Kamil Gower and welcome to Bridge Builders. Bridge Builders is more than a term or phrase. It’s the personification of mentors, community leaders, institutions, business people, Minister ears and everyday people from all walks of life. A docu series created with the passion
for storytelling about people who have made significant impacts on society, changing the course of history, enriching lives throughout the decades. This episode will feature members of the Triad will begin with Robert Brown, a major player in affairs of state on the world
stage, corporate consulting and the civil rights movement. Then a look back in history of the Quakers pivotal role in the Underground Railroad, risking their lives, assisting slaves on their path to freedom, Told by Dr. Max Carter and Dr.
Adrian Israel will also feature Shirley Fry and Judge Henry Fry, a dynamic couple who have been pillars of the community for decades, influencing and shaping lives, inspiring many then Bishop, Sir Walter Mack Jr, who’s not only a minister but also a well-respected
community leader and force of nature. Dismantling racial injustices. These bridge builders not only shattered the glass ceiling, they kicked it in. We’ll be right back with their amazing stories after these messages. Kids, no matter who they are, what color they are,
and what religion they belong to, they need to know where they come from and who those people were who paved the way for them. Everybody has a place in America. We need to know that
And respect that because this is the greatest country on earth and we need to make sure that our young people know that and know what their histories know how we got to where we are. Fox Eight’s Celebration of Black History Month, sponsored by High Point University.
High Point University is the premiere life Skills university, where student transformation is focused on personal initiative and extraordinary career outcomes. High Point University gives you 1,000,001 amazing opportunities. What life skills truly means is being able to go to the level above.
You learn from the textbooks. An understanding of knowledge, yes. But then you have to take it and apply it. That practicality just made sense to me. The opportunities available here are unlike any other school. Choose to be extraordinary at High Point University.
These were dangerous times for black men and women in South Africa, in the Deep South. It is a dog whistle for Confederate C, keeping things the way they were. Leaders of the white minority marginalized, terrorize the black majority with murders, beatings, bombing and torture.
This story of the Underground Railroad, the fact that it was a massive interracial civil disobedience movement. All of this is important. The racist in the apartheid government were well aware of my friendship with their high profile prisoner resistance leader Nelson Mandela.
Today, we face major issues that challenge our own morals, that challenge our own ability to find the courage. My suggestion to you is to do what you think is right. We begin the show with Robert Brown, a native of High Point
and perhaps one of the most famous people you’ve never heard of. Amongst his peers, he’s well regarded as an American treasure. His many achievements in the federal government, education, business and the tumultuous 1960s civil rights movements
has left an unmatched legacy throughout history that most mere mortals could only dream of. He’s lived a rare life having a ringside view to a number of historic moments, creating positive changes within the system, whether it was the government or Fortune
500 companies convincing Wall Street and former presidents. It’s not always a fight between Republicans and Democrats, he says. It’s a fight for black folks and the needs of our communities. We ought to be about the business of protecting the interests of black people.
He’s known in every corner of the world, but can fit in with anyone, any color. Heads of state to the average person from gifting South African children with a cargo ship of books during the apartheid era
to a multitude of countless other compassionate missions. He’s undoubtedly a giant amongst men and highly respected worldwide. Meet Robert Brown, bridge Builder with Carol Andrews. Bob Brown’s life reads like a well-crafted novel, one full of high stakes meetings with world leaders,
political adversaries, a stint with the FBI, and even an unlikely partnership with an American president. Not only did Bob Brown stand at the doorstep of historical social change, he was one of the architects. There’s something about love that builds up and is creative.
MARTIN Who had said there’s something about hate that tears down and it’s destructive. So love your enemies. He lived that belief, as did Nelson Mandela, and they moved mountains. As for me, I stayed mostly in the shadows and did not seek the limelight.
My job, as I saw it, was to offer my help wherever it was needed to work quietly to bring differing people together for a greater good. Working for the greater good was always at the forefront of each chapter in Brown’s storied career,
something that was ingrained in him as a child by his grandmother, Nellie. She said, God is going to take you where you can’t even dream, so you just keep on trusting in the Lord and being the best person you can be every day of your life.
She said God would take care of you. She said he would raise you where you can’t dream of, boy. So you just do what you need to do. Brown’s first job, a police officer with the High Point Police department.
He accepted the position while enrolled as a sophomore at North Carolina and State University. He says it was a first step on what would become an incredible journey. His stellar work on the force quickly moved him up the ranks
And drew the interest of the FBI after he assisted on one of the bureau’s local cases. Not long after, Brown officially joined the FBI and his work as a federal agent soon caught the attention of Bobby Kennedy,
who invited Bob Brown to join his presidential campaign. I was working with Bobby Kennedy when he was running for president, and he came and followed me one night to see me make a case on the Mafia.
And when he decided to run for president, he told me, I’m going to run, but I need to help and so forth. And I said, You got it. You know? And we started running with that until he was killed. By this time,
Brown was widely recognized as an experienced bridge builder throughout business and political circles. The skill set would land him at the forefront of the civil rights movement alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Let the nation and the world. We are tired now.
We are going to up nonviolently and peacefully to make real the promises of democracy. Now we have the power to make justice a reality for all across the country and eventually at the White House. So you’re going around the country,
You’re making contacts, you’re in your car. You’re doing all of this. And that land you with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I got some corporate people for you. Others that I knew a lot of people to donate money to.
And they had no money and they were desperate in many instances. So that made you in that time of your life a connector. And do you find that was your calling? I found out that I was pretty good at that.
I’d go to the civil rights meetings and then I would go there and ask them, see what they’re doing, and see how I could be helpful, how I could be helpful to resolve things, how I could be helpful
to get black people jobs that they’d never had before. And working with the corporations to infuse black people in jobs and get contracts and everything else, then the companies would see how it would help them and I would show them
I would help them. And then you get a call and there’s a need at the White House. yeah. yeah. That call came from Richard Nixon’s campaign staff at the behest of the candidate. Brown smiles at the memory of a
Republican campaign seeking help from a registered Democrat. They say, We’ve been looking for you. We want you to work with us. And I said, you know, I’m a Democrat. They said, we don’t care what you are.
We just want your contacts and your brain and your skills. And I said, well, you know, I’m you know, I don’t know what I want to do. I never done anything like this for the Republican Party. And so I went to lunch with them,
and a lunch lasted about four or 5 hours. It ended up where I told them that I’m not going to change my registration, but I will work with two guys I work with to two days a week. Two days a week
turned into four days the first week. And from then on it was one thing and another. Bob Brown would become special assistant to the President during Nixon’s first term in office, creating the Office of Minority Business Enterprise,
advocating for increased aid to historically black colleges and universities, and increasing the number of black officers in the military. And so you were with President Nixon, then you got a call from the president of South Africa to at the height of apartheid.
Brown met with then South African President P.W. Botha during this highly charged moment in history. Brown’s reputation as a skillful intermediary helped lay the foundation for Nelson Mandela’s release. On one occasion, when I was down there, President Borgia,
who was one of the architects of apartheid, the worst segregationist on earth, sent two of his security people to tell me that he wanted to see me before I left his country. And I thought maybe they wanted to kill me.
I mean, that’s what I had initially thought. I mean, he asked me all kinds of questions about apartheid, about what I had seen in his country. But at various times during that conversation, he got really upset with me
because I told him what freedom was like. What gave you the boldness to speak your mind? Because I felt that I needed to for all those people who were living there under great oppression. And I felt that God had brought me
to this moment where I had to speak the truth. I said, If I have to lose my life, I have to lose my life. So walk me through the gates of that prison like I’m beside you. And you were going to meet Mr. Mandela.
God is gonna be stuck. Who are you? My name is Robert Brown. I’m here to see Mr. Mandela. Those guys with guns. All the gate says, Open the gate. Mr. Brown is here. Somebody pushed the door. just like that. Bam!
And although I know they’re going to kill me now, I knew this. So this big, tall, Afrikaner white guy walks out. He stretches his hand out to me. He says, Mr. Brown, we’re going to pull him out of prison. You’re so welcome, sir.
Thank you for coming. I’m the chief warden here. And I’m having Mr. Mandela brought down from his cell right now. He came in the room. He came in the room. He walked in. He says, Bob Brown, thank you. Thank you for coming.
And thank you for what you’re doing for my family. See, I had brought his daughter, the nanny, who’s now ambassador to South Korea, and her husband, Prince Moosa, who was the son of the king of Swaziland and their three children. here to go to school.
He was expressing how grateful he was to me, not only for bringing his children. He had heard some kind of way to change things in South Africa. When you hear the word bridge builder looking at the scope of your life,
what does that mean to you? If you build a bridge. You’re trying to help somebody. That’s what we’re supposed to be about. That’s what the world is supposed to be about. Though the storied life of Bob Brown is still being written, it’s safe to say
that this bridge builder is ready for the next chapter. Those old sound I used to sing in the church. Go to church. I want to be ready. I want to be ready. I want to be ready when the Lord calls me home.
And that’s what I want to do. I want to be ready. When I think of Black History Month and the pioneers that have come before me, I ask myself two very important questions. What can I do and what will I do?
I can have limitless possibilities and I will be a beacon of light for others to follow. Fox Age proudly Celebrates Black History Month, sponsored by the North Carolina Education Lottery. College is very expensive.
When I found out I had the Carolina Education Lottery Scholarship, I was overjoyed. I knew that this scholarship would help me to continue my dream of my education. Better we can provide education for our future generations. Better the future will be.
We were so blessed to have this new school. The funds that we receive from the North Carolina education lottery were a huge part of that. A college education means pretty much everything to me. You know, I can do this. Early in the morning.
Every minute counts. That’s why we give you a forecast every 8 minutes. Why wait? Get your weather every 8 minutes. Weekday mornings from 5 to 7 a.m. only on the fox eight morning news. Start local. Stay local.
Fox eight proudly celebrates Black History Month. Join us Monday at 730 as we honor the achievements and legacies of African Americans in the Triad honoring Black history Monday at 7:30 p.m. on Fox eight. away all away by every day.
look of the speaker the chance to discover the Suez Canal together. So this starts the day. Well, now embark on a riveting journey through the dynamic history of multiracial civil disobedience. The Society of Friends was founded in England
by George Fox and others in the early 1600s, and 1650. According to Fox, Justice Bennett of Darby called them Quakers because, quote, We bid them tremble at the word of God. They referred to themselves as children of the Light
and friends of the truth. Their faith was considered so fanatical in England that they were tormented for it. Their search for religious freedom led them to the Americas in the mid 1650s, settling in Pennsylvania and other eastern states.
The Quakers Crusade to abolish slavery began in the late 1600s. Many people think that any house owned by a Quaker was a stop on the Underground Railroad. William Wells Brown, a self liberated slave who later worked for the Underground Railroad
and became a novelist, once wrote No Fugitive was ever betrayed by a Quaker. Carol Andrews talks with Underground Railroad scholars Dr. Max Carter and Dr. Adrian Israel. Retired Guilford College professors who will explain the crucial role of the Society of Friends.
The Underground Railroad, formed to help slaves from the South escaped to freedom, consisted of dozens of safe houses along covert routes, extending all the way to the Canadian and Mexican borders. Volunteer conductors, with little regard for their own
lives, broke laws to guide runaways to safety. The success of the railroad depended on cooperation and trust between both black and white abolitionist. Some were runaway slaves who came back to rescue those left behind. Others were free.
Blacks who risked being enslaved. A third part of this organized movement Quakers, whites who stood to lose just as much. As a matter of faith and justice. Dr. Max Carter. Welcome to Bridge Builders. We are talking building bridges about a subject people
don’t normally talk about, and that is the Underground Railroad. The participation of not just one group of people, but a lot of people. And you have been studying the Quaker connection? I have, right, In part because I am a Quaker
and my great great grandparents were conductors on the Underground Railroad up in Indiana. And I grew up in an area in Indiana that was one of the main stations, the routes that went through Indiana to Canada.
Dr. Israel, what a bridge you’re building. You’re looking at times that we don’t even talk about much anymore. And that’s the time of slavery. Tell me about your mission. I’m trying to recreate the Underground Railroad as a historical event or to say a development
and to bring in as much as possible the various elements, all the people, groups of people who were involved, and to really examine how they worked together, the networks, especially the free African-Americans or free black people, as they were called at that time,
Who were part of the Underground Railroad in the Piedmont. I came here to work at Guilford College, which is the center of Quakerism in this part of the country. There were many stories around all the time about Levi and the Quakers.
Levi Coffin got his start as an abolitionist at age seven, bringing food to fugitives, hiding out on his family’s North Carolina farm. He grew up to be a successful merchant and as a stationmaster, helped more than 3300 slaves reach free states. When you think of
that time and what people were doing, there was a whole different sense of humanity. For Quakers, it came from a theological belief that there’s that light of God in everyone. It’s the root of our radical understanding of equality, that everyone’s radically equal
because there’s that light of God in everyone. We take John’s gospel pretty seriously. In 1850, Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act, which made the hunting down of escaped slaves. Even in free states, legal. Freelance bounty hunters were employed, and abuses
Like the abduction of freeborn blacks was common. At the very least, any person aiding a runaway slave with food or shelter was liable to six months in jail. Seizure of property and a $500 penalty. The Underground Railroad was created to circumvent that law.
This was a massive interracial civil disobedience movement that doesn’t get the credit it ought to because we think more about the civil rights period of the 1950s, the bus boycott in Montgomery, the sit ins right here in Greensboro at the Woolworth’s.
But 150 years before that, there was this massive interracial civil disobedience movement of blacks and whites, various denominations and non denominations working together in this unlawful activity. They did have connections so that the networks were informal. They had to be.
They left very few records. They had to do that in order to protect themselves. But there is evidence, I’m finding it very slowly but surely in the court records where they would accuse people of Negro stealing, as they called it, who were actually helping
people escape. And they were connected with others. And those connections, I’m saying that’s what’s exciting about this. Those connections were essential as the Quakers needed to stay in constant communication with members of the underground to move escapees
along the routes as quickly as possible, despite the constantly changing risks. In my research, I’ve seen evidence of how when one family couldn’t take care of the Fugees knew they would signal other folk who would come in and take care of them.
People had each other’s backs. You can’t do this alone. When you take a look at the history of the Underground Railroad, the risks people took, I mean, this was life and death for a lot of folk. The Quakers were indeed a tight knit community
Held together by a belief that they had to live each moment by the tenets of their religion, rules to live by that were challenged by the dangerous activities in which they were involved. People had to be very clever because especially among Quakers,
There were these very important testimonies that we have. One is peace. Slavery is a violent institution. It’s maintained by violence. And so the Quaker peace testimony said you’ve got to avoid all manner of violence, including you can’t use violence to protect those folks
that you are harboring if you’re a conductor. But you also have this testimony of integrity, of truth telling. You don’t tell lies. You’re supposed to be truthful at all times. So how do you keep all those balls in the air?
One of the stories that always intrigues me has to do with the slave wagons, the use of young boys in pottery. Can you talk to me about that? One of the great stories of the use of those false
bottom wagons that Levi Coffin had won and he was transporting two fugitives, passengers, I guess he called them in his false bottom wagon from, you know, his station on to the next. He stopped by a slave chase
who doesn’t have the proper papers to check it out. But figures a Quaker is going to be honest, this integrity thing. So if I ask him a direct question, he’s got to answer me honestly. And that day, fortunately, Levi Coffin was carrying
some clay pots in the cargo bay of this wagon and the slave chaser makes the mistake of asking him this direct question. Okay. Cause I know what you’re up to. What are you really carrying in the bottom of that wagon?
Coffin looks back at his clay pots and says, Earthen vessels. I’m just carrying earthen vessels. Which clay pots are that? So are we. So again, it’s that you had to be clever. You didn’t want to lie. You couldn’t
Betray the folk who were there in that secret compartment. Help from the Underground Railroad was critical, but the path to freedom was still daunting for those trying to escape from here, where we’re taping this in the Piedmont of North Carolina
to the next free state, it’s about 450 miles. The first passengers, the Underground railroad here that we know of, John DEMAREE in 1819, took six weeks to make that trip from here to Indiana. And you don’t have maps. There’s no GPS and you’re walking stick.
You’ve got bloodhounds that may be on your way. You’re traveling by night. You’re sleeping by day. There aren’t roads. There are vigilante groups, headhunters in every little town. There aren’t highways. How do you get from here to there?
You’ve been kept illiterate by law, So you can’t read maps. You can’t read instructions. You’ve been told orally that if you get to a fork in the road, if you’re on the Underground Railroad, which fork you take is crucial.
You know, there’s going to be a tree next to that fork with a nail three feet above ground on the side that you take. They disguise themselves very effectively. They use a disguise of being free black people.
That was one of the main ways discovering that people escaped. They would change clothes, take off the slave rags and put on garments that they had taken from their so-called owners to disguise themselves as normal travelers.
They would hide in the woods, but they would take the roads, They would go with travelers and they would have counterfeit papers. I found that extremely important as the abolitionist movement grew, some Quaker leaders began to question whether their involvement
in unlawful activities at any level was still in keeping with their religious beliefs. There were many Quakers involved in the Underground Railroad and resisting, but there were also many who said no. In fact, we cannot break the law.
You are a bridge builder in that this is a conversation most people don’t have and they never will have. How important is it to you to get this story told, this story of the Underground Railroad
and how people kept all those balls in the air? The fact that it was a massive interracial civil disobedience movement, all of this is important because today we face major issues that challenge our own morals, that challenge our own ability
to find the courage We need these stories to encourage us. These stories illustrate it, that we need to be able to speak truth to power in our day. I’m Justice Henry Fry. What it means to me is it’s the time to bring
to the attention of people and people of all colors, the contributions that African-Americans have made to this country and to the world. And what’s a year, whether it’s a week or a month or two weeks, it’s just important to
to reflect upon those accomplishment. Foxy, in celebration of Black History Month, is sponsored by Honda Dealers of the Carolinas. Excitement comes standard with the Honda Accord, and so does a turbocharged engine, sophisticated yet high tech style that enhances functionality.
Standout with the Honda Accord from Honda the most awarded brand in car driver ten Best history. Contact your Honda dealer today or shop online. These were dangerous times for black men and women in South Africa, in the Deep South.
It is a dog whistle for Confederate C, keeping things the way they were. Leaders of the white minority marginalized, terrorize the black majority with murders, beatings, bombing and torture. This story of the Underground Railroad, the fact that it was a massive interracial civil
disobedience movement. All of this is important. The racist in the apartheid government were well aware of my friendship with their high profile prisoner resistance leader Nelson Mandela. Today, we face major issues that challenge our own morals,
That challenge our own ability to find the courage. My suggestion to you is to do what you think is right. Join us in celebrating just as Henry and Shirley Fry, a powerhouse couple whose list of firsts is as long as their commitment
to justice and equality from civic leadership to groundbreaking legal achievements. Their journey began as students of North Carolina and State University. Their wedding day, marked by a voting rights denial, ignited a lifelong crusade against Jim Crow laws.
Henry Frye’s trailblazing path after graduating law school led him to become a key figure in dismantling the very laws that once oppressed him. Shirley Fry boldly led the desegregation of Greensburg’s YWCA, establishing a model for YWCA nationwide.
She also earned North Carolina’s highest civilian award, the Order of the Longleaf Pine, an award for persons who have made significant contributions to the state and their communities through their exemplary service and exceptional accomplishments. The captivating story of the Fries, whose enduring
love and shared dedication to equality not only shaped their extraordinary journey, but also stood as a testament to the value of a resilient family unit. Here’s Carole Andrews with Henry and Shirley Fry, a couple who embody the ethos of bridge
builders and their relentless fight for equality. With a love story spanning nearly 65 years, Henry and Shirley Fry are the hallmark of partnership. Tell me how you met. You can believe me. I believe you. He was a sophomore here
to L.A., and I came as a freshman and I decided to join the debating team. And Henry was already on there. And we had the annual freshman sophomore debate. And I cannot remember what we were arguing.
But what I can remember is that they selected the best speaker. And who was the best speaker here? A young lady named Service. He asked me for a to go to a dance club with his fraternity, Kappa Alpha.
And then we started dating from that point on. You guys were together a lot, but then you were also in the Air Force, so you had to go away. Tell me about that time, please. First of all, I got a commission as a lieutenant
In the United States Air Force, and of course, I had to serve. So I went to Korea and serve some time in Korea, but not long, because my unit was transferred to Japan. She wrote a letter to me every day.
The two married shortly after college and briefly settled in Henry’s hometown of Ellerbe, North Carolina. When Henry asked me to marry him. I asked him not to get involved in politics and to take me to his hometown of Ellerby. He asked me
why was it that I didn’t want him to get involved in politics? And my answer was I didn’t know whether I could take the criticism that comes with politics. And his response to me was, if you’re not doing anything, you’ll be criticized.
If you’re doing something, you’ll be criticized. So my suggestion to you is to do what you think is right. And we made a pact that we would always discuss things with each other before we did that. And that’s what we did.
That pact had more than just talking to each other. It was time that you were going to spend with each other. Whatever we did on the weekend, it would be with family, with with each other and no matter what. And I broke the pact.
I was elected to the National Board of the What if you see it? The meetings were in New York and I would have to leave Greensboro on Thursday and come back on Sunday. And here we were.
And I told him that I couldn’t sleep when I was in New York and that in order for me to do a good job, I supported the love for him to come and join me. Because if he he was also practicing law
and if he could join me. And so he said, well, you know, I think about that. And so he did. Despite their decision for Henry not to get involved in politics, an unexpected turn of events put them
not only inside politics, but on the front line. I really had no intention in the beginning of of getting into politics. Fry had been denied his voter registration. On his wedding day, he failed a so-called literacy test
That history would show as a Jim Crow era suppression tactic designed to keep blacks away from the polls. That incident and the encouragement of others served as the catalyst of Fry’s legislative career. We had two or three bucks to run for the legislature
and they lost. So we had no African-American at that time. They hadn’t had it for a long time in the legislature. So I decided after several friends asked me to run and I ran for the legislature. And guess what?
I lost the first time. So without going into all the detail. Two years later, I ran and won. That moment in time would mark the beginning of many major achievements for Henry Fry. His election to the North Carolina General
Assembly in 1968 made him the first African-American to hold a seat since the 1800s, the first in the 20th century. It was quite different going to the legislature because in addition to that, I was already doing
a lot of other things, including trying to open a bank. In 1983, after more than a decade in the state legislature, Fry accomplished another first, the first African-American sworn in as a North Carolina Supreme Court justice.
Yet it would be another six years before the history books would document his biggest career achievement ever. I, Henry Fry, do solemnly and sincerely swear, do solemnly and sincerely swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States, that I will support
the Constitution of the United States, that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to the state of North Carolina, and I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to the state of North Carolina. So help me God. Congratulations, Mr. Chief Justice.
With Shirley by his side, Henry Fry took his oath as chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court in 1999, making him the first African-American in North Carolina state history to ever hold that position. Most of you know that I grew on a farm now living
in Richmond County. A farmer told me that when you see a turtle sitting atop a fencepost, you know that he didn’t get there by himself. I know that I didn’t get here by myself. I mean, I had a lot of help along the way.
Mother and father, who without a high school education, worked hard to provide a decent life for their children. They taught us not to give up when the going is tough. Some excellent teachers who believed in me
and told me that I could be whatever I wanted to be. Always teaching, always sharing. But you were the first. And that means a lot to a lot of people. So when you talk about it, how do you describe being the first?
One of the things that I tried to do while I was there was trying to get people generally and especially African-Americans and other minorities and so forth, to believe that they could make a difference and they could improve themselves,
but they could also go to higher offices and things of that nature that it was open to everybody. But you have to work for it. I spent a lot of time meeting with small groups of people to talk about
what needs to be done and how to get it there. I hope that made a positive difference. Both of you have paved the way for so many. Talk about what it means to be a bridge builder. I think that God placed me
on this earth to serve and not to be served. And we’ve been blessed many, many times. So I want other people to be just as happy and at peace as I have been. And so whenever I see
An opportunity to do something, I just do it. And I think about a bridge builder and I start thinking about Henry, because in his home town, there is a bridge named for Henry. And I say, he’s been a bridge builder.
You look at it as being crossing over to something else. If people were to describe the fries, how would you want them to describe the two of you? I wanted to say they did the best they could do
to make the best of whatever came before them. I feel that whatever ability you have that will help people, you should use it and use it well. Use it wisely, but use it with significant. Black History Month holds a profound significance for me.
This month is a time to reflect on achievements, resilience and invaluable contributions of the black community. We stand committed to fostering a police force that serves and protects all members of our diverse community, ensuring justice and respect for every individual, regardless of their background.
Together, let us honor the past, acknowledge the present, and work towards a future of true equality and inclusivity. Fox eight Celebration of Black History Month is sponsored by Biscuit Ville celebrating Black History Month. That Biscuit bill has been a tradition of ours for over a decade.
Our bookmarks highlight outstanding local and nationally known African-Americans. We are honored to share this with our guests to raise awareness around the unlimited achievements and contributions African-Americans have made. We are pleased to continue this tradition
by highlighting an incredible contributor, as well as an outstanding restaurant operator. We do this to express our appreciation and gratitude to all who richly add to our communities. Early in the morning. Every minute counts.
That’s why we give you a forecast every 8 minutes. Why wait? Get your weather every 8 minutes. Weekday mornings from 5 to 7 a.m. only on the fox eight morning news. Start local. Stay local. Fox eight proudly celebrates Black History Month.
Join us Monday at 730 as we honor the achievements and legacies of African Americans in the Triad honoring Black history Monday at 7:30 p.m. on Fox eight. away all away by every day. look of the speaker the chance to discover the Suez
Canal together. So this starts the day. Our next bridge builder is bishop Sir Walter Lee Mack jr. Dynamic, charismatic. Spiritual lightning rod. Civic mover and Shaker. Author of four books. Recipients of numerous awards and honors.
Just a hint of what you’re in store for. Bishop mack is a committed pastor and teacher whose vision and love of God and people is expansive enough to reach the nations and microscopic enough to touch individuals on a personal level. He serves as pastor
and teacher of Union Baptist Church in Winston-Salem. Educated at Elon University and Harvard. He was a guest lecturer and roundtable participant at Oxford University and Oxford, England. He’s called upon by churches and organizations to develop strategies and formulate ministries worldwide.
Additionally, he analyzes corporate culture and imparts guidance and spirituality in the workplace and consultation and culture awareness and diversity. His Insight and skills have been used in dozens of Fortune 500 companies, and as you’ll discover, his activism as a highly respected
civic leader has changed the course of history in Winston-Salem. Now bridge Builder Bishops Walter Lee Mack Jr. With Verlander, Callaway from the outside Union Baptist in Winston-Salem. Looks like any other megachurch in the country. But take a look and a listen
to the spirit of the people on the inside. And it’s easy to understand why this church is anything but ordinary. The church’s leader, Bishop Sir Walter Mack Jr. Is a bridge builder who recognizes that in order to bring people to church
and keep them there, he must acknowledge their body, mind and spirit. I think bridge building is very important bridging gaps, building bridges to help people navigate their lives and to become the best person that they can possibly. Bishop mack earned a master of Divinity
degree from Duke University and a doctor of ministry from United Theological Seminary. He completed a continuing education program at Harvard University, which focused on economic development and community revitalization. He was also a guest lecturer and roundtable
Participant at Oxford University in Oxford, England. His global work began with international mission trips to Haiti and Israel, working with chaplains and ministers from more than 120 countries. His insight and skills have been used at Tyson Foods, American Express, his alma mater, Ilan College,
the National Urban League, the NAACP, and more. Max holistic approach ensures he and his church assist with the most basic of needs. Want to talk a little bit about all the amazing things you do here in the church to serve the people.
And part of that is making sure they’re clothed and fed and fulfilled as humans. Tell me about more about that. Years ago, we purchased some apartments for affordable housing. So we have some apartments located here on the campus,
but beside that is our food and clothing bank that last year we were able to service close to 20,000 people. The pandemic shifted so much economically and put people in a very precarious place. The COVID 19 pandemic meant the church had to step up
to serve a more diverse group of people than usual for the first time of the pandemic. I went down and I saw BMW. I saw Mercedes Benz in line for assistance. We wanted to make sure that we would rise up and that need.
Bishop mack especially wants to make a difference when it comes to young people and education. A crisis that we’re having is that we have children who can’t read from grace. One, two, three. You learn to read from grades 4 to 12.
You read to learn. And so now you have children that can’t literally read by the third grade, which becomes a pipe system to our prisons. So many people cherish Sandy School and reading about Will in the future.
There will probably be no Sunday school if we can’t get our children to read. This realization led Bishop Mack to start the Rise Up and Read initiative. Many community leaders, fraternities, sororities, business owners, churches, pastors
came together to address this issue. Many signed on to our campaign. It has been tremendous as a result of this community impact. Sandy Brown is a union Baptist member who knows firsthand why it is critical for young people
to have adults in their lives who believe in them and who step in to bridge the gaps. My father was a stern disciplinarian. He was an educator. Usually, whatever I did didn’t really measure up good enough for his standard.
So that influenced me heavily and of course, trickled over into other areas where I just didn’t feel that I was good enough. Sandy wanted to feel like she was good enough and like she belonged.
That led her to abuse alcohol and to later fall into crack cocaine addiction. I remember it clearly at a house party. I was 15 and we were dancing and somebody passed me a can of malt liquor and I drank it. It was cold.
It was good. And I felt like I was belonging in the party. Sandy was an addict for years. She abandoned her daughter and she used drugs while pregnant with her son. That was her rock bottom. It took decades, but Sandy got the treatment
she needed and has been clean for 17 years. Now she is able to help other people just like her. Through a program Bishop mack established called Corner to Corner, when he had a corner to corner conference and asked me to be a part of it.
I spoke to a group of women because I had already come through treatment and was clean. Maybe two or three years. So doing that, I felt such a surge of energy, connecting with women who were just one degree
away, removed from where I had been. Christ as to being culture. The quarter to Quantico conference came out of an experience on a Sunday morning. We were having awesome worship in the sanctuary, so much so until when I got up to preach.
Literally, I could not begin my sermon because of the enthusiasm and the power and the strength of that service. But right after church, right in back of the church. I saw a young man selling drugs. And so it hit me.
How is it that we can have all of this power in the sanctuary? You can’t reach this little brother right here selling drugs on a Sunday in the church parking lot. It is right across the street from the church. Okay? Absolutely.
Bishop mack says he prayed and asked God for direction. He was led to call a meeting with former drug dealers. I said, what do you think we can do? And we all came up with the idea of having a conference.
So we had the corner to corner drug dealers, the Street Life Conference. We met with the community. We met with guys on corners. We met with judges in our city. I met with city council and many people who didn’t think it would ever happen.
Before our first conference, we had 147 drug dealers sitting in church for three days. Talk to them about the legacy, the gift in them, making good choices and making a change in their life. And after three days, it was just absolutely awesome.
Bishop mack’s care and concern for the church community also extends to social justice. Mack was invited to speak at a meeting of city business and church leaders designed to bridge gaps and deal with race matters. He knew this was
the time to address the name of the annual County Fair. So on that particular Saturday, I mentioned that in order for us to bring this thing together, we got to deal with those symbols that represent division and Dixiecrats. Fair was one of those.
Mack followed up that meeting with a petition to have the name of the fair changed in the Deep South. It is a dog whistle for Confederacy, keeping things the way they were and racial divide. I think
we should keep the word Dixie because it’s Southern heritage. If you’re born in the South, it’s your heritage. And like the man said, back here, Gates is all over the place. If that hurt your feelings, then I don’t know what to tell you. It’s everywhere.
Thank you. My name is Sir Walter. Mike, a pastor, Junior Baptist Church, 1200 North Trade Street, live in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. When the state of Louisiana removes symbols of Dixie, when the state of Mississippi refused to sing the song Dixie when South Carolina remove it
Removes the symbol of the Dixie by the Confederate flag. When you have Alabama, who is now no longer using it as a fight song, it is time for Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to join the other states and remove Dixie from our sand. It is a symbol of hate.
It is a symbol of separation and this is your time is up. Please. I rest my case. Take your time. People sing very derogatory things on social media, about myself, about the ministry, and wanting to keep that name for heritage sake.
But I’m thankful that our city was progressive enough with the leadership of our men, the City council and other business owners to change the name Dixie Classic Fair to the Carolina Classic Fair. And it represents a broader community.
It represents family and children coming together. We’re thankful that God used us, our ministry, to spur that change and to make a difference in our city, because that’s what bridging gaps is all about. Bishop Sir Walter Mack Junior’s life
has been all about purpose and passion. Coming together. My life has been centered around one identifying what God is doing to my life, but also how I could help bridge gaps and make life better for other people,
whether inside this church, in the neighborhoods surrounding it, or the greater Winston-Salem area. Bishop Sir Walter Mack Jr. Is changing lives for the better, and that is why he is a bridge builder. We pray. Come on, let’s get the Lord and please.
Hallelujah. The world’s brightest are Fulbright, Goldwater’s McNair’s and Spartans. Prestigious doesn’t have to be expensive. UNCG find your way here. A Black History Month is really an educational one, both to remind ourselves of the historical importance
of Greensboro, but also to educate the broader community about our history in a more robust way. Black history Month also affords us a specific opportunity to reimagine our future and ask ourselves what kind of country do we want to live in?
VOX eight Celebration of Black History Month is sponsored by UNCG. The world’s brightest are Fulbright Goldwater’s McNair’s and Spartans. Prestigious doesn’t have to be expensive for UNCG. Find your way here. These were dangerous times for black
Men and women in South Africa, in the Deep South. It is a dog whistle for Confederate C, keeping things the way they were. Leaders of the white minority marginalized, terrorize the black majority with murders, beatings, bombing and torture. This story of the Underground Railroad,
The fact that it was a massive interracial civil disobedience movement. All of this is important. The racist in the apartheid government were well aware of my friendship with their high profile prisoner resistance leader Nelson Mandela. Today, we face major issues
That challenge our own morals, that challenge our own ability to find the courage. My suggestion to you is to do what you think is right. We certainly hope you’ve enjoyed the program. And remember bridge building as a symbolic pathway of opportunity.
Any one of us can make a difference as an influencer by empowering others to achieve greatness in their lives. I’d like to leave you with a passage from a poem called Building the Bridge, written in 1898 by Will Allen. Dream Girl.
The builder lifted his old, gray haired good friend in the path I have come, he said There, Follow us after me to day a youth whose feet must pass this way. This chasm that has been knocked to me,
to that fair haired youth, may have pitfall be he to must cross in the twilight dim. Good friend. I’m building this bridge for him.
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