March 3, 2025 • 62 mins
Step into a compelling conversation with former Florida State Senator Tony Hill, as he unpacks his journey from longshoreman to public servant. In this warm and engaging episode, we discuss the importance of community connections and how these relationships can empower individuals and families alike. Senator Hill shares insights into civic engagement, advocating for youth participation, and the critical need for historical awareness in shaping our future leaders.
Listen as Hill emphasizes the power of education in fostering a vibrant community. We dive into meaningful discussions about financial literacy and the barriers many communities face in accessing vital information needed for economic empowerment.
As we celebrate Black History Month, Hill's reflections serve as a poignant reminder of our collective history and the interconnectedness of our legacies. This episode is rich with practical insights and thoughtful reflections that will inspire you to engage more deeply within your community. Join us for a memorable discussion filled with humor, history, and hope for a brighter future. Don’t forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Welcome, welcome, all right, hey, senator Hill.
How's it going?
Senator Hill, you just got backin town.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Just got back in town .
Okay, all right.
How was it?
It was exciting.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Yeah, yeah, Let me see that shirt.
I am my ancestors' wildestdreams for sure.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Yep, in fact I might have a fundraiser for us.
When I was there yesterday Iwent over to a theater, sort of
like the Ritz Theater.
We can partner with them andsell the bricks outside where
the people walking in.
I saw that yesterday.
(01:10):
First thing that came out of mymind my village project, hello.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
I like it I like it?
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Yeah, I'm with that, I'm with that.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Throw that around to your group.
We can do that.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
We'll do that.
Don't wait that.
Throw that around to your group.
We can do that.
We'll do that.
You are never short on ideas.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
I'm asking ChatGPT what your bio is.
I want to see what it says.
Have you used that beforeSenator Hill.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
You know I haven't, and I'm glad you said it,
because I got to do a piece andmy weakness is writing.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
Okay, you know, I haven't, and.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
I'm glad you said it, because I got to do a piece and
my weakness is writing Okay, sothis should help me, right?
Speaker 1 (01:52):
You ain't got to worry about that no more.
It's going to change your life.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
All right, that's what I needed.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Lord, you're going to be out here, speech after
speech, after like, sign me up,sign me up.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
I mean, here's what we're doing.
Next week.
I got to present my statementto the main legislature, the
state Senate, because whateverI'm talking on, they want to see
it in writing as we're talking,because I'm going to be doing a
Zoom like you're doing now, butwe're trying to name the
railroad crossing in Wisconsinwhere James Weldon Johnson was
(02:29):
killed After him.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
Okay, okay.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
And so all right, but you see me as like one of the
folks that even if you turned inthe script I know you're going
to go off script I don't see youas somebody that's going to
read the paper, the statementthat you sent them.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Well, I mean I'm trying to, as they say down home
, I'm trying to be respectable,so I'll stay on script.
Speaker 4 (02:57):
I'll stay on script.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
I hear you.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
That's a project we're doing.
We're working on that project.
And then also, ronnie, I meantto tell you, and Tia, there were
23 ladies in the 6888 that werefrom Florida.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
Hello let me take this moment and pause yet again
and ask Ronnie has he seen 6888yet?
Speaker 1 (03:27):
Listen, you act like the movie has been out for years
and years.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
I didn't know who Uncle Nears was, and you took
four different podcasts to talkabout that.
One thing you keep saying how Ididn't know who Uncle Nears was
.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
I need to see it, I'm asking if you've seen 6888 yet
I have not seen it, but I knowwhat it is, how many ladies, did
you say Senator?
Speaker 2 (03:48):
23?
Speaker 3 (03:49):
23.
Now let me.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Ronnie, since you haven't seen it, let me drop
something in your spirit.
The Divine Nine Womenorganization is all over 6888.
We have one sister that wasfrom Jacksonville named Farida
Smith and she was an AKA Look atthat From Florida Memorial
(04:13):
University when it was in StAugustine.
The sister that led the charge,chelsea Adams.
Her brother was Hearst Adams.
That was over the AME churchpiece of the 11th Episcopal and
she's a Delta.
And then Raleigh, northCarolina, nakes, munner, munner.
(04:36):
After Nakes they're going toname a post office after a
sister that is a member of ZetaPhi, beta.
So the Divine Nine is all overit.
I love that they're all over it.
So, tia, when you were lookingat it, they are all over it
Because what happened was Ronnie.
What happened was when theycame back from the military,
(05:00):
they used their GI Bill and theywent to school.
So check that movie out, man.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
I got to check it out , I'm going to check it out, you
, the second and third personthat came on this thing and told
me about it now.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Yeah, Tyler Perry put his foot in that one.
He did.
I mean, he and you saw whathappened at the Image Award.
They won two of the best awards.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
Oh, here comes the next one.
Ronnie, you watched the ImageAward.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Don't do that now.
I'm not that bad to you.
Come on now.
No.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
I didn't watch them.
I didn't watch them.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
I have a tendency.
I watch them now.
I didn't catch the last one.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
I didn't catch the last one either.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
So that one I wasn't actually trying, trying to
highlight that makes, but I wascurious.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
I didn't watch them, but I have seen.
I want you to hear your biofrom um chat gpt.
I'm gonna tell you what it says,and then we'll start with that.
We'll just naturally ask yousome questions from the bio and
we'll have a little chat, andthen we'll conclude our chat.
Simple as that.
Um, we're happy to have youwith us today on the Scratchwork
EDU podcast.
I'm going to share Tony Hill'sbio as a reference from ChatGPT,
(06:12):
and then he will tell us howthis works.
So this will be your firstentry to ChatGPT.
You ready?
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
Okay, anthony C Tony Hill Sr was born in Jacksonville
, florida, and is an Americanpolitician and labor leader with
a distinguished career inpublic service.
He served as a Democraticmember of the Florida House of
Representatives from 1992 to2000, representing the 14th
(06:40):
district, and subsequently inthe Florida State Senate from
2002 to 2011, representing thefirst district.
During his tenure in the Senate, hill held the position of
Minority Democratic Whip from2008 to 2010 and again from 2010
to 2012.
Hill's educational backgroundincludes attending Lincoln
(07:03):
University from 1975 to 77 andearning a Bachelor of Arts in
Labor Studies from the NationalLabor College in 2001.
He also attended Edward WatersCollege in 1995.
(07:30):
Hill has been actively involvedin labor organizations, serving
as a longshoreman and holdingleadership positions within the
Florida AFL-CIO.
He is a life member of OmegaPsi Phi Fraternity Incorporated
Beta Phi Chapter and has beenrecognized for his contributions
to labor and civil rights,including being the youngest
inductee and firstAfrican-American into the
Florida Labor Hall of Fame.
In 2011, hill resigned from theFlorida State Senate to join
(07:54):
Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown'sadministration as the federal
policy director.
He later served as a fieldrepresentative for US
Congressman Al Lawson Jr.
Look at me saying Al Lawson.
In May 2022, hill announced hiscandidacy for Florida's fourth
congressional district, aimingto bring his extensive
(08:16):
experience in public service andlabor advocacy to the federal
level.
Throughout his career, tonyHill has been a steadfast
advocate for working families,education and civil rights,
leaving a lasting impact on boththe local and state communities
in Florida.
What do you say about that, mrTony?
Speaker 2 (08:39):
That's very impressive.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
And how long to get that to you 20 seconds 20
seconds.
20 seconds, 20 seconds.
Wow yeah that is impressive.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
Now they didn't tell us about those beautiful
children, children of yours andyour family, so you add that
part to your bio.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
My family.
I'm going to give you a realtwist on the family piece.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
All right, let's hear it.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
I was married the first time for about 17 years
and in that marriage came threechildren, of course, cicely,
tiffany and Ron, and my namesakeJR, and was so excited about
(09:28):
them.
And of course they were allover Raines High School, now Tia
.
I want you to know I'm agraduate of Rebo.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
But you got it right with your kids.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Yeah, I got it right with the kids.
At least they say I got itright with the kids because they
were involved in everythingover there at Raines.
Yes, I got it right with thekids.
At least they say I got itright with the kids Because they
were involved in everythingover there at Raines.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
Yes, they were.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
They were so involved that the principal, who at the
time was Jimmy Johnson, calledme and said Representative, what
you trying to do, put a roof onthe building.
I said I'll put a roof on thatbuilding if necessary.
And, of course, tiffany.
I asked Tiffany.
(10:10):
I said, tiffany, now you're notgoing to put any strain on your
dad, right about trying to runfor Miss Raines, miss Delta, you
know aka.
She said Daddy, you ain't gotto worry about that.
A year later, here she said Dad, you ain't got to worry about
that.
A year later, here she comes,dad.
So I had to go and do what Ihad to do.
(10:30):
But so Tiffany was runners-up,miss Raines and Cicely won Miss
Raines.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
Isn't that something?
Speaker 2 (10:39):
Yep.
So they got involved with thedeltas and the AKPs and Cicely,
she tied with Alvin White'sdaughter who was my principal
Okay, let's go to show you thecraziness of it and so, and then
(11:02):
she stumbled on something and,of course, her mom being a Delta
.
So they got the Delta and Ireally believe, right into this
day that's why this is a KA.
Speaker 4 (11:18):
But I don't want you to read anything but but but
Tiffany but Tiffany plays Delta.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
And so she's a Stanch , not Delta, and of course,
cynthia is Stanch, not AKA.
But so my other daughter, Ihave an older daughter, right
and Ronnie.
The reason why I have an olderdaughter is because I forgot
about Friday night, but I'mgoing to let y'all get that a
(11:49):
little later on the podcast.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
It'll hit you a little later.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
But because of that situation she had a daughter.
And out of that situation Tia Isee you looking across like
that.
Out of that situation, aaronhad four kids, which are my
grandkids.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
Right.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
And Darielle right, who just walked off from her mom
.
Then we didn't know where shewas, what was going on and stuff
there, because she said I'm notgoing to live like this.
So she went on.
She grew up real fast, so shehas a baby, so I got a
great-grand.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
How old were you with this great-grand?
Speaker 2 (12:40):
Ronnie, y'all ready for something on this podcast
today?
Speaker 3 (12:45):
Scratchfork EDU listeners.
Introducing great granddaddyTony Hill.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
And he is now the apple of my eye.
I mean he has it going on, andso he's five years old.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
Wow, kindergarten.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
He'll be six in October, ok.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
OK.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
So of course Cicely has five kids, and so her oldest
son, ronnie, played footballthere at a town called
Germantown, which is rightoutside of Memphis, at a town
called Germantown, which isright outside of Memphis and
sort of like Orange Park orFerndina or St Augustine.
(13:31):
And so that now takes me backto why I was in Memphis.
I was there because their dad,scotty Hendricks Jr, was
selected to serve on the schoolboard and Ronnie, he is the
first African-American to beelected to anything in German
(13:54):
time.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
They don't have no city council, they don't have a
county commissioner, they don'thave state legislator.
He is the first.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
The first elected black man thing ever you got it?
Speaker 2 (14:09):
wow, yeah.
So we'll be talking about himyears to come.
Yeah, yeah, years to come,we'll be talking about him
because they're going to be somemore that's going to come
behind him, because I'm a firmbeliever to you you can't be
what you can't see right, andthat's why I'm a firm believer
to you.
You can't be what you can't seeRight, and that's why I'm a big
fan of the 5000 Roadmark.
You can't be what you can't see.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
And it's no doubt no coincidence that we're talking
to you the last day of BlackHistory Month.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
I heard that history of your own in your bio, and now
you have a son-in-law makinghistory too, and I'm curious and
I got a great-grandson makinghistory because, guess what, he
gets to hang out with me so Ican talk.
He'll be talking about me,that's right, and I knew my
great-granddaddy.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
That's true.
Not everybody can say that.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
We don't get to do that.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
We don't, we don't, and that whole history, I, we
don't, we don't.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
And that whole history.
I don't even know who mygranddaddy was on either side.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
Yeah, yeah, that's so true.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
Now I'm just praying now that JR would bring me a
third.
You know he's the junior, soI'm hoping, jr, but he's over 40
.
So I don't know.
I'm praying.
Speaker 3 (15:23):
Well, now, this is a man we're talking about.
Let's be real.
Now it's plenty.
Friday nights can come for themen now right For years and
years and years and years.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Well, I can tell you right now, evidently he must be
remembering Friday night,because there ain't nothing
happening.
I mean, come on somebody, I'mpraying now.
I mean these girls.
Now here's the other thing,ronnie, that you're going to
laugh about.
Yeah, now here's the otherthing, ronnie, that you're going
to laugh about.
Yeah, both of the girls thatare below my daughter, aaron
(15:50):
husbands, are cappers.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
I saw that.
You know what?
I saw that sitting here.
I was going to say you spelledthem wrong a little bit because
Scotty is a good man too.
I know the brothers.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
A good man.
The other one is a good brothertoo.
He's a principal down there InFort Lauderdale.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
But she met him At FAMU.
And of course Cicely met herhusband Up in Atlanta Because
he's a Gremlin grad.
But Tiffany's husband is a FAMUgrad and he played football at
FAMU.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
That's why you got to spend a lot more time with that
great great grandson of yours.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
We're about to go yeah you got it, you got it, you
got it.
Speaker 3 (16:38):
Well, it sounds to me like you all are raising
independent children andprobably because they saw this
great fighting dad for everybody.
I don't know your storyregarding how you got into
politics, so do you mind justkind of sharing what made you
actually run?
Did you start by running?
Did somebody come say, hey, youwould be good for this.
(17:00):
How'd you start?
Speaker 2 (17:02):
That's a a good question.
I'm so glad you asked it allcame because of my label
movement involvement, because,as a long showman, we had a
collective bargain agreement andI always used to hear when I
went in meetings that regardlessof what we vote on here, a
(17:24):
politician can change ittomorrow, and I said so.
One night I was at a centrallabor council meeting and the
guy that was president, his namewas John Bryan.
John Bryan got up and saidRonnie, all you got to do is
have common sense and you couldbe elected.
(17:45):
I said, okay, all you got to dois have common sense and you
could be elected.
I said, ok, I think I got that.
Speaker 3 (17:49):
These days you might not, Don't worry about it.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
I got that and so, and in the interim, I was
helping everybody get elected toget elected Corrine Brown,
Betty Hosendahl, Denise Lee.
I mean we were out there doingit because of labor, because
they were getting a laborendorsement.
And so I said you know what I'mgoing to run?
(18:13):
And my first run was mytoughest one and we won the
house seat and never had to runagain unimposed.
And then, when I got ready torun for the Senate, Ronnie
(18:36):
Denise Lee got in.
I said, oh my goodness, theywere tearing down my signs.
I mean, they were just runningall over people's yards.
I mean it was crazy.
We had houses divided Either Ihad the husband or I had the
wife or vice versa and so wepulled that off and then I had
(18:59):
to run again.
And so all this led me to getmore involved in what we call
the National Black Caucus ofState Legislators.
So we got involved in that and,lo and behold, I had an
opportunity to go and representour organization at a cancer
(19:20):
event and it was at the BushLibrary.
Bush Senior, I mean the older,the daddy Bush, and we had it
there.
I met him and met some otherfolks there and stuff there
while we were in Texas, and thenthe next year they selected me
as legislator of the year.
So I was the first AfricanAmerican or first legislator
(19:44):
from Florida to receive thathonor.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
That was another first.
Speaker 3 (19:50):
I'm telling ChatGPT right now so they can fix that.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Yeah, so I mean, when it comes to recognition and
honors over the years we haveblazed some trail and honors
over the years we have blazedsome trail.
Ronnie, I would tell you thatthe NAACP state we have an award
(20:18):
in our honor for labor in hisname after me.
So we have blazed some trailsand I like to tell people, tia
and Ronnie, my whole segment ofliving has been connecting dots.
We connect dots and I see Ronnieshaking his head.
That's one of the reasons,Ronnie, I would come to you for
(20:43):
different things because I wasconnecting dots.
Speaker 1 (20:45):
I will come to you for different things.
Because I was connecting dots.
I mean honestly, honestly, you,you know Tia, you know one of
my, my first Senator Hillstories.
You know, and obviously I knewSenator Hill and you know kind
of met him a few times.
But I remember I was coming toa fraternity meeting, we had
just started our mentoringprogram.
(21:05):
I was coming to a fraternitymeeting, we had just started our
mentoring program, we called itSunday dinner, matter of fact.
So what we were doing, we werepicking up some young boys over
there in Hollybrook andCleveland Arms.
So we were picking them up andme and a couple other brothers,
on Sundays we took them to oneof the brothers' church,
anybody's church, took them tochurch and took them out to eat
and then took them back home andso we were presenting on it at
(21:27):
the chapter meeting.
And so Senator Hill comes andhe just happened to be at that
chapter meeting and thenimmediately connecting the dots
right Started.
You know, we got a van.
He had called somebody to makesure we had a bus and a van and,
you know, some funds to do afew other things and it just,
you know, again accelerated thatprogram, and even as much.
(21:51):
So.
You know, senator Hill I don'tknow if you remember this, I'm
sure you do but when you wereworking with Mayor Alvin Brown,
I just knew I would be on acommission.
I just wanted to be on anycommission.
I was doing stuff with children.
So I was like I wanted to be onthe Jacksonville Children's
Commission, the Kids HopingLions deal.
And so, senator Hill, he said,well, let me go work on it, let
(22:14):
me work on it.
So he comes back and he says,now we can get you on one of
these boards, you can be on thelibrary board.
I'm like I'm thinking about thelibrary board.
I don't know I've been in thelibrary I don't know how long,
you know, but hey, you know.
So he'll tell me to be thelibrary board.
I'm going to do the, I'm goingto do the library board.
And so I went ahead and got onthat library board, served on
(22:36):
that thing for eight years,eight years, and it was really,
honestly, one of the bestdecisions that ever happened,
you know, for me, because I gota chance to kind of go to all
the many different libraries,meet everybody all across town.
I mean it really opened up mynetwork.
So, yes, senator Hill, you know, hey, I don't know if I ever
kind of thank you for thatpublicly, but I, I would agree,
(22:59):
you have been somebody that hasjust been connecting the dots
while you're in office, whileyou got out of office, you know,
I guess you know, talk to us alittle bit about just just the
importance of paying it forward,because I know that you that's
something that you are very,very intentional about.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
Well, thank you, ronnie, for for taking me back
down memory lane.
Thank you, ronnie, for takingme back down memory lane Because
as I get a little older, a lotof things like that slip me.
And but here's the thing Iintentionally set out to connect
(23:50):
dots with people who, forwhatever reason, are looking for
that way right.
I'll give you example the youngman with the book All right
Street sense I see in him.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
Tell Ronnie about the book.
So when I asked Senator Hill tobe on the podcast you know he
doesn't just say, oh sure it'slike.
And, by the way, let me tellyou about this little boy that I
met.
Speaker 4 (24:11):
He wrote a book.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
I got somebody for you.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
That's the way the conversation went.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
Okay, the reason why I said that Tia is because
within a probably a week's timethat we had talked about with a
guy who I want to get on yourpodcast as well is EC Weston EC.
(24:41):
Weston EC has a televisionstation that we need to get my
village on there, Ronnie,because Lit TV, Lit.
Speaker 4 (24:50):
TV.
You got it yeah yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
So when I heard his story, he said me and my wife
started out with a podcast.
I said, well, wait a minute.
And then here come Teal called,wife started out with a podcast
.
I said, well, wait a minute.
And then here comes Teal Call.
She's talking about a podcast.
So that has been my trend is toconnect dots with people right
that would of no other way haveconnections in, in other words,
(25:16):
Well, how do you?
Speaker 1 (25:16):
I want to ask you about that, though, because I
know sometimes I mean, you'vebeen in the helping business all
your life, you know andsometimes folks.
I don't know they expect,sometimes maybe more than you
can give, and you want to giveas much as you can.
You want to connect people asmuch as you can.
How have you navigated theexpectation?
I'm assuming definitely whenyou were in Tallahassee.
(25:39):
I mean, folks are probablygiving you a call about
everything from education topotholes.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
Let me let me.
Let me let me digress with youon that for a moment.
I was at one point, ronnie,anything to do with social
justice, anything to do withmistreatment, anything to do in
those areas.
I had white legislators sendingthem to my office.
(26:07):
For example, a lady came in toyou one day she was a doctor in
Fort Lauderdale and say she wasin line getting ready to pay for
her food and a white girl askedher what color are you?
So the lady said now she'smaking minimum wage.
(26:28):
I got a doctorate degree andshe asked me what color I am.
So come to find out, ronnie.
They still had that in thestatues.
So I told the out, ronnie, theystill had that in the statues.
So I told the Retail Federation.
I said now let me just help youall because it's a new day up
(26:49):
here now.
It's a new day, but let me helpyou with this.
Either you all are going tomake the news today or I'm going
to make the news, so you allfigure it out and then come back
to me Because, see, they camein and said well, we can't
change that.
I said wait a minute.
You got my driver's license,you got my birth date.
Why do you need to know whatcolor I am?
(27:10):
That's insulting.
So the Retail Federation theyfinally bought in.
So we changed that law right.
We changed that.
That's crazy.
So I come home and I go up toRadio Shack.
(27:31):
What was it back then?
It was Radio.
Speaker 4 (27:34):
Shack.
Okay, Radio Shack.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
And the white guy asked me what color I am and I
said can you get your manager,sir?
He said yeah.
I said OK, and come out.
Come to find out.
The manager was the gentlemanthat used to be over the NAACP.
(27:58):
I said, matt, what's going onhere, man?
I said y'all haven't read thestatute.
We got a new law on the book.
They're not supposed to askanybody what color they are.
Speaker 3 (28:15):
So he said, ok, I'll get right on it.
I'd call headquarters and letthem get on it.
I said, ok, you kind of bringit on a hot topic for me.
Me, because in working for theschool system, um, there would
be different policies that wouldchange, but there would not be
any notification to theemployees what changed and how
right.
So I'm curious, even inlegislation or, you know, with
laws and all that, whensomething does change, what?
(28:37):
How are we supposed to like?
Is there a place we're supposedto be looking to see what got
changed?
Speaker 2 (28:43):
Well, you know what, tia?
You hit it right at homebecause I'm finna, drop another
nugget on you.
I'm gonna call Courtney and sayCourtney, it's a lot of laws
changing.
We need you to do a legislativeday when you get back to
teachers, to faculty members,administrators, maybe even do it
(29:07):
at a school board meeting, butwe need to know, as you're
saying dear, we need to knowthat these laws have changed.
Speaker 3 (29:14):
Well, I mean even just for regular people, though.
Even so the school systemhappens to have a Courtney for
regular life.
Who do we have, like what?
Where do we go just to find outwhat they're doing in
Tallahassee and how it impacts?
You know, how does Radio Shacknot know that?
Speaker 2 (29:30):
Right, how does Radio Shack not know it?
Well, here's another thing, andI think, ronnie, this would
help.
I think this would happen to usin the in the 24 election.
I think this is what happenedto us in the 24 election we
don't have civic engagement.
That's where civic engagementcomes in.
I need to know who mylegislator is, I need to know
who my congressperson is, I needto know who my property
(29:53):
appraiser I mean, just thosebasic people don't know, right,
and we need to bring that backin.
So I would submit to you,ronnie that might be my village
project one Civic engagement.
Pull all the people together.
I would bring in SisterWashington, who was at Florida
(30:14):
State College, marcellaWashington.
I bring in Barbara Darby.
I bring in Pat Sams, right, Iwould bring all them in and say,
hey, let's do a civicengagement piece here, because
guess what, in two years we'regoing to have another election.
Three years we're going to haveanother election.
(30:36):
Next year we're going to haveanother election and our people
need to know what's going on.
We don't need to wait for a 20second or 30 minute podcast or
commercial or ad to tell us whattime it is.
We need to know what time it iswe need to hold these elected
(30:56):
officials Like, for example,ronnie.
I would go so far to say thatwe need to have a town hall
meeting with our congresspeople.
When they're home for a session, we can call and ask their
office when is their legislativebreak?
They'll tell you, and then weneed to send a letter on your
(31:16):
letterhead my village asking forthat meeting, because there's a
lot of crazy stuff going on upthere now.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
You know, Senator Hill, one of the things I think
sometimes is the problem and Iwould lean on you to kind of
straighten this out for me.
But sometimes I get the feelingthat if I rewind the clock back
50-something years, racism andsome of the things that impacted
our community was very much infront of your face.
(31:45):
You know, it's one thing Ican't go, I can't ride that bus.
That is a very direct type ofdiscrimination.
Going on Twenty, twenty fivediscrimination is baked in so
much other foolishness.
It's subtle, it's subtle, it'svery subtle and it's almost
stronger, but it's very subtleand sometimes I feel like that's
(32:08):
part of the problem and itdepends on Ronnie.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
It also depends on where you live, mm-hmm.
Speaker 4 (32:14):
Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2 (32:15):
It depends on where you live.
Speaker 4 (32:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
And so let's talk about how do we address that.
How do we address that?
For example, since you broughtthat up, teal, I want you all to
think about this.
Just think about this theSanders just took our district
from us.
Corrine Brown held thatdistrict over 20 plus years.
(32:40):
We're going to let a rookiecome in here yesterday and just
take it and we not do anything.
That's not setting the examplefor the next generation, right.
And so I would say, ron, thatwould be one that we could
address with our congresspeopleby holding them accountable.
(33:01):
Almost 45, I want to say ashigh as 45% of that district is
us, Of that congressionaldistrict is us.
See, what they did was theysandwiched us in between two red
counties, nassau and Clay.
Speaker 3 (33:24):
No matter what our percentage is, though, we have
to actually go vote.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
You hit it right on the head.
We got to go vote.
But, more importantly, we haveto set up parameters where
there's a chance for us to winRight, just like with Corrine,
just like with Senator Wilson Imean Congresswoman Wilson down
there in Miami.
Speaker 3 (33:52):
Let's talk about building the bench, though.
If we have Congresswoman Brownfor decades, who was next?
Why could a rookie just come in?
We have Congresswoman Brown fordecades, right, who was next?
Why could a rookie just come inand snatch?
Speaker 2 (34:06):
the seat who was being groomed to be next?
But here's the thing though wecould have somebody groomed, but
if the numbers are not there,they're just not there, you
can't win.
Speaker 3 (34:16):
But who was groomed?
Who was groomed after her?
Speaker 2 (34:19):
Well, I'm pretty sure , and then we have to also keep
in check.
Was that Alvin Rand?
Alvin Rand, you got the girlthat runs every time, lj
Holloway.
So I mean we got, and now wegot prayerfully, we got.
What's the boy's name on thecouncil?
Speaker 3 (34:43):
Rockman Rockman Johnson.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
Rockman Johnson out there.
He's helping people, right.
So I mean it's a plethora ofpeople that we.
You got your boy on the schoolboard.
Speaker 3 (34:56):
Darryl, darryl, darryl.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
Willing Right, and then we got some other people on
the city council so we got Imean, it's not like we don't
have some people ready I mean interms of the bench, they woman
the bench.
But again, if we don't have anysegue of getting that seat,
which we have to change thosenumbers some, and so you done
(35:21):
running for staff of gettingthat seat which we have to
change those numbers up.
Speaker 3 (35:25):
Are you done?
Running for staff.
Speaker 2 (35:32):
I'm done.
I'm done.
I'm going to keep doing mything of connecting dots.
If people need some help and Ilike what they're doing, I'm
going to try to help them.
Speaker 3 (35:39):
What makes you done, what made you decide that?
Speaker 2 (35:42):
Well, I think that with the last help episode I had
, so I had to realize thatjumping on planes and doing all
that stuff they do, getting backand forth to Washington and all
that.
Now, ronnie, I want you to knowthat I'm not going back to the
Senate, not going back to theState Senate Not going back to
(36:03):
the State?
House.
They have term limits for areason.
Speaker 4 (36:07):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
In fact, every month they send me something in the
mail to remind me that I wasover there for 17 years.
Praise God, praise God, ronnie.
They send me something everymonth.
It comes in the mail with awindow, with a window in it.
Speaker 3 (36:26):
That's the right kind of envelope there, yeah, right.
Speaker 2 (36:29):
Well, since we're talking about technology, it
goes directly to the bank.
I get a direct deposit.
Hello somebody, oh man, thiscity, and we are going to
(37:04):
continue to do it and,prayerfully, that the people
that we're helping willappreciate it and that we just
continue to sound the alarm,because I'm telling you now, tia
, from a medical standpoint, ourcommunity is in intensive care
and the IV is running.
Speaker 4 (37:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (37:23):
I'm just saying, Ronnie, we are in intensive care
and the IV is running and letme drop this on you the enemy
sleeps in shifts.
While we sleep, they on anothershift, Ronnie.
Speaker 1 (37:38):
You know, senator Hill, one of the things, and it
was funny, I was talking withTia who was preparing for this
interview and I say now you knowSenator Hill going to get on
here and he going to drop a lotof good history on us, because
the brothers are walkingencyclopedia in our community
and I think that's such apowerful thing.
(37:58):
You know, we talked a littlebit in the beginning about oral
history and just passing downall this information, all of
this knowledge, and some of thatseems to get lost too.
And I don't disconnect thatfrom our ability to showcase our
power as a community and makechange, because sometimes I
(38:19):
don't feel we are as connectedas we need to be to our
ancestors and to our history.
What's your thoughts on that?
And just the importance of, Imean literally my, I know my
grandfather, I know thisneighborhood, I understand the
history of this community.
You know what is your opinionin terms of in terms of where we
(38:41):
came from to where we are goingand trying to connect the dots
for folks on that?
Speaker 2 (38:45):
Well, I would say to you that we are a powerful
people and we have to keepinstilling in that.
That's why I'm pulling so muchinto Cameron.
All right, stealing in that,that's why I'm pulling so much
into Cameron.
I pull that into him because heis reaching a segment of our
community, ie Gen C's rightMillennium Group.
(39:12):
He's there because, to behonest with you, ronnie, when
you meet him, he is to me a 50or 60 year old-old in a
17-year-old body.
That's to me because, I mean,he just fell down, charlie Chris
, when he met him, he couldn'tbelieve the guy and then, like,
(39:36):
for instance, when we getopportunities, like the book
club and all that, he had themfolks spellbound.
I mean, he had them spellbound,they were going around and I
had to tell Cameron.
I said now, cameron, when you'redoing these book engagements
and stuff, you got to tell thepeople you're going to take five
questions because you're notgoing to let them go around and
(39:58):
around, right, but he loves whathe's doing because you're not
going to let them go around andaround, right and so, but he
loves what he's doing, he's aconsummator of connecting people
with financial information andthat's what we need, because I
want to tell you right now.
I am just flown when I seepeople do go-me funds.
(40:26):
What in the world I mean?
All they had to do was take outa $20 or $30 a month life
insurance that would take careof it.
But check this out, tia it'stwo Cs that we have an argument
about at a funeral preparing forthe funeral.
Tell me, tia, what the two C'sare.
Speaker 3 (40:44):
Oh dear Lord, the C's would be cash.
Well, yeah, thank you, ronnie.
Speaker 2 (40:53):
Nope.
Speaker 3 (40:54):
Nope.
Speaker 2 (40:55):
Nope.
Ronnie, you can get in on it,ronnie, you can get in on it,
ronnie, you can get in on it.
Tell me what is the two C's weargue about at a funeral.
Speaker 3 (41:03):
I gave two options, both of them wrong what's the
other option?
I said which church or whetheror not to be cremated nope
neither one of those eithery'all ready?
I don't really like to give uplike that really.
Speaker 2 (41:19):
I'm going to just park here for a few moments.
In fact, I'm going to put up.
Speaker 3 (41:22):
I mean we can't.
I'm sorry listeners, but I'msaying that we gave a few C's at
the funeral or planning thefuneral.
Speaker 2 (41:30):
No, as they're preparing for a funeral.
Speaker 3 (41:31):
As they're preparing for the funeral they argue over.
I really don't know.
Okay, go ahead.
Speaker 2 (41:41):
Ronnie, I really don't know.
Okay, go ahead, ronnie, theyall go.
Who's going to bring thechicken and who's going to bring
the cake?
Speaker 3 (41:48):
I would have never come up with that.
I'm so glad Know when to holdthem, know when to fold them,
guys.
Speaker 1 (41:52):
Oh, my goodness.
Speaker 2 (41:55):
In other words, ronnie, nobody talk about who's
bringing the cash.
You got to pay for the funeral.
Yeah, you got to pay for thefuneral.
Yeah, you got to pay.
And then we'll get one of theselong nieces right that ain't
seen Big Mama in 30 years comeup there talking about we need
to get a limo, and we need toget this and we need to get that
.
And the question is, well, whogoing to pay for it?
(42:18):
And then she comes back and say, well, didn't Big Mama have a
policy?
What did you call and check andsee if she had a policy?
That's the thing, ronnie, thatmy village can get in.
We've got to get into thisfinancial piece because we're
underinsured.
We're underinsured, yeah yeah,we're underinsured.
(42:39):
Yeah yeah, we're underinsured,ronnie.
Speaker 3 (42:42):
Well, one thing I want everybody listening to know
about you, Senator Hill, is allthe names you called on here
today.
I'm not sure what kind of fairydust you have on you, but all
of them would say yes to all theideas.
I don't know how you do it.
Speaker 1 (43:06):
I don't know, have you ever told him no, right,
like how?
I'm not sure how this happens,but I mean but.
But at the same time, senatorhill, he, he gonna ask for the,
the things that's gonna push thecommunity forward.
You know?
Sometimes you'd be asking yeah,yeah, and sometimes he doesn't
ask.
Speaker 3 (43:19):
now a couple things I feel like I've done.
I think it was just now you'regoing to do this and then oh,
he'll volunteer you now for sure.
Speaker 1 (43:28):
Yeah, no, we're not about, but he's volunteering you
to do some good stuff, somegood stuff, that's right.
Speaker 2 (43:34):
So, tia, let me tell you about my Fred brother Uh-oh.
And tell you about my fratbrother Uh-oh.
And I got frat.
I got to learn this and nottake it as an offense.
Is that you call and you don'tget no answer, then you know
it's time to move on to somebodyelse, of connecting the dots,
(43:55):
and I can appreciate that.
I can appreciate that becauseI'm just one person and people
are grabbing at you and I haveto go back to my, my time, when
I was in the legislature.
I was just one person, peoplegrabbing it because, I mean,
people were coming to me and thefolks in the district didn't
even know.
I give, I give you an exampleLast week we honored Shelton
(44:18):
Chappelle, right.
Did you all see that I did not?
Ok.
Speaker 3 (44:22):
Last week we honored Shelton Chappelle Right.
Did y'all see that I did not?
Okay.
Speaker 2 (44:24):
Well, anyway, shelton Chappelle lived in Miami.
Now let me take you back for amoment.
Well, anyway, in 1963 or 64,his mother lost her wallet.
So she went back up there onKing's Road looking for it and
four white guys said we're goingto kill a nigger today.
(44:47):
And they shot her while she waslooking for the wallet.
So, shelton, down in Miami, hewas trying to.
He was like four months old atthat time.
Four or five months old she had10 kids, so five of the girls
that she had.
They went and stayed with theirrelatives, but the boys went to
(45:09):
the reform school.
Some of them went to Dozier, acouple of them went over there
on Jesse Street to the boys'home, a couple of them went over
there on Jesse Street to theboys' home.
And so Frederica, Wilson andLaCenia Bullitt down in Miami
(45:31):
they had turned him down aboutdoing something down in Miami,
which I could understand youknow she wasn't from that area
but he was real disappointed.
So La Sena called him and saidI heard what you're saying.
I know somebody in Jacksonvillewhere she lived, where you
lived.
I think he'll jump on it.
(45:52):
So next Monday I walk on thefloor.
She said come here.
I said okay.
She said we got a gentlemanthat is from Jacksonville named
Shelton Chappelle and he wantsto honor his mother.
I said okay.
I said tell him to call me.
He called me.
That's how that sign got on US1.
(46:12):
Okay, so fast forward, 20 plusyears.
Shelton at the city councilmeeting, talking.
So Rodman Johnson, you know,brought it up.
So Holland, who was aRepublican, heard it.
So he called Shelton up.
He said I want to come outthere and see what you're
talking about.
(46:32):
So he came out there andeverything looked, heard it.
So he called shouting up.
He said I want to come outthere and see what you're
talking about.
So he came out there andeverything looked at it.
He said I'll get back to you.
So he got back to him.
Now we have a memorial overthere in front of that community
center there on US 1, writingall about his mom and everything
in there.
(46:53):
They're on US 1, writing allabout his mom and everything in
there.
But that's again.
(47:15):
What I'm saying, ronnie, isthat you have a powerful
organization, ie civicengagement or some other forms
of connecting people.
But I would tell you that thepodcast is perfect timing, it's
right on time and I just want toapplaud y'all for what you're
doing and thank you for thinkingof me.
Speaker 3 (47:37):
No, we're happy you're here.
I have teased Ronnie that hedoes the podcast, so we do this
part together interviewingpeople.
But then he has a couplesegments where he just talks by
himself and I said I think hedoes these podcasts now.
So when people call like hedoes, I say so, you're not going
to talk to us anymore Now,you're just going to make us
listen to the podcast.
(48:00):
He'll like pull back and tellus to listen to the podcast.
But I agree, I think one thingthat I share about Ron is like
laser focus on where he wants tosee my village going is.
I've had the same frustrationsin early on and like, oh, why
don't we do this?
(48:20):
Why don't we talk about voting?
Why don't we share this?
Why don't we share that?
But what I've grown toappreciate is this laser focus
on just moving us ahead togetherand not getting distracted with
great things but there aregreat people to do those great
things also and having to havingto kind of keep his eyes
(48:45):
straight toward, you know, thatoriginal goal or vision, yeah.
Speaker 1 (48:50):
Yeah, and I think you know it's one of those things
where it's always so much youknow to do.
I mean that's part of theproblem.
I mean there's so manyopportunities to help.
I think the one thing I alwaysfeel like is missing in our
community is a sense of, like,true ownership and autonomy.
(49:12):
And so what I mean by that iswe need to fight for what's
right, we need to continue toadvocate, but I at least
envision a time where we don'teven have to fight for justice.
If something was wrong in ourcommunity, then we just go and
fix it.
We got the resources to go andfix it.
(49:32):
We got the power.
We just go and fix it.
We got the resources to go andfix it.
We got the power structure togo and fix it.
We got the autonomy to do whatwe need to do.
And so I think, to a certaindegree, there has to be some
movement in that direction, in away to make sure that we have
the infrastructure that we needand still, you know, do all
(49:52):
these other things at the sametime, or at least help those
that are doing those things,whether it's voting, health,
financial literacy, education,so on and so forth.
But we absolutely need to startputting together a system where
, hey, look, you know, we gotour own billions and billions of
dollars.
If we want to go correct thisand fix that, yeah, we got the
(50:13):
infrastructure to do it.
So, no, I definitely receivedthat and you know, we will
absolutely continue to try to doour best to try to bring folks
together and move the communityforward.
But yeah, I think that's reallykind of the main focus when I
think about it sometimes is justcreating that, that structure,
that infrastructure.
(50:34):
Because what my dream is thatSenator Hill calls me and says,
hey, ronnie, what we need, weneed a, we need a school over
here, right here and that, andwe just go and build that school
right there.
We need to revisit, redo thislibrary, we need to, we need to
do these things.
Unfortunately, I feel like wehave to keep fighting, and if we
have to keep marching andfighting, then I feel like
(50:58):
sometimes we don't have thepower that we need Right.
Speaker 2 (51:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (51:03):
I think these conversations have been helpful,
though, because there's so muchrich history and we have so
many people who have done suchgreat things, and now we're
walking into the age of AI andtechnology and just different
ways of doing things and tryingto bridge the gap of
communication One to the otherthat we really do all want the
(51:26):
same things, and the route toget there might feel a little
different in this age, but Ithink it has to.
But I think it has to.
I think it has to right now,because if we do the same things
, I think we'll continue to gettrampled over, if that makes any
sense.
So we're figuring it out onepiece at a time, but I am going
to give you an award today,senator Hill, because last day
(51:50):
of Black History Month thatwe're talking to you and you are
actually the originator of theScratch Work EDU interview
portion of the podcast, becauseI never knew that that's how
Ronnie ended up on the libraryboard.
Speaker 2 (52:06):
But, that is how I ended up meeting Ronnie on the
library board.
Speaker 3 (52:10):
Wow the liaison to the school district.
Speaker 2 (52:13):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (52:13):
Apparently you have your intentional connecting the
dots and the unintentionalconnecting the dots, because now
I wouldn't be on the podcastwithout a library board, I
assume.
Speaker 1 (52:24):
Right.
Speaker 3 (52:25):
And you did that too.
Speaker 1 (52:27):
So today, and now and now.
T is on that same library board.
T is on the library board now.
Speaker 3 (52:31):
So I started as the liaison and now I'm serving.
My first term doesn't end until29, and then the second term
begins.
Speaker 2 (52:38):
Okay, well, ronnie, tell her to look out, because
I'll come with her withsomething there.
Let me say this to you, tia, letme say this to you.
Let me say this to you.
Let me say this to you that wehave a sister that her name, in
(52:59):
her mother's honor, is at themain library on the third floor.
Is that right, ronnie?
Yep, absolutely Okay.
And she spent her weekends andeverything up there at the
library and so she put her ownmoney up.
Tell you, she put her own moneyup.
(53:21):
Ask Ronnie there.
They didn't give her nothing.
She put money up and I said tomyself I said Marsha, what did
it cost for you to put the namelike that?
Because I had never been up onthat floor.
And she told me she said blank,blank something.
And I said have they everhonored you for that?
(53:44):
She said no.
I said okay, let me see, can I?
Speaker 4 (53:49):
rectify that.
Speaker 2 (53:50):
So I called Ronnie and Ronnie called the foundation
people and we had a receptionup there.
I still got the pictures.
That's not what I'm saying weare connecting dots for people.
Speaker 4 (54:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (54:02):
Right, and what's funny is when Dr Green got her
name on the wall, marsha grabbedme by the hand and took me over
to where her mother, where thenames were.
So now I'm connecting thepieces based on this story that
we went over and sat on the justsat over there and watched that
.
Yeah, you're right, everylittle bit counts.
(54:22):
So we kind of like to throwsomething inspirational in here
for the listeners.
At the end of the day,sometimes you feel like you may
not be doing much, but sharingand some information with a
friend about something good thatyou know or something that
should be happening, or just alittle seed you can plant with
somebody else.
Do it because senator tony hillhas done it before he got into
(54:44):
politics and will do it comeuntil I'm sure he'd be up there
telling the angels what to doand who to call and how to get
with the people.
Speaker 2 (54:55):
Don't rush it now.
Don't rush it.
No, I'm not rushing it.
Speaker 3 (54:57):
No, I'm just saying.
I started to say until yourlast date.
I'm like he's going to be doingit past then.
Speaker 1 (55:04):
Don't rush it.
Speaker 3 (55:05):
But we'll make sure that that's it.
Speaker 1 (55:06):
I'll tell you what, though.
Senator, we appreciate youcoming on the podcast today, but
I know every time I see you nowyou got on a new piece of Omega
Sci-Fi gear.
Now I've been eyeing you forprobably about a couple decades.
I want to start coming overthere.
I want some of that good gearyou got over there.
You got a lot of.
I know you can't wear all themhats and t-shirts.
(55:28):
You got over there, so I'mgoing to come, start grabbing
some.
Speaker 2 (55:33):
I want to say to you, ronnie, go ahead and purchase a
table for the Centennial.
Speaker 1 (55:42):
Oh yeah, You're right Okay.
Speaker 2 (55:45):
Your shoe is going to be one of the five they honor,
as you should I love that.
I want to say Nat Glover.
Okay, that would make sense.
Yeah, another one of thebrothers.
I had the program, but yeah,the Grand Basil is coming, love
(56:09):
it, coming all the way from LosAngeles.
Speaker 1 (56:12):
Love it.
Speaker 3 (56:13):
All right, look at that, you know, ronnie this
means you got to buy your ownshirts.
Speaker 2 (56:19):
Right.
Speaker 1 (56:21):
I know you tried to deflect a little bit.
I'm still going to get thoseshirts.
Yeah well, I can get your shirt, that's no problem.
Speaker 4 (56:27):
That's no problem.
Speaker 2 (56:29):
I got bags and everything.
Tia, I got bags and everything.
When we used to do theleadership stuff at the Capitol.
We'd buy the bags and all thatkind of stuff.
So we got, we got, we have that, and.
But here's what I want to sayto y'all, though Tia, we got a
sister that is president ofDuval Teachers United.
(56:51):
That is president of DuvalTeachers United, and she's the
first African-American presidentof that union, and I want you
to reach out to Tammy.
Speaker 3 (57:03):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (57:04):
I want you to reach out to Tammy.
We need you on the podcastbecause Tammy is a a chartered
member of Delta Sigma Theta atJU.
Speaker 3 (57:14):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (57:15):
At JU.
Ronnie, I'm just talking aboutwhat I'm talking about.
I ain't talking about nobody,I'm just talking about what I'm
talking about, yeah yeah.
But she is very impressive toyou and she needs that support
right now.
Okay, she needs it.
We need to let the otherteachers know that she's
somebody in this city, Ronnie,please tell her.
(57:37):
Don't forget Cameron.
Please don't forget Cameron,Marsha.
Speaker 3 (57:40):
Let me put Cameron on here too.
Speaker 2 (57:42):
Put Cameron on there.
Love it, love it.
Speaker 3 (57:45):
We have interviewed you and come out with a list.
Speaker 1 (57:52):
In true fashion.
Speaker 3 (57:53):
We would have it no other way.
What can I say?
What can I?
Speaker 2 (57:56):
say what can I say?
What can I say?
Speaker 3 (58:00):
We appreciate you so much, absolutely, especially
after traveling to hop on withus.
Speaker 2 (58:06):
Yeah, I was up this morning at.
I left their house at fivetoday Six o'clock your time, so
six o'clock our time, so five.
I was up and then headed to theairport and then flew into
Charlotte and Charlotte intoJacksonville.
Also, ronnie, I want y'all tothink about it, we got a brother
that's a three-star retiredgeneral from the Marine Corps,
(58:30):
grew up in St Augustine and heis now over a national
apprenticeship program With theIBEW.
And what we're finding out,ronnie, is that a lot of our Gen
C folks, they just don't wantto be straddled with a debt
(58:51):
coming out of college.
So we're offering now anapprenticeship program and in
that apprenticeship program,ronnie and Tia, you will get
paid, you'll go to school atnight and if you stay in there,
in four years you will have anequivalent of a college degree,
(59:12):
an electrician, and they'remaking over six figures without
any debt, no debt.
Speaker 3 (59:20):
No debt, you can't beat it.
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (59:23):
I'd love to get him to come on to talk about it,
because I'm pretty sure you havesome young people looking at
the podcast.
If they're interested inapprenticeship programs, we can
connect them Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (59:36):
Absolutely Sounds good.
Speaker 2 (59:38):
Thank you all for the opportunity.
Speaker 4 (59:40):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (59:41):
You enjoyed being here.
Speaker 1 (59:43):
We'll talk soon.
Take care Proof Thank you.
Speaker 4 (59:52):
I like to be educated , but I'm so frustrated.
Hello to my loneliness.
I guess that endurance is bliss.
Take me back to before the noonRewind.
Take it out of cue.
Innocence can be a human's game.
Signed up for the hall of shame.
(01:00:13):
I wish I knew how much I missednot knowing that we're all
screwed when we play our rolesand ignore the problems.
(01:00:34):
I like to be away and morepatient.
Stay up.
I feel so outdated.
How can we look the other way?
(01:00:55):
Sun is out, but the sky is gray.
What would happen if I took achance?
It's always hard at firstglance.
I don't wanna, but I know Igotta do it.
The truth is hard to swallow.
I think I'll chew it.
I wish I knew how much I missed, not knowing that we're all
(01:01:44):
screwed when we play our rolesand you're the problem.
I wish I knew when we play ourroles and ignore the problems.
I wish I knew how much I missnot knowing that we're all
(01:02:12):
screwed when we play our rolesand ignore the problems.
I wish I knew.
Welcome, welcome, all right, hey, senator Hill.
How's it going?
Senator Hill, you just got backin town.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Just got back in town .
Okay, all right.
How was it?
It was exciting.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Yeah, yeah, Let me see that shirt.
I am my ancestors' wildestdreams for sure.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Yep, in fact I might have a fundraiser for us.
When I was there yesterday Iwent over to a theater, sort of
like the Ritz Theater.
We can partner with them andsell the bricks outside where
the people walking in.
I saw that yesterday.
(01:10):
First thing that came out of mymind my village project, hello.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
I like it I like it?
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Yeah, I'm with that, I'm with that.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Throw that around to your group.
We can do that.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
We'll do that.
Don't wait that.
Throw that around to your group.
We can do that.
We'll do that.
You are never short on ideas.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
I'm asking ChatGPT what your bio is.
I want to see what it says.
Have you used that beforeSenator Hill.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
You know I haven't, and I'm glad you said it,
because I got to do a piece andmy weakness is writing.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
Okay, you know, I haven't, and.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
I'm glad you said it, because I got to do a piece and
my weakness is writing Okay, sothis should help me, right?
Speaker 1 (01:52):
You ain't got to worry about that no more.
It's going to change your life.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
All right, that's what I needed.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Lord, you're going to be out here, speech after
speech, after like, sign me up,sign me up.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
I mean, here's what we're doing.
Next week.
I got to present my statementto the main legislature, the
state Senate, because whateverI'm talking on, they want to see
it in writing as we're talking,because I'm going to be doing a
Zoom like you're doing now, butwe're trying to name the
railroad crossing in Wisconsinwhere James Weldon Johnson was
(02:29):
killed After him.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
Okay, okay.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
And so all right, but you see me as like one of the
folks that even if you turned inthe script I know you're going
to go off script I don't see youas somebody that's going to
read the paper, the statementthat you sent them.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Well, I mean I'm trying to, as they say down home
, I'm trying to be respectable,so I'll stay on script.
Speaker 4 (02:57):
I'll stay on script.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
I hear you.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
That's a project we're doing.
We're working on that project.
And then also, ronnie, I meantto tell you, and Tia, there were
23 ladies in the 6888 that werefrom Florida.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
Hello let me take this moment and pause yet again
and ask Ronnie has he seen 6888yet?
Speaker 1 (03:27):
Listen, you act like the movie has been out for years
and years.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
I didn't know who Uncle Nears was, and you took
four different podcasts to talkabout that.
One thing you keep saying how Ididn't know who Uncle Nears was
.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
I need to see it, I'm asking if you've seen 6888 yet
I have not seen it, but I knowwhat it is, how many ladies, did
you say Senator?
Speaker 2 (03:48):
23?
Speaker 3 (03:49):
23.
Now let me.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Ronnie, since you haven't seen it, let me drop
something in your spirit.
The Divine Nine Womenorganization is all over 6888.
We have one sister that wasfrom Jacksonville named Farida
Smith and she was an AKA Look atthat From Florida Memorial
(04:13):
University when it was in StAugustine.
The sister that led the charge,chelsea Adams.
Her brother was Hearst Adams.
That was over the AME churchpiece of the 11th Episcopal and
she's a Delta.
And then Raleigh, northCarolina, nakes, munner, munner.
(04:36):
After Nakes they're going toname a post office after a
sister that is a member of ZetaPhi, beta.
So the Divine Nine is all overit.
I love that they're all over it.
So, tia, when you were lookingat it, they are all over it
Because what happened was Ronnie.
What happened was when theycame back from the military,
(05:00):
they used their GI Bill and theywent to school.
So check that movie out, man.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
I got to check it out , I'm going to check it out, you
, the second and third personthat came on this thing and told
me about it now.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Yeah, Tyler Perry put his foot in that one.
He did.
I mean, he and you saw whathappened at the Image Award.
They won two of the best awards.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
Oh, here comes the next one.
Ronnie, you watched the ImageAward.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Don't do that now.
I'm not that bad to you.
Come on now.
No.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
I didn't watch them.
I didn't watch them.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
I have a tendency.
I watch them now.
I didn't catch the last one.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
I didn't catch the last one either.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
So that one I wasn't actually trying, trying to
highlight that makes, but I wascurious.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
I didn't watch them, but I have seen.
I want you to hear your biofrom um chat gpt.
I'm gonna tell you what it says,and then we'll start with that.
We'll just naturally ask yousome questions from the bio and
we'll have a little chat, andthen we'll conclude our chat.
Simple as that.
Um, we're happy to have youwith us today on the Scratchwork
EDU podcast.
I'm going to share Tony Hill'sbio as a reference from ChatGPT,
(06:12):
and then he will tell us howthis works.
So this will be your firstentry to ChatGPT.
You ready?
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
Okay, anthony C Tony Hill Sr was born in Jacksonville
, florida, and is an Americanpolitician and labor leader with
a distinguished career inpublic service.
He served as a Democraticmember of the Florida House of
Representatives from 1992 to2000, representing the 14th
(06:40):
district, and subsequently inthe Florida State Senate from
2002 to 2011, representing thefirst district.
During his tenure in the Senate, hill held the position of
Minority Democratic Whip from2008 to 2010 and again from 2010
to 2012.
Hill's educational backgroundincludes attending Lincoln
(07:03):
University from 1975 to 77 andearning a Bachelor of Arts in
Labor Studies from the NationalLabor College in 2001.
He also attended Edward WatersCollege in 1995.
(07:30):
Hill has been actively involvedin labor organizations, serving
as a longshoreman and holdingleadership positions within the
Florida AFL-CIO.
He is a life member of OmegaPsi Phi Fraternity Incorporated
Beta Phi Chapter and has beenrecognized for his contributions
to labor and civil rights,including being the youngest
inductee and firstAfrican-American into the
Florida Labor Hall of Fame.
In 2011, hill resigned from theFlorida State Senate to join
(07:54):
Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown'sadministration as the federal
policy director.
He later served as a fieldrepresentative for US
Congressman Al Lawson Jr.
Look at me saying Al Lawson.
In May 2022, hill announced hiscandidacy for Florida's fourth
congressional district, aimingto bring his extensive
(08:16):
experience in public service andlabor advocacy to the federal
level.
Throughout his career, tonyHill has been a steadfast
advocate for working families,education and civil rights,
leaving a lasting impact on boththe local and state communities
in Florida.
What do you say about that, mrTony?
Speaker 2 (08:39):
That's very impressive.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
And how long to get that to you 20 seconds 20
seconds.
20 seconds, 20 seconds.
Wow yeah that is impressive.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
Now they didn't tell us about those beautiful
children, children of yours andyour family, so you add that
part to your bio.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
My family.
I'm going to give you a realtwist on the family piece.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
All right, let's hear it.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
I was married the first time for about 17 years
and in that marriage came threechildren, of course, cicely,
tiffany and Ron, and my namesakeJR, and was so excited about
(09:28):
them.
And of course they were allover Raines High School, now Tia
.
I want you to know I'm agraduate of Rebo.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
But you got it right with your kids.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Yeah, I got it right with the kids.
At least they say I got itright with the kids because they
were involved in everythingover there at Raines.
Yes, I got it right with thekids.
At least they say I got itright with the kids Because they
were involved in everythingover there at Raines.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
Yes, they were.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
They were so involved that the principal, who at the
time was Jimmy Johnson, calledme and said Representative, what
you trying to do, put a roof onthe building.
I said I'll put a roof on thatbuilding if necessary.
And, of course, tiffany.
I asked Tiffany.
(10:10):
I said, tiffany, now you're notgoing to put any strain on your
dad, right about trying to runfor Miss Raines, miss Delta, you
know aka.
She said Daddy, you ain't gotto worry about that.
A year later, here she said Dad, you ain't got to worry about
that.
A year later, here she comes,dad.
So I had to go and do what Ihad to do.
(10:30):
But so Tiffany was runners-up,miss Raines and Cicely won Miss
Raines.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
Isn't that something?
Speaker 2 (10:39):
Yep.
So they got involved with thedeltas and the AKPs and Cicely,
she tied with Alvin White'sdaughter who was my principal
Okay, let's go to show you thecraziness of it and so, and then
(11:02):
she stumbled on something and,of course, her mom being a Delta
.
So they got the Delta and Ireally believe, right into this
day that's why this is a KA.
Speaker 4 (11:18):
But I don't want you to read anything but but but
Tiffany but Tiffany plays Delta.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
And so she's a Stanch , not Delta, and of course,
cynthia is Stanch, not AKA.
But so my other daughter, Ihave an older daughter, right
and Ronnie.
The reason why I have an olderdaughter is because I forgot
about Friday night, but I'mgoing to let y'all get that a
(11:49):
little later on the podcast.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
It'll hit you a little later.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
But because of that situation she had a daughter.
And out of that situation Tia Isee you looking across like
that.
Out of that situation, aaronhad four kids, which are my
grandkids.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
Right.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
And Darielle right, who just walked off from her mom
.
Then we didn't know where shewas, what was going on and stuff
there, because she said I'm notgoing to live like this.
So she went on.
She grew up real fast, so shehas a baby, so I got a
great-grand.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
How old were you with this great-grand?
Speaker 2 (12:40):
Ronnie, y'all ready for something on this podcast
today?
Speaker 3 (12:45):
Scratchfork EDU listeners.
Introducing great granddaddyTony Hill.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
And he is now the apple of my eye.
I mean he has it going on, andso he's five years old.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
Wow, kindergarten.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
He'll be six in October, ok.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
OK.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
So of course Cicely has five kids, and so her oldest
son, ronnie, played footballthere at a town called
Germantown, which is rightoutside of Memphis, at a town
called Germantown, which isright outside of Memphis and
sort of like Orange Park orFerndina or St Augustine.
(13:31):
And so that now takes me backto why I was in Memphis.
I was there because their dad,scotty Hendricks Jr, was
selected to serve on the schoolboard and Ronnie, he is the
first African-American to beelected to anything in German
(13:54):
time.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
They don't have no city council, they don't have a
county commissioner, they don'thave state legislator.
He is the first.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
The first elected black man thing ever you got it?
Speaker 2 (14:09):
wow, yeah.
So we'll be talking about himyears to come.
Yeah, yeah, years to come,we'll be talking about him
because they're going to be somemore that's going to come
behind him, because I'm a firmbeliever to you you can't be
what you can't see right, andthat's why I'm a firm believer
to you.
You can't be what you can't seeRight, and that's why I'm a big
fan of the 5000 Roadmark.
You can't be what you can't see.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
And it's no doubt no coincidence that we're talking
to you the last day of BlackHistory Month.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
I heard that history of your own in your bio, and now
you have a son-in-law makinghistory too, and I'm curious and
I got a great-grandson makinghistory because, guess what, he
gets to hang out with me so Ican talk.
He'll be talking about me,that's right, and I knew my
great-granddaddy.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
That's true.
Not everybody can say that.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
We don't get to do that.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
We don't, we don't, and that whole history, I, we
don't, we don't.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
And that whole history.
I don't even know who mygranddaddy was on either side.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
Yeah, yeah, that's so true.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
Now I'm just praying now that JR would bring me a
third.
You know he's the junior, soI'm hoping, jr, but he's over 40
.
So I don't know.
I'm praying.
Speaker 3 (15:23):
Well, now, this is a man we're talking about.
Let's be real.
Now it's plenty.
Friday nights can come for themen now right For years and
years and years and years.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Well, I can tell you right now, evidently he must be
remembering Friday night,because there ain't nothing
happening.
I mean, come on somebody, I'mpraying now.
I mean these girls.
Now here's the other thing,ronnie, that you're going to
laugh about.
Yeah, now here's the otherthing, ronnie, that you're going
to laugh about.
Yeah, both of the girls thatare below my daughter, aaron
(15:50):
husbands, are cappers.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
I saw that.
You know what?
I saw that sitting here.
I was going to say you spelledthem wrong a little bit because
Scotty is a good man too.
I know the brothers.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
A good man.
The other one is a good brothertoo.
He's a principal down there InFort Lauderdale.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
But she met him At FAMU.
And of course Cicely met herhusband Up in Atlanta Because
he's a Gremlin grad.
But Tiffany's husband is a FAMUgrad and he played football at
FAMU.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
That's why you got to spend a lot more time with that
great great grandson of yours.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
We're about to go yeah you got it, you got it, you
got it.
Speaker 3 (16:38):
Well, it sounds to me like you all are raising
independent children andprobably because they saw this
great fighting dad for everybody.
I don't know your storyregarding how you got into
politics, so do you mind justkind of sharing what made you
actually run?
Did you start by running?
Did somebody come say, hey, youwould be good for this.
(17:00):
How'd you start?
Speaker 2 (17:02):
That's a a good question.
I'm so glad you asked it allcame because of my label
movement involvement, because,as a long showman, we had a
collective bargain agreement andI always used to hear when I
went in meetings that regardlessof what we vote on here, a
(17:24):
politician can change ittomorrow, and I said so.
One night I was at a centrallabor council meeting and the
guy that was president, his namewas John Bryan.
John Bryan got up and saidRonnie, all you got to do is
have common sense and you couldbe elected.
(17:45):
I said, okay, all you got to dois have common sense and you
could be elected.
I said, ok, I think I got that.
Speaker 3 (17:49):
These days you might not, Don't worry about it.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
I got that and so, and in the interim, I was
helping everybody get elected toget elected Corrine Brown,
Betty Hosendahl, Denise Lee.
I mean we were out there doingit because of labor, because
they were getting a laborendorsement.
And so I said you know what I'mgoing to run?
(18:13):
And my first run was mytoughest one and we won the
house seat and never had to runagain unimposed.
And then, when I got ready torun for the Senate, Ronnie
(18:36):
Denise Lee got in.
I said, oh my goodness, theywere tearing down my signs.
I mean, they were just runningall over people's yards.
I mean it was crazy.
We had houses divided Either Ihad the husband or I had the
wife or vice versa and so wepulled that off and then I had
(18:59):
to run again.
And so all this led me to getmore involved in what we call
the National Black Caucus ofState Legislators.
So we got involved in that and,lo and behold, I had an
opportunity to go and representour organization at a cancer
(19:20):
event and it was at the BushLibrary.
Bush Senior, I mean the older,the daddy Bush, and we had it
there.
I met him and met some otherfolks there and stuff there
while we were in Texas, and thenthe next year they selected me
as legislator of the year.
So I was the first AfricanAmerican or first legislator
(19:44):
from Florida to receive thathonor.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
That was another first.
Speaker 3 (19:50):
I'm telling ChatGPT right now so they can fix that.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Yeah, so I mean, when it comes to recognition and
honors over the years we haveblazed some trail and honors
over the years we have blazedsome trail.
Ronnie, I would tell you thatthe NAACP state we have an award
(20:18):
in our honor for labor in hisname after me.
So we have blazed some trailsand I like to tell people, tia
and Ronnie, my whole segment ofliving has been connecting dots.
We connect dots and I see Ronnieshaking his head.
That's one of the reasons,Ronnie, I would come to you for
(20:43):
different things because I wasconnecting dots.
Speaker 1 (20:45):
I will come to you for different things.
Because I was connecting dots.
I mean honestly, honestly, you,you know Tia, you know one of
my, my first Senator Hillstories.
You know, and obviously I knewSenator Hill and you know kind
of met him a few times.
But I remember I was coming toa fraternity meeting, we had
just started our mentoringprogram.
(21:05):
I was coming to a fraternitymeeting, we had just started our
mentoring program, we called itSunday dinner, matter of fact.
So what we were doing, we werepicking up some young boys over
there in Hollybrook andCleveland Arms.
So we were picking them up andme and a couple other brothers,
on Sundays we took them to oneof the brothers' church,
anybody's church, took them tochurch and took them out to eat
and then took them back home andso we were presenting on it at
(21:27):
the chapter meeting.
And so Senator Hill comes andhe just happened to be at that
chapter meeting and thenimmediately connecting the dots
right Started.
You know, we got a van.
He had called somebody to makesure we had a bus and a van and,
you know, some funds to do afew other things and it just,
you know, again accelerated thatprogram, and even as much.
(21:51):
So.
You know, senator Hill I don'tknow if you remember this, I'm
sure you do but when you wereworking with Mayor Alvin Brown,
I just knew I would be on acommission.
I just wanted to be on anycommission.
I was doing stuff with children.
So I was like I wanted to be onthe Jacksonville Children's
Commission, the Kids HopingLions deal.
And so, senator Hill, he said,well, let me go work on it, let
(22:14):
me work on it.
So he comes back and he says,now we can get you on one of
these boards, you can be on thelibrary board.
I'm like I'm thinking about thelibrary board.
I don't know I've been in thelibrary I don't know how long,
you know, but hey, you know.
So he'll tell me to be thelibrary board.
I'm going to do the, I'm goingto do the library board.
And so I went ahead and got onthat library board, served on
(22:36):
that thing for eight years,eight years, and it was really,
honestly, one of the bestdecisions that ever happened,
you know, for me, because I gota chance to kind of go to all
the many different libraries,meet everybody all across town.
I mean it really opened up mynetwork.
So, yes, senator Hill, you know, hey, I don't know if I ever
kind of thank you for thatpublicly, but I, I would agree,
(22:59):
you have been somebody that hasjust been connecting the dots
while you're in office, whileyou got out of office, you know,
I guess you know, talk to us alittle bit about just just the
importance of paying it forward,because I know that you that's
something that you are very,very intentional about.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
Well, thank you, ronnie, for for taking me back
down memory lane.
Thank you, ronnie, for takingme back down memory lane Because
as I get a little older, a lotof things like that slip me.
And but here's the thing Iintentionally set out to connect
(23:50):
dots with people who, forwhatever reason, are looking for
that way right.
I'll give you example the youngman with the book All right
Street sense I see in him.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
Tell Ronnie about the book.
So when I asked Senator Hill tobe on the podcast you know he
doesn't just say, oh sure it'slike.
And, by the way, let me tellyou about this little boy that I
met.
Speaker 4 (24:11):
He wrote a book.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
I got somebody for you.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
That's the way the conversation went.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
Okay, the reason why I said that Tia is because
within a probably a week's timethat we had talked about with a
guy who I want to get on yourpodcast as well is EC Weston EC.
(24:41):
Weston EC has a televisionstation that we need to get my
village on there, Ronnie,because Lit TV, Lit.
Speaker 4 (24:50):
TV.
You got it yeah yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
So when I heard his story, he said me and my wife
started out with a podcast.
I said, well, wait a minute.
And then here come Teal called,wife started out with a podcast
.
I said, well, wait a minute.
And then here comes Teal Call.
She's talking about a podcast.
So that has been my trend is toconnect dots with people right
that would of no other way haveconnections in, in other words,
(25:16):
Well, how do you?
Speaker 1 (25:16):
I want to ask you about that, though, because I
know sometimes I mean, you'vebeen in the helping business all
your life, you know andsometimes folks.
I don't know they expect,sometimes maybe more than you
can give, and you want to giveas much as you can.
You want to connect people asmuch as you can.
How have you navigated theexpectation?
I'm assuming definitely whenyou were in Tallahassee.
(25:39):
I mean, folks are probablygiving you a call about
everything from education topotholes.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
Let me let me.
Let me let me digress with youon that for a moment.
I was at one point, ronnie,anything to do with social
justice, anything to do withmistreatment, anything to do in
those areas.
I had white legislators sendingthem to my office.
(26:07):
For example, a lady came in toyou one day she was a doctor in
Fort Lauderdale and say she wasin line getting ready to pay for
her food and a white girl askedher what color are you?
So the lady said now she'smaking minimum wage.
(26:28):
I got a doctorate degree andshe asked me what color I am.
So come to find out, ronnie.
They still had that in thestatues.
So I told the out, ronnie, theystill had that in the statues.
So I told the Retail Federation.
I said now let me just help youall because it's a new day up
(26:49):
here now.
It's a new day, but let me helpyou with this.
Either you all are going tomake the news today or I'm going
to make the news, so you allfigure it out and then come back
to me Because, see, they camein and said well, we can't
change that.
I said wait a minute.
You got my driver's license,you got my birth date.
Why do you need to know whatcolor I am?
(27:10):
That's insulting.
So the Retail Federation theyfinally bought in.
So we changed that law right.
We changed that.
That's crazy.
So I come home and I go up toRadio Shack.
(27:31):
What was it back then?
It was Radio.
Speaker 4 (27:34):
Shack.
Okay, Radio Shack.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
And the white guy asked me what color I am and I
said can you get your manager,sir?
He said yeah.
I said OK, and come out.
Come to find out.
The manager was the gentlemanthat used to be over the NAACP.
(27:58):
I said, matt, what's going onhere, man?
I said y'all haven't read thestatute.
We got a new law on the book.
They're not supposed to askanybody what color they are.
Speaker 3 (28:15):
So he said, ok, I'll get right on it.
I'd call headquarters and letthem get on it.
I said, ok, you kind of bringit on a hot topic for me.
Me, because in working for theschool system, um, there would
be different policies that wouldchange, but there would not be
any notification to theemployees what changed and how
right.
So I'm curious, even inlegislation or, you know, with
laws and all that, whensomething does change, what?
(28:37):
How are we supposed to like?
Is there a place we're supposedto be looking to see what got
changed?
Speaker 2 (28:43):
Well, you know what, tia?
You hit it right at homebecause I'm finna, drop another
nugget on you.
I'm gonna call Courtney and sayCourtney, it's a lot of laws
changing.
We need you to do a legislativeday when you get back to
teachers, to faculty members,administrators, maybe even do it
(29:07):
at a school board meeting, butwe need to know, as you're
saying dear, we need to knowthat these laws have changed.
Speaker 3 (29:14):
Well, I mean even just for regular people, though.
Even so the school systemhappens to have a Courtney for
regular life.
Who do we have, like what?
Where do we go just to find outwhat they're doing in
Tallahassee and how it impacts?
You know, how does Radio Shacknot know that?
Speaker 2 (29:30):
Right, how does Radio Shack not know it?
Well, here's another thing, andI think, ronnie, this would
help.
I think this would happen to usin the in the 24 election.
I think this is what happenedto us in the 24 election we
don't have civic engagement.
That's where civic engagementcomes in.
I need to know who mylegislator is, I need to know
who my congressperson is, I needto know who my property
(29:53):
appraiser I mean, just thosebasic people don't know, right,
and we need to bring that backin.
So I would submit to you,ronnie that might be my village
project one Civic engagement.
Pull all the people together.
I would bring in SisterWashington, who was at Florida
(30:14):
State College, marcellaWashington.
I bring in Barbara Darby.
I bring in Pat Sams, right, Iwould bring all them in and say,
hey, let's do a civicengagement piece here, because
guess what, in two years we'regoing to have another election.
Three years we're going to haveanother election.
(30:36):
Next year we're going to haveanother election and our people
need to know what's going on.
We don't need to wait for a 20second or 30 minute podcast or
commercial or ad to tell us whattime it is.
We need to know what time it iswe need to hold these elected
(30:56):
officials Like, for example,ronnie.
I would go so far to say thatwe need to have a town hall
meeting with our congresspeople.
When they're home for a session, we can call and ask their
office when is their legislativebreak?
They'll tell you, and then weneed to send a letter on your
(31:16):
letterhead my village asking forthat meeting, because there's a
lot of crazy stuff going on upthere now.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
You know, Senator Hill, one of the things I think
sometimes is the problem and Iwould lean on you to kind of
straighten this out for me.
But sometimes I get the feelingthat if I rewind the clock back
50-something years, racism andsome of the things that impacted
our community was very much infront of your face.
(31:45):
You know, it's one thing Ican't go, I can't ride that bus.
That is a very direct type ofdiscrimination.
Going on Twenty, twenty fivediscrimination is baked in so
much other foolishness.
It's subtle, it's subtle, it'svery subtle and it's almost
stronger, but it's very subtleand sometimes I feel like that's
(32:08):
part of the problem and itdepends on Ronnie.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
It also depends on where you live, mm-hmm.
Speaker 4 (32:14):
Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2 (32:15):
It depends on where you live.
Speaker 4 (32:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
And so let's talk about how do we address that.
How do we address that?
For example, since you broughtthat up, teal, I want you all to
think about this.
Just think about this theSanders just took our district
from us.
Corrine Brown held thatdistrict over 20 plus years.
(32:40):
We're going to let a rookiecome in here yesterday and just
take it and we not do anything.
That's not setting the examplefor the next generation, right.
And so I would say, ron, thatwould be one that we could
address with our congresspeopleby holding them accountable.
(33:01):
Almost 45, I want to say ashigh as 45% of that district is
us, Of that congressionaldistrict is us.
See, what they did was theysandwiched us in between two red
counties, nassau and Clay.
Speaker 3 (33:24):
No matter what our percentage is, though, we have
to actually go vote.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
You hit it right on the head.
We got to go vote.
But, more importantly, we haveto set up parameters where
there's a chance for us to winRight, just like with Corrine,
just like with Senator Wilson Imean Congresswoman Wilson down
there in Miami.
Speaker 3 (33:52):
Let's talk about building the bench, though.
If we have Congresswoman Brownfor decades, who was next?
Why could a rookie just come in?
We have Congresswoman Brown fordecades, right, who was next?
Why could a rookie just come inand snatch?
Speaker 2 (34:06):
the seat who was being groomed to be next?
But here's the thing though wecould have somebody groomed, but
if the numbers are not there,they're just not there, you
can't win.
Speaker 3 (34:16):
But who was groomed?
Who was groomed after her?
Speaker 2 (34:19):
Well, I'm pretty sure , and then we have to also keep
in check.
Was that Alvin Rand?
Alvin Rand, you got the girlthat runs every time, lj
Holloway.
So I mean we got, and now wegot prayerfully, we got.
What's the boy's name on thecouncil?
Speaker 3 (34:43):
Rockman Rockman Johnson.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
Rockman Johnson out there.
He's helping people, right.
So I mean it's a plethora ofpeople that we.
You got your boy on the schoolboard.
Speaker 3 (34:56):
Darryl, darryl, darryl.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
Willing Right, and then we got some other people on
the city council so we got Imean, it's not like we don't
have some people ready I mean interms of the bench, they woman
the bench.
But again, if we don't have anysegue of getting that seat,
which we have to change thosenumbers some, and so you done
(35:21):
running for staff of gettingthat seat which we have to
change those numbers up.
Speaker 3 (35:25):
Are you done?
Running for staff.
Speaker 2 (35:32):
I'm done.
I'm done.
I'm going to keep doing mything of connecting dots.
If people need some help and Ilike what they're doing, I'm
going to try to help them.
Speaker 3 (35:39):
What makes you done, what made you decide that?
Speaker 2 (35:42):
Well, I think that with the last help episode I had
, so I had to realize thatjumping on planes and doing all
that stuff they do, getting backand forth to Washington and all
that.
Now, ronnie, I want you to knowthat I'm not going back to the
Senate, not going back to theState Senate Not going back to
(36:03):
the State?
House.
They have term limits for areason.
Speaker 4 (36:07):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
In fact, every month they send me something in the
mail to remind me that I wasover there for 17 years.
Praise God, praise God, ronnie.
They send me something everymonth.
It comes in the mail with awindow, with a window in it.
Speaker 3 (36:26):
That's the right kind of envelope there, yeah, right.
Speaker 2 (36:29):
Well, since we're talking about technology, it
goes directly to the bank.
I get a direct deposit.
Hello somebody, oh man, thiscity, and we are going to
(37:04):
continue to do it and,prayerfully, that the people
that we're helping willappreciate it and that we just
continue to sound the alarm,because I'm telling you now, tia
, from a medical standpoint, ourcommunity is in intensive care
and the IV is running.
Speaker 4 (37:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (37:23):
I'm just saying, Ronnie, we are in intensive care
and the IV is running and letme drop this on you the enemy
sleeps in shifts.
While we sleep, they on anothershift, Ronnie.
Speaker 1 (37:38):
You know, senator Hill, one of the things, and it
was funny, I was talking withTia who was preparing for this
interview and I say now you knowSenator Hill going to get on
here and he going to drop a lotof good history on us, because
the brothers are walkingencyclopedia in our community
and I think that's such apowerful thing.
(37:58):
You know, we talked a littlebit in the beginning about oral
history and just passing downall this information, all of
this knowledge, and some of thatseems to get lost too.
And I don't disconnect thatfrom our ability to showcase our
power as a community and makechange, because sometimes I
(38:19):
don't feel we are as connectedas we need to be to our
ancestors and to our history.
What's your thoughts on that?
And just the importance of, Imean literally my, I know my
grandfather, I know thisneighborhood, I understand the
history of this community.
You know what is your opinionin terms of in terms of where we
(38:41):
came from to where we are goingand trying to connect the dots
for folks on that?
Speaker 2 (38:45):
Well, I would say to you that we are a powerful
people and we have to keepinstilling in that.
That's why I'm pulling so muchinto Cameron.
All right, stealing in that,that's why I'm pulling so much
into Cameron.
I pull that into him because heis reaching a segment of our
community, ie Gen C's rightMillennium Group.
(39:12):
He's there because, to behonest with you, ronnie, when
you meet him, he is to me a 50or 60 year old-old in a
17-year-old body.
That's to me because, I mean,he just fell down, charlie Chris
, when he met him, he couldn'tbelieve the guy and then, like,
(39:36):
for instance, when we getopportunities, like the book
club and all that, he had themfolks spellbound.
I mean, he had them spellbound,they were going around and I
had to tell Cameron.
I said now, cameron, when you'redoing these book engagements
and stuff, you got to tell thepeople you're going to take five
questions because you're notgoing to let them go around and
(39:58):
around, right, but he loves whathe's doing because you're not
going to let them go around andaround, right and so, but he
loves what he's doing, he's aconsummator of connecting people
with financial information andthat's what we need, because I
want to tell you right now.
I am just flown when I seepeople do go-me funds.
(40:26):
What in the world I mean?
All they had to do was take outa $20 or $30 a month life
insurance that would take careof it.
But check this out, tia it'stwo Cs that we have an argument
about at a funeral preparing forthe funeral.
Tell me, tia, what the two C'sare.
Speaker 3 (40:44):
Oh dear Lord, the C's would be cash.
Well, yeah, thank you, ronnie.
Speaker 2 (40:53):
Nope.
Speaker 3 (40:54):
Nope.
Speaker 2 (40:55):
Nope.
Ronnie, you can get in on it,ronnie, you can get in on it,
ronnie, you can get in on it.
Tell me what is the two C's weargue about at a funeral.
Speaker 3 (41:03):
I gave two options, both of them wrong what's the
other option?
I said which church or whetheror not to be cremated nope
neither one of those eithery'all ready?
I don't really like to give uplike that really.
Speaker 2 (41:19):
I'm going to just park here for a few moments.
In fact, I'm going to put up.
Speaker 3 (41:22):
I mean we can't.
I'm sorry listeners, but I'msaying that we gave a few C's at
the funeral or planning thefuneral.
Speaker 2 (41:30):
No, as they're preparing for a funeral.
Speaker 3 (41:31):
As they're preparing for the funeral they argue over.
I really don't know.
Okay, go ahead.
Speaker 2 (41:41):
Ronnie, I really don't know.
Okay, go ahead, ronnie, theyall go.
Who's going to bring thechicken and who's going to bring
the cake?
Speaker 3 (41:48):
I would have never come up with that.
I'm so glad Know when to holdthem, know when to fold them,
guys.
Speaker 1 (41:52):
Oh, my goodness.
Speaker 2 (41:55):
In other words, ronnie, nobody talk about who's
bringing the cash.
You got to pay for the funeral.
Yeah, you got to pay for thefuneral.
Yeah, you got to pay.
And then we'll get one of theselong nieces right that ain't
seen Big Mama in 30 years comeup there talking about we need
to get a limo, and we need toget this and we need to get that
.
And the question is, well, whogoing to pay for it?
(42:18):
And then she comes back and say, well, didn't Big Mama have a
policy?
What did you call and check andsee if she had a policy?
That's the thing, ronnie, thatmy village can get in.
We've got to get into thisfinancial piece because we're
underinsured.
We're underinsured, yeah yeah,we're underinsured.
(42:39):
Yeah yeah, we're underinsured,ronnie.
Speaker 3 (42:42):
Well, one thing I want everybody listening to know
about you, Senator Hill, is allthe names you called on here
today.
I'm not sure what kind of fairydust you have on you, but all
of them would say yes to all theideas.
I don't know how you do it.
Speaker 1 (43:06):
I don't know, have you ever told him no, right,
like how?
I'm not sure how this happens,but I mean but.
But at the same time, senatorhill, he, he gonna ask for the,
the things that's gonna push thecommunity forward.
You know?
Sometimes you'd be asking yeah,yeah, and sometimes he doesn't
ask.
Speaker 3 (43:19):
now a couple things I feel like I've done.
I think it was just now you'regoing to do this and then oh,
he'll volunteer you now for sure.
Speaker 1 (43:28):
Yeah, no, we're not about, but he's volunteering you
to do some good stuff, somegood stuff, that's right.
Speaker 2 (43:34):
So, tia, let me tell you about my Fred brother Uh-oh.
And tell you about my fratbrother Uh-oh.
And I got frat.
I got to learn this and nottake it as an offense.
Is that you call and you don'tget no answer, then you know
it's time to move on to somebodyelse, of connecting the dots,
(43:55):
and I can appreciate that.
I can appreciate that becauseI'm just one person and people
are grabbing at you and I haveto go back to my, my time, when
I was in the legislature.
I was just one person, peoplegrabbing it because, I mean,
people were coming to me and thefolks in the district didn't
even know.
I give, I give you an exampleLast week we honored Shelton
(44:18):
Chappelle, right.
Did you all see that I did not?
Ok.
Speaker 3 (44:22):
Last week we honored Shelton Chappelle Right.
Did y'all see that I did not?
Okay.
Speaker 2 (44:24):
Well, anyway, shelton Chappelle lived in Miami.
Now let me take you back for amoment.
Well, anyway, in 1963 or 64,his mother lost her wallet.
So she went back up there onKing's Road looking for it and
four white guys said we're goingto kill a nigger today.
(44:47):
And they shot her while she waslooking for the wallet.
So, shelton, down in Miami, hewas trying to.
He was like four months old atthat time.
Four or five months old she had10 kids, so five of the girls
that she had.
They went and stayed with theirrelatives, but the boys went to
(45:09):
the reform school.
Some of them went to Dozier, acouple of them went over there
on Jesse Street to the boys'home, a couple of them went over
there on Jesse Street to theboys' home.
And so Frederica, Wilson andLaCenia Bullitt down in Miami
(45:31):
they had turned him down aboutdoing something down in Miami,
which I could understand youknow she wasn't from that area
but he was real disappointed.
So La Sena called him and saidI heard what you're saying.
I know somebody in Jacksonvillewhere she lived, where you
lived.
I think he'll jump on it.
(45:52):
So next Monday I walk on thefloor.
She said come here.
I said okay.
She said we got a gentlemanthat is from Jacksonville named
Shelton Chappelle and he wantsto honor his mother.
I said okay.
I said tell him to call me.
He called me.
That's how that sign got on US1.
(46:12):
Okay, so fast forward, 20 plusyears.
Shelton at the city councilmeeting, talking.
So Rodman Johnson, you know,brought it up.
So Holland, who was aRepublican, heard it.
So he called Shelton up.
He said I want to come outthere and see what you're
talking about.
(46:32):
So he came out there andeverything looked, heard it.
So he called shouting up.
He said I want to come outthere and see what you're
talking about.
So he came out there andeverything looked at it.
He said I'll get back to you.
So he got back to him.
Now we have a memorial overthere in front of that community
center there on US 1, writingall about his mom and everything
in there.
(46:53):
They're on US 1, writing allabout his mom and everything in
there.
But that's again.
(47:15):
What I'm saying, ronnie, isthat you have a powerful
organization, ie civicengagement or some other forms
of connecting people.
But I would tell you that thepodcast is perfect timing, it's
right on time and I just want toapplaud y'all for what you're
doing and thank you for thinkingof me.
Speaker 3 (47:37):
No, we're happy you're here.
I have teased Ronnie that hedoes the podcast, so we do this
part together interviewingpeople.
But then he has a couplesegments where he just talks by
himself and I said I think hedoes these podcasts now.
So when people call like hedoes, I say so, you're not going
to talk to us anymore Now,you're just going to make us
listen to the podcast.
(48:00):
He'll like pull back and tellus to listen to the podcast.
But I agree, I think one thingthat I share about Ron is like
laser focus on where he wants tosee my village going is.
I've had the same frustrationsin early on and like, oh, why
don't we do this?
(48:20):
Why don't we talk about voting?
Why don't we share this?
Why don't we share that?
But what I've grown toappreciate is this laser focus
on just moving us ahead togetherand not getting distracted with
great things but there aregreat people to do those great
things also and having to havingto kind of keep his eyes
(48:45):
straight toward, you know, thatoriginal goal or vision, yeah.
Speaker 1 (48:50):
Yeah, and I think you know it's one of those things
where it's always so much youknow to do.
I mean that's part of theproblem.
I mean there's so manyopportunities to help.
I think the one thing I alwaysfeel like is missing in our
community is a sense of, like,true ownership and autonomy.
(49:12):
And so what I mean by that iswe need to fight for what's
right, we need to continue toadvocate, but I at least
envision a time where we don'teven have to fight for justice.
If something was wrong in ourcommunity, then we just go and
fix it.
We got the resources to go andfix it.
(49:32):
We got the power.
We just go and fix it.
We got the resources to go andfix it.
We got the power structure togo and fix it.
We got the autonomy to do whatwe need to do.
And so I think, to a certaindegree, there has to be some
movement in that direction, in away to make sure that we have
the infrastructure that we needand still, you know, do all
(49:52):
these other things at the sametime, or at least help those
that are doing those things,whether it's voting, health,
financial literacy, education,so on and so forth.
But we absolutely need to startputting together a system where
, hey, look, you know, we gotour own billions and billions of
dollars.
If we want to go correct thisand fix that, yeah, we got the
(50:13):
infrastructure to do it.
So, no, I definitely receivedthat and you know, we will
absolutely continue to try to doour best to try to bring folks
together and move the communityforward.
But yeah, I think that's reallykind of the main focus when I
think about it sometimes is justcreating that, that structure,
that infrastructure.
(50:34):
Because what my dream is thatSenator Hill calls me and says,
hey, ronnie, what we need, weneed a, we need a school over
here, right here and that, andwe just go and build that school
right there.
We need to revisit, redo thislibrary, we need to, we need to
do these things.
Unfortunately, I feel like wehave to keep fighting, and if we
have to keep marching andfighting, then I feel like
(50:58):
sometimes we don't have thepower that we need Right.
Speaker 2 (51:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (51:03):
I think these conversations have been helpful,
though, because there's so muchrich history and we have so
many people who have done suchgreat things, and now we're
walking into the age of AI andtechnology and just different
ways of doing things and tryingto bridge the gap of
communication One to the otherthat we really do all want the
(51:26):
same things, and the route toget there might feel a little
different in this age, but Ithink it has to.
But I think it has to.
I think it has to right now,because if we do the same things
, I think we'll continue to gettrampled over, if that makes any
sense.
So we're figuring it out onepiece at a time, but I am going
to give you an award today,senator Hill, because last day
(51:50):
of Black History Month thatwe're talking to you and you are
actually the originator of theScratch Work EDU interview
portion of the podcast, becauseI never knew that that's how
Ronnie ended up on the libraryboard.
Speaker 2 (52:06):
But, that is how I ended up meeting Ronnie on the
library board.
Speaker 3 (52:10):
Wow the liaison to the school district.
Speaker 2 (52:13):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (52:13):
Apparently you have your intentional connecting the
dots and the unintentionalconnecting the dots, because now
I wouldn't be on the podcastwithout a library board, I
assume.
Speaker 1 (52:24):
Right.
Speaker 3 (52:25):
And you did that too.
Speaker 1 (52:27):
So today, and now and now.
T is on that same library board.
T is on the library board now.
Speaker 3 (52:31):
So I started as the liaison and now I'm serving.
My first term doesn't end until29, and then the second term
begins.
Speaker 2 (52:38):
Okay, well, ronnie, tell her to look out, because
I'll come with her withsomething there.
Let me say this to you, tia, letme say this to you.
Let me say this to you.
Let me say this to you that wehave a sister that her name, in
(52:59):
her mother's honor, is at themain library on the third floor.
Is that right, ronnie?
Yep, absolutely Okay.
And she spent her weekends andeverything up there at the
library and so she put her ownmoney up.
Tell you, she put her own moneyup.
(53:21):
Ask Ronnie there.
They didn't give her nothing.
She put money up and I said tomyself I said Marsha, what did
it cost for you to put the namelike that?
Because I had never been up onthat floor.
And she told me she said blank,blank something.
And I said have they everhonored you for that?
(53:44):
She said no.
I said okay, let me see, can I?
Speaker 4 (53:49):
rectify that.
Speaker 2 (53:50):
So I called Ronnie and Ronnie called the foundation
people and we had a receptionup there.
I still got the pictures.
That's not what I'm saying weare connecting dots for people.
Speaker 4 (54:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (54:02):
Right, and what's funny is when Dr Green got her
name on the wall, marsha grabbedme by the hand and took me over
to where her mother, where thenames were.
So now I'm connecting thepieces based on this story that
we went over and sat on the justsat over there and watched that
.
Yeah, you're right, everylittle bit counts.
(54:22):
So we kind of like to throwsomething inspirational in here
for the listeners.
At the end of the day,sometimes you feel like you may
not be doing much, but sharingand some information with a
friend about something good thatyou know or something that
should be happening, or just alittle seed you can plant with
somebody else.
Do it because senator tony hillhas done it before he got into
(54:44):
politics and will do it comeuntil I'm sure he'd be up there
telling the angels what to doand who to call and how to get
with the people.
Speaker 2 (54:55):
Don't rush it now.
Don't rush it.
No, I'm not rushing it.
Speaker 3 (54:57):
No, I'm just saying.
I started to say until yourlast date.
I'm like he's going to be doingit past then.
Speaker 1 (55:04):
Don't rush it.
Speaker 3 (55:05):
But we'll make sure that that's it.
Speaker 1 (55:06):
I'll tell you what, though.
Senator, we appreciate youcoming on the podcast today, but
I know every time I see you nowyou got on a new piece of Omega
Sci-Fi gear.
Now I've been eyeing you forprobably about a couple decades.
I want to start coming overthere.
I want some of that good gearyou got over there.
You got a lot of.
I know you can't wear all themhats and t-shirts.
(55:28):
You got over there, so I'mgoing to come, start grabbing
some.
Speaker 2 (55:33):
I want to say to you, ronnie, go ahead and purchase a
table for the Centennial.
Speaker 1 (55:42):
Oh yeah, You're right Okay.
Speaker 2 (55:45):
Your shoe is going to be one of the five they honor,
as you should I love that.
I want to say Nat Glover.
Okay, that would make sense.
Yeah, another one of thebrothers.
I had the program, but yeah,the Grand Basil is coming, love
(56:09):
it, coming all the way from LosAngeles.
Speaker 1 (56:12):
Love it.
Speaker 3 (56:13):
All right, look at that, you know, ronnie this
means you got to buy your ownshirts.
Speaker 2 (56:19):
Right.
Speaker 1 (56:21):
I know you tried to deflect a little bit.
I'm still going to get thoseshirts.
Yeah well, I can get your shirt, that's no problem.
Speaker 4 (56:27):
That's no problem.
Speaker 2 (56:29):
I got bags and everything.
Tia, I got bags and everything.
When we used to do theleadership stuff at the Capitol.
We'd buy the bags and all thatkind of stuff.
So we got, we got, we have that, and.
But here's what I want to sayto y'all, though Tia, we got a
sister that is president ofDuval Teachers United.
(56:51):
That is president of DuvalTeachers United, and she's the
first African-American presidentof that union, and I want you
to reach out to Tammy.
Speaker 3 (57:03):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (57:04):
I want you to reach out to Tammy.
We need you on the podcastbecause Tammy is a a chartered
member of Delta Sigma Theta atJU.
Speaker 3 (57:14):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (57:15):
At JU.
Ronnie, I'm just talking aboutwhat I'm talking about.
I ain't talking about nobody,I'm just talking about what I'm
talking about, yeah yeah.
But she is very impressive toyou and she needs that support
right now.
Okay, she needs it.
We need to let the otherteachers know that she's
somebody in this city, Ronnie,please tell her.
(57:37):
Don't forget Cameron.
Please don't forget Cameron,Marsha.
Speaker 3 (57:40):
Let me put Cameron on here too.
Speaker 2 (57:42):
Put Cameron on there.
Love it, love it.
Speaker 3 (57:45):
We have interviewed you and come out with a list.
Speaker 1 (57:52):
In true fashion.
Speaker 3 (57:53):
We would have it no other way.
What can I say?
What can I?
Speaker 2 (57:56):
say what can I say?
What can I say?
Speaker 3 (58:00):
We appreciate you so much, absolutely, especially
after traveling to hop on withus.
Speaker 2 (58:06):
Yeah, I was up this morning at.
I left their house at fivetoday Six o'clock your time, so
six o'clock our time, so five.
I was up and then headed to theairport and then flew into
Charlotte and Charlotte intoJacksonville.
Also, ronnie, I want y'all tothink about it, we got a brother
that's a three-star retiredgeneral from the Marine Corps,
(58:30):
grew up in St Augustine and heis now over a national
apprenticeship program With theIBEW.
And what we're finding out,ronnie, is that a lot of our Gen
C folks, they just don't wantto be straddled with a debt
(58:51):
coming out of college.
So we're offering now anapprenticeship program and in
that apprenticeship program,ronnie and Tia, you will get
paid, you'll go to school atnight and if you stay in there,
in four years you will have anequivalent of a college degree,
(59:12):
an electrician, and they'remaking over six figures without
any debt, no debt.
Speaker 3 (59:20):
No debt, you can't beat it.
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (59:23):
I'd love to get him to come on to talk about it,
because I'm pretty sure you havesome young people looking at
the podcast.
If they're interested inapprenticeship programs, we can
connect them Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (59:36):
Absolutely Sounds good.
Speaker 2 (59:38):
Thank you all for the opportunity.
Speaker 4 (59:40):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (59:41):
You enjoyed being here.
Speaker 1 (59:43):
We'll talk soon.
Take care Proof Thank you.
Speaker 4 (59:52):
I like to be educated , but I'm so frustrated.
Hello to my loneliness.
I guess that endurance is bliss.
Take me back to before the noonRewind.
Take it out of cue.
Innocence can be a human's game.
Signed up for the hall of shame.
(01:00:13):
I wish I knew how much I missednot knowing that we're all
screwed when we play our rolesand ignore the problems.
(01:00:34):
I like to be away and morepatient.
Stay up.
I feel so outdated.
How can we look the other way?
(01:00:55):
Sun is out, but the sky is gray.
What would happen if I took achance?
It's always hard at firstglance.
I don't wanna, but I know Igotta do it.
The truth is hard to swallow.
I think I'll chew it.
I wish I knew how much I missed, not knowing that we're all
(01:01:44):
screwed when we play our rolesand you're the problem.
I wish I knew when we play ourroles and ignore the problems.
I wish I knew how much I missnot knowing that we're all
(01:02:12):
screwed when we play our rolesand ignore the problems.
I wish I knew.
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