1 00:00:01,520 --> 00:00:04,920 Speaker 1: Every day up the Breakfast Club. 2 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:06,120 Speaker 2: You don't finish for y'all. 3 00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:10,959 Speaker 3: Done morning, everybody, it's the j env just hilarious. Charlamagne, 4 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:12,440 Speaker 3: the gud We are the breakfast Club. 5 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:12,680 Speaker 1: Lawn. 6 00:00:12,720 --> 00:00:14,480 Speaker 3: La Rosa is here with us as well, and we 7 00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:16,160 Speaker 3: got a special guest in the building. 8 00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:18,040 Speaker 1: A new book is. 9 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:21,480 Speaker 3: Out right now, The Black Family who built America. Ladies 10 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:25,120 Speaker 3: and gentlemen, she's back, Cheryl McKissick, Daniel, Welcome. 11 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:28,760 Speaker 2: Thank you, how you feeling excited? Welcome back, thank you, 12 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:31,320 Speaker 2: thank you, to see you. Good to see you too. 13 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:37,880 Speaker 2: You look younger. I love that. Okay, whatever he's doing, 14 00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:38,640 Speaker 2: I need some of that. 15 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:40,600 Speaker 3: So for people that didn't hear when you came up 16 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:43,080 Speaker 3: here last time, I didn't read the book yet, explain 17 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:47,040 Speaker 3: what your family has done for this country, The Black 18 00:00:47,040 --> 00:00:49,320 Speaker 3: family who built America. Break it down from your great 19 00:00:49,360 --> 00:00:51,760 Speaker 3: great grandfather, how he started and where it came from. 20 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:57,200 Speaker 2: Moses Moses MCIs okay, So let me start with saying, 21 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:01,440 Speaker 2: I am the proud CEO of a fifth generation business 22 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:05,720 Speaker 2: in America. And I know Charlemagne keeps calling it seven generations. 23 00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:08,760 Speaker 2: He's just calling in the girl behind me, okay, and 24 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:09,800 Speaker 2: her children, my. 25 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:12,560 Speaker 3: Grandkids, got in trouble for today, she was one of 26 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:13,040 Speaker 3: the producers. 27 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:13,479 Speaker 1: Like it's. 28 00:01:16,080 --> 00:01:20,400 Speaker 2: Because that's what it's going to be. That's right, it's manifesting. 29 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:24,920 Speaker 2: So we date back two hundred and thirty years in 30 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:28,520 Speaker 2: this country, uh, starting with the first descent of our family, 31 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:31,160 Speaker 2: Moses mcisick the first, who came to this country in 32 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:34,360 Speaker 2: seventeen ninety as a slave and was taught to trade 33 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:38,959 Speaker 2: of making brick. His son was Moses mcizick the second, 34 00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:43,640 Speaker 2: and he was a master carpenter and he actually started 35 00:01:43,680 --> 00:01:46,679 Speaker 2: in North Carolina, but he was given as a gift 36 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:51,080 Speaker 2: to the Cheers family in Nashville, Tennessee with spring Hill, 37 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:54,680 Speaker 2: and so that's when the mcisicks moved from North Carolina 38 00:01:55,000 --> 00:02:00,920 Speaker 2: to Tennessee. He had seven girls in this seven boys, 39 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:06,080 Speaker 2: and his first son is Moses mcizick the third and 40 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:09,960 Speaker 2: his brother Calvin, and they became the first black licensed 41 00:02:10,040 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 2: architects in America. Sure you don't want that one to do. 42 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 2: And anyway, they were known because they traveled all through 43 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:27,960 Speaker 2: the Northeast and the South. They built over six thousand churches, 44 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:35,120 Speaker 2: they built thirteen fourteen historically black colleges, all the colleges, 45 00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 2: all the buildings at Fisk University are pretty much designed 46 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 2: by Calvin and Moses mcizick. Maharry Medical School, Tennessee State University. 47 00:02:49,480 --> 00:02:55,960 Speaker 2: What's the one that tusky? And so they worked all 48 00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:59,000 Speaker 2: through the South. They also got an opportunity to go 49 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:03,000 Speaker 2: to Haiti and work with paper Papa Doc and then 50 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:07,440 Speaker 2: over to Africa. So these men were very innovative. And 51 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:11,480 Speaker 2: the company was then passed down to my father, William G. 52 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:15,240 Speaker 2: Barry McKissick. And so now we're four generations in if 53 00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:20,160 Speaker 2: you haven't lost count all right. And then the company 54 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:22,320 Speaker 2: was passed down to my mother, who was a Fears 55 00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:27,360 Speaker 2: leader by herself, and then eventually I stepped in and 56 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 2: took over the company as the fifth generation. 57 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:31,359 Speaker 3: You know what I love about that? And I joke 58 00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:34,560 Speaker 3: with my kids all the time, right, and I said, 59 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 3: you know, when I passed, I said, I'm gonna leave everything. 60 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:39,520 Speaker 3: I said, but there's one thing that I need And 61 00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:41,840 Speaker 3: I said, I want to put a family portrait of 62 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:43,640 Speaker 3: me and my wife in the house. And they said, 63 00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:45,760 Speaker 3: well why, I said, a lot of times in our 64 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:51,080 Speaker 3: family we forget about grandfather's great grandfathers and what they've 65 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:54,280 Speaker 3: established and brought to us because it's like time moved so. 66 00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:55,920 Speaker 1: Fast, especially with a great grandparents. 67 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:58,680 Speaker 3: So the fact that you can break down all that 68 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:01,320 Speaker 3: you know, your kids will be able to break down 69 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:04,160 Speaker 3: that down. Your grandkids will be able to break that down. 70 00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:06,320 Speaker 3: And that's something that I feel like we miss. You know, 71 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 3: when people pass, you know, we're sad and then we 72 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:13,240 Speaker 3: forget about it. But these are the people that started 73 00:04:13,240 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 3: our lives, started generational wealth. We talk about all the time, 74 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:19,719 Speaker 3: and I feel like, especially in black families, we should 75 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:22,159 Speaker 3: have that, we should know. Like I don't know my 76 00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:25,120 Speaker 3: great grandfather. I don't know much about him because my 77 00:04:25,160 --> 00:04:27,240 Speaker 3: grandfather didn't talk about him and my parents didn't talk 78 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:28,880 Speaker 3: about him. But it's one of those things. It's like 79 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:31,039 Speaker 3: we move on. And I love the fact that that 80 00:04:31,279 --> 00:04:34,040 Speaker 3: is so built into your family that y'all keep talking 81 00:04:34,080 --> 00:04:36,440 Speaker 3: about it, you keep mentioning, and you keep talking about 82 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:38,440 Speaker 3: the great things that your family has done. 83 00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:39,160 Speaker 1: I love that. 84 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:42,640 Speaker 2: You know, what you just said is so powerful. But 85 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:46,560 Speaker 2: it's so easy to record what's happening in your family. 86 00:04:47,080 --> 00:04:50,279 Speaker 2: Just do a family tree. Just start a family tree 87 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:55,200 Speaker 2: with the individuals that you do know. I remember, being 88 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:59,800 Speaker 2: like nine or ten years old, my mother said, look 89 00:04:59,839 --> 00:05:02,200 Speaker 2: at this, we just found the family tree, and I'm like, 90 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:04,760 Speaker 2: I was fascinated by it. So that was the beginning 91 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:08,360 Speaker 2: of me really trying to get this story out. I 92 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:13,040 Speaker 2: remember taking that family tree to my father's office and 93 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:19,840 Speaker 2: turning it into a real structural plan. I mean, it 94 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:22,680 Speaker 2: was like as huge as a blueprint for a building 95 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:27,839 Speaker 2: because it dated back to my great great grandfather. But 96 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:32,000 Speaker 2: I kept losing it kept I mean I totally redid it, 97 00:05:32,360 --> 00:05:38,279 Speaker 2: beautiful print and everything, and can't find it. So now 98 00:05:38,320 --> 00:05:40,120 Speaker 2: when it's time to do the book, I'm like, well, 99 00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:42,080 Speaker 2: the one thing we need is a family tree because 100 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:44,400 Speaker 2: people will getting lost in the shuffle of reading all 101 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:47,320 Speaker 2: of this. So a couple of weeks ago, I go 102 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:50,120 Speaker 2: visit my mother and I'm cleaning out one of her 103 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:56,159 Speaker 2: George and bam, the original one I saw the very beginning. 104 00:05:56,240 --> 00:05:59,599 Speaker 2: That's God. And so what I would say to everyone, 105 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:04,400 Speaker 2: it's just start writing it down and have someone responsible 106 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:08,839 Speaker 2: to keep it in racket. That is why we ended 107 00:06:08,920 --> 00:06:11,279 Speaker 2: up giving a lot of our artifacts to the African 108 00:06:11,279 --> 00:06:14,520 Speaker 2: American Museum on the Mall because I kept losing the 109 00:06:14,560 --> 00:06:19,880 Speaker 2: original license. Well you put them in your office, you know. 110 00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:24,520 Speaker 2: Actually we store them and we make replicas of the 111 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:27,800 Speaker 2: license and of the pictures and things like that. But 112 00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:30,200 Speaker 2: then when it comes time when you move, you're like, 113 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:34,240 Speaker 2: oh my god, where is it? I told Chan my 114 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:36,680 Speaker 2: pr consult I said, Chan, I am tired of losing this. 115 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:37,720 Speaker 2: What are we gonna do? 116 00:06:38,240 --> 00:06:38,400 Speaker 4: Sai? 117 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:40,640 Speaker 2: We're gonna give it to the museum and they will 118 00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:45,720 Speaker 2: keep it forever. And so that's that's important that you know, 119 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:50,279 Speaker 2: we keep up with our family legacy because everyone has one. 120 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:52,800 Speaker 3: You see what all the time with you know when 121 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:56,680 Speaker 3: you see white people like they do it all the time, right, 122 00:06:56,800 --> 00:07:00,400 Speaker 3: like love them, I hate them. You know who Donald 123 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:03,280 Speaker 3: Trump's father is, right? You know who Donald Trump's grandfather is, right, 124 00:07:03,320 --> 00:07:05,040 Speaker 3: because he talks about them all the time. You hear 125 00:07:05,080 --> 00:07:07,040 Speaker 3: the story about his his father that gave. 126 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:07,560 Speaker 1: Him a millionaire. 127 00:07:07,600 --> 00:07:08,880 Speaker 2: You hear those stories. 128 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:10,640 Speaker 4: Easy though, But a lot of times the great great 129 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:14,160 Speaker 4: grandparents that you end up losing track of your father 130 00:07:14,200 --> 00:07:15,000 Speaker 4: and your grandparents. 131 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 1: That's easy because that's generate. 132 00:07:16,960 --> 00:07:19,960 Speaker 3: Trump's son and Trump's grandson will always know about the 133 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:22,640 Speaker 3: grandfather that gave Donald Trump the million. 134 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:24,920 Speaker 2: Dollars to start his Somebody knows them though, you know. 135 00:07:24,920 --> 00:07:25,200 Speaker 1: What I mean? 136 00:07:25,240 --> 00:07:27,360 Speaker 3: But you know those stories always talk because you hear 137 00:07:27,360 --> 00:07:29,240 Speaker 3: about the stories that we need to talk about hours more. 138 00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:30,840 Speaker 5: I think it's a little different for us too, because 139 00:07:30,880 --> 00:07:32,960 Speaker 5: like when my grandmother, she always talks about how like 140 00:07:33,120 --> 00:07:35,200 Speaker 5: they weren't they didn't keep record or things because they 141 00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:37,520 Speaker 5: just it wasn't something that was normal in the household, 142 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:39,720 Speaker 5: Like you didn't have pictures of certain people, you didn't, 143 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:42,040 Speaker 5: so then that gets passed down. It's just something you 144 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:43,040 Speaker 5: don't know to do. 145 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:44,960 Speaker 4: Also, as black people, they just didn't care about us 146 00:07:45,040 --> 00:07:48,400 Speaker 4: enough to give us our records, records. They threw them out, 147 00:07:48,440 --> 00:07:52,080 Speaker 4: threw them out, they didn't care. But I still think 148 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:55,320 Speaker 4: you can find it. It's just genealogy and getting the 149 00:07:55,400 --> 00:07:58,680 Speaker 4: genealogists to help you, you know, go through it. 150 00:07:58,960 --> 00:08:01,360 Speaker 2: I mean we went back well with Nick Childs. We 151 00:08:01,440 --> 00:08:05,120 Speaker 2: went back to spring Hill, Tennessee, and went through records 152 00:08:05,280 --> 00:08:08,680 Speaker 2: of you know, the slaves that were actually working on 153 00:08:09,080 --> 00:08:13,400 Speaker 2: the mcisock house and the Cheers house, and there were records, 154 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:16,720 Speaker 2: you know. I mean they try to erase them, but 155 00:08:16,760 --> 00:08:20,960 Speaker 2: they can't, I mean their graves. So I think everyone 156 00:08:21,040 --> 00:08:23,679 Speaker 2: can contract their family history. 157 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:25,840 Speaker 4: I want to ask when I read this book and 158 00:08:25,880 --> 00:08:28,360 Speaker 4: I see how this empire started in the eighteen hundreds. 159 00:08:28,440 --> 00:08:31,520 Speaker 4: It reminds me of how resilient Black people are. We 160 00:08:31,560 --> 00:08:34,240 Speaker 4: can navigate our way through anything. So it gave me 161 00:08:34,280 --> 00:08:36,920 Speaker 4: a sense of hope, especially for the times that we're 162 00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:39,000 Speaker 4: in now. Has it always given you that's in surprise? 163 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:41,920 Speaker 2: Yeah? I mean, you know, if you think about it, 164 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:46,800 Speaker 2: one in five businesses fail the first year. Sixty five 165 00:08:46,840 --> 00:08:51,000 Speaker 2: percent fell in ten years, and the average family business 166 00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:56,080 Speaker 2: only lasts twenty four years. Now, the chances for a 167 00:08:56,120 --> 00:09:00,200 Speaker 2: family business to pass down to a second generation is 168 00:09:00,280 --> 00:09:04,040 Speaker 2: like sixty percent. The chances of it passing to a 169 00:09:04,120 --> 00:09:07,040 Speaker 2: third is fourteen And I mean to a third is 170 00:09:07,679 --> 00:09:12,559 Speaker 2: fourteen percent, and to a fourth generation is three percent. 171 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:16,640 Speaker 2: So here we are at five generations. And so I 172 00:09:16,679 --> 00:09:18,600 Speaker 2: think what we do in the book is we make 173 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:21,040 Speaker 2: a case as to how the Mechusics were able to 174 00:09:21,120 --> 00:09:24,880 Speaker 2: do that, and it goes all the way back to slavery. 175 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:28,840 Speaker 2: So slavery was different in every state, you know, like 176 00:09:29,360 --> 00:09:33,240 Speaker 2: North Carolina was probably the most lenient of slaves at 177 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:38,120 Speaker 2: the time compared to let's say Alabama and some other 178 00:09:38,200 --> 00:09:42,679 Speaker 2: states South Carolina, South Carolina, and really it's because they 179 00:09:42,679 --> 00:09:46,400 Speaker 2: didn't have as many of the huge plantations slave masters 180 00:09:46,440 --> 00:09:50,560 Speaker 2: have more like twelve thirteen, fourteen fifteen slaves. So the 181 00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:55,800 Speaker 2: slaves were more like extended family. They weren't really they 182 00:09:55,840 --> 00:09:58,160 Speaker 2: didn't have to be suppressed because just think about it. 183 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:01,600 Speaker 2: We went to spring hilltonnes Sea, and we saw a 184 00:10:01,679 --> 00:10:05,800 Speaker 2: plantation where there was a family of five people, but 185 00:10:05,840 --> 00:10:09,600 Speaker 2: there were three hundred slaves working for them. So who 186 00:10:09,640 --> 00:10:13,840 Speaker 2: had the power, right, So you have to suppress the 187 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:18,960 Speaker 2: three hundred people if you want to survive. And so 188 00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:21,719 Speaker 2: it wasn't like that in North Carolina. So we make 189 00:10:22,040 --> 00:10:26,320 Speaker 2: that case that you know, the leniency of slavery in 190 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:29,880 Speaker 2: that state must have helped the mcisocks get to where 191 00:10:29,920 --> 00:10:35,120 Speaker 2: they are. And then the fact that slave masters after 192 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:39,640 Speaker 2: slavery still needed the craft and services that we provided, 193 00:10:40,160 --> 00:10:44,160 Speaker 2: so they put us in business. And so the mckusicks 194 00:10:44,240 --> 00:10:48,200 Speaker 2: were put in business by their slave masters. Moses mciswick 195 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:53,840 Speaker 2: the second had his first company. And so you know, 196 00:10:53,960 --> 00:10:57,320 Speaker 2: this was during the time where we had Tulsa, so 197 00:10:57,400 --> 00:11:00,680 Speaker 2: we had the Black Wall Street and this all over 198 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:03,880 Speaker 2: the country happening. I mean, this did not change until 199 00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:06,040 Speaker 2: Birth of a Nation. And I don't know if you 200 00:11:06,080 --> 00:11:09,000 Speaker 2: read that in that, but that's why I was so 201 00:11:09,120 --> 00:11:12,840 Speaker 2: excited to launch the book last week in Martha's Vineyard 202 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:18,400 Speaker 2: at the African American Film Festival, because it is the 203 00:11:18,440 --> 00:11:22,640 Speaker 2: complete opposite of what was happening in Hollywood one hundred 204 00:11:22,679 --> 00:11:26,240 Speaker 2: years ago with Birth of a Nation that depicted us 205 00:11:26,280 --> 00:11:34,160 Speaker 2: as ignorant, subhuman sexual predators. And you know, it's scolded 206 00:11:34,960 --> 00:11:39,520 Speaker 2: white people who thought maybe we should reach out. You know, 207 00:11:39,520 --> 00:11:41,360 Speaker 2: they're trying to figure out what to do. You were 208 00:11:41,360 --> 00:11:44,400 Speaker 2: a slave one day and now you're a business the 209 00:11:44,440 --> 00:11:47,800 Speaker 2: next day. They're patronizing you. There, some people are just 210 00:11:47,880 --> 00:11:54,120 Speaker 2: they're good people. And so this film scolded them and 211 00:11:54,160 --> 00:11:58,319 Speaker 2: said to them, listen, if you patronize these businesses or 212 00:11:58,400 --> 00:12:02,480 Speaker 2: if you have any put your sympathy for black people, 213 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:07,360 Speaker 2: you shouldn't. And then for others who hated us, it 214 00:12:07,480 --> 00:12:09,760 Speaker 2: gave them the license to just kill us. 215 00:12:09,679 --> 00:12:12,840 Speaker 4: And instilled more fear in them as to why they 216 00:12:12,840 --> 00:12:14,520 Speaker 4: should never give us any political powers. 217 00:12:15,840 --> 00:12:20,640 Speaker 2: I mean, the fear is still here today. And that 218 00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:24,000 Speaker 2: was the rebirth of the klu Kux Klan, you know this, 219 00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:29,560 Speaker 2: And because it was economically so successful, it was really 220 00:12:30,160 --> 00:12:33,920 Speaker 2: like the beginning of Hollywood. So Hollywood was birthed with 221 00:12:34,080 --> 00:12:39,840 Speaker 2: this racial movie about black people. So now to be 222 00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:43,520 Speaker 2: in Martha's vineyard and to go to all of those 223 00:12:44,160 --> 00:12:48,439 Speaker 2: black films that really tell the truth about us. You know, 224 00:12:49,040 --> 00:12:54,040 Speaker 2: all the women aren't skinny with long blonde hair. Yeah, 225 00:12:54,480 --> 00:12:57,520 Speaker 2: you know what I mean. I went to see Ebony Canal, 226 00:12:57,679 --> 00:13:04,839 Speaker 2: which is about the problem we're having with black women pregnancy, 227 00:13:04,920 --> 00:13:12,160 Speaker 2: getting pregnant, delivering healthy children, and our children living past 228 00:13:12,360 --> 00:13:15,360 Speaker 2: a year, you know, and I was so glad to 229 00:13:15,400 --> 00:13:20,760 Speaker 2: see that the women really did look black. Nothing was sanitized. 230 00:13:21,160 --> 00:13:23,800 Speaker 2: And that's what we have to do is tell our stories. 231 00:13:23,840 --> 00:13:25,800 Speaker 2: And that's what our book does. It's a receipt. 232 00:13:26,240 --> 00:13:26,400 Speaker 1: You know. 233 00:13:26,400 --> 00:13:28,480 Speaker 4: I'm glad that you brought the TV part of it 234 00:13:28,559 --> 00:13:30,520 Speaker 4: up because I remember when they were going to turn 235 00:13:30,559 --> 00:13:33,680 Speaker 4: your story into a television show, Yeah, with paramount, and 236 00:13:33,720 --> 00:13:38,680 Speaker 4: I'm like, that's never probably now right, But it's because 237 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:42,680 Speaker 4: when you but when you showcase these type of stories, 238 00:13:42,679 --> 00:13:44,160 Speaker 4: and I'm glad we were able to publish the book, 239 00:13:44,160 --> 00:13:46,520 Speaker 4: but when you showcase these type of stories, it provides 240 00:13:46,559 --> 00:13:49,559 Speaker 4: inspiration because the exact opposite of what films like. 241 00:13:49,520 --> 00:13:54,320 Speaker 2: The Birth of a Nation opposite, yes, yeah, because that 242 00:13:54,480 --> 00:13:57,679 Speaker 2: was detrimental. I mean, because of that, I believe it's 243 00:13:57,679 --> 00:14:02,920 Speaker 2: the root of Tulsa being and you know, Chester, Pennsylvania, 244 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:06,160 Speaker 2: all across the nation where black people were thriving. If 245 00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:09,000 Speaker 2: they had just left us alone right now, this picture 246 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:15,120 Speaker 2: would be totally different, absolutely than it is today. So anyway, 247 00:14:15,280 --> 00:14:15,800 Speaker 2: I do have. 248 00:14:15,720 --> 00:14:18,360 Speaker 3: To ask, you know, when I speak to a lot 249 00:14:18,400 --> 00:14:21,560 Speaker 3: of black company owners and construction company owners, they say, 250 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:24,800 Speaker 3: one of the hardest things is these companies don't pay 251 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:27,440 Speaker 3: out when they're supposed to, right. So it's like, you know, 252 00:14:27,560 --> 00:14:29,920 Speaker 3: let's say they have a net thirty, net sixty, net ninety, 253 00:14:29,920 --> 00:14:31,560 Speaker 3: We're supposed to get paid in these times, and it's 254 00:14:31,560 --> 00:14:33,480 Speaker 3: like a lot of times they feel like, especially with 255 00:14:33,480 --> 00:14:36,760 Speaker 3: the black companies, they don't have the necessarily the money 256 00:14:36,800 --> 00:14:40,040 Speaker 3: to hold until they actually do get paid. Do you 257 00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:41,360 Speaker 3: have to deal with that a lot when it comes 258 00:14:41,360 --> 00:14:43,840 Speaker 3: to these these companies when you're building these things and 259 00:14:43,840 --> 00:14:45,760 Speaker 3: things like that, because a lot of companies actually fold 260 00:14:45,840 --> 00:14:48,320 Speaker 3: because they're old money and they just can't survive. 261 00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:54,640 Speaker 1: You got to read the book. That's amazing. 262 00:14:56,280 --> 00:14:58,640 Speaker 2: No, that's that's definitely a problem. 263 00:14:58,720 --> 00:15:00,480 Speaker 3: Okay when you and it seemed like it seems like 264 00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:03,320 Speaker 3: it has happens to us more than others. 265 00:15:04,160 --> 00:15:08,840 Speaker 2: Well, yeah, they but okay, so The bottom line is, 266 00:15:09,080 --> 00:15:12,480 Speaker 2: real estate and construction is a capital intense business, right, 267 00:15:12,840 --> 00:15:16,040 Speaker 2: you got to have some serious money, some serious relationship. 268 00:15:16,120 --> 00:15:20,320 Speaker 2: If you're building airports, schools, you know, anything in New York. 269 00:15:20,440 --> 00:15:23,920 Speaker 2: I mean renovating a kitchen is a million dollars in 270 00:15:23,920 --> 00:15:29,240 Speaker 2: New York. Okay, so you crazy, you gotta have money. 271 00:15:29,760 --> 00:15:34,800 Speaker 2: And so it's very difficult to bridge that gap as 272 00:15:34,840 --> 00:15:39,000 Speaker 2: a new contractor coming in. And so what we do 273 00:15:39,320 --> 00:15:42,440 Speaker 2: is we create what's called an impress account. So let's 274 00:15:42,520 --> 00:15:46,080 Speaker 2: take JFK Terminal one, and you know, this is the 275 00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:51,320 Speaker 2: difference between having, you know, having black ownership at the 276 00:15:51,360 --> 00:15:54,920 Speaker 2: top of the food chain because we have Jim Rentals, 277 00:15:55,000 --> 00:15:59,600 Speaker 2: Lou Capital, and Magic Magic Johnson. But we were able 278 00:15:59,680 --> 00:16:04,160 Speaker 2: to do an impress account, meaning we could pay contractors 279 00:16:04,760 --> 00:16:10,720 Speaker 2: extremely quickly before thirty days. Because the bottom line is, 280 00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:15,160 Speaker 2: if your construction is faulty in any way, you're gonna 281 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:19,800 Speaker 2: see it. As long as you're inspecting on a regular basis, 282 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:23,359 Speaker 2: you're gonna see if there's a problem. So if a contractor, 283 00:16:23,680 --> 00:16:26,400 Speaker 2: you know, gets paid a little bit more and they 284 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:29,320 Speaker 2: still have to come back and fix something, so what 285 00:16:30,240 --> 00:16:32,880 Speaker 2: that's the contractors are used to tearing down the wall 286 00:16:32,920 --> 00:16:35,760 Speaker 2: and putting it back up as long as you catch it. 287 00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:40,800 Speaker 2: And so that helps contractors a lot, because cash flow 288 00:16:40,920 --> 00:16:44,200 Speaker 2: is extremely important here because if you miss your union 289 00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:48,760 Speaker 2: dues by a few days, your workers don't show up 290 00:16:49,200 --> 00:16:52,200 Speaker 2: and the union doesn't mess around with that. They want 291 00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:55,440 Speaker 2: their union dues and they want the union to be paid. 292 00:16:55,920 --> 00:16:58,280 Speaker 2: So you got to pay for that. You got to 293 00:16:58,320 --> 00:17:02,000 Speaker 2: get your materials to the job. So when you're a contractors, 294 00:17:02,160 --> 00:17:05,159 Speaker 2: a lot of that money is flowing from you to 295 00:17:05,880 --> 00:17:09,960 Speaker 2: other sources, if it's your payroll, if it's your equipment 296 00:17:10,080 --> 00:17:12,800 Speaker 2: or what have you, and you're only keeping a fraction 297 00:17:12,920 --> 00:17:16,320 Speaker 2: of it to yourself. And so if you don't get 298 00:17:16,320 --> 00:17:18,880 Speaker 2: paid on time, or if you have to borrow money, 299 00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:23,560 Speaker 2: that's eating into your actual profit. And so yeah, that 300 00:17:24,040 --> 00:17:26,320 Speaker 2: is a serious problem access to capital. 301 00:17:26,400 --> 00:17:28,159 Speaker 3: What's the most difficult thing that you have to deal with? 302 00:17:28,280 --> 00:17:32,320 Speaker 2: You would say that I have to deal with company. 303 00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:36,479 Speaker 2: I mean, you know, it's it's the same. It just 304 00:17:36,560 --> 00:17:41,000 Speaker 2: never changes, you know most of the time. Especially when 305 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:43,040 Speaker 2: I first came to New York, I'd walk into the room. 306 00:17:43,040 --> 00:17:45,840 Speaker 2: I'm the only woman, definitely the only black woman. I 307 00:17:45,960 --> 00:17:51,320 Speaker 2: was never expected to lead anything. People don't want your opinion, 308 00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:55,520 Speaker 2: don't want your advice, and you know, it's kind of 309 00:17:55,600 --> 00:17:59,640 Speaker 2: a nuisance, like what are you doing here? And so 310 00:18:00,359 --> 00:18:05,800 Speaker 2: just getting over all of that and saying, you know, listen, 311 00:18:05,840 --> 00:18:08,920 Speaker 2: I'm going to lean into my legacy. I'm going to 312 00:18:09,080 --> 00:18:14,399 Speaker 2: lean into delivering on time, on budget, with excellence, and 313 00:18:14,440 --> 00:18:17,679 Speaker 2: I'm going to let my work speak for me. And 314 00:18:17,800 --> 00:18:21,120 Speaker 2: that is how I built my reputation in New York 315 00:18:21,240 --> 00:18:24,240 Speaker 2: over the years. You know, it's an interesting thing. I'm 316 00:18:24,480 --> 00:18:30,080 Speaker 2: the New York Building Congress is the premier club in 317 00:18:30,080 --> 00:18:32,600 Speaker 2: New York City when it comes to real estate, construction 318 00:18:32,760 --> 00:18:36,760 Speaker 2: and design. And I have been going to their galas 319 00:18:36,840 --> 00:18:40,080 Speaker 2: for years. And the first gala I went to was 320 00:18:40,160 --> 00:18:43,600 Speaker 2: over thirty years ago. It was in the eighties, and 321 00:18:44,080 --> 00:18:47,119 Speaker 2: I remember being the only black woman. I remember seeing 322 00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:51,440 Speaker 2: five hundred white men in suits and a couple of 323 00:18:51,680 --> 00:18:55,679 Speaker 2: white women. And you know, I'm thinking to myself, how 324 00:18:55,760 --> 00:18:58,439 Speaker 2: am I ever going to make it in this city 325 00:18:58,520 --> 00:19:01,399 Speaker 2: if these are the people that I have to rely 326 00:19:01,560 --> 00:19:05,800 Speaker 2: on to get my work. I have to tell you, 327 00:19:05,920 --> 00:19:09,919 Speaker 2: fifteen years in, my husband said to me, Cheryl, stopped 328 00:19:09,960 --> 00:19:12,600 Speaker 2: running up to these people and telling them who you are. 329 00:19:12,920 --> 00:19:15,359 Speaker 2: You need to just lay back they know who you 330 00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:18,280 Speaker 2: are now, and I'm like, he doesn't know what he's 331 00:19:18,320 --> 00:19:20,280 Speaker 2: talking about. I'm never bringing him to one of these. 332 00:19:23,000 --> 00:19:25,119 Speaker 2: Sure Enough, the next event, I'm like, you know what, 333 00:19:25,160 --> 00:19:27,800 Speaker 2: I'm going to try what he said. So I just 334 00:19:27,800 --> 00:19:29,920 Speaker 2: stood there instead of running over to people, Hey, my 335 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:32,960 Speaker 2: name is Cheryl McKissick. How you doing nothing? They were 336 00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:37,800 Speaker 2: coming to me. And so, you know, you establish yourself 337 00:19:37,920 --> 00:19:43,000 Speaker 2: over time. Now here we are, thirty some years later, 338 00:19:43,400 --> 00:19:48,040 Speaker 2: I'm interviewing right now to be chair of the Building Congress. Wow, 339 00:19:48,760 --> 00:19:51,800 Speaker 2: the lead of the Building Congress, which has to be 340 00:19:52,000 --> 00:20:02,280 Speaker 2: approved by the governor. I don't know which mayor, but 341 00:20:02,600 --> 00:20:07,320 Speaker 2: these things can happen. But you know, you have to constantly. 342 00:20:07,320 --> 00:20:11,720 Speaker 2: You have to be persistent, prepared, you have to persevere, 343 00:20:11,800 --> 00:20:12,840 Speaker 2: and you have to be on purpose. 344 00:20:13,280 --> 00:20:16,560 Speaker 5: When do you know when do you know how to, like, 345 00:20:16,560 --> 00:20:20,200 Speaker 5: like your husband said, like sit back, but or when 346 00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:22,000 Speaker 5: do you know how to like kind of like poke 347 00:20:22,040 --> 00:20:23,679 Speaker 5: your chest out and be like okay, but do you 348 00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:24,240 Speaker 5: know who I am? 349 00:20:24,280 --> 00:20:24,359 Speaker 1: Like? 350 00:20:24,560 --> 00:20:26,240 Speaker 5: What's that like balance for you? Because in the book 351 00:20:26,240 --> 00:20:27,760 Speaker 5: you talk about it was early on, but there was 352 00:20:27,800 --> 00:20:29,480 Speaker 5: a time where you were fighting for a certain percentage 353 00:20:29,480 --> 00:20:31,400 Speaker 5: of a partnership and they played with you a little 354 00:20:31,400 --> 00:20:33,399 Speaker 5: bit about what you could and couldn't do right, But 355 00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:36,000 Speaker 5: like now it's different because you have so much more 356 00:20:36,600 --> 00:20:37,959 Speaker 5: under your belt, Like when do you know how to 357 00:20:39,280 --> 00:20:39,959 Speaker 5: fold or hold them? 358 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:40,040 Speaker 1: Like? 359 00:20:40,040 --> 00:20:40,600 Speaker 5: You know what I mean? 360 00:20:40,920 --> 00:20:43,600 Speaker 2: No, I know exactly what you mean. And you know 361 00:20:43,640 --> 00:20:47,560 Speaker 2: it's really you're gonna have to like pay attention to 362 00:20:47,640 --> 00:20:50,679 Speaker 2: what's happening in the room, or have someone who cares 363 00:20:50,720 --> 00:20:54,640 Speaker 2: about you in the room paying attention because in the beginning, 364 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:56,520 Speaker 2: no one knows who you are, so you do have 365 00:20:56,600 --> 00:20:59,359 Speaker 2: to kiss the rings. You gotta pay homage, You gotta 366 00:20:59,760 --> 00:21:03,800 Speaker 2: let people, you know, get to experience who you are 367 00:21:03,920 --> 00:21:09,360 Speaker 2: as a person. But after a while, after you've contributed 368 00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:13,600 Speaker 2: and after you know people for a while, then you 369 00:21:13,600 --> 00:21:17,920 Speaker 2: shouldn't have to do that. You know, I'm in new 370 00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:24,960 Speaker 2: circles quite a bit now, but my reputation proceeds my well, 371 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:28,359 Speaker 2: you know, me entering the room. So I'd like to 372 00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:32,200 Speaker 2: say I try and hold back and just relax and 373 00:21:33,160 --> 00:21:37,679 Speaker 2: talk to everyone just like they're anyone. But sometimes I 374 00:21:37,720 --> 00:21:40,520 Speaker 2: feel like I have to go over and introduce myself 375 00:21:41,240 --> 00:21:44,960 Speaker 2: and whoever is if it's an a warthrope and it 376 00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:47,080 Speaker 2: or if it's someone who looks like they don't want 377 00:21:47,080 --> 00:21:52,280 Speaker 2: to talk to you, that's exactly who. That's exactly who 378 00:21:53,119 --> 00:21:57,560 Speaker 2: I will run up to and talk to. But it's 379 00:21:57,560 --> 00:22:01,320 Speaker 2: not everybody. It's not everybody you talked to. 380 00:22:01,320 --> 00:22:03,200 Speaker 4: Just about some of the challenges you faced when y'all 381 00:22:03,200 --> 00:22:06,959 Speaker 4: were involved with the Barclay Center in Brooklyn. 382 00:22:07,359 --> 00:22:10,360 Speaker 2: You know, that was when I look back on that experience, 383 00:22:10,600 --> 00:22:15,840 Speaker 2: it was probably one of the best because I remember 384 00:22:16,359 --> 00:22:20,239 Speaker 2: sitting just watching TV and hearing Bruce Radner was going 385 00:22:20,320 --> 00:22:23,720 Speaker 2: to buy this team and build this arena. And I 386 00:22:23,800 --> 00:22:27,800 Speaker 2: knew Brooklyn was, you know, had a high percentage of 387 00:22:28,040 --> 00:22:34,080 Speaker 2: African Americans, and that the politicians there were strong and 388 00:22:34,119 --> 00:22:37,920 Speaker 2: they were going to make sure that minorities or African 389 00:22:37,920 --> 00:22:42,040 Speaker 2: Americans were a part of this development. And so I 390 00:22:42,080 --> 00:22:46,840 Speaker 2: remember just thinking, Okay, let me make a list of 391 00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:53,560 Speaker 2: all the black politicians, ministers, people who run organizations, and 392 00:22:53,680 --> 00:22:56,399 Speaker 2: I'm going out and I'm meeting all of them. And 393 00:22:56,680 --> 00:22:59,960 Speaker 2: in the first four or five I met Bertha Lewis, 394 00:23:00,680 --> 00:23:03,520 Speaker 2: and you talking about a force of nature. I mean, 395 00:23:03,640 --> 00:23:08,480 Speaker 2: Berta Lewis was well respected because if you didn't respect her, 396 00:23:08,720 --> 00:23:13,320 Speaker 2: she was gonna pickt your sight. And I mean really 397 00:23:13,359 --> 00:23:17,320 Speaker 2: turn it out. So she became really good friends with 398 00:23:17,440 --> 00:23:22,040 Speaker 2: Bruce Ratner. She had a real knack for finding compromise. 399 00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:26,600 Speaker 2: You know, some people are all or nothing. She found 400 00:23:26,840 --> 00:23:32,840 Speaker 2: great compromise and so people like Bruce Ratner respected her. 401 00:23:33,520 --> 00:23:35,600 Speaker 2: And the next thing i know, she's flying around on 402 00:23:35,640 --> 00:23:40,159 Speaker 2: his plane and I'm like, okay, she's in. I know 403 00:23:40,320 --> 00:23:43,680 Speaker 2: I'm in. And that's how it works. You know, it's 404 00:23:43,720 --> 00:23:49,879 Speaker 2: important that we really work together as a race. You know, 405 00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:53,760 Speaker 2: all of us working together will make a difference. You know, 406 00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:59,479 Speaker 2: like Charlemagne you saying I will publish your book. That 407 00:23:59,600 --> 00:24:05,200 Speaker 2: is black solidarity. That is really working together. That is 408 00:24:05,359 --> 00:24:08,080 Speaker 2: when black people I can go in a room and 409 00:24:08,119 --> 00:24:10,119 Speaker 2: I can talk about you and you're not there, and 410 00:24:10,160 --> 00:24:14,320 Speaker 2: I can say something positive and support you. That's what 411 00:24:14,359 --> 00:24:19,040 Speaker 2: we need to happen all the time. We need sponsors 412 00:24:19,440 --> 00:24:24,359 Speaker 2: at high levels doing that all the time. The Gym 413 00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:27,760 Speaker 2: Rentals and Magic Johnson's, I can't talk about them enough 414 00:24:28,119 --> 00:24:31,480 Speaker 2: and what they've done. We're at a billion dollars at 415 00:24:31,560 --> 00:24:38,520 Speaker 2: JFK Terminal one spent with MWBE firms because of their leadership, 416 00:24:39,160 --> 00:24:42,800 Speaker 2: their risk. It was a risk for them to own 417 00:24:42,880 --> 00:24:47,000 Speaker 2: this airport and putting their money where their mouth is, 418 00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:50,760 Speaker 2: and so we were able to help local black firms 419 00:24:50,800 --> 00:24:54,480 Speaker 2: and queens in Manhattan and Brooklyn. I mean, it's a 420 00:24:54,480 --> 00:24:57,520 Speaker 2: beautiful story I can go back to. And this is 421 00:24:57,560 --> 00:25:00,920 Speaker 2: in the book. And I know I'm talking about Barkley Areno, 422 00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:04,320 Speaker 2: hadn't forgotten this is it because I could go five 423 00:25:04,359 --> 00:25:08,280 Speaker 2: different ways of One time I was in Martha's vineyard 424 00:25:08,320 --> 00:25:12,359 Speaker 2: for the launch of the book and Wendy and George 425 00:25:12,480 --> 00:25:16,560 Speaker 2: Van Ampsen walked in. So Wendy and George are in 426 00:25:16,640 --> 00:25:20,199 Speaker 2: my book because when I had my first payroll that 427 00:25:20,280 --> 00:25:25,400 Speaker 2: I could not make, I called five black investment bankers 428 00:25:25,560 --> 00:25:28,480 Speaker 2: and they all gave me money. They all let me 429 00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:32,840 Speaker 2: borrow money from them. And they were two of them, 430 00:25:33,320 --> 00:25:35,560 Speaker 2: and first I got the wife first, and she said, 431 00:25:35,600 --> 00:25:39,639 Speaker 2: I'm gonna make George write you a check too, you know. 432 00:25:39,760 --> 00:25:42,160 Speaker 2: And that's how we have to do it. We have 433 00:25:42,240 --> 00:25:46,800 Speaker 2: to work together. And so Barkley Arena is that story, 434 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:53,560 Speaker 2: you know, working with Lindelle McMillan. Oh god, I'm trying 435 00:25:53,560 --> 00:25:58,680 Speaker 2: to Roger Green, black politician back then. You know, they 436 00:25:58,720 --> 00:26:01,280 Speaker 2: went into Bruce rad I nerved with Bertha Lewis and 437 00:26:01,320 --> 00:26:05,120 Speaker 2: they said, listen, we don't care who you bring in 438 00:26:05,520 --> 00:26:07,840 Speaker 2: on the majority side, but you're going to work with 439 00:26:08,119 --> 00:26:11,800 Speaker 2: Chisic and mckissic because that's who we want, because we 440 00:26:11,920 --> 00:26:14,320 Speaker 2: know that they're going to pay it for it. They're 441 00:26:14,320 --> 00:26:17,719 Speaker 2: going to make sure our community goes to work. And 442 00:26:17,760 --> 00:26:22,400 Speaker 2: so Barkley Arena is like all of that coming together, 443 00:26:22,560 --> 00:26:27,520 Speaker 2: Black solidarity coming together and making it happen. 444 00:26:28,160 --> 00:26:28,760 Speaker 1: If you could. 445 00:26:28,680 --> 00:26:31,200 Speaker 4: Change one policy tomorrow, the level of the plan field 446 00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:34,000 Speaker 4: for black owned construction firms, What would it be and why? 447 00:26:35,320 --> 00:26:39,080 Speaker 2: I would get rid of personal net worth goals, which 448 00:26:39,080 --> 00:26:42,480 Speaker 2: we've gotten rid of pretty much in the city. In 449 00:26:42,560 --> 00:26:45,160 Speaker 2: the is it in the city. I think it's yes. 450 00:26:45,280 --> 00:26:49,280 Speaker 2: In the city, there is no personal net worth goal, 451 00:26:51,000 --> 00:27:00,080 Speaker 2: meaning there are thresholds to be certified as an MWBE. 452 00:27:00,280 --> 00:27:04,080 Speaker 2: And for the state of New York, I want to 453 00:27:04,119 --> 00:27:09,560 Speaker 2: say it's fifteen million dollars excluding your business, excluding your home. 454 00:27:11,040 --> 00:27:13,440 Speaker 2: Your network can't be more than that. If you want 455 00:27:13,440 --> 00:27:19,240 Speaker 2: to be an MWBE. If you go to Tennessee, Florida, DC, 456 00:27:19,880 --> 00:27:25,119 Speaker 2: that number is like a million two. So like black 457 00:27:25,160 --> 00:27:31,080 Speaker 2: investment bankers, they can get certified as mwbes, and so 458 00:27:32,119 --> 00:27:34,000 Speaker 2: you know, I feel like that would help a lot, 459 00:27:34,119 --> 00:27:36,520 Speaker 2: and we got rid of some of these thresholds because 460 00:27:36,680 --> 00:27:39,120 Speaker 2: what happens, and this is in the book too, you're 461 00:27:39,240 --> 00:27:43,359 Speaker 2: too small to be big and too big to be small, 462 00:27:44,280 --> 00:27:48,440 Speaker 2: and so that really hurts firms over a period of time. 463 00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:55,960 Speaker 2: And then you know, I think capital is another important things, 464 00:27:56,000 --> 00:27:59,399 Speaker 2: not a policy, but well it is, you know, because 465 00:27:59,400 --> 00:28:03,560 Speaker 2: if you think about the pension funds, you know, and 466 00:28:03,680 --> 00:28:07,680 Speaker 2: every state has one, well they're the ones supplying all 467 00:28:07,880 --> 00:28:11,639 Speaker 2: of the venture capitalist money. And out of all the 468 00:28:11,720 --> 00:28:15,280 Speaker 2: venture capitalist money out there, you know, firms of color 469 00:28:15,560 --> 00:28:19,640 Speaker 2: have less than one point two percent, and so that 470 00:28:19,720 --> 00:28:23,320 Speaker 2: needs to change. You know, we we we need the capital. 471 00:28:23,800 --> 00:28:26,760 Speaker 2: I mean, you know, you see all these big developers, 472 00:28:27,280 --> 00:28:31,680 Speaker 2: you know, developing these projects. They're not using their money, 473 00:28:32,880 --> 00:28:36,440 Speaker 2: they're using other people's money. But we don't have access 474 00:28:36,480 --> 00:28:41,080 Speaker 2: to that, and so we can't build that long term wealth. 475 00:28:41,600 --> 00:28:43,800 Speaker 2: You know, and you've had Don here. You know, Don 476 00:28:44,480 --> 00:28:47,760 Speaker 2: Don talks a lot about that because that's that's his business, 477 00:28:47,800 --> 00:28:50,840 Speaker 2: but that should be all of our business, you know, ownership. 478 00:28:51,280 --> 00:28:52,840 Speaker 1: Speaking of Don, what happened with the Freedom Tower? 479 00:28:52,880 --> 00:28:55,080 Speaker 4: You you kind of you gloss over it in the 480 00:28:55,080 --> 00:28:56,800 Speaker 4: book a little bit, like what exactly happened with the 481 00:28:56,800 --> 00:28:57,280 Speaker 4: Freedom Tower. 482 00:28:57,320 --> 00:28:58,080 Speaker 1: Why is it happened? 483 00:28:59,360 --> 00:29:05,320 Speaker 2: You don't talk about I want to drink some water. 484 00:29:11,720 --> 00:29:13,760 Speaker 5: I was going to ask you just mentioned with the 485 00:29:13,800 --> 00:29:16,560 Speaker 5: payroll situation, you had relationships that you could call. You 486 00:29:16,600 --> 00:29:18,840 Speaker 5: talk a lot about watching your mom navigate rooms and 487 00:29:18,840 --> 00:29:22,560 Speaker 5: building relationships and what that taught you today. What are 488 00:29:22,600 --> 00:29:24,560 Speaker 5: like some of the biggest things that you still remember 489 00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:26,160 Speaker 5: from what your mom taught you to help you every 490 00:29:26,200 --> 00:29:26,960 Speaker 5: day in business. 491 00:29:28,320 --> 00:29:30,959 Speaker 2: My mom taught me not to be afraid of anybody, 492 00:29:31,760 --> 00:29:36,360 Speaker 2: to be afraid of her, just like a black mother. 493 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:42,440 Speaker 2: No she's not. She's not afraid of any anybody. But 494 00:29:42,520 --> 00:29:44,959 Speaker 2: she taught me that. And I don't mean you know 495 00:29:45,360 --> 00:29:48,440 Speaker 2: when I say afraid, just don't feel like they're better 496 00:29:48,520 --> 00:29:52,240 Speaker 2: than you or that you have nothing to offer them. 497 00:29:52,640 --> 00:29:58,120 Speaker 2: Always walk up to people and say hello, introduce yourself, 498 00:29:58,640 --> 00:30:01,880 Speaker 2: and not worry about out what they look like. And 499 00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:05,160 Speaker 2: I tell a story in there about Gentry Krow, who 500 00:30:05,880 --> 00:30:09,840 Speaker 2: was this old, old white man who was running the 501 00:30:09,920 --> 00:30:15,160 Speaker 2: State of Tennessee's school district. And I had been working 502 00:30:15,160 --> 00:30:19,000 Speaker 2: with my mom now for over a year, and so 503 00:30:19,240 --> 00:30:22,959 Speaker 2: she was teaching me how to do business development and 504 00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:26,040 Speaker 2: how to sell our business and so I had watched 505 00:30:26,040 --> 00:30:28,040 Speaker 2: her for a year and so this day she said, 506 00:30:28,080 --> 00:30:30,920 Speaker 2: you're gonna go in and you are going to do 507 00:30:30,960 --> 00:30:34,200 Speaker 2: the sales pitch. So I mean, I had never done 508 00:30:34,240 --> 00:30:37,200 Speaker 2: that before, and I was scared to death. Like my 509 00:30:37,320 --> 00:30:40,000 Speaker 2: daughter back here, she's scared to death. She's like, Mommy, 510 00:30:40,040 --> 00:30:41,560 Speaker 2: I could never do what you do. I'm like, I 511 00:30:41,640 --> 00:30:47,680 Speaker 2: was just like you, just like you and mom. I 512 00:30:47,720 --> 00:30:50,640 Speaker 2: got into that room, I was shaking like a leaf. 513 00:30:51,360 --> 00:30:54,600 Speaker 2: But I looked at my mother and she raised her eyebrow. 514 00:30:54,640 --> 00:30:56,360 Speaker 2: I'm like, I'm more scared of her than I am 515 00:30:56,400 --> 00:31:01,640 Speaker 2: with him. And I started talking to He never lifted 516 00:31:01,640 --> 00:31:03,880 Speaker 2: his head. His head was down like this the whole time, 517 00:31:04,560 --> 00:31:06,600 Speaker 2: and I mean he had a road map in his face, 518 00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:13,920 Speaker 2: and I'm like, this dude is not feeling me. But anyway, 519 00:31:14,080 --> 00:31:16,000 Speaker 2: I was like, I'm just gonna get it out. So 520 00:31:16,040 --> 00:31:20,480 Speaker 2: I do the pitch and he stands up. He says, 521 00:31:20,520 --> 00:31:23,040 Speaker 2: come over here, young lady. So I go over to 522 00:31:23,120 --> 00:31:25,840 Speaker 2: him and grasp my hand. He said, I absolutely want 523 00:31:25,880 --> 00:31:28,280 Speaker 2: to do business with you. He didn't say anything the 524 00:31:28,320 --> 00:31:31,120 Speaker 2: whole time, and I looked at my mom looked at 525 00:31:31,120 --> 00:31:35,120 Speaker 2: me like, I told you, yeah, yeah, Because well she 526 00:31:35,200 --> 00:31:39,200 Speaker 2: knew him. I didn't, and so that taught me a lot, 527 00:31:39,320 --> 00:31:42,480 Speaker 2: you know, like you don't really know what people are 528 00:31:42,560 --> 00:31:47,760 Speaker 2: thinking just by the way they look, you know. Yeah, 529 00:31:47,920 --> 00:31:51,520 Speaker 2: he was an old white man in rural South with 530 00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:55,800 Speaker 2: you know, racism and everything going on. But he had 531 00:31:55,880 --> 00:32:00,320 Speaker 2: a respect for my mother and the mcisics, and he 532 00:32:00,360 --> 00:32:04,360 Speaker 2: did business with us. She also taught me how to 533 00:32:04,480 --> 00:32:11,360 Speaker 2: solve problems. We went to Tuskegee University to open a 534 00:32:11,360 --> 00:32:16,280 Speaker 2: building and the president walked up to mom and said, 535 00:32:16,640 --> 00:32:19,920 Speaker 2: you know, Ms McKissick, two years ago when I told 536 00:32:19,920 --> 00:32:23,520 Speaker 2: you to design this place, I told you it gets 537 00:32:23,560 --> 00:32:27,240 Speaker 2: hot and we need operable windows. He said, I don't 538 00:32:27,280 --> 00:32:31,440 Speaker 2: have one operable window in this building. They all will 539 00:32:31,480 --> 00:32:35,320 Speaker 2: not open, so we're going to suffocate in here. So 540 00:32:35,440 --> 00:32:38,280 Speaker 2: my mom looked at him, she said, no, you're not. 541 00:32:38,440 --> 00:32:40,640 Speaker 2: We're going to fix that. I'm going to pay to 542 00:32:40,720 --> 00:32:47,200 Speaker 2: have every window removed. So now he's happy. She's not 543 00:32:47,400 --> 00:32:53,240 Speaker 2: that happy. But we're walking through the campus and so 544 00:32:53,400 --> 00:32:58,280 Speaker 2: Mom sees this old building dilapidated. They're literally keeping line 545 00:32:58,360 --> 00:33:03,680 Speaker 2: furniture there and says, I see you living there, doctor Peyton. 546 00:33:04,120 --> 00:33:06,600 Speaker 2: And doctor Peyton said, huh, he said, She said aren't 547 00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:10,000 Speaker 2: you looking for a new residence? And he was, so 548 00:33:10,080 --> 00:33:14,040 Speaker 2: Mom understood that he needed a problem solved, and so 549 00:33:14,720 --> 00:33:17,520 Speaker 2: she said, let's go in there. So she goes in 550 00:33:17,720 --> 00:33:21,600 Speaker 2: and she sells him on. You know, it's a stately 551 00:33:21,680 --> 00:33:25,560 Speaker 2: building with this beautiful coppola at the top, and she says, 552 00:33:25,640 --> 00:33:29,440 Speaker 2: we're gonna call it great columns. She said, you're gonna 553 00:33:29,440 --> 00:33:32,720 Speaker 2: live here, And so she had to pay for the windows, 554 00:33:33,600 --> 00:33:37,760 Speaker 2: but she also got another project all at the same time. 555 00:33:38,880 --> 00:33:41,280 Speaker 2: And I just watched her to move through all of that, 556 00:33:41,760 --> 00:33:45,440 Speaker 2: you know, because she wasn't an architect, she wasn't a contractor. 557 00:33:46,120 --> 00:33:50,800 Speaker 2: She probably couldn't even mix concrete. But she understood how 558 00:33:50,800 --> 00:33:52,520 Speaker 2: to deal with the psychology of people. 559 00:33:52,600 --> 00:33:54,400 Speaker 5: And she took over to business during the time where 560 00:33:54,440 --> 00:33:56,880 Speaker 5: like women didn't have a lot of the respect that 561 00:33:56,920 --> 00:33:57,840 Speaker 5: men did in business. 562 00:33:57,880 --> 00:34:00,760 Speaker 2: No, it was hard for her. Yep, she took over 563 00:34:00,920 --> 00:34:04,680 Speaker 2: in the eighties. The Women's Business Act came about in 564 00:34:05,000 --> 00:34:10,719 Speaker 2: nineteen ninety, so that before the Women's Buildings Uh Business Act, 565 00:34:10,880 --> 00:34:15,040 Speaker 2: women couldn't borrow money. And so so you said, sitting 566 00:34:15,040 --> 00:34:17,879 Speaker 2: there and be broke, your uncle, could would you say, 567 00:34:18,320 --> 00:34:20,200 Speaker 2: sit down and be broke? You can't tell you. Let 568 00:34:20,200 --> 00:34:25,319 Speaker 2: me get find out. But just think about it. This 569 00:34:25,520 --> 00:34:29,400 Speaker 2: was in nineteen ninety That's when Spike Lee's first movie 570 00:34:29,480 --> 00:34:33,080 Speaker 2: came out. This was yesterday. We were doing the butt. 571 00:34:35,760 --> 00:34:39,640 Speaker 1: Don't excite him. It was a dance off the dance. 572 00:34:39,680 --> 00:34:40,560 Speaker 1: Now what you're thinking. 573 00:34:40,320 --> 00:34:45,000 Speaker 4: About, I don't want to excite you. 574 00:34:46,200 --> 00:34:51,759 Speaker 1: Do you know who's saying that song? Yeah? Now making sure. 575 00:34:53,640 --> 00:34:56,640 Speaker 3: I don't know if they played it with I don't know. 576 00:34:56,400 --> 00:34:57,200 Speaker 4: I know that. 577 00:34:59,640 --> 00:35:02,520 Speaker 3: Go ahead toward university continue, But I'm. 578 00:35:02,360 --> 00:35:06,560 Speaker 2: Just saying that was just yesterday in our world. You know, 579 00:35:07,440 --> 00:35:12,760 Speaker 2: I don't even think there was an internet in nineteen ninety, right, Okay, 580 00:35:12,960 --> 00:35:16,279 Speaker 2: so women are just coming on the scene at that 581 00:35:16,560 --> 00:35:22,799 Speaker 2: point and considered business women. But listen, my mother knew 582 00:35:22,840 --> 00:35:26,040 Speaker 2: how to operate, She knew how to move, and I 583 00:35:26,160 --> 00:35:27,600 Speaker 2: learned that from her. 584 00:35:28,200 --> 00:35:29,759 Speaker 4: The thing I like a lot too about the black 585 00:35:29,800 --> 00:35:32,600 Speaker 4: family who built America. We're talking to Cheryl McKissick. Is 586 00:35:32,760 --> 00:35:35,279 Speaker 4: you also You've lived a life and I want you 587 00:35:35,320 --> 00:35:37,160 Speaker 4: to talk about that. How important is it for people 588 00:35:37,640 --> 00:35:39,160 Speaker 4: just to live life? Because you talk about why you 589 00:35:39,160 --> 00:35:41,160 Speaker 4: didn't drink, then you talk about why you started to 590 00:35:41,160 --> 00:35:43,640 Speaker 4: get a little drink. Then you start talking about how 591 00:35:43,680 --> 00:35:55,640 Speaker 4: you like you like the boys especially, you know. 592 00:35:52,560 --> 00:35:55,440 Speaker 1: Just speak to the importance of also living a life. 593 00:35:56,360 --> 00:36:00,400 Speaker 2: Yes, well yeah, our motto and our family is half fun, 594 00:36:01,080 --> 00:36:05,279 Speaker 2: play hard, work hard, and then play hard. And then 595 00:36:05,400 --> 00:36:08,880 Speaker 2: my pastor A. R. Bernard has another saying and he's like, 596 00:36:09,000 --> 00:36:10,719 Speaker 2: I do what I have to do now so I 597 00:36:10,760 --> 00:36:13,960 Speaker 2: can do what I want to do later. And that's 598 00:36:14,080 --> 00:36:16,960 Speaker 2: really the way you have to live life. I mean, 599 00:36:17,000 --> 00:36:20,479 Speaker 2: if you're going to achieve anything and really enjoy those 600 00:36:20,600 --> 00:36:24,680 Speaker 2: moments with your family and your friends without any cares 601 00:36:24,719 --> 00:36:26,880 Speaker 2: in the world, you got to take care of what 602 00:36:27,160 --> 00:36:31,200 Speaker 2: your business is first. And so we were able to 603 00:36:31,239 --> 00:36:34,120 Speaker 2: live life that way. We grew up in a small 604 00:36:34,440 --> 00:36:38,760 Speaker 2: neighborhood in Nashville, Tennessee, and you know, we knew everyone 605 00:36:39,040 --> 00:36:42,399 Speaker 2: on our block and so you know, our regular day 606 00:36:42,600 --> 00:36:46,920 Speaker 2: was after we did our homework, we could go outside 607 00:36:47,120 --> 00:36:50,640 Speaker 2: and play with our friends, you know, kickball, whatever. It 608 00:36:50,680 --> 00:37:01,120 Speaker 2: was innocent. Okay, did you get a galley? Okay, so 609 00:37:01,200 --> 00:37:03,560 Speaker 2: the galley has it all. We took some of that 610 00:37:03,640 --> 00:37:11,879 Speaker 2: stuff out. Uh no, So it was fun, I mean. 611 00:37:11,960 --> 00:37:15,800 Speaker 2: And then showing up on Howard University's campus and after 612 00:37:15,880 --> 00:37:20,640 Speaker 2: being at an all white school from first grade all 613 00:37:20,640 --> 00:37:23,680 Speaker 2: the way to twelfth grade. I thought I had died 614 00:37:23,719 --> 00:37:27,920 Speaker 2: and gone to heaven. You know, everyone was black in 615 00:37:28,080 --> 00:37:31,600 Speaker 2: DC at that time. You know the U Street all 616 00:37:31,640 --> 00:37:35,399 Speaker 2: around uh Howard University. It's not like that now, but 617 00:37:35,520 --> 00:37:38,680 Speaker 2: back then, that's how it was. And so you know, 618 00:37:39,840 --> 00:37:46,000 Speaker 2: we had our own shops, our clubs, you know, La Cafe, Tiffany's, 619 00:37:46,080 --> 00:37:50,320 Speaker 2: the fox Trap. You know, it was amazing trap, the 620 00:37:50,400 --> 00:37:55,120 Speaker 2: Fox Trap. Look it up. It's still out there. It's 621 00:37:55,120 --> 00:37:55,719 Speaker 2: still out there. 622 00:37:55,680 --> 00:37:57,760 Speaker 1: At the community, it was all community. 623 00:37:57,880 --> 00:38:01,359 Speaker 2: It was all community, and every body got along. I mean, 624 00:38:01,719 --> 00:38:05,920 Speaker 2: you know, from the higher echelons to you know, the 625 00:38:06,040 --> 00:38:11,680 Speaker 2: janitors and you know what the cleaning ladies. I mean, 626 00:38:11,719 --> 00:38:16,880 Speaker 2: it was everyone was together. And I mean all the time. 627 00:38:18,000 --> 00:38:20,759 Speaker 2: We go on the weekends out, you know, to our 628 00:38:20,880 --> 00:38:23,319 Speaker 2: late property and the parties would just roll. 629 00:38:24,560 --> 00:38:26,799 Speaker 4: Yeah, and I enjoyed it because you said, you that's 630 00:38:26,800 --> 00:38:28,680 Speaker 4: what you grew up seeing, even in your house, like 631 00:38:28,719 --> 00:38:30,399 Speaker 4: that's what your parents used to do in their house, 632 00:38:30,440 --> 00:38:31,920 Speaker 4: and white people all would have a good. 633 00:38:31,760 --> 00:38:36,080 Speaker 2: Time, that's right. Yeah. And you know my mother would 634 00:38:36,120 --> 00:38:38,960 Speaker 2: credit herself and that's how she would help my father 635 00:38:39,239 --> 00:38:42,359 Speaker 2: win his work because she would tell him, bring your 636 00:38:42,400 --> 00:38:46,560 Speaker 2: clients home. We're gonna have a nice gourmet meal at home. 637 00:38:46,960 --> 00:38:51,719 Speaker 2: And then she'd have me and my twin sister, you know, 638 00:38:51,840 --> 00:38:52,960 Speaker 2: laying out the china. 639 00:38:53,520 --> 00:38:53,680 Speaker 5: You know. 640 00:38:53,760 --> 00:38:55,800 Speaker 2: So you learn a lot when you're doing those types 641 00:38:55,840 --> 00:38:58,920 Speaker 2: of things. And then we're just sitting there listening. Yeah, 642 00:38:59,239 --> 00:39:04,080 Speaker 2: we're hearing the transactions taking place. And so it was quick, good, 643 00:39:04,320 --> 00:39:09,520 Speaker 2: great life and building business relationships, building really good relationships. Yeah, 644 00:39:09,800 --> 00:39:10,879 Speaker 2: relationships are key. 645 00:39:11,440 --> 00:39:13,319 Speaker 5: I was going to say, talk speaking to relationships a 646 00:39:13,320 --> 00:39:15,360 Speaker 5: lot of the projects that you do. You talk so 647 00:39:15,440 --> 00:39:18,120 Speaker 5: much in the book about the w the MWBE and 648 00:39:18,200 --> 00:39:21,719 Speaker 5: bring it in other black contractors but also women contractors 649 00:39:21,920 --> 00:39:25,400 Speaker 5: from that organization. Can you talk about the MWBE and 650 00:39:25,440 --> 00:39:27,040 Speaker 5: the importance of it and what it did for you 651 00:39:27,080 --> 00:39:27,799 Speaker 5: in business? 652 00:39:28,280 --> 00:39:35,719 Speaker 2: Sure? So I'm the first generation that certified as an MWBE, 653 00:39:36,360 --> 00:39:39,759 Speaker 2: and that was here in New York City. So I 654 00:39:39,800 --> 00:39:45,280 Speaker 2: had a strategy. My strategy was to figure out which 655 00:39:45,360 --> 00:39:49,239 Speaker 2: of the agencies had the most money for capital programs, 656 00:39:50,040 --> 00:39:54,279 Speaker 2: picked three and work those three. And that's what I did. 657 00:39:54,840 --> 00:39:57,520 Speaker 2: And so the only way to get in was having 658 00:39:57,560 --> 00:40:02,000 Speaker 2: an MWBE certification. But that meant you had to be 659 00:40:02,080 --> 00:40:07,520 Speaker 2: a sub excuse me a subconsultant to a larger contractor, 660 00:40:08,080 --> 00:40:11,920 Speaker 2: and at the time, let me say, the mwbe goos 661 00:40:11,960 --> 00:40:16,319 Speaker 2: were probably like less than ten percent, but it was 662 00:40:16,400 --> 00:40:21,239 Speaker 2: fine because construction in New York is very complicated, and 663 00:40:21,320 --> 00:40:25,280 Speaker 2: so we needed I needed to make sure I really 664 00:40:25,400 --> 00:40:28,400 Speaker 2: understood what I was doing, how to get through the 665 00:40:28,440 --> 00:40:34,000 Speaker 2: building department and bull permits, how to work with the unions, 666 00:40:34,080 --> 00:40:38,960 Speaker 2: what's in contracts, all these things that are extremely important 667 00:40:39,000 --> 00:40:42,719 Speaker 2: if you're going to conduct business successfully. And so I 668 00:40:42,760 --> 00:40:46,360 Speaker 2: didn't mind working as a sub to say a Turner 669 00:40:46,440 --> 00:40:50,520 Speaker 2: construction of Skanskat Construction. All the large companies at the time, 670 00:40:50,600 --> 00:40:54,440 Speaker 2: so really I was selling myself to them, and not 671 00:40:54,880 --> 00:40:59,240 Speaker 2: necessarily to the direct client until later. But the plan 672 00:40:59,560 --> 00:41:04,200 Speaker 2: was once I understood how the game was played, to 673 00:41:04,360 --> 00:41:07,799 Speaker 2: then make sure I got to a prime role. So 674 00:41:07,960 --> 00:41:12,400 Speaker 2: to take those programs and use them to learn a client, 675 00:41:13,239 --> 00:41:16,520 Speaker 2: to learn a business, I think is great. But the 676 00:41:16,719 --> 00:41:19,560 Speaker 2: ultimate goal is you have to get to the point 677 00:41:19,640 --> 00:41:23,359 Speaker 2: where you have your own prime contracts, because that's when 678 00:41:23,360 --> 00:41:26,239 Speaker 2: you get to charge your own destiny. You know, that's 679 00:41:26,280 --> 00:41:30,040 Speaker 2: where you get to really build a strong team of 680 00:41:30,160 --> 00:41:36,840 Speaker 2: individuals in your company. It's hard to attract good people. 681 00:41:37,560 --> 00:41:41,399 Speaker 2: When you're taking that person and you're telling that one 682 00:41:41,480 --> 00:41:43,799 Speaker 2: or two employee of yours, I need if you go 683 00:41:43,840 --> 00:41:46,640 Speaker 2: to go work in someone else's shop for the next 684 00:41:46,680 --> 00:41:52,239 Speaker 2: two years instead of my shop. But when I'm in 685 00:41:52,280 --> 00:41:56,640 Speaker 2: control of the project, they're working in my shop. So 686 00:41:56,719 --> 00:42:00,200 Speaker 2: that's how you use those programs. 687 00:42:01,040 --> 00:42:04,320 Speaker 4: What structural changes are still needed for minority on firms 688 00:42:04,360 --> 00:42:05,200 Speaker 4: like to compete. 689 00:42:04,920 --> 00:42:08,120 Speaker 1: On equal footing? What what structural changes are needed? 690 00:42:10,320 --> 00:42:14,560 Speaker 2: I keep going back to access to capital. We yeah, 691 00:42:14,800 --> 00:42:19,600 Speaker 2: that that has to happen. And then there's another dynamic 692 00:42:19,640 --> 00:42:24,360 Speaker 2: in New York that is insurance base. Because of the 693 00:42:24,360 --> 00:42:29,839 Speaker 2: scaffolding law here, our insurance is exponentially higher than any 694 00:42:29,880 --> 00:42:36,840 Speaker 2: other state in the United States, and it's it's prohibitive 695 00:42:37,400 --> 00:42:40,520 Speaker 2: if you're a small firm, because you know, how do 696 00:42:40,600 --> 00:42:44,160 Speaker 2: you pay a million dollar policy and you don't even 697 00:42:44,160 --> 00:42:48,560 Speaker 2: have a project yet, right, But you can't get a 698 00:42:48,560 --> 00:42:51,359 Speaker 2: project unless you have a policy, unless you have an 699 00:42:51,400 --> 00:42:58,960 Speaker 2: insurance you know, certificate, and so the insurance We've got 700 00:42:58,960 --> 00:43:03,399 Speaker 2: to deal with that, and it's costing all of us 701 00:43:03,560 --> 00:43:07,400 Speaker 2: a lot of money. And so it's not just a 702 00:43:07,440 --> 00:43:12,120 Speaker 2: minority women owned business problem. It's a problem across the 703 00:43:12,160 --> 00:43:16,439 Speaker 2: board in New York City, so that that definitely needs 704 00:43:16,440 --> 00:43:16,960 Speaker 2: to change. 705 00:43:18,000 --> 00:43:20,279 Speaker 1: Tell us about the merch that they asked. 706 00:43:20,800 --> 00:43:23,719 Speaker 2: Okay that y'all didn't bring us by the way, yea, 707 00:43:23,760 --> 00:43:29,799 Speaker 2: I know. We ran out in the vineyard. Everybody. Everybody 708 00:43:29,840 --> 00:43:34,720 Speaker 2: wanted a T shirt and it is it's really catchy. 709 00:43:35,320 --> 00:43:39,040 Speaker 2: But they ask and the back says who built this? 710 00:43:39,200 --> 00:43:41,759 Speaker 2: And the reason why that significant is because people walk 711 00:43:41,880 --> 00:43:45,520 Speaker 2: in their own church, they can walk in a hospital, 712 00:43:46,080 --> 00:43:50,360 Speaker 2: walk through a train station. People can say, oh, it's 713 00:43:50,520 --> 00:43:53,839 Speaker 2: it feels nice. I like this environment, but no one says, well, 714 00:43:53,880 --> 00:43:57,960 Speaker 2: who built this? No one asked a question who designed this? 715 00:43:58,680 --> 00:44:02,200 Speaker 2: You know, is there a connection action between Terminal one 716 00:44:02,280 --> 00:44:08,120 Speaker 2: and j f K and LaGuardia Central Terminal, Like who 717 00:44:08,239 --> 00:44:11,560 Speaker 2: who built this? And so we want to bring awareness 718 00:44:11,920 --> 00:44:15,440 Speaker 2: to that, for people to say who built this and 719 00:44:15,480 --> 00:44:19,840 Speaker 2: for people to get interested in the real estate design 720 00:44:19,920 --> 00:44:26,040 Speaker 2: and construction profession. And of course we say we did. Mckisic. 721 00:44:26,800 --> 00:44:30,000 Speaker 2: That's amazing, that's amazing. We always does that, though he 722 00:44:30,080 --> 00:44:35,680 Speaker 2: does ask like where we go? I want who built this? Please? 723 00:44:37,239 --> 00:44:37,600 Speaker 4: Please? 724 00:44:39,600 --> 00:44:45,239 Speaker 2: It's not even don't even get that he asked that 725 00:44:45,320 --> 00:44:46,840 Speaker 2: all the time. To go to museums, we go to 726 00:44:46,880 --> 00:44:50,600 Speaker 2: say he who built this? Like maybe he has a 727 00:44:50,760 --> 00:45:01,240 Speaker 2: you know, he likes construction. Do you think she was going. 728 00:45:04,400 --> 00:45:07,160 Speaker 1: Because a little bit. 729 00:45:08,160 --> 00:45:11,520 Speaker 2: Well, we just ordered five hundred T shirts because we're 730 00:45:11,560 --> 00:45:16,239 Speaker 2: going to invest Fest. I know that's right. So you 731 00:45:16,360 --> 00:45:21,080 Speaker 2: will all get your T shirts before we go down there, please, 732 00:45:21,080 --> 00:45:22,640 Speaker 2: because you ain't gonna leave with none. 733 00:45:22,880 --> 00:45:26,640 Speaker 4: In Atlanta. You'll be doing a fireside chat with miss 734 00:45:26,640 --> 00:45:31,440 Speaker 4: Basketball at invest Fest this year. It'll be on Friday Friday, 735 00:45:31,480 --> 00:45:37,279 Speaker 4: the twenty. 736 00:45:35,280 --> 00:45:37,160 Speaker 2: Friday twenty second, five o'clock. 737 00:45:37,800 --> 00:45:39,440 Speaker 3: The Black Family Who Built America. 738 00:45:39,600 --> 00:45:41,319 Speaker 1: We appreciate you for joining us so much. 739 00:45:41,560 --> 00:45:44,120 Speaker 4: The book is available everywhere you buy books right now 740 00:45:44,400 --> 00:45:45,360 Speaker 4: from Cheryl mckissack. 741 00:45:45,440 --> 00:45:47,799 Speaker 1: Daniel. You are black history, right. 742 00:45:47,920 --> 00:45:50,080 Speaker 4: You know we always be reading stuff in history books 743 00:45:50,080 --> 00:45:52,320 Speaker 4: and you know, wondering who these people were. We got living, 744 00:45:52,440 --> 00:45:55,520 Speaker 4: breathing black history sitting with us every day still out here. 745 00:45:55,640 --> 00:45:58,120 Speaker 4: So we need to celebrate it, appreciate it, learn about it, 746 00:45:58,160 --> 00:46:00,000 Speaker 4: and know about it. So when they ask who built it, 747 00:46:00,320 --> 00:46:00,920 Speaker 4: you could be like. 748 00:46:00,840 --> 00:46:03,120 Speaker 1: Oh, I know her, I just saw her. That's what 749 00:46:03,200 --> 00:46:04,640 Speaker 1: I'm telling I love it. 750 00:46:04,960 --> 00:46:06,560 Speaker 2: I love it. I'm an asked me. I'm gonna tell 751 00:46:06,600 --> 00:46:11,239 Speaker 2: my husband next time Cheryl m kissing baby. I know that, 752 00:46:11,400 --> 00:46:14,800 Speaker 2: I know, tell him that no time, right out of 753 00:46:14,840 --> 00:46:18,560 Speaker 2: some water. Yes, I wants to go and design and construction. 754 00:46:18,640 --> 00:46:20,279 Speaker 2: Come see me all right. 755 00:46:22,920 --> 00:46:25,440 Speaker 1: When you need a job, you got her, I know her. 756 00:46:25,480 --> 00:46:26,480 Speaker 1: She hired my uncle. 757 00:46:26,680 --> 00:46:27,279 Speaker 2: Jesus christ Is. 758 00:46:27,360 --> 00:46:29,719 Speaker 3: Sharon mckisey, thank you so much for joining us. Pick 759 00:46:29,800 --> 00:46:32,880 Speaker 3: up the book The Black Family Who Built America Breakfast 760 00:46:32,920 --> 00:46:33,840 Speaker 3: Club good Morning. 761 00:46:34,960 --> 00:46:36,160 Speaker 1: Every day a week ago. 762 00:46:36,440 --> 00:46:39,120 Speaker 4: Click your ass up the Breakfast Club you don't finish 763 00:46:39,160 --> 00:46:39,799 Speaker 4: for y'all done.