Ep 5.7- Aaron Morton

Alvin and German conduct a great conversation with actor, educator, and creative visionary Aaron Morton ’03. A dynamic presence in both performance and pedagogy, Aaron’s career bridges the worlds of television, film, theater, and education—always with a commitment to uplifting voices that are too often left out of the frame. As an actor, Aaron has worked with groundbreaking creators including Ava DuVernay and Lena Waithe, and gravitates toward bold, character-driven narratives. His work spans a wide range of mediums, from commercials and video games to stage and screen, grounded in a deep foundation of classical technique and contemporary realism. Off the stage, Aaron brings the same passion to the classroom as an Acting Professor at BMCC and Marymount Manhattan College, where he is dedicated to training the next generation of performers with a focus on authenticity, personal storytelling, and craft. His commitment to representation in the arts also led him to found Bridge To Reality, a nonprofit that mentors high school students of color and aims to expand their access to careers in the arts. After Colgate, he continued to hone his craft, earning an MFA in Acting from Columbia University. At Colgate, Arron earned a B.S. in Computer Science, was a four-year student-athlete on the football team during a historic era, and a proud member of The Commission.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The following podcast is being brought to you by the
Defile Life podcast Network.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
Welcome to Aftergate Powered by the Defile Life Network.

Speaker 3 (00:16):
Are You all Ready?

Speaker 2 (00:17):
Aftergate is a podcast series highlighting Colgate alumni of color
in their professional endeavors.

Speaker 4 (00:23):
Aftergate Are You all Ready?

Speaker 2 (00:26):
Aftergate is hosted by Alvin Glim aka al and Herman
Dubois aka A.

Speaker 5 (00:31):
Jerry Already.

Speaker 3 (00:33):
We are doing.

Speaker 2 (00:33):
Aftergate because Colgate University has produced innovators who have changed
the world every day, Yet many alumni of color and
the mainstream Colgate community are unaware of the amazing accomplishments
of alums of color.

Speaker 5 (00:45):
Are you already?

Speaker 3 (00:53):
Welcome? Welcome, Welcome. I feel like I need to say
six welcomes because it has been a good break since
we have done an after Gate, and so I feel
like I owe y'all some welcomes. But it is good
to be here. This is still your boy, al and
I am a co host after Gate. It is for

(01:13):
yours who don't know because it has been a while.
Let me just remind y'all. After Gate is still a
podcast where we interview alumni color from Kobe University, and
it's all about highlighting their journey, the con omplishment's what
their life has been like post graduation, and so we're
just here to affirm the truths because all of our

(01:35):
stories matter. So it is season five. I'm pretty sure
if this is not show one hundred, we are over
one hundred. Were close. I'm the We're close Season five, Yes, recognized,
So good to be back. I'm here with my co host,
mister Hedman Dubois. Jerry. How are you doing, my brother?

Speaker 6 (01:55):
What's going on, sir, brother Al? It's good to see
You're good to hear from you.

Speaker 4 (02:00):
It's good to be seen.

Speaker 3 (02:01):
It's good to be heard.

Speaker 6 (02:02):
Not taking that for granted. We got lots of catch
up on but light.

Speaker 7 (02:07):
Life's been lifing, you know, so but blessed through it all,
and you know, looking forward to the second half of
this of this year, seems like it's been a blink
and a lot has gone down in the first six months,
and so looking forward to seeing what the rest of
twenty twive is about.

Speaker 3 (02:25):
Same here for all of our guests, know, we have
taken a good hiatus because life has been life, and
not just because we've had to reschedule a couple of guests.
So definitely appreciate the grace and understanding from the guests
who we've had to kind of put further down the
schedule because life has been a hurricane on this side,

(02:49):
and so good to be here, though even in the
midst of the hurricane. I don't take things like this
for granted, and I appreciate what we have been doing
and what we will continue to do as long as
we are able to do it. So shout out to you,
my brother. Has been a great journey for GO season
five hundred shows. We would have never imagine it from

(03:11):
the beginning. So great to be here, and thank you
for being on.

Speaker 5 (03:14):
The journey, no doubt.

Speaker 7 (03:15):
And one thing I want to add about life and
life is that as we mature and go through life storms,
I think that we must recognize the mindset shift because
we've become very poised in learning how to pivot where
life be life in whereas in other times in life,

(03:40):
circumstances create setbacks, right and sometimes setbacks become very much
harder to rebound from. And as you get older, you
start realizing that you know, moving strategically it's beneficial because
you avoid setbacks and you continue to strive. But when
life happens. Your ability to pivot really really matters, pivots

(04:03):
with family, pivots with careers, pivots spiritually, you know, and
I think that there's a certain art form to that
that you know, you you kind of at least the
hope is that you acquire it as you go through life.

Speaker 6 (04:16):
But it takes those storms to mold you.

Speaker 7 (04:18):
So props to you and the Glyph family for being
an example of the art of the pivot, because y'all
always seem to bounce back and regrow and you know,
re realign with with where things were before the need
to pivot. And so that is truly mad respect and
love because I see it throughout the Glyph clan.

Speaker 3 (04:43):
Or funerals and promotions since April twenty eighth. Yes, yes,
that's how life has treated me in the last year.

Speaker 6 (04:53):
Absolutely, So it's great to be oh sorry, right.

Speaker 3 (04:56):
It's great to be here. And with that being said,
can I have your blessing to invite this week's guess
into the Aftergate studio.

Speaker 6 (05:07):
Dec the Congregation Color gives you your blessings, Please.

Speaker 3 (05:17):
Hold on hold on before we invite the guest. Since
the studio you did, you're reminded of a funny story.
It's kind of funny, but it ain't funny. But you
call me. Taking out at one of the funerals, I
had the opportunity to give remarks about my cousin. As
I'm leaving the church, the pastor of that particular space saying,

(05:38):
she's greeting people, She's like, goodbye, thank you, thank you,
thank you, thank you. When she gets to me, she goes,
you you you preach my eu legity today. Before I said, right,
I spoke before her. She said, the Lord gave you
the spirit because you what you said? Is it exactly

(06:00):
what I said? Twenty minutes later.

Speaker 7 (06:02):
Wow, hey, you might have a calling you.

Speaker 3 (06:06):
You don't, that's what No, those are her words.

Speaker 6 (06:09):
I believe it. I believe it.

Speaker 3 (06:10):
She's like, don't don't, don't underestimate the Lord speaking to you.

Speaker 6 (06:15):
Uh and through you. Woh yeah man, no, yeah man.

Speaker 3 (06:23):
Now back to the regular.

Speaker 5 (06:27):
TV show, right, stay tuned for more decaps.

Speaker 3 (06:31):
AOC family Colgate alum Aftergate listeners, it is our blessing
to bring into the studio the one, the only Aaron
Moore in class of two thousand and three. Welcome to Aftrogate, my.

Speaker 5 (06:45):
Brother, Hey, I appreciate. I appreciate the the invite, and
I appreciate the call fellas. It's good to be here, man,
it really is.

Speaker 3 (07:03):
That's what's up. That's what's up. That's what's up. We
have a tradition where we try to share with the audience.
Is this someone we know not know? Are we meeting
his brother or sister for the first time live. I'm
pretty certain we haven't crossed paths. It doesn't I don't
think I know you know. So it's like for us,

(07:26):
this is brand new. Am I Am I wrong in
that recollection because I could be.

Speaker 8 (07:32):
No, that that is very correct if we haven't made it,
been at a reunion, just on some real quick like hey,
how's it go? My name is Aaron like, but yeah,
we we definitely yeah, we're unfamiliar.

Speaker 5 (07:44):
I would say, right, well, where.

Speaker 7 (07:46):
You calling it?

Speaker 3 (07:47):
Village? Welcome to the village.

Speaker 5 (07:48):
I'm from Jersey. I'm in Jersey right now.

Speaker 3 (07:51):
Okay, is that where you're from?

Speaker 8 (07:53):
Yeah, that's where I'm from. I'm from a town called Plainfield,
New Jersey. And U yeah, okay, Parliament you know Parliament
funded Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, George Clinton.

Speaker 5 (08:04):
So yeah, man, that's where I'm from.

Speaker 3 (08:08):
So that's what's up Class of two thousand and three. Yeah, man,
graduate class high school nineteen ninety nine. Take us back
to pre Colgate. What's life like in the mid the
early nineties. What's life like in Jersey? Give us the
context of what your life is like before you get

(08:30):
to school.

Speaker 5 (08:31):
Well, you know my school, my upbringing, Man, it was
very much you know, I won't say inner city, but
it was definitely you know, full, you know, minority.

Speaker 8 (08:40):
You know, contrast like obviously in contrast to Colgate. You know,
elementary school, middle school, high school. You know, I may
have you know, you know, it's just black and Hispanic primarily.
You know the Golden era hip hop, Wu tang Land Hall,
no red Man Method, man Nah, you know, like mid nineties.

(09:01):
That's like, you know, that was the exactly the era.
So you know we're talking about uh, you know, y
two k was the big thing. You know, the clock,
all the computers are going to be going to all
zeros and you're not going to know what to do,
so everything's going to shut down.

Speaker 6 (09:19):
You get your money out the bank.

Speaker 5 (09:21):
Exactly, water and toilet tissue.

Speaker 6 (09:26):
Right. My father had built a bunker in the backyard,
like yo.

Speaker 5 (09:30):
Really. Yeah.

Speaker 8 (09:31):
So so you know during that time, you know, the
Internet was kind of you know, it was established, but
there was no wireless, so it was all you wired right,
dial up, you know, the ao L disc that you're getting.

Speaker 5 (09:43):
The mail, bax machines, floppy discs exactly. So that's kind
of the time, man, prior to Prior to.

Speaker 8 (09:53):
Colgate, you know, I was I was a three sport athlete,
so I wrestled, I ran track, and I played football.
I was a really good wrestler state you know, state
placing wrestler from New Jersey back.

Speaker 5 (10:05):
In ninety eight my junior year.

Speaker 8 (10:08):
Uh, you know, played football and ended up getting getting
a partial scholarship to Colgate for for football. So that's
kind of the thing that that that brought me to Colgate.
You know, I had other options, but it was like,
all right, well Colgate, you know whatever, right, it seemed
to be a good school at the time. Yeah, so
I was like, all right, well, let's I mean, I'm

(10:31):
gonna check out Cogate. It was like Colgate, Colombia, a
few other schools I was looking at.

Speaker 3 (10:35):
But what position?

Speaker 5 (10:37):
Defensive back?

Speaker 3 (10:38):
Okay, oh yeah.

Speaker 6 (10:39):
Yeah, defensive back.

Speaker 5 (10:41):
Yeah, shout out to Ed Pinkham.

Speaker 8 (10:43):
Uh, ironically enough, my my defensive back coach was born
in Plainfield, New Jersey.

Speaker 7 (10:50):
Oh wow, those people who don't know, can you give
a little little snapshot of Plainsville, New Jersey demographics as
far as like even school, like you know, talking about
the contrast, but given a little bit more about plains
Field because you know it's unique.

Speaker 8 (11:06):
Yeah, I mean plains Yeah, I mean it was your
typical Like I said, I'm you know, it had different parts,
so you know as an east end or west end,
and you know, it just depends on kind of what
part of town you're in will determine kind of how
how good or bad it is. I'm not going to
say it was you know the high school. You know,

(11:26):
in retrospect, there was it was a little dicey, like
looking back at it, this isn't the best, uh the
best environment, but at the time, you know, it was
what it was.

Speaker 5 (11:39):
You know, it was a it was a you had
to really be.

Speaker 8 (11:44):
Mindful of your friends and your surroundings because at any
point in time, you know, things.

Speaker 5 (11:49):
Could just go go go left.

Speaker 6 (11:51):
You know.

Speaker 8 (11:52):
Is it a chool, Uh, maybe like a couple of
thousand students, maybe a thousand students.

Speaker 5 (11:58):
It wasn't it wasn't a big high school. It wasn't.
It wasn't it wasn't a big It wasn't a big
high school.

Speaker 8 (12:03):
Maybe I think there may have been maybe like I
don't know, two hundred people maybe in my graduating class,
or maybe the whole school had like eight eight hundred,
nine hundred people something like that. So it wasn't It
wasn't like a Nork like Nork. I don't know if
you're familier with the city of Nork, but Nork has
like these big high schools like and like these magnet schools.

(12:25):
But Plainfield is like a smaller it's like a smaller city.
So it's not really high school isn't isn't really that big.
But the makeup again was primarily African American, which is
which is vastly different from where it is now. But
but it just has like different little communities and and
really really close knit communities. It was always like a
sad thing. It's like, you know, people in the communities.

(12:47):
Everyone's related one way or another. You're kind of related
to somebody or you know somebody. Those are the same
people that are like fighting and like you know, doing
the dumb shit. So but that was kind of the environment.
It's kind you had to always have your head on
the swivel.

Speaker 6 (13:02):
You know.

Speaker 8 (13:02):
I went to school with classmates who unfortunately aren't here
today or they were you know they you know, something
could have happened in the school, or that they were
shot in school or just involved in activities that or
bystanders innocent bystanders to violence and things of that nature.
So not that you know, I'm painting the PITCHU I

(13:22):
don't want to paint the picture. Like, Yo, Plainfield was
the hood and you know you were lucky to get out,
but you know, there are instances where people didn't make
it out, just like I'm sure you know there are
plenty other cities in the country like that.

Speaker 3 (13:37):
But were you born there?

Speaker 5 (13:39):
Yeah, I was born there. I was born there for.

Speaker 3 (13:41):
Sure, just out of curiosity, like did it is that
like a impact of the eighties, like with drugs and
like violence, Like do you remember what it was like
growing like when you're younger, did it rest to be
like that or it was It's always not always, but
it had been like that for a while.

Speaker 8 (14:02):
I mean it had been like that for a while,
Like that was like there were always you know, like
street there weren't like bloods and crypts or anything. There
were always like it was like Avenue. So you had
certain streets that okay was Sixth Street, Okay, Third Street, okay,
Clinton Ab okay, Plainfield ap okay, like different projects exactly.
So those were like areas that kind of always you know,

(14:24):
I mean, it was just you know, prevalent throughout the town,
and you just again you just had to be mindful,
just be mindful of the situation.

Speaker 5 (14:30):
You know.

Speaker 8 (14:31):
There was you know, you would see you know, you know,
a little red tops or green tops, like there's like
stuff on the playground, stuff like that.

Speaker 5 (14:38):
But again, it wasn't you know, from my when I.

Speaker 8 (14:42):
Recall like my childhood, childhood, like elementary school years, it wasn't.

Speaker 5 (14:45):
It was like a totally different time.

Speaker 8 (14:47):
So even amongst all that, I was in elementary school
walking to school every day, which was what we did,
and we didn't have buses, you know, so I walked
to school. So I was in elementary school. My brother's
four years older than me, so we would just walk
to school every day.

Speaker 5 (15:02):
And it was it was not a big deal.

Speaker 8 (15:04):
Nowadays, I would never let my kids as it's no
way I'm letting them walk to school, you know what
I mean. But at that point in time eighty eighty five,
eighty six, eighty seven, eighty eighty nine to ninety, it's
like you walked to school, didn't have cell phones, so
it was just all right. I believe the term was

(15:25):
called latch key kids exactly without a doubt last.

Speaker 6 (15:28):
Key kid because I was a latch key kid me.

Speaker 5 (15:30):
Too too, you know. But was.

Speaker 3 (15:35):
Like, the first time you hear about Kolgate, is that
a recruiter? Is that a coach, a guidance counselor like
what is it that introduces you to COVID?

Speaker 5 (15:44):
It was. It was a recruit definitely.

Speaker 8 (15:45):
It was definitely my My my defensive back coach came
came to my high school recruiting, uh and he was like, yeah, Colgate,
And I was like cochate, like like like the toothpaste,
like everybody says, like the toothpaste, you know, And I'm
just like, right, well, I mean I'll check it out.
They're talking about giving me got like you know what

(16:05):
I mean, Like what are we talking about here?

Speaker 5 (16:08):
And I didn't at the time. I didn't have the
foresight like, so I looked it up.

Speaker 8 (16:11):
I was like, okay, Colgate, I mean it was it
was like, okay, this is a good school.

Speaker 5 (16:15):
It's not like a like a like a bum school.

Speaker 8 (16:17):
So I added it to the list of options that
I would consider, and I ended up going on my
recruiting visit and.

Speaker 5 (16:26):
Connected with a homeboyd.

Speaker 8 (16:27):
Mind Rich Rich Grant, who I'm still friends with today
and was roommates with. Actually I got out with Rich
maybe a few weeks ago, and you know, he was
my he was my my host at the time, and
I went up there. It was cold as hell, but
you know, he had a good time.

Speaker 5 (16:46):
And that visit.

Speaker 8 (16:48):
I was like okay, uh and it ended up. I mean,
I guess the rest is history.

Speaker 5 (16:53):
That ended up. I remember the defensive back coach called me,
you know.

Speaker 8 (16:57):
And was like, hey, so so just why don't you
just make this simple Morton, just just make the decision
to come to come to Kogate.

Speaker 5 (17:02):
And I was like, you know what, I'm gonna come.

Speaker 3 (17:05):
And so that was after the trip or during the
trip they they got you to commit.

Speaker 5 (17:11):
That was after after the trip yeap.

Speaker 8 (17:14):
After the trip, I decided like all right, I mean
the you know, I went out and partied and hung out.

Speaker 5 (17:22):
You know, yeah, I went out and partied and hung
out with some of the football players, you know, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 8 (17:28):
They showed me a good time. We had a real
good time, and I.

Speaker 5 (17:32):
Was like, you know, like why not? Man, Like I knew.

Speaker 8 (17:37):
I knew one thing. I wanted to get out of Jersey.
I wanted to get out of Jersey. So going to
Kogate it was close, but it was also far because
I didn't have to worry about my parents, you know,
you know, stopping by. It was a good four and
a half four hours away from where I'm from. So
it's close. You know, some crazy shit happens, they could
get there, but also far enough that you know, they're.

Speaker 5 (17:58):
Not going to just pop up out of the blue.

Speaker 7 (18:00):
So they stopped buying the way to the supermarket, you.

Speaker 5 (18:03):
Know what I mean exactly.

Speaker 3 (18:08):
So your summer after high school is it? Are you
a part of the scholars program? Are you what do
they call it? Undergraduate studies? What's the prog US part
of o US?

Speaker 8 (18:21):
I was not a part of o US, so I
didn't go up until I had to go up for camp.
So we went up August, so I may have been
up there while while some of the o US folks
were there, But my first kind of like jump into
it was camp was two a days. So we came
up you know in the summer and we were just
you know, practicing, you know, out out, you know, on

(18:44):
the field. So I didn't really get a sense of
the of the campus life then. It was just kind
of football culture. And that was you know, as a
freshman coming in trying to earn a spot, they'll meet people,
you know, get used to the other freshmen and just
kind of like situate myself in this like brand new
environment because I didn't even know like how much of

(19:07):
a minority I was going to be at that time,
because it was just i mean, the football team was
a little in about was was it was more fifty
to fifty at that time than it was accurate rationing
overall population, right you know, of the campus. So it
was like, all right, well is the football team all right?
You know, we we're doing these these practices, you know,

(19:29):
were lifting, you know, we're staying in the dorms. It's like,
all right, this is you know, this is love. I
was like, Okay, this is college, all right, I'm going
to do this exactly exactly.

Speaker 5 (19:41):
It was. It was, it was it was, man. My
years at Kogate Man were the best, the best four
years of my life.

Speaker 3 (19:48):
That's what's up.

Speaker 9 (19:49):
So what do you remember did you did you feel
how was the adjustment at the athletic level, like where
did you feel it was a substantial jump in just
you know, the athleticism.

Speaker 6 (20:01):
The speed of the game, or did you feel that
you were.

Speaker 7 (20:05):
Able to transition seamlessly into talk a.

Speaker 6 (20:09):
Little bit about what that you know, going through that camp.

Speaker 5 (20:11):
No, that's a that's a great thing.

Speaker 8 (20:12):
You know, that's a great a great question because I've
so in terms of what I realized in college was
that like what I could do naturally in high school,
I had to try harder in college and and I
was my worst enemy because I was I didn't my

(20:33):
work ethic was was particularly you know, freshman sophomore year.
It was just it was just my work ethic was
really poor. So it was a transition. It was a
big shift for me. It was a big transition because
you know, I was used to just kind of getting by.
I was one of the most athletic people in my
high school. So you know, I mean, like I said,

(20:55):
three sport athlete, you know, pen relays, you know, football,
state caliber, wrestler.

Speaker 5 (21:01):
It was just it was just what it was.

Speaker 8 (21:03):
And at Kolgate we had to learn, we had to
study the playbook and learn the different schemes and the
cover two and the cover three and dropping his own
and it didn't come as naturally as it had in
under I mean in uh in high school. So there
was a bit of a shift, a bit of an
adjustment in that regard that I don't think, you know,
I don't think I adapted to very well.

Speaker 6 (21:25):
Uh.

Speaker 5 (21:25):
I know, I didn't adapt to very well.

Speaker 8 (21:28):
And you know, it's one of the things that you know,
I think back on how how differently things could have
gone if if I had applied myself more, you know,
if I'm being one hundred percent honest, there's a lot
of things, you know, in retrospect, you look back when
you're when you're a man or or or becoming a man.
I guess I'm a man now, I'm my forward.

Speaker 5 (21:47):
I don't know, I.

Speaker 8 (21:47):
Don't know where we are, you know, but you know,
I just look back at my youth and I'm like, man,
I didn't do that right, you know.

Speaker 5 (21:55):
So definitely definitely some of that.

Speaker 3 (21:58):
What how did the team do overall?

Speaker 8 (22:00):
Oh, the team was great. We won like three or
four Patriot League championships. I have like three four Patriot
League rings. Maybe I wish, I wish I would have
worn them, but yeah, we've got we we did.

Speaker 5 (22:11):
The team was amazing.

Speaker 8 (22:13):
We were like Patriot League champs maybe two or three
of my four years that we were there. Wow, yeah, yeah, yeah,
I mean, you know, shout out you know RP. Dick Biddle, right,
that was we were.

Speaker 3 (22:26):
We were the coach.

Speaker 5 (22:27):
Yeah, he was the coach while we were there. Yep,
And uh, I mean it was we were. We were amazing.

Speaker 8 (22:33):
We were like the best team in the Patriot League.
And then the year after I left, I think they
went to the playoffs. That was the year they went
to the playoffs and uh in Florida or somewhere.

Speaker 5 (22:44):
Uh So during my time there, that was like the
Ryan Vinne years.

Speaker 8 (22:50):
You know, we were like we were really we were
like Kremdale like Kreme mm hmmm.

Speaker 5 (22:56):
Yeah.

Speaker 8 (22:57):
So it was it was tough. So so adding that
to it was tough getting a playing spot because it's like,
all right, there's a lot of upper classmen who are
already established themselves. The team is winning, the team is
doing good. So you had to be really like on
point and on your on your ish to to like
get a spot.

Speaker 5 (23:14):
You know. There was some freshmen that did that, you know,
is I just wasn't.

Speaker 3 (23:17):
One of them.

Speaker 6 (23:18):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, Yeah.

Speaker 3 (23:20):
Where'd you live? Would you?

Speaker 5 (23:21):
Would you?

Speaker 3 (23:21):
Uh? During your four years?

Speaker 5 (23:24):
Freshman year, I was in Gatehouse.

Speaker 4 (23:27):
Uh.

Speaker 8 (23:27):
I actually had a friend of mine from from Plainfield
that actually that came to Colgate also, So we were
roommates at Gatehouse my freshman year. And uh, those were
like the biggest, the biggest rooms on campus at the time.
Now they're like three persons sweets, but at the time
it was a two person So I.

Speaker 6 (23:45):
Was where is Gatehouse? Because I don't recall, I must
have been a new door.

Speaker 5 (23:49):
Yeah, Gatehouses up by the coop. So it's all popery here.

Speaker 3 (23:52):
In the Cultural center, right, Okay exactly.

Speaker 6 (23:56):
That's an interesting location to be.

Speaker 8 (23:58):
Yeah, I mean see, so that's the thing like having
no idea, Like I didn't know anything about the campus.

Speaker 5 (24:02):
It was like, yeah, choose your choose where you want
to stay and way off campus.

Speaker 6 (24:07):
I mean that means you were checking to the gym
a lot.

Speaker 5 (24:10):
Oh yeah, exactly.

Speaker 8 (24:11):
And I was an HRC or HRC because that's where
so that's where a lot of my friends were.

Speaker 5 (24:16):
They were in HRC because they were in o US.

Speaker 8 (24:19):
So I was you know, I was going to HRC
all the time and that's where I spend most of
my time in HRC.

Speaker 5 (24:26):
But I was.

Speaker 7 (24:26):
Speaking speaking of with that, you had a lot of friends,
will you what was that? Now you come up freshman year,
like you said, you're getting a better sense of what
the physical campus is like, but you're also getting a
better sense of the demographics and that is not what
the football team looked like. How how was that, you know,
living engaged, hanging out in HRC and then still mixing
with mainstream but then having a different angle because you're

(24:48):
on the football squad.

Speaker 5 (24:50):
Yeah, I mean it was it was very different. Man.

Speaker 8 (24:52):
It's it's a lot of it's a lot of navigating, man.
And again all this stuff is in retrospect. So so
I'll tell you a little bit about me in terms
of me, like, I'm not you know, I'm not a processor,
particularly in the past. So at the time, it was
just kind of I'm just going I'm just going I'm
not really like you know what I mean, I'm just like,

(25:13):
you know, it wasn't until later on in life that
I was like, oh damn, like like I know that
I was the minority, but I didn't realize the level
that it was. I really didn't realize the level that
it was until it wasn't until I went back for
a reunion. I was like, wait a minute, is this

(25:36):
how it was when we were there, and it was like, yeah, Aaron,
I mean, I was like, oh, like, I just didn't
remember it that way.

Speaker 5 (25:45):
But it was a major adjustment.

Speaker 8 (25:47):
You know, there's there's a football team politics, and then
there's a classroom politics. You know, just being in a
classroom knowing that you know you're one of one. You know,
I'm oftentimes and you know, is try trying to you know,
my so so again. So I did good in my
high school, but you know, I'm not going to front
like my high school was.

Speaker 5 (26:07):
Like a.

Speaker 8 (26:09):
Jersey juggernaut in terms of like ratings. So I'm just
in class, trying not to seem like an idiot, just
trying to like all right, trying to tell myself that
I fit in or trying to feel like I fit in.
Uh two, Yeah, trying to feel like I fit in.
So it wasn't until so so I was fortunate enough

(26:29):
to find like a really good group of friends, man,
and that was kind of like the foundation for me.

Speaker 5 (26:35):
You know. We got this group called the Commission, man,
and we've been.

Speaker 3 (26:38):
You wanted a commission?

Speaker 8 (26:40):
Oh yeah, okay, okay, that names come up.

Speaker 6 (26:44):
A couple of times.

Speaker 5 (26:46):
Yeah, man, yeah those Oh.

Speaker 3 (26:51):
I'm trying to think of the brother that we we've interviewed. Yeah,
no doubt, and so you know, to share about the Commission.
So I meet some of y'all. Don't know if you're
up there for that reunion, but this is what are
we now, twenty four maybe twenty three when I when
I'm when I'm up on campus for a reunion, and

(27:11):
y'all it's like a crew, y'all just like rolling mad
deep and I'm mad in press because you know, me
and my man we roll deep into So I'm looking like.

Speaker 10 (27:19):
I see y'all'll see y'all young bucks, yall, y'all had
a little thing while y'all was on camp, and so
I'm watching y'all and then one of our dudes rolls
up dimension Dennis.

Speaker 5 (27:29):
Yeah, yeah, Dimension.

Speaker 3 (27:31):
He's in Jerman, so what's what's so cool? Was like, y'all,
y'all allow they had killed kicking it. Dimension rows up
and y'all like, yo, my man, Dimension, y'all showing mad love.
And then D's like yo, y'all know al it's like
now who that yo? And he brings me in. He's like, yo,

(27:53):
what they love y'all showing me You'll show that this
cat right here, and your whole crew was like, oh
say less.

Speaker 4 (28:03):
It was.

Speaker 3 (28:03):
It was a dope moment. The Commission. I'm like, yo,
y'all y'all.

Speaker 5 (28:06):
Was doing thing. Yeah, man, we yo.

Speaker 8 (28:08):
So so I met them dudes, you know, from all
different parts of the other country, you know, Canada, Syracuse, Atlanta,
you know New York, Jurors, you know, everywhere Detroit. So
we just all kind of found each other and you know,

(28:29):
it's kind of been you know, yeah, like that was.
That was the mob man for the for for my
four years there. So so I started Gatehouse with my
homeboy from from Plainfield freshman year and then sophomore, junior,
and senior year. I was in sophomore year, I was
in Cutton with Max with with three other Commission folks

(28:51):
Max tj uh No, Max Twine and Barry and then
junior and senior year I was in.

Speaker 5 (28:58):
Parker Okay, okay apartments. Yeah.

Speaker 8 (29:02):
So but those fellas man like like like I really
believe that, you know, the like Colgate is so the
so the social life is is wonky and weird in
that a lot of a lot of the parties and events. Musically,
the music I just didn't.

Speaker 5 (29:19):
I didn't. It didn't resonate with me.

Speaker 8 (29:20):
So going to a frat party would be like, oh okay, cool, yeah, like.

Speaker 5 (29:24):
Right, all right.

Speaker 8 (29:26):
Uh So we would go to like edge parties or
parties at La Casa, and that was kind of the
way that we kind of kind of vibed out with it,
and like socially those were like our releases, like Brothers
events or a party at La Casa or a party
at the Edge. Sometimes we would go to Movil to

(29:47):
party Morrisville. But you know, we kind of like made
we kind of made our own thing and and and
in some cases it kind of like isolated us, but
in other cases it kind of like made us stronger
and build what we had, you know, So it was
I mean it kind of helped us stay sane and
not have to deal with, you know, microaggressions as much

(30:09):
and just some of the some of the nonsense, because
I mean there was some some nonsense.

Speaker 5 (30:14):
There was like sittings. We had sittings while we.

Speaker 8 (30:15):
Were up there because of just different uh, just different
different things going on. So it was good to have
like your home and your nest of people that you
could say, Hey, I'm not going home, can I come
to your family's house for for for for Thanksgiving? Like yeah, okay, cool,
come through like So it was good having having your

(30:38):
people's man that that really helped make it, that really
helped make it for.

Speaker 3 (30:43):
Me any extracurriculous.

Speaker 5 (30:46):
Uh nah, Man, I didn't.

Speaker 8 (30:47):
I didn't even have time, man, I had I was
all all four years and I tore my a cl
one year, so I had I sat out a year,
but that was like a miserable year.

Speaker 5 (30:58):
I was just in pain.

Speaker 3 (30:59):
Man.

Speaker 8 (30:59):
I had surgery and repair it, but I wish I
had time. That's one of my biggest regrets, not being
able to. Because a lot of a lot of my friends,
a lot of folks in the mission, particularly they studied abroad.
So they went to Trinidad and they got to do
a semester a year abroad. So that's one of my
biggest Like wish I could have at Kolgate. I wish
I could have been able to do more stuff like

(31:23):
around campus because my time a lot of my time
and football just just eats up so much time and
energy computer science so between that between compside always having
to be in a lab always it's like I was
either a lab or I was doing something related to

(31:43):
football like that was that was the square.

Speaker 5 (31:47):
M hm.

Speaker 3 (31:48):
So you mentioned another good brother earlier, Max Max Max
down here in Atlanta, so definitely I've connected over the
years and he's in not he's an education as well,
so another reason we connect. But he's been on our show.
He was on he was on last season.

Speaker 8 (32:05):
Yeah, that's what Max was my roommate man three three years. Man,
that's my Max is my man. We we we both
came up to Kogate with girlfriends.

Speaker 5 (32:15):
Uh.

Speaker 8 (32:15):
We both came up to girl Coogate with girlfriends and
then split up with our girls during the same break
sophomore years. So we was like, you know, I'm not
with my girl together no more. It's like me neither.
It's like, oh, no doubt it was.

Speaker 5 (32:29):
My man, that's my homie.

Speaker 3 (32:31):
Yeah, definitely a good brother. So when you look back,
what do you look back at your highlights, made, your accomplishments,
you know in the class, outside the class, what is
like some fond memories for you?

Speaker 8 (32:44):
Far memories, man, uh Struggling like struggling, like like Kogate
taught me to uh like really earn something. You know,
when I think about my my computer science degree in particular,
that that was like very difficult and like a lot

(33:04):
of just just struggle and like effort. So that's one
of like my like between that and and meet and
meeting those fellas man, those guys, like I said, it's
a good twelve of us. That group chat stays active
on a daily basis with hundreds of messages and just.

Speaker 5 (33:25):
Really the friendship that that we've been.

Speaker 8 (33:27):
Able to to to cultivate and have over these you know,
twenty years. We graduated O three, so five twenty two years.
Like that's one of the I mean, that's one of
like the best things. So between that and and really
understanding the value of putting in putting in work like
that's like that's what one of the things I appreciate

(33:48):
for that I appreciate coogate about Uh yeah, those are
the things that I appreciate about Colgate.

Speaker 3 (33:56):
That's what's up.

Speaker 5 (33:56):
That's up, you know.

Speaker 3 (33:58):
So we're gonna take a break right there as we
show some love to our sponsor, and then we will
bring it back after the break and finish up. Good brother,
Aaron moyin Class of three.

Speaker 4 (34:10):
So this episode is sponsored by Hope Murals. Hope Murals
is a nonprofit that provides adolescent youth with an interactive
experience of creative expression via an urban arts platform that
stimulates both mental and physical development. Please visit that website
at www dotmurals dot org to learn more and find

(34:32):
ways you can support the work they do.

Speaker 3 (34:38):
Welcome back, we are here. Second half of this show.
We are here Aaron Moore in Class two thousand and three,
looking forward to that. But before we do that, before
we get back to this conversation, let me take a
moment to thank our sponsor, Hope Murals doing huge, major things.
Was on social media today seeing in more incredible awards
and citations and people standing on state and stuff like that.

(35:01):
It was awesome. So make sure you show some love
to this incredible organization as they work with our youth
as they are exposing them to the power of urban
arts and fostering their personal and creative development. If you're
looking to support an organization and make a meaningful impact,
check out Hope Murals at Hopemurals and hopemeos dot org. Also,

(35:21):
oh show some up to our network. Go to fire
Life Code is the website for the fire Life Network.
Great network in terms of podcasts. Besides Aftergate, they have
other emergent lineup of content, sports, health and wellness. Make
sure you show some love to defile Life podcast Network,
Great to be Here, Great to Be Back. But as

(35:41):
you're listening to our show, make sure you like them
on all of your major podcast streaming services, whether it's Apple, podspreak, us, Spotify, iHeart.
Wherever you're listening to us, make sure you like us
subscribe so you get an alert when we drop the
next podcast episode. Now I'm gonna pass it to my
mister Herman Dubois so he can bring us into the

(36:02):
second half of this show.

Speaker 7 (36:04):
Welcome back, Welcome back, ALC Fan. We are with the
illustrious mister Aaron Morton, Class three playing for the New
Jersey repping Lovely for the Northeast.

Speaker 6 (36:16):
And so as we jump back into life Postcgate, like.

Speaker 7 (36:22):
To pause for a moment and acknowledge that we are
in the official Men's health Men's Mental Health Awareness Month
month of June. And you know, it's interesting how the
subject matter has become more prevalent.

Speaker 6 (36:38):
At least I feel like I'm hearing about.

Speaker 7 (36:40):
It more these days than I've had in my fifty
five years of life. And when you think culturally, you
think historically, you know, that's probably an area that I
can't recall having a lot of conversations with my dad
or uncles, surely not my grandfather. And interesting that it's
taking this time amount of time to recognize the value
and the importance of getting mental health checkoups as well

(37:03):
as physical and as well as emotional, spiritual. And so
I love to get your perspective. But the more and
on on sort of like how you position and prioritize
health in general, not only in your life, but in
the life of of of of of the men. We
love them and we respect them that we care for.
And what would be your message to them?

Speaker 8 (37:26):
Uh?

Speaker 5 (37:27):
My message would be just lots of grace.

Speaker 3 (37:30):
Uh.

Speaker 8 (37:31):
And And this is something I say to myself all
the time when I when I kind of you know
so so so by trade, I'm I'm I'm an I'm
an artist, I'm an actor. Uh And with that comes
a lot of rejection. It comes like a lot of rejection.

Speaker 5 (37:45):
So like a lot so that can that can wear
on you at times.

Speaker 8 (37:56):
So I've got to so if I could say anything
to that, it would be to just kindness, kindness to
to to myself. It's something I remind myself to be
kind to myself. And I try to be my friend.
So and what I mean by that is I've got
I've got great friends. And if I'm going through something,

(38:18):
never at any point in time where they say to me,
uh unless unless it was fitting right, but oh, you're
you're stupid for that.

Speaker 5 (38:24):
That was dumb, You're an idiot.

Speaker 8 (38:26):
Like as a friend, that's not what they would do. So,
and that's not what I would say to them. I
wouldn't say, oh, you idiot, you dumby, you did that.
Oh that's that's just so stupid.

Speaker 5 (38:36):
You're a fool. You know, you're dumb. You're never gonna grow.

Speaker 8 (38:39):
Like, so the things like that, I kind of try
to be a friend to myself and say hey, like
grace dude, like it's okay, you made a mistake, It's
all good, Like it's it's not the end of the world.
You can bounce back. And I try to frame it
for my health personally in like three different aspects. So
I have a social health aspect, which is again not

(39:01):
confining myself, not staying to myself, but being social and
actually engaging, like I'm a social person, so I like
to do that, so I try to maintain my social health.
My mental health involves you know, therapy, writing, journaling, things
like that. And then physical health. I'm in the gym
very very frequently to maintain my health and my body,

(39:23):
whether it's walking. I got my step count today right now,
I got you know, twelve five hundred steps because I
went for like a three you know, three and a
half mile walk or whatever, so just ensuring that. And
then I also get my physicals right, so I get
my blood work. So it's kind of just it's all
encompassing kind of nurturing of myself that I do so

(39:45):
that I can ensure that I'm around for my children
and I have two boys as long as possible. So
on the back of it being you know, like Men's
or Awareness month or or or it's just like you said,
it's important coming up. You know, you see your grandfather,

(40:06):
I see my grandfather. Man said very few words, and
you know, the thought of therapy. You know, there's this
meme going around I don't know, or the thing it's like,
real men don't cry, real men don't use straws, real
men don't you know.

Speaker 5 (40:22):
Watch rom coms.

Speaker 8 (40:23):
There's kind of just all of these things that can
can affect your mind and how you think about things.

Speaker 5 (40:29):
So I really just try to focus on those aspects.

Speaker 8 (40:33):
And and just you know, help to keep myself in
a good mental space, physical space, and you know, like
socially socially.

Speaker 5 (40:43):
Active with friends and family. Yeah, so I hope that
I hope that answer or touched on absolutely.

Speaker 7 (40:51):
And although that you know, we don't want to dove
too deep into you mentioned being a father of two
boys and and sort of breaking some of the generational
psychle that maybe culturally our community has not had much
success in doing. But because you're aware, because you're knowledgeable,

(41:12):
how do you look to not only uh, sort of
embrace that for yourself, but how do you look to
to demons to teach that to your boys, so it
becomes something that's natural for them in their development versus oh, man,
like me trying to figure that out now, right.

Speaker 8 (41:30):
So so a lot of the man I try to
do by example, So I show them. I try to
show them the way.

Speaker 6 (41:36):
So.

Speaker 8 (41:38):
Just like the basics, or you know, if they're crying,
I'm like, you know what, well, what I would receive
was stop crying, stop being a poem. What you're crying for,
lou you know, you know, derovatory name or whatever the
case may be, not necessarily by my dad, but it's
just you know, it just wasn't it just wasn't viewed

(41:58):
the same. So it's a lot of grace, man, and
just with a lot of I want to say kindness
and that my boys that I want them, you know,
I want so much for them.

Speaker 5 (42:06):
I want them to be better than me. So I
just try to And it's you know, it is quite.

Speaker 8 (42:12):
Hypocritical to a degree, because I think all parents, all
good parents, are good hypocrites, right, you kind of have
to be in order in order to get the job done.
So a bit of it is, you know, so it's okay,
it's okay to cry, Like if you're crying. Like if
they if my children fry, I allow them to cry,
allow them to have that feeling, have that emotion, and

(42:32):
just say, okay.

Speaker 5 (42:33):
Now, now what are you going to do about it?

Speaker 8 (42:35):
So now, like everything is trying to try to be
a lesson, I allow them to vocalize themselves. I try
to have them express themselves in different creative ways and
just stretch muscles mentally and try to maintain that that
childness as long as possible. Because the thing, the thing
that's messed up about us, man, is the older we get,

(42:58):
the more messed.

Speaker 5 (42:59):
Up we get.

Speaker 8 (43:00):
And my acting teacher would always say, like children are
the most purest and the most basic creatures, and like
they're the best actors in the world because a child
can go from crying and then you give them a
treat and then they just stop crying and they're smiling,
or they go from smiling, and so you know, a
child can go have this fantastical imagination and go around skipping,

(43:25):
you know, but if you saw a grown man skipping
in the street, you'd be like, he's crazy, call the
police on him, right, So I just try to man
instill that in the man and just allow them to
be kids. Just allow them to be kids, man, That's
that's the best way I try to, you know. And
just yeah, make sure they're aware of their feelings. A

(43:45):
lot of mindfulness, teaching them mindfulness, teaching them to be
aware of how they're feeling and let them know that
it's okay to feel that way.

Speaker 5 (43:52):
And that would be like the main things I think
that I do to to help them be better than me.
That's that's the goal.

Speaker 3 (44:01):
We use the two words grace and kindness that I
don't remember a lot of men showing me when I
was a child, Like there wasn't a I don't comfort
from a space where they showed me a lot of
grace and kindness, Like they showed me a lot of things,
but grace and kindness, man, showing it to a boy

(44:23):
not so much. It was tough. It was because that's
the thing. It's like, like we want.

Speaker 5 (44:28):
To show you.

Speaker 8 (44:29):
You're trying to you're trying to have them grow up,
you know, and and part of the grow up process,
you know, particularly for men of color, is this tough exterior,
Like YO don't know, don't say if anybody touch you,
you you you better be ready. You got to be
ready to go off on them. And that's kind of
you know, that's like how we were raised. Like that's
just just what.

Speaker 5 (44:48):
It is, right, wrong and different.

Speaker 8 (44:50):
So it's it's kind of have that balance. I don't
want no punks, but at the same.

Speaker 3 (44:54):
Time, you know, okay, to feel it all.

Speaker 8 (44:57):
Right exactly Like to be a full human means to
have like a whole range of emotions.

Speaker 5 (45:04):
So I don't want them to cut any of that off.

Speaker 8 (45:08):
I want them to be I want those emotions to
be available to them as long as possible before the
world comes in and does the number on them, because
the world is going to come in and just you know,
just just do what's do.

Speaker 7 (45:24):
I appreciate, appreciate the inside, but ither appreciate the perspective
on so many levels as a man, as a as
a parent. So thank you for for for opening up
and being transparent with us. As we shift back to Gate,

(45:45):
you're coming out of gate where you someone that knew
what you wanted to do Postgate?

Speaker 6 (45:49):
Was it something like yo, I just want to graduate.
I'll figure it out afterwards.

Speaker 7 (45:52):
Like what what happened senior year going into graduation?

Speaker 6 (45:57):
Did you catch senior itis?

Speaker 7 (45:59):
Was it or was it like a race of the
finish line to get that last credit like talk to us.

Speaker 8 (46:06):
It was a race to the finish line. Race to
the finish line, man, it was a race to the
finish line. I was just trying to again, that computer
science degree, man, was a month.

Speaker 7 (46:21):
Especially when you think about the industry then, it was
still very much in an exploratory.

Speaker 6 (46:27):
Uh Lane, there was, there was there was. It was
still very primitive.

Speaker 5 (46:33):
I guess, yeah, yeah. I mean it's like learning these languages.

Speaker 7 (46:37):
Man.

Speaker 8 (46:37):
It was like C plus plus Java, pascals, like machine language,
like all of these different coding languages and.

Speaker 5 (46:45):
Tests and labs. It was just it was just a lot.

Speaker 8 (46:48):
And uh So, growing up, I had an uncle that
was a consultant. He was a consultant for for like
CSC I believe it was a company. And as a
as a child, I would see him travel. He was
travel around the world and tell me about his you know, travels,
and it was like, and I know he made good money.
So throughout my time at Kogate, I was like, all right,
well this is what I'm gonna do.

Speaker 5 (47:08):
I'm gonna be a consultant. You know, I don't necessarily
know what they.

Speaker 8 (47:11):
Do, but I know they travel and I know many
make good money exactly exactly, so I was like, all right,
I want to be a consultant. But then my senior
year I took an acting class and I was like, Okay,
this is dope. I like this, or maybe it wasn't
my senior yas my junior year one of the years
I took an acting class, and I was.

Speaker 7 (47:31):
Like, I'm assuming it was because it was an elective.
You just needed to feel something in your exactly.

Speaker 5 (47:35):
I needed something to eat. I needed something easy that wasn't.

Speaker 3 (47:43):
And he got he got the bug.

Speaker 8 (47:45):
And so upon graduation, I had my computer science degree.
But I was like, you know what, I always did
want to act, and maybe you know it's something I
wanted to do when I was a kid, but it's
kind of.

Speaker 5 (47:57):
Like I put on a backburn.

Speaker 8 (47:58):
I was like, man, I'm from playing for Ain't no
like it just seemed so far fetched. So but upon graduation,
I was like, you know what, I'm I think I'm
gonna try this.

Speaker 5 (48:08):
So I had my computer science.

Speaker 8 (48:09):
Degree and then I would go into the city and
I would do various like auditions and things like that,
and even my claim to fame was. I had a
friend of mine who knew somebody on the Dave Chappelle Show,
knew somebody in wardrobe. So I did some background work
on the Dave Chappelle Show and ended up being seen.

(48:30):
So I was like in this and like like everybody's like, oh,
I heard there you go. Now if you blink, you'll
miss me. And exactly in the Racial Draft episode, you'll
see me. So I did that and I was like, oh,
that's amazing. And I was considering or I was like,

(48:53):
you know what, I'm gonna pursue pursue acting at this point.
But then my father passed away. And when my father
passed away that you know, that just changed the trajectory
of things because then I was in Jersey, you know,
commuting to the city doing my thing, and I just
left the state.

Speaker 5 (49:12):
I moved.

Speaker 8 (49:13):
I moved down south with with my uncle, the same
uncle I was talking about. I moved in with him
and kind of did nothing for about a year.

Speaker 5 (49:22):
For about a year, I was awaiting.

Speaker 8 (49:25):
Was his uncle your your father's brother, No, no, this
is my mother's my mother's brother.

Speaker 5 (49:31):
Yeah, So I kind of man, I kind of did nothing.

Speaker 8 (49:34):
I was waiting tables at Bonefish and just kind of
I don't know what I was doing. And he was like, yo, no,
I was in Virginia, in Gainesville, Virginia. I was in Gainesville, Virginia,
and uh he was like, nephew, you gotta pay rent.

Speaker 5 (49:50):
You can't, you can't, just you know, just be.

Speaker 8 (49:52):
Here right, Like you got a computer stare, Like I
could get you a job, you know whatever.

Speaker 6 (49:58):
Whatever.

Speaker 5 (49:59):
So I was like I had no doubt.

Speaker 8 (50:00):
So I ended up then getting a job at a
help desk at a company called man Tech, and then
from there I transitioned that to AT and TGS.

Speaker 5 (50:09):
I, so it was AT and T Government Solutions.

Speaker 8 (50:12):
You know, got a top secret clearance, you know, got
some uh some security certifications, and I ended up working
in network security.

Speaker 5 (50:22):
Uh so I was a consultant. I achieved my goal.

Speaker 6 (50:25):
I was a right and you.

Speaker 8 (50:28):
Know I worked at the Pentagon because I had a
top secret clearance and I would travel around the country.
I would travel around the country, you know, doing you know,
network security, and that was kind of my lane. Like
the two years after after after Colgate and uh yeah, man,

(50:48):
I would go to d C often party with d C.

Speaker 5 (50:51):
D C was like love d C. And I did
that for about nine years. That was my life for
nine years.

Speaker 8 (50:59):
And then when Obama's in DC, exactly I was there, Oh,
without doubt.

Speaker 5 (51:04):
I was there. Yep.

Speaker 3 (51:05):
It was cold.

Speaker 8 (51:06):
We were out there walking, me, Tyrone, my boy, Kayla.
We were all out there, you know, walking deads. We
were all walking. It was like great times. And then
I got to itch again. It's one of those things like,
you know, you get this thing. It's like I didn't

(51:26):
want to be fifty sixty seventy years.

Speaker 3 (51:29):
Old and like regret this thing right now when.

Speaker 8 (51:32):
Exactly so at the time, you know again, I was
a big time consultant. I had a house. My brother
and I bought a house. I had a Ben's coop
black joint with the roof back. I was living my
best life. And I sold them. And I applied to
grad school and I was fortunate enough to get into

(51:53):
Colombia and I went to I ended up, you know,
leaving moving from Virginia, moving to New York and there
I got my MFA from Columbia in acting and that
was in twenty thirteen, so that's a three year degree.
So I graduated there in twenty sixteen and then since
twenty sixteen. I've been on the path that I've been

(52:15):
on now, which is you know, now I'm I'm a
professor at two schools and you know, a professional actor,
so you know, television, film, theater, commercials. I mean, you know,
I got you know, my agent, my manager in graduations.

Speaker 5 (52:32):
I appreciate it. I appreciate it.

Speaker 8 (52:33):
Yeah, So that's kind of that's been that's like in
a nutshell, right, that's been my life since Kogate Man,
Like definitely a career shift. I no longer do anything
in computers. I'm like computers what, I don't know what.

Speaker 5 (52:45):
You're talking about.

Speaker 8 (52:46):
Like I went from the guy that everybody's like, I'm
having computer problems, Eric, can you help me out? The
one that they call like the family member that they
always asked to do that now like can you help
me write this poem or I'm thinking of or writing
a play? Like different expertise, now different different expert Wait,

(53:06):
so so you're back in Plainsfield. So now now I'm
in Bloomfield, not playing for that Bloomfield. Yeah, I'm like
right outside of the city, right outside of the city.
So I commute, you know, I commute this maybe a
twenty five minute train ride in when I need to
go in.

Speaker 5 (53:22):
And I can go in audition. Uh and you know,
just yeah, just living living life man.

Speaker 7 (53:31):
During during what's what's what's your If you had a
choice in picking your niche in the industry, would you
want big screen?

Speaker 6 (53:38):
Would you want sitcoms? Or you want theater?

Speaker 7 (53:40):
Like?

Speaker 3 (53:41):
What what?

Speaker 6 (53:41):
What's your thing? What would you say?

Speaker 7 (53:43):
This is what I really you know, you're trying to
rock with Denzel talk to me, you.

Speaker 5 (53:47):
Know, yeah, I mean that would be great, Denzel.

Speaker 6 (53:49):
You know you know, I mean We're gonna put a
call in. You know what I'm saying, like, Yeah.

Speaker 5 (53:53):
Put a call man called Denzel. What's good bro? You know?
For them? Exactly exactly, Yeah.

Speaker 8 (54:00):
No, I would you know, I would like so if
I have my brothers right, it would it would be
big screen. I would love to be, you know, on
the big screen. But I will say that because this
field is so hard.

Speaker 5 (54:14):
It's so it's so there's so many factors, man, that
can lead to your success. It's not it's not just
about talent.

Speaker 8 (54:20):
It's about you know, look, it's about it's about a
whole bunch of other ship aside from talent. So with
that said, My my main uh like the base my
base request would be just to be a working actor, man.
And you know, just to be able to feed my
family making uh, creating, like being a creator. And if

(54:46):
I'm if I'm like a respected person in my field,
I can I can live with that, even if I'm
not like Will Smith, you know Will Smith. But if
it's like among the actors they know like oh Aaron,
Oh yeah, he's nice, like he's good, Like let's let's
bring him on.

Speaker 5 (55:00):
Like I be content with that.

Speaker 8 (55:03):
I be content with that, you know, I mean thus far,
like I said, I've worked with I've worked with you know,
Avia du Verne. You know, I've worked with Leana Waithe
on their project. So I've got you know, some things
on Netflix.

Speaker 5 (55:15):
Right now, you know, and there you know when.

Speaker 8 (55:16):
They see us or beauty on Netflix by those two
phenomenal women. And you know, I've had national commercials, you know,
so you know, it's just it's just putting in time, man.
And that's someone you know, I know, someone who's been
in the field for like twenty years. And why why
my field is so it's so different. It's that, you know,

(55:40):
when I was talking to my wife about this. You
know who's who's going to Colombia. Now, It's like for
a lot of other degrees, it's like you get the
degree and then you work in the thing. If you
get a business degree, it's like, all right, well you're
going to do something business related. You get a psychology degree,
you can do psychology, and nowhere will there be a
psychology without a psychology degree.

Speaker 5 (56:04):
You know.

Speaker 8 (56:05):
But in my field in terms of an actor, I
mean any like you don't need a degree.

Speaker 5 (56:09):
To do it.

Speaker 8 (56:10):
Like if you have a large social media following, somebody
else say, you know what, you'd be great for my film.

Speaker 5 (56:15):
You've got a large following, come on and be in
my film.

Speaker 1 (56:18):
If you're a business looking to get your brand in
front of a loyal, supportive, successful market, you need to
become a sponsor of Aftergate. Our network recognizes the opportunity
to work with co Gate's a lum of color to
leverage the reach of the show to increase awareness and
profitability for your business. Reach out to the Defile Life
podcast network and we will work with you throughout the

(56:40):
entire process. We have special packages to get you started.
Contact us at info at godfirelife dot com. Every week
professionals of color, ranging from politicians to educators, to judges,
to entrepreneurs to lawyers, corporate leaders, and even retirees.

Speaker 3 (56:59):
Aftergate reach is in a rate of.

Speaker 1 (57:01):
Successful bipod listeners contact us to learn more about how
we can benefit you.

Speaker 3 (57:07):
It might be the first person I can say I
know has a you said an ms.

Speaker 6 (57:13):
A, MFA.

Speaker 3 (57:17):
I don't think I've never met anyone before who has
that credential.

Speaker 5 (57:20):
Right on.

Speaker 8 (57:21):
I mean, it's it's a terminating degree, so you know
it's it's it's it's the PhD of my field, right
so that's as high as it goes in my field.
But again, it really means nothing like all it means is.

Speaker 5 (57:33):
I could be a professor.

Speaker 8 (57:35):
But you know, anybody, if you're if you're making a movie,
you can see anybody in the street and be like,
you know what you look right for this part?

Speaker 6 (57:43):
Come on?

Speaker 7 (57:44):
But in all fairness, and I completely understand your point
of view because I get it. And I'm in the
creative space as well, so I see it all the
time in music, I see it in art. But I
will say that there's a certain value that's recognized by
other scholars in the industry that although you may not
have the following to get you apart, when the craft

(58:08):
of what you do is recognize because you put the
work in, because you've put the your pedagogy, your approach
to it, your you you can, you can. Your diversification
and your ability to tackle different roles I'm sure comes
from the training and the education. And that's when I

(58:29):
think there's a difference between getting parts and then greatness
that you can achieve you in in the industry. And
so you just keep doing your time, brother, because it's coming.

Speaker 6 (58:40):
It's coming, man, I agree.

Speaker 5 (58:43):
Like one of my one of my superpowers man is perseverance.
Bro uh.

Speaker 8 (58:48):
And you know that's one of my super found perseverance
and optimism. Like I'm a I'm a stubborn bastard and one.

Speaker 5 (58:54):
Thing is things it's gonna work out right, like I won't,
I won't quit. So I'll do this. I'll do this
till I die, And I mean that's just what it is.

Speaker 8 (59:03):
And you know, let the chips for what they may, man,
Like I'm content to fall on that sort, I sow.
I so am I really.

Speaker 3 (59:12):
Am gratulations again and we then you're nothing but blessings.

Speaker 8 (59:17):
And now I love that and and what and what
it made me do. I just just a brief plug
real quick.

Speaker 5 (59:24):
During the pandemic, it made me start a nonprofit.

Speaker 8 (59:27):
So that's offit called Bridge to Reality, uh, and its
nonprofit is to increase the presence of people of color
in the arts. And I do this through the mentor
mentorship and arts education of high school.

Speaker 5 (59:40):
Students of color.

Speaker 6 (59:42):
So part of that.

Speaker 8 (59:44):
During that during the pandemic, so I volunteer at a
high school and I get them to like shows in
the city off Broadway or Broadway shows whatever my mentors
have available and just provide like arts education and training
for them. So that's a and it's it's a it's
a passion of mine. And uh, you know, it's a
work in progress. Non nonprofits are difficult, man, They're difficult

(01:00:07):
to grow and with children, particularly, like they're just the mindset,
the fickleness, and it's just it's just difficult.

Speaker 5 (01:00:16):
So you know when you're dealing with teenagers.

Speaker 8 (01:00:18):
But it's something I'm passionate about that I'm hoping that
I'm able to to just continue to grow and be
able to to be the thing for them that I
didn't have because if I would have seen you know, actors, directors, filmmakers,
et cetera.

Speaker 5 (01:00:34):
You know, growing up, I think I would have gravitated
toward that as opposed to you know.

Speaker 8 (01:00:42):
Doing computer science, doing that for nine ten years of
my life instead of just going doing the thing so
to to try to to try to help other folks out.

Speaker 5 (01:00:53):
That's you know why I started this nonprofit.

Speaker 3 (01:00:56):
So just to you know, let you know who you
in the room. You are talking to two gentlemen who
thirty years like this is all we do in terms
of community development, nonprofit youth development like him from program development,

(01:01:16):
me from a program evaluation, outcome measurement. But you know
we have definitely the Hope Murals nonprofit that's our sponsor.
He's the founder, runs it and does amazing work down
in South Florida. And I'm up here in Atlanta with
the United Way Greater Atlanta the chief Community Impact Officer.
So oh man, that's wait welcome, Like yeah, yo, keep.

Speaker 7 (01:01:42):
Doing and in the arts, because I mean in old education,
sports arts, if you had to, if you had that
that time or travel opportunity to go back to two
o three even before that, to go back to graduating
and going into kogate, if there's any words of wisdom

(01:02:03):
you might have giving your younger self with what you
know now, what might that sound like?

Speaker 6 (01:02:09):
And then flip it.

Speaker 7 (01:02:11):
You graduate Kogate four years later and you're going into
the world. What might be the words of wisdom.

Speaker 6 (01:02:16):
You passed on to your younger self?

Speaker 5 (01:02:19):
Mm hmm. You know, I think me and my friends
talk about talk about this all the time. In terms
of going back to Kogate. Man, I would have just
done more stuff I was.

Speaker 8 (01:02:31):
I won't say I was in a box like insulated,
but I would have just done more.

Speaker 5 (01:02:36):
You know.

Speaker 8 (01:02:36):
So I think I went skeet shooting one time, but
like the one and only time in my life was
ski shooting.

Speaker 5 (01:02:43):
Was at Kolgate.

Speaker 8 (01:02:45):
So there's just so many I would have just taken
more advantage of the vastness of the opportunities.

Speaker 5 (01:02:52):
Because there's so many opportunities.

Speaker 8 (01:02:54):
I would have been more eager and more just more
curious so I could go back. That that would be
with that's saying, like dog, be more curious, like be
more dventurous, like go out and and like be more
greedy greedy for information.

Speaker 5 (01:03:09):
That would be what I would say to my to
my previous self. And then after school.

Speaker 8 (01:03:18):
Uh, man, I I did a lot, man, so I wouldn't.
I would just be like just do your thing, man,
Like I feel like like inherently, man, we all kind
of have an idea of I won't say what's right
and wrong, but you kind of like you kind of know,
you know, in my opinion, at least you kind of
like feel it, like in your gut because you know.

Speaker 5 (01:03:39):
When we're like more like born, right, our.

Speaker 8 (01:03:43):
Our brains and our stomachs are like connected, so then
we like form out to these fully grown like entities.
So like in our stomach, like there's a lot of
like good stuff in our stomach, and you feel like
I got a feeling in my stomach this ain't right.
So it would be more along those lines like just
follow your instincts, bro, like like you have like you
have the answers and.

Speaker 5 (01:04:04):
I guess this.

Speaker 8 (01:04:04):
This would be my advice for just like me like
four years like during school, after school, like even til now.
It would be just kind of like you know, those
feelings and those tinglings, like like listen to your body
and like just follow like follow your instincts because you
you got this, you can do this, but you got
to like you gotta like trust yourself a bit more.
So maybe like trusting myself more would be something that

(01:04:28):
I should follow now and and even four years after
after grads, I mean, after undergrad.

Speaker 3 (01:04:37):
That's what's up. The last part of the show, bro
is just an opportunity for you to promote share to
the listeners so that they can learn more support something
that's important to you. We know, we got listeners who
want to you know, get behind our guests, and so
if there's any type of cause or something you want
to throw out there for our show, we'd love to

(01:04:59):
get it out.

Speaker 5 (01:05:00):
On the record. Right on.

Speaker 8 (01:05:01):
Well, I mean, like I mentioned earlier, man, my nonprofit
Bridge to Reality.

Speaker 5 (01:05:05):
You know, Bridgereality dot Org is the website.

Speaker 8 (01:05:07):
There's a donation link there, just the you know, we're nonprofit,
just on the grind, trying to provide opportunities for students
of color. If you know, anyone uh interested in the
arts doesn't have any avenues towards to it, you know,
reach out.

Speaker 5 (01:05:23):
We have a contact uh contact link there.

Speaker 8 (01:05:26):
I'd love to assist them and mentor them or partner
them with someone that that can do that. And I mean, yeah,
that's like that's a service that I mean I do.

Speaker 5 (01:05:36):
I do public speaking.

Speaker 8 (01:05:37):
If anyone has any public speaking issues, you know, I
also do public speaking, public speaking sessions. I do team
buildings for organizations, for like work on.

Speaker 5 (01:05:48):
Mindfulness, relaxation, effective listening.

Speaker 8 (01:05:51):
So if you've got a company or organization and you
need someone to come in and kind of work with
team building exercises, that's something I also do with well.
So I'm kind of I'm kind of a jack of
all trades man, and I kind of really use the
arts too. I think I think the arts are underutilized.

Speaker 5 (01:06:09):
Uh, the arts are.

Speaker 8 (01:06:11):
It's just underutilized, and it's so many places it could
be applicable in the workplace, like in your life and
just in general. So I really enjoy exposing people to
those ways, particularly in those corporate environments, like doing improv
with people and it's I've never done the improv or
this is the first time, Oh this is fun, and
just how it just translates to listening and being mindful

(01:06:35):
about your body and checking in and just all of
those things.

Speaker 5 (01:06:39):
So yeah, that's that's that would be my my, my.

Speaker 8 (01:06:44):
Picture, my spiel to to anyone checking this out.

Speaker 3 (01:06:49):
That's what's up. Any last word before we get out
of here.

Speaker 5 (01:06:54):
Now. Man, I appreciate you gentlemen man for having me on.

Speaker 8 (01:06:58):
And yeah, if I could, if I could just say
any any of my last words would be man, just
to folks that take care of themselves, you know, take
care of their mind, their spirit and you know, yeah,
just take care of themselves.

Speaker 5 (01:07:11):
Man, just take care of themselves. Life is short. Man.

Speaker 8 (01:07:14):
If you don't, you'll miss it. Man, life is short,
So just take care of yourselves. And yeah, just just
be well, that'll be my thing.

Speaker 3 (01:07:22):
Be well, that's what's up. Let's take us out.

Speaker 4 (01:07:25):
Then.

Speaker 3 (01:07:26):
This has been another episode after Gate season five. Thank
you to our guests, Thank you to our listeners. After
Gate is always powered by the Defile Life podcast Network,
so make sure you check us out in the future
on all of your favorite podcast streaming platforms. We got
many more dope episodes to follow, and remember that the
COVID of your day is not the coviate of today,

(01:07:46):
and it's certainly not the coviate of the future. Peace family.

Speaker 1 (01:07:53):
You hear that, listen closer that my friend is definitely
sut of focus drowns out all the useless noise that
can clutter not only nay sayers don't exist.

Speaker 3 (01:08:05):
Haters, smaters, the peanut gallery. Who's that.

Speaker 1 (01:08:10):
When you're in your zone, all that noise and all
that buzz is just eleventor music.

Speaker 3 (01:08:15):
So enjoy your journey, focus on your goal, and basque.

Speaker 1 (01:08:19):
In the choiet role that is progressing, Because when it's
your time to shoot that shot, spit that verse, or
close that deal, the only voice that matters is yours.

Speaker 5 (01:08:29):
The firelighte