and

01:04:32.074 --> 01:04:39.354
it wasn't a big deal at that time but when we got older that's when it started

01:04:39.354 --> 01:04:44.254
hitting me because I used to have dreams about my brothers and sisters that

01:04:44.254 --> 01:04:51.054
wasn't in my life but you know everything happened during this time.

01:04:52.554 --> 01:04:59.734
But we came to really know each other in 2009 that's when we had the blood DNA

01:04:59.734 --> 01:05:06.074
test done and every chromosome came back the exact chromosome the sac,

01:05:07.294 --> 01:05:11.334
but how old were y'all in 2009 when y'all did this DNA test,

01:05:12.594 --> 01:05:20.334
like 15 years ago so what 31 30 31 so for 30 years these people held on to this

01:05:20.334 --> 01:05:27.334
secret 30 years can I get this story real quick go ahead yes sir okay cool so,

01:05:28.034 --> 01:05:31.054
like I said we both grew up in East Nashville I played

01:05:31.054 --> 01:05:33.934
basketball for Shraff used to come to my games i never knew

01:05:33.934 --> 01:05:36.774
of him one day i think i was i

01:05:36.774 --> 01:05:40.434
think of what catch records on guys are only used to be catch records yes sir

01:05:40.434 --> 01:05:45.094
his mother approached me and said hey do you know who this person is i said

01:05:45.094 --> 01:05:51.014
no ma'am she said this is your brother i said okay i was confused i didn't you

01:05:51.014 --> 01:05:55.394
know because i didn't know who he was but at this time like our real dad i had

01:05:55.394 --> 01:05:56.614
a relationship with our real dad.

01:05:57.094 --> 01:06:02.114
So I called him. I said, hey, this lady got this kid named Antoine said it's

01:06:02.114 --> 01:06:03.714
my brother. Is that my brother?

01:06:04.034 --> 01:06:06.554
And at that time, he's like, no, that's not my brother. You know,

01:06:06.694 --> 01:06:08.194
she's just crazy. He's making it up.

01:06:08.714 --> 01:06:12.034
I dropped it because I had no reason not to believe my father.

01:06:12.274 --> 01:06:14.694
I dropped it. So I just left it alone.

01:06:15.710 --> 01:06:20.290
Well, like I said, it's nine of us. Growing up, I knew it was me,

01:06:20.770 --> 01:06:22.310
an older sister and a brother.

01:06:22.450 --> 01:06:24.890
So I started out with this thing. It was three of us.

01:06:25.310 --> 01:06:29.170
So when I was 14, I met another sister. So now it's four of us.

01:06:29.390 --> 01:06:34.450
So at my dad's 50th birthday party, I was 24 years old. I was a grown man at

01:06:34.450 --> 01:06:36.450
my father's 50th birthday party.

01:06:36.770 --> 01:06:42.470
And I sat down with four other people at this table that I'd never seen in my life.

01:06:42.610 --> 01:06:45.350
And one of my aunties came over and said, do you know who these people is? I said, no.

01:06:45.710 --> 01:06:48.630
I said, no, I don't. Who are they? They ended up my brothers and sisters.

01:06:49.190 --> 01:06:52.730
So it went from four to eight. And I didn't meet four of them and didn't even

01:06:52.730 --> 01:06:55.410
know they existed until I was 24 years old. I'm a grown man.

01:06:56.210 --> 01:07:00.110
So once in North Carolina, before I met my brother in North Carolina,

01:07:00.470 --> 01:07:05.390
my oldest sister had a siblings, I'm air calling a siblings reunion.

01:07:05.810 --> 01:07:10.590
And all eight of us went to North Carolina and had a sibling reunion.

01:07:10.850 --> 01:07:14.590
And that was the first time that all eight of us was in the same room at the

01:07:14.590 --> 01:07:17.570
same time. So we had to kind of get to know each other.

01:07:18.170 --> 01:07:21.650
So two of my older sisters, we was up. It's like three or four in the morning.

01:07:22.110 --> 01:07:24.890
We kind of had some to drink. We were just talking about, you know,

01:07:25.090 --> 01:07:27.210
hey, let's find out if there's some more.

01:07:27.410 --> 01:07:31.590
Do we have any more brothers and sisters? Because we don't want our kids to

01:07:31.590 --> 01:07:36.690
meet our nieces and nephews and then they get together and they're brothers and sisters. I got you.

01:07:37.390 --> 01:07:41.430
I got you. So. So at four or three, four in the morning, this is when I said,

01:07:41.530 --> 01:07:45.690
hey, wait a minute. And I remember this lady came to me and said, hey, I got a brother.

01:07:46.070 --> 01:07:49.710
So they was like, hey, you have to find him. So when I came back to Nashville...

01:07:50.900 --> 01:07:55.660
Of got on Facebook and I was like, hey, I know this sounds crazy,

01:07:55.800 --> 01:07:56.960
but I'm kind of looking for my brother.

01:07:57.540 --> 01:08:02.420
And as soon as I put in her, five minutes later, a young lady that I went to

01:08:02.420 --> 01:08:05.580
school with that knew Twan hit me on Facebook.

01:08:05.740 --> 01:08:08.440
She's like, hey, I know your brother. He talk about you all the time.

01:08:08.820 --> 01:08:12.540
I said, hey, give him his number and tell him to call me. And Twan called me

01:08:12.540 --> 01:08:15.400
and that's how I got to know my brother.

01:08:17.800 --> 01:08:20.820
It ain't funny, but it's funny. I know. I

01:08:20.820 --> 01:08:23.880
know it ain't funny but it's funny

01:08:23.880 --> 01:08:26.940
man it's like my dad died and all

01:08:26.940 --> 01:08:30.160
these people showed up and I'm like who is this person and who

01:08:30.160 --> 01:08:33.300
is that and who is that because he had

01:08:33.300 --> 01:08:36.300
only I'd only like you I'd only met four of

01:08:36.300 --> 01:08:39.200
my siblings I'd only met four of

01:08:39.200 --> 01:08:42.160
my siblings and that I made number

01:08:42.160 --> 01:08:45.440
five now 16 of us so that's that's

01:08:45.440 --> 01:08:48.480
so it's still 10 of 10 of them I don't even know

01:08:48.480 --> 01:08:52.180
right and then this man dies and

01:08:52.180 --> 01:08:54.940
all of a sudden one sister makes a phone call to

01:08:54.940 --> 01:08:58.020
another sister and another sister makes a phone call because they know the other

01:08:58.020 --> 01:09:01.080
sister and another sister makes a phone call to another sister and then all

01:09:01.080 --> 01:09:04.720
these people show up at his funeral and then all of their mamas show up at the

01:09:04.720 --> 01:09:14.340
funeral and my mama comes with me and i'm like oh my god this man this man here. This man here.

01:09:15.680 --> 01:09:21.040
That's what I said. Black family secrets, man. It is killing us right now because

01:09:21.040 --> 01:09:27.220
we're having to unfold all the stuff that these people have taken to their graves.

01:09:27.820 --> 01:09:32.620
We're having to unfold all the stuff that these people are taking to their graves

01:09:32.620 --> 01:09:40.180
and finding out here years later that this person is so-and-so and this person is so-and-so.

01:09:40.180 --> 01:09:48.940
It's a lot it's a lot but I know y'all gotta go I gotta go I thank you again

01:09:48.940 --> 01:09:56.080
for being here like I said Friday Freestyle Fridays Mr. Tony Mr.

01:09:56.260 --> 01:10:02.280
Antonio I love you brothers y'all keep doing what you're doing man I love you

01:10:02.280 --> 01:10:09.080
too stay positive if you see a young brother show him some love keep him out

01:10:09.080 --> 01:10:11.180
the streets man And we got to,

01:10:11.180 --> 01:10:15.340
we got to protect, we've got to protect our youth.

01:10:16.100 --> 01:10:19.360
Yes, sir. And we appreciate that I've been telling you. Yes,

01:10:19.400 --> 01:10:23.780
sir. You guys have a great night. And hopefully I'll hear from you guys on Friday.

01:10:24.580 --> 01:10:28.900
All right. Thanks for having us. You're welcome, sir. All right. All right.

01:10:29.860 --> 01:10:32.160
The kickback, the place of your brothers.

01:10:34.480 --> 01:10:40.400
Music.

01:10:36.700 --> 01:10:47.580
Yeah I don't back a place for brothers yes sir yeah.

01:10:48.080 --> 01:11:39.443
Music.