BE A BALLER -"Building a lifelong legacy"

State Senator Hearcel Craig - Building a Life Long Legacy in Community Service

• Coach Tim Brown, Uncommon Life • Season 1 • Episode 15

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State Senator Hearcel F. Craig currently represents Ohio’s 15th Senate District and holds the position of Assistant Minority Leader. Craig has an extensive background in public service at the state and local levels. Prior to being elected to the Ohio Senate in 2018 and 2022, he served in the Ohio House and on Columbus City Council. Craig serves as the Ranking Member on the Senate Insurance and Veterans and Public Safety Committees. Senator Craig also sits on the Senate Finance; Medicaid; and Rules and Reference Committees. Additionally, Senator Craig serves as Sergeant-at-Arms for the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus.

Senator Craig earned a Master of Science in Administration degree from Central Michigan University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree from Franklin University. He also studied at Ashland Theological Seminary as part of their Master of Divinity program and was a Join Together National Leadership Fellow at Boston University School of Public Health. Senator Craig completed the Bowhay Institute for Legislative Leadership Development (BILLD) in 2015. He was certified as an NASD Arbitrator in 2007, and proudly served our nation in the United States Army from 1970 – 1972.

Senator Craig and his wife, Linda, are the proud parents of four children, eleven grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. Craig serves as an Associate Minister at the First Church of God and continues his dedication to Ohioans in his new role as Assistant Minority Leader in the Ohio Senate.

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SPEAKER_03:

Welcome to Be A Baller Podcast, where we discuss how to build a lifelong legacy. I'm your host, Coach Tim Brown. Today, we'll be talking about building a lifelong legacy in community service with our special guest, Ohio State Senator Herschel Craig. Before we get started, let's hear a word from our sponsor.

SPEAKER_02:

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SPEAKER_03:

Let's get started. Today on the show, we're excited to have State Senator Craig. State Senator Craig is going to share how he has over four decades of excellence in community service and has allowed him to build a lifelong legacy and also allowed him to empower the next generation to serve the community. Senator Craig, welcome to Be a Baller podcast.

SPEAKER_05:

Thank you so much, Tim. I'm honored to be with you. As you know, I have great respect for you and your contributions to our city, state, and nation.

SPEAKER_03:

Yes, I'm Jesse excited about this. You know, I was teasing you about that contagious smile. You know how you always, I've never seen you without that smile. I've never seen you without that smile and that positive attitude. What keeps you so upbeat?

SPEAKER_05:

Well, you know, Tim, number one, it's clearly my thing. I don't think anybody, you know, we all have days that have more challenges and struggles than others, but just to be able to get up every morning, I have my devotions, and just being thankful. You know, I'm close to 74 years old, so I'm just really thankful to God to have the opportunity for another day, and so clearly that's a blessing.

SPEAKER_03:

Can you talk about growing up in West Virginia, and then I guess you ended up in Columbus, Ohio. I know you're a proud East High School graduate. Let's talk about the influence. You always talk about your mother. Let's talk about the influence your mom had on your life. Listen, thank you very much, and as you

SPEAKER_05:

know, Tim, I'll I always share that. My mother was very poor. Her father had died in the coal mines before I was born. At one point, my mother, when she initially moved to Columbus, she had, my grandmother had me, my brother and sister, and two cousins. While my mother was here, had come here to work. Her initial job was working as a living maid. The strongest woman I've ever known. A lifelong learner. to work with children, teach children, and her last retired three times as working with seniors. But in that house, in my mother's house, in Wes' grandmother's house, We had a potbelly stove and an outhouse. And I talk about that a lot. A lot of love, but very hardworking people. I still get up early in the morning because, you know, they were coal miners and married to coal miners. And so I thank God for those early experiences. And it really shaped me for much of the work that I'm doing right

SPEAKER_03:

now. Back in the day, you were a proud graduate of Columbus East High School. And I know back then and it was really a community. Can you talk about some of those teachers and adults who had a positive influence in your life?

SPEAKER_05:

There were many of them. Certainly Mrs. Walker, my homeroom teacher. I love her dearly. Mrs. Ward, she was my Problems of Democracy teacher. In fact, I would not be here. She knew that I love words and love to write and insisted that I would. And when I graduated from high school, bought me a big Webster's chanel. Very stern, but very fair and had high expectations. Jack Gibbs, the vice principal. There were so many that I could talk about that nurtured me, that encouraged me at Columbus East High School. You know, every day I would go to East High School starting the 10th grade, I carried a briefcase to school every day.

SPEAKER_04:

And

SPEAKER_05:

for some days, I only had my lunch in it, but I was carrying a briefcase. So I've Thank God for those early experiences. Nothing like Columbus East High School. And I am a proud graduate of Columbus East High School.

SPEAKER_03:

Sounds like growing up, you had a plan. You know, I always talk to young people about these things. You know, you can show up, you know, you can have positive attitude. You can give maximum effort. But the bottom line is you got to have a plan. You got to have a plan

SPEAKER_05:

and have, you know, listen to folks. That's the most important thing. Because while in high school, Mr. Rogers, who had served in the service and didn't have a lot of formal education, but I worked for him washing dishes at night because he owned several restaurants and gave me my first jobs. You know, Herman's Food Bar was one of the first restaurants, downtown fast food restaurants. So I worked during high school, every night after school. And when I wasn't wrestling, I was a wrestling team at Columbus East High School. So all of those experiences made a huge difference.

SPEAKER_03:

That's awesome. You know, people know you as Minister Reverend Herschel Craig at First Church of God in Columbus. How has your faith helped you to minister and serve people in the community?

SPEAKER_05:

The simple truth is, Tim, that faith informs my life's work. I've not always been a minister. It has taken the gift of Almighty God. Certainly my mother, who has always been in the church. But it has been those experiences and daily experiences that helped me shape my work in terms of having integrity and character and keeping your word and doing excellence. God is a God of excellence. And so it certainly informed my work in the community and how I respect others. Everybody matters, whether you're the bank president or your grandmother trying to get help. And my staff, they know that. Anybody calling the office that needs help, we'll get

SPEAKER_03:

it. Your heart and concern for children and family goes way back to Hilltop Civic, council director, Department of Youth Services, you're involved in that. Can you talk about how you got involved in those organizations? Why is your heart so for children and families?

SPEAKER_05:

You know, I I watched my pastor. It was initially a storefront church, the Reverend B.J. Washington. I watched him serve. I watched him drive the van after church to take the seniors to get them a meal after church. My father, I had really much to no relationship with my father until I was well in my 40s. B.J. Washington mentored me. I could go talk with him at 1340. years old. My mother scraped up enough money for me to be in scouting, so I was in Boy Scouts. And all of those kinds of things helped to shape me and form me. And so that work, I had been employed by Buckeye Ranch from when I came out of the military in 1972, continued to work on and finish my undergrad degree. I'd started college before, outsmarted everybody, got drafted in the military helped shape me as well. So all of those things, it helped me to, when I was looking at places that I could make an impact, our Department of Youth Service and watching those young people come in there with many of them, lack of education, you know, coming in with aggravated rape, burglary, murder, saying that I've got to do something. At that point, I ran for the school board in 1990, knowing how I'm a first generation college graduate and what education could do to help shape and move your life. So those jobs were the kinds of work that I was looking at that I could feel that I could make a positive impact.

SPEAKER_03:

You know, I'm very familiar with City Year in Columbus and why it's a great thing that they do in schools. And I know you're a big part of that, recruiting students for that. Can you talk about the impact that City Year has in schools? I know they use recent college graduates to come in and work with students. Can you talk about the impact City Year has in schools?

SPEAKER_05:

Look, City Year has an enormous impact. And for these basic principles, the two founders graduated from Harvard University. So the uniforms that you see, that's where it came from. I mean, they owned Timberland. And so, but these young people, many of which graduate from Ivy League schools, Ohio State University, other universities, as well as young people with a GED. So they shape the organization to both grow inside and out with leadership principles. What they're doing with young people, because it's best, you know, look, I'm almost 74, close to 74. These young people can talk to other young people and help provide educational opportunities. So now they get a small stipend, but the real thing is, is their commitment to serve. And we are all ought to have a commitment to serve. Dr. King has said it. You don't have to know the thorough dynamics. You don't need the principles of physics to serve, but everybody can serve because everybody can be great.

SPEAKER_03:

You keep mentioning your age on here now. I keep catching that, you know. How do you find, why is it so important to you to continue to mentor this next generation? Because I look at your staff and all these people.

SPEAKER_05:

Well, because I've had so many in my life, Tim, that have deposited into my life. Here I am, most of the psychologists and the sociologists will say, look, he's from the wrong side of the tracks. It's not where you came from, it's where you're going. But the other thing I had was so many mentors and people that believed in me, encouraged me, stretched me, pushed me, challenged me to grow and develop. I mentioned the military. I got one of the highest awards you could get in the military in my So leadership starts very early. Jim Brown, who was at Beatty Park Elementary School, made me captain of the traffic patrol. And all of that stuff reinforces you and says to you, nobody can define you but God. And I've been encouraged all my life. And I want young people to know that. I want to stretch them. I want to help encourage them. Because I know, and I mentioned my age, because at some point, you know, You know, I've been elevated in the Senate to the assistant leader, but there'll be a point that I will be leaving, and I want young people to know that they can do all of these things and do more, quite more.

SPEAKER_03:

So I think about your legacy, and we'll get into that in a little bit, but I watched you on yesterday as you were doing your oath. You had your great-grandson with you. How special was that to you?

SPEAKER_05:

It was very special, very special. I can't even explain to you. I weep up now because I want him to know that his papa tried, made lots of mistakes, lots of mistakes. But that in this place, this is the people's house. My mother is gone. She didn't live to see me other than Columbus City Council to be in the state legislature. But I wanted him to see me. And to be able to visualize whatever his vision is, to understand that God is great. And he has, you know, I want him to succeed at every level and all young people of human endeavor to reach their highest height and not let other people define that.

SPEAKER_03:

You know, as we talk about your early days in city government, why did you get involved and who were some of your mentors along the way?

SPEAKER_05:

Listen, again, had many mentors. Jerry Hammond, who was president of Columbus City Council. I. Ray Miller, one of my best, you know, we've been friends. In fact, we started in seventh grade at Franklin Junior High School. State Senator, I had Dr. John Roseman. We did not have a private physician until I came out of the military. But Dr. John Roseman ran for mayor of the city of Columbus. Was one of the first black councilmen. Hugh Dorian, whom I love dearly, served for 44 years as our city auditor. you know, Les Wright, who was just a brilliant woman, served on Columbus City Council. So many, so many, when you talk about government, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, Fannie Lou Hamer, Shirley Chisholm, who said, I'm unbought and unbossed, who was the first person, African-American, to run for president. So we have all of these, you know, Reverend Jesse Jackson, all of these folks and many, many more, Malcolm X, that I observed and watched as a young person.

SPEAKER_01:

Hey there, Clark Kellogg here. Building a legacy usually involves meeting the unique needs of others and being part of something bigger than yourself. That's why I love First Merchants Bank. First Merchants believes that helping communities prosper means more than just providing banking services. It means offering accessible financial education, expanded access to homeownership, and partnerships with local nonprofits to help Can you recall

SPEAKER_03:

or give me some life lessons that you learned from them? Do they still stick with you today?

SPEAKER_05:

Number one, keep your word. And there's no excuse for not having access. You know, and not let anybody define you. Work hard. You know, it really won't cost you something. You know, they see the office now. But my staff, they were here, both Max and Lucy, when we had, were voting on, before we had the session to conclude in our last session. I came in that morning at a quarter to seven. My staff was here early that morning. They left that next morning. I left my office at about 6 o'clock, 6.30 in the morning. So none of this stuff happens without hard work, continuity, persistence. There's a lot of people I know, and they might not have been all the most brilliant people, but what they have, the thing that is captivating is their persistence. And so all of those things I would suggest, and the people that I've watched, You know, because it's not when, you know, Dr. King says, what happens? You know, or not just in moments of convenience, but in moments of controversy and challenge. That's really defines the person. And we

SPEAKER_03:

all have it. You know, your rise in community service has been on an upward trend, legislative aide, city council member, state representative, and now state senator. Through all these years, what has allowed you to continue to serve the community.

SPEAKER_05:

Let me use this one word, opportunity. And then being willing to listen because, you know, those folks demanded from you, they required of you I was in the 82nd Airborne. I was jumping out of planes at 19. So I decided if you can do that, then you can do a lot of other things. You know, I have a graduate and postgraduate work. My son has an MBA. My wife has an MBA. All of my grandchildren have started college. But from one generation, I watched my mother. Right now, I'm serving areas that my mother did work in. In my in my district. And so it's it's you know, it's all of those things. And it starts with my faith. And the question is, what does God say about you? Not what other people say about you. But what does he says? You're a model day. Born in my image. But you've got work to do. He asked Moses, what's that in your hand? So at the end of the day, we have got to do something.

SPEAKER_03:

Yes.

SPEAKER_05:

And when you do it, do it with excellence.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah. I know family is important to you. I'm kind of being nosy looking back there at the pictures behind you, you know, of your family. And there's one that just jumping out at me. It says the generation gap. And there's a picture there. Is that your mom in that picture?

SPEAKER_05:

Well, in that picture, it is my grandfather. And I don't think he went through the third

SPEAKER_04:

grade.

SPEAKER_05:

But my grandfather owned property in West Virginia, my father's father. And he made sure every two weeks. because my mother and father weren't married. But my grandfather insisted that I would come to his house every other week. And also in that picture is my father. So there's five generations, my father, then my oldest son, my oldest grandson, and then his son. So there's five generations in that picture.

SPEAKER_03:

Wow. That's powerful there. I'm sure that there's lessons. I'm sure there's some great lessons that have been passed on on from generation to generation?

SPEAKER_05:

From generation to generation and just watching and saying to them, that's why I wanted my great grandson. You know, when I'm gone, he can say, well, I was with Papa. You know, and his grandfather had, you know, and so none of this stuff happens in a vacuum. You know, I've had certainly my Heavenly Father, but I've had so many other men. You know, our bishop, Bishop to I'm older than he is. But Bishop Park drops seeds of wisdom when he's preaching to help transform lives, and mine included, majorly. And so you've got to be able to want to listen, and then you've got to be able to act on the wisdom that's been given. Not perfect, but being able to continue to do your very best.

SPEAKER_03:

My brother, Herschel, this podcast is about building a legacy and being intentional in building legacy. What does that like when you hear that word legacy? What does that mean to you?

SPEAKER_05:

Listen, you know, there's some. Obviously, some some. there's some definitions that we can find in the library, but it's broader than that. It really is light. It's light. My grandmother, whom I love with all my mother's mother, I know she didn't go beyond grade school, but I think about my grandmother every day because she made sure that we had a roof over our heads and made us be accountable. So legacy for all of us and particularly African-American men and other men is that what will we deposit in the earth when we leave here? You know, the question was asked of this man who was very, very wealthy. And so they asked the preacher, well, what is he going to leave? He said, come back next week. But when they came back to the church, they said, well, what did he leave? And the preacher said, everything, because you can't take any of that with you. Not the material things. What we will leave for any of us will be what we have done in the lives of our families and children, our broader community. What have deposited in the earth. And it doesn't have to be always big things, but have you smiled at somebody? Have you said, how are you doing? And meant it. You know, have you helped somebody? Have you knocked on the door when they're sick? Are we responding to each other in a way that we know we're all a human and we have failure, but can we forgive? And can we love people and truly love them? So that's legacy to me.

SPEAKER_03:

That's powerful. That's powerful there. You know, as we think about, the Bible says, life and death is in the power of the tongue. What word of life would you leave as encouragement to young people who are interested in community service?

SPEAKER_05:

I would strongly encourage... It is a noble profession. It is a noble profession. And, yes, you've got outliers. You've got folks that have done things that have not been respectful and respecting. But it is a noble profession. Many of these folks I know, they really care. They come here to go to work to help somebody. And sometimes people on both sides of the aisle. But the truth of the matter is you've got to come here not for your own self-aggrandizement, because I know when I leave this office, there'll be somebody else in here before I can get in the grave. Reality of the matter is, serve and be willing to serve this position because you can help people by your leadership, by your vision. City Year by two young men decided to do that. Fannie Lou Hamer got tired, sick and tired of being sick and tired. others that have made immeasurable contributions. I mentioned the Reverend B.J. Washington. He did not die with a big house. But every day at 1314, I could go with him. He literally put bricks in the church. And we would go sit. He would sit and talk to me. So I encourage young people to look at this profession. We need people with integrity and with character that believe in helping people. From all kinds of, we have physicians that's in the legislature. We have attorneys in the legislature. We have social workers that's in the legislature. We have all kinds of backgrounds of people that have come to serve, to serve other people.

SPEAKER_03:

When I think of Herschel Craig, there's a word that jumps out at me, and that is excellence. And you've talked about that several times in this podcast. Could you speak to young people about why is it so important to do things in an excellent way?

SPEAKER_05:

Listen, I just would tell you to do that. And I would plead with you to do that. Because when you do excellence, no matter what anybody else can say, you've done your very best. And it can be quantifiable. It can be measurable. And we ought to start your day thinking about, listen, we serve a God that is excellent. And when we start out thinking, I'm going to do excellence. You know, you deserve it. The person that's doing it, the person that you're working with deserves it. And that's how we continue to grow our families, to grow our neighborhoods with an expectation. And we may not always fall to the breach, but if we will continue to, as our motto, as our life experience, I watch, if you're cleaning floors, and Dr. King is said, to be the best sweet sweeper that anybody has ever seen. Better than Michelangelo can pay. So just start out. And the generation we came from, again, said it's not where you came from. It's where you're going. And if you're going somewhere, you've got to do that with excellence.

SPEAKER_03:

Amen. Well, Brother Hirsch, this has been a rich conversation. And last, as we begin to turn the corner and wrap up, can you talk about what is the legacy they sent to Herschel Craig?

SPEAKER_05:

Listen, Tim, I thank you so much. Number one, for the opportunity to even be with you. I know many of the folks that you are going to be having on your broadcast. But to me, it's how have I left the world better? My mother never lived to see some of this. But folk always talk about my mother, not just me, other folks that serve with her. And if I can do that, if I can serve with folks that have paid such a heavy price for the shoulders that I'm standing on, if I can lead the Senate better, if I can lead my family better, And said, Papa, I tried. And in all kinds of ways, you know, to make the world better, to make, number one, our family better, our church better, our community better, then that's good enough for me. And I would have done what God has asked me to do.

UNKNOWN:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

That brings us to the end of this episode. Thanks to Ohio State Senator Herschel Craig for answering the call of service to the community in an excellent way. Thank you all for joining us during this enlightening and informing discussion on building a lifelong legacy in community service. Hope this episode was beneficial to you. As always, thanks for listening to Be A Baller

SPEAKER_00:

Podcast. If you enjoy our show, please share this podcast with your family and friends. Be A Baller Podcast is available on all major podcast stations. Be sure to come back next week as we continue to discuss on how to build a lifelong legacy. Until then, don't forget to be a baller. This podcast was created by Coach Tim Brown. It was edited by Teron Howell and produced and recorded by the video production class of Worthington Christian High School.