At just 22 years old, Bakari Sellers defeated a 26-year incumbent state representative to become the youngest member of the South Carolina state legislature and the youngest African-American elected official in the nation. Sellers, who was considered to be a rising star within the Democratic Party and is now a leading voice for his generation, joins Dr. Phil to discuss the future of America. Hear what Sellers, who has followed in the footsteps of his father, civil rights leader Dr. Cleveland Sellers, and champions progressive policies to address issues ranging from education and poverty to preventing domestic violence and childhood obesity, says about the divisiveness of the country. Plus, he discusses his new book, Who Are Your People? New episodes drop Tuesdays.
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This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
This episode is brought to you by staples you're, busy running your business. So it's time to let you in on a secret. You can
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I see that there's a lot of divisiveness in the country right now. I love the way that you phrased that question, because it's a big question, I don't think, there's anything irredeemable about this country. I just think you have to reimagine which looks like
The guy sellers made history of two thousand six at just twenty two years old. He defeated
Twenty six year incumbents, they represented to become the youngest member of the south.
south carolina state legislature and the youngest african american elected official in the nation, and twenty four
seen sellers one democratic nomination for lieutenant governor in south carolina, and has
also work for united states congressmen, James clayburn and former atlanta mayor. Surely franklin
He is widely considered to be a rising star within the democratic party and
invoice for his generation
find out why just a few minutes to them or quit ratlin led him talk!
is followed in the footsteps of his father civil rights, later doktor cleveland sellers in his tireless commitment to public service, while championing progressive power,
cease to address issues ranging from education, poverty to preventing domestic violence and childhood obesity
Sellers earned his undergraduate degree from morehouse college and his law degree from the university of south carolina is the off
of the new york times best selling book, my vanishing country, a memoir which has been described as part memoir, part historical and cultural analysis, ill
strain the lives of america's forgotten black working class, men and women, and
his new book. An inspiring picture book
who are your people, which is a tribute to the facts,
we and community that really helps make us who we are
He has also expanded his audience with the bikari sellers. Podcast a twice a week show part of the
your podcast network that addresses a variety of topics really from politics: re sports, media presidential.
Unpaid and really a whole lot more. He practices law
with a strong law, firm llc in colombia, where he heads the firm strategic communications in public affairs d
and recently added diversity, equity and inclusion insulting to the list of services that he's offered.
You probably seen him on CNN he's a prominent position.
Go contributor there, so welcome
How you doing my mom was have muster written that introduction.
I'll go and really really world actor. Fail is going to be here with you today that really is,
hell of an introduction and geared is thirty? Seven years old, so you haven't exactly been sitting around destroying it
No, the porch of you have not, but I can tell you that the most important jobs I have is is one eye and one be being a husband to Ellen in being a father to cars,
Adrian stoutly people always see me now. You know you have these in. You understand the start to feel you have these new for K, televisions and
these things and people see me and they say you look tired. Less able has. I am I'll get three year old.
when and how yeah I'm making a day by day back to sail,
you really surprised when you found out, you haven't twins, surprised
ass. I was anxious
I knew one thing immediately after I had those twins. I went to the doctor and made sure I could have no more. I was not taking the risk of having twins back to back
Oh, I got your my wife's, a twin and my son, married triplet, and we had triplets on
dad saw the family. When my son start having kids, we thought they were gonna have litters, we thought there.
she'll be everywhere
their twins are a lot they have each other, but I just say that my twins are little unemployed terrorists. They just walk around with their hands up making demands all day. You will listen your day.
it was really a prominent civil rights later doktor cleveland sellers, I've known
had to have a big influence on you. How did that come to pass? Were you
his elbow a lot. Did you guys work together? Did you shadow him? How did he impact you? I know he did. I'm just curious how it came to pass yeah
it's one thing to have your he rowing your kitchen,
every single day being able to go out and he's cooking dinner breakfast and these etcher games. I asked my hero and I grew up a product. The proverb and I write about it in who are your people, but it's it takes a village to raise a child
My dad was a member snick, the student around a coordinating committee. Some a village was unique, I'd have people are doing in bonn and people are miriam, bury a judy richardson that he rose and our household were Fani looked amer in l, a baker. It was just an awesome, awesome village that how raise me and yeah I was at his eye- was at his elbow everywhere we went, I was there trying to learn and soak up as much as it is
of our history as it did? You guys have things that you saw differently disagreed about? I don't know his disagreed about, but you know that that youthful naive and say that I try to keep it made me question things with the benefit
hi inside. You know one of the questions that are always ass. My dad actor feel is, should should integration have been, the goal of the movement should do as we have fought so diligently for integration, or should we have attempted to an economic empowerment within our own community and, of course, my dad
as that in our hands. I d always twenty twenty m, but we would you now I would challenge or on those things, but in terms of just disagreements. He probably has more disagreements with me that I do with him as he is most fathers and said he. I suspect this probably more common, but
let me ask you: I believe that there is
high degree of divisiveness in this country. Right now, I think
of its racial. I think some of its political do you agree
that there's a lot divisiveness in the country right now. Hardly s is there.
something that you point. Two things?
statically that you think it's owing to yes thematically and that's it. I love the way that you phrased that question, because it's a big question and thematically we've never dealt with the issue of race in the country, which is the root of our divisiveness, and I think that I might not be
with the original sin of this country by not truly combating or having dialogue and discussion about the issue of race. We have contributed it's like a cancer when you don't cut it out and just metastasized. I think that the end this is gonna sound, we're coming from somebody on cnn, but I think that a lot of the and I loved her turner by the way, but a lot of the divisiveness we see, culturally and in our faces because of the twenty five new cycle and with this twenty five new cycle there's a lot that has to be fit into those twenty four hours, which means that you have a lot of cross talk. You have a lot of people who are trying to do. You have individuals right now who have new shows, but they don't even issue. They say dont consider them to be journalist. They are entertainers it
and so that type of feeling that twenty four hour news cycle with whatever I'm on top of and the issues we have a race, I think, is decently combustible, because I was going to ask you: is it a news cycle anymore
as much older than you about twice. Actually,
I really wonder
It is a new cycle because I turn on cnn and
It's really hard to trust. What I am hearing
because there's so much agenda and so much spam, so a flip over the fox and
it's the same thing just off
span. All agenda is like do I like
mix it all up divided by two and take the middle, it's hard to know where
can go to find out what really happened. It's hot.
define news anymore, where somebody's doesn't have an agenda
they brought to the desk answer
they're running it through their filter, which I resent. Frankly I mean you asked the pose. A really good question me
is there a new cycle anymore to answer the original question? It's it's I you know my father used to come home and you are of that generation and calling you, oh just calling
season and that
he were after dinner. United
in a chair and he watch what the six six o clock, local news and then the six thirty.
Now you know a vcr CBS member was meant. You know the seven o clock, whatever
programming it was, and that was the new cycle of the pass. You know for five years is like the drinking out over a fire hose, there's nothing more stock fulfilled and when you're on tv and you get in your ear, a producer sang the president has just tweeted
We're going to go to that we're going to put it on the screen and we're going to talk about it. You have no idea what it is, but that that became the news into your point. I think that there with the
the emergence of social media. In news there has been a focus on being, first and not being right, which is both a problem. Everybody wants to be the first to the story and people dont care necessarily about being right in the story.
But I think, even more importantly, in one of the things we are doing it cnn is getting back to the journalism and not the the the entertainment.
I mean that's our new bosses kind of monster, I'm excited about.
They will see what happened. I get paid to tell my truth, and so I'm not a journalist itself that oliver,
I'm a commentator and I will tell you the truth as bacardi sees it and that's the best. I can do, but you don't
ask raid or rap what you're saying up as new
you're saying I am a commentator. I have a point of view. I want to tell you my point of view, and so
your transparent about it, correct very much so, and I think that there is a balance we
always that that balanced, there's somebody else on there with the alternative background, a different point of view,
We somebody in the middle, but what you're talking about in one
the things we do well, I mean,
just recently whether or not it's the war,
whether or not it's a school shooting as we we do cover those stories extremely well, because I think that- and I I don't want to be presumptuous or so
but I'm pretty sure they wind somebody tells you there's been a school shooting which happens on four
more than it should, which is a part of our american fabric, men. You turn seen it
and you see, and you watching you, u trotted gleaming what happens from there, but yeah all media needs to do a better job of day in and day out covering the news. I won't disagree,
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with up to forty percent or select toys in electronics, be jays absurdly simple savings. It really bothers me when I see even something like tragic,
happen in evolving, where we had. Nineteen students killed. Two teachers
and in recently one of the teachers, husbands
died of a heart attack may
related. I can imagine
with the stress watching them
I don't even know what
channel. It was but
start, hearing people from both sides of the isle, using it to politicize issue,
serve
gun control and whether the governor of the state is doing enough of this. Are enough of that. There's time for that, but
in the meantime we ve got people down there,
that are really hurting and need resources and help and it
really is offensive to my sensibilities to see people
getting up on their hind legs and running an agenda. On top of that, I hate to see that our pushed back on the framing of that because I went out my pushed back would be
That, then, is the time to have these conversations and people,
I say: well, you know the bodies is still the still more
and as someone who lived through a mass shooting, you know one, my good friends, I write about implemented.
He was the pastor and mother Emanuel a m charging.
You know him along with eight others. Let me make it like, like in buffalo, I would just say they eat dinner. Ruth took the best of us. Even he walked into a church, doin bottle, study and shot non people.
tragic windy you. When do you have these conversations in what I resent more than that
polarization or whatever you may call. It is the doom nothingness I'm because we ve had you know you you had people forget. We have the largest mass shooting in the history of the world in las vegas nevada and the cancer we ve had parkland we ve had sandy hook, we ve had.
We've had fort hood, we've had charleston, I mean the list of mass shootings, school shootings goes on
and on and on, and so I I understand the space needed to grieve. I mean we're still grieving in charleston and it happened in two thousand and fifteen. But what frustrates me more is that the do nothing
so our current leaders on both ass, it yeah well, I agree
Nothing has been done
this is a matter of coming
with a model of prevention. Not
intervention but I'll push back on your pushed back and save people deserve their space. In that moment, let's at least give them
the centre stage and space because, as you point out, what's been done, does three to five days, make a difference,
I think, based on results. It hasn't so we
and at least be respectful of those that are hurting instead of interrupting press conferences and beaten on the drum
how bout. Instead we actually
some meaningful legislation we actually get
a plan of prevention that should one hundred percent be by partisan. This doesn't
have anything to do with the second amendment, everybody frames
way, but it doesn't having to do with second amendment. You will not get an argument from me out of that. I'm a concealed weapons. Permit holder, I'm a I'm, a democrat from south carolina which doesn't make me the most liberal democrat in the world. I got my I got my cbp. I was in a class with nikki haley of of all people, one of my good friends who were actually from the same small.
Honey and bamberger out now, and I get all that I understand it and it should be, but you had to have something to get sixty votes and.
you know, I'm going to I'm going to be extremely blunt with you back to fill, and I think that's why people some. I mean whether not people
like me or not. I think they always respect my truth, but when I'm twenty white kids were killed and sandy hook, and we did absolutely nothing, our country became
so desensitized to that it became so normalized when we did nothing after sandy hook. I was completely jaded by the thoughts that anything would happen in the future, and so I was speaking to a colleague today at cnn and I said it's very difficult to be at a new parent. My my sixteen year old is my my step. Child and my three year old force her mind, but it is very difficult to go through this, this ah phase of sending your kid to school, because you know it's going to happen again,
your prayer has to be that it doesn't happen to your children, and that is an anxiety inducing moment. Will it is there were so
it's one.
Active shooters on campus
twenty twenty one,
us more than one a week. I mean you and you think about this kid and.
In taxes he went and got in a are fifteen on two different occasions and three hundred and fifty bullets,
and nobody stop to think that
I'll? Be there needed to be some pause,
Maybe there needed to be some farther. I just don't get it. I think that there are some common sense, basic things we can do and we just
there. You said when sandy hook happened, and there were all of those why
children that got killed. Nothing happened. Why do you point
at their white children. I think that for a country that has a true question mark on the value of certain lives and the the benefit of humanity, I think by bringing in that component and being extremely clear in the description thereof, and in saying that there's no question these lives matter. There's no question of the value of the sanctity of these lies. This is not in question at all, and, and we did nothing, I think that exacerbates and drives home a point that also dr phil and probably decently and cynical way is decently sensationalized. I recognize that it draws people
the sentiment, but it also points out a true fact that we did nothing at the sandy hook and I'm a stand on the resolved that if we did nothing at the sandy hook, we won't do anything now show your point of view. Do anything after those white kids were shot there. Sure not gonna do anything if minority children or killed not after seventy percent has banned
Community was shot up now, but you don't have much hope that that's gonna send a message up
jane. It says, ok enough enough too much too much now's the time.
I hope I'm wrong, but I mean do you have faith something
mean as your shall I don't mean to be posing questions, no
meaning you want. But do you have faith that anything's going to change and if so, what gives you? What is that faith rooted? It
My hope is that
at some point. There is
To be a tipping point where.
America says enough enough and too much is too much and if anything is
Going to cause the left and right
come together. Then
buddy that goes in and guns down innocent children. I these children were nine ten years old
to me, is about the most cowardly, egregious thing you can do.
It just seems really hard to imagine that anybody from the far left to the far right could
disagree, that that is an absolute
stain on our nation that that is a horrible thing to keep happening like I said it's
sixty one times into
twenty one. At some point
there's a bipartisan issue. Protecting
young people and our elderly seems to be something that everybody should find non threat
and come together on it. It seems like if you're gonna pick something that would be a place.
people could rally around. I hear you and I dont disagree. I just dont.
they'll, be the recognition thereof, a solution or policy solution,
or an implementation of something to change or alter the path of we're we're we're at that. We're headed. I just don't see that happening. I mean I dont, see universal background checks have over seventy five eighty percent approval
the left and right all races, all age groups and we still haven't passed it. I mean that that just that simple policy proposal- and we can't get that done in this- the do nothingness and again and I
as I say that as a kid say, we gotta you know who wants the smoke. You know those eyes of the outer circle
Why is that? Why is there the dew nothingness from the inside out? What do you see? I see it being a lack of courage. I sing the role of special interests mean
the same week you have a mass shooting. You have individuals from the great state of texas going to in an hour a convention to say
And you know the inner? I would, if it's not what it once was, but I would
you that our aid is probably the second or third most powerful lobby
behind the aid archie it's a lack of a vision in it. It's it's it's I don't think
at our elected officials are truly listening to the pain that you and I
in other, not enough conversations like the one that you and I
I would ask outside of hunting hearts or hunting,
killing hard? Why do you need a air fifty? You know why.
Why. Why does anyone you two are fifty and you know those are just legitimate questions,
that you know me and John casey, the republican governor of of former republican governor of ohio. We agree on that sentiment and we've. We've had people agree on that sentiment
just something right now that we're so polarized and people want a year.
two things we hear all the time when these things happen. The people want a yell about mental health and there's been no indication that this
A young man had any mental illness and and and people want to say what about chicago and in both of those things. As you stated earlier, I truly resent, if there's a path.
To overcome the do. Nothing is what is it electing better people when he represented act to fill up? I'm support
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You just said about electing better people. I won.
Sometimes if the better people have the attitude that you get into the system in you just get bogged down
they think they can have more impact from the outside in the inside out. I mean I think that that
reasonable and then you, you look around.
Why would you want to work with some of these people that are there to be honest with you when I first got elected, I was twenty one. Twenty two years up and I remember going into state house- and I would look at folk and I'd be like. Oh, my god. I can't believe I'm here and then after about a month, I was like, oh my god, I can't
leave here here. I can't believe. How did you get here is its ever comes
quick it's cold water on you quite quickly yeah. I suspect you get disillusioned pretty fast. You know the funny thing, though dynasty atlanta perspective, that I come from on all of these things, whether or not it's the issue of race that we talked about, whether or not it's guns or you know, being forward thinking or whatever. I don't think I personally there's anything irredeemable about this country. I just think you have to reimagine, which looks like, and so I mean I dunno call me youthful and call me naive. I just
I just think we have to re imagine what this country should be. You showed that the original sin is never been dealt with. What do you think should be done
I think we have to have honest conversations about it, and I think that was one of the benefits of the forty fifth president of the united states that for the first time in this country- and it was it, was frightened center and- and we were, we were dealing where we were
conversations outwardly about raised when I, when I look at a shawl its bill. For example, you know with the tv torches in the jew shall not replace us in the chant, races and anti semitic. Chance that were had an charlottesville was the got to me. The most is that nobody worth it nobody covered their face. They didn't we mass. They were sown bone in coffee, Belinda, anti semitism in their racism, and for me that was a watershed moment in this country, where people it was no longer in the dark corners, and we were, we were out really having these conversations.
the fact is systemic gray? Simply the true issue? I think that many of these systems, we have to be constructive, and I say we imagine early out, though, that word out there again, but rebuild them in an image that inclusive at all and the outer I've never
and I don't really know anybody and I don't want you to dance for me. I just want to be on the dance floor. May I just hope that a peep that everyone has
opportunity. How do you go about that? How do you do that? Yo? You sound kind of pessimistic that you think that it ain't going to happen. It's too far gone. Are you of the belief that
it's not going to happen that we pass that level now.
and I still I mean I still have faith at have faith tomorrow. I always do I'll keep
my father, believe, might you know my father was shot in the civil rights movement he shot and showed my father? Would the prison not once but twice
once for refusing to go to vietnam and once for the incidence of the orange were massacre, the police shot him and they put in prison.
My sister's middle name is academic swahili means born. My father's way does must cease
was born when my father was in the house and the imprisoned and like my dad and the reason I say, there's nothing irredeemable about this country is my dad could have lashed out with righteous anger,
but instead I mean he believe, like Abraham, lincoln believed in the better,
those of our nature. I think to answer your question,
Specifically, though it they there's, there's no way
thing is rising tide lives our boat. I think there has to be. You know specific policy proposal.
The deal with issues arise in this country and address specific, got up specific problems. You know people say right:
Doubtless our boats would, if you have a dingy. What are you.
done about it. What have you got a surfboard, what a hole in it I am
Everybody does it had the opportunity to rise with the with the tide, and so
I'm I'm just a firm believer that we just have to make sure that we create that equity and create that opportune. Give me an example of what you would
parliament as a whole.
or policy that would start creating what you're looking for in a at the first of all start with a start with public education, and you know we can go from public education to you, know: affordable housing to and water
You know there are one hundred cities in each united states that have less potable water than flint michigan. We can go to a criminal justice system that we're either in tatters, but in this country, Dr Phil, you are punished because of the zip code that you're born into, and that's just the fact and in the ed schools are funded on a three legged system or you have federal funding. Your state funding. You have local funding, said three legged stool, and so you know well, if you are in a poor community, often times dating back to brown vs the board of education, where chief justice Warren said that segregation causes a sense of inferiority by placing children in environments not conducive to learning, and these communities are many times
I can brown communities and instead of creating new systems of of of of streams, of revenue to pump into these areas and whether or not it's gaming, whether or not it's marijuana being creative or inventive, rather not as creating a tax base to woo the next. You know revlon or tesla to your community
many times these areas remain stagnant, and you know I don't have you read friedman knocked to feel, but not a big free movement.
but you know he wrote the world is flat. I agree
I'm not like carry irving crazy. I cannot follow the age, but yet the world is flat,
because we're commit. We are now competing with kids. If you graduate in south carolina you're, not competing with deeds graduate around the world and we are not preparing- I particularly black children for twenty first century global economy. In so yes, I would have a policy proposals directly infuses cash into these areas through innovation, progressive ideas so that these kids have the resources to learning can be
What do you think about these situations now, where there are neighborhoods that our high crime low tax base
low industry opportunities. How do we
Get those kids out there to get the kind of opportunity,
these- that they need to have a chance to have a shot to not get up the ladder,
but even get on the latter.
the they even have a ladder right yeah. They question it and we have to address the underlying systemic reasons that we have these communities in the first place. The periphery liberation of god
People talk about chicago asked and I always say that you know the reason they so many guns in chicago is because Indiana has terrible gun loss. That's where the guy
come from, they come from our away. Forty five minutes away in india, but also
We have to invest in these communities. You have to have summer lunch program, summer, job programs you have to have after school programs you have to have
sources on many of these communities? In many many of these communities, black fathers are not in the homes due to mass incarceration. You,
Have you no way before very long period of time that that feeling you are? You know this better than ass? I dare not step into you,
bailey bailiwick, but you know crack in this country was seen to be a crime. It was it was they they treated it as a crime and obviate addiction is treated as a public health outcry, and so I think that you know we have to examine the way that we educate these crimes
We treat these crabs and we have to examine the resources and outlets. One of the things I did in my dish. It was, I built a library, people laugh at me. They like that was the best thing.
yeah, because right now in denmark, kids can go there and you can have at the school programmes they can have some programs, people go they'd, get access to water,
you know it's it's it's a very, very real thing, and just a being just being innovative and thinking about what your community needs and trying to meet those goals. This is what we need. More of people want to run the t v. I want to be a part of a clique or whatever and say the most outrageous things and nobody wants to work,
get it done. Anyone there's, interestingly, a lotta research about violence, gun violence.
in particular as
I'm sure you know it clusters,
there are even micro clusters clusters into neighbourhoods and
within a neighborhood clusters in two specific blocks.
within a neighborhood empirical?
But, as has shown that you have you folks,
on that micro cluster in a neighborhood, and you go in to those that are committing that violence you
actually sit down with those
wrongdoers,
And say: ok, look,
We know
he's doing this.
We know it you. We may not have enough to arrest you right now, but we know that
it's you and we want to offer you an alternative. We want to provide you
with a ladder,
whither way to change this and alter this too
Give you a way to
get out of this situation that
the results are pretty astounding
in terms of the number of these violent individuals that too
a different path.
I choose to seize that opportunity. Choose that education choose whether its occupants
or education or school.
or whatever that they.
Actually embrace that end
yet themselves out of that situation, if somebody's willing to do that with them and for them it's just a matter.
Focusing on those micro clusters to really change the face of that community, and here I mean you're preaching to the boy
I wholeheartedly agree, but it takes that both as it takes the resources it takes the opportunity just giving people an opportunity, you'll be surprised. Having a certain level of expectation, follow you'll, be surprise. We get caught up in
stigmas. You know DR phil of the things I always tell folk and it flusters him a little bit. I was like you know: there's no such thing as black. On black crime, you know that's like not a real thing. It's a it's! It's a sociological myth to your point.
we live in highly segregated communities and because we
in these highly segregated communities, people are more prone and add to commit crimes against people that their in those clusters with in some ninety percent of all people who,
black folk who were killed or killed by black vote, but ninety percent of all white people who are killed are killed by white folk and is because of these clusters is because of these highly segregated communities that we live in.
and my only point in saying that is it if we focus on the things that are real in not these highly divisive rhetorical analysis going all the way back to the beginning of our conversation that we throw out their own cable news news and deal with the substance, as you just said, we'd have
stronger, healthier and better communities. And I think, where a lot of people.
Are lost in the debate in the argument in joining of the solution. Is that difference between?
give a man, some visually tonight teach and officially the rest of his life. It's not about just
giving individuals money as opposed to taking those files.
It's an empowering them to create
different standard of living for the rest of their life, and I think that's where a lot of people that I've talked to differ in saying. Well, you can take them,
out of poverty by making these,
funds available. They quit
gin, whether that is a patch or a solution, but they don't push back so
on saying. If that man
he has spent on alternate
he's an education and giving them a different path. I don't
and as much resistance to that as I do the other. Now I mean in these communities. You talk about things like midnight, basketball, oh, and this is
he's got. This is gonna play a magna carta foundation. Really recently did some studies. I see the kaiser keller recently
some studies and what they show was. The number one cause of of under performance amongst black children, particularly in south in schools, was hunger right, kids are going to school hungry, you can't perform
if your hungry and so like free other the breakfast programme, the free breakfast program or just ensuring they asked him where to go after school. I mean these and which, when I'm not I'm not
advocating for check to be written to anyone
what I am saying, though, is that there are so many things we can do in and around our communities to make them stronger. Do you think so
they should be taught in the schools about this. It's not being taught. We hear all this debate about critical race there
we're being taught in schools that those criticisms were always from people that don't know what critical race theory is. They haven't been to law school. They haven't been to the second year of law school, so they don't understand what that is. What do you think about?
let's being taught in schools or what
it would be taught in schools. I think we have
Do a better job of teaching our young people, things that are practical? I think that we have to teach in things like fiscal responsibility. I think that you know how to balance at checkbook, how to add a budget. How to save those things are important. I dont have conversations or debates about rookeries theory back to fail, because to your point, the people on having these discussions with dont know what it is in terms of dover idea. They had no idea.
for what it is, and so we're not going to engage in those conversations. But I get to your point. I I do think that we need to you know right now, many times we teach to a test and I think we need to teach the life and I think we need to make sure that we're and we were giving young people the and the kinda the tools to succeed in this new.
When he first ensure global economy. I think we need to teach job. People bought a cold right, so you know teaching young people.
This is very, very, very important. I have two boys in
My youngest son at one point was ask me: what do you want for christmas you're so hard to buy fork is yr old and you do.
ever you want. I told him
here's what I want. I want.
You give me one hour a week to talk about
anything I want to talk about and they should do.
as you know now now you gotta think about this, because I want to hold you to it. So you think about it overnight. You come back and he came
so said, ok into his credit, he actually did it
There is a lot I role in early on, but then pretty soon he started combat Hale. On my hour, I did what your talk
about a tardy. How to change, spark plugs a car. I taught him about checking accounts I talking about insured.
it's for cars and a house talking about utility deposits at other about fertilizer, just say:
Is that you just don't get taught any. You know we learn those things, but you don't get taught that any more. Not even if you want to know this, I'm a country boy, dr phil and you'll appreciate.
Do you remember when they use the mail? You credit cards all you know my dad every time he would get one in the mail
my dad would bring it in the kitchen and he cut it up. You have you and
my dad would all he taught us. The agency does nothing about credit, but what he did say was that if you can't afford it, you should not by that was his. That was his philosophy, but you know, I think that there is no stem coding, financial literacy. I think, if I could, if I can implement one
portion of a curriculum across the country, must be valued and teach people categories they re. You don't eat people lack history, not how much people financial literacy, drowning.
about one thing that I would teach everyone, because you know a financial literacy. Is it's that latter that you talk about its it here
Teach you how to climb out of your circumstances are just wrote: it appeared for sport, echo
that. The nfl draft just method to her
sixty two new
millionaires and
had no idea what was just around the corner because the career
about three years and
two years out of the league, seventy eight percent of whom will be bankrupt or in serious financial distress because now
oh buddy, teaches them how to manage their money. Now.
buddy teaches and what to do and they
more, even on the lower end of the draft they make over three million dollars, which is more than a college graduate makes in forty years working there
teach them how to manage that money?
and they invest in like a car dealership, Carlos exactly
you know. I have a lot of friends.
What am I, what am my very, very good friends? I refer thomas my little brother. He and he had about.
I was he had a pinky tommy at sixty three million dollars in a savings account back to her
in a savings account if there is any, is all his philosophy was one there's, not a lot of trust with up to
You know hit his entire financial philosophy that you'll never be broke again. She grew up in poverty. He ain't going back there, but he just doesn't. He doesn't know understand,
targets or anything like that he had been there.
there is a bank with the savings account
and is growing at what point zero too bad?
We can now vesture has six
million dollars a year. I agree.
It's a good friend of mine, and he told me when he got his first contract for twenty million bucks. He bought a house.
Five million and land and five million in california and spent five million on some males said. Okay, now I got five million, I can read and play with and then they came to her about it.
halfway through the year. Wait a minute you're dead, made attacks as he's a what nobody.
Never explained it to him, and I mean we're laughing about it. I name, but it's so real, and I you know people are these guys. When I get back to the community, they want to buy their mom, a house
and this by financial literacy is something that can he ate in. This is that this is the.
the part about why I like conversations with the like you like this with you, is because your friends who may be more concern
that all my friends who may be more liberal than you, I think we can all agree that if we pitched em a couple, a doll
just to get some financial literacy, coaches and a lot of these poor communities teaching people how to manage money, what to do when they make money. What real estate looks like how to flip and how to do this, do that? I think we can help a lot of people and that's not a partisan idea, but it's a
The idea is a damn good idea and that's what I wrote him up at pisa said these universities and the leagues. Oh it
to these young athletes who have demonstrated their disciplined do have demonstrated they are committed. They owe it to them to get there
financial literacy to give them the right kind of coaching to get them the right kind of life and for me
and so they are success.
well for life, not just a few seasons. I hope it gives attention because
I think now that they're doing this, letting them
earn money off of their name and stuff in college. What a great time to say! Ok, do this but get into a financial management, coarse and learn,
This is all about. You, make all the difference in the world and learn how to stay out of trouble. I do a little bit of criminal defence. Forego represent a few of these individuals, and now you just
What is it? What is tony dandy say nothing happens at midnight. I too feel exactly
young man with pure testosterone flowing through their baines a lot of free time and new money. What could possibly go wrong here?
and a lot of new friends before they come out of the woodwork. Well, listen, I think
you and I could see the earth and figure out a whole lot of stuff. I think we can do
We need more. Like I said. We need more good people so
he's in these in the establishment in these halls of congress, and I'm only thirty, seven
may sound pessimistic jaded, but I can tell you that
I am really hurt after the last couple of weeks after buffalo,
Well after his recent school shooting I mean I see the crush of inflation on people I see
and people who was still in the middle of a war
people are committing war cry strike. You in, I think about the family.
Brittany, greener. All the time back to fill a thing
at what she's going through and it is a hopeful, but my time is probably black pessimistic, because this is just that.
kind of weird time that were him well
That's not how you usually are that's for sure, and it's not what's reflected in your book. Who are you
people we ve had it up
on the table here. I'm sure this is category
as as a children's book. It's wanted
the things that I think is written it differently.
It is a children's book. Your child can certainly comprehend this
I have to tell you the second time I read this
down on the couch with robin roberts. My wife is
probably know we ve been married. Forty five years and I said, read through this with me: I've read it but read through it with me. We both agreed, I think, some of the best messages
that come through are really kind of elegant met
images that are very simply
again the best scientific.
Equations and solutions are the ones that are most simple, have the fewest moving part. This is a great children's bookmarks
But it's also a great reminder of
family value and family pride
after I read it. I remember.
My mother say unto me when I was young. We were talking about something, and I said why not do that. She said well,
you're my grandma grouse. Just don't do that, then you,
Did it you're exactly susan I'll? Do that for people better
Listening in not watching us on youtube the book, I'm tired,
how about is
car sellers new book. Who are your people? He really goes
the book which is cleverly illustrated by reggie brown. It starts
out with her father and his children, and it says when you meet someone for the first time they might ask. Who are your people
and where are you from then it's gotta?
great illustration of people kind in the clouds which gonna refer,
to your ancestry, to me at least
and it says you should always be proud of who you are your people
We're strong, smart. They drained of things not yet seen and imagine that we could all be free. Then it talks about
your people were fighters and it shows that they stood up and
for what they believed it kind goes,
To the end, where
It says.
so what will you dream
and how will you changed the world?
your children have to be really proud that their dad wrote this, I shall be honest with you. Is this second favorite books
they like their numbers but the best. But you know that is that's me on the cover in that safety and stealthily throughout the book. For me, it was an awesome up.
Kennedy to write a book allowed him to see their image in the book, and
you said it back to me and I was trying to write a book so that not only the the child that you're reading it to get.
Something out of it, but the reader as well, and that last spoke, like you know, like a fella you, you changed the world, every single, that, through your pike, ass to your voice, to your other pieces to your tv,
I want people to think about how they are going to change the world. I think we need more more dreamers. I agree
I'm really proud to meet you.
For the meeting you in person causes whereon zoom right now, when I'm
that way or you're out this way. I look forward to sit down and
Having dinner with you, you sell some books yesterday as robin ordered twelve.
Copies, I love rotten. She got it for all the kids,
she knows and both of my sons who are fathers themselves so rich,
a good job on this? Congratulations and I know you're gonna sell a bunch of books a day and by the way he did not even asked me to mention this. So he didn't come on here too.
el books. I just want to talk about it because I think it's a really good job. I really respect your measured approach to the things at your side.
And you're? Not just wine and complain about what things are not yet taken a constructive approach. A lot of people can complain, but
so few offer an alternative in. You certainly put verbs and your senses and offer alternatives, and I respect that greatly. I appreciate that I appreciate the conversation in the questions and the push back in the pool and a listening, but that I think these these conversations are healthy
It's the only way we know full well. I could not agree more. Let's stay in touch in may will come up with some little create some change in the future, but I look forward to meeting you in person.
I look forward to meeting you and I can. I cannot believe
without saying you have the most amazing staff with anyone? I know everybody loves doktor feel and I loved
the field, but I had no idea the professionalism and they just
Amazing people you had around- I guess I should have known, but I wanted to give them a shot out on air while we still here wealth,
yeah, I'm proud of all of our people. They do this with passion
and assure you everybody believes in what we do, and so I am glad to hear you say that I look forward to talk to you again serve a guy, I be blessed.
I think that's what they hear
the.
Transcript generated on 2022-12-08.