WEBVTT -  Why Mr. T Called Himself "Mr."

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<v Speaker 1>This is Lee Habib and this is our American stories.

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<v Speaker 1>Our next story is about a man whose legend has

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<v Speaker 1>reached Chuck Norris like heights. In fact, the man behind

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<v Speaker 1>all those farcical facts about Chuck Norris wrote a book

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<v Speaker 1>titled Chuck Norris Versus Mister T. Four hundred Facts about

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<v Speaker 1>the Baddest Dudes in the History of Ever. Without further ado,

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<v Speaker 1>here's Greg Hengler with the story of Mister T.

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<v Speaker 2>Mister T is, without a doubt, one of the most

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<v Speaker 2>recognizable pop culture curiosities of the eighties, right up there

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<v Speaker 2>with the Rubik's Cube breakdancing and pac Man bursting onto

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<v Speaker 2>the scene as villainous boxer clubber Lang and Rocky three,

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<v Speaker 2>in which he ad lipped his famous catchphrase, No.

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<v Speaker 3>I don't hate their boa, but I paid it for

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<v Speaker 3>and I would destroy any man who tries to take

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<v Speaker 3>what I got. What's your prediction for the fight?

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<v Speaker 2>Then addiction?

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<v Speaker 3>Yes, prediction.

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<v Speaker 2>He went Reagan era viral with the A Team. What

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<v Speaker 2>you're doing, sucker?

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<v Speaker 1>What's going on here?

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<v Speaker 3>This road leads directly to the airport, Hannibal, this road

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<v Speaker 3>is nowhere near the airport.

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<v Speaker 2>The popular TV show launched the former Chicago nightclub bouncer

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<v Speaker 2>to a surreal level of fame that spawned a Saturday

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<v Speaker 2>Morning cartoon, action figures and even a ridiculously sweet breakfast Cereal. Well,

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<v Speaker 2>enough with the jibajebba. Here's mister T with his story,

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<v Speaker 2>starting with how he was discovered, how he got his name,

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<v Speaker 2>and why the mohawk.

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<v Speaker 3>When I wouldn't bodygarden. I used to work at this

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<v Speaker 3>disco in Chicago called Dean Bets. I was sort of

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<v Speaker 3>bouncing people's a saint and then the in DC had

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<v Speaker 3>this contest called the Toughest Bounce in America. Humbly I

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<v Speaker 3>won the contest. When I say humbly I wanted even

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<v Speaker 3>though it was called the Toughest Bounce in America. I

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<v Speaker 3>did not win that I wanted two years in a row.

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<v Speaker 3>I didn't win that contest because I was the roughest,

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<v Speaker 3>the toughest, or the baddest. I won that contest again

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<v Speaker 3>because the calls c A U S E. The cause

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<v Speaker 3>that I represented was far more greater than anybody else's cause.

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<v Speaker 3>I told my pastor that my church caused some Politan

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<v Speaker 3>community church on the South side of Chicago.

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<v Speaker 2>I said, Pastor.

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<v Speaker 3>Hardy, they are having a contest and when I win,

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<v Speaker 3>I'm gonna give you the money so you can buy

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<v Speaker 3>clothes and food for less fortunate people in the community.

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<v Speaker 3>So I won two years in a row. I gave

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<v Speaker 3>a check both times to my church. And then they

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<v Speaker 3>say that syl Vesteristallone was at home at the time

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<v Speaker 3>watching the program. Then he saw me. I had my

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<v Speaker 3>ear rings and my tuxio each bounce at a tuxi home.

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<v Speaker 3>Then he saw me. He said, that guy's different and

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<v Speaker 3>he can talk. Then they called me out. At first

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<v Speaker 3>they called me and they sent me a script. Then

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<v Speaker 3>that came out to Hollywood audition for the role. Had

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<v Speaker 3>to beat out fifteen hundred black guys for the part.

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<v Speaker 3>But I like to think that I got it because

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<v Speaker 3>I freely gave the money. And everything I give, you know,

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<v Speaker 3>it comes back to me, you know, And so I

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<v Speaker 3>never look back, you know, I think because I get

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<v Speaker 3>so much, because I give so much, I don't give

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<v Speaker 3>looking for that return I'm giving. Thanking God allowed me

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<v Speaker 3>to be here. Thanking God. Sure I'm tough on all that.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm tough because I conditioned my body to be tough,

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<v Speaker 3>you know. And when I was nine years old, I

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<v Speaker 3>got seven brothers and four sisters. We was on welfare

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<v Speaker 3>food stamps. I drew a picture when I was in

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<v Speaker 3>school of a house and my mother and I showed

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<v Speaker 3>it to my mother. I said, Mama, one of these days,

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<v Speaker 3>I'm gonna be big and strong. I'm gonna be a

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<v Speaker 3>football player and a boxer. I'm gonna value a beautiful house, mama,

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<v Speaker 3>and i'm'a value you pretty dresses. My mother was a maid.

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<v Speaker 3>My mother used to go in the suburbs and scrub

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<v Speaker 3>up white people floor. She was not allowed to go

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<v Speaker 3>in the front door, had to go in the back door.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm not a race. I'm telling you where I come from.

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<v Speaker 3>But my mother never taught us hate. She said, son,

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<v Speaker 3>you do your best.

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<v Speaker 1>You work hard.

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<v Speaker 3>If you want something, work hard, save your money and

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<v Speaker 3>get it. So I told my mother, I said do

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<v Speaker 3>this hill. Then I said, I'm gonna be a football

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<v Speaker 3>player in a box. I'm'a buy you a beautiful house.

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<v Speaker 3>And then she hugged me and said, if that's the

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<v Speaker 3>lord's willing, it was, and heels the lord's willing.

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<v Speaker 2>Mister T is the youngest son and a family of

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<v Speaker 2>twelve children, and grew up in Chicago's Projects. Having been

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<v Speaker 2>expelled from university after his first year, mister T enlisted

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<v Speaker 2>in the US Army, serving in the Military Police Corps,

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<v Speaker 2>where he excelled. After his discharge, he tried to make

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<v Speaker 2>it as a professional American football player, but failed to

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<v Speaker 2>make the team due to a knee injury. In the seventies,

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<v Speaker 2>he started working as a bouncer, during which time he

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<v Speaker 2>created the mister T persona and started cladding himself in

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<v Speaker 2>gold jewelry, usually left behind by customers at the end

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<v Speaker 2>of the night.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, like I gotta tell people, crime in drugs

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<v Speaker 3>was over me, under me, and around me, but crime

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<v Speaker 3>and drugs will never in me. Why I wasn't afraid

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<v Speaker 3>to get a whooping, wasn't afraid to go to jail.

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<v Speaker 3>I loved my mother too much.

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<v Speaker 1>You know.

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<v Speaker 3>I would rather die and burning the hail than to

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<v Speaker 3>bring dishonor or disrespect to my mother. I'm nothing but

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<v Speaker 3>a big, overgrown, tough god fearing but kicking mama's boy.

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<v Speaker 3>So after I did Rocky, I save all my money

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<v Speaker 3>bought my mother a house in pre dresses. Okay, back

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<v Speaker 3>to how I got the name mister T. See as

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<v Speaker 3>I tell everybody as a black man growing up in

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<v Speaker 3>white society, I watched my father being called boy. My

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<v Speaker 3>father is a minister. He preached the gospel. He baptized

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<v Speaker 3>me I was four years old, and I used to,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, take the Bible up to the thing and opening,

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<v Speaker 3>and he preached anyway. And I watched my father being

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<v Speaker 3>disrespected called boy. I watched one of my brothers, who

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<v Speaker 3>was a marine, come back from Vietnam with his marine

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<v Speaker 3>uniform on, and guys call him boy. So I questioned

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<v Speaker 3>the fight, what do a black man have to do

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<v Speaker 3>before he's given the respect as a man. So when

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<v Speaker 3>I was eighteen years old, old enough to fight and

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<v Speaker 3>die for my country and be drafted, I said, I'm

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<v Speaker 3>old enough to be called a man. So now I

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<v Speaker 3>became eight years old, I self ordained myself mister T.

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<v Speaker 3>So the first word out of everybody's mouth would be mister.

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<v Speaker 3>That's a sign of respect, Ta, because it took our

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<v Speaker 3>last name. I was born Lawrence Turogue, So that's why

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<v Speaker 3>I changed my name to mister T. And I tell people,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, I don't want to be disrespectful to the

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<v Speaker 3>Mohican Indians, even though we call it a mohawk. Truthfully,

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<v Speaker 3>it is called a Mendinka cut because as a tribe

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<v Speaker 3>in Africa called a Mendenka warriors in the West coast

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<v Speaker 3>of Africa and country of Mali, they were they have

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<v Speaker 3>this weight.

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<v Speaker 2>Following Hurricane Katrina in two thousand and five, mister T

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<v Speaker 2>retired his massive gold chains because, as he said, I

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<v Speaker 2>told myself, no, tea, you can never wear your gold again.

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<v Speaker 2>It's an insult to God. Mister T substituted the chains

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<v Speaker 2>with the stars and stripes Spandana. Here's why don's this

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<v Speaker 2>patriotic headgear and what lever he pulls at the ballot

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<v Speaker 2>fox wa.

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<v Speaker 3>The stars and stripe because it's my way of paying

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<v Speaker 3>the veterans back. Is my way of aren'ting the veterans.

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<v Speaker 3>And I'm I'm a veteran myself. You know, I'm in

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<v Speaker 3>the nation. I was in the National Guard, military Police.

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<v Speaker 3>I got four brothers, uh through, one in the Marine,

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<v Speaker 3>three in the army. See, like the people joke me,

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<v Speaker 3>this is who I vote for, I said, I voted

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<v Speaker 3>for I voted for Jesus. Because you can't vote to

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<v Speaker 3>me and can't vote them out because it's a politics.

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<v Speaker 3>They're gonna say one thing, all of them black and white.

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<v Speaker 3>Whatever politics. My mother told me, she said, son well

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<v Speaker 3>man staying dependents on where he sits. So I've seen

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<v Speaker 3>politicians come vote for me, this and that I'll do.

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<v Speaker 3>Everybody gonna promise a good game, but in reality they don't,

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<v Speaker 3>you know. So I'm gonna stick with God. When mother,

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<v Speaker 3>when I was raised, when I was a little kid,

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<v Speaker 3>mother told me to pray. And I've been praying ever

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<v Speaker 3>since then, you know, and it ain't it ain't failed

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<v Speaker 3>me yet. I prayed when to get me out to ghetto,

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<v Speaker 3>prayed to be a good kid, prayed till I don't

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<v Speaker 3>get involved crime and all that stuff.

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<v Speaker 1>You know.

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<v Speaker 3>I go to the hospital's mother asked me to pray

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<v Speaker 3>for their children. They don't ask me because I'm a celebrity.

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<v Speaker 3>They know, because I believe in God. I serve God

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<v Speaker 3>to fully act with me. I don't get with God

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<v Speaker 3>to try to impress somebody, to fool somebody like a

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<v Speaker 3>lot of selevirities. Do you catch him doing wrong? Didn't

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<v Speaker 3>he want to get the Bible? And all I've been

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<v Speaker 3>with the Bible, I've been taking food down to the homeless.

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<v Speaker 2>Simply said mister t is the real deal and a

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<v Speaker 2>man of his word.

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<v Speaker 1>And a terrific job on the production editing and storytelling

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<v Speaker 1>by our own Greg Hengler. And you heard from mister

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<v Speaker 1>T in his own voice, and who knew? I didn't know.

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<v Speaker 1>And I follow this stuff, and I'm always looking for

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<v Speaker 1>those hidden faith stories that are out there that are

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<v Speaker 1>pure gems. Faith playing such a central part of American

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<v Speaker 1>life and often ignored completely by storytellers around the country,

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<v Speaker 1>not here in our American stories. When faith is a

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<v Speaker 1>part of your life, it's gonna be in the story,

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<v Speaker 1>by the way, when it's not, it's not. But my goodness,

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<v Speaker 1>he starts as a bouncer, and what does he do

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<v Speaker 1>with his winnings from this bouncer contest National twice? He

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<v Speaker 1>gives the money to his pastor. And my goodness, I

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<v Speaker 1>love what Sylvester Stallone said because we just experienced it.

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<v Speaker 1>He said that guy's different when he was listening to

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<v Speaker 1>all the audition reels, and he can talk, and my goodness,

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<v Speaker 1>can mister T talk. But what he talked about just remarkable,

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<v Speaker 1>talking about his prayer life, how we prayed to get

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<v Speaker 1>out of the ghetto, how we prayed just every step

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<v Speaker 1>of the way, the story of mister t here On,

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<v Speaker 1>our American stories