Love & Respect with Killer Mike
Andrew Young
Season 1 Episode 8 | 56m 50sVideo has Closed Captions
Andrew Young joins Killer Mike for a look at his life in advance of his 90th birthday.
Former U.N. Ambassador and civil rights icon Andrew Young joins Killer Mike for a look at his life in advance of his 90th birthday.
Love & Respect with Killer Mike is a local public television program presented by WABE
Love & Respect with Killer Mike
Andrew Young
Season 1 Episode 8 | 56m 50sVideo has Closed Captions
Former U.N. Ambassador and civil rights icon Andrew Young joins Killer Mike for a look at his life in advance of his 90th birthday.
How to Watch Love & Respect with Killer Mike
Love & Respect with Killer Mike is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship- TONIGHT ON LOVE AND RESPECT A CONVERSATION WITH CIVIL RIGHTS ICON, ANDREW YOUNG.
- JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE GOOD AND DECENT AND WANNA BE RIGHTEOUS, DOESN'T MEAN IF YOU DON'T REALLY HAVE A POT BOILING INSIDE YOU AND YOU WANNA, YOU MIGHT WANNA DO SOMETHING RASH AND VIOLENT.
THERE'S A STREAK OF VIOLENCE IN JUST ABOUT EVERYBODY.
THE IMPORTANT THING IS TO REALIZE THAT THAT'S NOT WHERE YOUR STRENGTH IS.
- YES SIR.
- YOUR STRENGTH IS IN YOUR MIND, IN THE LOVE AND FORGIVENESS AND RESPECT THAT IS IN YOUR HEART.
- ABSOLUTELY.
- SEE, I MEAN, THAT'S WHERE THE POWER IS.
YOU CAN OVERCOME MORE PEOPLE WITH LOVE AND RESPECT.
- YES, SIR.
- THAN YOU CAN CUSSING AND SHOUTING AND CALLING THEM ALL KINDS OF NAMES.
- AMBASSADOR ANDREW YOUNG COMING UP RIGHT NOW.
- LOVE AND RESPECT WITH KILLER MIKE IS MADE POSSIBLE BY - REGINA APPROACHES THE ALL-ELECTRIC CADILLAC LYRIQ, IT'S A SUNNY DAY.
- NAH, A STORMY DAY.
- CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYS.
- BRASS BAND, NEW ORLEANS.
- SHE DRIVES HANDS-FREE ALONG THE COAST.
- MAKE IT PALM SPRINGS.
- CADILLAC IS GOING ELECTRIC.
IF YOU WANT TO BE BOLD, YOU HAVE TO GO OFF SCRIPT.
- EXPERIENCE THE ALL-ELECTRIC CADILLAC LYRIQ.
♪♪ ♪♪ - I WANNA WELCOME MY FRIEND, MY MENTOR, MY HERO, AMBASSADOR ANDREW YOUNG, TO LOVE AND RESPECT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
- VERY GOOD, GOOD TO BE HERE WITH YOU.
- ABSOLUTELY, YOU ARE OUR CIVIL RIGHTS ICON, FORMER DIRECTOR OF SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE.
YOU ARE A UNITED NATIONS AMBASSADOR AND I PERSONALLY HAVE ATLANTA MAYOR, MY FAVORITE MAYOR THUS FAR.
AND I KNOW YOU, FIRST ACKNOWLEDGING YOUR WIFE CAROLYN, BUT YOUR LATE WIFE, JEAN CHILDS YOUNG WAS ALSO A FRIEND AND MENTOR OF MINE AND I BELONG TO AN ORGANIZATION.
- WELL THAT'S WHERE I MET YOU.
- THAT'S WHERE WE MET.
- BROUGHT YOU TO MY OFFICE.
- I WAS 15 YEARS OLD OR YOU WANT TO TELL THE STORY?
- YEAH, NOW JEAN MY FIRST WIFE OF 40 YEARS WHO UNFORTUNATELY DIED OF CANCER - YEAH.
- WAS THE ADVISOR TO THE MAYOR'S YOUTH COUNCIL WITH ALICE JOHNSON.
- YEP.
- AND SHE SAID, WE WANNA COME SEE YOU WITH A FEW OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE AND I SAID, FINE.
AND I SAID, WHAT DO THEY WANT?
SHE SAID, THEY'LL TELL YOU.
(MIKE AND YOUNG LAUGHING) AND YOU CAME IN AND YOU ASKED ME FOR, SAID YOU WANTED TO HAVE A CONFERENCE.
AND I SAID, WELL, THAT'S EASY.
I SAID, NO, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE A CONFERENCE WHERE PEOPLE ARE TELLING US WHAT TO DO.
WE WANT TO HAVE A CONFERENCE WITH THE YOUNG PEOPLE AND LET US DECIDE FOR OURSELVES WHAT WE WANT TO DO.
WELL THAT WAS VERY INTERESTING AND IT WAS A GOOD IDEA.
SO I THINK WE SCRAPED UP ABOUT $500 - YEP.
(MIKE LAUGHING) AND I GOT THE, WE HAD JUST BUILT THE WORLD CONGRESS CENTER, - YEP.
THE TOM MURPHY BALLROOM.
AND WE ARRANGED FOR YOU TO HAVE THAT FOR SATURDAY MORNING.
- YES, SIR.
- DROVE OUT THREE O'CLOCK I THINK.
- YES.
- AND YOUR INSISTENCE WAS THAT YOU DIDN'T WANT ANY ADULTS, - TO BE ABLE TO SEE, YEP.
- TELLING US WHAT TO DO.
SO WE WANT TO DECIDE WHAT WE WANT TO DO.
NOW YOU CAN HAVE ADULTS IN THERE AS LISTENERS, BUT THEY CAN'T SAY ANYTHING.
I DECIDED THAT YOU HAD ONE KID THAT HAD JUST GOTTEN OUT OF JAIL AND I FORGET HIS NAME, BUT I'LL NEVER FORGET HIM.
AND HE WANTED TO LEAD THE DISCUSSION ON WORLD HUNGER.
AND I COULDN'T SEE THE CONNECTION, BUT WHEN I GOT IN THERE IMMEDIATELY, HE SAID, HE'D JUST GOTTEN OUT OF PRISON.
AND HE SAID WHAT HE WAS IN FOR, AND I DON'T REMEMBER, BUT HE SAID I WAS THERE AND I SAID, ETHIOPIAN FAMINE CAME ON TELEVISION.
AND I SAW ALL OF THESE PEOPLE WITH THEIR STOMACHS FULL AND FLIES AROUND THEIR FACE AND OUT IN THE NIGHT, NO PLACE TO STAY, TOO HOT IN THE DAY AND TOO COLD AT NIGHT.
AND HE SAID, AND I REALIZED THAT I HAD MESSED UP AND I WAS, HAD A BED AND THREE MEALS A DAY, EVEN IN JAIL, I WAS LIVING BETTER THAN THEY WERE AND I HAD DONE WRONG AND THEY HAD DONE NO WRONG.
AND HE SAID, I DECIDED WHEN I GET OUT, I WANTED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT WORLD HUNGER.
WELL, I WAS SO IMPRESSED BEFORE YOU ALL FINISHED THAT DAY, YOU HAD DECIDED THAT YOU WERE GOING TO RAISE MONEY FOR THE ETHIOPIAN FAMINE.
- YES, SIR.
- AND THE WAY YOU DECIDED TO DO IT WAS BY PUTTING CANISTERS IN THE BANKS.
SO PEOPLE SAY WHY DON'T PEOPLE ROB BANKS, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE MONEY IS.
BUT IF YOU WANT TO RAISE MONEY, THAT'S WHERE THE MONEY IS.
(YOUNG LAUGHING) - ABSOLUTELY.
- AND SO NOBODY TOUCHED ANY MONEY, BUT EVERYBODY COULD CONTRIBUTE.
AND THE BANKS CREATED AN ACCOUNT.
AND I THINK, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU GOT THE BANKS TO COMPLY, BUT I THINK YOU HAD PRETTY GOOD PARTICIPATION WITH ALL THE BANKS, RAISED OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
- YEAH WE DID PRETTY GOOD.
- AND HAD A PARADE DOWN PEACHTREE TO END WORLD HUNGER.
AND THEN YOU HAD A COMMITTEE.
DECIDING WHO WAS IT THAT HAD THE BEST RECORD OF GETTING MONEY AND FOOD TO HUNGRY PEOPLE.
- DIRECTLY TO THEM AND NOT JUST PAYING STAFF.
- YEAH.
- ABSOLUTELY.
- SO YOU DECIDED IT WAS UNICEF.
- YEAH.
- WELL, I HAD JUST LEFT THE WORLD, THE U.N.
SO I KNEW THEM THEY WERE TICKLED TO DEATH TO HAVE THIS HAPPEN.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHETHER YOU TOOK THE MONEY TO THEM OR SENT IT TO THEM.
- I THINK WE SENT, I THINK WE SENT IT.
- YEAH BUT THE MONEY WENT STRAIGHT TO ETHIOPIA.
- YEAH.
- THAT WAS THE FIRST, 'COURSE YOU WERE ALMOST AS BIG AS YOU ARE NOW.
(MIKE LAUGHING) AND YOU WERE JUST 15.
AND I SAID, THIS KID IS GONNA AMOUNT TO SOMETHING.
- I APPRECIATE IT.
- AND THEY HAD MADE A GOOD INVESTMENT IN YOU, BUT YOU MADE A GOOD INVESTMENT IN THE OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE, YOU HAD OVER 500 STUDENTS THERE.
- I APPRECIATE YOU AT THAT TIME AND YOU HAVE BEFORE THEN.
'CAUSE ALL THE '90S WERE TURBULENT TIME.
WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CRACK ERA AND A DRUG WAR, GANG SET KIND OF INFLUENCED, ATLANTA IN A WAY... - THAT WAS STILL THE '80S.
- YEAH, YEAH, '89-90, RIGHT.
YOU GOT A LITTLE WORSE THAN NINETIES, BUT IT WAS THE LATE EIGHTIES.
BUT YOU GUYS, YOU GREW UP IN VERY TURBULENT TIMES YET SINCE MY GRANDMOTHER FIRST TOOK ME OUT TO CAMPAIGN FOR YOU AS A CHILD, YOU'VE ALWAYS EXUDED THIS SPIRIT OF PEACE ABOUT YOU.
AND YOU NAMED YOUR MEMOIR "AN EASY BURDEN".
YOU ALWAYS HAD A CALM LIKE YOU.
WERE YOU ALWAYS THIS CALM AND EASY GOING BECAUSE AMONGST THE CHARACTERS AROUND DR. KING, YOU WERE KNOWN AS THE GUY THAT KINDA KEPT US.
- I PROBABLY THE SMALLEST ONE.
- OKAY.
(MIKE LAUGHING) AND I WAS ONE OF THE YOUNGER ONES, BUT I HAD ALWAYS BEEN, I GREW UP IN NEW ORLEANS AND I HAD, I GREW UP IN THE MIDDLE OF A BLOCK.
ON ONE CORNER WAS AN IRISH GROCERY STORE.
ANOTHER CORNER WAS AN ITALIAN BAR.
THE THIRD CORNER WAS THE NAZI PARTY HEADQUARTERS.
THIS WAS 1932 WHEN I WAS BORN.
AND I CAN REMEMBER 1936, MY DADDY WALKING BY THERE BECAUSE IT WAS RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF, I MEAN, IT WAS RIGHT ON THE CORNER.
AND MY AUNT LIVED TWO DOORS BEHIND THE NAZI PARTY.
AND SEE HITLER WAS JUST COMING ON THE SCENE THEN.
- YEAH.
- AND MY FATHER, WELL, HE TOLD ME TWO THINGS.
HE SAID, THESE ARE WHITE SUPREMACISTS AND WHITE SUPREMACY IS A SICKNESS.
- YES SIR.
- AND YOU KNOW FROM SUNDAY SCHOOL THAT GOD CREATED A ONE BLOOD, ALL THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD.
- YES, SIR.
- THEY DON'T WANNA ADMIT THAT, BUT THAT'S THEIR PROBLEM WITH GOD.
THAT'S NOT YOUR PROBLEM.
(YOUNG LAUGHING) NOW YOU, BEST YOU STAY OUT OF THEIR WAY.
BUT IF YOU EVER CROSS WITH THEM, THE IMPORTANT THING FOR YOU IS TO STAY COOL.
DON'T GET MAD, GET SMART.
HE SAID, WHEN YOU GET ANGRY, THE BLOOD RUSHES FROM YOUR HEAD TO YOUR FIST AND YOUR FEET.
- YEAH.
- AND HE WAS FIVE FEET FOUR.
AND HE SAID, "YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ANY MORE THAN FIVE, SEVEN, SIX OR SEVEN."
HE SAID, "SO YOU'RE NOT GOING TO EVER BE ABLE TO BEAT UP EVERYBODY."
HE SAID, "BUT YOU CAN REASON WITH AND AROUND ANY SITUATION AND YOU CAN PROBABLY OUTRUN THEM, BUT YOU WON'T FEEL GOOD RUNNING FROM A FIGHT.
SO IT'S BEST TO JUST STAY COOL AND LET YOUR MIND LEAD YOU AND LEAD THEM."
NOW, I GOT THAT AT FOUR YEARS OLD.
THAT WAS 1936.
HE ALSO TOOK ME TO THE SEGREGATED MOVIE TO SEE JESSE OWENS.
- IS THIS WHERE YOU SIT UP TOP AND THEN WHITE PATRONS ARE AT THE BOTTOM?
- THE BLACK FOLKS ARE IN THE BALCONY, WHITE FOLKS ARE AT THE BOTTOM.
BUT WE ALL SAW THE SAME MOVIE AND I WASN'T IN PARTICULAR ABOUT, I MEAN, IT DIDN'T BOTHER ME.
I ACCEPTED THAT THEN.
BUT WHEN JESSE OWENS WON THE HUNDRED METER DASH HITLER WAS SUPPOSED TO GIVE HIM HIS OLYMPIC MEDAL, AND INSTEAD OF DOING THAT, HE GOT UP ANGRY AND WALKED OUT.
- MY GRANDFATHER TELLS ME THIS STORY.
WHAT HAPPENED?
- AND TOOK ALL OF HIS STORM TROOPERS WITH HIM, SEE?
AND THAT WAS AN INSULT TO JESSE OWENS, BUT THAT WASN'T JUST HIS PROBLEM.
HE SAID, "JESSE'S PROBLEM, HE HAD THREE MORE RACES TO RUN."
AND IF HE'D GOTTEN UPSET OVER WHAT HITLER DID ON THAT FIRST RACE, HE MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN AS SHARP.
AND SAY, HITLER, I MEAN, HITLER STORMED OUT ANGRY, BUT JESSE STAYED COOL.
AND HE JUST WON THREE MORE GOLD MEDALS.
(CHUCKLES) - YOU TALKED ABOUT KEEPING YOUR COOL AND YOU ARE ON A DAY, MINISTER, DEVOUT CHRISTIAN, AND OFTENTIMES, SO WHEN YOU'RE SPEAKING TO PEOPLE, AS I'VE HEARD YOU GROW UP MUCH LIKE THE MESSIAH, MUCH LIKE JESUS, YOU DON'T USE RELIGION TO TRY TO CONVINCE PEOPLE, YOU ARE A PERSUADER, IT SEEMS LIKE, IN WAYS YOU KIND OF MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE AND TALK TO THEM, VERSUS KIND OF STANDING ON A MOUNTAIN TOP, POINTING DOWN.
- WELL, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE BIBLE SAYS IS, "ALL MEN SIN AND FALL SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD."
AND WOMEN DO TOO.
(CHUCKLES) - I'VE HEARD TWICE.
(BOTH LAUGH) - BUT I NEVER SEE MYSELF AS BETTER THAN ANYBODY ELSE.
I KNOW THE STRUGGLES I HAVE TO BE REASONABLE AND HALFWAY CALM AND INTELLIGENT.
IS SOMETHING I'VE BEEN PRACTICING, AS I SAID, SINCE I WAS FOUR YEARS OLD.
- YEAH, I WANNA TABLE THAT 'CAUSE I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CHARACTERS, THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU, BUT BEFORE WE GET TO THAT, TWO PEOPLE WHO THEY ALWAYS JUXTAPOSED TO ONE ANOTHER, YOU KNEW BOTH OF THEM.
AND ONE WAS MARTIN KING, OF COURSE, MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. AND THE OTHER ONE WAS MALCOLM X.
YOU KNEW MALCOLM, YOU TOLD ME- - I MET MALCOLM BEFORE I MET MARTIN.
- OKAY.
I WENT TO A LITTLE COUNTRY CHURCH IN MARION, ALABAMA, THEN THOMASVILLE AND BEACH IN GEORGIA.
AND THEN THEY OFFERED ME A JOB IN NEW YORK.
AND MY SECRETARY IN THAT NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES, THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY BLACK EXECUTIVES AND THEY WANTED A BLACK EXECUTIVE AND THEY MADE ME ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH WORK.
AND I HAD A TELEVISION SHOW ON CBS, 10 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, LOOK UP AND LIVE.
WE WON EMMY'S AND WE WON A PEABODY AWARD.
- OH WOW.
- SEE, AND I WAS JUST ABOUT 25.
- BEING THERE IN YOUR MINISTRY, AND THEN YOU'RE HAVING TELEVISION SHOWS, YOU COME ACROSS SCOUT FROM THE NATION OF ISLAM, MALCOLM X.
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST THOUGHT?
- WELL, MY SECRETARY WAS MARRIED TO LOUIS LOMAX.
LOUIS LOMAX WAS INTERVIEWING MALCOLM, THAT WAS THE SHOW THAT MADE MALCOLM FAMOUS, BUT IT DID MALCOLM A DISSERVICE.
- HOW SO?
- WELL THEY TITLED IT THE HATE THAT HATE PRODUCED.
AND I NEVER SAW MALCOLM HATE ANYBODY.
MALCOLM WAS ONE OF THE SWEETEST, CALMEST, EASY GOING MAN I KNOW, I'VE EVER MET.
HE HAD NO TEMPER.
HE SPOKE WITH AUTHORITY LIKE MARTIN LUTHER KING DID.
AND YOU WOULD THINK IT WAS A PROPHET FROM THE TOP OF MOUNT OLYMPUS SOMEWHERE.
BUT AROUND THE DINNER TABLE LOUIS AND BETTY, HIS WIFE, INVITED ME AND JEAN OVER TO DINNER.
HE KEPT ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SOUTH.
AND SEE, HE HAD BEEN IN JAIL AND HE DIDN'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO ONE OF THESE HBC USE.
BUT I ADMIRED HIM BECAUSE HE TAUGHT HIMSELF BY READING THE DICTIONARY.
- YES.
- SEE?
AND HE WAS CONSTANTLY INQUISITIVE.
HE WAS AT, I MEAN, I DIDN'T GET TO TALK TO HIM MUCH, 'CAUSE HE WAS TRYING TO PICK MY BRAIN ABOUT EVERYTHING.
AND WE WERE WORKING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE AND I'D BEEN TO AFRICA, I'D BEEN TO EUROPE AND I'D BEEN DOWN SOUTH WAS WHAT HE WAS MOSTLY INTERESTED IN.
BUT HE KEPT ASKING ME QUESTIONS, AND I JUST THOUGHT HE WAS ONE OF THE GENTLEST SOULS I'VE EVER MET.
- YEAH.
- LATER ON WHEN MARTIN KING WON THE NOBEL PRIZE, MALCOLM CAME TO THE BACK DOOR AT THE ARMORY TO MEET HIM.
AND THERE WERE TWO PEOPLE BACK THERE TO MEET HIM, ROCKEFELLER, GOVERNOR ROCKEFELLER AND MALCOLM X.
WELL, MARTIN WENT OFF WITH MALCOLM X.
AND MALCOLM SAID TO HIM, "I JUST WANTED TO COME AND CONGRATULATE YOU, AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW I'M TOTALLY IN SUPPORT OF EVERYTHING YOU DO."
HE SAID, "BUT I JUST THINK THAT IT'S BEST FOR ME NOT TO BE SEEN WITH YOU."
HE SAID, "BECAUSE IF THEY DON'T DEAL WITH YOU, THEY MIGHT THINK TWICE 'CAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW ME."
- YES, SIR.
- "AND THEY MIGHT RATHER DEAL WITH YOU THAN DEAL WITH ME."
AND SO HE WOULDN'T EVEN COME INTO THE MEETING.
BUT GOVERNOR ROCKEFELLER CAME IN.
- IT'S AMAZING THAT THEY UNDERSTOOD THAT THEY'RE FIGHTING FOR THE SAME PURPOSE, MAYBE ON DIFFERENT PATHS, PROVIDED LEVERAGE ONE ANOTHER- - WELL, IT REALLY WASN'T ON DIFFERENT PATHS, BECAUSE I THINK THEY WERE VERY MUCH ALIKE IN TERMS OF THEIR SPIRITS.
THE ONLY TIME MARTIN GOT LOUD WAS ON A PLATFORM.
(BOTH CHUCKLE) THE ONLY TIME MALCOLM GOT LOUD WAS ON A PLATFORM, SAY, SPEAKING.
AROUND THE DINNER TABLE, HE TALKED JUST ABOVE A WHISPER.
- WOW.
- NOW, ELIJAH MUHAMMAD HAD THAT SAME KIND OF CALM ABOUT HIM.
IN FACT, ANYBODY THAT'S SPIRITUAL, YOU KNOW, HAS TO KIND OF CALM THEMSELVES DOWN, BECAUSE JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE GOOD AND DECENT AND WANNA BE RIGHTEOUS, DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU DON'T REALLY HAVE A POT BOILING INSIDE YOU AND YOU MIGHT WANNA DO SOMETHING RASH AND VIOLENT.
THERE'S A STREAK OF VIOLENCE IN JUST ABOUT EVERYBODY.
- YEAH.
- THE IMPORTANT THING IS TO REALIZE THAT THAT'S NOT WHERE YOUR STRENGTH IS, YOUR STRENGTH IS IN YOUR MIND, IN THE LOVE AND FORGIVENESS AND RESPECT THAT'S IN YOUR HEART, SEE?
I MEAN, THAT'S WHERE THE POWER IS.
YOU CAN OVERCOME MORE PEOPLE WITH LOVE AND RESPECT.
- YES, SIR.
- THAN YOU CAN CUSSING AND SHOUTING AND CALLING THEM ALL KINDS OF NAMES.
- THERE ARE A FEW NAMES THAT I KNOW YOU ARE RIGHT NEXT TO, BECAUSE NOW WE ARGUE OVER WHICH LEADS, JUST LIKE WE ARGUE OVER MALCOLM AND MARTIN WHEN I WAS A KID, PEOPLE ARGUE, SO IT'S VERY REFRESHING TO HEAR YOU SAY HOW SIMILAR IN SPIRIT, BECAUSE YOU KNEW BOTH OF THEM, WHEN A LOT OF TIMES WE WERE JUST ARGUING IDEOLOGY, BUT THESE ARE PEOPLE YOU ACTUALLY KNEW, AND I JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT- - WELL, PEOPLE CARICATURED THEM AND THEY WANTED TO MAKE MARTIN ONE THING AND MALCOLM ANOTHER.
THEY PROBABLY WERE MUCH CLOSER AS BROTHERS.
AND MARTIN COULD GET, HE WOULDN'T GET MAD, BUT I THINK SOME OF HIS SPEECHES ARE FAR MORE MILITANT THAN ANYTHING MALCOLM SAID.
THE SPEECH THAT HE GAVE AT RIVERSIDE CHURCH AGAINST THE WAR IN VIETNAM, WHERE HE FACED UP TO THE FACT THAT HE WAS ASHAMED, BUT THAT AMERICA WAS THE MOST VIOLENT FORCE ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH.
- I'MA NAME A FEW OTHER NAMES, JUST GIVE ME A FEW WORDS ON THEM.
PEOPLE THAT I'VE SOME OF KNOWN AS SOME OF GROWING AROUND.
RALPH DAVID ABERNATHY.
- RALPH ABERNATHY WAS THE ONE WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR MARTIN LUTHER KING.
- SO THAT WAS HIS HOME.
THAT WAS HIS SOCIETY.
THAT WAS HIS- - WELL, YEAH, BECAUSE MARTIN, SEE, MARTIN WAS 25 WHEN HE WENT TO MONTGOMERY.
- YEAH, 'CAUSE HE WAS ONLY 16 WHEN HE GOT IN MOREHOUSE, RIGHT?
YOUNG MAN.
- AND HE WENT TO MONTGOMERY BECAUSE HE WANTED TO BE CALM, HE WANTED TO BE QUIET, AND HE FELT THAT DEXTER AVENUE WAS THE MOST CONSERVATIVE BAPTIST CHURCH IN THE TOWN, (MIKE LAUGHS) IN THE SOUTH.
AND HE FIGURED I WON'T GET INTO ANY TROUBLE HERE.
- OKAY - HE SAID, IF I COULD STAY IN THAT LINE OR THEY'LL TRY TO PUSH ME INTO POLITICS OR SOMETHING, AND I DON'T WANT THAT, I WANT TO BE A GOOD PREACHER.
- GOT IT - AND HE FINISHED HIS PHD DISSERTATION, MAILED IT TO BOSTON UNIVERSITY.
AND TWO WEEKS LATER, ROSA PARKS SAT DOWN ON THE BUS.
(LAUGHTER) AND HE WASN'T EVEN THINKING ABOUT LEADING THE MOVEMENT.
HE WAS IN THE BACK OF THE CHURCH, RUNNING A MIMEOGRAPH MACHINE MAKING HANDBILLS.
- WOW.
- AND THE BAPTIST PREACHER AND THE METHODIST PREACHER GOT TO ARGUING ABOUT UH, WHO SHOULD BE LEADING THIS MOVEMENT.
AND THE WOMEN CAME TOGETHER AND SAID, LOOK, WE ALWAYS HAVE THIS.
LET'S LET BOTH OF THESE BROTHERS SIT THIS ONE OUT AND LET'S TRY THIS YOUNG MAN IN THE BACK AND LET HIM BE OUR SPOKESMAN FOR THIS.
AND SEE, THEY WERE THINKING, THEY WEREN'T THINKING ABOUT ANY NEW LEADER.
THEY WERE THINKING ABOUT SOMEBODY TO, TO TAKE ON A ONE DAY BOYCOTT.
- YEAH.
- AND HE WAS BACK THERE AND THEY, THEY VOTED HIM IN WITHOUT EVEN ASKING HIM.
AND FORTUNATELY FOR US, CORETTA WAS EXPECTING AND SHE COULDN'T BE THERE.
AND SHE GOT THE CHOIR DIRECTOR FROM UM DEXTER AVENUE UH TO TAPE RECORD HIS SPEECH.
NOW IT WAS ABOUT SEVEN O'CLOCK AT NIGHT, MAYBE LATER, THAT THEY ELECTED HIM FOR EIGHT O'CLOCK MEETING.
AND HE'S 25 YEARS OLD.
THIS WAS IN DECEMBER.
HE DIDN'T TURN 26 TILL THE 15TH OF JANUARY.
AND UM...
HE DIDN'T HAVE ANY TIME TO MAKE ANY NOTES OR, YOU KNOW, WRITE A SPEECH AND YOU KNOW, WHAT PREACHERS DO, THE ONLY THING YOU CAN DO WHEN YOU GET CAUGHT, LIKE THAT IS GO TO THE BATHROOM AND LOCK THE DOOR.
(LAUGHING) AND THAT'S WHERE YOU CAN BE CALM AND GET YOUR THOUGHTS TOGETHER.
BUT IF YOU EVER READ THAT SPEECH THAT HE MADE AT MONTGOMERY, IT HAD ALL OF THE SEEDS OF EVERYTHING ELSE THAT HE DID.
AND IT WAS ONE OF HIS BEST SPEECHES THAT HE HAD TO GIVE WITH NO PREPARATION TIME AND NO NOTES SEE?
NO MANUSCRIPT.
BUT IT WAS A TESTIMONY TO WHAT HE HAD LEARNED AT MOREHOUSE AND AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY.
AND, AND IT WAS WHAT GOD HAD PUT IN HIS HEART.
AND THAT'S THE REASON I SAY THAT LEADERSHIP IS GOD GIVEN AND GOD ORDAINED.
- YES SIR.
- AND THEY COULDN'T HAVE PUT ANYBODY ELSE IN THAT SPOT WHO WOULD HAVE DONE WHAT HE DID.
- SO, LOOKING AT HIM CAUSE HE'S WHAT?
- TWENTY-FIVE TO 39, HE DIDN'T MAKE 40 - YEAH.
14 YEARS OF A MATE CHANGING THE COURSE OF AMERICAN HISTORY.
- OF THE WORLD.
- YEAH.
AND RELUCTANT LEADERSHIP.
I'M A BELIEVER IN RELUCTANT LEADERSHIP.
LIKE I, EVEN IN - WELL, I AM TOO, (LAUGHING) BECAUSE ANYBODY THAT'S WILLING TO PUT THEIR HEAD ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK IS CRAZY.
(LAUGHING) AND HE SAID, HE SAID THAT TO US ONE TIME.
AND IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT KEEPS ME GOING.
- YES, SIR.
- HE SAID, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO BE CLINICALLY INSANE TO THINK THAT THIS CRAZY BUNCH OF YOUNG NEGROES CAN SAVE THIS NATION.
HE SAID, WE PROBABLY WON'T MAKE IT TILL WE'RE 40 HE SAID, BUT IF WE MAKE IT TO 40.
PAST 40.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO STRUGGLE TO A HUNDRED, BECAUSE IT'S NOT EVER GOING TO BE EASY.
- YES SIR.
- AND UM I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT KIND OF MAKES ME TRY TO KEEP GOING BECAUSE HE DIDN'T MAKE IT TO 40.
- YEAH.
- AND I DID.
AND KNOCKING ON THE DOOR OF 90.
- YEAH.
- AND I'M- - LOOKING 70.
YOU LOOK GREAT.
- I CAN'T, I CAN'T UM I CAN'T THINK THAT ALL OF THE THINGS I'VE BEEN THROUGH ARE IN VAIN.
- YES SIR.
- EVERYTHING THAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME WAS FOR SOME PURPOSE.
- YEAH - AND LIKE, I THINK THAT THE FACT THAT I HAD AN IRISH GROCERY STORE, AN ITALIAN BAR, THE NAZI PARTY AND A CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP WHERE I WAS BORN.
I WAS DESTINED TO BE AN AMBASSADOR, THOUGH I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT AN AMBASSADOR WAS.
(LAUGHING) BUT I HAD TO NEGOTIATE MY WAY TO KEEP FROM GETTING MY ASS KICKED, TO GET TO THE GROCERY STORE.
SEE, AND I LEARNED TO BE NICE, I LEARNED THAT IF YOU SHOWED FEAR, YOU WERE IN TROUBLE, BUT IF YOU WERE AGGRESSIVELY POLITE AND NICE TO EVERYBODY, YOU GOT RESPECT.
- THERE WAS A RABBLE-ROUSER AMONGST YOU GUYS, UM WHO, WHO WAS BIG ON ATLANTA POLITICAL SCENE SERVED ON CITY COUNCIL.
HE CAME TO MY SEVENTH GRADE CLASS AND SPOKE TO US AND WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO TELL ME THAT EGYPTIANS WERE AFRICANS.
AND NOT AFRICANS BY WAY OF IT WAS IN AFRICA, AFRICANS, BY WAY OF KUSH, THE PEOPLE LOOKED LIKE YOU.
SO DON'T EVER DOUBT YOURSELF.
AND HIS NAME WAS HOSEA WILLIAMS, RIGHT?
AND HE WAS A HELL RAISER AT TIMES.
- WELL, HOSEA WAS AN INTERESTING MAN.
- MHM - HOSEA WAS BORN, YOU KNOW THE SAME BLIND SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND THAT RAY CHARLES WENT TO?
- YES, SIR.
- HIS MOTHER AND HIS FATHER WERE IN THAT SCHOOL.
BOTH OF THEM WERE BLIND.
- I DIDN'T KNOW THAT.
- AND THEY WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE GETTING TOGETHER, BUT HIS MOTHER GOT PREGNANT AND SHE HID IT, WENT HOME TO HER GRANDMAMA ON CHRISTMAS, OVER CHRISTMAS.
HAD HOSEA, LEFT HIM WITH THE GRANDMAMA, AND WENT BACK TO SCHOOL.
UH AND UM HE WAS RAISED BY HIS GRANDMOTHER AND FATHER.
WHEN YOU GROW UP WITHOUT A MOTHER'S LOVE DIRECTLY, UM YOU, YOU CAN, YOU GOT A RIGHT TO BE KINDA CRAZY.
- YEAH (LAUGHING) AND HOSEA WAS SO BITTER THAT HE JOINED THE ARMY WHEN HE WAS 16 OR 17, HE LIED ABOUT HIS AGE.
AND ASKED HIM, WHY DID HE DO THAT?
HE SAID, BECAUSE THE ARMY WAS THE ONLY PLACE THAT I COULD GO TO LEGITIMATELY KILL WHITE PEOPLE.
(LAUGHING) - WOW.
HOSEA.
- AND HE, HE WENT TO EUROPE UNDER AGE AND WAS HIT IN A FOXHOLE HE WAS IN.
THERE WAS A DIRECT BOMB HIT.
AND EVERYBODY GOT KILLED IN THAT FOXHOLE.
- EXCEPT HIM.
- HE WAS UNDER THE BOTTOM.
AND WHEN THEY WERE TAKING THE BODIES OUT UH A DAY LATER, UH THEY FOUND HIM UNDER THERE STILL ALIVE UH AND TOOK HIM TO A HOSPITAL IN ENGLAND.
AFTER 11 MONTHS IN THE HOSPITAL IN ENGLAND, HE'S COMING BACK TO GEORGIA.
AND IN A HOT DAY IN THE SUMMER, HE TRIED TO GET WATER FROM A FOUNTAIN.
IT SAID WHITE ONLY, BUT HE WENT IN TO THE STORE TO TRY TO BUY A CUP.
THEY WOULDN'T SELL HIM A CUP.
THEY SOLD HIM, THEY MADE HIM BUY A CUP OF COFFEE AND HE POURED IT OUT BECAUSE HE DOESN'T DRINK COFFEE, RINSE THE CUP OUT AND WAS TRYING TO GET SOME WATER.
AND HE'S A VETERAN ON CRUTCHES, SEE WITH A PURPLE HEART AND A BUNCH OF YOUNG WHITE KIDS ROUGHED HIM UP FOR TRYING TO GET A DRINK OF WATER.
AND HE SAID, HE DECIDED THEN, THAT THE LORD WAS SAVING HIM TO GIVE HIS LIFE BACK HERE FOR BLACK FOLKS.
(LAUGHING) AND SO HE, HE HAD THIS THING ABOUT ALMOST LIKE HE, HE WAS LOOKING AT HOW CAN I GET MYSELF KILLED?
(LAUGHING) - WHEN HE WENT TO FORSYTH WITH OPRAH.
- NO, BUT EVEN BEFORE, I MEAN, HE WAS ALWAYS PUSHING THE ENVELOPE.
- AN AGITATOR.
- SEE AND I UH, I MEAN, I, I LIKED HIM.
- YEAH - IN FACT, THE ONLY TIME, I, FIRST TIME I WENT TO JAIL WAS TO GET HIM OUT OF JAIL.
I MEAN, MARTIN SENT ME TO, HE'D BEEN IN JAIL, HE WAS IN JAIL ALMOST 40 DAYS, AND WE DIDN'T STAY IN JAIL LONG 'CAUSE MOST FOLK WANTED TO GET OUT AND THE NAACP HELPED US GET OUT.
- YEAH.
- AND JOSE WANTED TO STAY, AND HE WAS FASTING AND THEN PRAYING.
AND MARTIN SAID, "WE NEED HIM OUT" - YEAH.
AND SENT ME OVER THERE.
WELL, I'M GOING, WALKING TO THE CITY HALL TO TRY TO TALK TO THE MAYOR AND IT HAD ALL BEEN SET UP BY THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, 'CAUSE THAT WAS RIGHT AFTER BIRMINGHAM.
- YEAH.
AND I HAD WORKED WITH THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO SETTLE THAT.
SO, I FIGURED SAVANNAH'S A PIECE OF CAKE.
- YEAH.
- AND THEY WERE NICE PEOPLE I'D BEEN DOWN.
I'D BEEN TO SAVANNAH A LOT AND I'M WALKING DOWN THERE AND THERE WERE SOME KIDS, AND IT WAS LIKE, THEY WERE PLAYING PICKETING.
AND A POLICE CAME UP IN FRONT OF THE HOLIDAY INN, THE POLICE CAME UP AND STARTED PUTTING THEM IN THE PADDY WAGON.
- YEAH.
- AND THEY WERE LIKE 10, 11, 12 YEARS OLD, NO MORE THAN 12.
AND I WENT OVER AND I SAID, "OFFICER YOU KNOW, THESE KIDS ARE NOT PART OF THIS ORGANIZED DEMONSTRATION."
- YEAH.
- I SAID "THERE PARENTS DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT THEY'RE THERE, THEY JUST OUT HERE PLAYING PICKETING.
IT'S A MISTAKE TO PUT THEM IN JAIL.
YOU REALLY JUST TAKE THE SIGNS AND SEND THEM BACK TO THEIR PARENTS.
- YEAH.
- AND HE GRABBED ME AND... (ALL CHUCKLE) AND THREW ME IN THE PADDY WAGON.
ONE OF THE BEST EXPERIENCES IN MY LIFE THOUGH.
AND I TELL YOU BECAUSE, IT'S WHERE I LEARNED, IT WAS HOT AUGUST DAY.
- YEAH.
- AND THEY HAVE THAT LITTLE THING IS ALL THE AIR YOU GET IN A PADDY WAGON.
- YES SIR.
- IT'S JUST BY 12 INCHES LONG AND NO MORE THAN TWO INCHES WIDE.
- YEAH.
- AND WE WERE SITTING IN THE SUN, AND IT WAS OVER A HUNDRED DEGREES OUTSIDE.
- OVEN IN THERE.
- IT WAS AN OVEN.
- YEAH.
- AND SO I WENT TO THAT LITTLE SLIT AND I SAID, "OFFICER COULD YOU TAKE US ON TO THE JAIL THESE KIDS ARE GONNA START PASSING OUT IN HERE."
- YEAH.
- AND THEY DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING THEY JUST CLOSED THE SLUG.
SO, WE GOT NO AIR.
AND IT WAS ONE OF MY BETTER DAYS.
AND I SAID, "LOOK, THEY'RE TRYING TO MAKE US CRACK, THEY WANT YOU SCREAMING AND HOWLING."
SEE, I SAID.
"HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE EVER BEEN TO THE BEACH?
YOU KNOW WHERE TYBEE BEACH IS?"
YEAH.
I SAID, "CLOSE YOUR EYES, WE GONNA TO GO TO THE BEACH."
AND THEN IT WAS ABOUT, IT WAS ABOUT 25 OF US OF THEM PACKED IN THERE.
AND I SAID, "REMEMBER, WE WE CAN SEE THE OCEAN, AND WE WALKING DON'T RUN, BUT LET'S JUST WALK SLOW.
AND IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU CAN SWIM, WE'RE NOT GOING OUT.
I'M A GOOD SWIMMER.
AND AM NOT GONNA TO LET YOU GO NO FURTHER THAN WASTE DEEP.
- YEAH.
- SEE.
AND SO, WE WALKED OUT AND, I CONNED THEM INTO THINKING.
I SAID, "NOW, IT'S COLD."
- RIGHT.
(CHUCKLES) - AND THEY STARTED SHIVERING.
AND YOU REALLY GOT COLD.
- YOU KNOW MY WIFE SHAY, THIS IS WHAT SHE PAYS PEOPLE TO TEACH OTHER MEDITATE.
- YEAH.
- SO YOU'RE DOING A MEDITATION CLASS THE BACK OF PADDY WAGON.
- WITH 12... - WITH 10 AND 12 YEAR OLD.
- THIS IS AMAZING.
- BUT THEN I SAID, "NOW WE COOL NOW."
- YEAH.
- HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW, WADE IN THE WATER?
SEE, I SAID NOW LET'S WALK BACK, - YEAH.
- TO WE NEED DEEP, AND THEN WE WALK IN ALONG THE BEACH.
- YEAH.
- AND WE STARTED SINGING.
(BOTH SINGING) ♪ WADE IN THE WATER, ♪ ♪ WADE IN THE WATER CHILDREN WADE.
♪ AND THE POLICE GOT MAD AS WE GOT TO JAIL.
(BOTH LAUGHING) - THAT'S MY GIRL SAYING MAKE SOME NOISE FOR THE LORD THE DEVIL DON'T WANNA HEAR THAT.
- YEAH.
- THERE WAS A PERSON WHO PLAYED AN INSTRUMENTAL PART IN MY LIFE AND AN ORGANIZING WITH YOU AS A YOUNG MAN, WHEN YOU MET HIM, HIS NAME WAS JAMES ORANGE.
HE WAS PLAYED BY OMAR DORSEY AND THE MOVIE SELMA.
HE NEVER CALLED ME KILLER MIKE.
HE CALLED EVERYONE LEADER AND HE WOULD ONLY CALL ME MICHAEL.
AND HE AND WALKED CLEVELAND WHERE THE PEOPLE HANDS ON TAUGHT ME.
- YEAH.
- TELL US ABOUT JAMES, BECAUSE HE'S ONE OF THE MORE UNRECOGNIZED PEOPLE.
- LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING.
- HE WAS A HUGE MAN, HUGE BLACK MAN.
- JAMES ORANGE WAS ABOUT SIX-FOUR AND WEIGHED AT LEAST 200.
HE WAS KNOCKING ON THE DOOR 300 POUNDS.
- YEAH HE WAS A BIG GUY.
- AND IF IT WAS TODAY IN ALABAMA, IN FACT, HIS NEPHEW WHO WAS A LITTLE YOUNGER, PLAYED AT ALABAMA.
AND WAS THE FIRST BLACK COACH IN THE SEC, HE COACHED MISSISSIPPI STATE.
- WOW.
- THAT WAS JAMES YOUNGER A NEPHEW.
BUT JAMES WOULD HAVE BEEN A GREAT FOOTBALL PLAYER.
- YEAH.
- 'CAUSE HE WAS, HE WAS A GOOD DANCER FOR ONE THING.
- YEAH.
- SO, HE LOVED DANCE.
AND, THIS GRADE BIG GUY WITH ALL THESE FANCY DANCE MOVES, BUT THAT'S THE WAY HIS SPIRIT WAS.
HE CALLED EVERYBODY LEADER.
- YEAH.
- HE SERVED US WELL IN BIRMINGHAM, BECAUSE I'M FIVE, SEVEN, MARTIN LUTHER KING WASN'T BUT FIVE, SIX.
AND WE COULDN'T GO INTO THESE PLACES, AND DEMAND AND IN RESPECT.
JAMES WOULD GO IN AND SAY.
"ALL RIGHT, I WANT EVERYBODY TO GIVE DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING THEIR FULL ATTENTION.
NOW, Y'ALL CAN DRINK AND CUSS AND DO WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING AFTER.
WE'RE NOT GONNA BE HERE LONG.
BUT RIGHT NOW I WANT EVERYTHING TO FOCUS ON MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. GIVE HIM A HAND."
- YEAH.
- AND THAT WOULD GET THE ATTENTION OF PEOPLE IN THE POOL HALLS AND THE BARS.
- YES.
- AND DR. KING WOULD TALK ABOUT NONVIOLENCE.
- ALL OF YOU GUYS, SEEM TO HAVE STAYED THE COURSE AND LEADING NONVIOLENT LIFESTYLES, POLITICAL LESSONS, LIKE WHEN YOU RAN FOR CONGRESS, OF COURSE YOU GET SOME PUSHBACK FROM PEOPLE WHO WERE MORE TO THE BLACK NATIONALIST.
YOU GET PUSHBACK FROM PEOPLE WHO WERE GENERALLY LIKE SEGREGATION WORKFORCE AT THE TIME, WHY DO WE NOT WANT IT NOW IN TERMS OF THE WIDE AUDIENCE.
YET YOUR ACTIVIST PAST DIDN'T PREVENT YOU FROM BECOMING A CONGRESSMAN LATER, U.S.
AMBASSADOR AND THEN MAYOR.
WHAT DID BEING AN ACTIVIST?
HOW DID IT PREPARE YOU FOR POLITICS?
DID IT PREPARE YOU FOR POLITICS?
AND WHAT DID BEING A POLITICIAN TEACH YOU?
BECAUSE ONCE YOU GOT TO BE A POLITICIAN, YOU WERE ONE OF THE MOST PRAGMATIC PEOPLE.
- LET ME ANSWER IT THIS WAY.
- OKAY.
- LATER ON WHEN I BECAME AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N. - YEAH SIR.
- JIMMY CARTER GAVE ME A LITTLE NOTE SAYING, "I WANT YOU TO TALK TO AS MANY AFRICAN LEADERS AS POSSIBLE, AND ASK THEM WHAT WE MIGHT DO TO HELP THEM, SEE.
AND DON'T TELL THEM WHAT WE WANT TO DO, ASK THEM."
AND SO, I DID.
I HAD TALKED TO ABOUT 26 AFRICAN LEADERS, TRAVELING AROUND AFRICA, AND WENT TO SOUTH AFRICA.
AND I'D BEEN TO SOUTH AFRICA A COUPLE OF TIMES ALREADY, BUT I'D NEVER MET WITH THE WHITE SOUTH AFRICANS, SEE.
AND THE STATE DEPARTMENT DIDN'T WANT ME.
THEY SAID, "NO, WE NEED YOU TO TALK TO THE AFRICAN LEADERS."
I SAID, "NO, I TALKED TO THEM ALL THE TIME., THEY COME TO ATLANTA.
(LAUGHING) WE'RE FRIENDS.
I SAID, "I NEED," THEY SAID "WHY" I SAID, "WHO'S THE MEANEST SON OF A BITCH YOU GOT TO DEAL WITH."
(BOTH LAUGHING) AND WHEN I PUT IT THAT WAY, THEY SAID P.W BOTHA.
- OKAY.
- I SAID, "WHY CAN'T I TALK TO HIM?"
- YOU TALKED TO GEORGE WALLACE.
- YEAH.
BUT THEY SAID, "WE DON'T TALK TO HIM."
NOW, THESE ARE THE WHITE STATE DEPARTMENT PEOPLE.
- YEAH.
- I SAID, "WELL, DO YOU HAVE A PHONE NUMBER?"
AND I CALLED HIM UP.
- HOW DID THAT CONVERSATION GO?
- WELL, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
THE FIRST THING HE, WHEN I WALKED IN HIS OFFICE, HE SAID, "WHO YOU COMIN' WITH, HOW MANY PEOPLE COMIN'?
I SAID, "WELL, I CAN COME BY MYSELF OR I CAN BRING THE AMBASSADOR.
HE SAID, "COME BY YOURSELF."
- YES.
- SO, I WALKED, WENT IN, HE DIDN'T EVEN SAY HELLO.
HE JUST GRABBED ME BY MY HAND AND PULLED ME IN HIS OFFICE.
AND HE TURNED HIS BACK ON ME AND WALKED TO HIS DESK.
AND HE SAID, "WHY DID WHITE PEOPLE VOTE FOR YOU?"
(LAUGHING) AND I SAID, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN?"
HE SAID, "YOU WERE IN CONGRESS."
YOUR DISTRICT WAS MOSTLY WHITE.
WHY DID WHITE PEOPLE VOTE FOR YOU?
I SAID, "WELL I DON'T KNOW, BUT I SAID "I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM FOR YEARS ON OTHER THINGS BEFORE POLITICS.
AND I GUESS, THEY DECIDED THAT WE'RE GONNA TO HAVE TO LEARN TO LIVE TOGETHER, AND THEY MIGHT JUST, WELL, TRY ME OUT.
I SAID IT WAS JUST A CONGRESSMAN, NOT A BIG, IMPORTANT POSITION.
AND HE JUST GRUNTED.
AND THEN HE SAID, "HOW MUCH INTERMARRIAGE DO YOU HAVE IN ATLANTA?"
(CHUCKLES) AND I SAID, "WELL, THERE'S SOME, BUT NOT A LOT."
I SAID, "I THINK WE HAVE ONE OR TWO INTERRACIAL COUPLES IN MY CHURCH."
AND I SAID, "BUT AMONGST MY FRIENDS, I CAN'T NAME 10."
SEE?
AND THAT'S IN ATLANTA, THAT'S AS INTEGRATED A CITY AS YOU'RE GONNA FIND IN THE SOUTH.
BUT THEN, THERE'S JUST NOT A LOT OF INTERRACIAL MARRIAGE.
AND THEN THE THIRD QUESTION WAS, "HOW LONG DO YOU THINK WE HAVE BEFORE THE BLOOD BATH?"
AND I SAID, "WHAT BLOODBATH?"
HE SAID, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHAT BLOODBATHS?
SOON, HOW LONG BEFORE THESE BLACK PEOPLE RISE UP AND KILL US ALL?
AND I SAID, I REALLY DON'T THINK THAT'LL HAPPEN.
SO, AND I SAID, THAT'S WHY JIMMY CARTER ASKED ME TO COME TO TALK TO YOU BECAUSE HE GREW UP IN A COUNTY THAT'S 80% BLACK.
AND I SAID, HE REALLY HAS LIVED WITH BLACK PEOPLE MORE THAN HE HAS WITH WHITE PEOPLE.
AND HE HAS SAID THAT IF YOU WERE INTERESTED IN PURSUING A MULTI-RACIAL DEMOCRACY, HE WOULD BE GLAD TO WORK WITH YOU PERSONALLY.
SEE, AND GIVE HIM A CALL AND, HE'S READY TO PUT THE FULL WEIGHT OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT BEHIND HELPING SOUTH AFRICA LEARN TO LIVE TOGETHER, BLACK AND WHITE.
AND HE DID, SEE.
AND A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER, HE CALLED WASHINGTON THROUGH HIS AMBASSADOR AND HE AND WALTER MONDALE, WHO WAS THE VICE PRESIDENT, HAD A MEETING IN PORTUGAL.
AND THAT WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE END OF APARTHEID IN SOUTH AFRICA.
- YOU HELPED, IN MY OPINION, CARTER CONQUER SOME THINGS.
I NEVER KNEW HE WAS FROM AN 80% BLACK COUNTY.
BUT IN HIS BIOGRAPHY, IT SPEAKS TO KIND OF A LOT OF TIMES WHITE LIBERALS ARE QUIET WHEN THE WORST OF WHITE PEOPLE ARE SHOWING OR WHEN THE UGLINESS IS OUT THERE.
THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO PIVOT AND WHAT TO DO BUT IT SEEMS LIKE FORMER PRESIDENT CARTER, WHEN HE BECAME GOVERNOR, GOT STAUNCH ABOUT DEFENDING WHAT WAS RIGHT IN MATTERS RACE AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
HOW'S YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM EVOLVED, BECAUSE HE'S NOW REVERED AS ONE OF THEM?
- DO YOU REMEMBER FRED BENNETT?
- I DON'T REMEMBER FRED BENNETT.
- FRED BENNETT WAS, FRED BENNETT, I USED TO SAY HE WAS DADDY KING'S OUTSIDE JOE.
(LAUGHING) BECAUSE MARTIN MET FRED BENNETT, CAUGHT HIM ON ALL ONE AVENUE, DIGGING IN GARBAGE CANS, LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO EAT.
AND HE WAS A BIG GUY.
AND MARTIN AND ANDY WERE SMALL.
AND MARTIN STOPPED HIM AND BROUGHT HIM HOME AND, FOR LUNCH AT HIS HOUSE.
AND HE AND BENNETT, BENNET WAS SOMEBODY THAT WOULD GIVE HIS LIFE FOR MARTIN.
- ABSOLUTELY.
- HE WAS BORN AND RAISED IN BUTTERMILK BOTTOM.
AND WHEN THEY TORE BUTTERMILK BOTTOM PUTTING 75, 85 THROUGH THERE, HE SAID, I AIN'T LEAVING.
AND HE WENT TO THE LANDMARK AND APPLIED FOR AN APARTMENT.
WELL, THEY WOULDN'T GIVE IT TO HIM.
AND SO CAROL AND PAUL MULDAR ARE ON MY STAFF.
THEY WENT THE NEXT DAY AND APPLIED FOR AN APARTMENT AND THEY WERE WHITE AND THEY GAVE THEM THE APARTMENT.
AND THEN THEY PUT FRED BENNET'S NAME ON IT AND THREATENED TO FILE SUIT.
AND HE GOT IN THE LANDMARK.
SO WELL, THERE WAS THIS IRANIAN FELLOW WHO WAS JIMMY CARTER'S FRIEND WHO LIVED ON THE SAME FLOOR.
AND HE GOT TO KNOW JIMMY CARTER WHEN HE WAS IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE.
AND HE KEPT TELLING ME, YOU GOT TO MEET THIS WHITE BOY.
AND YOU GOT TO MEET THIS WHITE BOY.
I SAID, LOOK, MARK.
WHEN WE WENT IN SUMPTER COUNTY, THAT WAS WHERE MARTIN AND THEM WENT TO JAIL IN ALBANY.
- YEAH.
- AND IT WAS A HOT DAY.
AND THEN IT COOLED DOWN AND COLA DIED.
WELL, WE TRIED TO TAKE THEM SOME BLANKETS IN JAIL.
SHERIFF FRED CHAPEL WOULDN'T LET US GIVE HIM ANY BLANKETS AND TURNED ON THE AIR, FAN.
AND MARTIN SAID THAT FRED CHAPEL IS THE MEANEST MAN IN THE WORLD BECAUSE EVERYBODY GOT SICK.
SO WHEN I MET FIRST MET JIMMY CARTER, I SAID, YOU'RE FROM DOWN IN SOUTH GEORGIA?
HE SAID, YOU HAVE SUMPTER COUNTY.
AND I SAID, THE ONLY THING I KNOW ABOUT SUMPTER COUNTY IS FRED CHAPEL.
AND HE SAID, OH YEAH, HE'S A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE.
- SO HOW DO YOU GROW TO TRUST SOMEBODY WHO'S A GOOD FRIEND, - WELL, BECAUSE BENNETT KEPT SAYING, NO, YOU GOT TO KNOW HIM.
- GOT YOU.
- SIT DOWN.
THE IRANIAN NEIGHBOR HAD AN AIRPLANE AND HE FLEW JIMMY CARTER AROUND WHILE HIS CAMPAIGN.
- GOTCHA.
- AND BEFORE HE GOT TO BE GOVERNOR, HE SAID, I JUST WANT ONE, I WANT YOU TO PROMISE ME ONE THING.
THAT YOU WILL PUT, YOU WILL SAY PUBLICLY THAT THE DAYS OF SEGREGATION ARE DONE.
AND HE PUT THAT IN HIS FIRST SPEECH.
- YOUR FRIENDSHIP IS ONE BUILT ON A MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING THAT VIOLENCE IS NOT GOING TO BE GOOD FOR THE CITY OR STATE.
YOUR FRIENDSHIP IS BUILT ON ONE WHERE YOU GUYS HAD TO TRUST AND SHOW LOVE AND RESPECT IN SPITE OF, - AND THEN RITA SAMUELS, RITA SAMUELS WENT IN AND SAID, "GOVERNOR CARTER, I'VE BEEN ALL OVER THIS PLACE.
I AIN'T SEEN NOBODY BLACK ON THE WALL."
- OH YEAH, IN THE CAPITAL.
- WE HAD BLACK LEADERS IN GEORGIA BEFORE, AND HE SAID, WELL READER, THAT'S ONE OF THE MISTAKES WE MADE.
AND HE SAID, WHY DON'T YOU FORM A COMMITTEE AND DECIDE WHICH BLACK FOLK YOU WANT PUT UP IN THE CAPITOL.
AND SHE PICKED BISHOP HENRY MCNEIL TURNER, THE CME CHURCH, AND MARTIN LUTHER KING.
- WOW.
- AND I REMEMBER HE AGREED TO PUT THEM UP, HAD THE PICTURES PAINTED, AND WE PUT IT UP AND THE KLAN WAS MARCHING AROUND OUTSIDE.
- YEAH.
- AND I REMEMBER CAUSE A BUNCH OF... - ALL OF THEM KIDS, A WHITE MAN, THEY GET MAD BECAUSE TWO WHITE, TWO BLACK GUYS.
- SOME BLACK KIDS GOT BAD WITH THE KLAN, WHAT MARCHING.
- YEAH.
- AND THEY STARTED HARASSING THEM.
AND I WENT OUT THERE.
I MEAN, I WENT UP AND TOLD THEM, I SAID, LOOK, THEY HARASSED US.
BUT WE HAD THE RIGHT TO MARCH.
THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO MARCH.
- YEAH.
- DON'T HARASS THEM.
BE THANKFUL THAT THEY'RE MARCHING PEACEFULLY.
AND SO IT ALL WENT OFF SMOOTHLY.
- I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE BRAVES WON THE WORLD SERIES.
HANK AARON WAS A FRIEND OF YOURS AND A STEWARD IN THIS COMMUNITY.
I MISS HIM.
I'M SURE YOU DO TOO.
I'M SURE HE WAS THERE IN SPIRIT.
- WELL AND HIS WIFE AND MY WIFE WERE GOOD FRIENDS SINCE THEY WERE TEENAGERS ONLY.
SINCE SHE WAS A TEENAGER.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN VERY CLOSE TO THE AARONS, AND I CAN REMEMBER HANK AARON COMING TO TOWN.
I WAS STANDING OUT IN FRONT OF THE AMERICAN HOTEL ON SPRING STREET AND I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUNCH OF GOOD OLD BOYS FROM SOMEWHERE.
I MEAN, THEY WERE OBVIOUSLY FROM OUTSIDE OF THE CITY OF ATLANTA, CAUSE THEY ALL HAD ON OVERALLS.
AND I WAS ANXIOUS TO SEE WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO WHEN HANK CAME BY.
AND THEY CHEATED JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.
AND I REALIZED THAT THE INTEGRATION OF BASEBALL, JACKIE ROBINSON WAS AS IMPORTANT AS WHAT WE WERE DOING.
AND DR. KING USED TO SAY THAT IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT 11 O'CLOCK SUNDAY MORNING IS THE MOST SEGREGATED HOUR A WEEK.
BUT BY TWO O'CLOCK, EVERYBODY'S AT THE BALLPARK AND IT'S ONE OF THE MOST INTEGRATED HOURS OF THE WEEK.
SO I'M GRATEFUL TO THEM.
AND I GOT UPSET WITH THEM FOR TAKING THE ALL-STAR GAME AWAY FROM COBB COUNTY.
- I WAS UPSET AS WELL.
- BECAUSE COBB COUNTY NOW HAS THREE BLACK WOMEN AND TWO WHITE WOMEN RUNNING THE COUNTY.
- AS SAYS DIVERSE A COUNTY, - THEY HAVE A BLACK SHERIFF, - HUGE BLACK AND LATINO POPULATION NOW.
BLACK BUSINESSES ARE THRIVING IN COBB.
- THAT'S A COUPLE OF HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS OF INVESTMENT IN THAT BATTERY.
- SO, OKAY.
PIVOT TO THIS QUESTION.
- LET ME JUST BRAG.
I WENT OUT TO THE ALL-STAR GAME WITH MRS. AARON AND I WAS TRYING TO CONVINCE THE COMMISSIONER.
- THAT HE NEEDED TO COME NEXT YEAR.
AND HE SAID, NO, HE HAD SOME REASONS.
BUT HE SAID, THE EARLIEST WE COULD BECOME TO BACK TO ATLANTA IS 2023.
AND I, I SAID, THAT'S TOO LONG.
AND I SAID, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.
WE JUST HAVE TO WIN THE WORLD SERIES.
- AND WE DID.
- AND HE LAUGHED, BUT HE LAUGHED AND I LAUGHED.
- AND WE WON.
- I WASN'T, I MEAN, WE WERE, WE WERE A 500 BASEBALL TEAM THEN.
- YEAH.
ONE THING YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN BRILLIANT ABOUT, AS WE'VE KNOWN, HOW YOU'VE CONQUERED RACIAL DISPARITIES IS, TO ME, YOU'VE BEEN GREAT ABOUT CONQUERING CLASS.
YOU, I REMEMBER YOU CALLED ME WHEN PEOPLE WERE COMPLAINING ABOUT A PROJECT THAT WAS GOING HERE.
AND YOU SAID, MIKE, NO PUBLIC MONEY WAS USED FOR THIS PROJECT.
THIS IS PAID FOR BY PENSION FUNDS COMING OUT OF CALIFORNIA.
OF COURSE, THEY'RE GIVING TAX CREDIT AND BREAKS TO BUILD THEM HERE, BUT NO TAXPAYER MONEY IS USED.
YOU EDUCATED ME IN A 10 MINUTE CONVERSATION IN A WAY THAT PROPAGANDA FROM THE BLACK SIDE OF TOWN WAS MISEDUCATING ME.
IT WAS SAYING THAT WE'RE ONLY TAKING OURS.
YOU'VE DONE A GREAT, STELLAR JOB OF BEING IN LEADERSHIP AND HELPING ME TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF PRIVATE AND PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, COOPERATION.
- WELL, YOU'VE LEARNED IT WELL THOUGH.
- YES, SIR.
- BECAUSE THE BEST WAY TO CURE THE PROBLEMS WITH BLACK AND WHITE IS GREEN.
- YES.
AND I'M ABOUT TO GET TO THAT.
YOU STARTED A DOLLAR HOUSE PROGRAM THAT REALLY HELPED HOUSING.
- NOW THAT WAS, THAT WAS, I DON'T KNOW, THERE WAS, THAT WAS A NATIONAL PROGRAM, BUT NOBODY PUT IT IN - BUT YOU PUT IT IN PLACE.
- YEAH.
WE HAD A HOUSING, WE HAD A BIG FISHBOWL WITH ALL THE ADDRESSES IN IT.
YOU CAN REACH IN THERE - YES.
- AND, AND GET A HOUSE ADDRESS.
YOU HAD FIVE DAYS - YES - TO LOOK IT OVER AND SEE IF YOU WANT IT.
IF YOU WANTED IT, YOU, WE GAVE YOU $5,000 AND A FREE, AND A HOUSE.
- YEP.
MY WIFE, WHO'S A REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER, USES A GUY FOR HER BUILDING OF ALL HER IRON WORK, BACKED OFF GUN CLUB ROAD.
HE TALKS ABOUT BEING A RECIPIENT OF THAT.
AND TO THIS DAY, SHE STILL USES HIM.
AND HE STILL LAUDS ON HOW EFFECTIVE THAT PROGRAM WAS.
YOU UNDERSTOOD THAT IF THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND PUBLIC SECTOR WORK TOGETHER, THAT THE WEST SIDE WOULD NOT GO UNDER AND TURN INTO A HOUSING CRISIS EARLIER.
YOU SAVED PEOPLE, PEOPLE BECAME TO BE HOMEOWNERS, NOT JUST APARTMENT LIVERS.
YOU HAD TO BE A VISIONARY IN ORDER TO DO THAT.
AND NOW FAST FORWARD TO, WE HAVE GREENWOOD.
YOU CAUGHT, RYAN GLOVER CALLED ME FIRST ABOUT GREENWOOD, ABOUT AS A FINTECH COMPANY, AS A BANK.
AND I TALKED TO YOU, I SAID, WHY, WHY DOES THIS MAKE SENSE?
- WELL, LET ME JUST SAY, LET ME BE HONEST WITH YOU.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT A FINTECH WAS.
- I DIDN'T EITHER.
THEY BOTH HAD TO TELL ME, YOUR SON HAD EXPLAINED TO ME, BUT WHAT YOU DID UNDERSTAND, YOU TOLD ME ABOUT A CARD YOU SAW IN INDIA THAT ALLOWED WOMEN TO NOT GET FLEECED BECAUSE THEY HAD, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER.
- WELL, IN INDIA, IT'S CALLED THE AADHAAR CARD.
- UH-HUH.
- AND EVERY, EVERY IN, OVER A BILLION PEOPLE HAVE THEM NOW.
- YES, SIR.
- AND YOU HAVE YOUR 10 FINGERPRINTS.
- YES.
- THEY DO AN IRIS SCAN OF YOUR EYES.
THEY HAVE A PICTURE, THEY HAVE A BAR CODE AND YOUR SIGNATURE AND YOU GOT A NUMBER.
- YES.
- AND THAT'S WHAT THEY USE FOR MONEY.
- YES.
- IF YOU HAVE ANY GOVERNMENT BENEFITS, IT DOESN'T COME INTO A BANK.
IT GOES INTO YOUR AADHAAR CARD.
- YES.
- AND YOU TAKE IT TO THE GROCERY STORE - YEAH.
- AND THEY PUT IT ON THE TECHNICAL MACHINE.
- YEAH.
- AND INDIA HAS DONE MORE WITH TECHNOLOGY.
I MEAN, TH THEY SKIPPED A STEP AND, AND THEY STARTED THIS WITH THE POOR.
- YEAH.
- AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE MIDDLE-CLASS SAID, WELL, WAIT A MINUTE, THIS WORKS FOR THEM.
WHY DON'T I DO THIS?
SEE?
- AND WHAT IT ALLOWED THEM, IT'S, IT'S THAT PEOPLE STOPPED BEING FLEECED BY ESSENTIALLY LOAN SHARKS THAT WOULD TAKE HIGHER INTEREST OUT IF YOU PAID MORE, - YEAH.
- OR IF YOU HAD CASH, THEY WERE ABLE TO CHARGE YOU MORE.
AND IT KIND OF.
- IT'S SAVED EVERYBODY, ALMOST 40% OF THE INCOME.
- WOW.
- SEE?
AND INCLUDING MIDDLE-CLASS PEOPLE.
- [MIKE] YES.
- BECAUSE THE MORE CHANNELS YOU, YOU, YOUR MONEY HAS TO GO THROUGH.
EVERYBODY TAKES A LITTLE COMMISSION.
- YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
- SEE?
AND BY HAVING IT DIRECTLY BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE CONSUMER.
- YES, SIR.
- EVERYBODY SAVES MONEY.
NOW, INDIA HAS GOT A BILLION AND A HALF PEOPLE.
AND I THINK THEY GOT NOW ABOUT 1.2 BILLION OF THEM ARE USING THOSE KINDS OF CARDS.
- YOU TALKED ME INTO IT AND I, I HAVE, - BUT NOW, WHY WOULDN'T THAT BE A GOOD VOTER REGISTRATION CARD?
- THAT'D BE AN AMAZING VOTER REGISTRATION CARD.
- SEE, WHY WOULDN'T THAT BE A GOOD, I MEAN, YOU CAN PAY YOUR RENT WITH IT.
- YEAH.
- SEE, YOU CAN PAY YOUR TAXES WITH IT.
- WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUNG ACTIVISTS?
I HAVE TOLD PEOPLE PLOT, PLAN, STRATEGIZE, ORGANIZE AND MOBILIZE BECAUSE I HEARD STOKELY SAY, YOU KNOW, ON MANY OF HIS OLD TAPES, WE SHOULD BE IN A CONSTANT STATE OF ORGANIZATION.
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE THAT ARE ORGANIZED?
AND WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR ME, A YOUNG ORGANIZER YOU MET 31 YEARS AGO?
- WELL, THERE, THERE'S ONE THING I THINK I LEARNED IN ATLANTA THAT I DIDN'T KNOW.
AND THAT IS, THERE'S MORE MONEY IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR THAN IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR.
- YEAH.
- NOW, WHEN WE RAN OUT OF, WHEN WE WERE TRYING TO BUILD AN AIRPORT, THERE WAS NO MONEY IN WASHINGTON.
RONALD REAGAN HAD JUST BEEN ELECTED AND HE WASN'T THINKING ABOUT CITIES.
- YEAH.
- SEE, SO MAYNARD AND I WENT TO WALL STREET AND THERE'S ENDLESS MONEY ON WALL STREET.
- THERE IS.
- AND, BUT THERE'S LIMITED MONEY IN WASHINGTON.
SO, THERE'S NO GOVERNMENT MONEY IN THE ATLANTA AIRPORT.
AND WE PROBABLY HAVE, IT PROBABLY HAS COST US 23, 20 TO $23 BILLION, BUT THERE'S NO TAXPAYER MONEY ANYWHERE.
NO ATLANTA TAXPAYER, SEE, AND BACK, WE DON'T EVEN PAY TAXES TO THE CITIES THAT WERE THERE.
IT, IT'S A TOTALLY PRIVATE THING THAT PAYS FOR ITSELF.
NOW.
- LIKE YOU BROUGHT 40 BILLION HERE FOR THE OLYMPICS, 11 BILLION WENT DIRECTLY TO THE BLACK COMMUNITY AND THE ONLY CONTINGENCY WAS YOU COULDN'T GET RICH OFF THE 40 BILLION.
- BUT, AND, AND IN ORDER TO SEE THAT EVERYBODY MAKES MONEY, WE CAN'T.
- YEAH.
- AND SO NOBODY IN MY FAMILY HAS EVER HAD A CITY CONTRACT.
SEE, AND INCLUDING ME, AND EVEN THOUGH I MEANT WELL, BUT I'M PROUD OF YOU BECAUSE I WAS TELLING YOU THAT I DIDN'T MAKE, BUT $50,000 A YEAR.
- YEAH.
- AS MAYOR.
AND, BUT NOW THE GARBAGE WIC WORKERS MAKE MORE THAN THAT.
- [HOST] YES.
- THE POLICEMEN MAKE MORE THAN THAT.
EVERYBODY MAKES MORE THAN THE MAYOR MADE WHEN I WAS MAYOR.
BUT... - I'M GLAD YOU DIDN'T TELL HIM WHAT I SAID WHEN YOU TOLD ME THAT.
- I'M GOING TO TELL HIM WHAT YOU SAID, WHAT YOU SAID THAT YOU SAID, I DIDN'T MAKE BUT 400 THOUSAND DOLLARS IN EIGHT YEARS AS MAYOR.
- [HOST] YEAH.
- AND YOU SAID, DAMN, MY WIFE MADE ME TURN DOWN A GIG THAT PAID ME ALMOST THAT MUCH, (LAUGHTER) BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T WANT ME TRAVELING.
- YEAH.
- NOW, THAT'S A TESTIMONY TO HER THAT YOU, SHE LOVES YOU MORE THAN MONEY.
- YEAH.
- AND IF YOU CAN FIND A WOMAN THAT LOVES YOU MORE THAN MONEY, YOU GOT A HAPPY WIFE AND A HAPPY LIFE.
AND SO GOD HAS BLESSED YOU - YES, SIR.
- SEE, WITH ALL KINDS OF TALENT AND, BUT MOSTLY WITH A GOOD MIND AND A BIG HEART.
- YES, SIR.
- WE WERE NOT BROUGHT HERE OR SOLD HERE AS SLAVES.
WE MAY HAVE BEEN SENT HERE BY GOD TO MAKE THIS NATION BE WHAT IT OUGHT TO BE.
- I CAN RECEIVE THAT, I CAN RECEIVE THAT.
I APPRECIATE YOU.
THANK YOU.
LOVE AND RESPECTFULLY THANK YOU FOR MENTORING ME AND JUST BEING MY FRIEND AND HERO FOR OVER 30 YEARS OF MY LIFE.
- OKAY.
- YES, SIR.
- LOVE AND RESPECT WITH KILLER MIKE IS MADE POSSIBLE BY.
- REGINA APPROACHES THE ALL-ELECTRIC, CADILLAC LYRIQ.
IT'S A SUNNY DAY.
- NAH, A STORMY DAY.
- CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYS.
- MMM-MM.
BRASS BAND, NEW ORLEANS.
- SHE DRIVES HANDS-FREE ALONG THE COAST.
- MAKE IT PALM SPRINGS.
CADILLAC IS GOING ELECTRIC.
IF YOU WANT TO BE BOLD, YOU HAVE TO GO OFF SCRIPT.
- EXPERIENCE THE ALL-ELECTRIC CADILLAC LYRIQ.
♪♪ ♪♪
Love & Respect with Killer Mike is a local public television program presented by WABE