Old School Thoughts

Ms. Latavia Price shares her thoughts about how her grandmother and mother influenced her values and perspective about life. She closes out this episode with a song that she learned from listening to her grandmother. This is the second episode of many that will focus on the woman and or women who were influential in our lives.

Overseer Willie Haynes returned, as a guest, to share his personal tribute to his mother, Sweetie Mae Haynes. Willie compared his mother to the engine that kept the family united. This tribute to Sweetie Mae Haynes is being presented as a representation of Black/African American and Women’s History.

How do we, as Black/African Americans, value our history? Do we reach back and tell the truth or have we moved forward to focus on what is now? There is no new thing under the sun and our stories are repeating themselves. How do you see Black/African American History and Month?

Ricky Porter is sharing his story about a gospel group he organized named Destiny. This followed my visit to his home, this afternoon, and listening to a VHS tape of Destiny performing. As I was watching, I was happy and sad because they were so good, but also represented another hidden story in African American history.

During this episode, I thought about how many generations passed down the untruth (unintentionally) that all documents that link us to our ancestors do not exist because they were all destroyed. It is sad that school administrators allowed that myth to continue even when “Roots” was shown on television in 1977. I never knew there was a “Genealogy” department in the public library. The educators heard us and allowed us to remain ignorant about our ancestors.

This is the first episode of 2021 that reflects on 2020, family, and the recent insurrection at the US Capitol Building in Washington DC. I am asking listeners to share their old school stories as part of their legacies. Happy New Year to all of you.

This episode is a blessing because God granted my son and me the opportunity to sit side-by-side, during this Corona pandemic, for a shared interview. He is one-half of the duo podcast titled Jay Raised Us. He and Mos are creating an excellent podcast that focuses on music Jay-Z. I have had the opportunity of listening to each episode and paid much attention to their level of comfort, maturity, and presentation. If you have an open-mind, search for Jay Raised Us and get involved.

This episode was sparked by a question posed to me by my wife. She asked how did my parents talk to me about the birds and the bees. After considerable thought, I realized that my experience (boys) had to be different from little girls. How were you taught about the Birds and the Bees?

Michaella expands on the conversation provided by Sakinah (Hall) Franklin during the previous episode. Michaella shares her similarities with Sakinah along with her genuine concern for mentoring girls, boys, men, and women.

I invited Sakinah Franklin to give us a woman’s perspective on old school values that shaped her life. Sakinah is a retired US Army Veteran who demonstrated leadership as a noncommissioned officer and commissioned officer. During the interview, Sakinah briefly spoke about the traditional roles of men and women and how those roles were changing. This is another great lesson.