Welcome to Issues and Answers.
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Did you know that right now
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we're dealing with a
silent crisis in America?
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Did you know that one in
five American kids is poor
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according to a CNN report?
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The National Center for
Children in Poverty tells us
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that more than 16 million
children in the United States,
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that's 22% of all children,
live in families with incomes
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below the federal poverty level.
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Poverty also can
contribute to poor health,
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and mental health.
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Child poverty rates are
highest among Black, Latino,
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and American-Indian children.
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This is astounding.
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But here to talk with
us today is Dennis Turner.
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Dennis Turner is up
from Sugar Ditch Mississippi,
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and we're going to
talk a little bit more about
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what that's involved.
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He's to talk to us
about not giving up,
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never giving up, can I give up?
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Welcome to the program,
Dennis. Thanks for having me.
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Well, it's just amazing
when I think about your story,
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and I can barely wait
till we can get into it now.
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So what do you think
about those statistics
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that I mentioned earlier?
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Alarming.
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Alarming? Alarming.
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As a former teacher I can
attest that those are facts.
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Those are facts? Yes.
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I've experienced
watching children
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in poverty in the
university, as a teacher,
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and just seeing the
effects that poverty have
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on kids is alarming.
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You know, I was looking
back here on the internet,
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and it looks like there's been
50 years of the war on poverty.
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It started with
Lyndon B. Johnson,
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and then going back
to what you were saying
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about the high school,
okay, and kids, and education.
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Did you know that every,
according to the internet,
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1.2 million students
drop out of high school
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in the United States alone,
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and that every 26 seconds
over 7000 drop out a day.
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That's mind boggling,
isn't it? Yes it is, yes it is.
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You know, my
experience as a teacher,
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the kids are dropping out
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for some reason that
are not being discussed.
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One of them is the effect
that poverty have on children.
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It kills their self
esteem, it makes them,
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I'll give you an
example, when I was young,
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I was a kid that
grew up in poverty,
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sometimes I was so
concerned about the hole
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that was in my pants,
that I cannot focus at school.
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And so when you can't focus
at school, you fall behind.
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And when you get behind,
then there's a whole another
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slew of problems
that come with that.
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Then you're picked
on, or you're talked about
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because you're not making
a grade, or you're not smart.
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And so it's just,
it's a snowball effect,
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and it all stands with poverty.
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Now, Dennis, I googled
Sugar Ditch Heal, okay.
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And I saw that some years ago,
there was a 60 minutes program.
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That's correct.
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Are you aware of
that? Oh, yes I am.
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Sugar Ditch made
national news in 1985.
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Not only was that
60 minutes program,
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it was time magazine,
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slew of reports about that area.
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It was exposed as the
poorest place in America.
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The poorest place in America,
that's where you grew up?
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And that's
where I was born, yes.
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Were you around when
they did that program,
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or it was any of your relatives?
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We were, we were still around.
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We didn't live on
Sugar Ditch at that time
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it made national news,
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but my mom is in
some of footages.
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Oh, really? Yes.
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So exactly,
what was Sugar Ditch?
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What was that? Oh, wow.
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It was a, basically,
it was a sewer ditch.
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A sewer ditch?
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A sewer ditch that ran along,
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and had a row of
shack houses next to it.
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Those shack house did
not have any indoor plumbing,
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or running water inside of them.
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And people used to use the ditch
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as a place to
discard their wastes.
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That's shocking. Yes.
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And you grew up with that? Yes.
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So were people, it
almost sounds like,
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no offense, it
sounds kind of third world.
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Now you're saying, I
won't say third world,
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but really just poor.
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Well, Reverend Jesse
Jackson put it, he quoted
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and said that it
was America's Ethiopia.
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That was his definition. I
mean, look at you now though.
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Okay, so now we
really want to hear,
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what did you, what happened?
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In the whole
topic of not giving up,
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how did you get from there
to where you are right now?
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Oakwood University
graduate, play write,
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you have plays that are how,
you're a professional singer,
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you've written a book,
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how did you get
from abject poverty,
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living next to a
sugar ditch to today?
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Two words, God's grace.
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God's grace. God's grace.
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You know, my story
started before Sugar Ditch.
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My story started with my mom.
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My mom, I'm the
youngest of twelve,
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and my mother was,
she was a diabetic.
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When she became
pregnant with me.
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After having eleven children,
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the physician told her
that she would not go fraternal,
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and that I will
be a miscarriage.
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But she prayed
over me in her womb.
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And she said
that after I was born,
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the story was given to me later,
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she said, after I was
born the doctor told her
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this was probably her
healthiest baby she's ever had.
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Really? Yes.
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And so the challenge
started before I came here.
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But once again, God's
grace. We lived on Sugar Ditch.
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When I left the
hospital, that's where we went,
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and that's what we
called home at that time.
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You could have died though,
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what that kind
of an environment.
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Yes, yes the
death rate for young,
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young babies at that
time was really high.
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It was a place that
was full of infections
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and all kinds of
diseases, but God's grace.
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God's grace. So what happened?
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You grew up,
obviously, what was that like?
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Well, yes, it
was very challenging
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because my dad was
69 when I was born.
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Sixty-nine?
Sixty-nine years of age.
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And when we
moved from Sugar Ditch.
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We was able to
get off Sugar Ditch
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into a low income house,
and some shortly there after,
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maybe 4-5 months later.
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Was that a government
special program that was,
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kind of, targeted to that area?
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Were you able to get
out? It was, it was, it was.
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Thank God for that. My
dad died three years later.
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Oh, I'm sorry.
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So the challenge
wasn't really ongoing,
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but it refers us
back to the title.
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Giving up was not an option.
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I had a praying mother,
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and she prayed
over her children,
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and she did the best she could.
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And as the youngest, you know,
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I'd sit and I watch that,
and as I grew up I learned
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from her faith in
God to have faith,
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and I learned from her
to trust God on my own.
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And so with God's
help, he brought me from,
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you know, low education,
'cause the school we were,
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the school we
attended in that county,
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not only was it the
lowest, the poorest county,
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I'm sorry, in America.
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It was--
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I'm still wrapping
my mind around that,
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the poorest county in all
of the entire United States.
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So what was the education
like for black children?
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It was the
same, it was the same.
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It was the
poorest education system
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in the United States.
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So how did you get
through high school,
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and then even get to college
if your education was so poor.
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Well, that's a long story,
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but I can tell you that my mom
took sick when I was about 14.
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We had to move to
the city of Memphis
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for her to have health care.
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Okay.
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It allowed me to enroll
in a Memphis city school.
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I was extremely behind.
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I was going to ask you,
what was that like for you
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as a student, coming in?
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Very
challenging, very challenging?
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What kinds of
things did you go through?
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Oh, man.
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You know, being poor,
you live in poor areas,
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and you have to deal
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with the elements
of the poor areas.
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So you fight gangs,
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you had to fight drug
dealers to get to school.
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That was once
you came to Memphis?
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Once I came to Memphis, yes.
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So you went from
the lowest county
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as far as poverty
in the United States
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straight into a dangerous area?
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That's correct,
that's correct. Wow.
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But at that time
the community school
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was shutdown, and
they were bussing us
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to a suburban area in Memphis.
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Oh, my goodness. So that's cool.
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All right, so you went
from poverty to gang violence
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to then bussing up
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the segregated
schools at that time.
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It wasn't a segregated school,
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it was a suburban school
which had some diversity,
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but it was about
70% white, Caucasian,
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or, and just the level
of the education was high.
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So I'm extremely behind,
and I'm playing catch up.
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But it was God's grace,
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he gave me two set of
great guidance counselors.
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Oh, really? Yes.
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They worked with
me, and they helped me,
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they put me on a
plan to help me graduate.
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So you went to Memphis
when you were in high school?
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Yes. So you came from.
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The poorest place in America
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which was in
Tunica, Mississippi.
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The poorest
educational system to Memphis
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to being bussed to a
suburban area in Memphis.
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Outside of your neighborhood.
Outside of my neighborhood.
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Having to come back home,
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and then fight with
the drug dealers, and the.
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Lord Jesus. That's
correct, that's correct.
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What did you say? God's grace.
00:10:38.37\00:10:40.00
God's Grace, god's grace.
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But God gave you
favor in the eyes,
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of some on, but the you
say guidance counselors,
00:10:44.97\00:10:47.41
but how was it
with the teachers?
00:10:47.44\00:10:49.34
How did the teachers treat you?
How did you catch up, Dennis?
00:10:49.38\00:10:52.98
You know, to be honest with you,
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it wasn't anything
that happened overnight.
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It was a long process.
00:10:57.62\00:11:01.62
But just, extra
work, extra time,
00:11:01.66\00:11:08.83
extra leniency, you know,
00:11:08.86\00:11:10.27
as far as
getting assignments in,
00:11:10.33\00:11:11.70
because you have to understand,
00:11:11.73\00:11:13.40
there was a whole different
world going on at home.
00:11:13.44\00:11:17.47
Really? And in my neighborhood.
00:11:17.51\00:11:18.84
Yes, yes.
00:11:18.87\00:11:20.21
Unfortunately,
there's a lot dynamics
00:11:20.24\00:11:22.61
that I had to deal with
other than my environment,
00:11:22.64\00:11:25.48
and it included my own home.
00:11:25.51\00:11:27.48
Unfortunately, I had
a brother that was older
00:11:27.52\00:11:29.75
than I, he got
involved with drugs.
00:11:29.78\00:11:32.05
He got engulfed
with the community,
00:11:32.09\00:11:34.42
and he became addicted.
00:11:34.46\00:11:37.29
And so his woes
came into our home.
00:11:37.33\00:11:40.90
And so with the
guidance counsel,
00:11:40.93\00:11:42.90
when I spoke of this to
them, they had, you know,
00:11:42.93\00:11:48.04
compassion, and they
were very, very, very helpful.
00:11:48.07\00:11:52.71
And they saw
something in me that,
00:11:52.74\00:11:57.65
you know, I think,
they've never seen before
00:11:57.68\00:11:59.35
with someone from this area.
00:11:59.38\00:12:01.78
And that was the
determination to make it.
00:12:01.82\00:12:05.32
You know, I've seen a lot,
I've seen my brother go down.
00:12:05.35\00:12:10.83
I've seen him almost die.
00:12:10.86\00:12:12.79
I've see my mom become very ill,
00:12:12.83\00:12:15.26
and feeble where she couldn't,
00:12:15.30\00:12:17.03
she couldn't even
take care of us any longer.
00:12:17.07\00:12:19.57
So at the age of fifteen,
00:12:19.60\00:12:21.60
I was pretty much
taking care of myself.
00:12:21.64\00:12:24.07
So wait a minute,
your mom moved to Memphis,
00:12:24.11\00:12:26.04
but your father had already
passed away, is that right?
00:12:26.07\00:12:28.31
That's correct. So how
were you guys making it?
00:12:28.34\00:12:31.15
Government
assistance. Thank God for that.
00:12:31.18\00:12:33.11
Yes.
00:12:33.15\00:12:34.48
So all twelve of you
moved to Memphis, with your mom.
00:12:34.52\00:12:37.15
Well, the oldest
three or four was,
00:12:37.19\00:12:39.79
they were grown at that point.
00:12:39.82\00:12:41.16
They were grown by then, okay.
00:12:41.19\00:12:42.79
They were grown,
so the younger ones,
00:12:42.82\00:12:45.36
we moved with my
mom, the sister next me
00:12:45.39\00:12:48.10
was away at college,
she was the first one to go.
00:12:48.13\00:12:51.37
And so, you know,
she used to give me
00:12:51.40\00:12:54.10
these stories
about college, you know,
00:12:54.17\00:12:56.37
and I used to
get excited about it.
00:12:56.40\00:12:59.17
And, you know, I
looked at the community,
00:12:59.21\00:13:02.11
and I look where we
were, and I always felt,
00:13:02.14\00:13:05.35
and thought to myself,
there's something greater,
00:13:05.38\00:13:07.92
there's
something better than this.
00:13:07.95\00:13:10.22
You know, and that I was
going to not be denied that.
00:13:10.29\00:13:15.56
You were not going to be denied?
00:13:15.59\00:13:16.93
Not going to be
denied. I like that attitude.
00:13:16.96\00:13:19.03
So did you play
sports? I did, I play sports.
00:13:19.06\00:13:25.23
Well, I didn't play
that much in high school
00:13:25.27\00:13:27.87
because of everything
else that was going on.
00:13:27.90\00:13:30.97
You had to go home.
00:13:31.01\00:13:32.34
I had go home,
I had to catch up.
00:13:32.37\00:13:33.74
So the bus would drop you off,
00:13:33.78\00:13:35.11
and you had to go home catch up.
00:13:35.14\00:13:36.48
Yes, yes.
00:13:36.51\00:13:37.85
I had to go home,
and just, you know,
00:13:37.88\00:13:39.21
catch up academic wise,
and then home needed me.
00:13:39.25\00:13:42.98
When I was 16, you
know, my older sisters,
00:13:43.02\00:13:46.39
they had to care for my mother,
00:13:46.42\00:13:48.16
she really couldn't
do much for herself,
00:13:48.19\00:13:50.43
you know, her sickness
just really took over her,
00:13:50.49\00:13:53.86
and so I had to help.
00:13:53.90\00:13:55.70
So I had to get a job, I
had to help feed the family.
00:13:55.73\00:14:01.64
Yes.
00:14:01.67\00:14:03.00
I got a job, I had to
try to maintain my schooling.
00:14:03.04\00:14:07.08
What kind of job did you get?
00:14:07.11\00:14:08.44
Could you find it, you know.
00:14:08.48\00:14:10.08
At the age of 16, you
know, you're bagging groceries
00:14:10.15\00:14:13.01
at Kroger, or
somewhere, some supermarket,
00:14:13.05\00:14:15.42
or you are a pizza
boy at Barro's, you know.
00:14:15.45\00:14:20.49
But those are the
kind of jobs that I had.
00:14:20.56\00:14:23.66
You know,
anything I could try to do
00:14:23.73\00:14:25.86
to help my family, I would.
00:14:25.89\00:14:28.86
That was, I felt
responsible, I don't know why.
00:14:28.90\00:14:33.90
I was the youngest,
but at the same time,
00:14:33.94\00:14:36.30
you know, that was
something I've always felt.
00:14:36.34\00:14:38.97
And so I did the
best that I could to help,
00:14:39.01\00:14:41.88
and to try to maintain
school at the same time.
00:14:41.91\00:14:44.78
Wow. It wasn't easy.
00:14:44.81\00:14:46.78
So you said
there were extra hours
00:14:46.82\00:14:48.48
that you had to
spend, extra assignments.
00:14:48.52\00:14:50.99
Yes, teachers were very,
00:14:51.02\00:14:53.09
once I think my guidance
counsel had conversations
00:14:53.12\00:14:56.83
with my teachers, made
them aware of my situation,
00:14:56.89\00:15:00.13
and so they were very helpful.
00:15:00.16\00:15:02.20
You know, anything
they could do to help,
00:15:02.23\00:15:04.77
they would, you know,
what if it was extra time,
00:15:04.80\00:15:07.34
or what if it was
an assignment that,
00:15:07.37\00:15:12.04
you know, I
needed assistance with,
00:15:12.07\00:15:13.78
they would help me at school,
00:15:13.81\00:15:15.14
'cause they understood
the fact when I went home
00:15:15.18\00:15:18.28
school work took a
backseat to all the dynamics
00:15:18.31\00:15:21.45
that was going on in my home.
00:15:21.48\00:15:23.79
And so, you know,
they really had compassion
00:15:23.82\00:15:27.99
and worked with me.
00:15:28.02\00:15:30.03
So you
graduated? By God's grace.
00:15:30.06\00:15:32.56
You graduated high school,
and then you went to college?
00:15:32.59\00:15:36.10
Yes. What was
college like for you?
00:15:36.13\00:15:38.00
Oh, man, it was
a whole new world.
00:15:38.03\00:15:41.97
It was a whole new world.
00:15:42.00\00:15:44.41
I went to Oakwood
College, Oakwood University.
00:15:44.44\00:15:47.04
And how did that get paid for?
00:15:47.08\00:15:48.71
Oh, man, God's
grace, God's grace.
00:15:48.74\00:15:50.51
That's private school.
00:15:50.55\00:15:53.42
Thank Gods for loans,
Thank Gods for grants.
00:15:53.48\00:15:57.45
One particular
semester I just couldn't clear,
00:15:57.49\00:16:00.59
and, you know, the
coach at that time,
00:16:00.62\00:16:03.29
'cause I was playing
basketball for the school,
00:16:03.32\00:16:06.29
and he wanted to help.
00:16:06.33\00:16:07.96
Wait a minute, you
never played sports before,
00:16:08.00\00:16:09.86
and now you're playing
00:16:09.90\00:16:11.23
for a college on a special team?
00:16:11.27\00:16:13.84
Yes. Wow.
00:16:13.87\00:16:17.21
Well, you know, I could
have played in high school.
00:16:17.24\00:16:19.51
It just was too
much, between work, school,
00:16:19.54\00:16:24.18
I couldn't maintain it all,
00:16:24.25\00:16:26.41
so that got left
out from high school.
00:16:26.45\00:16:29.58
But in college I
got a chance to do that.
00:16:29.62\00:16:32.12
And one particular
semester, I remember,
00:16:32.15\00:16:34.86
I could not clear,
did not have the funds to,
00:16:34.89\00:16:39.06
and the coach called
someone in the office
00:16:39.09\00:16:42.16
while I was sitting here.
00:16:42.20\00:16:43.53
He called them cliff, and
he told them my situation,
00:16:43.57\00:16:47.34
and, you know,
he said, how much?
00:16:47.40\00:16:50.87
That was the question,
and he gave him the number,
00:16:50.91\00:16:54.14
he said, the
check is in the mail.
00:16:54.18\00:16:58.15
I nearly just folded
with tears, you know,
00:16:58.18\00:17:03.52
that someone would do this,
someone that I didn't know,
00:17:03.55\00:17:06.39
that didn't know me
personally would do this for me.
00:17:06.42\00:17:09.59
And that's when I took,
it gave me a new perspective,
00:17:09.62\00:17:14.83
and more energy
to not be denied,
00:17:14.86\00:17:17.67
and to always remember that
giving up was not an option.
00:17:17.70\00:17:22.64
And so when he hung
up the phone, he said,
00:17:22.67\00:17:25.64
did you know who
I was speaking with?
00:17:25.67\00:17:27.18
I said no. He said
that was Clifton Davis.
00:17:27.21\00:17:30.38
Wow, wow. I was speechless.
00:17:30.45\00:17:35.75
The Clifton Davis, the
actor. The actor, the preacher.
00:17:35.78\00:17:39.92
The preacher, and
a lot of different,
00:17:39.95\00:17:42.19
see him on
television, different places.
00:17:42.22\00:17:44.23
He wrote a cheque? Did
you all know each other?
00:17:44.26\00:17:45.96
No, I did not.
00:17:45.99\00:17:47.60
Sight unseen. Sight unseen.
00:17:47.66\00:17:49.16
God's favor. God's favor.
00:17:49.20\00:17:50.53
Wow.
00:17:50.57\00:17:51.90
So then you finished college,
00:17:51.93\00:17:53.44
and of course
now you're married,
00:17:53.50\00:17:55.90
you've been an educator,
how did you get into all these
00:17:55.94\00:17:59.34
other cool things
that you're doing?
00:17:59.37\00:18:01.54
I look to refer to
myself as a late bloomer.
00:18:01.58\00:18:06.55
There's things, and
gifts, and talents that I,
00:18:06.58\00:18:09.42
that I possess,
God given talents
00:18:09.45\00:18:13.09
that I never really
explored until after college.
00:18:13.12\00:18:18.76
College was, I
was one track mind,
00:18:18.79\00:18:21.33
more focused, just
finish, whatever you do finish,
00:18:21.36\00:18:25.87
because, you know,
it was really hard,
00:18:25.90\00:18:28.87
my first couple of years,
you know, I still had a mom,
00:18:28.90\00:18:31.27
she was really,
really ill at point.
00:18:31.31\00:18:34.18
She was really
knocking on death door,
00:18:34.21\00:18:36.24
and I wanted so badly to finish,
00:18:36.28\00:18:39.58
so she can see and
be proud of her son,
00:18:39.61\00:18:42.92
as well as to give
back, and help her.
00:18:42.95\00:18:45.62
And so of course,
you know, I graduated,
00:18:45.65\00:18:50.63
and two months
later she passed away.
00:18:50.66\00:18:52.96
Oh, sorry.
00:18:52.99\00:18:54.36
But, you know, there
was something she gave me,
00:18:54.40\00:18:57.03
that I live by
today, and that is faith.
00:18:57.07\00:19:02.37
You know, her faith,
00:19:02.40\00:19:04.34
watching her every
morning worshipping God
00:19:04.37\00:19:09.21
when she wakes up,
00:19:09.24\00:19:11.01
from a kid all the way
until she got too ill to do it.
00:19:11.05\00:19:14.68
And watching her life,
it instilled in me faith,
00:19:14.72\00:19:19.42
and gave me
something to start with
00:19:19.45\00:19:22.96
that I with the
Master got more relationship,
00:19:22.99\00:19:26.19
and created my own faith.
00:19:26.23\00:19:28.03
And now I think that same prayer
00:19:28.06\00:19:30.37
that she prayed
over me in her womb
00:19:30.40\00:19:31.80
still resonates with me today.
00:19:31.83\00:19:33.94
And I want to make a difference,
00:19:33.97\00:19:35.80
because it's not how you
start, it's how you finish.
00:19:35.84\00:19:40.58
No matter how, what
situation you were born with,
00:19:40.61\00:19:44.25
or whatever your, you
know, economic status is,
00:19:44.28\00:19:50.39
or what if you have
your parents, or not,
00:19:50.42\00:19:53.56
you're here for a purpose,
00:19:53.59\00:19:55.59
God has brought
you here for a purpose.
00:19:55.62\00:19:59.06
And the thing is,
we're not to quit,
00:19:59.09\00:20:01.03
no matter what
is thrown our way.
00:20:01.06\00:20:03.43
Giving up is just not an option.
00:20:03.47\00:20:06.53
We have to learn whatever
God is trying to teach us
00:20:06.57\00:20:09.14
in the process, and take
that and use it to make it.
00:20:09.17\00:20:15.04
Whatever God has for
us, whatever our purpose is,
00:20:15.08\00:20:17.68
it is our job to find
it, and to live in it,
00:20:17.71\00:20:21.58
and I believe that.
00:20:21.62\00:20:22.95
So, Dennis, someone
watching the program
00:20:22.98\00:20:24.72
listening to your story would
want to know do you travel,
00:20:24.75\00:20:29.29
do you give motivational talks
00:20:29.32\00:20:30.89
and then most importantly
what can you share right now
00:20:30.93\00:20:35.03
for maybe the
mother or the uncle
00:20:35.06\00:20:37.97
or the father or just a
loved one that's working
00:20:38.00\00:20:41.00
with particularly
troubled young person.
00:20:41.04\00:20:44.67
What could you share
with them to make a difference
00:20:44.71\00:20:48.81
and what's a good way to
organize a group of people
00:20:48.84\00:20:52.88
to be mentors to others?
00:20:52.91\00:20:55.08
Well, I would say to
mothers that are struggling
00:20:55.12\00:21:00.76
or to those that
have children never--
00:21:00.79\00:21:05.03
first of all do not give up.
00:21:05.06\00:21:07.30
That's first of
all. Never give up.
00:21:07.30\00:21:10.33
Giving up is not an
option and the secondly
00:21:10.37\00:21:13.40
or I should say A, 1A,
00:21:13.44\00:21:19.07
always pray for your children.
00:21:19.11\00:21:21.28
Always lift them up
and put them before God.
00:21:21.31\00:21:23.81
That's very, very important.
00:21:23.85\00:21:25.88
But kids are, they
have different reasons
00:21:25.91\00:21:29.85
for doing different things.
00:21:29.88\00:21:31.79
You know, I've come
in contact with kids
00:21:31.82\00:21:33.32
from poverty areas
all the way to kids
00:21:33.36\00:21:36.09
that come from well to do areas.
00:21:36.12\00:21:37.66
Have you coached
kids before? Oh, yes.
00:21:37.69\00:21:40.26
I've coached kids
in different sports.
00:21:40.30\00:21:42.86
Well, not different
sports but different ages
00:21:42.90\00:21:45.43
in the same sport of basketball
00:21:45.47\00:21:47.70
and my experience has
been with, you know, kids
00:21:47.74\00:21:51.54
from the lower end
of the poverty line
00:21:51.57\00:21:54.64
to the high end of
the or high, you know.
00:21:54.68\00:21:58.35
Right, high
echelon. Yeah, echelon.
00:21:58.38\00:22:00.55
And they all
have the same problem.
00:22:00.62\00:22:04.19
They all have the
same issues self-esteem.
00:22:04.22\00:22:07.76
They all have the
same issue of, you know,
00:22:07.79\00:22:10.93
being affected
by self-confidence
00:22:10.96\00:22:14.00
because someone
not endorsing them
00:22:14.10\00:22:16.23
or someone not
believing in them.
00:22:16.26\00:22:18.87
You know, that's
important for children.
00:22:18.90\00:22:21.34
They have to feel that they
are loved and somebody cares
00:22:21.37\00:22:24.47
and that somebody supports them.
00:22:24.51\00:22:27.58
You know, money has
nothing to do with that.
00:22:27.61\00:22:30.55
We have to instill
in all our children
00:22:30.61\00:22:33.38
and I will tell them that even
if you don't get it from home
00:22:33.42\00:22:37.85
God will send someone
what if it's a teacher,
00:22:37.89\00:22:41.02
a coach to give you want
you need that inspiration,
00:22:41.06\00:22:44.79
that endorsement to keep going.
00:22:44.83\00:22:47.13
The goal is to find
your purpose in life.
00:22:47.20\00:22:50.50
God has created
you for a purpose
00:22:50.53\00:22:52.70
and the goal is to find it
and to live in that purpose.
00:22:52.73\00:22:56.54
And that's what I
would definitely tell
00:22:56.57\00:22:57.91
young people today.
00:22:57.94\00:22:59.27
And if you
question what the purpose is
00:22:59.31\00:23:03.55
I tell them all
the time it comes easy
00:23:03.58\00:23:06.28
and they look at
me surprised I say,
00:23:06.31\00:23:08.42
well, I will tell
you this, what is it that
00:23:08.45\00:23:10.92
comes very easy
to you, you know.
00:23:10.99\00:23:13.66
I have kids that
they could sit down
00:23:13.69\00:23:15.42
and do things on a computer
00:23:15.46\00:23:17.96
that I know some people
went to school for couldn't do.
00:23:17.99\00:23:20.96
Yeah. I said that
came easy for you.
00:23:20.96\00:23:24.13
That's a talent, that's a gift
you might want to explore that.
00:23:24.17\00:23:27.84
God may have
something for you in that area.
00:23:27.87\00:23:30.31
There are talented
kids that, you know,
00:23:30.37\00:23:33.34
when I was coaching some
kids couldn't dribble and walk
00:23:33.38\00:23:37.41
and there were some kids
seamless though they came out
00:23:37.45\00:23:40.12
the wombs driving in the ball.
00:23:40.18\00:23:42.08
That was a gift.
00:23:42.12\00:23:43.75
You know, maybe there are
some purpose in that explore it,
00:23:43.79\00:23:47.62
you know, and I try
to tell them to stick
00:23:47.66\00:23:49.76
to what you know
until it evolves.
00:23:49.79\00:23:53.46
Stick with what you
know until it evolves.
00:23:53.50\00:23:55.80
Until you see something else
00:23:55.83\00:23:57.20
that you can
develop and get into.
00:23:57.23\00:23:59.27
Exactly. Wow.
00:23:59.30\00:24:00.84
Yes.
00:24:00.87\00:24:02.50
You know, I do
speaking engagements all around.
00:24:02.54\00:24:04.51
Well, if its
churches, banquettes, schools,
00:24:04.54\00:24:08.31
you know, I do it all
because I love dealing
00:24:08.34\00:24:13.62
with people, young,
old, I love instilling
00:24:13.65\00:24:18.52
in them some sort of inspiration
00:24:18.55\00:24:22.36
and I always try
to use my testimony
00:24:22.39\00:24:24.13
because God gave
me this testimony
00:24:24.16\00:24:27.66
and I'm gonna tell it
and I'm gonna let people know
00:24:27.73\00:24:30.17
that God is the author
and the finisher of my faith
00:24:30.23\00:24:32.90
and He is the
reason why I'm still here.
00:24:32.93\00:24:35.84
He is the reason
why I've overcome
00:24:35.87\00:24:37.74
a lot of things in my life.
00:24:37.77\00:24:40.38
And so, you know,
I try to, you know,
00:24:40.44\00:24:45.25
instill
inspiration wherever I go.
00:24:45.28\00:24:47.52
And so, you know,
I'm open, of course,
00:24:47.58\00:24:50.99
they can always contact me.
00:24:51.02\00:24:52.59
You have a website? Oh, yes.
00:24:52.62\00:24:54.82
I have a website.
What's your website?
00:24:54.86\00:24:56.79
It is theboyfromtheditch.com.
00:24:56.83\00:24:58.73
Theboyfromtheditch.com.
Theboyfromtheditch.com.
00:24:58.76\00:25:02.40
Wow. Okay.
00:25:02.43\00:25:03.97
And that's very-- you
have like some besides
00:25:04.00\00:25:06.74
being able to
engage, we are gonna able
00:25:06.77\00:25:08.27
to have you come and
visit but do you have some
00:25:08.30\00:25:10.04
suggestions, you
know, resources for parents
00:25:10.11\00:25:12.61
and for young people
even to be able to come to.
00:25:12.64\00:25:16.04
They can search out
and get that information.
00:25:16.08\00:25:19.71
Well, I don't
know where to start.
00:25:19.75\00:25:22.82
You know, of
course, I've written a book,
00:25:22.85\00:25:24.42
of course, they can always read
that but I've done even more.
00:25:24.45\00:25:28.89
I've taken first
quarter, the third of my book
00:25:28.92\00:25:33.53
and composed it
into a stage play.
00:25:33.60\00:25:36.40
Trying to be
intuitive and creative
00:25:36.43\00:25:40.10
and reaching young
and old in inspiration.
00:25:40.14\00:25:44.44
You know, we love the
word, we all loved it.
00:25:44.47\00:25:48.11
Hear the word and, you know,
00:25:48.14\00:25:51.08
we love sing in
music it's beautiful
00:25:51.11\00:25:53.98
but, you know, we are
dealing with children,
00:25:54.02\00:25:57.45
it's a new generation.
00:25:57.49\00:25:58.82
They are
high-tech, they are savvy
00:25:58.85\00:26:00.59
and their
attention span is short.
00:26:00.62\00:26:03.02
And so we want to be
creative and intentional
00:26:03.06\00:26:05.86
in getting their
intent, getting their attention,
00:26:05.89\00:26:09.46
you know, and to
instill inspiration in them.
00:26:09.50\00:26:12.93
You know, a lot of
kids there they, you know,
00:26:12.97\00:26:16.84
being around kids I'm told a lie
00:26:16.91\00:26:18.74
they are just not
interested in the same.
00:26:18.77\00:26:22.04
And I just
wanted to be a creative
00:26:22.08\00:26:24.31
by taking my
story, transposing it
00:26:24.35\00:26:26.72
to a stage play
and presenting it.
00:26:26.75\00:26:30.39
And so that maybe another way,
00:26:30.42\00:26:33.05
maybe for kids to
be able to learn either
00:26:33.09\00:26:36.02
by coming to see the
play or even participating
00:26:36.06\00:26:39.86
in role playing
activities you think.
00:26:39.89\00:26:43.93
Definitely.
00:26:43.97\00:26:45.67
Well, what I would
like to do is, you know,
00:26:45.70\00:26:48.34
when kids come and see the play
I will like to keep in touch.
00:26:48.37\00:26:51.41
We try to have
some information out
00:26:51.44\00:26:53.54
where we can stay connected
what if they become an follower
00:26:53.58\00:26:56.64
of my Facebook page
or Twitter or Instagram
00:26:56.71\00:27:00.35
to where we can interact.
00:27:00.38\00:27:02.48
Mentorship is very
important with you these days.
00:27:02.52\00:27:06.79
Once again I
cannot express enough
00:27:06.82\00:27:08.96
how young people need
to feel that someone care.
00:27:08.99\00:27:12.89
You said endorsed, I
like the way that is.
00:27:12.93\00:27:14.76
You know, it's like, wow.
00:27:14.83\00:27:16.13
You know, people
wear different logos
00:27:16.16\00:27:17.70
and things that
represent a company.
00:27:17.73\00:27:19.57
When you say
endorse that word makes me
00:27:19.60\00:27:21.90
think about of
being having their support
00:27:21.94\00:27:24.64
from their parents and from
those that really love them.
00:27:24.67\00:27:27.51
It's important. It's important.
00:27:27.58\00:27:30.48
You know, the kids
confidence can dictate
00:27:30.55\00:27:33.62
how high they go.
00:27:33.65\00:27:36.08
You know, their confidence level
00:27:36.12\00:27:37.49
and just feeling
endorsed and feeling supported
00:27:37.52\00:27:42.39
it gives them confidence
to accomplish anything.
00:27:42.42\00:27:45.53
You know, that we
can mentor a child
00:27:45.56\00:27:48.16
and that can be the
next child that cure cancer.
00:27:48.20\00:27:50.73
Say that, that's awesome.
00:27:50.77\00:27:52.10
We can mentor a
child and no matter
00:27:52.13\00:27:53.50
where they come from could be
00:27:53.54\00:27:54.87
the next child
cure AIDS, you know.
00:27:54.90\00:27:57.41
It just-- we
have to pull together.
00:27:57.47\00:28:00.91
Dennis, I want to
thank you so much for coming
00:28:00.94\00:28:02.78
to the program
today, really, appreciated
00:28:02.81\00:28:05.08
your words of encouragement.
00:28:05.11\00:28:07.15
For those of you at
home, wow, thank you so much.
00:28:07.18\00:28:09.82
Wasn't this an incredible story?
00:28:09.85\00:28:11.65
It was for me to listen to.
Never give up, can't give up.
00:28:11.69\00:28:15.36
Let's just keep
going with that part
00:28:15.39\00:28:16.96
for the rest of the day.
00:28:16.99\00:28:18.33
Have a great day.
00:28:18.36\00:28:19.69