Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Reverend Dr. Adrienne Booth Johnson and Attorney Bill Green.
- Reverend Dr. Adrienne Booth Johnson – Advocate for women’s empowerment in Ghana.
- Attorney Bill Green – Her son, now Executive Director of the Southeast Chapter of The Common Market, a nonprofit supporting local farmers.
🌍 Major Themes
1. Empowerment Through Entrepreneurship
- Dr. Johnson has helped create over 300 women entrepreneurs in Ghana.
- Her initiative, “Will You Bra”, teaches women to make and sell reusable sanitary pads, helping girls stay in school.
2. Legacy and Leadership
- Bill Green attributes his success to his mother’s intentionality and leadership.
- He transitioned from a corporate career (Coca-Cola, grocery retail) to nonprofit work, driven by a spiritual calling.
3. Support for Black Farmers
- Green’s work with The Common Market helps Black farmers in the Southeast U.S. access institutional markets (e.g., Morehouse, Emory).
- He highlights the decline in Black-owned farmland from 14% in the 1920s to just 0.4% today.
4. Faith and Purpose
- Both guests emphasize the role of faith in guiding their life choices.
- Dr. Johnson speaks about overcoming societal expectations and following divine purpose.
5. Family and Community
- The mother-son dynamic is central to the episode, showcasing mutual respect and shared mission.
- Rashawn McDonald also shares personal reflections on family, purpose, and legacy.
💡 Notable Quotes
- “When God gives you a vision, He’ll also give you the provision.” – Rev. Dr. Johnson
- “This is my role in the civil rights movement.” – Bill Green, on supporting Black farmers
- “Lead with your gifts and keep winning.” – Rushion McDonald
#SHMS #STRAW #BEST
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, i am Rashan McDonald I host the weekly Money
Making Conversation Masterclass show. The interviews and information that this
show provides are for everyone. It's time to stop reading
other people's success stories and start living your own. If
you want to be a guest on my show, please
visit our website, Moneymaking Conversations dot com and click the
be a Guest button. Chris Submit and information will come
(00:23):
directly to me. Now let's get this show started. Yes,
you're listening to Rushan McDonald I host the Weekly Money
Making Conversation Masterclass Show. The interviews and information that this
show provides are for everyone. It's time to stop reading
other people's success stories and start living your own. My
guests are in the People Uplift Business Changing Lives SYD
(00:44):
decide a lot of their personal time to look into
people's lives and trying to make a difference. She has
created over three hundred women entrepreneurs in Ghana, West Africa,
and her son leads the Southeast Chapter of National Nonprofits
commit to building a more sustainable and equitable local farm system.
(01:05):
Please welcome to the Money Making Conversation Masterclass. Reverend doctor
Adrian Johnson and attorney Bill Green, how y'all doing great? Well?
See I got attorney Bill Green, he's the studio. And
Adrian she was here last time. Okay, she almost she
liked family with me because I get emails called Reverend Granny.
(01:25):
You know, I never get it right though. Is Reverend
Adrian Booth Johnson Reverend Granny? You know? All these great things.
But she's a personality that really dominated my life for
thirty minutes. And the reason I say that's a good
thing because she kept saying a young man named Bill,
Bill and I Bill and I Bill and I and
(01:47):
that motivated me to say I needed to meet you, sir.
Could you tell everybody who you are?
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Well again? Thank you for having us. And it's such
an honor to be here. I'm a big fan of
the show fan WC. Okay, it's it's it's just really
an honor to be here today. And uh, you know,
my mother had such a good time on the show.
A John said, yes, And a lot of what I
currently do I attribute to her and in her influence
(02:18):
and watching her come up through the ranks of corporations
and different things that she went through. Uh, and it's
really guided my path.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Yeah, because twenty five years at Coca Cola.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
Correct, that's correct.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
Now, what did you do at Coca Cola?
Speaker 3 (02:31):
I was a marketing executive at the Coca Cola Company.
And through those years, I called on the military. At
one point, I called on HBCUs. I called up. While
I was here in Michigan, I was director of public Affairs.
So I had a great career and it's a great
company to work for. So and I also handled a
(02:53):
lot of celebrities for Coca Cola, all the African American
celebrities for Coke.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Okay, now here's something interest then, Uh, Reverend Granny, I'm
looking at your son, your attorney, Bill Green here, and
I'm looking at his left arm because you know, he
had his arms in shape, now you know. And I'm
seeing this little thing over here. What's happening there? What's
what's that? What's that? Oh?
Speaker 2 (03:13):
So, that's called a brand. It's it's from Alpha pi
alp Alphai. Yes, sir, yes, sir, Beta chapter beta chapter.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
See, I'm gonna let him get it out. I'm going
let it make a man. I'm gonna go and let
him get out because he need mo house. You need
you need house. Some slack but I but let's talk
about that whole black fraternity the important because I remember
Omega Sci Fi and it played an important role in
my life. I tell everybody I was I was wandering
(03:45):
through college and I know it's not for everybody, but
I was wanted to do college four and a half years,
didn't see graduation near me, and I pledged and it
was with the community, and I graduated in two years.
And so it took me seven years to graduated with
a degree in mathematics. And so what did the role
(04:07):
of fraternities play in your life?
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Well, you know, I think fraternities and HBCUs played a
played a huge role in my life. So you know,
I grew up for most of my life in Louisville, Kentucky,
and so going to Howard University was the first time
I had seen black people in leadership roles and it
was transformative for me. And all the leaders were black,
and it was it was so important at eighteen for
(04:30):
me to see that. And I came in contact with
with the brothers in the fraternity and saw what they
were doing on campus. I knew the history, knew Doctor
King was one, and I knew Thirdgod Marshall and all
these these great men, and it just made me look
into it and I think what the fraternity really did
for me was exposed me to different styles of leadership
(04:54):
and different people that were making an impact. A lot
of the guys that I went to school with went
on to become successful business leader, successful uh in church leadership.
I actually went to school. Some of my frat brothers
were the group shot. I don't remember Shy if I
ever fall in love again, we used to. We used
to all share a house together. But I always tell
(05:14):
the story we shared a three piece from KFC, the
three of us, because that was all we could.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Get to you a KFC. I was a Popeye three
pieces in the biscuit brother those name man walk right
down the street on Scott and Wheeler, because that's what
you You know, you think about those moments, and of
course you know you think about it, but the memory
is always better than what you what. It tastes like
they always go back and get that meal and you
go something wrong with this meal, like I can never
(05:43):
eat chicken fried steak, and I ate chicken fried steak
in college, like it was going out of style. You
put a chicken fried steak in front of me right now,
go what is this? And my wife will you loved
in the Collegego really, I don't know what the taste is,
but that's what That's what growth is. And when you
see your growed like he's grown over the years, Reverend Johnson,
(06:04):
what does that? What does that mean to you as
a mom? But also, uh, you know they said he
went to Howard and it opened his eyes. And you
allowed him to go to Howard what was life? And
that was an instrumental thought process because you are a thinker.
You are for a thinking person. That's what I was
my biggest takeaway when I interviewed you. Tell us about it.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
Let's see, as a teenage mother, you know, I knew
I wanted my son to be great, and I knew
what it took to be great. And so at single motherhood,
the first thing I did, I worked on Bill's development
and I wanted him to see positive male role models.
So we started with my father and my brothers, and
then I wanted him to get great education opportunities. I
wanted to know Bill known he was a black man
(06:46):
and what that meant. So I sent him to Howard University.
The real Hu and then he pledged Alpha Phi Alpha.
And then Bill was more than a son. Bill was
my partner. You know, when you were a single mom
and you got kids, they're not just your kids, they're
your partners. They're your teammates. They're helping you reach that
goal for the family, you know. And then you know,
(07:08):
I couldn't ask for a better son because Bill had
good grades. You know, he was respectful. I never had
to pop them upside.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
His head, you know too much, he's branded twice here.
You didn't have to pop them upside his head. Maybe
the butt, maybe not the head, okay, right, right right?
Speaker 3 (07:27):
And then I kept him in church, you know, so
he didn't fight with the church and spirituality. He knew
the importance of God in our life. And so you know,
it's just made for a great relationship with us.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
But that whole the thing that I love about this
interview is the community I reached that both of you guys,
do you know, I know it's a job. Everybody says
it's a job. I always tell people, say what is
your What's the basis of your company? And I realized
Bill and Adrian that the basis of my company is
Uplift you know the advocacy of HBC or I didn't
(07:58):
attendant HBC, but I realized to pour into black excellence,
you know, being able to take young people. And I
always tell people the information I have, I don't want
to take it to my grave. And if I give
you an idea that makes you a million dollars, it's
not my money, because that was an idea I didn't
see anyway. And so that's why I really look at
individuals like y'all as a huge necessity. And when it
(08:21):
talks about black farmers, mister Green, tell us why you involved.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Well, two things I learned from my mother. One is
the importance of intentionality. You know, you talk about dreams
and pursuing your dreams. My mother was somebody who always
embodied that. I can remember being six years old, five
six years First of all, I remember her pledging she
played in nineteen seventy four AKA and University Louisville, and
(08:49):
I remember some of the steps, so that impact. But
she always had this spirit of intentionality, Like I remember
her doing gold sheets, like by year, this is what
I want to accomplish in this year, this is how
much money I'm gonna make, This is where I'm gonna
be this is where we're gonna live. This is kind
of Carmel Drive, and she would have that for like
fifteen twenty years. So I remember that. I also remember
(09:12):
the importance of relationship building, right right, And that's those
two things I bring to the work that I'm doing now.
The nonprofit that I serve is called the Common Market,
and I am the executive director of the Southeast Chapter.
So my responsibility is Alabama, Georgia, parts of South Carolina,
and Tennessee. And so what we're doing, is you mentioned earlier,
(09:34):
is we're building a more equitable and sustainable local food system.
And we're doing that by helping small to mid sized
farmers gain wholesale institutional selling opportunities to sell their product
into morehouse Spellman Emery, the hospital systems in Georgia.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
You said four states. What is the number one product
that when you look at your whole, all the farmers
you work, what's the number one product that you produce?
Speaker 2 (10:02):
I would say most black farmers, first of all, can
grow anything.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
Right.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
You know, we have a strong history and agriculture and
historically speaking, in nineteen twenties, fourteen percent of all farmland
was owned by black people, and over the centuries that
has been denied us. And so so now farmers represent
Black farmers represent about zero point four percent of farm land.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
Yes, sir, yes, sir, yes, sir. Fourteen to point four.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Yes, yes, So we've grown everything and our farmers produce
everything from collard greens to squash, tomatoes, peas, to pork products, beef.
I mean they can produce anything if given the opportunity.
And that's and that's what they will tell you.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
And before we go to break, I want to bring
up your story, Reverend Johnson, about GOA. You know it's America.
You over that? What are you doing over there?
Speaker 3 (11:05):
Well? You know what, just like the saying says I
was not African because I was born in Africa, but
because Africa was born in me. So I have a calling.
See everybody has a calling. My calling is to help
women in Africa, and so I put women in business.
They make reusable sanitary pads and sell them in the
villages so girls can go to school. They have access
(11:27):
to sanitary pads, so they won't miss class because right
now they have it. They're Michigan. And so my program
is called Woe You Bra And the Woey Bra program
because in America, when you say I have my period,
in Ghana, they say I have my woe you bra.
And so that's what my program, and that's where I
put women in business. So instead of my husband Joe Johnathon,
instead of us giving them sanitary pads, what we decided
(11:50):
to do is instead of giving them fish, teach them
how to fish. And in fact, Bill has gone to
Africa with me, so he has a calling on his
life as well.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
See that's what it is. She ain't gonna stop bragging
on you, but you see I love her man like
your partners. You know what I'm saying. And you you,
and I think that's important.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
You know.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
I feel so fortunate pil and Adrian because my daughter
works with me. She don't work for me, she works
with me. And she was in Houston and I sat
down with us. She was about to renew her apartment
leads and go, why won't you come work with your dad?
See you? And I said, I said, I promise you
I would expose you to more creative work and different
(12:33):
options than you ever she's uh, she's been in awe
of the experience and then just to go in and
see her and get a hug from her and to
sit down and have conversations with her. It's amazing when
your mom talks about you and see the excellence and
see the uplift that you're doing in life. It has
(12:53):
to make you feel what way humbled?
Speaker 3 (12:58):
M H.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
I'm a I'm big.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
I'm a big respector of history and legacy, and I
just I appreciate all the sacrifice that my mother went
through to get me here, but also my grandparents, uh
and all my all the people who have sewn into
me over the years. It's it's it's it's very humbling.
Uh and and and it makes me want to be
(13:22):
the best steward I can over what God has blessed
me with.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
Wow, I feel blessed in having this conversation. And I'm
so glad I made the decision because we can off
the air. She broke out in tears. You know your
mom gets emotional.
Speaker 3 (13:35):
I believe you doing this with me like this.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
You know her hands was shaking and rolling in a
circle like this. But that's doctor Adrian Booth Johnson and
her son Attorney Bill Green. When we come back, don't
go nowhere, because we've got some great stories We want
to convey not just stories, but stories that are changing lives,
especially when it comes to black farmers. And guess what
are turning green? I'm gonna share me, share you my
guardian story. Oh okay, because I got a little farm
(13:58):
I'm growing. You know, I'm not. I can't sell it nowhere.
But I had a little farm because it changed my
life and it happened to doing COVID. Be right back
with more Money Making Conversation master Class. I'm your host,
Rashwan McDonald.
Speaker 4 (14:10):
Please don't go anywhere. We'll be right back with more
Money Making Conversations master Class. Welcome back to the Money
Making Conversations master Class hosted by Rashaan McDonald.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
My guess a mother and son duo are talking to
them people who are there in the uplift business. But
also it's about a calling. I remember I work that
I bem and I thought I would be I Big
Blue all my life, but that that wasn't what I
wanted to do when I woke up one day. But
I'm gonna tell you something, Tourny Green. When I made
(14:49):
the decision, When I made the decision a year in advance,
I was in tears and I was nervous because of
the fact that when you make a decision like that,
because everybody you go through life, you go to college
and people put you on a track. They tell you,
this is what you're supposed to be doing. All they
wait knowing is the wife, the kids, and you supposed
to be happy. But you had an experience in the
(15:12):
corporate world and you very successful at it. What happened.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
So it's funny when people call me attorney in green
I know that my mother introduced them to me, because
she still refers to me as that. I haven't been
an attorney in several years, but I transitioned from being
an attorney to managing grocery stores for my top twenty
five fortune twenty five grocery company, and I was working
(15:39):
my way up the chain. I started as an attorney,
started over as an assistant store manager, became a store manager,
district manager, regional director, and when I made vice president,
with plans and conversations about becoming president. One day I
realized it wasn't me. And I was in a meeting
and I just I clearly heard the Lord say this
ain't it. Wow, this ain't it. You gotta go and.
Speaker 5 (16:01):
Uh and I left with any fear uh times one hundred, Yeah,
so much because certainty right now, that certain my wife
wasn't working at the time, I had three kids in college.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
I had no.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
Idea how I was gonna make it. But I walked
away and I was I was blessed to find the
common market. And there were there were some dark days.
There were days I'm like.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
Lord, did I hear you right?
Speaker 2 (16:27):
Because I left a lot of money on the table.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
Sometimes when you make these decisions, they aren't playing, you
know what I'm saying. You know what I'm saying. You know
people always and I would tell you that I've made
decisions and that go over sean. You could have planned
that a lot better. You know, you could have like
maybe not bought that, might not about that may not
verification because you knew you weren't happy. But sometimes we
spend money when we're not happy, you know what I'm saying,
to fill the time to feel those moments and stuff
(16:51):
like that. But when you're happy, you tend to slow
it down and you tend to be able to see
your future better. And that's what you're talking about right here.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
And that's what I'm talking about. I haven't missed it anything.
The Lord was faithful and gave me everything back and
then some. And I have a career now that suits me.
The one I had before it was fine and I
was very blessed to have it. They really took care
of me. But it wasn't me. It wasn't who God
made me to be.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
And this is.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
And so now I have the opportunity to work directly
with people who have that legacy that I was talking about,
that history, that respect for the land. And an example
I'll give you is Maddie and Curtis Collins who own
EKC Farms in Cobbtown, Georgia. That farm has been in
that family since their ancestor, Elizabeth, was freed from slavery. Wow,
how many acres one hundred acres that he gave that
(17:40):
her former owner gave her when she was freed from slavery.
And that farm is still in their family. So I
feel that my role in helping that family find opportunities
to sell their product is my role in the civil
rights movement. It's my role, it's my place in history,
and so I don't take that for granted. And it's
(18:00):
an awesome opportunity for me.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
So when you walk into this farm like that, well,
how do you introduce your relationship and how do what
do they tell you? I'm sure they just lay down
a litany of frustration of what has not happened and
the fear of failure, which means losing your land. How
do you know, because you have great personality when I'm standpointed,
is very calm and you know, very as they say,
(18:24):
bedside manner. Talk to us. How that approach is done.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
Yeah, the farmers that I've had the honor of working
with still have hope. Yes, they still believe one and
what they're doing, and many of them are not doing
it just to feed their families, although it's a part
of it. They have this feeling that what they're doing matters.
It matters to the generations after them, It matters to
the community to have this food out there. So they're
(18:48):
still hopeful. So they're saying, Hey, this I can do,
I can grow anything. I can do this. You tell
me what you need. And so we have a real
conversation about that, and we start slow and then we
build from there.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
You know, Reverend Johnson, we talk about like I was
talking to your son about that decision you know that
this ain't me, this is not the world.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
Right.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
Can you talk to about audience about overcoming expectations? Because
people can expect you to go to college, people that
expect you to get married, people can expect you to
have children. There's a lot of expectations people put on people,
but don't ask them what do you want? How does
an listening to me talking to my audience, how does
(19:31):
one deal with expectations?
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Well, see to me, you know, being a minister to me,
you the god to know what God has for you.
And God has something for everybody. And so when God
gives you a vision here for what, He'll also give
you the provisions. So people have to learn how to
step out on faith, you know, be intentional, be strategic,
(19:55):
never give up because God has given you the grace
and God is with me. And when God is with you,
there's nothing that could stop you. And so in fact,
I had Bill at seventeen years old, and I still
wanted to have another child, and so I met Joe
where you got married, and I had a child at
forty four years old. I had jala Amani Johnson jaala Is.
(20:19):
Whereas Bill went to Howard, I said, we sent Jala
to University of Michigan, where Bill went to the University Kentuckut
Law School. We send Jala to the London School of Economics.
Jala was going to be my global child. And so
I can't let people's expectations determine anything about me, because
God has a higher calling. So you got to listen
to that small, still voice. And so when that voice
(20:42):
tells you, that's what you do, and you got to
understand it. Sometimes things are going to be tough and
it's going to be a bend in the road, not
the end of the road. And so I tell my
women in Africa, don't ever give up. God is with you.
And when you got Him on your side, that's all
you really need.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
Raising funds, correct.
Speaker 3 (21:01):
That's correct for the women in Africa for my Woubroot program.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
Tell us about that.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
So I need money to put more women in business.
What I do is I buy storing machines, fabric, I
give them micro funds. I hire people in God to
train the women. I take women from the ages thirteen
to fifty eight. It doesn't matter how old you are,
how young you are. I take women so that they
(21:28):
will be able to have a skill. The skill is sewing,
and I give them the tools they need, which is
a storm machine. And so it takes money for me
to buy all of that for them, and to train people,
to hire people to train them. And I've even added
a component, a medical component, where I have doctors now
come and to give them examinations and I exams, and
(21:49):
so it costs money to do that. So if people
can go to my website www. Dot wohibra dot org
and make a donation, that would be a blessing and
woebra w o y e b r a dot org,
that would be truly a blessing that I could keep
doing the work God has me to do.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
Well, I'm gonna tell you this, this has been an
amazing show again. This is this is the only time
I'm gonna have y'all on the show together, because y'all, y'all,
y'all are blessed. I gotta, I gotta. I've made this
happen one time, Reverend Jones, But you you solo from
now on, and mister Green, I won't call them attorney
like you've been calling them attorney. Mister a from the
(22:33):
Big Age, the Only Age, and he says, thank you,
for coming on the show.
Speaker 3 (22:37):
Brother.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
You know, again, this is not something that I want
to be one I want. I want. I want to
bring some of the farmers on the show, if you
don't mind. I want to hear their stories. I want
America to hear their stories, you know, because I think
that when we talk about independence, we talk about the
past and see people who are who are history, They're
they're living history. You're telling me somebody has one hundred
(22:59):
acres that was given to them by the slave owner. Wow.
I want to talk to that person in that family,
not the person who's giving that. I can't do that,
but there's an oral history that they've been told about
that they want to do. And of course I want
to continue to support you and Gona West Africa and
what you're trying to do. So again, you know, bringing
(23:20):
these farmers on this show, I got to let people
know what's going on. I know, I ran out of
time to tell you about my love farm that I
got at my office, But when you come back next
time with a black farmer, you're gonna hear that story.
Is that all right? I really appreciate that. As we
close out the show, Ververin Johnson thank you for taking
the time. And I know you're calling in from you know,
(23:40):
the big state of Michigan, you know, but I appreciate you.
I love she gonna give me all the details, all
the details again. This has been another edition of Money
Making Conversation Masterclass hosted by me, and thank you and
all my guests to come on the show. And I
want to thank our listening to audience and join us
next week and remember to always lead with your gifts
(24:02):
and keep winning. This has been another edition of Money
Making Conversation Masterclass posted by me Rashaun McDonald. Thank you
to our guests on the show today and thank you
our listening to audience. Now if you want to listen
to any episode I want to be a guest on
the show, visit Moneymakingconversations dot com. Our social media handle
is money Making Conversation. Join us next week and remember
(24:25):
to always leave with your gifts, keep winning.
Hi, i am Rashan McDonald I host the weekly Money
Making Conversation Masterclass show. The interviews and information that this
show provides are for everyone. It's time to stop reading
other people's success stories and start living your own. If
you want to be a guest on my show, please
visit our website, Moneymaking Conversations dot com and click the
be a Guest button. Chris Submit and information will come
(00:23):
directly to me. Now let's get this show started. Yes,
you're listening to Rushan McDonald I host the Weekly Money
Making Conversation Masterclass Show. The interviews and information that this
show provides are for everyone. It's time to stop reading
other people's success stories and start living your own. My
guests are in the People Uplift Business Changing Lives SYD
(00:44):
decide a lot of their personal time to look into
people's lives and trying to make a difference. She has
created over three hundred women entrepreneurs in Ghana, West Africa,
and her son leads the Southeast Chapter of National Nonprofits
commit to building a more sustainable and equitable local farm system.
(01:05):
Please welcome to the Money Making Conversation Masterclass. Reverend doctor
Adrian Johnson and attorney Bill Green, how y'all doing great? Well?
See I got attorney Bill Green, he's the studio. And
Adrian she was here last time. Okay, she almost she
liked family with me because I get emails called Reverend Granny.
(01:25):
You know, I never get it right though. Is Reverend
Adrian Booth Johnson Reverend Granny? You know? All these great things.
But she's a personality that really dominated my life for
thirty minutes. And the reason I say that's a good
thing because she kept saying a young man named Bill,
Bill and I Bill and I Bill and I and
(01:47):
that motivated me to say I needed to meet you, sir.
Could you tell everybody who you are?
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Well again? Thank you for having us. And it's such
an honor to be here. I'm a big fan of
the show fan WC. Okay, it's it's it's just really
an honor to be here today. And uh, you know,
my mother had such a good time on the show.
A John said, yes, And a lot of what I
currently do I attribute to her and in her influence
(02:18):
and watching her come up through the ranks of corporations
and different things that she went through. Uh, and it's
really guided my path.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Yeah, because twenty five years at Coca Cola.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
Correct, that's correct.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
Now, what did you do at Coca Cola?
Speaker 3 (02:31):
I was a marketing executive at the Coca Cola Company.
And through those years, I called on the military. At
one point, I called on HBCUs. I called up. While
I was here in Michigan, I was director of public Affairs.
So I had a great career and it's a great
company to work for. So and I also handled a
(02:53):
lot of celebrities for Coca Cola, all the African American
celebrities for Coke.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Okay, now here's something interest then, Uh, Reverend Granny, I'm
looking at your son, your attorney, Bill Green here, and
I'm looking at his left arm because you know, he
had his arms in shape, now you know. And I'm
seeing this little thing over here. What's happening there? What's
what's that? What's that? Oh?
Speaker 2 (03:13):
So, that's called a brand. It's it's from Alpha pi
alp Alphai. Yes, sir, yes, sir, Beta chapter beta chapter.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
See, I'm gonna let him get it out. I'm going
let it make a man. I'm gonna go and let
him get out because he need mo house. You need
you need house. Some slack but I but let's talk
about that whole black fraternity the important because I remember
Omega Sci Fi and it played an important role in
my life. I tell everybody I was I was wandering
(03:45):
through college and I know it's not for everybody, but
I was wanted to do college four and a half years,
didn't see graduation near me, and I pledged and it
was with the community, and I graduated in two years.
And so it took me seven years to graduated with
a degree in mathematics. And so what did the role
(04:07):
of fraternities play in your life?
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Well, you know, I think fraternities and HBCUs played a
played a huge role in my life. So you know,
I grew up for most of my life in Louisville, Kentucky,
and so going to Howard University was the first time
I had seen black people in leadership roles and it
was transformative for me. And all the leaders were black,
and it was it was so important at eighteen for
(04:30):
me to see that. And I came in contact with
with the brothers in the fraternity and saw what they
were doing on campus. I knew the history, knew Doctor
King was one, and I knew Thirdgod Marshall and all
these these great men, and it just made me look
into it and I think what the fraternity really did
for me was exposed me to different styles of leadership
(04:54):
and different people that were making an impact. A lot
of the guys that I went to school with went
on to become successful business leader, successful uh in church leadership.
I actually went to school. Some of my frat brothers
were the group shot. I don't remember Shy if I
ever fall in love again, we used to. We used
to all share a house together. But I always tell
(05:14):
the story we shared a three piece from KFC, the
three of us, because that was all we could.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Get to you a KFC. I was a Popeye three
pieces in the biscuit brother those name man walk right
down the street on Scott and Wheeler, because that's what
you You know, you think about those moments, and of
course you know you think about it, but the memory
is always better than what you what. It tastes like
they always go back and get that meal and you
go something wrong with this meal, like I can never
(05:43):
eat chicken fried steak, and I ate chicken fried steak
in college, like it was going out of style. You
put a chicken fried steak in front of me right now,
go what is this? And my wife will you loved
in the Collegego really, I don't know what the taste is,
but that's what That's what growth is. And when you
see your growed like he's grown over the years, Reverend Johnson,
(06:04):
what does that? What does that mean to you as
a mom? But also, uh, you know they said he
went to Howard and it opened his eyes. And you
allowed him to go to Howard what was life? And
that was an instrumental thought process because you are a thinker.
You are for a thinking person. That's what I was
my biggest takeaway when I interviewed you. Tell us about it.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
Let's see, as a teenage mother, you know, I knew
I wanted my son to be great, and I knew
what it took to be great. And so at single motherhood,
the first thing I did, I worked on Bill's development
and I wanted him to see positive male role models.
So we started with my father and my brothers, and
then I wanted him to get great education opportunities. I
wanted to know Bill known he was a black man
(06:46):
and what that meant. So I sent him to Howard University.
The real Hu and then he pledged Alpha Phi Alpha.
And then Bill was more than a son. Bill was
my partner. You know, when you were a single mom
and you got kids, they're not just your kids, they're
your partners. They're your teammates. They're helping you reach that
goal for the family, you know. And then you know,
(07:08):
I couldn't ask for a better son because Bill had
good grades. You know, he was respectful. I never had
to pop them upside.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
His head, you know too much, he's branded twice here.
You didn't have to pop them upside his head. Maybe
the butt, maybe not the head, okay, right, right right?
Speaker 3 (07:27):
And then I kept him in church, you know, so
he didn't fight with the church and spirituality. He knew
the importance of God in our life. And so you know,
it's just made for a great relationship with us.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
But that whole the thing that I love about this
interview is the community I reached that both of you guys,
do you know, I know it's a job. Everybody says
it's a job. I always tell people, say what is
your What's the basis of your company? And I realized
Bill and Adrian that the basis of my company is
Uplift you know the advocacy of HBC or I didn't
(07:58):
attendant HBC, but I realized to pour into black excellence,
you know, being able to take young people. And I
always tell people the information I have, I don't want
to take it to my grave. And if I give
you an idea that makes you a million dollars, it's
not my money, because that was an idea I didn't
see anyway. And so that's why I really look at
individuals like y'all as a huge necessity. And when it
(08:21):
talks about black farmers, mister Green, tell us why you involved.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Well, two things I learned from my mother. One is
the importance of intentionality. You know, you talk about dreams
and pursuing your dreams. My mother was somebody who always
embodied that. I can remember being six years old, five
six years First of all, I remember her pledging she
played in nineteen seventy four AKA and University Louisville, and
(08:49):
I remember some of the steps, so that impact. But
she always had this spirit of intentionality, Like I remember
her doing gold sheets, like by year, this is what
I want to accomplish in this year, this is how
much money I'm gonna make, This is where I'm gonna
be this is where we're gonna live. This is kind
of Carmel Drive, and she would have that for like
fifteen twenty years. So I remember that. I also remember
(09:12):
the importance of relationship building, right right, And that's those
two things I bring to the work that I'm doing now.
The nonprofit that I serve is called the Common Market,
and I am the executive director of the Southeast Chapter.
So my responsibility is Alabama, Georgia, parts of South Carolina,
and Tennessee. And so what we're doing, is you mentioned earlier,
(09:34):
is we're building a more equitable and sustainable local food system.
And we're doing that by helping small to mid sized
farmers gain wholesale institutional selling opportunities to sell their product
into morehouse Spellman Emery, the hospital systems in Georgia.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
You said four states. What is the number one product
that when you look at your whole, all the farmers
you work, what's the number one product that you produce?
Speaker 2 (10:02):
I would say most black farmers, first of all, can
grow anything.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
Right.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
You know, we have a strong history and agriculture and
historically speaking, in nineteen twenties, fourteen percent of all farmland
was owned by black people, and over the centuries that
has been denied us. And so so now farmers represent
Black farmers represent about zero point four percent of farm land.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
Yes, sir, yes, sir, yes, sir. Fourteen to point four.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Yes, yes, So we've grown everything and our farmers produce
everything from collard greens to squash, tomatoes, peas, to pork products, beef.
I mean they can produce anything if given the opportunity.
And that's and that's what they will tell you.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
And before we go to break, I want to bring
up your story, Reverend Johnson, about GOA. You know it's America.
You over that? What are you doing over there?
Speaker 3 (11:05):
Well? You know what, just like the saying says I
was not African because I was born in Africa, but
because Africa was born in me. So I have a calling.
See everybody has a calling. My calling is to help
women in Africa, and so I put women in business.
They make reusable sanitary pads and sell them in the
villages so girls can go to school. They have access
(11:27):
to sanitary pads, so they won't miss class because right
now they have it. They're Michigan. And so my program
is called Woe You Bra And the Woey Bra program
because in America, when you say I have my period,
in Ghana, they say I have my woe you bra.
And so that's what my program, and that's where I
put women in business. So instead of my husband Joe Johnathon,
instead of us giving them sanitary pads, what we decided
(11:50):
to do is instead of giving them fish, teach them
how to fish. And in fact, Bill has gone to
Africa with me, so he has a calling on his
life as well.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
See that's what it is. She ain't gonna stop bragging
on you, but you see I love her man like
your partners. You know what I'm saying. And you you,
and I think that's important.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
You know.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
I feel so fortunate pil and Adrian because my daughter
works with me. She don't work for me, she works
with me. And she was in Houston and I sat
down with us. She was about to renew her apartment
leads and go, why won't you come work with your dad?
See you? And I said, I said, I promise you
I would expose you to more creative work and different
(12:33):
options than you ever she's uh, she's been in awe
of the experience and then just to go in and
see her and get a hug from her and to
sit down and have conversations with her. It's amazing when
your mom talks about you and see the excellence and
see the uplift that you're doing in life. It has
(12:53):
to make you feel what way humbled?
Speaker 3 (12:58):
M H.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
I'm a I'm big.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
I'm a big respector of history and legacy, and I
just I appreciate all the sacrifice that my mother went
through to get me here, but also my grandparents, uh
and all my all the people who have sewn into
me over the years. It's it's it's it's very humbling.
Uh and and and it makes me want to be
(13:22):
the best steward I can over what God has blessed
me with.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
Wow, I feel blessed in having this conversation. And I'm
so glad I made the decision because we can off
the air. She broke out in tears. You know your
mom gets emotional.
Speaker 3 (13:35):
I believe you doing this with me like this.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
You know her hands was shaking and rolling in a
circle like this. But that's doctor Adrian Booth Johnson and
her son Attorney Bill Green. When we come back, don't
go nowhere, because we've got some great stories We want
to convey not just stories, but stories that are changing lives,
especially when it comes to black farmers. And guess what
are turning green? I'm gonna share me, share you my
guardian story. Oh okay, because I got a little farm
(13:58):
I'm growing. You know, I'm not. I can't sell it nowhere.
But I had a little farm because it changed my
life and it happened to doing COVID. Be right back
with more Money Making Conversation master Class. I'm your host,
Rashwan McDonald.
Speaker 4 (14:10):
Please don't go anywhere. We'll be right back with more
Money Making Conversations master Class. Welcome back to the Money
Making Conversations master Class hosted by Rashaan McDonald.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
My guess a mother and son duo are talking to
them people who are there in the uplift business. But
also it's about a calling. I remember I work that
I bem and I thought I would be I Big
Blue all my life, but that that wasn't what I
wanted to do when I woke up one day. But
I'm gonna tell you something, Tourny Green. When I made
(14:49):
the decision, When I made the decision a year in advance,
I was in tears and I was nervous because of
the fact that when you make a decision like that,
because everybody you go through life, you go to college
and people put you on a track. They tell you,
this is what you're supposed to be doing. All they
wait knowing is the wife, the kids, and you supposed
to be happy. But you had an experience in the
(15:12):
corporate world and you very successful at it. What happened.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
So it's funny when people call me attorney in green
I know that my mother introduced them to me, because
she still refers to me as that. I haven't been
an attorney in several years, but I transitioned from being
an attorney to managing grocery stores for my top twenty
five fortune twenty five grocery company, and I was working
(15:39):
my way up the chain. I started as an attorney,
started over as an assistant store manager, became a store manager,
district manager, regional director, and when I made vice president,
with plans and conversations about becoming president. One day I
realized it wasn't me. And I was in a meeting
and I just I clearly heard the Lord say this
ain't it. Wow, this ain't it. You gotta go and.
Speaker 5 (16:01):
Uh and I left with any fear uh times one hundred, Yeah,
so much because certainty right now, that certain my wife
wasn't working at the time, I had three kids in college.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
I had no.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
Idea how I was gonna make it. But I walked
away and I was I was blessed to find the
common market. And there were there were some dark days.
There were days I'm like.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
Lord, did I hear you right?
Speaker 2 (16:27):
Because I left a lot of money on the table.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
Sometimes when you make these decisions, they aren't playing, you
know what I'm saying. You know what I'm saying. You know
people always and I would tell you that I've made
decisions and that go over sean. You could have planned
that a lot better. You know, you could have like
maybe not bought that, might not about that may not
verification because you knew you weren't happy. But sometimes we
spend money when we're not happy, you know what I'm saying,
to fill the time to feel those moments and stuff
(16:51):
like that. But when you're happy, you tend to slow
it down and you tend to be able to see
your future better. And that's what you're talking about right here.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
And that's what I'm talking about. I haven't missed it anything.
The Lord was faithful and gave me everything back and
then some. And I have a career now that suits me.
The one I had before it was fine and I
was very blessed to have it. They really took care
of me. But it wasn't me. It wasn't who God
made me to be.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
And this is.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
And so now I have the opportunity to work directly
with people who have that legacy that I was talking about,
that history, that respect for the land. And an example
I'll give you is Maddie and Curtis Collins who own
EKC Farms in Cobbtown, Georgia. That farm has been in
that family since their ancestor, Elizabeth, was freed from slavery. Wow,
how many acres one hundred acres that he gave that
(17:40):
her former owner gave her when she was freed from slavery.
And that farm is still in their family. So I
feel that my role in helping that family find opportunities
to sell their product is my role in the civil
rights movement. It's my role, it's my place in history,
and so I don't take that for granted. And it's
(18:00):
an awesome opportunity for me.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
So when you walk into this farm like that, well,
how do you introduce your relationship and how do what
do they tell you? I'm sure they just lay down
a litany of frustration of what has not happened and
the fear of failure, which means losing your land. How
do you know, because you have great personality when I'm standpointed,
is very calm and you know, very as they say,
(18:24):
bedside manner. Talk to us. How that approach is done.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
Yeah, the farmers that I've had the honor of working
with still have hope. Yes, they still believe one and
what they're doing, and many of them are not doing
it just to feed their families, although it's a part
of it. They have this feeling that what they're doing matters.
It matters to the generations after them, It matters to
the community to have this food out there. So they're
(18:48):
still hopeful. So they're saying, Hey, this I can do,
I can grow anything. I can do this. You tell
me what you need. And so we have a real
conversation about that, and we start slow and then we
build from there.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
You know, Reverend Johnson, we talk about like I was
talking to your son about that decision you know that
this ain't me, this is not the world.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
Right.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
Can you talk to about audience about overcoming expectations? Because
people can expect you to go to college, people that
expect you to get married, people can expect you to
have children. There's a lot of expectations people put on people,
but don't ask them what do you want? How does
an listening to me talking to my audience, how does
(19:31):
one deal with expectations?
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Well, see to me, you know, being a minister to me,
you the god to know what God has for you.
And God has something for everybody. And so when God
gives you a vision here for what, He'll also give
you the provisions. So people have to learn how to
step out on faith, you know, be intentional, be strategic,
(19:55):
never give up because God has given you the grace
and God is with me. And when God is with you,
there's nothing that could stop you. And so in fact,
I had Bill at seventeen years old, and I still
wanted to have another child, and so I met Joe
where you got married, and I had a child at
forty four years old. I had jala Amani Johnson jaala Is.
(20:19):
Whereas Bill went to Howard, I said, we sent Jala
to University of Michigan, where Bill went to the University Kentuckut
Law School. We send Jala to the London School of Economics.
Jala was going to be my global child. And so
I can't let people's expectations determine anything about me, because
God has a higher calling. So you got to listen
to that small, still voice. And so when that voice
(20:42):
tells you, that's what you do, and you got to
understand it. Sometimes things are going to be tough and
it's going to be a bend in the road, not
the end of the road. And so I tell my
women in Africa, don't ever give up. God is with you.
And when you got Him on your side, that's all
you really need.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
Raising funds, correct.
Speaker 3 (21:01):
That's correct for the women in Africa for my Woubroot program.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
Tell us about that.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
So I need money to put more women in business.
What I do is I buy storing machines, fabric, I
give them micro funds. I hire people in God to
train the women. I take women from the ages thirteen
to fifty eight. It doesn't matter how old you are,
how young you are. I take women so that they
(21:28):
will be able to have a skill. The skill is sewing,
and I give them the tools they need, which is
a storm machine. And so it takes money for me
to buy all of that for them, and to train people,
to hire people to train them. And I've even added
a component, a medical component, where I have doctors now
come and to give them examinations and I exams, and
(21:49):
so it costs money to do that. So if people
can go to my website www. Dot wohibra dot org
and make a donation, that would be a blessing and
woebra w o y e b r a dot org,
that would be truly a blessing that I could keep
doing the work God has me to do.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
Well, I'm gonna tell you this, this has been an
amazing show again. This is this is the only time
I'm gonna have y'all on the show together, because y'all, y'all,
y'all are blessed. I gotta, I gotta. I've made this
happen one time, Reverend Jones, But you you solo from
now on, and mister Green, I won't call them attorney
like you've been calling them attorney. Mister a from the
(22:33):
Big Age, the Only Age, and he says, thank you,
for coming on the show.
Speaker 3 (22:37):
Brother.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
You know, again, this is not something that I want
to be one I want. I want. I want to
bring some of the farmers on the show, if you
don't mind. I want to hear their stories. I want
America to hear their stories, you know, because I think
that when we talk about independence, we talk about the
past and see people who are who are history, They're
they're living history. You're telling me somebody has one hundred
(22:59):
acres that was given to them by the slave owner. Wow.
I want to talk to that person in that family,
not the person who's giving that. I can't do that,
but there's an oral history that they've been told about
that they want to do. And of course I want
to continue to support you and Gona West Africa and
what you're trying to do. So again, you know, bringing
(23:20):
these farmers on this show, I got to let people
know what's going on. I know, I ran out of
time to tell you about my love farm that I
got at my office, But when you come back next
time with a black farmer, you're gonna hear that story.
Is that all right? I really appreciate that. As we
close out the show, Ververin Johnson thank you for taking
the time. And I know you're calling in from you know,
(23:40):
the big state of Michigan, you know, but I appreciate you.
I love she gonna give me all the details, all
the details again. This has been another edition of Money
Making Conversation Masterclass hosted by me, and thank you and
all my guests to come on the show. And I
want to thank our listening to audience and join us
next week and remember to always lead with your gifts
(24:02):
and keep winning. This has been another edition of Money
Making Conversation Masterclass posted by me Rashaun McDonald. Thank you
to our guests on the show today and thank you
our listening to audience. Now if you want to listen
to any episode I want to be a guest on
the show, visit Moneymakingconversations dot com. Our social media handle
is money Making Conversation. Join us next week and remember
(24:25):
to always leave with your gifts, keep winning.
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