September 10, 2024 • 22 mins
What if social enterprises could reshape the global economy while prioritizing social and environmental value? This episode of the Mindful Marketplace features an enlightening conversation with Damien Durr, a leader of the Gus Newport Project and DCD Empowerment, as we unravel the transformative power of social ventures. Damien sheds light on how these enterprises generate trillions in revenue, create millions of jobs, and strengthen community resilience. We tackle the pressing issue of mega-banks overshadowing community banks and credit unions and the repercussions this has on local economies. Plus, we highlight the ambitious goals of the Community Equity Fund by the Eagle Market Streets Development Corporation, aimed at fostering equitable economic development in Asheville, North Carolina.
In a thought-provoking chapter inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s philosophy of a beloved community, we focus on the intersection of faith, justice, and education. Damien discusses faith institutions' pivotal role in integrating moral values into policy decisions, challenging the conventional single-bottom-line approach. We delve into DCD Empowerment's mission to uplift marginalized youth by linking talent with opportunity and addressing critical issues like low self-esteem and trauma. This episode not only broadens our understanding of intelligence but also emphasizes the creation of learning environments where educators and students grow together, nurturing hope and resilience in marginalized communities. Join us for a powerful discussion on how economic reforms and community-driven change can pave the way for a more just and equitable society.
https://dcdempowerment.com/
www.gusnewport.com
This program is brought to you by:
Arc Integrated
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Joel (00:00):
What if investing in each other could change the world?
I'm Joel Skeen with bizradiousand this is the Mindful
Marketplace.
Welcome to another edition ofthe Mindful Marketplace here on
bizradious.
Really happy to have you here.
Thank you for your time today.
I am Joel Skeen, really alsovery grateful that we get to
(00:24):
interview today Damian Durr, whois a speaker at an upcoming
conference.
He is head of the Gus NewportProject, as well as the DCD
Empowerment which we're going toget to discuss with him.
If this is your first time onthe show, this is the show where
we talk to the entrepreneurs,the industry leaders, the
(00:46):
investors, the advisors, theeconomic experts and the other
folks who are questioning theassumption that there's only one
bottom line in business and inmoney.
And this is the show where wereally get to connect our values
and our community to ourbusinesses and to ourselves.
So we'll get into ourconversation here with Damian in
just a moment, but first we gotto hit the balance sheet the
(01:08):
assets, liabilities, debts andinvestments.
Okay, first, in the assetscolumn, I want to talk about an
article here in Forbes about theSchwab Foundation's Global
Alliance for SocialEntrepreneurship.
They recently found that thereare actually approximately 10
million social enterprisesworldwide, which collectively
generate around $2 trillion inannual revenue, creating over
(01:32):
200 million jobs.
The sector now outranks othermainstream industries by annual
revenue, such as things liketelecom and apparel.
These enterprises make up 3% ofall businesses globally and
stand out from traditionalbusinesses by placing strong
emphasis on creating social andenvironmental value in addition
to economic value.
(01:52):
Social enterprises align theirmissions with sustainable
development goals, particularlyin creating decent work, driving
climate action, reducingpoverty and inequalities.
They prioritize social impactover financial returns and
reinvest their profits back intotheir mission.
Half of all social enterprises,the study found, are led by
(02:13):
women, compared to a mere 20% ofconventional businesses,
highlighting the inherentinclusivity and diversity
ingrained within these ventures,both in their structure and
goals.
The study also found thatsocial enterprises positively
impact the lives of millions,from rural villages in places
like Africa to the megacities inAsia and Latin America, all the
(02:35):
way to the underprivilegedparts of North America and
Europe.
Despite their significantcontribution, though, social
enterprises are underestimatedand probably underrepresented,
facing a significant funding gapof about 1.3 trillion dollars
and a lack of legal recognitionin many countries.
Movements such as catalyst 2030are advocating for better
(02:58):
policies to support the socialeconomy and initiatives like the
Corporate Social InnovationCompass say that six times aim
to prioritize private sectorsupport for social enterprises
and sustainable economics.
Second, in the liabilitiescolumn, I want to talk about
monopoly banking.
There was a really interestingpiece here in the Institute for
(03:20):
the Local Self-Reliance aboutthe US banking sector and how
it's dominated by a few largebanks, often referred to as mega
banks, such as Wells Fargo,citigroup, bank of America,
jpmorgan Chase.
These mega banks hold asignificant portion of the
country's assets and are accusedof prioritizing shareholder
(03:41):
profits over the needs of localbusinesses and communities.
Over the past three decades,community banks and credit
unions have been disappearing.
These smaller financialinstitutions are crucial for
fostering local economies andhave been shown to be more
effective at meeting thefinancial needs of their
communities.
However, federal bankingpolicies have led to their
(04:02):
decline, allowing megabanks todominate the economy.
The consolidation of thebanking industry, particularly
the emergence of these megabanksback in the 1990s, has led to a
sharp decline in communitybanks and credit unions.
This consolidation has resultedin a significant reduction in
the number of community banksand credit unions, with
(04:23):
megabanks now holding a majorityof the industry's assets.
The research indicates thatcommunity banks and credit
unions actually outperformmegabanks in several important
ways.
They are less expensive, moreefficient, better at judging and
managing risk and devote alarger share of their resources
to productive lending,particularly small businesses.
Their business model, whichfocuses on making productive
(04:46):
loans and fostering long-termrelationships with customers, is
seen as more aligned with thebroader interests of the economy
and community.
The article points severalcommunity and state-level
solutions, so if you want toknow more, go ahead and check
out that at the Institute forLocal Self-Reliance All right.
Next in the debts column someinteresting developments here.
There is actually activistsworking in the debt world right
(05:10):
now, a group called the DebtCollective.
These are the folks thatcanceled about $10 million in
student debt at MorehouseCollege last year.
They staged a protest atCapitol Hill demanding the White
House prioritize education overwar spending.
More than a dozen members werearrested during the protest,
which included speeches fromDemocratic Congresswomen Cori
(05:31):
Bush and Rashida Tlaib.
The group highlighted thestaggering $1.7 trillion of
student debt burden andcriticized the allocation of
funds towards war instead ofaddressing the student debt
crisis.
They urged the White House touse its executive powers to
cancel all student debt.
The group criticized the swiftauthorization of emergency
(05:53):
weapons sales to Israel, whileat the same time, student debt
cancellation was delayed.
The protest coincided withBiden's reelection campaign,
highlighting the dissatisfactionhe is facing, especially with
young voters.
I do want to let you guys knowtoo.
In order to help combat thedebt crisis, the Mindful
Marketplace is providing all ofour listeners with a free,
customized report on how to besteliminate and personal and
(06:16):
business debt, so you can learnthe different strategies of how
to get out of debt and learnwhich combination is best for
you.
Lots of families are using thatreport to eliminate their debt
in about half the time or lesswithout having to spend any
money.
So check that out onmindfulmarketplaceshowcom as
well as support efforts to getdebt eliminated for folks who
need it eliminated.
(06:37):
All right, in the investmentscolumn, I wanted to point out
something locally here, which isthe Community Equity Fund put
up by the Eagle Market StreetsDevelopment Corporation.
We actually talked about thison my sister show, community
Capital Live, with MichaelSchumann, kevin Jones and
Stephanie Sweps from Twitty.
The Community Equity Fund,which is based here in my
(06:59):
hometown of Asheville, northCarolina, is a program that
supports disenfranchisedbusiness owners through
injections of capital and accessto their quote next level
business advisory services.
So these funds are distributedon a rolling basis and are
repaid through increments ofbusiness revenue after a
24-month repayment deferral.
So, unlike debt, it's more likerevenue sharing, and the
(07:22):
Community Equity Fund is bestable to support businesses
primarily actually owned bymarginalized individuals that
have been in business for threeyears or more.
So the fund aims to work withentrepreneurs who want to scale
their business by utilizingnon-traditional capital.
Funds may be used for businessoperations leading to job
creation or to gain marketshares that will lead to an
(07:44):
increase in jobs created.
All right, okay, to learn moreabout that, you can actually
head over tomindfulmarketplaceshowcom on
YouTube.
You can go to MindfulMarketplace Show and you can go
ahead and learn more about theEagle Market Street Development
Corporation's community equityfund.
(08:04):
All right, that's the balancesheet.
I am excited to get to talkhere with Damien Durr.
I was introduced to Damien by aprevious guest that we had on
Reverend Sidney Williams.
If you didn't get the chance tolisten to that episode, I'd
recommend you go back and dothat.
But he introduced me here toDamien Durr and we'll talk a
little bit about the work thatthey're doing together.
(08:26):
But first I'd like to ask you,damian, tell us a little about
yourself.
I know you have kind of adiverse background in a way.
Damien (08:35):
Yeah, to say the least.
And again, joel, thank you somuch for the opportunity to
share with your listeners andappreciate the work that you all
are doing.
So just a brief little pieceabout me.
I'm originally from Cleveland,ohio, currently am in Dallas,
texas, and so years ago, movingfrom Cleveland, ohio to
transition to Nashville,tennessee, I ended up going to
(08:57):
do my undergraduate and graduatestudies at Nashville, tennessee
, at American Baptist Collegeand Vanderbilt University and,
of course, during my time atAmerican Baptist College, which
is a historically black collegethat was also connected to the
civil rights movement andobviously not mentioned
sometimes with the other largerinstitutions and individuals
(09:18):
from the civil rights movementand individuals from the civil
rights movement.
It, of course, was an incubatorfor people like Diane Nash,
julius Scruggs and BernardLafayette.
Congressman John Lewis, ct.
Vivian and other civil rightsactivists went to school there.
And American Baptist College isthe place where the Nashville
sit-ins.
They did a year's worth oftraining.
(09:39):
James Lawson, of course, workedwith students from Tennessee
State, american Baptist Collegeand Fisk University on that soil
on the Cumberland River beforethey obviously went down and
sought to challenge segregation.
So that rich history informedso much of how I view the world,
how much I informed a lot abouthow I view the Bible, how much
(10:01):
I informed a lot about how Iview the Bible kind of how I
view the world.
And so, from American BaptistCollege, I ended up going to
Vanderbilt and then worked inthe city in the public school
system, served at a church and Iworked for the Children's
Defense Fund around the Cradleto Prison Pipeline report that
they had published in 2011.
And so I worked in the publicschool system, serving as a
(10:21):
social and emotional specialistto about 100 African-American
boys, and I was a part of anorganizing team and it was the
first time the Children'sDefense Fund had invested in
grassroots organizing.
Children's Defense Fund, ofcourse, started by Mary and
Wright Adelman over 50 years agoas an advocacy organization,
but the report that theyproduced in 2011 was looking at
(10:43):
obviously, not the school toprison pipeline, but the cradle
to prison pipeline.
And so our work was rooted andgrounded in challenging zero
tolerance policies in the publicschool system.
But it was also because, asCorrections Corporation of
America, which has now changedto CoreCivic, because as
Corrections Corporation ofAmerica, which has now changed
(11:03):
to CoreCivic, the private prisonindustry headquarters is in
Nashville.
So it was kind of ground zerowhere we were looking at the
connection between in-school andout-of-school suspensions, how
that led to the juvenile systemand how that ultimately led to
the larger prison system.
So the work that we were doingI was a part of a team with a
gentleman who had been formallyincarcerated for 28 years for a
(11:24):
crime he did not commit and 20of those years he spent on death
row.
And while he was in prison hisname is Ndume Olatushani taught
himself how to paint, help youngpeople use their story, create
(11:45):
art and help inform them aboutthe nature of how referrals are
part of a paper trail thatconnects them to the juvenile
system and to the larger prisonsystem.
And so then from there Icontinued to work in the city
and ultimately transitioned toDallas to work at a church that
also is a justice driven churchthat also sought to equip and
empower folks in blackcommunities.
Joel (12:06):
Man.
Helping, helping kids like that,I think, is such an important
you know, and such an importantthing to do is to, you know,
help them create a differentenvironment that you know that
they can grow up in and thatthey can thrive.
And we had on a gentleman lastfall who started a social
enterprise to help kids thatcame out of disenfranchised
(12:26):
schools connect a larger socialcapital, because most of the
kids coming out of those areasnot only do they lack financial
capital a lot of times, but theylack the social capital.
And he said, just giving them afew mentors that are in an
industry that they want to gointo connects them essentially
to 10,000 people in thatindustry, either by second or
(12:48):
third connections.
And so just you know thatsocial capital is actually a
part of this conference that wewere mentioning, the Fishing
Differently conference thatSidney Williams has started, the
Fishing Differently Conferencethat Sidney Williams has started
.
So then, if someone is hearingabout this Fishing Differently
concept and this FishingDifferently Conference for the
(13:09):
first time out there, what wouldyou say to them?
Why are you going to thisconference and why do you think
others should join you?
Damien (13:15):
Well, as we were just talking about, in terms of being
a product of the black churchand, I think, where we are in
our world.
I think, the importance andvalue of faith, the importance
of intellectual capital, socialcapital and human capital.
I think people are looking forways to connect, even though
there are many things thatobviously divide us.
But in terms of wherecommunities are, whether that's
(13:37):
the digital divide, or whetherthat's lack of access to healthy
food or lack of access to cleanwater, or just lack of access
to mental health care resources,I think that it's imperative
and important that people ofdifferent faiths, or people
possibly who don't even havefaith, still need support in
(13:58):
realizing their potential ashuman beings.
And so the notion of how weview capital beyond just
transactionalism, but looking atit as transformational for
people to be able to connectwith each other, for people to
be able to identify resourcesand for people to be able to
expand and broaden theirunderstanding of just what it
means to be human and what itmeans to be in community.
(14:20):
And so Fishing Differently, Ithink, is always about looking.
From the biblical narrative,jesus offered something that was
beyond just the spirit right.
It was a full-scale feeding ofthe hungry.
It was a full-scale,challenging systems that created
policies that created toxicenvironments, systems that
created policies that createdtoxic environments.
It was empowering people torecognize their own agency, to
(14:49):
be agents of change in theircurrent conditions.
And I think Fishing Differentlyhelps faith communities in
terms of that being the focus,helping churches recognize how
much power they may have incommunity and how to leverage
that power to continue to expandbeyond the four walls and to
impact, you know, locally,what's around that community,
but even kind of broader, evenwith policy agendas that
(15:11):
continue to fight back againstthings that ultimately diminish
human flourishing.
Joel (15:18):
Yeah, I, absolutely I resonate with so much, with,
with, with so much of whatyou're saying there, saying
there.
On this show we talk a lot tobusiness owners and investors
who are using their money forgood.
They're breaking downtwo-pocket thinking.
They're kind of questioning theassumption that there's just
one bottom line.
How do you feel like thechurches and the institutions of
(15:38):
faith can question thatassumption in that same way?
Damien (15:43):
Well, I think there are many.
You know, knowing what Dr Kingand we don't just use King as a
convenient default personalityto fall back on but
understanding that his theologyright compelled him to consider
when we think about where do wego from here chaos or community
right compelled him to considerwhen we think about where do we
go from here chaos or communityright.
His whole pressing towards abeloved community, him offering
(16:07):
the notion of a bill of rightsfor the poor, because he
believed that those, thedecisions that we make in terms
of policy, were moral documents.
And one thing that James Lawsonalways used to say about King
is that he said King understoodthe civic scriptures in terms of
the Bill of Rights, theDeclaration of Independence and
the Constitution.
He understood the civicscriptures just as well as he
(16:28):
understood the biblicalscriptures.
And so he was intentional aboutwhat the matrimony between how
he understood Jesus, as I referto him affectionately as the
holy healer from the hood whooffered free health care to the
most vulnerable.
When we look at the biblicalnarrative, he connected Jesus
with this sense of justice.
And what does that mean?
Not just for people, based uponzip code.
(16:50):
As we know, zip code determinesright now how long people live,
but based upon them being madein the image of God, deserving
all you know, all peopledeserving rights, the whole
notion of justice being nomatter where you come from, no
matter sexual orientation, nomatter ethnicity.
You deserve access for yourchildren, you deserve a living
wage, you deserve theopportunity to continue to grow
(17:14):
as far as personally, but alsoto be a benefit to your
community and to your personalfamily.
Joel (17:21):
Yeah, how does that tie in with the work you do with DCD
Empowerment?
Damien (17:25):
Yeah, Well, being a product of the black church, I
was uniquely loved and I wasuniquely empowered.
And over the course of my lifeI realized because I didn't
graduate from high school.
And I didn't graduate from highschool because I couldn't pass
a proficiency test.
I'm originally from Cleveland,ohio, and so what took place is
(17:46):
that you would have to takethese tests every year.
You would reading, math,english, social studies and
science, so you could have a 4.0GPA, but if you could not pass
all portions of that test, youcould not graduate.
So my life took an interestingtrajectory.
After I was a part of a medicalbiological program, had gone to
(18:06):
school with all of my peers,but because I couldn't pass the
math portion of this test, Icould not get a high school
diploma.
And what I realized over thecourse of being out of school
for seven years before I went toschool, I realized as an
educator, I needed to give theseyoung men, who were like me in
many ways, what I did not haveas a teacher, what I did not
(18:27):
have in terms of someoneempowering me and someone who
was not just looking to teach meto a test, but someone who was
looking to educate me.
And, as Dr King would say youknow, the real reality of
education is to teach one how tosift and weigh evidence, to
discern between the true and thefalse, the real and the unreal.
And ultimately, what does thatdo?
Obviously, to empower one'ssense of value in terms of if I
(18:50):
don't pass the test, does thatmean I'm not as intelligent?
Does that mean that my lifedoes not have?
Joel (18:54):
worth.
Damien (18:55):
Does that mean that my life is not significant?
And so what I've done in termsof DCD empowerment is what I.
What I've talked about is howdo I connect talent with
opportunity, build bridges thatconnect talent with opportunity,
need with resource and passionwith platform, because I really
see myself more as a bridgebuilder, knowing that young
people from communities ofimpoverishment struggle with
(19:15):
self-esteem, struggle withdealing with violence, struggle
with compounded trauma, which Idid as well.
So how do I now, as a, as aneducator, really help to
liberate them from the shacklesof low self-esteem and
insecurity, to help them realizethat they have value, that they
have significant, and to helpbroaden how we understand what
(19:36):
it means to be intelligent,because there are multiple ways
in which we sometimes look atintelligence as only one way,
but there's a broader way inwhich it's important, I think,
to kind of look at what does itmean to have different gifts and
different abilities and how tofind your place and find your
way in the world?
And so the work that we soughtto do when I was a teacher it
(19:56):
was called the Third EyeInstitute, which stood for
information, inspiration andimagination.
And, as I would tell my students, I come as an adult and I'm
expecting this to be an exchange.
Just because I've lived longerdoesn't necessarily mean I know
more, and so I would tell them.
I expect to learn from you and,of course, I hope you would be
open and be willing to learnfrom me.
(20:17):
I expect to give you some newinformation, I expect to receive
it, I expect to inspire.
I hope you inspire me andultimately, how can I feed your
imagination?
And I think if you could feedthe imagination, what that does
to help you live beyond yourcircumstances, and it doesn't
mean that you are notacknowledging them, but it means
that you have maybe a differenthope that allows you to still
(20:38):
remain vigilant and resilient inthe midst of what you're going
through, to help push you toreach your full potential.
So DCD empowerment has beennothing more than seeking to
just try to empower young people, to try to help them realize
their gifts and to try to offerthem a counter narrative over
and against the one that maybesociety, or maybe even their
community, or maybe even theirfamily Right, has caused them to
(20:58):
internalize and believe.
Joel (21:00):
Man, that's great.
I cannot wait to continue thisconversation with you.
In part two, which is going toair next week, we're going to be
talking about your work on theGus Newport project.
I'm really excited to talk withyou about that, so make sure to
tune in next week here to bizradio us.
You can also listen to us,obviously, on all the streaming
networks Spotify, iTunes um, Iheart radio stitcher.
(21:22):
We are on YouTube Um, subscribethere.
Give us a like.
Um, give us a comment.
Interact.
Give us a like.
Give us a comment.
Interact.
Tell us what you like hearingabout.
We'd love to hear from all ofyou out there, and until next
time, remember we are each other.
What if investing in each other could change the world?
I'm Joel Skeen with bizradiousand this is the Mindful
Marketplace.
Welcome to another edition ofthe Mindful Marketplace here on
bizradious.
Really happy to have you here.
Thank you for your time today.
I am Joel Skeen, really alsovery grateful that we get to
(00:24):
interview today Damian Durr, whois a speaker at an upcoming
conference.
He is head of the Gus NewportProject, as well as the DCD
Empowerment which we're going toget to discuss with him.
If this is your first time onthe show, this is the show where
we talk to the entrepreneurs,the industry leaders, the
(00:46):
investors, the advisors, theeconomic experts and the other
folks who are questioning theassumption that there's only one
bottom line in business and inmoney.
And this is the show where wereally get to connect our values
and our community to ourbusinesses and to ourselves.
So we'll get into ourconversation here with Damian in
just a moment, but first we gotto hit the balance sheet the
(01:08):
assets, liabilities, debts andinvestments.
Okay, first, in the assetscolumn, I want to talk about an
article here in Forbes about theSchwab Foundation's Global
Alliance for SocialEntrepreneurship.
They recently found that thereare actually approximately 10
million social enterprisesworldwide, which collectively
generate around $2 trillion inannual revenue, creating over
(01:32):
200 million jobs.
The sector now outranks othermainstream industries by annual
revenue, such as things liketelecom and apparel.
These enterprises make up 3% ofall businesses globally and
stand out from traditionalbusinesses by placing strong
emphasis on creating social andenvironmental value in addition
to economic value.
(01:52):
Social enterprises align theirmissions with sustainable
development goals, particularlyin creating decent work, driving
climate action, reducingpoverty and inequalities.
They prioritize social impactover financial returns and
reinvest their profits back intotheir mission.
Half of all social enterprises,the study found, are led by
(02:13):
women, compared to a mere 20% ofconventional businesses,
highlighting the inherentinclusivity and diversity
ingrained within these ventures,both in their structure and
goals.
The study also found thatsocial enterprises positively
impact the lives of millions,from rural villages in places
like Africa to the megacities inAsia and Latin America, all the
(02:35):
way to the underprivilegedparts of North America and
Europe.
Despite their significantcontribution, though, social
enterprises are underestimatedand probably underrepresented,
facing a significant funding gapof about 1.3 trillion dollars
and a lack of legal recognitionin many countries.
Movements such as catalyst 2030are advocating for better
(02:58):
policies to support the socialeconomy and initiatives like the
Corporate Social InnovationCompass say that six times aim
to prioritize private sectorsupport for social enterprises
and sustainable economics.
Second, in the liabilitiescolumn, I want to talk about
monopoly banking.
There was a really interestingpiece here in the Institute for
(03:20):
the Local Self-Reliance aboutthe US banking sector and how
it's dominated by a few largebanks, often referred to as mega
banks, such as Wells Fargo,citigroup, bank of America,
jpmorgan Chase.
These mega banks hold asignificant portion of the
country's assets and are accusedof prioritizing shareholder
(03:41):
profits over the needs of localbusinesses and communities.
Over the past three decades,community banks and credit
unions have been disappearing.
These smaller financialinstitutions are crucial for
fostering local economies andhave been shown to be more
effective at meeting thefinancial needs of their
communities.
However, federal bankingpolicies have led to their
(04:02):
decline, allowing megabanks todominate the economy.
The consolidation of thebanking industry, particularly
the emergence of these megabanksback in the 1990s, has led to a
sharp decline in communitybanks and credit unions.
This consolidation has resultedin a significant reduction in
the number of community banksand credit unions, with
(04:23):
megabanks now holding a majorityof the industry's assets.
The research indicates thatcommunity banks and credit
unions actually outperformmegabanks in several important
ways.
They are less expensive, moreefficient, better at judging and
managing risk and devote alarger share of their resources
to productive lending,particularly small businesses.
Their business model, whichfocuses on making productive
(04:46):
loans and fostering long-termrelationships with customers, is
seen as more aligned with thebroader interests of the economy
and community.
The article points severalcommunity and state-level
solutions, so if you want toknow more, go ahead and check
out that at the Institute forLocal Self-Reliance All right.
Next in the debts column someinteresting developments here.
There is actually activistsworking in the debt world right
(05:10):
now, a group called the DebtCollective.
These are the folks thatcanceled about $10 million in
student debt at MorehouseCollege last year.
They staged a protest atCapitol Hill demanding the White
House prioritize education overwar spending.
More than a dozen members werearrested during the protest,
which included speeches fromDemocratic Congresswomen Cori
(05:31):
Bush and Rashida Tlaib.
The group highlighted thestaggering $1.7 trillion of
student debt burden andcriticized the allocation of
funds towards war instead ofaddressing the student debt
crisis.
They urged the White House touse its executive powers to
cancel all student debt.
The group criticized the swiftauthorization of emergency
(05:53):
weapons sales to Israel, whileat the same time, student debt
cancellation was delayed.
The protest coincided withBiden's reelection campaign,
highlighting the dissatisfactionhe is facing, especially with
young voters.
I do want to let you guys knowtoo.
In order to help combat thedebt crisis, the Mindful
Marketplace is providing all ofour listeners with a free,
customized report on how to besteliminate and personal and
(06:16):
business debt, so you can learnthe different strategies of how
to get out of debt and learnwhich combination is best for
you.
Lots of families are using thatreport to eliminate their debt
in about half the time or lesswithout having to spend any
money.
So check that out onmindfulmarketplaceshowcom as
well as support efforts to getdebt eliminated for folks who
need it eliminated.
(06:37):
All right, in the investmentscolumn, I wanted to point out
something locally here, which isthe Community Equity Fund put
up by the Eagle Market StreetsDevelopment Corporation.
We actually talked about thison my sister show, community
Capital Live, with MichaelSchumann, kevin Jones and
Stephanie Sweps from Twitty.
The Community Equity Fund,which is based here in my
(06:59):
hometown of Asheville, northCarolina, is a program that
supports disenfranchisedbusiness owners through
injections of capital and accessto their quote next level
business advisory services.
So these funds are distributedon a rolling basis and are
repaid through increments ofbusiness revenue after a
24-month repayment deferral.
So, unlike debt, it's more likerevenue sharing, and the
(07:22):
Community Equity Fund is bestable to support businesses
primarily actually owned bymarginalized individuals that
have been in business for threeyears or more.
So the fund aims to work withentrepreneurs who want to scale
their business by utilizingnon-traditional capital.
Funds may be used for businessoperations leading to job
creation or to gain marketshares that will lead to an
(07:44):
increase in jobs created.
All right, okay, to learn moreabout that, you can actually
head over tomindfulmarketplaceshowcom on
YouTube.
You can go to MindfulMarketplace Show and you can go
ahead and learn more about theEagle Market Street Development
Corporation's community equityfund.
(08:04):
All right, that's the balancesheet.
I am excited to get to talkhere with Damien Durr.
I was introduced to Damien by aprevious guest that we had on
Reverend Sidney Williams.
If you didn't get the chance tolisten to that episode, I'd
recommend you go back and dothat.
But he introduced me here toDamien Durr and we'll talk a
little bit about the work thatthey're doing together.
(08:26):
But first I'd like to ask you,damian, tell us a little about
yourself.
I know you have kind of adiverse background in a way.
Damien (08:35):
Yeah, to say the least.
And again, joel, thank you somuch for the opportunity to
share with your listeners andappreciate the work that you all
are doing.
So just a brief little pieceabout me.
I'm originally from Cleveland,ohio, currently am in Dallas,
texas, and so years ago, movingfrom Cleveland, ohio to
transition to Nashville,tennessee, I ended up going to
(08:57):
do my undergraduate and graduatestudies at Nashville, tennessee
, at American Baptist Collegeand Vanderbilt University and,
of course, during my time atAmerican Baptist College, which
is a historically black collegethat was also connected to the
civil rights movement andobviously not mentioned
sometimes with the other largerinstitutions and individuals
(09:18):
from the civil rights movementand individuals from the civil
rights movement.
It, of course, was an incubatorfor people like Diane Nash,
julius Scruggs and BernardLafayette.
Congressman John Lewis, ct.
Vivian and other civil rightsactivists went to school there.
And American Baptist College isthe place where the Nashville
sit-ins.
They did a year's worth oftraining.
(09:39):
James Lawson, of course, workedwith students from Tennessee
State, american Baptist Collegeand Fisk University on that soil
on the Cumberland River beforethey obviously went down and
sought to challenge segregation.
So that rich history informedso much of how I view the world,
how much I informed a lot abouthow I view the Bible, how much
(10:01):
I informed a lot about how Iview the Bible kind of how I
view the world.
And so, from American BaptistCollege, I ended up going to
Vanderbilt and then worked inthe city in the public school
system, served at a church and Iworked for the Children's
Defense Fund around the Cradleto Prison Pipeline report that
they had published in 2011.
And so I worked in the publicschool system, serving as a
(10:21):
social and emotional specialistto about 100 African-American
boys, and I was a part of anorganizing team and it was the
first time the Children'sDefense Fund had invested in
grassroots organizing.
Children's Defense Fund, ofcourse, started by Mary and
Wright Adelman over 50 years agoas an advocacy organization,
but the report that theyproduced in 2011 was looking at
(10:43):
obviously, not the school toprison pipeline, but the cradle
to prison pipeline.
And so our work was rooted andgrounded in challenging zero
tolerance policies in the publicschool system.
But it was also because, asCorrections Corporation of
America, which has now changedto CoreCivic, because as
Corrections Corporation ofAmerica, which has now changed
(11:03):
to CoreCivic, the private prisonindustry headquarters is in
Nashville.
So it was kind of ground zerowhere we were looking at the
connection between in-school andout-of-school suspensions, how
that led to the juvenile systemand how that ultimately led to
the larger prison system.
So the work that we were doingI was a part of a team with a
gentleman who had been formallyincarcerated for 28 years for a
(11:24):
crime he did not commit and 20of those years he spent on death
row.
And while he was in prison hisname is Ndume Olatushani taught
himself how to paint, help youngpeople use their story, create
(11:45):
art and help inform them aboutthe nature of how referrals are
part of a paper trail thatconnects them to the juvenile
system and to the larger prisonsystem.
And so then from there Icontinued to work in the city
and ultimately transitioned toDallas to work at a church that
also is a justice driven churchthat also sought to equip and
empower folks in blackcommunities.
Joel (12:06):
Man.
Helping, helping kids like that,I think, is such an important
you know, and such an importantthing to do is to, you know,
help them create a differentenvironment that you know that
they can grow up in and thatthey can thrive.
And we had on a gentleman lastfall who started a social
enterprise to help kids thatcame out of disenfranchised
(12:26):
schools connect a larger socialcapital, because most of the
kids coming out of those areasnot only do they lack financial
capital a lot of times, but theylack the social capital.
And he said, just giving them afew mentors that are in an
industry that they want to gointo connects them essentially
to 10,000 people in thatindustry, either by second or
(12:48):
third connections.
And so just you know thatsocial capital is actually a
part of this conference that wewere mentioning, the Fishing
Differently conference thatSidney Williams has started, the
Fishing Differently Conferencethat Sidney Williams has started
.
So then, if someone is hearingabout this Fishing Differently
concept and this FishingDifferently Conference for the
(13:09):
first time out there, what wouldyou say to them?
Why are you going to thisconference and why do you think
others should join you?
Damien (13:15):
Well, as we were just talking about, in terms of being
a product of the black churchand, I think, where we are in
our world.
I think, the importance andvalue of faith, the importance
of intellectual capital, socialcapital and human capital.
I think people are looking forways to connect, even though
there are many things thatobviously divide us.
But in terms of wherecommunities are, whether that's
(13:37):
the digital divide, or whetherthat's lack of access to healthy
food or lack of access to cleanwater, or just lack of access
to mental health care resources,I think that it's imperative
and important that people ofdifferent faiths, or people
possibly who don't even havefaith, still need support in
(13:58):
realizing their potential ashuman beings.
And so the notion of how weview capital beyond just
transactionalism, but looking atit as transformational for
people to be able to connectwith each other, for people to
be able to identify resourcesand for people to be able to
expand and broaden theirunderstanding of just what it
means to be human and what itmeans to be in community.
(14:20):
And so Fishing Differently, Ithink, is always about looking.
From the biblical narrative,jesus offered something that was
beyond just the spirit right.
It was a full-scale feeding ofthe hungry.
It was a full-scale,challenging systems that created
policies that created toxicenvironments, systems that
created policies that createdtoxic environments.
It was empowering people torecognize their own agency, to
(14:49):
be agents of change in theircurrent conditions.
And I think Fishing Differentlyhelps faith communities in
terms of that being the focus,helping churches recognize how
much power they may have incommunity and how to leverage
that power to continue to expandbeyond the four walls and to
impact, you know, locally,what's around that community,
but even kind of broader, evenwith policy agendas that
(15:11):
continue to fight back againstthings that ultimately diminish
human flourishing.
Joel (15:18):
Yeah, I, absolutely I resonate with so much, with,
with, with so much of whatyou're saying there, saying
there.
On this show we talk a lot tobusiness owners and investors
who are using their money forgood.
They're breaking downtwo-pocket thinking.
They're kind of questioning theassumption that there's just
one bottom line.
How do you feel like thechurches and the institutions of
(15:38):
faith can question thatassumption in that same way?
Damien (15:43):
Well, I think there are many.
You know, knowing what Dr Kingand we don't just use King as a
convenient default personalityto fall back on but
understanding that his theologyright compelled him to consider
when we think about where do wego from here chaos or community
right compelled him to considerwhen we think about where do we
go from here chaos or communityright.
His whole pressing towards abeloved community, him offering
(16:07):
the notion of a bill of rightsfor the poor, because he
believed that those, thedecisions that we make in terms
of policy, were moral documents.
And one thing that James Lawsonalways used to say about King
is that he said King understoodthe civic scriptures in terms of
the Bill of Rights, theDeclaration of Independence and
the Constitution.
He understood the civicscriptures just as well as he
(16:28):
understood the biblicalscriptures.
And so he was intentional aboutwhat the matrimony between how
he understood Jesus, as I referto him affectionately as the
holy healer from the hood whooffered free health care to the
most vulnerable.
When we look at the biblicalnarrative, he connected Jesus
with this sense of justice.
And what does that mean?
Not just for people, based uponzip code.
(16:50):
As we know, zip code determinesright now how long people live,
but based upon them being madein the image of God, deserving
all you know, all peopledeserving rights, the whole
notion of justice being nomatter where you come from, no
matter sexual orientation, nomatter ethnicity.
You deserve access for yourchildren, you deserve a living
wage, you deserve theopportunity to continue to grow
(17:14):
as far as personally, but alsoto be a benefit to your
community and to your personalfamily.
Joel (17:21):
Yeah, how does that tie in with the work you do with DCD
Empowerment?
Damien (17:25):
Yeah, Well, being a product of the black church, I
was uniquely loved and I wasuniquely empowered.
And over the course of my lifeI realized because I didn't
graduate from high school.
And I didn't graduate from highschool because I couldn't pass
a proficiency test.
I'm originally from Cleveland,ohio, and so what took place is
(17:46):
that you would have to takethese tests every year.
You would reading, math,english, social studies and
science, so you could have a 4.0GPA, but if you could not pass
all portions of that test, youcould not graduate.
So my life took an interestingtrajectory.
After I was a part of a medicalbiological program, had gone to
(18:06):
school with all of my peers,but because I couldn't pass the
math portion of this test, Icould not get a high school
diploma.
And what I realized over thecourse of being out of school
for seven years before I went toschool, I realized as an
educator, I needed to give theseyoung men, who were like me in
many ways, what I did not haveas a teacher, what I did not
(18:27):
have in terms of someoneempowering me and someone who
was not just looking to teach meto a test, but someone who was
looking to educate me.
And, as Dr King would say youknow, the real reality of
education is to teach one how tosift and weigh evidence, to
discern between the true and thefalse, the real and the unreal.
And ultimately, what does thatdo?
Obviously, to empower one'ssense of value in terms of if I
(18:50):
don't pass the test, does thatmean I'm not as intelligent?
Does that mean that my lifedoes not have?
Joel (18:54):
worth.
Damien (18:55):
Does that mean that my life is not significant?
And so what I've done in termsof DCD empowerment is what I.
What I've talked about is howdo I connect talent with
opportunity, build bridges thatconnect talent with opportunity,
need with resource and passionwith platform, because I really
see myself more as a bridgebuilder, knowing that young
people from communities ofimpoverishment struggle with
(19:15):
self-esteem, struggle withdealing with violence, struggle
with compounded trauma, which Idid as well.
So how do I now, as a, as aneducator, really help to
liberate them from the shacklesof low self-esteem and
insecurity, to help them realizethat they have value, that they
have significant, and to helpbroaden how we understand what
(19:36):
it means to be intelligent,because there are multiple ways
in which we sometimes look atintelligence as only one way,
but there's a broader way inwhich it's important, I think,
to kind of look at what does itmean to have different gifts and
different abilities and how tofind your place and find your
way in the world?
And so the work that we soughtto do when I was a teacher it
(19:56):
was called the Third EyeInstitute, which stood for
information, inspiration andimagination.
And, as I would tell my students, I come as an adult and I'm
expecting this to be an exchange.
Just because I've lived longerdoesn't necessarily mean I know
more, and so I would tell them.
I expect to learn from you and,of course, I hope you would be
open and be willing to learnfrom me.
(20:17):
I expect to give you some newinformation, I expect to receive
it, I expect to inspire.
I hope you inspire me andultimately, how can I feed your
imagination?
And I think if you could feedthe imagination, what that does
to help you live beyond yourcircumstances, and it doesn't
mean that you are notacknowledging them, but it means
that you have maybe a differenthope that allows you to still
(20:38):
remain vigilant and resilient inthe midst of what you're going
through, to help push you toreach your full potential.
So DCD empowerment has beennothing more than seeking to
just try to empower young people, to try to help them realize
their gifts and to try to offerthem a counter narrative over
and against the one that maybesociety, or maybe even their
community, or maybe even theirfamily Right, has caused them to
(20:58):
internalize and believe.
Joel (21:00):
Man, that's great.
I cannot wait to continue thisconversation with you.
In part two, which is going toair next week, we're going to be
talking about your work on theGus Newport project.
I'm really excited to talk withyou about that, so make sure to
tune in next week here to bizradio us.
You can also listen to us,obviously, on all the streaming
networks Spotify, iTunes um, Iheart radio stitcher.
(21:22):
We are on YouTube Um, subscribethere.
Give us a like.
Um, give us a comment.
Interact.
Give us a like.
Give us a comment.
Interact.
Tell us what you like hearingabout.
We'd love to hear from all ofyou out there, and until next
time, remember we are each other.
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