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Tommy Davidson’s Life-Changing Moments with Eddie Murphy & Richard Pryor 🌟 | SWAY’S UNIVERSE
Aug 13, 2024
🎬 **SUBSCRIBE NOW** to Sway’s Universe for more exclusive interviews and groundbreaking content! 🌟
Join us for an unforgettable journey as Tommy Davidson reveals his untold Hollywood story on SWAY’S UNIVERSE! Dive deep into the life and career of this legendary comedian and actor who has graced our screens for decades. From his early days in DC to sharing the stage with Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy, Tommy’s journey is nothing short of inspiring.
In this exclusive interview on "Sway In The Morning," Tommy shares candid stories of his struggles and triumphs, the impact of black men in his career, and the lessons he’s learned along the way. Discover how he navigated the highs and lows of Hollywood, the pivotal moments that shaped his path, and the importance of laughter in healing and connecting us all.
Don’t miss out on this captivating and heartfelt conversation with one of comedy’s greats. Hit the subscribe button and be part of the SWAY’S UNIVERSE community for more in-depth interviews and engaging content. 🌍✨
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CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Intro
01:40 - Tommy Davidson Career Highlights
05:00 - Influence of Black Men
08:20 - The Ultimate Test in Comedy
11:11 - Donald Northcross on the OK Program Insights
20:03 - Donald Northcross on the State of Black America
22:02 - Oakland’s Mission for Community Empowerment
Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:00
[Applause]
0:00
ladies and
0:02
Gentlemen let's give this man an
0:04
Applause
0:06
please he just came off a tour with the
0:09
legendary Cat Williams and Mark Curry
0:11
from Oakland California our brother we
0:13
just had up last week ladies and
0:16
gentlemen if
0:18
you if you watched Living Color then you
0:20
watched
0:22
him if you watched partners in crime
0:24
then you watched
0:26
him if you watch Strictly Business years
0:30
ago then you watched him if you watch
0:32
Bamboozled Joanna man if you watch Ace
0:35
ventor 2 I am comic dying laughing if
0:38
you watch wild and out Real Husbands of
0:40
Hollywood The Proud Family Black
0:41
Dynamite then you watch him damn I
0:45
haven't even got through the first
0:46
quarter Heather be that's crazy come on
0:49
man you watch this man all your life you
0:51
should be paying him you should be he
0:53
should be sending us invoices for our
0:56
health because his laughter has been a
0:59
medicine in our lives for decades this
1:02
man has made us laugh we don't know what
1:04
he went through in his life to get to
1:06
that stage but he always manages to find
1:08
an energy to make us laugh when we laugh
1:11
we heal when we laugh we decompress when
1:14
we laugh we blow that [ __ ] out we get
1:17
rid of that anxiety we get rid of that
1:19
stress at least for the moments that
1:21
we're laughing can you think about the
1:23
residual impact that laughter has on
1:26
your psyche that it has on your body
1:29
this man has has been curating laughter
1:31
for decades I only want to know what
1:33
makes him laugh the legendary Tommy
1:36
Davidson is here give it up for Tommy TD
1:39
what we scored TD we
1:43
scored I get all this
1:46
way I get all this way and he going to
1:48
make me cry come on man you know what
1:49
I'm saying be laugh guy I'm about to cry
1:52
now it's a thin line between laughter
1:54
and tear yeah let me tell you that let
1:55
me tell you that I'm just I'm just that
1:58
just makes me grateful full yeah to know
2:01
that you know coming into this business
2:04
I was uh early 20s M you know moov from
2:08
DC to La want to try this Hollywood
2:11
thing I had had two cars had a doson
2:14
B210 and a Celica went out there gave up
2:18
my little job and got back on the bus
2:21
caught the bus for three years but I was
2:23
out every single night at the clubs
2:26
seven nights a week I was lucky I had a
2:28
kind of manager that treated me like
2:30
athlete you know you got to know 3
2:32
minutes you got to know one minute you
2:33
got to know 5 minutes 20 minutes you got
2:35
to know your times in case you get on TV
2:38
you know all the clubs I met Robert
2:40
Townson Eddie Murphy Damon way Keenan
2:44
Ivy Williams arcenio Hall Byron Allen
2:49
Jimmy Walker these were the the blacks
2:53
the young the the blacks that were in
2:55
that were Comics yeah that were wining
2:57
they were they were veterans and I was
2:59
coming in in newbie mhm and I eventually
3:02
broke into the clubs but it was it it
3:04
wasn't it wasn't an easy thing yeah cuz
3:06
I was turning it out M at the black
3:08
clubs you know there's one club called
3:10
the called the um called the U now I'm
3:12
going forget the D on name that's right
3:14
comedy act theater and that was the main
3:16
place so that was it Robin Harris MC it
3:21
was a sexy spot the Raiders were winning
3:23
the Lakers were winning magic be up
3:26
there the chicks are in there magic
3:27
would be there yeah man so it's me
3:30
the young people that hit it right me
3:33
Chris re Rock Martin we were the only
3:37
three young black comics in Hollywood
3:39
that were making our way wow you know
3:41
what I mean so so it kind of went from
3:43
there uhhuh on up but I owe my
3:47
success to black
3:49
men because uh uh Robert Townson saw me
3:53
and put me on TV for the first time
3:55
right on partners in crime mhm then Ario
3:58
saw it and put me on Areno Hall
4:00
then Eddie saw it put me in a pilot yeah
4:03
called Coming to America where I played
4:05
his little brother it didn't go but he
4:09
gave me that opportunity yeah and then
4:12
Keenan came along and said hey man I got
4:14
a show called In Living Color you be
4:17
good for it I turned it down what
4:20
because I had gone through all this this
4:22
metamorphosis of being hot M and then
4:25
nothing came out of it so my manager
4:27
said well let's go back to the clubs so
4:29
I went back to the the clubs and just
4:30
stay disciplined on that cuz we had a
4:32
plan yeah become a popular standup comic
4:36
have a special have a TV show go from
4:39
TVs have a m a movie career you know and
4:42
and on and on and on it was a it was a
4:44
25 year plan and and I've hit it yeah
4:47
you know congratulations congratulations
4:49
he got a 25e plan y'all plan it for
4:53
tomorrow yeah he playing for 25 years
4:56
you don't even know what the rest of the
4:57
day going to be like the hell yep I've
5:02
never heard somebody say black men put
5:06
me on and helped me make it yeah I don't
5:09
think I've heard that bll state get that
5:11
around of black
5:13
men have put you on and help you make it
5:16
tor you ever hear that yeah
5:19
n man man a few words right you that man
5:24
few he like he like he like he like he
5:26
like the guy to hang out on the shoulder
5:28
of of jab the Hut you know he wait till
5:30
you
5:33
done you know to said you put him
5:36
on he thought about man put me on what
5:39
I'm saying have you ever heard I've
5:42
never heard somebody of this stature say
5:45
yeah that black men put me on yeah and
5:49
and and I was at the Apollo you know in
5:52
the Apollo contest when it used to be
5:54
real not TV yeah and he came to me he
5:57
was an entertainment attorney M at one
6:00
of the big sports and entertainment
6:01
firms here in New York a brother and he
6:04
said I saw you on that stage he said if
6:07
I if I buy you a ticket to La for two
6:11
weeks give you somewhere to stay and you
6:13
go and see the comedy clubs and see how
6:15
you do would you let me manage you so
6:19
when we I said yeah so we went out there
6:22
we killed everything everything walking
6:24
and it was a year
6:26
later that he drove down from new York
6:29
City mhm picked me up in his Nissan
6:32
Sentra I took Glad bags with my clothes
6:36
in it I had a big old TV looked like a
6:38
fish tank damn okay that took off half
6:41
the car and we drove from
6:45
DC down to Florida took the T all the
6:48
way across the country not knowing
6:49
nobody we saved our money to have three
6:52
months rent and just started from there
6:55
that's how it started that's how it
6:56
started that's [ __ ] amazing
7:00
come on man and I have to say his name
7:02
Sinclair Jones sinair jonair Jones is
7:04
the is is is the brother that set up my
7:06
whole Foundation as far as my thinking
7:10
went as far as my thinking went he said
7:12
you know if you think you working hard
7:15
imagine the
7:16
competition so you always going to have
7:18
to be working hard and he instilled that
7:21
in me you know working hard for me is
7:24
waiting for you to get a
7:25
break you know what I mean I found out
7:28
that it was on my on on my free time and
7:31
he he instilled that in me um I actually
7:35
was was the first to blow you know just
7:39
to to to be on that level and um Marcus
7:43
King and other managers started uh
7:47
acting suit with it yeah and so uh Jamie
7:52
and a lot of people Jamie Fox he knows
7:54
some first name by the way Jamie got to
7:56
clarify he right out here Jamie uh um
8:01
and and uh they they James Lasser James
8:04
Lasser from Overbrook right from
8:07
over well they took that school from my
8:09
manager cuz we were the first leaders of
8:11
that to come in there and have a manager
8:14
that hooked up with an agent uhhuh that
8:16
hooked up with the publicist hooked up
8:17
with the created a whole team created a
8:20
team and they took that model not took
8:23
it but it's a model it's free for all of
8:24
us yeah and they to it yeah they adapted
8:27
to it and were able to take that uhhuh
8:29
into their into their talent so you know
8:33
in a way in a way it was um you know I'm
8:36
just grateful for being a forerunner
8:38
yeah you know and I got the ultimate
8:40
test yeah I finally got the main room in
8:42
The Comedy Store which took years uhhuh
8:45
and the comedy store called me and said
8:46
you're you got the main room and I was
8:48
like okay cool they were like um um
8:51
you're performing with Eddie Eddie
8:53
Murphy and prior and I was like yeah
8:56
yeah so so on a Saturday that's the
8:58
night so I was like okay cool uh um so
9:02
tell them to give me the information I'm
9:03
I'm I'm I'm mcing you know what they
9:06
said you're not mcing you're on the show
9:08
uhhuh they said Eddie M Friday Eddie
9:10
Murphy goes first you go second you do a
9:13
half an hour what prior goes third
9:16
second show prior goes first you go
9:18
second oh my gosh Eddie goes third and I
9:20
did that Friday and Saturday night and
9:24
turned it out turned it out but I was I
9:28
was by that time you know enough ups and
9:31
downs had happened and I was able to
9:33
reflect where I was you was ready for it
9:35
yeah and and and and um the main Green
9:38
Room got all the chicks and and all the
9:40
stars are in there and we had these
9:42
little Cubbies that we would stay in you
9:44
know to wait for the next ACT or
9:46
whatever and Richard Pryor walked back
9:49
there man and Richard Pryor looked at me
9:53
up and down like I was a strange animal
9:55
after that after that weekend and he
9:57
looked at me he said
9:59
you a funny [ __ ] and then walked
10:02
away and I was like there it is there it
10:04
is Rich PR yeah man yeah we end up being
10:10
friends for years and the whole thing
10:12
but the first person I called was my
10:14
mother yeah when I got home and I said
10:16
Thank you and she said for what she had
10:19
sent me a $20 bill in the mail uhhuh you
10:23
know those legal pads the yellow ones
10:25
and um $20 bill and she put a big magic
10:28
mark on there
10:30
and don't
10:31
leave stay there you know and I was just
10:37
like you know that's what you needed at
10:40
the right time Tommy Davidson is here
10:41
man get this man a round of applause we
10:43
gonna come back open up the phone lines
10:46
this is amazing you got a show right oh
10:48
yeah tomorrow yeah yeah yeah Sony yeah
10:50
Sony Hall yeah Sony Hall tomorrow 235
10:53
West 46 Street Tommy Davis will be back
10:56
make sure you check them out at Sunny
10:58
Hall what time is show time 8:00 8:00
11:01
I'm from the old New York man come onino
11:03
Red Apple 42nd Street come on man you
11:06
know 125th Street M come on man and he
11:09
brought New York New York New York New
11:10
York he brought um Donald North crosses
11:13
with us um and Donald's going to talk
11:15
about program of Oakland some of the
11:16
things that's taking place in my
11:17
hometown all right Donald you ready yeah
11:20
I'm ready that's coming up next 888 742
11:22
3345 s in the morning shave 45 we got
11:25
Tommy Davidson is here that's his that's
11:28
his song it's called you show me you
11:30
show me you show me baby I'll show you
11:32
back that's right man me and nji I broke
11:35
into smooth jazz I have yet another
11:37
career and a career that's full of
11:39
careers yeah you know and um it was a
11:42
decision you know and I was having a
11:44
hard time getting to music industry yeah
11:46
they didn't take you seriously well it's
11:48
so complex you know and then plus it's
11:50
like turning a damn cruise ship around
11:52
yeah you know cuz I'm I'm I'm funny yeah
11:55
I am funny and that's what you're known
11:57
for so it's like what what what is he
11:59
doing what is he doing you know um and
12:02
when Eddie Murphy did his song and Jamie
12:04
did his song I was like man I wanted to
12:06
do that and then it dawned on me wait a
12:10
second they're making that possible all
12:12
I got to do is decide what genre I'm
12:14
going to go in what I'm going to enter
12:16
in who knows where I'm going to end up
12:19
because I do music very well I sang as a
12:21
kid let me here some Mar capella uh let
12:24
me see uh what would I
12:26
say um
12:36
[Music]
12:38
if I was to put a day into
12:44
words those word would spell one
12:48
thing and that's an n o and
12:54
de that will be now
13:01
[Music]
13:05
now Tommy Davidson citizens that you got
13:07
it live a capella Tommy we got me out
13:11
got you got to cuz you ain't a real sing
13:14
if you ain't going to sing they we got
13:16
rappers come up here don't want to rap I
13:18
heard that okay I heard that what you
13:20
think I think of you if you call
13:22
yourself a singer and you don't sing
13:24
yeah I'mma smile at you as you walk out
13:26
and go he's he's delusional hey man hey
13:29
he's lying to himself hey you're you're
13:31
official uh uh let me see red parrot the
13:34
building uhhuh
13:37
octagon uh life
13:41
life China club I'm talking about before
13:45
leaders was signed leaders of the new
13:47
school before they were signed they
13:50
before Black Sheep was signed he said
13:52
Black Sheep yeah puff took me puff took
13:54
me to all the clubs when we were doing
13:56
strictly business and said I'm going to
13:57
show you all these cats that are
13:59
coming you know yeah a a tribe yeah Tri
14:03
they were up in clubs yeah paying dues I
14:06
was in the building and Chris Came Down
14:09
K came down and Capri was DJing and I
14:13
swear to you hip hop is something else
14:16
uh uh kid H uh Chris freestyled for two
14:22
hours oh yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah that's
14:24
KRS one and
14:27
kids W yeah hey wait hold on we got D on
14:30
the line she want to talk to you Tommy D
14:32
are you there
14:33
D yes I'm here go for it I got him right
14:36
here she's in North Carolina give it up
14:38
for
14:39
D yes yes yes peace and blessings Sway
14:43
and Heather be how you doing blessed and
14:45
hly favorite I'm well well thank you God
14:48
bless you Mr Davidson good
14:51
morning good morning sir I met you at
14:54
Greensboro airport I was working you
14:56
were sitting on the side by yourself we
14:59
chopped it up took some pictures she
15:00
told me about your book which is Awesome
15:02
by the wayk you if you haven't haven't
15:04
read it y'all need to read that book
15:06
Thank you thank you brother been through
15:07
some things been through some things and
15:09
came out on
15:10
top I I just I just had to call in and
15:14
and uh and speak to you because you uh
15:16
you touched me in the way that morning
15:18
at the airport because we just he the
15:20
brother sat with me our 15 minutes we
15:22
just talked about life and about his
15:25
projects and and the singing and the
15:27
album and it just a real down home
15:29
brother and I can respect that and I
15:31
just want to say God bless you man
15:33
you're doing your thing and don't stop
15:34
cuz you are on the right path wow thank
15:36
you thank you because there have been so
15:38
many things that healed us
15:41
down to go ask them where they going lay
15:46
down but we won't let nobody hold us
15:50
back put together going to poish up
15:55
our and if you ever been he down before
15:59
I know you refuse to
16:02
be just one time
16:08
yall stand in
16:12
your y'all to
16:16
list every word I say
16:19
every a
16:22
no all right then there it is 79 going
16:25
into 80 we could have got straight to
16:27
that course though Tommy that was a lot
16:28
of hey I remember that hey that was that
16:31
was wbs's national anthem WBLS I'm
16:34
talking about I'm of New York there you
16:37
go D you're a super citizen morning God
16:39
bless you Tommy I'd be remissed if I
16:41
didn't bring up your partner that you
16:42
brought up here with us today this man
16:44
is doing some phenomenal work um
16:46
representing program of Oakland and
16:48
we're going to talk about that some of
16:49
the challenges confronting
16:51
African-American men in Oakland I was
16:53
born at Kaiser hospital I went to
16:56
Manzanita Elementary Bret har Junior
16:59
High all in the city of Oakland Oakland
17:01
High School is where I graduated Meritt
17:04
college is where I went to Junior
17:05
College San Francisco stat is where I
17:07
dropped out but I was
17:09
there I was there don't say I wasn't
17:13
there Tommy you was there I had to be
17:16
therec too I dropped out but I was there
17:18
you can't drop out if you weren't there
17:20
that's right you know what I mean all
17:22
right I was there there but I'm so much
17:24
about Oakland I want to welcome Donald
17:26
North Cross here to the show uh this man
17:29
does a
17:32
lot he was a sheriff's deputy at one
17:35
point um one of the three founders of
17:37
Sacramento County black deputy sheriff's
17:39
Association has served as his first
17:41
president get that man a round of
17:43
applause he founded the OK program the
17:46
same year selected as California's
17:48
outstanding youth public safety officer
17:50
of the year he was one of the 10 people
17:51
in California to receive a fellowship
17:53
from the California Wellness Foundation
17:55
he is a recipient of the Jefferson award
17:57
for outstanding public service in the
17:59
Sacramento safe Street hero of the Year
18:01
wow and he's a s much sought after
18:03
speaker consultant he was one of the
18:04
numerous experts assembled in Little
18:06
Rock Arkansas to discuss President
18:08
Obama's 2010 F Fatherhood Initiative he
18:12
won the National Association of attorney
18:14
generals for the children's award in the
18:16
2005 okay program became a National
18:18
Organization under his leadership once
18:20
again ladies and gentlemen Donald
18:22
Northcross is here wow Donal welcome to
18:25
the show oh man thanks for having me why
18:27
you a't tellar me all s that was that
18:29
probably the second best introduction I
18:30
ever had the first one was that the best
18:32
I ever had was uh the other night oh boy
18:34
was supposed to introduce me he didn't
18:35
show up so I had to do it myself
18:39
damn you know I laid it
18:42
on you can't give me credit you can't
18:44
give
18:46
me boy I tell you I I laid it on pretty
18:49
thick man no no I appreciate that I want
18:52
to I want to read some things and and
18:54
I'm so H Tommy hit me and to asked if he
18:56
could bring you by and no matter this
18:59
man is he said yes before I even got
19:01
through the question I didn't even know
19:02
what he was asking me but it's Tommy
19:04
right and he ain't never brought me no
19:06
[ __ ] all right it's only been real
19:08
uplifting empowering and when he told me
19:11
about you and and he brought up Oakland
19:13
Oakland is you know I'm sure Lura but
19:16
Oakland people who come from Oakland we
19:18
love absolutely we love where we're from
19:22
we hate that it has a stigma to it we
19:25
hate that um our systems aren't benefit
19:28
fitting us right now our education
19:30
systems what's going on with policing um
19:33
what's going on with single mothers
19:35
incarceration all of these things
19:37
homelessness in Oakland and the lack of
19:39
funds in Oakland the fact that all the
19:41
professional teams are leaving Oakland
19:43
that's hurting our economy that's
19:45
hurting our spirit that's hurting our
19:47
morale you know when you hear about
19:49
folks who come not even from Oakland
19:51
they come in Oakland they commit these
19:53
crimes you know and then it gets blamed
19:55
on Oakland you know um it's uh the
19:58
homeless you know folks are coming from
20:00
all over the the country yeah to be
20:02
homeless in Oakland I'm going to read
20:03
some stats and I want to get your take
20:05
on it the number one and homicide the
20:07
number one cause the death of black
20:08
males in the United States between the
20:10
ages of 1 and 44 years old is
20:13
homicide one and three black men are
20:15
projected to go in jail in their
20:17
lifetime one and three it's one two
20:20
three four five six seven black men in
20:22
this room right now two of us are
20:24
projected to go to jail y right um 74 %
20:28
of African-American households are
20:30
headed by single mothers we don't have
20:33
two parent households y I know when I
20:35
was young and they had the uh the public
20:38
assistant welfare program they didn't
20:40
allow for a mother to have a man in the
20:43
house they didn't allow for my mother to
20:45
have a man in her house and if you did
20:48
they came and they periodically checked
20:50
and made sure you didn't have new [ __ ]
20:52
you could even have a new toaster
20:54
where'd you get that from they going to
20:56
question where the money came from TV
20:58
you had a new jacket yep my mother had a
21:00
leather jacket you had to hide the
21:02
jacket that's right where you get that
21:03
from y right they don't want no men in
21:06
the houses with women and women in the
21:08
houses with men they don't want that
21:09
Foundation that image just the image
21:11
alone would make a difference right so
21:14
now we see this 74% of African-American
21:16
households are headed by single mothers
21:19
God bless those mothers absolutely right
21:21
give them a round of applause absolutely
21:23
y 20178 black male students made up 8%
21:26
of the enrollment but 30 5% of students
21:29
who receive one or more out of school
21:32
suspensions 8% of the enrollment but 35%
21:35
of the suspensions are towards black men
21:38
y black males this is something that was
21:41
written black I Believe by you black
21:43
males are the only demographic in the
21:44
United States of America that if they
21:46
have a legitimate threat on their lives
21:48
they won't call a police right they
21:50
would rather pick up a gun try to handle
21:52
the situation themselves because they
21:53
don't trust the police absolutely nobody
21:55
have to live like that in the United
21:57
States of America no should have to live
21:59
like that have to this is once again
22:02
Donald Northcross is here from program
22:04
of
22:05
Oakland what are we doing yeah man uh
22:09
you know our main goal is to reduce the
22:12
homicide rate of black men and boys yeah
22:13
we cover a lot of things but our main
22:15
goal there's sway look we only 6% of the
22:18
nation population that's black men and
22:19
boys 6% we account for about 50% of the
22:23
homicides each year wait a minute say
22:24
that number again 6% of the total
22:27
population in the United States black
22:28
men and boys about 19.9 million black
22:30
men and boys in this country right now
22:31
there 340 right around 340 million
22:34
people in United States we make up 6% of
22:36
this total population we'll account for
22:38
about 50% of the homicides each year not
22:40
last year and not a one off every year
22:43
we round 50% of the homicides each year
22:44
there's no way in the world that 6% of a
22:47
population should account for as many
22:49
homicides as 94% of the population and
22:52
and and for black men to be okay with it
22:53
I'm 65 years old and I never heard a
22:55
black man say we going to reduce the
22:56
homicide rate of black men and boys when
22:58
we don't only ones can do it nobody can
23:00
stop black men and boys from killing
23:01
each other but black men and boys so
23:03
this is our cause and so Tommy has taken
23:05
on this cause with us you know and I was
23:07
telling you know we need other black men
23:09
with with influence and resources
23:11
because what we do okay program is you
23:14
may wonder how how you reduce homicide
23:15
rated black men and boys we we have a we
23:18
we are a life support system the program
23:20
is a life support system it's more than
23:21
a program and it's a life support system
23:24
that's um uh consist of um uh it's an
23:28
connected network of black men that
23:30
bring together our knowledge our wisdom
23:32
our experiences and our resources to
23:34
provide support in the daily lives of
23:36
black boys that's a life support system
23:39
the other life support system is one
23:40
that they hook them up to when they
23:41
catch a bullet in the head they hook
23:42
them up to that life support system try
23:44
to save their lives I believe if we hook
23:46
them up with the life support system now
23:48
notice the difference there when you
23:49
hook them in our community when we say
23:51
I'm going hook you up with something
23:51
that's a good thing so we hook black
23:53
boys up with their life support system
23:55
that's interconnecting network of black
23:57
men that bring all this together to
23:59
provide that support in their daily
24:00
lives that's what changes lives that's
24:02
what saves lives see and and that that
24:04
system cost for less than that other
24:07
system that they running around the
24:08
country around the world trying to save
24:09
our lives so what we do is basically
24:12
that we we Rec we go into a community
24:15
and we work with the local police
24:16
department being a Sheriff Deputy I
24:17
understood the power that I had as a
24:19
Sheriff Deputy I'm a Country Boy from
24:21
Arkansas you probably heard that in my
24:22
accent right now you know cuz sometime I
24:24
want to warn you sometime my subject and
24:25
verbs don't agree you know but cuz I'm
24:27
from ARG you a saying yeah that's right
24:31
but but but but when I joined the
24:33
sheriff's department I was in for a
24:35
surprise man I came from a HomeTown
24:37
about 300 something PE 3,500 people in
24:40
my little town that's the whole town it
24:42
was it was an embarrassment to go to
24:44
jail when I was a kid growing up because
24:46
everybody knew everybody knew yeah yeah
24:48
yeah yeah we kind of sanctioned each
24:50
other you know certain things we didn't
24:51
do you remember sway you all enough to
24:53
remember when black people said man we
24:54
don't do that black people don't do that
24:55
you know there were certain things that
24:57
we just frowned upon in our Comm we just
24:58
didn't do it if you did you snuck and
25:00
did it you know because the community
25:02
frowned upon it so so when I came from
25:04
Arkansas to California and became a
25:06
Sheriff Deputy man I start seeing things
25:08
i' never seen before in my life like
25:09
what going to jail and killing each
25:11
other I it was like a rice of passage
25:12
for these young Brothers to go to jail
25:14
out there that's how they became men
25:15
they figured you know I as a Sheriff
25:17
Deputy we start out in the jail house
25:19
you know and then you R rotate out to
25:20
patrol the other side but you start out
25:22
in the jail man I'm in the jail on
25:24
Thursdays let's say when when you have
25:27
committed a crime been accused
25:28
committing a crime they house you in the
25:29
main jail downtown and then they take
25:31
you back and forth to trial at the
25:33
courthouse until you you're found guilty
25:35
and then on Thursday the the prison bus
25:37
the state prison bus come get you every
25:39
Thursday way I'm be honest with you man
25:41
I used to I used to sit there and watch
25:42
these 20 man chain sometimes there was
25:44
20 black men on the Chain wow I've never
25:47
seen less than 14 black men on a chain
25:50
and and they have them Shackled by the
25:52
the waist the wrist to the waist and
25:54
that chain run between their leg hooked
25:55
to the next brother and that you hear
25:57
that chain hitting that con Floor coming
25:59
down that that hallway them saes on both
26:01
Sid you hear that
26:03
chain and them brothers like hey man you
26:05
got your paper yeah yeah I got my paper
26:07
man I'm going hell so and so I see him
26:10
when I get out there yeah yeah how much
26:12
time you get I got 10 years oh you can
26:13
do that on your head if if that
26:15
conversation as they walking and these
26:17
these these these like they proud of
26:19
yeah these escort officers walking
26:20
beside them you know and they taking
26:22
them to the bus that bus is reminiscing
26:23
of old slave ship to me I I can see that
26:25
old slave ship coming in every Thursday
26:29
and these brothers killing each
26:33
other I said I going to do
26:35
this but I just go home and I complaint
26:39
to my wife I tell her what I
26:43
saw and then one night I would always
26:46
say at the end somebody got to do
26:47
something about
26:50
it then one night in mid sentence I said
26:52
somebody got you somebody I
26:54
stopped I said I'm somebody m
26:58
I'm the one we're waiting
27:01
on
27:02
realistically ain't nobody else going to
27:04
stop black men from killing each other
27:06
going to jail but us we the only one can
27:07
do
27:08
it ain't nobody else going to even be
27:10
interested in it because there there's
27:12
little value on our lives and that's
27:14
because we don't put any value on our
27:16
lives because if we did we wouldn't be
27:17
killing each other we killing each other
27:18
and then the ones that ain't killing
27:19
each other we wouldn't sit by and allow
27:20
it to happen yeah so we can say we value
27:23
our lives but it's too many US in by
27:25
watching it happen and not coming up
27:27
with a plan to change it
27:29
it ain't going to arbitrarily change we
27:30
going just arbitrarily stop killing each
27:31
other it's going to get progressively
27:32
worse if we don't put some action in
27:34
place to change it so I got tired of
27:36
seeing it in 1990 I I've been doing it
27:38
since 1990 wow this the first time I've
27:40
been on a major uh show I thank you for
27:42
the opportunity this the first major
27:43
platform you ever been on man my gosh
27:45
man in 34 years years and been doing it
27:47
by himself wow Moses W around in the in
27:50
the one in the wilderness for 40 years
27:51
so I tell people all time I got six more
27:53
to go at least okay we going to get
27:54
Before 40 though I hope so brother okay
27:57
I'm 65 years old like I say now and and
27:59
I got emotion other day talk to my wife
28:02
cuz I said I don't see no young Brothers
28:04
No young Brothers come up behind me just
28:06
committed to this fight I'm not talking
28:08
about just trying to make life better
28:09
for everybody I'm talking about when you
28:10
got a specific problem you need a
28:12
specific solution brother we got a
28:14
specific problem ain't nobody dying like
28:15
us yeah we take on everything as a cause
28:19
but we don't take on a cause that save
28:20
our own lives yeah I tell people all the
28:23
time Tom he said a million times
28:24
collectively black men have the means to
28:26
address this problem we have more money
28:28
now collectively than we ever had in
28:29
history of this country we don't do one
28:31
thing with that money collectively to
28:32
solve a problem like this I can't think
28:34
of a bigger problem than saving our
28:35
lives and keeping our community save
28:37
Grandma's scared to sit on the front
28:38
porch she think she gonna get a bullet a
28:40
straight bullet in the head she can't
28:41
sit on the front porch and get a fresher
28:43
breath air because black men and boys
28:45
are shooting and killing each other
28:46
indiscriminately in the streets and we
28:49
sit here and allow it to happen we have
28:51
the means to address it when you just
28:52
don't have the mind to do it it means
28:54
without the mind is meaningless It Don't
28:55
Mean a Thing have the means when you
28:56
don't have the mind to do something with
28:58
those means that that you need to do
28:59
with them we have the money to do it and
29:01
it's a tactile program yeah how's it
29:04
work say it again oh yeah program it's a
29:06
system yeah it's a system like I say
29:08
what I say a life support system wait
29:09
wait hold on before you go into that
29:11
somebody just called and said her
29:12
brother was in your program so this is
29:15
Lyn on the line from Sacramento ly
29:17
welcome to the show oh my goodness hi
29:20
everybody I love you guys I listen to
29:23
you guys forever good morning good
29:25
morning sway good morning Heather
29:28
you guys oh my gosh first time caller
29:30
got first hold up hold up L you a first
29:32
time caller hold up hold
29:35
up hey hey hey
29:37
hey
29:40
hey oh my good you are now official
29:43
welcome to the call all right go ahead
29:44
thank you thank you okay Officer North
29:47
Cross I just wanted to call my brother
29:49
Sydney Foster was in your program oh
29:52
yeah yes pass away yes so I just want to
29:55
call and just say how proud I am of you
29:58
hearing you on sway this morning I am so
30:00
proud of you I love Sydney Sydney was
30:02
such a smart young man he was smart He
30:04
Man Yeah he loved you too yeah wow and
30:07
we we and we loved you for your program
30:10
so we thank you can you talk about the
30:12
program and and and how you saw it being
30:14
utilized in the community a firstand
30:16
account yeah yes oh my goodness my just
30:21
the
30:22
the the the the caringness the
30:26
thoughtfulness what his program meant
30:29
for black youth men black young boys
30:34
just keeping them off the street keeping
30:36
them occupied giving them something to
30:37
work for giving them something to live
30:39
for to see something more than just
30:41
being on the
30:42
streets I mean my
30:45
brother we we're from La we moved to
30:48
Sacramento in 91 so he got hooked up
30:52
with the program and it was just
30:53
wonderful wow my my family loves officer
30:57
North cross we appreciate you for all
30:59
you did for all you did in Sacramento so
31:03
my
31:04
brother well my brother I definitely
31:07
will I definitely will let them know I
31:09
will let them know ly thank you for your
31:11
call taking the effort to call and and
31:13
tuneing in to our show you know you're a
31:15
super Citizen Way in the morning oh my
31:17
gosh thank you thank you guys love y'all
31:19
love you too all right uh and rest and
31:22
peace to your brother Sydney Sydney
31:24
Sydney okay
31:26
um can you give us an example first of
31:29
all I want people who are tuned in that
31:31
want to know how they could be a part of
31:33
this yeah how can they if they got Sons
31:36
if you're a son if you're a male you
31:38
want to be a part of this well is it
31:40
possible someone can start something
31:42
like this because I I feel like you're
31:44
mentioning California but it's starting
31:47
in other cities too that's that's what
31:48
I'm wondering yeah yeah we we we
31:50
replicate in other cities we can go to
31:51
other cities the problem is is having
31:53
been a people know about us people been
31:55
doing 34 years and very Free People Know
31:57
Who We Are what we do to be honest with
31:58
you so that's why I want to thank you
32:00
sway thank Tommy for giving what's the
32:01
name of the program okay program it says
32:04
our kids basically but it's okay program
32:07
right okay now you're very welcome you
32:09
even got to I appreciate the thank you
32:11
but we we thank you yeah you don't need
32:13
to thank me we thank you for what you're
32:18
doing Tommy didn't do Tommy is Tommy
32:20
Davis and he been famous longer than a
32:22
lot of people been alive yep he didn't
32:24
have to do this we thank you we
32:26
understand the importance of it I want
32:28
to
32:29
see us live to our fullest potential and
32:33
break this
32:34
indoctrination that has
32:37
suffocated um and cannibalized our
32:39
psyches right it's we we the the make us
32:44
even want to kill absolutely and brag
32:46
and these kids are on social media and
32:48
they're rapping about they holding they
32:51
killing they braging proud of it and God
32:53
bless them cuz they don't understand
32:55
understand but understand this yeah it's
32:58
not something that's that's a a a
33:00
abnormal American Behavior not at all
33:03
because because the Germans were out on
33:05
the street MH back when when they had no
33:08
money and they were doing the same thing
33:10
yeah the the movies about it right
33:13
Godfather you know the New York uh The
33:15
Gangs of New York the Irish you know uh
33:18
what was it uh uh Once Upon a Time in
33:20
America you know thugs out in the street
33:24
you know but but after World War II
33:27
government picked up on what was going
33:29
on with those kids in the streets and
33:30
created programs like the YMCA Yeah Boy
33:33
Scouts Girl Scouts of America 4 boy town
33:38
There's never there's never been an
33:40
official government
33:42
program for black black youth black men
33:47
but but we've never needed all that we
33:50
could have done we've always taking care
33:53
of what we going to take care of yeah we
33:55
can talk about Tulsa but don't have to
33:57
go there
33:58
you know so this is this is our
34:01
opportunity yeah you know this is and
34:04
with that said uh well said by by the
34:06
way Tommy I love the historical context
34:08
so people can have reference points and
34:10
I think this is coming out we ain't just
34:12
saying that this that ever happened to
34:15
or whatever okay so how can people join
34:18
this program the okay program yeah how
34:20
get City basically what it is it's a
34:22
partnership what we do we form
34:24
Partnerships in different communities
34:25
with the police department and we have
34:27
to to interview those officers cuz we
34:29
don't let just any officer come in our
34:30
community you know I understand that
34:32
being an officer uh you can get a black
34:34
officer and he can be blacker than me
34:35
and y'all can't see me but I'm black I'm
34:37
real black real dark you can get officer
34:39
blacker than me if he got the wrong
34:42
attitude he can do harm in our community
34:44
I'm telling you right now so that's why
34:45
we we interview each one of the officers
34:47
and we select them and we carefully
34:49
select them then the police department
34:50
send themselves to Oakland to train for
34:52
six days so we train I train all the
34:54
officers the exact same way so it's a
34:55
system they have to run the program the
34:57
exact same way designed to run so we
34:58
take them out of Patrol this not they
35:00
they only do this fulltime they become
35:02
okay officers so now we have officers
35:04
that we select to to work directly with
35:06
black men in the community we go in we
35:08
recruit train and organize black men to
35:10
work with these black police officers to
35:12
provide that life support for these boys
35:14
so that officers on the campus fulltime
35:16
all day long they're on there advocating
35:17
for the boy they dress them down they
35:19
not in uniform they plain clothes we get
35:21
officers that that that these boys can
35:22
relate to and identify with what do you
35:24
teach them we have a curriculum we have
35:25
a 30 35 session where we and it's it's
35:29
the officers not teachers they
35:30
facilitators we train offic how to
35:32
facilitate conversation between black
35:33
boys and black men okay so so the the
35:35
the concept the get together concept is
35:37
every Saturday from 10 to 2 we have them
35:39
every Saturday 10: to two if you go to
35:41
cam not cut goes to CM Mon and um um
35:46
Freemont no the the Middle School the
35:47
feasts in the CM mon out there is um
35:50
um Stonehurst yeah can't but that's a
35:54
chapter we set up chapters so the middle
35:56
school we follow the same boy from sixth
35:57
grade through high school so they meet
35:59
on that Middle School campus every
36:00
Saturday and this when the man come out
36:02
and the men are part of this this this
36:03
group discussion we deal with everything
36:05
from uh um interacting with the police
36:07
to um uh healthy unhealthy relationships
36:10
to reduceing homicide rate of black men
36:12
and boys reduce so what we do is we have
36:14
these discussions so they're not sitting
36:16
there writing on because these boys been
36:17
to school five days a week they don't
36:18
come out and write but you'll see
36:20
sometime we have 100 something boys on
36:21
surday that's just one chapter packed
36:23
it's packed every Saturday so if you're
36:25
a boy and you want to be a part of this
36:27
program yeah is there a website is there
36:31
a Instagram is there Facebook page how
36:34
how how do they how go to go to ok
36:36
program.org but if you in the okay so we
36:38
set up chapters just say the officer
36:40
recruit the boys in each chapter so we
36:42
the we can have Ser chapter in one city
36:45
so so let's say that the offic if you're
36:47
blackborn at campus you're gonna be
36:48
recruited so I have to say this we're
36:50
not we're specifically black boys and
36:52
black men we don't we're not trying to
36:54
solve every problem with just the OK
36:56
program we focused on one problem we
36:57
trying to reduce homicide rate of black
36:58
boys and black men we come straight
36:59
through the front door we very serious
37:01
about this we don't we don't if you a
37:04
black man has to be the the Catalyst of
37:06
this life support system we make it work
37:08
and so and all the officers black we
37:10
make no exceptions to that and that's
37:12
why I say so if you're black boy on that
37:14
campus whether you want to get in
37:15
program now you gonna be recruited we
37:17
want them all we want the boys with the
37:18
4.0 and boys with the z00 Z we don't we
37:21
want all black boys on that campus
37:22
Because this is all our problem we have
37:24
to solve this problem so the officers
37:26
going to recruit those boys on that camp
37:27
campus he go by the houses he talk to
37:29
the parents he explain to the parents
37:30
what the program is
37:32
about the parents parents form a consent
37:36
form for their boys be in the program
37:37
now that consent give the school
37:39
permission to release information to the
37:41
okay program for the boys grades that
37:43
behavor their attendance and so and so
37:45
we set up a board of directors in the
37:46
city Bishop Bob Jackson ask Full Gospel
37:49
in Oakland California the chman of that
37:50
board so he's the he's the guy who
37:52
actually makes sure that board makes
37:54
sure that the program stays intact they
37:55
raise money to make sure the boys have
37:58
lunch on Saturdays and to take them on
37:59
trips every grading period for doing
38:00
well in school so there's incentives for
38:02
the boys to to at least have at least a
38:04
2.5 GPA and good citizenship that's just
38:06
to uh be included in the incentives and
38:08
do you stay is the program Open to
38:11
people once they graduate and you could
38:13
still alumni come back oh you should see
38:16
the alumni tell them about the successes
38:18
man yeah man on August 24th this year we
38:20
celebrating our 34th anniversary the
38:21
alumni is the ones that are um uh put it
38:25
they put it on every year the the alumni
38:27
the the chairman of my national board is
38:29
a boy I had in sixth grade he's a
38:31
chairman of national board Nam major B
38:33
he lives in Kansas City now he's a
38:34
businessman in Kansas City my national
38:36
director is Brian Miller Brian Miller is
38:38
my national director I went to court
38:39
with him in e8th grade for robbery he
38:41
had just committed uh his second or
38:43
third robbert he was his mother
38:44
abandoned him in a motel when he's a
38:45
baby he was a 29th Street [ __ ] when I
38:46
met him he's my national director he he
38:49
he's going to hear this he's going to
38:50
see this too because what's his name
38:52
Brian Brian Miller my man BM what up B
38:55
yeah Brian Miller he's my national
38:56
director he's 47 years old these These
38:57
are men now I'm talking about 1990 when
38:59
I started the program I ran the program
39:01
for 18 years I didn't have one boy
39:03
become a homicide victim in 18 years we
39:04
aage over 300 boards a year no there you
39:06
go that's what I and that's that's
39:08
impact that's results look this is what
39:10
I want to do Mr Donald Mr Donald North
39:14
Cross yeah everybody call me de sure for
39:16
what they call you what they call you
39:17
Deputy D de Deputy was the for Deputy
39:20
for Deputy Deputy dog like the animated
39:23
character we love him okay all right so
39:26
uh sorry I just couldn't help myself
39:29
went there you went there too you saw it
39:31
he said it I know I'm thinking like
39:33
Tommy right I all right I I
39:36
unfortunately have to end this show
39:38
today y but I I wanted to give you as
39:40
much time as possible because I think
39:42
what you're doing is extremely important
39:43
it's extremely important and I want to
39:46
suggest in Oakland too that you hook up
39:48
with Mr Fab yeah cuz Mr Fab if you're
39:50
not familiar he's a pillar in Oakland
39:53
artist producer but he does a lot of
39:55
community activism and he has a program
39:58
called Thug therapy that they do every
40:00
month probably more than that now and
40:02
hundreds yeah of men yeah black men
40:06
around Oakland boys men adults yeah
40:09
gather whether it's at the Scottish
40:11
Right Center over there by Lake Meritt
40:13
or whatever places he have it and they
40:16
speak and they fellowship and these men
40:19
you know who's in that room yeah it's
40:21
everybody in that room from the streets
40:23
on up but when they come in that room
40:25
it's a safe place for them to express
40:27
them M themselves that connection
40:29
between you and Mr Fab should be
40:31
happening as well and I think you guys I
40:34
think it'll be a a very uh mutually
40:36
beneficial uh bond between the two cuz
40:38
the work he's doing the work you've been
40:40
doing should be together we all got to
40:43
come together absolutely so Donald North
40:45
Cross I want to thank you for coming by
40:47
I appreciate you man and the work you're
40:49
doing and we'll be connected and
40:50
absolutely um and continue success and
40:53
people could go to ok program.org to
40:56
find out on a as a what's going abely
40:59
and um so program.org Donald do you have
41:02
an Instagram uh yes um what you don't
41:06
use it I'm not the social media guy all
41:07
right don't worry about it okay don't do
41:08
it then yeah but we can tell anybody how
41:10
we can start the program help them start
41:11
the program in their City though we can
41:13
that's me too okay I'm hanging in there
41:15
boy yeah if they interested in bringing
41:16
to their City then we can contact us we
41:18
can show them how to do it we can
41:19
actually do it for you can set it up for
41:22
we set it up okay program.org Tommy
41:25
Davidson is at hul tomorrow night 8m
41:29
come out Tomy love to see you man go all
41:32
right tomorrow we got Stephanie Mills
41:34
coming by the
41:35
show legend
41:38
legend I feel
41:40
good I feel
41:44
good sing to her Tommy sing to her Tommy
41:47
she get that turn turn can't get to her
41:51
I'll play it back for tomorrow uh what's
41:52
the one um um uh uh what's the what's
41:55
the what's the tune that she had that
41:56
everybody
41:57
love love like this before CU I've
42:02
never love like this
42:07
before open my eyes as I've
42:11
never do love like this
42:15
before all right man give up for Tommy
42:18
Davidson all right y'all stay on the
42:20
right side of positivity until tomorrow
42:23
we got nothing get the hell I Dro seeds
42:27
just say
42:29
[Music]
#Arts & Entertainment