March 11, 2026

Bridges In A Fragmented World

Bridges In A Fragmented World
Apple Podcasts podcast player badge
Spotify podcast player badge
Castro podcast player badge
RSS Feed podcast player badge
Apple Podcasts podcast player iconSpotify podcast player iconCastro podcast player iconRSS Feed podcast player icon
Season 5

A veteran’s cadence meets a TEDx stage, and the message lands with force. We sit down with Sgt. Roy to unpack a provocative thesis: our culture is being coached into division, confusion, and emotionalism, while the antidote is older and tougher, consisting of truth, discipline, and connection. From the barracks at Fort Jackson to the bright lights of a university TEDx, Roy shares how a clear message, relentless practice, and visible proof of work can open doors without compromising your values.

We trade war stories with purpose. Roy talks about honoring sacrifice when headlines soften it, the pride of service that builds identity through effort, and why “soldier first” still matters from medical units to logistics. Then we get specific about the skills that bridge gaps: asking for evidence, listening without surrendering conviction, and widening your circle beyond people who look and think like you. He names the trap of “toxic empathy,” in which care erodes accountability, and argues for teaching people to fish so dignity and confidence can grow.

The conversation turns to race, wealth, and agency. We wrestle with Tulsa, generational loss, and the case for buying Black, while Roy pushes toward scale, productivity, and role models beyond entertainment, such as coders, surgeons, founders, and educators who rarely get the mic. He shares moments of being ostracized for success, the resolve that comes from faith and calling, and the quiet joy of mentoring youth and serving in men’s ministry. If you’re tired of hot takes and ready for habits that heal, this is your map: craft the message, do the work, expand your circles, lead with evidence, and refuse to be programmed for division.

If this conversation moved you, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review with the one insight you’ll act on this week. Your voice helps others find the path from noise to connection.

00:07 - Welcome Back, Sgt. Roy

00:21 - Mission Of Urban Christian Veterans

01:12 - TEDx Behind The Scenes

02:38 - Breaking Into Speaking Circuits

04:03 - Nailing The Message And Reps

05:15 - Building A Platform That Lasts

05:55 - Opening Thesis: Programmed Division

06:26 - Media, Misinformation, And Strategy Of Chaos

07:06 - Honoring Service And Sacrifice

08:41 - Brotherhood And Rite Of Passage

10:58 - Fort Jackson Then And Now

13:29 - Training Reality: Bivouac To Grenades

15:52 - Soldier First: Changing Battlefields

17:30 - Indoctrination Into Combative Identities

19:15 - Emotion Vs Evidence In Debate

20:13 - History, Memory, And Progress

22:06 - One Color: Green

23:18 - Resilience Over Comfort

24:36 - Pushback And Online Radicalism

25:41 - Expand Your Circles, Expand Your Life

27:12 - Productivity Over Labels

28:17 - Black Dollar, Scale, And Reach

30:05 - Tulsa, Sabotage, And Rebuilding

31:31 - Generational Wealth And Narratives

33:01 - Don’t Lead With Disadvantage

34:31 - Role Models Beyond Entertainment

36:09 - Guidance, College, And Expectations

37:50 - Agency, Faith, And Calling

39:04 - Ostracized For Succeeding

40:40 - Showcasing Quiet Excellence

42:15 - What’s Next For Sgt. Roy

43:22 - Youth, Men’s Ministry, And Legacy

45:00 - Gratitude, Health, And Community

46:31 - Promote, Donate, Stay Connected

47:10 - Closing Cadence And Carrying On

WEBVTT

00:00:07.440 --> 00:00:12.160
All right, so we're here with Sergeant Roy, who has come back to speak with us again.

00:00:12.480 --> 00:00:15.119
Sergeant Roy, are you ready?

00:00:15.439 --> 00:00:16.719
I am ready.

00:00:17.440 --> 00:00:18.559
All right, awesome.

00:00:18.640 --> 00:00:20.399
So let's just jump right in.

00:00:21.519 --> 00:00:30.079
Urban Christian Veterans provides a safe place for Christian veterans of color to discuss the challenges you face in your daily lives.

00:00:30.320 --> 00:00:32.960
Being a person of color has its challenges.

00:00:33.200 --> 00:00:36.159
Being a Christian has its challenges.

00:00:36.399 --> 00:00:39.600
Being a veteran has its challenges.

00:00:39.840 --> 00:00:48.640
All of those factors being combined makes for a unique and sometimes difficult life experience that is seldom talked about in public forums.

00:00:48.960 --> 00:00:53.439
Thank you for tuning in to the Urban Christian Veterans Podcast.

00:00:53.600 --> 00:00:55.039
Here's your host, D.

00:00:55.200 --> 00:00:56.079
Allen Rose.

00:00:56.799 --> 00:00:59.920
Thank you, Andrew, for that wonderful introduction.

00:01:00.159 --> 00:01:06.959
This is the Allen Rose, and you are listening to the Urban Christian Veterans Podcast.

00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:10.159
So, what's been going on with you since we last spoke?

00:01:10.480 --> 00:01:12.239
Well, a lot's been going on.

00:01:12.400 --> 00:01:17.519
I I was able to do my very first TED talk, and that was a lot of fun.

00:01:18.000 --> 00:01:19.200
It was strange though.

00:01:19.280 --> 00:01:30.400
I I speak all the time, but I was invited to the University of Central Oklahoma, and they did a uh it was a conference on the theme was Worlds Connected.

00:01:30.879 --> 00:01:40.079
And um they had 10 speakers, and it was kind of interesting though, because uh I I normally like to go first or in the middle or whatever, but they they put me last.

00:01:41.599 --> 00:01:42.719
So you had to close the show.

00:01:42.799 --> 00:01:44.159
You had to bring it up and close it out.

00:01:44.239 --> 00:01:48.319
I took it that way because I got, you know, I'm just like, uh oh, you know, I'd rather be in the middle somewhere.

00:01:48.480 --> 00:01:54.000
But that was fun working with those young people that they're really on point, uh, you know, especially what's going on today.

00:01:54.159 --> 00:01:59.040
Young people are really coming alive, stepping up and trying to get some answers and stuff like that.

00:01:59.120 --> 00:02:08.400
And I've done uh a couple of other, you know, speaking engagements and stuff like that around uh getting invited to conferences and some schools and stuff like that.

00:02:08.479 --> 00:02:09.439
But that's my thing now.

00:02:09.520 --> 00:02:12.800
Now that I'm retired, uh I'm in retirement mode.

00:02:12.960 --> 00:02:18.879
Um I said that the only thing is that I don't want to get super busy because I I don't have the time to go on the road.

00:02:19.680 --> 00:02:19.919
Right.

00:02:20.000 --> 00:02:20.080
Right.

00:02:20.319 --> 00:02:31.759
You know, when I first started, I was like going by car and I did uh Tuskegee University and I was I went by car and I was like, ooh, man, these these people that do this for a living, you know, like comedians and people that travel by car.

00:02:31.840 --> 00:02:36.159
I said, man, this is this is kind of rough, but but it's rewarding nonetheless.

00:02:36.400 --> 00:02:36.639
Okay.

00:02:37.039 --> 00:02:38.479
So what was that process like?

00:02:38.639 --> 00:02:49.199
Because um, I know that uh, well, the one that I looked into or am looking into, they were like, you gotta do a video, you gotta like send it in with an application.

00:02:49.520 --> 00:02:51.680
So you had to go through that whole whole process there.

00:02:51.919 --> 00:02:58.000
Well, I I took um I paid for this one course and I I won't mention their name, but it was it was good.

00:02:58.159 --> 00:03:20.159
They gave me some ideas and stuff like that on how to put you, you put a uh, like you inquire with your letter to all the event planners and stuff like that, and you put this, you know, template letter together and say that you're a speaker and you speak on this topic, and are they looking because a lot of times you want to reach out to people six months to 12 months out.

00:03:20.479 --> 00:03:33.120
You know, because they're right now, even as we speak right now, event planners are planning for the end of the year or planning for next year, and they're looking for people, and you you just kind of that part you just have to kind of be consistent with it.

00:03:33.199 --> 00:03:42.800
Uh I may have sent out maybe 50 emails or letters, and I'll get like, you know, a handful that we're in will ask and what's going on.

00:03:42.960 --> 00:03:47.520
And then you want to do your your uh your your video.

00:03:47.599 --> 00:04:03.360
You want to take a video, and it's relatively easy because nowadays with technology you can use your cell phone and uh like the video you saw me doing uh with the Toastmaster Media, that was shot on my phone and and um and you just do stuff like that, and then you also I think the thing is your product.

00:04:03.439 --> 00:04:12.000
You want to be, if I had to give the best advice, you want to really know what your message is, what you bring into the table really, really well.

00:04:12.479 --> 00:04:19.120
Because like for instance, when I did the TED Talk, you know, I uh it was my son, you know, I went to visit him last year.

00:04:19.360 --> 00:04:24.879
He's still in the army, so I went to visit him and I did my speech, and he gave me some advice, really good advice.

00:04:24.959 --> 00:04:32.720
He said that, you know, I I use notes when I speak, but he said that you need to just do it over and over again, memorize it like it's the back of your hand.

00:04:32.879 --> 00:04:33.600
And I did.

00:04:33.839 --> 00:04:41.199
So when I hit the stage, I I was a little bit nervous, but I wasn't nervous to the point where I didn't forget I forgot my message.

00:04:42.000 --> 00:04:44.160
So uh practice makes perfect, you know.

00:04:44.240 --> 00:04:53.680
You know that being an army guy, you know, you just have to do it over and over again, you know it like the back of your hand, and then and then also have a presence on social media.

00:04:53.839 --> 00:05:02.480
You know, you want to have a web, a webpage where you can post all your little like you got on my website, you can see all the events that I've done throughout the year and stuff like that.

00:05:02.639 --> 00:05:05.279
And just keep it, keep it going, you know.

00:05:05.439 --> 00:05:10.480
You know, you have something to say, so uh, and it's uh, you know, people want to hear it.

00:05:10.560 --> 00:05:13.680
So you just have to do your own, be your own promo guy.

00:05:14.079 --> 00:05:15.360
Awesome, awesome.

00:05:15.600 --> 00:05:21.040
So building bridges of connection in a fragmented world.

00:05:22.000 --> 00:05:43.360
Now, I think your opening uh your opening statement that we're being programmed to create, define, and defend identities and accept controversial worldviews that will eventually cause us to abandon quality values such as truth, mutual respect, and integrity.

00:05:43.519 --> 00:05:45.040
Go on, Sergeant Roy.

00:05:46.480 --> 00:05:50.000
So talk to me about that, then I had to pray over this one.

00:05:50.399 --> 00:05:55.680
That message took, I say, I started on it just before Christmas last year.

00:05:56.319 --> 00:05:56.639
Okay.

00:05:56.959 --> 00:06:04.879
And prayed about it, and I had all kinds of ideas, but you know, sometimes you get inspiration when you just kind of look around you and see what's going on.

00:06:05.120 --> 00:06:09.120
Of course, you see the uh the tension that's going on in our country.

00:06:09.439 --> 00:06:18.639
And it it just kind of saddles me because now, you know, you and I are old enough, man, to remember now people are getting on the news and the social media.

00:06:18.720 --> 00:06:20.000
I mean, people are not even telling the truth.

00:06:20.079 --> 00:06:21.839
The information is just it's all over the place.

00:06:22.079 --> 00:06:25.439
I mean, they're looking into the camera and they're just lying.

00:06:26.000 --> 00:06:34.399
And I'm just sitting here going, wow, you know, and but then again, I realize uh after thinking about it, this is a planned strategy.

00:06:34.639 --> 00:06:36.079
I talk about it in my speech.

00:06:36.240 --> 00:06:51.759
It's a planned strategy to cause chaos, you know, and and and one of the things that when you control people is just trying to keep people confused, and and then I realized the new strategy is ignorance, you know, just keeping people ignorant.

00:06:51.920 --> 00:07:06.000
And you would think the the people in control want to want to inform you and want to give you, they they they give that, they present that image that they want to inform you and help you learn about things, but it's it's really quite the opposite.

00:07:06.560 --> 00:07:19.920
You know, uh they they tell you, even the news media, when you turn on the main strike mainstream news, it's the way they like I give you an idea of what I'm talking about, like, and you're you're a veteran, you know exactly what I'm what I'm saying.

00:07:20.000 --> 00:07:34.319
You know, when they say like a soldier has been uh unalived in action, you know, and the way they say it, it's almost like it's like it's almost like a like it's a shameful thing.

00:07:34.639 --> 00:07:39.120
Because you and I know that when we signed up for the military, that's part of our job.

00:07:39.360 --> 00:07:45.199
You know, there is a chance that we could probably get KIA or you know, not make it home.

00:07:45.279 --> 00:07:47.360
We we knew that when we raised our right hand.

00:07:47.759 --> 00:07:58.000
But it's just the way that they say it, when these soldiers and and all these service people, they get um injured or KIA and action and stuff, they make it like it's a bad thing.

00:07:58.240 --> 00:08:00.399
When in essence, it's a good thing.

00:08:00.560 --> 00:08:10.240
Because when I when I got called up in to go to Iraq in 2007, I had a little sit-down with my wife, and I told her, I said, hey, you know, we had that conversation.

00:08:10.319 --> 00:08:20.399
I said, if something happens to me, don't get on ABC, CBS, NBC crying and saying, oh, the military's bad, and look what they did to my husband.

00:08:20.560 --> 00:08:28.720
I sat her down and said, hey, that's one of my greatest accolades in my life is to serve this nation, to wear that uniform.

00:08:29.120 --> 00:08:29.360
Okay.

00:08:29.600 --> 00:08:36.639
And uh I may not have done a lot of things right, but when I've, you know, and I know, you know, you know what I'm talking about.

00:08:36.720 --> 00:08:40.799
When you put that uniform on, man, you feel like you're part of something.

00:08:41.120 --> 00:08:49.120
And uh, you know, having been a drill instructor for seven years when I was at Fort Jackson, I've seen some kids come through those gates.

00:08:49.360 --> 00:08:51.120
Some of them have nothing.

00:08:51.519 --> 00:08:56.320
And then at the end of basic training, boy, they're their confidence levels like to the roof.

00:08:56.799 --> 00:09:10.320
You know, and they feel like, you know, it almost makes you puts tears in your eyes because they feel like, you know, I tell them when they get ready to ship out, I said, hey, now you're a role model, you know, you you you made it, you know, and they feel like part of something.

00:09:10.399 --> 00:09:20.639
And you know, eventually those that, you know, if people don't say the whole 20 years or whether, whether you stay five years or 20 years or whatever, you we're we're part of a brotherhood.

00:09:21.120 --> 00:09:22.399
You know, we take care of each other.

00:09:22.559 --> 00:09:34.639
And I know you've heard the comments where people say, you vets, you know, you guys like meet at the airport and a restaurant, you guys like you know each other forever, but they they don't understand we have the same rite of passage.

00:09:35.200 --> 00:09:40.080
You know, you and I, I mean, I don't know the details of what you went through, but it's similar.

00:09:40.240 --> 00:09:41.440
It's the same thing.

00:09:41.600 --> 00:09:43.360
You know, in this days I wanted to quit.

00:09:43.440 --> 00:09:45.519
These days I wanted my mama, you know.

00:09:45.679 --> 00:09:52.399
And I told people when that when people's lives are over, you ask any service person, they're gonna remember their mama, their daddy, and their drill sucker.

00:09:52.960 --> 00:09:58.480
So let me ask you, what I mean you might have told me before, but what years were you at Fort Jackson?

00:09:58.799 --> 00:10:03.759
I was in Fort Jackson from 2000.

00:10:05.519 --> 00:10:06.240
I was there.

00:10:06.480 --> 00:10:08.879
So I got my hat in 2000.

00:10:09.120 --> 00:10:09.360
Okay.

00:10:09.519 --> 00:10:09.679
Okay.

00:10:10.000 --> 00:10:10.399
I was there.

00:10:10.480 --> 00:10:15.120
Now I was a reservist drill, and my my unit is just outside the gates of Fort Jackson.

00:10:15.200 --> 00:10:21.120
So I was able to do a couple of cycles, and then even on a weekend, I can go in and out of the environment.

00:10:21.600 --> 00:10:21.679
Okay.

00:10:22.000 --> 00:10:28.159
And the rule is on the reserve side of the house, uh, like the the active duty, they're allowed to only be a drill sergeant for two years.

00:10:28.320 --> 00:10:33.360
But the reserve side, if you as long as you can physically do it, you can stay under the hat.

00:10:33.679 --> 00:10:34.000
Okay.

00:10:34.240 --> 00:10:35.600
You know, so I enjoyed it.

00:10:35.679 --> 00:10:36.960
It it was it was tough work.

00:10:37.039 --> 00:10:38.639
It was tough work, but I enjoyed it.

00:10:38.960 --> 00:10:39.600
I can imagine.

00:10:39.679 --> 00:10:45.600
I I was just curious, uh, yeah, that you were there long after uh I had come through.

00:10:45.759 --> 00:10:50.720
But um well, I say long after, but I can't imagine much changed.

00:10:50.879 --> 00:10:56.639
Um because I w I got there um in eighty-eight.

00:10:57.120 --> 00:10:59.200
And uh you were at Jackson?

00:10:59.440 --> 00:11:01.360
Yeah, or Jackson in 1988.

00:11:01.600 --> 00:11:04.799
And when I was there, the starship barracks were being built.

00:11:04.960 --> 00:11:06.480
They weren't they weren't even done yet.

00:11:06.720 --> 00:11:12.559
And so well the latest the latest latest new news on that is they're slowly tearing those down.

00:11:12.879 --> 00:11:14.159
Like half of those are down.

00:11:14.799 --> 00:11:15.039
Really?

00:11:15.360 --> 00:11:32.879
Yeah, because now if you remember, the starship was a great building because you can go in and out of it, but now what they did, they they knocked those down and kind of made it almost like dormitories, and then like now the PT field is behind the starship and the mess hall is on the same property.

00:11:33.039 --> 00:11:38.000
Because you remember when you got there, you had to march to the PT field, you had to march to the mess hall, you know.

00:11:38.080 --> 00:11:40.879
So it's all like in one area.

00:11:41.200 --> 00:11:42.159
Well, that's the thing.

00:11:42.320 --> 00:11:46.799
I they were being built, they weren't done yet when I got there, so I never got to stay in those.

00:11:47.039 --> 00:11:48.720
Oh, did you stay in the old wooden ones?

00:11:49.279 --> 00:11:50.480
Oh, no, no, no, not those.

00:11:50.639 --> 00:11:51.759
I didn't stay in those.

00:11:56.960 --> 00:11:58.799
Oh, I've seen those kind of stuck together.

00:11:59.039 --> 00:11:59.200
Yeah.

00:11:59.360 --> 00:12:03.120
So um, so yeah, four, four units all kind of come together.

00:12:03.200 --> 00:12:05.200
And uh I think they still got those up.

00:12:05.279 --> 00:12:07.519
They ran them out for for TDY.

00:12:07.679 --> 00:12:10.000
People were just coming there, just temporary stay.

00:12:10.320 --> 00:12:10.799
Okay, okay.

00:12:11.679 --> 00:12:21.440
But Fort Jackson, it's like they um, I mean, if you ever get a chance to go up there and drive around, they've kind of put uh and it's good, it consolidated everything, you know.

00:12:21.679 --> 00:12:26.399
My my only pet peeve is that if and you probably remember this, we marched everywhere.

00:12:26.559 --> 00:12:31.200
So, and these soldiers, man, they sit back here and they got these white buses that pull up.

00:12:31.440 --> 00:12:32.000
Oh man.

00:12:32.399 --> 00:12:34.080
I'm saying, give me a break.

00:12:34.320 --> 00:12:36.879
Uh Victory Tower, I take it, is still there?

00:12:36.960 --> 00:12:38.480
Uh or or what?

00:12:38.879 --> 00:12:41.440
Um, I retired um 2019.

00:12:41.919 --> 00:12:43.759
I said is Victory Tower still there.

00:12:43.919 --> 00:12:44.639
Oh yeah.

00:12:44.720 --> 00:12:45.279
Oh yeah.

00:12:45.679 --> 00:12:46.159
Yeah.

00:12:46.399 --> 00:12:47.600
Victory Tower there.

00:12:47.840 --> 00:12:50.320
Uh what's the um the hill?

00:12:51.039 --> 00:12:54.879
Um I know where the goat goes right in front of the uh old mimics.

00:12:55.120 --> 00:12:55.440
It's still there.

00:12:57.039 --> 00:12:57.279
Yeah, yeah.

00:12:57.440 --> 00:12:58.000
It's still there.

00:12:58.080 --> 00:12:58.559
It's still there.

00:12:58.639 --> 00:13:00.720
They still run it every once in a while.

00:13:01.120 --> 00:13:03.120
Well, I think it has many names.

00:13:03.200 --> 00:13:05.759
We we used to call it drag a hill.

00:13:06.000 --> 00:13:06.879
Oh, gosh, yeah.

00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:10.799
And I was calling cadence boy.

00:13:10.879 --> 00:13:12.000
I was trying to keep my breath, boy.

00:13:12.159 --> 00:13:13.120
You know, right?

00:13:13.200 --> 00:13:16.480
Yeah, because I what I was you know, the first couple weeks, I'm a rock star, you know.

00:13:16.559 --> 00:13:20.399
But when these soldiers start getting in shape, oh yeah, yeah.

00:13:20.639 --> 00:13:28.080
Well, you know, it's funny because um I guess in basic is where you get your get a taste of your first, what is it, 18 mile bowl march?

00:13:29.039 --> 00:13:31.200
And I, you know, I don't know my way around.

00:13:31.279 --> 00:13:32.960
I, you know, you're in basic.

00:13:33.039 --> 00:13:36.480
It's like all you see is where you live, and then walk.

00:13:36.639 --> 00:13:37.039
That's it.

00:13:37.200 --> 00:13:37.840
So that's it.

00:13:38.080 --> 00:13:38.960
At 18 mile.

00:13:39.120 --> 00:13:41.200
I'm like That's a graduation requirement.

00:13:41.279 --> 00:13:44.399
And now they have to do, I think they do one short and one long.

00:13:45.840 --> 00:13:51.840
So I think the first one is like maybe a five miler, and then the other one's like, you know, 18 miles, 15, 18 miles.

00:13:53.440 --> 00:13:55.600
You have to do both, so you don't you don't graduate.

00:13:55.919 --> 00:13:58.000
Call it a they call it bivouac.

00:13:58.240 --> 00:13:58.960
Yeah, bivwack.

00:13:59.279 --> 00:14:01.919
When you mark out to walk, march out to the site.

00:14:02.159 --> 00:14:03.279
That's white phase.

00:14:03.679 --> 00:14:08.480
You know, you get out there, that's all your ranges, and and you gotta throw a grenade.

00:14:08.960 --> 00:14:09.519
Oh man.

00:14:09.759 --> 00:14:23.679
You know, and I I would crack up laughing because we would they we go up to the uh, you know, you throw the practice ones, but then you go up to the actual place where you throw the grenades, and their eyes are this big and they're like terrified, boy.

00:14:24.320 --> 00:14:29.440
I we make up stories, and I'll just say, oh man, there's an NCO up there, he got three fingers, man.

00:14:29.600 --> 00:14:29.759
Yeah.

00:14:30.960 --> 00:14:32.159
Don't don't go up there.

00:14:32.240 --> 00:14:36.799
He's still mad at that private that dropped that grenade, and they just like Right, right.

00:14:36.879 --> 00:14:46.720
No, it's that was that was fun, and and you know, you said something earlier, like knowing you go in knowing that something might happen.

00:14:47.120 --> 00:14:50.159
And I'll just say, I think times are different now.

00:14:50.320 --> 00:15:00.080
I think people these these younger kids, depending on the MOS, let me just say it that way, they go in expecting nothing's gonna happen.

00:15:00.320 --> 00:15:01.039
You know what I mean?

00:15:01.120 --> 00:15:08.000
Like it's it's a it's uh it's all about school, it's all about, you know, that sort of thing.

00:15:08.320 --> 00:15:20.320
And when something pops off, it's the it's the it's certain MOSs that expected it, and others that are like, oh no, this is not what I signed up for.

00:15:20.480 --> 00:15:22.639
Well, actually it is, it is what you signed up for.

00:15:22.960 --> 00:15:23.360
It is.

00:15:23.519 --> 00:15:30.159
Um, you remember when the economy went bad and what was it, uh the early 2000s, you know, when the economy went bad?

00:15:30.320 --> 00:15:30.799
Oh, wait, yeah.

00:15:30.960 --> 00:15:43.120
And I was still under the hat, and I saw uh privates that were like in their early 30s, uh, people that came in, they gave them some of them they gave me E4 right off the bat.

00:15:43.440 --> 00:15:46.799
And that's and that's what I heard a lot when I was out there in the field.

00:15:46.879 --> 00:15:53.360
You know, they're like, hey, I came, you know, we you know how you do you have to hollow up with the drill sergeant, and the drill sergeant asked you why did you come in?

00:15:53.440 --> 00:15:57.919
And some people like, oh, I came in for college or I came in for this or whatever.

00:15:58.240 --> 00:16:06.320
But one of the things we had to break it down to them, you know, we told them that, you know, warfare warfare has changed a lot.

00:16:06.480 --> 00:16:10.080
We used to teach the enemy was here and you were on the other side.

00:16:10.320 --> 00:16:15.120
Well, now the the battlefield is it's not linear, it's circular now.

00:16:15.679 --> 00:16:22.879
Because you saw during the Iraqi war, you know, the first time in Iraqi war, they were a couple of uh medical units got hit.

00:16:23.120 --> 00:16:26.080
A couple of um logistic units got hit.

00:16:26.159 --> 00:16:30.879
They didn't hit the the guys with the big guns in the front, so they kind of attacked from the side in the rear.

00:16:31.200 --> 00:16:37.679
So we would tell them that I would do you a disservice if I trained you halfway.

00:16:37.840 --> 00:16:41.759
You know, my job is to make sure you survive on the on a battlefield.

00:16:42.000 --> 00:16:46.000
And I have to admit, we, you know, during that whole conflict, we had you had some really good.

00:16:46.399 --> 00:16:47.919
I was really proud of my females.

00:16:48.159 --> 00:16:51.519
Some got some of them got some kills and did real well.

00:16:51.600 --> 00:16:54.320
You know, they they really did their soldiering skills.

00:16:54.480 --> 00:16:56.080
They didn't panic and stuff like that.

00:16:56.159 --> 00:17:00.960
So that's the whole thing that uh we try to drill into their head that you're a soldier.

00:17:01.120 --> 00:17:09.839
You're not a, yeah, you may be a cook or you may be a nurse or you may be, you know, a supply person or whatever, but you're a soldier first.

00:17:10.400 --> 00:17:14.240
And you know, my job is to teach you how to say, shoot, communicate, and move out.

00:17:14.480 --> 00:17:15.119
Move on out.

00:17:15.200 --> 00:17:15.599
Right, right.

00:17:15.839 --> 00:17:16.319
That's it.

00:17:16.480 --> 00:17:17.119
Yeah.

00:17:17.680 --> 00:17:21.839
So back to your TED talk.

00:17:22.160 --> 00:17:23.599
There was a line in it.

00:17:23.920 --> 00:17:25.039
What did it say?

00:17:25.279 --> 00:17:37.279
We are being indoctrinated to put up walls of isolation, division, that would afford us the luxury of creating this combative personality, this cantakerist.

00:17:37.440 --> 00:17:38.799
He used the word cantakerist.

00:17:38.960 --> 00:17:41.519
Had to put a little, put a put a little spice on it.

00:17:41.920 --> 00:17:46.559
Cantakerist personality that would disagree with anybody or anything.

00:17:46.720 --> 00:17:47.680
Talk to me about that.

00:17:47.839 --> 00:17:49.680
Where are you coming from with that?

00:17:50.000 --> 00:17:54.720
Well, I again, I'm looking at the generations that are in front of me.

00:17:54.960 --> 00:18:08.240
And sometimes you can get on social media and some people will go out there and do what you call a man on the street, you know, just walk up to younger people and ask them questions about our government or ask them what's going on in the world.

00:18:08.319 --> 00:18:12.160
Or they I saw one guy, he walked up with some photographs of famous people.

00:18:12.640 --> 00:18:14.160
And he said, Who is this person?

00:18:14.319 --> 00:18:22.319
It was like maybe like President Clinton or, you know, uh people uh uh in our in our history.

00:18:22.480 --> 00:18:26.079
And these young people didn't have a clue what was going on.

00:18:26.960 --> 00:18:37.519
And but yet when you ask them questions on some of the things that's going on, they will they they're very quick to go into this combative stage where they're arguing and this and that.

00:18:37.599 --> 00:18:46.640
And they'll they they talk about the current administration right now, and you say, okay, I I respect your feelings, but give me evidence to why you feel that way.

00:18:47.519 --> 00:18:51.359
And I say, to be fair, eight times out of ten, they can't tell you.

00:18:52.079 --> 00:18:55.119
So what it is, they're going off on emotionalism.

00:18:55.759 --> 00:18:59.440
And that bugs me because I can respect you.

00:18:59.599 --> 00:19:04.559
I mean, like I also said in my speech, there's no rule that says we have to agree on everything.

00:19:04.720 --> 00:19:06.240
I don't I don't expect that.

00:19:06.640 --> 00:19:11.279
But yet I think everybody should be able to speak intelligently to their beliefs.

00:19:12.160 --> 00:19:12.960
Tell me why.

00:19:13.200 --> 00:19:15.519
I just, you know, maybe I'm looking at something wrong.

00:19:15.759 --> 00:19:17.039
Maybe you can educate me.

00:19:17.359 --> 00:19:25.519
But if you're just, you know, stirred up in your emotions, it's not gonna help because emotions will can change at any time.

00:19:26.319 --> 00:19:31.920
And uh the you know, the the powers to be, they like that, you know, and that's the part that gets me mad.

00:19:32.160 --> 00:19:33.359
Like I give you an example.

00:19:33.440 --> 00:19:49.759
I remember like um even in the African American culture, I get upset because nowadays you got young black kids complaining about slavery, and I'm like, wait a second, you don't even have a clue what that is.

00:19:49.920 --> 00:19:55.440
Uh maybe, maybe you're you need to go talk to your grandmother or your great-grandmother, great-grandfather.

00:19:55.599 --> 00:19:56.240
They know.

00:19:56.400 --> 00:20:01.039
And like I'm third generation out of Alabama that went to college.

00:20:01.359 --> 00:20:05.759
So my my great-grandfather, I've got a picture of him, he was a sharecropper in Alabama.

00:20:06.240 --> 00:20:09.519
So these people knew what it was like.

00:20:09.920 --> 00:20:18.799
And but I I try to get them to understand you you're doing a disservice to these people because they laid the pathway for us to go further.

00:20:19.119 --> 00:20:22.000
And your job is to go further, not to go backwards.

00:20:22.160 --> 00:20:25.839
So you can't really argue something that you've never experienced before.

00:20:26.160 --> 00:20:32.319
Because, you know, racism to them might be what a dirty look where somebody just calls you a name.

00:20:33.200 --> 00:20:40.480
Whereas my dad, uh, he grew up in Montgomery, Alabama, and you know the film with the firefighters spraying the protesters.

00:20:40.640 --> 00:20:41.759
My father was there.

00:20:43.039 --> 00:20:45.519
And my dad used to tell me stories.

00:20:45.680 --> 00:20:47.119
I couldn't even believe it.

00:20:48.000 --> 00:20:50.559
But he he he's one of my heroes.

00:20:50.640 --> 00:20:51.359
He worked hard.

00:20:51.440 --> 00:20:54.480
He said, You're going to school, you're going to college, you're going to do this.

00:20:54.640 --> 00:20:56.720
And he never graduated high school.

00:20:57.359 --> 00:21:00.000
But he worked hard to make sure that we would got better.

00:21:00.160 --> 00:21:09.839
So that's what I'm saying about the, you know, but the people, they gotta understand, and that's what I think I'm on a mission to try to get people to think.

00:21:10.480 --> 00:21:14.240
You know, it's not that I'm trying to change your mind, I'm just trying to get you to understand.

00:21:14.400 --> 00:21:18.640
You gotta understand why you believe what you believe, and you gotta be able to understand it.

00:21:18.799 --> 00:21:24.799
And if you can understand your beliefs, then you can speak, you can make an intelligent decision.

00:21:26.079 --> 00:21:30.880
And you know, especially in the thing with the race relations, I had a uh a discussion with my goddaughter.

00:21:30.960 --> 00:21:32.799
She was just, ooh, but she's a radical.

00:21:33.039 --> 00:21:39.839
But I said, I asked her, I said, where in your life, she has I've been to her house, a beautiful house, she got a beautiful car.

00:21:40.240 --> 00:21:41.680
I said, Where are you struggling?

00:21:41.839 --> 00:21:45.200
Where are you suffering because of slavery or racism?

00:21:45.519 --> 00:21:46.720
And she couldn't answer me.

00:21:47.200 --> 00:21:51.680
But she could tell me emotionally and I know where the emotions come from.

00:21:52.160 --> 00:21:55.920
And I said, You you're doing yourself a disservice because you need to go further.

00:21:56.000 --> 00:21:59.519
You need to put, you know, down some real solid roots and don't focus on that.

00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:03.200
I mean, it's a it's what happened historically.

00:22:03.359 --> 00:22:08.640
I'm not saying ignore it, but I'm just saying you use that to to do better.

00:22:09.839 --> 00:22:10.480
You know.

00:22:10.880 --> 00:22:11.200
Okay.

00:22:11.759 --> 00:22:14.480
You know, and you know, you remember us being in the military.

00:22:14.880 --> 00:22:19.359
You remember the first week of basic training, you remember drill sergeant said, I only see one color, green.

00:22:19.920 --> 00:22:20.400
That's it.

00:22:21.119 --> 00:22:30.880
And that's why I love the military so much, because like, you know, we had to, you know, we had to work together.

00:22:31.119 --> 00:22:41.519
You know, like when you're when your drill sergeant gave you your battle buddy, he said, when I come in the next day, you better have that, you better know that soldier's name, if they're married, if they got kids, where they're from.

00:22:41.839 --> 00:22:43.599
No ifs, ers, or buts.

00:22:43.920 --> 00:22:46.720
It had nothing to do about whether you like somebody.

00:22:47.119 --> 00:22:48.480
Has nothing to do with it.

00:22:48.720 --> 00:22:57.519
And that's where we're right now, where uh the generations are getting to the point that thing for them to do something, they have to like it.

00:22:57.759 --> 00:23:00.000
I mean, and there's no resilience whatsoever.

00:23:00.079 --> 00:23:01.359
They just have to like it.

00:23:01.599 --> 00:23:05.440
And I said, boy, oh boy, my grandmama was here, good Lord have mercy.

00:23:05.519 --> 00:23:07.279
She snatched the slack out of them, boy.

00:23:07.359 --> 00:23:08.240
I tell you.

00:23:08.480 --> 00:23:12.559
That's why I said when I went to basic training bed, I didn't have a problem.

00:23:13.519 --> 00:23:17.039
I got yelled at on a weekly basis about Moppet and sweeping floors.

00:23:17.119 --> 00:23:23.359
And then when the man was screaming about, I remember I got nervous because everybody sitting there getting nervous about Moppet and sweeping floors.

00:23:23.839 --> 00:23:25.920
I did that on a weekly basis.

00:23:26.799 --> 00:23:27.920
Well, so let me ask you this.

00:23:28.000 --> 00:23:35.599
So the the when you speak about building bridges in a fragmented world.

00:23:36.480 --> 00:23:42.880
Uh so since you've been spreading this message, have you gotten any pushback?

00:23:43.119 --> 00:23:45.759
Anyone disagreed or anything like that?

00:23:47.519 --> 00:23:51.920
Just did has anyone ever said, ah, that's not gonna work?

00:23:52.960 --> 00:24:00.799
Yeah, I've run into I get on sometimes I get on some of these discussion threads on social media, and I try to interject.

00:24:00.880 --> 00:24:14.559
I get on TikTok sometimes too, and and sometimes the the people, uh, depending on who's running the discussion, the radicals are just like, oh, well, you know, be quiet, and they'll curse me out, and they'll just say, hey, really?

00:24:14.880 --> 00:24:20.720
And we really get really mean and and uh vulgar with the language and stuff.

00:24:20.799 --> 00:24:27.839
And I I try to explain to them, I said, hey, but your world, you this is only you can only go so far with that.

00:24:27.920 --> 00:24:31.440
You know, you're asking for a lot, but you're not willing to give a lot.

00:24:31.839 --> 00:24:46.000
You know, if you want to be a manager of a company, if you want to have great accolades of success, you're gonna have to make your circles bigger.

00:24:46.079 --> 00:24:47.920
I talk about it in my speech.

00:24:48.079 --> 00:24:50.799
It's that you have to expand your circles.

00:24:50.880 --> 00:25:00.640
Like, for example, my uh my my niece, she was uh we're at a dinner party, she's going on about how fair unfair life is and this and that.

00:25:00.799 --> 00:25:04.319
And I I just for kicks and giggles, I said, give me your cell phone.

00:25:04.480 --> 00:25:10.079
I pulled up her cell phone, I pulled up her her social media page and I said, You notice anything different?

00:25:10.240 --> 00:25:10.960
She said, No.

00:25:11.119 --> 00:25:13.119
I said, Everybody looks like you.

00:25:14.720 --> 00:25:17.039
That's only as far as you're gonna go.

00:25:17.680 --> 00:25:23.599
And you to be successful, you got to be able to relate to all kinds of people.

00:25:24.880 --> 00:25:29.440
If you want to, and I told them the people that they admire, the people that they really look up to.

00:25:29.680 --> 00:25:38.640
You look at some of the successful people, like Barack Obama, you know, he's very well spoken, you know, he's gone to school, he's educated himself.

00:25:38.880 --> 00:25:42.000
You, if you want to go down that road, that's where you have to go.

00:25:42.160 --> 00:25:55.519
And I could tell you, D Rose, the thing that I'm worried about right now, if we keep, if we keep this narrative going on, pretty soon it's gonna, it's gonna age out and pretty voyant you to the point where the rest of the world's getting sick and tired of hearing it.

00:25:56.400 --> 00:26:04.160
You know, because I've seen uh on social media, even the Africans that come over here, they don't understand why we're complaining.

00:26:04.640 --> 00:26:06.559
They just they don't get it.

00:26:06.720 --> 00:26:10.160
You know, they say, like, wow, you got schools, you can do this, you can do that.

00:26:10.240 --> 00:26:11.920
What are you complaining about?

00:26:12.559 --> 00:26:19.519
You know, but you have to be able to, the the true success in life, you have to be able to relate to all kinds of people.

00:26:19.599 --> 00:26:20.799
You just can't pick and choose.

00:26:20.880 --> 00:26:22.000
Even the Bible says that.

00:26:22.079 --> 00:26:25.680
You know, Jesus says, you know, what does it matter if you just you love your own?

00:26:25.920 --> 00:26:28.079
That's the only as far as you're gonna go.

00:26:28.559 --> 00:26:39.519
You know, but if you want to be a leader, if you really want to make an impact in this world of people, you're gonna have to learn how to communicate and and just at least connect with all kinds of people.

00:26:39.680 --> 00:26:43.440
And it's not, and again, I want to put a note there.

00:26:43.599 --> 00:26:47.680
I'm not saying agree with everybody, but just connect and talk.

00:26:48.000 --> 00:26:54.240
And you'll be surprised how much you can learn from each other and work out differences.

00:26:54.559 --> 00:27:03.119
And I'm embarrassed, even in our country, you got our congressmen, they're going up there in Washington, and um, and I know you can understand this as being a service guy.

00:27:03.200 --> 00:27:09.599
They those those senators or whoever, those congresspeople literally didn't vote.

00:27:09.680 --> 00:27:11.519
They voted the opposite way.

00:27:11.759 --> 00:27:16.160
And you remember when the government was shut down, shut down for like 60, 60 days or whatever?

00:27:16.640 --> 00:27:16.880
Right.

00:27:16.960 --> 00:27:17.119
Yeah.

00:27:17.279 --> 00:27:19.359
I got mad, and I'm not gonna even choose sides.

00:27:19.440 --> 00:27:25.680
I yeah, I'm a military guy, and I know when I was a drill, you don't mess with people's money.

00:27:25.839 --> 00:27:26.240
Right.

00:27:26.400 --> 00:27:30.880
You don't beans, they take that talk, I was a supply guy, beans, bullets, and mail.

00:27:31.039 --> 00:27:32.400
You don't mess with it.

00:27:32.640 --> 00:27:42.559
And these people were so, so just wanted to be right that a whole bunch of civilians that work for the government, they get paid for for almost two months.

00:27:42.799 --> 00:27:46.000
And that's wrong on every no matter how you look at it.

00:27:46.240 --> 00:27:46.400
Right.

00:27:46.640 --> 00:27:48.640
You know, so that really ticked me off.

00:27:48.880 --> 00:27:55.440
And we can't get into a society where we're just just resentful, we're spiteful, we're gonna do mean things.

00:27:55.680 --> 00:27:58.720
Because if you're that type of person, uh you you won't work for me.

00:27:58.880 --> 00:28:00.160
You you definitely won't work for me.

00:28:00.240 --> 00:28:02.079
It's not gonna not gonna happen.

00:28:02.240 --> 00:28:10.319
You know, but I can I can welcome the idea that if we have a disagreement, let's sit down and talk about it, let's figure it out.

00:28:10.480 --> 00:28:11.759
Maybe I'm missing something.

00:28:11.920 --> 00:28:13.119
Maybe you're missing something.

00:28:13.279 --> 00:28:15.119
We can come to an agreement and work it out.

00:28:15.359 --> 00:28:16.880
I don't see that happening.

00:28:18.079 --> 00:28:22.480
Yeah, I think I think um I totally get where you're coming from.

00:28:22.720 --> 00:28:26.000
I can also understand the pushback.

00:28:26.240 --> 00:28:41.200
Uh depending on which segment that you're of of society you're dealing with, I can understand the pushback uh in terms of I won't say not building bridges, but at least being extremely cautious when you do.

00:28:41.519 --> 00:28:42.559
Yeah, you of course.

00:28:42.640 --> 00:28:43.920
And I I even mentioned that too.

00:28:44.079 --> 00:28:48.720
You have to be uh you're gonna be exposed, but that's that's the risk you take.

00:28:49.039 --> 00:28:55.680
But but the thing is that I think it the reward is it's it far exceeds the risk.

00:28:55.839 --> 00:29:04.240
Because if you're willing to put yourself out there, like on I like my uniform, I I had people tell me, oh, well, you got you made E9, somebody gave that to you.

00:29:04.400 --> 00:29:05.279
No, no, sir.

00:29:05.359 --> 00:29:05.680
Wow.

00:29:05.839 --> 00:29:07.440
Nobody never gave that to me.

00:29:07.680 --> 00:29:08.799
I work for that.

00:29:09.039 --> 00:29:15.039
And maybe, maybe some people got it uh before I did or whatever, but I made E9.

00:29:15.680 --> 00:29:26.319
And I was in circles with colonels and generals and and all that, and I was respected because not because of the color of my skin, but I was respected because I was willing to here here we go now.

00:29:26.480 --> 00:29:29.119
Boiler the curse word to do the work.

00:29:31.200 --> 00:29:35.440
So how do you think it is that we're being indoctrinated?

00:29:35.920 --> 00:29:37.200
And and why?

00:29:37.839 --> 00:29:49.920
Well, one of the things is I noticed one of the strategies is when you to deal with poor people, uh one of the ways you can control them is to give them things.

00:29:50.319 --> 00:29:56.559
Just give them things and and get them dependent upon you.

00:29:56.799 --> 00:30:04.720
You know, even in my my work with the church and stuff, and I do charity work and I'm working with, you know, people are disadvantaged and stuff.

00:30:04.880 --> 00:30:07.039
The best thing, it's an old African proverb.

00:30:07.200 --> 00:30:12.079
It says that if you want to feed a man for a lifetime, don't give him a fish.

00:30:12.240 --> 00:30:13.519
Teach him how to fish.

00:30:14.079 --> 00:30:17.039
Because if he learns how to fish, he'll eat for a lifetime.

00:30:17.440 --> 00:30:22.640
So one of the things, there's a new term out there nowadays that call, it's called toxic empathy.

00:30:23.680 --> 00:30:31.279
And that's like really having this type of empathy for people where there's no accountability whatsoever.

00:30:31.519 --> 00:30:33.279
So getting people dependent upon you.

00:30:33.359 --> 00:30:37.039
And that's where you got uh types of government like socialism.

00:30:37.440 --> 00:30:48.000
You know, when I went over when I went over to visit my son, I had a chance to go to Italy, I had a chance to go to uh Great Britain, London, had a chance to go to Poland.

00:30:48.160 --> 00:30:50.319
Those are all socialist countries.

00:30:50.640 --> 00:30:53.200
And you can't own anything over there.

00:30:53.440 --> 00:30:54.160
There's no way.

00:30:54.319 --> 00:30:56.000
You know, they everything's dependent.

00:30:56.319 --> 00:31:07.599
The government, they pay, you know, every everybody gets a government subsidized apartment, but you as far as like buying your house or buying a car or something like that, very few.

00:31:07.839 --> 00:31:08.400
Very few.

00:31:08.480 --> 00:31:09.599
You can't own anything.

00:31:09.759 --> 00:31:12.960
So that makes you dependent upon the government.

00:31:13.279 --> 00:31:13.599
Okay.

00:31:13.920 --> 00:31:17.599
You know, and that's the thing is you can hurt somebody, you know, like that.

00:31:17.759 --> 00:31:19.279
You can stifle their growth.

00:31:19.440 --> 00:31:23.119
Because I truly believe that everybody has value.

00:31:23.279 --> 00:31:28.319
I think everybody can, you know, has something to bring to the table.

00:31:28.559 --> 00:31:50.000
And I think to build a person's confidence is to let them be who they are, let them develop into the person that they are, because one of the things that's so good for the, for the, for your spirit is to uh, it even says in the Bible that the hands, the sleep of a laborer is always sweet, you know, with work.

00:31:50.240 --> 00:32:01.039
You know, it's just when you make something or you do something, it gives you that that little dope dash of dopamine, you know, you feel good about yourself and it builds confidence.

00:32:01.279 --> 00:32:11.119
But if you have to rely on somebody doing it for you and sitting here, you it's almost like you stunt their growth emotionally and stuff like that.

00:32:11.200 --> 00:32:11.920
And I've seen that.

00:32:12.079 --> 00:32:13.279
I grew up poor.

00:32:13.440 --> 00:32:19.519
And I saw, you know, that's why I don't like the welfare system because I grew up, members of my family are on it.

00:32:20.559 --> 00:32:28.960
And when they, you know, time for them to come and to do something, like maybe get a job that they want or whatever, they they won't do it.

00:32:29.119 --> 00:32:34.079
They just, they've been relying on things for a very, very long time and they get intimidated by it and they play.

00:32:34.240 --> 00:32:37.440
And there's another word that I threw in my speech.

00:32:37.519 --> 00:32:40.079
I don't think I put it in my speech, but it's one thing I teach about.

00:32:40.160 --> 00:32:41.759
It's called victimization.

00:32:42.559 --> 00:32:43.279
Victim.

00:32:44.000 --> 00:32:50.079
Because uh, especially with the African uh American people, we're not victims.

00:32:50.400 --> 00:32:51.839
We are not victims.

00:32:52.960 --> 00:33:10.640
And we have a society, yeah, there was at one time, you know, the uh in American history that, yeah, we were given things because we were, you know, almost like accepted like we couldn't learn or we couldn't start our own businesses and stuff, but we can do those things, you know.

00:33:10.880 --> 00:33:18.160
And you don't, it's just, you know, the worst thing you can do is treat a person like a victim because they they won't grow.

00:33:18.319 --> 00:33:20.480
They become so dependent upon you.

00:33:20.720 --> 00:33:24.400
You know, and that's the thing that really worries me, especially young people.

00:33:24.640 --> 00:33:25.759
Oh my gosh.

00:33:26.079 --> 00:33:32.880
You're sitting here 24, 25, and you you're saying you're disadvantaged.

00:33:33.119 --> 00:33:39.599
I mean, Sarge, I'd be I'll go right out, I'll go down and go get some milk, and I've seen at least 10 help wanted signs.

00:33:39.920 --> 00:33:40.559
You know?

00:33:41.279 --> 00:33:42.400
Unbelievable.

00:33:43.039 --> 00:33:44.240
Well, let me ask you this.

00:33:44.400 --> 00:33:58.960
Is there, do you do you see, like on the flip side, is there ever a situation when it is best to kind of run with your own, if you will, with your tribe, with your like with like minds?

00:33:59.200 --> 00:34:04.319
Is is there ever a time that uh that is appropriate?

00:34:04.799 --> 00:34:07.759
Well, you just said it, like-minded, yes.

00:34:08.079 --> 00:34:13.599
Because I've been around very successful black people as well, as well as as uh people from other cultures.

00:34:14.239 --> 00:34:24.159
Um I I don't see it, I think that's a mistake that um I have uh my daughter-in-law from Puerto Rico, and uh I see it in a lot of cultures.

00:34:24.320 --> 00:34:27.119
Everybody just kind of it's like they they cling to their own.

00:34:27.280 --> 00:34:29.199
And there's nothing wrong with that.

00:34:29.519 --> 00:34:39.360
But however, the world doesn't, you look outside the world and how it's functioning and where the greater rewards are, you you're gonna have to step outside that circle.

00:34:39.599 --> 00:34:42.159
And I don't have a problem with that.

00:34:42.239 --> 00:34:48.960
Uh I just the circles that I'm in, they have to bless me, encourage me, educate me, motivate me.

00:34:49.039 --> 00:34:50.719
I don't care what you look like.

00:34:50.960 --> 00:34:58.079
And I've had relatives of mine push me, as well as uh people who are not from my culture.

00:34:58.559 --> 00:35:01.840
But it shouldn't, it's the exception, it's not the rule.

00:35:02.239 --> 00:35:02.559
Okay.

00:35:03.199 --> 00:35:04.639
I don't see it as an exception.

00:35:04.719 --> 00:35:08.239
I just see it as a I don't see it as a rule, I just see it as an exception.

00:35:08.480 --> 00:35:16.880
Because I've been around very uh uh uh very successful African American uh people that have done really, really well.

00:35:17.760 --> 00:35:19.119
And I enjoy that.

00:35:19.199 --> 00:35:33.920
But when you hear them talk, they talk about you know proactive things, they talk about building their business, or they're talking about uh achievements, you know, what what's the next thing, what's the next project?

00:35:34.239 --> 00:35:36.639
You know, I eat that stuff up, you know.

00:35:37.039 --> 00:35:42.239
So what about say economically, and I'm talking economic power.

00:35:42.480 --> 00:36:02.639
Um and and you know, I think it's it's been well documented that the term black dollar, um, it seems as though our community is the only one where our the majority of our money is spent in other communities where other communities don't work that way.

00:36:03.519 --> 00:36:05.599
Um what do you think about that?

00:36:06.000 --> 00:36:17.920
Yeah, I I've heard of that before, but I I know that one of the things that is this world's getting down to the point where it comes down to productivity.

00:36:18.320 --> 00:36:23.679
Because when you start making money and you start getting at those higher levels, they don't care what you look like.

00:36:23.920 --> 00:36:25.280
They really don't.

00:36:25.519 --> 00:36:35.119
Um and again, it's just it's that thing of like, yeah, I even my my aunt, when I grew up, she had a mom and pop shop in our neighborhood.

00:36:35.199 --> 00:36:38.639
It was only black customers and stuff like that, and I get that.

00:36:38.800 --> 00:36:44.000
And and that's fine, but you you have to project yourself.

00:36:44.159 --> 00:36:46.880
You're gonna run a business, like I give you an example.

00:36:47.039 --> 00:37:00.960
I don't want to, you know, skip over it, but like one day I was going into work, I was listening to the black radio station, gospel station, and I'm listening to all these commercials, and they're saying, uh, black insurance company, black owned this and this, black owned this and that.

00:37:01.039 --> 00:37:04.639
And I'm just like, and I got offended for some reason.

00:37:04.960 --> 00:37:09.119
Because when I heard that ad, okay, black owned this and that.

00:37:09.199 --> 00:37:11.519
So that means you just want black customers.

00:37:12.239 --> 00:37:14.320
That that's just your lane.

00:37:14.719 --> 00:37:18.719
But what about, you know, that there's nothing, you know, nothing inviting you.

00:37:18.800 --> 00:37:24.079
You might have Spanish customers or German customers or China or Asian customers.

00:37:24.239 --> 00:37:25.920
You want money's money.

00:37:26.079 --> 00:37:27.920
You know, I don't care what you look like.

00:37:28.079 --> 00:37:35.599
You know, but if you're gonna target just a black audience and the black dollar, that that's what it only goes so far.

00:37:36.559 --> 00:37:43.760
Well, I think that I I I hear what you're you're saying, and and I'm not one way or another.

00:37:43.840 --> 00:37:45.440
I'm just you know just putting it out there.

00:37:45.599 --> 00:38:10.480
But there must be something to the consolidation of black dollars because otherwise there wouldn't have been such an effort to tear down the black wall streets and the black um economic centers and and I'm talking tear them down, destroy them, burn them down, that sort of thing.

00:38:10.800 --> 00:38:13.360
Yeah, I I know what you're saying because I'm here in Oklahoma.

00:38:13.440 --> 00:38:16.960
I'm gonna go visit, uh I've just recently re-relocated here.

00:38:17.039 --> 00:38:22.159
I'm gonna go visit Tulsa, that those historical sites, where they call that the Black Wall Street.

00:38:22.559 --> 00:38:24.480
And I'm a history buff.

00:38:24.559 --> 00:38:32.800
So, but and uh historically, yeah, uh even in the days of Montgomery, uh black businesses were doing really well.

00:38:33.599 --> 00:38:39.280
And there were a lot of tax on black businesses because we became not dependent upon the system.

00:38:39.519 --> 00:38:39.840
Right.

00:38:40.000 --> 00:38:49.920
You know, so we had our own businesses, we had our own uh economy that was doing quite well for us, and then they sabotaged it in a lot of ways because they didn't want to see it flourished.

00:38:50.079 --> 00:38:54.559
And my only response to that is, you know, knock it down, we'll build it back up.

00:38:55.039 --> 00:39:05.280
Well, so so that being said, why the offense when you hear all of these people saying black-owned, black businesses, black so on and so forth?

00:39:05.599 --> 00:39:08.159
Because that kind of is how you build it back up.

00:39:08.559 --> 00:39:11.519
Well, yeah, you do build it up, but but times have changed.

00:39:11.599 --> 00:39:17.039
You know, these kids, these young people, now if you look at them, they're really integrating really well.

00:39:17.440 --> 00:39:26.559
You know, and and they're just starting to, it's it's not as divided as it was like when my dad's time in the in the 50s and the 60s and stuff like that.

00:39:26.800 --> 00:39:33.360
Because I, you know, I remember as a kid, I I grew up part of my life in Boston that was very, very short at the time.

00:39:33.599 --> 00:39:42.960
And uh my auntie would tell me, don't go to this store, but go to this store, you know, because of they had some issues back in the 70s, uh, Boston.

00:39:44.159 --> 00:39:46.480
But times have changed.

00:39:46.559 --> 00:39:52.480
You know, if you want to start a business, I think it's it's kind of an open, uh, it's a it's an open gate now.

00:39:52.800 --> 00:39:54.320
You can flourish, you know.

00:39:54.480 --> 00:40:02.239
I mean, if you want to stay like in a in a in a black neighborhood and have black customers, nothing wrong with that.

00:40:02.320 --> 00:40:03.760
I I don't fault you on that.

00:40:03.920 --> 00:40:17.199
But if you want to build, you know, you want to be the next AT ⁇ T or the next Google or or whatever, you want to, you know, one of the big dogs, you're gonna have to open that gate a little bit bigger.

00:40:17.360 --> 00:40:18.800
That's all I'm saying.

00:40:19.199 --> 00:40:25.840
You know, I mean, hey, I I know people that, you know, they live in a in a cultural neighborhood and they just do very well.

00:40:25.920 --> 00:40:28.000
They run a mom and pop shop, they love it.

00:40:28.159 --> 00:40:29.840
No, no harm, no foul.

00:40:30.960 --> 00:40:33.199
And they know that's what they want to do.

00:40:33.360 --> 00:40:46.159
But if you want to run with the big dogs, you want to run with uh, you know, the Jeff Bezos and uh, you know, and Facebook people and all that stuff like that, you're gonna have to make the stakes higher.

00:40:46.800 --> 00:40:50.159
Well, you know, I it it's it's interesting.

00:40:50.400 --> 00:40:57.599
Again, it's just an observation that when you talk about the big dogs, you know, the Fortune 100s, right?

00:40:58.159 --> 00:41:06.639
And you look at all of them, and you look at who's at the head and at the table at the head, they don't look like us.

00:41:07.039 --> 00:41:18.880
So in order to, you know, get to that level where those types of companies exist that look like us, you kind of have to start with the black-owned, right?

00:41:19.039 --> 00:41:27.519
You kind of have to cater to the Well, I I I and I'm glad we were discussing it because I disagree, because here's why.

00:41:27.760 --> 00:41:34.400
Because uh I I even wrote a letter to B.E.T., you know, the Black Entertainment Television.

00:41:34.639 --> 00:41:47.360
And I wrote it to the editor, and I said, every time I get on your station, I see rappers, athletes, singers, and our people are doing great things.

00:41:47.519 --> 00:41:50.159
We're doing great things, but you're not you're not promoting it.

00:41:50.320 --> 00:41:56.719
Because I I I I know of some there are of some successful black people, they're not being featured.

00:41:56.880 --> 00:42:01.519
You would never know they were there, that they had businesses, that they're doing really well.

00:42:01.679 --> 00:42:03.920
If they if they weren't promoted.

00:42:04.159 --> 00:42:07.360
But in our culture, this is another thing I get mad at in our culture.

00:42:07.519 --> 00:42:14.480
We promote the athletes, we promote the singers, we promote the athletes and and and the entertainers, you know.

00:42:14.960 --> 00:42:24.079
But what about the kid or the girl, the young man or the young woman who doesn't want to be a basketball player, who doesn't want to be a singer.

00:42:24.400 --> 00:42:29.360
Because I know I was born, you know, I was born in the 60s and 70s.

00:42:29.440 --> 00:42:45.280
And the only time I saw a famous black person or wealthy black person, let's put it that way, they were with somebody like Muhammad Ali, an athlete, you know, uh Duke Ellington, you know, and I, you know, all these people that were entertainers and singers.

00:42:46.239 --> 00:42:55.760
But, you know, then all of a sudden, like around in the 80s, Ben Carson shows up and he's a neuros uh uh surgeon, he's a brain surgeon.

00:42:55.840 --> 00:42:57.280
And I'm like, where'd this guy come from?

00:42:57.440 --> 00:42:58.480
Never heard of him.

00:42:59.280 --> 00:43:00.559
You know, so that's the thing.

00:43:00.639 --> 00:43:09.519
I'm just saying that because and I grew up in a sports town, you know, my basketball coach would yell at me, he'd say, Lewis, you would be a great basketball player.

00:43:09.599 --> 00:43:11.360
I but I just wanted to play for fun.

00:43:11.599 --> 00:43:12.480
Okay, okay.

00:43:12.719 --> 00:43:14.079
All right, you were a hooper.

00:43:14.239 --> 00:43:14.559
Okay.

00:43:14.960 --> 00:43:15.920
But he coached my brother.

00:43:16.079 --> 00:43:18.400
My brother went on to get a full ride to SMU.

00:43:18.639 --> 00:43:18.960
Okay.

00:43:19.119 --> 00:43:25.519
But I didn't, I it I it wasn't in my blood, but I had a good knack for business.

00:43:25.679 --> 00:43:27.519
I had a good knack for doing other things.

00:43:27.599 --> 00:43:31.679
But the kids that have those other aspirations, you where are the role models?

00:43:31.920 --> 00:43:32.559
I know they're out there.

00:43:32.639 --> 00:43:33.840
I'm not saying they're not out there.

00:43:33.920 --> 00:43:34.639
They're out there.

00:43:34.800 --> 00:43:36.719
They're just not being showcased.

00:43:37.440 --> 00:43:53.920
What if uh you, you know, that that kind of brings it full circle in terms of of this line of discussion because when you say to B E T, you're only promoting athletes, entertainers, so on and so forth.

00:43:54.079 --> 00:43:56.400
Where are the others who are doing very well?

00:43:56.960 --> 00:44:02.960
What if the answer is Their stuff got burnt down in Tulsa.

00:44:05.039 --> 00:44:06.800
That's why you're not seeing them.

00:44:06.880 --> 00:44:14.239
And if you are, they're sporadic and they're they've been forced to integrate into a system where the top is already crowded.

00:44:14.400 --> 00:44:15.760
That's why you don't see them.

00:44:16.159 --> 00:44:17.360
I I disagree.

00:44:17.519 --> 00:44:21.199
I got I got six stripes on my arm that says that.

00:44:21.519 --> 00:44:32.159
Because now what I will say, maybe there I there were times I thought that I was probably being dis you know taken advantage of or discriminated against.

00:44:32.480 --> 00:44:34.400
But I believe that our people are resilient.

00:44:34.559 --> 00:44:36.000
We've always been resilient.

00:44:36.320 --> 00:44:39.440
We had to be to make it in this country.

00:44:39.599 --> 00:44:46.559
And that's the part of our culture that I'm very, very, very proud of that I think we we're not embracing.

00:44:47.199 --> 00:44:48.719
I don't need your handout.

00:44:48.880 --> 00:44:51.920
I just need an opportunity and let me go.

00:44:52.320 --> 00:44:54.880
You know, I don't need you to feel sorry for me.

00:44:55.360 --> 00:45:00.559
And and I know I've stood in circles where I was the only black face in the room.

00:45:01.440 --> 00:45:05.840
And people looked at me and I sometimes felt that look, you know, that vibe.

00:45:06.079 --> 00:45:06.800
Right, right.

00:45:07.039 --> 00:45:11.360
And at the end of it all, they came home, shook my hand, and said, hey.

00:45:12.400 --> 00:45:16.000
You know, it's kind of the way confirming me that I was legit.

00:45:16.480 --> 00:45:17.679
And I I agree.

00:45:17.840 --> 00:45:18.480
It I agree.

00:45:18.559 --> 00:45:21.599
It's it's sometimes those situations are not gonna be fair.

00:45:21.760 --> 00:45:27.519
But then again, I tell my children, where's the book that says life has to be fair?

00:45:27.840 --> 00:45:29.039
It doesn't exist.

00:45:29.519 --> 00:45:32.239
And I think what it is, we try to make it fair.

00:45:32.480 --> 00:45:34.719
And I think that's one of the problems with our people.

00:45:34.880 --> 00:45:36.960
We try to make it fair, but it's not gonna be fair.

00:45:37.119 --> 00:45:38.800
It's never gonna be fair.

00:45:39.039 --> 00:45:41.440
So you got to take those lemons and make lemonade.

00:45:42.400 --> 00:45:43.039
I hear you.

00:45:43.840 --> 00:45:45.199
And it's it's rough.

00:45:45.280 --> 00:45:45.920
I I get it.

00:45:46.000 --> 00:45:50.880
I mean, because there are times, man, I am 66 year old, Sarge.

00:45:50.960 --> 00:45:54.480
And there were times in my life I had to swallow back some tears.

00:45:55.199 --> 00:45:58.719
You know, but I they're not gonna break me.

00:45:58.880 --> 00:46:00.400
They're just not gonna break me.

00:46:00.639 --> 00:46:01.760
But that's what I'm saying.

00:46:01.840 --> 00:46:07.280
I I don't I disagree that where it's so hard that we're not gonna make it because we are making it.

00:46:07.360 --> 00:46:08.159
Because I met Mr.

00:46:08.239 --> 00:46:10.960
Johnson, who used to own the Bobcats in Charlotte.

00:46:11.119 --> 00:46:11.360
Right.

00:46:11.519 --> 00:46:13.119
I was at a game and I looked at him.

00:46:13.199 --> 00:46:16.320
I was got, I hope I didn't think I hope he didn't think I was weirdo.

00:46:16.880 --> 00:46:18.960
That dude's a billionaire, right?

00:46:19.119 --> 00:46:22.639
And I'm looking at him, I'm just like, hot diggity dog.

00:46:23.119 --> 00:46:25.280
That that's a that's a black millionaire.

00:46:25.360 --> 00:46:26.559
Oh my goodness.

00:46:26.960 --> 00:46:28.800
And I was, I had my chest out.

00:46:28.880 --> 00:46:31.360
I was like, yeah, man, he owned a podcast.

00:46:31.519 --> 00:46:38.400
Right, you know, and and but there's a lot more of us out there doing things, and that's the part I get mad at.

00:46:38.559 --> 00:46:47.039
We're not showcasing it because I turn on BET and there's T.I., the rapper, sitting around, he's got a whole bunch of high school kids sitting around, sitting around him, and he's giving advice.

00:46:47.119 --> 00:46:48.719
He can't give you advice.

00:46:48.960 --> 00:46:50.159
He's a rapper.

00:46:50.559 --> 00:46:53.760
You know, and he's had gun charges, multiple gun charges on him.

00:46:53.920 --> 00:46:54.960
What's he gonna tell you?

00:46:55.199 --> 00:46:56.480
Who's he gonna tell you?

00:46:56.800 --> 00:47:00.800
Well, you know, he's he's he's he's a little more than a rapper.

00:47:00.880 --> 00:47:02.880
But you know, here's the thing, though.

00:47:03.039 --> 00:47:09.599
And again, first let me just say your accomplishments commendable.

00:47:09.840 --> 00:47:10.719
Commendable.

00:47:10.880 --> 00:47:14.960
Uh you know, hats off to you for for everything that you've accomplished.

00:47:15.280 --> 00:47:30.400
I think that you know, again, when we go to the Bezos and the and all of them, the the Elon Musks and even your current president um you're dealing with generational wealth, right?

00:47:31.199 --> 00:47:39.119
And going back to the tulsos of the world, that generational wealth was stymied, it was cut off, it stopped.

00:47:39.280 --> 00:47:41.840
So the generations had to start over.

00:47:42.320 --> 00:47:51.840
And I think that a lot of the young people can't articulate why they feel the way they do because of that.

00:47:52.000 --> 00:47:59.360
They they just know it's not they call well, you said, well, it's not it's not a matter of, you know, um, life doesn't have to be fair.

00:47:59.599 --> 00:48:08.159
But to be fair, their generational wealth stream got cut off in so many cities across the United States.

00:48:08.960 --> 00:48:22.079
I I agree, I agree with that up to the extent of that I think what we do with our kids, you don't send them out and put that in their brain, letting them know they're starting off with a disadvantage.

00:48:22.719 --> 00:48:28.880
You know, because at some point, I don't care where you are in life, you're gonna have to learn how to handle failure.

00:48:29.519 --> 00:48:30.480
You're gonna have to handle it.

00:48:30.559 --> 00:48:32.960
It's that's a that's a normal, I don't care who you are.

00:48:33.360 --> 00:48:47.199
But you can't send our kids out with that that idea that they're disadvantaged, you know, uh that they there's something, if they fail, it's because somebody didn't treat them right or they didn't get this right.

00:48:48.159 --> 00:48:57.440
You you you send them out with they, yeah, they may have to work harder, you know, and they should work harder, but putting that idea, it stunts your growth.

00:48:57.519 --> 00:49:06.000
It does something to this, to the human spirit, you know, because there, and believe it or not, there was a time in my life I used to think that way.

00:49:06.159 --> 00:49:08.480
And there were times I was like, okay, well, I didn't get this.

00:49:08.639 --> 00:49:10.559
Well, I guess I'm not good enough.

00:49:10.639 --> 00:49:17.679
You know, I'm just it just gets in my brain, well, that's they those are those people, and these are these people.

00:49:18.320 --> 00:49:32.239
But as time went on, and like I said, I saw, like I was working for a bank one time, and IBM sent uh some uh repairmen in to uh to fix our computers, and in their team, there was one black guy.

00:49:32.880 --> 00:49:37.840
And I kept looking at him because I've never seen an IBM like I have from IBM.

00:49:38.079 --> 00:49:39.599
And I'm not making this up, man.

00:49:39.679 --> 00:49:41.280
I'm just I'm just looking at him.

00:49:41.519 --> 00:49:42.320
Okay, okay.

00:49:42.480 --> 00:49:45.199
I'm sitting there, wow.

00:49:45.840 --> 00:49:50.559
And uh him and I got to be friends later on in life, but I'm sitting there, his name is Quincy.

00:49:50.719 --> 00:49:51.920
I said, Quincy.

00:49:52.719 --> 00:49:54.320
You know, and he told me his story.

00:49:54.400 --> 00:49:57.920
He went to school, you know, put himself through school, and he worked hard.

00:49:58.000 --> 00:50:01.840
And I I got when he shared his story to me, I got fired up.

00:50:02.159 --> 00:50:06.800
Because then in my mind, I'm like, if he could make it, I could make it.

00:50:07.119 --> 00:50:07.679
You know?

00:50:08.400 --> 00:50:14.159
And um, and there's and but yeah, you got generational wealth.

00:50:14.239 --> 00:50:16.480
And I and I agree with that, but that's so what?

00:50:16.639 --> 00:50:17.920
You know, that doesn't mean anything.

00:50:18.000 --> 00:50:19.519
You know, I mean to me that doesn't mean anything.

00:50:19.599 --> 00:50:28.000
You know, yeah, you got it from your mom and daddy, because uh my case in poor, you got the uh Biden, you saw his son, he they got him on film, smoke a crack over there in China.

00:50:28.159 --> 00:50:30.079
He's over there acting a fool.

00:50:30.159 --> 00:50:33.280
They got him on, that's why they they put him to the rear real quick.

00:50:33.519 --> 00:50:36.000
Yeah, because he was out there doing all kinds of crazy stuff.

00:50:36.239 --> 00:50:42.480
That doesn't mean that you I've met a lot of wealthy people, and their kids doesn't mean that they're gonna be successful.

00:50:42.639 --> 00:50:48.159
It doesn't mean that they're gonna, you know, sure they got money, but it doesn't mean they're gonna be successful as their father, you know.

00:50:48.400 --> 00:50:59.599
But I I just very sensitive about putting that idea in a kid's mind that, okay, you're starting off already disadvantaged.

00:50:59.760 --> 00:51:00.960
And that's not true.

00:51:01.440 --> 00:51:06.079
You know, I just you know, that's that's that's my faith as well, you know.

00:51:06.159 --> 00:51:09.440
I think because I think everybody is is different.

00:51:10.000 --> 00:51:18.719
And but I I just believe in people just grasping their talents and finding out who they are and just going for it, you know, just going for it.

00:51:18.960 --> 00:51:33.519
And sure you're gonna and you're gonna you're gonna mess up, but when you do fail, at least fail with the with the idea of like, well, hey, maybe I didn't try hard enough or I didn't study hard enough or I didn't do this, but don't blame somebody.

00:51:33.840 --> 00:51:37.039
You know, take responsibility for for yourself.

00:51:37.920 --> 00:51:40.800
Yeah, I I I think that's that's great advice.

00:51:40.960 --> 00:51:56.480
And I just say that, you know, um I think that thing imagine a young person who is finally kind of they started a business, they're getting their legs up under them.

00:51:57.119 --> 00:52:14.639
Um they I think would look to our I think that they would um look to our generation, to us for approval or you know, at least uh Yeah, they're they're supposed to.

00:52:14.960 --> 00:52:17.440
The Bible says the older teach, the younger, you know.

00:52:17.840 --> 00:52:18.320
Right, right.

00:52:18.400 --> 00:52:40.639
But here's the thing, and here's here's one thing I would um hope that you would consider is that when they come up in the environment, they build their business, they're they're trying to make it, and they so call and they and they just so happen to have a commercial that says black owned, I would hope that it doesn't offend you.

00:52:40.800 --> 00:52:41.519
You know what I mean?

00:52:41.679 --> 00:52:43.280
Like no, no, I'm not gonna be able to do it.

00:52:43.440 --> 00:52:48.480
Like because when you said it earlier, like you heard all of these black this, black, that, and you got offended.

00:52:48.639 --> 00:52:53.920
I'm thinking about those business owners who would look to you for support, you know what I mean?

00:52:54.239 --> 00:52:56.000
And would hate to d offend you.

00:52:56.079 --> 00:52:57.199
They wouldn't want to offend you.

00:52:57.519 --> 00:52:59.440
Yeah, I I don't think that's the intent.

00:52:59.519 --> 00:53:00.400
Uh not at all.

00:53:00.559 --> 00:53:05.199
I mean when I say I get offended, um I know they're business owners.

00:53:05.360 --> 00:53:06.400
And what's their objective?

00:53:06.559 --> 00:53:07.679
They want to make profit.

00:53:07.920 --> 00:53:10.880
So money is still green last time I checked.

00:53:11.119 --> 00:53:15.360
So, you know, I don't know their business strategies, I don't know any of that.

00:53:15.519 --> 00:53:17.920
It just is the way that it's promoted.

00:53:18.400 --> 00:53:25.679
And to me, it's like the advertisers just saying, hey, black-only, black-owned businesses means only black customers only.

00:53:25.760 --> 00:53:28.719
That's the way I know it's just the way it sounds.

00:53:29.199 --> 00:53:29.599
You know?

00:53:30.079 --> 00:53:31.599
And that that's what I'm saying.

00:53:31.760 --> 00:53:42.639
And and I I tell you another thing that really just kind of saddens me where as we're talking about the subject, that when I I've seen a lot of a lot of successful black people get ostracized.

00:53:42.719 --> 00:53:43.920
And I've that's happened to me before.

00:53:44.000 --> 00:53:55.280
I don't know if it's happened to you before, where when I was doing really well, uh I've had people call me Uncle Tom or like the one that really grinds my gears, why are you talking white?

00:53:55.519 --> 00:54:00.159
And I just, oh, man, I you want to get you wanna set me off?

00:54:00.960 --> 00:54:05.840
And I'm sitting there and go, so you mean black people can't talk up a certain way.

00:54:06.079 --> 00:54:06.400
Right.

00:54:06.639 --> 00:54:16.000
And I've uh I remember in our hometown, uh, one of the black families uh after a while was able to buy one of the nice houses in the white neighborhood.

00:54:16.159 --> 00:54:18.159
And man, they ostracized that family.

00:54:18.239 --> 00:54:20.400
They just said, oh, they were like this, they were like that.

00:54:20.559 --> 00:54:21.760
I was like, come on, people.

00:54:21.840 --> 00:54:27.519
I mean, we're supposed to be lifting each other up, you know, and and we're dealing with that too, you know.

00:54:27.599 --> 00:54:29.039
And I was just like, come on.

00:54:29.199 --> 00:54:36.000
You know, I mean, Uncle Tom, I mean, that I I got called that just a couple months ago in this day and age.

00:54:36.400 --> 00:54:40.000
So uh it's I I just pray now.

00:54:41.199 --> 00:54:42.400
It's rough, you know.

00:54:42.800 --> 00:54:51.039
Well, no, you know, I I want to say that you hit right on one of the reasons why I even started this podcast.

00:54:51.360 --> 00:55:04.400
Because black veterans, it's not just black, any veteran of color, you're gonna catch it from all directions, from below, from your peers, and from above.

00:55:04.639 --> 00:55:09.360
And you'll catch it the more you elevate in society.

00:55:10.159 --> 00:55:16.960
And and you know, during my doctoral studies, I found that out.

00:55:18.000 --> 00:55:27.679
You know, and it wasn't it it it wasn't uh some of the resistance came from those who looked like me and those who didn't.

00:55:27.840 --> 00:55:28.159
Yeah.

00:55:28.320 --> 00:55:28.880
Yeah right?

00:55:29.039 --> 00:55:31.199
So so you're catching it from all angles.

00:55:31.679 --> 00:55:37.360
How did you feel when when you uh if you you don't mind me asking, how did you feel when you felt that come at you?

00:55:37.519 --> 00:55:39.199
What was your response?

00:55:40.079 --> 00:55:48.320
Well, my my uh I'll I'll just say I think my my attitude is a little different.

00:55:48.559 --> 00:56:00.400
Um because uh when it when I felt that response, it came at a time in my life where I didn't even want to go to seminary.

00:56:00.639 --> 00:56:01.920
God put me there.

00:56:02.239 --> 00:56:09.280
So I had no, you know, it was like there's no human being that's gonna come at me and have and and and derail me.

00:56:09.360 --> 00:56:10.079
Yeah, right.

00:56:10.239 --> 00:56:11.039
God put me here.

00:56:11.199 --> 00:56:12.159
God made me do this.

00:56:12.239 --> 00:56:13.760
I didn't I hate I hate school.

00:56:13.840 --> 00:56:14.639
Can I can I say that?

00:56:14.719 --> 00:56:18.320
I don't like school, but God said you're gonna go to school.

00:56:18.559 --> 00:56:19.440
You're gonna go to school.

00:56:19.760 --> 00:56:25.280
And so when that happened, right, I yeah, I'm not listening to you.

00:56:25.360 --> 00:56:27.440
I'm listening to the man up above.

00:56:27.599 --> 00:56:39.280
So now had that happened at a different time in my life when I wasn't as mature and I in and in my in my faith, in my walk, it might have affected me differently, but not this time.

00:56:39.360 --> 00:56:42.480
It was like, I'm on a mission from God, literally.

00:56:42.639 --> 00:56:44.239
This is not, you know.

00:56:44.559 --> 00:56:48.480
So different time maybe it may have impacted me.

00:56:48.639 --> 00:56:48.800
But not.

00:56:49.519 --> 00:56:59.360
I mean, you you have your doctorate degree and and and people look at you and and my form opinions, you know, like, well, hey, you know, who do you think you are?

00:56:59.519 --> 00:57:06.400
I mean, it's almost I know I had to be careful because like when I was achieving stuff, I almost felt guilty.

00:57:06.880 --> 00:57:11.440
You know, I kind of want to suppress myself so I can just fit in.

00:57:11.840 --> 00:57:24.400
Um, because, you know, it was just that thing where, you know, people would get this uh animosity going on, and and you know, I can imagine people say, okay, he's got his doctorate degree, who do you think he is?

00:57:24.480 --> 00:57:25.679
He's out there doing all this stuff.

00:57:25.840 --> 00:57:27.519
But I you you answered the question for me.

00:57:27.599 --> 00:57:30.159
You were doing it for God, so that was your focus.

00:57:30.400 --> 00:57:37.039
You know, I can only imagine if God wasn't your focus and you wouldn't have been able to do those things.

00:57:37.599 --> 00:57:38.320
Yeah, yeah.

00:57:38.400 --> 00:57:46.639
I and and I and I can look back at a time of my life when I wasn't as mature, and I probably wouldn't have handled it the same way.

00:57:46.880 --> 00:57:56.000
But I, you know, at this stage of my life and and knowing um having been able to achieve what I believe God called me to do.

00:57:56.159 --> 00:57:56.480
Right.

00:57:56.719 --> 00:57:57.360
I'm good.

00:57:57.440 --> 00:57:59.599
It it that does something for the psyche, you know.

00:57:59.920 --> 00:58:01.760
But that's that's what I want the kids to see.

00:58:01.920 --> 00:58:03.920
I want the kids to see people like you.

00:58:04.079 --> 00:58:16.960
Because, like I said, everybody's not a basketball player, everybody's not a singer, everybody's not an entertainer, but our people are doing fantastic things out there with education and businesses, and and that's what we need to see.

00:58:17.280 --> 00:58:23.280
Um, because it's the world is changing a lot, you know, it's it's really changing.

00:58:23.519 --> 00:58:39.280
And I remember that fear I had when I was a young man of like, okay, I'm not, you know, I don't have the aspirations for basketball or football, or going, you know, I wanted to even play in a band, you know, back in the day, you know, that was the thing.

00:58:39.599 --> 00:58:44.159
But I didn't want to do these things, so what's what is there left for me?

00:58:44.320 --> 00:58:58.239
And I I remember vividly remembering the mentality I had growing up in the 70s, like, okay, I'll just get a job and work and hopefully get married and and like me and my best friend, we were talking about this the other day.

00:58:58.320 --> 00:58:59.599
It's funny you should mention that.

00:58:59.760 --> 00:59:09.280
We were talking about when we got to uh graduation, you know, we went into talk to we know it's all the white kids were planning to go to all these schools and everything.

00:59:09.440 --> 00:59:19.519
They were getting their transcripts together and all this, and we and him and I both vividly remembered that the guys' counselor, especially the black kids, they didn't really ask us.

00:59:20.320 --> 00:59:24.719
You know, and we remember, and the heat, the ISMD, was that his experience?

00:59:24.800 --> 00:59:29.280
He said, Yeah, you know, they just, you know, just asked us, what do you want to do?

00:59:29.440 --> 00:59:29.760
Whatever.

00:59:29.840 --> 00:59:43.199
And it was like, but we did notice all our schoolmates, they were like getting their letters together and putting in their, you know, letters and trying to get into these schools, and it was never a thought for any of the black kids, you know.

00:59:43.280 --> 00:59:49.519
We just and the ones that really were going somewhere, they're the ones that had scholarships, basketball scholarships, or football scholarships, or whatever.

00:59:49.679 --> 00:59:50.079
Right, right.

00:59:50.239 --> 00:59:51.280
That kind of thing.

00:59:51.599 --> 00:59:54.800
But um it's it's really a shame.

00:59:54.880 --> 01:00:04.880
I just really want uh, especially this new generation, to understand that they are they are not a mistake, they are not disadvantaged at all.

01:00:05.840 --> 01:00:08.320
And they can do whatever they want to.

01:00:08.400 --> 01:00:13.440
And I'm not saying it's not good, it's you know, starting a business is not a it's not an easy thing to do.

01:00:13.679 --> 01:00:21.440
Starting a uh, you know, other than those things I just mentioned, but it's it's not easy because I'm my son-in-law, I'm here in Oklahoma.

01:00:21.519 --> 01:00:24.800
My son-in-law has been running successfully for almost 12 years now.

01:00:24.960 --> 01:00:30.159
He owns a martial arts academy, and he's done it very quite well for himself.

01:00:30.639 --> 01:00:39.760
And he married my daughter, you know, and I remember when that business started, and he's uh at one time he he had as many as three schools.

01:00:40.079 --> 01:00:40.320
Okay.

01:00:40.960 --> 01:00:41.840
He's doing really well.

01:00:42.000 --> 01:00:45.679
And that's the thing that I think our our generations need to see.

01:00:45.920 --> 01:00:53.039
You know, there are you know, they don't they don't have to be famous, but there are people out there doing these these great things.

01:00:53.840 --> 01:00:54.159
Okay.

01:00:54.480 --> 01:00:56.880
They're doing phenomenal things, you know.

01:00:57.119 --> 01:01:00.800
Um and they just need to be exposed to it.

01:01:02.079 --> 01:01:10.719
Well, I tell you, if you just uh keep on doing those TED Talks, man, get out there and uh keep on sharing.

01:01:11.360 --> 01:01:12.639
It's a challenge, you know.

01:01:12.880 --> 01:01:33.039
Uh again, you know, I when you go into circles and you know this being a service guy, you know, I remember when I made first sergeant, and I remember I had to write these two NCOs up, but they were two black guys, and they came in my office and they were just late for formation all the time.

01:01:33.280 --> 01:01:33.599
Okay.

01:01:34.079 --> 01:01:43.199
And and they kind of the way they approached me, it's like, well, hey, you know, you know, hey, you know, just pencil whip it, you know, you know, it's not a big deal.

01:01:43.360 --> 01:01:44.559
And I had to write them up.

01:01:44.719 --> 01:01:48.400
I had to, you know, write them up, and they they really got mad at me.

01:01:48.480 --> 01:01:54.320
And I think somebody told me that they they accused me of being racial to them or something like that.

01:01:54.480 --> 01:01:55.840
You know, I'm just like, really?

01:01:56.079 --> 01:02:00.719
Wow, you know, I've got you, you've been coming to formation late every every week.

01:02:00.960 --> 01:02:02.000
What do you want me to do?

01:02:02.159 --> 01:02:04.400
I can't show partiality, you know.

01:02:04.639 --> 01:02:04.960
Right.

01:02:05.119 --> 01:02:06.800
Yeah, that's sitting there like that.

01:02:07.039 --> 01:02:10.400
But it I I think it's it's I I have no regrets.

01:02:10.559 --> 01:02:17.840
You know, I mean, I know people are gonna, and uh I congratulations to you on your I see your awards right there, your your doctorate degree right there.

01:02:17.920 --> 01:02:21.440
And I just got one from a Bible institute myself, you know.

01:02:21.599 --> 01:02:21.840
Okay.

01:02:22.079 --> 01:02:27.599
I can imagine the work that you had to do to get that thing, and that's the thing I'm I'm really impressed with.

01:02:27.760 --> 01:02:30.480
And that's the kind of things I want, you know.

01:02:30.800 --> 01:02:33.920
It's there, you know, with this generation, it's there if you do the work.

01:02:34.079 --> 01:02:35.760
I mean, I'm thinking about putting that on a t-shirt.

01:02:35.840 --> 01:02:36.880
Just do the work.

01:02:37.519 --> 01:02:46.159
Just because as you go up the ladder, really, after a while, nobody really cares what you look like because it this world is all about productivity.

01:02:46.559 --> 01:02:51.920
You know, and I learned that because like when I was working at the bank, man, you had all these people come over here from India.

01:02:52.480 --> 01:02:55.519
When they came over in the 90s, they would have they had jobs.

01:02:55.679 --> 01:02:56.880
Now they're managers now.

01:02:56.960 --> 01:02:58.559
Now they're vice presidents right now.

01:02:58.880 --> 01:02:59.840
Them people work.

01:03:00.719 --> 01:03:05.840
You know, they don't some barely speak English, but they put they make money for the company.

01:03:06.400 --> 01:03:08.719
That's what it's all about, productivity.

01:03:09.440 --> 01:03:09.840
You know?

01:03:10.159 --> 01:03:15.039
Well, in terms of productivity, what what's what's next for Sergeant Roy?

01:03:15.119 --> 01:03:16.159
What's happening with you next?

01:03:16.239 --> 01:03:18.239
What you got, what you got coming down the pike?

01:03:18.480 --> 01:03:23.119
Well, I'm trying to get a couple of things out because I want to get on the big tech talk stage.

01:03:23.280 --> 01:03:25.360
Uh they do some big meetings.

01:03:25.440 --> 01:03:27.760
They got one coming up this year in Canada.

01:03:28.000 --> 01:03:32.079
I think there's one coming up in London.

01:03:32.960 --> 01:03:38.400
And um just hope that I can get, you know, picked to be on those things right there.

01:03:38.559 --> 01:03:40.800
And then sometimes I focus on the smaller stuff.

01:03:40.880 --> 01:03:48.079
I try to get in front of audiences with uh young people because I I started out being a youth pastor when I was in a church and I loved it.

01:03:48.320 --> 01:03:48.639
Okay.

01:03:48.960 --> 01:03:54.800
And I and young people and even minority young people is even better.

01:03:55.519 --> 01:04:03.119
Um that's that's where my heart is, you know, because I if you remember my last show, I told you about my son was my problem child.

01:04:04.400 --> 01:04:06.239
He was my problem child.

01:04:06.800 --> 01:04:12.400
And he just I got him to join the reserves and find out he just he found his niche.

01:04:12.639 --> 01:04:14.719
And then finally he went over to the dark side.

01:04:14.800 --> 01:04:17.440
He went from a non-commissioned officer to a warrant officer.

01:04:17.599 --> 01:04:18.000
Uh oh.

01:04:18.320 --> 01:04:20.159
So, you know, I said, okay.

01:04:20.320 --> 01:04:23.039
And now he's a CW3, he's up for CW4.

01:04:23.440 --> 01:04:24.400
Okay, right on.

01:04:24.559 --> 01:04:25.920
Yeah, he's doing really well.

01:04:26.000 --> 01:04:27.280
And and I crack up last.

01:04:27.440 --> 01:04:31.440
It's funny how God works things out because he's got three of my grandkids.

01:04:31.519 --> 01:04:32.880
Uh, the oldest one is 15.

01:04:32.960 --> 01:04:40.320
And we were over, like I said, we were over there last last year for the holidays, and he's chewing my oldest grandson out about something.

01:04:40.480 --> 01:04:41.599
And I said, wait a second.

01:04:41.760 --> 01:04:43.360
I said, Who's that sound like?

01:04:43.920 --> 01:04:44.639
It's you.

01:04:44.800 --> 01:04:46.559
That's the split copy of you.

01:04:46.719 --> 01:04:48.320
And I said, that's how God pays you back.

01:04:48.400 --> 01:04:50.880
He gives you a Xerox copy of yourself.

01:04:51.199 --> 01:04:51.440
Right.

01:04:51.679 --> 01:04:52.960
And laughing.

01:04:53.039 --> 01:04:54.400
I said, Yeah, he's just like you.

01:04:54.480 --> 01:04:56.960
He's a little slickster, but he's just like you.

01:04:57.119 --> 01:04:58.400
And I love his wife.

01:04:58.559 --> 01:05:01.280
I mean, his wife is like, she's she's dead on it.

01:05:01.440 --> 01:05:06.159
You know, but that you know, the thing is now, I'm I'm just kind of being a grandpa.

01:05:06.400 --> 01:05:10.960
Yeah, I got three of my my grandkids here, and then like I said, we visit our son when we can.

01:05:11.039 --> 01:05:15.840
And but on as far as speaking, I try to get in, you know, I like to do some stuff with the high schools.

01:05:15.920 --> 01:05:21.760
Uh as far as the church, I like I work a lot with the men's ministry because I'm a real big advocate of godly men.

01:05:22.000 --> 01:05:22.320
Okay.

01:05:22.639 --> 01:05:27.039
But God has given me a heart for that to see men be what God has called them to be.

01:05:27.440 --> 01:05:31.519
And uh, I know you understand that as a uh you are you a pastor now?

01:05:31.840 --> 01:05:32.239
Minister.

01:05:32.480 --> 01:05:32.960
A minister?

01:05:33.039 --> 01:05:33.280
Okay.

01:05:33.440 --> 01:05:33.679
Yes.

01:05:33.840 --> 01:05:35.199
So I know you understand that.

01:05:35.280 --> 01:05:38.719
And uh uh I try to serve there in the church and stuff like that.

01:05:38.880 --> 01:05:50.800
But just like I said earlier, uh I'm just praying to the Lord, just put me where I'm supposed to be, because like I said, I don't want to be like on tour, like traveling five times a month or whatever, because I I I'm retired.

01:05:50.880 --> 01:05:54.079
I this is the first time in my life I got my freedom.

01:05:55.039 --> 01:05:59.599
And I'm, you know, before I retired, I was so, so busy, so busy.

01:06:00.159 --> 01:06:07.039
But to sit here and have coffee and even just a conversation with you, sir, i is is is priceless.

01:06:07.360 --> 01:06:08.320
I I enjoy it.

01:06:08.639 --> 01:06:09.599
Yeah, absolutely.

01:06:09.679 --> 01:06:10.880
I I enjoy it as well.

01:06:11.039 --> 01:06:12.960
And I I thank you for the time.

01:06:13.199 --> 01:06:17.440
Um but I think that uh your message needs to get out there, man.

01:06:17.519 --> 01:06:22.079
I think, you know, uh God willing and and whatever he says, be obedient.

01:06:22.239 --> 01:06:22.800
You know, look at that.

01:06:22.960 --> 01:06:30.159
Yeah, uh I I and and Betrieby and you, uh, you know, and I like some of the things that you said, and you know, what you said to me about that it's true.

01:06:30.239 --> 01:06:31.440
I gotta be careful.

01:06:31.760 --> 01:06:38.800
But I I'm as far as our people, I I just get mad because I know the world's taking advantage of those wounds.

01:06:39.599 --> 01:06:47.280
You know, the world's you know, you if you notice when it the election time comes around, they they start playing those hitting those uh hot buttons.

01:06:47.920 --> 01:06:54.639
You know, and our people get so, you know, that that spirit of unforgiveness just thrives up, you know.

01:06:54.880 --> 01:06:59.119
And I'm just praying that, you know, Lord, we get we gotta move past that.

01:06:59.440 --> 01:07:02.239
You know, because the world is becoming so advanced now.

01:07:02.400 --> 01:07:07.599
And um I mean people are congregating together now, these are the young kids now.

01:07:07.679 --> 01:07:14.559
They you know, I crack up laughing, they wear, they they wear the clothes that we used to wear and they dance, they dance better than we do.

01:07:16.239 --> 01:07:19.280
I turned on the I turned on the video one time.

01:07:19.440 --> 01:07:21.519
I saw social media, this wasn't America.

01:07:22.239 --> 01:07:22.800
Chinese kids.

01:07:22.880 --> 01:07:25.519
I don't know if you ever saw the one they were dancing to Jay's Brown.

01:07:26.000 --> 01:07:26.880
Oh, yes, yes.

01:07:27.519 --> 01:07:31.280
Kango hats on and Adidas, and I'm like, what?

01:07:31.840 --> 01:07:34.320
I said, Oh my goodness, man.

01:07:34.480 --> 01:07:36.320
They look cooler than than we did.

01:07:36.559 --> 01:07:38.400
Well, they say history repeats itself.

01:07:38.960 --> 01:07:42.239
Yeah, yeah, they just sit in there, they they love the whole swagger, you know, the whole thing.

01:07:42.320 --> 01:07:44.320
And I'm not mad at I ain't mad at you.

01:07:44.559 --> 01:07:50.559
You know, but I just wanted to see us move past that because when we get into those deep, those deep places, we don't seem to move.

01:07:50.719 --> 01:07:54.480
And it's like I think the the higher ups like it that way.

01:07:54.639 --> 01:07:57.840
They just somebody comes in there and say, hey, hey, didn't this happen?

01:07:58.000 --> 01:07:59.280
You know, hey, didn't this happen?

01:07:59.440 --> 01:08:04.320
And then we get all worked up and you know, drinking and cooling and we don't move, you know.

01:08:04.639 --> 01:08:05.360
I hear you.

01:08:05.519 --> 01:08:10.000
You know but I I'm I'm hopeful, you know, God's gonna do do do a thing.

01:08:10.079 --> 01:08:12.079
I'm just praying for a revival, I guess.

01:08:12.320 --> 01:08:16.079
You know, but you know, but I thank you for your work too, as as well, D.

01:08:16.479 --> 01:08:17.439
Thank you for inviting me.

01:08:17.600 --> 01:08:17.920
Oh, yeah.

01:08:18.000 --> 01:08:19.039
I was glad to be here anytime.

01:08:19.199 --> 01:08:27.439
I thought I was sitting here circling back and I said, Oh, I found your email and and I post your recordings on my website so people are listening to them.

01:08:27.680 --> 01:08:30.319
And I've got you linked too so they can donate too.

01:08:30.479 --> 01:08:35.279
So um, so when you edit this thing, just send me a copy of that.

01:08:35.359 --> 01:08:36.319
I can put it on the website.

01:08:36.640 --> 01:08:37.199
I got you, man.

01:08:37.439 --> 01:08:37.760
I got you.

01:08:37.840 --> 01:08:38.960
We're gonna put it out there for you.

01:08:39.600 --> 01:08:43.439
But I got worried when I saw that picture you took of yourself sitting in the hospital bed.

01:08:43.520 --> 01:08:45.840
I said, oh no, what did he do?

01:08:46.079 --> 01:08:47.359
What did he do?

01:08:47.680 --> 01:08:49.680
Yeah, that was uh that was a bad time.

01:08:49.920 --> 01:08:50.159
Yeah.

01:08:50.640 --> 01:08:52.720
Yeah, well, I lifted you up in prayer, man.

01:08:52.960 --> 01:08:53.760
I appreciate you.

01:08:53.920 --> 01:08:54.880
Yeah, I appreciate you.

01:08:55.119 --> 01:08:56.479
And I appreciate what you're doing, man.

01:08:56.640 --> 01:08:58.000
Just keep going.

01:08:58.399 --> 01:09:08.960
Uh I'm gonna send you a link too, because I I did a podcast, uh, I think it's called the Veterans It's another podcast called the Veteran Alumni.

01:09:09.199 --> 01:09:19.680
Well, what they do is the guy asked me, he said, uh pass this on link on to veterans because they want to hear uh they record veterans' stories, how you came in the military.

01:09:20.000 --> 01:09:25.199
So if yeah, if I said it to you and you fill out the form, they're gonna call you and it's kind of like a podcast.

01:09:25.359 --> 01:09:39.359
They it's like a uh they ask you, you know, the point from when you came in the military, what was your experience like, and then the nice thing about they give you a nice little coin and they give you a little thumb drive of your of your interview.

01:09:39.840 --> 01:09:40.720
Okay, stuff like that.

01:09:40.800 --> 01:09:44.239
So I told them I'd pass it on to all the vets and stuff like that.

01:09:44.319 --> 01:09:46.640
So I'm pretty sure they wouldn't hear your story.

01:09:46.960 --> 01:09:48.159
So all right.

01:09:48.399 --> 01:09:50.399
Well, listen, send it on.

01:09:50.640 --> 01:09:57.520
Okay, and you know I'm all about promoting, and so I definitely want to get your story out there as best I can.

01:09:58.239 --> 01:10:04.880
And um, you know, if you I went to your website, I'm definitely I I checked out your book.

01:10:05.359 --> 01:10:05.520
Yeah.

01:10:05.680 --> 01:10:07.920
I was like, okay, he has a book out there, you know.

01:10:08.079 --> 01:10:11.359
This man has a book, and why don't you tell everybody what your website is?

01:10:11.600 --> 01:10:14.960
Uh the website is called speak sergeantroy.com.

01:10:15.039 --> 01:10:22.640
That's S-P-E-A-K Sgt Roy, all one word dot com.

01:10:22.960 --> 01:10:28.399
And you can go out there, uh, you see some of the interviews that I've done, you see some videos.

01:10:28.640 --> 01:10:30.319
Uh I have my book out there.

01:10:30.479 --> 01:10:39.359
It's also uh you can order the book or it also comes in a um downloadable text form if you want to you know read it on the Kindle or stuff like that.

01:10:39.600 --> 01:10:43.840
But if you're interested, you know, continuing the conversation, you know, reach out to me.

01:10:44.000 --> 01:10:45.600
I'd love to hear from you.

01:10:45.840 --> 01:10:47.359
And uh tell me what you think.

01:10:47.600 --> 01:10:48.880
You know, you're struggling with some stuff.

01:10:48.960 --> 01:10:51.760
Um I'm you know love to hear from you.

01:10:51.840 --> 01:10:56.000
You know, I always want to hear the respect and stay fresh because you know, as a retirement folks, man.

01:10:56.159 --> 01:10:58.960
If I don't, man, I'll be I'll be sleeping.

01:10:59.600 --> 01:11:06.159
Yeah, well, I definitely encourage anyone who is listening to uh contact Sergeant Roy.

01:11:06.399 --> 01:11:07.520
He's a good dude.

01:11:07.760 --> 01:11:10.960
Talk to him, talk to the man, give him give him a shout.

01:11:11.119 --> 01:11:14.479
And uh I will be getting a copy of that book.

01:11:14.560 --> 01:11:17.039
And I want the autographed one too, so I want that one.

01:11:17.119 --> 01:11:18.560
So I'll autograph.

01:11:18.800 --> 01:11:19.680
I'll send you one.

01:11:19.920 --> 01:11:20.479
I got you.

01:11:20.560 --> 01:11:22.560
So I'm gonna go ahead and take care of that.

01:11:22.640 --> 01:11:24.079
But uh listen, Sergeant Roy.

01:11:24.880 --> 01:11:28.720
I said, um I'm I've I've swearing my rivers, I've slayed my dragons.

01:11:28.800 --> 01:11:33.039
I said, now I'm sitting on the sideline with a cup of coffee, cheering the young people off.

01:11:33.199 --> 01:11:39.039
Because I remember when I would graduate a class of privates at basic training, and they get cocky when they get ready to graduate.

01:11:39.119 --> 01:11:42.880
They're like, just I can run fast at you, just I can do this.

01:11:42.960 --> 01:11:45.279
And I sit back and say, I hope so.

01:11:45.439 --> 01:11:45.680
Right.

01:11:46.239 --> 01:11:47.920
Because if not, I'm gonna recycle you.

01:11:48.079 --> 01:11:48.399
Right.

01:11:48.560 --> 01:11:50.159
You know, that that's the job.

01:11:50.239 --> 01:11:51.680
They're supposed to go further.

01:11:51.920 --> 01:11:52.640
Absolutely.

01:11:52.880 --> 01:11:53.439
Absolutely.

01:11:53.680 --> 01:12:00.079
And uh, you know, there were a couple of drills that I don't care what I did, I could not run faster than Jokers and I could.

01:12:01.039 --> 01:12:05.920
Well, there's a trick to it, man, because when I got out of the hat, what they do, they don't tell you.

01:12:06.079 --> 01:12:14.479
All the drills get together, the ones that can run real good or the ones that can march, you know, ruck real good, they spread them out, you know.

01:12:14.880 --> 01:12:19.039
Because it looks like everybody's like, you know, incredible, but nah, nah.

01:12:19.279 --> 01:12:20.880
Because I wasn't a runner either, man.

01:12:20.960 --> 01:12:26.000
And I would take, I would run with the the the the slow group, man, just to get them in shape, man.

01:12:26.159 --> 01:12:28.000
That A group, yeah.

01:12:28.640 --> 01:12:29.680
We run A group, man.

01:12:29.760 --> 01:12:30.720
They just they just fly.

01:12:30.800 --> 01:12:32.479
They don't even call Cadence, man.

01:12:32.800 --> 01:12:33.199
Yeah.

01:12:33.439 --> 01:12:34.319
Yeah, you can't.

01:12:34.479 --> 01:12:38.720
You can't call cadence while you uh out of breath and whatnot.

01:12:38.960 --> 01:12:39.600
Yeah, right, right.

01:12:39.760 --> 01:12:54.800
And I told them, I said, to this day, even when we go on Fort Jackson sometimes, my wife, you know, if we're fortunate enough, we'll hear uh either a platoon or a company go by that marching or either running, and my wife made me roll down the window because I like that sound, boy, that cadence.

01:12:55.840 --> 01:12:57.119
Or that's music, boy.

01:12:57.199 --> 01:12:57.760
That's music.

01:12:58.000 --> 01:12:59.600
I don't care what you say, that's good music.

01:12:59.840 --> 01:13:00.479
Right, right.

01:13:00.640 --> 01:13:01.199
I hear you.

01:13:01.359 --> 01:13:01.840
I hear you.

01:13:02.000 --> 01:13:02.479
Yeah, boy.

01:13:03.039 --> 01:13:05.840
We had Jill Star Jenkins out there from Georgia, boy.

01:13:06.000 --> 01:13:08.720
I couldn't run, but one day we went on a two-mile run.

01:13:08.960 --> 01:13:10.319
It was like he was preaching.

01:13:11.039 --> 01:13:13.600
Or we was out there, we had a good time.

01:13:14.079 --> 01:13:16.399
And then I come back in and I had like tears in my eyes.

01:13:16.479 --> 01:13:17.840
He said, What's wrong with you, Lewis?

01:13:18.000 --> 01:13:21.279
I said, Joe Star, I've never done that before.

01:13:22.720 --> 01:13:24.000
You're gonna do it for the rest of your life.

01:13:24.079 --> 01:13:25.039
And then he went off.

01:13:25.119 --> 01:13:26.239
I said, Roger that.

01:13:26.800 --> 01:13:28.159
Yeah, I hear you, man.

01:13:28.239 --> 01:13:28.880
I hear you.

01:13:28.960 --> 01:13:29.760
Good stuff, man.

01:13:29.920 --> 01:13:30.479
Good stuff.

01:13:30.880 --> 01:13:32.399
Again, thank you so much.

01:13:33.199 --> 01:13:36.159
And um, listen, this this is not the last one we're gonna do.

01:13:36.319 --> 01:13:37.520
Yeah, I'll keep in touch.

01:13:37.840 --> 01:13:39.119
Let's let's let's do that.

01:13:39.199 --> 01:13:41.039
Let's do this again soon.

01:13:41.199 --> 01:13:44.399
Yes, sir, and um, let's keep it moving, yes, sir.

01:13:44.640 --> 01:13:45.680
All right, thank you, sir.

01:13:45.840 --> 01:13:47.119
All right, take care.