October 22, 2025 • 37 mins
On August 29th, The Amp at 16 Tech will host an important community event, MENtally Prepared to Help Our Children.
Led by community voices like Brother Thomas X-Williams and Kelin Mark, a local school principal, this gathering is designed to bring fathers and male role models together in support of the next generation.
The focus of the evening is clear: creating a stronger presence of men in the lives of children as they prepare to head back to school.
Fathers and mentors will connect, share experiences, and gain practical tools to better support their children in both academic and personal growth.
Attendees will explore ways to build stronger relationships with key figures in a child’s education — from teachers and principals to coaches and counselors.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Yo, what's going on?
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Welcome to another episode of V Swift's Guys God. I'm
your host B Swift and this is all having an
in partnership with my friends at ESKA Nazi Health. Now
today we're here to talk about in the Maxing event.
I'll tell you all the time, with God's God, it's
all about being able to put you or give you,
give you things that can help you right well, no
matter what it is. So today's topic, we're gonna talk
(00:23):
about an event that's going on August to twenty ninth
at the APP and it's called Back to School Men's Event,
Getting Mentality Prepared to help our children. I have two
special guests who I'm going to bring on right now,
and I'm gonna you i'ma let them introduce themselves and
what they do, all right, So go ahead fly our
guests in. As you see them both lined up. We
can start with you, brother Thomas. You go ahead, let
(00:43):
people know who you are and what you do.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Well.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
First of all, first and foremost, I want to thank you,
my brother, for providing opportunity for myself and brother Kielan
to be on today to discuss the event. And I'm
just brother Thomas, Brother Thomas X as many people know
me by husband, a father, a brother, right and one
(01:10):
of the titles I'm most proud of is being a
follower of the Honorable Minister Louis Farar Khan. And through
striving to follow that man, I've taken on the responsibility
to strive to be an agent a change in this
event that we're speaking about today falls right in line
with striving to be an agent, a change not just
(01:31):
for young people this time before the men who must
get involved in the education, in the academics of our
young brothers and sisters.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
So that's who I am.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
All right, mister Keeling.
Speaker 5 (01:46):
I'm Keelyn Mark. I am just finished up my first
day of school. I'm a principal here in Indianapolis, Indiana,
and this is year number I think twenty three being
an education. And I appreciate you having us on, I say,
and you always hear it takes a village to raise
(02:07):
a child. I will be dropping my son off to
college next week. But brother Thomas is one of the men,
one of the many men that has poured into his
life and helped me, help him, you know, become who
he is as a young man and so our goal
is to begin to share that you know with other men,
(02:28):
because we need to see more men involved in their kids'
lives in school more than anything. So I'm very honored
and happy to be here with you guys.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
No, and I appreciate you both for being a part
of this because for me it's important, right, Like I
get on the radio and I joke a lot, and
I understand the music I play, but I understand my
big part in the community as well. And just a
few weeks ago, while on the radio, I was talking
about kids going back to school because my daughter started
back like the twenty fifth and twenty seventh of July,
and I think one thing I talked about was being
(02:59):
being there men and women being there and showing up right,
because we've had a lot of things going on in
our community over the last few months, last few years.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
However you want to put it in where.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
It seems like we're not around, you know what I mean,
at the times it matters, and then when something happens,
then we all come out of woodworks and it's like, yo,
hold on, but that that school life is so important
and to see this event and to see it around men, right,
because again, boys, you gotta take your d your girl,
I mean your son's school.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
Dad, you gotta take your girls to school.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
But understanding the mentality of being prepared for school, because yes,
you're going for education, but you're also preparing yourself to
walk in these hallways with a lot of temptations. Right
talk to me about what this event is going to
encompass for the men that are coming.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
I'll love start.
Speaker 5 (03:53):
The inspiration behind a be Swift started some years ago.
My son was in elementary school. I was at work work,
came home one day and he's sitting in the living
room with an ice bag on his nose. Got his
nose busted at school at recess playing the game. And
the first thing I thought about was no one called
(04:13):
me and no one called dad to say, hey, your son,
and you come check on them. Your son's nose got busted.
And being in education, and you probably know this, you
don't get to talk to a lot of fathers. And
so I always said, when I got in a position,
I wanted to find ways to talk to dad and
talk to uncles and grandfathers and big brothers because I
(04:35):
know moms do their job and moms take on a lot,
but there are men and households that need to be
heard and seen, and so that's the inspiration behind it.
Contacting my brother brother Thomas, and we put together not
just this event, but the one we did at Indiana
Black Espo talking to principals and administrators about how you
(04:56):
have to make getting more men involved. And so we
put our heads together and we our goal is to
share with men and equip and empower men at this
program on August twenty ninth.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Before I let you in, Tom, it's like, I want
to ask you this before we really get into this, right, Like,
there's some men out there, like shout out to my
uncle Keith. He played a very important part of my
life when my dad was traveling around the world playing music.
And there's something like all the mom got that that
when something happened, they'll call me. Then that's when I
come through. Like it's that too late, you know what
(05:30):
I mean? Like I didn't already got into the fist fighter.
I didn't already got suspended because I didne did a
food fight in the cafeteria, right, Like, it's that too late?
And is that why we are doing this event because
we want people to understand the first day of school
or the two weeks before. As we've seen on the internet,
we prepare our households two weeks before.
Speaker 4 (05:50):
My kids asleep early to get over.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
The treasure this sleeping regiment is that important for them
to be there.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
And why it's.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
Important extremely important, brother Swift, because we don't want to
always be in reactionary mode, right, We want to be proactive.
So oftentimes when it comes to dad coming up to
the school or dad getting a call, usually it's after
(06:18):
something has happened. However, the more involved we are, it
provides our children with tools and an adequate mentality that
puts us in being proactive mode rather than a reactive mode.
And also there's a reason that we had the first
(06:38):
three letters of mentally capitalize right, because men are the
backbone of the community. So yes, matter of fact, brother Swift,
you just raised the great point that someone raised when
we were in our conference at the expo. When we
were in our session, so there was a gentleman. He
(06:59):
was from an the ethnic group and he stated that
in this society, American society, usually mom deals with the
education why dad works. So I raised the question to
him first, I asked him, my brother, what ethnicity are you?
Speaker 6 (07:17):
And I was just curious. However, I'm gonna as you
be swift.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
When we go to the doctor in the medical field,
usually what do you see ethnic wise?
Speaker 1 (07:29):
What do you usually see African American?
Speaker 2 (07:32):
No, as the doctors normally white, Caucasian, or.
Speaker 6 (07:37):
Our Indian brothers and sisters, the little foreigners.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
Right, Whenever we think engineering, what do we think what
ethnic group?
Speaker 4 (07:47):
Again?
Speaker 1 (07:48):
A right?
Speaker 3 (07:50):
So what I was stating to him that there is
no way possible that as those ethnic groups, as their
children are striving to become professionals in those fields, that
the father isn't involved. It takes both man and woman,
mother and father to be involved in pushing the mind
(08:14):
through the fatigue that comes along with striving to become
a doctor, pushing the mind through the fatigue that's guaranteed
to come as you're striving to become an engineer. I say,
whenever we set up a society where moms strictly handles
the academics and dad strictly handle's going to work, we're.
Speaker 6 (08:33):
Setting ourself up for failure.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
So when you look in our community and where we
rank educationally, it bears witness that we've set ourself up
for failure. So this event is really just a call
and it serves as an inspiration and whatever we can
provide to empower men to know, let's get involved in
(08:59):
Our way of being involved doesn't have to look like
Mom's way of being involved. We have two different natures.
Me being involved may just be being present, do you know,
Brother Swift. There was a New York Times article written
and in the article it was just stating, whenever a
man or a male figure is present, it increases the
(09:22):
percentage of a child's confidence, It increases their ability to
advocate for themselves, it increases their ability to become more social.
So those are a lot of positives just come from
being there.
Speaker 6 (09:38):
I don't even got to know math or science for that.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
And we know that it's true.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Like for those who don't know, Brother Thomas is my
daughter's uncle, So you know what I mean, we're around
each other a lot. And I mean when you look
at my child, for instance, I know I'm work all
day all night, right, but I'm at every parent teacher conference,
I'm on every zoom that needs to be helped. Now, Mom,
it's back to school night. We want to be to
y'all got that one. Yeah, I got like, but when
(10:05):
it's time to be hands on with the with the teacher,
I'm there. And I think it's helped because I've seen
my daughter as a first grade to read at the
fifth grade level. And again I'm not pushing her to
read no books, but hey, you reading, Let's go to
the bookstore and by a book. I'll give you twenty
dollars or the And like you say, I think the
push and the confidence helps her go to the next level,
you know what I mean, in the next level.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
And it's like I want to ask something. I'm gonna
let brother Keeling come in on this. So one of
the things that we are going to also be addressing
is let's eliminate I don't have time.
Speaker 4 (10:38):
You gotta eliminate that.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
That's what we have the ability to meet virtually. We
have the ability to correspond through email, we can text.
That's so many avenue, there's so many avenues.
Speaker 4 (10:52):
Whatever it is solved, it's there.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
Come on what you want to add keyl. Yeah, we
have time.
Speaker 5 (10:58):
We make every gay aim, we make every volleyball, basketball,
football game, and so we make it a priority for
the things that are important.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
So we have the time.
Speaker 5 (11:08):
It's just going to take a little bit of sacrifice
and a little changing the way we think when it
comes to our kids education and making that time to
be present time to you know.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
I tell parents all the time.
Speaker 5 (11:23):
Hey, you know, brother, sit down and send an email
to the principal and talk about your kid and what
you expect, you know, from your son or daughter. So
they would have an idea. Hey, here's a dad or
a granddad that's involved and someone that is expecting, you know,
from his kid to get something out of this particular
(11:43):
school year. And so it doesn't take you know, spending
four and five hours at the school. It could take
one hour at drop off. It could take Hey, I'm
gonna go on my lunch break and I at least
want to meet the principal, meet a few teachers. There's
no way you drop your kid off for a hunter
than eighty two school days every single day and you
(12:03):
don't make the effort to meet the people that's in
charge of your kid.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
And I just think that's we have to change the
way we do things as men. And it just takes
a little bit of sacrifice.
Speaker 5 (12:14):
And that's some of the things we're going to share
when it comes to our program August twenty ninth, and
then we have the blueprint. We do this when it
comes to I have a son that's going to play
college basketball, and I put in the time, I've sacrificed,
I've got extra help, I've got a support system, and
so men do it when it comes to athletics. We
(12:35):
just need to do it also when it comes to
academics and helping them within the school system.
Speaker 1 (12:41):
And I loved it.
Speaker 4 (12:42):
Go ahead, go ahead, go ahead.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
I was going to say, be swift.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
Just think of how we haven't even mentioned brother Keelan
or myself haven't mentioned anything about behavior.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
Zero.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
We haven't even mentioned anything about behavior. And our presence
assists with that as well. But yeah, we just thinking
up the whole child, right, So us just asking the question,
how does school go today? Us asking the question, and
did you get your homework done?
Speaker 6 (13:10):
What homework do you have?
Speaker 1 (13:13):
Man?
Speaker 6 (13:13):
What do you have coming up this week?
Speaker 3 (13:16):
Just those questions alone in a child's mind lets them
know Dad cares, our uncle cares, big brother cares, and
that alone, that alone begins the process of changing a
trajectory for success or that's leading to success as it
relates to our young males and females.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
No, and all of that's important. Again, as a dad,
I might call every day you got homework? What you
learn today? And she might hear me with it. We
did the same thing. Well, what's the same thing? I
need to know? Be use your words because well that's
not the same thing as yesterday.
Speaker 4 (13:53):
Kids.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
So but right on for telling me, Like I'm big
on pulling the info because if I you know, I
was a kid, and I know when I walked in
for four years straight, Me and my dad still laugh.
I never came home with a book bag. I don't
know how I graduated and I came home with a
book bag, Like if we gowork. Oh, I ain't got nothing,
you know what I mean? But he was smart enough
to be all right, I got you called his teacher tomorrow.
Speaker 4 (14:16):
What's up with these ten missing assignments?
Speaker 1 (14:17):
You know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (14:18):
Like you tell me you ain't got no backpack, no homework.
Now I want to talk. I want to walk through
this event real quick. Right August twenty ninth to app.
Speaker 4 (14:26):
I love the app. It's an amazing space.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
You guys are there. Kicks off at six thirty pm.
We walk in to a meet and greet fellow men's
what is this? Because I want people to understand because
it's more than just sitting in the room and listening
to us talk or listening to y'all talk. There's actually
pieces that's a part of this that's not just going
to help them, but help their child even become sociable
(14:50):
as they're around.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
So walk me through the first half hour.
Speaker 5 (14:54):
Yeah, the meet and gred is for men to see
other men that want to be involved and empowered in
their you know, kids education. So there will be men
who you know are coming, I'm an educator, have some
principal friends coming who have kids. There will be men
who you know, have all different types of backgrounds, some
(15:15):
our grandfathers, uncles, and so it's just being together and
all of us coming together with that same mindset of
we have to do something when it comes to and
we say our kids, Yeah it is our own child,
but we know when we're present in the situation, there
are other young men and other maybe students and young
(15:37):
ladies who tag on to us will become you know,
that extended father. And so that's the first half hours
just for us to get together and just really fellowship
talk and begin to break down some of those barriers
when it comes to just being involved in our kids' education.
Then after that, when we get into the discussion, part
(15:58):
of it is we're going to discuss what you need
to know and who you need to know when it
comes to your student's education.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
And so important that right there, that's what I wanted
to talk about too.
Speaker 4 (16:09):
Why is that important?
Speaker 5 (16:11):
It's important because there are so many moving parts to
a school and the who you need to know. You
absolutely need to know the people that are in charge
of your son or daughter or grandson. So if you
have a kid who is interested in becoming an engineer,
who in that school can help him or her become that. So, yes,
(16:32):
we're going to talk about meeting administrators. We're going to
talk about what that conversation should look like. If you
have a student athlete, you need to meet the athletic director,
the coaches, you need to meet, the counselors, you know,
the guidance counselors, and so that who you need to
know will be a big part of the discussion. And
then the what you need to know as a man,
(16:53):
what does my role look like within you know that
school and brother Thomas will go down that path for.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
Us, Yes, sir.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
And also, like in society, when we speak about getting ahead,
we say, it's not only what.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
You know, but what who you know? Who you know.
Speaker 3 (17:11):
So when it comes to our children getting ahead in
school and us being more acclimated in the process of
their education, it's not just what we need to know,
but it's who we need to know. And so some
of the things that schools need to know. When we
were talking to the schools, we were telling the schools
(17:32):
the schools need to know the expectations that the father
have for their child. Right.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
The schools need.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
To know that the father doesn't necessarily want to be confrontational.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
The father just want to be made aware.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
Let me in on everything that's going on with my child,
not only if my child needs to be disciplined, but
let me know the progress that my child is making.
Let me know the areas in which my child may
need assistance, right the same way as brother Keeland just mentioned.
The same way in athletics, if a coach think that
(18:06):
a child needs to shoot more shots, right, throw more passes,
that coach will let the father know that your child
needs assistance in this area. Can you please help the
child so that they could become more proficient. We want
to know the same thing in academics. Man, let me
know if my child needs more assistance in reading. And
(18:29):
going back to the meet and greet. As brothers, we
may be conversing and I find out, man swift, I
didn't know you were so good and math, So now
you may know math better than me.
Speaker 6 (18:42):
So when my son or daughter have a question, guess
who I'm texting.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
I'm hitting up my brother and my brother. We all
got kids, and we know what the dance life is like. Right,
our kids dance, and we know what the mom circle
looks like and how and them young ladies are. And
you got a son that played ball, yourself and play ball,
So y'all understand the dad's groups as Hey, you need
to work on defense, Yo, go over here with such
(19:07):
and such because that's what they really specialize in and
they can help. And I don't think we realize that
as men sometimes like, oh, brother, it's such and such
as really good with this, Like let me just send
a text and he might be able to help you.
Speaker 4 (19:19):
And it's very important to create these.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
Sociable moments and bonds that we need for the young men, right.
Speaker 6 (19:25):
And we're doing our part to strive to.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
Bridge the gap between where our children are now and
where we desire for them to be.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
And if we know where they.
Speaker 3 (19:38):
Are, looking to be professionally closing the gap between where
they are and what they desire to be. So the
meet and greet is an opportunity for men to just
have a discussion, find out what our interests are, find
out what we excel in, and be able to create
mentors for our children and become a mentor for my
(19:59):
brother other's child.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
Right.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
So, because the paradigm has to shift as it relates
to us as men being involved. As I stated earlier,
our involvement may not look like the mother's involvement, right.
Speaker 6 (20:13):
Because like you say, we have children and dance. We
not in know that.
Speaker 4 (20:19):
All the time, like you neither not coming to that
at when I need to.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
Be like, yeah, our support looks different, a little different,
but yet our support is there. Like wise with education
and our support may look a little different.
Speaker 1 (20:35):
We just want our children to know that we are there.
Speaker 5 (20:38):
And I'll say this b swift when I understand uh
dad's expectations for their child. So hey, mister Mark, I
want my kid he's getting into engineering or he wants
to be a pot uh scientists or something like that.
Now I know how to support that particular student and
(20:59):
share that information with other educators within my building because
I know what that parent expects. I'm not gonna let
your daughters fail if I know, Hey, mom and Dad,
they expect this of this particular kid. And I want
men to have those conversations within their kids' school and
know how to have those conversations.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
No, And I think that's important because again, not only
those conversations, but being able to walk those halls and
feel comfortable right when I come there. The teacher knows me,
the principal knows me. The librarian might even know me
because we spend time in there. And I'm making the
kid check out books because I'm pushing you to read
more or to learn about whatever your craft or your
hobby or your career goals could be. And it only
(21:42):
happens when we show up. And I know you as
a principal. I know you from Chapel Hill as I
used to come over there and do something. I did
something with y'all back in the day. And I'm sure
you see it in a huge magnitude of like, dang,
I could see a few more dads over here, then
this might change this behavior problem more For the time
is when I know you was over at it wasn't
School forty two, it was another school.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
But Prep Global Prep.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
You probably like, yo, you've really got all the potential,
but you're missing one thing unfortunately, And I'm gonna be that.
Speaker 4 (22:10):
But I can't be that.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
If you had one more push from somewhere else, it
would help my small push elevate you and make you say,
you know what, I don't want to be like this.
I do want to follow the path and do the
right thing. And I'm sure in schools they're seeing it
and needing it. Of course, I don't know how much
we see on the news of something that happened to
a young man or a young woman, and the first
(22:32):
thing we get on Facebook and see is well, if
they had a male figure, then this wouldn't Well, that's
what we're trying to change.
Speaker 4 (22:38):
The narrative push out, I guess, right.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
Yeah, And every father doesn't know everything, right, So in
the subject of the event column to explain the event,
it's for fathers and men, right, because we know that
as a father, we don't have all of the answers.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
We just don't.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
However, as mister mister Mark was speaking about our relationship,
where he may see strengthen me that may not necessarily
be his strengths, vice versa, I see strengths in him
that may not necessarily be my strength. So if I
(23:21):
have a question or my son has a question and
I'm not strong in that area, I can call my brother.
And if his son has a question and he's not
strong in that area, he can call his brother.
Speaker 6 (23:33):
That's the purpose of brotherhood.
Speaker 2 (23:35):
And I think too sometimes the kids, we know how
kids are. I was one of these kids. My dad
could tell me something that's in one ear and out
the others. But he used to tell me like I
used to call your uncle and make your uncle call
you and take it exact same thing.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
Fact, same thing.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
I know you're gonna go listen to that man more
than you're gonna listen to me. And I'm like, well,
it wasn't on purpose, but that might have been my dog.
And he broke it down in a different, unforcedful way
you did, so, yes, I did it to him, but
I never thought about that, and I think that's very
important because they're uncles, there's brothers, there's homeboys in the
neighborhood who are just impactful on our lives, on our kids'
(24:12):
lives as us and sometimes if we have to build
that relationship with them and hey, bro, I need you,
Like I can say it, but the little kid might
listen to you if you said I know, it's like yeah,
with my kid, I'll call your daughter like, hey, can you.
Speaker 1 (24:24):
Tell Jeremy this absolutely real? You know.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
I think that's important right, Like for us to be
together as a brotherhood, to be able to tap on
each other, it's huge and it just helps our kids
go to the next level. If people want to be
involved in this, the men want to come and show
up to this, the men want to support this, how
do they make that happen?
Speaker 5 (24:49):
You want to go, Miss Martin, Yes, sir so, it's
August twenty ninth at the amph It starts at six
thirty pm. You can just show up and come to
the end. We will be there welcome you, be ready
to welcome you, greet you. We do have on our
social media. Mine is assist the Principle on Instagram and
(25:12):
I have a link on there.
Speaker 1 (25:13):
Where you can RSVP.
Speaker 5 (25:14):
But if you just want to show up at the
AMP on August twenty ninth at six thirty pm, it's
going to be informative, it's going to be powerful, and
we're just looking for men and fathers and grandfathers, big brothers.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
Just to be part of it.
Speaker 5 (25:29):
And then hopefully our ultimate goal beyond that is to
carry our message into the schools. B So, if I
operate in data, and I know of schools that have
decreased discipline referrals by twenty five thirty percent because they
created opportunities for more men to get involved. I know
(25:52):
of schools that have increased graduation rates and academic performance
because they made a decision to get more men involved
in the school. And so our hope is after August
twenty ninth, we want to get into schools, have conversations
with men, whole sessions and workshops, show them some strategies
(26:13):
anything from raising a student athlete to helping your kid
understand certain subject areas, and then helping men and dads
just maneuver in the school system, because it can be
different whether it's public or private charter school, but there
are things that they can do just to show a
presence and be a benefit to their kid within the school.
(26:36):
So that's our long term goal beyond this is we're
going to reach out to schools and see if we
can come in and share with the men attached to
that particular school in school district.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
Can you tell me the name of that program that
you guys got, because I know it's another program that
you guys are pushing as well.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
Yeah, that's our Dad's program.
Speaker 5 (26:54):
Dad stands for dedication, academics, athletics, discipline, and sacrifice.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
And we hit each area individually and.
Speaker 5 (27:05):
Speaking with schools and men and talking about what does
it take, what type of dedication does it take to
just like my son finished his senior year and it
felt like I finished it because it's a lot to
get kids through school, whether you have a son or daughter,
it takes a lot of dedication. And then you have
a student athlete. Academics and athletics go hand in hand,
(27:28):
and there are things that you know men need to
know and raising a student athlete, and then that discipline.
Discipline is not a dirty word and it's not meaning
you know, whipping and spanking and getting on your kids,
but discipline is creating an environment and boundaries that your
kid can take from middle school, high school onto college
(27:50):
that they can use that set and create that self
discipline for themselves. And then talk about the sacrifice it
takes as men and fathers where sometimes hey, I do
have to get up extra early, not only drop my
kid off, let me just go in and say hello,
you know, to the custodians, to the secretaries, see how
they're doing, and just show, you know, those.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
People that are attached to the school that you.
Speaker 5 (28:12):
Know this person has a father and a grandfather that care.
Speaker 6 (28:17):
Yes, sir man, you just raised that point.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
You just raised that point, brother quieling that discipline is
not punishment. You know, I was actually taught that discipline
is love. Like whenever we see someone who's disciplined, you
can you can visually see that that's a person who
care for themselves or love themselves.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
Right. But also swift.
Speaker 3 (28:39):
To add on to what Brother Keelan was saying, is
we want to treat it like a not just the
education event that we're putting on, but we want to
just show brothers man come to this and also have
a good time. Because also that's Labor Day weekend, so
brothers don't have to be to work on Monday, right,
(29:03):
and every final Friday of the month, brother Uri Smith,
he has an event at the AMP and it's more
of a socioe. I don't want to call it a party,
but it's more of a social event. Really really, I've
been the one and it's really nice, clean, you can
(29:24):
you know, vibe, you.
Speaker 6 (29:26):
Can really just have a good time.
Speaker 3 (29:28):
And so his event literally starts around the time ours
is ending. So after we come and share some good brotherhood,
have good dialogue.
Speaker 1 (29:38):
Gover.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
These principles provide these tools to help us become more
involved with our children's education. You could transition right outside
of the room and enjoy some good music, enjoy some
nice views and do what you do, you know, but
watch my shoes, you know, I know, yeah, you know
I knew that.
Speaker 2 (30:02):
Nah, And I think it's important again as a dad,
as an uncle, who I stay on the kids about
what their grades look like, you know what I mean?
And I'm always on them and trying to reward when
it's good grades, whether it's.
Speaker 4 (30:15):
A high f ho hour.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
Money I try not to keep.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
I try to give my money in my pocket because yeah, yeah,
you know, I'm huge on that because I think it
makes sense again, there's no next generation without the education,
the way the sports is excelling and nil is coming
and playing. We seeing these guys go from making nothing
for playing in sports and making more money than their
parents have ever made in one year, depending on what
(30:38):
school they're going to, what position they plan on, what team,
they can go make half.
Speaker 1 (30:43):
A million dollars in a year.
Speaker 4 (30:44):
You don't have no sense and don't know what to
do right.
Speaker 2 (30:48):
Parents don't know what to do, and then four years
from now everybody's sitting their hands broke because they didn't know.
They didn't have a friend like a brother Thomas or
a mister Keeland where they can call and say, I
don't know money, I've been bad, or I don't know
this this science and this academics that my child is
on the way to be a vet, and I don't.
Speaker 4 (31:06):
Know what to tell them on what to do. Can
you help me police.
Speaker 2 (31:10):
Because we've sat in a bubble for so long and
didn't get out, didn't network, didn't meet, didn't go talk,
didn't go find out who the guidance counselors or the
principles were not understanding. They went to Purdue or they
went to IU, or they went to Morgan College, or
they went to JSU, and they might have an excessive
network of friends because they're Newport, they are Alpha or
you know what I mean. So whatever, they can help
(31:33):
them navigate through the world and put them in rooms.
Speaker 4 (31:36):
That can help change their lives.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
And it goes back to being their own time at
six thirty on August twenty ninth, coming into this brotherhood
meeting and getting to know who's in the room, who
they are, what they do, and that seeing that they
got the same mentality of wanting to help change and
be there for their child, and how you got the
same mentality being able to come together. And let's build
(31:58):
this this I don't know this, this Father's group of.
Speaker 1 (32:01):
Events, just a village.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
Rights build this village of what we used to know
when our grandparents didn't have sugar. Go three houses down
to ask miss Katie she got something, you know what
I mean, I'll give her some coffee or some cigarettes
later on when I got her thank you. Like we
got to build that amongst ourselves, inside the education world
with us.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
And just think of this.
Speaker 3 (32:22):
As you was talking, you use the word that sparked
some in my head.
Speaker 6 (32:27):
You said, we've been in this bubble.
Speaker 3 (32:29):
Many of us have COVID children going to school, so
there's a different level of patience that we have to
have with these children. So and that's a whole other conversation,
a whole other conversation.
Speaker 2 (32:45):
People understand. And mister Keeling you there, and brother Thim
is you there? Like the COVID children are different because
they missed out on so much in a year or
two year span that they'll never get back. That miss
a key part of development.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
Yes, they weren't able to socialize, yeah, at all. So
this really is an important event to show up to
because a brother could just be a soundboard for you. Man, Listen,
I don't know what to do with my third grader,
(33:22):
or I'm trying to figure out how to inspire and
encourage my third grader, or how do I approach the
educator of my third grader.
Speaker 6 (33:34):
It's just so many ways that we need.
Speaker 3 (33:37):
To know how to be involved as relates to education.
And as our brother Keeland mentioned, it's not just what
we need to know, but also who we need to
know and how to deal with the people that we
come in contact with.
Speaker 5 (33:54):
And as man, we a little bit have to get
past our ego and get over ourselves of asking for
help and not knowing. I have zero experience on what
drop off day is going to be like because this
is my first one. But I'm for certain I'm going
to tap into Brother Thomas before next week.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
I mean, you just did, before we did this, you
was like, hey, I'm what am I expected?
Speaker 6 (34:16):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (34:17):
Ultimately at that like.
Speaker 1 (34:18):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 5 (34:19):
And I just want men to tap into me, find
other men at the event to tap into to say, hey,
I'm dealing with this with my kid, or you know,
how do I help my kid get a scholarship or anything,
and just start getting past the fact that we don't
have to know everything, we don't have to have all
the answers. And I met Brother Thomas right before the pandemic,
(34:43):
and now here we are both with sons, you know,
just graduated high school, and you know, I feel good
that I have a village around my son that can
help me even getting him through college.
Speaker 1 (34:54):
And so I want men.
Speaker 5 (34:55):
To move past the pride, move past the ego, and
be okay with tapping into you know, those men around
you to say, hey, I need some help, because raising
kids is not easy.
Speaker 4 (35:06):
No, it's not special right. Look, I appreciate y'all taking
some time.
Speaker 2 (35:14):
Once again, if people want an rs VP or if
they want to find out more about this info, can
you give them another way to find it?
Speaker 1 (35:21):
Yes, sir, So there's a need.
Speaker 3 (35:23):
We have an event bright page, so when you're going
to break event bright you can type in men helping educators,
men helping educators on event right. Also on both of
our social media is on IG I'm at brother Thomas X.
On Facebook is Thomas X Williams as you said now
(35:46):
on Twitter or X it's brother Thomas x uh and
my brother is well.
Speaker 1 (35:53):
So you can go to our pages and we have
it on there.
Speaker 3 (35:56):
You can also go to my website Motivate to Grow
dot come, and the information will be linked on there
as well. We striving to help eliminate all excuses for
men not to be in attendance. On August twenty ninth,
from six thirty pm to eight pm.
Speaker 2 (36:15):
Two hours of having a good time, two hours of
phellipship and learning and putting yourself in a great position,
not just yourself but your child.
Speaker 4 (36:23):
Mister Keeling, what's your socials again?
Speaker 5 (36:25):
On Instagram is assist the Principal and my website keelnmark
dot com.
Speaker 4 (36:32):
Bet that's what it is.
Speaker 1 (36:33):
Again.
Speaker 2 (36:34):
I appreciate both of y'all for taking some time and
coming on this platform and giving the people some information,
especially our men out there as our kids are back
in school, as our kids are leaving for college, as
a way to build and stay connected from point one
to point one hundred versus coming in at point fifty
trying to figure it out and everything's in a scramble
and you lost, and you frustrated, and you're getting into
(36:57):
it with the principal who could be your best friend,
getting with the teacher who really could be your best friend,
because they got the best interest because they see you
got interest. And there's no point of being hostile when
you can have these conversations early on and build these
bridges so where it's easier to walk home versus trying
to walk and it's falling and you're not nowhere late
in the game. So I appreciate y'all for coming on.
(37:17):
Be Swift's Gud's God August the twenty ninth.
Speaker 4 (37:20):
At the Amp. It's a mush, you have to be there.
Speaker 2 (37:23):
I'm encouraging the uncles, the dads, the grandfathers, the educators, whoever,
the big homies in the neighborhood and you know as
a kid that understands and listens to you, and you
don't want them to turn out some type of way.
You gotta be there because you can get some information
and help that person get some information. It's hiss be swift,
God's God and partnership with my friends at Eskinazi help
(37:44):
signing out your man.
Speaker 4 (37:45):
Be Swift.
Yo, what's going on?
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Welcome to another episode of V Swift's Guys God. I'm
your host B Swift and this is all having an
in partnership with my friends at ESKA Nazi Health. Now
today we're here to talk about in the Maxing event.
I'll tell you all the time, with God's God, it's
all about being able to put you or give you,
give you things that can help you right well, no
matter what it is. So today's topic, we're gonna talk
(00:23):
about an event that's going on August to twenty ninth
at the APP and it's called Back to School Men's Event,
Getting Mentality Prepared to help our children. I have two
special guests who I'm going to bring on right now,
and I'm gonna you i'ma let them introduce themselves and
what they do, all right, So go ahead fly our
guests in. As you see them both lined up. We
can start with you, brother Thomas. You go ahead, let
(00:43):
people know who you are and what you do.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Well.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
First of all, first and foremost, I want to thank you,
my brother, for providing opportunity for myself and brother Kielan
to be on today to discuss the event. And I'm
just brother Thomas, Brother Thomas X as many people know
me by husband, a father, a brother, right and one
(01:10):
of the titles I'm most proud of is being a
follower of the Honorable Minister Louis Farar Khan. And through
striving to follow that man, I've taken on the responsibility
to strive to be an agent a change in this
event that we're speaking about today falls right in line
with striving to be an agent, a change not just
(01:31):
for young people this time before the men who must
get involved in the education, in the academics of our
young brothers and sisters.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
So that's who I am.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
All right, mister Keeling.
Speaker 5 (01:46):
I'm Keelyn Mark. I am just finished up my first
day of school. I'm a principal here in Indianapolis, Indiana,
and this is year number I think twenty three being
an education. And I appreciate you having us on, I say,
and you always hear it takes a village to raise
(02:07):
a child. I will be dropping my son off to
college next week. But brother Thomas is one of the men,
one of the many men that has poured into his
life and helped me, help him, you know, become who
he is as a young man and so our goal
is to begin to share that you know with other men,
(02:28):
because we need to see more men involved in their kids'
lives in school more than anything. So I'm very honored
and happy to be here with you guys.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
No, and I appreciate you both for being a part
of this because for me it's important, right, Like I
get on the radio and I joke a lot, and
I understand the music I play, but I understand my
big part in the community as well. And just a
few weeks ago, while on the radio, I was talking
about kids going back to school because my daughter started
back like the twenty fifth and twenty seventh of July,
and I think one thing I talked about was being
(02:59):
being there men and women being there and showing up right,
because we've had a lot of things going on in
our community over the last few months, last few years.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
However you want to put it in where.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
It seems like we're not around, you know what I mean,
at the times it matters, and then when something happens,
then we all come out of woodworks and it's like, yo,
hold on, but that that school life is so important
and to see this event and to see it around men, right,
because again, boys, you gotta take your d your girl,
I mean your son's school.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
Dad, you gotta take your girls to school.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
But understanding the mentality of being prepared for school, because yes,
you're going for education, but you're also preparing yourself to
walk in these hallways with a lot of temptations. Right
talk to me about what this event is going to
encompass for the men that are coming.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
I'll love start.
Speaker 5 (03:53):
The inspiration behind a be Swift started some years ago.
My son was in elementary school. I was at work work,
came home one day and he's sitting in the living
room with an ice bag on his nose. Got his
nose busted at school at recess playing the game. And
the first thing I thought about was no one called
(04:13):
me and no one called dad to say, hey, your son,
and you come check on them. Your son's nose got busted.
And being in education, and you probably know this, you
don't get to talk to a lot of fathers. And
so I always said, when I got in a position,
I wanted to find ways to talk to dad and
talk to uncles and grandfathers and big brothers because I
(04:35):
know moms do their job and moms take on a lot,
but there are men and households that need to be
heard and seen, and so that's the inspiration behind it.
Contacting my brother brother Thomas, and we put together not
just this event, but the one we did at Indiana
Black Espo talking to principals and administrators about how you
(04:56):
have to make getting more men involved. And so we
put our heads together and we our goal is to
share with men and equip and empower men at this
program on August twenty ninth.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Before I let you in, Tom, it's like, I want
to ask you this before we really get into this, right, Like,
there's some men out there, like shout out to my
uncle Keith. He played a very important part of my
life when my dad was traveling around the world playing music.
And there's something like all the mom got that that
when something happened, they'll call me. Then that's when I
come through. Like it's that too late, you know what
(05:30):
I mean? Like I didn't already got into the fist fighter.
I didn't already got suspended because I didne did a
food fight in the cafeteria, right, Like, it's that too late?
And is that why we are doing this event because
we want people to understand the first day of school
or the two weeks before. As we've seen on the internet,
we prepare our households two weeks before.
Speaker 4 (05:50):
My kids asleep early to get over.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
The treasure this sleeping regiment is that important for them
to be there.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
And why it's.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
Important extremely important, brother Swift, because we don't want to
always be in reactionary mode, right, We want to be proactive.
So oftentimes when it comes to dad coming up to
the school or dad getting a call, usually it's after
(06:18):
something has happened. However, the more involved we are, it
provides our children with tools and an adequate mentality that
puts us in being proactive mode rather than a reactive mode.
And also there's a reason that we had the first
(06:38):
three letters of mentally capitalize right, because men are the
backbone of the community. So yes, matter of fact, brother Swift,
you just raised the great point that someone raised when
we were in our conference at the expo. When we
were in our session, so there was a gentleman. He
(06:59):
was from an the ethnic group and he stated that
in this society, American society, usually mom deals with the
education why dad works. So I raised the question to
him first, I asked him, my brother, what ethnicity are you?
Speaker 6 (07:17):
And I was just curious. However, I'm gonna as you
be swift.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
When we go to the doctor in the medical field,
usually what do you see ethnic wise?
Speaker 1 (07:29):
What do you usually see African American?
Speaker 2 (07:32):
No, as the doctors normally white, Caucasian, or.
Speaker 6 (07:37):
Our Indian brothers and sisters, the little foreigners.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
Right, Whenever we think engineering, what do we think what
ethnic group?
Speaker 4 (07:47):
Again?
Speaker 1 (07:48):
A right?
Speaker 3 (07:50):
So what I was stating to him that there is
no way possible that as those ethnic groups, as their
children are striving to become professionals in those fields, that
the father isn't involved. It takes both man and woman,
mother and father to be involved in pushing the mind
(08:14):
through the fatigue that comes along with striving to become
a doctor, pushing the mind through the fatigue that's guaranteed
to come as you're striving to become an engineer. I say,
whenever we set up a society where moms strictly handles
the academics and dad strictly handle's going to work, we're.
Speaker 6 (08:33):
Setting ourself up for failure.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
So when you look in our community and where we
rank educationally, it bears witness that we've set ourself up
for failure. So this event is really just a call
and it serves as an inspiration and whatever we can
provide to empower men to know, let's get involved in
(08:59):
Our way of being involved doesn't have to look like
Mom's way of being involved. We have two different natures.
Me being involved may just be being present, do you know,
Brother Swift. There was a New York Times article written
and in the article it was just stating, whenever a
man or a male figure is present, it increases the
(09:22):
percentage of a child's confidence, It increases their ability to
advocate for themselves, it increases their ability to become more social.
So those are a lot of positives just come from
being there.
Speaker 6 (09:38):
I don't even got to know math or science for that.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
And we know that it's true.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Like for those who don't know, Brother Thomas is my
daughter's uncle, So you know what I mean, we're around
each other a lot. And I mean when you look
at my child, for instance, I know I'm work all
day all night, right, but I'm at every parent teacher conference,
I'm on every zoom that needs to be helped. Now, Mom,
it's back to school night. We want to be to
y'all got that one. Yeah, I got like, but when
(10:05):
it's time to be hands on with the with the teacher,
I'm there. And I think it's helped because I've seen
my daughter as a first grade to read at the
fifth grade level. And again I'm not pushing her to
read no books, but hey, you reading, Let's go to
the bookstore and by a book. I'll give you twenty
dollars or the And like you say, I think the
push and the confidence helps her go to the next level,
you know what I mean, in the next level.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
And it's like I want to ask something. I'm gonna
let brother Keeling come in on this. So one of
the things that we are going to also be addressing
is let's eliminate I don't have time.
Speaker 4 (10:38):
You gotta eliminate that.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
That's what we have the ability to meet virtually. We
have the ability to correspond through email, we can text.
That's so many avenue, there's so many avenues.
Speaker 4 (10:52):
Whatever it is solved, it's there.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
Come on what you want to add keyl. Yeah, we
have time.
Speaker 5 (10:58):
We make every gay aim, we make every volleyball, basketball,
football game, and so we make it a priority for
the things that are important.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
So we have the time.
Speaker 5 (11:08):
It's just going to take a little bit of sacrifice
and a little changing the way we think when it
comes to our kids education and making that time to
be present time to you know.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
I tell parents all the time.
Speaker 5 (11:23):
Hey, you know, brother, sit down and send an email
to the principal and talk about your kid and what
you expect, you know, from your son or daughter. So
they would have an idea. Hey, here's a dad or
a granddad that's involved and someone that is expecting, you know,
from his kid to get something out of this particular
(11:43):
school year. And so it doesn't take you know, spending
four and five hours at the school. It could take
one hour at drop off. It could take Hey, I'm
gonna go on my lunch break and I at least
want to meet the principal, meet a few teachers. There's
no way you drop your kid off for a hunter
than eighty two school days every single day and you
(12:03):
don't make the effort to meet the people that's in
charge of your kid.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
And I just think that's we have to change the
way we do things as men. And it just takes
a little bit of sacrifice.
Speaker 5 (12:14):
And that's some of the things we're going to share
when it comes to our program August twenty ninth, and
then we have the blueprint. We do this when it
comes to I have a son that's going to play
college basketball, and I put in the time, I've sacrificed,
I've got extra help, I've got a support system, and
so men do it when it comes to athletics. We
(12:35):
just need to do it also when it comes to
academics and helping them within the school system.
Speaker 1 (12:41):
And I loved it.
Speaker 4 (12:42):
Go ahead, go ahead, go ahead.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
I was going to say, be swift.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
Just think of how we haven't even mentioned brother Keelan
or myself haven't mentioned anything about behavior.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
Zero.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
We haven't even mentioned anything about behavior. And our presence
assists with that as well. But yeah, we just thinking
up the whole child, right, So us just asking the question,
how does school go today? Us asking the question, and
did you get your homework done?
Speaker 6 (13:10):
What homework do you have?
Speaker 1 (13:13):
Man?
Speaker 6 (13:13):
What do you have coming up this week?
Speaker 3 (13:16):
Just those questions alone in a child's mind lets them
know Dad cares, our uncle cares, big brother cares, and
that alone, that alone begins the process of changing a
trajectory for success or that's leading to success as it
relates to our young males and females.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
No, and all of that's important. Again, as a dad,
I might call every day you got homework? What you
learn today? And she might hear me with it. We
did the same thing. Well, what's the same thing? I
need to know? Be use your words because well that's
not the same thing as yesterday.
Speaker 4 (13:53):
Kids.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
So but right on for telling me, Like I'm big
on pulling the info because if I you know, I
was a kid, and I know when I walked in
for four years straight, Me and my dad still laugh.
I never came home with a book bag. I don't
know how I graduated and I came home with a
book bag, Like if we gowork. Oh, I ain't got nothing,
you know what I mean? But he was smart enough
to be all right, I got you called his teacher tomorrow.
Speaker 4 (14:16):
What's up with these ten missing assignments?
Speaker 1 (14:17):
You know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (14:18):
Like you tell me you ain't got no backpack, no homework.
Now I want to talk. I want to walk through
this event real quick. Right August twenty ninth to app.
Speaker 4 (14:26):
I love the app. It's an amazing space.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
You guys are there. Kicks off at six thirty pm.
We walk in to a meet and greet fellow men's
what is this? Because I want people to understand because
it's more than just sitting in the room and listening
to us talk or listening to y'all talk. There's actually
pieces that's a part of this that's not just going
to help them, but help their child even become sociable
(14:50):
as they're around.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
So walk me through the first half hour.
Speaker 5 (14:54):
Yeah, the meet and gred is for men to see
other men that want to be involved and empowered in
their you know, kids education. So there will be men
who you know are coming, I'm an educator, have some
principal friends coming who have kids. There will be men
who you know, have all different types of backgrounds, some
(15:15):
our grandfathers, uncles, and so it's just being together and
all of us coming together with that same mindset of
we have to do something when it comes to and
we say our kids, Yeah it is our own child,
but we know when we're present in the situation, there
are other young men and other maybe students and young
(15:37):
ladies who tag on to us will become you know,
that extended father. And so that's the first half hours
just for us to get together and just really fellowship
talk and begin to break down some of those barriers
when it comes to just being involved in our kids' education.
Then after that, when we get into the discussion, part
(15:58):
of it is we're going to discuss what you need
to know and who you need to know when it
comes to your student's education.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
And so important that right there, that's what I wanted
to talk about too.
Speaker 4 (16:09):
Why is that important?
Speaker 5 (16:11):
It's important because there are so many moving parts to
a school and the who you need to know. You
absolutely need to know the people that are in charge
of your son or daughter or grandson. So if you
have a kid who is interested in becoming an engineer,
who in that school can help him or her become that. So, yes,
(16:32):
we're going to talk about meeting administrators. We're going to
talk about what that conversation should look like. If you
have a student athlete, you need to meet the athletic director,
the coaches, you need to meet, the counselors, you know,
the guidance counselors, and so that who you need to
know will be a big part of the discussion. And
then the what you need to know as a man,
(16:53):
what does my role look like within you know that
school and brother Thomas will go down that path for.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
Us, Yes, sir.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
And also, like in society, when we speak about getting ahead,
we say, it's not only what.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
You know, but what who you know? Who you know.
Speaker 3 (17:11):
So when it comes to our children getting ahead in
school and us being more acclimated in the process of
their education, it's not just what we need to know,
but it's who we need to know. And so some
of the things that schools need to know. When we
were talking to the schools, we were telling the schools
(17:32):
the schools need to know the expectations that the father
have for their child. Right.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
The schools need.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
To know that the father doesn't necessarily want to be confrontational.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
The father just want to be made aware.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
Let me in on everything that's going on with my child,
not only if my child needs to be disciplined, but
let me know the progress that my child is making.
Let me know the areas in which my child may
need assistance, right the same way as brother Keeland just mentioned.
The same way in athletics, if a coach think that
(18:06):
a child needs to shoot more shots, right, throw more passes,
that coach will let the father know that your child
needs assistance in this area. Can you please help the
child so that they could become more proficient. We want
to know the same thing in academics. Man, let me
know if my child needs more assistance in reading. And
(18:29):
going back to the meet and greet. As brothers, we
may be conversing and I find out, man swift, I
didn't know you were so good and math, So now
you may know math better than me.
Speaker 6 (18:42):
So when my son or daughter have a question, guess
who I'm texting.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
I'm hitting up my brother and my brother. We all
got kids, and we know what the dance life is like. Right,
our kids dance, and we know what the mom circle
looks like and how and them young ladies are. And
you got a son that played ball, yourself and play ball,
So y'all understand the dad's groups as Hey, you need
to work on defense, Yo, go over here with such
(19:07):
and such because that's what they really specialize in and
they can help. And I don't think we realize that
as men sometimes like, oh, brother, it's such and such
as really good with this, Like let me just send
a text and he might be able to help you.
Speaker 4 (19:19):
And it's very important to create these.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
Sociable moments and bonds that we need for the young men, right.
Speaker 6 (19:25):
And we're doing our part to strive to.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
Bridge the gap between where our children are now and
where we desire for them to be.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
And if we know where they.
Speaker 3 (19:38):
Are, looking to be professionally closing the gap between where
they are and what they desire to be. So the
meet and greet is an opportunity for men to just
have a discussion, find out what our interests are, find
out what we excel in, and be able to create
mentors for our children and become a mentor for my
(19:59):
brother other's child.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
Right.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
So, because the paradigm has to shift as it relates
to us as men being involved. As I stated earlier,
our involvement may not look like the mother's involvement, right.
Speaker 6 (20:13):
Because like you say, we have children and dance. We
not in know that.
Speaker 4 (20:19):
All the time, like you neither not coming to that
at when I need to.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
Be like, yeah, our support looks different, a little different,
but yet our support is there. Like wise with education
and our support may look a little different.
Speaker 1 (20:35):
We just want our children to know that we are there.
Speaker 5 (20:38):
And I'll say this b swift when I understand uh
dad's expectations for their child. So hey, mister Mark, I
want my kid he's getting into engineering or he wants
to be a pot uh scientists or something like that.
Now I know how to support that particular student and
(20:59):
share that information with other educators within my building because
I know what that parent expects. I'm not gonna let
your daughters fail if I know, Hey, mom and Dad,
they expect this of this particular kid. And I want
men to have those conversations within their kids' school and
know how to have those conversations.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
No, And I think that's important because again, not only
those conversations, but being able to walk those halls and
feel comfortable right when I come there. The teacher knows me,
the principal knows me. The librarian might even know me
because we spend time in there. And I'm making the
kid check out books because I'm pushing you to read
more or to learn about whatever your craft or your
hobby or your career goals could be. And it only
(21:42):
happens when we show up. And I know you as
a principal. I know you from Chapel Hill as I
used to come over there and do something. I did
something with y'all back in the day. And I'm sure
you see it in a huge magnitude of like, dang,
I could see a few more dads over here, then
this might change this behavior problem more For the time
is when I know you was over at it wasn't
School forty two, it was another school.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
But Prep Global Prep.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
You probably like, yo, you've really got all the potential,
but you're missing one thing unfortunately, And I'm gonna be that.
Speaker 4 (22:10):
But I can't be that.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
If you had one more push from somewhere else, it
would help my small push elevate you and make you say,
you know what, I don't want to be like this.
I do want to follow the path and do the
right thing. And I'm sure in schools they're seeing it
and needing it. Of course, I don't know how much
we see on the news of something that happened to
a young man or a young woman, and the first
(22:32):
thing we get on Facebook and see is well, if
they had a male figure, then this wouldn't Well, that's
what we're trying to change.
Speaker 4 (22:38):
The narrative push out, I guess, right.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
Yeah, And every father doesn't know everything, right, So in
the subject of the event column to explain the event,
it's for fathers and men, right, because we know that
as a father, we don't have all of the answers.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
We just don't.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
However, as mister mister Mark was speaking about our relationship,
where he may see strengthen me that may not necessarily
be his strengths, vice versa, I see strengths in him
that may not necessarily be my strength. So if I
(23:21):
have a question or my son has a question and
I'm not strong in that area, I can call my brother.
And if his son has a question and he's not
strong in that area, he can call his brother.
Speaker 6 (23:33):
That's the purpose of brotherhood.
Speaker 2 (23:35):
And I think too sometimes the kids, we know how
kids are. I was one of these kids. My dad
could tell me something that's in one ear and out
the others. But he used to tell me like I
used to call your uncle and make your uncle call
you and take it exact same thing.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
Fact, same thing.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
I know you're gonna go listen to that man more
than you're gonna listen to me. And I'm like, well,
it wasn't on purpose, but that might have been my dog.
And he broke it down in a different, unforcedful way
you did, so, yes, I did it to him, but
I never thought about that, and I think that's very
important because they're uncles, there's brothers, there's homeboys in the
neighborhood who are just impactful on our lives, on our kids'
(24:12):
lives as us and sometimes if we have to build
that relationship with them and hey, bro, I need you,
Like I can say it, but the little kid might
listen to you if you said I know, it's like yeah,
with my kid, I'll call your daughter like, hey, can you.
Speaker 1 (24:24):
Tell Jeremy this absolutely real? You know.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
I think that's important right, Like for us to be
together as a brotherhood, to be able to tap on
each other, it's huge and it just helps our kids
go to the next level. If people want to be
involved in this, the men want to come and show
up to this, the men want to support this, how
do they make that happen?
Speaker 5 (24:49):
You want to go, Miss Martin, Yes, sir so, it's
August twenty ninth at the amph It starts at six
thirty pm. You can just show up and come to
the end. We will be there welcome you, be ready
to welcome you, greet you. We do have on our
social media. Mine is assist the Principle on Instagram and
(25:12):
I have a link on there.
Speaker 1 (25:13):
Where you can RSVP.
Speaker 5 (25:14):
But if you just want to show up at the
AMP on August twenty ninth at six thirty pm, it's
going to be informative, it's going to be powerful, and
we're just looking for men and fathers and grandfathers, big brothers.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
Just to be part of it.
Speaker 5 (25:29):
And then hopefully our ultimate goal beyond that is to
carry our message into the schools. B So, if I
operate in data, and I know of schools that have
decreased discipline referrals by twenty five thirty percent because they
created opportunities for more men to get involved. I know
(25:52):
of schools that have increased graduation rates and academic performance
because they made a decision to get more men involved
in the school. And so our hope is after August
twenty ninth, we want to get into schools, have conversations
with men, whole sessions and workshops, show them some strategies
(26:13):
anything from raising a student athlete to helping your kid
understand certain subject areas, and then helping men and dads
just maneuver in the school system, because it can be
different whether it's public or private charter school, but there
are things that they can do just to show a
presence and be a benefit to their kid within the school.
(26:36):
So that's our long term goal beyond this is we're
going to reach out to schools and see if we
can come in and share with the men attached to
that particular school in school district.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
Can you tell me the name of that program that
you guys got, because I know it's another program that
you guys are pushing as well.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
Yeah, that's our Dad's program.
Speaker 5 (26:54):
Dad stands for dedication, academics, athletics, discipline, and sacrifice.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
And we hit each area individually and.
Speaker 5 (27:05):
Speaking with schools and men and talking about what does
it take, what type of dedication does it take to
just like my son finished his senior year and it
felt like I finished it because it's a lot to
get kids through school, whether you have a son or daughter,
it takes a lot of dedication. And then you have
a student athlete. Academics and athletics go hand in hand,
(27:28):
and there are things that you know men need to
know and raising a student athlete, and then that discipline.
Discipline is not a dirty word and it's not meaning
you know, whipping and spanking and getting on your kids,
but discipline is creating an environment and boundaries that your
kid can take from middle school, high school onto college
(27:50):
that they can use that set and create that self
discipline for themselves. And then talk about the sacrifice it
takes as men and fathers where sometimes hey, I do
have to get up extra early, not only drop my
kid off, let me just go in and say hello,
you know, to the custodians, to the secretaries, see how
they're doing, and just show, you know, those.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
People that are attached to the school that you.
Speaker 5 (28:12):
Know this person has a father and a grandfather that care.
Speaker 6 (28:17):
Yes, sir man, you just raised that point.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
You just raised that point, brother quieling that discipline is
not punishment. You know, I was actually taught that discipline
is love. Like whenever we see someone who's disciplined, you
can you can visually see that that's a person who
care for themselves or love themselves.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
Right. But also swift.
Speaker 3 (28:39):
To add on to what Brother Keelan was saying, is
we want to treat it like a not just the
education event that we're putting on, but we want to
just show brothers man come to this and also have
a good time. Because also that's Labor Day weekend, so
brothers don't have to be to work on Monday, right,
(29:03):
and every final Friday of the month, brother Uri Smith,
he has an event at the AMP and it's more
of a socioe. I don't want to call it a party,
but it's more of a social event. Really really, I've
been the one and it's really nice, clean, you can
(29:24):
you know, vibe, you.
Speaker 6 (29:26):
Can really just have a good time.
Speaker 3 (29:28):
And so his event literally starts around the time ours
is ending. So after we come and share some good brotherhood,
have good dialogue.
Speaker 1 (29:38):
Gover.
Speaker 3 (29:39):
These principles provide these tools to help us become more
involved with our children's education. You could transition right outside
of the room and enjoy some good music, enjoy some
nice views and do what you do, you know, but
watch my shoes, you know, I know, yeah, you know
I knew that.
Speaker 2 (30:02):
Nah, And I think it's important again as a dad,
as an uncle, who I stay on the kids about
what their grades look like, you know what I mean?
And I'm always on them and trying to reward when
it's good grades, whether it's.
Speaker 4 (30:15):
A high f ho hour.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
Money I try not to keep.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
I try to give my money in my pocket because yeah, yeah,
you know, I'm huge on that because I think it
makes sense again, there's no next generation without the education,
the way the sports is excelling and nil is coming
and playing. We seeing these guys go from making nothing
for playing in sports and making more money than their
parents have ever made in one year, depending on what
(30:38):
school they're going to, what position they plan on, what team,
they can go make half.
Speaker 1 (30:43):
A million dollars in a year.
Speaker 4 (30:44):
You don't have no sense and don't know what to
do right.
Speaker 2 (30:48):
Parents don't know what to do, and then four years
from now everybody's sitting their hands broke because they didn't know.
They didn't have a friend like a brother Thomas or
a mister Keeland where they can call and say, I
don't know money, I've been bad, or I don't know
this this science and this academics that my child is
on the way to be a vet, and I don't.
Speaker 4 (31:06):
Know what to tell them on what to do. Can
you help me police.
Speaker 2 (31:10):
Because we've sat in a bubble for so long and
didn't get out, didn't network, didn't meet, didn't go talk,
didn't go find out who the guidance counselors or the
principles were not understanding. They went to Purdue or they
went to IU, or they went to Morgan College, or
they went to JSU, and they might have an excessive
network of friends because they're Newport, they are Alpha or
you know what I mean. So whatever, they can help
(31:33):
them navigate through the world and put them in rooms.
Speaker 4 (31:36):
That can help change their lives.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
And it goes back to being their own time at
six thirty on August twenty ninth, coming into this brotherhood
meeting and getting to know who's in the room, who
they are, what they do, and that seeing that they
got the same mentality of wanting to help change and
be there for their child, and how you got the
same mentality being able to come together. And let's build
(31:58):
this this I don't know this, this Father's group of.
Speaker 1 (32:01):
Events, just a village.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
Rights build this village of what we used to know
when our grandparents didn't have sugar. Go three houses down
to ask miss Katie she got something, you know what
I mean, I'll give her some coffee or some cigarettes
later on when I got her thank you. Like we
got to build that amongst ourselves, inside the education world
with us.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
And just think of this.
Speaker 3 (32:22):
As you was talking, you use the word that sparked
some in my head.
Speaker 6 (32:27):
You said, we've been in this bubble.
Speaker 3 (32:29):
Many of us have COVID children going to school, so
there's a different level of patience that we have to
have with these children. So and that's a whole other conversation,
a whole other conversation.
Speaker 2 (32:45):
People understand. And mister Keeling you there, and brother Thim
is you there? Like the COVID children are different because
they missed out on so much in a year or
two year span that they'll never get back. That miss
a key part of development.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
Yes, they weren't able to socialize, yeah, at all. So
this really is an important event to show up to
because a brother could just be a soundboard for you. Man, Listen,
I don't know what to do with my third grader,
(33:22):
or I'm trying to figure out how to inspire and
encourage my third grader, or how do I approach the
educator of my third grader.
Speaker 6 (33:34):
It's just so many ways that we need.
Speaker 3 (33:37):
To know how to be involved as relates to education.
And as our brother Keeland mentioned, it's not just what
we need to know, but also who we need to
know and how to deal with the people that we
come in contact with.
Speaker 5 (33:54):
And as man, we a little bit have to get
past our ego and get over ourselves of asking for
help and not knowing. I have zero experience on what
drop off day is going to be like because this
is my first one. But I'm for certain I'm going
to tap into Brother Thomas before next week.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
I mean, you just did, before we did this, you
was like, hey, I'm what am I expected?
Speaker 6 (34:16):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (34:17):
Ultimately at that like.
Speaker 1 (34:18):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 5 (34:19):
And I just want men to tap into me, find
other men at the event to tap into to say, hey,
I'm dealing with this with my kid, or you know,
how do I help my kid get a scholarship or anything,
and just start getting past the fact that we don't
have to know everything, we don't have to have all
the answers. And I met Brother Thomas right before the pandemic,
(34:43):
and now here we are both with sons, you know,
just graduated high school, and you know, I feel good
that I have a village around my son that can
help me even getting him through college.
Speaker 1 (34:54):
And so I want men.
Speaker 5 (34:55):
To move past the pride, move past the ego, and
be okay with tapping into you know, those men around
you to say, hey, I need some help, because raising
kids is not easy.
Speaker 4 (35:06):
No, it's not special right. Look, I appreciate y'all taking
some time.
Speaker 2 (35:14):
Once again, if people want an rs VP or if
they want to find out more about this info, can
you give them another way to find it?
Speaker 1 (35:21):
Yes, sir, So there's a need.
Speaker 3 (35:23):
We have an event bright page, so when you're going
to break event bright you can type in men helping educators,
men helping educators on event right. Also on both of
our social media is on IG I'm at brother Thomas X.
On Facebook is Thomas X Williams as you said now
(35:46):
on Twitter or X it's brother Thomas x uh and
my brother is well.
Speaker 1 (35:53):
So you can go to our pages and we have
it on there.
Speaker 3 (35:56):
You can also go to my website Motivate to Grow
dot come, and the information will be linked on there
as well. We striving to help eliminate all excuses for
men not to be in attendance. On August twenty ninth,
from six thirty pm to eight pm.
Speaker 2 (36:15):
Two hours of having a good time, two hours of
phellipship and learning and putting yourself in a great position,
not just yourself but your child.
Speaker 4 (36:23):
Mister Keeling, what's your socials again?
Speaker 5 (36:25):
On Instagram is assist the Principal and my website keelnmark
dot com.
Speaker 4 (36:32):
Bet that's what it is.
Speaker 1 (36:33):
Again.
Speaker 2 (36:34):
I appreciate both of y'all for taking some time and
coming on this platform and giving the people some information,
especially our men out there as our kids are back
in school, as our kids are leaving for college, as
a way to build and stay connected from point one
to point one hundred versus coming in at point fifty
trying to figure it out and everything's in a scramble
and you lost, and you frustrated, and you're getting into
(36:57):
it with the principal who could be your best friend,
getting with the teacher who really could be your best friend,
because they got the best interest because they see you
got interest. And there's no point of being hostile when
you can have these conversations early on and build these
bridges so where it's easier to walk home versus trying
to walk and it's falling and you're not nowhere late
in the game. So I appreciate y'all for coming on.
(37:17):
Be Swift's Gud's God August the twenty ninth.
Speaker 4 (37:20):
At the Amp. It's a mush, you have to be there.
Speaker 2 (37:23):
I'm encouraging the uncles, the dads, the grandfathers, the educators, whoever,
the big homies in the neighborhood and you know as
a kid that understands and listens to you, and you
don't want them to turn out some type of way.
You gotta be there because you can get some information
and help that person get some information. It's hiss be swift,
God's God and partnership with my friends at Eskinazi help
(37:44):
signing out your man.
Speaker 4 (37:45):
Be Swift.
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