Osyrus Bolly and Ryan Davis

00:03 Hello, what's up? This is Osiris Bali. It was storycorps about to have a great conversation right now with one of my good friends.

00:14 Ryan Davis, I'm 42 years old.

00:21 Dave's Wednesday, April 21st 2021. We're here in Little Rock, Arkansas, and I'm having a conversation with my good friend. Osyrus Bolly.

00:36 All right, so you don't saying like what up what I really want to just talk about the date and it's like it's a lot going on in the world right now. You know, I'm saying? And particular in Arkansas, man. We know it's a lot of things going on as far as I could politics and social awareness and, you know, just a lot of different things going in the community, but I know one thing about me and you is mad over the years, we've shown like a firm commitment to the communities city of Little Rock Arkansas. And, you know, I'm saying, just basically two guys who I feel like we are that are not afraid of sticking around and trying to pursue that social change every want to see in our, in our statement. And so my community. And so like,

01:30 I know you but you know I'm saying so I was good, but I knew stuff about you, man. Just like take me back to like your childhood. Like what was going on. Like, it was your memories of growing up in your community. I think I feel a little while. I got think I can still I feel my age more these days because you know, I work on a college campus for 20 year olds that have the habit of making me feel like I am a thousand years old and you know, I'll forgive him say things and it reminds me. They say they said they talked about the existence of something that reminds me that it's not there anymore and you know, places like stores. And you know, I remember when Dunbar Garden was two houses in the Williams Library didn't exist. Then, you know, and so it was a little rock was a very different place, even twenty years ago.

02:30 30 and 35 years ago, but you know, different place indeed.

02:37 One thing I think about when I Think About Little Rock in this world reminds me because you're talking about, you know, people being activists. I guess some people be in the community center people, I think about mr. Roberts a Macintosh. You like the name Steve McIntosh for one man. It was just something that float around in my Granny's house growing up. You know, I'm saying she loves Shae McEntire sweet potato pie.

03:15 And then, at the same time, you know, I'll be eavesdropping in the key and I was just here about the different different things. He would do in the public as far as like, you know, when he died.

03:29 Crucified itself at the Capitol that time we had like, a Long John thermals on in the middle of the summer. He passed out. I heard about it, you know, black center when he would go to the bread about project and he would give out, he was just, you know, just placed just for all the kids in the projects out there and Granite Mountain at the end of the year, but I heard about that when we are actually cater like a clan meeting like I thought that was like I was crazy and all these different events in his life, but he always heard about that. He was a positive guy. He promoted unity in our community may. He was actress who's not afraid to speak, you know, if he will be confrontational the time so he was like one of those Frontline just Frontline disruptors, you know I'm saying. And so I always admired admired the things I heard about him. I was at Meijer.

04:29 The person and then you know, so just meet his family over the years man. You don't send it was just people that was always good people. So I worked at an empty going to places that are not there. I don't know if you remember there was a grocery store right at the corner of 12th and Battery charter school. And I work there really my first, I guess my first job and my first job outside of, you know, I'm mowing lawns, but my first job and I 16 years old. So, you know, if you're 16 and you work at the grocery store, you kind of a low man on the totem pole, so you can go get those things off of Park and 19th parking lot, you know, stuff like that, or whatever in, you know, but I enjoy the job actually like working her, you know.

05:29 Unionized and so has Union die by eating, but also remember having to work one fourth of July, and yeah, that's when you say, you don't get off the holidays. So we are working with July and just so happens to be near to my grandmother's birthday. So, there's a big birthday party for my grandmother happening barbecue /. Fish fry, in a crawfish ball. I mean, so many different things happened on the same day that I get to miss all up, but who comes through the door with tray after the trade of

06:14 Smoked turkey, sweet potato, pies lemonade with Robert say Natchitoches word and I'm going around to the different stores and I'm leaving the 4th of July, beautiful people who have to work today. I mean, you know, and that just to be really showed no matter how conventional under this tribe and how how wow people can portray the bathroom and you really did love people. You can tell that in this interaction with kids in particular, you know, most definitely coming out to the Klan rally that they had at the Capitol, but a truck load of bricks if you ain't doing nothing.

07:14 I gave a shout out of my song black rubber the real Rebel, you know, I'm saying like you remember him in the community is always been somebody that was beaucoup. You know, a boy should change not not afraid. You know, he's put out those better. That's another thing. I've been broke supplies and you leave church on a Sunday afternoon, you know early afternoon and then going to have a say McIntosh Bleier on there and you don't know what he's going to say, you know what he got some type of news for you. You know I'm saying. So evidently some Ira. My child things are like I like I always think about man, it's just hard to change the city that changes. I was a kid. He knocked them. Choppa's Little Rock and Soul Man. I just remember things like the Southwest Mall being there. I remember the stripper guys phrases totally different, totally different. That strip man was made nothing but franchises the police headquarters now. Used to be tomorrow in Putt-Putt golf back there.

08:14 Ron Sherman, whatever Studios, whatever. Used to be a movie theater and may I have a spot, I can put that your man when we used to go watch movies at like you know, that I guess that's what my mom. But like how much the city just to change a spark? Like the look in the field of the city? Like Southwest was like totally different growing up and I'm not going to just like the Little Rock Nine for the HBO movie Gang Bangin in Little Rock and, you know, it was it was it was different to me because, you know, the sense of community that I felt back then he knows and it was it was just a little bit different because, you know,

09:13 I think about the neighborhood that I can live there as an adult and how I don't really know my neighbors. Like, I used to know on when I was child, man. It's not because they had like, all of my children, think it was just that people would be outside more. Pull up to talk to you or just you and in your native, where you going. So we can hang out scooping up on the canis bridge and you know, I'm saying, I was traveling around and go do that.

10:01 Of course hanging out. You know, I'm saying the skating ring send all those different things now, but I just remember like, you know, very well how I know it was going on 12 back today with the police station in but I remember going to Skate World close down now and then, of course, the Arkansas Skatium, what we got to stay City. I want to say back in with, you know,

10:36 People made up made it a point to like, you know, bring you through to try to engage a Christian skate night in Skate City and our Christian State not responding because you know, you had a church crowd up in a mixed in with you know, I'm saying the Knoxville Church crime, you know, there was a big place, what makes Escape my Kristen like, you know, like the radio edited music and then you might have some up-tempo gospel songs going to 8602 Dawkins & Dawkins, you know old saying those are something more up-tempo young younger group.

11:36 Who can forget the first time you ever heard of a gospel rap song commission, all of that middle, just a really big push at the time like in the city back in the 90s to get back to you. Save this man to go to because you seem like a lot of different. What are you forgot that some type of disruption might happen all the Asian and then you know, I mean that's around the time, you know, it will be I feel like he's always been over police, but that's when it was like stress like that. The police and crack down on anything with it was Laura Duran.

12:22 You know, I'm saying, trespassing or whatever. So but I just think about all those places. They're really now, you know, I'm saying, you just want me to leave this like they were back then but it's like it was just so many more youth programs and things to do in the city. I feel like, you know, back then I Rick's Armory YMCA.

12:58 You know, it's a

13:01 If I can kind of this to me, I know you you do officially policy work around Equity. They work in a policy. And you do I say what I what I think I know this most vividly that's not really the same kind of purposeful investment in in youth youth programs. You survive in Richmond that you saw a happened as a result really, as a result of in the response to the violence in the 90s, and it's weird to be because it feels like to me that we would maintain that the best because we want to avoid.

14:01 You know, we said that and, you know, I think you can look at that and you see results of me. People, people talk about crying and I know we had kind of a surgeon and crimes to hear recently. But I mean, you look back in the generation that we were in and there was a lot more violence, you know, there was a lot more of that kind of instability. And like, you said, those places those programs that I can think of a hundred of my head that came out about the 90s, you know, really kind of stem the tide, and that's where we are. That's why we are, you know, but do we see a city like Little Rock that?

14:42 Has actively divested from, you know, it's used to work for the state in particular, for sure, you know, but the city and also you space when you throw it in the programs and you know about with winner, win on the stylistic moment word. Just like what what program I'm asking about that. After school someday someday, you know that had a vacation bible school in the summer time that you can watch it. When the first day I won't leave the name of the church on the same this post. But we're leaving and we had peanut butter crackers and milk. When I say peanut butter crackers. I mean, they took a sleeve of saltine crackers and was spread peanut butter on them and handed by I'm not hating.

15:42 You know, but I expected better and the headlights for kids like myself, who love to eat this loss. Like, you know, y'all doing thing. They have a hot dogs chips, you know, you get your own individual bag. And I mean, yeah, but there's always that there was always it seem, you know, like something a door, open Midnight basketball. Oh, yeah, my kind of bricks. Instrumental, Midnight basketball program, even like, you know, since lock-ins at the church is back in the day, you know, I'm saying, you had

16:42 None of the love programme was out there been actively in the school so fast. I was just trying to win everything that was giving away. I went in there. I wouldn't have on the team with nothing but you were always like to keep going where you say was going to see if I came back home, like three Shades Darker, you know, I'm saying, like poop has used to be right downtown where they put up the presidential, Clinton Library center. Now, and now the River Market is thing, I remember back, then there was no such thing as the River Market, President Clinton, Ave. All of that stuff down there now.

17:41 Somebody or elected officials and I'll pick them up the movie, start to bring those programs back because that's one of the things they lacking, you know, I'm saying. That's why I receive and violence a lot of time. Like, you know, I don't mind, you know, even you know back then, you know saying it was every Friday or Saturday. I feel like we have something to look forward to especially my team wants me to go to summer camp. That was the target, audience was the use for teenagers or even the young adults, a seasonal thing. Like you has always coming up here. They have a nice what concert was always coming up. The river fest has always talked about like Shane McIntosh, but like who was the mother like individuals that like inspires you with the kids that you consider, like, you know, just people who like a positive force in the community that you just remember.

18:41 You know, seeing or you know, my life, but also put me in front of some good folks, you know, one person who are affecting my team who really, you know, if my ass being and really learned a lot from, you know, I'm saying, I'm standing me know, but if I end up Patrick Patrick Lester, a lucrative career in the defense industry out of California came back. And like printed T-shirts this back, you know, when you back in the olden days,

19:41 Snap, you know, you could just get master Deuce t-shirt, but he was doing like a t-shirts with them.

19:53 Stuff like that. He parlayed that into his bookstore images of Africa was bookstore, but I also had you no other artifacts Mass jewelry stuff like that. So I kind of started working with them. You don't like, the weekends a little bit. And then after I left my very lucrative career, as a grocery clerk, as they say at Harvest Foods, will work for full-time at the point when he was transitioning from images of Africa to coupa Cafe, which was an afro vegan restaurant, really the first

20:30 You know.

20:32 Of that type of food in Little Rock and it was stables around for about two-and-a-half years, but I mean, like, really kind of some of the most pivotal two and a half years of my life, you know, because I work there and I'll be honest with you. There were fewer customers than that. We're friends who can't do that. People just kind of hung out, but have you folks from the nation companies selling newspapers. They said chat for a while, you know, I can't do that. But I mean beyond that Patrick cuz you know, I really kinda

21:20 I always complain when I was younger because she has my benefits. But the biggest thing is I probably owe Patrick $7,000 in in in the books that I just take this and I'll bring it back, I need. So, you know, it's the first time I've really got to see you. It'd be a little rock native. So, you know, and then of course.

22:20 Rocky came to town, it was going to book thing. You know, I wasn't doing that but you know beyond that eventually moved to Chicago and I was in college in Chicago working for third Wilcrest and so fresh out of college, you know, the saying I got a job working at the Royal Crest, you know, so gave me some some some really good. Well it gave me some really good, a resume at least you don't have to be to work in a small Publishing Company operation. But here it is that many years later, you know, Patrick's program say, it loud is still up and one word of his commitment to children and literacy, you know, can be evidence in all of the school-based program for the 11th, school-based programs in Little Rock and Alison, you know, we we develop together in mostly the national black belt development, Symposium that went from Philadelphia to Atlanta. And so, you know,

23:20 I hear somebody who could have stayed at the. You don't like he's barking and it probably would have to know because of the Apostle, probably rents near 4500 Corporation, but who chose to get out of here and shine books in the street where I go? And that's what I that's what I that's what I love about. Patrick Manor, mineral side. No matter what he always, I consider her like one of the guys in our community. Looks like there's been a role in this Dimension. Run to always-connected people in and making sure like that. You need to give me stock sisters. You wanted this or, you know, I'm saying? I have you ever read this book or come check out. This is Ben. He's always been different people. And I always, you know, I'm saying, I believe that people in this community and giving them a chance to have a platform as well.

24:20 Throw out there. Man. Rest in peace man. Curtis State ordinary person man, the energy seeing him as a child of the kids as a teenager energy in the past and he brought soup with this. Traffic is a thespian man. I'm the first time I got some nearby. Elementary gives a man. He did like a one-man show man, and I was just amazing how he just like all over the stage. Just so energetic and just made his acting skills with just like the old stage do that, but but

25:20 I mean, we're going to fuel Church in there, but then the big thing about it, man. First time I ever went to kewanda in Little Rock. I saw Curtis Tate there and he was just super passionate about lawns of man and happiness. And I was like, man, I'm going to celebrate Kwanzaa from here on out because of him because he's like, you see, when you young and you see somebody that passionate about what they doing in the community and bring you some positive. You know, I'm saying somebody like me, man, it just in Florida. If I do, I want, I want to try to see me when I'm there. A, the same thing. And taking that with you, for the rest of the life, man. Another person, man, on ROM at The Hip Hop, he was, he was just, he was just wrong back the first time I come to the school and tell them that she knows and stay in school and, you know,

26:20 Okay, and I'll stop the violence to also The Hip Hop. He came through with the lyrics says when he came through with jazz. He was like the first who died saw and body all the elements of hip-hop at Young day. Appointment his brother. Look back. Duramax body-snatched, little Little Mac the Body Snatchers. He gave me a business card. That was on backyard Enterprises. It was like 9 years and years, still there. Why me? Why you to call up and hang up the phone? Cuz I'm not mad. I don't want, I want to have stepped my legs tonight. When I do call me, but it was just, it was just don't see him in the community. And then you're not saying she was a teacher man that

27:20 You're sidings going through some pictures that are just was very passionate about her jobs and always making sure that her students like knew the importance of part of the job part of the career continued education if you could. But if not, you know, I'm saying make sure you find yourself out there, whether you be in the hospital or in the work was finding some steady employment and being unstable. And you know, I'm saying, always just trying to just stress the importance of job preparedness, you know, I'm saying? And it was funny because of first-time mom with the back then. Did you really inspire me?

28:10 Do you know some of yall good dope man, but all like you. No moving forward with like us now man, like what like what it like some of the tools that like you use your position now on your platform. Now just like try to create like a positive impact in the community, managers positive force, like social change, you know, that's a history is probably our greatest to, you know, it's it's a it's one of the, one of the things that would definitely have some for several reasons from me is the fact that people need to understand that, you know, we didn't come up out of a Cabbage, Cabbage Patch, you know, that we have people who showed us this way because

29:10 Thank you for us with a Bushwacker, our sales, folks. The holiday season for many years is Halloween, through the end of Black History Month like to extend myself Bryson, but he don't want this one of those. You do for me as well as a black American Christian. Think they both have a significant and you know, the historical element is

30:01 Really important to me, you know, just take a nap for moment to look back. And and, and seeing how that can inform us as we as we move forward. And, you know, a lot of the kids and I hate to be that I don't ever want to be that person who denigrates kids, because I see a lot of very creative kids. It just seems like it's these days a lot more to offer than they were when I bet with the kids, but I like those kids to know that those opportunities at the ones that were created by people before them. You know, that, you know, what platforms the Best Buy.

31:01 You know that don't think about it like that. But but in a way that says, you know, you don't exist out here by yourself, you know, you're not, you're not alone or or even just remember that. Even under such different circumstances people were able to,

31:22 Scale walls and stuff like that. You know I'm saying, like I think this is a conversation, you know, said not only because, you know, what are you man? You know I'm saying.

31:37 We we saw, we saw we had when we saw like, you know, how you talked about how they basically, you know, said, you would. Best thing going on in Little Rock and when we see like, you know, saying that we see what I forget, put what happens in that place when you we don't invest in the people in the community along with the place, you know, what can we see what happens, you know, normally justification happens or white flight happens. You know, I'm saying. That's that was the first woman. Social justice into me, you know, but you know I'm saying we we see what happens and that's why I like I'm glad now that me and you both are like actually

32:20 Laying the groundwork for no sense some positive things going to the community to bring some of those things back to give me the results of you and to let the you like build on that. Because like, I'm just excited about seeing more youth-led movement, Samantha know, because me and you both, will you work with the Little Rock Freedom fund, and it supports organizers and supporters protested? To support, young artists of people were expressing myself and also among that, you know, somebody got some of the other people that are, you know, I'm saying. I supported you that the healers and caregivers can be the disruptors. The philanthropist everybody has a role in every way that we support all of that, but you know I'm saying, it's giving that voice to the. You are saying to actually be able to like voice their concerns and

33:13 Along with that being able to do, you know, since provide some sound advice for him and give him opportunities and resources. They need because a lot of times, you know, said they don't really need us to be the gatekeeper. Do this, do this, do this. I got so many ideas and, you know, intelligent. If you just give him a place where they could, just make sure that and a safe space where they feel comfortable or brush. My teeth are missing an opportunity to learn. As we go along the way, man. You can just so much work that continues on in the community after we stopped in on Saturday.

33:51 I think that's just dope and I'm saying, I don't think it's anything wrong with giving, you know, I mean, we we invest a lot in my community center and stuff out of the track. We make certain places look really nice because, you know, we invest in, you know, a lot of lot, of lot of upper upper upcoming. But but, you know, you know, when we look at that much, we can tell with this Society priorities were and you know, it was shoveling from Star kids and, you know, in youth programs are struggling during though. I think that speaks that speaks ill of our society and in that shouldn't be the case. And, you know, I'm glad to I'm glad you're working in this face because we're asked, folks, I seen

34:51 Just kind of accepted Trump move on. I know that you and and, and, and lots of other folks are not really expecting that. This is a her that this is enough to use a sponge in our, in our other resources. That, that, that other, well, instead of spent investigating in young people that, you know, she put it in, you know, like you said, man put it plain and simple, man. Where you, where you put your money at shows with where you're most concerned with the most concerned with it. What you need to serve with it. So if you're not invested in the you. That just shows me that, you know, I'm saying, you don't really care about what's going on with you and you for not going to raise them today. Going to rain today self. You know, I'm saying we have to you know, saying make that investment and actually show that we care. So that you know, I'm saying, we we do see our community is thriving and exploration like we want

35:51 And that's the best like, you know, give me we we we seem like all this talk about politics over last. You have Little Rock, not liberated enough, like opportunities are here and these people are these young people like I'm leaving, like they not even thinking about it. And so I look at this, like, what we try to do, man. We just try to make a commitment. You know, I'm saying to Arkansas because everybody can't leave. Somebody got the baby's name, going to rain except that we have to. If you don't send the ones in, like when everybody else is leaving, we have to be the one standing up in the gaffer said, hey, you know, I'm not leaving cuz I'm satisfied with the way things are going and we got the future to think about you as well, you know.

36:33 But I'm glad to stay. I'm staying at man. I'm committed, man, you know a little bit of time, but you got to you got a big three, you just want to share with us. You know I'm saying.

36:52 Play one victory that I've seen over the last year, is Enos. And last year, just the number of young people that came out to the protests and the number people that have began organizing and actually joining like different of organization on a different groups, task force, all of that. You know, I'm saying all and all of that or I would have protested demonstration actually turn it to social awareness and Civic engagement and put some people in the right places where they needed to be because like I said, everybody got two rolls and put them in and put them in the right place to find out where they're there. I think your true calling, and where they would need it to be yet. That's all, I think like this end last year. Like I say, spend a lot of younger daughter. Ashley find a place in the movement that was dope and I was acting up with a victory. Because, you know, something. We're starting to see some of the changes on the policy level, and we seeing where you advocacy and engaged.

37:52 Yeah, I mean, you know, I yes, I was glad to glad to see some of the glad to see now rather some of the fruits of Street protest. So we still harvesting. I guess you don't. Glad to see you're frustrated with some of its course with. You do very glad to see. I've got to be amount of organizations that the amount of people who, you know, got out of the various Comfort zones and in and do some things they're not supposed to win and pointed at folks our age and it made us about that and I mean, you know, I'm not an optimist or pessimist Ariba. Do you know everything I do with the part of my

38:52 You know, hoping it's important for me, Bible verse. I like it says, 27 song I would have given up. Hope if I didn't believe that, I would see the goodness of God in the land of the living. And, you know, I I often say to myself, but even when people are not good, I still yet believe that God is good. And, you know, maybe that'll met out somewhere, huh? I already. So all we got to do is just, you know, somebody sitting in the shade today because somebody planted that tree way back. So dope dope man. Why?

39:33 Eric ball. Got a firm commitment to our communities, and we just got to keep pushing already.