Dr. Boyce Watkins- Cents and Sense

>> --INTERPRET FOR YOU.
OKAY, LET'S SEE, SO GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE!
"FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK AND WELCOME EVERYONE
"TO TONIGHT'S LECTURE PRESENTATION FEATURING DR. BOYCE D. WATKINS,
"A.K.A. 'THE PEOPLE'S SCHOLAR.'"
NOW, I DON'T-- THAT'S--
YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY CALLED ME THAT A LONG OF TIME AGO
AND THEY STILL SAY THAT?
AND IT FEELS KINDA WEIRD.
IT FEELS LIKE A LITTLE BIT GIMMICKY, BUT THAT'S OKAY, THOUGH.
I CAN BE THAT TODAY IF YOU WANT TO.
"DR. BOYCE WATKINS CURRENTLY SERVES AS A PROFESSOR
"AT SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY, AS"-- AND I HAVE--
I'VE BEEN THERE FOR TEN YEARS, SINCE 2001.
"AS AN AUTHOR ECONOMIST, POLITICAL ANALYST, AND SOCIAL COMMENTATOR,
"DR. WATKINS ACTIVELY AND PASSIONATELY ADVOCATES FOR EDUCATION,
"ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT, AND SOCIAL JUSTICE.
"DR. BOYCE WATKINS IS ONE OF THE LEADING COMMENTATORS,
"BLACK SPEAKERS, AND HIGH-ACTION FREEDOM FIGHTERS IN AMERICA."
MAN, THAT MAKES ME SOUND REALLY GOOD.
(audience chuckling) OKAY, THANKS!
THIS IS-- I APPRECIATE THIS.
THIS IS A NICE BIO.
I'MA KEEP THIS.
UM, "HE HAS AUTHORED"-- I'MA LOOKING FOR AN INK PEN--
"HE HAS AUTHORED SEVERAL FINANCIAL ADVICE BOOKS,
"INCLUDING 'FINANCIAL LOVEMAKING 101--
"'MERGING ASSETS WITH YOUR PARTNER IN WAYS THAT FEEL GOOD,'
"'BLACK AMERICAN MONEY,' AS WELL AS 'WHAT IF GEORGE BUSH WERE A BLACK MAN?'
"HIS WORK HAS ALSO APPEARED IN PUBLICATIONS
"SUCH AS 'THE JOURNAL OF SMALL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT,'
"'THE JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS,'" ETCETERA, ETCETERA.
AND THEN, THERE'S MORE STUFF ABOUT TELEVISION AND STUFF LIKE THAT,
AND I'VE BEEN ON, YOU KNOW,
A LOT OF TV NETWORKS AND WHATNOT.
SO, I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND--
IF IT'S OKAY, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND BEGIN.
AND I THINK THAT'S ENOUGH OF ME
PRETENDING TO BE SOMETHING SPECIAL.
BECAUSE I'M HERE TO BE THE FIRST TO TELL YOU THAT I--
THERE'S NOTHING REALLY ALL THAT SPECIAL ABOUT ME.
NOW, WHAT I WILL SAY--
AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND,
BECAUSE SOMETIMES, WHEN YOU SEE SOMEONE SPEAK AND YOU HEAR THE BIO,
IT CAN CREATE A DISCONNECT
BETWEEN WHERE YOU ARE AND WHERE THAT PERSON IS.
SOMEHOW, WE LIKE TO-- IT'S NATURAL.
WE TEND TO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF EXALT AND ELEVATE PEOPLE TO THIS STATUS
TO WHERE THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT FROM WHERE WE ARE,
AND I THINK THAT'S A LITTLE BIT DANGEROUS,
BECAUSE IT'S A LITTLE BIT LIKE BASKETBALL.
WHEN MICHAEL JORDAN USED TO PLAY, THE OTHER PLAYERS WOULD SAY,
"HE'S SO GREAT, THAT I REALLY CAN'T DO MUCH OF ANYTHING."
SO, THEY WOULD JUST SIT AND WATCH HIM SCORE ALL THE POINTS,
AND JUST SORT OF SIT THERE, AND IT'D BE, YOU KNOW, ONE-ON-FIVE.
BUT THE THING IS, EVERY PLAYER IN THE GAME HAD AN OPPORTUNITY
TO GRAB THAT BALL AND SCORE POINTS.
EVERY PLAYER IN THAT GAME HAD AN OBLIGATION, AN OPPORTUNITY,
AND THE ABILITY TO MAKE A PLAY.
SO, IF YOU SPEND ALL YOUR TIME CELEBRATING HOW GREAT YOUR TEAMMATE IS,
THEN THAT CAN KIND OF AFFECT YOUR ABILITY
TO BE THE BEST TEAMMATE THAT YOU CAN BE.
I MEAN, IMAGINE IF KOBE BRYANT HAD JOINED THE LAKERS
BACK IN 2000 OR '97, '98, WHENEVER HE JOINED,
AND JUST SAID, YOU KNOW, "THIS IS SHAQ'S TEAM.
"I JUST WANNA SUPPORT SHAQ."
THAT'S WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE DID.
NO, KOBE SAID, "NO, THIS IS MY TEAM, TOO.
"I'M MEANT TO BE AN N.B.A. ALL-STAR, TOO."
AND NOBODY LIKED THAT.
WHEN KOBE FIRST GOT TO THE N.B.A., THEY REALLY DISSED HIM A LOT.
THEY DOGGED HIM OUT IMMEDIATELY,
BECAUSE KOBE WOULD SHOOT WHEN HE WASN'T SUPPOSED TO SHOOT.
THEY WOULD RUN A PLAY AND SAY, "PASS THE BALL TO SHAQ,"
KOBE WOULD TAKE THE SHOT ANYWAY AND MISS IT!
(laughing) AND THEY'D BE MAD AT KOBE, RIGHT?
BUT YOU SEE WHAT KIND OF CAREER KOBE HAS HAD,
BECAUSE HE WAS NOT AFRAID TO LET HIS LIGHT SHINE.
NOW, HE WAS PROBABLY OVER THE TOP, IN MY OPINION.
HE WAS A LITTLE BIT ON THE ARROGANT SIDE,
BUT I THINK THAT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE OF, REALLY,
WHAT IT TAKES TO KINDA MAKE YOUR OWN LIGHT SHINE.
AND SO-- AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT,
I DID NOT PLAN ON TALKING ABOUT KOBE BRYANT
WHEN I CAME UP HERE TODAY.
SO, AIN'T NO TELLING WHAT I MIGHT SAY.
ALL RIGHT, NOW, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO MR. ANDRE FIELDS.
I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE.
I APPRECIATE YOUR HOSPITALITY.
YOU ARE MY NEW BEST FRIEND.
YOU SHOWED ME AROUND AND YOU TREATED ME VERY WELL,
AND I TRULY APPRECIATE THAT.
YOU TOOK ME TO THE CAFETERIA AND HELPED ME FIND CHICKEN,
AND I APPRECIATE ANYBODY WHO HELPS ME FIND CHICKEN.
(audience chuckling) ALL RIGHT, NOW,
AS FAR AS WHERE WE ARE NOW-- LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS.
LET'S-- THIS IS, YOU KNOW, 100 PERCENT REAL TALK.
THIS IS NOT A SCENARIO WHERE I AM JUST THE TEACHER.
UH, IT'S A SCENARIO WHERE I'M ALSO A STUDENT.
I'M HERE TO ALSO LEARN.
THIS IS INTERACTIVE.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT-- WHERE ALL OF US HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY,
RIGHT NOW, AT THIS SECOND, TO WALK OUT OF HERE
AS TRANSFORMED INDIVIDUALS, MYSELF INCLUDING.
ALL OF US HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ELEVATE OUR GAME
AND APPROACH THE WORLD IN A MUCH MORE DETERMINED WAY
BECAUSE WE WERE HERE.
RIGHT, ALL OF US HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY-- EVERY SECOND OF THE DAY,
YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE YOUR WHOLE LIFE.
YOU KNOW, THE NEXT SECOND OF YOUR LIFE
IS THE FIRST SECOND OF THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, RIGHT?
YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD STATEMENTS LIKE THAT-- WELL, THAT'S REALLY TRUE.
I MEAN, EVERY SITUATION'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO STEP IT UP.
SO, LET'S TRY TO SEE IF WE CAN THINK THROUGH SOME OF THIS
AND REALLY STEP OUR GAMES UP
AND REALLY LEARN SOME THINGS FROM EACH OTHER,
AND REALLY BECOME BETTER, STRONGER PEOPLE IN THE END--
AND I DARE SAY BETTER, STRONGER, BLACK PEOPLE,
'CAUSE THERE'S ONLY BLACK PEOPLE IN THE ROOM RIGHT NOW.
WELL, NOW, HE'S HERE, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
YOU CAN BE A BROTHER, TOO.
ALL RIGHT, NOW, UH...
I'M VERY HAPPY TO BE AT GRAND RAPIDS COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
UM, COMMUNITY COLLEGE HAS A VERY SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART,
BECAUSE MY PARENTS MET ON A COMMUNITY COLLEGE CAMPUS
BACK IN MY HOMETOWN OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.
UH, AT JEFFERSON COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
AND MY FATHER-- YOU KNOW, HE'S A FUNNY DUDE.
AND HE'S NOT THE GUY THAT-- HE WASN'T THE SPERM DONOR.
HE WAS ACTUALLY THE MAN THAT RAISED ME,
SO HE'S MY REAL FATHER, NOT THE MAN WHO CREATED ME.
AND YOU KNOW, AND HE JUST TELLS ME ABOUT, YOU KNOW,
THESE STORIES ABOUT BEING ON THE CAMPUS AND SEEING THIS GIRL
AND THINKING SHE LOOKS GOOD,
AND I SAID, "SO, WHEN YOU SAW HER, WAS IT LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT?
"WHAT WAS IT LIKE?"
YOU KNOW, EXPECTING SOME ROMANTIC STORY,
AND HE'S LIKE, "NAH, I TOLD MY BOY I WAS GONNA HIT DAT."
(audience laughing) I'M LIKE, "OKAY, DADDY.
"ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.
"THANK YOU FOR THAT IMAGERY.
"I APPRECIATE THAT."
SO, WE GOTTA FIX THAT STORY UP, MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE ROMANTIC.
BUT, YOU KNOW, HEY, MAYBE MY MOM WAS THINKING THE SAME THING.
MAYBE SHE WAS LIKE, "I'M GONNA HIT DAT."
SO, THEY BOTH HIT IT, AND THERE YOU GO.
SO, ANYWAY, UM...
SO, MY MOTHER NOW-- WHEN MY MOTHER WAS ATTENDING COMMUNITY COLLEGE,
SHE WAS ABOUT 19.
SHE WAS A SINGLE MOM.
SHE GAVE BIRTH TO ME WHEN SHE WAS VERY YOUNG.
I MEAN, MY MOTHER WAS SO YOUNG,
I THINK SHE AND I WENT TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TOGETHER.
(audience laughing) AND, UM--
AND SO, HERE WE WERE, WHEN WE FIRST STARTED OUT,
WE LIVED IN THE PROJECTS IN LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY,
AND THEN, EVENTUALLY, SHE MET MY FATHER AND MARRIED HIM.
AND YOU KNOW, I JUST REMEMBER... (sighing)
I REMEMBER GOING THROUGH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
I REMEMBER IT WAS NOT A VERY GOOD EXPERIENCE.
UM, I REMEMBER BEING TOLD
THAT I WAS NOT AS SMART AS THE OTHER KIDS,
UH, BEING PLACED IN SPECIAL EDUCATION,
BEING TOLD THAT I SHOULD BE PUT ON MEDICATION.
THEY TOLD MY MOTHER THESE THINGS,
ABOUT RITALIN AND ALL THIS STUFF THAT THEY DO
TO SO MANY BLACK BOYS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AND FORTUNATELY, SHE FOUGHT AGAINST SOME OF THAT,
BUT REALLY, ACADEMICALLY, I REALLY DIDN'T SEE MUCH POTENTIAL THERE.
I MEAN, I REALLY DIDN'T SHOW ANY POTENTIAL.
I DIDN'T KNOW THAT THERE WAS POTENTIAL.
SO, I FINISHED HIGH SCHOOL.
UH, COULDN'T REALLY GO TO THE MILITARY, BECAUSE THERE WAS A WAR,
AND I DON'T LIKE THE IDEA OF GETTING SHOT.
I HEARD THAT IT HURTS...
SO I DIDN'T WANT TO GET SHOT.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S A BAD THING.
I DIDN'T WANT TO JUST KINDA BE ON THE STREET.
AND I KNEW THAT I DIDN'T REALLY WANNA WORK, AND NOT BE EMPOWERED.
I KNEW I DIDN'T WANT TO GET PIMPED.
I DIDN'T WANT TO BE TOLD WHAT TO DO.
I HATE WHEN PEOPLE TELL ME WHAT TO DO.
AND SO, AT THE SAME TIME,
I WAS 17 WHEN MY GIRLFRIEND GOT PREGNANT.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS WITH MY FIRST GIRLFRIEND.
THAT WAS MY FIRST GIRLFRIEND, AND I HAD SEX WITH HER,
AND THEN I FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS THING CALLED "PREGNANCY"
THAT HAPPENS NINE MONTHS LATER, AND THAT KINDA DISTURBED ME.
AND SO, SHE GAVE BIRTH TO MY DAUGHTER WHEN I WAS A FRESHMAN IN COLLEGE.
AND SO, HERE I WAS, YOU KNOW, AN 18 YEAR OLD FATHER,
WITH THIS NEW BABY,
NOT REALLY KNOWING WHAT TO DO...
AND I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WANTED TO MAJOR IN IN COLLEGE.
AND SO, THEY SAID, "WHAT DO YOU WANT TO MAJOR IN?"
I SAID, "I DON'T KNOW, WHAT'S 'FINANCE'?"
THEY SAID, "WELL, FINANCE IS MONEY."
I SAID, "OKAY, I WANNA STUDY THAT,"
'CAUSE I FIGURED IF I STUDIED MONEY AND LEARNED ABOUT MONEY,
SOMEBODY WOULD PAY ME MONEY TO TALK ABOUT MONEY.
AND SO, I STUDY MONEY
AND I CONTINUE TO STUDY IT ON AND ON AND ON,
AND THAT FIRST SEMESTER, I REMEMBER I HAD NEVER REALLY STUDIED BEFORE.
YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER SITTING DOWN AND I WOULD TRY TO READ A BOOK,
AND I COULDN'T READ, LIKE, TWO PAGES WITHOUT GOING CRAZY, YOU KNOW?
YOU KNOW HOW IT IS-- YOU JUST SIT THERE, YOU TRY TO CONCENTRATE, YOU JUST CAN'T.
YOU KNOW, AND I JUST SAT THERE AND I KEPT TRYING,
AND I EVENTUALLY CAME UP WITH A PHILOSOPHY AS FAR AS STUDYING,
AND I SAID, "OKAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW REALLY HOW TO STUDY,"
BUT I KNEW FROM PLAYING SPORTS THAT IF YOU WANT TO BEAT THE NEXT GUY,
YOU HAD TO PRACTICE HARDER THAN THE NEXT GUY,
AND YOU CAN'T PRACTICE AT THE LAST MINUTE.
LIKE, YOU CAN'T START PRACTICING THE DAY BEFORE THE CHAMPIONSHIP.
YOU HAVE TO PRACTICE SEVERAL MONTHS IN ADVANCE,
AND YOU HAD TO PRACTICE CONSISTENTLY.
AND SO, SINCE I LOVE SPORTS, YOU KNOW, I MADE IT INTO A GAME.
I-- YOU KNOW, WHEN PEOPLE SAY, "ARE YOU GOING TO THE LIBRARY?"
I'D BE LIKE, "NO, MAN, I'M GOING TO PRACTICE."
YOU KNOW, AND JUST KIND OF BEING SILLY, SO EVERY DAY,
I WOULD JUST PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.
THE OTHER THING THAT I FIGURED OUT-- AGAIN, THIS IS 18 YEAR OLD LOGIC HERE.
I'VE LEARNED A FEW THINGS SINCE THEN.
I REMEMBER THINKING, YOU KNOW, "OKAY, WELL--"
I DIDN'T KNOW HOW HARD I HAD TO STUDY TO GET GOOD GRADES,
BUT I SAID, "WELL, I GUESS I'LL STUDY FOUR HOURS A DAY."
YOU KNOW, I FIGURED IF I STUDIED FOUR HOURS A DAY,
THAT'LL GET ME TO WHERE I WANNA GET TO.
AND SO, PEOPLE THINK, "OH, MY GOD, FOUR HOURS A DAY?
"THAT'S A LOT!
"FOUR OR FIVE HOURS A DAY?"
AND SO, MY LOGIC, THOUGH, WAS-- YOU KNOW, AT THAT TIME,
I WAS WORKING AT TACO BELL
AND I SAID, "IF I CAN GO WORK FOR THESE FOOLS
"FOR EIGHT, NINE, TEN HOURS A DAY FOR MINIMUM WAGE,
"I CAN SIT DOWN AND I CAN STUDY FOR FOUR HOURS A DAY."
I MEAN, YOU SEE, AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT.
THE MORE I REFLECT ON THAT, THE MORE ADAMANT I BECOME,
BECAUSE IT MAKES NO SENSE THAT, YOU KNOW--
A LOT OF US, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE YOUNG,
WE'LL SQUEEM AND SQUIRM OVER THE IDEA OF STUDYING
THREE, FOUR, FIVE HOURS A DAY AND DOING THAT EVERY DAY,
BUT WE'LL GO OUT AND WORK FOR SOME COMPANY FOR EIGHT, NINE, TEN HOURS A DAY
AT SLAVE WAGES.
I MEAN, THAT'S STUPID.
THAT'S A SLAVE MENTALITY.
I MEAN, HOW ARE YOU GONNA WORK HARDER FOR SOMEBODY ELSE'S DREAM
THAN YOU ARE FOR YOUR OWN DREAM?
THAT'S CRAZY... RIGHT?
SO, THE LOGIC TO ME WAS VERY SIMPLE.
AND SO-- AND THIS IS NOT ABOUT ME.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT MY STORY.
THIS IS JUST TO TELL YOU, YOU KNOW, WHERE IT ALL--
WHERE SOME OF THESE IDEAS KINDA STARTED.
AND, UH, AND ONCE I REALIZED I COULD ACTUALLY DO THIS STUFF, UM--
AND YOU KNOW, I DID.
I MADE STRAIGHT "A"s THAT FIRST SEMESTER,
WHICH WAS A SHOCK TO ME BECAUSE I'D NEVER DONE ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE.
I NEVER-- I REALLY, PROBABLY MADE ONE "A" ALL THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL,
AND THAT WAS LIKE IN P.E. OR SOMETHING, 'CAUSE I WAS A GOOD ATHLETE.
I HAD NEVER REALLY KNOWN THAT FEELING BEFORE.
SO, ONCE I KNEW THAT FEELING, I NEVER LET IT GO.
I JUST CONTINUED.
IT'S LIKE WHEN MICHAEL JORDAN, YOU KNOW, COULDN'T WIN ANY CHAMPIONSHIPS--
HE FINALLY WON HIS FIRST ONE, AND THEN, WHAT HAPPENED?
HE KEPT WINNING, YOU KNOW, ONE AFTER THE OTHER AFTER THE OTHER.
IT WAS KINDA THE SAME THING.
SO, YEARS LATER, ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE LEARNED--
AND IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT THINGS THAT I WOULD SAY TO MYSELF
IF I COULD GO BACK, YOU KNOW,
TO WHEN I WAS 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 YEARS OLD,
IS I WOULD SAY THIS, "EDUCATION IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING
"YOU'LL EVER GET IN YOUR WHOLE ENTIRE LIFE."
WHEN-- ONE OF THE BIGGEST MISTAKES THAT BLACK PEOPLE HAVE MADE
IS THAT WE RUN AWAY FROM EDUCATION-- SOME OF US DO.
WHEN YOU RUN AWAY FROM EDUCATION, YOU ARE RUNNING TOWARDS SLAVERY.
AND BECAUSE, THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS,
IS THAT IF YOU CAN'T THINK FOR YOURSELF,
IF YOU CAN'T ACT FOR YOURSELF,
IF YOU CAN'T POSITION YOURSELF TO BE SUCCESSFUL,
THERE IS ALWAYS SOMEBODY SITTING AROUND WAITING TO CONTROL YOU
AND TO OWN YOU.
THE BEST EXAMPLE I CAN THINK OF IS A GUY I WENT TO COLLEGE WITH--
AND I'M NOT GOING TO SAY HIS NAME, BUT YOU'D KNOW, IF I SAID HIS NAME,
YOU'D KNOW EXACTLY WHO I'M TALKING ABOUT--
AND HE WAS A BASKETBALL STAR IN HIGH SCHOOL.
HE CAME TO COLLEGE-- HE COULD NOT READ.
AND IT DIDN'T BOTHER HIM THAT HE COULD NOT READ
AND IT DID NOT BOTHER THE UNIVERSITY HE COULDN'T READ.
THEY DIDN'T CARE.
THEY WERE MAKING $20 MILLION A YEAR OFF THIS KID,
SO THEY DIDN'T CARE IF HE COULD READ OR NOT.
IN FACT, WHENEVER HE GOT BROUGHT UP ON ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT CHARGES
FOR HAVING HIS TUTORS WRITE HIS PAPERS FOR HIM,
THE FACULTY WOULD BLOCK THE CHARGE.
THEY WOULD PROTECT HIM.
SO, HE GOES TO THE N.B.A.,
AND HE DOESN'T THINK LEARNING HOW TO READ IS IMPORTANT.
SO, HE GOES IN THE N.B.A. AND HE MADE $110 MILLION,
AND NOW, HE'S BROKE.
FLAT BROKE.
AND A LOT OF THESE FORMER ATHLETES ARE FLAT BROKE.
ALLEN IVERSON IS FLAT BROKE.
STEPHON MARBURY IS FLAT BROKE.
A LOT OF THESE-- FANTASIA, THE SINGER, IS FLAT BROKE.
WHAT'S THE COMMON THREAD HERE?
WELL, THE REALITY IS THAT NO MATTER HOW TALENTED YOU ARE AT ANYTHING,
IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN EDUCATION,
YOU ARE A SITTING DUCK, WAITING FOR SOMEBODY TO EXPLOIT YOU
AND TO SCREW YOU OVER.
AND THIS IS AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE,
SO THAT EVEN IF I'M PREACHING TO THE CHOIR,
EVEN IF YOU UNDERSTAND THIS ALREADY,
THERE'S SOMEBODY OUT THERE YOU KNOW THAT DOES NOT UNDERSTAND THIS.
AND I THINK THAT ONE THING THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT,
WHEN IT COMES TO THESE MESSAGES,
THESE MESSAGES THAT OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND,
THESE MESSAGES THAT ARE SEEKING, TO SOME EXTENT,
TO DESTROY OUR COMMUNITY WHEN PEOPLE DON'T HEAR THEM,
ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND
IS THAT WE ALL HAVE TO BE SOLDIERS IN THIS BATTLE.
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T JUST TAKE CARE OF YOU AND YOURS.
YOU CAN'T JUST THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO.
YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WHAT YOUR FRIENDS ARE DOING,
WHAT YOUR FAMILIES ARE DOING, WHAT YOUR HOMEBOYS ARE DOING,
WHAT YOUR GIRLS ARE DOING, WHATEVER.
LIKE, SHARE THIS WITH PEOPLE, BECAUSE, TO SOME EXTENT, WHAT YOU KNOW--
THE KNOWLEDGE AND THE ENERGY AND THE MESSAGE THAT YOU SPREAD--
IS A VIRUS.
IT CAN BE A GOOD VIRUS THAT SPREADS TO OTHER PEOPLE,
BUT IT CAN BE A BAD VIRUS THAT SPREADS TO OTHER PEOPLE.
IF A PARENT ABUSES THEIR CHILD, THINK ABOUT WHAT KIND OF TERROR
THAT CHILD CAN BE TO THE REST OF SOCIETY
AND HOW MANY PEOPLE THAT ABUSED, DAMAGED INDIVIDUAL
CAN HURT DURING THE COURSE OF THEIR LIFETIME,
ALL BECAUSE OF WHAT SOMEBODY DID TO THEM GROWING UP.
WELL, THE SAME THING IS TRUE ON THE OTHER EXTREME...
WHEN A CHILD IS INFECTED WITH SOMETHING GOOD, SOMETHING POSITIVE,
SOMETHING STRONG, WILL THEY AFFECT HUNDREDS
AND MAYBE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THEIR LIFE?
SO, YOU CAN NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER THAT YOU HAVE
TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD THAT'S AROUND YOU,
AND I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND.
NOW, WE TALKED EARLIER ABOUT MONEY,
AND I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE-- MIKE AND CHRISTINA!
HOW ARE YOU!?
THEY ARE SO EMBARRASSED RIGHT NOW
BECAUSE THEY REALLY PROBABLY NEVER THOUGHT THAT I WOULD TALK ABOUT THEM
RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A SENTENCE, BUT I'M HAPPY TO SEE THEM.
THAT'S PASTOR MICHAEL EDMONDSON AND HIS WIFE, DR. CHRISTINA EDMONDSON.
AND THEY ARE ESTEEMED SCHOLARS
AND, UH, PASTOR EDMONDSON IS MY MAN.
I GOT A LOT OF RESPECT FOR HIM.
AND DR. CHRISTINA HAS BEEN IN "ESSENCE MAGAZINE" AND SOME OTHER PLACES,
AND SHE IS A VALUED INTELLECTUAL COMMODITY IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY.
NOW-- AND THE REASON I'M BEING INFORMAL IS BECAUSE WE HAVE A SMALL GROUP...
AND I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO GET OUR MESSAGE TOGETHER
AND TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT.
SO, EARLIER, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT MONEY,
AND I WAS TELLING YOU HOW, YOU KNOW, MAJORING IN FINANCE
WAS IMPORTANT TO ME BECAUSE I WANTED TO MAKE MONEY,
I DIDN'T WANT TO BE BROKE.
WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT VERY INTERESTING IS THAT,
IF YOU LOOK THROUGHOUT OUR SOCIETY,
THE WAY WE SEE MONEY IS KINDA INTERESTING.
YOU KNOW, I WOULDN'T SAY "BAD" OR "GOOD."
I'D SAY IT'S INTERESTING.
WE LIVE IN A CAPITALIST DEMOCRACY.
WE LIVE IN A SOCIETY WHERE MAKING A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY
CAN MAKE YOU FORGIVE ALMOST ANY SIN.
UH, R. KELLY CAN SING-- HE'S GOT A LOT OF MONEY,
SO PEOPLE KINDA FORGET THAT HE WAS HAVING SEX WITH 12 YEAR OLD GIRLS.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK ACROSS THE BOARD,
YOU SEE SITUATIONS WHERE INDIVIDUALS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN FOR ATROCIOUS SINS
AGAINST THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE OF HOW MUCH MONEY THEY MAKE.
SO, WHILE I CAN CERTAINLY APPRECIATE AND RESPECT WHAT CAPITALISM CAN DO FOR YOU--
AND ALL OF US!
I THINK ALL OF US WHO GROW UP WITHOUT MONEY
CAN UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF HAVING MONEY.
I ENCOURAGE YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT MONEY,
TO SOME EXTENT, IS A TOOL FOR YOU TO ENHANCE YOUR LIFE
AND THE LIVES OF THOSE AROUND YOU,
AND NOT NECESSARILY SOMETHING THAT DEFINES YOU.
IT DOESN'T MAKE WHAT YOU'RE--
IT DOESN'T MAKE A BAD ACTIVITY BECOME A GOOD ACTIVITY.
IT DOESN'T MAKE A, YOU KNOW, A HATEFUL PERSON INTO A RIGHTEOUS PERSON.
MONEY IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, IS VERY POWERFUL-- IT'S LIKE FIRE.
FIRE CAN COOK YOUR FOOD AND KEEP YOU WARM,
OR IT CAN BURN YOU ALIVE.
OR LIKE A DRUG-- A DRUG CAN HEAL YOU AND MAKE YOU BETTER,
OR IT CAN TURN YOU INTO AN ADDICT.
SO, WHEN YOU GO INTO THE WORLD AND YOU MAKE YOUR MONEY,
YOU WANNA UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVE TO CONTROL THE MONEY.
IF YOU LET THE MONEY CONTROL YOU, THEN YOU ARE, AGAIN,
SIGNING YOURSELF UP FOR SLAVERY.
AND I KNOW MULTI-MILLIONAIRES WHO ALLOW MONEY TO CONTROL THEM.
SO, YOU TALK ABOUT MONEY AND YOU TALK ABOUT THE WAY
WE SEE MONEY IN OUR SOCIETY--
UM, YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT BLACK HISTORY A LITTLE BIT.
YOU THINK ABOUT, FOR EXAMPLE, DR. KING'S DREAM, OKAY?
NOW, DR. KING'S DREAM, I THINK, IS INTERESTING BECAUSE, FIRST OF ALL,
I REMEMBER HEARING A STORY FROM JESSE JACKSON'S DAUGHTER, SANTITA--
SHE'S A GREAT LADY.
AND I REMEMBER SHE TOLD ME-- SHE SAID--
SHE SAID, "YOU KNOW, BOYS,
"ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY FREAKS ME OUT
"ABOUT DR. KING AND HIS SPEECH ON THE MARCH OF WASHINGTON--"
YOU KNOW, THE "I HAVE A DREAM" SPEECH THAT EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT?
SHE SAID, "YOU KNOW, ON THAT DAY, THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE
"THAT DIDN'T EVEN WANT HIM TO SPEAK.
"THEY DIDN'T EVEN WANT HIM UP THERE," BECAUSE, AT THAT TIME, HE WAS UNPOPULAR.
EIGHTY PERCENT OF WHITE AMERICANS DID NOT LIKE HIM.
AND 55 PERCENT OF BLACK AMERICANS DISAPPROVED OF HIM.
SO, EVEN BLACK PEOPLE DIDN'T LIKE HIM THAT MUCH,
BECAUSE THE STUFF HE WAS SAYING WAS TRUTHFUL BUT IT WAS NOT POPULAR.
AND SO, SHE SAID-- AND IT'S AMAZING THAT, NOW,
THAT'S THE ONLY SPEECH THAT PEOPLE REMEMBER.
AND SO, IT'S INTERESTING, THOUGH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR SOCIETY
AND YOU COMPARE IT TO DR. KING'S DREAM
AND YOU THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE CELEBRATE THIS MAN'S LIFE
EVERY SINGLE YEAR, YOU KNOW,
WHEN HIS BIRTHDAY COMES UP AND ALL THAT GOOD STUFF,
I DON'T REALLY KNOW IF DR. KING REALLY DREAMT OF A SOCIETY
WHERE INCOME AND EQUALITY WOULD BE WHAT IT IS RIGHT NOW,
WHERE THE RICHEST FIVE PERCENT OF AMERICANS
ACCUMULATE HALF OF THE WEALTH.
I DON'T THINK THAT HE DREAMED OF A SOCIETY
WHERE BLACK FAMILY WEALTH
WOULD BE ONE-FIFTIETH THAT OF WHITE FAMILY'S.
I DON'T THINK DR. KING DREAMED OF THAT.
I DON'T THINK DR. KING DREAMED OF A SOCIETY WHERE WORKERS' WAGES
WOULD REMAIN FLAT FROM 1999 TO THE YEAR 2012,
WHERE THE REAL WAGE OF THE AMERICAN WORKER HAS NOT GONE UP.
I DON'T THINK DR. KING DREAMED OF A SOCIETY
WHERE WE'RE GOING AROUND DECLARING WAR ON OTHER COUNTRIES JUST TO GET THEIR OIL.
SO, THERE'S A LOT OF SPACE-- THERE'S A HUGE GAP
BETWEEN WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE WE THINK WE ARE, AS A SOCIETY.
AND PART OF THE REASON THAT GAP NEVER GETS FILLED
IS BECAUSE A LOT OF US ARE CONVINCED TO BE QUIET ABOUT IT.
A LOT OF US ARE PERSUADED TO KINDA GO ALONG WITH THE FLOW.
IN FACT, IF YOU LOOK AT THE WAY DR. KING'S BIRTHDAY
IS CELEBRATED EVERY YEAR--
CELEBRATED BY A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD SPIT ON DR. KING
AND DISRESPECT HIM IF HE WERE ALIVE TODAY--
YOU FIND THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE VERY COMFORTABLE
CELEBRATING DR. KING AND HIS LEGACY,
AS LONG AS BOTH HE AND HIS IDEAS REMAIN IN THE GRAVE.
AS LONG AS HE'S NOT AROUND MAKING TROUBLE
AND AS LONG AS YOU'RE NOT TRYING TO ACT LIKE HIM,
THEN WE CAN CELEBRATE WITH YOU.
SO, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU WANT OUT OF YOUR OWN LIFE--
NOW, THIS GOES BACK TO YOU...
BECAUSE, YOU SEE, THE THING IS THAT... WHEN YOU HEAR ABOUT THIS CONCEPT
OF "BLACK LEADERSHIP"--
YOU KNOW, JESSE JACKSON, AL SHARPTON, MARTIN LUTHER KING, AND ALL THAT--
WE HAVE TO GET AWAY FROM WHAT I DESCRIBED EARLIER
ABOUT THE WHOLE "MICHAEL JORDAN PHENOMENON,"
WHERE YOU'RE SITTING THERE AND YOU PASS THE BALL TO JORDAN,
AND YOU JUST WATCH HIM PLAY WHILE YOU SIT THERE AND JUST ENJOY THE SHOW.
NO, THE REALITY IS THAT ALL OF US ARE LEADERS.
YOU SEE, NOW, YOU DON'T HAVE TO CHANGE THE WHOLE WORLD.
CHANGING THE WHOLE WORLD IS A BIG JOB-- IT'S HARD TO DO.
BUT YOU CAN CERTAINLY CHANGE THE WORLD THAT IS AROUND YOU.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND, TOO,
THAT COMES BACK TO DR. KING, IS THAT CHANGE IS NEVER COMFORTABLE.
CHANGE IS NEVER EASY.
WHEN YOU SAY THINGS THAT PEOPLE NEED TO HEAR,
YOU'RE NOT ALWAYS GONNA GET APPLAUDED FOR THAT.
WHEN YOU DO THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO DO,
YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE PEOPLE ALWAYS ENCOURAGING YOU.
IN FACT, THE EASIEST WAY TO GET PILE OF HATERS IS TO TRY TO EXCEL.
IT'S TO TRY AND DO SOMETHING GOOD WITH YOURSELF.
IT JUST HAPPENS.
IT'S JUST AUTOMATIC.
IT'S LIKE AN ACT OF NATURE, WHERE THE HATERS JUST PILE UP.
AND SOMETIMES, THE BIGGEST HATER THAT YOU FACE
IS THE HATER INSIDE OF YOU, YOURSELF.
YOU LOOK IN THE MIRROR AND YOU SAY, "YOU KNOW, WHO AM I TO REALLY THINK
"THAT I CAN DO ANYTHING SPECIAL?"
RIGHT?
AND THEN, SOMETIMES, YOU HAVE PEOPLE IN YOUR OWN FAMILY,
YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE JUST THERE TO MAKE THE PROCESS MORE DIFFICULT.
BUT YOU SEE, THE THING IS THAT YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO UNDERSTAND
THAT PROGRESS IN OUR SOCIETY IS ALMOST NEVER MADE WITHOUT STRUGGLE.
THERE'S REALLY NO WAY AROUND THAT.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT, I REMEMBER--
I HAD A ROOMMATE IN COLLEGE, AND I REMEMBER TELLING HIM--
I WAS LIKE, "MAN, WE NEED TO WORK OUT."
YOU KNOW, "LET'S GO TO THE GYM."
YOU KNOW, I WAS LIKE, "YEAH, IF WE WANT TO REACH OUR GOAL
"AND GET IN SHAPE AND COMPETE IN THE AMATEUR TRACK MEET"
THAT WE WANTED TO RUN,
I WAS LIKE, "WE HAVE TO WORK OUT NOW.
"WE CAN'T JUST SIT AROUND."
YOU KNOW, "NO PAIN, NO GAIN."
AND HE WAS LIKE, "WELL, ACTUALLY, I KINDA BELIEVE, 'NO PAIN, NO PAIN.'"
AND THE THING IS THAT THAT REMINDS ME OF LIFE.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES, EVERYBODY WANTS TO GO TO HEAVEN,
BUT NOBODY WANTS TO DIE.
EVERYBODY WANTS THE BENEFITS, BUT NOBODY REALLY WANTS TO PAY THE COST.
YOU KNOW, BUT REALLY, WHAT YOU'LL FIND IN LIFE THAT IS UNIVERSALLY TRUE
IS THAT YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.
JUST LIKE IF YOU GO TO THE MALL.
IF YOU GO TO THE MALL AND YOU WANNA GET A $700 OUTFIT,
HOW MUCH MONEY YOU GONNA BRING?
YOU GONNA BRING 50 BUCKS?
NO.
NO-- I MEAN, YOU MIGHT LUCK OUT.
YOU MIGHT GET THERE AND THERE MIGHT BE A SALE,
AND YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET THE $700 OUTFIT FOR 50 BUCKS.
YOU MIGHT GET LUCKY.
BUT MOST OF THE TIME, IF YOU WANT A $700 OUTFIT,
YOU GOT TO BRING $700 AND PULL IT OUT OF YOUR WALLET AND PAY FOR IT.
WELL, LIFE IS THE SAME WAY.
IF YOU HAVE EXTRAORDINARY OBJECTIVES,
IF YOU HAVE THINGS THAT YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH IN YOUR LIFE,
YOU'VE GOT TO BE WILLING TO PAY WHAT YOU WANT TO RECEIVE.
YOU'VE GOT TO BE WILLING TO DO WHAT'S NECESSARY IN ORDER TO GET THERE.
IN FACT, WHEN WE GO BACK TO WHEN I WAS READING THE BIO,
THERE'S NO SUCH THING, REALLY, AS "GREAT PEOPLE"
AND "EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE."
AT LEAST, NOT IN MY EXPERIENCE.
REALLY, I WOULD SAY, AT BEST--
IF I WERE TO DESCRIBE ANYTHING THAT I MIGHT HAVE ACCOMPLISHED IN MY LIFE,
I WOULD SAY THAT I WAS AN ORDINARY PERSON
WHO LEARNED THE VALUE OF GIVING EXTRAORDINARY EFFORT.
SEE, BECAUSE YOUR LIFE IS WHAT YOU DECIDE IT'S GONNA BE,
BASED ON YOUR DAY-TO-DAY EFFORTS.
JUST LIKE THEY SAY, "YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT."
WELL, YOUR LIFE BECOMES WHAT YOU DO.
UM, IT'S KIND OF HARD TO EXPECT TO HAVE AN EXTRAORDINARY LIFE,
AND THEN, GET UP AND PLAN OUT AN ORDINARY DAY.
GREATNESS IS A COMMITMENT
TO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND, EVERY SINGLE DAY,
AS A WAY OF LIFE, AS A PHILOSOPHY,
AS A WAY THAT YOU APPROACH THE WORLD.
SO, LET'S TALK ABOUT US AS BLACK PEOPLE,
AND LET'S TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE WEIGHTS
THAT KIND OF HOLD US DOWN, PSYCHOLOGICALLY,
SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH AND OVERCOME.
AND THEY'RE NOT JUST THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO OVERCOME AS INDIVIDUALS...
BECAUSE ALL OF US ARE AFFECTED BY SLAVERY AND JIM CROW
AND LIVING IN A SOCIETY THAT, IN MANY WAYS--
SUBTLE AND NOT-SO-SUBTLE--
TELLS US THAT THERE'S SOMETHING KIND OF WRONG WITH US.
THAT IF WE DO THINGS RIGHT OR IF WE'RE NORMAL,
THAT WE'RE KIND OF OVERCOMING SOMETHING JUST BY BEING NORMAL.
YOU KNOW, JUST A FATHER JUST TAKING CARE OF HIS KIDS--
HE DESERVES ALL THIS APPLAUSE
BECAUSE HE'S DOING WHAT HE SHOULD BE DOING ANYWAY.
THAT SOMEHOW, YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY BY NOT GOING TO JAIL.
OR BY STAYING IN SCHOOL.
NO, THAT'S NOT EXTRAORDINARY-- THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
BUT WE CAN DO A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT I WOULD CALL "BLACK PEOPLE 101."
NOW, I'VE BEEN A BLACK MAN FOR QUITE A WHILE NOW, AND...
AND IT'S WORKING OUT PRETTY GOOD.
AND SO, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF "BLACK PEOPLE 101,"
AND MAYBE YOU'LL AGREE WITH ME.
AND WHAT I TELL PEOPLE IS, YOU KNOW,
"HERE'S SOME WAYS TO NOT LEARN ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE,"
AND I THINK THAT, FOR BLACK PEOPLE,
HERE'S SOME WAYS TO NOT LEARN HOW TO BE BLACK-- NOT LEARN.
NUMBER ONE, YOU SHOULD NEVER LEARN ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE
BY WHAT YOU SEE ON TV.
OKAY, ESPECIALLY B.E.T.
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT IF YOU WATCH TELEVISION
AND IF YOU'RE LEARNING YOUR CULTURE THROUGH TELEVISION,
YOU THINK THAT EVERY BLACK KID GROWS UP SINGING, DANCING, RAPPING,
ACTING, BLINGIN', BALLIN', FALSIN', SHININ', STUNTIN',
THEY TRYING TO MAKE IT RAIN ON SOMEBODY.
(audience laughing) RIGHT?
THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE.
THAT'S WHAT WE GET, RIGHT?
AND THEN, SOMETIMES, WHEN I TALK TO FOLKS WHO AREN'T BLACK,
I TELL 'EM, "LOOK, IF YOU WANNA LEARN ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE,
"DON'T GO TO YOUR BLACK REPRESENTATIVE.
"DON'T GO TO THAT ONE BLACK FRIEND THAT YOU HAVE
"WHO SPEAKS FOR THE ENTIRE BLACK RACE.
"THERE'S 36 MILLION PEOPLE, WHICH MEANS THERE'S 36 MILLION WAYS
"OF BEING BLACK IN AMERICA."
SO, THE FACT THAT THERE IS--
THAT SOME PEOPLE MAKE YOU BELIEVE
THAT THERE IS ONE REPRESENTATIVE IS ABSOLUTELY FALSE.
I DON'T CARE WHAT AL SHARPTON SAYS,
THERE IS NOT ONE PERSON WHO REPRESENTS ALL OF BLACK AMERICA.
AND SO, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO BE BLACK
AND HOW WE SORT OF PROCESS WHO WE ARE
AND HOW WE FIGURE OUT WHERE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO FIT--
AND YOU ARE, LET'S SAY, A YOUNG BLACK MAN
AND YOU'RE TRYING TO PURSUE YOUR INTELLECTUAL OBJECTIVES
AND YOU HAVE A SOCIETY THAT'S SORT OF ENCOURAGING YOU TO GO THE OTHER WAY--
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN AROUND OTHER DUDES
AND THEY'RE JUST KIND OF LIKE, "WHAT YOU DOIN', MAN?"
"AW, NOTHIN', MAN, JUST CHILLIN'... I AIN'T DOIN' NOTHIN'."
RIGHT-- YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT?
LIKE, WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE--
LIKE, YOU MIGHT HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF THINGS YOU WANNA DO,
BUT YOU KINDA STOP AND YOU LIKE, "WELL, I'M GONNA FEEL A LITTLE AWKWARD
"IF I LET THEM PERCEIVE ME AS AMBITIOUS,
"SO I'M JUST GONNA FIT IN AND BE LIKE, 'NAH, MAN, I AIN'T DOIN' NOTHIN', MAN.'"
YOU KNOW, SO YOU END UP BELITTLING WHO YOU ARE
BECAUSE THE SITUATION SORT OF PUSHES YOU TO KINDA WANNA FIT INTO THE NORM.
AND I THINK THAT SOME OF THAT COMES FROM A LOT OF SPACES,
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT MEDIA-- LOOK AT MEDIA.
LET'S THINK ABOUT HIP-HOP.
I MEAN, IF YOU WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE EXPERIENCE
OF THE BLACK MALE IN AMERICA--
AND TO SOME EXTENT, THE BLACK WOMAN--
YOU PRETTY MUCH GO THROUGH THE VILLAGES OF SPORTS AND HIP-HOP,
AND THEY'RE KINDA INTERRELATED, RIGHT?
YOU SEE A BASKETBALL PLAYERS THAT LOOK LIKE RAPPERS
AND THEY HANG WITH RAPPERS--
LeBRON'S FRIENDS WITH JAY-Z, TUPAC WAS FRIENDS WITH MIKE TYSON--
LIKE, ATHLETES AND ENTERTAINERS KINDA RUN IN THE SAME SPACE, RIGHT?
SO-- BECAUSE THERE'S SORT OF A COMMON CULTURE THERE, RIGHT?
SO, LET'S REALLY THINK ABOUT SOME OF THE LESSONS
THAT WE GET ON THE RADIO EVERY DAY THAT ARE REPEATED AS MANTRAS
INTO THE HEADS OF OUR KIDS, EVERY SINGLE DAY,
FROM COMMERCIALIZED HIP-HOP.
OKAY, LESSON NUMBER ONE,
"USE DRUGS AND ALCOHOL AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
"ALWAYS BE HIGH AND BE PROUD OF BEING HIGH."
I MEAN, REALLY-- ANYBODY REMEMBER THAT SONG?
NATE DOGG DID IT-- AT THE END OF THE SONG,
AND IT SAYS, "HEY HEY HEY, SMOKE WEED EVERY DAY,"
LIKE IT'S A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT!
LIKE, "DRINK MILK."
YOU KNOW, LIKE, "SMOKE WEED EVERY DAY AND YOU'LL HAVE HEALTHY TEETH," RIGHT?
LIKE, IT'S-- AND THE THING IS THAT THE KIDS ARE HEARING THIS
OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
THERE WAS ANOTHER SONG BY-- I WANNA TO SAY IT WAS GUCCI MANE,
AND HE WAS TALKING ABOUT BEING WASTED ALL THE TIME, RIGHT?
AND IT'S A GOOD SONG!
BUT IT'S LIKE, "MAN!"
I MEAN, I'M HERE, EXCITED ABOUT LISTENING TO A SONG
ABOUT GETTING DRUNK ALL THE TIME.
LIKE, THAT'S CRAZY!
AND THINK ABOUT THAT--
WHEN YOU'RE HEARING THIS AS A TEN, ELEVEN, TWELVE YEAR OLD,
WHAT IS THAT DOING?
YOU CAN'T ACT LIKE THAT DOESN'T AFFECT THE KIDS.
I MEAN, ANYBODY WHO UNDERSTANDS BUSINESS AND MARKETING,
UNDERSTANDS THAT THE WAY YOU GET PEOPLE TO ACCEPT A MESSAGE
ON A SUBCONSCIOUS LEVEL IS YOU GET THEM TO SEE IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN,
AND TO REPEAT IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
SO, WHEN THE KID'S REPEATEDLY SINGING A SONG
ABOUT BEING WASTED AND GETTING HIGH, WELL, YOU KNOW,
THAT KINDA LOWERS THE BAR A LITTLE BIT FOR THEM.
LESSON NUMBER TWO--
WHAT'S THE NEXT LESSON YOU GET FROM RAPPERS?
"HAVE SEX WITH ANYTHING THAT MOVES.
"BRAG ABOUT HOW MANY WOMEN YOU GOT."
RIGHT?
AND HOW MANY GIRLS YOU HAD S--
LIL WAYNE, "I WANNA HAVE SEX WITH EVERY GIRL IN THE WORLD."
NOW, THEY DON'T RAP ABOUT WEARING CONDOMS.
BUT THEY'LL RAP ALL DAY ABOUT HOW MANY CHICKS THEY HAVE, RIGHT?
AND CAN YOU REALLY DISCONNECT WHAT THE MESSAGE IS IN HIS MUSIC
WITH THE RISING H.I.V. RATES IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY?
I MEAN, CAN YOU REALLY DISCONNECT THE TWO?
NO, YOU CAN'T.
YOU CAN'T.
A LOT OF THIS "MATING AND DATING" PROCESS HAPPENS IN THE CLUB.
SO, YOU HEAR SONGS THAT ARE TELLING YOU,
"HEY, LOOK, JUST DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.
"JUST, YOU KNOW, IF SHE LOOKS GOOD, GO HIT IT."
"IF HE LOOKS GOOD, GO HIT THAT."
WHATEVER.
NUMBER THREE-- WHAT'S THE NEXT LESSON?
"BE IGNORANT AND BE PROUD OF IT.
"BE AS IGNORANT AS YOU CAN BE," AND LIKE, YOU KNOW,
YOU HEAR THE RAPPERS JUST TEARING THE GRAMMAR UP
AND TALKING ABOUT IGNORANT STUFF AND BEING AS DUMB AS THEY WANNA BE,
AND IT'S LIKE A SOURCE OF PRIDE, RIGHT?
LIKE, IT'S LIKE-- LIKE, "I AM SO HAPPY TO BE AS DUMB AS POSSIBLE."
REMEMBER WHEN I WAS TELLING YOU EARLIER THAT THE BIGGEST MISTAKE
THAT BLACK PEOPLE CAN MAKE IS TO WALK AWAY FROM EDUCATION,
BECAUSE WHEN YOU WALK AWAY FROM EDUCATION,
YOU ARE WALKING RIGHT TOWARDS SLAVERY.
I'M REPEATING THAT BECAUSE IT'S SO IMPORTANT.
AND SO, YOU LOOK AT DROP-OUT RATES.
YOU LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SOME OF OUR KIDS GO TO COLLEGE
AND WE SET THE BAR LOW.
YOU LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING ACROSS THE COUNTRY, EDUCATIONALLY--
YOU CANNOT DISCONNECT THAT FROM THE MESSAGES THAT WE'RE ABSORBING.
NOW, I'M NOT SITTING HERE, PICKING ON THE RAPPERS
AND ATTACKING THE RAPPERS, NECESSARILY,
BUT THEY ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM.
BUT IT IS A DEEPER ISSUE, RIGHT?
YOU GOT CORPORATE AMERICA THAT'S KIND OF RUNNING THIS
AND REWARDING THIS AND INCENTIVIZING THIS PROCESS,
AND WE'RE ALL SORTA BEING FED THIS INTELLECTUAL TOXIC WASTE
THAT IS DESTROYING ALL OF OUR KIDS.
NUMBER FOUR-- WHAT'S THE NEXT LESSON FROM RAPPERS?
"PRISON IS NOT SOMETHING YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF.
"GOING TO PRISON IS A BADGE OF HONOR."
IN FACT, IF YOU SPEND TIME IN PRISON, YOU JUST KEEPIN' IT REAL.
RIGHT?
YOU EVER SEEN THAT?
YOU EVER HEARD THAT IN MUSIC?
WHERE IT'S LIKE-- AND I MEAN, SOME OF THE RAPPERS,
I THINK OF SOME OF THE MOST TALENTED ARTISTS IN THE COUNTRY, LIKE T.I.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, HE TALKS ABOUT GOING TO PRISON.
HE DOESN'T SAY HE WANTS TO GO--
LIKE, HE'S NOT AS SICK AS LIL WAYNE IS.
LIL WAYNE IS A THOROUGHLY DAMAGED HUMAN BEING,
AND IT BOTHERS ME
BECAUSE HE'S THE MOST POWERFUL MEGA-PASTOR IN AMERICA.
HE'S JUST PREACHING THE GOSPEL OF IGNORANCE,
BUT HE'S A BRILLIANT MAN.
BUT I MEAN, HE'S A DAMAGED SOUL.
AND DAMAGED SOULS, WHEN THEY GET MARKETED,
THEY JUST CREATE MORE AND MORE DAMAGED SOULS.
WHAT'S THE NEXT LESSON?
NUMBER FIVE.
"WHEN YOU GET YOUR MONEY,
"DON'T BE STUPID AND, LIKE, SAVE IT AND INVEST IT.
"THAT'S FOR SUCKERS.
"LIKE, TAKE YOUR MONEY AND, LIKE, GO TO THE CLUB
"AND THROW IT IN THE AIR, AND POP BOTTLES,
"AND BUY 50 POUND DIAMOND-ENCRUSTED NECKLACES
"THAT YOU CAN PUT AROUND YOUR NECK,
"AND GET, LIKE, DIAMONDS ALL AROUND YOUR TEETH,
"AND DO STUPID STUFF WITH YOUR MONEY.
"WASTE YOUR MONEY.
"BUY JORDANS, BUY MATERIAL STUFF,
"AND THEN, YOU CAN RAP ABOUT HOW MUCH MATERIAL STUFF YOU'VE GOT.
"YOU SEE THE PRIVATE JET FLYING OVER YOU?
"I GOT A MAYBACH."
RIGHT, LISTEN TO KANYE AND JAY-Z.
I MEAN, AGAIN, THESE ARE ARTISTS THAT I THINK ARE VERY TALENTED.
I LIKE THEIR MUSIC, TO A POINT.
BUT I'M LIKE, "MAN, CAN'T YOU RAP ABOUT ANYTHING OTHER
"THAN HOW MUCH MONEY YOU WASTE?"
WHAT IS THAT GIVING US?
IN FACT, IF WALKING AWAY FROM EDUCATION
IS THE QUICKEST WAY TO WALK TOWARDS SLAVERY,
THE OTHER WAY TO SOLIDIFY
YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO BE A SLAVE IN AMERICA
IS TO MESS UP YOUR MONEY.
IT'S TO GO AROUND, UNEDUCATED, LIVING PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK,
SPENDING YOUR LAST TWO CENTS ON SOME DAMN AIR JORDANS.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU GET IN THIS WORLD
THAT HATES YOU ALREADY BECAUSE YOU'RE BLACK,
YOU HAVE NO POWER.
WE LIVE IN A CAPITALIST DEMOCRACY.
EDUCATION AND ECONOMIC POWER-- THAT'S YOUR CURRENCY!
IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT AND YOU GIVE THAT AWAY,
THEN YOU HAVE NOTHING.
AND DON'T GET MAD.
I MEAN, BECAUSE THE THING IS THAT CAPITALISM IS DESIGNED
TO ENSLAVE YOU, AND CAPITALISM DOESN'T EVEN CARE IF YOU BLACK.
CAPITALISM WILL ENSLAVE ANYBODY, IF THEY MAKE THOSE SAME CHOICES.
NUMBER SIX-- WHAT'S THE NEXT LESSON FROM RAPPERS THAT YOU JUST GOTTA LOVE?
"CARRY A GUN ON YOUR WAIST
"AND NEVER BE AFRAID TO USE IT, ESPECIALLY ON ANOTHER BLACK MAN...
"AND THEN, YOU CAN BRAG ABOUT HOW MANY BLACK MEN YOU HAVE SHOT."
SO, CAN WE DISCONNECT THAT MESSAGE
FROM THE FACT THAT HANDGUN VIOLENCE IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH
OF YOUNG BLACK MEN IN AMERICA?
YOU GO RIGHT DOWN TO DETROIT-- WHEN I WENT--
LAST TIME I WENT TO DETROIT, I ALMOST GOT SHOT.
AND THAT'S JUST REAL.
ANYBODY WHO'S BEEN TO DETROIT UNDERSTANDS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
IT'S A WONDERFUL PLACE, BUT YOU MIGHT GET SHOT.
SO, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WHO WE'RE TRYING TO BE,
UNFORTUNATELY, WE'RE STUCK WITH THE DIFFICULT CHALLENGE
OF HAVING TO SWIM UPSTREAM,
TO GO AGAINST THE GRAIN, TO BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, I HAVE TO PUT THE BURDEN ON THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM
TO BE AMBASSADORS OF A MESSAGE THAT HELPS OTHER PEOPLE SWIM UPSTREAM.
YOU SEE, BECAUSE THE THING ABOUT LEADERSHIP IS, WHEN YOU LEAD,
YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT APPRECIATIVE OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT SUPPORTIVE OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
BUT... YOU MUST CONTINUE TO LEAD.
AND WHEN YOU CONTINUE TO LEAD, THROUGH YOUR ACTIONS,
WHAT YOU FIND IS THAT PEOPLE EVENTUALLY NOTICE,
PEOPLE EVENTUALLY BUCKLE AND FOLD,
HATERS GET OUT OF YOUR WAY BECAUSE THEY KNOW YOU'RE NOT GONNA STOP,
AND PEOPLE START TO, EVENTUALLY, EMULATE YOU.
SO, IT IS REALLY YOUR OBLIGATION AND OPPORTUNITY
TO HAVE A SPIRIT THAT ELEVATES OTHER PEOPLE IN THE--
IF YOU'RE IN A ROOM WITH TEN PEOPLE, OR 15, 20 PEOPLE LIKE THIS,
WHY CAN'T YOU BE THAT SPIRIT THAT ELEVATES OTHER PEOPLE
THAT ARE IN THAT SPACE?
IT TAKES PRACTICE.
IT TAKES PRACTICE, AND YOU HAVE TO GET OVER THE SELF-HATRED
THAT MANY OF US ARE WIRED WITH.
AND I HAD TO GET OVER MINE.
I STILL DO, SOMETIMES.
SOMETIMES, I'M LIKE, "WHO THE HECK DO I THINK I AM?
"I NEED TO JUST SHUT UP."
BUT THEN, I SAY, "YOU KNOW WHAT?
"I'M GONNA TRY.
"IT MAY NOT WORK, BUT AT LEAST, I CAN SAY THAT I TRIED."
YOU SEE, BECAUSE BLACK HISTORY IS NOT JUST SOMETHING THAT YOU STUDY.
BLACK HISTORY IS SOMETHING THAT IS MADE EVERY DAY.
AND YOU'RE MAKING YOUR OWN HISTORY.
YOU'RE WRITING YOUR OWN STORY,
WITH EVERY ACTION THAT YOU COMMIT YOURSELF TO,
EVERY CHOICE YOU MAKE, YOU ARE WRITING YOUR OWN STORY.
SO, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW,
WHAT IT TAKES TO KIND OF BUILD OURSELVES AND MOVE FORWARD--
AND AGAIN, STARTING WITH THE INITIAL PREMISE
OF EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AS BEING ONE OF THE KEYS
TO YOUR OWN PERSONAL EMPOWERMENT.
I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT JUST ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT.
I'M TALKING ABOUT EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT.
I'M TALKING ABOUT TRULY BEING EDUCATED.
YOU SEE, WHEN YOU GO TO COLLEGE, 95 PERCENT OF YOUR EDUCATION HAPPENS
WHEN YOU'RE NOT IN THE CLASSROOM.
IF ALL YOU GET IS WHAT YOU GET IN THE CLASSROOM,
THEN YOU'RE MISSING THE PICTURE HERE.
BECAUSE SOMETIMES, SYSTEMS EDUCATE YOU IN A WAY
THAT GETS YOU TO SIMPLY ACCEPT THE WAY THE SYSTEM WORKS.
AND THE MORE-- THE MORE--
THE MORE INSTITUTIONALIZED YOU BECOME IN YOUR THINKING,
THE LESS ABILITY YOU HAVE TO ACTUALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
YOU SIMPLY BECOME A COG IN A WHEEL.
SO, WHEN I TALK ABOUT BEING EDUCATED,
I'M TALKING ABOUT AT LEAST A COUPLE THINGS.
NUMBER ONE, ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IS VERY IMPORTANT.
THERE'S NO REASON FOR YOU TO BE HERE TO BE MEDIOCRE.
THIS UNIVERSITY IS YOUR TICKET TO WHEREVER YOU WANNA BE.
THIS IS YOUR KEY TO THE UNIVERSE.
YOU CAN GO FROM HERE TO HARVARD UNIVERSITY.
YOU CAN BECOME PRESIDENT.
YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT FROM RIGHT HERE.
NUMBER TWO...
REMEMBER, MOST OF YOUR LEARNING HAPPENS OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM...
AND NOT IN LEARNING--
WHAT YOU LEARN IS NOT AS IMPORTANT AS GAINING THE ABILITY TO LEARN
AND THE ABILITY TO THINK.
MEMORIZING A BUNCH OF FACTS AND NUMBERS AND FIGURES IS NOT WHAT LEARNING IS.
LEARNING MEANS THAT YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO WALK INTO A SCENARIO
AND FIGURE THINGS OUT AND TO PROCESS THINGS,
AND TO FIGURE OUT WHEN SOMEBODY'S TRYING TO CONTROL YOUR THINKING,
AND FIGURE OUT WHERE YOU WANNA GO IN LIFE,
SO YOU CAN MAKE ALL THE IMPORTANT DECISIONS
THAT WILL SHAPE YOUR DESTINY--
EVERYTHING FROM WHAT CAREER YOU CHOOSE DOWN TO WHO YOU'RE GOING TO MARRY.
ALL THOSE THINGS ARE VERY IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF LAYING OUT YOUR LIFE PLAN.
THE THIRD PIECE OF EDUCATION IS THIS--
UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN YOU WALK OUT
AND YOU HAVE THAT PIECE OF PAPER IN YOUR HAND,
YOU GOT THAT LAST DEGREE YOU'RE GOING TO GET,
THAT'S STILL THE BEGINNING OF YOUR EDUCATIONAL PROCESS.
YOU HAVE WHAT I CALL "THE GREATEST UNIVERSITY IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD,"
RIGHT AT YOUR FINGERTIPS-- IT'S CALLED GOOGLE.COM.
AND WE TALKED ABOUT THAT EARLIER.
YOU CAN ALWAYS LEARN BY GOOGLING SOMETHING THAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND.
IF YOU WANNA LEARN MORE BLACK HISTORY, GOOGLE THE TERM "BLACK HISTORY."
IF SOMEBODY MENTIONS IDA B. WELLS, AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHO SHE IS,
GOOGLE "IDA B. WELLS" AND READ ABOUT HER LIFE.
IT'LL TAKE YOU FIVE MINUTES...
BUT YOU'LL HAVE SOME AMMUNITION,
YOU'LL HAVE SOMETHING THAT MIGHT INSPIRE YOU
WHEN YOU'RE GOING THROUGH YOUR ADVERSITY.
I DO THAT WITH-- UM, MY ADOPTED FATHER IS, LIKE, MUHAMMAD ALI.
HE'S ACTUALLY A SECOND COUSIN BY MARRIAGE.
BUT HE'S NEVER MET ME.
IF HE SAW ME, HE WOULDN'T KNOW WHO I WAS.
BUT I ADOPTED HIM A LONG TIME AGO,
BECAUSE I WOULD READ HIS LIFE AND SEE HOW HE OVERCAME HIS STRUGGLE,
AND IT WOULD GIVE ME COURAGE TO OVERCOME THE CHALLENGES
THAT I FACED IN MY OWN LIFE.
SO, YOU'LL FIND NOTHING'S NEW UNDER THE SUN.
THERE'S ALWAYS SOMEBODY OUT THERE THAT YOU CAN GAIN INSPIRATION FROM,
ALWAYS SOMETHING ELSE YOU CAN LEARN ABOUT.
THE REASON MARTIN LUTHER KING HAD THE IMPACT THAT HE HAD
IS BECAUSE HE STUDIED GANDHI...
AND HE'S LIKE, "YO, WAIT A MINUTE.
"THE PRINCIPLES OF GANDHI CAN BE APPLIED IN THE UNITED STATES."
SO, HE BROUGHT THAT HOME.
IMAGINE IF HE HAD NEVER BEEN EXPOSED TO THAT...
HOW DIFFERENT OUR COUNTRY WOULD HAVE BEEN.
IMAGINE IF JAY-Z HAD NEVER GOT THAT CRAZY BEAT FROM INDIA THAT HE GOT,
MAKING THAT REALLY COOL SONG.
RIGHT?
SO, SOMETIMES, YOU CAN GET INSPIRATION FROM OTHER CULTURES
THAT YOU CAN'T NECESSARILY GET FROM THE SPACE THAT YOU'RE IN.
SO, EXPAND AND BROADEN YOUR HORIZONS.
AND REALLY, THE THING IS THAT-- I WOULD ARGUE--
AND AGAIN, THIS IS JUST MY OPINION.
I THINK THAT EMPOWERMENT IN OUR SOCIETY REALLY COMES DOWN
TO A VERY SIMPLE MESSAGE--
IT SOUNDS GIMMICKY, BUT I'MA SHARE IT WITH YOU
'CAUSE I HOPE IT'LL HELP YOU REMEMBER.
IT'S WHAT I CALL "THE FIVE-E PHILOSOPHY."
EVERYTHING STARTS WITH THE LETTER "E."
I WAS JUST SITTIN' THERE, I WAS NAMIN' IT--
OR LAYIN' IT OUT THERE, AND I WAS LIKE, "OH, MY GOSH.
"EVERYTHING STARTS WITH 'E,' THIS IS KINDA COOL."
ALL RIGHT, IT GOES LIKE THIS--
"EDUCATION PLUS ECONOMICS
"PLUS EXPECTATIONS EQUALS EMPOWERMENT."
EDUCATION PLUS ECONOMICS
PLUS EXPECTATIONS EQUALS EMPOWERMENT.
SO, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
THAT MEANS, NUMBER ONE...
EDUCATE YOURSELF.
EDUCATE THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU.
EMBRACE EDUCATION.
NEVER TOLERATE IGNORANCE, NEVER CELEBRATE IGNORANCE.
WHEN YOU SEE IGNORANCE, YOU STOMP IT OUT...
LIKE THE WAR ON TERROR.
WE NEED A WAR ON IGNORANCE.
A WAR ON STUPID PEOPLE.
WE NEED TO GET RID OF THAT.
EDUCATION IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU'LL EVER GET.
GET AS MUCH OF IT AS YOU CAN.
AND WHEN YOU ARE IN A SPACE WHERE YOU'RE BEING EDUCATED,
DON'T BE IN THE MIDDLE OF CLASS, DON'T BE IN THE BACK OF CLASS,
BE AT THE FRONT OF THE CLASS, BE AT THE TOP OF THE CLASS.
IT'S ALL A MATTER OF PUTTING IN THE TIME AND DOING IT CONSISTENTLY.
WHEN I TALK TO MY DAUGHTERS ABOUT EDUCATION, I GIVE THEM--
I GIVE 'EM A VERY SIMPLE RULE.
I SAY, "LOOK, STUDY FOUR TO SIX HOURS A DAY AND BE CONSISTENT.
"AND THEN, GO SEE YOUR TEACHERS AND SIT IN THE FRONT ROW."
I MEAN, THE MESSAGES I GIVE ARE VERY SIMPLE.
NUMBER TWO, ECONOMICS.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT MONEY...
THE FUNNY THING ABOUT MONEY IS THIS, OKAY?
AND I'VE STUDIED MONEY A LITTLE BIT.
YOU KNOW, MY PhD'S IN FINANCING.
AND HERE'S THE THING ABOUT MONEY THAT'S REALLY INTERESTING TO ME...
EVERYBODY KNOWS THE POWER OF MONEY.
A LOT OF US SHAPE OUR LIVES AROUND WHAT JOB WE'RE GOING TO GET.
IF I OFFERED YOU A JOB MAKING 30,000 A YEAR MORE,
OR 50 PERCENT MORE,
THAN WHAT YOU MAKE RIGHT NOW, AND I TOLD YOU TO MOVE TO SYRACUSE,
YOU WOULD SERIOUSLY CONSIDER MOVING TO SYRACUSE
AND LIVING IN THIS CITY WHERE IT SNOWS IN YOUR LIVING ROOM...
JUST SO YOU COULD TAKE THIS JOB, RIGHT?
AM I RIGHT, AM I RIGHT?
EXACTLY-- OF COURSE I'M RIGHT, EVEN IF YOU SAY I'M NOT RIGHT.
I KNOW YOU MAKIN' THAT UP.
SO... SO, THE THING IS, THOUGH, THAT FOR MANY OF US,
WE DON'T UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT MONEY IS
AND HOW IT WORKS AND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE WEALTHY.
SEE, A LOT OF PEOPLE, THEY PURSUE THEIR CAREERS,
THEY GET UP, THEY GO TO WORK, COME HOME, GO TO BED,
AND DO THAT REPEATEDLY, AND MANY OF THEM DON'T LIKE THEIR JOBS...
AND MANY PEOPLE ARE LIVING PAYCHECK-TO-PAYCHECK.
AND I'M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT POOR PEOPLE.
I'M TALKING ABOUT EDUCATED PEOPLE WHO MAKE A LOT OF MONEY,
WHO ARE LIVING PAYCHECK-TO-PAYCHECK.
IF THEY LOSE THEIR JOB, THEY'RE HOMELESS, UNFORTUNATELY.
BUT YOU SEE, THERE'S ANOTHER SIDE OF MONEY THAT INVOLVES BUILDING WEALTH.
AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT BUILDING WEALTH,
SO YOU CAN BUY A BENTLEY AND COACH PURSES AND ALL THAT STUFF.
I MEAN, THAT'S FINE IF YOU WANT THAT.
MY DAUGHTER LOVES THAT STUFF, BUT I'M NOT INTO IT SO MUCH.
I SHOP AT WALMART-- BUT YOU KNOW, SHE DOES IT BIG.
SO, I DON'T JUDGE THAT.
IT IS WHAT IT IS.
BUT WHAT I EXPLAINED TO HER IS...
"SWEETIE, THE WAY TO ACTUALLY HAVE WEALTH,
"THE WAY TO HAVE MONEY AND TO HAVE THAT POWER THAT COMES WITH MONEY,"
WHICH IS NOT POWER TO DOMINATE PEOPLE.
IT'S POWER JUST TO BE FREE, JUST TO DO WHAT YOU WANNA DO,
"IS YOU HAVE TO OWN SOMETHING."
YOU START BY OWNING YOUR OWN HOUSE.
AND THEN, WHEN YOU GET A JOB,
NO MATTER HOW MUCH MONEY THAT JOB PAYS,
YOU SAVE TEN PERCENT OF YOUR INCOME AND YOU SAVE THAT UP,
SO YOU CAN CREATE YOURSELF A SIDE-BUSINESS, OR A SIDE-HUSTLE.
OR MAYBE YOU'LL BE A FULL-TIME ENTREPRENEUR.
BUT NEVER GET ALL OF YOUR INCOME FROM ONE SOURCE,
BECAUSE IF THEY TAKE THAT JOB AWAY
AND YOU'RE LIVING PAYCHECK-TO-PAYCHECK, YOU STUCK.
SO, YOU SAVE YOUR MONEY, YOU BUILD UP YOUR NEST EGG,
YOU PUT YOUR MONEY INTO SIDE BUSINESSES--
IF YOU LIKE DOING HAIR, FINE.
HIRE FIVE WOMEN TO DO HAIR, OR FIVE MEN AND WOMEN TO DO HAIR--
DOING HAIR'S BOTH A MALE AND FEMALE PROFESSION, WE KNOW THAT, RIGHT?
SO, HIRE THOSE PEOPLE TO DO HAIR.
AND THEN, IF THE BUSINESS BRINGS IN $5,000 A WEEK,
YOU PAY THEM $2,000 AND YOU KEEP THE OTHER $3,000,
BECAUSE YOU'RE THE OWNER.
AND THE WAY I EXPLAINED THIS TO HER ON A BIG SCALE--
ON A BIGGER SCALE, AS I SAID--
OKAY, "NAME SOMEBODY WHO MAKES A LOT OF MONEY."
SHE SAID, "LeBRON JAMES," BECAUSE SHE LIKES BASKETBALL.
SHE'S ABOUT AS TALL AS MY KNEECAP, BUT SHE'S A GREAT BASKETBALL PLAYER.
AND SO, WE FIGURED OUT THAT LeBRON MAKES ABOUT 30 MILLION A YEAR.
I SAID, "OKAY, THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY."
I SAID, "OKAY, LET'S TALK ABOUT ANOTHER PERSON WHO'S ALSO WEALTHY.
"LET'S TALK ABOUT BILL GATES."
BILL GATES IS THE OWNER OF MICROSOFT.
NOW-- I SAID, "NOW, LeBRON IS DOING WELL.
"HE PLAYS HIS BASKETBALL, HE SHOWS UP EVERY DAY,
"HE RUNS UP AND DOWN THE COURT, HE SWEATS, AND THEY PAY HIM $30 MILLION.
"THAT'S A REALLY GOOD LIVING, AND I'M HOPING HE'S MANAGING HIS MONEY.
"WHATEVER, LeBRON'S GOOD.
"BUT WE DO KNOW THAT IF LeBRON GETS HURT
"AND LeBRON CAN'T PLAY ANYMORE,
"WE KNOW THAT HE WON'T MAKE ANY MONEY.
"BUT EVEN THEN, HE MIGHT STILL HAVE SOME MONEY,
"SO HE MIGHT STILL BE OKAY."
I SAID, "BUT CHECK THIS OUT."
I SAID, "DID YOU KNOW THAT BILL GATES, IF HE PUT ALL HIS MONEY JUST IN THE BANK,
"AND LET'S SAY HE WAS GETTING THE MINIMUM RATE OF INTEREST ON A SAVINGS ACCOUNT,
"AND HE NEVER WORKED AGAIN, HE NEVER GOT OUT OF BED,
"HE NEVER TOOK ANOTHER PHONE CALL, NEVER WROTE ANOTHER MEMO,
"WAS BRAIN DEAD, WAS A VEGETABLE, COULDN'T DO NOTHING...
"SO, HE NEVER WORKED ANOTHER DAY IN HIS LIFE,"
I SAID, "DO YOU KNOW THAT HE, BILL GATES, BY OWNING SOMETHING,
"MAKES MORE MONEY IN ONE WEEKEND
"THAN LeBRON JAMES MAKES IN AN ENTIRE YEAR?
"AND IF LeBRON DOESN'T WORK, HE DOESN'T GET PAID.
"BUT BILL GATES MAKES THAT MONEY WITHOUT DOING ANYTHING."
SO, THE POINT IS NOT TO SAY THAT YOU WANT TO BE AS RICH AS BILL GATES.
I'M NOT SOMEBODY WHO WORSHIPS MONEY.
LET'S BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT.
BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT YOU EVENTUALLY WANT YOUR MONEY
TO BE IN SCENARIOS WHERE YOUR MONEY IS WORKING FOR YOU.
YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT-- IT SHOULD NOT BE SOMETHING
WHERE YOU'RE BREAKING YOUR BACK UNTIL YOU'RE 80 YEARS OLD
AND HAVING TO GO TO WORK EVERY DAY
TO MAKE SURE YOU CAN PAY THE BILLS NEXT WEEK.
NO, THROUGH TIME, YOU WANT TO BE POSITIONING YOURSELF
SO YOU HAVE ASSETS, MAYBE RENTAL PROPERTY,
MAYBE YOU HAVE A SMALL BUSINESS WHERE YOU'RE MAKING MONEY
ON THE INTERNET OR WHATEVER.
BECAUSE NOT ONLY DOES IT GIVE YOU FINANCIAL SECURITY,
BUT SEE, YOUR FINANCIAL SECURITY
IS A PART OF YOUR PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SPIRITUAL SECURITY, TOO.
WHAT IF YOU GET ON THAT JOB AND YOU HAVE A BOSS--
LET'S SAY YOU'RE A WOMAN AND YOU TAKE THE JOB THAT YOU NEED
AND YOUR BOSS PINCHES YOUR BUTT,
AND YOU KNOW THAT IF YOU FILE A SEXUAL HARASSMENT CLAIM,
YOU'RE GONNA GET FIRED, RIGHT?
WE KNOW ABOUT RETALIATION, SO YOU'RE SCARED TO REALLY SAY ANYTHING,
AND WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO?
YOU'RE GONNA BE QUIET BECAUSE YOU NEED THAT JOB, IN MANY CASES.
YOU GOTTA PUT UP WITH ABUSE BECAUSE YOU NEED THAT JOB.
WELL, IF YOU'VE OPTIONS,
THEN YOU DON'T HAVE TO PUT UP WITH THAT ABUSE.
OR WHAT IF YOU'RE GONNA TAKE A JOB AT A FACTORY AND THE BOSS IS RACIST,
AND SOMEBODY CALLS YOU THE "N" WORD, THEY TREAT YOU LIKE CRAP?
WELL, YOU'RE NOT GONNA SAY ANYTHING IF YOU NEED THAT JOB.
BUT IF YOU'VE GOT OPTIONS, THEN YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO STAND UP...
BECAUSE IN THIS SOCIETY, ESPECIALLY FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR,
WHEN YOU STAND UP, THERE IS ALWAYS SOMEBODY STANDING OVER YOU
WITH A HAMMER TELLING YOU YOU BETTER SIT YOUR BUTT BACK DOWN.
AND IF YOU'RE NOT PREPARED TO WITHSTAND THAT CHALLENGE,
THEN YOU DON'T DESERVE YOUR FREEDOM.
AND THAT'S JUST A FACT.
AND SO, THE THING IS, THAT THESE IDEAS THAT I'M SAYING,
THAT THESE THINGS THAT I'M SHARING WITH YOU,
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT GETTING THAT FREEDOM,
TWO THINGS THAT GIVE YOU OPTIONS IN THIS SOCIETY ARE WEALTH AND EDUCATION.
AND WHEN WE WALK AWAY FROM BOTH,
WE ARE COMMITTING OURSELVES TO BEING CONTROLLED BY OTHER PEOPLE.
NOW, WHEN YOU GO OUT IN THE WORLD AND YOU TAKE THIS MESSAGE WITH YOU,
AND YOU LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE,
WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT NOT EVERYBODY--
NOT EVERYBODY'S ON THE SAME PAGE, RIGHT?
WE KNOW THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU GO BACK 200 YEARS,
THE SMARTEST SLAVE ON THE PLANTATION WAS WHO?
WAS IT THE FIELD SLAVE OR THE HOUSE SLAVE?
WHICH ONE WAS THE SMARTEST SLAVE ON THE PLANTATION?
IT WAS NEITHER ONE!
IT WAS THE SLAVE WHO TRIED TO ESCAPE! (audience laughing)
BUT IF YOU RECALL,
THAT WAS ALSO THE SLAVE THAT NOBODY WANTED TO BE AROUND.
THAT WAS THE ONE THAT EVERYBODY THOUGHT WAS CRAZY,
BECAUSE HE'S GONNA GET EVERYBODY KILLED!
DON'T NOBODY WANT TO BE AROUND THE SLAVE THAT'S TRYING TO ESCAPE.
EVERYBODY THINKS THAT THE HOUSE SLAVE IS THE SMART ONE,
BECAUSE HE'S WORKING WITHIN THE SYSTEM.
HE'S NOT TRYING TO BE TOO RADICAL, HE'S NOT TRYING TO MESS THINGS UP.
HE'S JUST TRYING TO GET IN THE HOUSE RIGHT NEXT TO MASTER.
BUT IF YOU'RE TRYING TO BE THAT RUN-AWAY SLAVE
WHO, AT THE END OF TIME,
HISTORY HAS SHOWN THAT THAT RUN-AWAY SLAVE
WAS THE GREATEST VISIONARY ON THE PLANTATION, RIGHT?
I MEAN, THAT SLAVE WHO SAID, "THIS IS NOT RIGHT.
"I DON'T CARE ABOUT WORKING FOR THE MASTER.
"I SHOULD NOT BE ON THIS PLANTATION IN FIRST PLACE!"
BUT THAT PERSON HAD TO BE STRONG,
BECAUSE THAT PERSON'S GONNA GET HATERS
JUST BY EVEN MENTIONING THE IDEA OF LEAVING THE PLANTATION.
IT'S GONNA START WITH THEIR OWN-- YOUR MOMMA--
YOUR MOMMA WILL BE LIKE, "NO, BABY, YOU-- DON'T DO IT.
"MASTER'S GONNA CUT YOUR FOOT OFF
"AND YOU SAW WHAT HAPPENED TO COLTER WHEN HE TRIED TO ESCAPE AND--"
RIGHT-- AM I RIGHT?
AND THAT'S WHAT WE GO THROUGH TO THIS DAY.
WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING BETTER AND DIFFERENT AND MORE RADICAL,
YOU'RE GOING TO GET CONCERNED PEOPLE WHO ALLEGEDLY CARE ABOUT YOU--
AND SOME OF THEM REALLY DO--
WHO GONNA SAY, "NO, YOU CAN'T DO THAT.
"YOU GOTTA STOP."
BUT THE THING IS, THOUGH, THEY'RE NOT CRAZY.
THEY'RE ACTUALLY RIGHT.
THEY'RE ACTUALLY RIGHT.
IT'S NOT EASY TO FIGHT FOR YOUR FREEDOM.
IT REALLY ISN'T.
IT TAKES STRENGTH.
THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE TO BE COMMITTED TO WHAT YOU'RE DOING,
YOU HAVE TO PUSH YOURSELF TO BE THE BEST THAT YOU CAN BE,
AND YOU ALSO HAVE TO BE PREPARED TO FAIL SOMETIMES.
THAT FIRST SLAVE THAT TRIED TO GET OFF THE PLANTATION PROBABLY GOT KILLED.
LET'S JUST BE REAL.
LET'S BE REAL.
BUT YOU SEE, THE THING IS, THOUGH, IN LIFE, IN GENERAL--
FORTUNATELY, WE DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH
WHAT OUR FOREFATHERS AND FOREMOTHERS WENT THROUGH IN SLAVERY.
BUT THE THING IS THAT, IN LIFE, FAILING IS REALLY A PART OF YOUR SUCCESS.
ANYTHING THAT YOU TRY TO DO IN LIFE THAT'S WORTH DOING, YOU'RE GOING TO FAIL.
YOU'RE GOING TO SLIP UP AND FALL.
YOU'RE GOING TO FALL ON YOUR FACE.
YOU'RE GOING TO TRY AND DO SOMETHING, IT'S NOT GONNA WORK OUT,
AND THE HATERS WILL BE STANDING RIGHT OVER TOP OF YOU, LAUGHING AT YOU.
WHEN MUHAMMAD ALI GOT KNOCKED OUT FOR THE FIRST TIME,
EVERYBODY SAID, "GOOD.
"THAT'S WHAT THAT NEGRO DESERVES FOR RUNNING HIS MOUTH SO MUCH."
SO, HE HAD TO MAKE A DECISION, "DO I STAY ON THE GROUND?
"DO I QUIET DOWN?
"DO I STOP DOING WHAT I'M DOING?
"OR DO I CONTINUE TO GET UP AND SAY, 'I AM THE GREATEST'?"
AND THAT'S WHAT HE DID.
HE GOT UP AND SAID, "I'M STILL THE GREATEST.
"I JUST GOT KNOCKED OUT."
AND NEXT TIME, HE WAS A BETTER FIGHTER.
HE WAS MORE PREPARED, BECAUSE HE EXPERIENCED THE KNOCK OUT.
SO, YOUR FAILURE-- WHEN YOU FALL ON YOUR FACE, WHICH YOU WILL--
I MEAN, IF YOU'RE SUCCEEDING IN EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO,
THEN I'M GOING TO TELL YOU YOU'RE NOT REALLY TRYING HARD ENOUGH.
YOU'RE NOT SETTING THE BAR HIGH ENOUGH.
SO, WHEN YOU FAIL, AND YOU HAVE THAT DECISION ON HOW TO RESPOND
TO THAT PRESSURE OF FAILURE,
THAT DECISION WILL MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD.
AND THAT GOES TO THE LAST PART OF THE FIVE-E PHILOSOPHY
I WAS TELLING YOU EARLIER.
EDUCATION PLUS ECONOMICS PLUS EXPECTATIONS.
YOU SEE, THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF ABILITY
AND A WHOLE LOT OF POWER WHO DON'T EXPECT MUCH FROM THEMSELVES.
THEY DON'T WANT TO WORK FOR ANYTHING
THAT'S SIGNIFICANT OR SPECIAL IN THE WORLD.
THEY ALWAYS PLAY IT SAFE...
AND THEY NEVER REALLY ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING.
THEY LIVE AND THEY DIE, AND NOBODY EVER KNOWS THAT THEY'RE HERE.
THERE ARE PARENTS WHO HAVE BRILLIANT CHILDREN,
WHO SET THE BAR LOW,
WHO DON'T PUSH THEIR CHILDREN TO BE THE BEST THAT THEY CAN BE.
SO, THEIR CHILDREN-- WHAT DO THEY DO?
WELL, KIDS JUMP-- THEY JUMP THE BAR AS HIGH AS YOU SET IT.
IF YOU SET THE BAR WAY DOWN TO THE GROUND,
THEY JUST GONNA JUMP TWO INCHES OFF THE GROUND.
IF YOU SET IT HIGHER, YOU'D BE AMAZED AT WHAT THEY CAN DO.
EXPECTATIONS ARE EVERYTHING.
AGAIN, I'D RATHER BE AN ORDINARY PERSON WHO PUTS OUT EXTRAORDINARY EFFORT,
WHO EXPECTS EXTRAORDINARY EFFORT,
THAN TO BE AN EXTRAORDINARY PERSON WHO PUTS OUT ORDINARY EFFORT.
IT'S ALL ABOUT EXPECTATIONS.
NOW, TO MAKE THAT POINT CLEAR,
I WANNA TELL YOU A STORY THAT I HOPE YOU HAVEN'T HEARD,
BUT IF YOU HAVEN'T HEARD IT--
OR IF YOU'VE ALREADY HEARD IT,
PLEASE JUST PRETEND LIKE YOU'RE HEARING IT FOR THE FIRST TIME.
ALL RIGHT, THERE'S A STORY ABOUT THIS BABY EAGLE.
THERE'S THIS BABY EAGLE SITTING IN A NEST,
AND ONE DAY, HE'S UP IN THE NEST, JUST CHILLING.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT BABY EAGLES DO.
THEY JUST KINDA SIT THERE.
AND SO, THIS WIND KINDA BLOWS THROUGH-- THIS HEAVY WIND.
AND THE WIND BLOWS THE NEST OFF OF THE ROCK, RIGHT?
SO, HE'S LIKE WAY UP ON THIS ROCK ON THE TOP OF A MOUNTAIN,
WHERE EAGLES LIVE, AND HE FALLS-- BOOM-BOOM-BOOM.
AND THE BABY EAGLE LANDS IN THE MIDDLE OF A CHICKEN COOP.
SO, HE'S KINDA LAYING THERE, AND HE'S DAZED AND KNOCKED OUT,
AND ALL THE OTHER CHICKENS KINDA GATHER AROUND
AND THEY KINDA LOOK AT HIM FUNNY, LIKE, "WELL, WHAT IS HE?"
AND ONE OF THE CHICKENS SAID, "WELL, HE'S GOT WINGS AND HE'S GOT FEATHERS...
"SO FOOL, OBVIOUSLY HE'S A CHICKEN."
SO, YOU KNOW, CHICKENS--
THEY LIKE BLACK PEOPLE, WE LOVE EVERYBODY.
YOU KNOW, CHICKENS ARE PRETTY COOL.
SO, THEY WERE LIKE, "OKAY," SO THEY TOOK HIM IN,
YOU KNOW, AND THEY RAISED HIM.
RAISED HIM LIKE A CHICKEN, RIGHT?
NOW, CHICKENS DON'T HAVE A LOT OF AMBITION.
THEY KINDA SIT IN THE YARD AND THEY JUST KINDA PECK
AND THEY EAT WHATEVER HAPPENS TO BE IN THE YARD.
AND YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T HAVE, LIKE, BIG PLANS OR BIG GOALS.
THEY JUST KINDA SIT AND WAIT FOR THE K.F.C. TRUCK
TO ROLL THROUGH OR WHATEVER.
SO, THIS BABY EAGLE, WHO WAS BEING RAISED AS A CHICKEN,
HE JUST DOES WHAT CHICKENS DO EVERY DAY.
AND THEN, A FEW YEARS LATER, HE'S GOTTEN BIGGER.
YOU KNOW, HE'S LIKE A TEENAGE CHICKEN NOW.
BUT HE'S LIKE THE BIGGEST CHICKEN THEY EVER SAW.
LIKE, THEY CALL HIM "BIG SHAQ" BECAUSE HE'S LIKE A GIGANTIC CHICKEN,
AND THEY LIKE, "MAN, THAT'S A BIG DUDE!"
BUT THEY LOVE HIM ANYWAY.
THEY LOVE BIG SHAQ.
SO, ONE DAY, HE'S SITTING IN THE YARD,
AND HE'S JUST PECKING AND EATING THROUGH THE STUFF ON THE GROUND,
AND HE LOOKS UP IN THE SKY AND HE SEES THIS LITTLE DOT,
AND THE LITTLE DOT'S, LIKE, COMING TOWARD HIM,
AND IT GETS BIGGER AND BIGGER.
AND THEN, HE SEES IT'S LIKE THIS BIG BALD EAGLE--
THIS MUSCLE-BOUND EAGLE JUST FLYING LIKE-- SWOOP--
AND THE EAGLE FLIES OVER THE CHICKEN COOP LIKE VOOOOOSH!
AND HE FLIES AND TAKES OFF INTO THE SKY LIKE A SONIC JET.
IT'S LIKE-- HE FEELS THE WIND, AND THE EAGLE JUST TAKES OFF
AND DISAPPEARS INTO THE HORIZON.
HE LOOKS UP, HE'S LIKE, "YO!
"OH, MY GOD!
"DID YOU SEE THAT?!"
HE TELLS HIS BOYS, LIKE, "MAN!
"OH, MY GOD!
"WHOA, MAN.
"I WANNA DO THAT!
"I WANNA DO WHAT HE'S DOING.
"I WANNA-- I BE-- YOU KNOW, I BET--
"I GOT PRETTY STRONG WINGS AND I'M PRETTY--
"I BET IF I SPREAD MY WINGS, I BET IF I FLY--
"I BET IF I FLAP THESE SUCKERS,
"I BET I MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET OFF THE GROUND A LITTLE BIT,
"AND I COULD PROBABLY DO WHAT HE DID."
AND SO, HIS BOY'S LIKE, "MAN, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, FOOL?"
HE SAID, "THAT'S AN EAGLE, DUDE.
"EAGLES FLY.
"EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT CHICKENS DON'T FLY."
AND HE'S LIKE, "NO, MAN, BUT YOU KNOW, ONE DAY,
"I WAS LIKE MESSING AROUND AND I GOT LIKE FIVE FEET OFF THE GROUND.
"I THINK-- I THINK I COULD PULL THIS OFF."
HE'S LIKE, "DUDE, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, MAN?
"YOU TALKING CRAZY, DUDE.
"LIKE, YOU'RE A CHICKEN.
"CHICKEN'S DON'T FLY, SO JUST SHUT UP.
"YOU SOUND STUPID."
SO, YOU KNOW WHAT HE SAID?
HE SAID, "YEAH, YEAH, YOU RIGHT, MAN, YOU RIGHT.
"I WAS TRIPPIN'... I WAS TRIPPIN'."
SO, HE CONTINUED TO LIVE AS A CHICKEN.
HE CONTINUED TO LIVE THE REST OF HIS LIFE AS A CHICKEN,
EVEN THOUGH HE WAS MEANT TO BE A EAGLE.
EVEN THOUGH GOD PUT HIM ON THIS EARTH TO BE AN EAGLE.
NOW, I'M WILLING TO BET YOU THAT SOME OF US KNOW PEOPLE,
MAYBE EVEN OURSELVES, WHO ARE EAGLES WHO HAVE ALLOWED THE WORLD
TO CONVINCE YOU THAT YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A CHICKEN.
THAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO FLY, BUT YET, SOMETHING HAS HAPPENED,
SOMETHING HAS MADE YOU THINK LESS OF YOURSELF,
THAT TO THE POINT THAT YOU THINK THAT YOU'RE JUST A CHICKEN
AND YOU'RE NOT MEANT TO FLY.
EVERYBODY ELSE IS MEANT TO FLY
AND YOU ACCEPT THE FACT THAT OTHER PEOPLE FLY,
BUT YOU CAN NEVER SEE YOURSELF FLYING.
SO, WHAT I SAY TO YOU IS THIS-- I SAY, "IF YOU'RE MEANT TO BE AN EAGLE..."
AND MAYBE SOME OF US ARE.
I DON'T KNOW.
"YOU'LL NEVER KNOW UNLESS YOU SPREAD YOUR WINGS."
SO, I ENCOURAGE YOU, I IMPLORE YOU,
WITH YOURSELF AND WHEN YOU TALK TO OTHER PEOPLE--
AND YOU SEE THAT KID WHO IS AN EAGLE
WHO HAS ALLOWED THE WORLD TO CONVINCE HIM OR HER
THAT THEY'RE JUST A CHICKEN, HELP THEM SPREAD THEIR WINGS.
AND EXPLORE YOUR OWN GREATNESS...
NOT BY SAYING, "I'M GREAT BECAUSE I'M BETTER THAN SOMEBODY ELSE."
EXPLORE YOUR GREATNESS BY SAYING, "LOOK, I AM GREAT.
"I CAN FLY AS HIGH AS I WANT TO, BUT YOU CAN FLY, TOO."
THAT'S WHAT MAKES YOU GREAT.
BEING BETTER THAN OTHER PEOPLE DOES NOT MAKE YOU GREAT.
BUT AIN'T NOBODY BETTER THAN YOU.
DON'T FORGET THAT.
THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
I'M DONE NOW...
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
(applause)
SO, WE'RE GONNA DO A Q&A?