1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:00,960 Speaker 1: Speaks to the planet. 2 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:02,560 Speaker 2: I'll go by the name of Charlamagne of God and 3 00:00:02,560 --> 00:00:04,920 Speaker 2: guess what, I can't wait to see y'all at the 4 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:08,319 Speaker 2: third annual Black Effect Podcast Festival. That's right, We're coming 5 00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:11,360 Speaker 2: back to Atlanta, Georgia, Saturday, April twenty six at Poeman 6 00:00:11,440 --> 00:00:14,840 Speaker 2: Yards and it's hosted by none other than Decisions, Decisions, 7 00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:17,680 Speaker 2: MANDYB and Weezy. Okay, we got the R and B 8 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:19,919 Speaker 2: Money podcast with taking Jay Valentine. 9 00:00:19,960 --> 00:00:21,200 Speaker 1: We got the Women of All. 10 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:24,239 Speaker 2: Podcasts with Sarah Jake Roberts, we got Good Mom's Bad Choices. 11 00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:26,639 Speaker 2: Carrie Champion will be there with her next sports podcast, 12 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:29,520 Speaker 2: and the Trap Nerds podcast with more to be announced. 13 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:31,760 Speaker 2: And of course it's bigger than podcasts. We're bringing the 14 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:35,400 Speaker 2: Black Effect marketplace with black owned businesses, plus the food 15 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:37,960 Speaker 2: truck court to keep you fed while you visit us. 16 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 2: All right, listen, you don't want to miss this. Tap 17 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:43,680 Speaker 2: in and grab your tickets now at Black Effect dot 18 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:45,479 Speaker 2: Com Flash Podcast Festival. 19 00:00:47,159 --> 00:00:50,279 Speaker 3: Welcome to Naked Sports, the podcast where we live at 20 00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:55,200 Speaker 3: the intersection of sports, politics, and culture. Our purpose reveal 21 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:58,520 Speaker 3: the common threads that bind them all. So what's happening 22 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:01,360 Speaker 3: in women's basketball right now now is what we've been 23 00:01:01,400 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 3: trying to get to for almost thirty years. From the 24 00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:08,479 Speaker 3: stadiums where athlete break barriers and set records. Kynon Clark 25 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:11,240 Speaker 3: broke the all time single game assist record. 26 00:01:11,440 --> 00:01:13,320 Speaker 1: This is crazy for rookies to be doing. 27 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 3: Our discussions will uncover the vital connections between these realms 28 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:20,920 Speaker 3: and the community we create. In each episode, we'll sit 29 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:25,360 Speaker 3: down with athletes, political analysts, and culture critics because at 30 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 3: the core of it all, how we see one issue 31 00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:32,560 Speaker 3: shines the light on all others. Welcome to Naked Sports. 32 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:42,959 Speaker 3: I'm your host, Carrie Champion. Hey, everybody, welcome to another 33 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:45,000 Speaker 3: edition in Naked Sports. So glad that you were here. 34 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:49,200 Speaker 3: So I'd like to do an introduction for my guests. 35 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:52,200 Speaker 3: He will introduce himself as well. But I want to 36 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:54,520 Speaker 3: tell you the thought at least the thought process for 37 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:57,720 Speaker 3: me behind today's podcast. I know we live at the 38 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:01,240 Speaker 3: intersection of sports, politics, and culture, but what I wanted 39 00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:05,800 Speaker 3: to do was really talk to someone who has lived 40 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:09,400 Speaker 3: a life that lives at those intersections. My next guest, 41 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:12,400 Speaker 3: and I'll just tell you who he is is Hill Harper. 42 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:15,520 Speaker 3: He's an actor, he is he's a father, you know 43 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:17,720 Speaker 3: all of the things. He's written several books New York 44 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:20,400 Speaker 3: Times bestsellers. He will tell you that. But he is 45 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:23,079 Speaker 3: also a man of the people. I refer to him 46 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:25,800 Speaker 3: as a renaissance man. He has lived a lot of life, 47 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:31,200 Speaker 3: and his perspective on the culture and where we are, 48 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 3: especially interpersonal relationships, was interesting to me. I find myself 49 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:40,040 Speaker 3: hearing more and more often that people are giving up 50 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:43,680 Speaker 3: on love, like they are tired of love. And I 51 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:45,760 Speaker 3: don't know if it's the climate of the world that 52 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:49,080 Speaker 3: we live in today, or just that it's difficult to 53 00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:51,480 Speaker 3: be open. I don't know if social media has anything 54 00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:53,400 Speaker 3: to do with it. I don't know why we are 55 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:57,680 Speaker 3: we as a society feel more comfortable with being lonely 56 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:03,040 Speaker 3: and on the inside and not necessarily being outside and 57 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:05,600 Speaker 3: talking to others and making friends. Some people would say 58 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:08,160 Speaker 3: it's social media. I don't know. But what I do 59 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:10,640 Speaker 3: know is that I hear more and more lately, and 60 00:03:10,680 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 3: I think I get out and I talk to the people, 61 00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:14,440 Speaker 3: and I kiss the hood and I talk to folks, 62 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:18,760 Speaker 3: and I'm hearing no matter whom you are, no matter 63 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:22,040 Speaker 3: what your class is, your background is, women just don't understand. 64 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:25,919 Speaker 3: It's hard to date. Men just don't understand. They're unrealistic, 65 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:30,360 Speaker 3: they're not mature. Women want too much. And I always 66 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:32,880 Speaker 3: think I'm hearing the same things over and over again. 67 00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:37,040 Speaker 3: And then I also know, just from the life that 68 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:40,480 Speaker 3: I've lived, our perceptions of everyone has everything to do 69 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:43,600 Speaker 3: with how we're raised, what we consume, what we read, 70 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:48,760 Speaker 3: who we interact with. And today I wanted to talk 71 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:56,800 Speaker 3: to Hill Harper about fatherhood, relationships, personal and professional, debunking 72 00:03:56,840 --> 00:04:01,880 Speaker 3: certain myths, if you will. But it's really interesting to 73 00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:07,080 Speaker 3: me because this conversation and I'll get even more more specific, 74 00:04:07,520 --> 00:04:10,400 Speaker 3: this conversation about black men and black women in black 75 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:13,120 Speaker 3: love at the forefront of my mind because I am 76 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:17,280 Speaker 3: a black woman, and so I ask Hill some questions 77 00:04:17,360 --> 00:04:21,839 Speaker 3: about fatherhood and relationships and it's really interesting. And I'd 78 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:25,120 Speaker 3: love for you all to leave your feedback and the 79 00:04:25,160 --> 00:04:28,120 Speaker 3: comments tell me what you think. But at the end 80 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:31,120 Speaker 3: of the day, my hope is that we see more love. 81 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:34,000 Speaker 3: That is what my wish is for you, for me, 82 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:39,120 Speaker 3: for everyone, more love. Sit back, relax and enjoy this 83 00:04:39,279 --> 00:04:41,240 Speaker 3: edition of Naked Sports. 84 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:46,600 Speaker 1: Hey, everybody, I'm Hill Harper. I am a father first 85 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:51,840 Speaker 1: to a young brilliant king named Pierce Hill Harper, nine 86 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:57,360 Speaker 1: years old, third grade, going on thirty nine years old. 87 00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:01,840 Speaker 1: And you know, I'm an actor, I'm an author, I'm 88 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:07,440 Speaker 1: an activist, philanthropist, someone who's just trying to keep my 89 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:09,920 Speaker 1: heart open, just trying to keep my heart open all 90 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:13,159 Speaker 1: the time. And I'm trying to figure out new and 91 00:05:13,160 --> 00:05:16,640 Speaker 1: different ways to fail, because when I'm failing, then I 92 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:17,159 Speaker 1: am winning. 93 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:21,800 Speaker 3: Hill Harper, Welcome to Naked Sports. We're fully closed. 94 00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:24,760 Speaker 1: We are. I was expecting something a little. 95 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:25,880 Speaker 3: Different, a little more sass here. 96 00:05:25,960 --> 00:05:28,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, I was expected a little but yeah, I know 97 00:05:29,240 --> 00:05:32,120 Speaker 1: we got the Maya Angelou in the Tupac book, in 98 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:34,120 Speaker 1: the Black Mecha. I don't I don't see any of 99 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:38,040 Speaker 1: my books on the shelf. I do not see any 100 00:05:38,080 --> 00:05:41,240 Speaker 1: of my books. I believe as a four time New 101 00:05:41,320 --> 00:05:46,400 Speaker 1: York Times bestselling author, and I think I think my 102 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:49,240 Speaker 1: books have sold more than those books. But I'm just 103 00:05:49,279 --> 00:05:54,320 Speaker 1: saying it curs more young brothers. But it's okay, it's okay. 104 00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:56,920 Speaker 1: Maybe my book someday will make it on the Naked 105 00:05:57,040 --> 00:05:58,280 Speaker 1: Sports shelf. 106 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 3: Okay, First and foremost, something, while you're calling us out, 107 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:05,719 Speaker 3: this is the interior. The decorations that were here, prior 108 00:06:05,760 --> 00:06:07,800 Speaker 3: to me even arriving. Remember I told you my first 109 00:06:07,839 --> 00:06:10,840 Speaker 3: time using this studio. Oh I thought this was But 110 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:14,640 Speaker 3: I love how it is in motif of my life 111 00:06:14,640 --> 00:06:15,920 Speaker 3: and who I am. You should be next. 112 00:06:16,680 --> 00:06:19,839 Speaker 1: I love the fact that you're choosing studios that actually 113 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:25,840 Speaker 1: stop black books. Here we got we gotta celebrate j J. 114 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:31,040 Speaker 1: Jay hood on, he got that at the original first concert. 115 00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:32,800 Speaker 1: He doesn't even look that old. 116 00:06:33,360 --> 00:06:33,919 Speaker 3: Don't put me in. 117 00:06:34,400 --> 00:06:36,240 Speaker 1: Jay does not look old enough to have gone to 118 00:06:36,279 --> 00:06:37,279 Speaker 1: see Selena. 119 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:40,800 Speaker 3: Jay is twenty two. Have you heard of Selena at 120 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:41,760 Speaker 3: twenty two years old? 121 00:06:43,640 --> 00:06:46,480 Speaker 1: Come on, Jay? How old would Selena be today? 122 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:47,120 Speaker 3: I don't know? 123 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:47,760 Speaker 1: Do we know? 124 00:06:47,880 --> 00:06:48,440 Speaker 3: Oh my god? 125 00:06:48,600 --> 00:06:50,800 Speaker 1: If Jay tell us just look it up real quick. 126 00:06:50,800 --> 00:06:52,120 Speaker 3: It is fifty two? How old was? 127 00:06:52,240 --> 00:06:53,800 Speaker 1: How old would Selena be today? 128 00:06:53,920 --> 00:06:55,400 Speaker 3: I just said fifty two? I made that up. 129 00:06:55,440 --> 00:06:59,799 Speaker 1: Fifty two. I'm gonna guess she would be forty seven. 130 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:02,440 Speaker 1: That's my guess. I'm literally just guessing. 131 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:04,760 Speaker 3: Okay, well, you're probably right, because you're really smart. Next 132 00:07:04,839 --> 00:07:07,240 Speaker 3: time Jay J put one of his books in, I 133 00:07:07,680 --> 00:07:14,480 Speaker 3: mean could agree. Wow, And I threw that number out there. 134 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 3: I had no idea what I was saying. Okay, that's 135 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:20,360 Speaker 3: first and foremost I like to say this so everyone 136 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:23,000 Speaker 3: knows you are my friend. Right, So we are doing 137 00:07:23,040 --> 00:07:25,480 Speaker 3: this interview under the pretense like I have just met you, 138 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:27,240 Speaker 3: but I have not. I've known you for some time. 139 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:28,880 Speaker 3: Do you remember when we first met? 140 00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:29,600 Speaker 1: No? 141 00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:33,800 Speaker 3: You don't. No, I don't I remember you do? It 142 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:35,680 Speaker 3: was it was forget Was it a forgetful time? 143 00:07:35,880 --> 00:07:38,000 Speaker 1: It wasn't forgetful. I just meet a lot of people, 144 00:07:38,080 --> 00:07:40,680 Speaker 1: but nobody like you. Let me just say that. But so, 145 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:43,040 Speaker 1: so here's the thing, here's the thing, here's the thing. 146 00:07:44,120 --> 00:07:44,680 Speaker 1: Here's the thing. 147 00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:45,240 Speaker 3: I I. 148 00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:57,240 Speaker 1: Meeting someone's transient Okay, interacting and actually connecting with someone 149 00:07:57,360 --> 00:08:03,360 Speaker 1: I remember, and so like that's so, I remember when 150 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:08,360 Speaker 1: I had the first meaningful conversation I ever had with you? 151 00:08:08,440 --> 00:08:11,120 Speaker 1: I don't remember the first time. It's like, Hi, nice 152 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:13,000 Speaker 1: to meet you in in Queens. 153 00:08:13,560 --> 00:08:15,880 Speaker 3: Okay? What did we talk about? 154 00:08:16,160 --> 00:08:20,920 Speaker 1: Talked about the world, talked about life, talked about goals, dreams, aspirations, 155 00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:22,920 Speaker 1: talked about manifesting. 156 00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:26,600 Speaker 3: Has anything changed since that last conversation for you? 157 00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:30,840 Speaker 1: A lot, A lot a lot has changed because it 158 00:08:31,920 --> 00:08:33,600 Speaker 1: changes all the time. I think that I think that 159 00:08:33,640 --> 00:08:36,720 Speaker 1: we are all of us are on a journey where 160 00:08:36,720 --> 00:08:40,040 Speaker 1: we're evolving and things are changing. I mean, look at 161 00:08:40,040 --> 00:08:41,480 Speaker 1: this world. Look at the world we're in right now. 162 00:08:41,480 --> 00:08:44,880 Speaker 1: The world is changing rapidly, I mean so fast. 163 00:08:45,040 --> 00:08:47,600 Speaker 3: The reason why I ask you that the election hadn't 164 00:08:47,640 --> 00:08:51,280 Speaker 3: happened when we met. That's right, this the presidential election 165 00:08:51,440 --> 00:08:55,320 Speaker 3: had not happened. You were the way I remember it, 166 00:08:55,360 --> 00:08:57,040 Speaker 3: and I just want to bring everybody in the way 167 00:08:57,080 --> 00:08:59,280 Speaker 3: I remember it. You were You were running for Senate, 168 00:08:59,600 --> 00:09:02,800 Speaker 3: right are you. Yeah, you were going to you had 169 00:09:02,840 --> 00:09:07,600 Speaker 3: even started, and you were flying all over the world. 170 00:09:07,679 --> 00:09:09,679 Speaker 3: As you are, You're a very busy man, but you 171 00:09:09,679 --> 00:09:13,480 Speaker 3: were very intentional about connecting with people that you thought 172 00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:16,120 Speaker 3: were like minded. That is one thing that I think 173 00:09:16,200 --> 00:09:19,040 Speaker 3: is so important in today's in today's society, we got 174 00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:21,440 Speaker 3: to find our tribe, and so I felt like, oh, 175 00:09:21,480 --> 00:09:23,560 Speaker 3: it was like smart. I've always admired you from Afar. 176 00:09:23,679 --> 00:09:25,520 Speaker 3: I always thought that you and I'm sure you get 177 00:09:25,520 --> 00:09:26,080 Speaker 3: this often. 178 00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:28,079 Speaker 1: Where's the first time we met? Don't skip over that 179 00:09:28,160 --> 00:09:30,880 Speaker 1: in Queens. That was the first time. Yeah, I thought 180 00:09:30,880 --> 00:09:32,760 Speaker 1: we had met before. No, I thought you were saying 181 00:09:32,800 --> 00:09:34,120 Speaker 1: I thought you say, do you remember the first time 182 00:09:34,160 --> 00:09:36,520 Speaker 1: we met? No, that was the first time we met. Yeah, Oh, 183 00:09:36,559 --> 00:09:38,400 Speaker 1: I thought we'd met like in passing itself. 184 00:09:38,520 --> 00:09:41,240 Speaker 3: No, never, not to my knowledge, I don't. I wouldn't 185 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:42,880 Speaker 3: remember either because I meet a lot of people, so 186 00:09:42,920 --> 00:09:43,720 Speaker 3: I wouldn't remember. 187 00:09:44,160 --> 00:09:46,240 Speaker 1: Okay, good, So I do remember the first time we 188 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:47,960 Speaker 1: met in Queens, Queens. 189 00:09:48,480 --> 00:09:51,920 Speaker 3: I met you in Queens. Yes, However, I did know 190 00:09:52,080 --> 00:09:54,720 Speaker 3: of you obviously as an actor, but I knew of 191 00:09:54,760 --> 00:09:57,280 Speaker 3: you also when I think you first were on the 192 00:09:57,320 --> 00:09:59,719 Speaker 3: scene for a lot of us was when not a 193 00:09:59,760 --> 00:10:01,400 Speaker 3: lot of of us, but for the ladies, they used 194 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:03,360 Speaker 3: to be like, oh my god, he's gonna be the 195 00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:05,199 Speaker 3: next Barack Obama. When you and Barack you used to 196 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:08,400 Speaker 3: always hang out when he was president, Barack Obama, when 197 00:10:08,400 --> 00:10:10,880 Speaker 3: he was in the White House, and I felt like 198 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:13,120 Speaker 3: you knew a lot of my friends around that time. 199 00:10:13,440 --> 00:10:14,920 Speaker 3: I didn't know you, but you knew a lot of 200 00:10:14,920 --> 00:10:17,400 Speaker 3: my friends. So that was our intersection. But we were 201 00:10:17,440 --> 00:10:19,040 Speaker 3: still in the same siye, guys in the same world, 202 00:10:19,080 --> 00:10:21,679 Speaker 3: but we weren't the same We weren't friends. So when 203 00:10:21,679 --> 00:10:24,360 Speaker 3: I met you in Queens, I thought, oh, smart dope. 204 00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:26,199 Speaker 3: I'm so excited. He's going to tell me about the 205 00:10:26,200 --> 00:10:28,280 Speaker 3: world and how we're going to change the world. But 206 00:10:28,400 --> 00:10:30,480 Speaker 3: the first thing you talked about was your son, and 207 00:10:30,559 --> 00:10:32,800 Speaker 3: I'm really curious about two things. We're gonna talk about 208 00:10:32,800 --> 00:10:34,880 Speaker 3: your son, but I'm really curious about why you named 209 00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:35,440 Speaker 3: him Pierce. 210 00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:42,319 Speaker 1: Oh. Okay. So, years and years and years ago, at 211 00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:46,840 Speaker 1: the beginning of my career as an actor, there was 212 00:10:46,840 --> 00:10:48,360 Speaker 1: this movie that I read called The. 213 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:51,960 Speaker 3: Nephew, The Nephew, The Nephew, Okay, which. 214 00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:54,840 Speaker 1: I thought the script was incredible, and I wanted to 215 00:10:54,880 --> 00:10:57,520 Speaker 1: play the lead role of this nephew. It was a 216 00:10:57,600 --> 00:11:01,760 Speaker 1: character that was half black, half Irish, and they was 217 00:11:01,800 --> 00:11:06,439 Speaker 1: going to shoot in Ireland, and I auditioned for it 218 00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:09,360 Speaker 1: and I think, I'm not sure. I think it was 219 00:11:09,400 --> 00:11:12,480 Speaker 1: between me and Lorenz Tate, but I can't say that 220 00:11:12,600 --> 00:11:14,240 Speaker 1: for sure. But I don't know, I care. I just 221 00:11:14,360 --> 00:11:16,199 Speaker 1: know a lot of people wanted this role because it 222 00:11:16,240 --> 00:11:20,760 Speaker 1: was such a great role. And I remember having to 223 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:25,040 Speaker 1: go to lunch with the producer because he wanted to 224 00:11:25,040 --> 00:11:26,680 Speaker 1: meet me and check me out before he made a 225 00:11:26,679 --> 00:11:29,600 Speaker 1: decision about who was going to be the lead of 226 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:31,320 Speaker 1: this movie. It was going to be the first movie 227 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:35,760 Speaker 1: he ever produced. And I go to meet this actor 228 00:11:36,760 --> 00:11:40,640 Speaker 1: named Pierce Brosnan, who at the time, was one of 229 00:11:40,679 --> 00:11:42,679 Speaker 1: the biggest stars in the world because he was double 230 00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:46,120 Speaker 1: O seven, he was James Bond, and he had some 231 00:11:46,200 --> 00:11:49,000 Speaker 1: big movies you know, blah blah blah. And meet for 232 00:11:49,080 --> 00:11:52,840 Speaker 1: lunch and I'm sitting with this guy, one of the 233 00:11:52,880 --> 00:12:02,160 Speaker 1: most elegant, intelligent, charming, just cool dudes from Ireland who 234 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:06,600 Speaker 1: just had it's almost like a simultaneous kindness and swag 235 00:12:07,559 --> 00:12:10,520 Speaker 1: that was just I was like, you know what, and 236 00:12:10,559 --> 00:12:12,640 Speaker 1: then I was I got so impressed by him, and 237 00:12:12,679 --> 00:12:15,200 Speaker 1: then doing the film with him and working with him 238 00:12:15,240 --> 00:12:17,440 Speaker 1: and shooting with him in Ireland, so I was I 239 00:12:17,440 --> 00:12:19,520 Speaker 1: went to Ireland for three months to shoot, got the role, 240 00:12:19,679 --> 00:12:22,120 Speaker 1: got the role, got the role, went to Ireland for 241 00:12:22,160 --> 00:12:23,959 Speaker 1: three months to shoot this film. Had one of the 242 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:26,600 Speaker 1: most amazing experiences in my life. It is actually the 243 00:12:26,640 --> 00:12:29,960 Speaker 1: experience that taught me that race is a social fiction. 244 00:12:30,400 --> 00:12:33,600 Speaker 1: That's a whole other podcast we can jump into that, 245 00:12:33,640 --> 00:12:37,040 Speaker 1: but but it taught me that and got to know 246 00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:40,120 Speaker 1: Peerce and got to really appreciate who he was. We 247 00:12:40,160 --> 00:12:43,600 Speaker 1: became friends over time, and I always would say to myself, 248 00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:45,040 Speaker 1: if I ever have a son, I want him to 249 00:12:45,080 --> 00:12:46,280 Speaker 1: turn out like you. 250 00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:50,320 Speaker 3: Really you were so impressed with him, Yes, and it 251 00:12:50,360 --> 00:12:52,560 Speaker 3: wasn't just the first meeting was great, but then working 252 00:12:52,559 --> 00:12:53,640 Speaker 3: with him really sold you. 253 00:12:53,840 --> 00:12:57,640 Speaker 1: And becoming friends and becoming after that, and spending time 254 00:12:57,920 --> 00:13:02,640 Speaker 1: with him and his wife and and his family, and 255 00:13:02,760 --> 00:13:06,960 Speaker 1: visiting him at his house, and just the level of 256 00:13:07,920 --> 00:13:10,360 Speaker 1: cool and kindness. And I just love the name Pierce. 257 00:13:10,400 --> 00:13:12,360 Speaker 1: And I always wanted to name my son a name 258 00:13:12,400 --> 00:13:14,719 Speaker 1: that not too many people have. I mean, there's not 259 00:13:14,760 --> 00:13:16,960 Speaker 1: too many pierces. There's certainly not too many black pierces 260 00:13:17,320 --> 00:13:18,360 Speaker 1: except for Paul Pierce. 261 00:13:18,520 --> 00:13:22,000 Speaker 3: But that's his last name, of his first name. Okay, 262 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:25,760 Speaker 3: so this is very interesting. You were so impressed by him, 263 00:13:25,800 --> 00:13:27,600 Speaker 3: You're like, I'm gonna name my son after him. 264 00:13:27,679 --> 00:13:30,120 Speaker 1: I wasn't thinking that. I wasn't thinking that. In other words, 265 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:32,920 Speaker 1: when I was thinking of names for my son, and 266 00:13:33,040 --> 00:13:35,200 Speaker 1: that's when it came up, like, okay, what are some names, 267 00:13:35,240 --> 00:13:38,400 Speaker 1: because I was thinking of different names, and then it 268 00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:41,240 Speaker 1: just kept coming back to Pierce. It wasn't like years 269 00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:42,760 Speaker 1: and years years I was saying, okay, when I have 270 00:13:42,840 --> 00:13:44,800 Speaker 1: my first son. It was just like, you know, I 271 00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:47,400 Speaker 1: would love my son to turn out like you, not 272 00:13:47,440 --> 00:13:50,559 Speaker 1: necessarily name him after you. But then it is eventually, 273 00:13:50,559 --> 00:13:55,120 Speaker 1: when you're thinking of names, I'm just yeah, I can't remember, 274 00:13:55,240 --> 00:13:57,280 Speaker 1: and there was a list, there was other names. 275 00:13:58,840 --> 00:14:01,240 Speaker 3: Time for a full stop, heading to a commercial break. 276 00:14:01,480 --> 00:14:11,040 Speaker 3: We'll be back in just a few moments. I remember 277 00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:13,800 Speaker 3: watching you on Good Morning America being interviewed by Robin 278 00:14:13,880 --> 00:14:18,200 Speaker 3: Roberts about adopting peers. Yes, I want you to walk 279 00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:20,720 Speaker 3: me through that process. I think it's really interesting because one, 280 00:14:20,720 --> 00:14:24,320 Speaker 3: we don't hear a lot about single black men adopting kids. 281 00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:25,240 Speaker 1: Single men period. 282 00:14:25,400 --> 00:14:29,200 Speaker 3: Single I was getting there, single men period, but black 283 00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:32,800 Speaker 3: men more specifically because it just feels like an oddity 284 00:14:32,840 --> 00:14:35,160 Speaker 3: in the culture. But single man period. Yes, but I'm 285 00:14:35,240 --> 00:14:37,120 Speaker 3: concerned about the culture. Yeah, I think so. 286 00:14:37,320 --> 00:14:39,720 Speaker 1: Well. Number one, let's dispelse some miss talk to me. 287 00:14:39,880 --> 00:14:44,160 Speaker 1: Black men are among the most, if not the most 288 00:14:44,160 --> 00:14:50,440 Speaker 1: present fathers in the world, and pop cultural society would 289 00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:53,360 Speaker 1: just try to tell you different brothers are present in 290 00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:58,640 Speaker 1: their children's lives more so than any other culture. Okay, now, 291 00:14:58,720 --> 00:15:01,360 Speaker 1: you're right, a lot of of men black men are 292 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:04,960 Speaker 1: otherwise who are single, don't adopt. And let me say this. 293 00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:07,000 Speaker 1: I'll say this right to the camera because I mean 294 00:15:07,040 --> 00:15:10,160 Speaker 1: this very deeply. I don't if you're a man or 295 00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:13,080 Speaker 1: a woman watching this. If you've ever had the intuition 296 00:15:13,960 --> 00:15:18,360 Speaker 1: to adopt a child, follow it. You should do it 297 00:15:18,440 --> 00:15:23,920 Speaker 1: because there are too many kids who are in foster 298 00:15:24,040 --> 00:15:27,360 Speaker 1: care right now as we're talking. There are too many 299 00:15:27,440 --> 00:15:32,280 Speaker 1: children being moved around house to house who need us, 300 00:15:32,480 --> 00:15:36,360 Speaker 1: who need people with the capacity to bring them in. 301 00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:40,640 Speaker 1: And adopting my son was the best decision I've ever made, 302 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:43,240 Speaker 1: one of the most difficult. It changed my life in 303 00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:48,160 Speaker 1: ways that I couldn't even have anticipated. But it's the 304 00:15:48,200 --> 00:15:54,240 Speaker 1: most important decision I've made. And I always knew I 305 00:15:54,280 --> 00:15:56,440 Speaker 1: wanted to adopt, but I always thought that I would 306 00:15:56,440 --> 00:15:58,000 Speaker 1: do it much more traditionally. I always thought I was 307 00:15:58,040 --> 00:16:00,080 Speaker 1: going to get married, I was going to have some 308 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:02,840 Speaker 1: some bio kids, and then I was bioid and I 309 00:16:02,880 --> 00:16:04,720 Speaker 1: was going to adopt some kids. 310 00:16:05,120 --> 00:16:06,760 Speaker 3: I always thought I was gonna have always thought you 311 00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:07,320 Speaker 3: would adopt that. 312 00:16:07,320 --> 00:16:08,880 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, I always thought I was gonna have three 313 00:16:08,880 --> 00:16:11,720 Speaker 1: bio kids and adopt two kids. I always I was 314 00:16:11,720 --> 00:16:14,880 Speaker 1: gonna have five kids, right, And then I got challenged 315 00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:17,280 Speaker 1: one time by a friend who said, Hill, you live 316 00:16:17,280 --> 00:16:20,040 Speaker 1: your life very non traditionally. Why are you allowing Because 317 00:16:20,080 --> 00:16:21,400 Speaker 1: I said, you know, I'm not gonna have kids until 318 00:16:21,400 --> 00:16:24,360 Speaker 1: I get married, and da da da da. And she said, 319 00:16:24,880 --> 00:16:28,320 Speaker 1: why are you allowing what society tells you is the 320 00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:33,240 Speaker 1: right order to do things. Why don't you adopt? And 321 00:16:33,280 --> 00:16:39,560 Speaker 1: I was like, I'm not ready, But that's a fallacy. 322 00:16:39,800 --> 00:16:40,000 Speaker 2: You know. 323 00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:44,240 Speaker 1: God doesn't put anything on your heart that you aren't 324 00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:49,280 Speaker 1: ready to handle. And God put this on my heart 325 00:16:50,160 --> 00:16:53,680 Speaker 1: and also created the scenario where it was very clear 326 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:57,600 Speaker 1: what I should do. I wasn't out there looking. 327 00:16:57,600 --> 00:16:59,560 Speaker 3: How the scenario. What was the scenario? 328 00:17:00,640 --> 00:17:04,479 Speaker 1: Well, you know, I don't want to get into too 329 00:17:04,600 --> 00:17:10,320 Speaker 1: much around his birth mother's life circumstance because that's her business. 330 00:17:11,480 --> 00:17:15,680 Speaker 1: And it was a scenario where Pierce needed a home 331 00:17:17,640 --> 00:17:19,359 Speaker 1: and I had the capacity to provide that. 332 00:17:20,160 --> 00:17:23,480 Speaker 3: And they asked you specifically, Someone called you up and said, hey, 333 00:17:23,520 --> 00:17:24,280 Speaker 3: do you want to adopt? 334 00:17:24,840 --> 00:17:27,919 Speaker 1: No? No, So what happened was my friend challenged me 335 00:17:28,560 --> 00:17:30,959 Speaker 1: with that she was in the process of looking to adopt, 336 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:33,320 Speaker 1: but then she got pregnant with twins. Oh, and she 337 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:36,560 Speaker 1: had introduced me to the person that she was working 338 00:17:36,560 --> 00:17:40,920 Speaker 1: with at like some function, and he was like, oh, 339 00:17:40,960 --> 00:17:43,480 Speaker 1: you know, Cathy told me that you were interested and 340 00:17:43,520 --> 00:17:46,280 Speaker 1: potentially adopted. I was like, yeah, I'm definitely going to adopt. 341 00:17:46,320 --> 00:17:49,040 Speaker 1: I don't know when I'm not ready. And then he said, well, 342 00:17:49,080 --> 00:17:51,199 Speaker 1: why don't you, you know, do the paperwork or do 343 00:17:51,280 --> 00:17:53,440 Speaker 1: some stuff. Just get in the get in the in 344 00:17:54,080 --> 00:17:55,960 Speaker 1: the system, because it takes so long and you could 345 00:17:55,960 --> 00:17:59,840 Speaker 1: always say yes, no whatever. He was particularly interested because 346 00:17:59,840 --> 00:18:01,960 Speaker 1: I said, you know, I was interested in adopting a 347 00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:06,399 Speaker 1: black American male. Now here's another sad but true fact. 348 00:18:07,520 --> 00:18:13,040 Speaker 1: Black American boys are the least adopted child in the world. 349 00:18:13,280 --> 00:18:13,560 Speaker 3: Really. 350 00:18:13,560 --> 00:18:21,320 Speaker 1: In other words, people will go to Zimbabwe, Kenya, Ethiopia, Romania, Bulgaria, Korea, 351 00:18:22,119 --> 00:18:26,040 Speaker 1: China and adopt a baby, but a black American boy 352 00:18:27,680 --> 00:18:32,719 Speaker 1: they don't. And you talk about how deep and all 353 00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:36,600 Speaker 1: adopted black girl American girl, but you talk talk about 354 00:18:36,640 --> 00:18:41,160 Speaker 1: how deep the embedded systemic racism and notions about black 355 00:18:41,200 --> 00:18:44,879 Speaker 1: men are. It's so deep that they bring it on 356 00:18:44,920 --> 00:18:50,600 Speaker 1: a baby. And so he was like, since you're interested 357 00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:55,840 Speaker 1: in adopting a black American boy, you know, yeah, we 358 00:18:55,880 --> 00:18:57,480 Speaker 1: want to keep you. You want to we want to 359 00:18:57,480 --> 00:19:01,040 Speaker 1: stay connected. And then he called me, oh, love it, 360 00:19:01,720 --> 00:19:03,200 Speaker 1: and I wasn't already. 361 00:19:03,040 --> 00:19:04,760 Speaker 3: What does that mean? I thought, you said, if God 362 00:19:04,800 --> 00:19:08,119 Speaker 3: puts it on your heart, you're ready. Well I wasn't ready. 363 00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:08,840 Speaker 3: What that means. 364 00:19:08,920 --> 00:19:10,800 Speaker 1: I didn't think. I didn't think I was getting a 365 00:19:10,800 --> 00:19:13,520 Speaker 1: call to adopt. Oh, now he called me to adopt. 366 00:19:13,560 --> 00:19:15,280 Speaker 1: But I wanted to find out what was going on. 367 00:19:15,359 --> 00:19:17,120 Speaker 1: So there was other things going on that I thought 368 00:19:17,119 --> 00:19:18,960 Speaker 1: I could help with, but I didn't. I was like, 369 00:19:19,520 --> 00:19:21,399 Speaker 1: but let me help with these other things. Yeah, and 370 00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:22,960 Speaker 1: then but then God put it on me. 371 00:19:23,600 --> 00:19:26,800 Speaker 3: Wow. As I started to get more involved, first night 372 00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:29,359 Speaker 3: you bring Pierce home, what are you feeling? 373 00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:32,920 Speaker 1: I was terrified. I was terrified because you got to 374 00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:41,199 Speaker 1: understand that call happened right before Thanksgiving twenty fifteen. Pierce 375 00:19:41,280 --> 00:19:43,920 Speaker 1: was born December nineteenth, twenty fifteen. So I went from 376 00:19:44,280 --> 00:19:48,600 Speaker 1: never changing a diaper to being holding a little baby 377 00:19:48,640 --> 00:19:52,719 Speaker 1: in palm of my hand in about three weeks. I 378 00:19:52,840 --> 00:19:53,560 Speaker 1: was freaking out. 379 00:19:53,640 --> 00:19:55,760 Speaker 3: I would be for freaking out. 380 00:19:55,880 --> 00:19:59,000 Speaker 1: I was so afraid that he wasn't he was going 381 00:19:59,040 --> 00:20:01,199 Speaker 1: to stop breathing out, like I was like trying to 382 00:20:01,240 --> 00:20:04,160 Speaker 1: listen for breath, you know, making sure when he's asleep. 383 00:20:04,520 --> 00:20:06,600 Speaker 1: I was, I was. I was freaking out. But then 384 00:20:07,680 --> 00:20:09,560 Speaker 1: you know, you kicking the modes and one of the 385 00:20:09,600 --> 00:20:12,600 Speaker 1: best stories about this whole experience that people don't even believe. 386 00:20:12,920 --> 00:20:15,280 Speaker 1: And I'd actually like to put it in a movie someday, 387 00:20:15,440 --> 00:20:17,840 Speaker 1: but no one would believe it in the movie. Is 388 00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:23,399 Speaker 1: that I was so hell bent on making sure that 389 00:20:23,480 --> 00:20:27,320 Speaker 1: he had breast milk. I was doing It's almost like 390 00:20:27,440 --> 00:20:30,639 Speaker 1: doing breast milk drug deals. I would show up. I 391 00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:32,680 Speaker 1: was in New York, so I show up people's house. 392 00:20:32,800 --> 00:20:33,480 Speaker 1: You got that milk? 393 00:20:34,600 --> 00:20:36,040 Speaker 3: You got that milk. 394 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:39,000 Speaker 1: So I'd show up with a cooler and we loaded 395 00:20:39,080 --> 00:20:40,080 Speaker 1: in and so. 396 00:20:39,760 --> 00:20:43,240 Speaker 3: So wait, hold on, you were just getting random breast milk. 397 00:20:43,280 --> 00:20:45,439 Speaker 3: What do you mean here, sir? 398 00:20:45,720 --> 00:20:46,560 Speaker 1: Not random? 399 00:20:46,680 --> 00:20:52,280 Speaker 3: Now? I was you walking around the bread women your milk? 400 00:20:52,320 --> 00:20:54,439 Speaker 1: Well, first of all, if breast milk is in a 401 00:20:54,480 --> 00:20:58,440 Speaker 1: deep freezer, it lasts for six months. If it's deep frozen, 402 00:20:59,119 --> 00:21:03,080 Speaker 1: and breast milk is gold, breast milk is gold, okay, 403 00:21:03,320 --> 00:21:10,399 Speaker 1: and particularly unpasteurized breast milk. And what happened is that 404 00:21:11,400 --> 00:21:14,680 Speaker 1: I was fortunate enough to get put into a New 405 00:21:14,760 --> 00:21:18,920 Speaker 1: York Mom's list serve that, and someone in the list 406 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:21,719 Speaker 1: Serve said, Hey, I have a friend who's male who 407 00:21:21,800 --> 00:21:24,440 Speaker 1: adopted baby boy. He'd like to get breast milk. 408 00:21:24,480 --> 00:21:24,919 Speaker 3: And then. 409 00:21:26,359 --> 00:21:29,880 Speaker 1: A lot of moms know how valuable the milk is 410 00:21:29,960 --> 00:21:33,080 Speaker 1: and and they freeze the extra and they know that 411 00:21:33,160 --> 00:21:35,800 Speaker 1: it it after six months, it's not usable, so it's 412 00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:38,360 Speaker 1: going to go to waste anyway. And so they were 413 00:21:38,480 --> 00:21:42,600 Speaker 1: so kind to say, oh, he can come get, he 414 00:21:42,640 --> 00:21:43,280 Speaker 1: can come get. 415 00:21:43,960 --> 00:21:47,560 Speaker 3: I love this story. And then when did you feel 416 00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:49,320 Speaker 3: And I know you don't even feel like you have 417 00:21:49,359 --> 00:21:51,399 Speaker 3: it one hundred percent down, but I mean it is 418 00:21:51,440 --> 00:21:53,359 Speaker 3: a journey. You're learning every single day. But when did 419 00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:55,760 Speaker 3: you feel comfortable with him, like three months, six months 420 00:21:55,800 --> 00:21:59,000 Speaker 3: when you felt like, Okay, we have a routine, I'm learning, 421 00:21:59,440 --> 00:22:04,520 Speaker 3: changing die papers. I feel like this feels comfortable. 422 00:22:05,080 --> 00:22:09,080 Speaker 1: As soon as my life changed, I felt comfortable. But 423 00:22:09,119 --> 00:22:11,120 Speaker 1: I had a lot of help. I couldn't have done 424 00:22:11,119 --> 00:22:14,840 Speaker 1: it without help, support from sator community and all of that. 425 00:22:15,400 --> 00:22:20,680 Speaker 1: But I mean, to be honest, I probably feel less 426 00:22:20,680 --> 00:22:24,159 Speaker 1: comfortable now than then because because the beautiful thing is 427 00:22:24,680 --> 00:22:30,439 Speaker 1: when they're a baby, they're all their care is relying 428 00:22:30,520 --> 00:22:36,159 Speaker 1: upon you, but they don't talk back, so you you 429 00:22:36,200 --> 00:22:38,440 Speaker 1: can sort of navigate things the way you want. Now 430 00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:41,800 Speaker 1: he's nine years old and he's talking back, doing this 431 00:22:41,880 --> 00:22:44,119 Speaker 1: and doing that, and you and so I have less 432 00:22:44,280 --> 00:22:47,359 Speaker 1: control and ability now then the baby. 433 00:22:47,400 --> 00:22:50,960 Speaker 3: You're more comfortable now laughing because I've experienced I've heard 434 00:22:51,040 --> 00:22:52,960 Speaker 3: I've heard it when I if I've talked to other phone, 435 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:54,720 Speaker 3: and I see, he's just such a little man. He 436 00:22:54,800 --> 00:22:58,159 Speaker 3: has his own mind, he is own wing, and it 437 00:22:58,240 --> 00:22:59,480 Speaker 3: just makes me laugh, that's all. 438 00:22:59,720 --> 00:23:01,640 Speaker 1: But I, you know, I just have to hope that 439 00:23:01,720 --> 00:23:05,399 Speaker 1: the stuff that we do on a daily basis is 440 00:23:05,440 --> 00:23:08,840 Speaker 1: making an imprint. We just shifted to a new morning 441 00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:11,959 Speaker 1: mantra because I've tried to do these mantras to try to, 442 00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:15,000 Speaker 1: you know, just embed in his subconscious because you know, 443 00:23:15,040 --> 00:23:17,160 Speaker 1: these young kids are getting bombarded, we all are getting 444 00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:20,560 Speaker 1: bombarded with so much negative subconscious stuff that I try 445 00:23:20,600 --> 00:23:23,960 Speaker 1: to try to combat that. And so we'd been working 446 00:23:24,040 --> 00:23:25,760 Speaker 1: one thing for a very long time and we just 447 00:23:25,800 --> 00:23:30,040 Speaker 1: switched to a different one. And so just you know, 448 00:23:30,160 --> 00:23:33,040 Speaker 1: sometimes sometimes you don't want to do it, and I 449 00:23:33,119 --> 00:23:34,960 Speaker 1: check in, I said, but did you live the mantra today? 450 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:36,800 Speaker 1: Because we're all about trying to get one percent better 451 00:23:36,800 --> 00:23:38,280 Speaker 1: every day. We're just trying to get one percent better 452 00:23:38,320 --> 00:23:41,320 Speaker 1: every day, And so I said, did you one percent 453 00:23:41,359 --> 00:23:43,560 Speaker 1: better today? And then we talked through you know, what 454 00:23:43,640 --> 00:23:46,200 Speaker 1: are the things age, three head, heart, and hustle and 455 00:23:46,359 --> 00:23:48,280 Speaker 1: a lot of different things. A lot of it has 456 00:23:48,280 --> 00:23:51,320 Speaker 1: a little bit of a sports analogy to a lot 457 00:23:51,320 --> 00:23:54,119 Speaker 1: of the mantras. But but he's I think you know 458 00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:55,400 Speaker 1: one percent better every day. 459 00:23:55,400 --> 00:23:58,000 Speaker 3: I've said this to you before, just just knowing you 460 00:23:58,080 --> 00:23:59,400 Speaker 3: as a person. I was like, you're a good man. 461 00:23:59,400 --> 00:24:01,000 Speaker 3: You have a good heart, and I think that's so 462 00:24:01,080 --> 00:24:05,200 Speaker 3: beautiful that you are one reminding us that there are 463 00:24:05,240 --> 00:24:10,240 Speaker 3: myths related to black fatherhood and that and that obviously 464 00:24:10,280 --> 00:24:13,720 Speaker 3: something I didn't know, that Black American boys are the 465 00:24:13,800 --> 00:24:15,800 Speaker 3: least to be adopted, and that to me is a 466 00:24:15,840 --> 00:24:18,399 Speaker 3: travesty in itself. So I thank you for that because 467 00:24:18,440 --> 00:24:20,280 Speaker 3: that is something that people are going to listen to 468 00:24:20,320 --> 00:24:23,160 Speaker 3: and say, oh, I didn't know that. It's heartbreaking, heartbreaking. 469 00:24:23,200 --> 00:24:26,879 Speaker 3: But also those who have the urge to adopt or 470 00:24:26,920 --> 00:24:29,520 Speaker 3: want to adopt, like, go do that, please, go do 471 00:24:29,560 --> 00:24:32,199 Speaker 3: this do it right now. We need important, We need you, 472 00:24:32,640 --> 00:24:36,280 Speaker 3: they need you fatherhood. I'd like to ask you about 473 00:24:36,280 --> 00:24:40,200 Speaker 3: your father, Doctor Harry D. Harper Junior read that he 474 00:24:40,280 --> 00:24:43,119 Speaker 3: was a doctor as his brother and your mother was 475 00:24:43,160 --> 00:24:47,640 Speaker 3: one of the first practicing black anesthesiologists in the country. 476 00:24:47,680 --> 00:24:50,360 Speaker 3: It's just very amazing to know that that you come 477 00:24:50,359 --> 00:24:53,119 Speaker 3: from from good stock. Talk to me about your father, 478 00:24:53,320 --> 00:24:55,000 Speaker 3: your relationship with him. 479 00:24:55,440 --> 00:24:59,280 Speaker 1: You know, my father demanded excellence and he wanted his 480 00:24:59,320 --> 00:25:00,960 Speaker 1: sons to be a And I have an older brother 481 00:25:01,560 --> 00:25:05,200 Speaker 1: who is Harry Harper the third. And you know, my 482 00:25:05,720 --> 00:25:08,000 Speaker 1: dad died way too young. I mean, that's that's I 483 00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:19,400 Speaker 1: think he was sixty two. I just you know, he 484 00:25:19,400 --> 00:25:22,960 Speaker 1: he wrote, you know, he wrote us hard. I mean 485 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:28,320 Speaker 1: he was hard, but he knew that we could be great. 486 00:25:29,880 --> 00:25:36,160 Speaker 1: And he his father was great. And you know, we joke. 487 00:25:36,359 --> 00:25:38,439 Speaker 1: He always said, you can always tell a Harper, but 488 00:25:38,480 --> 00:25:45,879 Speaker 1: you can't tell him much. And and but we you know, 489 00:25:46,680 --> 00:25:49,320 Speaker 1: he was very different than me, super flashy. You know, 490 00:25:49,359 --> 00:25:53,159 Speaker 1: he wore about ten gold chains, he wore diamonds, he 491 00:25:53,240 --> 00:25:56,639 Speaker 1: had you know, he's the first person I ever saw 492 00:25:56,880 --> 00:26:00,440 Speaker 1: with a diamond face Rolex. You know, he drove really 493 00:26:01,040 --> 00:26:02,080 Speaker 1: flashy cars. 494 00:26:02,720 --> 00:26:03,000 Speaker 3: You know. 495 00:26:03,160 --> 00:26:06,080 Speaker 1: That was my dad was like the dude, he was 496 00:26:06,119 --> 00:26:10,000 Speaker 1: the man. He had all of his swag, all of it, 497 00:26:10,080 --> 00:26:15,439 Speaker 1: and and I inherited a lot of that, but in 498 00:26:15,480 --> 00:26:18,240 Speaker 1: a different way. I exhibit mine in a different way 499 00:26:18,240 --> 00:26:20,679 Speaker 1: than he did. I don't wear any jewelry and all that. 500 00:26:21,960 --> 00:26:23,960 Speaker 3: He said, when you get married, she can't even get 501 00:26:23,960 --> 00:26:24,280 Speaker 3: a ring. 502 00:26:24,640 --> 00:26:26,720 Speaker 1: No, no, no, no, a joke. 503 00:26:26,840 --> 00:26:27,400 Speaker 3: That's a joke. 504 00:26:28,600 --> 00:26:32,720 Speaker 1: I don't I don't want to give the Beers. 505 00:26:32,600 --> 00:26:35,439 Speaker 3: And that's what you are listen conscious as all blood. 506 00:26:35,440 --> 00:26:38,320 Speaker 1: There's so much blood in that company. Yeah, just just 507 00:26:38,600 --> 00:26:41,040 Speaker 1: you know, we talk about blood dimonds. You talk about 508 00:26:41,359 --> 00:26:44,280 Speaker 1: stand a company that you know over ninety percent of 509 00:26:44,320 --> 00:26:46,960 Speaker 1: the diamond trade goes through that company, and those people 510 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:50,639 Speaker 1: are billionaires off the blood of black people. Let's just 511 00:26:50,680 --> 00:26:53,639 Speaker 1: be call it what it is. So me and my 512 00:26:53,720 --> 00:26:56,800 Speaker 1: future wife, we can go mine for our own diamond 513 00:26:56,840 --> 00:26:59,080 Speaker 1: to make sure the Beers doesn't touch one cent of 514 00:26:59,119 --> 00:26:59,600 Speaker 1: our money. 515 00:27:00,080 --> 00:27:00,840 Speaker 3: That sounds exaciting. 516 00:27:01,720 --> 00:27:04,959 Speaker 1: I think that would be fine because I love beautiful things. Yeah, 517 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:08,320 Speaker 1: and so there's nothing wrong with diamonds as long as 518 00:27:08,359 --> 00:27:09,640 Speaker 1: de Beer's doesn't have my money. 519 00:27:09,760 --> 00:27:10,480 Speaker 3: Back to your dad. 520 00:27:10,600 --> 00:27:16,760 Speaker 1: Okay. So doctor Harry Harper, he was a psychiatrist. He 521 00:27:16,800 --> 00:27:19,919 Speaker 1: and my mother met at Howard Medical School and he 522 00:27:20,040 --> 00:27:22,240 Speaker 1: just was amazing. He died of cancer. He was diagnosed 523 00:27:22,280 --> 00:27:25,280 Speaker 1: with the same type of cancer I was diagnosed with. Unfortunately, 524 00:27:25,280 --> 00:27:27,520 Speaker 1: his cancer had migrated and he ended up dying of 525 00:27:27,560 --> 00:27:33,040 Speaker 1: pancreatic cancer, and I credit him for so much of 526 00:27:33,080 --> 00:27:36,480 Speaker 1: what I have and who I am, and I just wish, 527 00:27:36,880 --> 00:27:38,320 Speaker 1: you know. I know he's here in spirit and he 528 00:27:38,359 --> 00:27:40,679 Speaker 1: lives in me, but I wish he'd been around to 529 00:27:40,720 --> 00:27:45,400 Speaker 1: see some of the things that I've done, because every son, 530 00:27:45,560 --> 00:27:48,840 Speaker 1: I don't care, who wants to make his dad proud, 531 00:27:49,520 --> 00:27:51,800 Speaker 1: you know. And I hope that he's looking down, you know, 532 00:27:52,280 --> 00:27:56,199 Speaker 1: and he's proud. And I know for a fact that 533 00:27:56,760 --> 00:28:00,480 Speaker 1: who I am and the level of resilience in personance 534 00:28:00,520 --> 00:28:04,359 Speaker 1: that I have confidence that I have the man that 535 00:28:04,400 --> 00:28:08,399 Speaker 1: I am is because my father raised me, you know, 536 00:28:08,640 --> 00:28:10,800 Speaker 1: and my mom lives with me. 537 00:28:10,880 --> 00:28:11,080 Speaker 2: Now. 538 00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:13,800 Speaker 1: I love my mom. She's amazing. She's a trailblazer in 539 00:28:13,800 --> 00:28:16,240 Speaker 1: her own right, and man, get into her story. But 540 00:28:16,680 --> 00:28:18,520 Speaker 1: I do know I'd be a different human if my 541 00:28:18,600 --> 00:28:22,480 Speaker 1: dad hadn't raised me. Of course, you said something that 542 00:28:22,520 --> 00:28:25,840 Speaker 1: triggered a thought for me. You said, he wrote us. 543 00:28:25,840 --> 00:28:29,600 Speaker 3: He was really hard, and you know that you are 544 00:28:29,640 --> 00:28:31,679 Speaker 3: the man you are today because of him, and you 545 00:28:31,720 --> 00:28:35,400 Speaker 3: wish he was around so you know he could see you. 546 00:28:35,960 --> 00:28:38,880 Speaker 1: And also and also helped me with my son exactly. 547 00:28:38,960 --> 00:28:41,560 Speaker 3: So here is my question. A colleague of mine said 548 00:28:41,560 --> 00:28:44,640 Speaker 3: to me the other day he has two kids, two sons, 549 00:28:45,280 --> 00:28:47,720 Speaker 3: ages twenty and twenty two, and I'm curious with you 550 00:28:47,760 --> 00:28:50,720 Speaker 3: about your perspective with your son and your father. And 551 00:28:51,240 --> 00:28:54,200 Speaker 3: I asked these questions because I am fascinated about black 552 00:28:54,240 --> 00:28:57,560 Speaker 3: men and their relationships with their fathers with women, and 553 00:28:57,680 --> 00:29:00,120 Speaker 3: I want to make sure I have an understanding. And 554 00:29:00,160 --> 00:29:04,040 Speaker 3: I feel like in society today, especially for the culture 555 00:29:04,080 --> 00:29:05,959 Speaker 3: black men and black women dating, that's something I've been 556 00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:08,880 Speaker 3: talking about or being in relationship. It has everything to 557 00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:12,240 Speaker 3: do about how we interact and how we were obviously raised. 558 00:29:12,360 --> 00:29:14,560 Speaker 3: But he said his sons at twenty and twenty two 559 00:29:15,600 --> 00:29:18,360 Speaker 3: are really mad at him now because he rode them 560 00:29:18,400 --> 00:29:21,240 Speaker 3: really hard. And he said that he was just a tough, 561 00:29:21,280 --> 00:29:23,880 Speaker 3: tough dad, but he wanted the best for them and 562 00:29:23,920 --> 00:29:26,520 Speaker 3: he knew that they could be excellent, and that was 563 00:29:26,560 --> 00:29:29,280 Speaker 3: the way his father raised him. And he was like 564 00:29:29,360 --> 00:29:33,080 Speaker 3: my father raised me in a very different way. But 565 00:29:33,120 --> 00:29:35,040 Speaker 3: he was harder on me than I am on my sons. 566 00:29:35,120 --> 00:29:37,760 Speaker 3: And today they have a bit of resentment that he 567 00:29:37,840 --> 00:29:41,800 Speaker 3: hopes will eventually dissipate once they actually can see the 568 00:29:41,800 --> 00:29:45,880 Speaker 3: bigger picture. Do you or was there ever a time 569 00:29:46,320 --> 00:29:48,760 Speaker 3: early on in your life, as a young young man, 570 00:29:48,880 --> 00:29:52,040 Speaker 3: or maybe even as a teenager, you resented your father 571 00:29:52,080 --> 00:29:54,640 Speaker 3: being really strict or hard the word you used on 572 00:29:54,720 --> 00:29:55,440 Speaker 3: you and your brother. 573 00:29:56,000 --> 00:30:00,760 Speaker 1: No, because I didn't. I didn't see that that is optional. 574 00:30:01,200 --> 00:30:03,520 Speaker 1: You got to remember when I was growing up, there 575 00:30:03,600 --> 00:30:10,400 Speaker 1: wasn't social media. There wasn't all. I wasn't seeing other 576 00:30:10,520 --> 00:30:15,000 Speaker 1: versions of people's so called lives, and particularly the bull versions, 577 00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:16,560 Speaker 1: because that's what we see on social media. You're not 578 00:30:16,560 --> 00:30:20,280 Speaker 1: seeing the real version anyway. But you think someone's being 579 00:30:20,360 --> 00:30:24,000 Speaker 1: raised this way, how come you think somebody has this 580 00:30:24,120 --> 00:30:26,200 Speaker 1: or that the so how come I don't? And so 581 00:30:26,400 --> 00:30:28,880 Speaker 1: the comparison game, there was no comparison game because I 582 00:30:28,880 --> 00:30:30,600 Speaker 1: had none to compare it too. This was my life 583 00:30:31,520 --> 00:30:35,960 Speaker 1: and that was it. Now I'm not raising Pierced the 584 00:30:36,040 --> 00:30:38,960 Speaker 1: way my dad raised me because the world has shifted 585 00:30:38,960 --> 00:30:42,160 Speaker 1: and changed and evolved and things are different. And so 586 00:30:43,360 --> 00:30:46,520 Speaker 1: I'm raising him with a little bit more of a 587 00:30:46,560 --> 00:30:50,800 Speaker 1: gentle hand, so to speak, and in a different way, 588 00:30:51,560 --> 00:30:55,080 Speaker 1: attempting to raise from the encouragement side of the ball. 589 00:30:55,560 --> 00:30:58,800 Speaker 1: But and he gets away with things that I literally 590 00:30:58,840 --> 00:31:02,520 Speaker 1: would be you know, I'd be strung up from the rafters. 591 00:31:03,160 --> 00:31:05,000 Speaker 1: If if I would have done some of this stuff, 592 00:31:05,560 --> 00:31:10,880 Speaker 1: you know, but then again, you know you're back, then 593 00:31:10,960 --> 00:31:12,280 Speaker 1: your parent could push you. 594 00:31:13,080 --> 00:31:14,680 Speaker 3: And not go to jail, and that. 595 00:31:16,200 --> 00:31:21,960 Speaker 1: Exactly. So it's a different, different situation. So you do know, 596 00:31:23,200 --> 00:31:25,800 Speaker 1: you know, you know. At the end of the day, though, 597 00:31:26,920 --> 00:31:29,120 Speaker 1: what I try to where I try to level set it. 598 00:31:29,240 --> 00:31:32,040 Speaker 1: And this is for everybody, even looking back at my 599 00:31:32,280 --> 00:31:36,240 Speaker 1: relationship book that I will call the Conversation or anything, fundamentally, 600 00:31:36,280 --> 00:31:39,200 Speaker 1: what do we all want? We fundamentally just want to 601 00:31:39,240 --> 00:31:41,800 Speaker 1: be happy, and what does that look like. It looks 602 00:31:41,840 --> 00:31:46,560 Speaker 1: like it's different for every single person, but there are 603 00:31:46,560 --> 00:31:50,360 Speaker 1: some fundamental elements to that. Feeling good about who you 604 00:31:50,400 --> 00:31:57,840 Speaker 1: are when you look in the mirror, being kind, being generous, 605 00:31:59,560 --> 00:32:02,040 Speaker 1: and want the best for whoever you're sitting across from, 606 00:32:02,160 --> 00:32:05,880 Speaker 1: whether it's a romantic relationship, a friendship, or just someone 607 00:32:05,920 --> 00:32:09,560 Speaker 1: you don't even know on the train. Those are just 608 00:32:09,680 --> 00:32:12,920 Speaker 1: foundational things and those are the things I'm trying to 609 00:32:12,920 --> 00:32:15,760 Speaker 1: convey to my son. So I talk about this idea 610 00:32:15,760 --> 00:32:18,440 Speaker 1: of kindness and friendship and and and and there's a 611 00:32:18,520 --> 00:32:21,400 Speaker 1: there's a level of selfishness that is running through our 612 00:32:21,440 --> 00:32:23,000 Speaker 1: culture right now. 613 00:32:23,040 --> 00:32:24,400 Speaker 3: Of course, And so. 614 00:32:26,240 --> 00:32:30,080 Speaker 1: You know, I think the best version of us is 615 00:32:30,800 --> 00:32:34,720 Speaker 1: that version that wants to give, give away, give, give, give, 616 00:32:35,520 --> 00:32:38,080 Speaker 1: and and that's what I'm trying to show. And I 617 00:32:38,160 --> 00:32:41,000 Speaker 1: believe that ultimately it seeps sentinence. I gotta believe that, 618 00:32:41,160 --> 00:32:44,280 Speaker 1: and that he's seeing that. And also risk taking, and 619 00:32:44,320 --> 00:32:47,200 Speaker 1: like I started talking about failure, I want him to 620 00:32:47,240 --> 00:32:51,080 Speaker 1: see me fail spectacularly, sure at so many different things 621 00:32:51,120 --> 00:32:54,160 Speaker 1: because I'm taking risk and we don't. Most of us 622 00:32:54,160 --> 00:32:57,600 Speaker 1: don't take enough risks, I agree, And so that's that's 623 00:32:57,640 --> 00:32:59,840 Speaker 1: where it is. And my father was a risk taker too. 624 00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:02,200 Speaker 1: My father was super risk taker. 625 00:33:03,800 --> 00:33:06,280 Speaker 3: How would you describe the relationship you have with your 626 00:33:06,320 --> 00:33:10,920 Speaker 3: father and tell me the relationship you have with Peers. 627 00:33:12,360 --> 00:33:14,520 Speaker 1: Well, one thing that one of the biggest differences is 628 00:33:14,560 --> 00:33:18,400 Speaker 1: I consciously said, tell Pierce I love you, hug him, 629 00:33:18,440 --> 00:33:21,080 Speaker 1: and kiss him much more than my dad didn't. You know, 630 00:33:21,760 --> 00:33:25,160 Speaker 1: my dad didn't say I love you very much, and 631 00:33:25,200 --> 00:33:28,040 Speaker 1: nor did he kiss me or hug me much. So 632 00:33:28,080 --> 00:33:31,040 Speaker 1: I consciously attempt to do that. Why did he not? 633 00:33:31,280 --> 00:33:33,560 Speaker 3: Why did you? Why do you consciously? 634 00:33:33,600 --> 00:33:40,720 Speaker 1: Because it's clear to me that well, first of all, 635 00:33:41,840 --> 00:33:45,200 Speaker 1: I'm raising a son without a mother. In the home. 636 00:33:46,600 --> 00:33:53,000 Speaker 1: So my son off the jump is missing that maternal hug, 637 00:33:53,200 --> 00:33:58,400 Speaker 1: love kiss, that thing that comes often naturally from mom 638 00:33:58,440 --> 00:34:03,880 Speaker 1: to son. In number too, I want him to feel 639 00:34:04,760 --> 00:34:09,080 Speaker 1: what being loved is and so that he's able to 640 00:34:09,160 --> 00:34:12,480 Speaker 1: notice the difference in the future of what that feels like. 641 00:34:13,760 --> 00:34:18,400 Speaker 1: And also just you know, I want to keep the 642 00:34:18,440 --> 00:34:22,120 Speaker 1: best of what my dad brought, but not necessarily take 643 00:34:22,280 --> 00:34:27,719 Speaker 1: stuff that I think takes you away, because I mean, 644 00:34:27,760 --> 00:34:29,400 Speaker 1: I think about me and my brother. My brother and 645 00:34:29,440 --> 00:34:31,600 Speaker 1: I grew up in the exact same household, but we're 646 00:34:31,719 --> 00:34:37,320 Speaker 1: very different people, right, So everybody's on their own journey anyway, 647 00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:40,000 Speaker 1: Pierce is on his own. Piers is going no matter 648 00:34:40,040 --> 00:34:42,200 Speaker 1: what I do, Pierce is going to be who he's 649 00:34:42,239 --> 00:34:45,800 Speaker 1: going to be. Correct, So therefore I'm just trying. I'm 650 00:34:45,960 --> 00:34:52,040 Speaker 1: literally just massage on the edges. So if I feel 651 00:34:52,080 --> 00:34:55,080 Speaker 1: like he needs more tactile love and support, then I 652 00:34:55,120 --> 00:34:58,359 Speaker 1: should do that. And always attempting to make adjustments. I'm 653 00:34:58,360 --> 00:35:00,279 Speaker 1: always testing things. I'm just like some some times I 654 00:35:00,320 --> 00:35:02,840 Speaker 1: gotta come in like more of a hammer. Sometimes I 655 00:35:02,880 --> 00:35:05,720 Speaker 1: can ease off of that. Sometimes I can be more gentle. 656 00:35:06,680 --> 00:35:09,800 Speaker 1: It's always I think a work in progress. 657 00:35:10,200 --> 00:35:13,040 Speaker 3: You said that you love him. You tell him you 658 00:35:13,040 --> 00:35:14,879 Speaker 3: love him and hug him. Because there is no mother, 659 00:35:14,960 --> 00:35:16,680 Speaker 3: that's the first thing in the house, and so you 660 00:35:16,719 --> 00:35:20,120 Speaker 3: want to make sure that he experiences that type of 661 00:35:20,160 --> 00:35:22,920 Speaker 3: love as well. Usually women do that. Mothers do that. 662 00:35:22,920 --> 00:35:26,040 Speaker 3: That's the maternal thing, I guess, is what you're saying, Roles. Traditionally, 663 00:35:26,200 --> 00:35:28,640 Speaker 3: you want to just make sure that he feels that. 664 00:35:29,080 --> 00:35:33,400 Speaker 1: I can never replace the maternal love, but I can 665 00:35:33,640 --> 00:35:37,360 Speaker 1: be cognizant of the fact that I can make sure 666 00:35:37,760 --> 00:35:41,520 Speaker 1: because it's easy to get into a mode of yes, 667 00:35:41,760 --> 00:35:45,359 Speaker 1: of just being the disciplinarian and the person who's about 668 00:35:45,400 --> 00:35:47,719 Speaker 1: achievement and da dah da da da. That's what my 669 00:35:47,840 --> 00:35:49,880 Speaker 1: dad did, and that's what he was. He was very 670 00:35:49,920 --> 00:35:53,120 Speaker 1: good at that. But I got to check myself sometimes 671 00:35:53,120 --> 00:35:55,400 Speaker 1: if I get too deep into that mode and be 672 00:35:55,760 --> 00:35:59,239 Speaker 1: much more about you know what, because again, I want 673 00:35:59,320 --> 00:36:01,560 Speaker 1: him to feel good about himself, no matter who and what, 674 00:36:02,400 --> 00:36:03,760 Speaker 1: and that's important. 675 00:36:05,239 --> 00:36:13,640 Speaker 3: We'll be back in just a few moments. I would 676 00:36:13,680 --> 00:36:15,960 Speaker 3: like to see and I don't know if I if 677 00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:18,280 Speaker 3: it's there, and I don't see it enough. But I've 678 00:36:18,440 --> 00:36:21,960 Speaker 3: often been asked by a lot of my girlfriends why 679 00:36:22,360 --> 00:36:25,839 Speaker 3: they they're single. I'm single, you're single, or maybe you're not, 680 00:36:26,040 --> 00:36:29,480 Speaker 3: but there's a lot of single people in our culture. 681 00:36:30,080 --> 00:36:32,640 Speaker 3: And they said there's a disconnect between black men and 682 00:36:32,680 --> 00:36:36,200 Speaker 3: black women. And I watch some of these, you know, silly, 683 00:36:36,480 --> 00:36:41,160 Speaker 3: not necessary, superficial shows on social media that show people 684 00:36:41,280 --> 00:36:43,600 Speaker 3: dating games and pop and balloons and all these different 685 00:36:43,640 --> 00:36:46,200 Speaker 3: things that I think about, and I go, there feels 686 00:36:46,239 --> 00:36:49,280 Speaker 3: like there's a bit of a disconnect to me between 687 00:36:49,680 --> 00:36:53,200 Speaker 3: black men and black women. And I wonder if you've 688 00:36:53,320 --> 00:36:56,799 Speaker 3: noticed that. I consider you someone who you've written books 689 00:36:56,800 --> 00:37:00,760 Speaker 3: about relationships, You've talked about what you think is missing 690 00:37:00,920 --> 00:37:03,640 Speaker 3: or perhaps is missing, if there is a way to 691 00:37:03,800 --> 00:37:08,520 Speaker 3: describe the disconnect, if that's the right word, between black 692 00:37:08,560 --> 00:37:11,040 Speaker 3: men and black women in terms of relationships and dating. 693 00:37:11,360 --> 00:37:13,360 Speaker 3: I know there could be women sitting around saying, well, 694 00:37:13,560 --> 00:37:16,080 Speaker 3: you know, it's hard to date black men because if 695 00:37:16,120 --> 00:37:18,520 Speaker 3: they're successful. I'm throwing out things. I'm not saying that 696 00:37:18,600 --> 00:37:20,560 Speaker 3: this is true. If they're successful, they don't want to 697 00:37:20,640 --> 00:37:24,560 Speaker 3: date black women if they're successful, not true. They have 698 00:37:24,640 --> 00:37:28,959 Speaker 3: requirements that aren't realistic. I've heard black men say black 699 00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:33,160 Speaker 3: women don't have realistic requirements. They want something that doesn't 700 00:37:33,160 --> 00:37:37,480 Speaker 3: make sense to me, and it's not realistic. And also 701 00:37:38,480 --> 00:37:40,480 Speaker 3: I just don't want to deal with all of that. Whatever, 702 00:37:40,560 --> 00:37:43,640 Speaker 3: all of that is put in whatever adjective you'd like. 703 00:37:45,080 --> 00:37:47,400 Speaker 3: I first off, I want to point out if you 704 00:37:47,480 --> 00:37:50,719 Speaker 3: are not only watching this, if you're just listening, I'm 705 00:37:50,719 --> 00:37:54,440 Speaker 3: not even done with my question. He'll grabs the microphone, 706 00:37:54,600 --> 00:37:57,359 Speaker 3: pulls it close to this is interesting subject because he's 707 00:37:57,480 --> 00:37:59,000 Speaker 3: ready to go in. I just want just to know 708 00:37:59,040 --> 00:38:01,200 Speaker 3: that I'm just trying. I'm just asking question. I just 709 00:38:01,239 --> 00:38:03,680 Speaker 3: hear I am doing what I do. I am naturally curious. 710 00:38:03,960 --> 00:38:07,040 Speaker 3: So you so I'm not done yet before you boss 711 00:38:07,160 --> 00:38:10,440 Speaker 3: up on me about what's wrong with the world, Well 712 00:38:10,480 --> 00:38:14,400 Speaker 3: you know we're run looking at Jay. We are actually 713 00:38:14,560 --> 00:38:18,600 Speaker 3: we are talk to me about the current status of 714 00:38:18,600 --> 00:38:20,319 Speaker 3: black men and black women in relationships. 715 00:38:21,000 --> 00:38:25,440 Speaker 1: Okay, so, first of all, I wrote a book about 716 00:38:25,440 --> 00:38:27,560 Speaker 1: this years and years and years and years and years ago, 717 00:38:27,719 --> 00:38:30,640 Speaker 1: and things have not changed since then. In fact, they 718 00:38:30,680 --> 00:38:33,120 Speaker 1: may have gotten worse. Issue and problem. It's not clear 719 00:38:33,160 --> 00:38:37,960 Speaker 1: that we're even friends anymore. And that's it. That is 720 00:38:38,000 --> 00:38:43,120 Speaker 1: the foundational piece. Now, you mentioned something interesting that you 721 00:38:43,239 --> 00:38:45,759 Speaker 1: just said. There's this thing that I talk about in 722 00:38:45,760 --> 00:38:49,040 Speaker 1: the book called the five ninety five rule, and that's 723 00:38:49,080 --> 00:38:51,359 Speaker 1: I think that's what the chapter is called. And I 724 00:38:51,400 --> 00:38:53,239 Speaker 1: did a test or an experiment. The name of the 725 00:38:53,239 --> 00:38:56,080 Speaker 1: book is please, It's called the Conversation. And that's what 726 00:38:56,120 --> 00:38:57,640 Speaker 1: I think that we need to have more of, is 727 00:38:57,680 --> 00:38:59,680 Speaker 1: Black men and black women have to have more conversations. 728 00:38:59,719 --> 00:39:02,799 Speaker 1: We have to talk, we have to establish friendship. But 729 00:39:03,480 --> 00:39:08,239 Speaker 1: I did this test. I gave women, you know, a 730 00:39:08,400 --> 00:39:11,640 Speaker 1: thing where you filled out kind of a questionnaire about 731 00:39:11,800 --> 00:39:13,600 Speaker 1: yourself and said, you know, no one's going to see this, 732 00:39:13,920 --> 00:39:16,320 Speaker 1: just be brutally honest. And I asked all these different 733 00:39:16,360 --> 00:39:18,680 Speaker 1: questions about how much debt you carry, how much you earn, 734 00:39:18,719 --> 00:39:22,920 Speaker 1: and what you do, education level, you know, aspirations, what 735 00:39:23,000 --> 00:39:25,080 Speaker 1: you want to do, what you know, kind of house 736 00:39:25,200 --> 00:39:26,759 Speaker 1: and home you want to live in, where you want 737 00:39:26,760 --> 00:39:29,000 Speaker 1: to live, you know, just all these different questions just 738 00:39:29,000 --> 00:39:31,480 Speaker 1: about but I get to know you, like who you 739 00:39:31,560 --> 00:39:36,279 Speaker 1: are a profile basically, and then with the exact same 740 00:39:36,360 --> 00:39:40,040 Speaker 1: group later on, you know, after there was a lot 741 00:39:40,080 --> 00:39:42,960 Speaker 1: of stuff in between, so that they couldn't psychologically make 742 00:39:43,000 --> 00:39:47,040 Speaker 1: a connection. I had them do almost identical profile piece 743 00:39:47,200 --> 00:39:51,440 Speaker 1: about the man that they saw themselves with and who 744 00:39:51,440 --> 00:39:54,879 Speaker 1: they wanted to be with. Fascinating, It is fascinating. It 745 00:39:54,920 --> 00:39:58,879 Speaker 1: was fascinating, and you want to know what the results were. 746 00:40:00,280 --> 00:40:02,080 Speaker 1: And then you ask them, who do you want to 747 00:40:02,120 --> 00:40:04,920 Speaker 1: be with? They say, I'm sure you've heard this term. 748 00:40:05,360 --> 00:40:08,040 Speaker 1: I want to be with the man who's equally yoked, 749 00:40:08,160 --> 00:40:09,719 Speaker 1: or I want to be with my equal, I want 750 00:40:09,760 --> 00:40:11,920 Speaker 1: to be that someone who's on my level. You know 751 00:40:12,000 --> 00:40:15,399 Speaker 1: those types of terms. So many of them would say 752 00:40:15,440 --> 00:40:19,880 Speaker 1: some version already roll of that. And then you know what, 753 00:40:20,160 --> 00:40:24,239 Speaker 1: you know what came up? Is it when you compared them, oh, 754 00:40:24,360 --> 00:40:29,279 Speaker 1: stop watch this to what they wrote about the man. 755 00:40:30,719 --> 00:40:32,440 Speaker 1: They would say, they want to be on their level, 756 00:40:33,520 --> 00:40:41,759 Speaker 1: but this man was here nothing like their level. Five 757 00:40:41,840 --> 00:40:44,240 Speaker 1: percent of the women are trying to date, two percent 758 00:40:44,280 --> 00:40:46,680 Speaker 1: of the men, five percent of the men. Okay, In 759 00:40:46,719 --> 00:40:49,640 Speaker 1: other words, what I mean by that is you understand 760 00:40:49,680 --> 00:40:51,479 Speaker 1: what I'm saying. In other words, they didn't. They didn't 761 00:40:51,480 --> 00:40:53,319 Speaker 1: describe over here a man that has the same depth 762 00:40:53,360 --> 00:40:55,400 Speaker 1: they have. They didn't describe a man over here that 763 00:40:55,440 --> 00:40:58,520 Speaker 1: has the same job, income, earning, same type of house, 764 00:40:58,840 --> 00:41:01,880 Speaker 1: same type of desired that da da da, you know, 765 00:41:02,440 --> 00:41:04,640 Speaker 1: two weeks out of the year, vacations, da da da. 766 00:41:04,680 --> 00:41:08,600 Speaker 1: They described a combination between Barack Obama, Denzel Washington, and 767 00:41:08,680 --> 00:41:14,200 Speaker 1: g and Jesus. So that so so in their minds, 768 00:41:14,200 --> 00:41:17,520 Speaker 1: a man who's equally yoked is that rather than what's 769 00:41:17,600 --> 00:41:18,440 Speaker 1: actually real. 770 00:41:19,080 --> 00:41:23,000 Speaker 3: Okay, So so I say all that to say what 771 00:41:23,080 --> 00:41:24,239 Speaker 3: about inverse? 772 00:41:24,360 --> 00:41:26,319 Speaker 1: The inverse is different. So what we're found in the 773 00:41:26,320 --> 00:41:29,640 Speaker 1: inverse was there was a little bit more of a 774 00:41:29,640 --> 00:41:33,880 Speaker 1: physicality issue with men. So there were ninety five percent 775 00:41:33,880 --> 00:41:35,520 Speaker 1: of the men we're trying to date five percent of women, 776 00:41:35,719 --> 00:41:37,800 Speaker 1: but their criteria was a little different. In other words, 777 00:41:38,040 --> 00:41:39,960 Speaker 1: you know, dudes thought they were going to date, you know, 778 00:41:40,000 --> 00:41:43,320 Speaker 1: somebody who looked like Beyonce. When they look like truck 779 00:41:43,360 --> 00:41:46,400 Speaker 1: of Sam, it's like truck of Sam. You ain't dating Beyonce, 780 00:41:47,160 --> 00:41:50,839 Speaker 1: you know, you know, I know, I know. I mean, 781 00:41:51,000 --> 00:41:53,520 Speaker 1: you know they see jay Z and be like, well 782 00:41:53,520 --> 00:41:54,920 Speaker 1: he don't look as good as her, So how did 783 00:41:54,960 --> 00:41:55,400 Speaker 1: that happen? 784 00:41:55,600 --> 00:41:57,480 Speaker 3: But you ain't jay Z? Right? 785 00:42:00,000 --> 00:42:01,960 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, you know, brother who looked like that can 786 00:42:02,000 --> 00:42:03,640 Speaker 1: get her, but you got to be jay Z first. 787 00:42:04,360 --> 00:42:05,600 Speaker 1: You can't. You're not gonna get there. 788 00:42:05,880 --> 00:42:08,120 Speaker 3: You know, you're breaking the microphone. 789 00:42:08,239 --> 00:42:11,680 Speaker 1: Sam. I think this is fun stuff to talk about, 790 00:42:11,880 --> 00:42:14,400 Speaker 1: but it's about it's about being honest and looking in 791 00:42:14,400 --> 00:42:17,040 Speaker 1: the mirror. But I think that we get away from 792 00:42:17,080 --> 00:42:20,120 Speaker 1: and all jokes aside. I mean, that's that's real what 793 00:42:20,200 --> 00:42:22,200 Speaker 1: I talked about. But that's not really that's all the 794 00:42:22,239 --> 00:42:24,680 Speaker 1: fluff stuff that's kind of fun to talk about the 795 00:42:24,719 --> 00:42:28,400 Speaker 1: real issue is the heart. Can we open up our 796 00:42:28,400 --> 00:42:30,560 Speaker 1: heart to each other and really love each other? And 797 00:42:30,600 --> 00:42:35,440 Speaker 1: there's so much historical trauma and hurt and pain that 798 00:42:35,520 --> 00:42:39,080 Speaker 1: it's very difficult to get past opening up. And so 799 00:42:40,280 --> 00:42:42,799 Speaker 1: I was I tell this story in the book. I 800 00:42:42,840 --> 00:42:45,719 Speaker 1: was dating a girl who I came home once and 801 00:42:46,040 --> 00:42:47,720 Speaker 1: you know, I had a key to her her place. 802 00:42:48,000 --> 00:42:50,440 Speaker 1: I come home and I walk in. She's on the 803 00:42:50,440 --> 00:42:51,320 Speaker 1: phone with her girlfriend. 804 00:42:51,360 --> 00:42:52,560 Speaker 3: Girl. I can't believe me. 805 00:42:52,920 --> 00:42:54,759 Speaker 1: I know, Oh my god, are you kidding me? 806 00:42:54,840 --> 00:42:55,719 Speaker 3: Oh my god? To he hear? 807 00:42:55,719 --> 00:42:59,440 Speaker 1: I mean, okay, all right, girl, I love you. 808 00:42:59,440 --> 00:42:59,960 Speaker 2: You know I love you. 809 00:43:00,080 --> 00:43:00,759 Speaker 3: Okay, how tires you? 810 00:43:00,800 --> 00:43:01,880 Speaker 1: Okay, Yeah, we're gonna talk to you. 811 00:43:01,960 --> 00:43:02,880 Speaker 3: Okay, okay, bye. 812 00:43:02,680 --> 00:43:05,239 Speaker 1: Boom, hung up the phone. She looks at me, how 813 00:43:05,360 --> 00:43:08,080 Speaker 1: is your day? I was like, Well, who's the girl 814 00:43:08,239 --> 00:43:09,160 Speaker 1: who's just on the phone? 815 00:43:09,360 --> 00:43:10,680 Speaker 3: Can I date her? How about hey? 816 00:43:10,719 --> 00:43:11,760 Speaker 1: Baby? How welcome? 817 00:43:11,840 --> 00:43:13,200 Speaker 3: Home, how are you, what's going on? 818 00:43:13,920 --> 00:43:17,840 Speaker 1: And so so so so so basically what I'm I 819 00:43:17,920 --> 00:43:21,440 Speaker 1: say that story to say, the energy and the heart 820 00:43:21,480 --> 00:43:24,239 Speaker 1: that you put out is ultimately what you give back. 821 00:43:24,480 --> 00:43:26,880 Speaker 1: If you've been hurt by a man, or you've been 822 00:43:26,960 --> 00:43:29,120 Speaker 1: hurt by a woman, or hurt by your mother or 823 00:43:29,200 --> 00:43:32,200 Speaker 1: hurt by whatever, you're gonna close off and you're not 824 00:43:32,239 --> 00:43:34,839 Speaker 1: gonna give it. So therefore it's not gonna be reciprocated. 825 00:43:35,280 --> 00:43:37,680 Speaker 1: But a lot of women feel safe for their girlfriends 826 00:43:37,680 --> 00:43:39,960 Speaker 1: to open up, even when their girlfriends maybe have treated 827 00:43:40,000 --> 00:43:42,880 Speaker 1: them just as bad or worse, but they still feel 828 00:43:42,920 --> 00:43:47,640 Speaker 1: safe that that's okay. I was in Africa traveling with 829 00:43:47,680 --> 00:43:51,920 Speaker 1: the Massies and the Messiah, strong tall black men and 830 00:43:51,960 --> 00:43:54,880 Speaker 1: they hold hands and I was struck by that, and 831 00:43:54,920 --> 00:43:59,960 Speaker 1: I was like, these these warriors stand out there holding 832 00:44:00,080 --> 00:44:03,319 Speaker 1: each other's hands, and I said, that is deep. We 833 00:44:03,360 --> 00:44:07,719 Speaker 1: as black men have to hold metaphorically speaking, each other's hand, 834 00:44:08,000 --> 00:44:10,960 Speaker 1: just like black women hold each other's hands. And then 835 00:44:11,000 --> 00:44:14,080 Speaker 1: we have to hold each other's hands. And you're right. 836 00:44:14,200 --> 00:44:19,160 Speaker 1: There's a lot of negotiation around sex and sexual activity 837 00:44:19,200 --> 00:44:20,759 Speaker 1: and all of that, but at the end of the day, 838 00:44:20,760 --> 00:44:23,120 Speaker 1: it comes back to the heart and wanting the best. 839 00:44:23,200 --> 00:44:25,319 Speaker 1: I want the best for my sisters. I want the 840 00:44:25,320 --> 00:44:27,160 Speaker 1: best for you. And if I can stay in that 841 00:44:27,280 --> 00:44:29,680 Speaker 1: zone and in that mode, I can help open up 842 00:44:29,680 --> 00:44:31,880 Speaker 1: my heart to you and hopefully we can do the 843 00:44:31,880 --> 00:44:34,840 Speaker 1: same and reciprocate conversation is true. 844 00:44:35,160 --> 00:44:38,560 Speaker 3: The ability to feel safe is I think what I 845 00:44:38,640 --> 00:44:41,120 Speaker 3: was able to extract from all of that. If you 846 00:44:41,160 --> 00:44:43,200 Speaker 3: don't feel safe, we won't do that. But that is 847 00:44:43,360 --> 00:44:48,200 Speaker 3: directly related to what trauma you've experienced, from what you've 848 00:44:48,200 --> 00:44:53,000 Speaker 3: healed from. But do you see the distance? Do you 849 00:44:53,080 --> 00:44:56,160 Speaker 3: see the disconnect currently. 850 00:44:55,719 --> 00:45:01,279 Speaker 1: There's a lot. There's a lot and if you look 851 00:45:01,320 --> 00:45:04,120 Speaker 1: at just look at the data black families as as 852 00:45:04,239 --> 00:45:08,719 Speaker 1: as But I mean, this is such we could do 853 00:45:08,800 --> 00:45:13,319 Speaker 1: a whole We could do a whole by because the 854 00:45:13,360 --> 00:45:17,920 Speaker 1: systemic realities is that there have been structural, systemic correct 855 00:45:18,160 --> 00:45:23,680 Speaker 1: weapons correct levied against and to destroy the black family. 856 00:45:24,400 --> 00:45:27,759 Speaker 1: And those things continue today and they continue in even 857 00:45:27,840 --> 00:45:33,880 Speaker 1: more diabolical ways. And so you know, at the end 858 00:45:33,880 --> 00:45:35,920 Speaker 1: of the day, I just have to come back. I 859 00:45:35,960 --> 00:45:41,480 Speaker 1: love black women, I celebrate black women. I love my sisters. 860 00:45:41,520 --> 00:45:42,880 Speaker 1: I want I want to figure out a way to 861 00:45:42,880 --> 00:45:47,520 Speaker 1: support and bring us together and so you know, whatever 862 00:45:47,600 --> 00:45:49,400 Speaker 1: that looks like, we got to do it. We have 863 00:45:49,480 --> 00:45:52,480 Speaker 1: to or we will perish. We are we are bearing 864 00:45:52,560 --> 00:45:56,880 Speaker 1: witness to the establishment of a permanent underclass that the 865 00:45:57,480 --> 00:46:02,160 Speaker 1: crux of which is the instruction of the black family unit, 866 00:46:02,800 --> 00:46:05,279 Speaker 1: which has been going on a long time. And we 867 00:46:05,320 --> 00:46:10,080 Speaker 1: can joke about filling out forms and joke about equally yoked, 868 00:46:10,360 --> 00:46:13,520 Speaker 1: but at the end of the day, I just was 869 00:46:13,560 --> 00:46:17,879 Speaker 1: in Montgomery, Alabama, and I recommend that every black person, 870 00:46:17,920 --> 00:46:21,360 Speaker 1: every forget, every person in America goes to the Legacy 871 00:46:21,440 --> 00:46:26,040 Speaker 1: Museum Brian Stevenson and the Equal Justice Initiative. It is 872 00:46:26,120 --> 00:46:32,600 Speaker 1: so powerful when you talk about the largest forced migration, 873 00:46:32,840 --> 00:46:38,399 Speaker 1: kidnapping and torture of twelve million Black people, and the purposeful, 874 00:46:39,000 --> 00:46:43,280 Speaker 1: purposeful removal and break up of black families. It's historic 875 00:46:43,400 --> 00:46:46,520 Speaker 1: and it's trauma, and it exists today and it's not 876 00:46:46,640 --> 00:46:50,120 Speaker 1: that long ago. So we have to be very intentional 877 00:46:50,160 --> 00:46:53,880 Speaker 1: to deal with solving it and loving each other and 878 00:46:53,920 --> 00:46:55,760 Speaker 1: figuring out a way to get past the bullshit. 879 00:46:56,920 --> 00:46:58,840 Speaker 3: I love you, dep I hate that we have to 880 00:46:58,840 --> 00:47:00,840 Speaker 3: wrap the podcast. We can have five. I think we 881 00:47:00,840 --> 00:47:02,000 Speaker 3: should do five more sessions. 882 00:47:02,000 --> 00:47:05,680 Speaker 1: We may have to do a special, Yes, podcast called 883 00:47:06,000 --> 00:47:08,320 Speaker 1: The Conversation or. 884 00:47:08,640 --> 00:47:11,040 Speaker 3: Just the Black Men Love Black Women, Black women love 885 00:47:11,080 --> 00:47:16,120 Speaker 3: Black men. Yes, that that was too long. Black going 886 00:47:16,200 --> 00:47:19,840 Speaker 3: loving each other, Blacks love it. Here we go, Hill Harper, 887 00:47:20,040 --> 00:47:22,240 Speaker 3: go and get one of his. We can talk about sports. 888 00:47:22,280 --> 00:47:24,759 Speaker 3: We talk about any sports. But that's okay because you 889 00:47:24,760 --> 00:47:28,080 Speaker 3: know what. The sport of love, the sport of relationships, 890 00:47:28,080 --> 00:47:31,360 Speaker 3: the sport of fatherhood, all here, all here. You you 891 00:47:31,480 --> 00:47:34,880 Speaker 3: gave some jewels. You you left us with jewelry, and 892 00:47:34,920 --> 00:47:37,200 Speaker 3: we needed that. We needed We needed a healthy meal. 893 00:47:37,239 --> 00:47:38,280 Speaker 3: We didn't need any candy. 894 00:47:38,320 --> 00:47:39,839 Speaker 1: So I'm so proud of you, and I just want 895 00:47:39,840 --> 00:47:42,080 Speaker 1: to say this as this black man, I want to 896 00:47:42,120 --> 00:47:44,600 Speaker 1: celebrate Carry Champion. I want to celebrate you. I want 897 00:47:44,600 --> 00:47:48,920 Speaker 1: to lift you up and know that you are spectacular, intelligent, 898 00:47:49,040 --> 00:47:52,680 Speaker 1: beautiful and deserve to be seen by all folks on 899 00:47:52,760 --> 00:47:57,080 Speaker 1: all platforms because your voice matters, your energy matters, and 900 00:47:57,120 --> 00:48:00,160 Speaker 1: you need to be viewed, seen and heard. And so 901 00:48:00,200 --> 00:48:01,520 Speaker 1: we love you well. 902 00:48:01,560 --> 00:48:03,319 Speaker 3: I thank you for being my friend and taking the time. 903 00:48:03,360 --> 00:48:05,720 Speaker 3: But we have to do this again. We will okay, okay, 904 00:48:05,760 --> 00:48:11,800 Speaker 3: Bye bye bye. By Naked Sports. Written and executive produced 905 00:48:11,840 --> 00:48:15,880 Speaker 3: by me Kerry Champion. Produced by Jacqueses Thomas, sound design 906 00:48:15,960 --> 00:48:18,879 Speaker 3: and mastered by Dwayne Crawford. Naked Sports is a part 907 00:48:18,880 --> 00:48:21,320 Speaker 3: of the Black Effect podcast network in iHeartMedia