Scratchwerk ^EDU
"Scratchwerk ^Edu," hosted by Ronnie King, CEO of Scratchwerk Tech and founder of the MyVillage Project, is a dynamic podcast at the nexus of Black communities, technology, business, education, and current events. Each episode dives deep into the role of emerging technologies in promoting equity, enhancing workforce development, and reshaping education.
Join Ronnie as he explores how technology can be leveraged to uplift and empower marginalized communities through insightful discussions with experts, activists, and innovators. From the practicalities of tech entrepreneurship to the impact of community-led initiatives, "Scratchwerk Edu" is an essential resource for anyone interested in the intersection of technology and social change.
Learn about the success of tech incubators such as "Coding in Color", which has trained over 2,000 students in emerging skills and secured over $800k in funding to support young Black tech entrepreneurs, and discover how initiatives like the MyVillage Project Community Fund has united organizations and disbursed over $4M to support 220+ Black-led nonprofits across the country. Tune in to be informed, inspired, and involved in reshaping a more equitable tech future.
Scratchwerk ^EDU
Conversation with Dr. Barbara Darby - From Educational Leadership to Advocacy
Join us for a captivating episode featuring Dr. Barbara Ann Darby, a distinguished educator and community advocate who has dedicated her life to empowering others. From her significant tenure as Campus President at Florida State College at Jacksonville to the founding of impactful community initiatives such as the Young Black Male Academy and the Urban Education Symposium, Dr. Darby reflects on her lifelong journey in education, leadership, and community service.
Throughout our discussion, Dr. Darby shares the challenges faced as a Black woman in leadership and highlights how vital mentorship has been in shaping her path. She addresses the critical issues affecting young Black males, driving her commitment to providing transformative educational opportunities. Dr. Darby encourages listeners to take ownership of their community and underscores the life-changing impact of grassroots initiatives.
This episode delves not only into Dr. Darby’s inspiring professional accomplishments but also her heartfelt belief in the importance of civic engagement. She urges listeners to get involved and become advocates for change, emphasizing that every individual can make a difference in the lives around them. Tune in to hear her powerful insights and be inspired to reflect on your role in shaping the future of your community! Be sure to subscribe, share, and leave a review.
How are you two doing? We're good. How are you guys getting me in trouble?
Speaker 3:We're trying not to do that.
Speaker 2:Oh, I don't know. We'll see if I agree with that. I don't think you'll get in trouble, oh okay.
Speaker 3:We've just been trying to interview folks in the community that we have a lot of respect for. That's been kind of fighting the good fight for a long time.
Speaker 2:Okay well thank you for thinking that I'm one of those people. To God be the glory. And we'll see if you still think that after we get through.
Speaker 4:No way you're changing that today.
Speaker 3:No way.
Speaker 4:And what he means is I read the bio and then I start asking questions and then at some point he asked like two things Okay.
Speaker 2:I get it Needless to say that, because the two of you are paired in ass, I did not consider it robbery to take the time to really spend with you, because I admire both of you as young, dynamic members of this community who are making a difference. So thank you.
Speaker 4:Thank you so much, and you know we feel that way about you for sure. All right. Well, I am going to jump into your bio here, you for sure? All right, well, I am going to jump into your bio here. Scratchwork EDU listeners. Today we have with us Dr Barbara Ann Darby.
Speaker 4:Dr Barbara Ann Darby retired in July 2015 after a 37-year career at Florida State College at Jacksonville. She served for 17 years in the position of campus president of the North Campus and the Nassau Center. During her administration, barbara and her leadership team were responsible for the construction of three new buildings and numerous campus renovation projects, the development of more than 20 new instructional programs that continue to provide citizens with meaningful careers, the expansion of the associate degree nursing program with an evening slash weekend option and the addition of an RN to BSN program. To mention a few of her accomplishments, dr Darby received her Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from Hunter College in New York, a Master of Education degree from Florida from Hunter College in New York, a Master of Education degree from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of North Florida. She received her Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from the University of North Florida In retirement, barbara remains an active member of the community.
Speaker 4:In retirement, barbara remains an active member of the community, serving on the boards of organizations aligned with her areas of interest youth, education, health and the arts. She currently serves on the boards of the Jacksonville Public Education Fund, the Jacksonville Symphony, volunteers in Medicine, city Year, jacksonville, jacksonville Women's Network and Memorial Hospital. Barbara is a member and past president of the Jacksonville Alumni Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, the Lynx Incorporated Bowle City Florida Chapter, the Jacksonville Silhouettes of Kappa, alpha, psi Fraternity Incorporated, alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated, and currently she serves as president of the Jacksonville Moles and of the Southern Province of the Silhouettes of Kappa, alpha, psi Fraternity Incorporated. Barbara has been recognized for her leadership and contributions by organizations such as Leadership Jacksonville, the University of North Florida, the Jacksonville Urban League, the Jacksonville City Council and others. She authored my Leadership Journey Wisdom from the Trenches in 2019 to capture and share her leadership experiences and lessons learned with up-and-coming young leaders.
Speaker 4:A member of Woodlawn Presbyterian Church since relocating to Jacksonville from New York in 1972, she gives God the center of her life. All praise and glory for whatever she has accomplished. She is married to John Darby Jr. They have two daughters, jeanette and Tamara, a son, jonathan, and two grandsons, alexander and Brandon. Two grandsons, alexander and Brandon. Barbara enjoys reading biographies and historical literature, shopping, dancing, traveling and listening to smooth jazz and spiritual music. Welcome to the Scratchwork EDU podcast. Welcome to the Scratchwork EDU podcast, dr Barbara Darby.
Speaker 3:Welcome Dr Darby.
Speaker 2:Thank you. Thank you for the invitation.
Speaker 4:And you know after reading that bio, you are also the chair of the African-American Council here, right.
Speaker 2:The Mayor's African-American Advisory Council yes.
Speaker 4:So, listeners, she started off her bio saying she was retired and then she shared her bio with us and there's still currently brand new things that she is leading and doing in this community. That's not even updated in that bio. This is how much you are continuing to make an impact wherever you are, and we know that firsthand. So I will start with I guess I'll go with that career you had at Florida State College so well, florida Community College at Jacksonville, which turned into Florida State College at Jacksonville. You've done a number of things there with programming and with facilities, but I'd like for you to kind of begin with being a black female in that particular role as the president. What challenges, if any, did you face and how did you overcome them, should that have been the case?
Speaker 2:Well, thank you for again the opportunity to just share with you. And as I began my career at Florida, then it was Florida Junior College when I first started, and then it went to Florida Community College and then ultimately to Florida State College at Jacksonville and then ultimately to Florida State College at Jacksonville I felt very supported by the individuals who mentored me Dr Ezekiel Bryant, who was at the time provost of the North Campus, and Dr Lois Gibson, who was the director of the nursing program. They were African-American leaders in administration at the college, and so I felt, certainly by just seeing them, that there were opportunities to come. I just needed to do the work and do what I was there for, and that was to educate students in the field of nursing. So initially I thought there were no impediments to moving through the system, but of course, as you begin to work with others within institutions, you learn the ups and downs, you learn where the potholes are, and I was able to do that over the years. But nevertheless, I think when you excel, when you work hard and you keep your focus and you keep your focus, even those who would detract from you have to stand back, and so that's somewhat of the journey I had at the college.
Speaker 2:I moved from being an adjunct faculty member, part-time adjunct faculty member, to full-time position and then ultimately became the director of the nursing program after some years of teaching and I competed with others who sought the position and certainly was selected by the administrator who had responsibility for that, was selected by the administrator who had responsibility for that, dr John Cosby and it is interesting he passed away late last year and we developed a very close relationship and he said to me on several occasions he said I didn't know, barbara, whether you could do it. I didn't know whether you could do it, but I took a chance and I'm so glad I did. And so even in his position he had some questions as to whether this young Black woman could do the job. But he took a chance and I've always appreciated that and so moved up the ladder and applied for the position of campus president. And what I learned is it is hard to be a prophet in your own hometown. I had worked at the campus for many years. Everybody knew me. They knew the good, the bad, the ugly. They knew my work ethic, they knew what they liked about me, and that always is a disadvantage when you apply for a top leadership position where you have been for a lot of years, because people know the ins and the outs.
Speaker 2:Others who applied for the position were coming from other states, other colleges throughout the nation. All anybody knew was what was on the paper, that resume they submitted, that application packet they submitted, and if they ended up being a finalist then there would be perhaps some conversations with people they worked with. But for me it was all there. It was all there, and so I learned through that process that you know that is tough to be a prophet in your own hometown, but nevertheless I went through two national searches for that position. The first search was terminated because we changed college presidents. We went from one college president to a new one, and Dr Wallace was the new one and he decided he wanted to start the search over again. And so I applied again because I had a vision for what could be done at the two campuses, and so in both cases I was one of three finalists for the position.
Speaker 2:And on that second attempt Dr Wallace did select me to lead the North Campus and the Nassau Center, and that was a day, and it was a great day. I remember standing in the boardroom at the administration building as he introduced me to the board, and people applauded, and there were many who were in my corner who were wishing for that day. They had seen my work over the years and so it was a happy day. And the very next day, as I walked down the hall to the campus president's office at the North Campus, I said to myself Heavenly Father, I wish to do this unto you. Help me to always serve you in the decisions I make. And that's what I tried to do for those 17 years as campus president.
Speaker 4:And we know that's exactly what you did. That is exactly what you did. Our listeners can't see how much I smiled throughout that story. I know that you're older than I am, but in hearing it I just felt so proud, like just to even be able to hear this journey in the most beautiful way that you tell it. I mean, you have the most calming, anointed voice. So she tells the story and you're like on the journey with her feeling total euphoria in the moment, just so extremely proud of you and all that you have done. And hearing the journey to to that office where you took God with you and and served for those 17 years. I want to go back to when you put in for a director and was it Dr Cosby that said I wasn't sure you could do it? Because I'm wondering why did you know that you could? What is it that made you apply for that position?
Speaker 2:Well, you know it's interesting as a nursing faculty I taught in the classroom a group of 36 students usually, and then we had clinicals and each faculty member had 12 students, and so I always saw myself as impacting 12 to 36 students and touching them in ways that, hopefully, would make health care better as they went into practice. But being director would allow me to touch far more students and we admitted about 330-some students each year into the nursing program. So I saw it as an opportunity to really touch more individuals who were going into this field, which was about caring for individuals at their most vulnerable time, when they were facing illness or a diagnosis that was unwanted or for whatever reason, they were not at their top health status. And so the vision to really create opportunities for more people in this community to advance the program because during my time we actually increased the of the students who would apply. There were many students who applied for a position in the program who were qualified, but because we used a criteria based on GPA and admission testing and several courses that they had to take before applying and ranked students based on points, there were students who did not get in even though they were qualified.
Speaker 2:But the ability to expand the numbers of students who could come in was a positive thing, and that was part of what I envisioned that we could really do more to make lives better. Because every student who was admitted to the program graduated. They were going to get jobs, they were going to be employed in this community or neighboring communities there were none that couldn't find a job and because they could find gainful employment, it changed their lives and their families' lives in big ways. And that was the most rewarding part of the work, because every time I went to a graduation and we had three graduations a year, and we had three graduations a year and I watched children I mean children I watched graduates walk across the stage. I always say there goes a story no-transcript.
Speaker 3:I love that you know. Dr Darby, I knew about you before I met you, but I would say I probably officially met you through the Urban Ed Symposium that you started with some other members here in our community. And just the title alone at the time Saving Young Black Males it was very direct definitely attracted me to the, to the cause and I remember going to those symposiums and and just listening to all the speakers and the work that you all were doing. I guess talk a little bit about how, because obviously you're at the college level, right, but you know what drew you to that work, what drew you to kind of like you know we need to do something for these young black males K through 12, in terms of their learning. What were you seeing and what kind of brought about that Urban Ed Symposium?
Speaker 2:My experience, as I have lived in this community and others, is that young black males have had a lot of obstacles placed in their way in terms of success. They, while full of potential, often would not reach that potential and achieve what God intended for them. So when I became president of the North Campus, I actually started every summer offering a six-week Young Black Male Academy, a six-week young black male academy, and it was for middle and high school students, and I wrote grants. I wrote grant applications to the Children's Commission and got funding to offer this six-week academy. And so the young man dressed in uniforms, they had khaki pants and white shirts and we gave them portfolios to carry like business men. And part of what I envisioned in that design is that by having them on campus with college students, they could capture a vision for themselves of what they too could do, and so they would come. We had classrooms set aside for them, we had a curriculum, and so they came four days a week and they had instructions in academics. But they also had speakers, black professionals, black men, professionals who came and spoke to them and shared what their journey was and gave them encouragement. And then they had field trips and exposure. So I did that for a number of years. So I did that for a number of years and then I started working grant from the foundation, the community foundation, to keep funding that program and we called it True North, but same principle in terms of young black males.
Speaker 2:So I've been doing that for a number of years and Cleve Warren and a group of community leaders called a meeting of black professionals at the church on Main a number of areas in economics, education, health that were areas of need for Black Americans in Jacksonville and we formed committees and I ended up chairing the education committee and at the time we were in transition for the office of superintendent in Jacksonville and we did some research and found that the graduation rate for young Black males in Jacksonville was unacceptable it was low, and so we decided that that was going to be a high priority initiative for us in terms of supporting young black males in the school system and making sure that the community knew what the issue was. But then that there were action steps to improve that and I'll never forget we got a gentleman from New York who provided us with some rich data that showed what the gap was in achievement for young Black males compared to other students. And that was the birth of the Urban Education Symposium, in terms of lifting that issue to the community, the first symposium that we had. Over 500 community members came to the event down at the library and we divided into small groups and the small groups were to provide their input on what should be done about this issue.
Speaker 2:We collected all of that data and analyzed it and we came up with 13 recommendations. 13 recommendations One of them was to create an educational opportunity that was all male, single gender school, charter school because we knew that the research shows that black males learn differently, they socialize differently and perhaps having them together, rather than having them in the settings where they're distracted by, you know, trying to impress the young ladies or trying to, you know, show that they're macho, putting them in a setting where they might be just competitive with each other to outdo and you know kind of step up on each other, and so the charter school that we started was not to teach but to help maintain discipline.
Speaker 2:When a student got distracted and was playing around, this community member who was volunteering in the classroom could just go over quietly and tap them on the shoulder and redirect them to the work. That was one initiative. The other one was an initiative which was an alert system that would look at absenteeism, because we know you can't learn if you're not in school, and so monitoring students' absenteeism and behavior, knowing that those were two of the most important factors that could derail a student from achieving and those were initiatives that we were working with the school district to implement. The United Way actually put forth an initiative that they funded that was an alert system in the school district tied to behavior and attendance and trying to make sure that those students who were identified as having issues in those areas were helped. You know that we would be looking at why are they being absent, what are the behavioral issues, how do we turn that around? So there were several of those 13 recommendations that we had some activity to move forward.
Speaker 2:But you know what happens this work is hard and it doesn't have an end, and so over time we started seeing some of our and some of our primary supporters and workers kind of fall away, and we got to a point where Cleve and I certainly thought that it was time to hand this over to young people, young people who had new ideas and new ways of thinking and a new vision. And so he and I agreed that Ronnie and Kim Allen were those two young people and we passed the mantle on to them and, you know, helped wherever we could and, you know, helped wherever we could and appreciate the fact that again, as young, thoughtful thinkers, they advanced it. And you know different ways to look at broader issues and appreciate that fact that it still goes on.
Speaker 3:Now we appreciate you even even trusting us to lead that effort and it's. It has been a journey, you know, just seeing where it was before and and some of the things that we're trying to do now with it. And you know, to that, to that point, I think, one of the the things that I think about a lot, at least with education, and I know we have public schools and charter schools and all these different things kind of going on. I look at the story of Valor and Virtue and and I was always excited about that because it felt like even beyond the single gender classroom concept, it felt like it was our school from a community perspective, Right, it felt like it was. It was for us, kind of by us.
Speaker 3:And I don't know when I look at where education is going, the way technology is being included in education, I mean I think we're going to get to a point where you know students are probably more taught by applications and teachers. You know whether we like that or not, but I always look at the ownership of the school. You know I was never kind of anti-charter but I was very much pro, pro ownership and making sure that communities own their own education process, our ability to make sure that our kids are getting what they need because we do have, whether it's a Dr Darby as the president of the college or the university or the principal that owns the, you know, the micro school. What's your thoughts in terms of communities, specifically black communities, owning the education of these young black boys and girls?
Speaker 2:the education of these young black boys and girls? Well, if not us, who is the question? These are our young people and, as you know, ronnie, and you know that in our upbringing and our experience, we had adults who were not just teachers, they were not just members of the community. They invested in us and because of their investment, we were able to become who we are today in terms of leaders and supporters in our community. And one of the things that I think happened with integration is we lost that, we totally lost that buy-in and that investment by adults surrounding our children. And especially today, it is important for us you, me, tia. That's why I'm still on the battlefield, because it's still important for us to invest in our young people. They need to see who and what they can be. You can't be what you can't see and you can't move towards what you want to be without people who believe in you, who truly believe in you, and you can feel it and sense it by how they speak to you, how they approach you, what they do with and for you, what they push you to do, you to do, and that's why it is so important that we take ownership of what's going to happen to our young people down the road, absolutely. And I always, ronnie, sensed from you that you had tremendous pride and ownership and valor and virtue. And I will tell you.
Speaker 2:Of the things I have done and experienced professionally, the loss of those two entities was the most painful, the most painful thing I have experienced, the most painful thing I have experienced. Why? Because I knew what the value was. I knew what the value was in the sense of, and you will see that on my Facebook page, on my phone, I still have the images of those young people in their blazers and I often look at some articles that were done about the schools and wonder where are these beautiful young people that started with us? And I hope they're doing well. I know some are doing well, for sure, but that was what we needed. We needed Blacks taking ownership for what would happen to our future in terms of our children.
Speaker 3:In terms of our children.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I that that because I wasn't kind of behind the scenes, you know, on the Val and Virtue school, but I took a personal lesson away from that because it just felt like, at least from the outside, that man you know man, you know we didn't have enough wealth in our community at the time to stand in the gap for the school.
Speaker 3:And, to your point, you know, when things get a little tough and some of the funders start to pull back, we need that, and I think that is why it's important that you know we're not just talking about just the education or any of these issues that we have. You know that we are talking about, to your point, ownership and we are talking about wealth and making sure that, you know, communities collectively have the resources that we need, and in a lot of ways, too, it might not even come down to dollars, sometimes it just comes down to collective resources. And so you know, I've always saw you as a person that not only can kind of lead but bring people together in ways that you know we can. We can combine our resources and make some of these things happen, and it looks like, you know, obviously you continue to do that today, so definitely appreciate that.
Speaker 2:Thank you I have said that I'm leaving on E.
Speaker 4:That's right. Take it with you.
Speaker 4:You may as well pour it all out. We're grateful, I am, I'm glad that you shared the pain we know that there's so much that went well or just remembering the moment of walking up to your office on April 8th. Like you know, april 8th period, you're like, today was the day but to be transparent with us in this moment about that the schools being more than just some building where children were, every single child as you saw, the ones you know, walking across the stage at FSCJ to your point, there's a story. There's a story. There's a story, and in that moment, you know these are stories of hope and of preparation for the future, for careers, for job placement, for all the things that represent it. Open with us about the pain of knowing that these are stories also, and that this is a part.
Speaker 4:Why I'm bringing it up, though, is because I think it's the value of these conversations one to another, because, while you are still there and you could tell how much Ronnie cared about that, he still does right and then to hear the pain of that moment, but for us to hear it and know that that still isn't the end, the hope, even in your statement about that pain, that the work is still moving forward. Even just that, you, my, my prayer there would be that you live to see when it all turns around and when it all comes together, and because of some seeds that you all have planted and those that have been locked in 100 percent in support of it from the very beginning, I am just certain that the pain will turn into just a pride and and your purpose personified in the future, based in, based on the hand you you put it in, and we know that. You know God is undergirding all of the effort. So, anyway, I just I don't know. I thought it was a really beautiful moment for you to share that.
Speaker 4:You think about them. You still think them, and I'm going to switch it to a mother spot, because you were not just this professional, you are a wife, you are a mom, and just from a woman's angle, I know sometimes we struggle to figure out how to do it all, how to be a good mom and a good community servant. How did you determine that you could still make such an impact in the community and still be excellent in the other roles that you have? Well, it is tough and I'm going to say, well, it is tough.
Speaker 2:And I'm going to say, you know, people say you have to have balance. I don't know. You know how you have balance, because you have so much that tugs at you and if you are someone who is committed to all of it, then it becomes difficult to have balance. I will tell you that the blessing for me was my husband, john we've been married 30 years is a very supportive Husband. He is secure in himself, he does what he does and he lets me do what I do, and so that removed the the and what would be kind of concern on my part about whether I was spending too much time away from home and from him. He would join me at everything because I would invite him to everything and he would come. He would come and just be a part, just be a part.
Speaker 2:As far as my daughter is concerned, tamara, because she is my daughter from my first marriage, I've told people Tamara probably can run a meeting with her eyes closed because I took her to all the meetings. You know, when she was in a little cradle she sat on the counter at St Stephen's AME Church while I was at a committee meeting. I just took her with me, and so she's grown up seeing her mom being active and involved, that. From that she has seen that we don't just live unto ourselves but we live in a community to which we must give that and we must make a difference in. And so I'm going to say God just blessed me that those two pieces worked well not balanced, but worked well Family, children. It just worked well and I have always been.
Speaker 2:You know how some people pull back from organizations and they kind of leave things alone for, you know, a few years and then they come back. I've always been engaged, you know I've been working, had a family, you know husband, but for me it was just keeping them engaged with me and they were willing to assume that role of being engaged and participating. You know they have licked envelopes when you couldn't lick envelopes to seal them. You know they have licked envelopes when you couldn't lick envelopes to seal them. You know they have put rubber bands around.
Speaker 2:I mean really, you know I have the stuff on the table. Okay, I need some help, and you know we would all just work together.
Speaker 3:You know what Tia? Now Dr Darby's husband. He's a cool, cool brother, I will admit, very, very cool, cool cat. The only issue he's a Kappa. And then you're reading Dr Darby's bio. She is completely bought into the Kappa ecosystem there, dr Darby. So I understand your husband's a cool, cool brother. We might have to pull you back to the cold, understand your husband's a cool, cool brother.
Speaker 1:We might have to pull you back to the to the Coleman side of the fence a little bit, yeah, but that's proof that not just he is supportive, she is supportive as well.
Speaker 3:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:They have joined their worlds together. I love it I love it.
Speaker 4:Yeah, he finds a way in each of the podcasts to bring up Omega or you know, and that's quite all right.
Speaker 4:I was expecting it. So I would like for you to share. I would imagine right now we're kind of imagining our listeners. I'm hoping that we kind of run the gamut of ages. I would like, as a retiree, who's this involved? I've heard some people say I worked harder after I retired than I did when I was working. But for those who kind of struggle to figure out how to still help or how to still be a part of community and of support, what would you share with the listeners in terms of ways they could still add value right now, if they're thinking, oh, I've gotten to a certain age, there's nothing I can do to support at this point?
Speaker 2:Well, one of the things that I think is important is that you don't wait till you retire to decide what you have a passion about. The things that I am doing in retirement are things that I have always cared about. While I worked, I was involved in those things. I've been, you know, on boards or committees doing that work. So as I moved into retirement, it wasn't like, okay, what am I going to do now that I have this time? It was just a seamless transition into community focus, and so, first of all, don't wait till you retire to decide what it is you want to do in retirement. You ought to be involved in some way while you are gainfully employed, and it doesn't have to be a whole lot. There might be just one particular area that you just have tremendous passion about, and you know the rest will come. The other thing that I do believe is that to whom much is given, much is required, and I grew up watching my mom and my grandmother, who were the women who influenced me most in terms of who I am today. My dad was an influence too, but that grandma and my mom on the maternal side, I mean their work ethic, their caring for friends when they were ill, their sharing with people they didn't know but who were in need, resonate with me Even now. I can see them visiting the sick, taking dinner to I mean always and so I understand that as I have moved through my life, god's hand has blessed me.
Speaker 2:I came from very modest beginnings. I was born in Panama, which is in Central America. Right, we didn't have houses. I grew up on a tenement building Okay, where we shared the bathrooms, a shower and all that.
Speaker 2:So when I look at that beginning and the opportunity through an uncle who had a vision for himself and came to the United States to go to the RCA Institute and then made way for his mom and his brother and his sister and his niece to come to the US and I had the opportunity to go to college and to work and to earn a living, when I look at that journey I know it was no one but God, god's hand on me.
Speaker 2:He made it all happen. He went before, making the crooked path straight, blessing, opening doors. Even when doors closed, he had something better for me here. So, to whom much is given, much is required, and we cannot be just about advancing ourselves and our own interests. If we look around, there are people who are in need. There are children who need someone to read to them, there are people who need food. There is some need out there that each of us can fulfill, and so, when you retire, that's not the time to go and sit down and watch TV. It's time to see how you can make a difference with the time that you have.
Speaker 4:All right, Amen to that. And because you have, of course, spiritual undertones to everything you have, of course, spiritual undertones to everything I'm going to say how faith without works is dead. I know that one of the ways that you, in your time, talk about the actions we can take, you tend to kind of talk about voting as well, and so I'd hate for us to end the podcast without allowing you an opportunity to just kind of express your heart on actively going out and making your statement to the nation or to your local officials about who you'd like to have leading you. Let's just kind of give you a moment to discuss why that's important to you and what you want our listeners to hear.
Speaker 2:Oh, absolutely, as as citizens, we must participate, and those who will govern us, you know, we say it's for the people, by the people right formulation of a community that we can all feel good about and feel that we are headed in the right direction. Then we get what we get. That's the problem. When you sit on the sideline and say, well, oh, it ain't going to bother me, and whatever it is, people say no, it will bother you, as we are seeing today that everything that is happening is going to touch everyone, and so we cannot sit on the sidelines and not vote and not know what our elected officers really stand for. And I can remember and I'll share this with you in this city, who was very harsh, I mean in terms of the sentencing of African Americans, and just, I mean just tremendously harsh as it related to RFP.
Speaker 2:And this was an elected position and we needed to vote. But the election was an election where only Republicans could vote for that position. But because I recognized we needed someone else in that position, someone else in that position, I became a Republican so I could vote to get that person out. I was not the only one. Some of us, many of us did, and you know what. We got that person out, and the day after the election I went back and changed my party alignment. Okay, you've got to do what's needed when you know that what's there is not right. And so, in present moment, that's what I'm doing. I am definitely letting my voice and my work and my time impact, or at least try to impact, current situation for the better, because all of us are going to be negatively impacted by what we have currently, negatively impacted by what we have currently.
Speaker 4:Well, what I can say is you are clearly going to live a long time since you're going to leave us on empty.
Speaker 2:Because there's still so much that you are living Whatever. That time is that. God has, I'm going to give it all I feel there's a lot more in there to give too.
Speaker 4:I'm going to give it all. I feel there's a lot more in there to give too. We're just extremely grateful for you coming today, for taking the time to chat with us and for sharing just your beautiful journey. I know, just snippet by snippet. We could talk to you for hours and still not scratch the surface. I think the amount of positivity you've shared today of some of the experiences you've had and ways that you've taken the places where you were and completely changed them for so many people.
Speaker 2:And the amount of inspiration that you give us to continue to carry the torch and make a change for our people. And what does my heart good is seeing you and Ronnie bringing the rear up and doing your part to continue to make our community the best it can be and to make a difference and to be the advocates that we so desperately need. My heart is full and I thank you for the invitation and I just look forward to continuing to seeing you lead and make a difference.
Speaker 3:Absolutely, Absolutely. We appreciate it and I will say, you know, I have been voluntold by Dr Darby so many times over the course of the last decade and a half that this actually feels great. I feel like, you know, this was our one time that we can be like Dr Darby. We need you on the podcast, we need you. This is probably the one and only time we can voluntold Dr Darby.
Speaker 4:We need. This is probably the one and only time we can voluntold Dr Darby. It wasn't easy, Ronnie, you can voluntold Dr Darby.
Speaker 3:I'm going to count it though.
Speaker 2:I'm going to count. It was a pleasure. It was a pleasure.
Speaker 3:We appreciate you, Dr. Darby. Thank you.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much. Thank you, thank you, take care, enjoy the rest of your day you too, thank you bye-bye To be followed now.
Speaker 1:No, I ain't Take it out of queue. Innocence can be A young man's game. Signed up For the hall of shame. I wish I knew how much I missed. I know that we're all screwed when we play our roles and ignore the problems. I like to be away and more patient, stay up. I feel so outdated. How can we look the other way? Sun is out, but the sky is gray. What would happen if I took a chance? It's always hard at first glance. I don't wanna, but I know I gotta do it. The truth is hard to swallow. I think I'll chew it. I wish I knew how much I miss not knowing that we're all screwed when we play our roles and ignore the problems. I wish I knew how much I miss not knowing that we're all screwed when we play our roles and ignore the problems. I wish I knew.