Royal Smith and Edgar Smith

00:03 Hi, my name is Royal Smith. I am 36 years old today's date is Wednesday, February 12th, 2021. I am currently in Denver Colorado, but I'm originally from Boston my conversation Partners. Dr. Edgar Smith. Marquis is my mentor friend.

00:27 Teacher the list goes on and on and on.

00:36 My name is. Edgar Smith. I am 86 years old. Today's date is Wednesday, February 10th, 2021. I am in Jackson, Mississippi. I'm back in the home in my native State Mississippi. My conversation partner is Royal Smith Smith. Also, we're not related by blood but we are related. He is a friend of former student and a program that we developed in Massachusetts and very fine young man who I'm so very happy to know.

01:18 Well or hit me up.

01:22 My friend is meant to some thirty years ago write you a part of the Paul Robeson Institute, which was formed by the concerned black men of Massachusetts in 1990. Actually. What what how old are you and what grade are you in at 2? So I started the program in 1991 as a third grader. It was the to my understanding. It was the second class of the Paul Robeson Institute that will take place over at the African American Institute at Northeastern University.

02:22 Call Rosa have to do as part of concerned black men in black men black male in a community. We wanted the presence of the black male in the community may stronger. And so what we decide to do was to start a Saturday program that we would meet with the youngsters. We talked with the third grade 15 students in the third grade 15 and 4th grade history, except for what is really about getting to know the individual and what the issue is. They were dealing with an a community and what role we could play in helping them to deal with those those those dishes. And so that's that's how we we got formed and we call it to call Ross and that's the truth because of Paul Robeson, really.

03:20 So, I mean, I don't know how the guy just cause. I guess I'll start with a question.

03:31 I don't know if you remember, but it was one of the very first.

03:38 Science sessions. So we used to get bounced around from the library to the second floor and back to harambe down in the first level.

03:48 Was that urine?

03:51 It when we did the test when we did the test with the with the finger in the switch.

04:03 Come of that how that works for me today. It's all about paying attention Okay, that was an experiment used by a professor at Harvard Medical School to get the attention of his medical students in first year of paying attention to what he did. He was he put his finger in a cup of urine and then put a finger in his mouth the idea of us that he put one finger in the yard and another finger in the mouth not paying attention dead.

05:05 I did what I did a concentrated salt solution, but I don't remember where you don't did you taste the do you know what you did because of my last name? I think I was later in the group being asked so I think at some point you corrected it and said hold on pay attention. It's crazy how that correlates to the today. You're not to me cuz everything with me as attention to detail, you know, a little things the little things and

05:51 You never really notice how

05:54 When when when you're coming up those little things?

05:58 Shake your life.

06:00 Young man in a lot of those little nuggets right came from PRI

06:08 That is what what I really wanted to hear. You say why because as an alarm of what that organization you represent what we were really trying to do really what we were trying to do and what I really wanted to know from you at this stage in your life. I mean you are 36 you say I know I know I don't know if you can play.

06:41 When my grandchildren my grandchildren are older than you and great grand daughter, but

06:48 We wanted to see what impact that had on you and at this stage in your life where we teaching you life lessons what we strengthen your foundation. That's really what we want to do and you to me represent the fruits of our labor. You know, I don't I don't put myself on that. You know, I'm just I'm a student that made it to the program and its entirety. You have to use it to its entirety and coming up. There was a point where

07:24 It was an elective you. I mean that you know from third grade to maybe 8th grade you weren't being dragged by your parent told your mother to this program, you know, and then after that you don't like it since the trade in and got off on another stop, you know, there was a time where the other things other attractions in. Oh, so I didn't make all sessions but you know

07:56 The Paul Robeson Institute for positive self-development was a pivotal point in my upbringing from everything from from who I am now to the negative X, you know to the top when you needed somebody to just check on you you don't admit. I've been a victim of the Department of Corrections in in in the legal system and in to know that the only people that really reached out where Luke in the organization, you know reach out to my mother that was deep yellow and in addition to adjust

08:37 Stay in school United States go to school go to school. They don't teach you how to stay there. Like absolutely and in those weekly check-ins with you knowing it started off with with Keith at Northeast Keith Motley was at Northeastern University and I was just hang out in his office after school to when I was in college. Just calling to check on you cuz about that time you you just went down in Mississippi. That's right. Yeah. Yeah and I was in South Carolina and and we just talk to us now, but you know, we would talk on a monthly basis. Yes. We did. I'm going through business things that I have Charles, you know Charles has two huge Ally went just going through Weatherby City politics or you know, how

09:37 Sustained earn before closing and even through cover. You know, I'm so yeah, the program is pivotal. It is super pivotal and

09:49 Try to be involved as much as I could now, you know, and I feel like I'm doing I'm not doing my due diligence, but you know.

09:59 It is hard, you know because I feel like back then, you know, cuz you got for my age. When a lot of guys the founding member started, you know, the younger guys the keys to install the software is hard now because

10:16 You know back then you just have to have one job, you know one career now, you know the weekend jobs and we try and I try to reach out to alumni and I don't know where I'm going with this but you know, it's it's the program needs to sustain and I am I need to I'm trying to figure out what I can do to help with programs to stain. You know, what are things you can do is maintain that frame of mind.

10:43 Maintain that frame of mind so that you can use lies whatever time that you have that program going and to me you have given a reason does this thing that program because not only has he made an impact on you because you are aware of the need of a program like that now presently, I mean if perhaps even more then in no time and if so just keep that frame of mine keep that friend of mine and you will take advantage of every opportunity to be involved in that program. Okay, and we it's important for us older folk to rely on folk like you to keep programs like that going because they're still necessary. I can remember when you came and I'm not at all surprised about where you are because you were in the was it the third grade

11:43 And I have never seen a third way. It was an appointment book.

11:50 You hear you hang up?

11:55 Same color, no gold binding.

12:02 After this guy is really ready to go and he going to keep this Visionary. I don't know if you remember what I was doing very science experiments. One of them had to do with challenging the class everybody. We put we what we did was invited you guys off into group and we challenge you to make a paper boat.

12:33 That would hold a maximum amount of pennies and are you had to design this boat? Such a way? I don't know if you remember that but you have to think in terms of rotation. So forth in the design of the boat, and then how old would hold her panties and so forth and your boat want

12:53 Did it? Yes, it did your boat when I don't know how many fish you put it in there, but it was based on a design that you would put that I can't remember that. But what I wanted you guys to do is to think about what you doing. I just feel something together and you did an excellent job. So that told me that you were thinking God and my predictions were proved to be correct.

13:29 Dockatot me to scientific theory.

13:32 You know that end in i don't know if you know, but I didn't know science, you know, and at that time third grade I thought I was probably at the Trotter Williams Charter School in Roxbury and things were things were different then, you know, it was a lot of discipline issues and so on and so forth. So we don't have to use the session to maximize on because to me if you know, it was quick and easy get the information you need to know and go you don't like I don't know if you know but because of you

14:06 Any science fair from the third grade I've placed.

14:19 Is that right place State science fair? I want two years in a row any, you know in my school at place from third grade. I don't know if you remember I had the doorbell and I made this little structure and I just showed how current works in the car at work. And then I move that up to testing different Fabrics with on 2 liter bottles. It was a Polar Tech in you know, those things and then to two wild and I can't read that projects into life right now. Where is just hypothesize how to make you be surprised how many times I use that in my daily words that you know,

15:07 You know that comes from you but it comes from the program. It comes from finding these little moments because it's hard for people who are different.

15:17 In

15:20 Little black inner-city youth learn different

15:26 And we need that we weren't getting that hands-on experience that building a boat that at one time. We did the toothpick bridge. We did the the jelly how many jelly beans are in the container, you know, we don't get that a lot of times especially at that time in Boston Public Schools, you know, it was just ears textbook typically on a date and you know Creed and

15:54 Move on, you know, I appreciate that. I appreciate the program and in that goes to

16:05 Not just science the mess out of me to I don't know if you remember Africa was a continent competitions, you know, but if I didn't have those I wouldn't know much about Africa, you know in those little things those little nuggets nuggets stick with you at it's still as a 36 year-old, you know.

16:33 That's fantastic because what we were trying to do what we would we was supplementing we knew that supplementation was necessary and we were trying to supplement it when I think about what we were trying to accomplish I think about what I considered as a three criteria for being educated and that is being able to thank for the reason analytically and communicate effectively.

17:02 They put a clay reason analytically and and communicate effectively and we will in essence doing that with you guys so that you could you could take those traits and spread them across anything that you were doing. And any whatever your activity was. You would want you to think about it think critically about it. Okay, then want you to reason and you reason our literature that is you your reason based on facts. Okay, and then you got to be able to talk about it or to write about it. You got to be able to tell someone that you got to communicate is that we wanted you guys to talk about what you were doing. And so those three criteria were molded into what we were work what we're doing with UK and that was such a such a pleasure and and the parents really enjoy really so much. So until you were called the parents organized.

18:02 Our group that went when we started with you guys. We were fixing you preparing you some breakfast and and and some lunch. Okay. Peanut butter and jelly and then I do the food and why we why we doing salmon watch peanut butter and jelly.

18:37 What are we what we did the parents who said they want to do something with it was really about publicity more than about actually commitment. Okay concerned black men in Massachusetts. What committed we met for 6 months before we decide to program to make sure that we will commit that we were committed to come into Northeastern every Saturday morning. Okay, you got to give up your share of the month. You can't give up your Saturday morning don't be involved in this program as we used to say we on Half Steppin. So we started we we we saw that program that the parents began to see that these guys are really serious here. So the parents started to coming when they drop the kids off here that's makes prepare the food.

19:37 Go get the pants. They're coming together. So why don't we organize and become a parents group? Okay, Miss Theresa Allen, it started fundraising fundraising effort. And so that's how we got the price if I because they knew that we were not trying to replace what they were trying to do. We couldn't do that. We were we were supplementing and only way that we as a group of black males could do in terms of providing a consistent role model to let you guys know that we really really cared it wasn't about us even those interesting some of the young guys young man who were in that program went on to develop themselves three or four guys in that program will only get that Doctorate Degrees Richard some other folk when I got there.

20:37 And we at Clarence Williams and I with the old guy in the program and we encourage them to develop and it was an it was a good program for the youngsters as well as for those who were involved with me for growth for me. I mean, I was learning well as teaching so what do you want to touch. It and how do you make a program like PRI and a black man how you think they should function now?

21:34 In the life of young black males that you said because we have seen some real problems with this whole issue crying and so forth. What do you have any thoughts about about that?

21:49 Everything goes in a circle.

21:52 So we're at that point where there needs to be a little cousin.

21:59 I would like to thank I'm active in the organization right now.

22:04 You know, but I'm not to the to the

22:12 I think took to the guy that you guys have a set for you. No, like I I can't commit every Saturday, you know, I can't do these things. However, I can work in different ways. That's right, you know, so we need to find the right ways. And with that being said like I think that

22:33 I would we need to re-establish membership. You know, let's get back to let's get back to 1989, you know, if if myself and a couple maybe three or four other alarms are active. Let's get that a sub that sub group together and get more of the past members to get past students together so I can name about six of them, you know in my phone, which I have contact information for, you know. The Willie Ruffins, you know the piano player but

23:11 How do we get them back and gave you cuz like I said time in the value of time is different now because you know, we can't survive on these one jobs and careers like every all of the pastor's that I'm thinking about, you know, not to say that you guys didn't have situations and in families and and lives outside. But what brought you in like initially so I can sort of take that message a terrier out to everybody else as I see them because you know, I'm where are you were at 36 I'm going out. I'm doing this. I see people hearing there and meetings and salt in different circles. What is what is the elevator pitch I can tell to?

24:03 The SEPTA pass students to get a more involved now, you know, so I guess that starts from what was the elevator pitch that got you into the family room that you make I think it's I like that term elevator pitch by the way, you know, it feels but I'm still in the learning but learning now, you know, I only see these guys for 5-10 minutes. What can I say to grab them to say? Hey come back in the program. You know what I mean? I think it stems from what got you interested in the program and then that was because of the situation involving black males in in the in the Arabic community and we recognize what we wanted to do something about it. Okay?

25:04 But we didn't know what to do. We know we know what we wanted to do, but we didn't know or didn't know how to do it. So that's how we we met with the teachers and and they told us really what the issues were and where and what role we can play you don't have to do that because we started laid the foundation. What what what I what I see with with you guys is that you have had that experience. Okay, and you you don't have to stop and Ground Zero. Okay your ground Zeroes this is different from ours cuz you've been through that program and you know, what effect that can have and I what impact did can have you can start out as a group of of a lumps. You've been there. You've been there and you've done that. Okay, and you can now we as in the elderly can be resources video. You know, how did you can ask us when you're on how did you do this and so forth?

26:04 But you starting at it if you had a different level you got a different level. It's so like you said you you you have to do what you can do under the circumstances that you are in now your circumstances, but like you said the world is different than violence is different. Okay, you have to look look at your environment and see just like we did we looked in our environment is it now they have to be some changes. How can we make those changes? What do so we spoke with the teachers and so far you speak with some of us as resources.

26:41 What you want to do and do it in the way that you can do it. We did it to the way we had to go because of those circumstances, but that's still a role for the organization like ours to play and you guys have to set it up the function to satisfied where you are. Now one last question. I don't know what I have tons of questions, but can you explain?

27:11 How and why Songhai Village happened because that I think was very pivotal and in the whole structure of and I don't know if you saw my Village was the overnight summer program where we stay at BECU. Yeah. I'm trying to remember now you 36. I'm 86. I'm trying to remember.

27:43 Why we did it. I mean we we we we were overnight and course on how Village was named after cuz they African South Africa village in so I think that was talk like the basis for what we did it and I'm hard-pressed to remember why we settled on doing that unless we wanted you to you too.

28:15 Experience the situation where you were with us for an extended. Of time.

28:25 Only on Saturday morning or some of the visitation that we might have made it to the schools of this day. She invited me to the parents. But this was a situation where you were we were together for an extended. Of time where we dealt with different kinds of issues in that environment. So I think that might have been the case we really want to do we really wanted to have you for a ourselves just talked to variety of issues with no disturbance is no outside. You didn't have to go back home. You didn't we didn't have to go back home. You know, we wouldn't ask your situation we had each other and I really think that's what would happen. If you want you want you want restrained by time and I'll tell you if you do from from a product of song of those that was that was most of my most

29:25 Memorable experiences came from so I'll have Village you know it even if it was.

29:33 Think about it, you know.

29:36 How else is an inner-city black youth going to be on a college campus before his time that's in 02 to use the facilities. They use to hang out in the pool playing the tennis courts just have dinner in on campus at the age of 4 greater for you know, like it was a set of standard.

30:00 That

30:03 Okay, check it check the box for a lot of people that that this is attainable absolute. Absolutely. I could you know because of the organization is you know, I know who Cornel West was, you know, cuz I was just sit in some random lectures and Harvard just so you know because. William said here just be here at 6, you know and in okay, I'm getting the same.

30:34 Talking to that Harvard students are being you no talk to which is the same thing when you watch USA Today and you see the student that's 16 and they're in a local community college or you know, this that and the third how did they get their start in little things like that help?

30:59 The the the foundation of people and especially especially people that

31:06 1 exposed to it Ino, Annex in that market young black inner-city

31:14 Husband often has fatherless Youth and we wanted to show you that you were capable. That's why I brought Allen Allen County from the physiology of professor at Harvard bring the students over he was doing experiments with he is a physiology professor and he regularly so that you live in Boston, but you would never cross to Cambridge to get the Harvard unless you were exposed to a situation like that and that's why to this day whenever there's two that the Harvard science fair. I'm definitely there with organization that day to transport to do the Ruggles ride and in you know walk through the camp because that Harvard science is important.

32:14 I would have never got introduced to that. You know, that whole world. That's a different world. I don't know man, you know, like, you know, it's funny, you know.

32:32 Now that I'm sitting here thinking more needs to be done, you know in the program needs to it needs to have a Resurgence, you know we went from

32:46 I guess why we should break off into groups all we did Boyz II Men Dee's to yeah, you know, what's a 60 + 50, + you know in attendance now, it's it's kind of scares and I understand the problems why it is and

33:06 You know, it's you just put more weight on me because now it's up to me to that's right.

33:25 Regret it now. That's it. That is it future of this organization before we leave now the question what's going on with the blues Trail?

33:42 In this is epic. Yes. Oh man, we have over 200 Blues Marcus what this is all about this explanation. I was on the blues because I grew up in the Mississippi Delta next to the biggest joke joint into town. So the blues is part of my blood part of the commission that built up a list of is considered all of the blue come to Mississippi and didn't know really appreciate it. And now we have like a blues trailer of monuments to Blues performers Blues Daniels and things that I need to we have over 200 I decided it was some other folks decided in addition to having a blues Trail. We should have some effort to support the old blues musicians Subway Farm to benevolence fund long story short and I'm chairman of the benevolent Committee of The Mississippi Blues Foundation we have

34:42 Given out over $125,000 in funds to needy Blues musician. That's really my application now administering that that's fun to help help these musicians pay their medical bills grocery bills bury them whatever whatever whatever their needs a big world a message of the Blues has left them behind because there weren't making money from the blues other folk with making money from them, but they've got an old now with the pandemic that have no gigs. We helping them in any way that we can so that's going very well. I'm glad you asked that the correlation. I don't know if you know I own district 7 Tavern the only black tavern in Boston.

35:30 I started the boss black Boston Hospitality Coalition and you know, it's we need help in I said that to say this like the song we never talked about my passion with music goes deeper than what you think and what I was really interested when you did the Blues Trail cuz you are keeping me abreast of what's going on in the prophetess to to the point where you know, right now I'm providing musician space, you know during these times just to get to you don't mean because it isn't it you don't absolutely, you know a part of our village there was a soundtrack

36:13 You know and in the soundtrack kept us going but it was Negro spirituals weather was gospel music weather was the blues. You know, it it right now so right and that's another reason why I think I'll text you something and just look at me contact about this because you know,

36:37 I still need that guidance. I'm still a little 3rd grader, you know, believe it or not. I am you know, I may do this. I may do that, but sometimes you just got to make sure I'm still paying attention. Thanks, man. I appreciate you. All right. Love you, man. I appreciate you and love you, too. Thank you.