1 00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:05,560 Speaker 1: One of the biggest lessons I learned from Hilary's time 2 00:00:05,640 --> 00:00:09,280 Speaker 1: working with a Yale Child Study Center is that most children, 3 00:00:09,320 --> 00:00:12,960 Speaker 1: even in the hardest circumstances, will make it if they 4 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:16,520 Speaker 1: have just one person who makes them feel like the 5 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 1: most important person in the world. I was very fortunate 6 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:25,080 Speaker 1: growing up because I had three my mother and my 7 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:28,639 Speaker 1: maternal grandparents, who took care of me while my mother 8 00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:31,280 Speaker 1: was away training to be a nurse and eastus so 9 00:00:31,360 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 1: she could give me a better life. Between the three 10 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:37,680 Speaker 1: of them, I learned a lot about life, family, and 11 00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:42,400 Speaker 1: human nature. But most of all, I knew I was loved. 12 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:46,880 Speaker 1: So why am I telling you this Because a parent 13 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:50,199 Speaker 1: or a caregiver's unconditional love is one of the greatest 14 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:54,760 Speaker 1: gifts any of us can receive. That's something that has 15 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:57,960 Speaker 1: only become clearer to me as I've done this podcast 16 00:00:58,040 --> 00:01:02,040 Speaker 1: and heard the extraordinary effect that my guests parents and 17 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:06,800 Speaker 1: other caregivers have had on their lives. With Mother's Day 18 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:09,480 Speaker 1: around the corner and Father's Day coming up next month, 19 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:12,800 Speaker 1: I wanted to put together some of the most inspiring 20 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:16,959 Speaker 1: stories our guests have shared about their parents. I hope 21 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:23,720 Speaker 1: you enjoy hearing them as much as I did today. 22 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:26,199 Speaker 1: I'm honored to be joined by the youngest of those 23 00:01:26,240 --> 00:01:30,080 Speaker 1: four children Dr King dreamed of and his most famous speech. 24 00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:34,840 Speaker 1: She has spent a lifetime in pursuit of racial, social, 25 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:40,360 Speaker 1: and economic justice from the pulpit and from her perch 26 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:44,840 Speaker 1: as CEO of the King Center for Non Violent Social Change. 27 00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:48,840 Speaker 1: Dr Barnese King, thank you so much for being here. 28 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:53,280 Speaker 1: Thank you, President Clinton. I'm always honored to be in 29 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:56,920 Speaker 1: your presence and even more honored to have this conversation 30 00:01:57,040 --> 00:01:59,560 Speaker 1: with you today. Well, you know, we've known each other 31 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 1: for a long time now, and I've always wondered how 32 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 1: you came to be who you were. You could have 33 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:10,440 Speaker 1: been forgiven if you've taken a whole pass on all 34 00:02:10,480 --> 00:02:14,160 Speaker 1: this business. If your memories of standing in the pulpit 35 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:17,320 Speaker 1: and standing on the forefront of social change and the 36 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:21,480 Speaker 1: sacrifices inherent and being a member of your family had 37 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:24,600 Speaker 1: been so burdensome, you could have walked away and been 38 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 1: a perfectly fine, perfectly successful something else. But you didn't. 39 00:02:30,040 --> 00:02:34,000 Speaker 1: And I'd like to know what you think your childhood 40 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:37,480 Speaker 1: had to do with it, And when did you realize 41 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:41,799 Speaker 1: the meaning of your father letting your mother's work and 42 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:45,440 Speaker 1: how did you come to do the same thing. The 43 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:52,640 Speaker 1: person I believe who singularly most impactful influential in my 44 00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 1: life with my mom. She was an extraordinary example of 45 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:01,800 Speaker 1: what it means to sacrifice and serve humanity, and to 46 00:03:01,919 --> 00:03:05,239 Speaker 1: do it in a way from a place, should I say, 47 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:09,720 Speaker 1: of continual forgiveness. You know. Uh. We grew up in 48 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:15,280 Speaker 1: a household where my mother taught us early on about 49 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:20,160 Speaker 1: not hating and particularly in our instance, not hating the 50 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:25,120 Speaker 1: person who killed our father, um, and would always invoke 51 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:29,120 Speaker 1: my father's words, UM, somebody has to cut off the 52 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:31,880 Speaker 1: chain of violence. And now, as a kid, you know, 53 00:03:32,040 --> 00:03:36,160 Speaker 1: I took those words very objectively that somebody she was 54 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:41,640 Speaker 1: talking about somebody, but it wasn't me. Uh And uh 55 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:45,920 Speaker 1: so as as I, as I, as I continued to 56 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:50,600 Speaker 1: grow and developed, I came to the understanding because I 57 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:56,240 Speaker 1: was surrounded by all of the work that she did 58 00:03:56,520 --> 00:03:59,360 Speaker 1: to build the King's Center into the Martin of the 59 00:03:59,440 --> 00:04:04,040 Speaker 1: King Center non Violent Social Change UM and exposed early 60 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 1: on to some of the non violent teachings UM, I 61 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:12,600 Speaker 1: began to understand that I was being drawn into this, 62 00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:17,640 Speaker 1: although I was very resistant because of the emotional trauma 63 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:20,600 Speaker 1: that I suffered from my father's assassination at the age 64 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:24,800 Speaker 1: of five, my uncle being mysteriously found his pool with 65 00:04:25,120 --> 00:04:29,239 Speaker 1: awarding his lungs I was six, my grandmother being shot 66 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:32,720 Speaker 1: in church when I was eleven years of age. Um, 67 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:35,240 Speaker 1: you know, trying to manage all of the barrage of 68 00:04:35,279 --> 00:04:37,880 Speaker 1: emotions that I was experiencing as a result of those 69 00:04:38,279 --> 00:04:42,040 Speaker 1: tragedies was was very difficult, and it landed me for 70 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:49,000 Speaker 1: a season in a place of a lot of hate, uh, 71 00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:53,119 Speaker 1: hostility and anger. So from the point of my mother 72 00:04:53,279 --> 00:04:56,080 Speaker 1: saying as a child, somebody has to cut off the 73 00:04:56,160 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 1: chain of violence. I got all this anger inside and 74 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:04,920 Speaker 1: tip clear anger. When it erupts, it's just it has 75 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:07,719 Speaker 1: no sense about it, so it will target any and 76 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:11,760 Speaker 1: everything and hurt and hurt people. Um. And I had 77 00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:15,359 Speaker 1: to figure this out, and so I could hear, you 78 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:17,440 Speaker 1: gotta cut off the chain. You don't want to be 79 00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:22,000 Speaker 1: someone who ends up letting that anger cause you to 80 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:24,320 Speaker 1: continue to do violence. Because I was very valuable in 81 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:30,360 Speaker 1: my tongue. It wasn't until I became CEO of the 82 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:34,800 Speaker 1: King's Center that my life began to really come and 83 00:05:34,839 --> 00:05:39,200 Speaker 1: focus because before then, you know, my mom was around, 84 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:41,920 Speaker 1: she was the face of the legacy. You know, I 85 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:45,800 Speaker 1: obviously went out speaking a lot of concerning my my 86 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:48,680 Speaker 1: father's legacy. You know, I was committed to it, but 87 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:51,000 Speaker 1: I was always wrestling with where do I fit, what 88 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:54,240 Speaker 1: do I do? How do I distinguish myself? You know, 89 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:57,160 Speaker 1: what is my purpose? What is my call? What can 90 00:05:57,200 --> 00:06:00,279 Speaker 1: I do that it's not always about king? And then 91 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:06,279 Speaker 1: it dawned on me, Wow, Daddy's teachings really come out 92 00:06:06,279 --> 00:06:08,599 Speaker 1: of the world of God for him, So there was 93 00:06:08,640 --> 00:06:11,640 Speaker 1: not any inconsistency anymore for me. I was able to reconcile. 94 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:17,080 Speaker 1: You know that this work is really about vancing God's kingdom. 95 00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:22,120 Speaker 1: It's about building a just, humane, equitable, and peaceful world. 96 00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:28,200 Speaker 1: I now understand the power of nonviolence to really transform 97 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:31,839 Speaker 1: you first, uh, and then to pour out into the 98 00:06:31,839 --> 00:06:34,880 Speaker 1: rest of the world to change the world, and to 99 00:06:34,920 --> 00:06:37,080 Speaker 1: be that vessel, as my mother said, to cut off 100 00:06:37,080 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 1: the chain of violence. But thank God for her, because 101 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:43,760 Speaker 1: I saw her over and over again. There were things 102 00:06:43,760 --> 00:06:46,680 Speaker 1: where people heard her, but she still extended herself in 103 00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:50,839 Speaker 1: grace and love towards those people and always wanted the 104 00:06:50,960 --> 00:07:01,200 Speaker 1: best for other people. It there's no better art for 105 00:07:01,279 --> 00:07:04,320 Speaker 1: him to explain these times in jazz that I'm very 106 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:06,440 Speaker 1: lucky to have with me today. One of the greatest 107 00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:10,960 Speaker 1: jazz musicians of all time, my longtime friend went in Marsalis. 108 00:07:12,520 --> 00:07:16,400 Speaker 1: From the first time I ever heard about you, listen 109 00:07:16,440 --> 00:07:20,480 Speaker 1: to your brother, Bradford Player, I've always been fascinated by 110 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:23,920 Speaker 1: your family story and the role your father played, and 111 00:07:24,520 --> 00:07:26,560 Speaker 1: the letter you wrote in tribute to him was one 112 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:28,720 Speaker 1: of the most moving things I think I ever read, 113 00:07:29,520 --> 00:07:33,680 Speaker 1: and all the more powerful for saying that you're hurt 114 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:38,160 Speaker 1: was no more valid or stronger than that of so 115 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:40,880 Speaker 1: many others who lost people, which I think your dad 116 00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:45,520 Speaker 1: also said, not long for it. So tell us about 117 00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:49,200 Speaker 1: him and what impact he had on your growing up 118 00:07:49,240 --> 00:07:52,480 Speaker 1: and on your life, and what impact is loss has 119 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:55,880 Speaker 1: had on what you do now. I mean, he was 120 00:07:55,960 --> 00:07:57,680 Speaker 1: my man, you know, I went from the time I 121 00:07:57,720 --> 00:08:00,200 Speaker 1: was born as that got hung with him. And it 122 00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:02,760 Speaker 1: was not glamorous like he was just he was a guy. 123 00:08:03,080 --> 00:08:07,280 Speaker 1: My father was not a physical guy, heroic wanting to 124 00:08:07,480 --> 00:08:11,920 Speaker 1: whatever strike want to strike people or be uh. He 125 00:08:12,040 --> 00:08:16,280 Speaker 1: was very philosophical person who who when he was growing up, 126 00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:18,480 Speaker 1: he told me he had gotten bullied by people because 127 00:08:18,520 --> 00:08:23,800 Speaker 1: that wasn't his personality, and I learned more about what 128 00:08:23,920 --> 00:08:26,680 Speaker 1: it meant to be a human being just watching him. 129 00:08:26,680 --> 00:08:29,800 Speaker 1: He talked to everybody the same. If he had the 130 00:08:29,880 --> 00:08:31,760 Speaker 1: chance to meet you, he would be honest. He would 131 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:34,199 Speaker 1: be just as respectful as he would with a homeless 132 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:36,720 Speaker 1: person in the street. He would talk to homeless cats 133 00:08:36,720 --> 00:08:39,120 Speaker 1: and come back, man, this cat had an interesting story. 134 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:41,320 Speaker 1: You see, he used to be an architect. He could 135 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:43,199 Speaker 1: go into the whole thing that he had talked about. 136 00:08:43,640 --> 00:08:48,679 Speaker 1: And I saw my father playing empty clubs for for 137 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:52,040 Speaker 1: the seventeen years I lived with him. I saw him 138 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:55,679 Speaker 1: be in situations that would humiliate any person. Each handled 139 00:08:55,720 --> 00:08:59,640 Speaker 1: it all with grace and sophistication. He studied, he practiced, 140 00:08:59,679 --> 00:09:02,760 Speaker 1: he art, He was a person of the community. He 141 00:09:02,880 --> 00:09:05,360 Speaker 1: played for no people. He played just as hard to 142 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:07,839 Speaker 1: the empty room as he would play for people. I 143 00:09:07,840 --> 00:09:11,199 Speaker 1: always tell the one story, I never really liked jazz 144 00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:13,040 Speaker 1: growing up. I was just always I like to be 145 00:09:13,120 --> 00:09:15,880 Speaker 1: in clubs and hear older people down on their luck. Here, 146 00:09:15,960 --> 00:09:17,840 Speaker 1: the stuff they talked about, all the kind of nasty 147 00:09:17,840 --> 00:09:20,640 Speaker 1: talking things that went on. So I always loved being 148 00:09:20,679 --> 00:09:23,600 Speaker 1: in an environment. And I was fortunate to be in 149 00:09:23,600 --> 00:09:26,120 Speaker 1: the environment because I was with him. I knew how 150 00:09:26,160 --> 00:09:28,040 Speaker 1: to be quiet, how to just be in my space. 151 00:09:28,080 --> 00:09:30,000 Speaker 1: But I loved that. I did not like the music 152 00:09:30,040 --> 00:09:32,440 Speaker 1: that much. When I started to get into the music, 153 00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:35,120 Speaker 1: I was eleven or going into being twelve, and he 154 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:37,680 Speaker 1: played in the club called Lewin Charlie's, and it was 155 00:09:37,760 --> 00:09:40,760 Speaker 1: late at night. He closed the club up. There was 156 00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:43,040 Speaker 1: nobody in this club but one man who was drunk. 157 00:09:43,559 --> 00:09:45,360 Speaker 1: And I went to my father and I said, Man, 158 00:09:45,920 --> 00:09:48,520 Speaker 1: let's go. You know, it's two o'clock. It's only me 159 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:51,600 Speaker 1: and you. Let's let's look this guy here. He was drunk. 160 00:09:51,600 --> 00:09:53,960 Speaker 1: And we looked out into the club, empty club, nobody 161 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:56,680 Speaker 1: in it, my father playing the piano. My father looks 162 00:09:56,720 --> 00:09:59,280 Speaker 1: at me and he's he says, man, this gig is 163 00:09:59,320 --> 00:10:02,360 Speaker 1: at two thirty in to thirty. Man, let's get this 164 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:04,160 Speaker 1: guy out of here and close up. Charlie is the 165 00:10:04,240 --> 00:10:07,400 Speaker 1: old club on Charlie is gone. Let's let's go home. 166 00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 1: We had a thirty minute drive home. My daddy told me, man, 167 00:10:10,760 --> 00:10:13,160 Speaker 1: sit your ass down and listen to some music for 168 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:17,559 Speaker 1: a change. So it actually was. It was actually funny 169 00:10:17,559 --> 00:10:19,600 Speaker 1: because it's only meet him. So I actually sat down 170 00:10:19,800 --> 00:10:21,760 Speaker 1: and for all the years of being in the club. Then, 171 00:10:21,800 --> 00:10:23,400 Speaker 1: I guess since I was two years old, I've been 172 00:10:23,400 --> 00:10:26,120 Speaker 1: in clubs. It's the first time I really just really 173 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:28,440 Speaker 1: listened to him playing. Now, of course I grew up 174 00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:30,160 Speaker 1: here and in practice, so his song was a part 175 00:10:30,160 --> 00:10:33,360 Speaker 1: of my life. I looked around that club and I thought, 176 00:10:33,400 --> 00:10:36,720 Speaker 1: what makes a person do what this man is doing? 177 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:48,359 Speaker 1: Playing for no people it two in the morning, and uh, 178 00:10:48,559 --> 00:10:52,960 Speaker 1: you know that that shaped my life, like just the 179 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:56,200 Speaker 1: integrity he showed, and he played a pile of piano 180 00:10:56,200 --> 00:10:59,160 Speaker 1: in that thirty minutes. And then I said to myself, 181 00:10:59,520 --> 00:11:01,400 Speaker 1: I wanted I could learn how to play like him, 182 00:11:01,400 --> 00:11:03,200 Speaker 1: because I mainly teased him a lot because he was 183 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:05,720 Speaker 1: such a serious man. I was always joking with him, 184 00:11:05,760 --> 00:11:08,880 Speaker 1: even the last conversation I had with him before he 185 00:11:09,559 --> 00:11:11,280 Speaker 1: before he went to the hospital and then he died 186 00:11:11,320 --> 00:11:14,200 Speaker 1: a few days after that. I was teasing and messing 187 00:11:14,240 --> 00:11:16,959 Speaker 1: with him and always kind of joking, joking with him 188 00:11:16,960 --> 00:11:19,559 Speaker 1: that I could play better than him piano. I played 189 00:11:19,559 --> 00:11:23,920 Speaker 1: my piano and play some ones, you know, start playing 190 00:11:23,920 --> 00:11:26,199 Speaker 1: some courts like him. This is just favorite cord. He 191 00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:31,120 Speaker 1: would play this big six nine chord, so you always 192 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:37,959 Speaker 1: played and you go. He always played those kind of 193 00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:40,080 Speaker 1: little phrases. I would start playing him and said, man, 194 00:11:40,120 --> 00:11:43,520 Speaker 1: you better look out, I'm coming for you. So yeah, 195 00:11:43,559 --> 00:11:45,760 Speaker 1: I remember, I remember that night. And there's so many 196 00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:47,760 Speaker 1: other things. My daddy was so fair with people, and 197 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:51,120 Speaker 1: he had such integrity about things. You couldn't buy him out. 198 00:11:51,160 --> 00:11:52,719 Speaker 1: He didn't remember. When I made a little money. I 199 00:11:52,760 --> 00:11:54,960 Speaker 1: was twenty one, twenty two, I said, man, let me 200 00:11:54,960 --> 00:11:57,120 Speaker 1: get your house. He said, man, you you're an athlete. 201 00:11:57,440 --> 00:11:58,840 Speaker 1: I don't need you to get me a house. I'm 202 00:11:58,880 --> 00:12:02,320 Speaker 1: comfortable in my own house. So he he was just 203 00:12:02,600 --> 00:12:05,120 Speaker 1: philosophically if you were if you acted small, or you 204 00:12:05,160 --> 00:12:07,679 Speaker 1: did something that was small, he would call you on it. 205 00:12:08,040 --> 00:12:10,000 Speaker 1: He hated for you to call people them. He said, 206 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:12,840 Speaker 1: who is they? Man? Who is they? That's why I 207 00:12:12,840 --> 00:12:15,760 Speaker 1: wrote a movement and the ever funking little down called they, 208 00:12:15,960 --> 00:12:18,040 Speaker 1: because he tell me who they are? Do you know them? 209 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:21,240 Speaker 1: What's their name? And so many other things I could 210 00:12:21,280 --> 00:12:23,760 Speaker 1: tell you. I mean, I just he was. He was 211 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:28,040 Speaker 1: such a he was such a big person. I remember once, 212 00:12:28,240 --> 00:12:30,520 Speaker 1: I'm gonna just tall this one last story to just 213 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:33,079 Speaker 1: about who he was. When I first came to New York, 214 00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:35,000 Speaker 1: I started to get a lot of publicity, and I 215 00:12:35,080 --> 00:12:38,360 Speaker 1: talked a lot, so the older musicians really didn't like me. 216 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:41,240 Speaker 1: And I was always talking about the integrity and music 217 00:12:41,240 --> 00:12:43,360 Speaker 1: and all these things that were far beyond what my 218 00:12:43,480 --> 00:12:46,400 Speaker 1: playing earned me the write to talk about. From a 219 00:12:46,440 --> 00:12:49,800 Speaker 1: philosophical standpoint, what I was saying was not inaccurate, but 220 00:12:49,880 --> 00:12:52,680 Speaker 1: I shouldn't have been saying it, you know. And I 221 00:12:52,720 --> 00:12:55,080 Speaker 1: went back to New Orleans to play a gig, and 222 00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:58,160 Speaker 1: my father always let me sit in with him, and 223 00:12:58,200 --> 00:13:00,920 Speaker 1: then this gig, he he didn't call me up on 224 00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:02,840 Speaker 1: the band stand. So the whole time I was standing 225 00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:04,400 Speaker 1: the man I was I was getting, I said, he 226 00:13:04,520 --> 00:13:07,320 Speaker 1: just like these other musicians in New York. Then finally, 227 00:13:07,320 --> 00:13:09,080 Speaker 1: on the last tune, he brought me up on the 228 00:13:09,120 --> 00:13:11,640 Speaker 1: band stand. I was dealing with all kind of emotion 229 00:13:11,679 --> 00:13:14,200 Speaker 1: and angry at him that he was mad because I 230 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:17,560 Speaker 1: had become successful. And uh so I played, and as 231 00:13:17,600 --> 00:13:19,640 Speaker 1: we were walking off the band stand, thinking all the 232 00:13:19,640 --> 00:13:22,160 Speaker 1: stuff I was thinking, my father put his arm around 233 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:25,960 Speaker 1: me and he said, man, I'm sorry about my rhythm section. 234 00:13:26,080 --> 00:13:27,719 Speaker 1: I really didn't want to call you up at all. 235 00:13:31,440 --> 00:13:34,440 Speaker 1: So I started laughing, I told him, but I said, man, 236 00:13:34,480 --> 00:13:36,600 Speaker 1: I was thinking so many small thoughts and he just 237 00:13:36,640 --> 00:13:39,000 Speaker 1: looked at me and shook his head. He said, boy, 238 00:13:39,120 --> 00:13:42,200 Speaker 1: this cat. So you know he was Yeah, he was, 239 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:43,920 Speaker 1: he was. He was a good person. I mean he 240 00:13:43,960 --> 00:13:46,800 Speaker 1: had a good heart and a good, good feeling to him, 241 00:13:47,120 --> 00:13:56,760 Speaker 1: like you wasn't. I'm at Magic Johnson when I ran 242 00:13:56,800 --> 00:14:01,480 Speaker 1: for president and shortly after he'd been diagnosed with HIV 243 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:05,440 Speaker 1: and retired from the NBA. From the time I first 244 00:14:05,480 --> 00:14:08,679 Speaker 1: met him, I've been more impressed by who he is 245 00:14:08,720 --> 00:14:12,200 Speaker 1: as a person than anything you've done on the basketball court. 246 00:14:13,040 --> 00:14:16,360 Speaker 1: He's built an amazing career in business and taking special 247 00:14:16,400 --> 00:14:19,720 Speaker 1: pride and shattering the myth that businesses can't thrive and 248 00:14:19,880 --> 00:14:24,320 Speaker 1: underserved urban communities. Thanks for being here, Magic, tell us 249 00:14:24,320 --> 00:14:28,680 Speaker 1: a little bit about growing up, how you got into basketball, 250 00:14:28,720 --> 00:14:31,920 Speaker 1: and how you decided you wanted to stay and play 251 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:35,400 Speaker 1: for Michigan State. Well. I grew up with six sisters 252 00:14:35,440 --> 00:14:38,640 Speaker 1: and three brothers, a big family. My father worked for 253 00:14:38,720 --> 00:14:43,640 Speaker 1: General Motors for thirty years and one award for never 254 00:14:44,120 --> 00:14:48,200 Speaker 1: being late and never missing a day in thirty years. Yeah, 255 00:14:48,200 --> 00:14:52,960 Speaker 1: so you see where I got my work ethic from. 256 00:14:53,160 --> 00:14:56,080 Speaker 1: And so I'm just I'm built just like my father. 257 00:14:57,120 --> 00:15:00,440 Speaker 1: I'm a worker, and so my mother worked for or 258 00:15:00,680 --> 00:15:05,120 Speaker 1: the school district in the school cafeteria. The one thing 259 00:15:05,160 --> 00:15:10,400 Speaker 1: they stressed was education. Um they let me know early on. Yes, 260 00:15:10,640 --> 00:15:13,160 Speaker 1: we were happy that you play basketball, but if you 261 00:15:13,200 --> 00:15:15,560 Speaker 1: don't get good grades, you won't be playing at all. 262 00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:19,720 Speaker 1: So that kept me in the books. President Clinton, you'd 263 00:15:19,760 --> 00:15:23,440 Speaker 1: be happy to know that all my sisters our teachers 264 00:15:23,440 --> 00:15:27,400 Speaker 1: in the school system, and so they teach young people 265 00:15:27,440 --> 00:15:30,640 Speaker 1: today in Lansing, Michigan. I'm really proud of all of them. 266 00:15:30,720 --> 00:15:33,840 Speaker 1: And then I fell in love with the game watching 267 00:15:34,360 --> 00:15:38,520 Speaker 1: basketball every Saturday, every Sunday with my father. He would 268 00:15:38,560 --> 00:15:40,640 Speaker 1: sit on the floor, so I would say, sit right 269 00:15:40,680 --> 00:15:44,920 Speaker 1: next to him, and I would watch college basketball on Saturday. 270 00:15:44,960 --> 00:15:47,840 Speaker 1: And then on Sunday, they made sure that we went 271 00:15:47,880 --> 00:15:50,800 Speaker 1: to church as a family. And then every Sunday, no 272 00:15:50,840 --> 00:15:52,760 Speaker 1: matter what was going on, I don't care how many 273 00:15:52,760 --> 00:15:57,720 Speaker 1: games I had, we had to have dinner on Sunday 274 00:15:57,800 --> 00:16:00,960 Speaker 1: as a family. Everybody had to be there. There no excuses. 275 00:16:02,400 --> 00:16:05,560 Speaker 1: That's why I'm a family guy today, you know. But 276 00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:08,160 Speaker 1: I fell in love with the game just watching him 277 00:16:08,200 --> 00:16:11,160 Speaker 1: with my father, and then every time I would watch 278 00:16:11,560 --> 00:16:15,680 Speaker 1: an NBA game, and at that time, Bob Couzy, Bill 279 00:16:15,760 --> 00:16:20,720 Speaker 1: Russell of the Celtics, John Havitek of the Celtics, Oscar Robinson. Uh. Then, 280 00:16:20,800 --> 00:16:23,040 Speaker 1: of course, when Kareem was lou All Sunder with the 281 00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:27,600 Speaker 1: Milwaukee Bucks, I would go out and I would emulate 282 00:16:27,720 --> 00:16:31,640 Speaker 1: what they were doing on TV. So I would practice 283 00:16:31,720 --> 00:16:36,000 Speaker 1: all their moves. Uh. And I played basketball all the time, 284 00:16:36,080 --> 00:16:39,040 Speaker 1: President Clinton. I mean, it wasn't a day that I 285 00:16:39,040 --> 00:16:42,000 Speaker 1: didn't play basketball. I used to shovel the snow off 286 00:16:42,040 --> 00:16:46,200 Speaker 1: the ground and I would play basketball. And my mom 287 00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:51,280 Speaker 1: was like, she said, that boy just loved to play basketball. 288 00:16:51,800 --> 00:16:54,680 Speaker 1: And it was this funny thing was in the summertime, 289 00:16:55,920 --> 00:16:59,840 Speaker 1: my father also had a trash hauling service. Because so 290 00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:02,560 Speaker 1: many mouths of feed, he had to take on a 291 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:07,560 Speaker 1: second job. And so every day in the summertime, Monday 292 00:17:07,640 --> 00:17:10,560 Speaker 1: through Saturday, I would work on the truck with my father, 293 00:17:10,640 --> 00:17:14,040 Speaker 1: picking up people's trash. But I would say this, President Clinton, 294 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:17,080 Speaker 1: this is the greatest moment of my life. What happened 295 00:17:17,119 --> 00:17:20,560 Speaker 1: to me, and this thing changed my life. So during 296 00:17:20,560 --> 00:17:24,760 Speaker 1: the school year, I would get on my father's truck 297 00:17:24,840 --> 00:17:29,040 Speaker 1: on Saturdays only. And so it was it must have 298 00:17:29,080 --> 00:17:33,760 Speaker 1: been seven below zero, and my job was to get 299 00:17:33,800 --> 00:17:38,119 Speaker 1: all the loose trash around the barrels and put it 300 00:17:38,200 --> 00:17:42,280 Speaker 1: on the truck. It was so cold that morning that 301 00:17:42,440 --> 00:17:46,199 Speaker 1: I got half to trash and I jumped into the 302 00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:49,960 Speaker 1: cabin of the truck. And you appreciate this. By the 303 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:52,960 Speaker 1: time I closed the door, my father had opened the 304 00:17:53,040 --> 00:17:58,480 Speaker 1: door and grabbed me and took me back to the 305 00:17:58,560 --> 00:18:01,760 Speaker 1: ice wood where the trash that was stuck in, and 306 00:18:01,760 --> 00:18:04,760 Speaker 1: he said, Irvin, if you do this job halfway, you 307 00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:10,159 Speaker 1: do everything in your life halfway. You're practice basketball halfway, 308 00:18:10,600 --> 00:18:14,040 Speaker 1: you will study half the time. I want you to 309 00:18:14,200 --> 00:18:17,399 Speaker 1: go get to shovel and break up the ice and 310 00:18:17,440 --> 00:18:19,679 Speaker 1: get that trash out of there and put it on 311 00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:22,800 Speaker 1: the truck. And at that moment in time, I became 312 00:18:22,840 --> 00:18:26,639 Speaker 1: a perfectionist and everything I was doing in my life 313 00:18:27,680 --> 00:18:30,040 Speaker 1: I had to do it right because my father taught 314 00:18:30,040 --> 00:18:33,720 Speaker 1: me that lesson early on. That's why I am the 315 00:18:33,760 --> 00:18:37,119 Speaker 1: man that I am today. I have my mother smile 316 00:18:39,640 --> 00:18:43,240 Speaker 1: and her personality and want to help everybody. And I'm 317 00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:46,800 Speaker 1: just like my father. I'm a worker. I get a 318 00:18:46,840 --> 00:18:49,800 Speaker 1: great joy out of out of working, and it's because 319 00:18:49,800 --> 00:19:04,720 Speaker 1: of him. We'll be right back. I'm grateful to be 320 00:19:04,800 --> 00:19:08,320 Speaker 1: joined by one of our nation's most effective advocates for 321 00:19:08,480 --> 00:19:13,200 Speaker 1: free and fair elections, because she's provided an incredible blueprint 322 00:19:13,480 --> 00:19:18,040 Speaker 1: for achieving real, meaningful change. No matter what you're setting 323 00:19:18,080 --> 00:19:20,919 Speaker 1: out to do, you need a clear vision, a realistic 324 00:19:20,920 --> 00:19:23,840 Speaker 1: plan to get there, the fortitude to stick with it, 325 00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:29,080 Speaker 1: and the flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances. Stacy Abrams 326 00:19:29,119 --> 00:19:34,600 Speaker 1: has done that as well as anybody I have ever seen. Stacy, 327 00:19:34,920 --> 00:19:37,840 Speaker 1: thank you for joining us today, and I think you 328 00:19:37,880 --> 00:19:39,640 Speaker 1: should take it just a couple of moments and tell 329 00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:42,360 Speaker 1: the people who are with us today how you got 330 00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:45,760 Speaker 1: interested in this work and what you would say to 331 00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:48,280 Speaker 1: young people about what are it's worth the time and 332 00:19:48,320 --> 00:19:50,600 Speaker 1: effort and blood, sweat and tears you put into it. Well, 333 00:19:50,800 --> 00:19:52,679 Speaker 1: Mr President, first of all, thank you so much for 334 00:19:52,760 --> 00:19:55,760 Speaker 1: inviting me to be a part of this conversation. Like you, 335 00:19:55,800 --> 00:19:58,080 Speaker 1: I am a child of the South. I was technically 336 00:19:58,080 --> 00:20:02,200 Speaker 1: born in Wisconsin, by I grew up in Mississippi, and 337 00:20:02,280 --> 00:20:05,600 Speaker 1: my parents were both civil rights activists when they were teenagers. 338 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:08,240 Speaker 1: So by the time I came along, I was part 339 00:20:08,320 --> 00:20:11,160 Speaker 1: of the whole history of people who had been fighting 340 00:20:11,200 --> 00:20:13,880 Speaker 1: for the right to vote, the right to have access 341 00:20:13,920 --> 00:20:17,520 Speaker 1: to democracy, and as you know, Jim Crow, this system 342 00:20:17,560 --> 00:20:20,119 Speaker 1: in the South that denied access to the right to 343 00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:24,000 Speaker 1: vote to black Americans existed from the end of slavery 344 00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:27,600 Speaker 1: basically through nineteen sixty five, and so my parents were 345 00:20:27,640 --> 00:20:31,600 Speaker 1: teenagers in sixty five. My dad was actually arrested helping 346 00:20:31,640 --> 00:20:34,480 Speaker 1: register black people to vote. We tease him that my 347 00:20:34,560 --> 00:20:36,320 Speaker 1: mom was doing the same work. She was just smart 348 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:39,520 Speaker 1: enough not to get caught. But I came of age 349 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:42,920 Speaker 1: knowing that the right to vote wasn't just about casting 350 00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:46,119 Speaker 1: a ballot. It was the only way to tackle the 351 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:49,560 Speaker 1: poverty we lived in. And my parents both worked full time, 352 00:20:50,119 --> 00:20:53,119 Speaker 1: and still we barely made ends meet. We were what 353 00:20:53,160 --> 00:20:56,600 Speaker 1: they called working poor. And so my parents took us 354 00:20:56,600 --> 00:20:59,240 Speaker 1: with them to volunteer because they wanted us to work 355 00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:02,120 Speaker 1: our hands to people's lives better. But they also took 356 00:21:02,160 --> 00:21:05,119 Speaker 1: us with them to vote because they said, individually, we 357 00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:07,240 Speaker 1: can make a little bit of change, but when we vote, 358 00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:17,280 Speaker 1: we make collective change society's changes when you vote. I'm 359 00:21:17,359 --> 00:21:19,600 Speaker 1: very lucky to be joined now by someone who's one 360 00:21:19,600 --> 00:21:23,159 Speaker 1: of the most acclaimed storytellers working in music today, not 361 00:21:23,400 --> 00:21:25,879 Speaker 1: just because of what he has to say, but because 362 00:21:25,920 --> 00:21:28,280 Speaker 1: of his ability to hear what others have to say 363 00:21:28,320 --> 00:21:32,560 Speaker 1: as well. Raised in rural Alabama by an extended family 364 00:21:32,600 --> 00:21:36,320 Speaker 1: who loved playing music together, Jason Nible is a four 365 00:21:36,359 --> 00:21:40,879 Speaker 1: time Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter and guitarists. His works 366 00:21:40,880 --> 00:21:45,800 Speaker 1: fans rock, folk, Americana, and country genres. He's also an 367 00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:50,200 Speaker 1: outspoken advocate for progressive causes and a voice for fairness, equality, 368 00:21:50,280 --> 00:21:54,040 Speaker 1: and sensible public health measures in the music industry and 369 00:21:54,119 --> 00:21:57,720 Speaker 1: all across our society. One of the reasons that I 370 00:21:57,840 --> 00:22:01,480 Speaker 1: was so interested in talking to you is that I 371 00:22:01,480 --> 00:22:04,680 Speaker 1: identified with so much of your childhood and how it 372 00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:08,000 Speaker 1: led you to your calling. So let's start by telling 373 00:22:08,119 --> 00:22:10,840 Speaker 1: us a little about where and how you grew up 374 00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:13,520 Speaker 1: and how that led you into both playing music and 375 00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:17,320 Speaker 1: writing songs. Yeah, you know, I grew up in Green Hill, Alabama, 376 00:22:17,480 --> 00:22:21,680 Speaker 1: which is uh, northwestern Alabama, right up in the corner 377 00:22:22,320 --> 00:22:27,560 Speaker 1: by Mississippi and Tennessee. And um, my grandfather on my 378 00:22:27,640 --> 00:22:31,600 Speaker 1: dad's side was a Pentecostal preacher and um a musician 379 00:22:31,680 --> 00:22:35,560 Speaker 1: by hobby, not by trade. He he painted houses by trade. 380 00:22:35,640 --> 00:22:38,680 Speaker 1: But uh, he and my dad and and my uncle 381 00:22:38,760 --> 00:22:41,440 Speaker 1: had a house painting company together, and so they all 382 00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:45,120 Speaker 1: worked together and then my parents were really young when 383 00:22:45,119 --> 00:22:48,320 Speaker 1: I was born. My dad was nineteen, my mom was seventeen, 384 00:22:49,160 --> 00:22:51,840 Speaker 1: and the only you know, they were both working throughout 385 00:22:51,880 --> 00:22:55,000 Speaker 1: my childhood. So the only place that I really went 386 00:22:55,640 --> 00:22:59,399 Speaker 1: for childcare was to my grandparents house. And my grandfather, 387 00:23:00,040 --> 00:23:01,800 Speaker 1: you know, he wouldn't watch a lot of TV. He 388 00:23:01,840 --> 00:23:06,080 Speaker 1: would watch old westerns and uh he liked watching baseball. 389 00:23:06,359 --> 00:23:10,520 Speaker 1: But outside of that, you know, nothing really, but you know, 390 00:23:10,600 --> 00:23:14,199 Speaker 1: we watched baseball games together and old westerns, and we 391 00:23:14,280 --> 00:23:18,760 Speaker 1: played music together. And most of my time with them 392 00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:22,679 Speaker 1: was spent playing rhythm guitar while my grandfather played what 393 00:23:22,800 --> 00:23:25,680 Speaker 1: he referred to as a lead instrument like banjo or 394 00:23:26,359 --> 00:23:31,760 Speaker 1: mandolin or fiddle. I was born in chiny southern town. 395 00:23:33,760 --> 00:23:39,480 Speaker 1: I grew up with all my family around. He made 396 00:23:39,640 --> 00:23:46,000 Speaker 1: music on the part on Sunday now old man with 397 00:23:46,080 --> 00:23:51,239 Speaker 1: old guitars, Smogan Winston life. He would show me these 398 00:23:51,320 --> 00:23:55,080 Speaker 1: three chord gospel songs and old country and western songs, 399 00:23:55,119 --> 00:23:57,960 Speaker 1: and uh if I would accompany him for a couple 400 00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:00,919 Speaker 1: of hours playing rhythm guitar on the a huge flat 401 00:24:00,960 --> 00:24:03,480 Speaker 1: top acoustic when I was you know, too small to 402 00:24:03,520 --> 00:24:06,400 Speaker 1: really reach my arms around it. Then he would reward 403 00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:09,080 Speaker 1: me by playing the blues. So he would tune his 404 00:24:09,119 --> 00:24:15,960 Speaker 1: guitar to an open tuning and play slide guitar something 405 00:24:18,119 --> 00:24:29,160 Speaker 1: something to do when you feel like giving up something. 406 00:24:33,040 --> 00:24:36,560 Speaker 1: And this happened hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of times 407 00:24:36,560 --> 00:24:38,240 Speaker 1: when I was a kid. Every day, you know, I 408 00:24:38,240 --> 00:24:41,000 Speaker 1: would go over there in the summer all day and 409 00:24:41,119 --> 00:24:44,800 Speaker 1: after school, I would walk across the track field to 410 00:24:45,080 --> 00:24:48,159 Speaker 1: their house because they lived behind the school, and I 411 00:24:48,160 --> 00:24:50,200 Speaker 1: would just stay with them and we would play music, 412 00:24:50,640 --> 00:24:53,480 Speaker 1: and uh, you know, I think it was his way 413 00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:57,760 Speaker 1: of spending time with me and connecting with me, and 414 00:24:57,800 --> 00:25:00,199 Speaker 1: also just keeping me busy and giving me some than 415 00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:02,640 Speaker 1: to do where I wouldn't get myself in trouble. Turned 416 00:25:02,640 --> 00:25:06,159 Speaker 1: out to be pretty effective talker. Yeah, I got really lucky. 417 00:25:06,320 --> 00:25:10,159 Speaker 1: I got really really lucky because, you know, music was 418 00:25:10,240 --> 00:25:15,480 Speaker 1: introduced to me as a way to communicate with the 419 00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:18,760 Speaker 1: people that I cared about. And the first songs that 420 00:25:18,840 --> 00:25:21,280 Speaker 1: I heard were songs that had been around for a 421 00:25:21,280 --> 00:25:23,480 Speaker 1: long long time. I mean this was in the eighties, 422 00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:27,000 Speaker 1: you know, it wasn't in the nineteen forties or fifties. 423 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:29,080 Speaker 1: But the songs that I was here and we're already 424 00:25:29,840 --> 00:25:33,080 Speaker 1: h tried and true, and they stuck with me. And 425 00:25:33,119 --> 00:25:35,320 Speaker 1: the way those songs were written and the way those 426 00:25:35,359 --> 00:25:39,080 Speaker 1: stories were told. Uh, you know, it influenced the kind 427 00:25:39,080 --> 00:25:41,200 Speaker 1: of music that I wound up making as an adult, 428 00:25:41,520 --> 00:25:43,719 Speaker 1: and and all the things that are important to me, 429 00:25:44,440 --> 00:25:46,960 Speaker 1: uh now really came out of that time that I 430 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:56,000 Speaker 1: spent with my family making music. He's a ten time 431 00:25:56,040 --> 00:25:59,880 Speaker 1: All Star, three time World Series Champions, seven times Silver Slugger, 432 00:26:00,400 --> 00:26:03,200 Speaker 1: soon to be Baseball Hall of Famer, and a hero 433 00:26:03,400 --> 00:26:06,000 Speaker 1: to fans young and old from New England to the 434 00:26:06,040 --> 00:26:10,919 Speaker 1: Dominican Republic. David Ortiz during his fourteen years with the 435 00:26:10,920 --> 00:26:15,119 Speaker 1: Boston Red Sox, David helped lead the team to three championships, 436 00:26:15,160 --> 00:26:19,199 Speaker 1: including ending the infamous eighty six year curse the so 437 00:26:19,320 --> 00:26:23,399 Speaker 1: called Curse of the Bambino in two thousand four. He 438 00:26:23,560 --> 00:26:26,720 Speaker 1: also set and still holds the team record for most 439 00:26:26,760 --> 00:26:29,800 Speaker 1: home runs in a single season with fifty four, and 440 00:26:29,840 --> 00:26:32,840 Speaker 1: it's widely considered one of the greatest designated hitters in 441 00:26:32,880 --> 00:26:36,200 Speaker 1: the history of the game. He's also always been focused 442 00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:40,000 Speaker 1: on giving back off the field, particularly through the David 443 00:26:40,080 --> 00:26:45,040 Speaker 1: Ortiz Children's Fund, which provides critical cardiac services to children 444 00:26:45,040 --> 00:26:49,639 Speaker 1: in need. David, Thanks for being here today. Did you 445 00:26:49,680 --> 00:26:53,399 Speaker 1: think a lot when you played that you were basically 446 00:26:53,520 --> 00:26:57,399 Speaker 1: walking in the staffs of one Marshal Sammy Cells of 447 00:26:57,520 --> 00:27:01,960 Speaker 1: the great Dominican players before. Were you aware that you 448 00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:07,520 Speaker 1: were carrying this heritage word reality is suppressing that I 449 00:27:08,840 --> 00:27:12,360 Speaker 1: was a kid that all I have in mind when 450 00:27:12,400 --> 00:27:15,400 Speaker 1: I first jumped into the pro was founding the way 451 00:27:15,440 --> 00:27:20,440 Speaker 1: to help my family. We were poor family coming from 452 00:27:20,440 --> 00:27:22,359 Speaker 1: the dominic, and my mom and dad I used to 453 00:27:22,400 --> 00:27:26,359 Speaker 1: work extremely hard to pay for the school, to pay 454 00:27:26,440 --> 00:27:32,439 Speaker 1: for food. We didn't have any instra things because we 455 00:27:32,480 --> 00:27:39,160 Speaker 1: can't afford it. And my childhood was really good because 456 00:27:39,160 --> 00:27:45,560 Speaker 1: he was full of love in respect, but nothing else. 457 00:27:45,960 --> 00:27:50,760 Speaker 1: We don't have any financial statement. It was the type 458 00:27:50,800 --> 00:27:52,480 Speaker 1: of living that it was in the day by day 459 00:27:53,560 --> 00:27:59,879 Speaker 1: type of things and it was basically, you know, so 460 00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:03,080 Speaker 1: living type of thing. And but my my mom and 461 00:28:03,160 --> 00:28:07,879 Speaker 1: dad they hold on tight, They protect h their kids. 462 00:28:09,160 --> 00:28:12,520 Speaker 1: They always try their best to take care of us 463 00:28:13,560 --> 00:28:17,399 Speaker 1: the way they can. At the time when I was 464 00:28:17,520 --> 00:28:22,000 Speaker 1: like sixteen seventeen, with all the pressure that I was 465 00:28:22,040 --> 00:28:25,359 Speaker 1: living into it, I know exactly what I need to 466 00:28:25,400 --> 00:28:28,280 Speaker 1: be and what I want to be. I just don't 467 00:28:28,280 --> 00:28:30,600 Speaker 1: know what it was gonna take me to get there, 468 00:28:30,640 --> 00:28:36,000 Speaker 1: But I know my mind has very clear the things 469 00:28:36,040 --> 00:28:41,600 Speaker 1: that I need to do. Two, put my family in 470 00:28:41,600 --> 00:28:45,240 Speaker 1: a situation because I was the only way out. I 471 00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:47,600 Speaker 1: was their only way out. It was the only way 472 00:28:47,640 --> 00:28:52,600 Speaker 1: out but me. So I know that I had that responsibility, 473 00:28:53,040 --> 00:28:58,640 Speaker 1: and I start, you know, working on trying to learn 474 00:28:58,720 --> 00:29:00,680 Speaker 1: what it takes to be one those guys that you 475 00:29:00,720 --> 00:29:03,800 Speaker 1: just mentioned. Well, I'm very moved by what you said 476 00:29:03,840 --> 00:29:07,640 Speaker 1: about your mother, and I know you lost her about 477 00:29:07,640 --> 00:29:10,720 Speaker 1: twenty years ago, I think this year in a car accident. Yes, 478 00:29:11,160 --> 00:29:15,000 Speaker 1: and you were paying tribute to her after every home running. Yes. 479 00:29:15,480 --> 00:29:18,280 Speaker 1: I remember when I lost my mom. I was playing 480 00:29:18,320 --> 00:29:22,000 Speaker 1: for the Twins and it was after New Year Deaf. 481 00:29:22,080 --> 00:29:24,840 Speaker 1: My mom used to go to busy her family, you know, 482 00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:28,280 Speaker 1: New Year, you know, and that one time it was 483 00:29:28,320 --> 00:29:30,680 Speaker 1: like basically saying goodbye, because on the way back home, 484 00:29:30,960 --> 00:29:35,240 Speaker 1: they asked it happened, And I was pretty close to 485 00:29:35,240 --> 00:29:39,840 Speaker 1: my mom. I was, I was, you know, my mom was. 486 00:29:39,520 --> 00:29:42,600 Speaker 1: I always give some hard time to my sister saying 487 00:29:42,600 --> 00:29:47,920 Speaker 1: that I was my mom favorite child. She just spoiled 488 00:29:47,920 --> 00:29:49,880 Speaker 1: men enough, you know what I'm saying. My moments to 489 00:29:50,040 --> 00:29:53,280 Speaker 1: love cooking and just sit down and watch me eat. 490 00:29:54,280 --> 00:29:56,200 Speaker 1: She used to call me her big boy, you know, 491 00:29:56,960 --> 00:30:01,040 Speaker 1: and we had that type of connection. And once that happened, 492 00:30:01,040 --> 00:30:07,800 Speaker 1: that that heat home hard, you know, because my career, uh, 493 00:30:07,800 --> 00:30:17,000 Speaker 1: it would just beginning, and it was something that no 494 00:30:17,080 --> 00:30:21,040 Speaker 1: one is prepared for that, you know. And and I 495 00:30:21,160 --> 00:30:28,240 Speaker 1: remember I went to spring training in March. I remember 496 00:30:28,280 --> 00:30:31,400 Speaker 1: I used to celebrate my mother's birthday because her birthday 497 00:30:31,480 --> 00:30:33,560 Speaker 1: was marched four wards. We were in the middle of 498 00:30:33,600 --> 00:30:41,120 Speaker 1: spring training and that day that it was her birthday. Uh. 499 00:30:43,240 --> 00:30:46,239 Speaker 1: I remember getting to the field. I got to the 500 00:30:46,240 --> 00:30:50,400 Speaker 1: parking lot and I was just bawling, crying, and I 501 00:30:50,520 --> 00:30:55,600 Speaker 1: just sitting down by myself in the parking lot, and uh, 502 00:30:55,800 --> 00:31:00,040 Speaker 1: the whole team came out and picked me up. And 503 00:31:00,240 --> 00:31:04,480 Speaker 1: I remember my boy Buddy Hunner, he was he was 504 00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:06,320 Speaker 1: my teammate at the time. He was the first one 505 00:31:06,360 --> 00:31:09,920 Speaker 1: who coming and grab me. And you know, everybody was 506 00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:15,760 Speaker 1: super cool. And I was in the line know that day, 507 00:31:16,360 --> 00:31:19,320 Speaker 1: and I remember I hit two homers on that game, 508 00:31:20,160 --> 00:31:22,640 Speaker 1: and the first thing that came to my mind after 509 00:31:22,680 --> 00:31:25,880 Speaker 1: I hit the first summer was doing that the celebration 510 00:31:25,960 --> 00:31:29,000 Speaker 1: when I got to the plate and since that day. 511 00:31:29,400 --> 00:31:32,320 Speaker 1: It was like the best feeling I have ever had 512 00:31:32,360 --> 00:31:34,120 Speaker 1: after I hit the home run. I bet you still 513 00:31:34,200 --> 00:31:38,480 Speaker 1: miss your mother? Oh yeah, every day. My mother died 514 00:31:39,480 --> 00:31:46,480 Speaker 1: twenty nine years ago, last January six, and uh I 515 00:31:46,560 --> 00:31:49,280 Speaker 1: still think about her, you know all the time. That's 516 00:31:49,280 --> 00:31:52,239 Speaker 1: a different love, Mr President, That's a different love. You know, 517 00:31:53,200 --> 00:31:55,480 Speaker 1: you got your wife, you got your kids, you got 518 00:31:55,520 --> 00:31:58,640 Speaker 1: your family member, you got everybody, you got friends. But 519 00:31:58,800 --> 00:32:01,600 Speaker 1: the love coming from mom is different. That's why I 520 00:32:01,600 --> 00:32:04,880 Speaker 1: always tell my kids, you love for your mom is 521 00:32:04,920 --> 00:32:06,520 Speaker 1: the love of your mom. You know, it's it's it's 522 00:32:06,560 --> 00:32:12,160 Speaker 1: something that is extremely different. That connection is different. I'm 523 00:32:12,200 --> 00:32:15,320 Speaker 1: a guy that I'm surrounded by so many lovely people, 524 00:32:15,400 --> 00:32:18,880 Speaker 1: so many people like my family is based on that 525 00:32:19,520 --> 00:32:23,760 Speaker 1: sprained love everywhere, but the one type of love is different. 526 00:32:27,080 --> 00:32:40,120 Speaker 1: More after this today, I am truly delighted to be 527 00:32:40,200 --> 00:32:43,000 Speaker 1: joined by someone who was born and bred and, as 528 00:32:43,080 --> 00:32:47,240 Speaker 1: she says, buttered in Harlem and has played a crucial 529 00:32:47,320 --> 00:32:51,320 Speaker 1: role in making the neighborhood what it is today, someone 530 00:32:51,360 --> 00:32:54,520 Speaker 1: whose mouth watering meals have earneder the unofficial title of 531 00:32:54,560 --> 00:32:59,760 Speaker 1: America's Queen of Comfort Food. Melbourne, thanks for being here today. 532 00:33:00,400 --> 00:33:03,240 Speaker 1: When did you decide you wanted to be a chef. 533 00:33:04,040 --> 00:33:09,720 Speaker 1: How old were you? Well? Growing up in Harlem, every summer, 534 00:33:10,040 --> 00:33:12,600 Speaker 1: what we did is the day that school ended. The 535 00:33:12,680 --> 00:33:15,280 Speaker 1: next day, my mom, dad, brother's sister, and I would 536 00:33:15,320 --> 00:33:17,840 Speaker 1: all pack into the car and we would take the 537 00:33:17,920 --> 00:33:21,440 Speaker 1: ten eleven hour drive to South Carolina, which is where 538 00:33:21,480 --> 00:33:25,600 Speaker 1: my parents are from. And every time, the first thing 539 00:33:25,640 --> 00:33:29,000 Speaker 1: I did when we arrived in South Carolina was greeted 540 00:33:29,080 --> 00:33:33,800 Speaker 1: my grandparents with warm hugs. But then it was to 541 00:33:33,880 --> 00:33:37,680 Speaker 1: that farm. That's where we went, and my grandmother knew 542 00:33:37,760 --> 00:33:40,920 Speaker 1: that I looked forward to going to the farm with 543 00:33:40,960 --> 00:33:46,040 Speaker 1: her where we picked greens, beans, potatoes, tomatoes, and watching 544 00:33:46,040 --> 00:33:50,000 Speaker 1: my grandmother gather all of these ingredients and then take 545 00:33:50,040 --> 00:33:56,320 Speaker 1: them into the kitchen, singing normally church hymns. We would 546 00:33:56,400 --> 00:34:02,680 Speaker 1: cook together, and whether I was snap and peas, peeling potatoes, 547 00:34:03,360 --> 00:34:08,359 Speaker 1: cannoned tomatoes, I loved every aspect of the magic that 548 00:34:08,400 --> 00:34:12,040 Speaker 1: we created in our kitchen. It was then that I 549 00:34:12,160 --> 00:34:18,080 Speaker 1: actually first fell in love with cooking, with food and 550 00:34:18,120 --> 00:34:23,040 Speaker 1: with the power of food. See, every important event in 551 00:34:23,080 --> 00:34:27,560 Speaker 1: our family happened over food. It happened over a meal, 552 00:34:28,600 --> 00:34:32,920 Speaker 1: whether it was the birth of a new baby or 553 00:34:33,160 --> 00:34:38,920 Speaker 1: the one birthday and celebrating my grandmother or my great grandmother, 554 00:34:39,680 --> 00:34:44,480 Speaker 1: whether it was a marriage or unfortunately a repast. I 555 00:34:44,600 --> 00:34:48,680 Speaker 1: noticed that food was at the center of everything that 556 00:34:48,760 --> 00:34:52,640 Speaker 1: was important to us. So I knew I wanted to 557 00:34:52,640 --> 00:34:54,960 Speaker 1: be a part of the magic. I wanted to be 558 00:34:55,000 --> 00:34:59,600 Speaker 1: a part of that magic called feeding people's souls, but 559 00:34:59,719 --> 00:35:04,040 Speaker 1: feed in their spirits as well. Wow, you brought up 560 00:35:04,080 --> 00:35:06,440 Speaker 1: a lot of old memories to me. I had. My 561 00:35:06,600 --> 00:35:11,040 Speaker 1: grandmother's brother and his wife were sort of our family 562 00:35:11,200 --> 00:35:15,000 Speaker 1: magnet when I was a little boy in Hope and 563 00:35:15,080 --> 00:35:18,200 Speaker 1: we all had to learn to shell fees and do 564 00:35:18,360 --> 00:35:23,200 Speaker 1: whatever else was necessary. I personally favored turning the crank 565 00:35:23,320 --> 00:35:26,560 Speaker 1: on the ice cream machine the most because I knew 566 00:35:26,600 --> 00:35:29,960 Speaker 1: what was at the other end of that effort. But 567 00:35:31,480 --> 00:35:34,360 Speaker 1: I think that when you were talking about being on 568 00:35:34,400 --> 00:35:38,600 Speaker 1: your grandparents farm and how it's amazing how many people 569 00:35:38,640 --> 00:35:42,120 Speaker 1: today who have never been on or around the farm, 570 00:35:42,160 --> 00:35:46,920 Speaker 1: we've never planet a garden, who've never experienced this, I 571 00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:52,080 Speaker 1: think sometimes they spend an unlimited number of days ordering 572 00:35:52,160 --> 00:35:56,120 Speaker 1: food out and having delivered, having no real clue about 573 00:35:56,760 --> 00:35:59,239 Speaker 1: what else is involved. And one of the things that 574 00:35:59,320 --> 00:36:02,000 Speaker 1: always impressed me is that you seem to want the 575 00:36:02,080 --> 00:36:05,400 Speaker 1: people who dined at your restaurants and buy your book 576 00:36:05,440 --> 00:36:09,480 Speaker 1: to know that that food in front of them is 577 00:36:09,560 --> 00:36:13,360 Speaker 1: part of a larger fabric of community that we should 578 00:36:13,440 --> 00:36:18,200 Speaker 1: nurture in respect. That is so true. Um, you know, 579 00:36:18,320 --> 00:36:22,280 Speaker 1: food was our entertainment. We come from very, very humble beginnings, 580 00:36:22,840 --> 00:36:27,160 Speaker 1: and so it wasn't about going to the movies or 581 00:36:27,640 --> 00:36:32,000 Speaker 1: taking an airplane trip any place. Food was the nucleus 582 00:36:32,040 --> 00:36:36,120 Speaker 1: of everything that we did, Mr President. So Monday through Friday, 583 00:36:36,280 --> 00:36:41,319 Speaker 1: my dad worked, Saturdays and Sundays were spent at our 584 00:36:41,360 --> 00:36:45,560 Speaker 1: cousin's house, my uncle's, my aunt's, my grandparents homes. That's 585 00:36:45,600 --> 00:36:48,440 Speaker 1: what we did. But not only did we go to visit, 586 00:36:48,680 --> 00:36:52,600 Speaker 1: we brought a dish, we brought a plate because remember 587 00:36:53,200 --> 00:36:58,200 Speaker 1: that's bragging rights. Who makes the best tat to salad? Okay, 588 00:36:58,239 --> 00:37:01,799 Speaker 1: that macaroni and cheese better be creamy, and you have 589 00:37:01,960 --> 00:37:05,640 Speaker 1: to see the cheese strings rise up from the plate 590 00:37:05,960 --> 00:37:08,399 Speaker 1: to the top of the fork like it's gonna touch 591 00:37:08,480 --> 00:37:13,040 Speaker 1: the heavens in the sky. So food is definitely it 592 00:37:13,080 --> 00:37:16,080 Speaker 1: was definitely a part of entertainment, but it's also a 593 00:37:16,080 --> 00:37:19,800 Speaker 1: way to show love. It's the way that we nurtured 594 00:37:19,920 --> 00:37:24,319 Speaker 1: each other. And it's also a vehicle, a conduit that 595 00:37:24,400 --> 00:37:28,040 Speaker 1: we used to tell stories of the past. See. I 596 00:37:28,120 --> 00:37:33,160 Speaker 1: never got to meet great Grandma Julia, or Mambo as 597 00:37:33,239 --> 00:37:37,160 Speaker 1: my parents affectionately called her, but every time we sat 598 00:37:37,160 --> 00:37:40,360 Speaker 1: down to eat, there was stories that were constantly told 599 00:37:40,440 --> 00:37:45,880 Speaker 1: about my great grandmother Mambo. And you know, we shared 600 00:37:45,920 --> 00:37:48,160 Speaker 1: these stories over food, and it could have been a 601 00:37:48,200 --> 00:37:50,640 Speaker 1: meal that she cooked. But that's how I got to 602 00:37:50,680 --> 00:37:54,960 Speaker 1: tell my son the stories of his great great grandmother. 603 00:37:55,360 --> 00:37:58,560 Speaker 1: So even though she didn't live in the present, she 604 00:37:58,680 --> 00:38:01,960 Speaker 1: lives in his mind and he knows about his lineage. 605 00:38:02,280 --> 00:38:05,759 Speaker 1: He knows the important part that she and the rest 606 00:38:05,800 --> 00:38:09,760 Speaker 1: of our family members played still today play in our lives, 607 00:38:10,000 --> 00:38:12,320 Speaker 1: and he knows the reason that we do certain things. 608 00:38:13,120 --> 00:38:15,600 Speaker 1: You know, I still like the shell peas because they 609 00:38:15,640 --> 00:38:18,080 Speaker 1: take me back, and that's one of the beautiful things 610 00:38:18,080 --> 00:38:23,640 Speaker 1: that food does. It transports you back to warm times 611 00:38:23,680 --> 00:38:33,439 Speaker 1: and wonderful memories. At the Clinton Global Initiative in two 612 00:38:33,440 --> 00:38:37,960 Speaker 1: thousand and eight, Matt Damon, actor, producer and screenwriter who 613 00:38:38,040 --> 00:38:41,360 Speaker 1: channeled his fashion for water security and the charity H 614 00:38:41,440 --> 00:38:46,080 Speaker 1: two O Africa, bonded with Gary White Water and Sanitation 615 00:38:46,160 --> 00:38:50,960 Speaker 1: engineer with years of on the ground expertise. Before long, 616 00:38:51,000 --> 00:38:53,200 Speaker 1: they had merged their efforts into what came to be 617 00:38:53,239 --> 00:38:57,759 Speaker 1: called water dot Org. They later started a second organization, 618 00:38:57,800 --> 00:39:01,320 Speaker 1: of Water Equity, and together they've health more than forty 619 00:39:01,680 --> 00:39:06,839 Speaker 1: three million people getting access to clean water. That when 620 00:39:06,880 --> 00:39:10,680 Speaker 1: you were dreaming of a career in the movies, did 621 00:39:10,719 --> 00:39:13,520 Speaker 1: you know when you were young that if you succeeded, 622 00:39:13,560 --> 00:39:16,160 Speaker 1: this would be a part of it, not this specific thing, 623 00:39:16,239 --> 00:39:19,960 Speaker 1: but that you had to have another mission? Yeah? That 624 00:39:20,040 --> 00:39:23,280 Speaker 1: was that was something instilled in me really, uh, by 625 00:39:23,400 --> 00:39:27,480 Speaker 1: my by my mother. Um. She took me at he 626 00:39:27,600 --> 00:39:32,040 Speaker 1: as a teenager traveling to to Mexico, but to Guatemala 627 00:39:32,080 --> 00:39:35,120 Speaker 1: and rural rural areas there where I saw things that 628 00:39:35,160 --> 00:39:38,880 Speaker 1: I had never seen before and did extreme poverty, of 629 00:39:38,880 --> 00:39:42,160 Speaker 1: political repression, you know, social injustice, all these kind of things. 630 00:39:42,200 --> 00:39:44,719 Speaker 1: And it gave me such a better context for my 631 00:39:44,760 --> 00:39:48,279 Speaker 1: own life in the world. Um and and and and 632 00:39:48,440 --> 00:39:51,040 Speaker 1: lit a fire in me to say, okay, well, you know, 633 00:39:51,120 --> 00:39:53,759 Speaker 1: as as as as laser focused as I was in 634 00:39:53,800 --> 00:39:57,040 Speaker 1: my twenties on trying to carve out a career in Hollywood, 635 00:39:57,080 --> 00:39:59,759 Speaker 1: which is not a not an easy one to not 636 00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:02,719 Speaker 1: an easy ring to go after. Um I knew that 637 00:40:02,760 --> 00:40:05,920 Speaker 1: if things went well, I wanted to I wanted to 638 00:40:05,960 --> 00:40:07,680 Speaker 1: return to this because I wanted it to be a 639 00:40:07,719 --> 00:40:10,879 Speaker 1: significant part of my life. Because Gary and I talked 640 00:40:10,880 --> 00:40:13,719 Speaker 1: about all the time, you know what is a life 641 00:40:13,800 --> 00:40:15,480 Speaker 1: right it's in you know, and how much of it 642 00:40:15,560 --> 00:40:17,759 Speaker 1: is in service to this kind of greater project and 643 00:40:18,000 --> 00:40:21,400 Speaker 1: and um you know, what's what's a life worth living? 644 00:40:21,480 --> 00:40:24,839 Speaker 1: So um so those are all things I that we're 645 00:40:24,880 --> 00:40:26,520 Speaker 1: in the back of my mind as I was as 646 00:40:26,560 --> 00:40:28,440 Speaker 1: I was kind of slugging it out and trying to 647 00:40:28,520 --> 00:40:37,319 Speaker 1: trying to build a career in Hollywood. Lisa Leslie is 648 00:40:37,400 --> 00:40:39,959 Speaker 1: currently they had coach of the Triplets in the Big 649 00:40:40,000 --> 00:40:43,160 Speaker 1: Three Basketball League, if she led to the inaugural Big 650 00:40:43,160 --> 00:40:47,440 Speaker 1: Three Championship in twenty nineteen. In addition to her pioneering 651 00:40:47,520 --> 00:40:51,240 Speaker 1: basketball career, which includes being the first woman to dunk 652 00:40:51,520 --> 00:40:55,640 Speaker 1: w n B a game, Lisa's resume includes fashion modeling, acting, 653 00:40:55,800 --> 00:41:00,319 Speaker 1: sports commentary, and now real estate. I had the honor 654 00:41:00,400 --> 00:41:02,080 Speaker 1: to meter when I was present, and she was a 655 00:41:02,080 --> 00:41:05,160 Speaker 1: member of the women's national basketball team when they won 656 00:41:05,200 --> 00:41:09,719 Speaker 1: those gold medals in n and in two thousands. I've 657 00:41:09,719 --> 00:41:12,600 Speaker 1: been a big fan ever since, and I'm so glad 658 00:41:12,640 --> 00:41:14,719 Speaker 1: to be speaking with her today. Lisa, thank you for 659 00:41:14,800 --> 00:41:19,719 Speaker 1: joining us. Tell us just a little about winning, how 660 00:41:19,760 --> 00:41:22,600 Speaker 1: you grew up and how you became interested in basketball. 661 00:41:23,040 --> 00:41:25,680 Speaker 1: I grew up in Compton, California, which is the inner 662 00:41:25,680 --> 00:41:30,040 Speaker 1: city of southern California. UM. I was raised by my mom, 663 00:41:30,080 --> 00:41:33,480 Speaker 1: who is a single mom, with two sisters, an older 664 00:41:33,520 --> 00:41:35,960 Speaker 1: sister and a younger sister. I'm the middle child, therefore 665 00:41:36,000 --> 00:41:39,279 Speaker 1: the best child, who's most flexible, who gets along with 666 00:41:39,320 --> 00:41:42,200 Speaker 1: everybody because I'm used to being told what to do, 667 00:41:42,520 --> 00:41:44,959 Speaker 1: but I'm also used to leading and telling my younger 668 00:41:45,000 --> 00:41:48,239 Speaker 1: sister what to do. So I come from very humble beginnings. 669 00:41:48,440 --> 00:41:52,799 Speaker 1: UM had so much love and just positive affirmations from 670 00:41:52,840 --> 00:41:55,640 Speaker 1: my mom for my sisters and I to, you know, 671 00:41:55,840 --> 00:41:57,440 Speaker 1: take on the world and do the best that we 672 00:41:57,440 --> 00:41:59,440 Speaker 1: can do, be our best, and do it with a 673 00:41:59,480 --> 00:42:02,120 Speaker 1: lot of love than heart and integrity. But I gotta 674 00:42:02,160 --> 00:42:04,080 Speaker 1: tell you, I didn't start playing basketball until I was 675 00:42:04,120 --> 00:42:06,880 Speaker 1: twelve years old, which is really late considering all the 676 00:42:06,960 --> 00:42:10,600 Speaker 1: success that I've had in this sport. But basketball for 677 00:42:10,719 --> 00:42:16,000 Speaker 1: me really was about an opportunity to create change for 678 00:42:16,040 --> 00:42:18,400 Speaker 1: our lives and for me to be able to go 679 00:42:18,480 --> 00:42:21,960 Speaker 1: to college. That was the whole reason why I picked 680 00:42:22,000 --> 00:42:24,680 Speaker 1: up a basketball because I recognize it. That was the 681 00:42:24,719 --> 00:42:28,279 Speaker 1: one sport that because obviously I was so tall. I 682 00:42:28,360 --> 00:42:32,839 Speaker 1: was six ft in the sixth grade, so crazy, right. 683 00:42:33,880 --> 00:42:36,880 Speaker 1: I remember telling my mom that people keep asking me 684 00:42:36,880 --> 00:42:40,120 Speaker 1: if I play basketball, and she's like, oh, well, because 685 00:42:40,160 --> 00:42:44,120 Speaker 1: you're tall. Sweeheard. You know, they associate sports with people 686 00:42:44,120 --> 00:42:45,919 Speaker 1: who are tall. And I was like, well, I don't 687 00:42:45,920 --> 00:42:47,279 Speaker 1: want to play that and she was like, oh, you 688 00:42:47,280 --> 00:42:52,239 Speaker 1: don't have to. So funny. Um, But I went to 689 00:42:52,280 --> 00:42:54,520 Speaker 1: middle school and there was a girl named Shay. They 690 00:42:54,560 --> 00:42:57,240 Speaker 1: called her Sha, and everybody's like Shay and she's so popular. 691 00:42:57,640 --> 00:42:59,840 Speaker 1: And I'm like, why is everybody know her name? And 692 00:43:00,040 --> 00:43:02,960 Speaker 1: he said, well, she's on the basketball team. And so 693 00:43:03,160 --> 00:43:05,319 Speaker 1: I think God just had that happen for me so 694 00:43:05,360 --> 00:43:08,200 Speaker 1: I can go, well, I want everybody to know my name. 695 00:43:08,360 --> 00:43:11,560 Speaker 1: So I tried out for the basketball team. I guess 696 00:43:11,600 --> 00:43:14,000 Speaker 1: the rest is history. It's amazing that's how I started 697 00:43:14,000 --> 00:43:17,919 Speaker 1: playing basketball. That's a great story. It's a great sport. Yes, 698 00:43:18,160 --> 00:43:21,279 Speaker 1: it's It's changed my life and it's enhanced my life 699 00:43:21,320 --> 00:43:24,239 Speaker 1: in ways that I would have never known. Through all 700 00:43:24,280 --> 00:43:27,080 Speaker 1: the hard work and dedication of picking up that one basketball. 701 00:43:33,960 --> 00:43:36,319 Speaker 1: Who was like, let's just jump right in. How did 702 00:43:36,320 --> 00:43:40,640 Speaker 1: you decide to become a chef? I always believe in 703 00:43:40,719 --> 00:43:43,680 Speaker 1: following life. Life has a plan for all of us. 704 00:43:44,719 --> 00:43:48,320 Speaker 1: Sometimes we decide to listen, and sometimes we follow, and 705 00:43:48,440 --> 00:43:50,600 Speaker 1: sometimes we fight it. I'm the type of guy that 706 00:43:50,680 --> 00:43:55,640 Speaker 1: listens to life and my father, um, we love to cook. 707 00:43:55,920 --> 00:44:00,600 Speaker 1: Men cook in a Spain. It's like if you are 708 00:44:00,640 --> 00:44:02,680 Speaker 1: not a chef, if you don't feed your family, if 709 00:44:02,680 --> 00:44:06,160 Speaker 1: you don't feed your friends, you are not at the 710 00:44:06,680 --> 00:44:12,040 Speaker 1: at the right social social status. Cooking is part of 711 00:44:12,040 --> 00:44:15,200 Speaker 1: who you are, makes you better. And I always saw 712 00:44:15,239 --> 00:44:17,440 Speaker 1: my dad cooking at home obviously my mother who she 713 00:44:17,600 --> 00:44:19,480 Speaker 1: was a great, a great cook. And I was not 714 00:44:19,560 --> 00:44:22,040 Speaker 1: doing very well at school, let's say, in the traditional 715 00:44:23,400 --> 00:44:26,319 Speaker 1: education system. But it's not like I felt because I 716 00:44:26,320 --> 00:44:31,000 Speaker 1: didn't care. I was spending more time hands on working 717 00:44:31,000 --> 00:44:34,919 Speaker 1: in restaurants around Barcelona every hour I had free. Then 718 00:44:35,000 --> 00:44:38,759 Speaker 1: going to school again, the traditional education systems was not 719 00:44:38,880 --> 00:44:41,040 Speaker 1: something I was the best way for me to learn, 720 00:44:41,480 --> 00:44:43,440 Speaker 1: and I always was trying to find other ways that 721 00:44:43,520 --> 00:44:48,960 Speaker 1: I could be better. That's who I became a cook, 722 00:44:49,040 --> 00:44:53,280 Speaker 1: who I became in love, uh with food. But probably 723 00:44:53,320 --> 00:44:56,680 Speaker 1: the moment Mr. President was when helping my father in 724 00:44:56,719 --> 00:44:58,520 Speaker 1: one of those sundays that he would cook for all 725 00:44:58,560 --> 00:45:01,200 Speaker 1: his friends. One day we could be twenty, other days 726 00:45:01,280 --> 00:45:04,200 Speaker 1: we could be hundred. My father will put me always 727 00:45:04,200 --> 00:45:06,680 Speaker 1: in charge of the fire, and he will send me 728 00:45:06,719 --> 00:45:09,640 Speaker 1: to the forest to gather the wood and I will 729 00:45:09,680 --> 00:45:12,640 Speaker 1: make a fire. He will have this very big by 730 00:45:12,760 --> 00:45:16,760 Speaker 1: a pen, a gigantic pen where we make rice dishes 731 00:45:16,760 --> 00:45:20,000 Speaker 1: in the Spain. And that day I wanted to cook. 732 00:45:20,320 --> 00:45:21,880 Speaker 1: I didn't want to make the fire anymore. I was 733 00:45:21,880 --> 00:45:24,080 Speaker 1: doing the fire for too long. See day when I cook, 734 00:45:24,120 --> 00:45:26,400 Speaker 1: my dad said, no, you have to make the fire. 735 00:45:26,480 --> 00:45:29,080 Speaker 1: You are the only one that knows how to do it. 736 00:45:29,080 --> 00:45:31,640 Speaker 1: It's a big He sent me away because I got 737 00:45:31,680 --> 00:45:34,800 Speaker 1: very upset, So we will speak later. When the bio 738 00:45:34,960 --> 00:45:36,920 Speaker 1: was made, he got me aside and he told me, 739 00:45:37,200 --> 00:45:40,080 Speaker 1: my son, I understand you wanted to do the cooking, 740 00:45:41,200 --> 00:45:45,280 Speaker 1: to put the spoon, to steer the pot, but actually 741 00:45:45,520 --> 00:45:48,560 Speaker 1: you were in charge of the most important which is 742 00:45:48,760 --> 00:45:52,240 Speaker 1: making the fire and controlling the fire. If you control 743 00:45:52,320 --> 00:45:55,480 Speaker 1: the fire, you can't do any cooking. You want control 744 00:45:55,520 --> 00:45:58,319 Speaker 1: the fire and you will be in control of your destiny. 745 00:45:58,560 --> 00:46:02,560 Speaker 1: I think that probably was the moment that they saw that, yes, 746 00:46:02,640 --> 00:46:06,440 Speaker 1: Cookine was in my future, not just physically that was 747 00:46:06,480 --> 00:46:09,360 Speaker 1: going to be my profession, but understanding that if we 748 00:46:09,560 --> 00:46:13,360 Speaker 1: all learn and understand what that we're fire is, we 749 00:46:13,480 --> 00:46:15,759 Speaker 1: can achieve anything we want in the world. What a 750 00:46:15,800 --> 00:46:20,120 Speaker 1: wonderful story. Why am I telling you? This is a 751 00:46:20,160 --> 00:46:23,200 Speaker 1: production of Our Heart Radio, the Clinton Foundation and at 752 00:46:23,200 --> 00:46:27,440 Speaker 1: Will Medium. Our executive producers are Craigmanascian and Will Monadi. 753 00:46:28,200 --> 00:46:32,600 Speaker 1: Our production team includes Jamison Katsufas, Tom Galton, Sara Horowitz, 754 00:46:32,680 --> 00:46:36,480 Speaker 1: and Jake Young, with production support from Liz Rafferee and 755 00:46:36,600 --> 00:46:41,560 Speaker 1: Josh Farnham. Original music by What White. Special thanks to 756 00:46:41,680 --> 00:46:45,720 Speaker 1: John Sykes, John Davidson on hell, Orina, Corey Ginstley, Kevin 757 00:46:45,719 --> 00:46:49,440 Speaker 1: thurm Oscar Flores, and all our dedicated staff and partners 758 00:46:49,440 --> 00:46:58,719 Speaker 1: at the Clinton Foundation. Hi. I'm Jane Park, Director of 759 00:46:58,800 --> 00:47:02,759 Speaker 1: National Partnerships. Too Smart to Fail the Clinton Foundation's early 760 00:47:02,840 --> 00:47:08,040 Speaker 1: learning initiative. In the United States, nearly sixty of children 761 00:47:08,280 --> 00:47:14,880 Speaker 1: start kindergarten unprepared, lagging behind in critical language and literacy skills. Luckily, 762 00:47:15,360 --> 00:47:20,400 Speaker 1: research tells us that simple everyday interactions like talking, reading, 763 00:47:20,480 --> 00:47:23,800 Speaker 1: and singing with young children from the moment they're born 764 00:47:24,239 --> 00:47:28,160 Speaker 1: can help set a strong foundation for lifelong learning. That's 765 00:47:28,200 --> 00:47:32,080 Speaker 1: why we're working just around families with early language, literacy 766 00:47:32,080 --> 00:47:35,839 Speaker 1: and learning opportunities during their daily routines. From a load 767 00:47:35,880 --> 00:47:39,800 Speaker 1: of the laundromat to the bus stop, the pediatrician's office 768 00:47:39,840 --> 00:47:42,759 Speaker 1: to the playground. We work to meet parents where they 769 00:47:42,800 --> 00:47:46,160 Speaker 1: are and help them provide their children with the best 770 00:47:46,200 --> 00:47:50,200 Speaker 1: possible start in school and in life. Learn more about 771 00:47:50,200 --> 00:47:53,120 Speaker 1: this work and see how you can get involved visit 772 00:47:53,520 --> 00:48:01,640 Speaker 1: www dot Clinton Foundation dot org. Slash podcast po