WEBVTT - The Judge Joe Stephens Episode 0:00:01.120 --> 0:00:01.400 Yep. 0:00:01.480 --> 0:00:04.560 Yet you know boys is back and redoad it all 0:00:04.680 --> 0:00:05.360 in your mind. 0:00:05.600 --> 0:00:06.720 Yeah, now deep throating. 0:00:07.120 --> 0:00:10.960 This is for the streets, the real the railroading, the distenfranchise, 0:00:11.080 --> 0:00:14.080 the truth escapegoating, and they ain't know where we speak 0:00:14.160 --> 0:00:16.360 the truth, so they ain't quoted because we wrote it. 0:00:16.560 --> 0:00:19.599 The North South East coaches, the ge be not for 0:00:19.800 --> 0:00:20.919 keeping your head bobbing. 0:00:21.280 --> 0:00:21.799 It ain't no. 0:00:21.920 --> 0:00:25.040 Stopping and once to be drops head by and then 0:00:25.200 --> 0:00:27.160 the system is so corrupt they threw. 0:00:27.040 --> 0:00:30.120 The rock out their heads and then blame it on us. 0:00:31.080 --> 0:00:33.680 Don't get it twisted on coding. We danced it for 0:00:33.840 --> 0:00:39.600 no butterment biscuits. It's Willie d y'all reloaded with another 0:00:39.640 --> 0:00:43.040 episode of information and instructions to help you navigate through 0:00:43.040 --> 0:00:48.160 this wild, crazy, beautiful world. In the studio, just Joe 0:00:48.440 --> 0:00:51.280 Stevens going on, brother, what's. 0:00:52.680 --> 0:00:53.600 Thank you man? 0:00:53.640 --> 0:00:56.840 It is so good to see your evolution. I've been 0:00:56.880 --> 0:00:59.960 knowing you a couple of decades now, and you've all 0:01:00.000 --> 0:01:05.880 always been a stand up progressive guy, always rooted in 0:01:05.920 --> 0:01:11.520 the community, always got a positive word, never caught up 0:01:11.560 --> 0:01:13.360 in anything scandalous. 0:01:13.400 --> 0:01:17.200 Thank god, how do you do it well? Thank God? 0:01:17.200 --> 0:01:19.240 There was no cell phones when we came up with 0:01:19.720 --> 0:01:22.880 the cameras and whatnot, bro, because you know we used 0:01:22.959 --> 0:01:24.880 to man when I was playing ball and when you 0:01:24.920 --> 0:01:26.920 come to the house, we had some good times. But 0:01:27.640 --> 0:01:29.560 grace of God man, and good parents, you know what 0:01:29.600 --> 0:01:31.160 I mean, I had. I had great upbringing. 0:01:31.200 --> 0:01:31.400 Man. 0:01:31.440 --> 0:01:35.760 I can't thank Joseph and Shiryl Stevens enough just for 0:01:35.840 --> 0:01:37.680 you know, man in still in church and me and 0:01:37.720 --> 0:01:39.880 still in you know, knowing right from wrong, you know 0:01:39.880 --> 0:01:43.000 what I mean? And uh and and really, man, I 0:01:43.040 --> 0:01:44.720 never had a yes men around me, you know what 0:01:44.760 --> 0:01:47.400 I mean. All my partner's been solid my day one, 0:01:47.480 --> 0:01:50.680 still down with me, and that that kind of kept 0:01:50.680 --> 0:01:51.120 me rooted. 0:01:51.200 --> 0:01:51.400 Man. 0:01:51.520 --> 0:01:53.600 Honestly, you know you. 0:01:53.400 --> 0:01:56.480 You went to North Shore, I did, now did you? 0:01:56.800 --> 0:01:59.120 Were you born in Houston or Riverside? 0:01:59.120 --> 0:02:02.200 I was born in Riversi, California. Moved out here when 0:02:02.240 --> 0:02:04.960 I was like six, and but I tended to glean 0:02:05.000 --> 0:02:06.920 the Park School with my whole life from elementary. So 0:02:06.960 --> 0:02:09.040 I'm east side of Houston all day long. 0:02:09.480 --> 0:02:15.119 And then became a board member for Cleena Park School District. 0:02:15.320 --> 0:02:15.799 Yeah. 0:02:15.919 --> 0:02:16.839 How cool is that? 0:02:16.960 --> 0:02:18.600 Even? Man? Even I mean, if you know, if you 0:02:18.600 --> 0:02:21.040 remember this, I was, I was heavy in the mortgage 0:02:21.080 --> 0:02:24.600 game after playing ball on the mortgage company a couple 0:02:24.639 --> 0:02:26.880 of blocks from here and never forgets you came through 0:02:26.919 --> 0:02:30.560 with the Chrysler three hundred on switches, remember that after Katrina, 0:02:31.200 --> 0:02:33.640 and we was we've always kind of thought the same. 0:02:33.720 --> 0:02:36.200 We was like, man, you know what, I don't want 0:02:36.240 --> 0:02:38.519 to give my money the Red Cross. I want to 0:02:38.560 --> 0:02:41.120 go put my money in somebody hands that needs it. 0:02:41.240 --> 0:02:44.240 And me and you jumped into Chrysler hiding switches out 0:02:44.280 --> 0:02:47.359 in front of the Convention Center and walked through. Man, 0:02:47.560 --> 0:02:49.079 And I don't even know, looking back, I don't know 0:02:49.080 --> 0:02:50.880 if it was a great idea, but we did. I 0:02:50.919 --> 0:02:53.920 know we impacted some families and put some money in 0:02:53.960 --> 0:02:57.280 some folks hand after Katrina. Man, so I applied you, brother, 0:02:57.320 --> 0:02:59.400 because you've always had a benevolent heart as well. And 0:02:59.400 --> 0:03:01.640 I think that's why we've always kind of been kindred 0:03:01.639 --> 0:03:03.840 spirits man, right, Yeah. 0:03:03.520 --> 0:03:07.040 Yeah, Man walk us through growing up. Do you even 0:03:07.080 --> 0:03:09.880 remember any parts of Riverside, California? Yeah, well no, I 0:03:09.960 --> 0:03:10.520 used to go back there. 0:03:11.240 --> 0:03:14.400 No that game banging My dad got me out of 0:03:14.440 --> 0:03:17.560 there because you know from his I ain't gonna say 0:03:17.760 --> 0:03:20.560 which family members, but man, game bangers. Man. My cousins 0:03:20.560 --> 0:03:22.680 are dead. You know, I've got cousins that shot in 0:03:22.720 --> 0:03:25.639 the face. Had I grown up in Riverside, ain't no 0:03:25.919 --> 0:03:27.240 telling what I would be, you know what I mean, 0:03:27.240 --> 0:03:29.440 because you know, the gang culture was heavy out there, 0:03:30.160 --> 0:03:32.639 all my cousins out there. Bang. I still go back. 0:03:32.680 --> 0:03:34.480 I still go back and visit family, man, But it 0:03:34.560 --> 0:03:36.240 was rough. It was rough. I grew up right around 0:03:36.240 --> 0:03:40.160 the corner from Bobby Bond's Park. Anybody knows Riverside, go back. 0:03:40.160 --> 0:03:41.840 I used to go back and hoop at Bobby Bonds Park. 0:03:41.880 --> 0:03:43.720 I remember Kawhi when Kawhi was coming up. He's a 0:03:43.720 --> 0:03:46.120 little bit of kid hooping at the same rec center 0:03:46.160 --> 0:03:49.000 in Riverside. Riversidees put out a lot of talent, man. 0:03:49.080 --> 0:03:52.160 My dad played for Jerry Tarcanan a Riverside Community college. 0:03:52.880 --> 0:03:54.280 But yeah, you know, you got a lot of cats. 0:03:54.320 --> 0:03:57.160 Now you got girl girl golfer, probably the next Tiger 0:03:57.160 --> 0:04:00.120 Woods Mari Avers from Riverside. Riverside puts out a lot 0:04:00.160 --> 0:04:01.800 of talent, man. A lot of good athletes come out 0:04:01.840 --> 0:04:02.600 of Riverside. 0:04:02.960 --> 0:04:04.560 Your daughter is a pretty good athlete. 0:04:04.640 --> 0:04:08.040 She does she does okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, it's world 0:04:08.040 --> 0:04:10.040 class golf. She's a Texas A and M now man, 0:04:11.280 --> 0:04:15.160 and she's red shirting this year but improving every day. 0:04:15.440 --> 0:04:17.560 You know, she's uh, you know, got a good chance, man, 0:04:17.600 --> 0:04:19.760 she got a shot to be LPG professional. She's playing 0:04:19.760 --> 0:04:22.479 in a couple of LPG events. We got to qualify 0:04:22.480 --> 0:04:24.560 her next month for another one. She got invited to 0:04:24.640 --> 0:04:26.799 eighteen holes and she if she shoots the lower score, 0:04:26.839 --> 0:04:30.279 she'll be in the Cognizant LPGA event in May Man. 0:04:30.360 --> 0:04:31.320 So very proud of her. 0:04:31.680 --> 0:04:34.360 That's good. Yeah, what's her ig? Everybody need to go. 0:04:34.560 --> 0:04:38.280 She's Alan Stevens Golf, a l L y n S 0:04:38.400 --> 0:04:41.479 t E p h e n S Golf, Alan Stevens 0:04:41.520 --> 0:04:43.360 golf man. You see a bunch of pictures ride hip 0:04:43.400 --> 0:04:46.599 and put augusta National Tiger Woods kind of leads a rice. 0:04:46.800 --> 0:04:49.760 She's she's a celebrity. Family man. I'm just I'm just dad. 0:04:50.160 --> 0:04:54.640 Yeah, yeah, Well you you're a very important dad because 0:04:55.360 --> 0:04:59.680 you've always been rooted in family, like real strong. I'm 0:04:59.760 --> 0:05:02.479 just something. I'm not just saying, oh this is my family. 0:05:02.520 --> 0:05:04.920 I'm just doing what i gotta do. Nah, you're very 0:05:05.400 --> 0:05:09.560 intentional with your with your children. You know, you're very 0:05:09.600 --> 0:05:13.880 intentional with your marriage, your friends, you know, your business. 0:05:14.279 --> 0:05:16.520 I mean, you just passed the damn boy exam. 0:05:16.600 --> 0:05:19.200 Bro. Yeah, yeah, that's crazy, dude. It's the man. Think 0:05:19.240 --> 0:05:21.240 about that. Man. When we came from DOC, I didn't 0:05:21.240 --> 0:05:23.120 even look man. And I hadn't been a saint man 0:05:23.200 --> 0:05:26.440 like I was. You know, I'm a judge now, but 0:05:26.480 --> 0:05:28.280 I try to sell some dope on Fleming back in 0:05:28.320 --> 0:05:29.800 the day, you know, on the on the east Side, 0:05:29.800 --> 0:05:32.080 you know what I mean. But but you you evolve, man, 0:05:32.240 --> 0:05:35.480 and and and when your when you when you when 0:05:35.480 --> 0:05:39.080 you're when your when your parents plant seeds in fertile soil, 0:05:39.600 --> 0:05:41.680 it bears fruit, you know what I mean. And those 0:05:41.839 --> 0:05:44.640 teachings that I learned at home always kind of steered 0:05:44.640 --> 0:05:48.320 me back to the middle of the road before I 0:05:48.360 --> 0:05:49.640 got too far out of bounds. 0:05:49.640 --> 0:05:49.839 Man. 0:05:49.880 --> 0:05:53.000 And that's kind of what you know. I practiced that 0:05:53.080 --> 0:05:55.000 in business, and I always try to do people right. 0:05:55.080 --> 0:05:55.279 Man. 0:05:55.400 --> 0:05:58.480 I just have always been a guy. That's that's that's 0:05:59.240 --> 0:06:01.359 you know. I want to leave you better than I 0:06:01.400 --> 0:06:03.040 found you, you know what I mean. You know what 0:06:03.080 --> 0:06:05.320 I'm saying. So even if you didn't if you didn't 0:06:05.320 --> 0:06:07.360 buy a mortgage from it, if you didn't buy insurance 0:06:07.360 --> 0:06:11.080 from it. If you didn't, you know, support me in whatever way, 0:06:11.160 --> 0:06:13.920 I still want to give you the blueprint, you know 0:06:13.960 --> 0:06:15.839 what I'm saying. And I think that's that's something in 0:06:15.839 --> 0:06:19.400 our community that the elders don't really do, right like 0:06:19.400 --> 0:06:22.280 like like the old school cats that came before us, 0:06:22.279 --> 0:06:25.400 they got it out the mud, so they expect us 0:06:25.400 --> 0:06:29.880 to get it the same way. And and but our contemporaries, 0:06:29.920 --> 0:06:34.360 you know, our Caucasian contemporaries, they get trust left, they 0:06:34.480 --> 0:06:38.320 learn about inheritance, they learned about life insurance, know stuff 0:06:38.320 --> 0:06:40.120 that we had to learn as me and you as 0:06:40.120 --> 0:06:42.960 grown men after we got money. Like nobody taught us that. 0:06:43.320 --> 0:06:45.320 And so man, it's to me. I see it as 0:06:45.320 --> 0:06:48.880 my duty to give a brother the blueprint down the 0:06:48.920 --> 0:06:50.640 way I get my suits made. I mean, you know, 0:06:50.920 --> 0:06:52.960 I'm gonna give you the whole blueprint. And you know, 0:06:53.040 --> 0:06:54.400 we may put this to you ain't look the same 0:06:54.400 --> 0:06:55.920 as I look in it, but I'm gonna tell you 0:06:55.960 --> 0:06:57.400 how to get it, you know what I'm saying. And 0:06:57.440 --> 0:06:58.840 that's something we don't do. Man. We need to start 0:06:58.880 --> 0:07:01.520 sharing information with each other and the brothers, especially the 0:07:02.320 --> 0:07:06.480 NBA fraternity, right like I. You know, when you retire 0:07:06.520 --> 0:07:08.280 from the league and you come back, guys kind of 0:07:08.279 --> 0:07:09.720 look at you like, what do he want? He must 0:07:09.760 --> 0:07:11.520 be broke now, you know what I'm saying. It's like, nah, 0:07:11.520 --> 0:07:13.280 I'm trying to tell you what what you know this 0:07:13.360 --> 0:07:15.800 that that white age ain't always right, you know, it's 0:07:15.840 --> 0:07:18.120 it's it's some other ways to invest your money in 0:07:18.160 --> 0:07:20.080 real estate. And and so what I did, I just 0:07:20.120 --> 0:07:23.040 did it. I did it. And then guys came to 0:07:23.080 --> 0:07:25.440 me after they say, what Joe doing? Man? 0:07:25.520 --> 0:07:25.760 Joe? 0:07:26.160 --> 0:07:28.080 Joe kind of made me doing good? Man, Joe doing 0:07:28.080 --> 0:07:30.360 better now than he was playing basketball. And then guys 0:07:30.400 --> 0:07:33.000 come back to you. But it's unfortunate that when we 0:07:33.120 --> 0:07:35.920 come back to each other with skeptical of it, you 0:07:35.960 --> 0:07:37.760 know what I mean. But but you'll take this dude 0:07:38.200 --> 0:07:40.800 face value and you don't even know him, you know. 0:07:40.880 --> 0:07:43.400 And don't even have a track no track record, and. 0:07:43.360 --> 0:07:46.040 You know me, you know what I'm saying. But that's 0:07:46.320 --> 0:07:48.880 hopefully we break those stigmas in our community, man, and 0:07:48.880 --> 0:07:50.880 get to the point as brothers where we can trust 0:07:50.920 --> 0:07:55.040 each other and stop competing with each other, right, celebrate 0:07:55.120 --> 0:07:58.000 each other's wins, you know, and and and and honestly 0:07:58.040 --> 0:08:01.040 be happy, because look, man, I Jay said it best. 0:08:01.080 --> 0:08:04.080 What's better than one being there too? Especially see from 0:08:04.080 --> 0:08:06.040 the same hue as you. You know what I'm saying, 0:08:06.320 --> 0:08:07.440 And that's kind of live by that. 0:08:07.480 --> 0:08:07.680 Man. 0:08:08.160 --> 0:08:12.120 Yeah, you said a mouthful when you said I want 0:08:12.120 --> 0:08:13.960 to leave you better than I found you. 0:08:14.040 --> 0:08:14.560 Yeah. 0:08:15.040 --> 0:08:20.000 I have the exact same philosophy when it comes to friends. 0:08:20.200 --> 0:08:24.240 When it comes to relationships, I look at it like 0:08:25.360 --> 0:08:31.600 anybody that has a relationship with me, I'm going to 0:08:31.720 --> 0:08:35.000 sow into them on some level and they're going to 0:08:35.080 --> 0:08:39.120 be better after meeting me than they would before meeting me. 0:08:39.520 --> 0:08:43.160 Like I don't. I don't even I don't even believe 0:08:43.240 --> 0:08:46.880 in just having like relationships that are idle like you 0:08:47.080 --> 0:08:51.800 just oh, there's nothing that you can get from being, 0:08:52.400 --> 0:08:55.760 you know, in a relationship with me or having having 0:08:56.360 --> 0:08:58.480 a connection to me, a friendship to me. I do 0:08:58.559 --> 0:09:01.880 believe in sharing those recent So I'm not no damn food. 0:09:02.480 --> 0:09:05.000 I'm not just gonna just be just giving it up 0:09:05.000 --> 0:09:09.360 to anybody and everybody whatever. But if I'm in a 0:09:09.400 --> 0:09:14.160 relationship with anybody, like I said, whether it's business, platonic, intimate, 0:09:15.280 --> 0:09:18.199 they gonna be better, no question. After I come into 0:09:18.280 --> 0:09:20.600 their life than they was before I came into. 0:09:20.600 --> 0:09:23.000 And it's gonna come back. Man, It's gonna come back, 0:09:23.040 --> 0:09:25.480 and it may. You know, you and I've never really 0:09:25.960 --> 0:09:28.079 done a deal together, but that's coming. You know what 0:09:28.120 --> 0:09:31.160 I'm saying, because you planning in fertile soil. And sometimes 0:09:31.160 --> 0:09:33.360 people think, Man, because I sold right now, I gotta 0:09:33.400 --> 0:09:34.280 read right now too. 0:09:34.800 --> 0:09:35.000 Nah. 0:09:35.080 --> 0:09:38.920 Man, if everybody in your circle is solid and you 0:09:39.120 --> 0:09:42.120 embracing your brother and uplifting your brother, eventually, man, y'all 0:09:42.160 --> 0:09:45.680 gonna break bread together. Period. I'm celebrating your wins. Man, 0:09:45.800 --> 0:09:49.959 I'm hoping you win. Everybody I come in contact with, man, 0:09:50.000 --> 0:09:52.280 I sincerely want them to win in life. You know 0:09:52.320 --> 0:09:55.439 what I'm saying, because guess what if I got it 0:09:55.480 --> 0:09:58.640 and you ain't got it? Will we can't do nothing together? 0:09:59.000 --> 0:10:01.439 Like like I'm I'm steady trying to pull you up. 0:10:01.880 --> 0:10:03.400 If you got it and I got it, we go 0:10:03.520 --> 0:10:05.719 buy up the whole block on Navigation and develop it 0:10:05.720 --> 0:10:08.200 and bill fifteen twenty townhomes and make two three million. 0:10:08.840 --> 0:10:11.199 But if I got it and you ain't got it, 0:10:11.640 --> 0:10:12.560 what we're gonna do together? 0:10:13.559 --> 0:10:18.439 And there are guys out there who they know that 0:10:18.480 --> 0:10:22.080 they can help you. They know that it wouldn't cost 0:10:22.120 --> 0:10:25.840 them anything. Yeah, man, and they'll sit back and hold 0:10:25.840 --> 0:10:28.480 their nuts and be like, you know what, I ain't 0:10:28.480 --> 0:10:30.760 helping him because if I do, that mean he ain't 0:10:30.760 --> 0:10:33.240 gonna need me no more. That means he might pass 0:10:33.320 --> 0:10:33.640 me up. 0:10:33.679 --> 0:10:34.320 I want to keep it. 0:10:34.400 --> 0:10:34.679 He might. 0:10:34.840 --> 0:10:37.560 Yeah, he may eyes shine me. He might start being 0:10:37.600 --> 0:10:42.280 able to compete with compete against me for the same girls. 0:10:42.360 --> 0:10:44.439 Yeah, you know, right right right right. 0:10:44.440 --> 0:10:46.560 You know, he might get the same kind of house, 0:10:46.640 --> 0:10:48.599 be able to move in my neighborhood. I got to 0:10:48.600 --> 0:10:51.240 be able to say I'm the only one got this type. 0:10:51.080 --> 0:10:53.640 Of which is crazy. You see that in politics, dude, 0:10:53.760 --> 0:10:55.360 I see it right here in Houston. Man. It's some 0:10:55.400 --> 0:10:57.760 people that want to be the king and the kingmaker 0:10:58.400 --> 0:11:03.360 and I don't. And I'm satisfied being the only African American. 0:11:03.600 --> 0:11:06.280 I really want to be the only African American because 0:11:06.320 --> 0:11:09.680 of the prestige that comes with me being the only one. 0:11:10.200 --> 0:11:13.600 Instead of being like I'm in, let me be a 0:11:13.679 --> 0:11:17.520 door opener and a waymaker to let you know, because 0:11:17.520 --> 0:11:19.520 it's our turn, you know what I mean. And I 0:11:19.559 --> 0:11:22.959 know some good qualified people that could carry the maner. 0:11:23.080 --> 0:11:25.439 But just man, just just interested in keeping you out 0:11:25.480 --> 0:11:27.960 of the game so they can be you know, bigger 0:11:28.000 --> 0:11:32.120 than life, which I just I really, man, it pains 0:11:32.120 --> 0:11:36.120 me to see it because I feel like our forefathers, 0:11:36.240 --> 0:11:41.800 like you know, Malcolm Martin Luther, even locally man Mickey Leland. 0:11:41.840 --> 0:11:46.440 I just really think those brothers were really about opening doors, 0:11:47.000 --> 0:11:49.600 trying to provide equity for people that look like you 0:11:49.679 --> 0:11:51.800 and I. You know what I'm saying. You go to 0:11:51.880 --> 0:11:54.480 a city like Atlanta, and I talk about this all 0:11:54.520 --> 0:11:57.280 the time. It's a documentary called Maynard m a y 0:11:57.440 --> 0:12:01.199 Naida about the former mayor of Atlanta. Man that oh 0:12:01.240 --> 0:12:05.120 that gout that was super cod will this dude the 0:12:05.240 --> 0:12:09.480 tarmac to the terminal at Hartsville and as Andrew I 0:12:09.480 --> 0:12:13.199 think Andrew Maynard, Yeah, he put it. He got in office, 0:12:13.240 --> 0:12:15.640 man and forced those banks to put people that look 0:12:15.720 --> 0:12:18.600 like you and I on those boards. And therefore, when 0:12:18.600 --> 0:12:22.000 you ride around Atlanta, like Houston, you see Lynn back, 0:12:22.080 --> 0:12:24.560 you see all of these the skyscrapers in Houston are 0:12:24.559 --> 0:12:27.840 built by predominantly firms that don't look like you and I. 0:12:27.920 --> 0:12:31.000 In Atlanta, man, that's us. And what happens is now 0:12:31.000 --> 0:12:34.240 when you have a fundraiser in Atlanta. It's not just 0:12:34.960 --> 0:12:38.520 t I and and and and and and uh what's 0:12:38.520 --> 0:12:43.040 my man named Killer Mike and the producer dude mydir 0:12:43.320 --> 0:12:48.280 uh Tyler Perry doing the fundraisers. You got average dudes 0:12:48.280 --> 0:12:50.280 in the room that you wouldn't even know. But they 0:12:50.320 --> 0:12:52.960 more time me money because they doing business with the 0:12:53.000 --> 0:12:54.240 city in the county in Atlanta. 0:12:54.320 --> 0:12:56.560 They got that money, got money. And I tell people 0:12:56.640 --> 0:13:01.040 all the time, man, stop putting everything on celebrities. Every 0:13:01.040 --> 0:13:03.760 time somebody you know, I'm on line a lot, man, 0:13:03.840 --> 0:13:06.760 and I see these comments from people. Be like, man, 0:13:06.800 --> 0:13:09.040 if all of the apples, if the rappers and the 0:13:09.120 --> 0:13:13.120 athletes would just get together, if the rappers and athletes 0:13:13.160 --> 0:13:16.800 would just get together and put these celebrities black celebrities, 0:13:16.840 --> 0:13:18.760 we could do this. We could have our own team. 0:13:18.800 --> 0:13:22.400 We could, Man, do you understand that the people with 0:13:22.520 --> 0:13:25.959 the most money ain't the ain't the entertainers. It's these 0:13:26.080 --> 0:13:31.120 average everyday businessman or I of getting it like Joe Judge, 0:13:31.200 --> 0:13:34.040 Joe Stevens. These are the dudes that are papered up 0:13:35.320 --> 0:13:38.960 on the average. They're gonna have more money overall than 0:13:39.520 --> 0:13:40.120 your athletes. 0:13:40.160 --> 0:13:42.920 Really can't say the whole you know, then you then 0:13:43.600 --> 0:13:47.200 your lebron can't say the whole hood, jay Z can't 0:13:47.200 --> 0:13:52.400 say the hood. Actually, Man, the everyday average person that's 0:13:52.440 --> 0:13:56.760 a voter, if they would participate in the electoral process, 0:13:57.640 --> 0:13:59.839 if they would just beat a solution. Right. I go 0:14:00.120 --> 0:14:02.520 these HOA meetings and civic club meetings all the time 0:14:02.559 --> 0:14:06.280 as the elected official in the hood, and people look 0:14:06.320 --> 0:14:09.480 to the elected official to solve all their problems. And 0:14:09.520 --> 0:14:13.240 I always say, man, do you have any solutions? We 0:14:13.360 --> 0:14:16.719 know what the problem is. My job as a representative 0:14:16.840 --> 0:14:18.720 is to collect all of your ideas. 0:14:18.880 --> 0:14:22.440 Is it to manage it or implement the solution? 0:14:22.960 --> 0:14:26.240 Well, one to listen to it first, right, and hear 0:14:26.280 --> 0:14:28.560 what the concerns of the rank and file are, because 0:14:28.560 --> 0:14:31.760 they're the people that's in the trenches. And then take 0:14:31.800 --> 0:14:34.960 that information and say, oh, this is a valid, viable concern. 0:14:35.480 --> 0:14:38.640 What's the solution. You in the hood, you in the street, 0:14:38.840 --> 0:14:42.200 how do we figure what do you think would work? Well, judge, 0:14:42.240 --> 0:14:44.440 if we had sidewalks, the kids wouldn't have to walk 0:14:44.480 --> 0:14:47.920 on the street to get Man, that's a viable solution. 0:14:48.040 --> 0:14:50.280 That's something we can take to the commissioners or whoever. 0:14:50.760 --> 0:14:54.600 And and lobby for sidewalks. I would tell people that 0:14:54.680 --> 0:14:58.440 watch this podcast, don't just complain, don't be the person 0:14:58.520 --> 0:15:01.080 at the h hi is dtake over. That's the big deal. Now, 0:15:01.240 --> 0:15:05.400 h ch ASD takeover in any solutions, anybody, we know 0:15:05.440 --> 0:15:07.880 what the problem is. We look, the district is gone. 0:15:07.960 --> 0:15:10.800 They took it over. The Republicans took They took it over. 0:15:11.600 --> 0:15:14.920 So explain to people why they took over the district. 0:15:14.960 --> 0:15:18.720 They took over the district because it was underperforming, and namely, 0:15:18.760 --> 0:15:20.840 it was a couple of scandals that went on with 0:15:20.840 --> 0:15:22.720 the district. And it really is some money grab, right. 0:15:22.720 --> 0:15:25.960 They took it over because they could because by all measurables, 0:15:26.000 --> 0:15:28.520 the district had course corrected. They did a complete one 0:15:28.680 --> 0:15:32.080 eighty schools that were f s or b's. Now the 0:15:32.160 --> 0:15:35.320 board that was there that was messing up is gone, 0:15:35.560 --> 0:15:38.160 the superintendent is new. So really it's a money grab 0:15:38.200 --> 0:15:39.600 if you want to know why they took it over. 0:15:39.680 --> 0:15:43.600 But whatever they justified that for, it's been done. So 0:15:43.680 --> 0:15:46.440 now proactively you got to figure out, Okay, what's the 0:15:46.480 --> 0:15:49.640 next step. Can we be involved with the border managers 0:15:50.520 --> 0:15:53.520 rather than a bunch of appointed people by Abbot to 0:15:53.600 --> 0:15:55.920 take over the board that they gonna put eight or 0:15:56.000 --> 0:15:59.240 nine board members now at least hopefully we can have 0:15:59.280 --> 0:16:01.600 some saying that, but we can't talk about what happened. 0:16:01.640 --> 0:16:05.120 We have to propose some solutions going forward. Rather than 0:16:05.160 --> 0:16:08.600 always being reactive, you know what I mean? Yeah, but 0:16:08.920 --> 0:16:10.880 you know it, just follow the money with that whole 0:16:10.880 --> 0:16:14.400 deal though, post the takeover, Follow the money and keep 0:16:14.400 --> 0:16:16.480 a close eye on it. And I think if you 0:16:16.600 --> 0:16:18.560 do that, you'll be able to get the district back 0:16:18.600 --> 0:16:21.280 a little quicker than maybe you wouldn't have if you 0:16:21.320 --> 0:16:23.920 weren't as involved. But we got to do something proactive to, 0:16:24.760 --> 0:16:26.840 you know, to to stay on top of the situation 0:16:27.040 --> 0:16:30.320 as it stands, which has been taken over. The why behind, 0:16:30.320 --> 0:16:32.240 why did they take it don't matter at this point. 0:16:32.400 --> 0:16:34.000 We got to proactively figure out how we can get 0:16:34.040 --> 0:16:35.200 it back as soon as possible. 0:16:35.760 --> 0:16:38.760 Yeah, you play for the Rockets, Okay, this is where 0:16:38.800 --> 0:16:41.440 you get your This is where you get your first 0:16:41.720 --> 0:16:46.160 taste of fame and public service basic so to speak, 0:16:46.520 --> 0:16:49.120 because I mean, I believe it or not. Man, you know, 0:16:49.560 --> 0:16:54.720 athletes do perform a public service people entertainment. It takes 0:16:54.720 --> 0:16:57.720 our mind off the everyday grind, you know, Yeah, it's 0:16:57.720 --> 0:16:58.840 an escape for people. 0:16:58.920 --> 0:16:59.120 Yeah. 0:16:59.240 --> 0:17:03.640 Right, you came in after the rockets one. 0:17:03.640 --> 0:17:06.439 Or twenty four. I was ninety six, man, when Barkley 0:17:06.440 --> 0:17:07.840 first got here. That was my first year. 0:17:08.800 --> 0:17:10.159 How was that, dude? How was it? 0:17:10.480 --> 0:17:10.600 Like? 0:17:11.840 --> 0:17:15.280 I was his rookie. Man, I was his rookie, so 0:17:15.320 --> 0:17:19.280 you around all of that crazy stuff, but it was 0:17:19.320 --> 0:17:21.640 always you know, it was three thousand dollars here five, 0:17:21.680 --> 0:17:23.200 I mean due to give the shirt off his back. 0:17:23.320 --> 0:17:26.399 He says some of the most outlandish shock value stuff 0:17:26.400 --> 0:17:28.480 you've ever heard in life. But just as far as 0:17:28.480 --> 0:17:30.040 a person, Charles is a good dude. Man. 0:17:30.320 --> 0:17:32.360 But what I'm what I'm what I'm trying to get 0:17:32.400 --> 0:17:35.639 to is, how is chars a good dude? 0:17:35.880 --> 0:17:36.360 Yeah? 0:17:36.480 --> 0:17:41.840 When Charles throws his people under the bus regularly, and 0:17:42.240 --> 0:17:45.480 he has all the smoke for black athletes and black 0:17:45.520 --> 0:17:51.600 people in general, but he never ever ever criticizes the 0:17:51.640 --> 0:17:52.800 white community. 0:17:53.080 --> 0:17:58.320 Yeah collectively, I think some of that, man is, sometimes 0:17:58.320 --> 0:18:00.680 you can be a victim of your own star them. Right. 0:18:02.000 --> 0:18:04.640 You you come from Leeds, Alabama, number one. Right, You're 0:18:04.640 --> 0:18:08.440 not from a big metropolis and you you get thrust 0:18:08.480 --> 0:18:13.439 into this stardom, so you and some of that you 0:18:13.480 --> 0:18:17.720 transcend color because when you start gets so bright like you, 0:18:17.720 --> 0:18:21.520 you can easily forget the worst drug known. The man 0:18:21.680 --> 0:18:24.879 is fame, right, I mean, you know it's and and 0:18:24.920 --> 0:18:27.800 you I see it. Even in politics here locally, people 0:18:28.240 --> 0:18:30.800 get a roll on when they win election or they 0:18:30.800 --> 0:18:33.879 win elected position, and it changes people. I think some 0:18:33.960 --> 0:18:38.160 of that may be losing touch with where you're from 0:18:38.320 --> 0:18:40.640 and who your people are. You know what I mean. 0:18:41.119 --> 0:18:43.240 I can't speak to why he does it on a 0:18:43.280 --> 0:18:46.200 personal level. What I know about him has always been 0:18:46.200 --> 0:18:47.560 good to me. You know what I mean. 0:18:47.640 --> 0:18:49.520 I'm gonna give you my thoughts or what I thank 0:18:49.560 --> 0:18:53.560 you wife. I think he does it. I think he 0:18:53.720 --> 0:19:00.720 does it because the head honchos at ESPN, ESPN, T 0:19:00.840 --> 0:19:04.720 and T Company they tell him to do it. They 0:19:04.880 --> 0:19:06.199 see he's been pretty consistent. 0:19:06.840 --> 0:19:09.639 He's been pretty consistent though before that, Before that, before 0:19:09.960 --> 0:19:11.639 he was he was he. 0:19:11.520 --> 0:19:15.680 Was consistently a drunken and out of control person who 0:19:15.680 --> 0:19:18.840