WEBVTT

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Hey guys, it's me, Yaya Diamond.

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What's up?

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We got more music.

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Wait, so it's... I am not

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warm.

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I should never do that while

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I'm not warm.

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But I absolutely had to take

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opera in college.

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And yes, I did two years

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of Italian opera, of all things.

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I still don't know what I

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was singing.

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But anyway, nevermind that.

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All right, so we have a

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gentleman here that is just an

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amazing person.

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But before we get to him,

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I want to do this.

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I literally want to go ahead

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and put this up as spirituals

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and you guys know that I

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am all into it because my

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great uncle was Robert McFerrin Sr.

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and he sang Raising the Sun

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for Young Best and he sang

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Negro Spirituals and this just touched

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me like to no end.

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I am just so so very

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excited to have my next guest

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on but before

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we do that, I must do

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this.

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Hold tight, guys.

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I'm going to go ahead and

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go into something really cool.

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You see, my people found in

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the grandeur of the biblical word

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and poetry a fountain of illimitable

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solace.

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You see, the text of these

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folk songs are a blend of

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versified religious paraphrases and amplifying

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remarks

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of the poets.

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You see, the spiritualists share basic

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human qualities, regardless of race, creed,

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or color.

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And they speak of that endless

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search for a better understanding of

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the divine law.

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The divine law which shapes the

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destinies of men.

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These Africans captured for the southern

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plantations

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brought with them many parts of

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Africa, their various cultures, skills and

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a creative power.

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These transplanted Africans fused their

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American

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experiences and then produced a new

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art, the Afro-American religious folk song,

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The Spiritual.

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Oh

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my gosh, that just like

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touched me so.

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You don't even understand because I

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was all into it and then

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I forgot that it was just

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a little excerpt.

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But we do have the gentleman

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that is doing this, and his

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name is Jackson Caesar.

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I hope I said that right.

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Is he the Cesar?

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Because Cesar is like a Hispanic

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name, so Cesar.

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Or is Caesar or Cesar, Cesar.

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Well, nevermind.

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It doesn't matter because he is

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an American recording artist, singer, producer,

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lecturer, educator, documentarian, and an

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author.

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And I wanna welcome him to

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the show.

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Thank you so much, Jackson, for

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being here.

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I know I probably tortured your

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very last name.

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And I'm so very sorry.

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It's OK.

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It's actually Caesar.

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And actually, it depends on where

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I go in the world.

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When I was in Italy, they

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pronounced it differently because, you know.

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Caesar.

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Yes, yes.

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Yeah.

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Or it could be Kaiser.

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I, Kaiser, that's true, that's true.

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That's like, no one ever thinks

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Kaiser though.

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It's either Caesar or Cesar.

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Or Cesare, yeah.

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There you go, there you go.

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Well, thank you so much for

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being on the show.

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I appreciate you.

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Thank you for having me.

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No matter what name you're called,

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you kind of know it's you.

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That's so true.

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I know it's me.

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for the most part, I mean,

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tell us how you really truly

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immersed yourself into this.

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And I know that we, you

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know, this is like Black History

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Month and you got the spirituals,

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but tell me why and tell

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me how.

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So I was introduced to the

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music of Roland Hayes back in when I was studying

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voice

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lessons at the University of the

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District of Columbia.

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And I was talking to a

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friend of mine who was teaching

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at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania at

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the time.

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And he passed away last year,

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as a matter of fact.

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But he says, well, since you're

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taking voice lessons, you need to

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sing the songs of Roland Hayes.

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And I was like, I don't

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know who that is.

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And he goes, oh, he sings

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a song called Little Boy.

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You need to learn that.

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So he sends it to me

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in the mail.

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At that time, I gave it

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to my voice teacher and I

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said, OK, so someone sent this

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to me and said that I

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should probably be singing some songs

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from his collection.

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And it's called My Favorite Spirituals.

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And so she looked at the

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book and she says, oh, yes,

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you need to learn a lot

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about this man.

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You need to know about Roland

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Hayes.

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So I took it upon myself

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to look into his life, his

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music, and his legacy.

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And I was blown away.

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And I was like, wait a

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minute.

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How is it that I've never

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heard of this guy before?

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And he's got a stack of

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collection, a collection of spirituals.

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I'm like,

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Who is singing his material?

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So I started going through the

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material.

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Now, I've been to many concerts

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and recitals where people sing spirituals.

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Now, I call these pop tunes

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because some of the spirituals you've

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heard before, like Ride on King

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Jesus, Deep River, these are the

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pop tunes you hear all the

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time.

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But in this collection, these are

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songs that you've never heard of

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before.

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I was like, wait a minute,

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I've never heard of this guy

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before.

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So I'm so glad that she

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allowed me to sing some songs

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from his collection.

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And I was just blown away

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because he has a whole book

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out and a lot of the

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songs we have not heard of

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before.

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That is amazing.

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And I'm looking at your website,

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as you can see here, and

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I'm seeing that you have some

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things coming up.

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Well, you did that.

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Oh, yeah.

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I just finished it all.

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So now it's all interviews.

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Wait a minute.

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I'm so late.

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But how did these go?

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And you tell me, because you

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were saying earlier how a lot

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of times people will actually raise

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their hand with questions.

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Did you get questions about who

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this gentleman was?

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Who is Roland Hayes?

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Yes, we'll do your shows.

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Right.

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So what happened is I decided

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he has a this book has spirituals.

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And I was like, Okay, I

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need to put these together in

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one concert.

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I want to be able to

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do it for I've never attended

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a concert full of spirituals from

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from like a solo artist.

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It's always been classical and then

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the end in spirituals.

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So I had to choose.

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So I chose of 20 the and I started touring it.

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And this started in, I used

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to say but I think

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it started in really.

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So I started touring it.

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And then at the end of

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the concert, I'm like, thank you,

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I've sung songs and I'm

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done, right?

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And then people started raising their

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hands and I'm just like, oh,

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okay, yes, how can I help

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you?

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And they started asking questions about,

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well, did he have any children?

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Was he married?

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And I was like, okay, so

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I'm answering questions and I'm like,

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okay, so this has turned into

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a Q&A.

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So then I decided to, yes,

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as you're showing there, I decided

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to come up with a bundle

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because it depends on what they

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want for.

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So now whenever people call me

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up and say, we want to

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book you to do your Roland

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Hayes project, I'm like, OK, pick

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a bundle.

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And what's been popular lately is

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a lecture mini concert.

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And I'm actually having fun.

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I did that last weekend, as

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a matter of fact.

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And that was so much fun,

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to be able to give a

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presentation and to talk about his

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music, his life, and his legacy,

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and then to conclude with a

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few songs.

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And I sang about seven songs,

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no, maybe eight songs.

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And they loved it.

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And so I've just been, yeah,

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it's just been a wonderful experience

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to have, to hear about his

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music, his life, and his legacy.

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That is so unique.

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I am so sorry.

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That's like, I have not heard

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of anybody say, okay, well, you

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know, I want to see this.

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Pick a bundle.

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Hey!

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So the first bundle can be

00:08:49.414 --> 00:08:50.354 align:center
a full concert.

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And if they're OK with Q&A,

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we can do that.

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The second bundle could be a

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mini concert or a lecture and

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a mini concert.

00:08:56.916 --> 00:08:57.896 align:center
And then the third bundle can

00:08:57.916 --> 00:08:59.096 align:center
be just to bring me in,

00:08:59.116 --> 00:09:00.697 align:center
because I've been on panels before

00:09:01.137 --> 00:09:02.217 align:center
where they're having a panel about

00:09:02.317 --> 00:09:03.337 align:center
the spirituals.

00:09:03.597 --> 00:09:04.638 align:center
So I've been on panels before,

00:09:04.698 --> 00:09:05.398 align:center
or if you just want to

00:09:05.438 --> 00:09:05.898 align:center
interview me.

00:09:05.938 --> 00:09:07.578 align:center
Like, I did an interview with

00:09:07.618 --> 00:09:09.099 align:center
NPR News not too long ago,

00:09:09.299 --> 00:09:10.379 align:center
and it was just that.

00:09:10.759 --> 00:09:12.359 align:center
So sometimes you just pick a

00:09:12.399 --> 00:09:12.739 align:center
bundle.

00:09:13.039 --> 00:09:13.540 align:center
So yeah.

00:09:13.660 --> 00:09:13.860 align:center
Wow.

00:09:14.280 --> 00:09:14.980 align:center
I'm going to have to do

00:09:15.020 --> 00:09:15.380 align:center
bundles.

00:09:17.679 --> 00:09:19.240 align:center
It really helps consolidate things.

00:09:19.540 --> 00:09:21.561 align:center
I mean, it's like, okay, so,

00:09:21.661 --> 00:09:25.124 align:center
you know, that's a brilliant idea.

00:09:25.144 --> 00:09:26.685 align:center
It's so good.

00:09:26.745 --> 00:09:27.505 align:center
I love that.

00:09:27.545 --> 00:09:28.346 align:center
I love that idea.

00:09:28.586 --> 00:09:30.167 align:center
Because not only do you bring

00:09:30.247 --> 00:09:33.289 align:center
something new and refreshing, but old

00:09:33.309 --> 00:09:35.910 align:center
and, you know, historical, but you

00:09:35.990 --> 00:09:39.072 align:center
also can bring, if they decided,

00:09:39.472 --> 00:09:41.414 align:center
like the whole history with it.

00:09:41.474 --> 00:09:43.355 align:center
It's just ingenious.

00:09:43.755 --> 00:09:44.575 align:center
Yes, thank you.

00:09:44.735 --> 00:09:45.456 align:center
I'm glad I could help.

00:09:45.816 --> 00:09:49.057 align:center
I listen to my fans.

00:09:49.538 --> 00:09:50.658 align:center
And when I hear them, I

00:09:50.698 --> 00:09:51.659 align:center
listen to, I pay attention to

00:09:51.679 --> 00:09:52.239 align:center
my fans.

00:09:52.339 --> 00:09:53.259 align:center
And this is what's helped my

00:09:53.319 --> 00:09:55.240 align:center
career today because of my fans.

00:09:55.340 --> 00:09:56.501 align:center
I listen to my fans.

00:09:56.741 --> 00:09:57.661 align:center
That is wonderful.

00:09:57.721 --> 00:09:58.962 align:center
Maybe I should be listening to

00:09:59.002 --> 00:09:59.142 align:center
them.

00:10:01.597 --> 00:10:02.078 align:center
I always do.

00:10:02.178 --> 00:10:04.159 align:center
I always try.

00:10:04.399 --> 00:10:06.340 align:center
So tell me about this.

00:10:06.741 --> 00:10:07.981 align:center
So we are in Black History

00:10:08.001 --> 00:10:08.142 align:center
Month.

00:10:08.162 --> 00:10:08.962 align:center
We get days. 28

00:10:09.242 --> 00:10:09.923 align:center
That is correct.

00:10:10.463 --> 00:10:11.143 align:center
You better hurry up.

00:10:11.224 --> 00:10:12.224 align:center
You better hurry up, because it's

00:10:12.524 --> 00:10:13.745 align:center
a few days less than everybody

00:10:13.825 --> 00:10:14.005 align:center
else.

00:10:14.466 --> 00:10:16.127 align:center
Yes, yes, yes.

00:10:17.007 --> 00:10:17.988 align:center
So, I mean, you go, we

00:10:18.028 --> 00:10:18.969 align:center
got the short stick of it

00:10:19.110 --> 00:10:20.411 align:center
all, but it doesn't matter because

00:10:20.451 --> 00:10:21.212 align:center
we got a stick.

00:10:21.752 --> 00:10:23.694 align:center
And within that, how important is

00:10:23.774 --> 00:10:25.175 align:center
it that we use our stick

00:10:25.376 --> 00:10:28.058 align:center
to actually promote Black history, especially

00:10:28.098 --> 00:10:29.139 align:center
in these days and times when

00:10:29.159 --> 00:10:31.281 align:center
they were taking history out of

00:10:31.301 --> 00:10:32.683 align:center
the school systems and everything, and

00:10:32.703 --> 00:10:34.825 align:center
they're changing everything, and they're making

00:10:34.885 --> 00:10:35.786 align:center
us look like as if we

00:10:35.826 --> 00:10:37.267 align:center
were only slaves, and we weren't.

00:10:37.307 --> 00:10:38.428 align:center
We were kings and queens at

00:10:38.508 --> 00:10:38.909 align:center
one point.

00:10:40.189 --> 00:10:41.630 align:center
You know, I see that a

00:10:41.730 --> 00:10:44.150 align:center
lot of whites are actually teaching

00:10:44.310 --> 00:10:47.451 align:center
African American and Afro history because

00:10:47.511 --> 00:10:49.351 align:center
they say that it should not

00:10:49.431 --> 00:10:50.231 align:center
be excluded.

00:10:50.311 --> 00:10:51.912 align:center
So it's not just black people

00:10:51.952 --> 00:10:54.092 align:center
doing it or African Americans, it's

00:10:54.152 --> 00:10:57.113 align:center
Caucasians, it's people seeing that, you

00:10:57.173 --> 00:10:59.233 align:center
know, this is an injustice and

00:10:59.394 --> 00:11:00.934 align:center
February is Black History Month.

00:11:00.974 --> 00:11:03.174 align:center
So how important is it really

00:11:03.614 --> 00:11:05.635 align:center
for us to know our history?

00:11:06.533 --> 00:11:07.634 align:center
Well, I like to say this

00:11:07.714 --> 00:11:10.135 align:center
first, that Black history is American

00:11:10.175 --> 00:11:10.375 align:center
history.

00:11:10.395 --> 00:11:11.655 align:center
That's been the theme here lately,

00:11:11.675 --> 00:11:13.556 align:center
that everyone's saying Black history is

00:11:13.616 --> 00:11:15.097 align:center
American history, and you can't get

00:11:15.117 --> 00:11:15.577 align:center
away from it.

00:11:15.877 --> 00:11:17.198 align:center
They can try not to talk

00:11:17.238 --> 00:11:18.338 align:center
about it, but there's no way

00:11:18.378 --> 00:11:18.839 align:center
around it.

00:11:18.879 --> 00:11:20.840 align:center
If anyone has lived the American

00:11:20.900 --> 00:11:21.240 align:center
dream,

00:11:22.160 --> 00:11:24.061 align:center
it has been the blacks or

00:11:24.482 --> 00:11:27.544 align:center
Um, why it's important.

00:11:27.964 --> 00:11:28.765 align:center
T important.

00:11:28.985 --> 00:11:31.026 align:center
Other reasons because a lot of

00:11:31.046 --> 00:11:32.708 align:center
people don blacks don't even know

00:11:32.908 --> 00:11:36.610 align:center
th Kent State in Ohio.

00:11:36.650 --> 00:11:36.810 align:center
Have yo

00:11:39.272 --> 00:11:39.692 align:center
Yes.

00:11:40.252 --> 00:11:43.474 align:center
Okay, Dr. Carter.

00:11:43.514 --> 00:11:43.754 align:center
Yes.

00:11:44.134 --> 00:11:45.074 align:center
So a lot of people don't

00:11:45.094 --> 00:11:46.995 align:center
realize that it started at Kent

00:11:47.015 --> 00:11:47.335 align:center
State.

00:11:47.395 --> 00:11:49.596 align:center
It always took place on the

00:11:49.696 --> 00:11:52.457 align:center
second week or that particular week

00:11:52.597 --> 00:11:55.678 align:center
of Abraham Lincoln's birthday and Frederick

00:11:55.718 --> 00:11:56.478 align:center
Douglass' birthday.

00:11:56.558 --> 00:11:58.019 align:center
Abraham Lincoln's birthday is on February

00:11:58.079 --> 00:11:58.419 align:center
12th.

00:11:58.799 --> 00:12:00.720 align:center
Frederick Douglass' is on Valentine's Day.

00:12:01.140 --> 00:12:02.340 align:center
So it was always gonna be

00:12:02.380 --> 00:12:04.981 align:center
around that time that they celebrated

00:12:05.321 --> 00:12:06.782 align:center
the Black history.

00:12:07.262 --> 00:12:08.304 align:center
So it was like three days

00:12:08.344 --> 00:12:08.945 align:center
and then it went to a

00:12:08.985 --> 00:12:09.485 align:center
whole week.

00:12:09.986 --> 00:12:11.208 align:center
And then it started jumping around

00:12:11.248 --> 00:12:12.189 align:center
to different universities.

00:12:12.229 --> 00:12:13.291 align:center
Now Kent State is not an

00:12:13.411 --> 00:12:15.474 align:center
HBCU, although it started there.

00:12:16.856 --> 00:12:18.238 align:center
So it started jumping around to

00:12:18.278 --> 00:12:20.060 align:center
different universities, different colleges and

00:12:20.100 --> 00:12:20.681 align:center
universities.

00:12:20.941 --> 00:12:22.484 align:center
And then it was during the

00:12:22.604 --> 00:12:23.805 align:center
bicentennial

00:12:24.426 --> 00:12:27.308 align:center
celebration of President Gerald Ford.

00:12:27.428 --> 00:12:29.130 align:center
So we just had President's Day

00:12:29.170 --> 00:12:29.690 align:center
yesterday.

00:12:29.710 --> 00:12:31.391 align:center
And I always say to people,

00:12:31.812 --> 00:12:33.273 align:center
if there's one president that I

00:12:33.313 --> 00:12:35.915 align:center
give recognition to, it's President Gerald

00:12:35.955 --> 00:12:37.656 align:center
Ford, because it was during the

00:12:37.696 --> 00:12:40.018 align:center
bicentennial celebration of the

00:12:40.578 --> 00:12:41.939 align:center
our country being years. 200

00:12:42.599 --> 00:12:44.520 align:center
And he says, why is Black

00:12:44.560 --> 00:12:45.480 align:center
history one week?

00:12:46.240 --> 00:12:48.601 align:center
Why is it just one month

00:12:48.661 --> 00:12:50.282 align:center
in certain areas and one week

00:12:50.322 --> 00:12:50.902 align:center
in other areas?

00:12:50.922 --> 00:12:51.863 align:center
He goes, I'm going to go

00:12:51.903 --> 00:12:54.143 align:center
ahead and make it a national

00:12:54.584 --> 00:12:55.204 align:center
observation.

00:12:55.624 --> 00:12:57.385 align:center
And so because of President Gerald

00:12:57.445 --> 00:13:00.206 align:center
Ford, we have Black History Month.

00:13:00.986 --> 00:13:01.707 align:center
officially.

00:13:02.828 --> 00:13:03.389 align:center
And so a lot of people

00:13:03.409 --> 00:13:04.370 align:center
go, oh, it was the shortest

00:13:04.410 --> 00:13:04.610 align:center
month.

00:13:04.670 --> 00:13:06.211 align:center
But he was actually jumping on

00:13:06.271 --> 00:13:07.052 align:center
our bandwagon.

00:13:07.072 --> 00:13:09.314 align:center
So we started with three days

00:13:09.374 --> 00:13:10.435 align:center
and then to a whole week.

00:13:10.755 --> 00:13:11.957 align:center
And then it became a nationwide

00:13:11.977 --> 00:13:12.297 align:center
thing.

00:13:12.537 --> 00:13:13.458 align:center
And then we started going, let's

00:13:13.478 --> 00:13:14.199 align:center
just go ahead and go with

00:13:14.219 --> 00:13:14.759 align:center
the whole month.

00:13:15.080 --> 00:13:16.040 align:center
And then he goes, let's go

00:13:16.080 --> 00:13:16.341 align:center
with it.

00:13:16.861 --> 00:13:17.541 align:center
That's right.

00:13:17.801 --> 00:13:18.742 align:center
Come on, we went from three

00:13:18.782 --> 00:13:19.522 align:center
days to

00:13:19.782 --> 00:13:20.382 align:center
Come on, y'all.

00:13:20.442 --> 00:13:21.322 align:center
Yeah, yeah.

00:13:21.402 --> 00:13:23.423 align:center
So, you know, I appreciate what

00:13:23.463 --> 00:13:25.724 align:center
we can get because any contribution

00:13:26.064 --> 00:13:28.084 align:center
we can give to our nation,

00:13:28.484 --> 00:13:30.265 align:center
it's valid regardless.

00:13:30.285 --> 00:13:31.085 align:center
You know, just get it out

00:13:31.125 --> 00:13:31.325 align:center
there.

00:13:31.685 --> 00:13:33.186 align:center
And as you mentioned earlier, that

00:13:33.266 --> 00:13:34.586 align:center
the whites are now starting, or

00:13:34.806 --> 00:13:36.827 align:center
we'll say academia or the mainstream

00:13:36.867 --> 00:13:38.787 align:center
is starting to incorporate what we

00:13:38.827 --> 00:13:40.528 align:center
have contributed to this country.

00:13:41.008 --> 00:13:41.888 align:center
Exactly, they are.

00:13:42.009 --> 00:13:43.749 align:center
And it's, I think it's beautiful

00:13:43.829 --> 00:13:45.490 align:center
because, you know, there's so many

00:13:45.530 --> 00:13:48.571 align:center
different, I don't, okay, so how

00:13:48.591 --> 00:13:49.112 align:center
do you say this?

00:13:49.152 --> 00:13:50.532 align:center
Like people who are not of

00:13:50.612 --> 00:13:53.874 align:center
color adopting children of color, you

00:13:53.914 --> 00:13:55.754 align:center
know, there's a lot of cross

00:13:56.275 --> 00:13:58.576 align:center
going on, you know, where grandparents

00:13:58.616 --> 00:14:02.137 align:center
that are completely Caucasian have mixed

00:14:02.417 --> 00:14:04.518 align:center
black and white grandchildren.

00:14:04.898 --> 00:14:06.599 align:center
So they're understanding that this is

00:14:06.659 --> 00:14:08.280 align:center
not something that's not touching them.

00:14:09.710 --> 00:14:11.911 align:center
And they want their grandchildren and

00:14:11.931 --> 00:14:13.851 align:center
their children and their adopted children,

00:14:13.871 --> 00:14:16.972 align:center
their foster children to understand that

00:14:17.072 --> 00:14:20.073 align:center
they are someone special, not just

00:14:20.293 --> 00:14:22.494 align:center
slaves or you come from slaves

00:14:22.574 --> 00:14:24.314 align:center
or this, but you come from

00:14:24.334 --> 00:14:27.035 align:center
a culture that's rich with music,

00:14:27.715 --> 00:14:31.356 align:center
with love, with admiration, with history,

00:14:31.436 --> 00:14:33.897 align:center
with farming, with, you know, with

00:14:34.457 --> 00:14:37.438 align:center
culture and clothing and leather and

00:14:37.878 --> 00:14:38.278 align:center
everything.

00:14:38.638 --> 00:14:39.558 align:center
It's just one soul.

00:14:39.838 --> 00:14:41.799 align:center
There's a richness in the African-American

00:14:41.839 --> 00:14:44.440 align:center
diaspora or the African diaspora.

00:14:45.920 --> 00:14:46.681 align:center
One thing that I found that

00:14:46.721 --> 00:14:48.541 align:center
is quite fascinating, and even Roland

00:14:48.561 --> 00:14:50.082 align:center
Hayes, when he mentioned that there's

00:14:50.162 --> 00:14:52.362 align:center
an endless search to the divine

00:14:52.402 --> 00:14:53.503 align:center
law, as you played earlier of

00:14:53.523 --> 00:14:55.483 align:center
me portraying him on my project

00:14:55.503 --> 00:14:57.864 align:center
there, he says that all the

00:14:57.984 --> 00:15:00.705 align:center
Africans brought with them certain things.

00:15:01.165 --> 00:15:02.466 align:center
Now, here's what's fascinating about the

00:15:02.506 --> 00:15:03.086 align:center
spirituals.

00:15:03.880 --> 00:15:05.321 align:center
Roland Hayes said that they brought

00:15:05.341 --> 00:15:05.962 align:center
with them certain things.

00:15:06.022 --> 00:15:07.863 align:center
Now, if you have studied or

00:15:07.883 --> 00:15:10.685 align:center
have observed many cultures in Africa,

00:15:11.105 --> 00:15:12.987 align:center
their languages, because they have a

00:15:13.047 --> 00:15:15.188 align:center
vast, you know, of languages.

00:15:15.689 --> 00:15:17.250 align:center
Now, a lot of the languages

00:15:17.630 --> 00:15:19.431 align:center
uses symbols and codes.

00:15:20.552 --> 00:15:21.292 align:center
to communicate.

00:15:21.712 --> 00:15:24.273 align:center
So it's no surprise that when

00:15:24.473 --> 00:15:26.994 align:center
the pilgrims or the missionaries came

00:15:27.074 --> 00:15:29.515 align:center
to teach us the hymns, that

00:15:29.635 --> 00:15:31.315 align:center
we basically put a twist on

00:15:31.375 --> 00:15:33.856 align:center
it because of what's embedded in

00:15:33.916 --> 00:15:34.396 align:center
us, right?

00:15:35.617 --> 00:15:37.517 align:center
We gave it a double entendre,

00:15:37.557 --> 00:15:38.778 align:center
as they say, and so we

00:15:38.798 --> 00:15:41.158 align:center
had these codes and symbols in

00:15:41.198 --> 00:15:42.039 align:center
a lot of the music.

00:15:43.459 --> 00:15:45.360 align:center
So that's the power that Roland

00:15:45.380 --> 00:15:47.521 align:center
Hayes is speaking of, the power

00:15:47.902 --> 00:15:49.282 align:center
of the spirituals, because it's not

00:15:49.322 --> 00:15:50.383 align:center
just like, oh, we're singing a

00:15:50.443 --> 00:15:52.564 align:center
song, but yet there's a double

00:15:52.624 --> 00:15:54.766 align:center
entendre, meaning there's a code, there's

00:15:54.786 --> 00:15:58.168 align:center
a symbol, a symbolic-nism to it

00:15:58.428 --> 00:16:00.629 align:center
that's related to who we are.

00:16:01.189 --> 00:16:02.730 align:center
And that's how we spoke, that's

00:16:02.750 --> 00:16:03.951 align:center
how we communicated.

00:16:04.251 --> 00:16:05.492 align:center
And it's just fascinating to me

00:16:05.552 --> 00:16:06.552 align:center
that the spirituals did that.

00:16:06.913 --> 00:16:08.133 align:center
And with the troubles that we're

00:16:08.153 --> 00:16:09.414 align:center
going through right now, we might

00:16:09.454 --> 00:16:10.395 align:center
need some more spirituals.

00:16:11.736 --> 00:16:12.797 align:center
You know what I'm saying?

00:16:12.877 --> 00:16:14.560 align:center
I know what you mean.

00:16:14.580 --> 00:16:17.604 align:center
We might need to go back

00:16:17.644 --> 00:16:19.166 align:center
to some spirituals, man.

00:16:28.404 --> 00:16:29.665 align:center
I'll tell you what, I'll tell

00:16:29.685 --> 00:16:31.406 align:center
you, you know, it sounds like

00:16:31.507 --> 00:16:33.448 align:center
Mr. Rowan Hayes is your favorite

00:16:33.528 --> 00:16:35.430 align:center
or most inspirational character.

00:16:35.770 --> 00:16:37.832 align:center
So when you learned about him,

00:16:38.112 --> 00:16:40.714 align:center
was he, or is there your,

00:16:41.054 --> 00:16:42.195 align:center
do you have a favorite?

00:16:42.516 --> 00:16:43.857 align:center
I mean, who is the most

00:16:44.377 --> 00:16:47.940 align:center
influential and favorite that you may

00:16:48.000 --> 00:16:49.521 align:center
have today from black history?

00:16:50.202 --> 00:16:52.344 align:center
Well, it depends on which area

00:16:52.364 --> 00:16:53.525 align:center
of profession that they were in.

00:16:53.845 --> 00:16:54.425 align:center
Okay.

00:16:54.525 --> 00:16:56.107 align:center
So yes for me.

00:16:56.247 --> 00:16:57.348 align:center
That's a big answer.

00:16:57.981 --> 00:16:58.742 align:center
Yeah, right.

00:16:58.802 --> 00:16:59.943 align:center
I mean, because I have, it's

00:16:59.963 --> 00:17:01.124 align:center
not just one, it's like quite

00:17:01.144 --> 00:17:01.464 align:center
a few.

00:17:01.484 --> 00:17:03.306 align:center
So if you want to go

00:17:03.366 --> 00:17:04.768 align:center
into like the medical field, I

00:17:04.788 --> 00:17:05.468 align:center
can give you somebody.

00:17:05.488 --> 00:17:06.449 align:center
If you want to go into,

00:17:07.290 --> 00:17:08.691 align:center
it depends on the field or

00:17:08.731 --> 00:17:09.752 align:center
the specific area that they were

00:17:09.793 --> 00:17:09.953 align:center
in.

00:17:10.033 --> 00:17:12.035 align:center
So yes, for music, he is,

00:17:12.135 --> 00:17:13.937 align:center
because it wasn't until, I'm originally

00:17:13.957 --> 00:17:15.198 align:center
from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

00:17:15.638 --> 00:17:16.918 align:center
And it wasn't until I moved

00:17:16.958 --> 00:17:20.379 align:center
to Washington, D.C. years 22 ago that the

00:17:20.439 --> 00:17:21.139 align:center
spirituals

00:17:21.759 --> 00:17:23.340 align:center
was this new thing for me.

00:17:24.100 --> 00:17:26.260 align:center
And there's an appreciation of the

00:17:26.300 --> 00:17:28.281 align:center
spirituals that I, I mean, in

00:17:28.501 --> 00:17:30.181 align:center
the DMV area out here that

00:17:30.221 --> 00:17:31.461 align:center
I'd never experienced back home.

00:17:31.841 --> 00:17:32.682 align:center
And it blew me away.

00:17:32.702 --> 00:17:33.422 align:center
And I was like, well, wait

00:17:33.462 --> 00:17:33.942 align:center
a minute now.

00:17:34.122 --> 00:17:34.942 align:center
I need to learn more about

00:17:34.962 --> 00:17:35.502 align:center
these spirituals.

00:17:35.582 --> 00:17:36.522 align:center
And then when I got to

00:17:36.582 --> 00:17:38.823 align:center
his music, he, in that song

00:17:38.843 --> 00:17:40.423 align:center
book that he has, there are

00:17:40.503 --> 00:17:41.784 align:center
sections in there where he's actually

00:17:41.864 --> 00:17:43.324 align:center
teaching you like he did in

00:17:43.344 --> 00:17:43.484 align:center
that.

00:17:44.244 --> 00:17:45.445 align:center
example that you played earlier.

00:17:45.465 --> 00:17:47.006 align:center
This is why I had to

00:17:47.046 --> 00:17:48.086 align:center
portray him, because I'm like, people

00:17:48.126 --> 00:17:48.807 align:center
need to know that this is

00:17:48.847 --> 00:17:49.427 align:center
what he said.

00:17:50.448 --> 00:17:52.469 align:center
He's teaching you about the spirituals

00:17:52.509 --> 00:17:54.450 align:center
and the richness in it, not

00:17:54.490 --> 00:17:57.092 align:center
just to be taken lightly, that

00:17:57.132 --> 00:18:00.234 align:center
there's something unique and something genuine

00:18:00.314 --> 00:18:00.674 align:center
for it.

00:18:01.215 --> 00:18:02.475 align:center
And we can learn something from

00:18:02.555 --> 00:18:03.676 align:center
it, not just music.

00:18:03.736 --> 00:18:04.777 align:center
We can learn something from it.

00:18:05.357 --> 00:18:07.278 align:center
And I think that's very important

00:18:07.338 --> 00:18:09.400 align:center
to our culture, our nation,

00:18:10.260 --> 00:18:11.381 align:center
And it just moved me.

00:18:11.421 --> 00:18:12.903 align:center
So that's where it all started.

00:18:12.923 --> 00:18:14.804 align:center
So he was teaching me the

00:18:14.844 --> 00:18:15.785 align:center
spirituals, and now I have a

00:18:15.825 --> 00:18:17.067 align:center
greater appreciation for them.

00:18:17.427 --> 00:18:18.188 align:center
Because I didn't have that at

00:18:18.208 --> 00:18:18.508 align:center
first.

00:18:19.429 --> 00:18:20.129 align:center
I hear you.

00:18:20.169 --> 00:18:21.531 align:center
You know, again, until you know

00:18:21.551 --> 00:18:21.851 align:center
thyself.

00:18:25.474 --> 00:18:27.055 align:center
Until you know that stuff, until

00:18:27.075 --> 00:18:28.516 align:center
you know where you come from,

00:18:28.597 --> 00:18:30.578 align:center
like the pieces of you, you

00:18:30.618 --> 00:18:32.259 align:center
know, cause you know, as you

00:18:32.379 --> 00:18:35.221 align:center
dig deeper into your own makeup,

00:18:35.942 --> 00:18:37.363 align:center
you, you go and as you

00:18:37.383 --> 00:18:38.724 align:center
get older too, you, you want

00:18:38.764 --> 00:18:41.065 align:center
to know like, wow, I'm like

00:18:41.125 --> 00:18:42.606 align:center
me, I'm part Irish, but I'm

00:18:42.646 --> 00:18:44.488 align:center
like Irish.

00:18:44.508 --> 00:18:46.049 align:center
That's a lot of percentage of

00:18:46.269 --> 00:18:46.629 align:center
Irish.

00:18:47.470 --> 00:18:49.151 align:center
I have no idea what Ireland

00:18:49.191 --> 00:18:49.751 align:center
looks like.

00:18:51.174 --> 00:18:53.135 align:center
I have Irish cousins that live

00:18:53.176 --> 00:18:53.816 align:center
in Ireland.

00:18:55.097 --> 00:18:56.037 align:center
I don't know them.

00:18:56.478 --> 00:18:58.078 align:center
It would be beautiful to know

00:18:58.119 --> 00:18:58.759 align:center
a piece of you.

00:18:58.799 --> 00:19:00.200 align:center
So that would be a culture

00:19:00.660 --> 00:19:02.841 align:center
that's completely new to me.

00:19:03.242 --> 00:19:04.562 align:center
Like, you know, a lot of

00:19:04.622 --> 00:19:06.023 align:center
us, we walk around with dark

00:19:06.063 --> 00:19:07.984 align:center
skin and we don't know our

00:19:08.024 --> 00:19:08.605 align:center
own culture.

00:19:09.085 --> 00:19:10.866 align:center
And I think, you know, there

00:19:10.946 --> 00:19:12.507 align:center
comes a time where we go,

00:19:12.587 --> 00:19:14.348 align:center
wait a minute, hold on a

00:19:14.408 --> 00:19:14.729 align:center
second.

00:19:15.908 --> 00:19:17.690 align:center
I must have been, or I

00:19:17.790 --> 00:19:21.433 align:center
must have come from better genes

00:19:21.513 --> 00:19:22.554 align:center
than what they're telling me.

00:19:23.035 --> 00:19:24.776 align:center
And obviously you have a documentary

00:19:24.876 --> 00:19:25.017 align:center
out.

00:19:25.077 --> 00:19:25.837 align:center
Tell me about that.

00:19:25.897 --> 00:19:27.339 align:center
What inspired you to do that?

00:19:28.079 --> 00:19:29.220 align:center
So what you have up there

00:19:29.260 --> 00:19:30.662 align:center
in the corner there, the spiritual

00:19:30.682 --> 00:19:32.443 align:center
celebrating the music life and legacy

00:19:32.523 --> 00:19:33.925 align:center
of Roland Hayes, that is the

00:19:34.345 --> 00:19:34.866 align:center
documentary.

00:19:34.906 --> 00:19:36.867 align:center
Now it's an audio documentary.

00:19:37.128 --> 00:19:38.209 align:center
So people are like, they're placing

00:19:38.229 --> 00:19:39.190 align:center
their order and they're like, I

00:19:39.230 --> 00:19:39.670 align:center
got your DVD.

00:19:39.690 --> 00:19:41.071 align:center
I'm like, actually, it's an audio

00:19:41.091 --> 00:19:41.612 align:center
documentary.

00:19:42.014 --> 00:19:43.054 align:center
I did what I could afford.

00:19:45.615 --> 00:19:46.975 align:center
And so when you listen to

00:19:47.115 --> 00:19:49.076 align:center
it, and it's online too, but

00:19:49.096 --> 00:19:50.136 align:center
when you listen to it, the

00:19:50.176 --> 00:19:52.697 align:center
first disc, it's in three discs,

00:19:52.797 --> 00:19:54.317 align:center
the first disc is the concert

00:19:54.397 --> 00:19:55.017 align:center
experience.

00:19:55.537 --> 00:19:56.518 align:center
And I put that together to

00:19:56.558 --> 00:19:58.198 align:center
say, because Roland Hayes never put

00:19:58.238 --> 00:20:00.959 align:center
together an all spirituals concert.

00:20:01.599 --> 00:20:03.761 align:center
He always performed the classical pieces

00:20:03.841 --> 00:20:05.743 align:center
first, and then he concluded his

00:20:06.104 --> 00:20:08.086 align:center
recitals and concerts with spirituals.

00:20:08.506 --> 00:20:10.969 align:center
And in fact, this, if you've

00:20:11.009 --> 00:20:12.610 align:center
ever attended a recital of a

00:20:12.650 --> 00:20:16.775 align:center
classical student or a professional, everyone

00:20:16.875 --> 00:20:18.496 align:center
starts out with their classical pieces,

00:20:18.897 --> 00:20:20.538 align:center
and they always conclude with the

00:20:20.599 --> 00:20:21.319 align:center
spirituals.

00:20:22.000 --> 00:20:23.461 align:center
Roland Hayes was a trendsetter for

00:20:23.501 --> 00:20:23.662 align:center
that.

00:20:24.309 --> 00:20:24.569 align:center
Wow.

00:20:25.010 --> 00:20:25.290 align:center
Yeah.

00:20:25.590 --> 00:20:27.051 align:center
He started that movement, and then

00:20:27.131 --> 00:20:28.071 align:center
everyone picked up on it.

00:20:28.151 --> 00:20:29.392 align:center
And now it's a global thing.

00:20:29.472 --> 00:20:31.053 align:center
Everyone's doing it, not just the

00:20:31.093 --> 00:20:31.414 align:center
Blacks.

00:20:32.294 --> 00:20:32.774 align:center
Everyone's doing it.

00:20:32.794 --> 00:20:34.335 align:center
Anyone who's studying music, they're doing

00:20:34.355 --> 00:20:34.516 align:center
that.

00:20:34.616 --> 00:20:36.217 align:center
And it's a wonderful contribution.

00:20:36.297 --> 00:20:38.438 align:center
It's a wonderful tribute, shall we

00:20:38.498 --> 00:20:38.738 align:center
say.

00:20:39.699 --> 00:20:41.160 align:center
So the first disc is all

00:20:41.180 --> 00:20:42.941 align:center
of the songs.

00:20:43.921 --> 00:20:45.222 align:center
And then the second disc is

00:20:45.282 --> 00:20:47.964 align:center
me portraying him as he's telling

00:20:48.104 --> 00:20:48.865 align:center
his life.

00:20:50.085 --> 00:20:51.726 align:center
giving us information about his growing

00:20:51.806 --> 00:20:52.766 align:center
up when he was with his

00:20:52.806 --> 00:20:54.187 align:center
father and his mother.

00:20:54.207 --> 00:20:55.467 align:center
Then when his father passed away,

00:20:55.507 --> 00:20:57.268 align:center
they relocated to Chattanooga, Tennessee.

00:20:57.628 --> 00:20:58.648 align:center
While they were there, he was

00:20:58.688 --> 00:20:59.948 align:center
growing up, and then he moved

00:20:59.988 --> 00:21:02.309 align:center
to Nashville, Tennessee to attend Fisk

00:21:02.689 --> 00:21:05.230 align:center
University, which is a HBCU, because

00:21:05.250 --> 00:21:07.071 align:center
they were the Fisk Jubilee Singers.

00:21:07.131 --> 00:21:08.531 align:center
If you've heard of them, they

00:21:08.571 --> 00:21:10.692 align:center
were internationally known.

00:21:11.132 --> 00:21:13.213 align:center
Roland Hayes became a Fisk Jubilee

00:21:13.253 --> 00:21:15.774 align:center
Singer and began singing with them

00:21:15.834 --> 00:21:16.614 align:center
and touring with them.

00:21:18.004 --> 00:21:19.425 align:center
There's an interesting story about that.

00:21:19.485 --> 00:21:20.686 align:center
I'm going to try to not

00:21:20.706 --> 00:21:21.767 align:center
bounce around so much, but I

00:21:21.787 --> 00:21:22.368 align:center
have to share this.

00:21:22.928 --> 00:21:26.011 align:center
Roland Hayes did not finish Fisk

00:21:26.051 --> 00:21:26.511 align:center
University.

00:21:26.531 --> 00:21:27.552 align:center
He was there for like four

00:21:27.592 --> 00:21:27.852 align:center
years.

00:21:27.892 --> 00:21:29.434 align:center
They kicked him out because he

00:21:29.454 --> 00:21:31.495 align:center
started singing with the Fisk singers,

00:21:31.595 --> 00:21:33.937 align:center
and then he formed an ensemble

00:21:33.957 --> 00:21:34.198 align:center
group.

00:21:34.778 --> 00:21:36.499 align:center
And then he started getting paid

00:21:37.180 --> 00:21:38.741 align:center
on the school's name.

00:21:39.722 --> 00:21:40.663 align:center
Yeah, and that's a no-no.

00:21:40.903 --> 00:21:41.744 align:center
So they kicked him out of

00:21:41.784 --> 00:21:43.986 align:center
that, out of school for that.

00:21:44.106 --> 00:21:46.708 align:center
He got kicked out?

00:21:46.748 --> 00:21:47.088 align:center
Yes.

00:21:47.629 --> 00:21:48.610 align:center
Here's the kicker, though.

00:21:48.950 --> 00:21:51.372 align:center
Roland Hayes takes his money, and

00:21:51.392 --> 00:21:52.613 align:center
he goes right back to Europe,

00:21:52.633 --> 00:21:53.814 align:center
because that's where the Fitzgerald Lee

00:21:53.834 --> 00:21:55.395 align:center
singers were singing for kings and

00:21:55.435 --> 00:21:56.176 align:center
queens in Europe.

00:21:56.616 --> 00:21:57.937 align:center
So Roland Hayes goes back to

00:21:58.057 --> 00:21:59.559 align:center
Europe and basically says to the

00:21:59.579 --> 00:22:01.020 align:center
kings and queens, do you remember

00:22:01.060 --> 00:22:02.881 align:center
the group, the Fitzgerald Lee singers?

00:22:03.462 --> 00:22:04.243 align:center
I was a member of that.

00:22:04.303 --> 00:22:05.243 align:center
Now I'm here alone.

00:22:05.323 --> 00:22:06.364 align:center
I can do a concert for

00:22:06.424 --> 00:22:06.524 align:center
you.

00:22:07.245 --> 00:22:08.786 align:center
Then he became a staple singer

00:22:09.146 --> 00:22:09.966 align:center
and they invited him.

00:22:10.266 --> 00:22:11.367 align:center
So then next thing you know,

00:22:11.407 --> 00:22:13.228 align:center
he's touring Europe for years.

00:22:13.248 --> 00:22:15.389 align:center
Oh my gosh.

00:22:15.989 --> 00:22:16.869 align:center
Stop it.

00:22:17.169 --> 00:22:19.050 align:center
You know, we make so much.

00:22:20.151 --> 00:22:21.631 align:center
We make our lives so complicated.

00:22:21.671 --> 00:22:22.712 align:center
That was just so simple.

00:22:23.240 --> 00:22:24.501 align:center
He, I know, right?

00:22:24.541 --> 00:22:25.562 align:center
He had the drive.

00:22:25.582 --> 00:22:26.503 align:center
He took a risk.

00:22:26.763 --> 00:22:27.624 align:center
And that's the thing about being

00:22:27.664 --> 00:22:29.006 align:center
an artist that separates you from

00:22:29.046 --> 00:22:29.967 align:center
just being a performer.

00:22:29.987 --> 00:22:31.568 align:center
If you're an artist, you're willing

00:22:31.608 --> 00:22:32.429 align:center
to take more risks.

00:22:33.230 --> 00:22:33.991 align:center
And that's what he did.

00:22:34.031 --> 00:22:34.951 align:center
He took a risk and went

00:22:34.991 --> 00:22:35.792 align:center
out there and be like, and

00:22:35.832 --> 00:22:37.254 align:center
then he became a staple singer,

00:22:37.554 --> 00:22:38.115 align:center
performer.

00:22:38.515 --> 00:22:39.956 align:center
And then now we know of

00:22:40.016 --> 00:22:40.397 align:center
him today.

00:22:40.717 --> 00:22:42.218 align:center
because of that risk, you know?

00:22:42.599 --> 00:22:43.980 align:center
He spends years 12 over there,

00:22:44.040 --> 00:22:44.840 align:center
then he comes back to the

00:22:44.901 --> 00:22:47.102 align:center
United States, relocates from Georgia,

00:22:47.142 --> 00:22:47.483 align:center
California,

00:22:47.503 --> 00:22:48.984 align:center
Georgia, where he's from, and goes

00:22:49.044 --> 00:22:51.726 align:center
to Boston, Massachusetts area, but he

00:22:51.766 --> 00:22:53.688 align:center
lives in Brookline, and for the

00:22:53.788 --> 00:22:55.669 align:center
remainder of his life, for the years of his life

00:22:55.729 --> 00:22:55.930 align:center
there.

00:22:56.410 --> 00:22:57.691 align:center
And I mean, it's a fascinating

00:22:57.751 --> 00:22:58.091 align:center
story.

00:22:58.111 --> 00:23:00.113 align:center
He gets an opportunity to sing,

00:23:00.533 --> 00:23:02.215 align:center
the first African-American to sing with

00:23:02.275 --> 00:23:04.156 align:center
a major symphony orchestra, which is

00:23:04.176 --> 00:23:05.758 align:center
the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

00:23:06.344 --> 00:23:07.245 align:center
Oh, wow.

00:23:07.525 --> 00:23:07.925 align:center
Yeah.

00:23:08.206 --> 00:23:10.367 align:center
And then he does three major

00:23:10.407 --> 00:23:13.569 align:center
concerts at Carnegie Hall, sold out

00:23:13.730 --> 00:23:14.250 align:center
every time.

00:23:14.610 --> 00:23:16.111 align:center
Funny story about Carnegie Hall.

00:23:17.052 --> 00:23:18.393 align:center
He gets the old phone book

00:23:18.713 --> 00:23:20.054 align:center
and he goes through and he's

00:23:20.134 --> 00:23:21.615 align:center
calling everybody in the phone book

00:23:21.635 --> 00:23:23.537 align:center
saying there's an amazing singer who's

00:23:23.557 --> 00:23:24.417 align:center
going to be in concert at

00:23:24.457 --> 00:23:25.118 align:center
Carnegie Hall.

00:23:26.977 --> 00:23:28.880 align:center
He's taking risks, right, you know?

00:23:29.762 --> 00:23:32.506 align:center
I love him, oh my gosh.

00:23:33.107 --> 00:23:34.610 align:center
That is just so, I have

00:23:34.630 --> 00:23:35.812 align:center
to, wait a minute now.

00:23:36.092 --> 00:23:38.897 align:center
I am undershooting myself here.

00:23:39.337 --> 00:23:41.281 align:center
Like literally, I have to go.

00:23:45.606 --> 00:23:46.847 align:center
I'm telling you.

00:23:46.867 --> 00:23:48.147 align:center
Oh my gosh, really?

00:23:48.327 --> 00:23:49.108 align:center
Duh.

00:23:49.428 --> 00:23:49.828 align:center
Yeah.

00:23:50.448 --> 00:23:51.049 align:center
Duh.

00:23:51.209 --> 00:23:52.469 align:center
Oh my God.

00:23:52.489 --> 00:23:53.630 align:center
And you know, and now we

00:23:53.650 --> 00:23:54.891 align:center
know of him today, you know?

00:23:55.011 --> 00:23:56.631 align:center
So it's like, he worked hard.

00:23:56.771 --> 00:23:57.412 align:center
He worked hard.

00:23:57.432 --> 00:24:00.173 align:center
Oh my gosh.

00:24:00.513 --> 00:24:03.475 align:center
That is just like, duh.

00:24:03.675 --> 00:24:04.815 align:center
You know?

00:24:05.656 --> 00:24:06.476 align:center
Oh my gosh.

00:24:06.516 --> 00:24:09.277 align:center
That is so, I mean, so

00:24:09.317 --> 00:24:10.038 align:center
grassroots.

00:24:10.799 --> 00:24:12.720 align:center
Yeah, so grassroots.

00:24:13.100 --> 00:24:14.801 align:center
So you have your you have

00:24:14.841 --> 00:24:17.742 align:center
your audio version and I do

00:24:17.822 --> 00:24:19.683 align:center
have that up here and people

00:24:19.703 --> 00:24:21.324 align:center
can go to your website Jackson

00:24:21.444 --> 00:24:24.365 align:center
Caesar.com and check out all the

00:24:24.385 --> 00:24:25.726 align:center
pages that we've been showing on

00:24:27.046 --> 00:24:28.207 align:center
Yes, and there's a booklet that

00:24:28.247 --> 00:24:29.168 align:center
comes with it too, and it's

00:24:29.188 --> 00:24:30.248 align:center
got some information in it that

00:24:30.288 --> 00:24:31.429 align:center
you probably can't find anywhere else,

00:24:31.449 --> 00:24:32.410 align:center
so I'm pleased to share that

00:24:32.470 --> 00:24:32.890 align:center
as well.

00:24:33.250 --> 00:24:34.251 align:center
Awesome, awesome.

00:24:34.311 --> 00:24:35.872 align:center
And you also have a song,

00:24:36.333 --> 00:24:38.494 align:center
you have the audio, you have

00:24:38.514 --> 00:24:40.135 align:center
a song, you have a question.

00:24:40.215 --> 00:24:41.856 align:center
Okay, so you do the struggles

00:24:41.896 --> 00:24:43.698 align:center
and experiences during the show as

00:24:43.738 --> 00:24:43.958 align:center
well?

00:24:44.398 --> 00:24:46.519 align:center
Yes, I do talk about that.

00:24:47.280 --> 00:24:48.620 align:center
It's also on the audio as

00:24:48.680 --> 00:24:49.001 align:center
well.

00:24:50.942 --> 00:24:51.862 align:center
The only thing I did not

00:24:51.962 --> 00:24:53.623 align:center
mention is when he was younger

00:24:53.883 --> 00:24:55.204 align:center
and he worked in a factory

00:24:55.804 --> 00:24:59.186 align:center
and he got injured from a

00:24:59.246 --> 00:24:59.907 align:center
conveyor belt.

00:25:01.167 --> 00:25:02.788 align:center
I didn't mention that, but that's

00:25:02.808 --> 00:25:03.788 align:center
when he decided to go into

00:25:03.828 --> 00:25:05.289 align:center
musical time because his father passed

00:25:05.329 --> 00:25:06.449 align:center
away, so he had to try

00:25:06.469 --> 00:25:07.369 align:center
to be the man of the

00:25:08.069 --> 00:25:08.490 align:center
family.

00:25:09.550 --> 00:25:11.050 align:center
Even though he was the sixth

00:25:11.090 --> 00:25:13.071 align:center
of seven, he was trying to

00:25:13.111 --> 00:25:14.431 align:center
step up his game to help

00:25:14.471 --> 00:25:15.132 align:center
his family out.

00:25:15.512 --> 00:25:17.092 align:center
But he almost died in a

00:25:17.152 --> 00:25:17.812 align:center
conveyor belt.

00:25:18.293 --> 00:25:19.673 align:center
So he didn't share that part.

00:25:20.173 --> 00:25:21.074 align:center
I would have left too, would

00:25:21.094 --> 00:25:22.494 align:center
have been like, oh no.

00:25:24.537 --> 00:25:25.237 align:center
Time to go back to your

00:25:25.257 --> 00:25:25.858 align:center
spirituals.

00:25:27.159 --> 00:25:28.659 align:center
Oh, I almost lost my finger

00:25:28.699 --> 00:25:28.879 align:center
there.

00:25:28.980 --> 00:25:30.440 align:center
Almost lost my finger.

00:25:30.861 --> 00:25:32.742 align:center
Time to sing a spiritual.

00:25:32.782 --> 00:25:33.122 align:center
I'm out.

00:25:33.742 --> 00:25:34.242 align:center
I'm out.

00:25:34.983 --> 00:25:35.783 align:center
I can use my voice.

00:25:35.863 --> 00:25:36.884 align:center
I don't need to use anything

00:25:36.944 --> 00:25:37.084 align:center
else.

00:25:37.124 --> 00:25:37.644 align:center
I'm good.

00:25:37.985 --> 00:25:40.106 align:center
He called people on the freaking

00:25:40.326 --> 00:25:40.946 align:center
phone.

00:25:41.006 --> 00:25:41.387 align:center
There it is.

00:25:41.407 --> 00:25:41.787 align:center
Yes.

00:25:44.076 --> 00:25:45.757 align:center
Yes, and so, but when he

00:25:45.777 --> 00:25:47.718 align:center
was in Chattanooga, he was taking

00:25:47.778 --> 00:25:50.519 align:center
voice lessons and he heard an

00:25:50.639 --> 00:25:53.141 align:center
audio recording of Enrico Caruso, who

00:25:53.161 --> 00:25:56.182 align:center
was a famous Italian tenor, Enrico

00:25:56.222 --> 00:25:57.803 align:center
Caruso, and it was on a

00:25:57.823 --> 00:25:58.383 align:center
phonograph.

00:25:58.483 --> 00:25:59.524 align:center
And he was just like, well,

00:25:59.584 --> 00:26:00.725 align:center
I've never heard singing like that

00:26:00.765 --> 00:26:01.145 align:center
before.

00:26:01.785 --> 00:26:03.306 align:center
And so that's what made him,

00:26:03.486 --> 00:26:04.947 align:center
well, that's what inspired him to

00:26:04.987 --> 00:26:06.828 align:center
take voice lessons, to end up

00:26:07.068 --> 00:26:10.289 align:center
going to university and becoming a

00:26:10.370 --> 00:26:10.810 align:center
famous singer.

00:26:10.850 --> 00:26:12.291 align:center
He wanted to be like Enrico

00:26:12.331 --> 00:26:12.871 align:center
Caruso.

00:26:14.690 --> 00:26:15.731 align:center
You have got to be kidding

00:26:15.751 --> 00:26:15.852 align:center
me.

00:26:15.872 --> 00:26:17.013 align:center
You know, I have learned so

00:26:17.073 --> 00:26:18.475 align:center
much on this interview today that

00:26:18.675 --> 00:26:19.937 align:center
I am ready to get the

00:26:20.157 --> 00:26:21.859 align:center
old yellow book ages.

00:26:25.624 --> 00:26:25.885 align:center
I am.

00:26:26.285 --> 00:26:27.647 align:center
I'm calling you.

00:26:28.047 --> 00:26:29.029 align:center
OK.

00:26:29.629 --> 00:26:31.091 align:center
I would call you and say,

00:26:31.111 --> 00:26:32.173 align:center
hey, there's a new band in

00:26:32.193 --> 00:26:32.593 align:center
town.

00:26:32.733 --> 00:26:33.174 align:center
Yeah.

00:26:36.397 --> 00:26:38.378 align:center
That is just so grassroots, it's

00:26:38.398 --> 00:26:38.958 align:center
just amazing.

00:26:39.318 --> 00:26:40.699 align:center
And your show, you as a

00:26:40.759 --> 00:26:42.699 align:center
vocalist as well, because all this

00:26:42.739 --> 00:26:44.180 align:center
time we've been talking about Roland

00:26:44.220 --> 00:26:45.921 align:center
Hayes and what he's done, but

00:26:46.021 --> 00:26:48.101 align:center
you are actually the voice behind

00:26:48.161 --> 00:26:48.541 align:center
him now.

00:26:48.642 --> 00:26:50.042 align:center
You are the one shouting in

00:26:50.062 --> 00:26:51.623 align:center
the wilderness that he did exist

00:26:52.043 --> 00:26:53.183 align:center
and that he has done so

00:26:53.243 --> 00:26:55.344 align:center
much for the music industry and

00:26:55.424 --> 00:26:57.285 align:center
for Negro spirituals and things like

00:26:57.325 --> 00:26:57.525 align:center
that.

00:26:58.485 --> 00:26:59.746 align:center
What about you?

00:26:59.846 --> 00:27:01.646 align:center
When you put yourself into this,

00:27:01.786 --> 00:27:02.987 align:center
what does that make you feel

00:27:03.047 --> 00:27:03.227 align:center
like?

00:27:05.048 --> 00:27:06.269 align:center
Representation, right?

00:27:06.369 --> 00:27:07.409 align:center
You know, I feel like I'm

00:27:07.569 --> 00:27:09.890 align:center
helping to keep his legacy going.

00:27:09.950 --> 00:27:11.171 align:center
I'm helping to keep his story

00:27:11.251 --> 00:27:11.891 align:center
alive.

00:27:12.572 --> 00:27:14.272 align:center
I'm helping to keep the spirituals,

00:27:14.672 --> 00:27:16.473 align:center
which is deeply rooted in who

00:27:16.513 --> 00:27:17.914 align:center
we are as Americans.

00:27:18.134 --> 00:27:19.054 align:center
In fact, I feel like the

00:27:19.114 --> 00:27:21.155 align:center
spirituals is the, they are the

00:27:21.235 --> 00:27:22.996 align:center
Kickstarter to many of the genres

00:27:23.036 --> 00:27:23.857 align:center
that we have today.

00:27:25.037 --> 00:27:27.278 align:center
when you consider the blues, when

00:27:27.298 --> 00:27:29.780 align:center
you consider the swing and jazz,

00:27:29.820 --> 00:27:31.560 align:center
when you consider the gospel, you

00:27:32.381 --> 00:27:34.642 align:center
know, they came through folk music.

00:27:35.022 --> 00:27:36.263 align:center
And so I feel like by

00:27:36.303 --> 00:27:37.243 align:center
me doing this, I'm going to

00:27:37.303 --> 00:27:38.424 align:center
keep that alive.

00:27:38.484 --> 00:27:39.585 align:center
Because if we're not going to

00:27:39.605 --> 00:27:40.625 align:center
teach it in schools, and we

00:27:40.645 --> 00:27:41.506 align:center
got to share it some other

00:27:41.546 --> 00:27:42.686 align:center
kind of way, we do, we're

00:27:42.706 --> 00:27:43.687 align:center
not going to share the true

00:27:43.747 --> 00:27:45.248 align:center
American history, then I'm going to

00:27:45.268 --> 00:27:46.008 align:center
be the one I'm going to

00:27:46.028 --> 00:27:47.048 align:center
be that voice to share the

00:27:47.109 --> 00:27:47.969 align:center
true American history.

00:27:48.314 --> 00:27:48.794 align:center
I hear you.

00:27:48.814 --> 00:27:49.675 align:center
I hear you.

00:27:49.695 --> 00:27:50.575 align:center
Wow.

00:27:50.755 --> 00:27:51.535 align:center
That is amazing.

00:27:51.676 --> 00:27:52.516 align:center
I want to thank you so

00:27:52.556 --> 00:27:53.616 align:center
much for being on the show.

00:27:54.137 --> 00:27:57.998 align:center
And you know, JacksonCaesar.com, Spencer,

00:27:58.058 --> 00:27:58.318 align:center
what's

00:27:58.338 --> 00:28:01.380 align:center
another way to pronounce it?

00:28:01.920 --> 00:28:02.500 align:center
What was that?

00:28:02.900 --> 00:28:03.681 align:center
Jackson Caesar.

00:28:04.241 --> 00:28:07.405 align:center
Jackson Caesar, Cesar, Jackson Cesar, for

00:28:07.626 --> 00:28:09.148 align:center
all the Spanish people out there.

00:28:09.829 --> 00:28:11.311 align:center
And then you have, what was

00:28:11.331 --> 00:28:11.912 align:center
the other one?

00:28:11.932 --> 00:28:14.856 align:center
The hard C, the C. Oh,

00:28:14.956 --> 00:28:15.476 align:center
Kaiser.

00:28:15.677 --> 00:28:17.659 align:center
Yeah, you know Kaiser Permanente?

00:28:17.719 --> 00:28:19.262 align:center
That's German for Caesar.

00:28:19.802 --> 00:28:20.722 align:center
Oh, my God.

00:28:20.802 --> 00:28:21.162 align:center
Yeah.

00:28:21.182 --> 00:28:22.563 align:center
So if you're German, it's Kaiser.

00:28:23.843 --> 00:28:24.263 align:center
Kaiser.

00:28:24.603 --> 00:28:25.583 align:center
OK, we just want to make

00:28:25.623 --> 00:28:27.104 align:center
sure that we're supporting, you know,

00:28:27.384 --> 00:28:29.044 align:center
I truly, truly appreciate what you're

00:28:29.104 --> 00:28:29.444 align:center
doing.

00:28:29.604 --> 00:28:30.784 align:center
And I think it's a selfless

00:28:30.824 --> 00:28:32.905 align:center
thing to actually put yourself behind

00:28:32.965 --> 00:28:34.505 align:center
someone who's already done something.

00:28:35.245 --> 00:28:37.546 align:center
And it kind of like and

00:28:37.586 --> 00:28:38.686 align:center
I'm not saying this in a

00:28:38.946 --> 00:28:39.666 align:center
in a weird way.

00:28:39.866 --> 00:28:41.426 align:center
It's kind of like putting, you

00:28:41.466 --> 00:28:44.187 align:center
know, Roland before you and people

00:28:44.307 --> 00:28:46.507 align:center
remember Roland before they remember you.

00:28:47.528 --> 00:28:48.528 align:center
How does that make you feel?

00:28:49.454 --> 00:28:50.415 align:center
I don't feel bad at all.

00:28:50.735 --> 00:28:51.917 align:center
I feel really good about it

00:28:52.457 --> 00:28:54.880 align:center
because I feel like it's inspirational

00:28:54.900 --> 00:28:55.260 align:center
to me.

00:28:55.600 --> 00:28:56.822 align:center
And when I share his story,

00:28:56.882 --> 00:28:58.443 align:center
his music, his life and his

00:28:58.503 --> 00:29:00.545 align:center
legacy, it's inspirational to everyone else.

00:29:00.806 --> 00:29:02.647 align:center
That's the wonderful thing about inspiration.

00:29:03.368 --> 00:29:04.790 align:center
It just continues to inspire.

00:29:05.390 --> 00:29:05.650 align:center
Wow.

00:29:05.770 --> 00:29:07.352 align:center
And you know, people, some people

00:29:07.732 --> 00:29:08.392 align:center
want to do this.

00:29:08.813 --> 00:29:10.314 align:center
Some people actually want to do

00:29:10.414 --> 00:29:12.956 align:center
something for their culture, for their

00:29:12.996 --> 00:29:15.077 align:center
mama, their daddy, whoever that came

00:29:15.097 --> 00:29:16.678 align:center
back, you know, to, to put

00:29:16.718 --> 00:29:19.761 align:center
that, that person that really represented

00:29:19.821 --> 00:29:22.042 align:center
what they feel was the ultimate

00:29:22.082 --> 00:29:23.864 align:center
representation of what they believe.

00:29:24.444 --> 00:29:25.565 align:center
What kind of advice do you

00:29:25.605 --> 00:29:26.866 align:center
give those people who want to

00:29:26.906 --> 00:29:27.166 align:center
start?

00:29:27.206 --> 00:29:28.387 align:center
I mean, there is no yellow

00:29:28.407 --> 00:29:30.469 align:center
book, phone book pages anymore.

00:29:31.189 --> 00:29:32.313 align:center
She can't be making no phone

00:29:32.353 --> 00:29:33.757 align:center
calls, but what can we, because

00:29:33.797 --> 00:29:35.783 align:center
people are gonna hang up anyway.

00:29:36.389 --> 00:29:39.111 align:center
Yeah, times have changed, right?

00:29:40.111 --> 00:29:41.012 align:center
If I get a call now,

00:29:41.052 --> 00:29:41.912 align:center
I'm not going to answer it

00:29:41.932 --> 00:29:42.953 align:center
because I don't know that number.

00:29:42.973 --> 00:29:47.635 align:center
But I just say to everyone,

00:29:47.755 --> 00:29:49.336 align:center
just like Roland Hayes inspired me,

00:29:49.916 --> 00:29:51.337 align:center
because someone had to tell me

00:29:51.397 --> 00:29:52.898 align:center
too, Jackson, you need to believe

00:29:52.918 --> 00:29:53.338 align:center
in yourself.

00:29:53.398 --> 00:29:54.079 align:center
You've already got it.

00:29:54.139 --> 00:29:55.219 align:center
Everything you need is right in

00:29:55.259 --> 00:29:55.459 align:center
you.

00:29:55.759 --> 00:29:56.600 align:center
You just need to believe in

00:29:56.640 --> 00:29:57.040 align:center
yourself.

00:29:57.500 --> 00:29:59.281 align:center
And Roland Hayes believed in himself,

00:30:00.062 --> 00:30:00.822 align:center
and he took a risk.

00:30:02.526 --> 00:30:03.848 align:center
And he wanted to share our

00:30:04.248 --> 00:30:07.052 align:center
heritage, the richness in the African-American

00:30:07.292 --> 00:30:07.753 align:center
culture.

00:30:08.314 --> 00:30:10.016 align:center
And so I think that's what

00:30:10.036 --> 00:30:10.657 align:center
we should be doing.

00:30:10.977 --> 00:30:12.139 align:center
So I take that from him

00:30:12.399 --> 00:30:13.180 align:center
and I pass it on to

00:30:13.240 --> 00:30:13.761 align:center
everyone else.

00:30:14.121 --> 00:30:16.364 align:center
Take a risk, follow your dreams.

00:30:18.703 --> 00:30:19.304 align:center
Keep the culture.

00:30:19.324 --> 00:30:20.985 align:center
Definitely.

00:30:21.125 --> 00:30:22.946 align:center
Thank you so very much.

00:30:23.227 --> 00:30:25.709 align:center
This is a lot of fun.

00:30:25.729 --> 00:30:27.030 align:center
I really appreciate that.

00:30:27.250 --> 00:30:28.351 align:center
I absolutely love it.

00:30:28.471 --> 00:30:29.391 align:center
And I think that you're doing

00:30:29.432 --> 00:30:30.172 align:center
an amazing job.

00:30:30.232 --> 00:30:30.933 align:center
Keep going.

00:30:31.033 --> 00:30:32.354 align:center
And you're inspiring me to do

00:30:32.394 --> 00:30:32.954 align:center
some bundles.

00:30:33.715 --> 00:30:34.175 align:center
Oh, OK.

00:30:34.235 --> 00:30:34.736 align:center
I love it.

00:30:35.136 --> 00:30:35.817 align:center
My pleasure.

00:30:38.138 --> 00:30:39.258 align:center
It's like you get inspired to

00:30:39.278 --> 00:30:40.359 align:center
do so many different things because

00:30:40.379 --> 00:30:41.959 align:center
I've learned so much from everyone

00:30:41.979 --> 00:30:43.460 align:center
that's been on this show and

00:30:43.520 --> 00:30:44.701 align:center
from you as well.

00:30:44.861 --> 00:30:46.241 align:center
And it's just, it's a wonderful

00:30:46.281 --> 00:30:47.722 align:center
thing to see that, you know,

00:30:47.762 --> 00:30:51.384 align:center
we're continually learning about things maybe

00:30:51.404 --> 00:30:52.924 align:center
in the past, maybe ourselves, our

00:30:52.964 --> 00:30:53.405 align:center
futures.

00:30:53.965 --> 00:30:54.945 align:center
And I want to thank you

00:30:54.965 --> 00:30:56.346 align:center
so much for being here and

00:30:56.386 --> 00:30:58.087 align:center
for showing people what you're doing

00:30:58.287 --> 00:30:59.747 align:center
and also for doing what you're

00:30:59.767 --> 00:30:59.907 align:center
doing.

00:30:59.927 --> 00:31:01.108 align:center
What are you doing next?

00:31:03.012 --> 00:31:03.732 align:center
Well, there's a lot.

00:31:03.792 --> 00:31:05.033 align:center
I have enough on my calendar

00:31:05.073 --> 00:31:05.793 align:center
to keep me busy.

00:31:05.813 --> 00:31:07.874 align:center
I always start with December because

00:31:07.914 --> 00:31:09.455 align:center
that's my banner month.

00:31:10.115 --> 00:31:11.155 align:center
From Thanksgiving all the way through

00:31:11.195 --> 00:31:12.216 align:center
Christmas, I'm busy.

00:31:12.596 --> 00:31:15.317 align:center
I'm on tour with Christmas concerts

00:31:15.357 --> 00:31:15.737 align:center
everywhere.

00:31:16.137 --> 00:31:16.898 align:center
And then I get a break

00:31:16.938 --> 00:31:17.518 align:center
in January.

00:31:17.578 --> 00:31:19.079 align:center
And then February, I'm busy.

00:31:19.479 --> 00:31:20.439 align:center
Now, a lot of the things

00:31:20.479 --> 00:31:21.460 align:center
I don't put on my website,

00:31:21.480 --> 00:31:22.340 align:center
I have to clear this up,

00:31:22.760 --> 00:31:24.581 align:center
because I'm a ballroom singer.

00:31:24.861 --> 00:31:25.561 align:center
I get hired to do a

00:31:25.581 --> 00:31:27.062 align:center
lot of private engagements.

00:31:27.462 --> 00:31:28.802 align:center
So like I had one yesterday,

00:31:28.823 --> 00:31:29.823 align:center
I wouldn't put it down here.

00:31:30.143 --> 00:31:31.143 align:center
I have one coming up next

00:31:31.223 --> 00:31:31.664 align:center
Sunday.

00:31:31.684 --> 00:31:32.764 align:center
I can't put it on my

00:31:32.784 --> 00:31:33.905 align:center
website because it's private.

00:31:34.185 --> 00:31:35.105 align:center
But when I do have something

00:31:35.125 --> 00:31:36.125 align:center
that's open to the public, I

00:31:36.165 --> 00:31:37.226 align:center
do add that to the website.

00:31:37.266 --> 00:31:39.247 align:center
But I am very busy performing

00:31:39.447 --> 00:31:40.847 align:center
all over in the month of

00:31:40.887 --> 00:31:43.128 align:center
February with the Black History Project,

00:31:43.208 --> 00:31:44.369 align:center
which is this as my Black

00:31:44.389 --> 00:31:45.029 align:center
History Project.

00:31:45.871 --> 00:31:46.792 align:center
And then I get a break,

00:31:46.832 --> 00:31:49.233 align:center
and then there's award ceremonies for

00:31:49.333 --> 00:31:50.654 align:center
April and May, because people are

00:31:50.674 --> 00:31:51.195 align:center
graduating.

00:31:51.215 --> 00:31:52.355 align:center
So I get invitations to go

00:31:52.395 --> 00:31:52.616 align:center
there.

00:31:52.936 --> 00:31:54.077 align:center
And then during the summer months,

00:31:54.117 --> 00:31:55.217 align:center
because I have a book out,

00:31:55.658 --> 00:31:56.938 align:center
I do a lot of workshops

00:31:57.379 --> 00:32:00.761 align:center
and masterclasses during that time.

00:32:00.801 --> 00:32:01.602 align:center
So I have enough to keep

00:32:01.622 --> 00:32:02.102 align:center
me busy.

00:32:02.462 --> 00:32:03.343 align:center
But I do have some other

00:32:03.363 --> 00:32:04.283 align:center
projects coming up.

00:32:04.363 --> 00:32:05.664 align:center
I'm working on a children's book

00:32:05.684 --> 00:32:06.445 align:center
for Roland Hayes.

00:32:06.805 --> 00:32:08.106 align:center
I can't talk about it because

00:32:08.146 --> 00:32:09.967 align:center
I found a publisher.

00:32:11.608 --> 00:32:12.909 align:center
I found a publisher, so I

00:32:13.109 --> 00:32:14.330 align:center
have to wait till they say

00:32:14.350 --> 00:32:15.591 align:center
I can talk about it.

00:32:16.249 --> 00:32:17.069 align:center
That is wonderful.

00:32:17.149 --> 00:32:21.031 align:center
You know, my gosh, Jackson, you

00:32:21.051 --> 00:32:21.591 align:center
go boy.

00:32:22.971 --> 00:32:23.652 align:center
That's the plan.

00:32:23.692 --> 00:32:24.572 align:center
I'm going to keep going.

00:32:26.293 --> 00:32:27.473 align:center
Thank you so much.

00:32:27.633 --> 00:32:28.994 align:center
And I want to tell everybody

00:32:29.034 --> 00:32:30.554 align:center
to keep their eye out on

00:32:30.594 --> 00:32:33.055 align:center
your website for any upcoming dates

00:32:33.135 --> 00:32:35.496 align:center
that you might be available in

00:32:35.536 --> 00:32:36.176 align:center
their area.

00:32:36.797 --> 00:32:37.897 align:center
It's just such a pleasure to

00:32:37.977 --> 00:32:38.457 align:center
have you.

00:32:38.477 --> 00:32:39.418 align:center
Thank you so much.

00:32:39.438 --> 00:32:39.718 align:center
Thank you.

00:32:39.738 --> 00:32:40.858 align:center
Happy Black History Month and thanks

00:32:40.878 --> 00:32:41.658 align:center
for having me.

00:32:41.938 --> 00:32:43.139 align:center
You keep going yourself.

00:32:43.699 --> 00:32:44.139 align:center
I will.

00:32:44.219 --> 00:32:45.420 align:center
I'll do my best.

00:32:45.600 --> 00:32:46.240 align:center
This was fun.

00:32:46.640 --> 00:32:46.900 align:center
Thanks.

00:32:47.100 --> 00:32:48.001 align:center
Oh, thank you.

00:32:48.141 --> 00:32:49.161 align:center
And thank you guys so much

00:32:49.201 --> 00:32:49.841 align:center
for tuning in.

00:32:49.881 --> 00:32:52.122 align:center
Don't forget to go to JacksonCaesar.com

00:32:52.522 --> 00:32:53.123 align:center
and check it out.

00:32:53.143 --> 00:32:54.163 align:center
We're going to have the description

00:32:54.203 --> 00:32:55.023 align:center
in the description box.

00:32:55.043 --> 00:32:55.984 align:center
We're going to have that website

00:32:56.044 --> 00:32:57.184 align:center
along with a few different things.

00:32:57.564 --> 00:32:58.225 align:center
But I want to thank you

00:32:58.245 --> 00:32:59.185 align:center
guys so much for tuning in.

00:32:59.245 --> 00:33:00.325 align:center
Don't forget to dare to be

00:33:00.365 --> 00:33:00.625 align:center
different.

00:33:00.645 --> 00:33:02.226 align:center
But most of all, don't forget

00:33:02.266 --> 00:33:04.927 align:center
that you came from special stuff

00:33:05.047 --> 00:33:06.108 align:center
too, all right?

00:33:06.508 --> 00:33:08.308 align:center
Not excluding anybody here, all right?

00:33:08.508 --> 00:33:09.369 align:center
Everybody here.

00:33:10.069 --> 00:33:12.430 align:center
has someone that they want to

00:33:12.830 --> 00:33:15.552 align:center
probably highlight, go ahead and highlight

00:33:15.572 --> 00:33:15.692 align:center
them.

00:33:16.052 --> 00:33:17.072 align:center
Do whatever you need to do

00:33:17.113 --> 00:33:18.373 align:center
to make sure that you tell

00:33:18.453 --> 00:33:20.214 align:center
people about your person.

00:33:20.634 --> 00:33:22.255 align:center
It might be your mom, your

00:33:22.295 --> 00:33:25.297 align:center
dad, your sister, your brother, someone

00:33:25.977 --> 00:33:26.597 align:center
like Roland.

00:33:27.418 --> 00:33:28.278 align:center
It could be anybody.

00:33:28.838 --> 00:33:30.919 align:center
But don't negate to highlight them.

00:33:31.280 --> 00:33:31.920 align:center
I want to thank you guys

00:33:31.940 --> 00:33:32.320 align:center
so much.

00:33:32.800 --> 00:33:33.861 align:center
Until next time, bye.

