Clearly Said
Juanita Gambrell-Floyd on Leadership, Education, and Mentorship
What if a single moment could change the trajectory of your entire life? In today's episode, we're joined by the remarkable Ms. Juanita Gambrell-Floyd, whose story is nothing short of awe-inspiring. From surviving a near-drowning incident at the tender age of 14 to achieving professional excellence as the Senior Vice President of Finance and Administration at the CREATE Foundation, Juanita's journey is a testament to resilience and faith. She shares the pivotal role her mother's encouragement played in her educational pursuits, leading her to become the first in her family to earn a bachelor's degree. Her narrative is filled with professional milestones, including recognition from the Mississippi Senate, making her a beacon of inspiration for listeners everywhere.
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What if a single moment could change the trajectory of your entire life? In today's episode, we're joined by the remarkable Ms. Juanita Gambrell-Floyd, whose story is nothing short of awe-inspiring. From surviving a near-drowning incident at the tender age of 14 to achieving professional excellence as the Senior Vice President of Finance and Administration at the CREATE Foundation, Juanita's journey is a testament to resilience and faith. She shares the pivotal role her mother's encouragement played in her educational pursuits, leading her to become the first in her family to earn a bachelor's degree. Her narrative is filled with professional milestones, including recognition from the Mississippi Senate, making her a beacon of inspiration for listeners everywhere.
Podcast Website: https://clearlysaidpodcast.buzzsprout.com
X: https://x.com/clearlysaidpod?s=21
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553826497885&mibextid=YMEMSu
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clearlysaidpodcast?igsh=MWZzMTFteXVhMTd6Zg==
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@clearly.said.podc?_t=8jfBsQ1jOxD&_r=1
Guess what y'all? I'm not supposed to be here. I'm not supposed to be talking to any of you all. You see, at the age of 14, I almost drowned. I was estimated to be underwater anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes. My mother and my family was told that I would probably be a vegetable for the rest of my life, that I would have brain damage. Well, again, I believe in the power of prayer. And people got on the phones not the cell phones. We didn't have that and they started a chain and began to pray for me.
Speaker 3:All right, look, we're back. Let me clear my throat so everything I say here can be clearly said. I'm Joshua Boom Chad, and today we have a very, very special guest. We are honored and privileged and excited to have Miss Juanita Gambrell-Floyd with us. Glad to have you. Before we get into it, I want to kind of read some of your bio. I kind of, you know, took it down a little bit to try and save time, but bear with me, I'm going to read some of this because you've had some amazing accomplishments and I don't want to go past highlighting some of these things. So, man, absolutely yes, ma'am.
Speaker 3:Ms Juanita Gambrell-Floyd is currently employed at the CREATE Foundation as a Senior Vice President of Finance and Administration. On her 20th anniversary with the CREATE Foundation, a foundation established the Bernice Gambrell Endowment Fund in the amount of $10,000 in honor of her mother and her 20 years of employment. In March 2024, she was recognized as an extraordinary woman at a Women's History Luncheon. In February 2020, she was extended the recognition of the Mississippi Senate for her career, inspiration, community involvement and her life's work. In August of 2019, she was selected as one of Mississippi's most influential African Americans. In January of 2016,. She was highlighted on WTVA for the Positively Mississippi segment featuring local heroes during Black History Month. In 2008, she was honored as a Tupelo Trailblazer of the Year.
Speaker 3:Juanita is a graduate of Northeast Mississippi Community College and the University of Mississippi, with a bachelor's degree in accounting. In 2017, she was the commencement speaker for the Etiwamba Community College. She wrote monthly for 15 years as a community columnist for the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. She has co-authored a children's book called Summer of 1969, which we will go into in just a second. Her favorite quote author unknown is I shall not pass this way, but once. Therefore, any good that I can do, any kindness that I can show, let me do it now. I shall not pass this way, but once. Therefore, any good that I can do, any kindness that I can show, let me do it now. I shall not pass this way again. Her favorite passage of scripture is the entire chapter of Psalms 23. So I know that's a lot, but I wanted to get some of that out because all of that is truly amazing and I want to tell you congratulations, yes, ma'am.
Speaker 3:Yes, ma'am on all of your hard work and thank you for the things that you've done to pave the way for people to come behind you. Thank you, so we're glad to have you today, how you been doing.
Speaker 1:I have been doing great Well, first of all, let me say what an honor and a privilege for me to be here with young men, young black men, that I've known practically for years, because you all were in school with my son, Taylor, and so I want to commend each of you for what you're doing, for starting this podcast, for talking to people. What an absolute privilege for you all to do that, and I am I am honored for you all, not me, I'm honored for you all thank you, we definitely appreciate it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we really do and uh, just like t-bone was saying right before we started, you know we saw you around growing up being very involved in taylor's extracurricular activities, you know playing football and other things like that, um, but now we have the privilege to sit down and kind of talk to you about some of the things that you've done. So I'm going to jump right into it. What in your bio are you most proud of and why? And it could be something that I left out.
Speaker 1:So personally, let me say what I'm most proud of is my children. That's personally so, but professionally, I am really proud that, as the product of a single parent, through my father's passing when I was nine years old, I'm proud that my mother pushed me to get an education. She was saying that is the only way you can do better than me. My mom you'll hear me in my podcast in this podcast refer to my mom who was worked in the cotton fields, worked in factories, was mistreated, was not paid the way she should have been, mistreated, was not paid the way she should have been. But she would say to me the only way you're going to even the field is get an education. So, professionally, I am proud that I did get an education. As you read in the bio, went to Northeast, had a great time, made friends, developed relationships. Went to Ole Miss made friends, developed relationships. So I'm proud that I was able to honor my mother by being the first one in the family to not go to college, but the first one to have a bachelor's degree.
Speaker 3:That's awesome, that's strong, that's really awesome, and for you to have done that that many so do you remember what year you graduated from? And you got your bachelor's.
Speaker 1:Well, in 79, I graduated from high school. Eighty one graduated from Northeast and 84 graduated from Ole Miss. Right With my degree in accounting.
Speaker 3:Right, and that was more of a rarity back then. You know you just didn't have a lot of people period, but definitely African-Americans going on and getting a four year degree.
Speaker 1:That is true. And then the rarity is you did not have a lot of African-Americans in the accounting program. I can look back and see maybe three people. Look back and see maybe three people. One of them is my dear friend, francine Blackman, and it was the two of us trying to conquer the world way back in 84. And I will tell you all. It was difficult. It was a difficult time. We didn't know the professors to get, we didn't know all of the things that other people knew, but we persevered, we made it. We decided that we were going to get out of this accounting and we did. And from the accounting field I will tell you all you're talking about. I graduated from Ole Miss. Trying to find a job was hard because I wanted to come back home to Tupelo or in the surrounding area. Now I had job opportunities in Atlanta, had job opportunities in Memphis, but I'm a country girl, so I wanted to stay home.
Speaker 1:Well, by me wanting to stay home, it was difficult to find a job. I will go back and tell you, and I'd like to tell the audience. My mom always told me this it doesn't matter the type of job you have, as long as it's honest, as long as you're not stealing, as long as you do everything correctly. So I go back. I have to tell you. I worked in the home of Jack Reed Sr, working there. I'm grateful for that opportunity because I didn't know at the time that I was developing a relationship that would later on be beneficial to me. So, yes, I worked in their home, I helped with their grandchildren and, yes, I was a domestic worker. I cleaned their house. I'm proud of it because I was honest. Everything was good, but I sat down to dinner.
Speaker 1:One of the things that I'm always grateful for is Frances Reed. One of the things that she did during those times was when it was time to eat lunch. She would set the table. We would set the table for three people and I would think, well, somebody else's must be coming. Well, those, it was Mr Reed, jack Reed Sr and herself and me. Why did I tell that story? It's because, doing those luncheons when I would sit down with them, mr Reed and I would converse, we would talk about world events, we would talk about the Daily Journal, what I'd read, and so I'm grateful for that opportunity because of the fact that it, you know, I was never scared of talking to people anyway, but that gave me a greater opportunity to converse with people who didn't look like me.
Speaker 2:Exposure leads to expansion.
Speaker 1:Exactly. And so from that, so to get back to trying to get a job, well, the years passed and I finished college because I worked for them during the summers when I was in college. And the years passed and I graduated and did not have a job. I went to every accounting firm here in Mississippi, in Tupelo Now, because I had Jack Reed Sr as one of my references. Guess what? I got the opportunity to interview. I interviewed all over Tupelo but no one ever hired me. So, yes, it was a difficult period back then. And so then the job became available at Create, this place called Create Foundation, which is a community foundation. It helps people with their charitable giving, and they needed a receptionist, bookkeeper and secretary. And so I interviewed for the job, not knowing that Mr Reed was one of the original founders of Create Foundation. So I called Mrs Reed and I said, guess what? I have an interview with Create. Tell Mr Reed that someone may call him. Long story short, I got the job and when I tell you it's been an incredible journey, it has been a journey, it has been good Developing.
Speaker 1:One of the most important things that any of us can do is develop relationships with people, because you never know when you may need those people again. You never know how your paths will cross. And so for the 39 years that I've worked at Create, I've developed relationships, and because of those relationships, you said, we talk about the book. Because of those relationships I was able to talk, I was able to speak, I was able to tell my story, tell my story about being the only little black girl in the second grade when integration occurred. My first year I went to BF Ford Elementary in New Albany, first grade. I'll always honor my first grade teacher, mrs Mary Beasley, because she was the one who laid that foundation for me in first grade. And so then I go, it's integration time, and so I get to tell the story of how my mother prepared me, how she guided me, how she told me I had to love people regardless of their color. And so when I tell you and I'll deviate for a minute, that is why I have a book I got a chance to share that story.
Speaker 1:And sharing that story, a local businessman, actually Scott Reed, said Juanita, your story ought to be in a book. And I said, well, I don't know about publishing, I don't know how to do a book. He said, well, I know several people I'm going to to do a book. He said well, I know several people, I'm going to give them a call, but that comes from developing relationships. And so we gave Sarah Berry a call and I'll tell you, one of the things that really, really I'll always be grateful for is when Sarah Berry and I met for the first time, the first thing she said was can we pray together? Well, if anybody knows me, I love the Lord, I love God. And that was really to me a sign, a sign that when we prayed together and we prayed over Lord, help us with this book. And so I gave her my presentation, presentation, what I've been speaking all over the state of mississippi, and sarah, a former teacher, she put my presentation in um book form, in a for children. Wow, now y'all see I can talk.
Speaker 2:So if y'all jump in here and you talk to me and so I was just gonna ask the question that everybody uh want to ask, because I know that you saying read, read, read well that's the the guy that owns the store, right?
Speaker 3:yes or his son on the store, so explain who that is for the people that are watching this podcast. We don't know. Okay, from this, don't know.
Speaker 1:Okay, from this area, there's the Reed's store on the corner of Spring Street and it's been there for over 100 years and Jack Reed Sr was also one of the owners. Of course he's passed now. Now his son, jack Reed Jr, owns the store. They have a bookstore, they have a gift shop and, of course, retail men and women's clothing, and so that's how I met. That family is again years ago, working in their home.
Speaker 3:Right, so, and I don't want to, I didn't want to interrupt you because a lot of times the guests will answer the questions you have if you just let them talk, and so I want to interrupt you, because a lot of times, guests will answer the questions you have if you let them talk. And so I want to go back and ask a couple of things. I want to let these guys ask some questions. How do you think your education would have varied if you had to continue to be at an all black school? Because you spent year one in an all-black school and then second grade you went to integrated schools. How do you think your education would have changed better, worse, if any? And then, do you think you would have been able to cultivate the relationships that you had cultivated later on if you had never had the opportunity to be exposed to people from different cultures?
Speaker 1:Well, that is a great question. I will tell you. Sometimes I think back over my life and all of our lives are ordained by God. You know everything we do. In fact, the scriptures say he knew us before we were even formed in our mother's wombs, and so he knew the plans that he had for me. I think it was for me. It was.
Speaker 1:I had to do that. I had to go through first grade, all black school. I had to go to the second grade, to an all white school, because it gave me an opportunity, as you say, exposed to meet people. I wasn't shy about meeting people who didn't look like me. When I went to Northeast, one of the things I did was my mama said you can ask anybody anything, just be prepared for the answer. It's either going to be yes or no, or maybe. And so, because of my relationships, during the summer working Guess what I go to the president's office at Harold T White and I said why can't I work in this office? I see other students working. So I'm saying this because of my exposure to people who did not look like me, I was not afraid to talk to them.
Speaker 1:So would it have been different had I gone to an all black college? Probably so. And I'm saying this not as far as education, because I think HBCUs, they are producing some great products from people. So I'm not saying education wise. I will say this Remember, I said earlier that there's only two or three in the accounting program. Had I gone to an all black college, I would have been exposed to others. We all could have worked together for whatever degree. So, um, I'm not going to say I'm grateful for my past. I can't go back and change it. But I do see other opportunities with going to an HBC college. You develop relationships with people who look like you.
Speaker 1:You have because I didn't. I have one person that I'm friends with from Ole Miss. I mean that was 40-something years ago. So think about that. Had I gone to an HBCU I would have had friends from all over. So that's the difference. But as far as educationally, I think, as I said, I think it's as far as HBCUs they're great and they push you, I think the difference is going to an all-black school first grade and I remember well we were pushed. We were pushed to do our best and all of that. We lost some of that when I went to and I'm being brutally honest, we lost a lot of that when we did integrate.
Speaker 3:So that was what my question was intended to be. Question was intended to be was do you believe there was a level of community excellence and effort before we integrated that we lost once we integrated Because when you're in charge of your own people, you are directly responsible for the outcome and then once you outsource for lack of a better term the education and raising to someone else.
Speaker 3:You can kind of say, well, we didn't do this, we didn't do that, and so you know. We know that a lot of those HBCUs were founded and built by former slaves or former Reconstruction and Jim. Crow people that did it on their own.
Speaker 1:And that's right.
Speaker 3:They were very successful, like some of these businessmen AG Gaston and WEB Du Bois and however you feel about their politics, they were educated, and they were educated by black people. And so do you think that our education waned because we integrated, or would it have been what it was going to be anyway?
Speaker 1:I do think it waned and I'm being very honest. As I said, I do think it waned because if you are encouraged to do your best by people who look like you, you're going to do it. You're going to do your best. I think about the dropout rate. Now we're talking about people dropping out, but back in, back in the, when we were in school, in the all-black schools, you did not hear of the dropout rate. Because guess what? If john didn't come to school that day, the, the principal or even a teacher would go and get john and go get him and say you're going to school, you're going to graduate.
Speaker 2:We did not, and I'm, we did not have that um, so basically it was a village yeah, it was a village, right, and now, today, you can't tell anybody, kids, anything no, you can't.
Speaker 1:Uh, it's unfortunate. I grew up in a community where everybody, those black people in our in the red community Juanita, did you make the honor roll? Yes, sir, I made it. Here's $5. Those type of things. What did you do today? I joined. I was the only black in the beta club. I was president of FBLA. I was the only one just about in all of the clubs. But again, exposure to people who didn't look like me. This was even in high school. Now, think about this. There were 52 graduates and two were black, myself and another lady. So think about so, from second grade to 12th grade, most of the time I was the only black in the class. Now, there were other blacks in the school, but just in different classes.
Speaker 1:And I have to tell you all this A lot of people say well, why was it not that many blacks there? In Union County there are four county schools West Union, east Union, ingham R, myrtle and a city school. So when integration occurred you had to go to the school that was closest to where you live. I lived in Blue Springs so I had to go to East Union High School and it wasn't that many blacks there. So when I tell y'all it was something. But again my mother said you got to love, you you can't hate. And because of that I developed relationship relationships with the teachers at the schools, with the principals at the schools, with the students at the schools. Because guess what, how would I have been elected?
Speaker 1:fbla president right without without those relationships, because I just told you two blacks that graduated, so that means those white children they voted for me.
Speaker 3:I'm glad you said that, because I want to. I had a quick question.
Speaker 2:Did you ever feel like Because I try to just put myself in that situation and I will feel uncomfortable Did you feel uncomfortable seeing white people the whole time from second grade, all the way to 12th grade? Or did you get used to it? Or did you get any clout back when you went back home?
Speaker 1:In the beginning. Yes, I felt uncomfortable. In fact, part of my story in the book it tells how my mother prepared me. One of the things you have to know your identity and my identity was what is your name? My mother never once said that I would be called the N-word, that I would be told to go back to Africa and I'm a second grader, what do you mean? Africa? You know that type of thing, but she never put that in my mind. Every day, during the summer of 1969, my mother asked me my name, what is your name? And I would reply my name is Cosette Juanita Gambrell. Every single day, I didn't know that, but she was giving me a coping mechanism.
Speaker 1:She said I would be all right in the classroom, but when I got out to recess, that's when it was going to be a problem. Well, I was an avid reader. Even in first grade I could read, and so one of the things that particular summer summer of 1969, what she did was I want you to sit down and read your books. Every single day. I had to get my books, sit under the tree and read Again. Another coping mechanism. So let me tell you why.
Speaker 1:So when I got on the playground, guess what happened? They started calling me all kind of names and guess what I would say. Oh no, uh-uh, that's not my name. My name is Cosette Juanita Gambrell. So my mother gave me an identity, so, of course. So that rolled over me when they were calling me those names, and that was how I was able to cope. Then guess what I would get? On the merry-go-round. I would see all the kids I'm a child. I'd see all the kids on the merry-go-round and I'd go over there to get on the merry-go-round and guess what they would do Get off, get off. But guess what? Mother had given me a coping mechanism. So when they wouldn't play with me, guess what happened?
Speaker 2:I got my books from the teacher and just sat out there on the ground and started reading.
Speaker 1:So I'm grateful for that because of the fact that that allowed me to, even, as you say, feeling uncomfortable. I still had those coping mechanisms, that, uh, of who I was, so you can't take my identity away, you can't, you can't do that. And then I read, and I had, so I had coping mechanisms. So, yes, uncomfortable, but as time went on, the love that my mother said you have to love people. As time went on, then we all, you know, we became friends Because I'm sure you had and we just talked about on one side.
Speaker 2:You know you had all of that call me N-word and all that on one side. But then you also have your own community.
Speaker 1:Exactly.
Speaker 2:Did they do the same thing too?
Speaker 1:Well, let me tell you what happened, mama. Unfortunately, I have and this is something that you know, we just need to know this From the black children that were in the school. A lot of them said oh, you want to be white.
Speaker 2:Man.
Speaker 1:And just Let me stop you, yes.
Speaker 3:Did you have an opportunity at that time to stay at a black school, or everybody had to go?
Speaker 1:Everybody had to integrate, so don't forget where you are. We're going to come back to both, because that was a good question.
Speaker 3:My thing because obviously I'm only 30 years old was I felt like, after learning more about integration, I felt like there should have been desegregation, not integration. So if you want the opportunity to go to a white school, you can.
Speaker 1:If not, you can stay over here, but go ahead and finish your point. Yeah, so let me see when was I, because y'all see I was asking like as far as, like, the community, I know that we talked.
Speaker 2:We talked about, like on one side, where you had backlash, did you have that same thing or did they support you On our community Now?
Speaker 1:my community. The adults supported me.
Speaker 1:I'm talking about in school, right right, you know a lot of times, just because you are educated, or because my mom taught me to respect people, adults, my mom taught me all of these just things that we need to know. And so, because my mom said you can go far If you want to be in the beta club, you can be in the beta club. Well, unfortunately, because I was in the beta club, I got the backlash from the children you want to be white. You're just trying all of that.
Speaker 3:These are black or white children.
Speaker 1:These are black children, and what I will tell you is and what I told them, just because I speak correctly, just because I know how to converse with people, that doesn't mean I want to be white. White is all of us, whatever our nationality or our ethnicity is. If you get educated, you're just educated. You speak correctly and so I had that from and that was in a younger you know younger period and as the years went on you know, we all, we got better.
Speaker 3:So, uh, and and this has been great so far uh, I knew that we would get into the substance once we started talking and I really appreciate you. I believe and this is not a concept that I came up with this came from.
Speaker 3:Dr Claude Anderson, there's a difference in prejudice and racism. Prejudice is what you like and what you don't like. Racism is owning and controlling the opportunity for resources, and so everybody has a prejudice, like you may be prejudiced towards Rocky Road ice cream or pralines and cream, but racism is I'm not going to hire you because you're black or because you're white or because you're hispanic do you remember any instances of racism where you, where they were like dang, they didn't give me this, and I know they didn't give it to me because I was black or did most of what you experienced? It was people just not liking you because you were black, but you were able to press forward anyway.
Speaker 1:Of course I did. I think I mentioned earlier one of the things I know I was not hired in the accounting firms because I was black. I mean, I know that. In fact, one of my professors at Ole Miss I'll never forget him, Harry Perry said Juanita, you have two things going for you. First, you're a woman female and you're black, so you should not have any problems getting a job. Well, that was probably if I'd gone to Memphis or if I'd gone to Atlanta, but in a southern town it was just difficult. I know that that was the reason why I didn't get those jobs. But again, god has plan and purpose for our lives. So it was ordained for me to get the job at where I'm currently employed. I've experienced so much from being there.
Speaker 3:Now a lot of people refer to Atlanta and I'm getting. It's so much. I want to ask you, and we only have so much time. A lot of people refer to Atlanta as, quote unquote the black Mecca.
Speaker 3:Why was Atlanta able to be so successful allowing African-American people to lead politically? Because they had a lot of the political power and I know white people had a lot of the financial power in business. But why were they so successful in doing that and still are today? But towns like ours and towns like others were held back and not giving African-American people the opportunity that they deserved, not just giving them something.
Speaker 1:No, exactly Exactly. I'm grateful for those towns. I'm grateful for Atlanta for giving the students who ventured out and said I'm going to Atlanta, I'm going to Washington or wherever. I'm glad for those towns because they gave us opportunities to reach our full potential. They gave us those opportunities here. I think Southern this is Mississippi, it's Alabama, it's Arkansas, those are the Southern states and there are jobs in these states that people have.
Speaker 1:But it's just been difficult. It has been a hard journey to get past those barriers. That's what I call a barrier. As far as the color of my skin, that that is. That is a barrier. But when you went to Atlanta or when you went to Memphis you are you talking 40 years ago, I'm talking now you had those opportunities that we did not have here and but because I made the choice to stay here, then my opportunity as far as working in different places it was slim and we appreciate that, because somebody's got to do it, somebody's got to stay here and be the first right, and then there can be a second, and then there could be a third.
Speaker 3:What pushed you into accounting? Because you said it was just you and one other African-American lady, correct?
Speaker 1:Yeah, that was in that program and I think it was a couple of guys to maybe three or four.
Speaker 3:OK, what pushed you into accounting?
Speaker 1:Well, that story go. I have to tell you another story. My sister is a nurse and now she's a nurse practitioner. And so, again, coming from a small school, we didn't have counselors. I didn't have any help as far as telling me, like what y'all have now you have opportunities to look at different career paths. Back then I didn't know what path I wanted to be on, other than when I got to Northeast I said I want to be a nurse. Why did I want to be a nurse? Because my sister was a nurse. Now, as far as anatomy and physiology and all those prerequisites, I aced them, I made great. But when I got to the actual clinical part, I couldn't stand it. I didn't want it, and so I wound up staying at Northeast an extra year and changed my major to accounting.
Speaker 1:Now go back to another story. Why did I change my major to accounting? Guess what y'all? I'm not supposed to be here. I'm not supposed to be talking to any of you all.
Speaker 1:You see, at the age of 14, I almost drowned. I was estimated to be underwater anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes. My mother and my family was told that I would probably be a vegetable for the rest of my life that I would have brain damage. Well, again, I believe in the power of prayer. And people got on the phones not the cell phones, we didn't have that and they started a chain and began to pray for me.
Speaker 1:Now, the reason I tell that story is because the man who jumped in, dived in closed shoes and all to pull me up was Junior Smith, a banker, and that is how I started working during the summers at a bank. This is a white man. This is a white man. This is a white man. I started working and he, junior Smith himself, said in some cultures, when you save a person's life, you become responsible for their lives. And I will tell y'all this man took it to heart and he I was able to work at his bank, work at the bank. I worked there doing the summers, again, doing high school, and so I got a taste of the business world. So when nursing did not work out, okay, let me go into accounting and our business. And so I chose accounting, and so that's how I got into accounting, which was rare, because most people were either going to teaching or going into nursing.
Speaker 3:That's that's big. We talked before about mentorship you know, and everybody can't be. Excuse me, Everybody can't be a day to day mentor for somebody, but you. You've given three different examples of how I use a quote that someone else made up. Exposure leads to expansion. You were exposed to Jack Reed Sr, exposed to this banker, exposed in some other areas that expanded the things that you knew and things you were able to do. What advice would you give young people and when I say young people, I mean 25?
Speaker 3:to 45 that have skills that are not donating, and I'm not trying to spend somebody else's time for them. But you have skills and knowledge and you're not putting that back into at least one somebody because that changed the course of your life.
Speaker 1:It changed my whole life by having those people in my life. The advice that I would give those of us who have skills, those of us whatever it is, the talents that God has given you, you should pour back into an individual. You should pour back into them Again, going back to the 60s guess what? Our families, our people that is what you just mentioned about the village, the community People poured into our lives. People, not just white blacks mentored us and told us you can do it. Those of us who have those talents, get out there. Get out there and give back to your community. Give back. It doesn't have to be your community. Give back. That is the advice that I would tell people. Give back, try to help others, try to do your best. That is the only way you're going to bring us up. Don't push us back down in the hole. Bring us up, take us out of the hole.
Speaker 1:There was a story that this man that I heard, where this man said that he fell in a hole and once he fell in the hole, said the person came by. An attorney came by and he said if, when you get out of that hole he said, I'll be able to help you with. We can sue these people when you get out. Then another person came back, a physician came by and he said I'll be able to. When you get out of the hole, I'll be able to see you and see you in my office. And then a black man came by and he jumped in the hole with the black man and he said and the other black man said, why did you jump in this hole? He said because I've been there, I know how to get you out, and so if we would take that to heart, help each other, then we could see a change in each of our communities. If we just help each other and mentor each other, that's big.
Speaker 2:From my point of view, I feel like a lot of I ain't going to say people in power, but a lot of black men or black women that's actually there at the top right now. If they can just spend 15 minutes at the Boys and Girls Club one day out of a week, that can change a lot.
Speaker 2:You're right, I agree 15 minutes Like just 15 minutes Because I can remember when I was at the Boys and Girls Club and I saw somebody that was actually on top of their game when they walked in the building, that chill I gave, like I'm looking at them, like okay, what did he do?
Speaker 1:Right, you know like like okay, you do that.
Speaker 2:Okay, how did you do it? How did you get into it? Like it's gonna get these kids to at least ask questions to you know, try to model them, try to be like them in certain type of ways.
Speaker 1:So just 15 minutes, that's all we asked for you never know how little the little that you do can be a big change in somebody's life, I guess what I'm trying to say, and so that's true, that be a big change in somebody's life.
Speaker 3:I guess that's what I'm trying to say, and so that's true, that's a big deal. I want to ask another question After a long successful career, what's next for you professionally?
Speaker 1:Well, I have been approached to and I have not done this as of yet but one of the things that I've been approached is to have on a Christian TV station is to have a show, to have a Christian show. I've not done it as of yet, but that is one of the things that I would hope to do. As you all can see, I'm a talker. I love, and then the good thing about it is.
Speaker 1:I love the Lord and so what better opportunity than to have a 30 minute segment show of of on a Christian TV station? So I've been approached to do that. Right now I've got so many other, as they say, irons in the fire that I'm doing, but I would love to do that. I would love to just sit down, as you all are doing, and just sit down and have guests on the show and talk about life and talk about um just whatever um christian wise we could do so that's a green light for one of y'all people out there that actually do cameras and, uh, do audio and stuff like that.
Speaker 2:Reach out to her. Uh, if you're a young lady, young man, and she already got the connections you know, so I'm sure everything is already behind her. Just reach out to her, pitch whatever you have to pitch to her and you might get an opportunity.
Speaker 3:Let's talk about your book for a second before, If we can hold it up.
Speaker 1:So the in the Northeast area. You can get it from Reed's Bookstore.
Speaker 2:And how does that feel, though? Like you can walk in the bookstore and see your book and you say that's me, Like that's me, that's my life.
Speaker 1:Listen, what a great question when I tell you. The moment I saw my book, we had a book signing at Reed's bookstore and Jack Reed Jr told me, said it was one of the best Over 300 people came to my book signing, first book signing, and what an amazing opportunity for me to be able to share my. I call this my mother's story rather than my story. It cause it. My mother was the one who guided and and taught me all these principles that I know. But to see people standing in line, and what was so beautiful, it was people of Gentile Jews came to that line, came through that line to to get purchase this book.
Speaker 1:And then, one of the amazing things I went to the Mississippi Museum in Jackson, which is touted as one of the best museums black history museums and so I took a group of senior citizens to there to tour that. And so I took a group of senior citizens there to tour that. And so I get in the store and I asked to speak to the manager and I said, and she came out and I said, look, I have a book called Summer of 1969. I would love to see about getting it here. And she said, ma'am, come here a minute and we walked in the bookstore and there on the shelf.
Speaker 2:It was already there.
Speaker 1:It was already there. What an incredible feeling to have this book and to have my mama's picture in the Mississippi Museum of History. So, yeah, it was an incredible feeling. And one of the other things I would like to say is a group of again, relationships. Develop relationships with all people. Don't limit it to just because I'm black to only develop relationships with black. Don't limit yourselves. You can have great relationships with people. And because of those relationships. Do you all know that people right here in this town in Northeast Mississippi donated monies to get this book out? They thought it was so good. This book was good enough to get it out into schools, so they donated enough money to. We have donated. Over 8,000 books have gone out to second graders that are there in libraries in the schools in Northeast Mississippi. Where did that come from? Developing relationships, developing relationships that's a strong point. If anybody, if you hear me as I say, hear me when I say this develop relationships with people regardless of their ethnicity. You never know, they may be able to help you on your journey. They may be able to. I mean, it's all about connections. It is all about those relationships.
Speaker 1:Those relationships you just said to the audience about contacting me about. This is an opportunity. All of that. That's what I had, y'all. I had opportunities to be successful. I had opportunities. I had that village that got me through, that village of people who look like me to help me be strong, and all of that. But then I had my mother who said you got to love everybody. You can't hate. You can't hate people just because they're different from you. We can't do that. And so I had that strong encouragement from her to love people and I'm hoping, and I believe because of that, that my mother taught me that caused me to develop relationships with people who didn't look like me Right. And so because of that, down in this small town, like the businessman, he was the one who knew Sarah Berry, he was the one who put me on the path with her Right. So you develop relationships and when an opportunity comes, then you're able to use it, you're able to do something with that opportunity yes, you give such great, great sound advice.
Speaker 3:I'd like to switch gears a little bit, because you separated um the two. I asked you, what would what you are most proud of? And you separated personal from business. And personally you have three children and six grandchildren. That is correct. What would be some advice that you would give a first-time parent or first-time parents?
Speaker 1:The advice that I would give first of all, love your children, Love them, Just love, love, love, love and teach them Just love, love, love, love and teach them. It is one of the things that I would tell a first time parent. Sit there and read to them. They even tell you now to read to the child while he's in the womb In the stomach.
Speaker 1:Read to them because you're giving them an opportunity to be successful, opportunity to be successful. You're giving them an opportunity to that. One of the things you can do is, if you have an education and when I say education, if you're able to read, you can go into that school. And just like I did, I was able to go into the school. You couldn't stop me as far as reading. You couldn't stop me as far as reading. You couldn't stop me as far as me taking the tests and passing those things. You could not because the ground had been laid, the groundwork, the foundation had been laid. So parents, first-time parents read to those children. Make sure they know their ABCs, not just singing the song ABCD, actually know and recognize them so that when your children get to the school system, they're able to compete with people who have been exposed to more things than we have. That's real?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think we, in my opinion, especially today. You came up in a different time, but it's 2024. Now, and I think today we worry too much about racism and not worry about being prepared to compete. That's right, because you went in prepared to compete.
Speaker 3:And so they couldn't hold you back on that front. So we had a topic, really a whole conversation about men's mental health topic, really a whole conversation about men's mental health, and what really arose from that was how our lives were affected by having our fathers or not having our fathers be present on a regular basis. And Floyd kind of spoke to his experience about not having his father there for the majority of his life. After a certain age, when you realized that you were going to be the sole provider and parent for your three children, what kept you encouraged and then how did that affect you? Because a lot of times the single parent is a single mother and they have to be own and be strong at all times and not get a chance to express how you feel or relax or rest. And so how did that experience in totality affect you?
Speaker 1:Well, when I tell you it has been an experience. Reverend CL Franklin says this. He said without a hope, without a faith in God, I don't know where I would have been and that's what sustained me during those years. I've been divorced now for 18 years. My children were 10, 12, and 16. At the time. The two oldest were a boy, 16 and 12.
Speaker 1:And one of my things that I really struggled with was how am I going to raise two black boys in the society that we live in, god? How are you going to help me with this? First of all, I went from two incomes to one income. How am I going to maintain a lifestyle for them? Because, listen, god blessed me because of those formative years of getting that education. So I had a great job that I. But I realized that's not the case with everybody, everybody. That's not the case having the income that you need.
Speaker 1:A lot of times when you divorce, you have to go back home to mama. You have to bring yourself and your children back home to your, to your, to your parents. But fortunately and blessed, you know, I was blessed to be able to keep my children to again relationships. When I needed to get something done, I knew people who could help me. But it is a struggle. Don't let me say it lightly. I don't care if you were on top of the world and have the finances that you need all of that. It is a struggle to raise children by yourself. It is a struggle for me, yes, for my daughter, for my sons. I'm a female. I can't go out there and say, come help me change the oil. You know those things that fathers sometimes do with their children.
Speaker 1:I couldn't do that. I tried to. To have my pastor was a great source. I would try to have him. He he happened to be my brother-in-law as well. I try to have him. If you will mentor, talk to my boys. I try to have people to talk to my girls.
Speaker 1:But I want to let you all know it was a struggle. It was very hard, but God brought me, god sustained me, god helped me. That is my faith. My faith is that if this is what I always would say to God, god, if you save and spared my life at the age of 14, when I should have been dead, when I should have been gone from this life, then you can help me with these children. You can help me raise these children. Now, I wasn't the best. I'm not trying to say I was the best mom, but I did what I could for them and they're working them and they're working. My oldest son he has a trucking and welding certificate. My second son has an engineering degree. My daughter has a degree with the engineering degree from Mississippi State. My daughter has a degree from Jackson State with healthcare administration, and so what I can say is God helped me, they were, they're able to take care of themselves, and that was one of my prayers Help me to raise my children so that they can work and be productive citizens.
Speaker 3:How do you explain divorce to children? Or do you explain it, or do you just you know he's not here or she's not here. We're going to move forward.
Speaker 1:And that's what I did the night that, um, my ex-husband left. That's one of the things. I grabbed my three children and I held them and I told them we will make it, we're going to do this, with the help of God, we're going to do this. Yes, he's gone and, unfortunately, when you all are talking about mental health issues, one of the things when one of the parent leaves or divorce, and I'm going to say this it's almost better for the children if there is a death, and the reason I say that when one dies, you know they're not coming back, so you can cope with it.
Speaker 3:We know what you mean, you know, we know what you mean.
Speaker 1:You know as far as that. But when you divorced, and if that parent chooses not to be in their child's life, it is difficult, it's hard. It is hard for the one or the other, whether it's the single mom or the single father. It is difficult, it is hard for you to explain to them that it's not their fault, and that's what happens a lot with children of divorced parents. They think that it's their fault, that they had something to do with it, and so that's the thing you have to say listen, it's not your fault, it is between two adults.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 1:It is not your fault that we have separated, that we have divorced.
Speaker 3:I know and that's not the first time I heard that Miles Monroe likened divorce to a death without a burial, you know, because there is a death and a separation, but that person is still walking around.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I didn't look at it that way. I never thought of it like that. That's a great way to look at it, because when my first child mother when we had separated. He was one years old, so one to all the way. Now he always knew that we, in his eyes, we're separated, but the good thing about our relationship, it's like we're best friends. You know, like we don't fight, we don't fuss, we probably play around on some argument, but other than that it's never serious.
Speaker 1:Right, and the good thing with you, he was one.
Speaker 2:He was one.
Speaker 1:Now if he would have been eight, yeah it probably might be a little bit different, but if you got a great relationship then that would help the difference with mine. Mine were older 10, 12, and 16. Do you all know 16? That's a critical age. My oldest son went through so many things.
Speaker 2:I went through 16.
Speaker 1:I had to. You know, there are those parents who said, you know, oh, I'm so fortunate, I'm so blessed, I never had to go to the jailhouse. I never had to do that. Well, I had to do a lot of things as a parent, but I hung in there and.
Speaker 1:I and I said to my boys listen, this is you're, you're, you're going to make it, you are going to make it. This is not our life, this is not us. So I don't sugarcoat things y'all. We had problems. I had problems with my trying to raise those boys, but the end result was we made it.
Speaker 3:Well, it sounds like that your life is much more than a book, and it sounded like a movie to me. So it may have a lot of work to do. So, again, we're getting ready to wrap right here and let's show. I got another question to ask her, our most important question, or the biggest question that we try to ask all our guests when we get ready to exit the podcast. If the world was your audience and that camera was your microphone, what would you say?
Speaker 1:I guess, the thing that I would say first of all, I've enjoyed this podcast. I've enjoyed again. I commend you, young men, for what you're doing, but if the world was my audience and, as you say, the camera, I would leave you just like I said. The quote that I truly love and I'm paraphrasing it simply says we shall not pass this way, but once. So, therefore, any good that we can do, any kindness that we can show, any love that we can give, and, as we talked a few minutes ago, if we can mentor others, we've got to do it now. We can't defer the moment because, as all of us know, we shall not pass this way again. And so that's what I would say to the audience Do what you can while you can, because life is so short.
Speaker 1:I've lost nephews. I've lost my mother, my sister, all of those, one of my brothers. I've lost them. Life is short. So do what you can while you can, because once you're gone, that is it, it's over. So that's my, that would be my if the world was my audience, to tell you do what you can. Help people, as you all said. Mentor people, love people, educate people. It doesn't matter If you're a teacher. Take that child who's struggling and say I'm going to help you after school. Take them, I'm serious. That's how you change lives.
Speaker 2:You were talking about Boys and Girls Club.
Speaker 1:Go to the clubs and mentor those kids. Do what you can to help people because, as I said, we're not going to pass through this world again.
Speaker 3:People. Mr Cozette, if I need it, Gambrel. Thank you.
Speaker 2:Thank you. Thank you, we'll be right back. Turn me up for the one time.