Lonnie Lockhart Bey and Julian Jackman both spent many years in prison, and since their releases they have worked together to create the R.I.S.E Initiative in Columbia, which works with and empowers at-risk youth.
They spoke about some of the reasons they created the R.I.S.E. Initiative and about what motivates them to do this work.
Missouri Health Talks gathers Missourians’ stories of access to healthcare in their own words.
Julian Jackman: During 17 years in prison, I was blessed to have my wife still in my life, my kids still in my life. My wife was there to see me every weekend.
So during this time, I had in my mind – “I can't get out the same way I came in.” I want to be there for my kids. I want to influence them in the right way. So, I had to make some changes, and the change had to start with me.
So, during this process of change – I got educated. And, so now, I need to get back and make sure that no one goes on the same path that I did.
Hopefully, I can make a dent and try to help – I know I can't help everybody, but if I can make a dent, and make sure that some child goes to college, he seeks out his dreams and aspirations. That's what I was on.
"We're asking you to get in the fight."Lonnie Lockhart Bey
So, I had to get back to who I was, and what I want to be in life. But it took me going down a road that is very dark, very lonely, a lot of pain, a lot of heartache. But it was necessary because it made me who I am today.
I get people that ask me all the time, “Would you do a different?” And I tell them, “Nah, I wouldn't because I love who I am today, I love who God created me to be and the purpose that he gave me in my life.”
I really think that if I did something different, it would be different. I don't want that. I love what I'm doing. I love my purpose, and my purpose right now is as young children – teens that are really going down the path of me and Lonnie have seen and gone down.
We got to break these generational curses.
Lonnie Lockhart Bey: The acronym R.I.S.E. is Responsible Intelligence Scholars Excelling. It is all about putting these children on a path that will allow them to make decisions that will help their futures.
See, because one thing about the American way – when you start stripping people of their identity, just like happened in slavery, then these are the residual traces.
"I know I can't help everybody, but if I can make a dent, and make sure that some child goes to college, he seeks out his dreams and aspirations. That's what I was on."Julian Jackman
It’s no different than dealing with a group of children who are hungry, who are starving, and you tell them, “You need to get off to this corner.”
So, when they respond and say, “You got a job for me?”
“No, I wouldn't hire your kind.”
If you are going to take something away, then certainly you must be able to replace it. So, now for all of those who are business owners – don't try to pull the wool over our eyes because we are boots on the ground. We there, we walking the path, and so we struggle with him.
And I will even go so far as to say, without my wife or his wife – we couldn't do the things that we do.
Because you know what? This is not a glorified job. This is not something that people say, “Oh, here you go.” That's not what happens when you doing the right thing.
Jackman: Sure don’t.
Lockhart Bey: That don't happen that way.
The people that say, “Oh, here you go,” we go to bed with every night.
So, it's important for those who have the means – you ain't got to give it to us. We're not asking for your money for us, and, in fact, we're not even asking for your money. We're asking you to get in the fight.
