WEBVTT 00:00:24.300 --> 00:00:26.679 Hello, good evening and welcome to live with 00:00:26.679 --> 00:00:30.399 Dr. Andre Jerry, your trusted. real conversations, 00:00:31.019 --> 00:00:33.259 practical wisdom, and purpose -driven insight. 00:00:33.700 --> 00:00:36.119 I'm your host, Dr. Andre Jerry, and we're broadcasting 00:00:36.119 --> 00:00:39.679 live from San Juan, Puerto Rico. This show is 00:00:39.679 --> 00:00:43.840 broadcast worldwide in over 128 countries and 00:00:43.840 --> 00:00:47.140 has featured artists, authors, entertainers, 00:00:47.439 --> 00:00:50.280 entrepreneurs, and thought leaders from across 00:00:50.280 --> 00:00:53.060 the globe. So wherever you're tuning into from 00:00:53.060 --> 00:00:56.340 tonight, on behalf of myself and the Artist First 00:00:56.340 --> 00:00:59.380 Radio Network, I want to thank you for your listenership. 00:00:59.719 --> 00:01:03.259 So tonight, we have a special episode in store 00:01:03.259 --> 00:01:05.900 for you. And I want to start this by asking a 00:01:05.900 --> 00:01:09.959 simple question. How many of you out there listening 00:01:09.959 --> 00:01:14.700 tonight are educators? Specifically, I'm talking 00:01:14.700 --> 00:01:17.859 about teachers in public schools who carry the 00:01:17.859 --> 00:01:20.620 daily responsibility of shaping our children 00:01:20.620 --> 00:01:24.379 in grades K through 12. If you're a public school 00:01:24.379 --> 00:01:27.799 educator, or you have family or friends who are, 00:01:28.040 --> 00:01:29.680 I want you to call or text them and let them 00:01:29.680 --> 00:01:32.659 know that this show is on. Send them the link 00:01:32.659 --> 00:01:35.219 to this show and tell them to tune in, because 00:01:35.219 --> 00:01:36.719 tonight we're going to have a conversation that 00:01:36.719 --> 00:01:42.519 has been long overdue. So when we talk about 00:01:42.519 --> 00:01:47.540 education, We often focus on things like underfunded 00:01:47.540 --> 00:01:50.900 districts or outdated resources that the students 00:01:50.900 --> 00:01:53.400 are using, concerns about student performance. 00:01:54.200 --> 00:01:58.140 But very rarely do we look at the human beings 00:01:58.140 --> 00:02:00.140 who are standing at the front of the classroom. 00:02:01.040 --> 00:02:04.340 We almost never ask, how are our teachers doing? 00:02:05.120 --> 00:02:07.560 What pressures are they carrying on a daily basis? 00:02:07.640 --> 00:02:10.900 What support do they need and they're not getting? 00:02:11.759 --> 00:02:13.979 So tonight we're going to explore that side of 00:02:13.979 --> 00:02:16.180 the story. The part that doesn't make the headlines 00:02:16.180 --> 00:02:19.099 all the time, but absolutely shapes the future 00:02:19.099 --> 00:02:22.520 of our children. Joining us for this important 00:02:22.520 --> 00:02:25.139 discussion is someone who knows his topic intimately. 00:02:25.939 --> 00:02:29.620 He's a highly esteemed educator, a bestselling 00:02:29.620 --> 00:02:32.039 author, and he continues to make an incredible 00:02:32.039 --> 00:02:34.460 impact in his industry. He's here to talk about 00:02:34.460 --> 00:02:38.020 his powerful new book called Suffering in Bleak 00:02:38.020 --> 00:02:40.580 Silence, A Teacher's Mental Health Struggles 00:02:40.580 --> 00:02:44.259 Exposed. So welcome back to the show, my friend, 00:02:44.439 --> 00:02:47.759 Dr. Stephen Bond. Dr. Bond, how are you today? 00:02:48.599 --> 00:02:51.139 I'm doing great. I can't complain. And thank 00:02:51.139 --> 00:02:53.620 you again being on your show. I really enjoyed 00:02:53.620 --> 00:02:55.659 it the first two times. So I'm really sad about 00:02:55.659 --> 00:02:59.180 being on here again. Thanks. Thanks again. Hey, 00:02:59.419 --> 00:03:01.879 listen, glad to have you here. I'm glad to have 00:03:01.879 --> 00:03:04.280 you back on the show so we can sort of catch 00:03:04.280 --> 00:03:05.840 up. And of course, we're going to talk about 00:03:05.840 --> 00:03:09.599 your new book. But first, you know, a lot has 00:03:09.599 --> 00:03:11.580 happened since the last time you were on the 00:03:11.580 --> 00:03:13.419 show. I think it's been about two years since 00:03:13.419 --> 00:03:16.819 you were last on. I know what's been going on 00:03:16.819 --> 00:03:19.400 in your world, but do you mind letting our listeners 00:03:19.400 --> 00:03:21.460 in on all the exciting things that have kind 00:03:21.460 --> 00:03:23.219 of been taking place over the past two years? 00:03:24.280 --> 00:03:25.620 Sure, well, awesome. Well, one of the things 00:03:25.620 --> 00:03:28.539 is I did get married in August and it was awesome. 00:03:28.960 --> 00:03:31.159 I know if you were able to make it, you would 00:03:31.159 --> 00:03:34.300 have, and it was just an amazing time. And so 00:03:34.300 --> 00:03:37.240 along with that, I'm still working and teaching. 00:03:37.599 --> 00:03:41.500 and the second book about my grandfather did 00:03:41.500 --> 00:03:44.840 really, really well, got a lot of accolades for 00:03:44.840 --> 00:03:47.419 it, and also I appreciate being on your show 00:03:47.419 --> 00:03:50.060 because being on your show really brought the 00:03:50.060 --> 00:03:54.219 book to a spotlight, and I did a couple of book 00:03:54.219 --> 00:03:57.379 signings in New York and even North Carolina, 00:03:57.479 --> 00:04:00.460 and it was just amazing, and just being on your 00:04:00.460 --> 00:04:02.900 show helped me so much because I always want 00:04:02.900 --> 00:04:06.159 my grandfather's story to be told, and his book, 00:04:06.319 --> 00:04:08.900 I wrote a film called Unsung, but better remembered. 00:04:09.620 --> 00:04:12.099 And for me, it was important to give his legacy 00:04:12.099 --> 00:04:15.819 for people to see because he had a patent for 00:04:15.819 --> 00:04:20.439 the car turn signal. So that's the clicker blink, 00:04:20.519 --> 00:04:23.560 as we call it today. And he had a patent for 00:04:23.560 --> 00:04:28.079 it from 1927. And so what was amazing about it, 00:04:28.100 --> 00:04:32.060 we found his patent and then that kind of validated 00:04:32.060 --> 00:04:34.660 his invention because for years he told people 00:04:34.660 --> 00:04:37.829 he invented it. And I would tell people, my family 00:04:37.829 --> 00:04:40.689 members would, and unfortunately, most people 00:04:40.689 --> 00:04:43.230 are the lie. So having a pattern and writing 00:04:43.230 --> 00:04:45.889 a book about it opened up so many doors for his 00:04:45.889 --> 00:04:49.990 legacy to be told. And I was on the main podcast. 00:04:50.790 --> 00:04:53.129 I even did a few professional developments talking 00:04:53.129 --> 00:04:55.930 about him and the inventor and grandpa that he 00:04:55.930 --> 00:04:59.230 was. So just you being there for me and just 00:04:59.230 --> 00:05:01.810 being on your show really opened up a lot of 00:05:01.810 --> 00:05:04.089 doors for me. And I'm just so appreciative even 00:05:04.089 --> 00:05:07.089 to this day. Thank you again, and while I have 00:05:07.089 --> 00:05:08.889 you here, thank you again for doing the forward 00:05:08.889 --> 00:05:13.589 for my new book. Oh, I was so happy to get that 00:05:13.589 --> 00:05:15.449 call. I was excited when you told me about the 00:05:15.449 --> 00:05:17.449 book. You know, this is the first time anyone 00:05:17.449 --> 00:05:19.470 asked me to write a forward for their book. So 00:05:19.470 --> 00:05:22.370 I was excited not only that your book, your new 00:05:22.370 --> 00:05:24.790 book was coming out, but also to be asked to 00:05:24.790 --> 00:05:27.329 write a forward for someone's book. That's very 00:05:27.329 --> 00:05:30.670 personal and special. So I was like, wow, that's 00:05:30.670 --> 00:05:33.279 awesome. And so, of course, I got to read an 00:05:33.279 --> 00:05:35.740 advanced copy of it. And I just, I fell in love 00:05:35.740 --> 00:05:38.139 with the book. So thank you again for that privilege. 00:05:38.139 --> 00:05:41.500 I really appreciate it. Well, thank you as well. 00:05:42.139 --> 00:05:44.720 And, you know, I got that before. When I thought 00:05:44.720 --> 00:05:48.000 about who I wanted to get a foreword, you really 00:05:48.000 --> 00:05:49.920 was the first person I thought about. And I was 00:05:49.920 --> 00:05:52.740 thinking when the book was finished, I said to 00:05:52.740 --> 00:05:55.060 myself, who do I think would really write a good 00:05:55.060 --> 00:05:59.180 foreword who knows me and knows how I am as an 00:05:59.180 --> 00:06:01.610 educated person? I thought about you. And so 00:06:01.610 --> 00:06:04.670 when I asked you, I was thinking to myself, well, 00:06:04.670 --> 00:06:07.810 I hope you say yes. And so I was honored and 00:06:07.810 --> 00:06:10.470 privileged that you did want to do it. And it 00:06:10.470 --> 00:06:14.310 was so eloquently written. And so just reading, 00:06:14.490 --> 00:06:16.250 I was almost emotional just looking through it. 00:06:16.370 --> 00:06:20.550 So I'm so grateful for that, because like I said 00:06:20.550 --> 00:06:23.629 before, when we first did the podcast, I knew 00:06:23.629 --> 00:06:26.370 as a person, as a colleague, but now we're friends. 00:06:27.209 --> 00:06:30.670 And that Podcast was so amazing. I've had so 00:06:30.670 --> 00:06:32.889 many people listen to it. I had hundreds of followers 00:06:32.889 --> 00:06:35.670 and my friends listen to it. And they were just 00:06:35.670 --> 00:06:37.509 amazed about the story of my grandfather and 00:06:37.509 --> 00:06:40.430 they said, the guy will interview you. It's amazing. 00:06:40.550 --> 00:06:43.189 He knows what he does. He talks so eloquently 00:06:43.189 --> 00:06:46.529 and detailed. And so, you know, after that night, 00:06:46.810 --> 00:06:48.990 you know, we just continue to grow closer and 00:06:48.990 --> 00:06:51.250 closer. And I really appreciate our friendship. 00:06:51.910 --> 00:06:54.129 And like I said, I'm glad I made the right choice 00:06:54.129 --> 00:06:57.279 with, you know, writing the foreword and You 00:06:57.279 --> 00:07:00.259 know, when a few work for things, one of the 00:07:00.259 --> 00:07:03.620 things I wanted done was a historical marker 00:07:03.620 --> 00:07:06.759 for my grandfather. And they told us you had 00:07:06.759 --> 00:07:09.399 to wait at least 25 years for somebody to pass 00:07:09.399 --> 00:07:12.259 before you can do a historic marker. And so what 00:07:12.259 --> 00:07:15.180 we want to do in the town he's raising is just 00:07:15.180 --> 00:07:17.800 have a historic marker with his name on it showing 00:07:17.800 --> 00:07:20.279 that he had the patent for the car turn signal. 00:07:20.720 --> 00:07:22.459 That, you know, even to this day means a lot 00:07:22.459 --> 00:07:26.660 to our family. Oh, man, that's gonna be all have 00:07:26.660 --> 00:07:28.579 that happened already or is that something that 00:07:28.579 --> 00:07:30.980 you're currently working on? No, it has the way 00:07:30.980 --> 00:07:33.220 in the works for it because we had to wait first 00:07:33.220 --> 00:07:36.660 25 years and less about a year ago it came officially 00:07:36.660 --> 00:07:41.100 25 years and so now we can do the paperwork and 00:07:41.100 --> 00:07:44.339 You know, there's a process. There's a time wait 00:07:44.339 --> 00:07:47.860 waiting period, but you know, we hope soon that 00:07:48.089 --> 00:07:50.509 That'll happen. One of the other great things 00:07:50.509 --> 00:07:52.550 that occurred, too, was the mayor of Windsor, 00:07:52.689 --> 00:07:56.230 North Carolina, Mr. Hoggart. I met with him and 00:07:56.230 --> 00:07:58.370 told him about my grandpa's story, and he didn't 00:07:58.370 --> 00:08:01.149 even know about it. So I met with him a few years 00:08:01.149 --> 00:08:03.329 ago when the book came out. You know, we had 00:08:03.329 --> 00:08:06.670 a picture, shook my hand, and he was just amazed 00:08:06.670 --> 00:08:09.209 at about the story of my grandfather, because 00:08:09.209 --> 00:08:11.870 he didn't know about it. And Windsor, North Carolina 00:08:11.870 --> 00:08:16.399 has maybe 1 ,000 people, and... Now, most of 00:08:16.399 --> 00:08:18.500 the people in that town know about his invention. 00:08:19.819 --> 00:08:22.459 And, like I said, the patent, if you go on Google 00:08:22.459 --> 00:08:24.939 Patents, you probably can see it. Some, it's 00:08:24.939 --> 00:08:27.600 still not showing it, but, you know, we have 00:08:27.600 --> 00:08:29.579 access to it, which is amazing, and we're happy 00:08:29.579 --> 00:08:31.959 for that. Because, like I said, for years, he 00:08:31.959 --> 00:08:36.200 was denied by history, but, you know, he was 00:08:36.200 --> 00:08:39.179 delayed, but thankfully not denied anymore. And 00:08:39.179 --> 00:08:43.100 that what made us at the Bond family feel really 00:08:43.100 --> 00:08:45.720 divided, you know? He shouldn't pay to compensate 00:08:45.720 --> 00:08:49.039 for it, but the fact at least that he got me 00:08:49.039 --> 00:08:52.679 recognized for it is awesome Well, i'm happy 00:08:52.679 --> 00:08:55.259 that he's being recognized and i'm happy for 00:08:55.259 --> 00:08:57.139 just a small part i've been able to play when 00:08:57.139 --> 00:08:59.700 I first came across that story I believe it was 00:08:59.700 --> 00:09:03.000 from one of your stories or posts on instagram 00:09:03.000 --> 00:09:06.340 because I wasn't on tiktok at the time And I 00:09:06.340 --> 00:09:08.799 was kind of captivated by the story. I love stories 00:09:08.799 --> 00:09:13.720 like that true historical stories about real 00:09:13.720 --> 00:09:16.179 people who did things that were often unsung 00:09:16.179 --> 00:09:18.820 and overlooked and so when I ran I love authors 00:09:18.820 --> 00:09:21.299 anyway you know that and so when I came across 00:09:21.299 --> 00:09:23.019 your book I was like I'm gonna reach out to him 00:09:23.019 --> 00:09:24.500 and see if he would like to come on the show 00:09:24.500 --> 00:09:27.580 to talk about this book this is awesome and and 00:09:27.580 --> 00:09:29.299 so thankfully we were to connect and you came 00:09:29.299 --> 00:09:31.320 on the show a couple of times I remember the 00:09:31.320 --> 00:09:33.419 last time I called you, I was like, hey, my guest 00:09:33.419 --> 00:09:35.299 pulled out. Can you come on the show and give 00:09:35.299 --> 00:09:37.679 us an update on things? And you were so gracious 00:09:37.679 --> 00:09:40.659 with your time. And I just appreciate that. I'm 00:09:40.659 --> 00:09:43.179 glad to see everything kind of churning and moving 00:09:43.179 --> 00:09:45.919 and all of the accolades that your grandfather 00:09:45.919 --> 00:09:50.039 is now getting for his invention. Because I know 00:09:50.039 --> 00:09:52.440 that's the story of so many inventors who have 00:09:52.440 --> 00:09:56.740 patents and they fail. through the crack somehow 00:09:56.740 --> 00:09:59.080 and other people end up getting the accolades 00:09:59.080 --> 00:10:03.379 and the financial things from it. So I'm just 00:10:03.379 --> 00:10:05.980 happy that he's now getting his just due and 00:10:05.980 --> 00:10:08.139 that there's been a lot of attention on his story. 00:10:08.299 --> 00:10:10.220 And that's awesome that the mayor of Winston, 00:10:10.299 --> 00:10:13.000 North Carolina has also become aware of the story 00:10:13.000 --> 00:10:15.899 and stepping in to do his part as well. So it's 00:10:15.899 --> 00:10:19.659 awesome. Well, definitely. Thank you. And like 00:10:19.659 --> 00:10:22.679 I said, what makes the whole thing great is not 00:10:22.679 --> 00:10:26.980 only were we able to get his story out, but main 00:10:26.980 --> 00:10:29.659 times on social media, people would DM me and 00:10:29.659 --> 00:10:32.559 say, Dr. Bond, my family member invented this 00:10:32.559 --> 00:10:34.960 or invented that, did not get credit for it. 00:10:35.080 --> 00:10:37.639 And they asked me like, what process or what 00:10:37.639 --> 00:10:40.879 steps can you do to try to, you know, at least 00:10:40.879 --> 00:10:43.980 have them have credit for it? And what I suggested 00:10:43.980 --> 00:10:46.559 first, and it might be the easiest thing, but 00:10:46.559 --> 00:10:50.169 first try to get a copy of the pattern because 00:10:50.169 --> 00:10:52.669 in the case of my grandfather as well, you know, 00:10:52.870 --> 00:10:55.289 any time you pass over the US government, they 00:10:55.289 --> 00:10:58.889 give you a serial number. And so even if that 00:10:58.889 --> 00:11:01.090 expired, because it's kind of like a driver's 00:11:01.090 --> 00:11:03.490 license, you know, a driver's license can expire 00:11:03.490 --> 00:11:05.730 in like, in most states, seven, eight years, 00:11:05.730 --> 00:11:11.029 but at the same time, you had a license. So when 00:11:11.029 --> 00:11:14.730 the patent expired after a while, we still were 00:11:14.730 --> 00:11:17.659 able to find a patent. with the same serial number 00:11:17.659 --> 00:11:20.379 and so valid. And we did like a Google patent 00:11:20.379 --> 00:11:24.200 search. Like I said, on some search engines, 00:11:24.240 --> 00:11:27.179 it'll show and then have his name and even a 00:11:27.179 --> 00:11:31.700 picture of his actual diagram of the signal light, 00:11:32.419 --> 00:11:36.759 of his explanation for it, and his sign and notarized 00:11:36.759 --> 00:11:38.580 stamp. And that's important, too, because one 00:11:38.580 --> 00:11:41.320 thing to have a patent, but when you also have 00:11:41.320 --> 00:11:44.159 it notarized by the lawyer, which he had, and 00:11:44.159 --> 00:11:46.840 also sign at the bottom that validates even more. 00:11:47.299 --> 00:11:49.899 And so the fact we were able to find the patent 00:11:49.899 --> 00:11:53.980 and find the signature with it and being notarized, 00:11:54.139 --> 00:11:57.059 it made it valid. And so there was no denying 00:11:57.059 --> 00:11:59.740 of that. You know, he may not have got compensation 00:11:59.740 --> 00:12:04.159 for it, but history tells that David George Bond 00:12:04.159 --> 00:12:08.080 had the patent for it. And a few years ago, I 00:12:08.080 --> 00:12:10.480 was on the news in Greenville, North Carolina. 00:12:10.960 --> 00:12:14.720 And after I did the story, yes, and it was awesome. 00:12:15.840 --> 00:12:18.559 And here's what he did the next day, Doc, when 00:12:18.559 --> 00:12:22.659 it was on their website, the fact checkers went 00:12:22.659 --> 00:12:27.480 to check the validity of it, and the person who 00:12:27.480 --> 00:12:30.539 got the credit for the signal light, his patent 00:12:30.539 --> 00:12:34.960 was two years after my grandpa's. It was in 1929, 00:12:35.059 --> 00:12:38.679 and my grandpa, he submitted his application. 00:12:38.990 --> 00:12:45.090 in 1926. And it became official March 1st, 1927. 00:12:45.210 --> 00:12:48.769 So it was like two years before the person got 00:12:48.769 --> 00:12:52.690 credit for it. And so not only was the story 00:12:52.690 --> 00:12:55.529 valid, but it also showed that he tried for years 00:12:55.529 --> 00:12:59.809 to get loans to renew the patent. He also tried 00:12:59.809 --> 00:13:02.909 to do some more innovations with it, but he couldn't. 00:13:03.409 --> 00:13:05.309 And every time he tried to get a loan to renew 00:13:05.309 --> 00:13:08.470 the license or enhance adventure more he was 00:13:08.470 --> 00:13:11.110 denied by three banks in the county he lived 00:13:11.110 --> 00:13:13.769 in because they knew what he was up to you know 00:13:13.769 --> 00:13:17.389 he was getting threats from the KKK and still 00:13:17.389 --> 00:13:20.470 persisted and especially back then in North Carolina 00:13:20.470 --> 00:13:24.649 in the 1920s that was just a dangerous thing 00:13:24.649 --> 00:13:27.610 to do anyway to be bold he actually voted in 00:13:27.610 --> 00:13:30.649 Bertie county in 1920s so to do that the african 00:13:30.649 --> 00:13:33.250 -american man that was very risky at that time 00:13:33.250 --> 00:13:37.230 so he's only a pioneer but he also was an activist. 00:13:39.570 --> 00:13:41.730 Oh man. See, and I'm so glad that you documented 00:13:41.730 --> 00:13:45.149 all of this in your book. And even everything 00:13:45.149 --> 00:13:47.850 that's happened since then is turning out to 00:13:47.850 --> 00:13:50.669 be a lot of validation for your family, the Bond 00:13:50.669 --> 00:13:54.289 name. And so I'm just excited about it. I look 00:13:54.289 --> 00:13:58.210 forward to hearing more about this because I 00:13:58.210 --> 00:14:00.049 think you reached out to me at some point and 00:14:00.049 --> 00:14:02.129 told me that people were trying to get right 00:14:02.129 --> 00:14:04.370 to the story and possibly do a documentary for 00:14:04.370 --> 00:14:07.009 that. Has there been any more movement on that 00:14:07.009 --> 00:14:10.570 front? There's been some I spoke to a few people 00:14:10.570 --> 00:14:14.070 because what I wanted to do was even like a short 00:14:14.070 --> 00:14:17.950 documentary on him and I spoke to a couple people 00:14:17.950 --> 00:14:21.269 who are like movie producers and one person with 00:14:21.269 --> 00:14:24.669 his story in North Carolina and they know about 00:14:24.669 --> 00:14:27.190 the whole story and they're fascinated and intrigued 00:14:27.190 --> 00:14:30.529 by it and so hopefully in the near future there 00:14:30.529 --> 00:14:33.629 could be a documentary on it because I feel like 00:14:33.629 --> 00:14:37.570 he owes it and he deserves it. And so I've been 00:14:37.570 --> 00:14:39.830 talking to a couple of producers about it and 00:14:39.830 --> 00:14:42.610 how we could do it and just step by step how 00:14:42.610 --> 00:14:45.029 it would look. Because I said, more important 00:14:45.029 --> 00:14:48.509 than anything, I want the story told. So not 00:14:48.509 --> 00:14:52.850 just in North Carolina is told, but worldwide 00:14:52.850 --> 00:14:55.830 that's told because pretty much for almost 100 00:14:55.830 --> 00:14:59.809 years, the story was denied and the fact is now 00:14:59.809 --> 00:15:03.000 open and people see it. Is a blessing because 00:15:03.000 --> 00:15:06.700 after this so many people have told me and said 00:15:06.700 --> 00:15:10.320 doc my family member invented this we had a path 00:15:10.320 --> 00:15:13.080 for this and they never got credit for it and 00:15:13.080 --> 00:15:16.559 for so many years and African American people 00:15:16.559 --> 00:15:20.460 we invented things and Never fully got the credit 00:15:20.460 --> 00:15:26.679 for it. And so the time now is where The whole 00:15:26.679 --> 00:15:29.620 story is coming out that we see African Americans 00:15:29.620 --> 00:15:32.340 inventing more things that was told. Because 00:15:32.340 --> 00:15:34.879 like I said, either they kept it secret or they 00:15:34.879 --> 00:15:37.679 used intimidation or bullying to stop African 00:15:37.679 --> 00:15:39.940 American people from getting the patent. And 00:15:39.940 --> 00:15:42.039 even if they got a patent, they tried to deny 00:15:42.039 --> 00:15:44.840 them to renewing it. Because they knew you had 00:15:44.840 --> 00:15:47.100 a pattern, they could try to talk to you and 00:15:47.100 --> 00:15:49.980 intimidate you because like I said, any US patent 00:15:49.980 --> 00:15:52.679 number, you put that in and the search engine 00:15:52.679 --> 00:15:56.929 is gonna show. So they kept... tabs on it and 00:15:56.929 --> 00:15:59.789 so that just made more dangerous for him, but 00:15:59.789 --> 00:16:02.970 now it's 2025 and now those stories are coming 00:16:02.970 --> 00:16:06.350 out in the spotlight of so many people who were 00:16:06.350 --> 00:16:09.250 inventors and And I could he accolades they deserved 00:16:09.250 --> 00:16:11.429 and I could set my grandfather's one of them 00:16:11.429 --> 00:16:15.090 and I'm so happy for him because I knew a person 00:16:15.090 --> 00:16:19.889 he died when I was 25 and So we would visit him 00:16:19.889 --> 00:16:23.629 like almost every summer. He was a funny Country 00:16:23.629 --> 00:16:26.610 guy, you know, he loved the fish loved the hunt 00:16:26.610 --> 00:16:29.070 never cursed He would just say jack -snap. It's 00:16:29.070 --> 00:16:31.309 a darn it. That was as close as he would ever 00:16:31.309 --> 00:16:33.970 come to curse and use it No, he was a man of 00:16:33.970 --> 00:16:38.990 God father grandfather husband and so just the 00:16:38.990 --> 00:16:44.129 cool person to hang out with and so when we hung 00:16:44.129 --> 00:16:45.789 out with them, he didn't want too many people 00:16:45.789 --> 00:16:49.470 knowing about the invention because he felt disappointed 00:16:49.470 --> 00:16:53.330 that nothing was done about it and so If that 00:16:53.330 --> 00:16:57.009 came out, even though he's passed, I know that's 00:16:57.009 --> 00:16:59.730 a blessing. And I know our family is. It's a 00:16:59.730 --> 00:17:01.750 blessing. Yes, definitely. And that's why I'm 00:17:01.750 --> 00:17:04.710 also glad you mentioned briefly the Google patents, 00:17:04.869 --> 00:17:07.089 because other families that may have a similar 00:17:07.089 --> 00:17:12.799 story as Mr. Bond, they can... Google their family's 00:17:12.799 --> 00:17:15.140 patent and maybe get some movement forward on 00:17:15.140 --> 00:17:17.480 their invention. Like I said, I think this is 00:17:17.480 --> 00:17:21.500 so many people's stories, but clearly your grandfather's 00:17:21.500 --> 00:17:24.799 story is very unique. I would love to see what 00:17:24.799 --> 00:17:28.059 a Tyler Perry would do to that story. When I 00:17:28.059 --> 00:17:33.200 saw what he did with the 6888, I was just like, 00:17:33.220 --> 00:17:36.059 wow. I mean, I always knew he was a great storyteller, 00:17:36.299 --> 00:17:39.000 but somebody like that of that stature would 00:17:39.000 --> 00:17:42.319 do very great justice to your grandfather's story. 00:17:42.779 --> 00:17:44.599 So just wanted to put that out in the atmosphere. 00:17:44.660 --> 00:17:46.599 You never know who's hearing these conversations. 00:17:47.500 --> 00:17:49.059 Definitely. And it's true. You never know because 00:17:49.059 --> 00:17:51.400 you never know who's listening. And we have a 00:17:51.400 --> 00:17:53.700 person like a Tyler Perry or other actors or 00:17:53.700 --> 00:17:56.700 even Spike Lee who produced and they want these 00:17:56.700 --> 00:17:59.420 stories be told. It's an awesome thing because 00:17:59.420 --> 00:18:02.599 it's culture, it's life, and it's our history. 00:18:02.619 --> 00:18:04.960 And that should never be, you know, taken away 00:18:04.960 --> 00:18:08.250 from us. And there's so many stories like the 00:18:08.250 --> 00:18:12.289 title unsung, where people did things and never 00:18:12.289 --> 00:18:15.309 got credit. And if you were around my grandpa, 00:18:15.490 --> 00:18:18.109 you knew there was no animosity. He was never 00:18:18.109 --> 00:18:20.809 bitter about it. I know he was frustrated, but 00:18:20.809 --> 00:18:24.829 he lived his life. You know, he owned land, had 00:18:24.829 --> 00:18:29.490 a house built in 1956. So he still was very productive 00:18:29.490 --> 00:18:32.509 and he didn't let that stop him. And that's why 00:18:32.509 --> 00:18:36.730 Myre was his perseverance. Even despite the racial 00:18:36.730 --> 00:18:40.609 climate and noted Jim Crow south He last stop 00:18:40.609 --> 00:18:43.089 him or the term and that goes to show how people 00:18:43.089 --> 00:18:46.190 were But yeah, that would be great if a producer 00:18:46.190 --> 00:18:48.910 could be listening like right now. It's okay 00:18:48.910 --> 00:18:51.930 Okay, Stephen, we'll make a story about the documentary. 00:18:52.170 --> 00:18:55.609 It would just be awesome because Many of the 00:18:55.609 --> 00:18:57.369 family members who are part of it, you know, 00:18:57.470 --> 00:18:59.809 some of them are not here anymore You know my 00:18:59.809 --> 00:19:06.430 dad passed in 2020 Uncles that he had I had several 00:19:06.430 --> 00:19:12.130 of them because my grandfather had 10 sons and 00:19:12.130 --> 00:19:15.950 one daughter and he adopted a daughter, him and 00:19:15.950 --> 00:19:18.829 my grandmother. And I put that in the book as 00:19:18.829 --> 00:19:23.630 well. So with all that, he still supported 12 00:19:23.630 --> 00:19:28.210 children despite being denied in history where 00:19:28.210 --> 00:19:30.089 he could have been a billionaire to say the least 00:19:30.089 --> 00:19:33.029 because think about every move of vehicle, even 00:19:33.029 --> 00:19:37.289 like a forklift machine. There's a turn signal 00:19:37.289 --> 00:19:42.829 a golf cart. So so many moving equals have single 00:19:42.829 --> 00:19:45.910 light and so the think where he could have been 00:19:45.910 --> 00:19:49.730 and I even tell my students off that said Albert 00:19:49.730 --> 00:19:53.609 Einstein You know Oppenheimer all these famous 00:19:53.609 --> 00:19:56.670 no adventures. I said listen respectfully They 00:19:56.670 --> 00:20:00.109 had nothing on my grandfather David George Bob 00:20:00.109 --> 00:20:04.730 that he was a genius to say the least definitely 00:20:04.880 --> 00:20:08.400 He was definitely a remarkable man, for sure, 00:20:08.619 --> 00:20:10.440 and he's going to get his just due credit. I 00:20:10.440 --> 00:20:12.160 really can feel it, especially in this upcoming 00:20:12.160 --> 00:20:14.680 year. I want to talk about you, though, not to 00:20:14.680 --> 00:20:17.259 disrespect your grandfather, but you are a great 00:20:17.259 --> 00:20:19.339 man in your own right. With all of the things 00:20:19.339 --> 00:20:22.099 that you've been working on, you've written several 00:20:22.099 --> 00:20:25.420 books. You've had some major life transitions. 00:20:26.599 --> 00:20:28.920 And, you know, you've also stepped into the world 00:20:28.920 --> 00:20:32.119 of public speaking. I know you text me or called 00:20:32.119 --> 00:20:34.160 me a couple of months ago when you was telling 00:20:34.160 --> 00:20:36.460 me that you were going to be featured as a speaker 00:20:36.460 --> 00:20:40.539 on the black education or black it summit real 00:20:40.539 --> 00:20:43.660 talk this is back in october i think yeah and 00:20:43.660 --> 00:20:45.339 uh... yet hope for anyone that's not familiar 00:20:45.339 --> 00:20:47.299 with that event i think it's like a conference 00:20:47.299 --> 00:20:50.220 for black educators right and advocates and folks 00:20:50.220 --> 00:20:53.160 who are community leaders in delaware uh... but 00:20:53.160 --> 00:20:55.880 you were uh... invite to be a speaker that don't 00:20:55.880 --> 00:20:57.500 a little bit about that and and how they came 00:20:57.500 --> 00:21:00.410 about Now that was awesome. It's a friend of 00:21:00.410 --> 00:21:03.369 mine who started, his name is Darren Rainey, 00:21:03.609 --> 00:21:06.730 and he's worked at Delaware State. And he asked 00:21:06.730 --> 00:21:08.269 me to be one of the speakers. And it was just 00:21:08.269 --> 00:21:10.730 a great one -day conference. They had several 00:21:10.730 --> 00:21:13.769 speakers. And Dr. Yolanda Ruiz, I don't know 00:21:13.769 --> 00:21:16.410 if you've heard of her, she's an amazing educator. 00:21:16.829 --> 00:21:21.230 She was the head speaker. And they had several 00:21:21.230 --> 00:21:23.609 teachers, student leaders, just talk about different 00:21:23.609 --> 00:21:27.109 topics, like in history, like unsung in history. 00:21:27.909 --> 00:21:31.589 Just historical figures and the topic I spoke 00:21:31.589 --> 00:21:36.069 on was the topic of teaching topics such as riots, 00:21:36.569 --> 00:21:39.549 assassination, and massacres because a lot of 00:21:39.549 --> 00:21:42.029 people are intrigued by history. However, when 00:21:42.029 --> 00:21:44.609 you teach certain topics like massacres, like 00:21:44.609 --> 00:21:46.990 most of us now know about the Tulsa massacre, 00:21:47.630 --> 00:21:51.609 but they hit down on people for years. When you 00:21:51.609 --> 00:21:55.289 teach about the different assassinations of like, 00:21:55.289 --> 00:21:58.970 For Balcomax or Fred Hampton and a lot of rights 00:21:58.970 --> 00:22:02.170 leaders even while Luther King There's a certain 00:22:02.170 --> 00:22:03.950 way you want to teach you where you want to keep 00:22:03.950 --> 00:22:06.609 it compelling interesting But sometimes there 00:22:06.609 --> 00:22:09.309 have to be a sensitivity because um, I know some 00:22:09.309 --> 00:22:12.589 states Teachers been doing reenactments like 00:22:12.589 --> 00:22:15.450 one teacher in Florida did a reenactment of a 00:22:15.450 --> 00:22:17.970 little girl in elementary school Have a handcuffs 00:22:17.970 --> 00:22:20.829 like Rosa Parks when she's arrested and know 00:22:20.829 --> 00:22:23.490 some things you think Makes sense, but people 00:22:23.490 --> 00:22:28.839 don't do it One lady did a reenactment of, which 00:22:28.839 --> 00:22:31.259 is crazy of course, of Jewish people being sent 00:22:31.259 --> 00:22:33.220 to the crematories and ovens during the Holocaust. 00:22:34.400 --> 00:22:38.000 So, in my workshop, I was basically telling other 00:22:38.000 --> 00:22:40.839 teachers, other leaders, some of the best ways 00:22:40.839 --> 00:22:43.519 and methods on how to teach the massacres and 00:22:43.519 --> 00:22:46.619 assassinations. Like, don't show bias, let the 00:22:46.619 --> 00:22:48.839 students hear the facts, and let them think for 00:22:48.839 --> 00:22:53.140 themselves what went on. And that's the best 00:22:53.140 --> 00:22:55.579 way doing it because many times we bring our 00:22:55.579 --> 00:22:58.440 emotions into it. But especially with children 00:22:58.440 --> 00:23:01.140 and young people, you let them hear the story, 00:23:01.279 --> 00:23:04.960 you give them the facts, you let them think about 00:23:04.960 --> 00:23:07.779 how it went down or what's their view and take 00:23:07.779 --> 00:23:09.940 from there. So that way I did the professional 00:23:09.940 --> 00:23:13.000 development on and one thing to do in my heart, 00:23:13.319 --> 00:23:16.180 I do professional development on social emotional 00:23:16.180 --> 00:23:20.539 learning of teachers and students because many 00:23:20.539 --> 00:23:24.299 times, students, now more than ever, you have 00:23:24.299 --> 00:23:27.380 to reach them emotionally because kids go through 00:23:27.380 --> 00:23:29.380 more trauma than I think our generation went 00:23:29.380 --> 00:23:32.039 through. So many times we have to listen to students 00:23:32.039 --> 00:23:36.160 more. I let students journal how they feel, what 00:23:36.160 --> 00:23:39.420 they're thinking about, and you'd be surprised 00:23:39.420 --> 00:23:42.220 if they write sometimes. Kids will say what's 00:23:42.220 --> 00:23:44.720 going on in their life that's going good, what's 00:23:44.720 --> 00:23:46.980 bothering them if they're depressed, if they're 00:23:46.980 --> 00:23:50.400 struggling. That's where my first book was started 00:23:50.400 --> 00:23:55.660 because back when Colbert and it's no School 00:23:55.660 --> 00:23:58.559 physically and it's a virtual a lot of students 00:23:58.559 --> 00:24:02.039 were downtrodden in the press and just They were 00:24:02.039 --> 00:24:05.359 struggling and so I told the students Journal 00:24:05.359 --> 00:24:07.299 like we normally wouldn't class like we'd have 00:24:07.299 --> 00:24:09.799 mental health Monday where first 10 minutes of 00:24:09.799 --> 00:24:12.339 class write down how you feel write it Text the 00:24:12.339 --> 00:24:14.160 email to me keep it confidential, but let me 00:24:14.160 --> 00:24:17.339 know how you feel and so you didn't get any pushback 00:24:17.339 --> 00:24:21.539 from that Actually, I didn't. The students were 00:24:21.539 --> 00:24:25.039 more than welcome to do it, and my director knew, 00:24:25.140 --> 00:24:28.619 and so I think they're surprised by it, and so 00:24:28.619 --> 00:24:34.359 I kept it going. And so when they would sometimes 00:24:34.359 --> 00:24:37.039 text it to me or email it to me during COVID, 00:24:37.740 --> 00:24:41.140 and I said to myself, wow, this should be written, 00:24:41.559 --> 00:24:45.500 because I had so many intimate... Journal students 00:24:45.500 --> 00:24:47.900 saying how tough was the cold but I had one girl 00:24:47.900 --> 00:24:50.720 and her name was Lauren and mostly kids You know, 00:24:50.720 --> 00:24:53.559 I still talk to correspond with math. I'm trying 00:24:53.559 --> 00:24:57.119 to see if we could like maybe do like part two 00:24:57.119 --> 00:25:00.460 of it and Lauren talked about how You know her 00:25:00.460 --> 00:25:02.220 mom was a nurse and how she came to hug when 00:25:02.220 --> 00:25:04.099 she gets home from work because she might pass 00:25:04.099 --> 00:25:07.019 over to her She has family members with heart 00:25:07.019 --> 00:25:09.619 issues and if they get Colbert what would happen 00:25:09.619 --> 00:25:13.880 to them? No, students all set prom We supposed 00:25:13.880 --> 00:25:16.599 to go to Disney that year. So a lot of normalcy 00:25:16.599 --> 00:25:21.519 of a senior year they couldn't do and I never 00:25:21.519 --> 00:25:24.059 forget that one young lady and it was amazing 00:25:24.059 --> 00:25:26.960 we did like a drive -through graduation that 00:25:26.960 --> 00:25:30.359 year and No, it was supposed to get their diplomas. 00:25:30.599 --> 00:25:32.839 Well drive up get their diploma and then drive 00:25:32.839 --> 00:25:37.200 away and what young lady did and Frankly, nobody 00:25:37.200 --> 00:25:40.480 was upset. She got out her van and she hugged 00:25:40.480 --> 00:25:44.440 every teacher that she had And we were not going 00:25:44.440 --> 00:25:47.059 to deny that. I mean, why not? The girl was in 00:25:47.059 --> 00:25:49.779 tears and she was the one that, she was a very 00:25:49.779 --> 00:25:52.180 sweet young lady. She would hug her teachers 00:25:52.180 --> 00:25:55.180 and just say, you know, I appreciate you. And 00:25:55.180 --> 00:25:58.920 so we let her do it. So a lot of kids were traumatized 00:25:58.920 --> 00:26:00.519 with COVID. You know, just something simple, 00:26:00.579 --> 00:26:03.960 going to the mall, going out to eat or some kids 00:26:03.960 --> 00:26:08.259 had jobs and they lost their jobs because you 00:26:08.259 --> 00:26:09.940 work at a restaurant and COVID is happening. 00:26:11.230 --> 00:26:14.950 They lost right and so they had a lot of school 00:26:14.950 --> 00:26:19.430 from under them completely. They sure did They 00:26:19.430 --> 00:26:26.650 sure did and so Devon wrote journals and for 00:26:26.650 --> 00:26:29.710 some did for days and this for weeks and I put 00:26:29.710 --> 00:26:32.410 as much as I could into the book because I wanted 00:26:32.410 --> 00:26:35.289 the people to see how the kids are feeling how 00:26:35.289 --> 00:26:37.950 they were struggling and how know venting about 00:26:37.950 --> 00:26:40.609 it helped them emotionally but also as teachers 00:26:40.609 --> 00:26:42.990 we need to see that okay kids going through things 00:26:42.990 --> 00:26:46.750 that we may not be aware of and so I'm so glad 00:26:46.750 --> 00:26:51.470 that this book was a picture on what kids are 00:26:51.470 --> 00:26:54.089 going through and I think no that spectrum windows 00:26:54.089 --> 00:26:56.890 open up you have more of sympathy and understanding 00:26:56.890 --> 00:26:59.269 for kids and that's that social emotional learning 00:26:59.269 --> 00:27:03.029 which you know now teachers doing them more but 00:27:03.029 --> 00:27:05.630 I think it need to be incorporated even more 00:27:05.630 --> 00:27:09.170 and multiple kids who I taught from that year 00:27:09.170 --> 00:27:11.529 have either graduated college or finished up 00:27:11.529 --> 00:27:14.630 college and you know when I see them or when 00:27:14.630 --> 00:27:16.789 they see me on Instagram I tell them I'm so proud 00:27:16.789 --> 00:27:18.910 of them and so it's just awesome like I know 00:27:18.910 --> 00:27:21.109 one young man he's at St. Augustine's in North 00:27:21.109 --> 00:27:24.289 Carolina he's a senior and one actually told 00:27:24.289 --> 00:27:27.410 me that they graduated from college in a week 00:27:27.410 --> 00:27:30.509 and a half in December and so from UNC Greensboro 00:27:30.509 --> 00:27:34.490 so I'm truly proud of them how they persevered 00:27:34.490 --> 00:27:36.990 through COVID. because it was a struggle for 00:27:36.990 --> 00:27:39.769 adults so imagine if you're a 15 and 16 year 00:27:39.769 --> 00:27:42.630 old kid how tough it is to have to navigate through 00:27:42.630 --> 00:27:45.369 all that and not going to school not having the 00:27:45.369 --> 00:27:48.109 teacher help you try and do things on online 00:27:48.109 --> 00:27:50.269 or on zoom and there will be sometimes kids will 00:27:50.269 --> 00:27:53.369 just say i can't do it today i don't want to 00:27:53.369 --> 00:27:56.009 open up the zoom i don't want to try to do this 00:27:56.009 --> 00:28:00.690 i just need a minute right it was a lot and you 00:28:00.690 --> 00:28:03.390 know so i'm glad that you kind of stepped in 00:28:03.390 --> 00:28:07.000 and Kind of went outside the curriculum and invited 00:28:07.000 --> 00:28:09.660 them to journal invited them to talk about their 00:28:09.660 --> 00:28:12.299 emotions Because I don't know many teachers at 00:28:12.299 --> 00:28:15.079 that time Like you said there there may be a 00:28:15.079 --> 00:28:17.779 lot more who are doing it now, but back then 00:28:17.779 --> 00:28:20.119 certainly I'm sure you were an outcast I'm just 00:28:20.119 --> 00:28:21.680 glad that you can get a lot of pushback from 00:28:21.680 --> 00:28:24.720 the students from the the fellow faculty the 00:28:24.720 --> 00:28:27.180 Administrators, and I'm just glad that you were 00:28:27.180 --> 00:28:29.160 able to at least give some of those students 00:28:29.160 --> 00:28:32.519 an outlet because everything that they had going 00:28:32.519 --> 00:28:35.099 on was just turned upside down. And then you 00:28:35.099 --> 00:28:39.079 had the fear of the pandemic, and no one knew 00:28:39.079 --> 00:28:41.839 what was going on, and it was a lot of misinformation 00:28:41.839 --> 00:28:44.700 and disinformation. Now school is turned up on 00:28:44.700 --> 00:28:46.799 its head. Everybody's logging into Zoom and trying 00:28:46.799 --> 00:28:48.700 to learn how to be virtual. It was just a lot, 00:28:48.759 --> 00:28:53.359 those poor kids. It was a lot. And truth be told, 00:28:53.400 --> 00:28:56.079 during Zoom, no one wanted to admit this, but 00:28:56.079 --> 00:28:58.759 there was not a lot of learning going on during 00:28:58.759 --> 00:29:02.500 Zoom. Many times I would be on the Zoom. Sometimes 00:29:02.500 --> 00:29:04.079 kids would have their cameras on. Sometimes they 00:29:04.079 --> 00:29:07.019 wouldn't. But sometimes what I would just do 00:29:07.019 --> 00:29:09.220 is say, listen, take the first 10 minutes of 00:29:09.220 --> 00:29:12.960 the Zoom to journal and vent how you feel. And 00:29:12.960 --> 00:29:14.940 sometimes they would email it to me. So they 00:29:14.940 --> 00:29:19.839 were hurt. They were mad. And they just... The 00:29:19.839 --> 00:29:23.200 big question was, which most of them had was, 00:29:23.680 --> 00:29:27.140 why? Why this? Why now? Where all these other 00:29:27.140 --> 00:29:30.660 students years before... They had regular graduation, 00:29:30.900 --> 00:29:33.799 regular school years, and now they didn't. And 00:29:33.799 --> 00:29:37.460 what it also did, I think, that another topic, 00:29:37.519 --> 00:29:38.900 and we're going to talk about it later, of course, 00:29:39.099 --> 00:29:42.940 is that people, well, parents, a lot of them 00:29:42.940 --> 00:29:45.759 took teachers for granted. You know, when COVID 00:29:45.759 --> 00:29:50.160 hit and the kids weren't learning, a lot of parents 00:29:50.160 --> 00:29:53.259 were now saying, wow, what that teacher did mattered. 00:29:53.339 --> 00:29:56.920 We may not care before, but now we see how the 00:29:56.920 --> 00:29:59.140 temperance they have, the patience they have, 00:29:59.460 --> 00:30:02.019 the meaning they have in the heart of teaching 00:30:02.019 --> 00:30:05.559 is so important. And COVID showed to a lot of 00:30:05.559 --> 00:30:08.519 people at that point. Because many times, as 00:30:08.519 --> 00:30:11.500 you know, our job is unsung, we get ignored, 00:30:11.660 --> 00:30:14.440 we get disrespected, we don't get too much praise 00:30:14.440 --> 00:30:17.960 for what we do. But in our job, we're empowering 00:30:17.960 --> 00:30:20.420 young people to become the doctors, lawyers, 00:30:20.680 --> 00:30:22.640 teachers, and leaders of this world. And many 00:30:22.640 --> 00:30:25.779 times we do not get the props. that we definitely 00:30:25.779 --> 00:30:30.099 deserve. That's absolutely true. And actually, 00:30:30.099 --> 00:30:31.900 I want to talk more about that when we come back 00:30:31.900 --> 00:30:35.359 from the break about what forms of support and 00:30:35.359 --> 00:30:37.920 reform that you would like to see, or maybe that's 00:30:37.920 --> 00:30:40.039 already been put in place. We'll talk about that 00:30:40.039 --> 00:30:42.279 when we get back. But it just sounds like everything 00:30:42.279 --> 00:30:45.359 that you've been doing, your experience in the 00:30:45.359 --> 00:30:49.019 classroom, what you just talked about with the 00:30:49.019 --> 00:30:51.359 COVID era, it just highlighted something that 00:30:51.359 --> 00:30:54.839 we often overlook, and it's that Not just our 00:30:54.839 --> 00:30:56.599 teachers our students as well, but definitely 00:30:56.599 --> 00:31:00.099 our teachers are carrying a lot of burdens that 00:31:00.099 --> 00:31:02.460 been just trying to figure out what the lesson 00:31:02.460 --> 00:31:05.759 plan is gonna be and That's why I love this book 00:31:05.759 --> 00:31:07.960 this new book that you wrote because it goes 00:31:07.960 --> 00:31:10.140 right to the heart of that And we're gonna dig 00:31:10.140 --> 00:31:12.000 into that when we come back from the break, but 00:31:12.000 --> 00:31:14.460 let's do this. Let's take a brief commercial 00:31:14.460 --> 00:31:17.019 break Everybody don't go anywhere because when 00:31:17.019 --> 00:31:19.819 we come back we're gonna talk about dr. Bond's 00:31:19.819 --> 00:31:23.400 new book called suffering and bleak silence and 00:31:23.549 --> 00:31:26.069 the emotional journey that inspired that book. 00:31:26.130 --> 00:31:27.710 All right, we'll be right back. You're listening 00:31:27.710 --> 00:31:31.529 to Live with Dr. Andre Jerry. Hi, I'm James Baller 00:31:31.529 --> 00:31:33.410 of Artists First Radio, and I would like to tell 00:31:33.410 --> 00:31:35.829 you about a fascinating new book from Crime Beach, 00:31:35.930 --> 00:31:39.309 Ron Cepsik and co -author Mike Rowe. It's titled 00:31:39.309 --> 00:31:41.589 Robin Hood of the Hood, The Life and Times of 00:31:41.589 --> 00:31:44.230 Teddy Rowe, Policy Kingpin, and it's published 00:31:44.230 --> 00:31:47.740 by Strategic Media Books. The book is a historical 00:31:47.740 --> 00:31:50.079 account of Theodore Teddy Rowe who courageously 00:31:50.079 --> 00:31:52.420 fought the Chicago Mafia, more commonly known 00:31:52.420 --> 00:31:55.299 as the Outfit, for control of the lucrative policy 00:31:55.299 --> 00:31:58.200 racket in the Windy City. Policy, often called 00:31:58.200 --> 00:32:00.440 the numbers, is a form of illegal gambling or 00:32:00.440 --> 00:32:03.119 illegal lottery played mostly in poor and working 00:32:03.119 --> 00:32:05.660 class neighborhoods in the United States. In 00:32:05.660 --> 00:32:07.759 policy, a better attempts to pick three digits 00:32:07.759 --> 00:32:09.900 to match those that will be randomly drawn the 00:32:09.900 --> 00:32:13.440 following day. For decades, policy had been a 00:32:13.440 --> 00:32:15.779 staple in the black community. But when the white 00:32:15.779 --> 00:32:18.400 mob flexed its power in the late 1940s, many 00:32:18.400 --> 00:32:21.059 policy kings knuckled under the pressure. Not 00:32:21.059 --> 00:32:24.119 Teddy Roe. Roe famously told mob bosses that 00:32:24.119 --> 00:32:26.660 he'd rather die than give up control of his operation. 00:32:27.779 --> 00:32:29.619 Robin Hood of the Hood chronicles an exciting 00:32:29.619 --> 00:32:32.240 chapter of Chicago history. Go to the Kindle 00:32:32.240 --> 00:32:35.900 store at Amazon and buy it for just $2 .99. For 00:32:35.900 --> 00:32:37.839 information about this book and other titles, 00:32:37.940 --> 00:32:41.900 please go to strategicmediabooks .com. That's 00:32:41.900 --> 00:32:45.980 strategicmediabooks .com. Looking for your next 00:32:45.980 --> 00:32:49.400 car? Amazon Autos has you covered. With just 00:32:49.400 --> 00:32:51.940 a few clicks, you can shop a wide selection of 00:32:51.940 --> 00:32:55.160 new vehicles, compare prices, read reviews, and 00:32:55.160 --> 00:32:57.700 even arrange pickup or delivery, just like ordering 00:32:57.700 --> 00:33:00.579 anything else on Amazon. It's the future of car 00:33:00.579 --> 00:33:03.599 buying, simple, transparent, and all online. 00:33:04.279 --> 00:33:06.500 Backed by Amazon's trusted network and partnering 00:33:06.500 --> 00:33:09.539 with local dealerships, Amazon Autos is redefining 00:33:09.539 --> 00:33:13.029 how we shop for cars. visit amazon .com forward 00:33:13.029 --> 00:33:16.109 slash autos and drive into the future today. 00:33:18.289 --> 00:33:20.349 Welcome to another broadcast of Spiritual Concerns, 00:33:20.349 --> 00:33:22.470 the Deborah Ruffini Show on Artist First Radio 00:33:22.470 --> 00:33:25.210 Network. We're live from England on Saturdays 00:33:25.210 --> 00:33:28.829 and Sundays, 3pm New York, 8pm London. All past 00:33:28.829 --> 00:33:31.690 shows or podcasts, find them at artistfirst .com. 00:33:31.990 --> 00:33:34.170 I'll be your host where issues relating to the 00:33:34.170 --> 00:33:36.289 spiritual matters of concern will be largely 00:33:36.289 --> 00:33:41.269 examined and discussed. Enjoy the show. You're 00:33:41.269 --> 00:33:47.309 back live with Dr. Andre Geary. Hey, everybody. 00:33:47.369 --> 00:33:49.289 Welcome back to the show. Hey, if you're just 00:33:49.289 --> 00:33:52.049 joining us, we're here with esteemed educator 00:33:52.049 --> 00:33:56.470 and bestselling author Dr. Stephen Bond. Before 00:33:56.470 --> 00:33:58.789 the break, we talked about the emotional weight 00:33:58.789 --> 00:34:01.970 that many educators carry. It's far beyond what 00:34:01.970 --> 00:34:05.430 the world sees or largely what we talk about. 00:34:05.609 --> 00:34:07.289 But now we're going to turn our attention to 00:34:07.289 --> 00:34:10.030 his powerful new book called Suffering in Bleak. 00:34:10.079 --> 00:34:14.119 Silence a teacher's mental health struggles Exposed 00:34:14.119 --> 00:34:16.500 and I was chuckling a little bit because we were 00:34:16.500 --> 00:34:20.599 talking about during the break how You notice 00:34:20.599 --> 00:34:23.440 where you know instance or two where teachers 00:34:23.440 --> 00:34:26.119 will come into work? inebriated or you know on 00:34:26.119 --> 00:34:28.599 alcohol or drugs or stuff like that and not I 00:34:28.599 --> 00:34:30.980 chuckle because I If I was a teacher, I know 00:34:30.980 --> 00:34:36.539 I would definitely be work with a bottle I just 00:34:36.539 --> 00:34:40.010 know I would but yeah This is really a great 00:34:40.010 --> 00:34:43.329 conversation because I really have not heard 00:34:43.329 --> 00:34:47.349 a lot of conversations about what daily struggles 00:34:47.349 --> 00:34:49.409 teachers deal with. We're always talking about 00:34:49.409 --> 00:34:51.130 the students and are the students getting what 00:34:51.130 --> 00:34:53.550 they need and do they have the resources they 00:34:53.550 --> 00:34:55.130 need and all this type of stuff, but we never 00:34:55.130 --> 00:34:57.510 really talk about the teachers. What are they 00:34:57.510 --> 00:35:00.510 carrying and what are they going home with? So 00:35:00.510 --> 00:35:02.530 that's why I want to talk about the heart of 00:35:02.530 --> 00:35:05.250 this new Project this new book that you wrote 00:35:05.250 --> 00:35:07.730 because like I said, this isn't your first publication 00:35:07.730 --> 00:35:09.750 You published a number of books, but I want to 00:35:09.750 --> 00:35:13.170 talk about what the moment was or the series 00:35:13.170 --> 00:35:16.389 of moments That made you realize this was the 00:35:16.389 --> 00:35:20.190 story you needed to tell next So it's interesting 00:35:20.190 --> 00:35:25.590 By a couple months ago it came to me like I've 00:35:25.590 --> 00:35:27.429 seen for years where teachers were struggling 00:35:27.429 --> 00:35:31.110 mentally and people see it sometimes they don't 00:35:31.110 --> 00:35:34.000 and they just ignore it like I've seen teachers 00:35:34.000 --> 00:35:37.440 have panic attacks in the classroom. Teachers 00:35:37.440 --> 00:35:40.239 deal with high blood pressure, anxiety, all type 00:35:40.239 --> 00:35:44.079 of things. And many times we get unnoticed or 00:35:44.079 --> 00:35:47.159 it's like no one cares. We go through so much 00:35:47.159 --> 00:35:50.119 teaching these kids because most teachers, I 00:35:50.119 --> 00:35:53.760 would say 99 % of teachers, they care about their 00:35:53.760 --> 00:35:56.219 students and do the work every day. But we deal 00:35:56.219 --> 00:36:00.920 with kids' attitudes, parents' attitudes. Administrative 00:36:00.920 --> 00:36:04.340 attitude and it becomes much too much sometimes 00:36:04.340 --> 00:36:08.639 you know If a kid cusses you out fuss you out. 00:36:08.659 --> 00:36:10.739 You still gotta teach him you just want them 00:36:10.739 --> 00:36:13.679 to do the work and then they try making personal 00:36:13.679 --> 00:36:17.059 or then the parent is Complaining and they just 00:36:17.059 --> 00:36:20.099 assume is you have some guess a child when reality 00:36:20.099 --> 00:36:23.460 you just want the child to learn It's a lot and 00:36:23.460 --> 00:36:28.039 lesson plans administrative work all this it 00:36:28.039 --> 00:36:32.360 it compiles and Main times, people think we got 00:36:32.360 --> 00:36:34.539 the easy job or you have summers off, you do 00:36:34.539 --> 00:36:37.659 this, you do that, where in reality the 10 months 00:36:37.659 --> 00:36:42.900 work we do is so much. And a psychologist actually 00:36:42.900 --> 00:36:46.519 did research and said a teacher makes more, has 00:36:46.519 --> 00:36:48.500 to make more quick decisions than even a surgeon. 00:36:48.559 --> 00:36:52.980 Like we make about a thousand decisions in one 00:36:52.980 --> 00:36:56.260 whole day. We see a child that has a need. What 00:36:56.260 --> 00:36:58.360 do we do? What approach do we need to learn? 00:36:58.590 --> 00:37:01.710 what approach can help, then another student 00:37:01.710 --> 00:37:04.610 is misbehaving, he has to be quiet, or another 00:37:04.610 --> 00:37:06.989 kid has their phone out, and that's a whole nother 00:37:06.989 --> 00:37:10.710 topic. One kid trying to write something, they 00:37:10.710 --> 00:37:14.110 need help, and so there's so many things going 00:37:14.110 --> 00:37:19.210 on at one time, and we're pouring into everybody, 00:37:19.409 --> 00:37:21.710 the administrator, the parents, the students, 00:37:22.809 --> 00:37:25.110 and most of the time, no one's pouring into us. 00:37:26.119 --> 00:37:28.639 If you work at schools where a fight occurs, 00:37:29.559 --> 00:37:31.619 one most stressful thing is when a fight occurs 00:37:31.619 --> 00:37:34.719 and you're breaking up a fight and I've had break 00:37:34.719 --> 00:37:37.219 up a few fights in my day. So those who have 00:37:37.219 --> 00:37:39.739 had me as a teacher, you know how Dr. Bond and 00:37:39.739 --> 00:37:43.559 Coach Bond was. And after that, it's hard to 00:37:43.559 --> 00:37:45.639 teach because the kids are hyped up with adrenaline. 00:37:46.539 --> 00:37:48.059 You're hyped up with adrenaline. You're thinking 00:37:48.059 --> 00:37:53.460 like, nobody's learning anything today. So those 00:37:53.460 --> 00:37:57.800 are the things we deal with. a fight happen or 00:37:57.800 --> 00:38:01.340 if even a talk of a fight happened, that's all 00:38:01.340 --> 00:38:04.320 we could, we can focus on learning and let the 00:38:04.320 --> 00:38:07.360 fight actually happen. No, the day is over with. 00:38:07.500 --> 00:38:09.400 That's all anybody gonna wanna talk about after 00:38:09.400 --> 00:38:12.099 that fight and who got whooped and who didn't. 00:38:12.380 --> 00:38:14.920 So it's just, you know, as a teacher, you have 00:38:14.920 --> 00:38:17.239 to care. I don't know who would get in this industry 00:38:17.239 --> 00:38:19.320 and not care. I know there are good teachers 00:38:19.320 --> 00:38:22.389 and bad teachers, but... Who signs up for this? 00:38:22.610 --> 00:38:24.769 Being a security guard and breaking up fights 00:38:24.769 --> 00:38:27.349 and being a psychologist. Who signs up for all 00:38:27.349 --> 00:38:29.110 of this if you don't really care and have a heart 00:38:29.110 --> 00:38:31.909 for those children? Whose needs, all their needs 00:38:31.909 --> 00:38:34.309 are different. They all learn differently. They 00:38:34.309 --> 00:38:37.230 all have different things going on at home, you 00:38:37.230 --> 00:38:40.989 know? It's just a lot. I don't know who signs 00:38:40.989 --> 00:38:44.030 up for that type of work if you don't care about 00:38:44.030 --> 00:38:46.269 those kids and how they learn and what they learn. 00:38:47.530 --> 00:38:49.530 I totally agree. I don't see how you can be a 00:38:49.530 --> 00:38:51.809 teacher and not love what you do because then 00:38:51.809 --> 00:38:54.929 it's not, it's not your DNA because the teacher, 00:38:55.070 --> 00:38:57.929 what counselor, what psychologist, where the 00:38:57.929 --> 00:39:01.869 therapist, where the lawyer, where the negotiator, 00:39:02.150 --> 00:39:05.210 where the compromiser, where the mom, where the 00:39:05.210 --> 00:39:07.849 dad, where the stepdad, it's all that because 00:39:07.849 --> 00:39:09.730 the main time we spend more time with those students 00:39:09.730 --> 00:39:12.650 than their own parents do, I'm the one time out 00:39:12.650 --> 00:39:14.650 of principal that did not like me and she tried 00:39:14.650 --> 00:39:17.150 to observe me and there was gonna be a school 00:39:17.150 --> 00:39:20.289 dance, like, later that night. And so, it's one 00:39:20.289 --> 00:39:21.949 of the things where, you know, going through 00:39:21.949 --> 00:39:23.630 the lesson plan, all the kids would think about 00:39:23.630 --> 00:39:25.989 was the dance. A couple of kids were like, whoa, 00:39:26.309 --> 00:39:28.650 Doc Bonk, you sure my tie a tie? And so, it was 00:39:28.650 --> 00:39:30.750 a teachable moment. I taught three young men 00:39:30.750 --> 00:39:33.949 how to tie a tie. One boy was on the spectrum, 00:39:34.010 --> 00:39:36.630 and he was like, how'd you ask a girl out? And 00:39:36.630 --> 00:39:38.909 we was helping him. He was a smooth dude. We 00:39:38.909 --> 00:39:42.130 helped him. And he was so happy. And so, sometimes, 00:39:42.250 --> 00:39:45.059 it's beyond the lesson plan. We were helping 00:39:45.059 --> 00:39:48.400 these kids so much. You know, nobody wanted to 00:39:48.400 --> 00:39:50.880 hear history that day. They said, well, the dance 00:39:50.880 --> 00:39:53.559 is happening in a couple hours. And so will so 00:39:53.559 --> 00:39:55.900 -and -so say yes to me? Am I going to have fun? 00:39:57.039 --> 00:39:59.159 Can you help me do the cha -cha slide? Can you 00:39:59.159 --> 00:40:02.519 help me do the wobble? It's all types of questions. 00:40:04.579 --> 00:40:07.059 So what did I do? I said, listen, I'm going to 00:40:07.059 --> 00:40:09.260 put the YouTube on. And I showed the kids, OK, 00:40:09.360 --> 00:40:11.480 this is how you do the wobble. This is how you... 00:40:11.159 --> 00:40:13.280 stay in rhythm, I said, oh, no, stay in rhythm. 00:40:13.559 --> 00:40:17.579 That's why you gotta listen. But sometimes it's 00:40:17.579 --> 00:40:20.679 beyond the lesson plan. And those kids are so 00:40:20.679 --> 00:40:24.059 happy. So they went and they saw, they did the 00:40:24.059 --> 00:40:26.699 wobble. I danced with them too. And I'll never 00:40:26.699 --> 00:40:29.639 forget, they were playing, they were playing 00:40:29.639 --> 00:40:32.840 Lou John and Ludacris, no, singing yeah. And 00:40:32.840 --> 00:40:35.039 I was singing yeah with them. I was like, I was 00:40:35.039 --> 00:40:36.539 playing this while I was young and in the club 00:40:36.539 --> 00:40:40.250 in college. Ain't know the kids got to God. They 00:40:40.250 --> 00:40:43.389 recorded me dancing everything but the amazing 00:40:43.389 --> 00:40:47.210 part doc was The next day we had class was just 00:40:47.210 --> 00:40:50.849 a Monday. He remember that and so beyond the 00:40:50.849 --> 00:40:55.210 book Beyond the lesson plans Beyond all that 00:40:55.210 --> 00:40:57.969 not just learn to wobble not just learning little 00:40:57.969 --> 00:41:01.550 John songs but the point was that they saw a 00:41:01.550 --> 00:41:04.570 connection with the teacher and so we go through 00:41:04.570 --> 00:41:09.570 because We have so many hats we wear. And sometimes 00:41:09.570 --> 00:41:12.150 what happens to the teachers, you get tired because 00:41:12.150 --> 00:41:15.130 we do so much compromise. We break up fights 00:41:15.130 --> 00:41:18.289 for the start. We stop the gossip because, oh, 00:41:18.369 --> 00:41:21.210 so -and -so looking at so -and -so man, now somebody 00:41:21.210 --> 00:41:23.789 pop off and we got to talk to the kids and say 00:41:23.789 --> 00:41:27.010 no, or they'll ask for advice with relationships, 00:41:27.090 --> 00:41:30.210 but things like that. So there's so many things 00:41:30.210 --> 00:41:32.909 we do and it's draining. And do we still got 00:41:32.909 --> 00:41:35.710 to get observed? We got to do lesson plans, paperwork. 00:41:36.110 --> 00:41:39.190 all these things. We go to meetings with your 00:41:39.190 --> 00:41:42.210 feel like it. Oh, we got a meeting today at three 00:41:42.210 --> 00:41:45.289 after class. Now we got a meeting tomorrow and 00:41:45.289 --> 00:41:47.550 a meeting next day. And then you say, well, Doc, 00:41:47.630 --> 00:41:49.090 what was the meeting about when you went there 00:41:49.090 --> 00:41:53.809 yesterday? Huh? Huh? It's like, it's like you 00:41:53.809 --> 00:41:56.889 get to the point where it's like, okay, my brain's 00:41:56.889 --> 00:41:59.289 an overload. I don't remember what they talked 00:41:59.289 --> 00:42:02.610 about in the meeting. And those who are listening 00:42:02.610 --> 00:42:06.199 to this, who are educators know exactly What 00:42:06.199 --> 00:42:09.800 i'm talking about you get no you guys give so 00:42:09.800 --> 00:42:12.559 much of yourself. It's like you're always on 00:42:12.559 --> 00:42:15.820 And so I can understand how you will be drained 00:42:15.820 --> 00:42:17.179 at the end of the day And then what are you going 00:42:17.179 --> 00:42:19.679 to give to yourself and your family? You you 00:42:19.679 --> 00:42:21.940 definitely not going to the gym after all of 00:42:21.940 --> 00:42:25.179 that So that's hard to all lots of stuff, you 00:42:25.179 --> 00:42:27.920 know You're getting out of shape and maybe you're 00:42:27.920 --> 00:42:30.079 drinking a little bit more because you had such 00:42:30.079 --> 00:42:32.699 a day And it's not like one day or two. This 00:42:32.699 --> 00:42:36.630 is like every day for you guys And so I can just 00:42:36.630 --> 00:42:38.909 hear how draining it is, but also rewarding. 00:42:39.050 --> 00:42:42.010 It's not all bad, you know, because it's a rewarding 00:42:42.010 --> 00:42:44.449 job too. But Dr. Bond, at some point we got to 00:42:44.449 --> 00:42:47.269 talk about this book now. Okay. Yes, definitely. 00:42:47.730 --> 00:42:50.230 Let me tell you what I love about this book. 00:42:50.690 --> 00:42:51.929 Let me tell you what I love about it. Because 00:42:51.929 --> 00:42:55.030 of course, when you asked me to write the forward 00:42:55.030 --> 00:42:57.949 to it, you sent me an advance copy. What I love 00:42:57.949 --> 00:43:03.119 about this book is that The reader is first introduced 00:43:03.119 --> 00:43:05.739 to the protagonist or the the main character 00:43:05.739 --> 00:43:09.219 through his journal entries Yeah, I thought there 00:43:09.219 --> 00:43:12.059 was a brilliant way to sort of bring people in 00:43:12.059 --> 00:43:14.739 engage to reader and get them immersed into the 00:43:14.739 --> 00:43:17.559 story I'm not gonna give too much away for those 00:43:17.559 --> 00:43:20.119 who haven't purchased their copy yet. But the 00:43:20.119 --> 00:43:23.449 way this is written it makes you become Kind 00:43:23.449 --> 00:43:25.690 of emotionally attached to the characters. I 00:43:25.690 --> 00:43:27.670 remember when I was reading I was I was texting 00:43:27.670 --> 00:43:30.530 you in real time about my response Those characters 00:43:30.530 --> 00:43:33.150 pissed me off one the little boys. I wanted to 00:43:33.150 --> 00:43:36.489 fight I'm like, okay now come on, you know, and 00:43:36.489 --> 00:43:38.989 then one of the administrators he had some stuff 00:43:38.989 --> 00:43:41.030 going on I was like look, this is not right, 00:43:41.710 --> 00:43:43.989 you know, so it's a very emotional story You 00:43:43.989 --> 00:43:46.449 get caught up into it from the very first page 00:43:46.449 --> 00:43:48.929 because it starts off with a journal entry So 00:43:48.929 --> 00:43:51.309 you just immediately drawn in so I love that 00:43:51.480 --> 00:43:53.780 about the book. And like I said, I went from 00:43:53.780 --> 00:43:56.380 hating one of the characters to at the end, he 00:43:56.380 --> 00:43:58.260 was one of my favorite characters during the 00:43:58.260 --> 00:44:01.159 end. And so I just love the way you put all this 00:44:01.159 --> 00:44:04.159 together and the way you gave us a raw glimpse 00:44:04.159 --> 00:44:08.500 into the dark side of teaching. And so I just 00:44:08.500 --> 00:44:11.699 want to give you your props on that. My question 00:44:11.699 --> 00:44:18.500 is, what made you use that particular method 00:44:18.500 --> 00:44:20.960 of telling the story that that narrative style 00:44:20.960 --> 00:44:24.159 it was that Purpose driven or did you kind of 00:44:24.159 --> 00:44:26.400 repurpose some journal that you actually had 00:44:26.400 --> 00:44:29.260 or how did you come about that at all? You know, 00:44:29.280 --> 00:44:30.780 it's interesting about that. You're like the 00:44:30.780 --> 00:44:33.320 third person actually that I did the journal 00:44:33.320 --> 00:44:37.059 style because I know me as a thinker I May not 00:44:37.059 --> 00:44:39.320 journal everything but that's how I think sometimes 00:44:39.320 --> 00:44:42.360 and I want people to really feel the protagonist 00:44:42.360 --> 00:44:45.300 the teacher name was Jared I want people to feel 00:44:45.300 --> 00:44:48.340 how he felt how he was struggling but trying 00:44:48.340 --> 00:44:51.280 to hold it together. So he's at the new school, 00:44:51.460 --> 00:44:54.280 he's getting punked, he getting disrespected, 00:44:54.820 --> 00:44:59.800 and it's just a whole lot going on. And so one 00:44:59.800 --> 00:45:01.420 of the things in the story, because you know 00:45:01.420 --> 00:45:03.619 I don't want to tell the whole story, but he 00:45:03.619 --> 00:45:06.340 gets injured trying to break up a fight and it 00:45:06.340 --> 00:45:10.840 leads to a downhill spiral. And I know, and also 00:45:10.840 --> 00:45:13.760 one of the characters who was another teacher 00:45:13.760 --> 00:45:16.039 went through some, that person went through where 00:45:16.039 --> 00:45:18.730 I remember I was breaking up a fight one time, 00:45:18.829 --> 00:45:21.570 this was a few years ago. And before I got to 00:45:21.570 --> 00:45:23.570 it, it was like in the gym, and this kid was 00:45:23.570 --> 00:45:26.550 getting beat up really bad. Like he got punched 00:45:26.550 --> 00:45:31.269 about five, six times in his eye. And I pushed 00:45:31.269 --> 00:45:34.070 the other kid away from him and stopped it at 00:45:34.070 --> 00:45:39.929 that point. So I get home, I get a phone call 00:45:39.929 --> 00:45:41.690 from his grandmother, and first I'm thinking, 00:45:41.769 --> 00:45:46.010 how in the world did she get my cell phone number? 00:45:46.960 --> 00:45:50.559 And she yelled at me and saying, Dr. Bond, Dr. 00:45:50.719 --> 00:45:53.519 Bond, my son came home with a black eye and he 00:45:53.519 --> 00:45:55.719 said, you caused it. He said, you hit him in 00:45:55.719 --> 00:45:57.579 the eye. We're trying to break the fight and 00:45:57.579 --> 00:46:02.099 this and that. I said, ma 'am, wait a minute. 00:46:03.159 --> 00:46:06.519 I said, first off, your son was cursing the kid 00:46:06.519 --> 00:46:11.280 out. And I saw the kid punching him. I saw the 00:46:11.280 --> 00:46:13.139 kid punch him in the eye at least five times. 00:46:13.559 --> 00:46:17.420 And when I finally moved him away, That's what 00:46:17.420 --> 00:46:20.559 caused it and then at first you didn't believe 00:46:20.559 --> 00:46:23.780 me and he wanted to tell the truth and they finally 00:46:23.780 --> 00:46:25.679 told the truth Basically said to his grandmother. 00:46:25.960 --> 00:46:29.059 I won't let you know that got my butt whipped 00:46:29.059 --> 00:46:35.920 by that boy Yes, yes, and so the grandma's upset 00:46:35.920 --> 00:46:39.360 because she said why are you lying on bond like 00:46:39.360 --> 00:46:41.880 that? Because that could have started some up 00:46:42.030 --> 00:46:44.809 And so it bothered me. It was just for me that 00:46:44.809 --> 00:46:47.789 the kid would lie to try to save face. Yeah. 00:46:49.170 --> 00:46:51.289 Did the parent apologize? Come back and apologize? 00:46:52.409 --> 00:46:57.489 No. No. Oh, not at all. Not at all. I know the 00:46:57.489 --> 00:46:59.690 boy felt guilty, but there was no apology. And 00:46:59.690 --> 00:47:02.130 so those are the things we go through as educators 00:47:02.130 --> 00:47:05.449 where you're trying to help. And I would be the 00:47:05.449 --> 00:47:07.829 superhero to try to help save this boy from getting 00:47:07.829 --> 00:47:13.289 even more bodily harm. But now to save face, 00:47:14.050 --> 00:47:15.929 he lies and makes it seem like I did something 00:47:15.929 --> 00:47:19.809 wrong. Those are the stressful things. Or when 00:47:19.809 --> 00:47:22.809 a principal may just not like to teach for whatever 00:47:22.809 --> 00:47:24.710 reason, may not like the teaching style, the 00:47:24.710 --> 00:47:27.130 personality, and you fight getting picked on. 00:47:27.730 --> 00:47:29.730 These are the stresses we go through. You just 00:47:29.730 --> 00:47:33.489 have that class that just wanna listen and wanna, 00:47:33.489 --> 00:47:35.949 you know, curse teachers out and be disrespectful. 00:47:36.590 --> 00:47:39.590 And so those are the things we deal with often. 00:47:39.949 --> 00:47:43.230 And so when you compile that on, teachers get 00:47:43.230 --> 00:47:46.489 worn out. But the question is, who's pointing 00:47:46.489 --> 00:47:49.150 to the teachers? Most schools don't have mental 00:47:49.150 --> 00:47:51.829 health advocates for the teachers. They don't. 00:47:52.010 --> 00:47:54.090 If the principals see teachers are stressed, 00:47:54.130 --> 00:47:56.789 if they do see it, what do they do? Would they 00:47:56.789 --> 00:47:59.050 say, well, have a mental health day or let's 00:47:59.050 --> 00:48:03.210 do this instead? Most of those things are not 00:48:03.210 --> 00:48:07.489 accessible for teachers. So we suffer and struggle 00:48:07.489 --> 00:48:11.820 in silence as the Book says and we still trying 00:48:11.820 --> 00:48:15.019 to work work and we're like in survival mode 00:48:15.019 --> 00:48:17.559 saying like, okay, let me just get through this 00:48:17.559 --> 00:48:21.000 day Let me get through this class period. Oh 00:48:21.000 --> 00:48:23.380 crap, but period is awful. Let me get through 00:48:23.380 --> 00:48:26.940 for period Okay, gosh somebody through somebody 00:48:26.940 --> 00:48:31.199 through a Marble at somebody. Oh gosh, let me 00:48:31.199 --> 00:48:34.400 call admin. Let me call security Gosh, it's still 00:48:34.400 --> 00:48:36.579 25 minutes left in this class. Like okay. This 00:48:36.579 --> 00:48:40.429 is the slowest time I've ever seen And so D looking 00:48:40.429 --> 00:48:43.869 is five minutes left in the class. That five 00:48:43.869 --> 00:48:48.570 minutes seems like 38 and a half minutes. So 00:48:48.570 --> 00:48:50.969 many times, like I said, it is a fight, it's 00:48:50.969 --> 00:48:53.190 a doubt, and a struggle. And then you start to 00:48:53.190 --> 00:48:55.789 call parents and say, well, Johnny has an A or 00:48:55.789 --> 00:48:58.769 Johnny has a D. Well, why does Johnny have a 00:48:58.769 --> 00:49:01.510 D? Did he miss the assignments? And then you'll 00:49:01.510 --> 00:49:04.369 say, yes, I text you or emailed you before what 00:49:04.369 --> 00:49:08.610 he did and didn't do. And so... We have to have 00:49:08.610 --> 00:49:12.989 our ducks in a row and have all behinds covered 00:49:12.989 --> 00:49:16.230 or if not They're trying to hold us accountable 00:49:16.230 --> 00:49:19.489 Right, and then we're the ones getting in trouble 00:49:19.489 --> 00:49:21.909 and that's why so many lead in the profession 00:49:21.909 --> 00:49:25.570 and some of the other Statistics like only 1 00:49:25.570 --> 00:49:29.969 .3 percent of teachers are black male So obviously 00:49:29.969 --> 00:49:33.590 that discrepancy is due. Yes racism is one of 00:49:33.590 --> 00:49:37.900 the reasons and so There's so many things I may 00:49:37.900 --> 00:49:40.519 teach to lead the profession because they see 00:49:40.519 --> 00:49:43.199 Money wise even first starting off is not that 00:49:43.199 --> 00:49:45.280 much now the veteran teacher make a little bit 00:49:45.280 --> 00:49:49.599 more but For most part it's like the end doesn't 00:49:49.599 --> 00:49:51.619 justify to me like I'm going through all this 00:49:51.619 --> 00:49:56.480 social and emotional toil and abuse and fatigue 00:49:56.480 --> 00:50:01.139 anything But what why am I going for this? Is 00:50:01.139 --> 00:50:05.780 it worth it? And sometimes why? profession to 00:50:05.780 --> 00:50:08.760 keep the sanity. And so with this book, I hope 00:50:08.760 --> 00:50:12.820 this book raises awareness that people respect 00:50:12.820 --> 00:50:16.559 teachers, but also see if they're struggling, 00:50:16.739 --> 00:50:18.880 that they may need mental health days off, that 00:50:18.880 --> 00:50:22.480 they do need help, that their load is beyond 00:50:22.480 --> 00:50:26.159 carrying. And it's not realistic that anyone 00:50:26.159 --> 00:50:28.340 can carry the burden that teachers go through 00:50:28.340 --> 00:50:30.519 daily. It could be elementary, middle, or high 00:50:30.519 --> 00:50:33.510 school. It's a lot. And so many teachers are 00:50:33.510 --> 00:50:35.849 burnt out and frustrated and tired, especially 00:50:35.849 --> 00:50:40.349 because we don't feel supported. And that's one 00:50:40.349 --> 00:50:43.429 of the major issues, the lack of support from 00:50:43.429 --> 00:50:48.110 the top. Right. For people who are listening, 00:50:48.190 --> 00:50:49.869 when you get this book, that's one of the first 00:50:49.869 --> 00:50:52.670 things that's going to stand out to you is just 00:50:52.670 --> 00:50:56.250 how much our teachers endure behind the scenes. 00:50:56.519 --> 00:50:58.719 We talk about all the stuff that they had to 00:50:58.719 --> 00:51:00.559 do, breaking up fights and getting cursed out 00:51:00.559 --> 00:51:03.539 by the students and the teachers and the parents. 00:51:04.079 --> 00:51:06.820 You know, like I was mentioning before, we always 00:51:06.820 --> 00:51:08.440 talk about how the students are getting bullied. 00:51:09.320 --> 00:51:12.059 The teachers are getting bullied. And it's just, 00:51:12.179 --> 00:51:14.340 there's a lot going on. I remember one thing 00:51:14.340 --> 00:51:16.619 you told me, I think it was in your last show, 00:51:16.679 --> 00:51:19.179 you were telling me how, we already talked about 00:51:19.179 --> 00:51:21.519 how there are not a lot of black male teachers 00:51:21.519 --> 00:51:23.739 out there, but when you're a black male teacher 00:51:23.739 --> 00:51:25.400 and you're really good and you're beloved by 00:51:25.400 --> 00:51:27.789 the kids, You can get hated on by some of the 00:51:27.789 --> 00:51:31.369 members of your own faculty Yes, you you can 00:51:31.369 --> 00:51:34.849 and i've experienced that before because many 00:51:34.849 --> 00:51:39.769 times the black male teachers And I know there's 00:51:39.769 --> 00:51:41.809 been doctor work on this and research done on 00:51:41.809 --> 00:51:45.349 this Research shows that when you have a african 00:51:45.349 --> 00:51:48.969 -american male teacher Your the likelihood you're 00:51:48.969 --> 00:51:50.750 going to college and graduate high school is 00:51:50.750 --> 00:51:53.670 higher And many times, you know, the reality 00:51:53.670 --> 00:51:56.599 is we had to work hard at four degrees that we're 00:51:56.599 --> 00:52:00.860 hard for where we are. And many times we tend 00:52:00.860 --> 00:52:04.380 to have connection that's beyond the X's and 00:52:04.380 --> 00:52:07.679 O's or besides the lesson plans. Like yes, we're 00:52:07.679 --> 00:52:10.119 hearing to lesson plans, but we may teach things 00:52:10.119 --> 00:52:12.900 outside the box. For me, like one of the things 00:52:12.900 --> 00:52:14.760 I've always done as a teacher, I incorporate 00:52:14.760 --> 00:52:18.219 music. So if I'm teaching history from any era, 00:52:18.679 --> 00:52:20.900 I'll incorporate music from that era, like from 00:52:20.900 --> 00:52:24.280 the 1950s to the 60s. And every time I teach 00:52:24.280 --> 00:52:27.880 like the 70s or 80s and 90s, I love music from 00:52:27.880 --> 00:52:30.659 those eras. I will play the disco from the 70s. 00:52:30.840 --> 00:52:33.500 I'll play the music from the 60s with the Vietnam 00:52:33.500 --> 00:52:38.239 War. And I'll play the song War Was It Good For? 00:52:38.460 --> 00:52:41.179 And you watch the Rush Hour movies with Jackie 00:52:41.179 --> 00:52:43.320 Chan and Chris Tucker. Most of the kids love 00:52:43.320 --> 00:52:47.539 that song. I'll play it. I'll play a lot of anthems 00:52:47.539 --> 00:52:51.250 from... Like Public Enemy, I'm actually friends 00:52:51.250 --> 00:52:53.550 with Chuck D from Public Enemy. So we'll play 00:52:53.550 --> 00:52:56.550 fight the power We'll play the different songs 00:52:56.550 --> 00:53:00.929 of that era and so many times we educate we reach 00:53:00.929 --> 00:53:03.530 the kids by being different You're not just going 00:53:03.530 --> 00:53:06.550 to just teach from the textbook and they read 00:53:06.550 --> 00:53:09.889 this for 50 minutes and no kids get bored by 00:53:09.889 --> 00:53:14.110 incorporating the music Sometimes our corporate 00:53:14.110 --> 00:53:18.539 music to pocket even his poetry book and so What 00:53:18.539 --> 00:53:20.599 you're doing with that is you're making history 00:53:20.599 --> 00:53:22.920 not just a boring story, but you're making it 00:53:22.920 --> 00:53:26.940 an interesting and intriguing and impelling story 00:53:26.940 --> 00:53:31.000 compelling story and Those are things which wonders 00:53:31.000 --> 00:53:34.079 which motivate kids to learn now sometimes I've 00:53:34.079 --> 00:53:36.699 seen where it does cause like sometimes a little 00:53:36.699 --> 00:53:39.739 Roving the feathers or even jealousy, but you 00:53:39.739 --> 00:53:42.219 know you do what you gotta do as a teacher and 00:53:42.219 --> 00:53:46.039 so many times you had that camaraderie and relationship 00:53:46.039 --> 00:53:50.159 with that kid And sometimes when others see you 00:53:50.159 --> 00:53:54.519 have a strong rapport with the students, there's 00:53:54.519 --> 00:53:59.380 a jealousy. I remember when, and this did happen 00:53:59.380 --> 00:54:01.219 to me in real life, and this is in my epilogue, 00:54:02.280 --> 00:54:04.340 I found my twin sister pass while I was in the 00:54:04.340 --> 00:54:08.219 classroom. And the group I had, bless their heart, 00:54:08.460 --> 00:54:10.760 that was a group that made teachers almost quit. 00:54:11.539 --> 00:54:14.460 That group, I loved them. They could be a little 00:54:14.460 --> 00:54:16.820 lousy sometimes, but they loved my class. They 00:54:16.820 --> 00:54:19.619 love my history class. Most teachers, they did 00:54:19.619 --> 00:54:25.539 not like, but that grew to be annoying. And so 00:54:25.539 --> 00:54:31.659 I get a call from a policeman and I'm like, wait, 00:54:31.739 --> 00:54:33.500 what's this about? I'm like, I paid that traffic 00:54:33.500 --> 00:54:35.239 ticket from like four or five years ago, so I 00:54:35.239 --> 00:54:38.480 hope this ain't the problem. So they stopped 00:54:38.480 --> 00:54:41.219 me and say, your sister passed, your twin sister 00:54:41.219 --> 00:54:45.579 passed, I'm from your dad. My dad dementia. Being 00:54:45.579 --> 00:54:49.699 with dementia he didn't call 9 -1 -1 to say something 00:54:49.699 --> 00:54:51.719 bad happened. I don't remember something bad 00:54:51.719 --> 00:54:55.539 going on So he forgot my sister passed out. So 00:54:55.539 --> 00:54:57.539 police didn't tell me to the phone. They say 00:54:57.539 --> 00:55:02.940 my twin sister passed and I lost it. I cried 00:55:02.940 --> 00:55:06.900 in the classroom and The kids were like in class 00:55:06.900 --> 00:55:09.900 like what's going on as they effectively call 00:55:09.900 --> 00:55:13.829 me and I said my twin passed And most of the 00:55:13.829 --> 00:55:15.610 kids in that class knew I had a twin sister. 00:55:15.630 --> 00:55:18.110 I would talk about her. I talked about how I 00:55:18.110 --> 00:55:19.469 used to protect her when we'd go to school in 00:55:19.469 --> 00:55:21.929 New York. And I had a girl in that class who 00:55:21.929 --> 00:55:25.849 was a twin. And so I ran out the classroom. Don't 00:55:25.849 --> 00:55:28.050 remember much. All I know is I remember driving 00:55:28.050 --> 00:55:31.869 to see my dad. And so I remember most of the 00:55:31.869 --> 00:55:36.130 kids DM'd me, found me, or something. And said, 00:55:37.409 --> 00:55:39.369 emailed me and said, Dr. Bond, we are so sorry 00:55:39.369 --> 00:55:42.090 for losing your twin. we are praying for you, 00:55:42.210 --> 00:55:44.269 we are here for you, we appreciate you, we love 00:55:44.269 --> 00:55:47.409 you. And so we have that rapport with students, 00:55:48.090 --> 00:55:51.030 they show they really care. And most of the time 00:55:51.030 --> 00:55:53.030 the kids, even with the issues they may deal 00:55:53.030 --> 00:55:56.050 with, the struggles, the emotional trauma they've 00:55:56.050 --> 00:55:58.389 dealt with, many times they connect with the 00:55:58.389 --> 00:56:01.730 teacher, there's not much they won't do for them. 00:56:03.250 --> 00:56:06.789 And we write in this book, Was inspired to write 00:56:06.789 --> 00:56:08.989 it because when I went through that trauma of 00:56:08.989 --> 00:56:11.010 losing the twin then couple months later lose 00:56:11.010 --> 00:56:15.690 my dad and all those things I also trying to 00:56:15.690 --> 00:56:19.510 teach and I had to just Drop and say listen, 00:56:19.590 --> 00:56:24.210 I need a break I'm trying to do too much and 00:56:24.210 --> 00:56:27.349 most teachers especially effective ones. We're 00:56:27.349 --> 00:56:31.210 always hoping everybody for many times we don't 00:56:31.210 --> 00:56:34.599 take time for ourselves and I learned that myself 00:56:34.599 --> 00:56:37.699 and that's why I wrote this book because if any 00:56:37.699 --> 00:56:43.880 teachers in that situation get help, don't worry 00:56:43.880 --> 00:56:46.280 if they complain about you taking days off. Take 00:56:46.280 --> 00:56:51.900 the day off. If they're saying, oh, well, you're 00:56:51.900 --> 00:56:55.739 late with this, you're late with that. And next 00:56:55.739 --> 00:57:00.699 question. But being more in charge of your mental 00:57:00.699 --> 00:57:04.130 health, Taking control and charge is so important 00:57:04.130 --> 00:57:06.989 these days. And that's one of the main reasons 00:57:06.989 --> 00:57:09.409 why I wrote this book, because I love education, 00:57:09.469 --> 00:57:13.250 I do. And even in the story, the teacher loved 00:57:13.250 --> 00:57:16.369 to educate. He was that teacher who, if kids 00:57:16.369 --> 00:57:19.469 were hungry, he fed them. Old teachers I know, 00:57:20.070 --> 00:57:21.949 the kid's hungry, they're going to get something, 00:57:22.110 --> 00:57:23.309 they're going to find something for that kid 00:57:23.309 --> 00:57:28.329 to eat. That's how we are. That's right. Yeah, 00:57:28.429 --> 00:57:31.519 that's how we are. And so we're like almost those 00:57:31.519 --> 00:57:36.900 superheroes, just unsung. And so we will stop 00:57:36.900 --> 00:57:40.139 what we do to make sure a kid has something. 00:57:40.800 --> 00:57:42.539 Well, this boy didn't have breakfast. Well, let's 00:57:42.539 --> 00:57:45.300 get him breakfast. This didn't happen. I remember 00:57:45.300 --> 00:57:48.739 one time they had an event in the school and 00:57:48.739 --> 00:57:52.019 they wanted the kids to bring some food. And 00:57:52.019 --> 00:57:54.280 the boy just said, my parents have money for 00:57:54.280 --> 00:57:58.159 me to participate for the party. So what do we 00:57:58.159 --> 00:58:01.179 do as teachers? We make sure the kid has something. 00:58:02.059 --> 00:58:07.019 So that's what we do. And many times, it goes 00:58:07.019 --> 00:58:11.739 unnoticed, sometimes forgotten. But that kid, 00:58:11.900 --> 00:58:15.159 10, 20 years later, those kids will remember 00:58:15.159 --> 00:58:18.780 it. I have students who I taught even 27 years 00:58:18.780 --> 00:58:21.119 ago when I started teaching. They'll remember 00:58:21.119 --> 00:58:24.199 me, the stuff I did in class, but more importantly, 00:58:24.340 --> 00:58:28.010 they remember the lessons and values. You always 00:58:28.010 --> 00:58:30.670 remember a good teacher. That's so true. Even 00:58:30.670 --> 00:58:33.929 if it was second grade, fifth grade, you're going 00:58:33.929 --> 00:58:36.349 to remember that teacher who left and made an 00:58:36.349 --> 00:58:39.130 impact on your life in a positive way. You'll 00:58:39.130 --> 00:58:41.550 remember him when you're 40, 50, 60 years old. 00:58:41.550 --> 00:58:45.829 It never fails. Definitely, definitely. Even 00:58:45.829 --> 00:58:48.769 I can remember a teacher that inspired me. I 00:58:48.769 --> 00:58:51.329 had a teacher, Joseph Mayer, and I think he's 00:58:51.329 --> 00:58:53.789 still alive in Freeport, New York. He was the 00:58:53.789 --> 00:58:57.380 first teacher that said I was smart. He put me 00:58:57.380 --> 00:58:59.300 on the science because he thought I could do 00:58:59.300 --> 00:59:01.380 it. And I first thought it would be too hard. 00:59:02.019 --> 00:59:05.420 He said, no, you got this. And he inspired me 00:59:05.420 --> 00:59:08.880 like no teacher had before. And in undergrad, 00:59:09.119 --> 00:59:11.320 I had a professor, and we still talk to this 00:59:11.320 --> 00:59:16.780 day, and they were Dr. Arby Bonet. And he said, 00:59:16.960 --> 00:59:19.460 no, you're going to graduate, but I definitely 00:59:19.460 --> 00:59:22.239 going to graduate school and doing big things 00:59:22.239 --> 00:59:26.449 in your life. And that stuck with me. And even 00:59:26.449 --> 00:59:29.269 after I graduated from undergrad, and it's been 00:59:29.269 --> 00:59:33.010 26 years, we still talk. And I told my dad, I 00:59:33.010 --> 00:59:36.170 said, Doc, you were one of the people who inspired 00:59:36.170 --> 00:59:39.570 me to be an educator. And he just texted me the 00:59:39.570 --> 00:59:41.849 other day and said, Doc, I need a copy of that 00:59:41.849 --> 00:59:44.809 book, and I need an autograph, please. No exceptions. 00:59:45.510 --> 00:59:48.730 So we are inspired by educators as well, and 00:59:48.730 --> 00:59:51.840 it's just such an awesome feeling. Well, Dr. 00:59:51.980 --> 00:59:54.880 Vaughn, I'm so glad that you came on. We've run 00:59:54.880 --> 00:59:57.659 out of time for this episode, but this has been 00:59:57.659 --> 01:00:00.199 an incredibly important conversation. I really 01:00:00.199 --> 01:00:02.900 appreciate you writing this book, the transparency, 01:00:03.019 --> 01:00:05.460 the courage, and, you know, just shining a light 01:00:05.460 --> 01:00:08.260 on the emotional reality that our teachers are 01:00:08.260 --> 01:00:11.039 going through. Because, you know, you wrote a 01:00:11.039 --> 01:00:13.360 powerful story, but you also live this work. 01:00:13.659 --> 01:00:17.039 You've advocated. You've educated beyond, you 01:00:17.039 --> 01:00:19.000 know, what you were asked to do or supposed to 01:00:19.000 --> 01:00:21.760 do. So I just really want to thank you for everything 01:00:21.760 --> 01:00:23.860 that you've done in this industry. To everyone 01:00:23.860 --> 01:00:26.360 that's listening tonight, whether you're an educator, 01:00:26.579 --> 01:00:29.960 a parent, a policymaker, it doesn't matter. My 01:00:29.960 --> 01:00:33.500 hope is that this conversation gives you a reason 01:00:33.500 --> 01:00:35.480 to check in on the teachers in your life. If 01:00:35.480 --> 01:00:37.000 you have a family member that's a teacher, check 01:00:37.000 --> 01:00:38.719 in on them. Thank the teachers that are teaching 01:00:38.719 --> 01:00:40.619 your children, your nieces, your nephews. Give 01:00:40.619 --> 01:00:45.619 them support and not just expectations. So again, 01:00:45.800 --> 01:00:47.820 Dr. Bond, thank you so much for joining me tonight. 01:00:48.139 --> 01:00:49.760 I'm sorry we didn't have more time, but definitely 01:00:49.760 --> 01:00:52.480 come back and give us an update on that documentary, 01:00:52.639 --> 01:00:53.960 because I know that's coming down the pipeline 01:00:53.960 --> 01:00:57.239 soon. Well, thank you. And thank you for allowing 01:00:57.239 --> 01:00:59.639 me to be on your show. I appreciate all you do. 01:00:59.900 --> 01:01:02.159 And continue even for more. And thank you again. 01:01:03.480 --> 01:01:05.579 Thank you. And until next time, I'm Dr. Andre 01:01:05.579 --> 01:01:07.539 Geary. This has been Live with Dr. Andre Geary. 01:01:07.880 --> 01:01:08.440 Good night, everybody.