Topic Tuesday: Navigating Fatherhood and Education with Robert Taylor

WEBVTT

00:00:00.017 --> 00:00:05.837
Hello, everyone, and welcome to another episode of The Kickback.

00:00:06.557 --> 00:00:15.317
I am your host, The Dude, and as I say with every conversation that we have,

00:00:15.657 --> 00:00:21.997
we will let you say almost anything you want to say on here.

00:00:21.997 --> 00:00:27.777
We just don't do racism. We don't do racism of any form or fashion.

00:00:27.777 --> 00:00:30.657
So if you have some races to say Please

00:00:30.657 --> 00:00:33.337
keep it to yourself In all forms of

00:00:33.337 --> 00:00:36.197
fashion Keep it to yourself And we just

00:00:36.197 --> 00:00:39.357
ask you to sit back And have a wonderful ride

00:00:39.357 --> 00:00:45.517
Today is Tuesday And you know on Tuesdays we do Topic Tuesday So we always have

00:00:45.517 --> 00:00:52.837
A wonderful conversation With a wonderful human being So Just sit back Enjoy

00:00:52.837 --> 00:00:56.237
the ride And this is going to be another,

00:00:56.857 --> 00:01:01.897
Topic Tuesday Dave how are you today my brother I'm doing,

00:01:02.797 --> 00:01:08.157
Swimmingly well my brother How are you doing today I'm doing well he said swimmingly

00:01:08.157 --> 00:01:13.777
well Are you doing swimmingly well Because it's It is raining outside Is that

00:01:13.777 --> 00:01:14.877
why you're doing swimmingly well,

00:01:15.677 --> 00:01:19.817
It is a little moist outside It's not raining to the point where we could actually

00:01:19.817 --> 00:01:23.517
Go swimming out there but Yeah no I don't think that expression.

00:01:25.477 --> 00:01:31.577
Swimmingly well okay my brother if you give me a moment i'm making it you're

00:01:31.577 --> 00:01:35.197
making it if you give me a moment i'm gonna play making it you're making it

00:01:35.197 --> 00:01:40.057
i'm gonna give you i'm gonna play the intro song for a moment while i i have

00:01:40.057 --> 00:01:43.317
to take care of something just real quick no problem,

00:01:43.957 --> 00:01:46.057
The Kickback, the place of your brothers.

00:01:46.000 --> 00:02:21.840
Music.

00:01:50.777 --> 00:01:56.737
Yeah The Kickback, the place of your brothers A place for brothers.

00:02:03.177 --> 00:02:04.597
A place for brothers,

00:02:13.317 --> 00:02:16.937
The kickback A place for brothers,

00:02:18.257 --> 00:02:26.837
The kickback A place for brothers The kickback A place for brothers All righty

00:02:26.837 --> 00:02:30.357
I'm back How have you been my brother?

00:02:31.517 --> 00:02:36.157
Man it's all good man God is good he's still in the blessing business I got

00:02:36.157 --> 00:02:42.777
to play pickleball today So I am doing great Yes sir He is always most definitely

00:02:42.777 --> 00:02:44.557
in the blessing business,

00:02:44.557 --> 00:02:50.417
and we are blessed to be able and have him as our father,

00:02:50.817 --> 00:02:56.597
to have him as our father and to bless us the abundant way.

00:02:57.536 --> 00:03:05.056
To bless us the abundant way. Man, I'm going through this training, man, and it's going.

00:03:05.396 --> 00:03:10.816
And with time, you know, with anything, you get relaxed and you get a better

00:03:10.816 --> 00:03:14.816
understanding of where and what God's trying to do in your life.

00:03:14.956 --> 00:03:20.516
And sometimes people can be a distraction away from the goal that God has set

00:03:20.516 --> 00:03:23.276
for you or set forth in front of you.

00:03:23.536 --> 00:03:27.836
And you have to get yourself away from those distractions.

00:03:28.236 --> 00:03:35.996
Or sometimes they are teachable moments where God is trying to teach you a lesson.

00:03:36.336 --> 00:03:45.956
And sometimes just life, anger, managing emotions, whatever it may be.

00:03:46.116 --> 00:03:49.136
Sometimes it's simply just a lesson of

00:03:49.136 --> 00:03:51.956
managing who you are and

00:03:51.956 --> 00:03:54.836
understanding the great power that

00:03:54.836 --> 00:03:58.316
has been bestowed upon you mm-hmm

00:03:58.316 --> 00:04:01.676
you know I'm just like some of

00:04:01.676 --> 00:04:04.896
these people are just like you get under my skin I can't

00:04:04.896 --> 00:04:12.796
I can't deal with you but on a level of humanity it's like okay maybe God's

00:04:12.796 --> 00:04:18.436
trying to tell me something or show me something that I need to change within

00:04:18.436 --> 00:04:23.376
myself it's not particularly that person, maybe it's me.

00:04:23.956 --> 00:04:29.856
Maybe it's something that I'm not seeing or something that I'm not doing that's

00:04:29.856 --> 00:04:33.116
letting this person infect me.

00:04:33.556 --> 00:04:39.956
And maybe I need to look internally and say, hey, what am I doing?

00:04:40.016 --> 00:04:45.836
Because a lot of times we like to point the finger at everyone else and say,

00:04:45.836 --> 00:04:49.456
Oh, it's their fault or it's his fault or her fault or the group's fault.

00:04:49.856 --> 00:04:56.616
But really, in all honesty, God is trying to reveal to you the greatness and

00:04:56.616 --> 00:04:58.656
the goodness that he has for you.

00:04:58.996 --> 00:05:04.376
And there's a lesson of humility in whatever is happening in the moment.

00:05:04.656 --> 00:05:06.136
Oh, yeah, most definitely.

00:05:07.036 --> 00:05:11.256
Yeah, I think as humans, we have a we have a tendency to want to control or

00:05:11.256 --> 00:05:14.636
manage certain things in our realm.

00:05:15.196 --> 00:05:21.976
And I think we get frustrated and angry when things don't go the way we desire them to go,

00:05:22.716 --> 00:05:26.776
I'm speaking for self. I'm preaching to myself. Hey, I was going to say most

00:05:26.776 --> 00:05:29.196
definitely looking in the mirror as I say this.

00:05:29.956 --> 00:05:35.376
And I'm talking to the man in the mirror. And sometimes you just have to when

00:05:35.376 --> 00:05:37.416
it doesn't go the way you want it to go.

00:05:37.536 --> 00:05:40.916
Sometimes you just got to let go and enjoy the ride.

00:05:41.396 --> 00:05:46.196
Right. Right. And I think in some instances and in some cases,

00:05:46.196 --> 00:05:51.296
it's hard to let go and just enjoy the ride.

00:05:51.296 --> 00:05:57.476
Because as you said, in so many instances, we want to be in control.

00:05:57.476 --> 00:06:00.396
We want to be we want to control the narrative.

00:06:00.676 --> 00:06:08.396
We want to be the people that running our own race when in actuality God is the coach.

00:06:09.276 --> 00:06:13.116
Exactly. God's the coach. But we want to be the runner, the coach,

00:06:13.236 --> 00:06:18.096
the water boy, the running back, the tail, you know, the tailback.

00:06:18.096 --> 00:06:24.176
You know, we want to play all positions and in life, sometimes that can be very

00:06:24.176 --> 00:06:32.296
overwhelming trying to play all of the positions and trying to be everything and everybody.

00:06:33.756 --> 00:06:37.176
Yeah, we're not built for that. But we think we are.

00:06:37.296 --> 00:06:44.376
We think we're built for that. We think that we are, we're built to be a whole

00:06:44.376 --> 00:06:49.036
entire squad when we're built to be just one player on the team.

00:06:49.436 --> 00:06:55.416
An important player because we all have our roles in life that we need to play.

00:06:55.596 --> 00:07:00.056
And we all have a particular formation in which we should be lining up in.

00:07:00.356 --> 00:07:03.816
But sometimes we want to, we want to play the whole line.

00:07:05.536 --> 00:07:07.616
When you lose the game Then it's like.

00:07:09.956 --> 00:07:18.616
That was you ringing That was my oldest boy calling in I keep forgetting We

00:07:18.616 --> 00:07:24.056
do this He knows This is what we go by This is our vision,

00:07:25.436 --> 00:07:28.716
Creativity, action, respect Alright.

00:07:30.336 --> 00:07:30.856
Mr.

00:07:31.436 --> 00:07:35.736
Taylor Looks like Mr. Taylor is coming on the line I know. I don't know if he's

00:07:35.736 --> 00:07:37.536
finished with what he's doing or what.

00:07:38.376 --> 00:07:41.536
He might be preparing to come in since he's open. Then he's coming.

00:07:42.196 --> 00:07:44.236
Yeah, I'm around. Can you hear me?

00:07:45.156 --> 00:07:48.436
OK. All right. I'm sorry. I am finished.

00:07:48.956 --> 00:07:55.116
I know the call now that I am. I can hear you guys.

00:07:56.676 --> 00:08:00.436
All right. Well, welcome to the show, Mr. Taylor.

00:08:00.616 --> 00:08:07.956
How are you this afternoon? I'm doing well Thank you So what is now What is

00:08:07.956 --> 00:08:10.036
the program that we're doing Called now,

00:08:11.112 --> 00:08:14.752
I'm not sure what you're referring to. I'm sorry. No, I said,

00:08:14.832 --> 00:08:18.852
what's the program that you're finishing? You said you were just finishing a program.

00:08:19.772 --> 00:08:26.192
Wow. So, yes, I am. I'm actually at work. I serve as an instructor and chair

00:08:26.192 --> 00:08:29.892
of the admissions committee for our master of public health program here at McHerry.

00:08:30.432 --> 00:08:35.612
And we had a informational where we were providing information to students,

00:08:35.952 --> 00:08:37.472
prospective students tonight. Right.

00:08:38.032 --> 00:08:41.392
So we have some students on the line that ask them questions.

00:08:41.872 --> 00:08:47.052
And so I made myself available. I had a co-worker who was ill today.

00:08:47.272 --> 00:08:48.252
And so I had to step in for her.

00:08:48.992 --> 00:08:53.332
Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. As as I have read some things,

00:08:53.332 --> 00:08:56.752
you are district one for MSPN.

00:08:57.952 --> 00:08:59.932
Yeah. Yeah.

00:09:01.612 --> 00:09:05.192
MNPS. Yes, yes, yes.

00:09:05.512 --> 00:09:11.152
District one. And I also heard about that, that you were on the board at Meharry

00:09:11.152 --> 00:09:14.432
and that you ran a couple other programs.

00:09:14.652 --> 00:09:21.192
I read a few things from your bio and you seemed like a very interesting young

00:09:21.192 --> 00:09:23.652
man and a hardworking young man.

00:09:24.532 --> 00:09:27.712
Thank you. I appreciate that. Yeah.

00:09:27.932 --> 00:09:35.192
So we're here tonight. So what is what is your goal for for the for your district

00:09:35.192 --> 00:09:38.972
and what's the goal on improving education?

00:09:40.872 --> 00:09:48.612
Yeah, I think my district in particular has just suffered from disparate treatment for decades.

00:09:48.892 --> 00:09:55.392
And so one of my goals is just to draw additional attention to some of the the

00:09:55.392 --> 00:09:59.312
issues that have kind of plagued our community specifically.

00:09:59.592 --> 00:10:03.572
Talking about our reading scores amongst African-American boys,

00:10:03.592 --> 00:10:09.192
as well as our graduation rates and our ACT scores.

00:10:09.452 --> 00:10:13.472
It doesn't make sure that our high school students are ready for college and

00:10:13.472 --> 00:10:19.172
career by the time they finish their 12 or 13 plus years in MMPFs with us.

00:10:19.532 --> 00:10:24.812
Right. So what are we doing? Because there are a lot of students in low poverty

00:10:24.812 --> 00:10:28.732
areas that are not reading at grade level,

00:10:28.992 --> 00:10:34.632
what is the school district doing to try to get these students to grade level?

00:10:34.812 --> 00:10:40.112
Because in the past, there was no one there to fight for students in low property areas.

00:10:41.852 --> 00:10:47.952
I cannot hear you. For some reason, it's breaking up. Oh, you can't hear me? I'm sorry.

00:10:48.392 --> 00:10:51.632
That's okay. Hold on one moment. If you can hear me, hold on.

00:10:52.332 --> 00:10:57.992
Can you hear me better now? There you go that's much better Joe Yeah that's great That's great.

00:10:59.221 --> 00:11:05.861
I was saying that there are a lot of students in low parbish areas that are

00:11:05.861 --> 00:11:08.661
reading below their grade level.

00:11:08.941 --> 00:11:16.581
What are we doing to try to bring those students up to the level of reading they should be at?

00:11:17.201 --> 00:11:21.361
Yeah, I think there's a lot of things that we've done. The interesting part

00:11:21.361 --> 00:11:26.241
is that COVID gave us an opportunity to kind of test out a lot of the things

00:11:26.241 --> 00:11:28.341
that we had talked about doing for years.

00:11:28.341 --> 00:11:33.421
So additional summer programming, as well as having Saturday school for students

00:11:33.421 --> 00:11:37.841
that need remediation and then being able to provide additional supports in

00:11:37.841 --> 00:11:42.201
the building to deal with some of the social emotional pieces that students deal with,

00:11:42.361 --> 00:11:45.101
depending on their their background in the household.

00:11:45.101 --> 00:11:52.021
Yeah, I was I saw a story this afternoon about the new I think it's Roberts

00:11:52.021 --> 00:11:55.321
Academy that they have over at Vanderbilt,

00:11:55.401 --> 00:12:00.101
where they're catering straight to students that are dyslexic.

00:12:00.101 --> 00:12:08.361
And my daughter, she's in Montgomery County, but when she was in Davidson County,

00:12:08.621 --> 00:12:12.001
and this was years ago, they could not diagnose her.

00:12:12.101 --> 00:12:17.841
But once she got to Montgomery County, they figured out really fast that she was dyslexic.

00:12:18.461 --> 00:12:24.441
What are we doing? And I'm a parent. What are we doing to try to get those students

00:12:24.441 --> 00:12:28.801
in a proper, I think it's called an IEP, because my daughter has an IEP,

00:12:29.181 --> 00:12:34.061
and get those children diagnosed so they will not be left behind?

00:12:34.061 --> 00:12:38.221
Because a lot of those children, the stats say that they are getting left behind

00:12:38.221 --> 00:12:44.421
or they're dropping out of school because they're not being diagnosed at an early age.

00:12:45.582 --> 00:12:50.522
You hear me? Okay, sorry. I couldn't find the mute button there. Sorry.

00:12:51.682 --> 00:12:58.062
Yes, so you're correct about the IEP process. I think that one of the issues that I've recognized,

00:12:58.062 --> 00:13:01.482
I used to serve as a family involvement specialist in the school system,

00:13:01.482 --> 00:13:09.262
and one of the issues that I recognized was that the parents at times are hesitant

00:13:09.262 --> 00:13:14.682
to have their child tested to determine whether or not there is a potential

00:13:14.682 --> 00:13:16.662
disability or what have you.

00:13:16.822 --> 00:13:21.462
And I think that one of the things that we can do is provide more accurate information

00:13:21.462 --> 00:13:26.262
around the positive benefits of having our children tested so that we can access

00:13:26.262 --> 00:13:32.742
the resources that are available to them and access them at an early age so that they can,

00:13:32.882 --> 00:13:35.222
those systems put in place to

00:13:35.222 --> 00:13:39.882
where the long-term ramifications aren't as set in place in their lives.

00:13:40.062 --> 00:13:44.122
So that's one of the things that I hope that we can do is just educate parents

00:13:44.122 --> 00:13:47.962
on the process, help them to understand that there are some positive things

00:13:47.962 --> 00:13:51.762
around having their child tested early and making sure that they can receive

00:13:51.762 --> 00:13:54.322
the services that we have available for them.

00:13:54.942 --> 00:13:58.622
All right. So, I mean, those were a couple of questions about business.

00:13:58.762 --> 00:14:00.942
Now let's get down to a little bit of friendship.

00:14:01.222 --> 00:14:06.662
Now give everybody a background of who Robert Taylor is, where he's from,

00:14:07.142 --> 00:14:11.782
you know, where you went to high school, college, Fish University,

00:14:11.802 --> 00:14:15.922
and a couple of other places you went to. Because like I said, I read up on you.

00:14:16.122 --> 00:14:26.462
And you have a pretty wonderful resume. And you also have people that have enjoyed working under you.

00:14:26.642 --> 00:14:29.822
You're a great timekeeper. And you're a great team member.

00:14:30.542 --> 00:14:36.342
Yeah. And can you please forgive me? I have a student that is reaching out to me right now.

00:14:36.762 --> 00:14:41.602
And can you give me two minutes to speak with them? And I just want to get that information.

00:14:42.022 --> 00:14:45.402
Just mute yourself, mute yourself and just take care of whatever you really

00:14:45.402 --> 00:14:46.462
need to take care of, sir.

00:14:47.239 --> 00:14:50.859
Okay, I apologize. Thank you. Hey, go ahead.

00:14:51.679 --> 00:14:54.799
Can you hear me, Dave? I'm right behind you.

00:14:55.379 --> 00:15:01.199
All righty, my brother. I don't know. My wife says that our internet is having

00:15:01.199 --> 00:15:06.679
some issues, and I don't know why I wasn't coming off very well.

00:15:07.259 --> 00:15:10.879
You had that machine sound. Oh, I had the machine sound.

00:15:11.039 --> 00:15:14.199
That's why my wife was like, something's wrong with the internet, baby.

00:15:14.259 --> 00:15:18.299
I don't know what's going on. Yeah, that's the world in which we live in,

00:15:18.379 --> 00:15:20.859
man. Everybody's battling for gig speed, man.

00:15:22.419 --> 00:15:25.839
Very true. That is that is a very true statement.

00:15:26.639 --> 00:15:29.859
Everybody's battling for gig speed, man. Yeah, man.

00:15:30.379 --> 00:15:33.559
You were saying something earlier that made me think of, you know,

00:15:33.619 --> 00:15:37.619
when you talk about everybody wanting to be in control and and being a superstar.

00:15:37.619 --> 00:15:43.579
My favorite person, I wouldn't say person, but my favorite example of a role player.

00:15:43.839 --> 00:15:49.699
I'm a huge Chicago Bulls fan from back in the day when we had Michael Jordan on the court.

00:15:50.079 --> 00:15:53.339
But you won't believe it or not, but the one that I enjoyed,

00:15:53.559 --> 00:15:56.759
besides Michael and Scotty.

00:15:57.459 --> 00:16:04.739
Scotty? You about to say Scotty. I'm sorry. Yeah, but no, not Scotty. I enjoyed Steve Kerr.

00:16:06.759 --> 00:16:10.899
Was the one dude on the floor. You didn't see him too much.

00:16:11.039 --> 00:16:15.719
He wasn't on the reels, but when the last two minutes of the game came down,

00:16:16.099 --> 00:16:19.559
that little joker, he hadn't shot nothing all game. Maybe he shot it,

00:16:19.579 --> 00:16:20.779
he shot it, he shot there.

00:16:21.059 --> 00:16:24.839
But the last two minutes of the game, when they double-teaming Jordan and covering

00:16:24.839 --> 00:16:30.499
Scottie, I mean, Kerr is all alone over there on the wing, just ready to drop a three.

00:16:30.699 --> 00:16:32.839
And I used to love that because,

00:16:34.042 --> 00:16:38.442
My man would drive the lane and dish it off to Kerr, and Kerr would just shoot that thing.

00:16:38.562 --> 00:16:41.402
It'd be like the other team, the look on their face, like, oh,

00:16:41.482 --> 00:16:43.022
come on, now we got to stop him too?

00:16:43.702 --> 00:16:47.322
So, yeah, I enjoyed watching Kerr. He was a great role player.

00:16:48.062 --> 00:16:52.082
Wasn't he kind of like the microwave, Vinny, Johnson for the Pistons?

00:16:52.722 --> 00:16:57.122
Yeah, yeah, similar. He would come off the bench, and they'd be like, oh, man.

00:16:58.002 --> 00:17:00.202
So what's going on, Brother Morris? How you been doing?

00:17:01.422 --> 00:17:07.242
I've been doing one day at a time. trusting and and seeking and just uh being

00:17:07.242 --> 00:17:10.662
patient i'm at a crock road and um,

00:17:11.462 --> 00:17:15.382
all right i'm just at a crock road i found out like we gotta get you sound like

00:17:15.382 --> 00:17:19.842
we gotta get you on the line on friday and probably i'm not gonna go i'm not

00:17:19.842 --> 00:17:24.202
gonna go there just pray for my dad i just found out you know he just turned

00:17:24.202 --> 00:17:28.902
89 on october the 6th but he had cancer in his uh.

00:17:29.562 --> 00:17:32.582
In his leg and they just stopped

00:17:32.582 --> 00:17:35.362
the chemo said it spread to his lungs they're giving him two

00:17:35.362 --> 00:17:38.562
months so i'm about

00:17:38.562 --> 00:17:41.742
to make that trip up lord it's all

00:17:41.742 --> 00:17:48.962
good i'm i'm comfortable in the fact that i did the best i could do you know

00:17:48.962 --> 00:17:55.902
right you know all right well for what we'll keep you in your We'll keep you

00:17:55.902 --> 00:18:00.302
and your family in our prayers But tonight for Topic Tuesday We've got Mr.

00:18:00.462 --> 00:18:04.742
Robert Taylor on the line He's I was listening

00:18:04.742 --> 00:18:08.682
I was trying to tap in some stuff The

00:18:08.682 --> 00:18:11.442
brother And the thing that

00:18:11.442 --> 00:18:14.662
he said At the end was trying to Reach the

00:18:14.662 --> 00:18:18.502
parents There's a systematic I think

00:18:18.502 --> 00:18:22.022
in our communities African American communities

00:18:22.022 --> 00:18:25.282
There's a stereotype there's this little

00:18:25.282 --> 00:18:28.382
edge of when you start talking about mental

00:18:28.382 --> 00:18:31.782
health when you start talking about life insurance when

00:18:31.782 --> 00:18:34.642
you start talking about your child might not you know

00:18:34.642 --> 00:18:38.062
might be dyslexic all those things you're we're

00:18:38.062 --> 00:18:44.842
very very guarded often and then when you got a lot of single women is raising

00:18:44.842 --> 00:18:49.342
these children the frustrations levels that they're dealing with on a day-to-day

00:18:49.342 --> 00:18:54.482
basis is because they're the single parent and they're picking up where you

00:18:54.482 --> 00:18:55.362
understand where I'm going.

00:18:55.902 --> 00:19:01.582
You know, my mother was a single parent and I saw her work two jobs,

00:19:01.762 --> 00:19:08.462
go to school, you know, and raise two kids and try to do it without beating

00:19:08.462 --> 00:19:10.702
up on my daddy. You know what I'm saying?

00:19:11.142 --> 00:19:16.582
Right. but also trying to you know you know encourage me teach me to be a better

00:19:16.582 --> 00:19:24.542
man without you know you know because you know in those single homes sometimes little boys especially,

00:19:25.967 --> 00:19:29.307
We get hit with that. You just like your daddy. Yeah, man.

00:19:29.667 --> 00:19:34.067
And hopefully don't they don't add that. You're no good part to it, too. Right.

00:19:34.627 --> 00:19:39.167
Yeah. Right. What's wrong with your little bad? They don't know how to talk

00:19:39.167 --> 00:19:41.407
to boys. A lot of the women.

00:19:41.707 --> 00:19:47.747
And I want to share this on Free South Friday because it came across to me and I'm a park.

00:19:47.747 --> 00:19:51.047
It a lot of women want the authority of

00:19:51.047 --> 00:19:54.307
a man they want the responsibility of

00:19:54.307 --> 00:19:57.407
a child and they want all the perks that

00:19:57.407 --> 00:20:03.087
come with being a woman and trying to incorporate write that down write that

00:20:03.087 --> 00:20:07.267
down because why don't you bring that back up on friday yes i'm gonna show friday

00:20:07.267 --> 00:20:12.647
because i opened up the show on friday and nobody was there i came here i came

00:20:12.647 --> 00:20:16.767
here like six minutes late doc and i I said, oh, man.

00:20:18.527 --> 00:20:24.767
I waited, and I waited, and I waited. I'm so sorry. I waited. Nobody showed up.

00:20:25.467 --> 00:20:29.267
Dave had some personal stuff he had to take care of. That brother was doing

00:20:29.267 --> 00:20:32.527
what he needed to do for him and his family, but I was there.

00:20:32.567 --> 00:20:36.067
I was waiting for everybody, and nobody showed up.

00:20:36.487 --> 00:20:39.607
I sat there for 20 minutes. Nobody showed up.

00:20:39.627 --> 00:20:42.447
I said, I guess nobody wanted to come in the room and talk.

00:20:42.447 --> 00:20:45.507
Yeah yeah well i think i signed in

00:20:45.507 --> 00:20:48.607
at like it was like 36 after so i was about 15 minutes

00:20:48.607 --> 00:20:51.467
late i was caught up and was on another

00:20:51.467 --> 00:20:54.727
phone call i was trying to click over but i was

00:20:54.727 --> 00:20:57.687
stuck and and by the time i did get off

00:20:57.687 --> 00:21:00.507
and got on on it you just ended i was

00:21:00.507 --> 00:21:06.947
like oh man you know but it's all good it's all good all right mr taylor are

00:21:06.947 --> 00:21:13.667
you back on the line no mr taylor's still Taking care of his person But write

00:21:13.667 --> 00:21:18.307
this down If you would To ask him How.

00:21:19.487 --> 00:21:22.367
You know this needs to be nationwide I know

00:21:22.367 --> 00:21:25.587
we're dealing with Tennessee You know I'm from Detroit whatever

00:21:25.587 --> 00:21:31.167
But at the end of the day This is pervasive throughout the nation I believe

00:21:31.167 --> 00:21:39.087
in the black community And if we don't Get a grip on communication And and lowering

00:21:39.087 --> 00:21:45.027
our we've been so guarded against each other we don't trust no test,

00:21:45.847 --> 00:21:49.747
period what you gonna do with my kid what's going on,

00:21:50.727 --> 00:21:56.067
that's because of our lack of knowledge we can't even be comfortable with a

00:21:56.067 --> 00:22:02.507
test well we know what lack of knowledge leads to according to the scripture yes sir.

00:22:03.847 --> 00:22:11.327
That right there and a lot of people have perished Because of that Man When

00:22:11.327 --> 00:22:13.607
you start incorporating The different,

00:22:14.931 --> 00:22:20.811
religious views within our community you ain't getting no blood transfusion

00:22:20.811 --> 00:22:26.931
we ain't giving you we ain't taking no medicine we're gonna just pray now 90.

00:22:27.251 --> 00:22:34.391
Narrow-minded narrow-minded narrow-minded yeah mr taylor's gonna come back in

00:22:34.391 --> 00:22:38.831
a minute just mute yourself morris and then all right we will.

00:22:40.071 --> 00:22:45.091
Continue this conversation, but you got some very valid points.

00:22:45.211 --> 00:22:48.231
You have some very valid points, and you're right.

00:22:48.351 --> 00:22:55.711
It's a nationwide thing that we have conditioned ourselves to be afraid of process,

00:22:55.711 --> 00:22:57.931
and that's the community.

00:22:58.091 --> 00:23:01.511
We've conditioned ourselves to be afraid of therapy. We've conditioned ourselves

00:23:01.511 --> 00:23:06.831
to be afraid of going to the doctor, and we listen to our family members who

00:23:06.831 --> 00:23:09.791
have went to, oh, they ain't going to do nothing but throw your own stuff.

00:23:10.231 --> 00:23:15.131
But the thing is, there are avenues and there are ways of helping.

00:23:15.311 --> 00:23:19.151
And just like I explained, my daughter has dyslexia.

00:23:19.151 --> 00:23:24.551
And when she moved to Clarksville, they picked that up immediately and got her an IEP.

00:23:24.551 --> 00:23:28.051
But when she was in Davidson County and the schools were so overcrowded,

00:23:28.291 --> 00:23:30.151
they did not pick that up.

00:23:30.151 --> 00:23:33.311
Right and they make

00:23:33.311 --> 00:23:36.191
it a a lot of times for the

00:23:36.191 --> 00:23:39.431
children we don't know because we're at work or whatever i'm

00:23:39.431 --> 00:23:44.131
i'm you know i'm not you know bro but i think about my grandsons and they're

00:23:44.131 --> 00:23:49.011
there you out trying to make the living and you know you know the communication

00:23:49.011 --> 00:23:54.511
barriers are there we got all these fear factors in place and at the end of

00:23:54.511 --> 00:23:58.511
the day a lot of the children just get put over in the corner,

00:23:58.711 --> 00:24:01.431
go to the office, get out my room.

00:24:01.691 --> 00:24:09.171
And I'm going to put this here. Do you remember the song, Jeremy Spoken Class Today? Yeah.

00:24:11.282 --> 00:24:14.522
Yeah that was talking about school shooting though but

00:24:14.522 --> 00:24:18.022
the whole storyline even as it was fictitious was

00:24:18.022 --> 00:24:21.282
on point and i think a lot just pop

00:24:21.282 --> 00:24:24.182
their head to the music without listening to the lyrics oh no

00:24:24.182 --> 00:24:26.902
there's some very strong lyrics to that song and it

00:24:26.902 --> 00:24:29.902
talks about a little boy who's being neglected by his family

00:24:29.902 --> 00:24:33.042
so he internalizes his emotions and

00:24:33.042 --> 00:24:36.282
his feelings and he's being bullied him and

00:24:36.282 --> 00:24:39.222
treated really badly at school and he

00:24:39.222 --> 00:24:43.322
turns to drugs and he turns to self-mutilation and

00:24:43.322 --> 00:24:46.862
then you know he jeremy's smoking

00:24:46.862 --> 00:24:51.682
grass today jeremy's smoking grass no

00:24:51.682 --> 00:24:55.102
no no no lol no he said

00:24:55.102 --> 00:24:58.582
jeremy spoke in class today

00:24:58.582 --> 00:25:02.022
jeremy spoke in class today yeah because

00:25:02.022 --> 00:25:05.782
he jumped on the teacher bitter breast he

00:25:05.782 --> 00:25:08.702
shot he shot up the classroom i know

00:25:08.702 --> 00:25:11.642
that i know he did that but i thought it was it was he

00:25:11.642 --> 00:25:14.502
wasn't he wasn't saying jeremy's smoking grass and

00:25:14.502 --> 00:25:18.062
he was saying jeremy in class today so

00:25:18.062 --> 00:25:20.862
you with the quiet one that was always being bullied like you just

00:25:20.862 --> 00:25:23.782
said laid out but what happened was that one.

00:25:23.782 --> 00:25:26.822
Day some snap yeah some snap

00:25:26.822 --> 00:25:29.922
one day and he just went off yeah we went

00:25:29.922 --> 00:25:33.642
off and that was when he finally spoke up and

00:25:33.642 --> 00:25:37.602
that's when everybody finally listened yeah right

00:25:37.602 --> 00:25:40.702
and that's what we're dealing with now you every school

00:25:40.702 --> 00:25:43.922
year since all these foolishness since sanny

00:25:43.922 --> 00:25:49.162
hook and everything else in between that that

00:25:49.162 --> 00:25:55.462
becomes okay okay okay okay we are turning this show into something totally

00:25:55.462 --> 00:26:00.322
different that it was not supposed to be This was supposed to be a show introducing

00:26:00.322 --> 00:26:05.702
Robert Taylor as District 1 School Board Council meeting.

00:26:06.222 --> 00:26:11.882
Morris, that is a conversation for Friday. Today is Topic Tuesday where we highlight

00:26:11.882 --> 00:26:15.442
gentlemen in our communities that are doing good things.

00:26:15.462 --> 00:26:21.962
And this conversation just went way, way down a rabbit hole that it did not

00:26:21.962 --> 00:26:25.422
need to go down. I respect your views.

00:26:26.002 --> 00:26:30.182
I respect your views. And if you respect your views as hard as you respect your views,

00:26:30.262 --> 00:26:37.982
and I need you every Friday to be on the show with these views and these in

00:26:37.982 --> 00:26:41.262
these in the way you feel about it every every Friday,

00:26:41.462 --> 00:26:46.342
make it a point to let the world know how you feel every Friday,

00:26:46.342 --> 00:26:51.862
because this is your platform to let the world know that they're being done

00:26:51.862 --> 00:26:53.762
wrong in certain aspects.

00:26:53.762 --> 00:26:57.162
But today's show was about is about Mr.

00:26:57.642 --> 00:27:01.682
Robert Taylor and District 1's.

00:27:02.868 --> 00:27:08.648
Gentlemen and talking about education and how we can better the community mr taylor yes sir,

00:27:09.268 --> 00:27:12.848
mr taylor is still gone but i love your enthusiasm i

00:27:12.848 --> 00:27:15.768
love the things that you say and these are the things

00:27:15.768 --> 00:27:21.168
that need to be on freedom friday freedom the last show we did the three hour

00:27:21.168 --> 00:27:27.188
show is the number one show for the kickback right now when you and mark were

00:27:27.188 --> 00:27:33.948
expressing the way you all felt about this world is the number one show for the kickback right now.

00:27:34.128 --> 00:27:40.308
So if you guys bring that love and enthusiasm every Friday, the world is going to hear your message.

00:27:40.488 --> 00:27:44.328
And we're just in Tennessee right now. But if I tell you about my analytics,

00:27:44.608 --> 00:27:48.268
that show picked up people from California, Ohio.

00:27:49.148 --> 00:27:52.148
South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida, Alabama,

00:27:52.728 --> 00:27:55.988
Georgia, that show picked up listeners from

00:27:55.988 --> 00:27:59.028
all over the country so you have to bring the

00:27:59.028 --> 00:28:02.428
rawness on fridays and freedom friday

00:28:02.428 --> 00:28:05.728
freedom friday will do

00:28:05.728 --> 00:28:09.828
will do i got you no no

00:28:09.828 --> 00:28:12.668
i got you i'm waiting on mr taylor too because he

00:28:12.668 --> 00:28:15.948
sounds very interesting and he sounds like he's in a very strong position

00:28:15.948 --> 00:28:21.448
to make some change right and so that's why we're here today to listen to him

00:28:21.448 --> 00:28:28.028
and find out what his agenda is on making changes in this district and in the

00:28:28.028 --> 00:28:34.128
communities that are lacking and need someone of our, listen to me,

00:28:34.268 --> 00:28:41.108
of our statue that is well-educated and knows what we need in our communities

00:28:41.108 --> 00:28:43.708
to make our little boys and our little girls better.

00:28:44.208 --> 00:28:46.688
Amen. 100. I'm waiting on them.

00:28:47.268 --> 00:28:50.528
All right. He said that to step up. I'll see you on Friday.

00:28:51.188 --> 00:28:56.908
Yes, sir. yes sir Dave yes sir man.

00:28:58.568 --> 00:29:01.448
I love these brothers I love their

00:29:01.448 --> 00:29:04.768
passion I love their passion if

00:29:04.768 --> 00:29:07.968
I don't say thank you enough to you David thank

00:29:07.968 --> 00:29:10.828
you as my co-host thank you

00:29:10.828 --> 00:29:18.948
David brother I love you you are an amazing gentleman and you have brought some

00:29:18.948 --> 00:29:26.488
brothers that loves the world and sees the world as it truly needs.

00:29:26.848 --> 00:29:27.968
Mr. Taylor, you're back.

00:29:28.528 --> 00:29:33.628
I am back. I am. I was trying to listen a little bit to the conversation.

00:29:33.628 --> 00:29:37.908
So I heard the piece about your daughter going to Clarksville and getting the

00:29:37.908 --> 00:29:40.468
IEP together and all of that good stuff.

00:29:40.728 --> 00:29:45.448
And so I know you were asking me to kind of introduce myself.

00:29:45.608 --> 00:29:47.608
So I didn't know if you wanted me to still go ahead and do that.

00:29:47.608 --> 00:29:51.248
Yeah, yeah, yeah. See, I wanted to take care of some business up front.

00:29:51.528 --> 00:29:54.908
You know, it's like a mullet. Let's take your business up front and have a party in the back.

00:29:55.631 --> 00:30:00.031
There you go. I got you. All right. So, you know, my name is Robert Taylor and

00:30:00.031 --> 00:30:04.111
I can just give my brief story of how I got to this point of being on the school board.

00:30:04.391 --> 00:30:09.291
So I moved to Nashville almost 30 years ago now to attend Fisk University.

00:30:09.711 --> 00:30:14.311
I played football in high school at DeMatha High School in Prince George's County,

00:30:14.471 --> 00:30:17.751
Maryland, and had scholarships to a couple of schools in the area.

00:30:18.031 --> 00:30:21.111
And then the further school away, I think, was Virginia Tech.

00:30:21.511 --> 00:30:27.951
And I went to visit Virginia Tech and just, I hated it. I'm not even going to sugarcoat it.

00:30:28.191 --> 00:30:33.791
And so we kept riding and came on down to Fisk and I just fell in love with

00:30:33.791 --> 00:30:35.631
the campus, the history there.

00:30:35.971 --> 00:30:38.971
And then the folks that I met when I was on campus, it just,

00:30:39.011 --> 00:30:41.991
it won me over. And so I decided to attend Fisk.

00:30:42.311 --> 00:30:48.431
I enjoyed my time there. I met my wife at Fisk and finished with a bachelor's

00:30:48.431 --> 00:30:52.131
degree in biology and a minor in education.

00:30:52.551 --> 00:30:55.831
And so when I finished school, I did some student teaching.

00:30:56.171 --> 00:31:01.151
My wife was a teacher and we decided to move back to my hometown in Prince George's

00:31:01.151 --> 00:31:03.271
County, Maryland to start our family.

00:31:03.891 --> 00:31:07.811
We had three kids and had to decide where we were going to send them to school.

00:31:08.251 --> 00:31:12.371
And we decided to move back to Nashville. This is where my wife's family was.

00:31:12.831 --> 00:31:16.871
And that's where we decided to move and set up shop with our kids.

00:31:17.731 --> 00:31:21.311
When I put my kids in school, we thought everything was going to work out perfect.

00:31:21.711 --> 00:31:26.591
Unfortunately, it didn't. And I reached out to my school board rep and my school

00:31:26.591 --> 00:31:29.111
board rep kind of dismissed me.

00:31:29.551 --> 00:31:31.951
And so I...

00:31:32.225 --> 00:31:38.225
I said, you know what, I want to get more involved. And so I decided to go ahead

00:31:38.225 --> 00:31:44.385
and get more involved in the PTO, working with other men in the programs.

00:31:44.945 --> 00:31:49.465
And so that is how I began getting involved in the school system.

00:31:50.005 --> 00:31:54.425
I worked for the health department when I first came back and I ran a fatherhood

00:31:54.425 --> 00:31:55.965
program out of the health department.

00:31:56.145 --> 00:32:00.245
So we partnered with the schools to make sure that dads were more engaged and

00:32:00.245 --> 00:32:03.025
participated in their children's education.

00:32:03.745 --> 00:32:08.665
And so then I had an opportunity to move to the school system to do the same

00:32:08.665 --> 00:32:11.025
work as a family involvement specialist.

00:32:11.165 --> 00:32:14.785
And I think that may have been where I met Brother David up at Weiss Creek.

00:32:15.665 --> 00:32:22.105
And so as I was doing that work, I recognized that things weren't changing with our school board rep.

00:32:22.505 --> 00:32:27.105
And I love her and I appreciate the work that she did, but I just believed that

00:32:27.105 --> 00:32:28.165
there was more that we could do.

00:32:28.385 --> 00:32:32.245
And so I decided to put myself out there to run for school board.

00:32:32.525 --> 00:32:35.225
And we were unsuccessful in our first go at it.

00:32:35.345 --> 00:32:41.085
But then our second time around, we were able to win and be able to be in a

00:32:41.085 --> 00:32:42.965
position to make some of the changes.

00:32:43.085 --> 00:32:46.445
And then also just to encourage brothers to get involved.

00:32:46.865 --> 00:32:55.465
I think that we've relied on women to do most of the heavy lifting in education.

00:32:55.905 --> 00:33:00.885
And I think it's time for us to do our fair share and get to work in supporting

00:33:00.885 --> 00:33:05.465
our children, our teachers, the faculty, the staff, and everybody that's going

00:33:05.465 --> 00:33:09.405
to be around our children so that we can have the community that we look to have.

00:33:10.705 --> 00:33:14.685
Yes, yes. I totally agree that for years,

00:33:14.885 --> 00:33:20.745
and I think that's the, it is a double-edged sword because for years there have

00:33:20.745 --> 00:33:23.545
been missed opportunities for fathers,

00:33:23.605 --> 00:33:29.205
but then you got to think about the way society and the world and fathers were

00:33:29.205 --> 00:33:33.345
kind of kicked out of the households and had been,

00:33:33.345 --> 00:33:38.885
they weren't educated because there were not people or programs in place to

00:33:38.885 --> 00:33:45.145
catch those brothers who needed just a little more assistance themselves and

00:33:45.145 --> 00:33:46.545
they couldn't find another way.

00:33:46.765 --> 00:33:52.885
So the load was pushed on the women and the women had to bear that low for so long.

00:33:53.045 --> 00:33:58.765
But there are some great men out here in the world that are involved with their

00:33:58.765 --> 00:34:02.665
children's lives, but there needs to be more. You're right about that.

00:34:02.945 --> 00:34:07.205
You're totally right about that. There's more men that need to be involved in

00:34:07.205 --> 00:34:12.945
their children's lives, education, welfare, well-being, and all of those things.

00:34:13.165 --> 00:34:16.325
But all of that is great. Now, let me ask you a question straight out of the

00:34:16.325 --> 00:34:20.645
blue. Now, what do you like to do for fun? I'm a football fan, so.

00:34:21.378 --> 00:34:26.198
Anything around football, that's where I'm at. I have a son that plays at Tennessee

00:34:26.198 --> 00:34:29.098
State, and so I'm at all of their games.

00:34:29.318 --> 00:34:31.778
I've got ESPN Plus so that I

00:34:31.778 --> 00:34:35.178
can watch the road games that I might not be able to make it to in person.

00:34:35.678 --> 00:34:40.858
And then I got a baby boy that plays football also, and he's there. My daughter's cheer.

00:34:41.258 --> 00:34:44.578
When I'm at the games, I do the chains and all of that.

00:34:44.798 --> 00:34:49.238
So that's what I do for fun is just get anywhere around that football field.

00:34:49.238 --> 00:34:54.518
What is robert taylor's guilty pleasure probably

00:34:54.518 --> 00:34:57.258
i would say binging you know

00:34:57.258 --> 00:35:03.218
what my friends would say sending reels on instagram so i can get on instagram

00:35:03.218 --> 00:35:08.498
i have to to limit myself to five minutes or else i could sit on instagram and

00:35:08.498 --> 00:35:16.198
watch reels all day okay so sending out reels is your guilty pleasure.

00:35:16.718 --> 00:35:18.938
Football is what you do for fun.

00:35:19.518 --> 00:35:21.038
How long have you been married to your wife?

00:35:21.658 --> 00:35:25.898
We've been married 23 years, 23 and a half years now.

00:35:26.878 --> 00:35:29.638
23 blissful years or just 23 years?

00:35:31.178 --> 00:35:35.378
23 amazing years. Look, you're going to mess around and get me in trouble if

00:35:35.378 --> 00:35:36.438
my wife hears this, right?

00:35:36.918 --> 00:35:42.398
Hey, listen, listen, listen. Listen, I don't want this to be just a stuck-up

00:35:42.398 --> 00:35:49.458
conversation let's have a real man's conversation listen what advice would you give a man that,

00:35:50.118 --> 00:35:53.398
what what advice would you give a man that's trying to

00:35:53.398 --> 00:35:56.898
straighten his life up and be a

00:35:56.898 --> 00:36:01.598
man and get married and carry a family what advice would you give that young

00:36:01.598 --> 00:36:07.098
man oh the first thing you gotta make sure you know yourself right you can't

00:36:07.098 --> 00:36:11.898
go into this thing not being confident in who you are as an individual and knowing

00:36:11.898 --> 00:36:15.638
your strengths and the weaknesses and areas for opportunity in your life.

00:36:15.818 --> 00:36:22.018
Once you know yourself, then you can get connected with somebody else who also knows themselves.

00:36:23.078 --> 00:36:27.698
And then there's two pieces of advice that I give anybody that's in a relationship.

00:36:27.938 --> 00:36:31.738
And I give my wife credit for teaching me these lessons early.

00:36:31.978 --> 00:36:38.778
The first thing that my wife will always say is that don't be upset as someone

00:36:38.778 --> 00:36:41.598
else filling the void that you left.

00:36:42.198 --> 00:36:47.638
And so what I mean by that and what she meant by it is don't be mad when another

00:36:47.638 --> 00:36:52.238
guy tries to holler at your woman because you left a void there.

00:36:52.458 --> 00:36:57.018
Make sure that you're doing everything that you need to do for your significant

00:36:57.018 --> 00:36:59.138
other so that there's no void.

00:37:00.646 --> 00:37:07.686
And then the other piece of advice is you can either be right or you can be effective.

00:37:08.106 --> 00:37:12.966
And I think sometimes you get into these discussions or arguments and you get

00:37:12.966 --> 00:37:18.006
so focused on trying to be right that that you're not effective in getting your

00:37:18.006 --> 00:37:22.266
point across or accomplishing the goal or getting the outcome that you're looking for.

00:37:22.266 --> 00:37:28.306
And so you can leave that discussion being right, but then your wife is still

00:37:28.306 --> 00:37:34.146
angry at you and you're not eating at night because she didn't cook or whatever the case is.

00:37:34.426 --> 00:37:39.306
And so making sure that you are focused on being effective and getting the outcome

00:37:39.306 --> 00:37:41.946
versus, you know, always trying to be right about that.

00:37:42.626 --> 00:37:49.646
All right. So what would you what would you tell your what would you tell your predecessor?

00:37:50.906 --> 00:37:57.146
Now my predecessor as far as school board or yes as far as far as school board i mean,

00:37:58.366 --> 00:38:03.246
i will tell her thank you first and i've done those things i've talked to her

00:38:03.246 --> 00:38:06.766
a couple of times since since the election was over but just telling her thank

00:38:06.766 --> 00:38:10.406
you we appreciate her i know there was a little bit of contention during the

00:38:10.406 --> 00:38:14.746
race and i think that you know anytime there's competition involved,

00:38:14.966 --> 00:38:19.046
then, you know, there's going to be, you know, some back and forth like that.

00:38:19.326 --> 00:38:23.866
But I do appreciate the work that she's done. She was on the school board 16 years.

00:38:24.386 --> 00:38:30.866
And so, you know, in my mind, that's half of some people's entire career working at a job.

00:38:31.186 --> 00:38:38.706
And so, you know, it's challenging work to support our schools and to support families and children.

00:38:39.226 --> 00:38:42.946
And so, you know, know my goal is just to give her a break and

00:38:42.946 --> 00:38:45.946
and to pick up you know the the torch where

00:38:45.946 --> 00:38:48.646
she left it and then hopefully carry it to the

00:38:48.646 --> 00:38:51.806
next level and that's really

00:38:51.806 --> 00:38:54.566
what to me right right i get it i

00:38:54.566 --> 00:38:57.446
understand and there's always room for new blood and

00:38:57.446 --> 00:39:00.906
there's always room for new ideas what would

00:39:00.906 --> 00:39:03.886
you tell a young man who's trying to

00:39:03.886 --> 00:39:07.746
be involved in his child's life

00:39:07.746 --> 00:39:10.786
and the mom is not

00:39:10.786 --> 00:39:13.646
letting him be a part of his life but

00:39:13.646 --> 00:39:17.206
he's a really enthusiastic young man and

00:39:17.206 --> 00:39:23.546
he's filling the blue of you know maybe he wants to come to the game maybe he

00:39:23.546 --> 00:39:30.406
wants to come to the PTA meeting but she's there and theater for some reason

00:39:30.406 --> 00:39:34.586
the relationship ended or whatever what advice would you give that young man.

00:39:35.931 --> 00:39:41.751
I think for me is, you know, I serve as a as a rule 31 mediator and most of

00:39:41.751 --> 00:39:44.031
the cases that are mediated are child support cases.

00:39:44.591 --> 00:39:49.611
And and so one of the things and so I'll give you the longer answer here just

00:39:49.611 --> 00:39:51.351
to give some more context and detail.

00:39:51.571 --> 00:39:56.211
When I mediate child support cases, I don't even talk about the money aspect of it.

00:39:56.211 --> 00:40:00.631
It's all about the parenting piece and making sure that we're doing what we

00:40:00.631 --> 00:40:04.811
need to do to take care of the child's needs emotionally and physically and

00:40:04.811 --> 00:40:07.591
getting them to and from school and those types of things.

00:40:08.011 --> 00:40:13.111
And I tell every person that comes through mediation to bring three things.

00:40:13.651 --> 00:40:16.991
One thing they got to bring is their ID. So I know it's them.

00:40:17.391 --> 00:40:21.331
I've had, you know, people send their mom to the meeting forum and all this

00:40:21.331 --> 00:40:23.731
other stuff. So I haven't bring their ID.

00:40:24.571 --> 00:40:29.811
I also have them bring three solutions to whatever the main problem is that

00:40:29.811 --> 00:40:35.111
they're having with working out the parentage plan. So I ask them to bring three solutions.

00:40:35.351 --> 00:40:38.371
And then the last thing I ask them to bring is a picture of their child.

00:40:39.091 --> 00:40:44.091
And to me, that's the most important piece, because oftentimes you get caught

00:40:44.091 --> 00:40:48.671
up in the back and forth issues that mom and dad have with each other.

00:40:48.671 --> 00:40:53.231
And you forget that the reason why we're even having this conversation is so

00:40:53.231 --> 00:40:55.291
that we can do what's in the best interest of their child.

00:40:55.551 --> 00:40:58.171
And so what I would tell a guy is...

00:40:59.062 --> 00:41:02.802
Stop worrying about the relationship with mom and focus on your relationship

00:41:02.802 --> 00:41:08.042
with your child and make sure that you're doing everything possible to do what's

00:41:08.042 --> 00:41:09.502
in the best interest of your child.

00:41:09.902 --> 00:41:17.602
And sometimes that includes treating mom with more respect, showing her unconditional

00:41:17.602 --> 00:41:21.362
love, even though it doesn't feel like you want to do that.

00:41:21.582 --> 00:41:24.702
But sometimes that's what's in the best interest of your child,

00:41:25.002 --> 00:41:28.842
seeing you being respectful and caring towards their mother.

00:41:29.062 --> 00:41:34.722
And recognizing that our focus is really on the child and doing what's in their

00:41:34.722 --> 00:41:38.622
best interest in spite of the relationship that you may have with their mom.

00:41:39.182 --> 00:41:50.222
Now, with that, what is the success rate you've seen within the realm of child

00:41:50.222 --> 00:41:53.982
support and the mediation space that you've been in?

00:41:54.062 --> 00:41:58.642
What's the success rate that you would say, not a national success rate,

00:41:58.642 --> 00:42:03.162
for what you have been in your practice.

00:42:03.902 --> 00:42:08.042
Yeah, my practice, I've been very successful. One of the things that I use to

00:42:08.042 --> 00:42:14.822
measure success is the length of time that it takes the couple to come back

00:42:14.822 --> 00:42:19.902
to redo their mediation plan or their parentage plan.

00:42:20.282 --> 00:42:25.882
So there's other groups that do mediations out there and you can go to juvenile

00:42:25.882 --> 00:42:32.322
court and ask them, how often do the couples come back to modify their parentage plans?

00:42:33.062 --> 00:42:37.922
And in some of those other groups, the parents are coming right back after a month or two.

00:42:38.442 --> 00:42:42.802
When I do the mediation plans, because I'm a father, I have seven children of my own.

00:42:43.222 --> 00:42:47.142
And so I've been through. You said that. I know, right?

00:42:47.802 --> 00:42:51.662
Look, I did just throw that in on you. Right, right. And you wanted to drive

00:42:51.662 --> 00:42:53.922
right on past that. Seven children. I know, right?

00:42:54.534 --> 00:43:00.414
Yeah, we got seven kids, man. My oldest is 21 and my youngest will be nine next month.

00:43:00.754 --> 00:43:03.754
They're all like two years apart in between there.

00:43:04.394 --> 00:43:07.774
But I got two in college, two in high school, two in middle school,

00:43:07.934 --> 00:43:12.014
and one in elementary school right now. So I've been through it as a dad.

00:43:12.334 --> 00:43:14.854
I got a little bit of experience as a dad.

00:43:15.294 --> 00:43:18.314
And so I share that with the guys when we do the remediation.

00:43:18.754 --> 00:43:25.514
And I help them think through every possible scenario as far as drop off and

00:43:25.514 --> 00:43:31.694
pick up and working with mom and the kid's grandma and all of the different

00:43:31.694 --> 00:43:33.874
people that are involved in life.

00:43:34.294 --> 00:43:39.014
That's it. And so when we put a parentage plan together, it's so well thought

00:43:39.014 --> 00:43:41.974
out that the parents don't end up coming back.

00:43:42.494 --> 00:43:45.854
Most of my parents don't come back for over a year.

00:43:46.214 --> 00:43:50.834
And And most of the times, the reason why they come back is because there's

00:43:50.834 --> 00:43:55.714
either another child involved in the situation or something has changed with

00:43:55.714 --> 00:43:57.214
their personal relationships.

00:43:57.474 --> 00:44:00.774
So like a mom and a spouse or something like that. That's it.

00:44:01.174 --> 00:44:04.674
That's it. And so that's when people come back. with

00:44:04.674 --> 00:44:07.834
that being said the best teacher has experience

00:44:07.834 --> 00:44:10.494
but what i've experienced with a lot

00:44:10.494 --> 00:44:13.614
of young men and a lot of young people this nowadays they

00:44:13.614 --> 00:44:19.914
don't want to hear about your life experiences how can you convey that when

00:44:19.914 --> 00:44:24.014
majority of these young people out here like come on live my life you're trying

00:44:24.014 --> 00:44:28.234
to tell me how to live my life and i'm like no i've been on this earth for 45

00:44:28.234 --> 00:44:30.774
years and I have life experience.

00:44:31.034 --> 00:44:36.414
So how are you conveying that to these young people in a manner that they are

00:44:36.414 --> 00:44:40.154
willing to listen and take heed to what you're saying?

00:44:40.654 --> 00:44:45.954
Yeah, I think that I try to develop a relationship with them and help them to

00:44:45.954 --> 00:44:47.814
understand that I'm here to support them.

00:44:48.719 --> 00:44:52.259
As a mediator, we consider ourselves a neutral party.

00:44:52.679 --> 00:44:59.579
And so for me, I let them know I'm here to support you in making the decision

00:44:59.579 --> 00:45:01.779
that is best for you and your family.

00:45:02.159 --> 00:45:06.239
And so that's all I'm here to do. I'm not here to pick sides with you.

00:45:06.399 --> 00:45:07.739
I'm not here to pick sides with mom.

00:45:08.319 --> 00:45:13.699
I'm here to help you all do within you all's best interest to support your child.

00:45:13.699 --> 00:45:19.119
And so I think that over the years, I've had enough relationships with folks

00:45:19.119 --> 00:45:22.399
that I'm able to get that across in a way that is genuine.

00:45:22.939 --> 00:45:28.099
And also, you know, they see me in the public.

00:45:28.339 --> 00:45:34.179
They've seen me out and people kind of know who I am. And so that does help.

00:45:34.779 --> 00:45:37.959
So you're a popular dude in the neighborhood. That's it.

00:45:40.219 --> 00:45:45.219
Hey, Sam Gantz, you got to be popular in the neighborhood. Well,

00:45:45.219 --> 00:45:47.039
I'm always at the football field.

00:45:47.259 --> 00:45:53.299
So they see me at the games and I've coached pretty much every sport that you can think of.

00:45:53.419 --> 00:46:00.039
And so, you know, I work with kids in the schools and so people see me around

00:46:00.039 --> 00:46:02.279
and kind of just know that that's the work that I do.

00:46:02.439 --> 00:46:06.819
And I'm and I'm genuine about it. And, you know, my main thing is I just try

00:46:06.819 --> 00:46:09.759
to show up for people. And so that's it.

00:46:10.499 --> 00:46:13.379
Oh, I think a question. My church

00:46:13.379 --> 00:46:16.199
affiliation. So I attend Word of Life Christian Center International.

00:46:16.639 --> 00:46:21.519
It's a non-denominational church. My father-in-law actually started it in his

00:46:21.519 --> 00:46:25.059
garage a little over 35 years ago.

00:46:25.279 --> 00:46:29.579
And now we're up on the hill on Clarksville Highway next to the Kroller.

00:46:30.453 --> 00:46:36.253
Okay. Okay. All right. So, yeah, that threw me off for a loop.

00:46:36.333 --> 00:46:37.673
I was about to ask you a question.

00:46:38.013 --> 00:46:41.073
Oh, it's okay. It came back to me.

00:46:41.493 --> 00:46:48.473
So, being in education and being involved in so many family-oriented programs,

00:46:48.713 --> 00:46:55.393
what is the biggest hurdle that you see is harming our young people getting

00:46:55.393 --> 00:46:58.233
a better education at this moment?

00:46:58.233 --> 00:47:04.033
What's the biggest hurdle that's hindering our babies from getting a good education?

00:47:05.533 --> 00:47:12.213
I would say lack of information. For me, you know, I have the seven children.

00:47:13.113 --> 00:47:18.113
And so when my first was going through school, I was learning everything as we were going.

00:47:18.493 --> 00:47:24.273
Right. But now my seventh child, I know everything. But for the most part,

00:47:24.553 --> 00:47:30.553
they could take place and what to be prepared for, what to look for and all of those good things.

00:47:30.813 --> 00:47:37.533
And so I think that we could do a better job of educating the parents and making

00:47:37.533 --> 00:47:42.253
sure that they have everything that they need to be supportive of their child's

00:47:42.253 --> 00:47:44.573
education and the education process.

00:47:44.913 --> 00:47:51.133
So that's kind of my thought as far as the hurdle. It's just an information hurdle.

00:47:51.753 --> 00:47:55.793
And that's a little bit easier to overcome. And I'm hoping to be able to put

00:47:55.793 --> 00:48:00.313
some systems in place to be able to provide regular information to parents to

00:48:00.313 --> 00:48:04.793
help them make decisions that will put their child in the best educational opportunity for them.

00:48:05.473 --> 00:48:09.693
Right. And, you know, that is, you're right, that is the biggest hurdle.

00:48:09.993 --> 00:48:14.073
But why are we not trying to get the information?

00:48:14.753 --> 00:48:18.173
Is it the stigma that they ain't trying to help me?

00:48:18.313 --> 00:48:23.393
Are they trying to hold me down? You know, what is it? What is what do you hear from a lot of people?

00:48:23.913 --> 00:48:29.073
Because you work in the district, so I'm pretty sure you get phone calls, emails, text messages.

00:48:29.733 --> 00:48:33.973
You get all these different forms of communication. What is the biggest complaint

00:48:33.973 --> 00:48:35.453
you hear from the community?

00:48:37.313 --> 00:48:41.213
I get a lot. Most of them are around the IEP issue, though.

00:48:41.733 --> 00:48:46.793
And so most of the concerns that I have from parents are parents that have a

00:48:46.793 --> 00:48:48.313
child that is struggling academically.

00:48:48.953 --> 00:48:53.613
Some of them have an IEP in place. They don't feel like it's being adhered to appropriately.

00:48:54.073 --> 00:48:59.533
And so we have to figure out how we can make that happen in a more consistent way for parents.

00:48:59.673 --> 00:49:03.813
And so that is one of the main concerns that I hear from parents.

00:49:03.933 --> 00:49:08.313
And so I hope to be able to partner with some organizations that specialize

00:49:08.313 --> 00:49:10.693
in working with parents through that process.

00:49:11.702 --> 00:49:15.122
Right. Well, that's wonderful. And I'm glad to hear that.

00:49:15.322 --> 00:49:20.082
We need more people that are people-focused because so many people get in these

00:49:20.082 --> 00:49:23.702
elected positions for the wrong reasons.

00:49:24.022 --> 00:49:28.822
And we need people that are people-focused and understand the process.

00:49:28.822 --> 00:49:31.522
Like you said, you're a dad of seven children.

00:49:31.722 --> 00:49:35.922
So when you had the first one, you didn't know the process and you didn't know the procedures.

00:49:36.222 --> 00:49:40.502
And now that you're on child number seven, you've learned it all.

00:49:40.722 --> 00:49:47.242
But there are some parents out here that's not trying to or have not learned

00:49:47.242 --> 00:49:51.562
the procedures or the process and they just want to complain.

00:49:52.122 --> 00:50:00.502
Yeah, no, that's true, too. But I also believe that behind every complaint is a true feeling.

00:50:00.782 --> 00:50:07.602
And so, you know, what I've realized as a parent is that at times organizations

00:50:07.602 --> 00:50:11.442
can do what I call a social gaslighting.

00:50:12.222 --> 00:50:16.862
And so you'll have, you know, folks that will complain about an issue and you

00:50:16.862 --> 00:50:19.842
would hope that they would they would do it in a different way.

00:50:20.222 --> 00:50:24.362
They would potentially be more constructive and so forth. But they're complaining

00:50:24.362 --> 00:50:28.782
because they feel like they have been harmed or wronged in some way.

00:50:29.282 --> 00:50:35.042
And no one has addressed it. And oftentimes larger organizations like a school

00:50:35.042 --> 00:50:37.902
system or the health department or the police department.

00:50:38.565 --> 00:50:42.745
Can try to find a way to almost victim blame.

00:50:43.005 --> 00:50:47.905
And not saying that they're truly a victim, but the person that is making the

00:50:47.905 --> 00:50:53.485
complaint, they try to find a way to blame them for their issue versus figuring

00:50:53.485 --> 00:50:57.185
out what is the root cause of their complaint?

00:50:57.385 --> 00:51:03.025
And is there a way that we can put system or policy in place to address that

00:51:03.025 --> 00:51:07.345
concern in a productive way that would not only resolve their issue,

00:51:07.565 --> 00:51:09.845
but prevent it from happening to others in the future.

00:51:10.505 --> 00:51:14.925
Right. And help those people. And when I say those people, it could be anybody

00:51:14.925 --> 00:51:20.385
in general, parents, children, whatever, and help them to have a better understanding

00:51:20.385 --> 00:51:21.785
of what they're going through.

00:51:22.225 --> 00:51:27.525
Because sometimes when it comes to big politics of government,

00:51:27.825 --> 00:51:31.725
we don't always get the proper answers and

00:51:31.725 --> 00:51:34.765
people kind of shun you to the side when

00:51:34.765 --> 00:51:37.925
you're trying to get the information that

00:51:37.925 --> 00:51:41.545
you need because nobody wants to be a person's person or

00:51:41.545 --> 00:51:46.365
nobody wants to be a customer's customer everybody just wants to be the man

00:51:46.365 --> 00:51:50.665
up top and wants to be the person that's in charge but you forget one day you

00:51:50.665 --> 00:51:55.945
were a customer you forget one day you were a student you you forget One day

00:51:55.945 --> 00:51:58.665
you were a parent and you still may be a parent,

00:51:58.745 --> 00:52:02.745
but now you're treating this parent as if they're less than because they don't

00:52:02.745 --> 00:52:04.365
know the policies and procedures.

00:52:05.485 --> 00:52:11.665
Yeah. And that's I look at my job is being one, an educator for parents and

00:52:11.665 --> 00:52:14.665
to being almost like a customer service agent.

00:52:14.825 --> 00:52:19.165
I want to make sure that I'm providing world class customer service to every

00:52:19.165 --> 00:52:24.025
parent, every student, every teacher that needs support from their school board

00:52:24.025 --> 00:52:28.205
representative. And so, like, I see someone in the comments ask,

00:52:28.345 --> 00:52:29.405
what am I getting from teachers?

00:52:29.805 --> 00:52:34.205
I think from teachers, you know, one, they want to make sure that they're being paid fairly.

00:52:34.485 --> 00:52:37.825
But the other main issue is our discipline policy.

00:52:38.457 --> 00:52:42.717
They feel as though our discipline policy may be a little too lenient,

00:52:42.917 --> 00:52:47.797
that the children feel as though they don't have to respect the teachers anymore

00:52:47.797 --> 00:52:52.637
because the worst thing that could happen is that they get sent to the to the

00:52:52.637 --> 00:52:57.057
restorative practice room and then are able to come back the very next day,

00:52:57.217 --> 00:52:58.837
regardless of what the behavior is.

00:52:58.837 --> 00:53:01.517
And so that's one thing that I hope to address.

00:53:01.697 --> 00:53:06.277
I had the opportunity to work on me, the discipline policy a few years ago,

00:53:06.317 --> 00:53:12.617
and some of the changes that we made have been reverted back to a previous policy.

00:53:12.717 --> 00:53:17.597
And so I hope to help teachers be a part of creating a new discipline policy

00:53:17.597 --> 00:53:23.137
or adding to the discipline policy so that we can ensure that there's some balance there.

00:53:23.137 --> 00:53:28.237
Do you think that they'll ever bring back the, oh, what they call corporal punishment?

00:53:28.237 --> 00:53:36.477
Do you think that'll ever come back on the agenda ever again?

00:53:36.537 --> 00:53:40.217
Because some of these children need spankings, and some of their parents need spankings.

00:53:40.997 --> 00:53:45.957
Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I am not a proponent of corporal punishment. I will say that.

00:53:46.237 --> 00:53:51.717
I have a nonprofit called the New Life Center. And we do parenting education workshops.

00:53:51.897 --> 00:53:56.837
We use a curriculum called Sprintening Families. And I encourage anybody that

00:53:56.837 --> 00:54:02.097
wants to become a better parent to read a book called How to Really Love Your Child.

00:54:02.477 --> 00:54:06.557
And it's written by a professor. His name is Ross Campbell.

00:54:07.197 --> 00:54:09.977
And I began to read that book.

00:54:10.537 --> 00:54:16.457
And in the preface of the book, it says that spanking your kids or whooping

00:54:16.457 --> 00:54:18.397
your kids is lazy parenting. him.

00:54:19.057 --> 00:54:22.577
And I was challenged by that because I'm like, man, I'm the hardest working

00:54:22.577 --> 00:54:25.477
parent you'll ever find. And I whooped my kids.

00:54:26.177 --> 00:54:31.037
And as I read the book, it helped me to understand he's a child psychiatrist.

00:54:31.357 --> 00:54:36.457
And it helped me to understand some of the harm that we can cause to our children

00:54:36.457 --> 00:54:41.197
unintentionally by an over-reliance on corporal punishment.

00:54:41.637 --> 00:54:49.297
And so as I read the book and developed a new set of skills on how to parent.

00:54:49.737 --> 00:54:54.357
It's allowed me to have a relationship with my son that if I continued on the

00:54:54.357 --> 00:54:58.737
path that we were on with spanking him for every situation that came up that

00:54:58.737 --> 00:55:02.217
I thought he should be doing better or doing differently, and I wouldn't have

00:55:02.217 --> 00:55:03.897
the relationship that I have with him now.

00:55:04.582 --> 00:55:08.262
My son came to that house yesterday. Now he's in college. He's,

00:55:08.382 --> 00:55:11.502
you know, a sophomore in college, plays football, all of that.

00:55:11.722 --> 00:55:16.822
We sat up for probably two hours yesterday in the house talking about preparation

00:55:16.822 --> 00:55:18.142
for the game this weekend.

00:55:18.502 --> 00:55:23.142
You know, the girl that he used to like and what's happening with that and just

00:55:23.142 --> 00:55:29.402
all of those things that, you know, I want to be able to impart into my son.

00:55:29.402 --> 00:55:32.222
I have that opportunity because of the

00:55:32.222 --> 00:55:37.522
relationship that we have based on the work that I put in as a father to develop

00:55:37.522 --> 00:55:41.962
a different set of skills to help discipline him when he was younger so that

00:55:41.962 --> 00:55:47.482
now he can be self-disciplined and we can have the relationship of journeymen

00:55:47.482 --> 00:55:50.862
going through this life together and supporting one another.

00:55:50.862 --> 00:55:55.182
And so What's the name of that book again?

00:55:55.362 --> 00:56:01.342
Hey Dave, somebody go Google that book and Tag it in the comment section Somebody

00:56:01.342 --> 00:56:07.002
tag that book David put the author in there Because Listen.

00:56:07.742 --> 00:56:11.302
You just said a whole lot You said a whole lot In

00:56:11.302 --> 00:56:14.162
that statement And you said a whole lot

00:56:14.162 --> 00:56:17.102
that needs to be Broken down within the community You

00:56:17.102 --> 00:56:20.042
said a whole lot and there are

00:56:20.042 --> 00:56:22.802
some men out here that didn't get

00:56:22.802 --> 00:56:25.562
that from their fathers but there are men

00:56:25.562 --> 00:56:28.502
out here that needs to get that from their fathers right now they

00:56:28.502 --> 00:56:33.402
can't sit down and and share those special moments and special occasions and

00:56:33.402 --> 00:56:39.862
talk about things because the relationship is tarnished the relationships are

00:56:39.862 --> 00:56:46.782
tarnished yeah yeah and and and that's the unintended consequence of the corporal punishment.

00:56:47.002 --> 00:56:49.882
It doesn't allow for true communication.

00:56:50.402 --> 00:56:54.562
And that's the part where the author talks about it being lazy parenting,

00:56:54.562 --> 00:57:00.122
because it takes a lot of time and energy to communicate effectively and consistently

00:57:00.122 --> 00:57:04.882
with your child, especially when their behavior isn't what you want it to be.

00:57:05.102 --> 00:57:09.522
But the work that you put in on the front end is well worth it on the back end.

00:57:09.642 --> 00:57:13.862
It's just like the old public health saying, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

00:57:14.202 --> 00:57:19.742
And if you can put that work in on the front end, it reaches a harvest a hundredfold

00:57:19.742 --> 00:57:23.442
on the back end as far as the relationship that you can have with your children.

00:57:24.402 --> 00:57:30.362
Right, man, that is wonderful. Now, if you can see, we have a panel of gentlemen here.

00:57:30.622 --> 00:57:35.002
Okay, gentlemen, now is the time. If you have, I've seen you all,

00:57:35.122 --> 00:57:40.362
you all have been participating wonderfully in the next comment section.

00:57:40.542 --> 00:57:44.602
And I know some of you all are biting at the bits to ask Mr.

00:57:44.722 --> 00:57:48.042
Taylor. Do you mind answering a few questions from the gentleman?

00:57:48.582 --> 00:57:53.262
I got time. My other call is completely over now and so I'm on for you guys.

00:57:53.897 --> 00:58:00.297
Anybody have any questions now, step up to the mic and, oh, the floor is open to you.

00:58:01.697 --> 00:58:05.037
And I got a couple in the comments that I can answer real quick,

00:58:05.137 --> 00:58:07.617
too. Go for it. Go for it. Go for it.

00:58:08.177 --> 00:58:13.957
I see Brother Morris Harris. He asked, how do we break information and communication barriers?

00:58:14.457 --> 00:58:20.077
I think that for me, it's just about creating platforms and multiple platforms

00:58:20.077 --> 00:58:21.697
for people to access the information.

00:58:22.117 --> 00:58:26.617
What I've learned in my career at public health is that you need to communicate

00:58:26.617 --> 00:58:28.417
with people in at least three different ways.

00:58:29.197 --> 00:58:33.957
And and in order for people to take that information and to do something with it.

00:58:34.077 --> 00:58:38.397
And I think, you know, for years at MNPS, they'll say, oh, well, we sent an email home.

00:58:38.817 --> 00:58:42.337
Well, I don't even read the email. I'm just being honest.

00:58:42.577 --> 00:58:45.737
And so I need you to communicate with me in a couple of other ways.

00:58:45.737 --> 00:58:49.877
And now they've done a much better job in our communications office of getting

00:58:49.877 --> 00:58:51.797
information out in multiple ways.

00:58:51.897 --> 00:58:55.377
And then I want to just contribute to that as a school board representative

00:58:55.377 --> 00:59:00.197
and provide even more opportunities for parents to engage, similar to like what

00:59:00.197 --> 00:59:01.517
we're doing tonight with the podcast.

00:59:01.797 --> 00:59:06.537
And so I just believe that this is the type of work we need to do to overcome those barriers.

00:59:07.397 --> 00:59:13.097
Next, I see David is asking about connections with DCS. The only connection

00:59:13.097 --> 00:59:14.597
that I really have is through CASA.

00:59:15.077 --> 00:59:18.477
And so that's really my only connection.

00:59:18.857 --> 00:59:22.617
And so I know that foster parents kind of go through some of the trainings with

00:59:22.617 --> 00:59:27.377
them and they provide some of the supports and resources that parents need.

00:59:27.377 --> 00:59:30.477
I am not an expert in that area by any means.

00:59:30.597 --> 00:59:37.097
And so that would be my my referral is to working with CASA for information

00:59:37.097 --> 00:59:41.757
about transitioning to school and what are the do's and don'ts and what other

00:59:41.757 --> 00:59:45.797
resources are available to parents that may have foster children.

00:59:46.117 --> 00:59:48.837
And I know we've talked a little bit about that and.

00:59:49.594 --> 00:59:54.634
And some of the stuff going on in Weiss Creek. And also, I did get some answers

00:59:54.634 --> 00:59:58.114
for you about what was going on in Weiss Creek. So we can talk about that offline, though.

00:59:59.074 --> 01:00:03.294
Yeah, that sounds like a personal conversation. That's not like we're saying we're doing it all.

01:00:03.714 --> 01:00:11.294
But, fellas, Morris, Albert. Morris got a lot of questions in the comments, so I can keep rolling.

01:00:11.554 --> 01:00:14.514
Okay, keep rolling with his questions in the comments.

01:00:15.034 --> 01:00:19.114
So, Morris, maybe you can just hop on. You got to hear, how do you overcome

01:00:19.114 --> 01:00:22.094
false narratives that often disenfranchise our neighborhoods?

01:00:22.394 --> 01:00:24.574
What are you specifically talking about?

01:00:25.474 --> 01:00:28.694
And I don't know if he's still. OK, I see Morris.

01:00:29.694 --> 01:00:33.954
Maybe he might be texting because he can't talk right now.

01:00:34.154 --> 01:00:37.454
So I'll take a stab at that.

01:00:37.594 --> 01:00:42.174
And if not, you can just add more to the to the text conversation and let me

01:00:42.174 --> 01:00:43.734
know if I got it right or not.

01:00:43.734 --> 01:00:50.094
But I think what he's talking about as far as false narratives is could potentially

01:00:50.094 --> 01:00:56.754
be something where you look at saying that black men aren't involved in their children's lives.

01:00:57.494 --> 01:01:03.454
And for me, you know, I've done the research around fatherhood to know that

01:01:03.454 --> 01:01:08.694
black men actually spend more time with their children than any other race of

01:01:08.694 --> 01:01:09.934
men when they are involved.

01:01:10.634 --> 01:01:16.634
And so we have a different culture when it comes to taking care of our children.

01:01:16.814 --> 01:01:20.894
So when we are involved in our children's lives, we spend more time with them.

01:01:21.034 --> 01:01:24.054
We are more engaged and active in their lives.

01:01:24.174 --> 01:01:32.294
And so I want us to be able to make sure that we promote positive fatherhood

01:01:32.294 --> 01:01:37.854
in our community and just getting all of those fathers on board to be involved and engaged.

01:01:37.854 --> 01:01:41.274
And so one of the things that I'm doing through my nonprofit right now is,

01:01:41.434 --> 01:01:44.254
and this also goes to the piece about getting information out,

01:01:44.454 --> 01:01:49.814
is we're doing a documentary on Black fatherhood in Nashville specifically.

01:01:49.814 --> 01:01:54.834
And so that documentary will come out hopefully in March of next year.

01:01:54.974 --> 01:02:00.174
And then we're going to do a symposium right before Father's Day next year to

01:02:00.174 --> 01:02:05.854
kind of premiere the documentary again and have some discussion about the work

01:02:05.854 --> 01:02:11.694
that's taking place in Nashville around fatherhood and how men can get engaged in that work.

01:02:12.314 --> 01:02:16.014
So that's what I got for that false narrative question. Let's see,

01:02:16.134 --> 01:02:17.254
Morris, you got another one here.

01:02:17.954 --> 01:02:20.334
We're so untrusting. Too many

01:02:20.334 --> 01:02:25.414
lies have infiltrated and infected our ability to believe. Okay, yeah.

01:02:25.974 --> 01:02:31.034
And especially dealing with our most recent election, there has been some challenges

01:02:31.034 --> 01:02:34.234
with trying to figure out what the truth is and what's not.

01:02:34.774 --> 01:02:39.114
Let's say. And then the last thing I think Morris got on here is we never got

01:02:39.114 --> 01:02:41.694
it yet. We're trying to give what we need.

01:02:41.934 --> 01:02:44.954
Ah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And so that's it.

01:02:46.056 --> 01:02:49.296
Oftentimes, like I think about my father, my father is still living.

01:02:49.476 --> 01:02:53.376
I grew up in the house with both of my parents, but my dad was not the type

01:02:53.376 --> 01:02:56.976
of guy that was going to sit down and talk to you about the birds and bees,

01:02:57.376 --> 01:02:59.976
really not to sit down and talk to you about anything.

01:03:01.196 --> 01:03:04.836
But he lived his life as an example of being a provider.

01:03:05.076 --> 01:03:10.356
And so that's one thing that I did get from him, but I didn't get the emotional side from him.

01:03:10.876 --> 01:03:16.916
And so I had to intentionally seek information to improve myself in those areas

01:03:16.916 --> 01:03:19.596
so that I could be better for my kids.

01:03:19.896 --> 01:03:23.096
And I liken it to any job that you get.

01:03:23.596 --> 01:03:27.196
If you go to McDonald's, they're not going to just throw you in the kitchen

01:03:27.196 --> 01:03:29.436
and tell you to start dropping fries.

01:03:30.156 --> 01:03:33.456
They're going to teach you the process of dropping the fries.

01:03:33.656 --> 01:03:36.196
They're going to tell you, you got to take them out of the freezer,

01:03:36.196 --> 01:03:39.156
bust the bag open this way so they don't fall all over the floor.

01:03:39.376 --> 01:03:41.516
Get them into the basket.

01:03:41.796 --> 01:03:45.076
You got to let them sit and thaw a little bit over top of the heat,

01:03:45.256 --> 01:03:48.916
and then you drop them in the fryer for the two minutes or whatever the time

01:03:48.916 --> 01:03:52.116
frame, and make sure you pop them out and toss that salt on them, right?

01:03:52.356 --> 01:03:55.656
So they take you through the process of frying fries.

01:03:56.136 --> 01:04:03.496
Well, when you have a baby, as a dad, there's really no class or book on that

01:04:03.496 --> 01:04:07.916
unless you intentionally seek that information out. And so through our nonprofit,

01:04:08.156 --> 01:04:10.636
we also provide a training camp for dads.

01:04:10.856 --> 01:04:17.556
We do a class every month on the third Saturday where we walk dads through the

01:04:17.556 --> 01:04:25.216
process of being a through the process of supporting mom during the pregnancy,

01:04:25.756 --> 01:04:30.336
supporting her during the delivery, and then also postpartum and then being

01:04:30.336 --> 01:04:32.316
able to take care of that newborn baby.

01:04:32.936 --> 01:04:36.696
Knowing the basics, just how to change diapers, how to burp the baby,

01:04:37.056 --> 01:04:38.656
how to support mom with breastfeeding.

01:04:38.836 --> 01:04:43.876
We go through all of those things in that workshop with dads to basically train

01:04:43.876 --> 01:04:49.576
them, provide them with professional development on how to start life out as a great dad.

01:04:49.776 --> 01:04:54.596
And then we also have other workshops that we provide after that for dads that are interesting.

01:04:54.876 --> 01:04:59.276
But I think that, you know, there's a lot of things that we didn't get.

01:04:59.596 --> 01:05:05.516
And now we're learning that, hey, we have an opportunity to help dads learn

01:05:05.516 --> 01:05:09.476
these things so that they can then pass that on to their children and to the

01:05:09.476 --> 01:05:14.676
next generation and stop doing things the same way that we've always done them

01:05:14.676 --> 01:05:17.636
when we know that we're not getting the results that we're looking for.

01:05:18.016 --> 01:05:22.076
I know that's that definition of insanity, and we're trying to change that and

01:05:22.076 --> 01:05:25.056
do some things differently now so that we can get different outcomes.

01:05:25.847 --> 01:05:30.587
What you said, my brother, listen, listen, I'm loving this conversation and

01:05:30.587 --> 01:05:34.027
I'm loving the fact that you are giving out this information.

01:05:34.887 --> 01:05:38.807
I need the number that I sent you, the link from.

01:05:38.987 --> 01:05:43.187
I need you to send me all of your information about the fatherhood training,

01:05:43.547 --> 01:05:46.387
about your nonprofit and all those things.

01:05:46.547 --> 01:05:52.147
I need you to send me all of that information so I can therefore spread it out

01:05:52.147 --> 01:05:56.687
amongst the community around me. because it sounds like this is something that we need.

01:05:57.067 --> 01:06:01.787
And here at the Kickback, we're trying to teach and we're trying to get information

01:06:01.787 --> 01:06:08.247
like that out to the community in a space and in a manner where men can just

01:06:08.247 --> 01:06:09.987
hear it and understand it.

01:06:10.287 --> 01:06:12.827
But anybody else got something to ask Mr. Taylor?

01:06:13.467 --> 01:06:17.767
Got the floor? Of course, I got something to ask Mr. Taylor. He mentioned this to me.

01:06:18.207 --> 01:06:22.587
Oh, you already know this. Just like Mr. Taylor, I rode with the school board too.

01:06:22.587 --> 01:06:26.567
I rode in the school But he mentioned discipline So

01:06:26.567 --> 01:06:30.247
how do we address discipline Inside the

01:06:30.247 --> 01:06:33.927
school And outside the school Because I am

01:06:33.927 --> 01:06:41.507
a school bus driver And it is An extension of the school It is When I was a

01:06:41.507 --> 01:06:45.787
family involvement specialist I used to ride the bus home To support the bus

01:06:45.787 --> 01:06:52.067
drivers Because of the discipline issues And I think That it's the.

01:06:52.767 --> 01:06:54.667
There's two pieces to it.

01:06:54.767 --> 01:06:58.327
One is the relationship piece, and that's what I was talking about as far as with my son.

01:06:58.647 --> 01:07:01.867
But then also, there's a consistency piece to it as well.

01:07:02.067 --> 01:07:06.727
I think that as adults, sometimes we can start a thing off well,

01:07:06.867 --> 01:07:10.347
but then maintaining it long term, we don't necessarily have a plan in place for it.

01:07:10.347 --> 01:07:13.787
And I know that, you know, Metro has definitely improved in that area,

01:07:13.787 --> 01:07:20.167
but there's been some things that we haven't been consistent on in maintaining

01:07:20.167 --> 01:07:26.487
supports for folks like our bus drivers and also some of our support staff in the schools.

01:07:26.647 --> 01:07:28.847
And so that's what I want us to be able to do.

01:07:29.087 --> 01:07:33.347
That's kind of how I see one of my roles on the school board is just being a

01:07:33.347 --> 01:07:35.027
champion for making sure that we're

01:07:35.027 --> 01:07:39.067
consistent in how we implement these different programs that support.

01:07:39.067 --> 01:07:43.507
Because what always happens is we start a program, you know,

01:07:43.627 --> 01:07:46.127
you got some people that are on board 100% with it.

01:07:46.227 --> 01:07:48.787
You got some people that kind of wait and see.

01:07:48.947 --> 01:07:51.667
And then you also have some naysayers.

01:07:52.127 --> 01:07:55.747
And the only thing that overcomes that in the program is that you don't have to do it.

01:07:56.409 --> 01:07:59.969
Support that we say we're going to provide. And so, for instance,

01:08:00.329 --> 01:08:02.289
providing bus monitors, right?

01:08:02.669 --> 01:08:06.049
And I don't know if this has been your experience or not, but,

01:08:06.349 --> 01:08:08.909
you know, we start off providing the bus monitors and then we say,

01:08:09.409 --> 01:08:12.189
oh, well, we don't have enough funding to keep it going this year.

01:08:12.429 --> 01:08:16.109
And so now the students are used to having their bus monitor,

01:08:16.389 --> 01:08:19.689
helping them to manage their behavior and so forth.

01:08:19.909 --> 01:08:23.809
And then when that bus monitor is gone, now they're

01:08:23.809 --> 01:08:27.009
back to doing what they were doing before and it

01:08:27.009 --> 01:08:30.689
creates you know the issue that our

01:08:30.689 --> 01:08:34.129
bus drivers shouldn't even have to deal with and so you

01:08:34.129 --> 01:08:37.769
know we have to figure that piece out on the administrative side and making

01:08:37.769 --> 01:08:43.249
sure that we can be consistent in providing the supports that we need to this

01:08:43.249 --> 01:08:47.229
is true now and trust and believe that i i totally believe that i truly know

01:08:47.229 --> 01:08:51.869
that y'all need to do that because we could turn one thing and then something else happens.

01:08:52.529 --> 01:08:59.589
But what I say is, and where I fall short is, is because we have issues on our

01:08:59.589 --> 01:09:01.809
buses currently right now with kids.

01:09:03.289 --> 01:09:07.269
We can bring this to the forefront. We can bring it to the administration at school.

01:09:07.729 --> 01:09:11.229
Nothing happens about it. But now you can't do it inside the school,

01:09:11.249 --> 01:09:13.629
so why are you allowed to do it on the bus?

01:09:14.469 --> 01:09:19.909
Right. That's a good one. I'm open to suggestions on that one.

01:09:21.067 --> 01:09:25.087
Because I know how difficult it is to manage that. Y'all got a job to do.

01:09:25.307 --> 01:09:27.207
And I think about it from this perspective.

01:09:27.627 --> 01:09:29.387
Our teachers have a job to do.

01:09:29.867 --> 01:09:34.007
Bus drivers have jobs to do. But then also our administrators have a job to do.

01:09:34.367 --> 01:09:39.047
And policing, the vaping, and things like that, that's the administrator's job.

01:09:39.267 --> 01:09:41.167
We need you all to drive the buses safely.

01:09:41.427 --> 01:09:44.547
I know we had an accident the other day, and I'm still

01:09:44.547 --> 01:09:47.507
trying to figure out what happened so that we could do some.

01:09:47.507 --> 01:09:50.287
Things differently but but yeah we just.

01:09:50.287 --> 01:09:53.227
We have to hold everybody accountable for doing

01:09:53.227 --> 01:09:55.947
their role it's like bill belichick you see

01:09:55.947 --> 01:09:58.987
i'm a football guy bill belichick says do your

01:09:58.987 --> 01:10:02.447
job and we can't ask our

01:10:02.447 --> 01:10:06.047
bus drivers to also do the job of discipline and

01:10:06.047 --> 01:10:09.227
expect them to be able to do their job well and so

01:10:09.227 --> 01:10:12.167
we got to figure out how to how to make that happen but i

01:10:12.167 --> 01:10:16.027
don't have all the answers either and i'm cool

01:10:16.027 --> 01:10:19.187
with not having all answers trust me because we had

01:10:19.187 --> 01:10:22.447
we've had this issue since last year we've had

01:10:22.447 --> 01:10:25.327
we have a lot of this issue this year and i'm

01:10:25.327 --> 01:10:28.247
cool with not having all answers but my holy thing

01:10:28.247 --> 01:10:31.167
is with it when we address the issue and we

01:10:31.167 --> 01:10:34.067
know the culprits and you tell

01:10:34.067 --> 01:10:37.207
the culprits well it's really not much you can that we

01:10:37.207 --> 01:10:40.327
can do about this now now see

01:10:40.327 --> 01:10:43.827
i'm not i'm not the one fall of that because we're

01:10:43.827 --> 01:10:46.907
in an enclosed environment if all

01:10:46.907 --> 01:10:49.607
those were like today today was raining so all the

01:10:49.607 --> 01:10:52.487
windows are up today you see what i'm saying we're in

01:10:52.487 --> 01:10:55.447
an enclosed environment what what if someone's allergic

01:10:55.447 --> 01:10:58.467
to that someone gets sick we got 60 kids

01:10:58.467 --> 01:11:03.267
on this bus 65 kids on the bus 70 kids on the bus some of our buses run 84 people

01:11:03.267 --> 01:11:09.307
at one night yeah and and that's something that we can't we can't have and so

01:11:09.307 --> 01:11:14.187
you know what i'm gonna put my information in here so you can reach out to me

01:11:14.187 --> 01:11:17.367
because i i would like to talk to you more a little bit offline about it.

01:11:18.501 --> 01:11:22.641
So we can try and figure out a solution for this thing, because I don't have

01:11:22.641 --> 01:11:26.561
the answer, but I know that we can come up with one if we work together on it.

01:11:27.561 --> 01:11:30.641
Yes, sir. So that's my number. Give me a text.

01:11:30.761 --> 01:11:35.321
So I got your information and then we can set some time up so we can kind of

01:11:35.321 --> 01:11:39.241
talk about, like, you know, what you've experienced and how we might be able

01:11:39.241 --> 01:11:42.041
to to come up with something. Yes, sir.

01:11:43.401 --> 01:11:48.441
Morris, can you hear my voice? Morris. Morris, I don't know what's going on

01:11:48.441 --> 01:11:54.701
with your audio, but I'd show love to have you come in and say something and

01:11:54.701 --> 01:11:57.581
give out some more of your wisdom.

01:11:58.181 --> 01:12:02.141
Anybody else got any questions or anything they want to say to Mr.

01:12:02.281 --> 01:12:04.641
Taylor? Right now, you got the floor, as I said.

01:12:05.161 --> 01:12:07.221
Bubba, I thank you for your input.

01:12:08.301 --> 01:12:13.041
Morris, I see you're in. So you can't say anything, Morris.

01:12:13.041 --> 01:12:15.821
Can you you can so you can hear me but you

01:12:15.821 --> 01:12:22.121
can't your microphone's not working right what's going on here oh okay i'll

01:12:22.121 --> 01:12:26.861
tell you what hang up and come back in the room and then maybe you should be

01:12:26.861 --> 01:12:34.061
able to say something but mr taylor it looks like down now he said prioritizing children,

01:12:35.533 --> 01:12:37.313
Yeah, I see what he said.

01:12:39.493 --> 01:12:43.293
But he was responding to something that we said, I'm assuming,

01:12:43.693 --> 01:12:46.933
because he say he was laughing and prioritizing children.

01:12:47.193 --> 01:12:51.173
So I think he's just maybe just saying that that's the simplest thing,

01:12:51.673 --> 01:12:55.173
like making sure that we prioritize children and put them first.

01:12:55.853 --> 01:12:58.593
Okay can you hear me okay now he's back

01:12:58.593 --> 01:13:01.293
on all right good go ahead okay this is

01:13:01.293 --> 01:13:04.733
the point that i was trying to make i'm a i'm a i'm

01:13:04.733 --> 01:13:12.853
a i'm a victim of reganomics so back in the 80s prior to the crack epidemic

01:13:12.853 --> 01:13:22.013
we i mean i know we still have some ban but you know nationwide in the communities,

01:13:22.173 --> 01:13:24.213
especially in the urban communities. I'm from Detroit.

01:13:24.973 --> 01:13:31.333
And in our community, we had a drum corps. We had all kind of extracurricular

01:13:31.333 --> 01:13:33.593
activities that kept us out of trouble.

01:13:33.853 --> 01:13:39.973
We also had the CETA program where the kids every summer were contributing to

01:13:39.973 --> 01:13:43.473
keeping the city clean, taking pride in their neighborhoods,

01:13:43.773 --> 01:13:46.413
picking up the trash, and then getting paid for it.

01:13:46.593 --> 01:13:49.373
All these programs got wiped out because the

01:13:49.373 --> 01:13:52.413
priorities changed and we as the

01:13:52.413 --> 01:13:55.393
adults if you will i was a child then but the adults at

01:13:55.393 --> 01:13:58.373
the time said we can't afford to to make

01:13:58.373 --> 01:14:01.293
sure that the children are prepared and ready to take

01:14:01.293 --> 01:14:04.053
the reins so at the end of the day this is what i'm gonna

01:14:04.053 --> 01:14:09.533
say we like puppet masters with arthritis and we don't want we're not preparing

01:14:09.533 --> 01:14:14.253
nobody to take the torch that's why we're so afraid with every election because

01:14:14.253 --> 01:14:18.813
our youth are not prepared and then watch this if we don't prepare our youth

01:14:18.813 --> 01:14:23.153
To value us They ain't gonna take care of us when they get in the position,

01:14:23.973 --> 01:14:28.693
Well, no You saying it, I mean I always think about Man, one day when I get older,

01:14:29.566 --> 01:14:32.386
Am I preparing a generation that's prepared to take care of me?

01:14:33.886 --> 01:14:37.246
And I can't confidently say that yet.

01:14:37.566 --> 01:14:43.386
But that's the work. We're going to work until we fall into the grave. Mm-hmm. Yes.

01:14:44.286 --> 01:14:48.186
And I don't want to do that. And so I'm going to try to put the work in now.

01:14:49.506 --> 01:14:53.546
I don't have to be there. And so what I would encourage you all to do,

01:14:53.726 --> 01:14:58.126
I partner with an organization called the Southern Movement Committee.

01:14:58.806 --> 01:15:02.486
And they actually just had a summit this past Saturday.

01:15:03.246 --> 01:15:07.166
And what they've done is they have created a program.

01:15:07.506 --> 01:15:12.086
Jamel Campbell Gooch is one of the leaders of the group. And we met years ago

01:15:12.086 --> 01:15:14.386
when he was working for Metro Parks.

01:15:14.586 --> 01:15:17.126
He was a site coordinator for Parks.

01:15:17.706 --> 01:15:24.806
And, you know, over time, Parks funding had been cut and cut to where they eliminated his position.

01:15:24.806 --> 01:15:31.926
And we recognize that our metro parks play such a critical role in providing

01:15:31.926 --> 01:15:38.066
our young people with opportunity to be able to do something safe and productive,

01:15:38.066 --> 01:15:40.206
even outside of school,

01:15:40.446 --> 01:15:44.446
where they have adult supervision and people that love and care for them to

01:15:44.446 --> 01:15:47.826
be able to help guide them and shape them into the people they need to be.

01:15:47.826 --> 01:15:52.526
And I even think about it I grew up right outside Washington Southeast D.C.

01:15:53.246 --> 01:15:58.806
During the height of the crack epidemic with Marion Barry and all of that and.

01:15:59.646 --> 01:16:05.426
I remember we had midnight basketball we can go to the gym and we'll hoop all

01:16:05.426 --> 01:16:10.406
night long until 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning but it kept us off the streets

01:16:10.406 --> 01:16:16.146
and we're still getting into a little bit of trouble after the games are over and what not but.

01:16:19.866 --> 01:16:22.786
And so we need programs like that and what this

01:16:22.786 --> 01:16:25.646
southern movement committee is doing they actually put

01:16:25.646 --> 01:16:28.946
a plan together to uh be able to support

01:16:28.946 --> 01:16:32.686
our youth in the community programs like that and they

01:16:32.686 --> 01:16:39.526
had a budget of 10 million dollars that they put forward to the uh and the city

01:16:39.526 --> 01:16:44.706
ended up supporting them at 1 million dollars this year and i believe they found

01:16:44.706 --> 01:16:50.706
them as a pilot to see if they can get this work to support these kids.

01:16:51.066 --> 01:16:55.866
And I'm supporting them to make sure that their program is successful so that

01:16:55.866 --> 01:17:00.526
next year we can go back and get the full $10 million to be able to provide

01:17:00.526 --> 01:17:01.906
the programming all over the city.

01:17:02.676 --> 01:17:07.356
That's part of conflict resolution, isn't it? Part of the thing that I found

01:17:07.356 --> 01:17:10.576
with the elementary school system and the school system, period,

01:17:10.756 --> 01:17:17.416
is that they're relegating their children to be adults and to act like they're

01:17:17.416 --> 01:17:19.216
adults and they're children.

01:17:19.216 --> 01:17:24.396
So we limit their recreation time. We limit their conflict resolution skill.

01:17:24.736 --> 01:17:29.796
We limit their working together skills to try to come up with a solution or whatever.

01:17:29.796 --> 01:17:37.156
And then we hold them to the level of adulthood So that when they fail as children

01:17:37.156 --> 01:17:42.796
Then we punish them as adults That's a problem Yeah, oh yeah.

01:17:44.916 --> 01:17:51.096
That's a problem If it's a 4 year old and he fights a 5 year old disability

01:17:51.096 --> 01:17:52.736
Let's just say that Okay,

01:17:52.936 --> 01:17:56.596
well, the 4 year old might be bigger than the 5 year old Quiet as it's kept

01:17:56.596 --> 01:18:00.376
nowadays but still the same now

01:18:00.376 --> 01:18:05.016
we throw them in it's almost like we're preparing them to go to the court,

01:18:05.716 --> 01:18:11.156
you're going to jail you're going to the office now you got to sit before the

01:18:11.156 --> 01:18:17.356
judge or the prosecutor they're programming the children's minds that way now

01:18:17.356 --> 01:18:24.876
to the point that they don't have no conflict resolution skills none.

01:18:25.576 --> 01:18:29.356
And the only thing we learn from us is violence what

01:18:29.356 --> 01:18:34.476
we doing somebody we don't like yeah because we whooping them every time they

01:18:34.476 --> 01:18:44.096
do something wrong amen because i grew up with it but i understand what you

01:18:44.096 --> 01:18:47.496
were saying too is that there's got to be a different way to be able to,

01:18:48.096 --> 01:18:52.416
because their children are already so traumatized by

01:18:52.416 --> 01:18:55.376
all of the violence around them on a day and basically

01:18:55.376 --> 01:18:58.536
they took one buddy off and put the praise

01:18:58.536 --> 01:19:01.536
move on and that's it's not

01:19:01.536 --> 01:19:04.896
even just the physical violence i mean it's the verbal violence

01:19:04.896 --> 01:19:07.716
you know man i was at the kids football

01:19:07.716 --> 01:19:13.236
game and the way the parents were cussing their kids out and all of that in

01:19:13.236 --> 01:19:18.836
my mind what do you hope us accomplish with that like i mean because here's

01:19:18.836 --> 01:19:23.056
it but i when we do the workshop with the parents i talked to the parents i

01:19:23.056 --> 01:19:25.236
said kids are just little people.

01:19:26.109 --> 01:19:31.289
If you wouldn't talk to a co-worker like that, I hope not, because if you did,

01:19:31.449 --> 01:19:33.989
it'd probably be a fight because they're the same size as you.

01:19:34.309 --> 01:19:37.769
And the only reason you can get away with talking to the child like that is

01:19:37.769 --> 01:19:39.909
because you're just physically bigger than them.

01:19:40.329 --> 01:19:44.189
But otherwise, they're just a person just like you. They're learning.

01:19:44.469 --> 01:19:49.029
They're trying to figure things out. And our role is to guide them through their

01:19:49.029 --> 01:19:51.769
process, not force them through the process.

01:19:51.769 --> 01:19:54.629
And that's where we just we can work

01:19:54.629 --> 01:19:57.869
on some of the skills that are necessary to communicate better

01:19:57.869 --> 01:20:00.829
with our kids and to be able to help them

01:20:00.829 --> 01:20:04.649
get to the point you know what we're so

01:20:04.649 --> 01:20:10.429
used to tearing them down because of the life that we're dealing with you know

01:20:10.429 --> 01:20:14.929
we get beat down if we do something wrong at our job we might lose our all those

01:20:14.929 --> 01:20:21.069
things that we're dealing with we we we our children see it too and then we

01:20:21.069 --> 01:20:22.549
put them under the same pressure,

01:20:23.549 --> 01:20:30.289
and they kind of figure out I'm just a kid I watched I binge watched,

01:20:30.369 --> 01:20:33.589
what's the name of this show Alex Cross, the new Alex Cross,

01:20:34.229 --> 01:20:40.769
I'm watching I ain't gonna tell you too much but I will say you only got two

01:20:40.769 --> 01:20:42.629
episodes left I'm on it tonight.

01:20:44.409 --> 01:20:48.029
The one thing that I was thinking about that show is that

01:20:48.029 --> 01:20:52.169
the way that he parents his kids is a

01:20:52.169 --> 01:20:54.949
model for all of us like he gets it

01:20:54.949 --> 01:20:57.869
wrong sometimes but eventually he comes

01:20:57.869 --> 01:21:00.789
back and he corrects it and he treats his kids like

01:21:00.789 --> 01:21:04.049
they're a human being and he understands

01:21:04.049 --> 01:21:09.509
the role that he plays in developing their character and teaching them that

01:21:09.509 --> 01:21:14.429
it's okay to say that you're wrong and to apologize and then to get it right

01:21:14.429 --> 01:21:20.949
going forward And so those are some of the things that I was so glad to see

01:21:20.949 --> 01:21:23.929
the way that they portrayed him as a dad on that show,

01:21:23.929 --> 01:21:29.569
because it gives a wonderful example of how, as a black man.

01:21:30.189 --> 01:21:36.489
We can still be black men, but then also support our kids when helping them

01:21:36.489 --> 01:21:40.049
to grow into the young people that we hope that they become so that they can

01:21:40.049 --> 01:21:41.329
be as successful as possible.

01:21:41.329 --> 01:21:44.609
I like the way they showed his strength And

01:21:44.609 --> 01:21:48.509
his softness Without being fimmel Exactly

01:21:48.509 --> 01:21:52.089
Because that's what My grandson

01:21:52.089 --> 01:21:58.169
came down this summer And he told me about a school situation He said Papa I

01:21:58.169 --> 01:22:03.669
was mad and I was crying And then the teacher said We used to be here today

01:22:03.669 --> 01:22:10.449
And I said And he got madder and said I'm a boy And they said to me comments.

01:22:11.003 --> 01:22:18.683
Oh man see i'm a boy papa i said you a boy you go you're a young man on the way up.

01:22:19.323 --> 01:22:24.063
Sir you know what i mean and he was like and then he then he got the confidence

01:22:24.063 --> 01:22:29.023
and walked away i said but you can't be clowning in class right there you go.

01:22:31.823 --> 01:22:40.123
Yeah it was it was very beautiful moment and that's what man i i celebrate you

01:22:40.123 --> 01:22:44.123
sir i support you and I'm going to hook up with you because you're right around

01:22:44.123 --> 01:22:46.563
the corner from me, actually. You're trying to say.

01:22:47.583 --> 01:22:49.383
Yeah, I will see you.

01:22:50.703 --> 01:22:53.623
All right, let's make it happen. Yes, sir. It will do.

01:22:54.023 --> 01:22:58.743
So here's what I have to say about this, and it's just a synopsis,

01:22:58.843 --> 01:23:06.783
and what I've seen from my own children is the fact that these TV shows and these video games have,

01:23:07.823 --> 01:23:09.223
desensitized our children.

01:23:09.223 --> 01:23:13.023
They're desensitizing our children into

01:23:13.023 --> 01:23:16.103
the fact that even if you use

01:23:16.103 --> 01:23:20.863
corporal punishment or you sit down and you have a conversation with them the

01:23:20.863 --> 01:23:26.223
world has shown them something totally different and they're not grasping the

01:23:26.223 --> 01:23:34.923
concepts that you're trying to portray to them in certain areas I mean absolutely.

01:23:36.403 --> 01:23:40.803
Even the girls So some, you know, I raised two girls.

01:23:40.943 --> 01:23:44.783
I found out I had my son. You already know the story, you know, and he was grown.

01:23:44.963 --> 01:23:52.163
But by the time we got to meet, but at the end of the day, we have a relationship and he's got two boys.

01:23:52.443 --> 01:23:58.583
So at the end of the day, you know, as men, I'm trying to be a father to a son that I never knew.

01:23:59.263 --> 01:24:04.063
He's being a father to his children, but he didn't have a daddy that he knew.

01:24:04.063 --> 01:24:11.383
And so now we're trying to work together as men to try to rebuild something

01:24:11.383 --> 01:24:13.783
that was broken. And it wasn't even our fault.

01:24:13.963 --> 01:24:16.323
It wasn't my fault. It wasn't his fault.

01:24:16.503 --> 01:24:21.823
It just wasn't the system, you know, you know, but, but still,

01:24:22.283 --> 01:24:27.363
especially the boys today, the girls are getting so aggressive.

01:24:28.243 --> 01:24:30.583
You know, my daughter's even telling

01:24:30.583 --> 01:24:37.263
me, she says, Dad, she said she's got three boys, 10, 10, 7, and 5.

01:24:37.483 --> 01:24:41.343
And at the end of the day, she said, I'm trying to keep these ratchet little

01:24:41.343 --> 01:24:45.583
girls away from my sons because they nasty, Daddy.

01:24:46.523 --> 01:24:50.303
I said, what? But I raised two girls.

01:24:50.383 --> 01:24:54.743
You see what I'm saying? And at the end of the day I don't know what's happening

01:24:54.743 --> 01:25:02.263
But the dynamics are killing us Very true Very true The dynamics are killing us.

01:25:03.559 --> 01:25:10.859
I think as parents, we have to we have to monitor what's going into our children's

01:25:10.859 --> 01:25:12.839
eye gates and their ear gates.

01:25:12.959 --> 01:25:18.639
And it's hard. And I see so many parents that are in the lower,

01:25:18.959 --> 01:25:21.279
let's say, economic structure.

01:25:21.499 --> 01:25:26.199
They're using tablets or phones as the babysitters.

01:25:26.199 --> 01:25:29.019
Now they're using these things as the

01:25:29.019 --> 01:25:32.659
baby that's that's who's watching their children because the

01:25:32.659 --> 01:25:35.919
cost of child care has gotten so

01:25:35.919 --> 01:25:42.159
high that you walk into a restaurant it's it's ridiculous you walk into a restaurant

01:25:42.159 --> 01:25:45.339
and you see two kids sitting in a corner and in front of them they got a tablet

01:25:45.339 --> 01:25:51.739
instead of when i was growing up it was a coloring book it was my my my learning

01:25:51.739 --> 01:25:55.299
book where I was practicing my ABCs and my one, two, threes.

01:25:55.519 --> 01:26:01.699
But now you see tablets in front of these children. And now you have an electronic babysitter.

01:26:01.879 --> 01:26:05.959
You have an electronic babysitter that's watching people's kids and they're

01:26:05.959 --> 01:26:09.899
having to take their kids to work because they can't afford daycare.

01:26:10.439 --> 01:26:15.139
Right. And then they go to the school for how many hours a day?

01:26:15.459 --> 01:26:20.879
Six to eight. so that's 68 hours that you don't have no control over what's

01:26:20.879 --> 01:26:22.859
going in their minds or their hearing,

01:26:23.359 --> 01:26:26.139
and then you're focusing on your work so when you get

01:26:26.139 --> 01:26:28.859
off you got to pick them up you already tired you can't wait

01:26:28.859 --> 01:26:34.779
to get them home you want them to be quiet because you tired they wound up because

01:26:34.779 --> 01:26:38.479
they ain't had no real recess they haven't had they didn't have the same we

01:26:38.479 --> 01:26:43.499
played the ice ball but you know we did all of that and it got a lot of that

01:26:43.499 --> 01:26:47.139
energy out so that we was more focused when we came home.

01:26:47.319 --> 01:26:50.639
But now they're off the wall. They're bouncing off the wall.

01:26:51.419 --> 01:26:56.939
Their focus game is all distorted. Like you said, they got all these tablets, all that stuff.

01:26:57.059 --> 01:27:01.439
We understand that it's messing with the frontal lobe of the brain.

01:27:04.499 --> 01:27:11.119
And then, not to mention the sugar, because I'm looking at my mom who's got

01:27:11.119 --> 01:27:17.519
dementia, and now they're saying that this sugar that some dementia is considered to be,

01:27:18.159 --> 01:27:20.119
diabetes 3 or something.

01:27:20.459 --> 01:27:25.459
It has something to do with excessive sugars, but they're affecting the brain.

01:27:25.819 --> 01:27:31.699
My mother drinks soda pop like it ain't nothing. I told her,

01:27:31.819 --> 01:27:34.539
you got 20 teaspoons of sugar in each can.

01:27:35.419 --> 01:27:39.379
But that's what we feed our kids. All that stuff has an effect.

01:27:39.599 --> 01:27:44.999
And then we as men are dealing with the world that we're dealing with and then

01:27:44.999 --> 01:27:49.399
we get frustrated, we get we don't have no patience.

01:27:51.200 --> 01:27:54.700
It just goes on and on and on. It's like a snowball rolling down the hill,

01:27:54.700 --> 01:28:01.060
and if we don't stop it from falling or be the rock that the snowball breaks on,

01:28:01.620 --> 01:28:06.700
then, you know, what are we looking forward to? Because our children are going to forget about us now.

01:28:07.320 --> 01:28:12.340
They're going to forget about us. The way it's going, we're forgetting about half of our elders.

01:28:13.280 --> 01:28:16.400
Yeah. And the children ain't going to think about us.

01:28:17.100 --> 01:28:20.940
Yeah. That is the fate of the world right now.

01:28:21.200 --> 01:28:26.580
And then you have to think about the way that that they're trying to erase history.

01:28:26.820 --> 01:28:32.920
They're trying to erase things that that made us a society and made us a people.

01:28:33.520 --> 01:28:41.000
And so we as men, as you're saying, we have to be the bearers of all of the

01:28:41.000 --> 01:28:46.000
grunt that's going on in this world. But at the same time, you also have to be teachers.

01:28:46.200 --> 01:28:52.480
And I'm a I'm a father of four daughters. I have four daughters and I have been

01:28:52.480 --> 01:28:55.420
the brunt bearer of a lot of things.

01:28:55.600 --> 01:29:00.340
But on the other side of that, I've also been a teacher and I've showed my daughters

01:29:00.340 --> 01:29:05.600
that how a man is supposed to treat a woman and my oldest daughter.

01:29:05.740 --> 01:29:07.020
And I have to give her her kudos.

01:29:07.940 --> 01:29:11.640
Me and her mother did not have the best relationship in the world,

01:29:11.640 --> 01:29:14.920
but her and her husband have a wonderful relationship.

01:29:14.920 --> 01:29:21.340
And that's because I run it and I bared and I gritted my teeth and I did all

01:29:21.340 --> 01:29:23.800
these things that I needed to do as a father.

01:29:24.180 --> 01:29:30.080
But he learned the lessons that needed to be taught by me, a man,

01:29:30.220 --> 01:29:33.500
to show her her worth and her value.

01:29:33.680 --> 01:29:38.100
And she met a nice gentleman and they're married and they both have wonderful

01:29:38.100 --> 01:29:44.640
careers and they both know what it takes to survive in this world. Amen.

01:29:45.460 --> 01:29:51.540
And unfortunately for us, some of us, like I'm on my third marriage, okay?

01:29:52.000 --> 01:29:56.620
My first marriage was 18 years. My second was two because I knew that was crazy.

01:29:58.060 --> 01:30:02.180
And I'm eight years in on this one. But at the end of the day,

01:30:02.180 --> 01:30:08.580
I've learned so many things by coming from a family that I was a builder in,

01:30:08.840 --> 01:30:14.320
moving to a family that was already built, moving to another family that the

01:30:14.320 --> 01:30:16.940
kids has grown and they set in their own way.

01:30:17.440 --> 01:30:20.580
And I'm still who I am.

01:30:22.400 --> 01:30:26.280
But I'm dealing with I've had to deal with these different circumstances.

01:30:26.400 --> 01:30:31.040
I wish it had never gone the way that it had, but I'm here where I am.

01:30:31.140 --> 01:30:38.580
And now I've got to make the best of this, but I've learned from these different scenarios. Man,

01:30:42.514 --> 01:30:46.994
In all of that, there's always a common denominator.

01:30:47.174 --> 01:30:50.794
And what you just said is through it all, you've been you. But have you ever

01:30:50.794 --> 01:30:57.454
taken time and space and sat back and reflected on who you were and the part

01:30:57.454 --> 01:31:00.494
that you played in all of these particular relationships,

01:31:00.494 --> 01:31:02.954
whether it was romantic or with your children?

01:31:02.954 --> 01:31:09.554
Have you looked down and contemplated over the wrongs that you've done in your

01:31:09.554 --> 01:31:15.194
life to make the relationships go the way that you have seen them go?

01:31:15.714 --> 01:31:17.714
Yes, I have.

01:31:18.374 --> 01:31:25.174
And there's no, put it like this, I can cite the reasons that I made the choices,

01:31:25.174 --> 01:31:33.234
but the excuse might be wrapped up in the reason. But reasonably, there was no excuse.

01:31:33.594 --> 01:31:40.474
What it was was that there was no teaching for me to have at the moment of crisis.

01:31:40.954 --> 01:31:46.474
I did what to do. And because I didn't know what to do at the moment of crisis,

01:31:46.474 --> 01:31:48.774
I did what I thought I should do.

01:31:48.954 --> 01:31:52.654
And in the thinking of me doing what I thought was the right thing,

01:31:52.834 --> 01:31:56.634
after the fact, I wound up realizing that it was the wrong thing.

01:31:57.034 --> 01:31:59.874
But I learned. so now

01:31:59.874 --> 01:32:03.194
I've carried that over to the next but then I

01:32:03.194 --> 01:32:06.134
mean yes I'm the common denominator in every

01:32:06.134 --> 01:32:09.094
relationship but I also am dealing

01:32:09.094 --> 01:32:12.634
with the women I've only dealt

01:32:12.634 --> 01:32:17.154
with black women in relationships that have been serious and then I'm also from

01:32:17.154 --> 01:32:24.334
a single parent woman home so now here I come with all my mother taught me how

01:32:24.334 --> 01:32:29.794
to be as a man but she could only teach me so much Then I went to the military. I got all of that.

01:32:30.174 --> 01:32:33.774
Then I came home and fathered my own children. Then I got all of that.

01:32:33.914 --> 01:32:38.434
Now I move on into the next relationship confident as a man. I'm a provider.

01:32:38.634 --> 01:32:40.454
I'm skilled laborer, all that.

01:32:40.814 --> 01:32:45.794
But I still didn't have all the dynamics to make the relationship work,

01:32:45.794 --> 01:32:49.614
because when it came to certain portions that I was dealing with,

01:32:49.814 --> 01:32:51.934
the women are dealing with something different.

01:32:52.754 --> 01:33:02.474
Because now I feel like most recently had a conversation women just one woman's view,

01:33:02.754 --> 01:33:08.734
women have been brainwashed women are tired of dealing with men and being the

01:33:08.734 --> 01:33:13.734
scapegoat and having to do everything and it's time for men to step up and I'm

01:33:13.734 --> 01:33:17.634
like what in the world kind of crazy are you talking yeah,

01:33:18.729 --> 01:33:24.869
But I had to listen and get it, and a lot of them feel they're feeling the pain

01:33:24.869 --> 01:33:27.129
of the past, and they're holding,

01:33:27.349 --> 01:33:34.349
I don't know what it is, but they're carrying that weight forward as we will

01:33:34.349 --> 01:33:37.629
never do this again. A lot of women.

01:33:38.769 --> 01:33:42.969
It sounds like you're riding in the same boat, because what you just explained

01:33:42.969 --> 01:33:45.129
to me is what you're carrying from the past.

01:33:45.129 --> 01:33:51.649
You're carrying the fact that you want a single parent home that your mom,

01:33:52.529 --> 01:33:55.689
gave you the best that she could give you as a man but

01:33:55.689 --> 01:34:01.729
here's the thing in those situations you have to pick pieces of every situation

01:34:01.729 --> 01:34:08.089
and you like turn your home there and we can't stay the same Morris we cannot

01:34:08.089 --> 01:34:13.369
stay the same you're absolutely right and I haven't stayed the same but what

01:34:13.369 --> 01:34:15.249
I'm saying is Like, for instance,

01:34:15.769 --> 01:34:22.109
you have men that don't know how to change a tire, right?

01:34:23.369 --> 01:34:28.609
Somebody not long ago was talking about they were on the way home or coming

01:34:28.609 --> 01:34:29.749
out of the grocery store or whatever,

01:34:29.789 --> 01:34:36.369
and there was three dudes and a young lady, and they was asking for help from

01:34:36.369 --> 01:34:38.849
people coming out of the grocery store if they could change the tire.

01:34:39.109 --> 01:34:43.749
And the brother was like, you got three young brothers with you, young lady.

01:34:43.749 --> 01:34:47.389
You know, only one of the dudes is hers or whatever, you know,

01:34:47.429 --> 01:34:49.969
they do whatever it was Whatever,

01:34:50.229 --> 01:34:54.509
but the bottom line was they didn't know how to change the tire They didn't

01:34:54.509 --> 01:34:58.329
know where the tire was they didn't know how to get they know how to check the

01:34:58.329 --> 01:35:00.029
car They didn't know none of that,

01:35:00.089 --> 01:35:03.809
but they thought they are hard and the order rap songs, but they don't know

01:35:03.809 --> 01:35:05.929
the basics Then you get somebody.

01:35:07.215 --> 01:35:11.095
I'm seasoned. I know the basics. I'm a builder.

01:35:12.255 --> 01:35:16.755
But I'm still dealing with women whose fathers wasn't there for them.

01:35:17.555 --> 01:35:25.515
Right, right, right. So then where I come, I got an income. I got a skill set.

01:35:25.715 --> 01:35:28.515
I'm intelligent. I'm articulate.

01:35:29.295 --> 01:35:34.295
I'm relatively, I think, handsome and capable, and I carry myself well.

01:35:34.295 --> 01:35:41.255
But it's not necessarily always enough but here's the thing isn't them and i'm

01:35:41.255 --> 01:35:45.495
gonna say this and i'm gonna be real honest sometimes the people we pick are

01:35:45.495 --> 01:35:49.415
a reflection of who we are and in that.

01:35:50.355 --> 01:35:55.515
You bring all of that to the table but you're trying to rescue yourself you're

01:35:55.515 --> 01:36:01.075
still trying to rescue yourself by picking these women and they're inadequate

01:36:01.075 --> 01:36:03.195
because they didn't have fathers,

01:36:03.455 --> 01:36:06.975
but you're also inadequate because you didn't have a stable father.

01:36:07.195 --> 01:36:12.775
So in essence, you're trying to save yourself. And a lot of men can't understand or recognize that.

01:36:12.875 --> 01:36:16.415
And the reason why I can say that is because four years ago,

01:36:16.615 --> 01:36:21.355
God gave me an epiphany and told me that the women that I chose in my life prior

01:36:21.355 --> 01:36:25.595
to this woman that God brought to me, I was trying to save them,

01:36:25.675 --> 01:36:27.435
but I wasn't trying to save them.

01:36:27.435 --> 01:36:30.095
I was particularly trying to save myself.

01:36:30.355 --> 01:36:36.795
I was Trying to make myself be seen because I never had a father and I wanted

01:36:36.795 --> 01:36:43.315
to be the man that my mother deserved in her life to every woman that came into my life.

01:36:44.175 --> 01:36:49.215
I've seen that 100%. The thing of it is, is this.

01:36:49.415 --> 01:36:55.435
When you came into this relationship, you came in completely transparent, didn't you? Yes, sir.

01:36:56.255 --> 01:37:00.255
But God. Did she come in transparent as well?

01:37:00.255 --> 01:37:03.135
Yes sir that's where the

01:37:03.135 --> 01:37:06.135
risk is is that everybody ain't trying see i went

01:37:06.135 --> 01:37:09.415
through homelessness i went through two marriages

01:37:09.415 --> 01:37:12.175
i went through race i went through finding out i got a

01:37:12.175 --> 01:37:15.075
son you know that was arrested for murder

01:37:15.075 --> 01:37:18.555
at 12 years old i went through all of those pains by myself

01:37:18.555 --> 01:37:21.235
because i couldn't really share them with

01:37:21.235 --> 01:37:24.035
nobody my daddy wasn't available and i didn't really

01:37:24.035 --> 01:37:27.475
have that male circle like we got this and so

01:37:27.475 --> 01:37:30.275
at the end of the day all that stuff i was internalized and

01:37:30.275 --> 01:37:33.135
just trying to be the man just trying to deal with it

01:37:33.135 --> 01:37:38.475
but i'm crying and dying inside so when i get to the next relationship i come

01:37:38.475 --> 01:37:44.255
in there and dump everything on the table and what often happens is they'll

01:37:44.255 --> 01:37:48.195
take it but then they'll go through it and shift it in the bathroom but they

01:37:48.195 --> 01:37:50.375
ain't never put nothing on the table for you to understand,

01:37:50.935 --> 01:37:56.115
now you get to be what they bring based on what they know about you.

01:37:57.223 --> 01:38:04.203
You got to respond to that and you can't say it ain't true because you was transparent right right,

01:38:04.843 --> 01:38:07.723
i think i was i i was gonna

01:38:07.723 --> 01:38:11.323
say i kind of mentioned that at the beginning when i was talking about the you

01:38:11.323 --> 01:38:15.503
know the relationship part is like both people got to come into the relationship

01:38:15.503 --> 01:38:20.783
whole they got to know who they are be confident in who they are enough to be

01:38:20.783 --> 01:38:26.403
transparent like you're saying and if both people aren't at that point it ain't gonna work out.

01:38:26.983 --> 01:38:32.003
And so you got to be able to recognize that the person that you are deciding

01:38:32.003 --> 01:38:36.343
to lay all these things out with is whole enough to even be able to receive

01:38:36.343 --> 01:38:40.283
it so they can return that same thing to you.

01:38:40.623 --> 01:38:48.283
And I just think that one of the things that is becoming a thing is the absence of fathers. Right.

01:38:48.803 --> 01:38:57.843
And so when a father is absent, if it teaches us that men aren't available for us. Right.

01:38:58.203 --> 01:39:04.443
And so it takes us time to even even accept the fact that there are men out

01:39:04.443 --> 01:39:09.883
there who can support us, who can be that sounding board when we're going through

01:39:09.883 --> 01:39:12.543
things and say to us, hey,

01:39:12.823 --> 01:39:16.263
man, I know you're thinking about doing this, but here's

01:39:16.263 --> 01:39:18.883
my experience and here's some of the things that I

01:39:18.883 --> 01:39:21.923
was able to do to get through this type of experience

01:39:21.923 --> 01:39:26.343
that might be able to help you as well it takes us a while to even recognize

01:39:26.343 --> 01:39:30.403
that we can receive that from another man because we didn't have the relationship

01:39:30.403 --> 01:39:35.623
with a father who was able to give that to us and I think that as we grow and

01:39:35.623 --> 01:39:41.603
mature and in our manhood and understand that you know no man is an island.

01:39:42.513 --> 01:39:46.953
We're not built to do this thing of life by ourselves.

01:39:47.313 --> 01:39:54.173
And we need other men to be able to lean on, to support us, and then in return,

01:39:54.373 --> 01:39:55.913
give that same support back to them.

01:39:56.133 --> 01:40:02.173
And I love this group. I love what you all are doing because this is creating spaces for that.

01:40:02.273 --> 01:40:06.413
And we're being intentional about coming together as men and supporting each

01:40:06.413 --> 01:40:11.213
other, teaching each other about the things that we've experienced and how we've

01:40:11.213 --> 01:40:13.273
overcome them and being able to share.

01:40:13.453 --> 01:40:17.273
And so, hey, guys, I'm so thankful for this opportunity tonight.

01:40:17.593 --> 01:40:20.833
I'm getting ready to hop off because I'm running in the house with the kids

01:40:20.833 --> 01:40:24.693
and got to make sure that they ate and getting ready for bed for school tomorrow.

01:40:24.973 --> 01:40:26.553
But anytime y'all need me to

01:40:26.553 --> 01:40:30.793
hop on here, let me know. And I'd love to continue to participate in this.

01:40:31.173 --> 01:40:34.053
I actually have some funding that

01:40:34.053 --> 01:40:37.353
will be coming up pretty soon to do some additional fatherhood workshops.

01:40:37.833 --> 01:40:42.113
And so I'd love to get you guys engaged, whether or not we can get you guys

01:40:42.113 --> 01:40:45.453
trained to help facilitate groups for other young men.

01:40:45.493 --> 01:40:49.513
Or if you all want to participate in the programs as well, we can make that happen.

01:40:49.713 --> 01:40:52.973
But yes, I thank you all for inviting me tonight.

01:40:53.333 --> 01:40:57.213
And I look forward to continuing to work with you guys going into the future.

01:40:57.593 --> 01:41:03.153
Yes, sir. We appreciate it. My brother Dave, what you got to say to the man?

01:41:03.753 --> 01:41:08.113
Well, Mr. Taylor, I do appreciate you for your patience and hanging in there

01:41:08.113 --> 01:41:10.693
with us. We've been trying to make this happen for a minute.

01:41:10.953 --> 01:41:14.213
So I am very thankful.

01:41:14.553 --> 01:41:19.033
And again, I know you would bring a level of quality to the conversation.

01:41:19.573 --> 01:41:23.013
And again, I look forward to future partnerships with you. And again,

01:41:23.113 --> 01:41:25.133
this isn't going to be the last time.

01:41:25.593 --> 01:41:30.633
No, sir. Definitely not. No, I'll be back. And I appreciate you guys.

01:41:30.833 --> 01:41:34.593
Thank you. All right. Anybody else got anything to say before we go out the door?

01:41:35.564 --> 01:41:40.044
Thank you, Mr. Taylor. I mean, I'm going to get with you, and we'll see if we

01:41:40.044 --> 01:41:42.504
can't help solve some of these problems that we're working on together.

01:41:43.284 --> 01:41:49.204
All right. I look forward to it. All right. Thank you. Thank you, guys.

01:41:50.124 --> 01:41:53.104
All right. Fellas, hey, I love all y'all, man.

01:41:53.284 --> 01:41:57.744
And I love everybody being intentional, and I love the fact that we can have

01:41:57.744 --> 01:42:00.404
some real, honest, transparent men conversation.

01:42:00.924 --> 01:42:04.644
That is what the kickback is for, fellas. That's what it's for,

01:42:04.764 --> 01:42:09.084
for us to come together and have these intentional conversations and try to

01:42:09.084 --> 01:42:13.464
figure out how we can better and make this world a better place, man.

01:42:13.644 --> 01:42:20.724
We got to have these intentional conversations. We got to have the space. And this is the space.

01:42:21.064 --> 01:42:25.484
Morris, I love you to death, my brother, and I love the funk that you bring every time.

01:42:25.764 --> 01:42:28.944
Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Ever since I've met you,

01:42:29.104 --> 01:42:30.404
brother, you have brought the funk.

01:42:30.524 --> 01:42:33.284
And I love the way you think. I love the

01:42:33.284 --> 01:42:36.024
way you think out loud My brother and we are

01:42:36.024 --> 01:42:38.924
going to get You to the other side of this finish line If

01:42:38.924 --> 01:42:42.524
it ever if it takes If it takes 100 years we

01:42:42.524 --> 01:42:47.164
Gonna get you healed my brother we gonna Get you there because God Is going

01:42:47.164 --> 01:42:51.684
to give you everything That you deserve before you leave this Earth but I love

01:42:51.684 --> 01:42:56.844
the way you think And I love the funk that you bring To this show Bubba I love

01:42:56.844 --> 01:43:02.424
I love what you bring to the show Riley I appreciate it And I'm always thankful that you're here.

01:43:02.764 --> 01:43:07.204
Mark, if you can hear me, my brother, I love you being in the building with us.

01:43:07.544 --> 01:43:11.584
Yes, this is how we build a village. You are right, Dave. This is how you build

01:43:11.584 --> 01:43:13.824
a village. Mark, how are you doing tonight, my brother?

01:43:14.604 --> 01:43:17.324
I'm straight, man. I'm sitting here listening to the whole conversation,

01:43:17.504 --> 01:43:19.764
man. It was pretty intense.

01:43:20.504 --> 01:43:25.744
Yes, yes, yes, yes. I appreciate you coming. Friday, fellas, Friday.

01:43:27.064 --> 01:43:31.104
Friday, 6 p.m. Friday, 6 p.m.

01:43:31.324 --> 01:43:37.444
Let's bring this same love and enthusiasm to the conversation on Friday.

01:43:38.024 --> 01:43:41.104
And I'd like to say I love y'all from the heart.

01:43:41.724 --> 01:43:46.884
Hey, keep being intentional, and we gonna make our sons, our brothers,

01:43:47.044 --> 01:43:49.484
our nephews better men for the future.

01:43:50.164 --> 01:43:52.264
Amen. Amen.

01:43:53.284 --> 01:43:58.324
All right. I'll see everybody on Friday. You gentlemen have a great evening.

01:43:59.064 --> 01:44:02.364
Thanks, Bubba Joe. Yo, I'm in my way.

01:44:03.724 --> 01:44:05.764
Later, Mark.

01:44:09.544 --> 01:44:13.184
Later, the dude. They kick back.

01:44:14.800 --> 01:44:44.694
Music.