WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:01.000 Serious. 00:01.000 --> 00:03.000 Say, man, were you relaxed? 00:03.000 --> 00:04.000 Awesome. 00:04.000 --> 00:12.000 Murr, we're doing a quick audio check. 00:12.000 --> 00:14.000 OK, testing 1-2, testing 1-2. 00:14.000 --> 00:15.000 I like testing 1-2. 00:15.000 --> 00:17.000 I know that's the worst mic test to give. 00:17.000 --> 00:21.000 They really want you to say something that's more appropriate of what you're going to say 00:21.000 --> 00:24.000 when you actually talk, but there I go. 00:24.000 --> 00:25.000 There we go. 00:25.000 --> 00:28.000 We'll get these off the thing just in case I need them. 00:29.000 --> 00:30.000 All right. 00:30.000 --> 00:31.000 Does that mean you're ready? 00:31.000 --> 00:34.000 I'm just trying to get my cheeks to be rosy. 00:34.000 --> 00:35.000 There you go. 00:35.000 --> 00:36.000 Relax it out. 00:36.000 --> 00:37.000 Woosah! 00:37.000 --> 00:38.000 Woosah! 00:38.000 --> 00:39.000 Woosah! 00:39.000 --> 00:40.000 Ah! 00:40.000 --> 00:41.000 All right. 00:41.000 --> 00:42.000 You guys all sit. 00:42.000 --> 00:43.000 OK. 00:43.000 --> 00:44.000 Alex, see. 00:44.000 --> 00:45.000 Good to see you again. 00:45.000 --> 00:47.000 It's good to see you too, Murr. 00:47.000 --> 00:52.000 By the time this airs, we know that little clock on your website will have been ticking, 00:52.000 --> 00:54.000 ticking, ticking and it will hit zero. 00:54.000 --> 00:55.000 Yes, it will. 00:55.000 --> 00:59.000 What has it been like and how long has that clock been ticking to make all this happen? 00:59.000 --> 01:00.000 Oh, man. 01:00.000 --> 01:02.000 This clock's been ticking my whole life in some ways, Murr. 01:02.000 --> 01:07.000 More specifically, probably the last decade as we started thinking about putting together 01:07.000 --> 01:09.000 a project team, a campaign team. 01:09.000 --> 01:12.000 We had to slow things down because of COVID. 01:12.000 --> 01:15.000 So we started fundraising in 2021. 01:15.000 --> 01:16.000 Wow. 01:16.000 --> 01:23.000 So it's been a five years plus countdown in terms of seriously being able to see the finish line. 01:23.000 --> 01:25.000 And I hate to do the old... 01:25.000 --> 01:30.000 What does it feel like that reporters tend to do, but what does it feel like, Alex, after 01:30.000 --> 01:31.000 all this? 01:31.000 --> 01:33.000 Oh, it feels like a dream that's come true. 01:33.000 --> 01:37.000 It's one of those things that's been in the back of my mind for probably most of my life. 01:37.000 --> 01:42.000 It's why I chose to stay in Madison because I had my sights on doing something in South 01:42.000 --> 01:47.000 Madison where we grew up, where we spent time in a community that's given so much to me. 01:47.000 --> 01:52.000 But to be here and to realize that I stand on the shoulders of so many people who rub 01:52.000 --> 01:57.000 my head and pinch my cheeks and sit, you're going to do something young man, you know, 01:57.000 --> 02:02.000 keep going to school, you know, give back to the community, you know, keep your faith to 02:02.000 --> 02:06.000 stand on their shoulders and to realize that they saw something in me and they encouraged 02:06.000 --> 02:09.000 me to stay here and make the community better if I could. 02:09.000 --> 02:14.000 And so I feel really honored to be chosen to do this and pull our community together 02:14.000 --> 02:15.000 the way I've been able to. 02:15.000 --> 02:16.000 Yeah. 02:16.000 --> 02:19.000 And as I was looking at your website, I saw a line there. 02:19.000 --> 02:26.000 It says this is going to be a sanctuary for healing, a catalyst for growth where we bring 02:26.000 --> 02:32.000 black culture, creativity, leadership, research, innovation, all under the same roof. 02:32.000 --> 02:33.000 That's right. 02:33.000 --> 02:35.000 How the heck do we do that Alex? 02:35.000 --> 02:38.000 Oh, with lots of partners and lots of thought. 02:38.000 --> 02:43.000 You know, when we talk about health and health disparities with African Americans, typically 02:43.000 --> 02:46.000 the assumption is many of us don't have health care. 02:46.000 --> 02:50.000 We don't take advantage of the health care that we want, but research through schools 02:50.000 --> 02:56.000 of medicine and public policy are showing that many of our degenerative diseases are stress-related. 02:56.000 --> 03:01.000 And so I can pick up a magazine and read 15 different ways you and I die more readily than 03:01.000 --> 03:04.000 our white counterpart, but what you don't read is how do you mitigate that? 03:04.000 --> 03:07.000 So if stress is the culprit, what do we do to reduce it? 03:07.000 --> 03:12.000 And so in our community historically, it's dance, it's swag, it's food, it's hanging out, it's 03:12.000 --> 03:16.000 playing the dozens, it's intergenerational programming, it's checkers, it's watching 03:16.000 --> 03:21.000 TV, it's watching old 70s movies, but it's spending time together where we don't have 03:21.000 --> 03:25.000 to code switch or feel that we have to be someone other than who we really are. 03:25.000 --> 03:29.000 And so the role here is to use all of those things that you have said to reduce the stress, 03:29.000 --> 03:34.000 but the benefit of this, my great desire is that black people live longer in healthier 03:34.000 --> 03:35.000 lives. 03:35.000 --> 03:39.000 I haven't raised all this money, so black people can have fancy places to have dances. 03:39.000 --> 03:43.000 And when you say all this money, people say, no, 31 million probably plus. 03:43.000 --> 03:45.000 Oh, shoot sir, 32 minutes. 03:45.000 --> 03:46.000 I don't want to count. 03:46.000 --> 03:47.000 Who's counting? 03:47.000 --> 03:48.000 At this point, right? 03:48.000 --> 03:51.000 You're right for a debt-free facility, for a completely debt-free facility. 03:51.000 --> 03:55.000 I'd love for you to paint a quick picture, Alex, of just like what really is going to go on 03:55.000 --> 03:56.000 here. 03:56.000 --> 04:00.000 I mean, yeah, we talked about, you know, the kind of a mission statement kind of thing 04:00.000 --> 04:02.000 there, but like, paint a picture for us. 04:02.000 --> 04:06.000 Sure, well, some of the, like we're sitting right here in our senior space, so this is 04:06.000 --> 04:10.000 a program that's ready to go, because so many of our seniors, once they've retired, 04:10.000 --> 04:11.000 they just seem to disappear. 04:11.000 --> 04:15.000 We don't see them anymore, so we want them to come out and have a place to hang out. 04:15.000 --> 04:20.000 Right next door to our children's library, where they can help young readers, we have 04:20.000 --> 04:27.000 a program that's for entrepreneurs, innovators, and folks that are ready to start their own 04:27.000 --> 04:28.000 businesses. 04:28.000 --> 04:32.000 We're going to work on leadership development, business strategy development, helping to 04:32.000 --> 04:37.000 raise money to launch those businesses, and then helping to introduce those people into 04:37.000 --> 04:40.000 our social networks, so that you don't have a business that's ready to go and no place 04:40.000 --> 04:42.000 to carry it out. 04:42.000 --> 04:47.000 We have two films that I'll be showing real soon in our theater. 04:47.000 --> 04:52.000 We're doing a couple of weddings here, graduation parties, but the special thing that I want 04:52.000 --> 04:59.000 people to know, Murph, is that we're only designing about 25 to 30% of the programs here, because 04:59.000 --> 05:03.000 we want the community to come in and say, you know what we need? 05:03.000 --> 05:08.000 Like, someone came in here the other day who's newer to their job, and they said, we need 05:08.000 --> 05:11.000 an NABJ, like National Association of Black Journalists. 05:11.000 --> 05:15.000 There's one in Milwaukee there, I'm sure you're familiar with it, but because there's a space 05:15.000 --> 05:18.000 to host, and someone said, we had to do a Madison version. 05:18.000 --> 05:20.000 That's the beauty of this space. 05:20.000 --> 05:21.000 Like, that's not my job to do that. 05:21.000 --> 05:23.000 A journalist came in here and said that. 05:23.000 --> 05:26.000 Others have come in and said, you know, we need a dual program. 05:26.000 --> 05:28.000 Can we do that here? 05:28.000 --> 05:32.000 We need self-defense programs for black women and moms. 05:32.000 --> 05:33.000 Can we do that here? 05:33.000 --> 05:38.000 So, for me, the beauty, the program, is when we have space to come in together and say, 05:38.000 --> 05:43.000 let's create an association, or let's do something to bring all the Greek organizations together, 05:43.000 --> 05:50.000 the sororities and the fraternities together, so that we can create a regional office of working together. 05:50.000 --> 05:57.000 The beauty of this is, I've built it, I've worked to fund it, but the community is going to help to fill it. 05:57.000 --> 06:01.000 Yeah, and we thank you for that, Alex, and there's a lot more to talk about, so this will be continued, 06:01.000 --> 06:05.000 and we appreciate you for joining us on here now. 06:05.000 --> 06:07.000 Thank you. 06:10.000 --> 06:11.000 Is that all right? 06:11.000 --> 06:12.000 I'm so sorry. 06:12.000 --> 06:13.000 I forgot. 06:13.000 --> 06:14.000 I forgot. 06:14.000 --> 06:15.000 No, it's okay. 06:15.000 --> 06:22.000 Well, we can do the, if you want, I can do that last little part over and then close it out, 06:22.000 --> 06:23.000 just like within a minute. 06:23.000 --> 06:24.000 Is that okay? 06:24.000 --> 06:26.000 I think we probably should, yeah. 06:26.000 --> 06:27.000 I'm so sorry. 06:27.000 --> 06:33.000 So, what, that makes me think this, do, do the rest of you guys have your phones, like on the side? 06:33.000 --> 06:34.000 I do. 06:34.000 --> 06:35.000 Mine is. 06:35.000 --> 06:37.000 Well, mine is supposed to be. 06:37.000 --> 06:41.000 Well, it's the alarm, probably is, but the alarm is still going to go off. 06:41.000 --> 06:42.000 Right. 06:42.000 --> 06:43.000 Right. 06:43.000 --> 06:44.000 I know what I'll do, Alex. 06:44.000 --> 06:45.000 I'll just shoot. 06:45.000 --> 06:47.000 I like that answer to it. 06:47.000 --> 06:48.000 But you can still catch some of that. 06:48.000 --> 06:49.000 What was the question? 06:49.000 --> 06:50.000 What's going to go on here? 06:50.000 --> 06:55.000 But I think that probably about how the community is going to do it, those examples, if we can 06:55.000 --> 06:59.000 use any of that before we get to that, just know, that's really helpful for you. 06:59.000 --> 07:03.000 Should I just, should I just ask that question over again? 07:03.000 --> 07:04.000 What do you all think? 07:04.000 --> 07:06.000 I think so just to keep it capsilized. 07:06.000 --> 07:07.000 Yeah. 07:07.000 --> 07:11.000 I mean, it's okay if it, you know, it, you know, it, like I said, we're trying to hit five, 07:11.000 --> 07:13.000 you know, you know, that five minute mark. 07:13.000 --> 07:16.000 It's not life or death if we go five, fifteen, five, thirty or whatever. 07:16.000 --> 07:19.000 But, but yeah, I just, sure. 07:19.000 --> 07:20.000 Sure. 07:20.000 --> 07:23.000 So maybe what I'll do is I just say I have, I've got time for one more. 07:23.000 --> 07:26.000 I'd love for you to paint a picture of kind of what goes on here. 07:26.000 --> 07:27.000 Sure. 07:27.000 --> 07:28.000 I'll do it that way. 07:28.000 --> 07:29.000 Sure. 07:29.000 --> 07:30.000 Okay. 07:30.000 --> 07:31.000 You guys set? 07:31.000 --> 07:32.000 Yep. 07:32.000 --> 07:33.000 So we're rolling. 07:33.000 --> 07:35.000 Alex, we've got time for one more. 07:35.000 --> 07:38.000 I just love to, we've got time for one more question. 07:38.000 --> 07:43.000 I just want you to paint a broad picture kind of of what really is going to go on here. 07:43.000 --> 07:44.000 Initially, we're going to have a lot. 07:44.000 --> 07:45.000 I'm struggling. 07:45.000 --> 07:46.000 Let me get that over. 07:46.000 --> 07:47.000 I didn't like the way I said that. 07:47.000 --> 07:52.000 When I, when I have to think about it, it gets all funky for me. 07:52.000 --> 07:53.000 All right. 07:53.000 --> 07:55.000 I've got time for it. 07:55.000 --> 07:57.000 Don't even start it that way. 07:57.000 --> 08:02.000 Just start the question. 08:02.000 --> 08:04.000 I have to start that way. 08:04.000 --> 08:05.000 Sorry. 08:05.000 --> 08:06.000 Well. 08:06.000 --> 08:10.000 So paint is the picture. 08:10.000 --> 08:11.000 I'm getting there, Cynthia. 08:11.000 --> 08:13.000 Just give me, give me a second to get there. 08:14.000 --> 08:15.000 I'll promise. 08:15.000 --> 08:16.000 You got this. 08:16.000 --> 08:17.000 I think I can do it. 08:17.000 --> 08:18.000 Are you better? 08:18.000 --> 08:19.000 Yeah. 08:19.000 --> 08:20.000 Right. 08:20.000 --> 08:23.000 In the next two minutes. 08:23.000 --> 08:27.000 So we use all those words to describe what's goes on here, but I want you to, if you can, 08:27.000 --> 08:32.000 just paint a real clear picture of kind of how you see what's going to happen here. 08:32.000 --> 08:35.000 A number of things will take place right away. 08:35.000 --> 08:37.000 The intergenerational programming is very important. 08:37.000 --> 08:40.000 We're sitting here in senior space right now. 08:40.000 --> 08:44.000 And we purposely put this room right next door to the children's library so that we can 08:44.000 --> 08:47.000 have that grandparent and grandchild kind of interaction. 08:47.000 --> 08:54.000 We have space that's about to launch training for innovators and for entrepreneurs with 08:54.000 --> 08:59.000 leadership training, funding training, actually plugging them into funding sources to launch 08:59.000 --> 09:00.000 their businesses. 09:00.000 --> 09:04.000 We have legal services provided to help them to structure their businesses. 09:04.000 --> 09:05.000 And then performances. 09:05.000 --> 09:06.000 We have two theaters. 09:06.000 --> 09:10.000 And so we have a couple of film debuts that are going to be showing there. 09:10.000 --> 09:15.000 Plus lots of events that community organizations want to have like weddings and retirement 09:15.000 --> 09:16.000 gatherings. 09:16.000 --> 09:22.000 I think the special part of this space is that we're only designing about 25% of it ourselves, 09:22.000 --> 09:23.000 programming ourselves. 09:23.000 --> 09:28.000 The rest of the community is going to come in and say, you know what, we need a sort of 09:28.000 --> 09:34.000 a karaoke night or we need a line dancing night or we need, I'm going to show my age by saying 09:34.000 --> 09:35.000 star search. 09:35.000 --> 09:38.000 But, you know, America's got talent. 09:38.000 --> 09:43.000 So there are so many things that we can do out of here that center around performance, 09:43.000 --> 09:48.000 lectures, comedians, meals together. 09:48.000 --> 09:53.000 But the beauty is that we've designed a small part of it, but the community gets to determine 09:53.000 --> 09:54.000 what this looks like when it's finished. 09:54.000 --> 09:56.000 I didn't like to answer that question. 09:56.000 --> 09:58.000 And I know I shouldn't have done that. 09:58.000 --> 10:01.000 Now we're all, now we're all into ourselves now. 10:02.000 --> 10:04.000 This could take days at this point. 10:04.000 --> 10:05.000 You want to start it? 10:05.000 --> 10:06.000 You want to do it? 10:06.000 --> 10:07.000 I do. 10:07.000 --> 10:08.000 I'm just wondering how much of the first one can we keep? 10:08.000 --> 10:11.000 I wonder if we can, because it seemed like that was an easy flow. 10:11.000 --> 10:12.000 What would happen? 10:12.000 --> 10:13.000 Well, what would happen? 10:13.000 --> 10:16.000 Only thing is the phone rang and then you turned around. 10:16.000 --> 10:18.000 I mean, I don't know. 10:18.000 --> 10:19.000 Can it be sound? 10:19.000 --> 10:20.000 No, no, no, no. 10:20.000 --> 10:21.000 I shouldn't have turned. 10:21.000 --> 10:22.000 I just... 10:22.000 --> 10:23.000 Yeah, you would blame you. 10:23.000 --> 10:24.000 Yeah, I don't blame you. 10:24.000 --> 10:25.000 I could do something. 10:25.000 --> 10:26.000 I wonder if we could... 10:26.000 --> 10:27.000 I wonder if there's a way... 10:27.000 --> 10:30.000 We could do some flash edits, right? 10:30.000 --> 10:31.000 I wonder if there's a way to just... 10:31.000 --> 10:32.000 Put it together. 10:32.000 --> 10:38.000 I wonder if there's just a way to close it out and take that answer and then I just say, 10:38.000 --> 10:39.000 thanks for joining us. 10:39.000 --> 10:41.000 And I think that's a question that a lot of people are wondering. 10:41.000 --> 10:48.000 So that's why I'm trying to answer it succinctly. 10:48.000 --> 10:49.000 What do you... 10:49.000 --> 10:50.000 We need to do it over. 10:50.000 --> 10:51.000 Sorry. 10:51.000 --> 10:57.000 I think between the two of them, we can definitely make this work. 10:57.000 --> 10:58.000 Okay. 10:58.000 --> 11:00.000 The first one was good. 11:00.000 --> 11:01.000 Because it's natural, yeah. 11:01.000 --> 11:02.000 No thinking involved. 11:02.000 --> 11:03.000 Right. 11:03.000 --> 11:04.000 So then maybe I just... 11:04.000 --> 11:05.000 Maybe I just close it out. 11:05.000 --> 11:06.000 Sure. 11:06.000 --> 11:09.000 And we'll figure out a way to get it where we need to get it. 11:09.000 --> 11:12.000 And if we have to use it and we hear the ringing in the back or around... 11:12.000 --> 11:13.000 It's okay too. 11:13.000 --> 11:14.000 I've got two cameras. 11:14.000 --> 11:15.000 I can cut the mirror. 11:15.000 --> 11:16.000 I like that. 11:16.000 --> 11:17.000 You know? 11:17.000 --> 11:18.000 And you'll cut out the part where I looked around. 11:18.000 --> 11:19.000 Yeah. 11:19.000 --> 11:20.000 And these have been sure it wasn't my fault. 11:20.000 --> 11:21.000 What's going on in there? 11:21.000 --> 11:22.000 I know. 11:22.000 --> 11:24.000 That was just a reaction. 11:24.000 --> 11:25.000 I know. 11:25.000 --> 11:27.000 Because I thought that was a countdown, so... 11:27.000 --> 11:28.000 No, no, no. 11:28.000 --> 11:29.000 There's no problem. 11:29.000 --> 11:30.000 I just... 11:30.000 --> 11:31.000 No, no. 11:31.000 --> 11:32.000 I just turned around because I just... 11:32.000 --> 11:33.000 That was being nosy. 11:33.000 --> 11:37.000 But if you think we can really work that out, if you're not comfortable with that though, 11:37.000 --> 11:38.000 I'll do it again. 11:38.000 --> 11:39.000 I'm leaning to you. 11:39.000 --> 11:40.000 I personally think we can. 11:40.000 --> 11:41.000 I think we can put a white flesh in there. 11:41.000 --> 11:43.000 We just need the closer from birth. 11:43.000 --> 11:44.000 Sure. 11:44.000 --> 11:45.000 Yes. 11:45.000 --> 11:46.000 So now it's back on me. 11:46.000 --> 11:48.000 You're the quintessential professional. 11:48.000 --> 11:49.000 You're right. 11:49.000 --> 11:52.000 I'll see you. 11:52.000 --> 11:53.000 We appreciate you joining us for this. 11:53.000 --> 11:54.000 Wait. 11:54.000 --> 11:55.000 That one liked that either. 11:56.000 --> 12:02.000 Thank you, Johnny. 12:02.000 --> 12:13.000 Okay, I got it. 12:13.000 --> 12:14.000 Okay. 12:14.000 --> 12:21.000 All right, Alex, a lot. 12:21.000 --> 12:24.000 I won't make any faces. 12:24.000 --> 12:25.000 Please don't. 12:25.000 --> 12:26.000 And Cynthia, leave me alone. 12:26.000 --> 12:27.000 I can feel it. 12:27.000 --> 12:28.000 I can just feel it. 12:28.000 --> 12:29.000 I can feel it. 12:29.000 --> 12:30.000 I can feel it. 12:30.000 --> 12:37.000 You're doing your thing over there. 12:37.000 --> 12:41.000 Yes, sir. 12:41.000 --> 12:44.000 All right, Dr. Alex, she will have to leave it there. 12:44.000 --> 12:47.000 This conversation will be continued because there's so much more we can talk. 12:47.000 --> 12:48.000 That's way too much. 12:48.000 --> 12:49.000 Sorry. 12:49.000 --> 12:50.000 All right. 12:50.000 --> 12:51.000 I got it. 12:51.000 --> 12:52.000 I got it. 12:53.000 --> 12:56.000 You know, Baron, isn't that funny? 12:56.000 --> 12:57.000 Wasn't that funny? 12:57.000 --> 12:58.000 Everybody's turned. 12:58.000 --> 12:59.000 Everybody's turned on me. 12:59.000 --> 13:00.000 No, we got you, buddy. 13:00.000 --> 13:01.000 We got you. 13:01.000 --> 13:06.000 You want to ask me if there's anything else I want? 13:06.000 --> 13:07.000 No, no. 13:07.000 --> 13:08.000 PBS Clippers. 13:08.000 --> 13:09.000 You ready? 13:09.000 --> 13:10.000 I am. 13:10.000 --> 13:11.000 Because you weren't looking at me. 13:11.000 --> 13:12.000 Like you were ready. 13:12.000 --> 13:13.000 Okay. 13:13.000 --> 13:14.000 All right, Alex. 13:14.000 --> 13:15.000 We'll have to leave it there. 13:15.000 --> 13:16.000 We appreciate you joining us. 13:16.000 --> 13:17.000 Thank you. 13:17.000 --> 13:18.000 It's been great being here. 13:19.000 --> 13:24.000 And the full dismount. 13:24.000 --> 13:25.000 All right. 13:25.000 --> 13:27.000 Then we can do this other one. 13:27.000 --> 13:28.000 Let me go.