In this episode, Omar Calvillo welcomes Gilbert Morales and Ronnie Carrasquillo to discuss the launch of their new podcast and non-profit organization, "Unshackled Building Bridges." Gilbert and Ronnie share their personal journeys through trauma, incarceration, and eventual redemption. The episode covers their vision for helping individuals and families affected by violence and incarceration, as well as their determination to highlight stories of struggle, strength, and faith. The conversation emphasizes the importance of love, community support, and finding purpose in helping others. Tune in to hear how lives are being transformed one story at a time.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Ronnie (00:00):
what we're gonna do, we already have listings of
(00:02):
volunteers on standby, waitingfrom whatever they do, whatever
their business is.
And then we'll be bringing themin.
We have students to come in andspeak.
We have different churches tocome in and and speak.
We have different personalpeople to come in and speak.
Women that were traumatized byjust going to visit the prison.
What was those experiences?
(00:23):
We're gonna bring in familymembers who have lost family
members.
We're gonna bring in, uh, manyvictims of people from violence
that cause trauma to theirfamilies so we have a
diversified.
Agenda of different topics ofpeople to let them tell their
stories of what they're goingthrough, and we're just gonna be
(00:43):
the medium for them to gethighlighted.
So this is what we're doing inthis Unshackled Building
Bridges" we're talking aboutpolitical agents, minister
agents, incarcerated impactedpeople, the agencies nonprofit
trying to get these people outof prison.
Wives who their husbands arestill in prison with Natural
Life, we're gonna bring allthese different people in to let
(01:05):
it out.
Let it out, so this is whatwe're looking for.
So, like it says, buildingbridges one screw at a time, one
piece of metal at a time, butthat's a metaphor.
But in our case it's one personat a time.
(01:33):
From the city of Chicago, a citymost recently known for its
crime and violence.
On this podcast, we will besharing stories of redemption
from individuals raised in thetough streets of Chicago and
from around the country.
Some of them were gang members,drug dealers, incarcerated
victims, and perpetrators ofviolence.
(01:54):
Listen to my guests as theyshare their experiences,
struggles, trauma, but also thestrength, hope, faith and
perseverance, these havedeveloped in them to keep
pushing and moving forward inlife.
Tune in to hear how their liveshave gone from darkness to light
and from wrong to strong.
Omar (02:14):
of Wrong to Strong Chicago.
I'm your host.
My name's Omar Calvio, andtonight I'm out here on the
north side.
I believe we're in HumboldtPark.
It's my first time driving outhere, to be honest, you know,
born and raised in the southside, so I'm in unfamiliar
territory, but I hear with mybrother, uh, Gilbert and Ronnie.
Uh, and, um, these brothers aregetting ready to, uh, to launch,
uh, their own podcast onshackled building bridges.
(02:36):
You can see the, the logo and,and the background there.
Uh, but I'm just glad that youknow that they invited me out
here.
So welcome to the podcastbrothers.
Gilbert (02:45):
Amen.
Thank you.
Thank you Omar, for having us.
Uh, my name is, thank you Omar,for having us.
My name is Gilbert to Moralesand, uh, I'm here to share what
we're gonna do, what we'reabout, and what our vision is.
And, um,
Ronnie (03:05):
my name is Ronnie Carillo.
We are launching a podcast thatis going to, uh.
Allow people to release traumasthat are held within them.
They're able to come and speakand, uh, get advices.
And because we are Gilbert, bothGilbert and myself and even Omar
(03:29):
are people that, uh, camethrough traumas.
We're survivors of traumas.
We know what trauma looks like.
We know the wrongful effects ofit.
We know what incarcerations looklike, this.
Uh, podcast is gonna relate toso many different diversified,
um, things that ao people insociety.
And our, our vision is to upliftpeople and bring in
(03:53):
transformation that they can,uh, let these things go and find
a rationale through.
Uh, through our speaking and inthemselves to, uh, rebuild
themselves to, to deconstructthe, the things they've been in
life, to reconstruct their livesin a better manner, to, uh, have
spiritual foundations andblessings and, and walk and
(04:14):
having, uh, uh, hope and, uh,joy.
The basic thing is joy.
The, and, um, joy is a medicineto the heart.
So this is what we willaccomplish.
Omar (04:23):
Hey, man, man, note that, that, thanks for sharing that
and the, the vision and the, themission that you guys have
behind this podcast.
Uh, you know what, um, I knowwe're doing this, this interview
here, basically to promote what,what, what they're gonna launch.
So, man, I would love one day toactually have times I, I know
both of these brothers haveamazing testimonies and stories.
Uh, but you know what, like forfor the listeners, maybe give'em
(04:44):
a, maybe a short, uh, version ofyour story.
That way they know.
You know, a about the host ofthis podcast, you know, so maybe
a little bit of your story.
That way when you guys actuallydo the, the podcast, they know
the reason behind why you'redoing what you're doing.
So maybe, you know, take as longas you want, share like what
something about your life.
You know what I'm saying?
Gilbert (05:03):
Okay.
So I, I was born and raised herein, well, I was born in Puerto
Rico, but I came here at a veryearly age and I was.
I raised here in Chicago and,you know, uh, being in a gang or
being around a group since I wassix years old, since I came
here, you know, didn't know whatthe kids were speaking.
(05:23):
They were speaking all I knewthey were speaking something,
but it was probably English atthe time.
But I didn't understand it, youknow?
But, you know, as I come to knowthese kids, they, they, they,
some bad little kids, man.
And I started learning some badlittle things.
At six years old, I already knewhow beer, I knew what a beer
was.
I knew what a cigarette was.
Not that I had to have it, but Itasted it.
(05:45):
By the time I was eight yearsold, I was already smoking
cigarettes, man.
And I was hanging aroundHumboldt Park, you know, with
another group, you know, and wecalled ourselves the Le Moine
Street Delinquents grew up, youknow, and then after that.
I met up with another grouparound Humboldt Park before I
met up with Ronnie here, youknow, in my life, you know,
always been in shambles, alwaysbeen, you know, making the
(06:08):
family, family suffer.
Uh, you know, I couldn't keep ajob.
I, you know, alcohol wasn't aproblem.
I had drug problems, you know,alcohol was nothing, you know,
and then I stay up all night.
I come home, I.
A lot of things that were justnot right.
You know, and coming in andoutta jail and being in jail,
(06:32):
you know, and, and being adifferent person in jail, you
know?
'cause when you're in jail, youknow, mindset straightens out
and you're thinking about what'sgoing on out here, your family
out here, you, the kids, youleft, whatever.
Then when you come out, you findeverything in shamble.
Everybody's in disorder, andlike, you got your life in order
now.
So you're trying not to get backin that web.
(06:53):
But somehow you get caught backin it.
That was my life story.
So, you know, I want repeatedoffender.
So, you know, I was looking atlife in prison.
If I go and I do one more crime,you know, and, and then, you
know, another thing, you know, Igo to jail.
You know, I had a bad reputationin jail, you know, had a bad
reputation out here, you know,but, you know, that wasn't, that
(07:15):
wasn't working for me, you know?
And.
I, I knew that it was a routineand I was doing the same thing
over and over again, and it feltlike insanity, like I was
getting the same results, youknow what I'm saying?
And it's insane to get the sameresults and try to do the same
thing over again.
So I saw the pattern and youknow, right.
At a late age, I said, man, I'mgonna wind down in jail.
(07:39):
I'm going to get locked up forlife, you know?
And I said, I can't do that.
I can't have that.
So I gave my life to the Lordand a lot of people thought I
couldn't do it.
A lot of people say, you know,you can't do it.
You know you gotta go the sameway.
You know, like you go up ondrugs or whatever, you know?
'cause I was on a programmethadone, I was on 220
milligrams of methadone.
(07:59):
So he said, same way you went upto get up to 220, you gotta come
down slowly before you get offthis program.
He said, no, watch me, watch me.
God's gonna do it.
And I did it.
I got off it, and all a sudden Iget hit with cirrhosis of the
liver, you know?
And I'm like, God, now that Icome to you, this is what
happened.
But then I thought, you knowwhat?
I just deserve it.
(08:19):
I deserve it because all my lifeI just been, you know, in gangs,
fighting, you know, uh, dealingdrugs, uh, getting over on
people, doing different things,you know, it was a miracle.
I was still alive, you know?
And, uh, so I, I asked God, man,you know what, God, if you gonna
take me, you know, go ahead andtake me.
(08:39):
But, you know, I, I appreciateit.
You know, you've given me atleast one last chance to be near
you, to get to know you, andyou're not chasing me away.
You know, but, you know, so Istarted taking all the
responsibility.
I started believing thatcirrhosis went away.
I don't know how, but the Lorddid it.
(09:00):
Know, know what I'm saying?
And before that, I had, I had afew encounters, you know, with
spirituality and that, that,that straightened everything for
me.
You know, that made everything.
Right.
'cause I, I know there's a realGod.
I know there's a guy, you know,I know it.
I don't believe it.
I know there's a God.
So, you know, I felt that hisstrength was gonna help me pull
(09:23):
through, which it did.
Next thing you know, we talkabout, about 25 years ago
almost.
And then the Lord all gives me awife, a brand new wife, you
know, a new family, you know,then you know a kid.
And I'm like, wow.
You know?
And now, now I say, I don't wanta kid because.
I couldn't live with the otherresponsibilities before now, but
(09:46):
now the Lord said, I'm givingyou this kid'cause he's gonna
force that responsibility on me.
So I learned how to becomeresponsible because now I got a
family and things are startingto happen to me, but I was
afraid to come back out to theworld because I knew that if I
hang around with the same peoplethat I'm hanging around with,
that I was doing, I was gonna godown again.
So I didn't want to go downagain.
(10:06):
So I stopped hanging around withpeople and I kept to myself and
everything but.
You know, I kept growing.
I kept growing in the Lord,stayed in the church, kept
growing at, at, at the work.
You know, I started from thebottom up at work.
I was already high up there, youknow, and, and everybody has
their turn, you know, cameretirement time to retire.
(10:26):
And then my buddy gets out, man,me and Ronnie go back a long
way.
Uh, we go back more than 50years, you know, and, and we got
before, you know, he's beenlocked up for a long time.
A lot of people know that.
And, and, you know, I stuck, Istuck by him with phone calls,
with encouragement, withwhatever I can because I knew
(10:47):
what it's like to be in there,you know?
And not just that, you know,the, a long time ago, you know,
when I, when Ronnie first gotlocked up, things could've been
different for me.
'cause I went over there andtold him who you want me to take
care of?
You know, think I was bad andeverything, you know.
And Ryan look at me and say, Iwant you to go take care of your
family.
Those are my friends.
I want you to, you know, how canI do something to my friends?
(11:09):
Even though they were telling onhim and everything.
And when he told me that I felthurt'cause I wanted to be big
and bad and I wanted to show my,my stripes, you know?
But then that stood in my mind,man, you know, dude got a heart
man.
Dude's got a heart man.
And so, you know, we bondedright there, man.
We bonded in a special way, youknow?
'cause I wouldn't try to takecare of my family.
It didn't work out.
(11:30):
But, you know, we, we kept intouch.
We kept in touch.
And now, you know, he came outand, and, you know, he's helped
me, you know, to take that fearof going back to the people that
I tried to run away from thatwere just like me at one time.
You know?
And you know, I'm alreadyinvolved with the Lord.
So when that fear went away, nowI want to help.
(11:50):
Now I wanna do something.
You know, now, you know, I, youknow, I missed a lot of
opportunities because of mybackground.
And there's a lot of things thatare that, that we feel that we
can't do because of this,because of that.
And it's all a lie, man.
'cause nothing's impossible.
Nothing's possible for us.
Nothing's possible for the Lord,man.
You know?
And right now, you know, I canjust lay back and stay happy.
(12:13):
I'm good.
But, you know, I wanna make adifference.
I wanna make a difference.
You know, there's, there's a lotof people out there that are
suffering.
There's a lot of people outthere that, that are hurting,
you know, that, that they'velived through family members
being traumatized, you know,whether it was through fights in
their own family or gettinglocked up, you know.
(12:34):
But we come from the, from thestreets, you know, and then we
learn a different language as weget older and we get more
educated.
But you know, when, when pushcomes to shove, we only know one
language, man.
And you know, I wanna helpsomebody.
I wanna help somebody.
If it's one person, you can'tput a price on helping one
person.
You know?
You cannot put a price on it.
And my goal is to help someone,you know, and everything that
(12:56):
we're doing right now, this isus, man.
This is no one else.
This is us, man.
And we're not thinking aboutwhat we're putting in or what
we're gonna get back or nothing.
All we wanna get back, we'reworking with a currency of love.
Mm-hmm.
You know, and that's what we'repaying with and that's what
we're gonna get paid with love,you know?
And that's, that's just about myshort, kind of long, but
Omar (13:18):
you know what I, I, I.
That, uh, what you said aboutlove, it reminded me of a
scripture.
It says, uh, let no debt remainoutstanding except the depth of
love.
Amen.
That, that's, that's a debt thatwe're never gonna finish paying.
That's right.
You know what I'm saying?
cause the greatest love wasgiven to us, you know, when
Jesus laid his life from thecross for us.
Right.
Amen.
And that's, man, that's howthough, you know, that's got,
(13:39):
the Father showed his love whenhe sent them for us.
But man, thanks for sharingthat, and that, that explains
why I, uh, you have that desire.
To give back to help.
And man, you know, you, you saidyou were retired, but man,
you're, they brought you out toretirement and put you back to
work.
I'm
Gilbert (13:54):
ready to go to sleep.
Omar (13:56):
Hopefully not permanently.
Not
Gilbert (13:57):
yet, bro.
No, man, we, you know, we need,we got a lot of people that are
older, you know, because, youknow, a lot of times we think
about the young generation.
Yeah, we need to look out forthe young generation'cause
that's our future.
But a lot of these old folks,man, that you guys know, you
know, whether it's your uncle orsomething, whatever, man.
Man, they're, they're locked upin their house, in their
(14:17):
bedroom.
Man, y'all need to take'em out,man.
Take'em on a, on an a exclusion.
Take'em to the boat.
Take'em to, to the park.
Do something with them.
Man.
These people are locked up intheir house, man.
And they need to get out.
Man.
You know, I was kind of lockedup and even though I have family
and everything, man, but it islike home, home, home, man.
You never get out your comfortzone.
You know?
You need to come out of thatcomfort zone and we need to take
(14:39):
those people out of that comfortzone, you know, especially
people that are incarcerated.
Impacted Okay.
That are older.
They're, they, they're reallystuck'cause they don't even know
about technology.
You know, technology is so hardfor them, you know, and, and
people don't think about thatbecause I know about that.
'cause uh, I've dealt with a fewpeople that are incarcerated,
(15:02):
impacted, you know, and they'vebeen locked up for a long time.
You know, one of'em being myfriend here, you know, and I see
how hard it is for them to.
Really grasp, you know, it's notthat they're not smart or
nothing, it's just thetechnology's so weird, man.
You know?
And, and if you're not savvy onthis stuff every day, every day,
you know, for them to come outjust like that and grab it, it's
not that easy.
And sometimes we need tounderstand that and not hold it
(15:24):
like, uh, like if they had ahandicap, you know what I'm
saying?
But show like, like, just likewhen you want to pick somebody
up, you know, you wanna liftthem up.
That's, that's kind of somethinglike that.
cause you need to lift them upin that area.
And we don't understand thatyet.
'cause this is all new to us, orthis is new to me.
Omar (15:43):
Yeah.
You know, I know that, that,that Thanks for sharing that.
That's a definitely another waythat, that, that we, we could
help, you know what I'm saying?
Yeah.
And, and in that way.
But, uh, and I'm gonna throw itover to, to Ronnie.
I, man, I had the opportunity togo to Kewanee.
And, uh, for you guys to watchthis.
We did about six interviews.
Only five were released.
Uh, but we went out there andRonnie was able to share a
little bit about his story, andI would definitely encourage you
(16:06):
guys go check out thedocumentary.
In their hands.
I believe it's on pbs.org.
You guys go there.
Uh, the, uh, um, look for it intheir hands.
And basically it's this livestory.
Uh, but Ronnie, you, you wannagive'em maybe a, a brief bio of,
of who you are and theneventually why, why, why you're
doing what, what you're doing tothrough this, uh, uh, podcast.
Ronnie (16:27):
My life story, uh, to make it brief, I'm gonna try to
make it brief, is comes from,uh, uh, watching.
Civil unrest, racial tensions.
I grew up, uh, during the riotsof Humboldt Park.
I grew up, uh, during the, uh,assassination of Martin Luther
King of the burning of the cityof Chicago.
(16:49):
I watched all these, uh,turmoils come into the
neighborhoods, so I engaged inthat a at a young age, uh,
marching, uh, for differentgroups, marching for education,
marching for better jobs.
And you're a kid, you don't knowwhat you're doing.
You're just doing what peerpressure gets you to do.
So you engage, you, you fall outinto the, into the street, you
(17:12):
get engaged in the street life.
I come from a dysfunctionalhome, single parent home, uh,
that leaves you, uh, less ineducation.
You're not being, uh, taught.
So coming from that point ofview, you get deeper engaged
into the, the street life ofwhat's going on.
So you think more of yourfriends than.
(17:33):
You know, you just, uh, love'emto, to the point where you'll
even fight your parents.
That your friends are moreimportant to your parents,
almost like a young kid gettinginvolved with a girl.
You, you'll fight for the, youknow, for your own parents.
I love her more, you know, soanyway, coming from that
environment, um, you see so muchviolence.
I grew up in the, the commonthing all the time was race and
(17:55):
violence and gangs.
Just constantly, I've been avictim before.
Uh, many times, uh, the bulletsdidn't kill me.
The knives didn't kill me, theassaults didn't kill me, and it
led me to a violent area.
And in that, and through thatviolence, I landed myself at 18
years old in a prison system.
(18:15):
I spent 47 years in theDepartment of Corrections and
recognized while I was in theprison system.
I can tell automatically who.
Uh, came from broken homes.
You could watch people'sdemeanor and who went to
Catholic schools, who went topublic schools, and you had to
be, you had to discern spiritsall the time of who was, uh,
(18:37):
ready to do something wrong thatcan affect you.
So we became, in a sense, the,the people that were enemies.
We became experts at becomingfriends, even though we were
enemies as kids in the street,what society wanted us to be, we
changed that concept.
So that's why I come up withthe.
A phrase that we had todeconstruct, that we had to
eliminate that part of our, apart of our character.
(19:00):
We had to let that go.
So we became, while I was in theprison system, we became
builders of other men.
We would find out who couldn'tread, who couldn't write, who
had second grade education,third grade education, and we
would uplift them as we had totrain ourselves to continuously
educate, uh, to be able to havesomething to pass down to the
(19:21):
next man.
So we spent, I spent 47 yearsdoing that.
So this program that we'redoing, unshackled building
bridges, is unshackling.
The, the things that people holdonto that, like Gilbert spoke
about, there are people that goto prison and come home and
programs don't help'em.
So they lock themselves up intheir houses and they're in
(19:42):
another kind of prison.
So they never were able to, uh,get that relief and get that
release.
They're still in prison in oneway or another.
So you find people with, uh,alcohol addictions, tobacco
addictions, um, uh, marital andmarital addictions, divorce,
addictions, all these peoplethat I came home to, all these
(20:03):
different, um, hates that peoplehave.
So we had to preach and teachand believe and love.
Like Gilbert said, the currencythat we operate is in, in love.
We've seen so much violence.
We've been part of so muchviolence.
So we didn't wanna tap into thatand continuously use that in our
lives.
So we be, we became crediblemessengers in what we were
(20:24):
speaking.
We're able to, throughUnshackle, uh, building bridges,
we're able to call people in andtalk to people.
We're gonna bring them on thepodcast to, uh, let release come
in, let release, come throughtheir life, because we know what
it is to stay in that, in thatarena.
And as Gilbert spoke about him,um.
(20:45):
God giving him a revelation tohelp people.
That's what we feel it's about.
And we're not, uh, pushing Godon nobody.
And there's a lot of peoplethat, that are so traumatized.
They don't want to hear God.
They don't want to believethere's God.
So that's their prerogative todo.
So that's, that's, uh, on themto do so.
So this is the purpose of usdoing the unshackle, building
(21:06):
bridges to, uh, bring thesepeople out of the houses.
We go to a lot of places tospeak.
So we're, uh, networking withpeople, young students that.
Are looking for internships indifferent places.
So because we're elder and weknow people, we try to, uh,
attach people to other people tohelp them build and reach the
plateaus they're trying to be.
(21:26):
So whether it's in journalism,whether it's being in law
enforcement, uh, whether it'sbeing a, uh, an attorney, we're,
we're, we're diversified inthat, in that way.
So this is what we do, uh, buildpeople.
This is what it's all about.
Building people.
It took us.
A long time to build ourselvesin a different manner so we have
(21:49):
the, uh, credibility to do so.
Um, it's a, it is a beautifulthing to see when somebody you
are working with finally, uh,says, oh, I understand now, and
they have a differentunderstanding.
So, and this as a teacherstandpoint, you have a lot of
people that wanna teach and alot of people wanna pass down.
(22:09):
Knowledge is, and sometimes, uh,they, they can't give their
knowledge away.
They have the skills, but theycan't give their knowledge away.
But because of the things thatwe experienced in our, in our
lifetime, we learn patience.
We learn humility.
We learn that if a person don'tget it the first time, we don't
discard him.
And we don't, um, what's theword?
(22:32):
We don't, um.
Uh, blame or we don't pointfingers or we don't judge
because we have been judged andwe have been fingers pointed at,
we have been marginalizing.
And people say, you're nevergonna change from this, so
you're always gonna stayincarcerated.
So the mountains that we climbedand the mountains that have been
removed out of our lives, we'renow able to help others.
(22:56):
To, uh, uh, receive that sameblessing and have that hope
everything is on based on thathope.
So, if you don't have the hope,we've seen people without hope
and, um, it's, it's not a goodscene.
And so this is what we worktowards.
This is what this unshackledbuilding bridges is gonna be all
about, man.
(23:16):
Uh, unifying people, upliftingthe people, letting people tell
their stories.
Everybody has a story.
Everybody has a story.
Where they came from, and wedon't know whether it was five
years old or somebody was threeyears old, or somebody was 20
years old when they lock intocertain traumas and it, and
we're willing.
(23:37):
We in the unshackled buildingbridges, podcasting, we're
willing to go that far in.
We're willing to go with thatperson that far back.
We're willing to go, if peoplecan't read and write to the
second grade, to the thirdgrade, we're willing to go help
'em that far to, uh, restart theclock and bring them up to par
(23:57):
as Gilbert said.
Uh.
It.
A lot of people are mocked whocome from the world, the, the
prison system because they comehome after many decades and
can't compete in the, in thecomputer world.
So it is like you're training akindergartner and a lot of
people do not wanna take thetime after they come from home
(24:18):
from work, and you can't blame'em.
People work eight hours a day,10 hours a day, they don't want
to take the time, or they don'thave the time, or they're tired
or exhausted to now take a grownadult.
And try to teach them the basicsof electronics, uh, uh, these,
these computer system, thecameras and the digital
technical era.
(24:38):
So.
Uh, this is what this is allabout, to find help where people
need the help at, and redirectthe people to get that help in
them arenas.
Omar (24:47):
Hey.
Amen.
Amen.
Th th uh, thanks for sharing allthat.
Now, I was gonna ask you a, areal quick, the, that name.
When did, did you get that nameand that the division, like
when, when did you know, like,man, we're, we're gonna start a
podcast and this is what it'sgonna be about.
Was it like in prison still?
Were you like.
Writing down some dreams, somegoals.
(25:08):
How, uh, maybe talk about when,when, when you received that
vision and then, and then thename, where, where'd you get the
name?
You know,
Ronnie (25:15):
Gilbert was, we were starting, at first I had this
program labeled Hub, uh, help usbuild Foundation.
So as we were getting ready towork with that, and I've been
using that name forapproximately 10 years.
So Gilbert started coming upwith.
Different names, and he keptsaying, we have to come up with
a name that fits what we wentthrough.
(25:37):
And I, and we went, I forgot allthe words that he came up with,
but he came up with a lot ofthem.
And we landed on one thing thatin his life and in my life, it,
we, we revolved around lettinggo of that spirit that we had
that caused us trauma.
So the word that fit the bestwas we took that chain off.
(25:59):
We were, we were unshackled.
So, um, the Bible says inHebrews 13, three to be sh uh,
shackled to the prisoner as ifyou're in prison yourself.
And when I remember that word, Isaid, Gilbert, the word we're
looking for is unshackled.
We're free.
So then, and then what are wedoing?
Because we're un free.
What are we doing with thatfreedom?
(26:20):
And we were saying we werehelping people build.
We didn't let the building wordgo.
So we're saying we're helpingpeople build, which we do,
whether it's.
Cutting people's grass, whetherit's painting people's houses,
whether it's fixing theirfurniture, um, whatever we do,
whether it's, uh, counselingthem, coaching them, whether
it's taking them, like he'sGilbert said, taking'em outta
(26:42):
their house on field trips youcould call it.
Uh, whether it's getting themhelp with attorneys.
Uh, our knowledge of what wewent through in life is like a,
like an encyclopedia.
We have an encyclopedia ofinformation in our head that we
can pass on that.
Unfortunately other people don'thave, and the blessing that we
have is that patience to give itto'em until we see that they got
(27:07):
it.
Omar (27:08):
Hmm.
Amen.
Amen.
I was gonna ask you, I know youshared that you, you, you know,
your thinking, you know, man,the, the name and all that.
What, what, what, what did thatdo to you as far as like c
creativity and maybe, I know youmentioned you were retired, man,
you're already just to chill,take life easy.
But did that give you like anew, like reinvigoration, like
(27:29):
give you a mission?
Could you talk about like,thinking the process mm-hmm.
And, and, and where you're atnow.
Like what, what, what has donethat done for you?
Gilbert (27:38):
Okay.
So, like Ronnie said, Ronniecomes out, you know, and I start
hanging around with Veronica,you know, I've known him for
over 50 years, so, you know,whatever I can do for him, Hey,
Ronnie, go over here.
Or if you need to go over there,you can't go over here.
You can't come to the statebecause it, it was a process.
But then once, once we gotsettled down about a year later,
(27:59):
'cause he was first in Indiana.
So about a year later, once hecomes into the state, gets
settled down over here, changeshis address and everything.
So we started trying to formthis Huff Foundation thing, but
then as we're forming it, werealized that we were going
about it the wrong way.
So we, we put a halt on it.
So like Ronnie said, you know,we come up with the idea, you
know, that we need to come upwith a different name, you know,
(28:22):
so we start kicking around.
He starts.
Telling me.
Oh.
So I give'em like fivedifferent, 10 different names.
So out of the 10 differentnames, we put it together and
come out unshackled buildingbridges.
'cause we are like, what?
I said unshackled and now we'rebuilding bridges.
'cause we're building people'slife together.
We're bringing them backtogether.
So, you know, I started saying,okay, so we're gonna do a
(28:44):
podcast.
I said, Rodney, we went first.
We went to do, uh, this, thisthe, he does these events.
Speaking events and stuff likethat.
He goes to, uh, politicaladvocate, advocating what have
you, what have you, not y'allunderstand that language pretty
sure.
(29:04):
Anyway, so we kicked it aroundand, and we came out.
I said, were recording, and allof a sudden, you know, I just
said, Ronnie, why don't we starta podcast?
I just said it just like.
Just to say it.
He says, that's a good idea, andthis guy says something.
It's like serious.
I looked at like, okay, so whatdo we do from here?
So we started.
(29:25):
That's when we started pickingthe name, getting the things
together.
We got the name.
Then he calls me up and says,make it into a nonprofit
organization so we're not just apodcast now.
Now he wants me to turn into anonprofit organization.
I say, oh man.
Okay.
So that means that everythingwe're gonna make is gonna go to
the non-profit organization.
That's okay with me.
'cause we, we working outta loveanyway.
We don't have no money.
(29:46):
We're putting money in.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So it's all good.
Let's go for it.
So I went and became anon-profit organization.
So now you know the name is anonprofit organization.
We're called Unshackled BuildingBridges Organization, which is a
nonprofit organization.
And uh, we have the podcast aspart of our organization and
we're gonna use the podcast as amental health tool.
(30:08):
To bring mental health awarenessto people out there, you know,
um, as far as the trauma part oflife that people don't talk
about, you know, there's, peoplehave been abused when they were
kids and they're still holdingonto it.
That little secret, whatever.
Sometimes we need to let go ofthose things, figure a way to
let go of those things.
'cause you know, we're onlyhurting ourselves.
You know, and, and, and, andwe're gonna build this and we're
(30:30):
gonna do this.
And, and that's how it started.
And we just kept going and keptgoing.
And next thing you know, I'mlearning accounting.
You know, I knew someaccounting, you know, from the
job that I used to do before.
I know a little bit aboutcomputers.
I now, I'm learning, I'm totallyin a new field and a non-profit
organization, buildup.
So I'm, I'm learning about 5 0 1C3.
(30:51):
I'm learning about taxexemptions.
I'm learning about accounting.
I'm learning about bankaccounts, how to set up business
bank.
I'm learning all this stuff andI'm getting good at
Ronnie (31:01):
it.
He back alive,
Gilbert (31:04):
you know, and I feel like, wow.
Ronnie (31:05):
Yeah.
Gilbert (31:06):
Now I'm plan.
I have plans to even go back toschool to study a class that has
to do with mental health.
Omar (31:12):
If, if you don't mind me asking.
How, how old are you, brother?
And the reason I ask, the reasonI gotta ask this,'cause there's
a lot of young people, man, that40, you know, 50, they think,
man, how old are you?
And they, I'm 70
Gilbert (31:24):
years old.
70 years old man.
I'm 70 years old man.
Omar (31:27):
And I know you said, you mentioned coming back to life,
but really like, I, I, I couldsee it.
You don tell me real quick, man.
This brother man, he, he, he, hecame to my house.
We were like, I was showing himmy equipment.
And he started showing methings.
You know, I'm, I'm 46 years old,so his brother busted out his
phone.
He's like, Hey man, Omar, yougotta get this app, man.
You gotta get, uh, ai.
(31:48):
And so we're, man, we, we, we,we could learn from up, down,
and down up.
You know what I'm saying?
And I just wanted to ask that,you know, not to throw your age
out there.
No, no.
That's, but man to, to givethese, uh, people that are gonna
watch this man.
Some to, to, to bring them backto life, man, in a sense
because, uh, uh, maybe somebodytold them, Hey, yo, yo, you're
(32:10):
not smart enough.
Maybe.
Yeah.
You know, they, they, they'vebeen cursed in some way or
somehow they get word spokenover'em.
It could be from a parent, itcould be from a teacher.
Man.
You're never gonna amount tonothing, man.
You're dumb and all thesethings, man.
And, and I think a lot of timeswe receive that and we accept
that and we need somebody tocome.
Like, I know you mentioned youreconnecting with Ronnie.
Seems like he sparked somethingin you.
(32:31):
He did reinvigorated somethingin you.
Now you're talking about goingback to school.
Man, we're setting up thecamera.
You know, man, this brother gotbetter equipment than I got, you
know?
So he did, he did his research,started investigating and man,
he got, uh, the, what you got,uh, the, the Apple computer.
Man, you, he more high tech thanme, so definitely.
I I just wanted to share thatbrother.
'cause Amen.
(32:51):
People need to be like a realreawakening.
I and I pray that by themhearing you share this.
Maybe that'll spark something inthem that no matter how old you
are, man, you could learn allthese things you're, that you're
learning at this age and you'restill gonna learn more, brother.
But I could continue to,
Gilbert (33:07):
to share on
Omar (33:08):
what you were saying.
No, but, but thanks,
Gilbert (33:09):
thanks a lot, uh, Omar, for, for that compliment.
I know.
Very deeply appreciated.
But I owe everything to God.
I'm gonna be honest with youbecause without God, I wouldn't
have been able to do nothing.
And right now, I, I feel thestrength.
I feel the energy.
I feel it all, man.
And I feel like I want to move.
You know?
It's like leaving a legacy man.
You know what I'm saying?
It's like, you know, I, youknow, I fell, I fell off like 12
(33:33):
feet, 10 feet, straight downheadfirst at the United Center
about four months ago.
Okay.
I broke three ribs only.
I didn't break my neck, I didn'tbust my head, and I'm still here
standing, okay.
By the grace of God, you know?
And I saw this guy fall at thePNC park.
Yeah.
Cubs game.
No offense, but the Cubs gamethat the guy fell down and man,
(33:57):
he was in the hospital for, andwhen I saw that, I got chills up
my ball.
And all I could do is thank Godand pray for that man.
And, and thank God that I'm herebecause it could have easily
broke my neck.
I could have easily, you know,broke my back, busted my head,
anything, you know, but I'm hereand, and you know what, and
you're right, I'm 70 years old.
And, you know, and, and I, Ihave a backpack, I have lumber
(34:19):
back.
I have the three broken ribsand, and seven years old.
But you know, I still change thecar tire.
I still wash the car.
I still wanna go after I washthe car, get on the computer.
After I get on the computer, Iwanna come down here and clean
up.
You know, I want, always wannabe on the go because, you know,
I, I don't wanna put myself tosleep, man.
'cause I did that for a while.
As soon as I retired, man, I waslike.
(34:40):
Couch potato.
I didn't wanna do anything, man.
This guy gets out, man.
He got me out of my comfortzone, man, and I'm not the only
one.
He has taken out the comfortzone, man.
This man is man.
He is blessed by God to takepeople and see what they don't
see, man, and let them know inhis own special way what they
(35:02):
need to do.
He's blunt.
But he straight up man, and youknow, man, I, I came outta my
comfort zone all sudden, I wannatake everybody out their comfort
zone.
Omar (35:10):
Yeah.
Oh yeah.
Gilbert (35:11):
You know what I'm saying?
Omar (35:11):
I call that
Gilbert (35:12):
a, a a a ripple effect.
Yeah, it's like a ripple effect.
Exactly, man.
You know, and, and you know, andI encourage people, you know,
to.
Sometimes, you know, you watchthese things and you might get
bored or something, but man,these stories, you know, and it
is not our stories.
This is our story today.
Yeah.
About how we started thisprogram, how we're gonna get
this program launched, and howthings are gonna go from here
on.
But this is stories about yourstory, about your story to share
(35:37):
with other people that livelives like you so they can see
that they can relate to it.
And you know, especially peoplethat have changed their life,
that have been able to changetheir life around, whether
through us or through someoneelse like you, or through a
church or through some mentor orsomething that they took
seriously, you know?
And they took everything intoaccount and they say, you know
what?
(35:57):
This life is in Sham.
I.
I don't like this life anymore.
You know?
And there's people that come tothe point, they wanna take their
life away, man.
You know?
And that's when life gets realbad.
When you don't care, you know?
And oh my, I, when I got lockedup and I came back out, I saw
people that looked young when Igot locked up.
I got locked up for three years,come back out.
They look like, oh man, youknow, they got wasted, man.
(36:20):
No teeth, no nothing.
They like, what's up?
What's up?
What happened to you?
It only been a while.
Yeah.
You know, and there's a lot ofpeople, you know, and that's why
we're beautiful.
We're beautiful.
No matter what we look like,we're beautiful, you know, but
the beauty comes from within,you know, and that's what we
gotta realize.
And then we gotta learn that,you know, a person could only
(36:41):
love us how they know how.
We can't expect the person tolove us the way we know how.
'cause we gotta love how we knowhow.
You know?
And when someone loves us,they're loving us the way they
know how.
Ronnie (36:52):
So we're, we're blessed to be mobile.
We're blessed to be movingaround so we're not, uh, in one
family.
We have hundreds of familiesthat we associate to, and then
their cousins or their aunts ortheir, whoever it is, we go to
different prison ministries.
In the prison ministries youfind multiple people and, uh,
(37:15):
many people that are notGod-fearing.
People are not even believersare, a lot of people are afraid
when you say.
Ministry or when you say God.
So we preach to them basicallythat a minister, uh, when you
say you're a minister, aminister is just a messenger.
So you, you are a messengerbringing good word to people.
(37:35):
So, uh, I preach to a lot ofpeople, and I'll say not preach,
but teach a lot of people thatdon't be afraid of the word, uh,
ministry or God.
Or when we point out to people,they're doing such a, a job, an
astronomical job of doingsomething abnormal that is not
normally seen.
And then you point out to them,you know, you're a, you're a
(37:57):
gift from God, you're a vesselfrom God.
A lot of people take it and stepback and they don't want that
recognition on them.
Like, no, not God.
And then it's just, uh, it'smore than what a normal person
can do.
So it's, it is, I try to humblethese people.
And not that I try to humblethem that just to show them or
(38:18):
explain to them or, or expressto them, you are a vessel of God
and that that's a exciting thingto be, you know, that to, uh, to
hyper a person up and keepgoing.
And we're associated to, uh,different nonprofit groups,
which are, uh, reentry centergroups.
We go around different reentrycenter groups.
(38:40):
Uh, different groups that are,find people housing, uh, find
people rental assistance, findpeople, uh, money to buy
clothes, give people clothes.
Uh, bibles, we got interestgroups that we go to that go
into the Cook County Jailinterest groups that go into all
the prison systems, uh, throughthrough Illinois and the United
States, and even internationalplaces out of the country.
(39:03):
So all these, uh, PE it's aboutpeople.
You know, we're created to be afellowship with each other.
So we bring that fellowship, sothe, the scripture tells you to
go out and make it.
Don't say to go into church andlock in the church.
So we go out and make, we go, wemake house calls, you know, and
we, and we bring people out toengage and whatever it is,
(39:25):
whether it's to a restaurant,whatever it is.
Um, some people don't havefamily left that we know they're
older.
Some people don't have brothersand sisters.
Uh, mother's Day just passed andsome mothers, uh, their children
don't know how to, um, buy'emflowers or buy'em a gift.
They just have superficialmother's days.
No car.
(39:46):
Just some people just say, happyMother's Day, and that's where
it lies at.
So we come across that.
No, we go get the flowers.
No, we.
We, we go get a gift, we go getthe chocolate or we go get
something and help the people toNo, this is how you celebrate a
mother.
This is how you do this.
And, and we bring that to theplate.
So this is what we do and it's,it is, like Gilbert said, the
(40:08):
American system exercises, uh,everything to the currency
through the dollar.
So we come from poor backgroundswhere we didn't have anything.
We went through the prisonsystem where we didn't have
money for lawyers.
We sat there for decades.
And taught each other and, andraised up.
So, but what we did learn wasthat, that God is love and, and
(40:29):
that love because our familystood together, they visit us
for 40, I mean, in my case,visited me for 47 years.
Cars, after cars, driving fivehours, seven hours, flying in
from other states to come visit.
Uh, bring money, give money, um,and, and participate.
So they, they did the time withme.
(40:51):
So this is, this is what welearned out of that ordeal, that
love moves mountains.
So when you, when we found otherpeople in problems that were in
a court system or going to ahearing or have a medical
situation and the prison, andthey had no family to represent
'em.
We had family that wouldrepresent'em, and then we would
(41:12):
call, our family would call eachother, especially my sister
would call people and say, or myyounger brother, I'll take the
people down there, I'll go bringtheir family to visit, and they
will just volunteer.
When you see that loveoperating, then it, it is, it is
like a, it's like a torch.
It's like an igniter.
And we don't, we don't, wehaven't stopped with it yet, so
we're not gonna get old.
(41:33):
And when people say, well, youjust asked Gilbert, how old is
he?
How old is he?
And people ask me, Hey, how oldare you?
I don't count numbers.
I have eternal life.
Amen.
So I don't count numbers.
We just, we're gonna live.
The Bible says we live.
Amen.
I, I'm taking those numbersthere.
Amen.
Eternity's more than 50, 67 andnumber don't mean nothing.
Omar (41:53):
Hey man.
Thanks for sharing that, man.
I, I, I know like you weretalking about retirement and
when you're serving, God, thereis no retirement man until you
get to the other side, you know?
'cause man, as long as you gotbreath in your lungs, man, and
your heart's beating, shit.
Got, got, got some work for youto do, man.
No, no matter where you're at asfar as like a number.
Uh, but man, yo, you guysmentioned, okay, the podcast and
all these programming.
(42:13):
Where can people go to like, uh,find out what you guys are gonna
be doing?
I know we're, we're probablygonna release this once you
guys, you know, I, I think youmentioned you wanna record about
seven, eight podcasts.
Get ready to launch, then we'regonna release this, uh, we're
gonna release this probably theweek before they get ready to
launch that.
But maybe you got a website, uh,maybe Facebook or TikTok.
(42:34):
What do you, what do you got?
Gilbert (42:35):
So, so we're across, off.
Five platforms right now.
For right now, we're across, uh,Tic-Tac.
We have, uh, Instagram, we haveX, we have uh, Facebook, and we
have YouTube, and we have awebsite.
So we're six.
And our website is u ubb org.
(42:58):
Dot org, right.
It's Uncheckable BuildingBridges organization or ubb.org,
whichever.
When you hit.
UBB org.
Dot org.
And
Ronnie (43:11):
so, so what we're gonna do, just to, not to cut Gilbert
off, he has all that text.
So he's, uh, he has prepared andhas prepared all the, uh,
channels for it to bebroadcasted so on, on our
behalf.
We're, we already have listingsof volunteers on standby, you
could say, waiting fromdifferent, uh, whatever they do,
(43:32):
whatever their business is.
And then we'll be bringing themin.
Uh, we have a woman just notmad, not mothers against drunk
driving, but it's like, um, uh,against alcohol, some kind of
thing.
So we'll be bringing them in.
We have students to come in andspeak.
Uh, we have different churchesto come in and and speak.
(43:53):
We have different personalpeople to come in and speak.
We're gonna use, uh, women thatwere traumatized by just going
to visit the prison.
What was those experiences?
We're gonna bring in familymembers who have lost family
members.
We're gonna bring in, uh, manyvictims of people from violence
that cause trauma to theirfamilies multiple times.
So we have a diversified.
(44:15):
Uh, agenda of different topicsof people to let them tell their
stories of what they're goingthrough, and we're just gonna be
the medium for them to gethighlighted.
Like what we did in Kwani, meand Omar went to Kwani and it
wasn't about me, it wasn't abouthim.
It was that I was talking toOmar and told'em, Hey, there's a
town down there in SouthernIllinois and they do this and
(44:38):
they do that.
They help people to get outtaprison.
He like, yeah.
I said, we need to highlightthem people.
So we went down there tohighlight what those peoples,
uh, were doing are, are doing intheir community.
So this is what we're doing inthis Unshackled building
bridges.
We're gonna bring the people into highlight what they're doing.
We're talking about politicalagents, we're talking about
(45:00):
minister agents, we're talkingabout, um.
Incarcerated impacted people,people and then the agencies
nonprofit trying to get thesepeople out of prison.
Uh, wi Wives who their husbandsare still in prison with Natural
Life, we're gonna bring allthese different people in to let
it out.
Let it out, and let people that,uh, on the outside and
(45:21):
different, wherever this landsat, wherever.
Gilbert gets it to channel twothat maybe somebody in society
can pitch in and donate orwhatever.
Uh, remarks.
We don't know what remarksomebody from listening to this
will send a remark that willchange our whole attitude,
change our atmosphere, steer usdown a different place.
So this is what we're lookingfor.
(45:43):
So, and it, like it says,building bridges one screw at a
time, one piece of metal at atime, but that's a metaphor.
But in our case it's one personat a time.
Gilbert (45:52):
Right.
So, so to what he was saying,so, and to what you were saying.
So our plan is that you'regonna, you're gonna launch a
week before we launch off, andwe're planning, we do have a
bunch of people lined up, youknow, that have different
stories, good stories too.
Anyway, so a week after youlaunch yours, we're gonna launch
(46:12):
and we're hoping to go by end ofthis month, or by the beginning
of next month.
You know, we're going to launchoff with three three, and then
we're gonna give you one a week.
Every week it gonna be adifferent story.
Just like, just like your show,more or less, Omar.
But, you know, even though, likeyou said, I'm, I'm an older guy.
Mm-hmm.
But I'm a new kid in the block.
I'm the new kid in the block andI wanna come up with something
(46:34):
new, you know, somethingdifferent, you know?
Um, I wanna try something new,you know?
And if it works, it works.
And if it doesn't, it doesn't,you know, I trust God.
I put God in front of me and youknow, God's leading the way.
He told me he's gonna be thevoice.
He told me, don't worry aboutwho you going to talk to.
If you, whether it's a lawyer, adoctor, or you know, a small
person, you know, or a bigperson or whatever, a nice
(46:54):
dressed person or a person thatdoesn't know how to dress, don't
worry, I'm gonna talk for you.
You know, and I trusted God andyou know, this is where he has
me and, and I'm glad he has mehere, you know, because I feel
like I'm doing somethingpositive.
I feel like I'm contributingalready.
And I haven't even started, man.
We already got affiliations witha bunch of organizations.
(47:15):
Okay.
A lot of reentries, we, we areaffiliated with, from, from
here, from Humboldt Park area,from the Inglewood area, you
know, and we're, uh, Westtownright here, Austin, by, by
Austin, all over Chicago.
You know, we already haveconnections with different, uh,
churches too that, that workwith the community, different
pastors, you know, and.
(47:35):
And, and we're just part of it.
You know, once we get all ourlicenses in place, we're already
a non-profit organization, butthere's a few more papers that
are in the work.
But once we get all those papersin work, then we're in full
blown.
I.
You know, and, and you know,only the sky's the limit.
You know, the sky's not thelimit for us.
Sky's the limit for all of us,you know, all of us.
'cause we're talking aboutbringing people up.
(47:56):
We're not talking about beingrich a millionaire.
You know, we're talking aboutbeing a millionaire in love.
Mm-hmm.
Being a millionaire, you know,and feeling it, you know, not
just talking it, but feeling it,you know, because you, you know.
With bread and butter, man, youcould feel like a millionaire.
Mm-hmm.
You don't have to have a stake.
Right.
Omar (48:13):
You know?
Gilbert (48:14):
Hey man.
Amen.
For sure,
Omar (48:14):
brother.
Hey, you know what?
They, they thank you guys for,for sharing all that.
You know, what, uh, be before weget ready to wrap up, any final
words, anything we didn't get achance to talk about that you
guys would want to share, youknow, that maybe they need to,
to hear
Ronnie (48:27):
All I would like to say up to close this is that you're
gonna see by other people'svoices, not ours, because I'm
not bragging and it says.
To keep me my in humility, butour credibility, uh, is gonna be
announced, not by me, but we'regonna bring people in to say,
these, these people do this,this, this, and this.
(48:49):
And the same thing as, uh, Omar,by you starting your, uh, wrong
and strong.
And you might start it with onepeople.
You got years under your belt,you know, high tech moving
around.
Uh, it's a full blown program,recognized everywhere.
So it's credible.
Credibility means everything.
Your word means everything.
And we're, we stand on that.
(49:11):
You know, the, the people aregonna announce, you know, these
people do this, and it's a goodthing.
If you need help, we knowsomebody can help you.
Gilbert (49:19):
Amen.
I'd like to say, Omar, um, I'dlike to extend a big, you know,
hug to you, you know, because,uh, man, you know.
I'm here because you've alsohelped me.
You know, you didn't look at uslike as competitors, but you
looked at us as someone to help,you know, and, and you know,
from watching your programs andwhat you do, I see the kind of
(49:40):
help you do.
You know, you, you uplifting,you know, and you're doing this,
you know, you're going here,you're going there.
And, you know, it's a greatthing to do.
And I'm, I'm, I'm gonna be partof that, you know, and, and,
and, you know, I connected withyou, you know?
Mm-hmm.
And even though you're 46 andI'm, you know, I feel like, man,
we've been hanging around allour life together, bro.
I feel like, you know, like youone of the guys and then, you
(50:01):
know, you feel like I'm one ofthe grandfathers.
I don't know, but, you know, butit's all good, man.
You know, and, and you know, Ipraise to your program, bro.
Praise to God.
You know what I'm saying?
Because you always keep God inyour program.
I seen that too.
You know?
And I believe, you know, there'speople that that say, you know,
you should keep the Lord out abit if you want to do this, if
you want.
No, I believe the Lord got mehere.
(50:23):
The Lord gonna take me overthere.
Amen.
Without the Lord, I ain't goingnowhere.
Amen.
Enough for for sure.
You know, want to,
Omar (50:30):
I wanna share this, uh, who went to Kiwani?
We had about two and a half hourdrive.
Man, I, I, I got out that carseat, man.
I could barely walk, move andRonnie's over there ripping and
running, man.
Uh, I, I, I told my wife when Igot back, I like, man, I'm over
there.
I, I feel like I was like theolder guy, man, this guy's over
there energy.
Then he is driving back back andhe got plans and things to do.
(50:51):
Hey, hey Ronnie, I was gonna askyou.
Oh, man, you, you, you come outafter 47 years being in prison
and instead of you coming outand maybe having other people
like man to, to motivate you,you know, to give you vision.
Vision.
You came out here and you'redoing, you're doing that to a
lot of people, and I know, likewith me, you, you've impacted
(51:12):
me.
Uh, uh, uh, I believe in a lotof divine connections.
I believe the connection here,the connection with Gil and just
the, the networking that's beenhappening.
I see God's hand in all of it,man.
Amen.
And I know you mentioned like medoing this like for you guys,
man, like, uh, one of the thingsI tell people I, if it's of God,
it's of me.
Amen.
Meaning if it's to point peopleto Christ, if it's to, to help
(51:32):
others, yeah.
Man, I'm there.
How, how, how can I contribute?
And I, I, I, I believe it.
And not, like you mentioned, Iknow, like, like competition.
Ah, man.
We're, we're, uh, helping oneanother.
Yes, sir.
And, and, and, and, uh, what'sthe word you, you, you use right
now?
Uh.
What's an integrity, what's theword you were talking about
right now?
You said, uh, you, you will seethat people ain't ain't gonna
(51:53):
need credibility.
Credibility, man.
And, and that, that's what I seein these brothers when I went to
Kiwani and just all the, the,the men and the women.
Uh, that they were talking aboutRonnie, the way he, he impacted
him even while he was in prison.
Uh, the blessing that he was.
Mm-hmm.
And now he's out here and he'sdoing, uh, uh, you know, doing
the same thing.
You know?
Same, uh, not with freedom, butman, me personally, I just pray
(52:15):
for you guys.
Amen.
I pray that God blesses thatthis, this podcast.
Yes, sir.
Uh, that he gives you favor withwhoever he needs to give you
favor with.
Opens up the door to, uh, uh, toall these programs that you guys
have.
The, the vi the, the division.
You know, I know you, mementioned the, uh, incarcerate,
uh, impacted to help'em in car.
Impacted in car.
(52:36):
We're gonna change.
Gilbert (52:36):
We're gonna change.
We wanna change the language,you know,'cause this
incarceration, uh, prisoner ormm-hmm jail burden or not.
We're car impacted people.
That's who we are.
We're car impacted people and Iwanna clear that out'cause we're
changing the language.
Omar (52:53):
Amen.
And, and God's you using peoplelike that in a mighty way?
You know, that's, that's usuallythey look at it, oh man, you
know, you ain't gonna accomplishnothing.
You got that on your record.
They got the X on you.
Like, nah.
Yeah,
Gilbert (53:04):
no, that's what I thought.
That's what the, that's what theenemy wants you to think,
brother.
The enemy wants you to think.
And that's why I was held backfor a while.
'cause the enemy was, but Godhad other plans.
God was also preparing me, man.
'cause he was preparing me withthat book.
You know?
And I'm not as good as, as, aswise with other people with the
book.
But you know what?
The word and the spirit is inme.
Omar (53:24):
Yes.
Gilbert (53:24):
And that's all that counts.
Amen.
Omar (53:26):
That, that, that's all we need.
Any last words around here?
One of use.
Can you close out in prayer?
Ronnie (53:32):
I'll close out in prayer.
Omar (53:33):
Amen.
Ronnie (53:34):
Father, it's a blessing that you open all these doors
that once upon a time I was in aposition where they said, oh,
you'll never be free, you'llnever have children, that you're
gonna die by incarceration.
Uh, but many people cameforward, father out of love, not
out of finance.
And you show me what love is andthe doors opened, people kept
(53:56):
knocking on the door, peopleunified.
And I'm thankful father that itwas, it was you.
Every time I seen somethinghappen so abnormal, I had to
look up to say, that's onlysupernatural.
Supernatural comes from theheavenly realm.
And when the, when the keys turnto, uh, release me from that
kind of incarceration, uh, thewoundings that we had throughout
(54:17):
the years that.
We're not supposed to walk awayfrom that.
We walked away from that.
You kept us, uh, alive for apurpose, father.
And our purpose is, uh, to livefor others, not to live for
ourself.
Your word says to pick up ourcross, daily, die to ourself and
live a Christ's life.
And that was to help otherpeople.
So here we are, um, helpingpeople unshackle the things that
(54:40):
they're locked into that theymay not see, that we might be
able to help them with a word,with a deed.
And give us that opportunity.
Father, give us that favor tocontinuously do so.
Give us the bolts and screws andevery piece of, uh, equipment
and, uh, utensil that we need tobuild these bridges.
Father that, that the doors openin every way mightily.
(55:01):
That people could say that'sabnormal.
It's supernatural.
Them brothers are anointed andordained through your kingdom
Father, and that all we do thiswork for we're just soldiers and
soldiers for the kingdom Father,not for ourselves.
In Jesus name I pray,
Omar (55:16):
amen.
Amen.
Amen.
And Jesus name, we pray man.
So wait.
They thank you guys for for thehospitality to allow me to come
into your studio, man.
Like I mentioned, man, I praythat God blessed us.
I can't wait to see the gueststhat you guys are gonna have
here.
So definitely those of you thatare watching.
Tune in Unshackled buildingBridges.
I'll put the links to thewebsite and all the, the social
media sites that they have.
That way you guys could justclick and go, go, go to them.
(55:39):
And definitely, uh, stay tunedand make sure once they, once
their podcast released, makesure you guys like, follow,
subscribe, whatever it is youguys gotta do to, to, to, to
stay in, in tune with these guysand, uh, to see the, the, the
work that God's gonna use thesebrothers, uh, to do.
And with that, we're gonna getready to wrap up.
Oh, matthew four 16 reads, Thepeople who sat in darkness have
(56:00):
seen a great light, and uponthose who sat in the region and
shadow of death light hasdawned." alongside my brothers
Gilbert and Ronnie Omar Calvio,and we are wrong.
Too strong.
Ronnie (56:11):
Amen.
Thank you.
what we're gonna do, we already have listings of
(00:02):
volunteers on standby, waitingfrom whatever they do, whatever
their business is.
And then we'll be bringing themin.
We have students to come in andspeak.
We have different churches tocome in and and speak.
We have different personalpeople to come in and speak.
Women that were traumatized byjust going to visit the prison.
What was those experiences?
(00:23):
We're gonna bring in familymembers who have lost family
members.
We're gonna bring in, uh, manyvictims of people from violence
that cause trauma to theirfamilies so we have a
diversified.
Agenda of different topics ofpeople to let them tell their
stories of what they're goingthrough, and we're just gonna be
(00:43):
the medium for them to gethighlighted.
So this is what we're doing inthis Unshackled Building
Bridges" we're talking aboutpolitical agents, minister
agents, incarcerated impactedpeople, the agencies nonprofit
trying to get these people outof prison.
Wives who their husbands arestill in prison with Natural
Life, we're gonna bring allthese different people in to let
(01:05):
it out.
Let it out, so this is whatwe're looking for.
So, like it says, buildingbridges one screw at a time, one
piece of metal at a time, butthat's a metaphor.
But in our case it's one personat a time.
(01:33):
From the city of Chicago, a citymost recently known for its
crime and violence.
On this podcast, we will besharing stories of redemption
from individuals raised in thetough streets of Chicago and
from around the country.
Some of them were gang members,drug dealers, incarcerated
victims, and perpetrators ofviolence.
(01:54):
Listen to my guests as theyshare their experiences,
struggles, trauma, but also thestrength, hope, faith and
perseverance, these havedeveloped in them to keep
pushing and moving forward inlife.
Tune in to hear how their liveshave gone from darkness to light
and from wrong to strong.
Omar (02:14):
of Wrong to Strong Chicago.
I'm your host.
My name's Omar Calvio, andtonight I'm out here on the
north side.
I believe we're in HumboldtPark.
It's my first time driving outhere, to be honest, you know,
born and raised in the southside, so I'm in unfamiliar
territory, but I hear with mybrother, uh, Gilbert and Ronnie.
Uh, and, um, these brothers aregetting ready to, uh, to launch,
uh, their own podcast onshackled building bridges.
(02:36):
You can see the, the logo and,and the background there.
Uh, but I'm just glad that youknow that they invited me out
here.
So welcome to the podcastbrothers.
Gilbert (02:45):
Amen.
Thank you.
Thank you Omar, for having us.
Uh, my name is, thank you Omar,for having us.
My name is Gilbert to Moralesand, uh, I'm here to share what
we're gonna do, what we'reabout, and what our vision is.
And, um,
Ronnie (03:05):
my name is Ronnie Carillo.
We are launching a podcast thatis going to, uh.
Allow people to release traumasthat are held within them.
They're able to come and speakand, uh, get advices.
And because we are Gilbert, bothGilbert and myself and even Omar
(03:29):
are people that, uh, camethrough traumas.
We're survivors of traumas.
We know what trauma looks like.
We know the wrongful effects ofit.
We know what incarcerations looklike, this.
Uh, podcast is gonna relate toso many different diversified,
um, things that ao people insociety.
And our, our vision is to upliftpeople and bring in
(03:53):
transformation that they can,uh, let these things go and find
a rationale through.
Uh, through our speaking and inthemselves to, uh, rebuild
themselves to, to deconstructthe, the things they've been in
life, to reconstruct their livesin a better manner, to, uh, have
spiritual foundations andblessings and, and walk and
(04:14):
having, uh, uh, hope and, uh,joy.
The basic thing is joy.
The, and, um, joy is a medicineto the heart.
So this is what we willaccomplish.
Omar (04:23):
Hey, man, man, note that, that, thanks for sharing that
and the, the vision and the, themission that you guys have
behind this podcast.
Uh, you know what, um, I knowwe're doing this, this interview
here, basically to promote what,what, what they're gonna launch.
So, man, I would love one day toactually have times I, I know
both of these brothers haveamazing testimonies and stories.
Uh, but you know what, like forfor the listeners, maybe give'em
(04:44):
a, maybe a short, uh, version ofyour story.
That way they know.
You know, a about the host ofthis podcast, you know, so maybe
a little bit of your story.
That way when you guys actuallydo the, the podcast, they know
the reason behind why you'redoing what you're doing.
So maybe, you know, take as longas you want, share like what
something about your life.
You know what I'm saying?
Gilbert (05:03):
Okay.
So I, I was born and raised herein, well, I was born in Puerto
Rico, but I came here at a veryearly age and I was.
I raised here in Chicago and,you know, uh, being in a gang or
being around a group since I wassix years old, since I came
here, you know, didn't know whatthe kids were speaking.
(05:23):
They were speaking all I knewthey were speaking something,
but it was probably English atthe time.
But I didn't understand it, youknow?
But, you know, as I come to knowthese kids, they, they, they,
some bad little kids, man.
And I started learning some badlittle things.
At six years old, I already knewhow beer, I knew what a beer
was.
I knew what a cigarette was.
Not that I had to have it, but Itasted it.
(05:45):
By the time I was eight yearsold, I was already smoking
cigarettes, man.
And I was hanging aroundHumboldt Park, you know, with
another group, you know, and wecalled ourselves the Le Moine
Street Delinquents grew up, youknow, and then after that.
I met up with another grouparound Humboldt Park before I
met up with Ronnie here, youknow, in my life, you know,
always been in shambles, alwaysbeen, you know, making the
(06:08):
family, family suffer.
Uh, you know, I couldn't keep ajob.
I, you know, alcohol wasn't aproblem.
I had drug problems, you know,alcohol was nothing, you know,
and then I stay up all night.
I come home, I.
A lot of things that were justnot right.
You know, and coming in andoutta jail and being in jail,
(06:32):
you know, and, and being adifferent person in jail, you
know?
'cause when you're in jail, youknow, mindset straightens out
and you're thinking about what'sgoing on out here, your family
out here, you, the kids, youleft, whatever.
Then when you come out, you findeverything in shamble.
Everybody's in disorder, andlike, you got your life in order
now.
So you're trying not to get backin that web.
(06:53):
But somehow you get caught backin it.
That was my life story.
So, you know, I want repeatedoffender.
So, you know, I was looking atlife in prison.
If I go and I do one more crime,you know, and, and then, you
know, another thing, you know, Igo to jail.
You know, I had a bad reputationin jail, you know, had a bad
reputation out here, you know,but, you know, that wasn't, that
(07:15):
wasn't working for me, you know?
And.
I, I knew that it was a routineand I was doing the same thing
over and over again, and it feltlike insanity, like I was
getting the same results, youknow what I'm saying?
And it's insane to get the sameresults and try to do the same
thing over again.
So I saw the pattern and youknow, right.
At a late age, I said, man, I'mgonna wind down in jail.
(07:39):
I'm going to get locked up forlife, you know?
And I said, I can't do that.
I can't have that.
So I gave my life to the Lordand a lot of people thought I
couldn't do it.
A lot of people say, you know,you can't do it.
You know you gotta go the sameway.
You know, like you go up ondrugs or whatever, you know?
'cause I was on a programmethadone, I was on 220
milligrams of methadone.
(07:59):
So he said, same way you went upto get up to 220, you gotta come
down slowly before you get offthis program.
He said, no, watch me, watch me.
God's gonna do it.
And I did it.
I got off it, and all a sudden Iget hit with cirrhosis of the
liver, you know?
And I'm like, God, now that Icome to you, this is what
happened.
But then I thought, you knowwhat?
I just deserve it.
(08:19):
I deserve it because all my lifeI just been, you know, in gangs,
fighting, you know, uh, dealingdrugs, uh, getting over on
people, doing different things,you know, it was a miracle.
I was still alive, you know?
And, uh, so I, I asked God, man,you know what, God, if you gonna
take me, you know, go ahead andtake me.
(08:39):
But, you know, I, I appreciateit.
You know, you've given me atleast one last chance to be near
you, to get to know you, andyou're not chasing me away.
You know, but, you know, so Istarted taking all the
responsibility.
I started believing thatcirrhosis went away.
I don't know how, but the Lorddid it.
(09:00):
Know, know what I'm saying?
And before that, I had, I had afew encounters, you know, with
spirituality and that, that,that straightened everything for
me.
You know, that made everything.
Right.
'cause I, I know there's a realGod.
I know there's a guy, you know,I know it.
I don't believe it.
I know there's a God.
So, you know, I felt that hisstrength was gonna help me pull
(09:23):
through, which it did.
Next thing you know, we talkabout, about 25 years ago
almost.
And then the Lord all gives me awife, a brand new wife, you
know, a new family, you know,then you know a kid.
And I'm like, wow.
You know?
And now, now I say, I don't wanta kid because.
I couldn't live with the otherresponsibilities before now, but
(09:46):
now the Lord said, I'm givingyou this kid'cause he's gonna
force that responsibility on me.
So I learned how to becomeresponsible because now I got a
family and things are startingto happen to me, but I was
afraid to come back out to theworld because I knew that if I
hang around with the same peoplethat I'm hanging around with,
that I was doing, I was gonna godown again.
So I didn't want to go downagain.
(10:06):
So I stopped hanging around withpeople and I kept to myself and
everything but.
You know, I kept growing.
I kept growing in the Lord,stayed in the church, kept
growing at, at, at the work.
You know, I started from thebottom up at work.
I was already high up there, youknow, and, and everybody has
their turn, you know, cameretirement time to retire.
(10:26):
And then my buddy gets out, man,me and Ronnie go back a long
way.
Uh, we go back more than 50years, you know, and, and we got
before, you know, he's beenlocked up for a long time.
A lot of people know that.
And, and, you know, I stuck, Istuck by him with phone calls,
with encouragement, withwhatever I can because I knew
(10:47):
what it's like to be in there,you know?
And not just that, you know,the, a long time ago, you know,
when I, when Ronnie first gotlocked up, things could've been
different for me.
'cause I went over there andtold him who you want me to take
care of?
You know, think I was bad andeverything, you know.
And Ryan look at me and say, Iwant you to go take care of your
family.
Those are my friends.
I want you to, you know, how canI do something to my friends?
(11:09):
Even though they were telling onhim and everything.
And when he told me that I felthurt'cause I wanted to be big
and bad and I wanted to show my,my stripes, you know?
But then that stood in my mind,man, you know, dude got a heart
man.
Dude's got a heart man.
And so, you know, we bondedright there, man.
We bonded in a special way, youknow?
'cause I wouldn't try to takecare of my family.
It didn't work out.
(11:30):
But, you know, we, we kept intouch.
We kept in touch.
And now, you know, he came outand, and, you know, he's helped
me, you know, to take that fearof going back to the people that
I tried to run away from thatwere just like me at one time.
You know?
And you know, I'm alreadyinvolved with the Lord.
So when that fear went away, nowI want to help.
(11:50):
Now I wanna do something.
You know, now, you know, I, youknow, I missed a lot of
opportunities because of mybackground.
And there's a lot of things thatare that, that we feel that we
can't do because of this,because of that.
And it's all a lie, man.
'cause nothing's impossible.
Nothing's possible for us.
Nothing's possible for the Lord,man.
You know?
And right now, you know, I canjust lay back and stay happy.
(12:13):
I'm good.
But, you know, I wanna make adifference.
I wanna make a difference.
You know, there's, there's a lotof people out there that are
suffering.
There's a lot of people outthere that, that are hurting,
you know, that, that they'velived through family members
being traumatized, you know,whether it was through fights in
their own family or gettinglocked up, you know.
(12:34):
But we come from the, from thestreets, you know, and then we
learn a different language as weget older and we get more
educated.
But you know, when, when pushcomes to shove, we only know one
language, man.
And you know, I wanna helpsomebody.
I wanna help somebody.
If it's one person, you can'tput a price on helping one
person.
You know?
You cannot put a price on it.
And my goal is to help someone,you know, and everything that
(12:56):
we're doing right now, this isus, man.
This is no one else.
This is us, man.
And we're not thinking aboutwhat we're putting in or what
we're gonna get back or nothing.
All we wanna get back, we'reworking with a currency of love.
Mm-hmm.
You know, and that's what we'repaying with and that's what
we're gonna get paid with love,you know?
And that's, that's just about myshort, kind of long, but
Omar (13:18):
you know what I, I, I.
That, uh, what you said aboutlove, it reminded me of a
scripture.
It says, uh, let no debt remainoutstanding except the depth of
love.
Amen.
That, that's, that's a debt thatwe're never gonna finish paying.
That's right.
You know what I'm saying?
cause the greatest love wasgiven to us, you know, when
Jesus laid his life from thecross for us.
Right.
Amen.
And that's, man, that's howthough, you know, that's got,
(13:39):
the Father showed his love whenhe sent them for us.
But man, thanks for sharingthat, and that, that explains
why I, uh, you have that desire.
To give back to help.
And man, you know, you, you saidyou were retired, but man,
you're, they brought you out toretirement and put you back to
work.
I'm
Gilbert (13:54):
ready to go to sleep.
Omar (13:56):
Hopefully not permanently.
Not
Gilbert (13:57):
yet, bro.
No, man, we, you know, we need,we got a lot of people that are
older, you know, because, youknow, a lot of times we think
about the young generation.
Yeah, we need to look out forthe young generation'cause
that's our future.
But a lot of these old folks,man, that you guys know, you
know, whether it's your uncle orsomething, whatever, man.
Man, they're, they're locked upin their house, in their
(14:17):
bedroom.
Man, y'all need to take'em out,man.
Take'em on a, on an a exclusion.
Take'em to the boat.
Take'em to, to the park.
Do something with them.
Man.
These people are locked up intheir house, man.
And they need to get out.
Man.
You know, I was kind of lockedup and even though I have family
and everything, man, but it islike home, home, home, man.
You never get out your comfortzone.
You know?
You need to come out of thatcomfort zone and we need to take
(14:39):
those people out of that comfortzone, you know, especially
people that are incarcerated.
Impacted Okay.
That are older.
They're, they, they're reallystuck'cause they don't even know
about technology.
You know, technology is so hardfor them, you know, and, and
people don't think about thatbecause I know about that.
'cause uh, I've dealt with a fewpeople that are incarcerated,
(15:02):
impacted, you know, and they'vebeen locked up for a long time.
You know, one of'em being myfriend here, you know, and I see
how hard it is for them to.
Really grasp, you know, it's notthat they're not smart or
nothing, it's just thetechnology's so weird, man.
You know?
And, and if you're not savvy onthis stuff every day, every day,
you know, for them to come outjust like that and grab it, it's
not that easy.
And sometimes we need tounderstand that and not hold it
(15:24):
like, uh, like if they had ahandicap, you know what I'm
saying?
But show like, like, just likewhen you want to pick somebody
up, you know, you wanna liftthem up.
That's, that's kind of somethinglike that.
cause you need to lift them upin that area.
And we don't understand thatyet.
'cause this is all new to us, orthis is new to me.
Omar (15:43):
Yeah.
You know, I know that, that,that Thanks for sharing that.
That's a definitely another waythat, that, that we, we could
help, you know what I'm saying?
Yeah.
And, and in that way.
But, uh, and I'm gonna throw itover to, to Ronnie.
I, man, I had the opportunity togo to Kewanee.
And, uh, for you guys to watchthis.
We did about six interviews.
Only five were released.
Uh, but we went out there andRonnie was able to share a
little bit about his story, andI would definitely encourage you
(16:06):
guys go check out thedocumentary.
In their hands.
I believe it's on pbs.org.
You guys go there.
Uh, the, uh, um, look for it intheir hands.
And basically it's this livestory.
Uh, but Ronnie, you, you wannagive'em maybe a, a brief bio of,
of who you are and theneventually why, why, why you're
doing what, what you're doing tothrough this, uh, uh, podcast.
Ronnie (16:27):
My life story, uh, to make it brief, I'm gonna try to
make it brief, is comes from,uh, uh, watching.
Civil unrest, racial tensions.
I grew up, uh, during the riotsof Humboldt Park.
I grew up, uh, during the, uh,assassination of Martin Luther
King of the burning of the cityof Chicago.
(16:49):
I watched all these, uh,turmoils come into the
neighborhoods, so I engaged inthat a at a young age, uh,
marching, uh, for differentgroups, marching for education,
marching for better jobs.
And you're a kid, you don't knowwhat you're doing.
You're just doing what peerpressure gets you to do.
So you engage, you, you fall outinto the, into the street, you
(17:12):
get engaged in the street life.
I come from a dysfunctionalhome, single parent home, uh,
that leaves you, uh, less ineducation.
You're not being, uh, taught.
So coming from that point ofview, you get deeper engaged
into the, the street life ofwhat's going on.
So you think more of yourfriends than.
(17:33):
You know, you just, uh, love'emto, to the point where you'll
even fight your parents.
That your friends are moreimportant to your parents,
almost like a young kid gettinginvolved with a girl.
You, you'll fight for the, youknow, for your own parents.
I love her more, you know, soanyway, coming from that
environment, um, you see so muchviolence.
I grew up in the, the commonthing all the time was race and
(17:55):
violence and gangs.
Just constantly, I've been avictim before.
Uh, many times, uh, the bulletsdidn't kill me.
The knives didn't kill me, theassaults didn't kill me, and it
led me to a violent area.
And in that, and through thatviolence, I landed myself at 18
years old in a prison system.
(18:15):
I spent 47 years in theDepartment of Corrections and
recognized while I was in theprison system.
I can tell automatically who.
Uh, came from broken homes.
You could watch people'sdemeanor and who went to
Catholic schools, who went topublic schools, and you had to
be, you had to discern spiritsall the time of who was, uh,
(18:37):
ready to do something wrong thatcan affect you.
So we became, in a sense, the,the people that were enemies.
We became experts at becomingfriends, even though we were
enemies as kids in the street,what society wanted us to be, we
changed that concept.
So that's why I come up withthe.
A phrase that we had todeconstruct, that we had to
eliminate that part of our, apart of our character.
(19:00):
We had to let that go.
So we became, while I was in theprison system, we became
builders of other men.
We would find out who couldn'tread, who couldn't write, who
had second grade education,third grade education, and we
would uplift them as we had totrain ourselves to continuously
educate, uh, to be able to havesomething to pass down to the
(19:21):
next man.
So we spent, I spent 47 yearsdoing that.
So this program that we'redoing, unshackled building
bridges, is unshackling.
The, the things that people holdonto that, like Gilbert spoke
about, there are people that goto prison and come home and
programs don't help'em.
So they lock themselves up intheir houses and they're in
(19:42):
another kind of prison.
So they never were able to, uh,get that relief and get that
release.
They're still in prison in oneway or another.
So you find people with, uh,alcohol addictions, tobacco
addictions, um, uh, marital andmarital addictions, divorce,
addictions, all these peoplethat I came home to, all these
(20:03):
different, um, hates that peoplehave.
So we had to preach and teachand believe and love.
Like Gilbert said, the currencythat we operate is in, in love.
We've seen so much violence.
We've been part of so muchviolence.
So we didn't wanna tap into thatand continuously use that in our
lives.
So we be, we became crediblemessengers in what we were
(20:24):
speaking.
We're able to, throughUnshackle, uh, building bridges,
we're able to call people in andtalk to people.
We're gonna bring them on thepodcast to, uh, let release come
in, let release, come throughtheir life, because we know what
it is to stay in that, in thatarena.
And as Gilbert spoke about him,um.
(20:45):
God giving him a revelation tohelp people.
That's what we feel it's about.
And we're not, uh, pushing Godon nobody.
And there's a lot of peoplethat, that are so traumatized.
They don't want to hear God.
They don't want to believethere's God.
So that's their prerogative todo.
So that's, that's, uh, on themto do so.
So this is the purpose of usdoing the unshackle, building
(21:06):
bridges to, uh, bring thesepeople out of the houses.
We go to a lot of places tospeak.
So we're, uh, networking withpeople, young students that.
Are looking for internships indifferent places.
So because we're elder and weknow people, we try to, uh,
attach people to other people tohelp them build and reach the
plateaus they're trying to be.
(21:26):
So whether it's in journalism,whether it's being in law
enforcement, uh, whether it'sbeing a, uh, an attorney, we're,
we're, we're diversified inthat, in that way.
So this is what we do, uh, buildpeople.
This is what it's all about.
Building people.
It took us.
A long time to build ourselvesin a different manner so we have
(21:49):
the, uh, credibility to do so.
Um, it's a, it is a beautifulthing to see when somebody you
are working with finally, uh,says, oh, I understand now, and
they have a differentunderstanding.
So, and this as a teacherstandpoint, you have a lot of
people that wanna teach and alot of people wanna pass down.
(22:09):
Knowledge is, and sometimes, uh,they, they can't give their
knowledge away.
They have the skills, but theycan't give their knowledge away.
But because of the things thatwe experienced in our, in our
lifetime, we learn patience.
We learn humility.
We learn that if a person don'tget it the first time, we don't
discard him.
And we don't, um, what's theword?
(22:32):
We don't, um.
Uh, blame or we don't pointfingers or we don't judge
because we have been judged andwe have been fingers pointed at,
we have been marginalizing.
And people say, you're nevergonna change from this, so
you're always gonna stayincarcerated.
So the mountains that we climbedand the mountains that have been
removed out of our lives, we'renow able to help others.
(22:56):
To, uh, uh, receive that sameblessing and have that hope
everything is on based on thathope.
So, if you don't have the hope,we've seen people without hope
and, um, it's, it's not a goodscene.
And so this is what we worktowards.
This is what this unshackledbuilding bridges is gonna be all
about, man.
(23:16):
Uh, unifying people, upliftingthe people, letting people tell
their stories.
Everybody has a story.
Everybody has a story.
Where they came from, and wedon't know whether it was five
years old or somebody was threeyears old, or somebody was 20
years old when they lock intocertain traumas and it, and
we're willing.
(23:37):
We in the unshackled buildingbridges, podcasting, we're
willing to go that far in.
We're willing to go with thatperson that far back.
We're willing to go, if peoplecan't read and write to the
second grade, to the thirdgrade, we're willing to go help
'em that far to, uh, restart theclock and bring them up to par
(23:57):
as Gilbert said.
Uh.
It.
A lot of people are mocked whocome from the world, the, the
prison system because they comehome after many decades and
can't compete in the, in thecomputer world.
So it is like you're training akindergartner and a lot of
people do not wanna take thetime after they come from home
(24:18):
from work, and you can't blame'em.
People work eight hours a day,10 hours a day, they don't want
to take the time, or they don'thave the time, or they're tired
or exhausted to now take a grownadult.
And try to teach them the basicsof electronics, uh, uh, these,
these computer system, thecameras and the digital
technical era.
(24:38):
So.
Uh, this is what this is allabout, to find help where people
need the help at, and redirectthe people to get that help in
them arenas.
Omar (24:47):
Hey.
Amen.
Amen.
Th th uh, thanks for sharing allthat.
Now, I was gonna ask you a, areal quick, the, that name.
When did, did you get that nameand that the division, like
when, when did you know, like,man, we're, we're gonna start a
podcast and this is what it'sgonna be about.
Was it like in prison still?
Were you like.
Writing down some dreams, somegoals.
(25:08):
How, uh, maybe talk about when,when, when you received that
vision and then, and then thename, where, where'd you get the
name?
You know,
Ronnie (25:15):
Gilbert was, we were starting, at first I had this
program labeled Hub, uh, help usbuild Foundation.
So as we were getting ready towork with that, and I've been
using that name forapproximately 10 years.
So Gilbert started coming upwith.
Different names, and he keptsaying, we have to come up with
a name that fits what we wentthrough.
(25:37):
And I, and we went, I forgot allthe words that he came up with,
but he came up with a lot ofthem.
And we landed on one thing thatin his life and in my life, it,
we, we revolved around lettinggo of that spirit that we had
that caused us trauma.
So the word that fit the bestwas we took that chain off.
(25:59):
We were, we were unshackled.
So, um, the Bible says inHebrews 13, three to be sh uh,
shackled to the prisoner as ifyou're in prison yourself.
And when I remember that word, Isaid, Gilbert, the word we're
looking for is unshackled.
We're free.
So then, and then what are wedoing?
Because we're un free.
What are we doing with thatfreedom?
(26:20):
And we were saying we werehelping people build.
We didn't let the building wordgo.
So we're saying we're helpingpeople build, which we do,
whether it's.
Cutting people's grass, whetherit's painting people's houses,
whether it's fixing theirfurniture, um, whatever we do,
whether it's, uh, counselingthem, coaching them, whether
it's taking them, like he'sGilbert said, taking'em outta
(26:42):
their house on field trips youcould call it.
Uh, whether it's getting themhelp with attorneys.
Uh, our knowledge of what wewent through in life is like a,
like an encyclopedia.
We have an encyclopedia ofinformation in our head that we
can pass on that.
Unfortunately other people don'thave, and the blessing that we
have is that patience to give itto'em until we see that they got
(27:07):
it.
Omar (27:08):
Hmm.
Amen.
Amen.
I was gonna ask you, I know youshared that you, you, you know,
your thinking, you know, man,the, the name and all that.
What, what, what, what did thatdo to you as far as like c
creativity and maybe, I know youmentioned you were retired, man,
you're already just to chill,take life easy.
But did that give you like anew, like reinvigoration, like
(27:29):
give you a mission?
Could you talk about like,thinking the process mm-hmm.
And, and, and where you're atnow.
Like what, what, what has donethat done for you?
Gilbert (27:38):
Okay.
So, like Ronnie said, Ronniecomes out, you know, and I start
hanging around with Veronica,you know, I've known him for
over 50 years, so, you know,whatever I can do for him, Hey,
Ronnie, go over here.
Or if you need to go over there,you can't go over here.
You can't come to the statebecause it, it was a process.
But then once, once we gotsettled down about a year later,
(27:59):
'cause he was first in Indiana.
So about a year later, once hecomes into the state, gets
settled down over here, changeshis address and everything.
So we started trying to formthis Huff Foundation thing, but
then as we're forming it, werealized that we were going
about it the wrong way.
So we, we put a halt on it.
So like Ronnie said, you know,we come up with the idea, you
know, that we need to come upwith a different name, you know,
(28:22):
so we start kicking around.
He starts.
Telling me.
Oh.
So I give'em like fivedifferent, 10 different names.
So out of the 10 differentnames, we put it together and
come out unshackled buildingbridges.
'cause we are like, what?
I said unshackled and now we'rebuilding bridges.
'cause we're building people'slife together.
We're bringing them backtogether.
So, you know, I started saying,okay, so we're gonna do a
(28:44):
podcast.
I said, Rodney, we went first.
We went to do, uh, this, thisthe, he does these events.
Speaking events and stuff likethat.
He goes to, uh, politicaladvocate, advocating what have
you, what have you, not y'allunderstand that language pretty
sure.
(29:04):
Anyway, so we kicked it aroundand, and we came out.
I said, were recording, and allof a sudden, you know, I just
said, Ronnie, why don't we starta podcast?
I just said it just like.
Just to say it.
He says, that's a good idea, andthis guy says something.
It's like serious.
I looked at like, okay, so whatdo we do from here?
So we started.
(29:25):
That's when we started pickingthe name, getting the things
together.
We got the name.
Then he calls me up and says,make it into a nonprofit
organization so we're not just apodcast now.
Now he wants me to turn into anonprofit organization.
I say, oh man.
Okay.
So that means that everythingwe're gonna make is gonna go to
the non-profit organization.
That's okay with me.
'cause we, we working outta loveanyway.
We don't have no money.
(29:46):
We're putting money in.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So it's all good.
Let's go for it.
So I went and became anon-profit organization.
So now you know the name is anonprofit organization.
We're called Unshackled BuildingBridges Organization, which is a
nonprofit organization.
And uh, we have the podcast aspart of our organization and
we're gonna use the podcast as amental health tool.
(30:08):
To bring mental health awarenessto people out there, you know,
um, as far as the trauma part oflife that people don't talk
about, you know, there's, peoplehave been abused when they were
kids and they're still holdingonto it.
That little secret, whatever.
Sometimes we need to let go ofthose things, figure a way to
let go of those things.
'cause you know, we're onlyhurting ourselves.
You know, and, and, and, andwe're gonna build this and we're
(30:30):
gonna do this.
And, and that's how it started.
And we just kept going and keptgoing.
And next thing you know, I'mlearning accounting.
You know, I knew someaccounting, you know, from the
job that I used to do before.
I know a little bit aboutcomputers.
I now, I'm learning, I'm totallyin a new field and a non-profit
organization, buildup.
So I'm, I'm learning about 5 0 1C3.
(30:51):
I'm learning about taxexemptions.
I'm learning about accounting.
I'm learning about bankaccounts, how to set up business
bank.
I'm learning all this stuff andI'm getting good at
Ronnie (31:01):
it.
He back alive,
Gilbert (31:04):
you know, and I feel like, wow.
Ronnie (31:05):
Yeah.
Gilbert (31:06):
Now I'm plan.
I have plans to even go back toschool to study a class that has
to do with mental health.
Omar (31:12):
If, if you don't mind me asking.
How, how old are you, brother?
And the reason I ask, the reasonI gotta ask this,'cause there's
a lot of young people, man, that40, you know, 50, they think,
man, how old are you?
And they, I'm 70
Gilbert (31:24):
years old.
70 years old man.
I'm 70 years old man.
Omar (31:27):
And I know you said, you mentioned coming back to life,
but really like, I, I, I couldsee it.
You don tell me real quick, man.
This brother man, he, he, he, hecame to my house.
We were like, I was showing himmy equipment.
And he started showing methings.
You know, I'm, I'm 46 years old,so his brother busted out his
phone.
He's like, Hey man, Omar, yougotta get this app, man.
You gotta get, uh, ai.
(31:48):
And so we're, man, we, we, we,we could learn from up, down,
and down up.
You know what I'm saying?
And I just wanted to ask that,you know, not to throw your age
out there.
No, no.
That's, but man to, to givethese, uh, people that are gonna
watch this man.
Some to, to, to bring them backto life, man, in a sense
because, uh, uh, maybe somebodytold them, Hey, yo, yo, you're
(32:10):
not smart enough.
Maybe.
Yeah.
You know, they, they, they'vebeen cursed in some way or
somehow they get word spokenover'em.
It could be from a parent, itcould be from a teacher.
Man.
You're never gonna amount tonothing, man.
You're dumb and all thesethings, man.
And, and I think a lot of timeswe receive that and we accept
that and we need somebody tocome.
Like, I know you mentioned youreconnecting with Ronnie.
Seems like he sparked somethingin you.
(32:31):
He did reinvigorated somethingin you.
Now you're talking about goingback to school.
Man, we're setting up thecamera.
You know, man, this brother gotbetter equipment than I got, you
know?
So he did, he did his research,started investigating and man,
he got, uh, the, what you got,uh, the, the Apple computer.
Man, you, he more high tech thanme, so definitely.
I I just wanted to share thatbrother.
'cause Amen.
(32:51):
People need to be like a realreawakening.
I and I pray that by themhearing you share this.
Maybe that'll spark something inthem that no matter how old you
are, man, you could learn allthese things you're, that you're
learning at this age and you'restill gonna learn more, brother.
But I could continue to,
Gilbert (33:07):
to share on
Omar (33:08):
what you were saying.
No, but, but thanks,
Gilbert (33:09):
thanks a lot, uh, Omar, for, for that compliment.
I know.
Very deeply appreciated.
But I owe everything to God.
I'm gonna be honest with youbecause without God, I wouldn't
have been able to do nothing.
And right now, I, I feel thestrength.
I feel the energy.
I feel it all, man.
And I feel like I want to move.
You know?
It's like leaving a legacy man.
You know what I'm saying?
It's like, you know, I, youknow, I fell, I fell off like 12
(33:33):
feet, 10 feet, straight downheadfirst at the United Center
about four months ago.
Okay.
I broke three ribs only.
I didn't break my neck, I didn'tbust my head, and I'm still here
standing, okay.
By the grace of God, you know?
And I saw this guy fall at thePNC park.
Yeah.
Cubs game.
No offense, but the Cubs gamethat the guy fell down and man,
(33:57):
he was in the hospital for, andwhen I saw that, I got chills up
my ball.
And all I could do is thank Godand pray for that man.
And, and thank God that I'm herebecause it could have easily
broke my neck.
I could have easily, you know,broke my back, busted my head,
anything, you know, but I'm hereand, and you know what, and
you're right, I'm 70 years old.
And, you know, and, and I, Ihave a backpack, I have lumber
(34:19):
back.
I have the three broken ribsand, and seven years old.
But you know, I still change thecar tire.
I still wash the car.
I still wanna go after I washthe car, get on the computer.
After I get on the computer, Iwanna come down here and clean
up.
You know, I want, always wannabe on the go because, you know,
I, I don't wanna put myself tosleep, man.
'cause I did that for a while.
As soon as I retired, man, I waslike.
(34:40):
Couch potato.
I didn't wanna do anything, man.
This guy gets out, man.
He got me out of my comfortzone, man, and I'm not the only
one.
He has taken out the comfortzone, man.
This man is man.
He is blessed by God to takepeople and see what they don't
see, man, and let them know inhis own special way what they
(35:02):
need to do.
He's blunt.
But he straight up man, and youknow, man, I, I came outta my
comfort zone all sudden, I wannatake everybody out their comfort
zone.
Omar (35:10):
Yeah.
Oh yeah.
Gilbert (35:11):
You know what I'm saying?
Omar (35:11):
I call that
Gilbert (35:12):
a, a a a ripple effect.
Yeah, it's like a ripple effect.
Exactly, man.
You know, and, and you know, andI encourage people, you know,
to.
Sometimes, you know, you watchthese things and you might get
bored or something, but man,these stories, you know, and it
is not our stories.
This is our story today.
Yeah.
About how we started thisprogram, how we're gonna get
this program launched, and howthings are gonna go from here
on.
But this is stories about yourstory, about your story to share
(35:37):
with other people that livelives like you so they can see
that they can relate to it.
And you know, especially peoplethat have changed their life,
that have been able to changetheir life around, whether
through us or through someoneelse like you, or through a
church or through some mentor orsomething that they took
seriously, you know?
And they took everything intoaccount and they say, you know
what?
(35:57):
This life is in Sham.
I.
I don't like this life anymore.
You know?
And there's people that come tothe point, they wanna take their
life away, man.
You know?
And that's when life gets realbad.
When you don't care, you know?
And oh my, I, when I got lockedup and I came back out, I saw
people that looked young when Igot locked up.
I got locked up for three years,come back out.
They look like, oh man, youknow, they got wasted, man.
(36:20):
No teeth, no nothing.
They like, what's up?
What's up?
What happened to you?
It only been a while.
Yeah.
You know, and there's a lot ofpeople, you know, and that's why
we're beautiful.
We're beautiful.
No matter what we look like,we're beautiful, you know, but
the beauty comes from within,you know, and that's what we
gotta realize.
And then we gotta learn that,you know, a person could only
(36:41):
love us how they know how.
We can't expect the person tolove us the way we know how.
'cause we gotta love how we knowhow.
You know?
And when someone loves us,they're loving us the way they
know how.
Ronnie (36:52):
So we're, we're blessed to be mobile.
We're blessed to be movingaround so we're not, uh, in one
family.
We have hundreds of familiesthat we associate to, and then
their cousins or their aunts ortheir, whoever it is, we go to
different prison ministries.
In the prison ministries youfind multiple people and, uh,
(37:15):
many people that are notGod-fearing.
People are not even believersare, a lot of people are afraid
when you say.
Ministry or when you say God.
So we preach to them basicallythat a minister, uh, when you
say you're a minister, aminister is just a messenger.
So you, you are a messengerbringing good word to people.
(37:35):
So, uh, I preach to a lot ofpeople, and I'll say not preach,
but teach a lot of people thatdon't be afraid of the word, uh,
ministry or God.
Or when we point out to people,they're doing such a, a job, an
astronomical job of doingsomething abnormal that is not
normally seen.
And then you point out to them,you know, you're a, you're a
(37:57):
gift from God, you're a vesselfrom God.
A lot of people take it and stepback and they don't want that
recognition on them.
Like, no, not God.
And then it's just, uh, it'smore than what a normal person
can do.
So it's, it is, I try to humblethese people.
And not that I try to humblethem that just to show them or
(38:18):
explain to them or, or expressto them, you are a vessel of God
and that that's a exciting thingto be, you know, that to, uh, to
hyper a person up and keepgoing.
And we're associated to, uh,different nonprofit groups,
which are, uh, reentry centergroups.
We go around different reentrycenter groups.
(38:40):
Uh, different groups that are,find people housing, uh, find
people rental assistance, findpeople, uh, money to buy
clothes, give people clothes.
Uh, bibles, we got interestgroups that we go to that go
into the Cook County Jailinterest groups that go into all
the prison systems, uh, throughthrough Illinois and the United
States, and even internationalplaces out of the country.
(39:03):
So all these, uh, PE it's aboutpeople.
You know, we're created to be afellowship with each other.
So we bring that fellowship, sothe, the scripture tells you to
go out and make it.
Don't say to go into church andlock in the church.
So we go out and make, we go, wemake house calls, you know, and
we, and we bring people out toengage and whatever it is,
(39:25):
whether it's to a restaurant,whatever it is.
Um, some people don't havefamily left that we know they're
older.
Some people don't have brothersand sisters.
Uh, mother's Day just passed andsome mothers, uh, their children
don't know how to, um, buy'emflowers or buy'em a gift.
They just have superficialmother's days.
No car.
(39:46):
Just some people just say, happyMother's Day, and that's where
it lies at.
So we come across that.
No, we go get the flowers.
No, we.
We, we go get a gift, we go getthe chocolate or we go get
something and help the people toNo, this is how you celebrate a
mother.
This is how you do this.
And, and we bring that to theplate.
So this is what we do and it's,it is, like Gilbert said, the
(40:08):
American system exercises, uh,everything to the currency
through the dollar.
So we come from poor backgroundswhere we didn't have anything.
We went through the prisonsystem where we didn't have
money for lawyers.
We sat there for decades.
And taught each other and, andraised up.
So, but what we did learn wasthat, that God is love and, and
(40:29):
that love because our familystood together, they visit us
for 40, I mean, in my case,visited me for 47 years.
Cars, after cars, driving fivehours, seven hours, flying in
from other states to come visit.
Uh, bring money, give money, um,and, and participate.
So they, they did the time withme.
(40:51):
So this is, this is what welearned out of that ordeal, that
love moves mountains.
So when you, when we found otherpeople in problems that were in
a court system or going to ahearing or have a medical
situation and the prison, andthey had no family to represent
'em.
We had family that wouldrepresent'em, and then we would
(41:12):
call, our family would call eachother, especially my sister
would call people and say, or myyounger brother, I'll take the
people down there, I'll go bringtheir family to visit, and they
will just volunteer.
When you see that loveoperating, then it, it is, it is
like a, it's like a torch.
It's like an igniter.
And we don't, we don't, wehaven't stopped with it yet, so
we're not gonna get old.
(41:33):
And when people say, well, youjust asked Gilbert, how old is
he?
How old is he?
And people ask me, Hey, how oldare you?
I don't count numbers.
I have eternal life.
Amen.
So I don't count numbers.
We just, we're gonna live.
The Bible says we live.
Amen.
I, I'm taking those numbersthere.
Amen.
Eternity's more than 50, 67 andnumber don't mean nothing.
Omar (41:53):
Hey man.
Thanks for sharing that, man.
I, I, I know like you weretalking about retirement and
when you're serving, God, thereis no retirement man until you
get to the other side, you know?
'cause man, as long as you gotbreath in your lungs, man, and
your heart's beating, shit.
Got, got, got some work for youto do, man.
No, no matter where you're at asfar as like a number.
Uh, but man, yo, you guysmentioned, okay, the podcast and
all these programming.
(42:13):
Where can people go to like, uh,find out what you guys are gonna
be doing?
I know we're, we're probablygonna release this once you
guys, you know, I, I think youmentioned you wanna record about
seven, eight podcasts.
Get ready to launch, then we'regonna release this, uh, we're
gonna release this probably theweek before they get ready to
launch that.
But maybe you got a website, uh,maybe Facebook or TikTok.
(42:34):
What do you, what do you got?
Gilbert (42:35):
So, so we're across, off.
Five platforms right now.
For right now, we're across, uh,Tic-Tac.
We have, uh, Instagram, we haveX, we have uh, Facebook, and we
have YouTube, and we have awebsite.
So we're six.
And our website is u ubb org.
(42:58):
Dot org, right.
It's Uncheckable BuildingBridges organization or ubb.org,
whichever.
When you hit.
UBB org.
Dot org.
And
Ronnie (43:11):
so, so what we're gonna do, just to, not to cut Gilbert
off, he has all that text.
So he's, uh, he has prepared andhas prepared all the, uh,
channels for it to bebroadcasted so on, on our
behalf.
We're, we already have listingsof volunteers on standby, you
could say, waiting fromdifferent, uh, whatever they do,
(43:32):
whatever their business is.
And then we'll be bringing themin.
Uh, we have a woman just notmad, not mothers against drunk
driving, but it's like, um, uh,against alcohol, some kind of
thing.
So we'll be bringing them in.
We have students to come in andspeak.
Uh, we have different churchesto come in and and speak.
(43:53):
We have different personalpeople to come in and speak.
We're gonna use, uh, women thatwere traumatized by just going
to visit the prison.
What was those experiences?
We're gonna bring in familymembers who have lost family
members.
We're gonna bring in, uh, manyvictims of people from violence
that cause trauma to theirfamilies multiple times.
So we have a diversified.
(44:15):
Uh, agenda of different topicsof people to let them tell their
stories of what they're goingthrough, and we're just gonna be
the medium for them to gethighlighted.
Like what we did in Kwani, meand Omar went to Kwani and it
wasn't about me, it wasn't abouthim.
It was that I was talking toOmar and told'em, Hey, there's a
town down there in SouthernIllinois and they do this and
(44:38):
they do that.
They help people to get outtaprison.
He like, yeah.
I said, we need to highlightthem people.
So we went down there tohighlight what those peoples,
uh, were doing are, are doing intheir community.
So this is what we're doing inthis Unshackled building
bridges.
We're gonna bring the people into highlight what they're doing.
We're talking about politicalagents, we're talking about
(45:00):
minister agents, we're talkingabout, um.
Incarcerated impacted people,people and then the agencies
nonprofit trying to get thesepeople out of prison.
Uh, wi Wives who their husbandsare still in prison with Natural
Life, we're gonna bring allthese different people in to let
it out.
Let it out, and let people that,uh, on the outside and
(45:21):
different, wherever this landsat, wherever.
Gilbert gets it to channel twothat maybe somebody in society
can pitch in and donate orwhatever.
Uh, remarks.
We don't know what remarksomebody from listening to this
will send a remark that willchange our whole attitude,
change our atmosphere, steer usdown a different place.
So this is what we're lookingfor.
(45:43):
So, and it, like it says,building bridges one screw at a
time, one piece of metal at atime, but that's a metaphor.
But in our case it's one personat a time.
Gilbert (45:52):
Right.
So, so to what he was saying,so, and to what you were saying.
So our plan is that you'regonna, you're gonna launch a
week before we launch off, andwe're planning, we do have a
bunch of people lined up, youknow, that have different
stories, good stories too.
Anyway, so a week after youlaunch yours, we're gonna launch
(46:12):
and we're hoping to go by end ofthis month, or by the beginning
of next month.
You know, we're going to launchoff with three three, and then
we're gonna give you one a week.
Every week it gonna be adifferent story.
Just like, just like your show,more or less, Omar.
But, you know, even though, likeyou said, I'm, I'm an older guy.
Mm-hmm.
But I'm a new kid in the block.
I'm the new kid in the block andI wanna come up with something
(46:34):
new, you know, somethingdifferent, you know?
Um, I wanna try something new,you know?
And if it works, it works.
And if it doesn't, it doesn't,you know, I trust God.
I put God in front of me and youknow, God's leading the way.
He told me he's gonna be thevoice.
He told me, don't worry aboutwho you going to talk to.
If you, whether it's a lawyer, adoctor, or you know, a small
person, you know, or a bigperson or whatever, a nice
(46:54):
dressed person or a person thatdoesn't know how to dress, don't
worry, I'm gonna talk for you.
You know, and I trusted God andyou know, this is where he has
me and, and I'm glad he has mehere, you know, because I feel
like I'm doing somethingpositive.
I feel like I'm contributingalready.
And I haven't even started, man.
We already got affiliations witha bunch of organizations.
(47:15):
Okay.
A lot of reentries, we, we areaffiliated with, from, from
here, from Humboldt Park area,from the Inglewood area, you
know, and we're, uh, Westtownright here, Austin, by, by
Austin, all over Chicago.
You know, we already haveconnections with different, uh,
churches too that, that workwith the community, different
pastors, you know, and.
(47:35):
And, and we're just part of it.
You know, once we get all ourlicenses in place, we're already
a non-profit organization, butthere's a few more papers that
are in the work.
But once we get all those papersin work, then we're in full
blown.
I.
You know, and, and you know,only the sky's the limit.
You know, the sky's not thelimit for us.
Sky's the limit for all of us,you know, all of us.
'cause we're talking aboutbringing people up.
(47:56):
We're not talking about beingrich a millionaire.
You know, we're talking aboutbeing a millionaire in love.
Mm-hmm.
Being a millionaire, you know,and feeling it, you know, not
just talking it, but feeling it,you know, because you, you know.
With bread and butter, man, youcould feel like a millionaire.
Mm-hmm.
You don't have to have a stake.
Right.
Omar (48:13):
You know?
Gilbert (48:14):
Hey man.
Amen.
For sure,
Omar (48:14):
brother.
Hey, you know what?
They, they thank you guys for,for sharing all that.
You know, what, uh, be before weget ready to wrap up, any final
words, anything we didn't get achance to talk about that you
guys would want to share, youknow, that maybe they need to,
to hear
Ronnie (48:27):
All I would like to say up to close this is that you're
gonna see by other people'svoices, not ours, because I'm
not bragging and it says.
To keep me my in humility, butour credibility, uh, is gonna be
announced, not by me, but we'regonna bring people in to say,
these, these people do this,this, this, and this.
(48:49):
And the same thing as, uh, Omar,by you starting your, uh, wrong
and strong.
And you might start it with onepeople.
You got years under your belt,you know, high tech moving
around.
Uh, it's a full blown program,recognized everywhere.
So it's credible.
Credibility means everything.
Your word means everything.
And we're, we stand on that.
(49:11):
You know, the, the people aregonna announce, you know, these
people do this, and it's a goodthing.
If you need help, we knowsomebody can help you.
Gilbert (49:19):
Amen.
I'd like to say, Omar, um, I'dlike to extend a big, you know,
hug to you, you know, because,uh, man, you know.
I'm here because you've alsohelped me.
You know, you didn't look at uslike as competitors, but you
looked at us as someone to help,you know, and, and you know,
from watching your programs andwhat you do, I see the kind of
(49:40):
help you do.
You know, you, you uplifting,you know, and you're doing this,
you know, you're going here,you're going there.
And, you know, it's a greatthing to do.
And I'm, I'm, I'm gonna be partof that, you know, and, and,
and, you know, I connected withyou, you know?
Mm-hmm.
And even though you're 46 andI'm, you know, I feel like, man,
we've been hanging around allour life together, bro.
I feel like, you know, like youone of the guys and then, you
(50:01):
know, you feel like I'm one ofthe grandfathers.
I don't know, but, you know, butit's all good, man.
You know, and, and you know, Ipraise to your program, bro.
Praise to God.
You know what I'm saying?
Because you always keep God inyour program.
I seen that too.
You know?
And I believe, you know, there'speople that that say, you know,
you should keep the Lord out abit if you want to do this, if
you want.
No, I believe the Lord got mehere.
(50:23):
The Lord gonna take me overthere.
Amen.
Without the Lord, I ain't goingnowhere.
Amen.
Enough for for sure.
You know, want to,
Omar (50:30):
I wanna share this, uh, who went to Kiwani?
We had about two and a half hourdrive.
Man, I, I, I got out that carseat, man.
I could barely walk, move andRonnie's over there ripping and
running, man.
Uh, I, I, I told my wife when Igot back, I like, man, I'm over
there.
I, I feel like I was like theolder guy, man, this guy's over
there energy.
Then he is driving back back andhe got plans and things to do.
(50:51):
Hey, hey Ronnie, I was gonna askyou.
Oh, man, you, you, you come outafter 47 years being in prison
and instead of you coming outand maybe having other people
like man to, to motivate you,you know, to give you vision.
Vision.
You came out here and you'redoing, you're doing that to a
lot of people, and I know, likewith me, you, you've impacted
(51:12):
me.
Uh, uh, uh, I believe in a lotof divine connections.
I believe the connection here,the connection with Gil and just
the, the networking that's beenhappening.
I see God's hand in all of it,man.
Amen.
And I know you mentioned like medoing this like for you guys,
man, like, uh, one of the thingsI tell people I, if it's of God,
it's of me.
Amen.
Meaning if it's to point peopleto Christ, if it's to, to help
(51:32):
others, yeah.
Man, I'm there.
How, how, how can I contribute?
And I, I, I, I believe it.
And not, like you mentioned, Iknow, like, like competition.
Ah, man.
We're, we're, uh, helping oneanother.
Yes, sir.
And, and, and, and, uh, what'sthe word you, you, you use right
now?
Uh.
What's an integrity, what's theword you were talking about
right now?
You said, uh, you, you will seethat people ain't ain't gonna
(51:53):
need credibility.
Credibility, man.
And, and that, that's what I seein these brothers when I went to
Kiwani and just all the, the,the men and the women.
Uh, that they were talking aboutRonnie, the way he, he impacted
him even while he was in prison.
Uh, the blessing that he was.
Mm-hmm.
And now he's out here and he'sdoing, uh, uh, you know, doing
the same thing.
You know?
Same, uh, not with freedom, butman, me personally, I just pray
(52:15):
for you guys.
Amen.
I pray that God blesses thatthis, this podcast.
Yes, sir.
Uh, that he gives you favor withwhoever he needs to give you
favor with.
Opens up the door to, uh, uh, toall these programs that you guys
have.
The, the vi the, the division.
You know, I know you, mementioned the, uh, incarcerate,
uh, impacted to help'em in car.
Impacted in car.
(52:36):
We're gonna change.
Gilbert (52:36):
We're gonna change.
We wanna change the language,you know,'cause this
incarceration, uh, prisoner ormm-hmm jail burden or not.
We're car impacted people.
That's who we are.
We're car impacted people and Iwanna clear that out'cause we're
changing the language.
Omar (52:53):
Amen.
And, and God's you using peoplelike that in a mighty way?
You know, that's, that's usuallythey look at it, oh man, you
know, you ain't gonna accomplishnothing.
You got that on your record.
They got the X on you.
Like, nah.
Yeah,
Gilbert (53:04):
no, that's what I thought.
That's what the, that's what theenemy wants you to think,
brother.
The enemy wants you to think.
And that's why I was held backfor a while.
'cause the enemy was, but Godhad other plans.
God was also preparing me, man.
'cause he was preparing me withthat book.
You know?
And I'm not as good as, as, aswise with other people with the
book.
But you know what?
The word and the spirit is inme.
Omar (53:24):
Yes.
Gilbert (53:24):
And that's all that counts.
Amen.
Omar (53:26):
That, that, that's all we need.
Any last words around here?
One of use.
Can you close out in prayer?
Ronnie (53:32):
I'll close out in prayer.
Omar (53:33):
Amen.
Ronnie (53:34):
Father, it's a blessing that you open all these doors
that once upon a time I was in aposition where they said, oh,
you'll never be free, you'llnever have children, that you're
gonna die by incarceration.
Uh, but many people cameforward, father out of love, not
out of finance.
And you show me what love is andthe doors opened, people kept
(53:56):
knocking on the door, peopleunified.
And I'm thankful father that itwas, it was you.
Every time I seen somethinghappen so abnormal, I had to
look up to say, that's onlysupernatural.
Supernatural comes from theheavenly realm.
And when the, when the keys turnto, uh, release me from that
kind of incarceration, uh, thewoundings that we had throughout
(54:17):
the years that.
We're not supposed to walk awayfrom that.
We walked away from that.
You kept us, uh, alive for apurpose, father.
And our purpose is, uh, to livefor others, not to live for
ourself.
Your word says to pick up ourcross, daily, die to ourself and
live a Christ's life.
And that was to help otherpeople.
So here we are, um, helpingpeople unshackle the things that
(54:40):
they're locked into that theymay not see, that we might be
able to help them with a word,with a deed.
And give us that opportunity.
Father, give us that favor tocontinuously do so.
Give us the bolts and screws andevery piece of, uh, equipment
and, uh, utensil that we need tobuild these bridges.
Father that, that the doors openin every way mightily.
(55:01):
That people could say that'sabnormal.
It's supernatural.
Them brothers are anointed andordained through your kingdom
Father, and that all we do thiswork for we're just soldiers and
soldiers for the kingdom Father,not for ourselves.
In Jesus name I pray,
Omar (55:16):
amen.
Amen.
Amen.
And Jesus name, we pray man.
So wait.
They thank you guys for for thehospitality to allow me to come
into your studio, man.
Like I mentioned, man, I praythat God blessed us.
I can't wait to see the gueststhat you guys are gonna have
here.
So definitely those of you thatare watching.
Tune in Unshackled buildingBridges.
I'll put the links to thewebsite and all the, the social
media sites that they have.
That way you guys could justclick and go, go, go to them.
(55:39):
And definitely, uh, stay tunedand make sure once they, once
their podcast released, makesure you guys like, follow,
subscribe, whatever it is youguys gotta do to, to, to, to
stay in, in tune with these guysand, uh, to see the, the, the
work that God's gonna use thesebrothers, uh, to do.
And with that, we're gonna getready to wrap up.
Oh, matthew four 16 reads, Thepeople who sat in darkness have
(56:00):
seen a great light, and uponthose who sat in the region and
shadow of death light hasdawned." alongside my brothers
Gilbert and Ronnie Omar Calvio,and we are wrong.
Too strong.
Ronnie (56:11):
Amen.
Thank you.
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