Whether You Grow Up Poor, Sick or Not, You Have No Excuse (with NBA Hall of Famer, David Robinson)

Audio Transcription

NBA Hall of Fame basketball player, David Robinson explains who George Washington Carver was and why he decided to name the charter schools he founded after him.

Welcome back to the drive time show on your business coach podcast download on today’s podcast. We have even offered an opportunity to sit down with the two-time gold, medal-winning olympic athlete and nba hall of famer david robinson I use. My partner is my friend he’s a investor in the thrive time show, and we get a chance to ask him. You know why I mean who is who was george washington carver did the namesake of his school. You know what he would david robinson started a school to serve inner-city underprivileged kids. He could have named it after himself. We couldn’t and it after anybody, but instead he decided today, but after george washington carverwhy did he do that who was george washington carver, and what? What about george, washington carver, really inspired david robinson to the level that he decided to just spend a massive massive quantity of his net worth on a school. He decided to spend a massive proportion of his time on starting a school I’ll call the george washington carver academy. Why would he name a school after george, washington carver? What did he do? That was so significant that made that kind of impact on david robinson that he would name a school and after george washington carver, not after himself or not after anybody else, so that any further ado my business coach interview with david robinson discussing the, life and times of george washington carver? Do you have to the time he was 12? He had nothing. He had. He had a bible was the only thing he had up until that point. So when I see these kids in these neighborhoods and in certain situations, they may not have a father or mother in the household they’re living with their grandmother, a they’ve got their in tough situations, which are are difficult to say the least. They can’t use that as an excuse. They still have been given gifts by god and they still have opportunity and everything live in a country where opportunity is at every corner and so I use carver as an example, as a person who came out of a very very difficult situation was very sickly, even as it as a child. I almost died and and and still manage to come out and make something of it. I think it’s amazing that so I can be sickly. All they have is one book they’re growing up in a time of racial inequality and they still achieve what he did. I mean he have the cards stacked against you, that’s ridiculous. Did you get your idea to initially start the carver academy?

When did you remember where were you where you at where you work in in in the house, doing something we talking to your wife or you shooting a free, throw and a game and what would happen if a family meeting and then my wife and I were sitting down and discussing what we wanted to do for the city of san antonio? We have been tremendously blessed by this city, all of our success. An opportunity really came through this city, so we sat down and talked about. What can we do to add to to the city help the city grow and my passion was education, I’m, a I’m, a teacher by nature, i, love sitting and you’re? My kids are the the unfortunate victims of my my passion for teaching, and you know I’m always saying you understand why we did this. Do you understand what’s happening here and then you explained it plenty of times before you know. So that’s my passion, I love, seeing the light go on and then people understanding and getting excited about their future. So my wife and I were sitting around talking about this. It seems to be the most obvious thing to do:hey, let’s teach, let’s get these kids, who are in the in the certain circumstances who who don’t have opportunities, opportunities and let’s open their world up, did your was your wife kind of the one who’s first cuz you both want to get back to san antonio you’ve chosen to live here. The cities really embraced your family use embrace the city. It’s been a great symbiotic relationship. You guys have had it really. Was it a deal where your wife, it kind of like hey? Let’s do something for the kids. Are you been kind of legend or was it kind of like you? Both just sat down and you have the same? It’s been our passion really from the beginning. We started the david robinson foundation way to way back when i, when I first started and that that came more for my mother and father. They, it prompted me to to start giving towards education, but, but you know, I was in the stage of I need to get bigger contract, but my mom and dad were smart enough to say hey. You need to be thinking about how you’re going to impact the community in the pack, the kids who haven’t had the opportunities you had no really started with my mom and dad. But then my wife and I picked up on that and it really became a part of what we wanted to leave behind george washington carver was famous for saying. Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom. What did he mean by that? And did you see? Carver academy is being a kind of a a way to unlock the golden door. There’s a lot of levels there. You know I think freedom, freedom in our minds and in our hearts you know:that’s that’s the first door. You have to unlock some of us are prisoners because of the way we grew up or the way we feel and education unlocks that it give it it. It makes you realize that there’s so much more out there, but, but also at the business coach time freedom was released, us.

Were slaves, so unlocking that that door to the freedom that that was now that was just beginning to pick up head out that that all the sudden we could have jobs. We could you know. Unfortunately we were you, know picking, cotton, but and cotton farmers, which was not a very good job, but at the same time we need to unlock this golden door. Why I have business coach freedom if we really can’t prosper and-and so he felt like education-was the key to unlocking this door to this new freedom. Freedom is great, but there’s a golden door is opportunity. Freedom allows more than just survival