Grip Walters good evening everybody and welcome back to another podcast with bro talk uh today’s uh special show we have a guest with us today but we’re gonna get to that in a minute um first I want to recognize my brother’s Mark Ike and balel and our special guests will
Introduce um in a second but before we even get to that how y’all brothers doing today what’s good up to a little while ago yeah yeah yeah um B man if if you wanna if you want to lead that man because um yeah um that’s a tough one
For me so I’m I’m a for all of us really yeah um but we’ll let you lead that one bro yeah so uh um just wanted to um start the show off with h a moment of silence uh for anybody I mean anybody in the city of r state of New
York and and abroad you know what I mean the name uh mother Iris banister is you know what I mean synonymous with class Grace sophistication education motherhood you know what I mean just Excellence um and uh she’s taking a rest today so um we want to just you know send send love light
Condolences prayers and you know all sorts of energy to wrap around the family but uh we wanted to just take a moment to recognize a moment of silence in her honor because again she’s met so much and so many and and all of us personally you know I know myself and
And Vincent you know go we go back to the Frederick Douglas days of Miss bister being being she was my house administrator and you know for for each you know I’m talking early 90s so uh those for for each and every life she touched man we just want to um recognize
A moment of silence and in in honor of the great mother Irish banister um thank you all for uh again if you joined in with us for that moment of silence um you know yeah that is uh like I I got the news and and got nauseous um that’s you
Know that’s how that kind of news hits you is uh like it was um it was a gut punch so um but um you know we know that uh for her her family and her children it’s you know we can only imagine you know what I mean what
That moment with what they’re going through so um as difficult is as it is for us you know we’re sending them all kinds of prayers and and energy on today man you know Simeon Ethan Tommy we love y’all again just know that we here for y’all sure B thank you for doing that
Man really do appreciate that so today’s show uh we have with us Vincent French Vincent Isaiah French and uh he’s somebody who’s been in the comments on our show uh on a very consistent basis has offered some great comments some great feedback and and asked us not too long ago like hey y
Might as just have me on the show like yeah should have you on the show because we want to hear about all the great things that you’re doing uh in the community I know that you had put out Vincent that you know you were um changing roles in going to Maro County
Public defenders office and uhu I’m reading like Uncle sh right now and as a diversity coordinator and really playing a pivotal role in inclusivity cultureal competence within the the legal system anybody that’s listening and watching knows that that is needed um 110% and also here Vincent you say that you
Strive to ensure Equitable representation and support for all communities in marro County so we want to give you a bro talk welcome welcome to the show and the first thing I think we should kick off with is just tell us a little bit about who you are I know
You know by love from Middle School Rochester we know is a small place small place had a big place you know depending on where you’re coming from but let’s just start there just you know tell us your story uh I mean where I begin I mean you
Know growing up in Rochester uh I moved here with my brothers and my sister about um 88 we came from Boston and so um I recently had a post recently where uh I connected with a social worker U she was responsible her name is Audrey Cummings she was responsible uh for our
Adoption she was doing a pass through um in Boston at the airport and saw our story on WBZ a CBS affiliate with the Jack Williams Wednesday’s Child and um came back to Rochester and at the time you know of our adoption we were very admin about us
Sticking together you know I’m a triplet so there’s there’s three know there’s three of us and I have an older brother named Govinda and an older sister named CA and typically in those cases you know they split you up and let God figure it out and so um you know that was my
Assumption that’s you know that’s my prior knowledge but when I really connected with Audrey cumings recently I really kind of heard the scope of that and she and she confirmed it she said you know you guys are going to be going like one of Y was going be going to
Kentucky another one California like they were gonna split y’ triplets up y one of yonna go down to Atlanta two of y’all was gonna go to Connecticut like there was nothing like in Massachusetts or in New York that was you know Gonna Keep Us Together so gratefully we we you
Know my mom my my adopted mom Linda French and her late husband her first late husband Arnold French uh thought it well to open up their home and hearts uh and adopt us and so I grew up on the northeast side Hudson Avenue 14621 uh group 14621 neighborhood um
Went to 36 School uh left transferred there mid four fourth grade year to 41 School finish up there in sixth grade went to Douglas that’s when I connected with balal and his brother Damiano you know I mean for the seventh grade Blue House Mr boner rest’s piece and then I
Transfer to red house huh Mr boner was a good man yes he was yes he was solid guy um I appreciated him because he always did the rap battles on Friday so you know he was about the culture you know what I mean and elevating student voice
In that space even before he came popular you know um and then uh then we went out to Edison tech for my ninth and 12th grade year there um again that’s when I ran to balal there uh and you know just been kind of in the neighborhood and all that time you know
Born up in church on Columbia Avenue 44 Columbia Avenue there at uh the old Friendship Baptist Church now called faith hope and charity Worship Center underneath the the leadership of the crocker family there um you know just just being Shout with love and whatnot but you know um one of the things that
You know growing up in the city especially inner city you know there’s that criminal element you know what I mean and uh and especially coming from a very traumatic background as I came from you know being in foster care for a very long time you know I was in foster care
From probably three months you know like three Monon old Frost’s child you know what I mean um all the way until 88 so do a math I was born at A2 I was six seven years in fost care you know it was a long time but you know being in that
Situation I found myself be um you know looking outside myself for external validations you know um and and so doing doing things to compromise my individuality you know my safety my freedom even and I was getting in and out of trouble and um each and every
Single time you know at 12 I tell the story at 12 I want to become a teacher but at 16 I found myself in a Chronicle for 30 burgly charge you know square peg trying to fit into a round hole and that was just one thing I got caught on but
It was a bunch of things you know but every time you know during high school you know from ninth grade all to my CN Year my grades would just dip coming from a high honoral student you know trying to fit in never never having really anyone there to say you don’t
Need to fit in or nor should you try not knowing that in time your gifts will make room for you in a space and place where you can be yourself unapologetically intentionally you you know and so um for forunate and blessed lucky I was able to um realize that
Dream of becoming a teacher educator um cutting my te in New York City in Brooklyn and the Bronx going to become a dean of students and discipline um and then come back home to work in my neighborhood at 146 to1 at school 8 um then went to Edison Tech reconnected the
Alumni Association that I that I founded in 2006 uh reconnecting over 5200 alumni dating back to 1947 um and then uh become the first black administrator in Pitt Central School District as director of equity inclusivity um and then from that point uh when that happened all right so when that happened
I said I was in Democratic Chronicle for that but then fast forward I’m in Democratic Chronicle again uh being being held as a as a hero of sorts you know um in a more positive light when I went to Pittsburgh so uh from that you know narrative means nothing when
Actions Echo truth you know um and then I got a call I didn’t even apply I didn’t even apply I was just you know praying you asking the Lord for guidance and Clarity and um A call came through you know I’m I heavily believe in the call you know the commission and the
Confirmation and so A call came through to say hey you want to apply to work for you know for us whatever so you know going through the interview um at the time I was still in Pittsburgh and they were looking for a diversity coordinator for their office uh which was work that
Was being spearheaded by the Mono County legislator um you know uh being being being pushed by the mon legislator to to to to be able to to diversify the public defend office and then um and I end up getting the job you know I got the job
April 17th 2023 the job offer came through um it’s it’s it’s it’s important that I mentioned because that same week that Saturday would have been the anniversary of me being in a Democrat Chronicle so April 22nd 1999 I was in democ chronicle so that Monday and then
That Sunday of that of of last last year would have been the anniversary of the article so it’s like here I am now going back to the office to help advocate for people and work with people that advocated for me um and even in the space right now there are a few
Attorneys that were actually my attorneys uh so I got a chance to tell them thank you um so yeah so here I am now you know working within the public defenders office ensuring that um our clients um get a fair Shake um and I’ve said in various spaces because you know
Often times um people in the communities or in judicial system often see you you know um when you made the worst mistake of your life on the worst day of your life kind of thing um and not as a human being you know um and so uh coming from
That having that in my background knowing what that looks like what that feels like you know but also finding Redemption and finding purpose um has allowed me to move into this space with a bit more confidence um and Assurance but also um to know that this is this is
The work right this is the work and that you know um nothing you’ve gone through is for Waste you know it all comes full circle um I I don’t believe in coincidences I know many people believe in coin no coincidence or things just happen for no reason and I respect that
But you know in life you know I I I have too many examples to show me otherwise for me to to to hang on to that belief um because a lot of things are are like full circle for me right now so Vincent at what at what point did you see or at
What point did like the shift happen right so at what point did you you go from being in the DNC for this thing that was negative that happened to being in the DC was something that’s positive that happened at at at what point is it like specific story specific moment
Where like the light just it just clicked on and you’re like all right I need to I need to make a change well it was always it was always there I think I think even when I was you know on my worst days um I always would tell myself
You know that was meant for greater I knew I was meant for I knew I was meant for greater um growing up in the church you know being being prophesied on you know and spoken to that you know it was actually um the time EV uh evangelist Hartsfield
Now now now Bishop Hartsfield he when he was just starting out he pulled me out in the crowd I was think I was like 12 years old and he said you know you have a call in your life and you’re gonna be like Paul you know but there’s a call in
Your life and so you know even though I found myself in trouble I would still still keep pushing still keep pushing um I think for me what the Pinnacle moment of change for me was in my senior high school in 01 uh April April I happens to April
April 18 2001 found myself incarcerated in the monal County Correction Facility in Henrietta um having to do a year I already had time in on it was like a violation probation but being in that space in journaling and writing you know um had really had really put me in a
Space where that this wasn’t my life I had an inmate in there something happened something happened like the inmates had we had lost our TV you know or something like that and remember his name was deputy nevera and I walk up to him I probably was there for about three
Weeks at that time I was still new and I don’t know what I said to him but I I started engaging conversation with him and he end up getting this TV back we we end up getting our TV back our TV privileges back and he said you know you
Should thank this this this young man here because the eight of y’all in this Pond got your TV back because of him and one dude looked at me he was like dang you don’t even belong here man I’m like honestly none of us do um and that kind
Of was it for me when I realized that we could be doing more for each other you know I mean so after leaving there in October 21st 2001 I started to get my stuff together you know really starting to apply for school um really just applying myself in those spaces um and
Getting out of Rochester for a moment not not not leaving not getting out to like leave but just taking a breather you know going into the Wilderness of sorts uh myself to come back stronger and better yeah I think it’s real powerful what you said right is that it it took
Someone else to say that you don’t belong here but the fact that you answer back you don’t either yeah like I I think that’s like a huge moment right there because I think probably hopefully for that person they took that same advice was like yeah I don’t belong here
Either like maybe I could do something better and so you’re working with people on a day-to-day basis or working with families like how does that conversation go because I’m sure that comes up again it’s like you shouldn’t even like be in this I shouldn’t say that like sucks
You’re in this position but there’s greater for you right because you said that you kept telling yourself like there’s greater for me there’s greater for me yeah um you know to answer your question um I it was a very powerful moment a powerful moment for me you know
Everything you I I post things a lot I say things a lot but when I’m speaking to people I’m really speaking to myself you know what I mean like it’s like it’s like maybe like you pointing out but like five fingers to point back at you I’m really speaking to myself I’m really
Pouring into myself you just having to benefit from it but I’m really speaking life into myself you know for the purpose and so I um it really was an eye opener for me um to just be able to be in that space and to know that there is
Greater I mean it’s easier said than done because things did get dark for me throughout throughout that time you know as you go through and you’re trying to change that’s when the adversary comes through and tries to remind you of of who you were when they had the most
Power over you you know what I mean um and then also for a lot of individuals within the community as I’m talking to them you know um and their families you know accountability is key right like you do something we should be held accountable for that no person’s Above
The Law um no person’s above you know the biblical law as well and so we should be held ACC but it needs to be rest um restoration right because we all far short of the glory um but often times in the judicial system here it’s all about punishment and and again individuals
When they get out laws have it so that they can never Excel they can never get past like everyone wants to be successful no one wants to be a failure no one wants to be doing bad you know but as Jay said there’s always a righteous reason for sinning you know I
Mean and we do these things we don’t know what’s you know we don’t know that systemic ignorance we don’t know what’s out there we don’t know what’s Beyond the Veil and no one that we are around often can show us the way out because we’re all in the same in the same
Predicament you know and so when you have people in our communities our elders that can pour into us and and instill a sense of hope and purpose you know um and show us the way you know we don’t know we don’t know we can’t assume that everyone knows um but having those
Conversation with with with with families and you know revealing my own past um and being unapologetically about it um does provide sense of hope for them but also continues to reaffirm our purpose in this role so we’re all of us are Educators in the room here and so you had said
Something about punishment and how that that gets a result but it do necessarily get a good result and B I I want to tag you in on this one because you had two sons and you talk about those two sons and you talk about the lessons and you know the ways that
You’re you and your your wife are bringing them up man but I’m curious man if you like had any questions in terms of that like just about like how like just in the educated world like how we do restoration because B you’re doing Restoration in a different way um with
What you’re doing so if you want to chat talk something about that so it’s what’s interesting is you know the number of parallels in terms of just kind of a lot of the things that you were sharing um so uh April of this year will be 20
Years since uh 20 years ago I I I caught a I caught a charge you know I mean and again so again you you you know the process right or anyone that knows the process when when you are when you you know when you’re arrested for anything
Right uh and you’re you’re looking at trial you get a discovery packet which is all the evidence that the prosecution has against you so you know in the discovery packet is the statement by the quote unquote plaintiff that says he started the fight that I’m I’m facing
The felony for yeah um but you know to your point and it it just when you said April I was like wow it made me think about it you know and and I’ve always said this we no one is um you know we and we often treat people people or perceive People based
Upon you know their their worst moment like people are way too often you know judged based upon you know what I mean the worst moment in their life and um and I think that’s you know what I mean it’s commendable by you know for for we
Need folks and and this is why I tell people this is why we we have to be in all of the different spaces because um without not only voices who you know who can represent us because they understand our community you know I’m not I’m not somebody who who has not been impacted
Right and you know because you took it there and I know you know what I mean you know we don’t we don’t go there often but the you know everybody on here is a Believer um the Bible says we have not a high priest who’s not been touched
At all points of our infirmity right so he puts us in places so so you know you went through that because God knew you where you’d ultimately end up and he needed you to go through that so when he put you where you are now you know what I mean it
There there would not only would there be a full circle moment but you know if if you had gone and again you know when I tell y’all this brother been standing on business since middle school you know what I mean you know who this brother I mean just you know
Always forget what you know what they necessarily doing it was their approaching what they was doing like if you know if y’all know his brother Victor is his twin brother Victor like again these these twin brothers was like always like serious like they every time you saw them in
School like they was you know what I mean and not that they couldn’t laugh and joke and play because we had a lot of good times in school yeah but when when it came down to what they were doing they were always serious about you know I mean whatever it is they were
Doing and so I say that to say you know what I mean if if if the the trajectory you were on had have taken you where you where you are now without that experience do I have the same kind of empathy or compassion around you know I mean around
People who who who are going through the experiences that you’re that you’re working with and you’re finding them in so kind of just tying it back to the question that Kareem mentioned is related to to kids and CH child rearing you know um it’s I I take I take that
Approach like you know what I mean you know I tell people all the time you can’t parent the youu out of your kids right so so it’s the truth you know I mean you cannot parent you out of your kid so so uh Isaac has talked about you
Know some of the sarcasm he sees in his kids and that Apple we know right we know the tree that that came from you know what I mean you know I see that’s a Tall Tree too he said see case in point right um you know so so when when my kids do
Certain things you know I mean you know I I know exactly where they came where they got it from and and I I parent them you know based upon that and discipline or respond you know what I mean with with a with a understanding like man when I was
In that space you know my wife and I said to to our boys all the time listen we give y’all voice I was like listen there was no such thing as there was no such thing his voice when when it was when it was time to drop the hammer when
And y’all all know y’all all know my dad y’all all remember my dad when he was when it when it was time to lay down the law yeah listen man my My Savior name was Nai she listen and and sometimes sometimes she wasn’t even she wasn’t
Even a savior I can’t help you you know what I mean so you know um you know just but again it’s it’s because when we when we reflect on and you know what I mean um our experiences we we take them and we pay them for it in the space and and
I just um our community is fortunate to have you you know what I mean operating and working in that capacity man and and and I just before you know before I I tie it up uh yo y’all not a you know I mean if you are if anyone is an Edison
Alumni man they can they can tell you man this brother Vincent did has done a amazing amazing work and continues to do amazing work with the Addison alumni you know what I mean so so Kudos hats off to you brother man because uh yeah you’re doing phenomenal work and again our
Community is is is the better for it and I appreciate all the sentiments to me you know but at the end of the day too I need to say on both those points both here in this in this working as a diversity coordinator within the public defenders office you know I consider it
Um an honor you know what I mean um and uh for me it almost was like a Cinderella Story really you know like I might not be here for a long time but I’m here for a good time and while I’m here I’m gonna do the Lord’s work um but
As far as the the Alumni Association go you know my dad he he worked at Edison both at The Old Edison when it was on Clifford and then and then the new Edison now so I’m both a legacy and alumni at the same time um but that work
That I do with the Alumni Association um is to pour back into a place that has given us in the community so much um and and it’s not just on me you know um while while I was um the founder of the Edison Tech Network Alumni network um
I’m I’m the co-founder of the Edison Tech Alumni Association both um with the young woman that worked there Katie chupane and also uh Jacob Scott who is the former principal uh of Edison who’s now the chief of of of operations for rcsd but um I say all that because again
You know um no person’s Island no one gets along in the world on their own and so you know this this lift of trying to elevate um every space I am the people in it as you know where I’m at is you know I always say I’m nothing more than
A moon you know trying to capture the Rays of the sun you know and reflect the raay of the Sun and so that’s what I try to do with the Alumni Association is try to reflect the greatness that has come from Edison Tech both yourselves and many other people in our community um
Most recently uh shout out to um Miss Jun Terry Kenisha Jun Terry open up the first uh blackowned uh um um Beauty school right she had a salon for for years her and her husband drum who’s also alumni class of 95 I believe both of them equally but brother and truly truly
And you know and he has his own story right he has his own story but you know looking at it now and seeing the impact and and then just now finishing up their first week of of teaching you know it brings so much hope and so you know I
Was able to be that the ribbon cutting and to elevate her in that space and again I just kind of all joy and that’s where it come down to is there a lot of people in our community that are doing wonderful things and these news stories they don’t capture that they don’t
Capture that because it’s Sensational that doesn’t sell papers know fluff pieces it’s all great to have that one fluff piece after like 20 bad stories but you know we start tell more of our stories um and and just and just you know you see that in all space we’re all
Connected you know just now you mentioned um Miss banister and uh and just you know if you you knew who she was you knew you knew who her husband was if you didn’t know who they were then you knew who the son was or you knew who the children were you know it’s
Like we all connected here and and it’s important that we continue to leverage and you don’t have to have you know a big platform whatever you have whatever whatever soapbox you can create create that and leverage it for the benefit of other people that that comes behind you
And so that’s what I’ve always try to do um you know that’s what I try to do I don’t want to get all sappy and sentimental but when I talk about it real this work is real um and I I just think about life I think about you know
Good and faithful servant job well done kind of thing you know I mean like that’s what I want to hear when it’s all said and done when the when the commander calls your name kind of thing you know um but we really need to continue to you know be there for our
Students you know in this work I know we’re kind of segue but um in this work I don’t think I would be able to do this job alone if it was just office work um I’m very fortunate that being in Pittsburgh had a low me to to reach you
Know who’s going to number one school district you know um it was was it was me and I came there right on the hills of a New York Times article which highlighted a lot of the racial hurt and harm that happened um in Pittsburgh for
For decades um and so with that I was able to leverage that into connecting with all the superintendents across the region not even across the county I me Cana Farmington so on and so forth Hilton you know and so um by being part of the regional Equity Network all the
Superintendents are there and I was in that space too and so in this role I’m able to push into schools across the county now um and also pushing to communities U when I first started this role here we had an know your rights where where we partnered with um the C
Of Rochester and the rec centers uh Mr Bliss himself was there as well um and so you know that has helped us to be able to engage with with the community you know educating them on the rights around the fourth fifth sixth amendment rights um but also sharing about our work that
We do with the family court um because of the funding that we received through the indigenous Legal Services um it has allowed us now to bring in for the past two years social workers and k um and and case Specialists to serve as mitigation specialist um something that
I wish I had when I was coming up you know if someone could have told the story you know he was adopted right oh let’s just go back and look at his cases then like I wouldn’t have you know been through what I’ve been through but I
Count of all joy um and so with that we’re now able to if you’re with family with our family with our Fe bur we have a subdivision called the Fe defense unit and uh which is headed up by uh Robert P Turner who is actually my attorney back
In the day um his wife is The Honorable Karen Bailey Turner uh judge yeah and yeah you know her yep Phenomenal Woman um in a history maker herself right being being woman history month and all um but um now our office is able to get involved at the
Earliest notice of a CPS case so instead of waiting to go to court and then you get aide attorney if you get a Whi I think I might be under investigation we can we can represent you and be there at the very beginning of that case to ensure that you know family stay
Together that we can resolve the issues before fam are split apart speak at Addison real quick shout out to to brother Mark Guthrie AKA Bruiser he is a he is a honor honorary Edison ofum and I say that because anybody that you know knows Edison from
The mid90s on man this brother was a fixture there working with uh Edison Tech step team you know what I mean you know and uh so to this great brother for all the work that he did out at Edison man yeah what’s up you a stepping I man listen
Man them boys boys I wasn’t stepping but I you know I was uh I was you know I did my thing a little bit or something but it wasn’t much but them boys got it all man we we Terror everybody in Rochester we terrorized man know um I want to shout
Out the parents man for those guys because they allow me also to give them a college experience as well too you know that is what I wanted to touch we we we we we take them on campus um you know they see you know they see a lot of things on on college
Campus man they loved it um weekends weekends um in in in in in Brockport we have an event or we have our black and gold weekend you know they get they get to come into a black and go for free um you know you put them to work too
Because you know you know me I’m G put them to work some got to get moved a Nothing free a Nothing free you know what I’m saying free right here but the funny thing about it they none of them could say they he was hungry because the
Bros take care of them um parents you know I got them back to back to you know the drop off point wherever the drop off point is and shout out to Brockport because Brockport allow us to do some things back in the day where I know they
They don’t do that no more I was I was I was Brockport trusted me with a lot of things man and I never look at it you know where I could go and get a van you know and I could show for these kids back and forth to Rochester pick them up
Drop them off type stuff you know so I want to shout out to Brockport man for giving me put the confidence within me and the other brothers to do the things that we was doing because it’s it’s also recruitment for the University too back then I never looked at it like that you
Know what I’m saying but they did um so couple of those guys went to Brockport you know couple them on to Brock for and even if they did even if they didn’t right again and so how I how I met how I met um James Waters and Bruiser like way
Before Ever Getting to a college campus was my my younger brother Damiano who we talked about he was on the step he was on the step team from Edison I mean uh from Douglas Edison he was on the step team and so you know you know I’d have
To either go go in go into the practice and get him for my mom who would be sending me from the car to go get him up or you know what I mean when my mom would pick him up from wherever the drop again the drop off point was and he
Would be he talked about like you know this college campus so and I got the exposure that you know I mean these these young men get got and um and I’m saying that in in light of the you know the tour that um the uh A Different
World cast is is currently on you know what I mean because so many so many uh black and brown people the first Glimpse they had into college was through that show first glimp to HBCU man like yeah hcu because of that show right so when
You when you you that had shades on them you know right way the Wayne baby yeah so so you know I mean what Bruiser and those brothers were doing you know I mean giving you know giving Youth and and a chant an opportunity to be exposed
And have their eyes open to a world that they didn’t know existed outside of that you know what I mean it that that that seed no matter where they ended up going was planted by way of the impact you know I mean and relationship that those brothers who were who were who were
Pouring back into and you know I mean and we all always say that you know San Kofa is reaching back go forward you know what I mean that’s that’s you know what I mean that is the the sentiment of our community so you know what I mean
Again whether it’s the work that you’re doing on the the Alumni Association you mean Network you know at the uh at the public defender office you know I mean like it ties in again and that’s why you know Brothers like like Brew you know what I mean James Waters again there’s
So many there’s so many I could I remember man I remember Lenny Lenny was you know what I mean you know Lenny was uh I I would say I think he was a senior like my freshman year or something like that or you know what I mean just those
When I think about those you know what I mean those experiences those brothers who who were coming back from a college and grabbing up you know I mean some young dudes who never thought heard or seen a seen a college in real life you
Know I mean what it did for us you know and the impact that it had on us you know what I mean that’s why we do that’s why we in the space we in doing the work we doing now and I want to too I want to
Say too before you guys wrap up or do whatever um a lot of our guys but for those at least three years they have good grades because I wasn’t I wasn’t I wasn’t really playing that stuff with grades you know and they there there’s a couple of
Them that got left off for not visiting Brockport so you know what I’m saying hey you didn’t make the cut bro you didn’t do what you’re supposed to do and I kept it real with them I kept the real um with them and a lot of them had good
Grades man a lot of them you know even up to this day very successful um doing their thing on the outside you know and I just say man I know my man LX used to be mad hey L Max shout out to you man you
Know this be a flashback but we used we used to kill you guys man Lord Wilson have mercy yo don’t be like that man don’t don’t I know I know I know L ma is still my guy shout out Dr L Max you talk about LX just don’t talk about Wilson much
Love Yeah man so V I did have a I did have a question um you know that I just wanted to kind of expound on a little bit but what are some of the uh misnomers that you know about the public defender office that you hear in the
Community because I I I know like a lot of times when you watch these law shows and you know things like that people like oh man I got a public defender like it’s you know there’s at this point you know you’re going to lose your case
Right you know so what are some of those misnomers that you’re hearing in a community and then you know what are you all doing to kind of dispel that and you know bring some more awareness to a lot of the positive things that um your um department is doing yeah thank you for
That uh I mean when I was coming up you know the most notable one is that there were office full of public Pretenders you know um that you need to get a real attorney um and you know I have I’m I’m one of the high high ranking administrators in
The office I sit right next to Julie seano who is the public defender of the mon County public defenders office and you know when I during my first six months there got a chance to talk to um about 85% of the staff members when they were when they were free you know and
Weren’t weren’t busy you know in the courtrooms or what have you um or just having doorway meetings with with you know with them when they come to meet me I would go meet them where they’re at um and you know just looking on the wall right we have people from Notre Dame
From Albany Syracuse Cornell buff Buffalo University North Carolina so on and so forth from all around the all around the state all around the nation actually and um these folks have gone to the same schools that these private attorneys from these other law firms locally have have gone through um and
You know and one of the things I I try to tell individuals is that you know it’s it’s a numbers game right we all know that Public Defense what made Public Defense ERS I think um seemingly ineffective is the case load right um so back in 1964 right the riots right July Four
July 1964 riots right there by hover housing Joseph Avenue um that that that Riot there within that Community has spawn so much change you know that from that Riot Kodak start hiring black employees zer a lot of notable companies and started creating a legacy of opportunity within our within our within
Our city um a lot of folks coming up from the south teachers start coming up going to rcsd you start seeing um the city education kind of change a bit right because you start seeing um black and brown uh teachers that look like us holding holding holding a line and
Holding that standard um and so um when we finally did get a public defender office a dedicated public defender office um spearheaded by um individuals like like mild Johnson right um who never had any formal training whatsoever but found herself in the courtroom def defending families you know and her work
That she did with fight Village um led to the founding of the public defender’s office in the hiring of the first black public defender in 1968 um I found a headline about it and it says you know he understands the Negro might as well said he understands
The N word right but um the whole article was basically about you know how much money he made and and what house he lives in not his work or you know his um his prowers in the courtroom but you know um to help so to help change that
You know is to continue to push out into communities and so that’s part of my job as well too and I said I said I said earlier I don’t think I’d be able to do this job if I if it was just office work um along with pushing out into the
Community I’m pushing out into the schools inviting students to the office to take a tour up until now we’ve never had students in the office um outside of being a client right um but like not as a field trip where they can really stretch their minds ey to see themselves
In the legal field and so um coming up actually um on the 18th of next week we have school 12 we have eighth graders coming through um I just had school out walls folks come through uh we have a handful of students coming coming through about 18 of them um as part of
The EMCC program um and they’re going to be shadowing attorneys um we also are to help change a narrative you know we’re pushing into those Community spaces you know sharing sharing about knowing their rights you know helping individuals understand the code of law and and what they need to do
To exercise their rights you know around the fourth 56 right you know pleading the fifth right to speed trial um a right to attorney so on and so forth you know and just making it plain not even using the jargon like you know when the cops talk to you say nothing you’re not
About to talk yourself out out of that ticket or that situation ask for your lawyer that’s when all the questions stop if it doesn’t stop they’re infringing upon your rights you keep asking for that lawyer um and and then and then you wait until your day in
Court and you’ll you’ll have a better chance of of um of you know uh getting your fair Shakeen you know in your your day in court but you know really helping to educate but beyond that too you know um we’re not official yet I mind talking
About it but you know one of the things that I’ve also do with with this work is I’ve taken with the internship program for the office CU my intention is to help create a new pipeline within the office to help turn the existing school to prison Pipeline on his head um when I
Told us to Julie she was over the moon about it she said this is exactly what I want you know um so I partnered with our we partnered with rcsd and we’re looking to sign um I created the M of of of a memo of agreement sorry this mou MOA I
Created Mo MOA um and the program is gonna be called defend of tomorrow um but I’m gonna pause a bit and I’m gonna actually call it the mild Johnson’s Defenders Of Tomorrow program um to honor M Johnson um whose work again led to to the creation of the public defend
Off because because up until that time we had public defenders but they were they weren’t um they weren’t defending clients every single day um it was it was like private attorneys that would that would do Public Defense work and so um she’s like no we need an actual Public Defenders Office like dedicated
Public defenders I me so that’s when it would get slammed with all these cases like I mean like 500 cases a year each attorney and so um the pinnical case which which uh which caused believe it was the Gideon way right case um which one made sure that uh attorneys that
Public that um sorry clients were able to get representation but then also most recently it was the harell hearing uh case that now put a cap on the amount of cases that public defenders could take so about 150 felonies a year about 300 Mis meters a year where before it was
Sky rid and they were slammed and you hear it you hear you know you hear it all the time I mean you heard it most notably in uh the CLE Brer story where his public defender was like yeah you know there’s like audio on the documentary showing like he’s you know a
Public defending so that kind of creates that bad stigma you know like uh you you know they’re not going to be able to to dedicate your time and that’s where it came from not that they were inadequate but that they were getting slammed um but then I’m also looking at to you know
Private private attorneys they have the option of declining your case right whereas public defenders we can’t decline your case and so we do this work and I’m I’m like I’m an attorney right we do this work but um the public defenders office and attorneys that are public defenders uh in the office are
Serving as assistant public defenders in office um they do this a lot every day because consistently and so in theory you would think they’ll be better at the job doing it every day consistently at at a higher level than a private attorney who can say you know what I
Don’t want this case right public defenders we can’t deny a case we can’t like you know what I don’t want that I don’t want that that that that pett lar case I don’t want that CPW to we have to take it and um and I think you know
Consistently doing that work makes you a sharper sharper um advoc and a sharper uh attorney yeah I just I just want to say man that’s why I give much respect to the public defender’s office because of that reason particularly and then I do want to call out Danielle Ponder because
I believe she was in the in the defender office at at at um you know in the beginning of her uh career so definitely want to you know shout her out and all countless others you know that were also part of that who said you know what
Because I think the other part of it too vinent is um you know pay right I mean private attorneys can again they can choose their cases and yeah choose that dollar that price yeah for public defenders you know man that’s um I mean I believe they’re both doing guys work
But this is special you know what I’m saying to be a to take them cases on like that yeah and you know and and and I’m trying to cut you off I’m not sure another point I apologize um you know when I interviewed and I sat there it
Wasn’t a regular interview it wasn’t like a tell me a time you you learned something Circle back and did it and then it wasn’t like that like you know those those typical stuffy kind it was more like hey tell us about yourself and I mean it was a very
Emotional interview for me during that time when I was interviewing for this position and again I had to I I knew a bunch of people on the panel and I remind them of who they were and the impact that they had and I think you know reminding them that if they didn’t
Know it was definitely certain as a reminder or at least confirmation for them that the what we do today the things we do today they echo through time and I’m looking at an example of the work that I did because not only did I keep my nose clean but I made
Something myself but also create opportunity for other people to follow behind you know as I as I move through the world and so that’s kind of been my my my Mantra in the office and really speaking to especially the new attorneys as well um and it’s not just enough
About creating diversity in office but also helping attorneys that you know new attor both in in the field of practice but also new attorneys that are new to Rochester um I was very fortunate to to uh you know those connections are powerful and one of the connections that
I made in this work when I was in Pittsburgh was connecting with uh kha James and Shane weager of the anti- curriculum project uh during their time at path Zone and now at ccsi um and I had them come in to do a history of Rochester In Mono County the
Good the bad the ugly and how we can move forward and they spoke about red L they spoke about you know mil Johnson and Dr C Walter Cooper right and and fight and and and you know and everyone else in between that had and I I forgive
Me I don’t mean to you know um leave anyone out um when I say that but there was a lot of people that were in that space you know helping to ensure equity for black and brown folks and not just black and brown folks because you know
Right now it’s not always about black and brown folks but it’s about The Have and Have Not you know um people are not able to afford Torance for any number of reasons not necessarily that they’re poor um but and I hate the term indent Indigent I just hate that term but you
Know um but really again humanizing individuals right seeing their Humanity showing your mind and then demanding more from each other because we’re all just having a human experience here and so um it’s really just been a a worldwind um and trying to create opportunity for people um you know
Taking over that that um the internship program and then now coupled with bringing eight through 12th graders as part as def finish the tomorrow program they’ll come to the office and then um hopefully they’ll be inclined to go to college to do pre-law I bring them back
For their internship they go back out go to go to grad school I bring them back in for their internship then they go back out and they try to apply for a job and I’m also on the highing commit so you know that through line is there um
And it’s just that’s that’s that’s the work that’s the diversity work um and it’s not just black and brown folks we’re trying to have an office which we are because 90% of our clients are black and brown are black people really you know but um but it’s it’s creating that
Diversity of thought right and in helping individuals to leverage their platform as as as advocates in their experiences to ensure that our clients get the full full representation in the courtroom um and then also we have a public defenders that have gone on to become uh judges you know um Dr um
Honorable Karen Karen Bailey Turner herself was a was was a public defender um judge Lee judge Morris Morris Lopez judge Michael Lopez and a few others um that I can’t name off top of my head right now but you know not saying that they’re gonna show us blly
Or anything but when you’re a judge sitting on that bench and you come from a Public Defense background that’s in you right to kind of pause for a moment and to see that that person that’s in front of you right as a human being and
Not as a per or a robber or a thug or a black per you know I mean like they see them as a human being right yeah I think that’s a good spot for us to oh did you have something be yes um you you made a
You touched on a couple things that I just wanted to you know um emphasize because I I think they were they were significant one the whole public Pretender thing um yeah you know I thought you know um I thought about my experience and I wanted to shout out and
I don’t know if I don’t know if she’s still in the office or not but uh Jill paperno no she’s not but she’s she’s around she’s around she works for Empire I think Empire Justice now yeah she was a public defender Once Upon a Time yep
She I mean and she was an excellent one she um and and you know uh I was so if you knew my dad you know my dad had a lawyer on Deck um but um I was like no this l i I like this lady and she and she believe in
Me and uh so he was like you sure like you know I was like listen I I’m telling you this I like she believe in me and I believe in her and um and it was just you know she fought for me um and and you know like you said it was that
Humanity so it wasn’t you know which goes deeper than the dollars and cents of a of a of a pay lawyer because that’s what you essentially hey I’m gonna be the greatest lawyer in the world as long as the money’s coming in you know what I
Mean and even then you know what I realized um the the the responsibility of of you know anyone representing you um besides what happens in court is to give you legal counsel and and to to try to get you the best adjudication as possible absolutely so you know you can
Spend you know five 10 or however much however much you you know you you have to spend and end up with the same adjudication as somebody who was represented represented by a public defender because the reality is is is they know you’re coming based upon your perception of that
Office you know I mean and and and and they know the reality is is that they can only do what they can do yeah which is no different than what a public defender can do you know what I mean and so you know
Um it there’s a lot to it but I but I I wanted to you know say that was a great point and I and I and emphasize it as well as you know I mean if you if you do uh talked to Jill tell her I said hello
She you know I mean you know Ma amazing amazing lady um and you know I was grateful to have her uh in my corner um with that said you know we we we we G get ready to wrap it up um f fast when you on the show man yeah yeah it
Definitely it definitely flies um uh so you know Vince we we always close out with shout outs so if there’s anybody that you want to shout out go ahead feel free uh you know shout him out you know what I mean yeah I uh I mean I like to
Shout out obviously the Bon family and keep definitely my prayers lifting them up you know I had a chance to see uh Simeon um earlier ear last uh July or August or so when he was at the um the Urban League of Rochester when Desmond Tutu’s daughter was
Speaking he mentioned then that his mom wasn’t doing too well and so I was lifting up in prayer there too but um you know I’m definitely praying for both him and the family um and all those that know and love Miss bister and the bister
Family I like to give a shout out to my wife obviously uh hold me down got three kids man so you know uh you know I’m at work I’m at I’m at home or vice versa and we don’t do child care so it’s like you know tag teaming you know what I
Mean you gota like tag me and tag you out but you know definitely um I couldn’t do this work um if it wasn’t for her I wouldn’t be where I’m at today if it wasn’t for her and her family and so I really kind of all joy um but you
Know just everyone that that supports me in this work I give a shout out um to all those all those folks thank you so Bruce Bruce you want go there right here I’mma do Kareem I want to give a a shout out to shatoya I ain’t playing them games I play
Them like brother fren said man um shout out to uh the banish the family um you know Dr mother banister the Queen Mother man is amazing um person I I have you know when she was a princip when she was a principal a lot of people didn’t know I was connected to
Her you know and I remember day she introduced me man it was some people that was you know talking smack and they didn’t know and I was right in their present and when she introduced me as her son on stage boy some people could have creep on the
Under the chair they would have creep on about certain situation you know what I’m saying and um before that we she was always supporting us as Bros at at Brockport um Mr banister he was amazing all of them man supported I got the blueprint man from
Queen Mother from the first time I went to Ghana I told her I was going to Ghana told me to go check out her her establishment she has down there and where she bought land um and she just gave me her BL blueprint man and I took it and I run
With it I I used to come back and talk to her about you know how about feeling about certain things and she used to ask me how I’m feeling out if this a place I could see myself staying and you know what I’m saying about Africa man and she
Was she was one of the she was one of the the pilot man of my life you know having me do the work that I do other than you know my grandparents you know um amazing individual man and it’s crazy I lost two two two amazing
Person in less than two weeks yeah say two weeks yeah I lost two amazing person man I lost Dr Moran now Queen Mother you know and um the countless you know I was sitting here man I was texting some some young ladies she try to bring that AR back on
Campus she tried she tried um she didn’t succeed at it but man I tell you the bunch of girls that she had on campus that time man was amazing and I just send them just text all of them and sending pictures man and all of them is
Like wow they broken up over it man you know what I’m saying um shout out to Simeon man and and Ethan man you know me I’m always here for you guys um you know a legacy will live on man you know out shout out to Brock shout
Out to Mora family shout out to you Brothers brother friend out to you as well and your family as well you know and um shout out to everybody else I want to shout out um of course to my wife and to my kids and to family see
Why you gotta smile like that I’m serious I’m G let you live man shout man I definitely want to shout out my my daughter this past weekend man had an incredible uh basketball tournament experience man and made it to the championship and we didn’t get what we
Wanted man but one thing that I will say is man them girls you know played and definitely had heart um and definitely had Sports woman so I want to say that my son same thing with him you got another basketball game coming up but I’m just really glad that we have these
Opportunities to be able to things that are going to help them to grow and to what we’re already doing at home and then you know there’s a lot of things I can shout out right now but I want to focus on definitely shouting out Queen Mother and um you know just hearing it
Today like I it’s almost like I’m avoiding it you know like I was telling B earlier like I heard it I was in my office I kind of sat down for a minute and I I went back to work because I just couldn’t like sit with it yet but at
Some point I am you have to sit with it um but want to shout out to my Bros our Bros um Tom Simeon Ethan love y’all dudes man for show and um you got a whole Community behind you and I know that you also have your family behind
You as well so definitely know that man we keeping y’all in our prayers and just putting our arms around y’all listen um shout out to again you know I’m just echoing man at this point but uh before was Alpha man you know me and Simeon was walking home from Douglas together you
Know what I mean that that’s that’s been my brother for 30 years man 30 years you know what I mean so and and I love I love I love AI y’ you know what I mean if you know me you know I love afia but before there was AIA man you know that
Was my brother man um shout out to Ethan man we again we like he was he was our little brother you know what I mean it was you know um and and uh you know I shared the story here before about how Mama banister man she saved my life made
The phone call to my mom I wasn’t feeling good at school you know what I mean and my mom was like ah you know what he been complaining all week I’mma take him you know I mean take him to the emergency and again that phone call home
When I just asked I just I just asked her to stay in her office instead of having to go down to lunch I just didn’t feel good I was like I don’t want to go down to the lunchroom can I just stay in your office and she called my mom home
And that that phone call saved my life you know what I mean so um man I’m I’m forever indebted to her and and you know what I mean so my brothers man Ethan you know what I mean Simeon you already know what it is man you know big bro Tommy
You know we we here we praying for y’all um man we love y’all um shout out to to my amazing wife man again you know to Eko again I’m like I said I’m just echoing man what what Vince said man um I can’t do or be any of whatever I am
Without you know I mean her holding holding holding me down so you know I appreciate you um you know love you and again I’m I’mma let I’mma let I’mma let Kareem Live this week you know I mean just this one week though just just just one week you know what I mean
Um shout out to my boys who again who make the sacrifice you know what I mean you know for me to be able to do what I do um shout out again to to all you Brothers man you amazing Brothers continue to do amazing things you know
What I mean brother Vince thank you thank you thank you for coming on and just sharing the amazing work that you’re doing you mean just continue to do you know all the amazing things you’re doing and making this space this community this world you know I mean better because of
You know I mean we have a Vincent French in it you know so thank you again brother and uh thank you yeah man thank you for everybody that’s watched support you know I mean and you know um again you know my my ask of you all is to send
Love and light I mean towards the banister family during this time thank you Ike yeah so the thing about going last is all you can really say is he took my answer right so um you know at this point it definitely is a echo man but um brother French man we
Definitely appreciate you coming on the show and you know just again you know want to um give kudos to the work that you’re doing within the community and you know obviously you know we’ve you know met a couple times and in different settings so you know I look forward to
Continue to do that work and anything that we can do to help um and support from the the city’s perspective with the internships that you have going on you know obviously we have our some of opportunity program within that age group too that we can support you know
Let’s talk and and build around that a little bit more as well um you know and I you know I just kind of you know wrap it up and and you know just you know saying this one thing about Queen Mother and you know she just had such an infectious spirit that you
Know there’s no way that you could be around her and be in her presence and feel bad like she always brought that had had such a positive and warm and welcoming energy man so you know that’s one thing that you know I think this world is going to miss you know and I
Say world because she’s so much bigger than Rochester right you know she’s listen she she she’s um got a worldwide presence so you know she will be missed you know definitely Echo send condolences out to you know um the fam and Ethan um Simeon um Tom man we
Definitely are thinking about you all um you know and our hearts go out to you and and your family right now so you know I just want to wrap up the show by saying shout out to all black people doing black things in a black way man
Shout out to the motherland um you know as you know we uh move into um you know we move through March and get ready for in the warmer weather man make sure you guys get out and support some local black businesses um in your area wherever you’re listening from um and
Black businesses black businesses yeah not indigenous just black businesses right so um yeah so um shout out to everybody um that tuned into to the show if you didn’t leave a comment leave a comment like share subscribe tell a friend to tell a friend um and we look forward to
Bringing some more content to you all in the future ik what’s your what’s what’s what’s your son restaurant name Ike my son restaurant yeah oh 8099 baby9 9 tell Gabe bro talk sent you yeah sent you man get extra empada or something I don’t know about K G be there tomorrow
If that’s the case cut span F andester check them out man yeah 809 all right everybody have a good night thank you Jim for having me peace and love y’all all right
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