Have you ever been the victim of a crime committed by a criminal? Better yet...have you ever had a loved one's life taken away by a coward who didn't give a damn about themselves...let alone the victim they killed? If not...then shame on you. I wouldn't give a damn if they sat in a 5 inch cell 24/7. A book. Really? Tell that to a grieving father who wants his child back.
By some of the comments on this thread, it's evident that some people missed the just of the entire interview. Forgiveness is a powerful tool; often overlooked and not utilized enough.
I'm a direct product of the good deeds of Tony Lewis Jr. I'm a ex offender who did ten years in jail and now i'm celebrating 11 years at my job thanks to Tony
We love you Tony Lewis and we support you 100%, he's a great husband, father, son, advocate and overall good man... thank you Tony for being the man you are!!!!! #freeTonyLewisSr.
Thank you Breakfast Club for Interviewing Mr. Tony Lewis Jr. At first I was not going to click on the Interview but I'm so glad I did. I learned so much from this Brother. What caught my Attention was when he said "With Love comes Accountability" he didn't Glorify or Gloss over Issues but brought Clarity and Accountability. These are the Interviews that are Vital. I will be ordering the book as well.
Man, I remember living in D.C. for a couple of years in the late 90s. I was totally surprised by their own distinct fashion sense & music culture, but I jumped right in it. Wearing t-shirts by locally black-owned companies like DDTP, MoCo Sport, Hobo, AllDaz, Rugid, DaLinkWent, etc., the gray New Balance 990s, and thick gray sweats pulled up showing thick white socks, also pulled up lol...and the Gogo joints, oh man. Those nightclubs? DC Live, Republic Gardens, Quigley's, Mirage...Damn! #NWDC #GeorgiaAve
Salute the breakfast club for having SLUGG on there 💯 Tony Lewis Jr Really That Guy In DC Who Puts it On All On The Table For Young or Old #DCorNothing #FreeTonyLewis
People always talking about excons getting jobs after prison. Good luck. It's hard to get a career with going to college and never committing a crime. The only solution is starting your own company and hiring your darn self and community.
I be trying to tell 'em. Maybe they'll listen to you. I get so tired of people killing themselves to get jobs where they're not respected and all too disposable. When you get tired of begging, you get out here and get your own.
Sir you said a Trillion Dollar statement i'm going thru the exact thing right now doing time having a record no job worth getting anyway you are totally right.
This interview was definitely needed this guy is something very special we need him on a lot of issues that's happening every day in the Black Communities! 👌👌
"I was 25 teaching 50 yr old men!" I am one of those men... First word place on the board in the Project Empowerment Program that helps me still to this day, is the word; ACCOUNTABILTY. You are appreciated young-blood 4-REAL #peace&love
Very inspirational from a very intelligent brotha...we need more consciousness and positive living examples from those of us who have lived it and continue to live it... right here in dc...maryland...va....and all over...starting with myself.
Thank you for this fantastic interview, this hits home for me. My Beloved has been incarcerated in the FBOP for the past 9 years as I raise our little girl and do my best to go on in society in a positive way. Throughout the years it has been a struggle and at times I’ve felt I was about to loose it. Prayer and keeping the communication open with my Beloved is what has kept us together.
Jerome Brooks good morning, and thank your for your compliment! I actually forgot about that silly video 😂. Maybe I’ll post more because I have a good ideas.
So glad Y’all had Tony on!!!! This story must be told and it’s sad he lives in DC area and the White House don’t celebrate his cause for the community 😞
Please Explain ITS ALWAYS A ATTENTION SEEKING MFER I SWEAR NAW HES NOT GAY AT ALL HE CAN RELATE TO THE BOOK A REAL MAN CRIES THO BUT YOU WLDNT KNW THAT THO😎😎💁
I'm a direct product of the good deeds of Tony Lewis Jr. and I've had the pleasure of see this young man grow into the man he is today. I'm a ex offender and now i'm celebrating 13 years at my job thanks to Tony.. Keep doing Great things Tony..
This man definitely knows what he’s talking about. Especially when he elaborated on the disconnection between the teachers and students. As a shorty I use to visit my father in the feds on the weekend. I would get back to school on Monday, I wouldn’t be as enthusiastic or attentive. I might even act out or etc. Teachers wouldn’t even ask why or give the proper attention to the situation. I understand that might not be their job but I was just a kid wanting to cry out but I held it in for years. From 2nd grade to high school graduation. None of my teachers were black or ever pull me to the side and ask what was really going on. I can only imagine how many others felt this way or worse.
Nice interview. Mr. Tony Lewis Jr. touched on a lot of topics that really impact youth in our community growing up in Washington, D.C. I was born and raised in this city. Because of this interview I feel I have to be more accountable and active in my community as well. #dcornothing #ceasefire
WELCOME HOME TONY LEWIS ✊🏽 WASHINGTON DC ( UPTOWN ) THANKS TONY LEWIS JR. FOR DOING GREAT WORK IN OUR COMMUNITY ✨️ GOD BLESS KINGS & QUEENS BE SAFE OUT CHEA 🙏🏽
I'll be following the guy. He's really in touch with all aspects of what's necessary to help curve the crime and poverty element which wreaks havoc in our communities. These politicians need to listen to what this man has to say.
Young man is speaking the truth we need to teach our brothers and sister a, productive skill , we have brothers and sisters very intelligent and talented if had the positive situations wouldn't be in the system the saddest it isn't their fault . God give us chances on chances why can't man .
it's good to see somebody from my hood doing good in talking positive. I remember catch the 90 bus with this guy. I see brother keep up the good work..
Good day..!! Author to Author Congratulations, Thank you, for being yourself. You offered energy, knowledge, and delivered a message which we all should/could relate too. Stay wise, and let me support buy a purchase of a book etc. Acknowledge the Pain..! Peace'
Not just because I’m from Maryland known as the suburbs, but spent many days in DC night life. This is one of the best/informative interview on Breakfast club has done. I remember everything he is discussing from drugs, gentrification, gogo, just the mind state of the DMV and with other inner cities throughout this country. When you look at the demographic DC has the most blacks anywhere so that is going to make a change laws to systematically oppress a large group of individuals black, it’s dehumanization process. I love to see this instructional interview. Keep doing good work Mr. Lewis!
I’m so glad you touched on the growing divide between the black bourgeois and the working class black community. Many people view the the black community as a monolith and fail to discuss/recognize the DEEP(ening) class divide in our community. My family has been in DC for nearly a century and we have been solidly middle/upper middle class for several generations. It is very difficult for me to relate to and understand the complexities of the struggles of working class AAs, even though we are of the same ethnic group. It seems that people like me are the ones who get the most opportunity to “speak on behalf of the community” (*insert ‘respectability politics’ tie in here.) Even I can tell how out of touch many of these “leaders” are (looking at you Al Sharpton...) and it breeds a lot of resentment (“how are you going to speak on my behalf when you know nothing about me?”). In the end of the day, institutional racism affects all of us, and we need to navigate these issues while working together for the community. I hope we continue to have this discussion, and thank you for your work - it is very educational for me personally.
This man hit so many points that directly address the How’s and Why’s about the issues that the Black Community faces. I just think it really sucks how he personally will never get to bring his message directly to the people who need to hear it the most. Most Black People in America can relate to each other and understand the message. But like he said, bring black doesn’t guarantee being able to relate because there are a lot of Black People so far removed from these issues that they simply can’t relate UNLESS the data is presented in a way they will understand. This type of dialogue has been circling throughout the Black Community for decades. It has to reach into the population outside of the Black Community AND someone who understands the Black Community and more affluent groups of citizens is gunna have to be the one that crosses that barrier. Too many people outside of the issues will say “That’s not my problem” or “people will do whatever they wanna do” because they don’t understand how intertwined everything really is. Honestly, The Obama’s were the closest we’ve gotten to being able to cross that barrier and so many people are so hurt that their pain blinds them to this fact. I honestly wonder who will be able to do it..... SN: Overtime as the world becomes virtually smaller with technology and human evolution things will inevitably get better all around.
What he is talking about at 10:10 is real. My brother (technically my cousin) was taken in by my mother at a young age. During the middle and high schools years, I lived in PG County, MD and he lived in DC. I ended up going to college and making it, and he ended up getting into the street life and having problems with the law. Glad to say as a man now, he turned his life around. But there is a lot of truth in his people from D.C. are susceptible to that life point. Although growing up in Glenarden and Suitland damn sure wasn't easy for me either.
Im glad he did this interview im from dc i follow him and i know couple people affiliated with his dad but i always dismissed him because his wife is not black. This interview gave me a chance to hear him. I just can't follow a black man without a black wife especially in dc its way too many BLACK females u csn guide and build with. I cant trust a man who the black women isnt a priority to him. When yall marry out ur race ur telling black women we are not good enough
I hear you but a lot of men like him black women don't support! He probably didn't go looking for her! You might think not but many black women don't have passion for men like him in many cases they express compulsion! So the other woman ends up gravitating to men like him vs so-called black women!
Celebrate Intelligence I Love it....Shout Out to Oddisee and Mello Music Group Repping that Washington DC Rap to the Fullest.....Yeezus Was A Mortal Man is My Song.....
