Let's Talk Cincy: Share impactful and inspiring stories

CINCY. THEY ARE THE BEST IN THE STATE OF OHIO. A THREE PEAT FOR THE PURCELL MARION GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM. PLUS, FROM THE BASKETBALL COURT TO THE COURT OF LAW, JUDGES KEEPING IT REAL OFF THE BENCH AND HOLDING THEM ACCOUNTABLE. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW FROM THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU FROM WLWT. THIS IS LET'S TALK CINCY PRESENTED BY WESTERN AND SOUTHERN FINANCIAL GROUP, PUT OUR FINANCIAL STRENGTH BEHIND YOU. HELLO EVERYONE. I'M CURTIS FULLER AND WELCOME TO LET'S TALK CINCY. TODAY WE HAVE SEVERAL VERY INTERESTING STORIES TO GET TO, BUT I WANT TO BEGIN WITH A STATEWIDE INITIATIVE THAT TOOK PLACE RECENTLY BY THE OHIO BLACK JUDGES ASSOCIATION, WHEN THAT ORGANIZATION HELD ITS 2024 CIVICS DAY, THE JUDGES MET WITH STUDENTS AT SEVERAL HIGH SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT OHIO TO HELP RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES. AS WELL AS HOW THE OHIO COURT SYSTEM WORKS. WE TALKED WITH THE CHAIR OF THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH COMMITTEE, HAMILTON COUNTY COMMON PLEAS COURT JUDGE WENDY CROSS. SHE HAS SAID ONE OF HER GOALS IS TO ENGAGE THE PUBLIC AND INCREASE TRUST AND CONFIDENCE IN WHAT JUDGES DO. THE OHIO BLACK JUDGES ASSOCIATION THEN DECIDED TO HOST A 2024 CIVICS DAY. THE CIVICS DAY IS A PROGRAM DESIGNED TO BASICALLY GO INTO VARIOUS LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS IN IN EVERY MAJOR CITY IN THE STATE OF OHIO. SO DURING BLACK HISTORY MONTH TO TO RAISE AWARENESS AMONG STUDENTS FOR THEIR INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS, BLACK HISTORY, WE WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT ACHIEVEMENTS BY OUR MEMBERS AND WE WANTED TO TALK TO THE STUDENTS JUST ABOUT, UM, ENCOURAGING THEM ON WHAT THEY CAN DO, WHAT THEY CAN BE. ME AND I SUBSCRIBE TO THE PRINCIPLE THAT IF YOU CAN SEE IT, YOU CAN BE IT. THE REASON I'M TELLING YOU THIS IS, IS BECAUSE BECAUSE WE WEAR THESE ROBES, WE'RE NOT ANY SPECIAL THAN YOU. WE LIVED YOUR LIVES. WE COME FROM WHERE YOU COME FROM. WE WANTED TO SHOWCASE OUR BLACK JUDGES. WE TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SYSTEM, THE COURT SYSTEM. HELP THEM UNDERSTAND WHAT THE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO DO FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE SYSTEM. AND AND REALLY JUST TO DEMYSTIFY THE SYSTEM FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. I REALLY HOPE THAT THEY SEE THAT WE ARE NOT SUPERHEROES. WE'RE NOT SPECIAL. WE'RE JUST LIKE THEM. MANY OF US GREW UP JUST LIKE THEM. WE'VE LIVED IN THE SAME NEIGHBORHOODS AS THEM. WE'VE HAD SOME OF THE SAME EXPERIENCE AND LIVED EXPERIENCES AS THEM, AND WE WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT IF WE CAN DO IT, THEY CAN DO IT. BUT WE WANT IT TO COME AND REALLY ENCOURAGE THEM TO STAY IN SCHOOL, TO GET AWAY FROM NEGATIVE INFLUENCES AND JUST NOT LOOK INWARD AND GO WITH THE POWER THAT'S INSIDE OF THEM. UM, A LOT OF US DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF SUPPORT SYSTEMS, BUT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A TEACHER OR A PARENT OR SOMEONE IN OUR CHURCH WHO SAID, I SEE YOU AND I WANT TO HELP YOU GET TO THE NEXT LEVEL. THAT'S WHAT WE CAME TO DO TO TELL THEM THAT WE SEE YOU. WE HEAR YOU, WE VALUE YOU. AND IF YOU NEED HELP IN GETTING TO THAT NEXT LEVEL OR SEEING SOMETHING IN YOU THAT YOU DON'T SEE IN YOURSELF, WE'RE HERE TO DO THAT. WHENEVER I TALK TO STUDENTS, I'M HOPING TO TURN A LIGHT ON IN THEIR HEAD WHERE THEY CAN SEE THAT IF THEY PUT THEIR MIND TO IT, THEY CAN ACHIEVE WHATEVER IT IS THAT THEY WISH THEY WHAT THEY WISH TO ACHIEVE. UM, I HAD SOME STRUGGLES WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, AND I WAS ABLE TO GET OVER THOSE STRUGGLES, AND I LIKE TO SHARE THAT EXPERIENCE SO THEY CAN SEE A PERSON THAT LOOKS LIKE THEMSELVES AND WHAT THEY CAN GROW TO BE, AND EVEN GO HIGHER THAN WHERE I'M AT. I FEEL LIKE I'M STILL YOUNG ENOUGH TO CONNECT WITH THEM AND BE ABLE TO RELATE TO THEM, AND HOPEFULLY THEY DON'T SEE ME AS AN OLD MAN. I DON'T THINK I'M AN OLD MAN YET, BUT YOU KNOW HOW IT IS WITH YOUNG PEOPLE. BUT I DON'T FEEL ANY OUTSOURCED PRESSURE. I FEEL LIKE I HAVE A GREATER CONNECTION TO YOUNG PEOPLE BECAUSE I'M STILL YOUNG IN THIS ENDEAVOR. WELL, AS THE ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE, I. UH, DECIDED IN 2024 THAT OUR ONE OF OUR MAIN GOALS WAS GOING TO BE INCREASE PUBLIC TRUST AND CONFIDENCE IN THE SYSTEM. AND, AND, AND IN OUR JUDICIARY. AND SO IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WE WANT TO HAVE, UM, VARIOUS PUBLIC FORUMS AROUND THE COMMUNITY TO BE ABLE TO TALK WITH THE PUBLIC ABOUT WHAT THEY THINK WE DO TO EDUCATE THEM ABOUT WHAT WE REALLY DO AND TO JUST HAVE SOME ONGOING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT OUR SYSTEM AND HOW TO MAKE IT BETTER. AND SO, UM, THIS IS JUST KIND OF A PIECE OF IT. IT'S DONE BY THE OHIO BLACK JUDGES ASSOCIATION, BUT I'M THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH CHAIR OF THAT ORGANIZATION. AND IT'S JUST TO FURTHER THAT END, TO HAVE BETTER COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE PUBLIC AND THE COURT SYSTEM SO THAT WE CAN GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING. ONE OF OUR, UM, MAIN ROLE IS IN THE OHIO BLACK JUDGES ASSOCIATION IS TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON THE IMPORTANCE OF DIVERSITY ON THE BENCH, AND NOT JUST DIVERSITY IN RACE OR JUST DIVERSITY IN IN GENDER, BECAUSE CERTAINLY THOSE ARE IMPORTANT. BUT ALSO DIVERSITY OF LIVED EXPERIENCES AND DIVERSITY OF THOUGHT. IT'S REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT. AND SO, UM, WE REALLY WANT TO CHAMPION THAT, THAT, UM, NOTION TO THE PUBLIC, THAT DIVERSITY IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT. AND WHO SITS ON THAT BENCH AND BRINGING IN, UM, A VARIETY OF LIVED EXPERIENCES AND PERSPECTIVES ON THAT BENCH, BECAUSE THAT'S WHO WE SEE COME BEFORE US. THE PUBLIC, WITH A LOT OF VARIED LIVED EXPERIENCE VOICES. AND SO WE WANT PEOPLE WHO CAN CONNECT AND RELATE TO SOME OF THOSE EXPERIENCES AS. WELCOME BACK EVERYONE. WELCOME BACK EVERYONE. THIS TIME OF YEAR IS WHEN MOST OF US LOOK FORWARD TO DOING, LET'S SAY, A LITTLE SPRING CLEANING. BUT A LOCAL ORGANIZATION WARNS YOU THAT SOME DISHONEST PEOPLE USE THIS TIME OF YEAR TO TRY TO CLEAN OUT YOUR WALLET. THE CINCINNATI BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU FOCUSES ON GIVING YOU INFORMATION ABOUT TRUSTWORTHY BUSINESSES AND BEST OF ALL, THE SERVICES ARE FREE. THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU IS AN ORGANIZER SECTION THAT IS INTENDED TO BRING TOGETHER OUR CONSUMERS AND BUSINESSES SO THAT WE CAN HAVE AN ETHICAL MARKETPLACE CASE. I'M JOE SEAL EHRLICH, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU, THE CINCINNATI BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU WAS STARTED BACK IN 1926 BY BUSINESS HIS TO TO BENEFIT CONSUMERS. AND IF YOU LOOKED AT A ROSTER OF THOSE BUSINESSES BACK THEN, IT'S REALLY A WHO'S WHO OF BUSINESSES, MANY OF WHOM ARE STILL IN OPERATION TODAY. PROCTER AND GAMBLE, RICHTER AND PHILIPS, KROGER, THE CINCINNATI BELL, THE LIST GOES ON. IT'S VERY IMPRESSIVE WHAT WE DO AS AN ORGANIZED MISSION IS TO HELP CONSUMERS FIND THOSE ETHICAL BUSINESSES. THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT WE DO, AND WE ALSO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO THOSE CONSUMERS SO THAT WHEN THEIR DEALING WITH AN INDUSTRY FOR THE FIRST TIME, MAYBE WE EDUCATE THEM ON WHAT THEY NEED TO BE AWARE OF IN THAT PARTICULAR INDUSTRY. THE KIND OF QUESTIONS THEY NEED TO ASK. WE WANT EDUCATED CONSUMERS OUT THERE, AND WE PROVIDE THEM TO THE EXTENT WE CAN, WITH ETHICAL BUSINESS. LAWS THAT THEY CAN TRUST, THAT THEY CAN HIRE AND FEEL CONFIDENT THAT THEY WILL BE TREATED RESPONSIBLY, RESPECTFULLY, PROFESSIONALLY. THERE ARE ACCREDITED BUSINESSES IN EVERY SINGLE INDUSTRY, FROM ATTORNEYS TO DENTISTS TO FUNERAL DIRECTORS TO ROOFERS TO, UH, SIDEWALK PAVERS. YOU NAME THE INDUSTRY, WE HAVE AN ACCREDITED BUSINESS IN THAT AREA. ACCREDITATION IS IS A VERY INTERESTING PROCESS. FIRST OF ALL, IT'S BY INVITATION ONLY. WE LOOK AT BUSINESSES THAT WE HAVE INFORMATION ON OUR FILE, INFORMATION. AND IF THEY MEET SOME BASIC CRITERIA, WE MIGHT EXTEND AN INVITATION TO A BUSINESS TO BECOME ACCREDITED. IF THE BUSINESS ACCEPTS THAT INVITATION, THEN IT GOES THROUGH A MUCH MORE THOROUGH VETTING PROCESS. WE ARE LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE, UM, ADVERTISING THAT THEY DO. WE LOOK AT THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS, WE LOOK TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE NO GOVERNMENT ACTIONS AGAINST THAT COMPANY. WE MAKE SURE THAT IF THERE ARE COMPLAINTS, THEY ARE HANDLED RESPONSIBLY. THEY ARE RESPONDED TO PROFESSIONALLY AND THAT THERE ARE NO PATTERNS OF COMPLAINTS. WE ALSO LOOK AT CUSTOMER REVIEWS AND MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS NO ISSUES IN THAT ARENA. FOR A B-B-B ACCREDITED BUSINESS, YOU MUST HAVE AT LEAST A B RATING TO BE ACCREDITED. ANYTHING BELOW THAT, YOU NEED TO PROCEED WITH CAUTION AND BELOW A C. WE JUST LIKE IN GRADE SCHOOL, UM, PROCEED WITH EXTREME CAUTION. WE OUR FILE INFORMATION COVERS ACCREDITED BUSINESSES AND NON ACCREDITED BUSINESSES AND WHAT WE DO FOR ACCREDITED BUSINESSES. WE DO FOR NON ACCREDITED BUSINESSES. IF A CONSUMER HAS A PROBLEM WITH ANY COMPANY, THEY CAN FILE A COMPLAINT ONLINE. THEY CAN FILE A CUSTOMER REVIEW ONLINE. THEY CAN CALL US AND DO THAT SAME THING AND FILE THE COMPLAINT AND THE REVIEW. THOSE SERVICES ARE FREE TO THE CONSUMER. THE B-B-B IS A NEUTRAL THIRD PARTY. WE DO NOT ADVOCATE FOR CONSUMERS. WE DO NOT ADVOCATE FOR BUSINESSES. WE ARE LOOKING FOR A FAIR SOLUTION. UH, ALSO, AND PROBABLY EVEN MORE IMPORTANT THAN THAT IS THAT CONSUMERS SHOULD ALWAYS CHECK WITH THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU BEFORE THEY DO BUSINESS WITH A COMPANY THEY DON'T KNOW BEFORE THEY BUY SOMETHING ONLINE FROM A COMPANY THEY DON'T KNOW. WE ARE GOING TO GIVE THEM A FAIR START MOMENT ABOUT THAT BUSINESS. WE MIGHT NOT BE THE FIRST PERSON THEY CALL. THEY MIGHT CHECK WITH THEIR FRIENDS, THEIR FAMILY. THEY MIGHT CHECK WITH OTHER REVIEW SITES, BUT ALWAYS MAKE SURE THAT THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU IS PART OF THAT PROCESS. AND CHECK OUR BUSINESS PROFILES. THAT'S GREAT INFORMATION AND YOU CAN VISIT THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU ONLINE AT B-B-B. ORG AND SEARCH FOR THE CINCINNATI OFFICE. YOU CAN ALSO CALL AND THAT NUMBER IS 513421 3015. WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK. A BIG CONGRATULATE GOES OUT TO A BIG CONGRATULATE GOES OUT TO THE GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM AT PURCELL MARIAN HIGH SCHOOL. THE CAVALIERS WON THEIR THIRD YES, THIRD CONSECUTIVE STATE BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP. THAT IS A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT. BUT IT ALSO SPEAKS VOLUMES ABOUT THE LEADERSHIP OF THE COACHING STAFF OVER AT PURCELL. MARIAN. BUT THIS IS SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST WINNING AT BASKETBALL. YOU SEE, THESE YOUNG LADIES ARE LEARNING LIFE LESSONS OFF THE COURT AS WELL. WELL, I FEEL GOOD, HAPPY FOR EVERYTHING THAT THE GIRLS ACCOMPLISHED, EVERYTHING THAT THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED. BUT DOES FEEL GOOD. SO LET ME GO BACK TO MY FIRST TWO YEARS. I DID NOT CELEBRATE. AT ALL. IT WAS JUST ON TO THE NEXT ONE. WHAT CAN WE DO TO WIN THE NEXT ONE? YOU KNOW, AFTER THIS, AFTER THIS, THE THIRD ONE, I TOOK SOME TIME TO ACTUALLY CELEBRATE. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL ABOUT THIS? THIS TEAM. YOU KNOW, ONE, WE'RE VERSATILE NOW. AT FIRST, WE'VE ALWAYS JUST HAD GUARDS AND HAD SOME PLAYERS THAT WE COULD PUT IN PUT INSIDE. BUT THIS YEAR, A VERY VERSATILE TEAM, THE MOST VERSATILE TEAM I'VE EVER HAD. AND JUST LOOKING BACK ON, UM, YEARS IN OHIO, ONE OF THE MOST VIRTUAL TEAMS IN THE HISTORY OF OHIO, I THINK. BUT YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ALSO JUST GREAT KIDS. YOU KNOW, THEY THEY BUY IN TO EVERYTHING THAT THE STAFF AND MYSELF TRY TO DO. AND IT'S TO THE POINT NOW WHERE THE COACHES DON'T REALLY HAVE TO DO ANYTHING. IT'S A PLAYER LED PROGRAM. SO YOU KNOW, THE OUR PLAYERS MAKE A LOT OF DECISIONS AND JUST ABOUT ALL OF THEM ARE THE RIGHT DECISIONS. SO, YOU KNOW, JUST JUST HAVING A GROUP OF YOUNG LEADERS, IT'S BEEN A BEAUTIFUL THING TO WATCH WHEN YOU SEE THIS TEAM. WHEN I HEAR YOU TALK ABOUT THIS TEAM, I REALLY WANTED YOU TO SHINE A LIGHT ON. TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT AND I'M GOING TO TALK TO THEM, BUT TELL ME A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT SOME OF THE GIRLS AS WELL. YOU KNOW, EVERYONE HERE IS THE NAME D ALEXANDER FOR NOMINAL BASKETBALL PLAYER. UM, HAD TO ALMOST MAKE A POINT WITH HER HER FRESHMAN YEAR. UH, NOT DOING TERRIBLE, NOT DOING A TERRIBLE JOB IN THE CLASSROOM, BUT NOT DOING THE GREATEST EITHER. UM, SHE TURNED IN AN ASSIGNMENT LATE. SHE GOT 50% ON IT. SET HER OUT 50% OF THAT GAME. HER FRESHMAN YEAR. THAT ENDED UP BEING THE ONLY GAME THAT WE LOST. UH, YOU KNOW, AFTER THE GAME. SIMPLY JUST ASKED HER, WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM THAT? WHERE'S THAT CAME OUT OF HER MOUTH? IS THE DECISIONS THAT I MAKE DON'T ONLY AFFECT ME, IT AFFECTS MY TEAM AS WELL. SO YOU KNOW THAT THAT JUST THAT MEANT EVERYTHING TO ME THAT YEAR. JUST LIKE IF A KID A 14, 15 YEAR OLD KID CAN ARTICULATE SOMETHING LIKE THAT. UM, SHE'S LEARNING IT. IT CHANGED ME A LOT BECAUSE IT WAS LIKE, I KNEW THAT SCHOOL WAS A SERIOUS SOMETHING SERIOUS THAT I HAD TO REALLY FOCUS ON BEFORE ME BEING ABLE TO PLAY SPORTS. SO, LIKE THAT, THAT HIM DOING THAT TO ME MADE ME FEEL BETTER AS A PERSON. SO LIKE KNOWING THAT I MUST TAKE SCHOOL SERIOUS IN ORDER FOR ME TO PLAY ANY TYPE OF SPORTS. UM, WELL, ALL OF OUR COACHES STAY ON US ABOUT IT'S ALWAYS SCHOOL FIRST. LIKE, IF WE DON'T LIKE IF WE'RE NOT DOING GOOD IN SCHOOL, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO CARRY IT OUT IN BASKETBALL. SO THEY TAKE. SCHOOL VERY SERIOUS. AND THEN WHEN IT COMES TO THE BASKETBALL COURT, IT'S JUST THEY JUST PUSH US TO BE THE BEST PERSON THAT WE CAN. YOU KNOW, JUST GOTTEN US THROUGH THAT WHOLE PROCESS. WHAT BASKETBALL. AT FIRST I WAS NERVOUS, BUT PLAYING WITH OUR TEAM. IT'S JUST ALL THE NERVES WENT AWAY. LIKE IT'S NOTHING TO BE NERVOUS ABOUT NOW. SO IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU'RE JUST ONE OF MAYBE A HANDFUL OF TEAMS TO WIN THREE STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS. YEAH, THERE'S ONLY BEEN SIX PROGRAMS IN THE HISTORY TO WIN THREE IN A ROW IN THE STATE OF OHIO. IN THE STATE OF OHIO. YEP. CORRECT. AND LAST YEAR WHEN WE WON OUR SECOND ONE, WE WERE THE FIRST TEAM EVER TO WIN, UM, BACK TO BACK STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS IN TWO SEPARATE DIVISIONS. BEFORE COMING HERE, I ACTUALLY WASN'T DOING TOO WELL IN BASKETBALL. I JUST WASN'T I WASN'T FEELING LIKE I WAS BEING COACHED TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY. SO. AFTER COMING HERE, I ACTUALLY RECEIVED MY FIRST DIVISION ONE OFFER. AND SO THAT WAS REALLY EXCITING. AND I COMMITTED TO CANISIUS UNIVERSITY OVER THE SUMMER. SO THAT WAS REALLY EXCITING. AND I JUST WANT TO THANK ALL THE COACHES FOR THAT, BECAUSE WITHOUT THEIR HELP, I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO WHAT I'M DOING NOW. I'M JUST A PERSON OF ACCOUNTABILITY. SO WHEN WHENEVER SOMEONE DOES SOMETHING WRONG, I'M GOING TO LET YOU KNOW ABOUT IT. YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE ME AT THAT VERY MOMENT, BUT AT SOME POINT IN YOUR LIFE, WHETHER IT'S THE NEXT DAY OR WHETHER IT'S TEN YEARS FROM NOW, YOU'RE GOING TO APPRECIATE ME HOLDING YOU ACCOUNTABLE BECAUSE YOU KNOW THE REAL WORLD JUST DOESN'T ALLOW FOR EXCUSES. SO I'M NOT ABOUT TO ALLOW YOU TO MAKE EXCUSES IN THIS PROGRAM. THEY'RE NOT LIKE JUST COACHES. LIKE YOU COULD TALK TO THEM LIKE. ABOUT SCHOOL, ABOUT LIFE, AND THEY'LL HELP YOU LIKE THEY HAVE. THEY GIVE GREAT ADVICE AND THEN THEY HELP YOU ON AND OFF THE FLOOR, ESPECIALLY COACH TREE. UM, SHE'S. PROBABLY ONE OF THE COACHES THAT GETS ON ME THE MOST ON THE COURT, OFF THE COURT, IN SCHOOL. AND YEAH, I JUST LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU BECAUSE THEY KEEP US TOGETHER. SO I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE, WE ARE JUST SO BLESSED TO HAVE THE GROUP THAT WE HAVE. JAMAL ALWAYS SAYS, LIKE, THEY'RE GOOD BASKETBALL PLAYERS, BUT THEY'RE EVEN BETTER PEOPLE. UM, AND IT'S EASY TO HAVE A PROGRAM LIKE WE HAVE WHEN YOU HAVE KIDS LIKE THAT. LIKE YOU SAID, HALF THE TIME WE DON'T EVEN HAVE TO COMMUNICATE ANYTHING BECAUSE THEY ALREADY BEAT US TO THE PUNCH OR OR IF WE'RE RUNNING A FEW MINUTES BEHIND WITH ATHLETIC DIRECTOR BUSINESS, THEY'RE ALREADY GETTING PRACTICE STARTED AND WE DON'T EVEN HAVE TO SAY ANYTHING TO THEM. SO WE'RE REALLY LUCKY TO HAVE THIS GROUP. SINCE MY JUNIOR YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL, I KNEW I WANTED TO BE A COACH. I JUST KNOW WHAT THE COACHES WHO CAN'T COME IN MY LIFE. I KNOW WHAT IT WHAT THE GAME OF BASKETBALL DID FOR ME. SO I KNEW I WAS. I'M FIVE FOOT SIX, 130 POUNDS. I KNEW I WASN'T GOING TO THE NBA, SO I WAS LIKE, HEY, I'M. BUT I KNEW I WAS ALSO A BASKETBALL LIFER. I WAS GOING TO BE AROUND A GAME OF BASKETBALL IN SOME CAPACITY FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. GREAT. GREAT. TODAY IS DON SHERMAN. DON IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CINCINNATI BLACK THEATER COMPANY, CELEBRATING ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY. HE IS ALSO THE EXECUTIVE PRODUCER AND DIRECTOR OF RL PAGEANTS UNLIMITED, NOW CELEBRATING ACTUALLY 44 YEARS FOR ONE PAGEANT, 34 FOR A SECOND, ONE. FIRST OF ALL, IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU AS ALWAYS. IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU AS WELL. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. LET'S TALK ABOUT THE THE CINCINNATI BLACK THEATER COMPANY. WE'RE GOING TO START WITH THAT BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN, UH, I MEAN, YOUR PASSION FOR THEATER AND THE ARTS TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT. YEAH. UM, UH, 25 YEARS AGO OR SO, I ACTUALLY DIRECTED MANY PRODUCTIONS FOR ARTS CONSORTIUM AND WAS A PART OF OTHER THEATER COMPANIES. BUT THERE WAS A FEW AFRICAN AMERICAN THEATER COMPANIES AROUND, BUT THEY PHASED OUT FOLKS THAT RAN. THOSE WERE BECAME ELDERLY. SO I WENT TO THEM AND I ASKED PERMISSION IF I COULD START A THEATER COMPANY BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO DO IT, KNOWING THAT THERE WERE A COUPLE IN CINCINNATI AND THE LONGEST RUNNING ONE AT THE TIME WAS THE FREE THEATER UNDER TONY DAVIS. AND CHARLES HOLMAN. SO THEY ALL GAVE ME PERMISSION. YEAH, SURE. SOME LOOKED AT ME AND LAUGHED. WHY ARE YOU ASKING? NO ONE'S EVER ASKED US THAT, I SAID, BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING I FEEL WE NEEDED. ONCE I RECEIVE THEIR PERMISSION, THEN THAT'S WHEN I STARTED THE CINCINNATI BLACK THEATER COMPANY. I THINK SOMETIMES PEOPLE MIGHT NOT FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT'S ABOUT. AND REALLY SEEKING THE PERMISSION OF THOSE WHO COME BEFORE YOU AND NOT DISRESPECTING THEM. YOU MENTIONED OUR MUTUAL FRIEND TONY DAVIS. HE WAS ONE OF MY MENTORS, AS WELL AS LONG AS WELL AS WITH ROBERT O'NEAL. YEAH. CHARLES HOLMES, THEY WERE ALL MY MENTORS, BUT I LEARNED QUITE A BIT FROM TONY DAVIS IN TERMS OF HIS VISION OF PRODUCTIONS AND THE DIRECTION THAT HE WOULD GO IS WASN'T SOMETHING THAT YOU COULD READ IN A BOOK TO FIGURE OUT HOW HE WENT ABOUT, BUT HE HAD A WAY OF JUST REACHING AND TALKING WITH YOU AND BRINGING THINGS OUT OF YOU. THAT DESCRIPTION YOU GAVE OF TONY ALSO REMINDS ME OF OUR MUTUAL FRIEND BOB HUMPHRIES. OH, DEFINITELY. HE WILL TALK TO YOU VERY QUIETLY AND GET A LOT OF THINGS OUT OF YOU. AND SO HE'S GOTTEN OUT OF YOU TO SORT OF TAKE OVER, UH, YOU KNOW, AND I SAY SORT OF BECAUSE BOB'S HAND IS STILL IN THERE. YES. UM, THE RL H UH, PAGEANTS UNLIMITED AND, UH, THE RL THOSE ARE HIS INITIALS. UH, ROBERT L HUMPHRIES. UH, HE STARTED THIS, UM, BACK IN 1980, WHERE HE SAID, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THESE PAGEANTS, THE MISS BLACK CINCINNATI PAGEANT AT THE TIME, AND THEN YEARS LATER, HE BROUGHT IN THE TEENY TEENY PAGEANTS IS PROBABLY THE BEST WAY TO PUT IT IS I LOOK AT SOME THAT ONE OF ONE OF THE PAGEANT CONTESTS, SAINTS SHE'S THE MAYOR OF OF OAKLAND IN IN CALIFORNIA. UM, WE HAVE LAWYERS, DOCTORS, JUDGES, UM, ENGINEERS, UH, TEACHERS. UM, UH, THOSE THAT ARE IN POLITICS. WHAT BOB HAS DONE IS HE IT'S LIKE A FAMILY. HE BRINGS A FAMILY TOGETHER. THEY ALL CALL HIM DAD BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY HE IS. I WORKED IN THE BACKGROUND FOR OVER 30 YEARS. JUST SEEING THE MOVEMENT. I WAS VERY QUIET. I CAME IN, DID WHAT I NEEDED TO DO. AS FAR AS THE BACKGROUND. BUT AS YOU SAID, BOB WALKS UP TO ME AND SAID, DON, I JUST BEEN THINKING ABOUT SOMETHING. AND WITH MR. HUMPHRIES, EVERYONE KNOWS YOU CAN'T SAY NO TO HIM. THE EVENT IS COMING UP. IT'S APRIL THE 6TH AT 2 P.M. IS WHEN IT STARTS AT CORINTHIAN BAPTIST CHURCH. IF YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION, YOU CAN ALWAYS GO TO CINCINNATI BLACK THEATER. ORG. ALL THE INFORMATION IS THERE. YOU CAN BUY YOUR TICKETS FROM THERE YOU HAVE DIRECTIONS. FROM THERE. WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO TO TAKE PART IN THAT. AND AND DON, IT'S ALWAYS GOOD SEEING YOU. IT'S GOOD SEEING YOU AS WELL. DON'T ANSWER THE PHONE FROM BOB HUMPHRIES. YEAH, HE PROBABLY HAS SOMETHING ELSE FOR US TO DO. MOST DEFINITELY. SO TRUE. HEY, AND FINALLY, TODAY I WANT TO GIVE A BIG SHOUT OUT TO THE STUDENTS AT HERITAGE HILL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, A FOURTH GRADE CLASS, ALONG WITH SEVERAL MENTORS, PAID A VISIT TO WLWT RECENTLY AND SAT IN ON A TAPING OF LET'S TALK CINCY KIKI PUBLISHING HAS PARTNERED WITH ADOPT A CLASS THIS YEAR. THE GOAL IS TO BUILD A MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIP AND MAKE VALUABLE DIFFERENCES IN THE LIVES OF THESE STUDENTS. THE KIDS WERE GREAT, A LOT OF FUN, AND SOME OF THEM WILL MAKE GREAT REPORTERS SOMEDAY BECAUSE THEY ASKED SOME VERY, VERY TOUGH QUESTIONS. ONES I'M ALWAYS PROUD TO SEE YOUNG PEOPLE EAGER TO LEARN AND ADULTS, OF COURSE, LEADING THE WAY. WELL, THAT DOES IT FOR THE PROGRAM TODAY. THANKS FOR JOINING US. I'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME FOR ANOTHER EDITION OF LET'S TALK CINCY.