1 00:00:00,440 --> 00:00:04,920 Speaker 1: Wake that ass up in the morning the Breakfast Club. Morning. 2 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:08,119 Speaker 2: Everybody is DJ NV Charlamagne to God. We are to 3 00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:10,360 Speaker 2: Breakfast Club. We got a special guest in the building. Yes, 4 00:00:10,400 --> 00:00:12,560 Speaker 2: indeed we have the brother Doug Millville. 5 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:12,960 Speaker 1: Welcome. 6 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:15,120 Speaker 3: How you doing today, gentlemen, how life today? 7 00:00:15,440 --> 00:00:16,279 Speaker 4: Wife to see you. 8 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 1: It is released week for US Man. Generals is out. 9 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:22,439 Speaker 5: It is the new release off my book in print 10 00:00:22,440 --> 00:00:24,720 Speaker 5: Black Privilege Publishing with Simon and Schuston Man. 11 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:27,320 Speaker 1: Happy to be able to put this into the world. 12 00:00:27,400 --> 00:00:28,880 Speaker 1: Tell them what Invisible Generals is? 13 00:00:29,200 --> 00:00:33,120 Speaker 3: Yes, so Invisible Generals is my family story of America's 14 00:00:33,159 --> 00:00:37,280 Speaker 3: first two black generals. And these two gentlemen, a father 15 00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:40,040 Speaker 3: and a son, were critical to the integration of the 16 00:00:40,159 --> 00:00:43,440 Speaker 3: United States of America's military, which was seventy five years 17 00:00:43,479 --> 00:00:46,560 Speaker 3: ago this year. And also were the two men responsible 18 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:50,280 Speaker 3: for getting the legislation passed to create the Tuskegee Airmen 19 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:52,960 Speaker 3: and then the sun commanded the Tuskegee Airmen. 20 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:55,640 Speaker 4: So these two men did so much in history. 21 00:00:56,160 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 3: And out of the three hundred and thirty five thousand 22 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:01,520 Speaker 3: people in the military at the start of World War Two, 23 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:06,000 Speaker 3: there was only two black officers, a father and a son, 24 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:08,760 Speaker 3: and they were the invisible generals, treated as if they 25 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:12,399 Speaker 3: were invisible as a way to get them to resign, 26 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:15,880 Speaker 3: drop out, or get dishonorably discharged from the military, but 27 00:01:15,959 --> 00:01:18,399 Speaker 3: they used it as a superpower to help change America. 28 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 1: Would you know that was gonna be the title of. 29 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:25,720 Speaker 3: The probably from the beginning, you know, my dad was 30 00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:29,160 Speaker 3: that was kind of how he presented the story to 31 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:32,560 Speaker 3: me about Ben and his father as the invisible Generals, 32 00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:33,959 Speaker 3: and I just like the way it sounded. 33 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:35,800 Speaker 4: He said it kind of impassing. 34 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:37,959 Speaker 3: To me, but it was something that you know, stuck 35 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:40,200 Speaker 3: on and the more I researched and the more I 36 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:42,760 Speaker 3: got involved in it, the more you realized they were 37 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:45,440 Speaker 3: really treated like they were invisible. No one talked to them, 38 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 3: they were silent. So that was the title that I 39 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 3: thought was fitting. 40 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 1: And not only that, not only them, their contributions. 41 00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:53,640 Speaker 5: We talked about this on the Daily Show a little bit, 42 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:56,560 Speaker 5: but it's so fascinating to me, like, tell them what 43 00:01:56,880 --> 00:01:58,720 Speaker 5: they helped create. 44 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:01,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, So a lot of times, you know, when 45 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:03,240 Speaker 3: you talk about veterans or you talk about people in 46 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:06,280 Speaker 3: the military, you only talk about their military service. But 47 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:10,079 Speaker 3: the reality is there's so many more contributions. So Ben 48 00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:14,000 Speaker 3: Davis Junior, the youngest of the two invisible generals, when 49 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:17,480 Speaker 3: he retired in nineteen seventy from the military. He then 50 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:19,920 Speaker 3: went on to work at the Pentagon and he was 51 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:23,640 Speaker 3: responsible for leading the efforts to create what is now 52 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:26,360 Speaker 3: known as the TSA. So there was only two airports 53 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:29,520 Speaker 3: in the whole United States that had commercial security, and 54 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:32,560 Speaker 3: there was a lot of hijackings and skyjackings. 55 00:02:32,919 --> 00:02:33,400 Speaker 4: So when he. 56 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:35,960 Speaker 3: Came from the military, he said, the first thing that 57 00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:39,600 Speaker 3: I should do is try to make commercial aviation as 58 00:02:39,639 --> 00:02:43,480 Speaker 3: safe as the military aviation. And that would start with 59 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:47,760 Speaker 3: preventing hijackings and making sure the airplanes are safe because 60 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 3: customers and clients were starting to feel really uneasy. And 61 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:55,480 Speaker 3: back then, hijackers would board the airplane, they would take 62 00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:58,960 Speaker 3: out weapons, they would run down the aisle, take everybody's jewels, 63 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:02,160 Speaker 3: and then open the door and parachute out. So this 64 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:04,880 Speaker 3: happened seventy eighty ninety times a month. I mean, if 65 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:08,040 Speaker 3: you look at the statics, it's crazy. But airlines were 66 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:10,680 Speaker 3: just getting started at that level and scale that we 67 00:03:10,800 --> 00:03:13,320 Speaker 3: know them today. So he said, we have to make 68 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 3: sure that aviation is safe, and it was key to 69 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:19,000 Speaker 3: do the proper communication because he didn't want people to 70 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:21,600 Speaker 3: get scared and then not want to fly, because you 71 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:24,840 Speaker 3: make everybody nervous to travel and things of that nature. 72 00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:26,680 Speaker 3: So he said, there's two things that we have to do. 73 00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:30,360 Speaker 3: Number one, we need to have people undercover and have 74 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:34,200 Speaker 3: them federally regulated to make sure like you know, passenger 75 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:36,440 Speaker 3: fifty seven, like Leslie Snipes, you know, he has to 76 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:38,680 Speaker 3: go on here and like protect the plane. And he 77 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:42,240 Speaker 3: oversaw the training of four thousand officers who ended up 78 00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:47,320 Speaker 3: being the first federally funded air marshal or sky marshall program. 79 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:49,960 Speaker 3: So that was one solution. And the second solution was 80 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:54,360 Speaker 3: take the two airports in DC that had commercial security 81 00:03:54,720 --> 00:03:57,920 Speaker 3: and see how he could replicate that using X rays 82 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:02,280 Speaker 3: and using metal detectors for luggages and people to ensure 83 00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:04,240 Speaker 3: that they were safe when they went in. So this 84 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:07,000 Speaker 3: man did both of these contributions and people never heard 85 00:04:07,040 --> 00:04:09,760 Speaker 3: of him. Yeah, we use these things all day every day. 86 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 3: You don't even think about it. 87 00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:14,440 Speaker 2: I was gonna ask, So he did it so far, 88 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:17,279 Speaker 2: so long ago? Why did it take so long for 89 00:04:17,360 --> 00:04:18,440 Speaker 2: the whole world to jump? 90 00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:18,760 Speaker 4: Was it? 91 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:21,800 Speaker 3: Was it the nine eleven fear and yeah, nine to eleven 92 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:24,680 Speaker 3: fear was when TSA, you know, kind of up their 93 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:26,800 Speaker 3: game a little bit and became a little bit more 94 00:04:26,839 --> 00:04:29,839 Speaker 3: of a federally funded and centralized because each airport was 95 00:04:29,880 --> 00:04:33,200 Speaker 3: doing it somewhat individually. They had the federal standards, but 96 00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:35,640 Speaker 3: each airport had a little You remember before nine to eleven, 97 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 3: you would kind of go on a minute early, You'd 98 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:39,880 Speaker 3: be like, oh, went off in your pocket. They'd be like, 99 00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:44,080 Speaker 3: you're so crazy, what was going on here? So that 100 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:46,599 Speaker 3: was when it became what we most people know of 101 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:49,279 Speaker 3: it today. But you know, he did these under the 102 00:04:49,279 --> 00:04:51,200 Speaker 3: guidance of the president at the time, and it was 103 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:53,520 Speaker 3: important that he made aviation safe. 104 00:04:53,560 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 4: So that's one of the. 105 00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:56,800 Speaker 3: Stories I share in the book is how can we 106 00:04:56,880 --> 00:04:58,279 Speaker 3: not know these stories? 107 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:01,160 Speaker 5: And then the speed I like, that's crazy to even 108 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:02,560 Speaker 5: think that there was a time where there was no 109 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:03,080 Speaker 5: speed line. 110 00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:06,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, and this was under the Carter administration. Those 111 00:05:06,279 --> 00:05:08,440 Speaker 3: two were under the Knicks administration. But under the Carter 112 00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:12,120 Speaker 3: administration he went and they brought him on in nineteen 113 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:15,719 Speaker 3: seventy five to be a special assistant to help create 114 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:18,840 Speaker 3: a national speed limit. So it was it served two 115 00:05:18,920 --> 00:05:22,680 Speaker 3: different purposes. Part of the purposes was to ensure that 116 00:05:22,800 --> 00:05:25,440 Speaker 3: maximize gas because there was a gas shortage and they 117 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:27,760 Speaker 3: wanted everybody to drive, you know, at a rate that 118 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:30,680 Speaker 3: would maximize the RPMs of the car. And then the 119 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:34,159 Speaker 3: second part of it was to federalize national speed limit 120 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:36,200 Speaker 3: because there was a lot of confusion in the states 121 00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:40,400 Speaker 3: truck drivers ticketing, but people didn't want it, you know, 122 00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:43,320 Speaker 3: and it was really his last assignment, and some would 123 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:45,440 Speaker 3: argue he got you know, that was his last assignment 124 00:05:45,440 --> 00:05:48,040 Speaker 3: because everybody was writing letters going, we hate the fifty 125 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:50,359 Speaker 3: five mile hour speed limit. It was sixty five. You 126 00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:53,800 Speaker 3: lowered it. I bought this fast car. I hate it. 127 00:05:53,880 --> 00:05:57,760 Speaker 3: So he was nicknamed Mister fifty five. But it wasn't 128 00:05:57,760 --> 00:06:00,320 Speaker 3: something at the time that was very complimentary. People really 129 00:06:00,360 --> 00:06:02,640 Speaker 3: thought it was more of a burden. But he was 130 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:04,960 Speaker 3: the one who made sure that was put into a 131 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:05,599 Speaker 3: federal law. 132 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:08,240 Speaker 2: So my question is this is a lot, right. 133 00:06:08,839 --> 00:06:10,839 Speaker 1: So you talk about TSA, you talk. 134 00:06:10,720 --> 00:06:12,720 Speaker 2: About you know, what he did in the military, and 135 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:15,400 Speaker 2: you know, even with the speed limit, what made you 136 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:17,400 Speaker 2: want to share this story? What was the point where 137 00:06:17,440 --> 00:06:19,240 Speaker 2: you said, I want to share this story. 138 00:06:19,560 --> 00:06:22,720 Speaker 3: Yeah, so, you know, it came out in an unexpected way. 139 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:24,760 Speaker 3: So I was invited to a screening of the movie 140 00:06:24,839 --> 00:06:29,479 Speaker 3: Red Tails, and Terrence Howard in the movie was the 141 00:06:29,560 --> 00:06:32,680 Speaker 3: commander of the Red Tails. And we're all there, it's 142 00:06:32,680 --> 00:06:35,240 Speaker 3: the Red Tails. It's you know, a bunch of you know, 143 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:37,840 Speaker 3: actual Tusky airman on one side and then the actors 144 00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:39,599 Speaker 3: on the other side, and I'm in the middle. 145 00:06:39,760 --> 00:06:42,920 Speaker 4: And they're like, Doug, this is the screening of Red Tails. 146 00:06:42,920 --> 00:06:44,760 Speaker 4: And I was like, oh my gosh, I'm so excited. 147 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:47,000 Speaker 3: And then we get down to the screening and he 148 00:06:47,080 --> 00:06:52,160 Speaker 3: comes on the screen and he's his name was changed, 149 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:55,920 Speaker 3: and I was like, what, Colonel Bullard? Who is that? 150 00:06:56,760 --> 00:06:59,799 Speaker 3: So I'm furious and I leave and there's an after 151 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:03,840 Speaker 3: and I started asking people at the party who changed 152 00:07:03,839 --> 00:07:07,240 Speaker 3: the names and they're like, oh, Doug, this is Hollywood. 153 00:07:08,120 --> 00:07:10,480 Speaker 3: This isn't a documentary, this is this is a movie 154 00:07:10,560 --> 00:07:13,720 Speaker 3: that fictionalizes the Red Tails. And I go, yeah, but 155 00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:17,560 Speaker 3: all the families are here and all the names are changed. 156 00:07:17,760 --> 00:07:17,960 Speaker 1: Rue. 157 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:21,320 Speaker 3: And I went home and I said, Dad, this is 158 00:07:21,360 --> 00:07:24,120 Speaker 3: you know, outrageous, And my dad left to me and goes, Doug, 159 00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:28,320 Speaker 3: if you think changing the names are bad, let me 160 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:31,000 Speaker 3: tell you how I was raised and how Ben and 161 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:34,480 Speaker 3: his father helped raise me and how they lived as 162 00:07:34,520 --> 00:07:37,600 Speaker 3: if they were invisible because our lives were threatened. And 163 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:40,400 Speaker 3: then he shared with me the story and that kind 164 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:42,880 Speaker 3: of sent me on a journey to start researching and 165 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:46,280 Speaker 3: going in because even my dad found out things during 166 00:07:46,320 --> 00:07:49,920 Speaker 3: this process that he didn't know about, and it was 167 00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:51,640 Speaker 3: it was an incredible experience to. 168 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:52,040 Speaker 4: Go do that. 169 00:07:52,840 --> 00:07:56,640 Speaker 5: What inspired you to dive into rediscovering your family's legacy? 170 00:07:57,280 --> 00:08:01,680 Speaker 3: Yeah, I think you know. Once I started scratch catching it, well, 171 00:08:01,760 --> 00:08:03,880 Speaker 3: the first thing I did was I said at Google alert, 172 00:08:03,920 --> 00:08:06,800 Speaker 3: and honestly, Charlot Mane, I set the Google alert in 173 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:10,680 Speaker 3: twenty twelve, thirteen, fourteen fifteen, and I was like, one 174 00:08:10,800 --> 00:08:15,800 Speaker 3: day someone's gonna write about this, or why does nobody 175 00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:17,760 Speaker 3: know about it? And then in twenty fifteen, the Google 176 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:22,880 Speaker 3: alert went off that West Point Military Academy was considering 177 00:08:22,920 --> 00:08:26,960 Speaker 3: renaming their biggest largest barracks after General Davis. There was 178 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:31,080 Speaker 3: actually three names. It was William Westmoreland, it was Norman Schwartzkoff, 179 00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:36,200 Speaker 3: and it was Benjamin O'Davis. So Ben Davis Junior. He 180 00:08:36,320 --> 00:08:39,360 Speaker 3: graduated from West Point in nineteen thirty six, but they 181 00:08:39,360 --> 00:08:42,160 Speaker 3: didn't know he was black when he entered the academy, 182 00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:44,760 Speaker 3: so on his first day they put him in a 183 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:47,560 Speaker 3: makeshift room at the end of the hallway with no roommate, 184 00:08:48,120 --> 00:08:52,640 Speaker 3: and he goes to campus for four years with not 185 00:08:52,840 --> 00:08:53,880 Speaker 3: one person. 186 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:55,040 Speaker 4: Talking to him. 187 00:08:55,120 --> 00:08:57,320 Speaker 3: So they used silencing as a way to get him 188 00:08:57,360 --> 00:08:59,480 Speaker 3: out of the military. So he goes to bed the 189 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:02,840 Speaker 3: first night. The second day, he wakes up, he hears 190 00:09:02,880 --> 00:09:06,640 Speaker 3: pitter patter of the feet of other cadets. He feels 191 00:09:06,679 --> 00:09:09,880 Speaker 3: like they didn't put a flyer under his door because 192 00:09:09,920 --> 00:09:11,600 Speaker 3: he was in a solo room at the end of 193 00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:13,959 Speaker 3: the hall. So he gets dressed and he runs down 194 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:16,280 Speaker 3: to the room and the door is locked and he 195 00:09:16,360 --> 00:09:19,719 Speaker 3: listens in and they say, we accidentally let an N 196 00:09:19,800 --> 00:09:23,120 Speaker 3: word in and we need to silence him until he 197 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:26,560 Speaker 3: drops out. So he calls his dad and he goes, dad, 198 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:29,440 Speaker 3: can you believe this? And his dad goes, son, there's 199 00:09:29,480 --> 00:09:32,679 Speaker 3: eight million Americans on the outside that are rooting for you. 200 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:35,760 Speaker 3: I raised you for this moment, I trained you for 201 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:39,360 Speaker 3: this moment. I'm always here right the day of graduation 202 00:09:39,520 --> 00:09:42,280 Speaker 3: on the wall and look towards that day, and no 203 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:45,960 Speaker 3: matter what anybody does to you, you have to graduate. 204 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:51,240 Speaker 3: Oo and he went there fifty weeks a year, fifty 205 00:09:51,320 --> 00:09:57,040 Speaker 3: weeks a year, not one single human interaction outside. 206 00:09:56,640 --> 00:09:58,160 Speaker 1: Of the classroom. 207 00:09:58,320 --> 00:10:00,600 Speaker 3: So I don't even know how anybody can to do that. 208 00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:04,840 Speaker 3: And he would always talk about his most embarrassing moments 209 00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:07,120 Speaker 3: were every single day when you had to eat, you 210 00:10:07,200 --> 00:10:09,920 Speaker 3: have to ask for permission to sit because he was 211 00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:11,840 Speaker 3: the only black, no one wanted him to sit at 212 00:10:11,880 --> 00:10:13,960 Speaker 3: the table, so he had to eat standing up every 213 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:18,120 Speaker 3: single day, times a day for four years. So now 214 00:10:18,160 --> 00:10:20,960 Speaker 3: it's time for him to get ready to graduate, and 215 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:23,720 Speaker 3: they pull him in the office and say, you can't 216 00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:26,920 Speaker 3: be in charge of anyone because the military was still segregated. 217 00:10:27,280 --> 00:10:29,800 Speaker 3: So they asked him to drop out, and they said, 218 00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:30,800 Speaker 3: why don't we set you up. 219 00:10:30,760 --> 00:10:31,480 Speaker 4: With a law firm. 220 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:34,600 Speaker 3: And he said, I'm going to graduate because I would 221 00:10:34,679 --> 00:10:37,400 Speaker 3: like to be a pilot, and I graduated in the 222 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:39,440 Speaker 3: top third, so I should be able to select what 223 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:42,120 Speaker 3: I want to do. And they said it's never going 224 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:46,920 Speaker 3: to happen, so you're wasting your time. He then graduates. 225 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:50,920 Speaker 3: He ignores that and graduates. Now it's just him and 226 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:53,360 Speaker 3: his dad as the only two black officers in the 227 00:10:53,440 --> 00:10:56,600 Speaker 3: United States, so we had not gone back to West 228 00:10:56,679 --> 00:10:59,839 Speaker 3: Point or our family hadn't really talked about west Point, 229 00:11:00,240 --> 00:11:01,120 Speaker 3: not good or bad. 230 00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:01,880 Speaker 4: You just didn't. 231 00:11:01,960 --> 00:11:04,080 Speaker 3: You just didn't even you know, it was like persona 232 00:11:04,120 --> 00:11:07,120 Speaker 3: non grata. But then when I got that Google aler, 233 00:11:07,240 --> 00:11:08,800 Speaker 3: I went up to them and I shared to them 234 00:11:08,800 --> 00:11:11,720 Speaker 3: this story, and over the course of the process that 235 00:11:11,760 --> 00:11:14,960 Speaker 3: they go through, they ended up selecting General Benjamin O'Davis 236 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:18,760 Speaker 3: to be the name on the largest, most expensive barracks 237 00:11:18,760 --> 00:11:20,200 Speaker 3: in the center of Western Campus. 238 00:11:20,240 --> 00:11:24,040 Speaker 5: Wow, talk to us about you know why telling these 239 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:27,760 Speaker 5: stories is so important for the families to retain ownership. 240 00:11:28,320 --> 00:11:28,560 Speaker 4: Yeah. 241 00:11:28,880 --> 00:11:31,559 Speaker 3: So my biggest thing of like my purpose was when 242 00:11:31,559 --> 00:11:34,840 Speaker 3: I started finding out after Red Tales, the families of 243 00:11:34,880 --> 00:11:38,720 Speaker 3: these movies that we watched don't necessarily get paid, you know, 244 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:42,800 Speaker 3: the family of other movies Devotion or you know Red Tales. 245 00:11:42,880 --> 00:11:45,400 Speaker 3: Sometimes the families are brought on as advisors, but there's 246 00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:48,960 Speaker 3: not necessarily a name and likeness fee. There's no creative 247 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:53,000 Speaker 3: input from the families necessarily. So the more I started 248 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:56,800 Speaker 3: researching this, the more I realized is that the people 249 00:11:56,800 --> 00:12:01,080 Speaker 3: who film the story or write the story own the 250 00:12:01,120 --> 00:12:05,960 Speaker 3: story because people in the military are public servants, so 251 00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:10,239 Speaker 3: it's all public domain. So all these stories of congressmen, 252 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:16,280 Speaker 3: elected officials, military veterans, anyone in the public sector. Anyone 253 00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:18,640 Speaker 3: can tell your story and you don't have to get 254 00:12:18,679 --> 00:12:21,959 Speaker 3: paid for it. So I said, there is no way 255 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:25,480 Speaker 3: that this story is going to survive and have someone 256 00:12:25,559 --> 00:12:29,079 Speaker 3: else swoop in tell the story how they want to 257 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:31,360 Speaker 3: own the rights to the story. And then here the 258 00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:34,480 Speaker 3: family is doesn't get any rights for the name or 259 00:12:34,480 --> 00:12:37,600 Speaker 3: the story. You know, I was, it's it's just it's crazy. 260 00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:41,200 Speaker 1: I love the title of the chapter, extraordinary just to 261 00:12:41,200 --> 00:12:41,920 Speaker 1: be ordinary. 262 00:12:43,120 --> 00:12:46,600 Speaker 3: Explain it so extraordinary just to be ordinary was kind 263 00:12:46,600 --> 00:12:48,640 Speaker 3: of like that rule that maybe your family gave you 264 00:12:48,679 --> 00:12:49,880 Speaker 3: that you got to work twice. 265 00:12:49,640 --> 00:12:51,600 Speaker 4: As hard as to get half as much. 266 00:12:52,240 --> 00:12:56,400 Speaker 5: You know, this is basics Thelamia Black family. 267 00:12:57,640 --> 00:13:02,240 Speaker 3: Yes, yeah, yeah, no, it's it's a thing that you're 268 00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:02,839 Speaker 3: raised with. 269 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:03,440 Speaker 4: You know. 270 00:13:03,679 --> 00:13:06,880 Speaker 3: My dad would always say, Doug, see is for garbage man, 271 00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:08,600 Speaker 3: And I would say no, Dad. 272 00:13:08,679 --> 00:13:09,560 Speaker 4: You know, Billy got to. 273 00:13:09,559 --> 00:13:12,079 Speaker 3: See other people, and he's like, na, nah, Doug, Nana, 274 00:13:12,240 --> 00:13:15,679 Speaker 3: you can't get a C. So I think extraordinary just 275 00:13:15,760 --> 00:13:19,080 Speaker 3: to be ordinary was really the plight of these two men. 276 00:13:19,720 --> 00:13:23,160 Speaker 3: Graduate are the only two officers in the United States 277 00:13:23,160 --> 00:13:25,200 Speaker 3: of America and now they can't be in charge of 278 00:13:25,200 --> 00:13:28,560 Speaker 3: anybody because the military is segregated. So their job was 279 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:34,240 Speaker 3: to go to black colleges and teach ROTC. So for 280 00:13:34,360 --> 00:13:36,920 Speaker 3: four years they go to all these black colleges. And 281 00:13:36,960 --> 00:13:39,880 Speaker 3: this is when the black graduation rate was under ten percent, 282 00:13:39,960 --> 00:13:41,160 Speaker 3: so the literacy. 283 00:13:40,760 --> 00:13:41,400 Speaker 4: Rate was low. 284 00:13:41,840 --> 00:13:45,160 Speaker 3: They go to all these black colleges, two officers that 285 00:13:45,240 --> 00:13:48,320 Speaker 3: should be in charge of people going into battle, and 286 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:52,720 Speaker 3: they're teaching military war college. But they didn't complain. They said, 287 00:13:52,720 --> 00:13:54,720 Speaker 3: what we're gonna do is we're gonna tell these men, 288 00:13:55,240 --> 00:13:58,400 Speaker 3: your black men, keep your chin up, keep your head up, 289 00:13:58,640 --> 00:14:01,360 Speaker 3: focus on the dream, write a goal on the wall, 290 00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:04,600 Speaker 3: and one day this country is going to call you 291 00:14:05,160 --> 00:14:08,240 Speaker 3: and need your service. At the start of World War two, 292 00:14:09,280 --> 00:14:12,760 Speaker 3: black pilots were needed and all those men that they 293 00:14:12,800 --> 00:14:16,240 Speaker 3: taught ended up being the fifteen thousand Tuskie Airmen that 294 00:14:16,360 --> 00:14:19,480 Speaker 3: went down to Alabama. And that was the creation of 295 00:14:19,520 --> 00:14:22,600 Speaker 3: what the Tusky Airman became. So when I said extraordinary, 296 00:14:22,720 --> 00:14:24,960 Speaker 3: just to be ordinary, you have to sometimes be ten 297 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:28,840 Speaker 3: times qualified just to get a job that you that 298 00:14:29,160 --> 00:14:32,680 Speaker 3: someone else did with a different background that you just 299 00:14:32,880 --> 00:14:34,960 Speaker 3: you know, they just walked right into it and you know, crazy, 300 00:14:34,960 --> 00:14:36,680 Speaker 3: this is real life stuff. I mean, this is like 301 00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:38,520 Speaker 3: all of us. You know, you see someone got ten 302 00:14:38,560 --> 00:14:41,360 Speaker 3: PhDs and then this guy's like, oh yeah, but my 303 00:14:41,440 --> 00:14:41,960 Speaker 3: uncle did it. 304 00:14:43,920 --> 00:14:44,160 Speaker 4: You know. 305 00:14:44,400 --> 00:14:47,080 Speaker 2: So what's your thought on military now and especially the 306 00:14:47,080 --> 00:14:48,920 Speaker 2: way that they treated your family members and the way 307 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:53,000 Speaker 2: they've you know, consistently treated black military men. What's your 308 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:53,720 Speaker 2: thoughts on it now? 309 00:14:53,800 --> 00:14:56,040 Speaker 3: I think the military is evolving, you know. I kind 310 00:14:56,040 --> 00:14:57,480 Speaker 3: of look at it as like a heartbeat, you know, 311 00:14:57,520 --> 00:14:59,320 Speaker 3: it just goes in and out, in and out. I 312 00:14:59,360 --> 00:15:01,440 Speaker 3: think the military now is in the best place that's 313 00:15:01,440 --> 00:15:04,480 Speaker 3: ever been. There's more people looking at this subject than 314 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:07,440 Speaker 3: ever before. There's more people talking about it, there's more 315 00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:11,160 Speaker 3: eyeballs on it. But just like any big organization or institution, 316 00:15:11,720 --> 00:15:13,840 Speaker 3: you know, more can always be done. But I think 317 00:15:13,880 --> 00:15:17,200 Speaker 3: if you look at our Joint chiefs of Staff, General C. Q. Brown, 318 00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:21,200 Speaker 3: you know, General Austin, you know, the top generals in 319 00:15:21,240 --> 00:15:22,440 Speaker 3: the whole United States. 320 00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:24,960 Speaker 4: Of America are are black men or men of color. 321 00:15:25,040 --> 00:15:29,400 Speaker 3: So the military really has made a conscious effort to 322 00:15:29,480 --> 00:15:31,720 Speaker 3: do better. And I think a lot of people are 323 00:15:31,720 --> 00:15:34,040 Speaker 3: making an effort. I think the challenge is is that 324 00:15:34,160 --> 00:15:36,960 Speaker 3: the receiver of the effort. The people that benefit the 325 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:39,520 Speaker 3: most always feel like everything's going too slow. 326 00:15:40,160 --> 00:15:40,920 Speaker 4: Oh was it. 327 00:15:40,880 --> 00:15:43,040 Speaker 3: Not moving faster? Oh by the time I do this, 328 00:15:43,120 --> 00:15:45,440 Speaker 3: I'm going to, you know, be too old. So the 329 00:15:45,480 --> 00:15:48,800 Speaker 3: military is trying to evolve, and I think that's all 330 00:15:48,840 --> 00:15:51,560 Speaker 3: you could really ask. But I think it's our responsibility 331 00:15:51,640 --> 00:15:54,600 Speaker 3: to also evolve it by bringing facts in stories that 332 00:15:54,760 --> 00:15:58,480 Speaker 3: change the narrative. Black people in the military, their stories 333 00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:01,240 Speaker 3: have been made invisible or have been a race, just 334 00:16:01,280 --> 00:16:04,560 Speaker 3: like with you know, redlining. I mean, there's so many 335 00:16:04,600 --> 00:16:08,040 Speaker 3: stories of all these different black communities flooded to become lakes. 336 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:10,840 Speaker 3: You know, you look at Central Park, I mean you 337 00:16:10,840 --> 00:16:14,280 Speaker 3: look at all these different things and say, what everything 338 00:16:14,640 --> 00:16:18,120 Speaker 3: keeps getting erased and deleted. So if we don't go 339 00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:20,960 Speaker 3: back and ask our fathers and grandfathers and uncles and 340 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:24,000 Speaker 3: aunts what happened back in the day, we're never going 341 00:16:24,080 --> 00:16:25,840 Speaker 3: to really get the real story. And then we have 342 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:28,640 Speaker 3: to take everybody at their word. And that word may 343 00:16:28,640 --> 00:16:30,880 Speaker 3: have been skewed or biased based on the people who 344 00:16:30,880 --> 00:16:34,480 Speaker 3: wrote the word, based on historians, based on what people 345 00:16:34,560 --> 00:16:35,520 Speaker 3: chose to feel. 346 00:16:35,640 --> 00:16:36,800 Speaker 4: What's valuable in writing? 347 00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:37,240 Speaker 1: You know what? 348 00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:38,840 Speaker 5: I love, man, I love the fact that you know, 349 00:16:38,840 --> 00:16:40,760 Speaker 5: when you look at all the books that are being 350 00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:43,440 Speaker 5: banned and you look at things like critical Race there 351 00:16:43,440 --> 00:16:45,520 Speaker 5: and how they're really trying to erase so many of 352 00:16:45,920 --> 00:16:49,000 Speaker 5: black people's contributions. This is why books like Invisible General 353 00:16:49,360 --> 00:16:50,960 Speaker 5: are so important. 354 00:16:51,080 --> 00:16:52,120 Speaker 1: How you feel about that? 355 00:16:52,320 --> 00:16:54,640 Speaker 4: Yeah, you know? I actually it's funny enough. 356 00:16:54,640 --> 00:16:56,920 Speaker 3: Shar I asked if I could have a book band 357 00:16:57,000 --> 00:17:00,520 Speaker 3: meeting because I wanted to understand what constitutes a book. 358 00:17:01,200 --> 00:17:01,920 Speaker 4: And I asked. 359 00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:04,240 Speaker 3: I called everybody and we had a zoom and I said, 360 00:17:04,280 --> 00:17:07,600 Speaker 3: excuse me, can I have I request a banned book meeting? 361 00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:09,879 Speaker 3: And they all get on the phone and they were 362 00:17:09,880 --> 00:17:12,199 Speaker 3: explaining to me, if you bring up a side of 363 00:17:12,280 --> 00:17:16,880 Speaker 3: alternative history, then that could be considered to be a bandage. 364 00:17:17,480 --> 00:17:19,560 Speaker 1: Alternative history. It's either history or is not. 365 00:17:19,760 --> 00:17:22,720 Speaker 3: Well, that's right, but it's alternative to what is the 366 00:17:22,840 --> 00:17:27,320 Speaker 3: general understood history that came out, So it's very subjective. 367 00:17:27,680 --> 00:17:27,920 Speaker 4: Truth. 368 00:17:28,359 --> 00:17:30,280 Speaker 1: Don't the truth about history. 369 00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:31,440 Speaker 3: Don't be showing up here. 370 00:17:31,320 --> 00:17:33,240 Speaker 4: With a new story that no one ever heard of 371 00:17:33,320 --> 00:17:34,040 Speaker 4: and then try. 372 00:17:33,880 --> 00:17:36,520 Speaker 3: To get it put into the schools. But the thing 373 00:17:36,520 --> 00:17:39,280 Speaker 3: about the banned books, that's so wild, and think about it. 374 00:17:39,480 --> 00:17:43,240 Speaker 3: We don't ban websites. We don't ban anything on streaming, 375 00:17:43,840 --> 00:17:48,199 Speaker 3: but there's something about the book and something about the 376 00:17:48,240 --> 00:17:51,960 Speaker 3: written word that everything stems off of that people want 377 00:17:51,960 --> 00:17:54,679 Speaker 3: to ban. And it's just really odd for me. But 378 00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:56,840 Speaker 3: the result of that meeting was they said that in 379 00:17:56,880 --> 00:17:59,959 Speaker 3: the state of Florida, in the state of Texas, public 380 00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:04,639 Speaker 3: schools and universities, sometimes public libraries may not actually carry 381 00:18:04,680 --> 00:18:06,640 Speaker 3: the book due to the book band and it may 382 00:18:06,720 --> 00:18:07,920 Speaker 3: actually end up on a list. 383 00:18:08,160 --> 00:18:08,840 Speaker 1: That's crazy. 384 00:18:08,840 --> 00:18:09,119 Speaker 4: Wow. 385 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:11,800 Speaker 5: In the book, you also say a father figure inspies 386 00:18:11,880 --> 00:18:12,840 Speaker 5: his ment to achieve. 387 00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:13,359 Speaker 4: I loved it. 388 00:18:14,359 --> 00:18:18,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, yeah, So Ben Davis Junior was really the 389 00:18:19,400 --> 00:18:21,280 Speaker 3: many of the Tuski era and the ones that are 390 00:18:21,280 --> 00:18:24,280 Speaker 3: still alive or you read stories, they looked at him 391 00:18:24,320 --> 00:18:28,200 Speaker 3: as a father figure. And actually Ben Davis Junior had 392 00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:30,840 Speaker 3: no biological kids of his own, but my dad was 393 00:18:30,880 --> 00:18:33,760 Speaker 3: his oldest nephew, and when he found out his wife 394 00:18:33,840 --> 00:18:37,480 Speaker 3: couldn't bear children, he wanted the same relationship with his 395 00:18:37,600 --> 00:18:40,400 Speaker 3: son that his dad had with him, and they went 396 00:18:40,440 --> 00:18:43,159 Speaker 3: to Connecticut and got my dad at seven, brought him 397 00:18:43,200 --> 00:18:45,960 Speaker 3: down to Tuskegee, and my dad was raised by him 398 00:18:45,960 --> 00:18:48,879 Speaker 3: and his wife Agatha, and I just look at that 399 00:18:48,920 --> 00:18:50,720 Speaker 3: and say you don't have to do that. You know, 400 00:18:50,800 --> 00:18:53,360 Speaker 3: you're you're fighting all these other people, you're doing all 401 00:18:53,400 --> 00:18:56,800 Speaker 3: this work, and you still want to go and be 402 00:18:56,920 --> 00:18:59,760 Speaker 3: that extra father figure. So that was really you know 403 00:19:00,160 --> 00:19:02,240 Speaker 3: he said in my family, but also for all the 404 00:19:02,280 --> 00:19:05,120 Speaker 3: Tuskegee Airman they always say if it wasn't for Ben Davis, 405 00:19:05,880 --> 00:19:07,760 Speaker 3: you know, he would always say, you have to use 406 00:19:07,800 --> 00:19:10,240 Speaker 3: the system to diffuse the system. And that was his 407 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:14,119 Speaker 3: big line to the men. Don't system. Yeah, system, I 408 00:19:14,200 --> 00:19:17,120 Speaker 3: like that. Don't go out here trying to do too much. 409 00:19:17,520 --> 00:19:20,720 Speaker 3: Just use the system to diffuse the system. First, you 410 00:19:20,760 --> 00:19:23,760 Speaker 3: got to get in the system. Then once you're in 411 00:19:23,760 --> 00:19:26,920 Speaker 3: the system, you got to have a voice. Then once 412 00:19:26,960 --> 00:19:28,960 Speaker 3: you have a voice, then you get a vote. Once 413 00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:30,960 Speaker 3: you get a vote, then you can make policy. And 414 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:33,800 Speaker 3: that could take twenty thirty years. But if you want 415 00:19:33,800 --> 00:19:36,119 Speaker 3: to change the way things are, I mean it's our 416 00:19:36,160 --> 00:19:37,320 Speaker 3: responsibility to do it. 417 00:19:37,359 --> 00:19:37,680 Speaker 4: I love that. 418 00:19:37,760 --> 00:19:39,760 Speaker 5: Let's talk about the million dollar Star chapter two, because 419 00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:43,359 Speaker 5: you say sometimes you're tolerated but not celebrated. Other times 420 00:19:43,400 --> 00:19:47,920 Speaker 5: you're celebrated but not compensated. Yea more important to celebrated 421 00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:49,119 Speaker 5: or compensated. 422 00:19:49,560 --> 00:19:52,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, So the million dollar star chapter I talk about. 423 00:19:53,960 --> 00:19:56,679 Speaker 3: So Ben didn't get his fourth star in nineteen sixty 424 00:19:56,720 --> 00:20:00,600 Speaker 3: seven under LBJ he retired in nineteen seven, he should 425 00:20:00,640 --> 00:20:03,399 Speaker 3: have been a four star general. So thirty plus years 426 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:09,280 Speaker 3: go by. Luckily, Senator John McCain vouched after many, many 427 00:20:09,320 --> 00:20:14,399 Speaker 3: attempts to get him his fourth star that he rightly deserved. 428 00:20:14,640 --> 00:20:18,520 Speaker 3: So finally the bill passes. It was actually written into 429 00:20:18,560 --> 00:20:23,000 Speaker 3: a defense bill and part of the part of the stipulation, 430 00:20:23,200 --> 00:20:27,920 Speaker 3: there was two stipulations. Number one was you're gonna retire 431 00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:30,919 Speaker 3: under You're gonna get the four star under retirement, so 432 00:20:31,040 --> 00:20:34,479 Speaker 3: not active duty, which is standard. But number two was 433 00:20:34,600 --> 00:20:39,160 Speaker 3: the family would not get one penny of compensation wow 434 00:20:39,280 --> 00:20:43,119 Speaker 3: for the thirty years past or the years forward. And 435 00:20:43,160 --> 00:20:45,800 Speaker 3: it caused a whole argument in the family, and his 436 00:20:45,880 --> 00:20:49,159 Speaker 3: wife of over sixty years does not go to the ceremony. 437 00:20:49,720 --> 00:20:53,159 Speaker 3: She says, we will not go. All the things the 438 00:20:53,280 --> 00:20:56,119 Speaker 3: United States did to us, and you don't want to 439 00:20:56,160 --> 00:20:57,800 Speaker 3: pay us, but you want to give us the star. 440 00:20:58,280 --> 00:21:01,400 Speaker 3: So when I say go where you're celebrated, not tolerated, 441 00:21:01,920 --> 00:21:04,560 Speaker 3: I really mean that. But then don't go where you're 442 00:21:04,600 --> 00:21:08,960 Speaker 3: not compensated, because that happens every day. You know, people 443 00:21:08,960 --> 00:21:12,879 Speaker 3: that are historically oppressed are paid with opportunity and lieu 444 00:21:12,880 --> 00:21:16,600 Speaker 3: of money, and this is something that we have to 445 00:21:16,600 --> 00:21:19,720 Speaker 3: make sure we tell our children, our family members. When 446 00:21:19,720 --> 00:21:22,480 Speaker 3: you don't have any money, people pay you with opportunity, 447 00:21:22,560 --> 00:21:25,840 Speaker 3: which is good and the opportunity it can, but you 448 00:21:25,880 --> 00:21:28,119 Speaker 3: have to have that time and when you need that 449 00:21:28,200 --> 00:21:30,679 Speaker 3: hand to mouth situation where you don't have that money, 450 00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:34,080 Speaker 3: rants do car payment, et cetera, then you have to 451 00:21:34,080 --> 00:21:35,800 Speaker 3: really do the best you can do. And then you 452 00:21:35,840 --> 00:21:40,479 Speaker 3: feel like you're the opportunity is not confirmed, you know, 453 00:21:40,560 --> 00:21:43,240 Speaker 3: it's like you just it's like the opportunity bank. 454 00:21:43,400 --> 00:21:44,639 Speaker 4: Is it real? You know? 455 00:21:44,680 --> 00:21:46,600 Speaker 3: And for you know, some people that have money, you 456 00:21:46,600 --> 00:21:49,159 Speaker 3: can buy time. But if you don't have any money, 457 00:21:49,320 --> 00:21:52,040 Speaker 3: opportunity is great, but it doesn't really mean anything without 458 00:21:52,040 --> 00:21:53,560 Speaker 3: that money, but only stories. 459 00:21:53,600 --> 00:21:55,920 Speaker 2: Listening to your family members in the military, did you 460 00:21:55,960 --> 00:21:57,880 Speaker 2: ever want to go into the military? 461 00:21:58,520 --> 00:21:58,720 Speaker 1: Hell? 462 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:02,679 Speaker 4: No, yo, and be listen. I can't do all that. 463 00:22:02,720 --> 00:22:04,840 Speaker 3: I want to tell jokes and laugh and you know, 464 00:22:04,920 --> 00:22:07,520 Speaker 3: shuck it up and like, hey, what's you guys doing 465 00:22:07,600 --> 00:22:08,840 Speaker 3: when we're going out tonight? 466 00:22:08,960 --> 00:22:10,280 Speaker 4: You know when we play in spades. 467 00:22:10,320 --> 00:22:13,760 Speaker 3: I'm trying to do the like fun cool thing that military. 468 00:22:13,800 --> 00:22:15,600 Speaker 3: When they said you got to get up, eat up, 469 00:22:15,720 --> 00:22:18,399 Speaker 3: sit straight, iron, make your bed, I was like, WHOA, 470 00:22:18,600 --> 00:22:20,760 Speaker 3: take it easy, Take it easy. I'm trying to go 471 00:22:20,800 --> 00:22:24,480 Speaker 3: to college and live my college experience. I'm not trying 472 00:22:24,520 --> 00:22:26,879 Speaker 3: to go to the military. They never promoted it good 473 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:30,000 Speaker 3: or bad. And I think sometimes when we talk about 474 00:22:30,040 --> 00:22:33,560 Speaker 3: Veterans Day, we forget sometimes people aren't in the military, 475 00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:37,119 Speaker 3: but they still live a veteran family life. But I 476 00:22:37,119 --> 00:22:39,320 Speaker 3: can tell you one thing. I think the military it's 477 00:22:39,320 --> 00:22:42,000 Speaker 3: a hard assignment. It's like West Point is like Harvard, 478 00:22:42,080 --> 00:22:44,800 Speaker 3: but also with PT. You know, you still got to 479 00:22:44,840 --> 00:22:47,080 Speaker 3: go through all the exercises and everything. But I'm not 480 00:22:47,119 --> 00:22:49,040 Speaker 3: really trying to do all that. I'm trying to laugh 481 00:22:49,080 --> 00:22:51,480 Speaker 3: it up, hang out with the fellas. You know what 482 00:22:51,520 --> 00:22:54,000 Speaker 3: we're doing on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. You know, the 483 00:22:54,040 --> 00:22:56,199 Speaker 3: military is like get one day off, quick, eat up, 484 00:22:56,200 --> 00:22:58,080 Speaker 3: stand up, sit up. I'm like, oh, man, I can't 485 00:22:58,080 --> 00:22:58,680 Speaker 3: do all that. 486 00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:01,760 Speaker 1: So what do you hope people take from reading Invisible Generals? Man? 487 00:23:02,080 --> 00:23:05,800 Speaker 3: I would like people to get from Invisible Generals. First off, 488 00:23:05,880 --> 00:23:08,400 Speaker 3: we need to support our veterans and tell our stories 489 00:23:08,400 --> 00:23:12,160 Speaker 3: of our veterans. And I think that's the main thing 490 00:23:12,240 --> 00:23:15,520 Speaker 3: I want people to do is take a minute love 491 00:23:15,720 --> 00:23:18,840 Speaker 3: thy veteran Regie Day, right around the corner Veterans Day. 492 00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:20,760 Speaker 3: That's what I'm saying. We need to be out here 493 00:23:20,840 --> 00:23:26,320 Speaker 3: loving the veterans, hyping them up, being positive, looking at 494 00:23:26,359 --> 00:23:29,280 Speaker 3: them as not people running around and fatigues, but people 495 00:23:29,440 --> 00:23:34,480 Speaker 3: all in the world CEO, CFO COOS. I think that's 496 00:23:34,520 --> 00:23:36,720 Speaker 3: so important. And then the next thing I want people 497 00:23:36,720 --> 00:23:38,960 Speaker 3: to take out of this book is I want everybody 498 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:42,160 Speaker 3: to own their own story. You have got to write 499 00:23:42,160 --> 00:23:44,800 Speaker 3: your family stories, charlottmagne Envy everybody. 500 00:23:44,840 --> 00:23:46,040 Speaker 4: You know we write. 501 00:23:45,680 --> 00:23:49,200 Speaker 3: Memoirs sometimes, but sometimes you have to go back two 502 00:23:49,240 --> 00:23:52,600 Speaker 3: or three generations, understand the jet fuel that your family 503 00:23:52,680 --> 00:23:55,960 Speaker 3: worked for in that generational collateral, and see, can you 504 00:23:56,040 --> 00:23:59,280 Speaker 3: actually continue something. You're not lost. You didn't just get 505 00:23:59,359 --> 00:24:02,040 Speaker 3: dropped here. But I want people to take that time 506 00:24:02,080 --> 00:24:04,359 Speaker 3: to look on their couch before their family members pass 507 00:24:04,400 --> 00:24:07,160 Speaker 3: away and say, hey, you know what I'm saying, let's 508 00:24:07,200 --> 00:24:10,679 Speaker 3: go out here. Let's learn about our family. Because I 509 00:24:10,720 --> 00:24:13,879 Speaker 3: switched my career to become a diversity officer in Corporate 510 00:24:13,920 --> 00:24:17,000 Speaker 3: America when I found out my family story. You know, 511 00:24:17,040 --> 00:24:19,720 Speaker 3: I was working in LA for Magic Johnson and he 512 00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:23,520 Speaker 3: was teaching me what diversity was. But I wasn't doing 513 00:24:23,560 --> 00:24:26,159 Speaker 3: a diversity in a corporate environment. But the second that 514 00:24:26,240 --> 00:24:29,240 Speaker 3: I found out my family story, I say, you know what, 515 00:24:29,560 --> 00:24:31,960 Speaker 3: I'm gonna make sure I make those who are invisible 516 00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:35,200 Speaker 3: visible in corporate environments. And that was because I asked 517 00:24:35,200 --> 00:24:37,320 Speaker 3: the people on my couch what they lived through. So 518 00:24:37,680 --> 00:24:40,000 Speaker 3: if there's one thing to take out of it, that's 519 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:40,600 Speaker 3: what it would be. 520 00:24:40,760 --> 00:24:43,399 Speaker 1: Absolutely, Veter's Day is eleven eleven. 521 00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:45,960 Speaker 3: That's right, right, eleven eleven at one eleven, that's the 522 00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:47,560 Speaker 3: time World War One ended. 523 00:24:48,240 --> 00:24:51,040 Speaker 5: So make sure to do something great for a veteran 524 00:24:51,080 --> 00:24:52,919 Speaker 5: this week. And I've said this a million times. I 525 00:24:52,960 --> 00:24:56,160 Speaker 5: hate how this country treates veterans. There's nothing I hate 526 00:24:56,200 --> 00:24:59,239 Speaker 5: more than seeing somebody who's fought for this country on 527 00:24:59,280 --> 00:25:01,920 Speaker 5: the side of the road with a sign begging for change. 528 00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:04,240 Speaker 1: Like I feel like veterans should get free room and board. 529 00:25:04,400 --> 00:25:06,119 Speaker 5: Absolutely, I think they should get free health care, and 530 00:25:06,119 --> 00:25:07,720 Speaker 5: I think they should get a stipend every month to 531 00:25:07,840 --> 00:25:09,520 Speaker 5: you know, take care whatever they need to take care of. 532 00:25:09,640 --> 00:25:11,480 Speaker 4: So yeah, and especially mental health. 533 00:25:11,640 --> 00:25:15,040 Speaker 3: Absolutely, you know the amount of veterans that commit suicide, 534 00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:17,840 Speaker 3: the amount of veterans that are homeless, and you know, 535 00:25:17,880 --> 00:25:20,399 Speaker 3: their benefits get cut off, their work skills may not 536 00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:23,160 Speaker 3: be tight. So I think, you know, we could all 537 00:25:23,200 --> 00:25:25,600 Speaker 3: just learn a lot and realize that you know, their 538 00:25:25,680 --> 00:25:27,960 Speaker 3: experience was just five minutes ago. But we do need 539 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:31,000 Speaker 3: to do something for the veterans. And today's election day, 540 00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:34,719 Speaker 3: Veterans Day is is just coming up this weekend, So 541 00:25:34,880 --> 00:25:35,760 Speaker 3: try to do something. 542 00:25:35,840 --> 00:25:36,800 Speaker 4: What are you doing anything? 543 00:25:38,680 --> 00:25:40,320 Speaker 1: You know, I feel like I do a lot. I 544 00:25:40,359 --> 00:25:41,840 Speaker 1: don't want to say that, but I do. I like 545 00:25:41,920 --> 00:25:43,280 Speaker 1: for the veterans all the time. 546 00:25:43,600 --> 00:25:44,040 Speaker 4: But I don't. 547 00:25:44,320 --> 00:25:47,159 Speaker 5: Yeah, I'm down, you know, other than just providing money 548 00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:49,320 Speaker 5: and resources. Yeah yeah, but if I try to do 549 00:25:49,440 --> 00:25:50,920 Speaker 5: that's that's mainly what I try to do. Like I 550 00:25:50,960 --> 00:25:54,240 Speaker 5: cannot pass somebody who I know fault for this country 551 00:25:54,440 --> 00:25:56,640 Speaker 5: and not give them twenty. 552 00:25:56,320 --> 00:25:59,560 Speaker 1: Dollars, fifty dollars something. Yeah, you know, like like in 553 00:25:59,560 --> 00:26:00,160 Speaker 1: talking about not. 554 00:26:00,119 --> 00:26:03,359 Speaker 5: Invisible man, how can you be in traffic or just 555 00:26:03,440 --> 00:26:05,280 Speaker 5: walk by somebody in the street who told you I 556 00:26:05,359 --> 00:26:06,960 Speaker 5: fought in this war, I fought in that way you 557 00:26:06,960 --> 00:26:09,200 Speaker 5: just ignored them like namn. 558 00:26:09,359 --> 00:26:11,159 Speaker 3: And then you know what it's crazy. You ignored them 559 00:26:11,240 --> 00:26:15,080 Speaker 3: to go to the charity event. You know, you'd be like, 560 00:26:15,080 --> 00:26:17,879 Speaker 3: hey man, we going downtown. We got the big charity event. 561 00:26:18,520 --> 00:26:21,199 Speaker 3: Everybody's dressed up. But then in the meantime you are not, 562 00:26:21,800 --> 00:26:23,840 Speaker 3: you know, helping the people that are right there in 563 00:26:23,840 --> 00:26:24,159 Speaker 3: front of you. 564 00:26:24,240 --> 00:26:25,159 Speaker 1: What awesome things we could do. 565 00:26:26,440 --> 00:26:29,800 Speaker 3: I think the first thing is right there. You know, 566 00:26:29,840 --> 00:26:31,960 Speaker 3: if you see somebody with a sign, you know, it's 567 00:26:32,000 --> 00:26:34,239 Speaker 3: all you know. Everybody has their own way that they 568 00:26:34,280 --> 00:26:36,760 Speaker 3: donate money. But I think the first thing is give 569 00:26:36,800 --> 00:26:40,560 Speaker 3: money to a veteran. Number one, Give time to a veteran. 570 00:26:40,640 --> 00:26:43,520 Speaker 3: Number two, if you have any opportunity to donate time. 571 00:26:44,240 --> 00:26:48,040 Speaker 3: I think number three is go to a VFW, which 572 00:26:48,080 --> 00:26:51,439 Speaker 3: is a veteran, a foreign war outpost outpost, go to 573 00:26:51,520 --> 00:26:54,679 Speaker 3: the VA hospital, Read to a veteran, talk to a veteran, 574 00:26:55,320 --> 00:26:57,359 Speaker 3: ask them if you could cook for them. You know, 575 00:26:57,600 --> 00:27:00,240 Speaker 3: there's so many different ways. There's millions and millions and 576 00:27:00,240 --> 00:27:03,880 Speaker 3: millions of veterans. I mean we're really not even when 577 00:27:03,920 --> 00:27:06,720 Speaker 3: I talk about, you know, corporate diversity. I mean, veterans 578 00:27:06,760 --> 00:27:11,199 Speaker 3: don't really get that level of shine or opportunity that 579 00:27:11,320 --> 00:27:13,520 Speaker 3: other people get, you know, kind of when you look 580 00:27:13,520 --> 00:27:16,040 Speaker 3: at all the different areas that companies support, but veterans 581 00:27:16,040 --> 00:27:19,399 Speaker 3: in America in particular, it's a huge, huge opportunity. And 582 00:27:19,440 --> 00:27:22,320 Speaker 3: I think number one even acknowledge a veteran have a party, 583 00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:24,399 Speaker 3: you know what I'm saying, and you go home, you 584 00:27:24,440 --> 00:27:26,760 Speaker 3: get the cake, you know, just like it's a birthday. 585 00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:29,040 Speaker 3: Hype it up, give it the love, give it some 586 00:27:29,640 --> 00:27:31,879 Speaker 3: you know, gas on it, you know, remix it. I mean, 587 00:27:31,920 --> 00:27:33,879 Speaker 3: I don't see no veterans day parties at the club. 588 00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:35,080 Speaker 4: You know, we could do that too. 589 00:27:35,760 --> 00:27:37,840 Speaker 3: We got a veteran playlist, you know, I don't know. 590 00:27:37,880 --> 00:27:39,600 Speaker 3: I'm just saying, do whatever hits. 591 00:27:39,359 --> 00:27:39,520 Speaker 1: You know. 592 00:27:39,640 --> 00:27:41,439 Speaker 2: But yeah, for me, it's a story like you know, 593 00:27:41,640 --> 00:27:44,280 Speaker 2: my dad for in Vietnam. So so my dad's a VET. 594 00:27:45,040 --> 00:27:47,920 Speaker 2: So for me is I try to take the kids 595 00:27:48,040 --> 00:27:50,480 Speaker 2: to hear his stories, you know, because you learn so much, 596 00:27:50,520 --> 00:27:53,240 Speaker 2: and it's so much, you know, like my dad who's 597 00:27:53,280 --> 00:27:55,479 Speaker 2: a VET and police officer, You hear so many stories. 598 00:27:55,480 --> 00:27:57,960 Speaker 2: But it's those stories that tell us how things were, 599 00:27:58,119 --> 00:27:59,919 Speaker 2: you know, good or bad. You know what he had 600 00:28:00,080 --> 00:28:01,960 Speaker 2: to deal with and and and all. 601 00:28:01,880 --> 00:28:02,439 Speaker 1: The things that he did. 602 00:28:02,480 --> 00:28:04,760 Speaker 2: My dad doesn't fly now because when he was in 603 00:28:04,960 --> 00:28:07,879 Speaker 2: the military. He flew planes and he fixed planes. So 604 00:28:07,920 --> 00:28:10,320 Speaker 2: because that now he won't eff planes at all. He like, nah, 605 00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:13,360 Speaker 2: I go to Florida, will drive like he's that type 606 00:28:13,400 --> 00:28:15,200 Speaker 2: of person, like he just is, and he tells the 607 00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:17,119 Speaker 2: reason why he tells it, you know, the reason of 608 00:28:17,240 --> 00:28:19,399 Speaker 2: g for us and how it feels to be in 609 00:28:19,440 --> 00:28:21,639 Speaker 2: those type of planes. So those stories are stories that 610 00:28:22,040 --> 00:28:23,639 Speaker 2: I can't tell my kids because I was never in 611 00:28:23,640 --> 00:28:25,640 Speaker 2: the military. You can't tell the kids, but they can 612 00:28:25,680 --> 00:28:27,359 Speaker 2: only get from Grandpa, you know what I mean. And 613 00:28:27,640 --> 00:28:29,480 Speaker 2: that's that's what we try to do every. 614 00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:32,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, No, that's really really important. And I think the 615 00:28:32,320 --> 00:28:35,359 Speaker 3: other thing is talking about the homeless veterans. You know, 616 00:28:36,040 --> 00:28:39,560 Speaker 3: when you say the word invisible, it's invisible maybe to 617 00:28:39,640 --> 00:28:42,200 Speaker 3: some people, but it's very visible to the person living 618 00:28:42,240 --> 00:28:46,000 Speaker 3: it absolutely. You know, we say invisible generals, but the 619 00:28:46,040 --> 00:28:48,880 Speaker 3: black newspapers cover him all day every day, but the 620 00:28:48,920 --> 00:28:52,360 Speaker 3: mainstream didn't cover him. So what is visible and invisible? 621 00:28:52,400 --> 00:28:54,640 Speaker 3: That guy sitting on the corner. We may all be 622 00:28:54,720 --> 00:28:58,440 Speaker 3: walking over him, but he sees other of him all 623 00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:01,720 Speaker 3: over the city and says, there's tons of us. How 624 00:29:01,720 --> 00:29:03,760 Speaker 3: come no one can see it? So it's visible to 625 00:29:03,840 --> 00:29:06,160 Speaker 3: some but then invisible to others. 626 00:29:06,320 --> 00:29:09,040 Speaker 5: You well, make sure y'all go pick up his Visible Generals. 627 00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:12,160 Speaker 5: It is available everywhere you buy books right now. You 628 00:29:13,160 --> 00:29:14,720 Speaker 5: can go to Bonds and Nobles, you can go into 629 00:29:14,760 --> 00:29:18,840 Speaker 5: the Bond and Double bookstore, local bookstores. Invisible Generals Man 630 00:29:18,880 --> 00:29:20,880 Speaker 5: the latest release off my book in print, Black Privilege 631 00:29:20,880 --> 00:29:23,120 Speaker 5: Publishing with Simon and Schuster, Atri and Simon and Schuster. 632 00:29:23,280 --> 00:29:26,440 Speaker 1: So Doug, thank you, brother Doug Littleville, thank you man. 633 00:29:26,480 --> 00:29:28,800 Speaker 3: I appreciate you and where can they find you? 634 00:29:28,960 --> 00:29:29,680 Speaker 4: And I want to just. 635 00:29:29,640 --> 00:29:32,360 Speaker 3: Thank you, Charlett Mane for believing in the story absolute 636 00:29:32,480 --> 00:29:34,920 Speaker 3: and actually saying that you were the one who was 637 00:29:34,960 --> 00:29:38,080 Speaker 3: gonna help me tell this story, because it's so important 638 00:29:38,080 --> 00:29:41,600 Speaker 3: to realize. Without people like you helping these stories get 639 00:29:41,640 --> 00:29:43,840 Speaker 3: out into the world, the story doesn't exist, you know 640 00:29:43,880 --> 00:29:46,040 Speaker 3: what I mean. It was really you that stepped up. 641 00:29:46,080 --> 00:29:49,960 Speaker 3: And I just appreciate you so much because every single 642 00:29:50,360 --> 00:29:53,520 Speaker 3: thing counts, and every single decision helps one at a time, 643 00:29:54,080 --> 00:29:56,320 Speaker 3: and it's like each one teach one. So I appreciate 644 00:29:56,360 --> 00:29:58,880 Speaker 3: you so much for believing in the story and my family, 645 00:29:59,000 --> 00:29:59,400 Speaker 3: and you. 646 00:29:59,360 --> 00:30:01,000 Speaker 1: Know it's just the beginning. 647 00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:01,120 Speaker 3: Man. 648 00:30:01,160 --> 00:30:02,960 Speaker 1: We got documentaries, books. 649 00:30:02,520 --> 00:30:05,960 Speaker 3: Movies, Yeah, we got all that were getting paid. What's good, 650 00:30:07,920 --> 00:30:10,240 Speaker 3: where's that cheese, Doug. 651 00:30:11,360 --> 00:30:12,800 Speaker 1: It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning. 652 00:30:13,280 --> 00:30:16,480 Speaker 4: Wake that ass up in the morning. The Breakfast Club