BE A BALLER -"Building a lifelong legacy"

Guy Reece From Sharecropper Son to Judge: The First African-American elected to the Franklin County Common Pleas Court

• Coach Tim Brown, Uncommon Life • Season 5 • Episode 12

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Judge Guy Reece's remarkable journey from a Mississippi sharecropper's son to a decorated military officer and groundbreaking African-American judge captivates with its powerful message of perseverance and purpose.

Growing up in the segregated South before his family relocated to St. Louis, Reece's childhood foundation of hard work and determination became the bedrock of his future success. When drafted during the Vietnam War, rather than simply accepting his assigned position, he excelled at testing and earned his commission as a Second Lieutenant, eventually being awarded a Bronze Star for his service.

The path to becoming a judge wasn't straightforward. Beginning with culinary aspirations that went unfulfilled, Reece's life took unexpected turns through military service, where he discovered his interest in law while serving as trial counsel despite having no formal legal training. After thirteen years of active duty, he pursued his law degree at Ohio State University, maintaining his military connections through the Army Reserves, where he eventually achieved the rank of Colonel.

Making history as the first African-American elected to the Franklin County Common Pleas Court, Reece's judicial career spanned over twenty years. In a remarkable display of partnership, he later resigned his position to support his wife's groundbreaking corporate opportunity in Indonesia, demonstrating his belief that success is meant to be shared.

Today, Judge Reece continues mentoring law students and young attorneys, driven by his philosophy that "if you plant that seed, potentially it'll grow." His message to young people facing today's challenges resonates with simplicity and power: "Do your best. Nobody can take that from you." What seeds of excellence are you planting in your community that might grow into something extraordinary?

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Speaker 1:

I always feel that, no matter what you do, if you do your best there can be no questions. You know, if you do your best, you don't have any more to give. You've done your best and that's what I always try to do, whether I'm assisting someone or whether I'm not. I try to do my best. But it's all a matter of being accessible and realize that if you plant that seed, that potentially it'll grow. You know, potentially it'll grow.

Speaker 3:

Welcome to Be A Baller where we're building a lifelong legacy for our families, communities and the world. Your host, coach Tim Brown, is excited for you to join him on this journey. On each episode, we'll be talking about how to be intentional about building a lasting legacy. We'll be exploring what it means to leave a mark that goes beyond just our lives but has a positive impact on those around us and even generations to come. So if you're looking for inspiration, guidance and practical tips on how to build a lasting legacy that makes a difference, then you're in the right place. So grab your earbuds, get comfortable and let's dive in. It's time to Be A Baller.

Speaker 2:

Welcome to Be A Baller podcast. I'm your host, tim Brown. Thanks for joining me today as we sit down with my good friend, judge Guy Reese. Judge Reese will share his inspiring story from being born in Mississippi, where his father was a sharecropper, and being raised in St Louis. Judge Reese, a Vietnam War veteran, went on to become a second lieutenant in the US Army, earning a Bronze Star, and is a graduate of United States Air War College. Judge Reese has a distinguished career as a judge in Franklin County for over 20 years. Judge Reese, welcome to Be A Baller podcast and thanks for your service to our country.

Speaker 1:

Thank you for inviting me. I'm looking forward to being here with you, Coach Brown.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, coach Brown. You know, those are the people that don't even know my name, they just say Coach.

Speaker 1:

They just say, coach, they do, man, what a blessing we come a mighty long way together.

Speaker 2:

Yes, yeah, and it's been a blessing just watching our children grow, just watching, and you've always been a model of excellence for me and just our family and just the community on how to do things in a professional manner. You know, and I always appreciate that about you, appreciate that about you. Thank you, tim. Let's talk about your family growing up and the impact your dad and your family had on your life growing up.

Speaker 1:

Sure, well, I was born in Mississippi, macon, mississippi, and while we were in Mississippi there were initially seven of us we lost my oldest sister, who was right after me, when she was six years old. She had appendicitis and it ruptured on her and she died. Then my dad, of course he was a sharecropper in Mississippi, raising corn and what have you, but in the early 50s decided to move from Mississippi and we moved to St Louis, missouri. I certainly remember that move and the opportunity that it presented to us. Things were not the best in Mississippi during those times and Dad, we moved. He went up first and then later my mother and all of the kids got on a train and we went to St Louis. I remember distinctively living in St Louis. Initially we lived in a basement apartment. There was three rooms, front room, middle room, in the kitchen, oh yeah, and there was a lot of us there. But we survived and it was good. You know much better than things were in Mississippi.

Speaker 2:

Now, when you went to St Louis, was the family already there, or Dad, just kind of?

Speaker 1:

Dad went there. My uncle was there, matter of fact, the uncle that I'm named after, kai, he was there. Matter of fact, the uncle that I'm named after, guy oh, okay, he was there. My grandmother was there, and we had aunts and uncles there also, and my mother's brother. He was there also with his family.

Speaker 2:

You know, I know you love to cook. I do Love to cook. Where'd that come from? Was that mom or dad? How'd you figure that out?

Speaker 1:

That started with my mother when we were growing up. I was the second oldest. I had a brother that was older than I but I was the second oldest and my mother would tell me go in there and do this, this and this to cook cornbread or something else. And that got me started cornbread or something else. And that got me started. And when I attended high school, I attended a technical high school and I took commercial cooking. My intent at that time was to become a chef someday. I did every after high school, which during high school, I was a good student. I had A's and B's. I really applied myself and did well. In high school I intended to go to the Culinary Institute of America. All right, man Got all of the paperwork, all right, but never submitted it. Wow, and the amazing thing about that is my uncle and several other family members had told me that if you get in we'll sure help you make it through. But I never submitted it. But that love of cooking stayed with me and is still there today.

Speaker 2:

Oh yeah, oh yeah, I know you can get a good meal from you. I know that.

Speaker 1:

I know that in that church basement, yes, yes, as a matter of fact, we are preparing a repast for Saturday and our pastor's anniversary is Sunday, so we will have prime rib and a few other things. All right, man?

Speaker 2:

Yes, you were involved in the military. I was During a challenging time in our country in the 60s. What were some of those life lessons you learned from that military experience?

Speaker 1:

You know, it's sort of amazing. I was drafted. I did not. I was drafted in and so I went through basic training and advanced training. I was supposed to be an armored cab person riding around on a Jeep or what have you, shooting at folk. But I took some tests and I scored well and then I had an opportunity to attend officer candidate school and I did that and I completed it and became an officer, second lieutenant in the Army, and I think one of the things that it initially taught me is that that was during Vietnam and to be drafted in was not necessarily something that folk wanted to do, but I felt an obligation. I had to fulfill my responsibilities as a citizen responsibilities as a citizen and I applied myself and by doing that I had the opportunity to not ride around on a Jeep or a personnel carrier. I became an officer and I became a quarter rest officer supplying services, and that taught me that, no matter what situation you're in, if you take advantage of the opportunities that are available to you, you have an opportunity to excel at what you're trying to do. Now I did that. I got married while I was there and sort of amazing I went to Vietnam. That occurred sort of amazing. I married my wife's pregnant and I ship off to Vietnam and, amazingly, during my stay in Vietnam I became a graves registration platoon leader, which meant that I was responsible and the soldiers that were under me were responsible for collecting the Americans that had been killed in Vietnam and taking them to the facility there so they could be prepared and shipped back to the US. I was assigned to the 25th Infantry Division, which saw a lot of action division, which saw a lot of action. I shipped a lot of Americans back home during that one year I spent in Vietnam. But again, while I was there I did earn some medals and all of that which basically doing my job and trying to do my best and that was recognized and I appreciated that.

Speaker 1:

But that the military, I think, afforded me an opportunity to not only serve my country and do what I felt was the right thing to do. It offered me an opportunity to grow I felt was the right thing to do. It offered me an opportunity to grow. Being in the military, being an officer.

Speaker 1:

You have an opportunity to direct people and to accomplish missions, set goals, set requirements, ensure that people have the things that they need to accomplish those goals and tasks and then monitor to make sure that they're doing those things that they need to accomplish those goals and tasks. And then monitor to make sure that they're doing those things that they need to do and if they don't, you coach them up. If they can't, then you find out what you need to do to get the mission done. One of the things that I felt it taught me is that I can't do everything.

Speaker 1:

If you're in a position, you're there to enable those folk that are with you an opportunity to do their job, because if they can accomplish what they're supposed to do, then my mission will be fulfilled. I will get it done by allowing them the ability to do what they need to do. So my thing in the military it taught me a lot about leadership and how you get people that from all different walks of life and you get them together on a common goal and you try to accomplish that mission that's been established for you Sounds like a good Ohio State football team.

Speaker 1:

Well yeah, they were definitely, you know. And the amazing thing that's sort of significant when you mention the Ohio State football team things don't go the way you think they should. All the time the loss to Michigan, everybody was ready to say, yeah, they don't have it, they can't do it, but you're going to run into obstacles. The big thing is that if everything is going smooth, you don't need to be there. It's when you hit those hiccups that you need someone to assist you and to direct you, so that you know that, by working together with a common purpose, you can overcome those hiccups and be able to accomplish your mission. And that's what they did this year. They had those hiccups, but they overcame those missions.

Speaker 2:

You know you are a proponent of education. You were determined to get a college degree. Can you talk about that experience?

Speaker 1:

You know I mentioned about wanting to attend the Culinary Institute and get a degree, and what have you? One of the things that I did after graduation from high school, I wound up getting a job, and that you know. You start making a little money and you think this is where it's at. You know, and I had a pretty good job. Initially I worked for a shoe company, a wool shoe company. Then I went to work for the St Louis Police Department. I was doing offset printing work for them. They don't do that anymore because they used to print all of those police reports and what have you? Using a printing press. From there, I got a job at the post office and so I was going to be a postal clerk.

Speaker 1:

Then the draft came no college. And you know, I became an officer in the Army and I still didn't have any college. But in order to progress it was necessary for me to get a degree. So I started attending college at night and weekend, university of Maryland, their overseas work, and what have you? And I achieved up to almost three years of college by doing that, and the Army selected me to attend the University of Nebraska at Omaha to get my undergraduate degree. So the Army. My duty assignment for one whole year was to go to school in Omaha, nebraska, and get my college degree, and I did that.

Speaker 2:

Nice, nice nice.

Speaker 1:

That was a blessing. That was truly a blessing the opportunity to get my undergraduate degree that way.

Speaker 2:

What led you to law school?

Speaker 1:

Well, when I was in the Army, I decided hey, I'm a career person, you know I'm going to stay here. So the Army allowed individuals that were not lawyers to serve as trial counsel or defense counsel in low-level court marshals, and doing that, I had the opportunity to serve as a trial counsel and a defense counsel, and that perked my interest in law. Perked my interest in law and, after spending 13 years on active duty in the Army, I took the LSAT, the law school admission test, and I scored well enough. I guess I was planning on going back to Missouri to attend law school, but I received a letter from the Ohio State University requesting that I apply there, and I did. I was accepted at Ohio State and then I came here to attend law school and while I was doing that, I remained in the Army Reserves and continue to do my military part also.

Speaker 2:

Nice, you know, I know you're a deacon at Second Baptist Church. I am. Can you share with the audience your faith journey and how important faith is to you?

Speaker 1:

Well, you know, if we go back those years ago, when I was a kid growing up in St Louis, there was no option, no option. You had no options at least I didn't anyway. When it was Sunday to go to church, you put on your best and you were at church on Sunday, and if something else was going on at church, you were there doing those times also, and so that was instilled in me at an early age. The importance of being—your religious life was very important to you.

Speaker 1:

Even in the military, where you have chaplains and what have you, I attended chapel services whenever I could. If I was overseas it was a little bit different, but you still had services. And of course, back in the US, when I was stationed there, we went as a family every Sunday, we attended church and we were engaged into what was going on with the chapel services, with the chapel services. Amazingly, after I came here to Columbus I started attending Second Baptist Church and I attended and I attended. I went to Indonesia and I came back and I attended and I attended and finally, on December 1st 1998,.

Speaker 2:

I got up and joined Second Baptist.

Speaker 1:

Church and, amazingly, a number of people felt I was already a member of the church and that's been important to me, because I think your spiritual life and that portion of your being is critically important and for me it's important to maintain that portion of my life, because a lot of things can fade away, but that should be the core that holds you there. Keep you there, man.

Speaker 2:

That's the foundation. We know that you know you do a lot of work in the community as well. Why was serving your country and serving the community so important to you?

Speaker 1:

You know, serving my country. I think everyone has a responsibility to do what they can to make sure that our country is what it should be. I'm not going to make any political statements about this person or that person, but as an individual, you should have some commitment or some dedication to your country, some commitment or some dedication to your country With respect to community involvement. Our community will only be as good or as great as we make it. If we sit back and criticize all the time and do not engage and ensure that we're doing what we should do to make our community better, then all we're doing is complaining and not contributing.

Speaker 1:

I believe that I have a unique perspective on community, especially when it comes to young people. I feel that it's critically important that they see me as an example of some barefooted kid running around in Mississippi, not having any college until I was in the military, but still went ahead, got a law degree, became a judge, retired as a colonel from the Army, that they too have that opportunity as long as they apply themselves and are willing to commit and work hard at it. And from that perspective, I think it's critically important for me to be engaged in the community because I need to pay it back and not just think about myself. I need to also think about those that are out there that need some guidance, some assistance, and make sure that I do that, and that can be through resources, but I think personal involvement is more important than anything else.

Speaker 2:

How was that first day on the bench? Oh, it's sort of amazing. First, day on the bench.

Speaker 1:

That was 1990. I replaced a judge here Judge Glasgow on municipal court initially, and prior to taking the bench, it's sort of interesting I went down and I sat with him and he allowed me to sit up there and go through the process with him for a month or two to get the feel of what was going on and it was very interesting. When I took the bench I was not afraid. I realized that you know you're going to make a few errors here and there and that's why you have courts that are above you to ensure that you don't do anything totally out there. But I really enjoyed doing my work as a judge and I still enjoy doing it. But you know, you come to the bench and you bring all of your life experiences, all of your life experiences and one of the things that I always tried to do and I still try to do that, is to realize that those folk that are appearing in front of me that is the most important thing going on in their life at that time. To it, what should go into making decisions, meeting out punishment where appropriate, but make sure that I maintain the integrity of the office to which I was elected.

Speaker 1:

You know one of the things that I think is critically important as a judge is that you have to make sure that you understand who's in front of you and the authority that's vested in you as a judge.

Speaker 1:

You don't necessarily want to develop a reputation as being a hammer or being even a ball of cotton. You want to be in there listening to the cases, making the appropriate decisions that you can at the time that you have to make them and then be prepared to move on, because in municipal court you have a lot of cases so you can't have it carrying over to someone else and common pleas. That was a little bit more important. After two years on municipal court I was appointed to the common pleas court and then I ran and was elected to the common pleas court and that was significant because I was the first African-American elected not the first one to serve, but elected in Franklin County to the common pleas court and that was significant to me. I enjoyed that work and that's what I do now primarily as a visiting judge is serving on the Common Police Court and the Municipal Court. I do both.

Speaker 2:

You know it was a big deal. A big deal and a dispatch on you, and you resigned from the bench to support your wife, shirley, for a corporate career opportunity in Indonesia. What did your family learn from that experience one, and what were some of your favorite memories there?

Speaker 1:

In Indonesia. You know, I thought in making that decision to move to Indonesia was significant because I, from a perspective of being a judge, I was on the common pleas bench, which was significant, and you don't want to give up something lightly for that. I was a colonel in the Army Reserves with the potential probably of getting promoted again. I had commanded a battalion, I had commanded a group, I was a director, so I had significant positions in the Reserves, in the Army. But one of the things that I felt was important was that I had accomplished quite a bit. From when I think of myself as a poor country boy, well yeah, I thought that I'd had the opportunity to accomplish a lot. And for Shirley, this was an opportunity for her to do something that no other person had done female, for her company and her executive position. So I felt that it was beneficial for me to be willing to say, since I had done all of this and I didn't do it by myself, your family is there with you and you have supporters out there that may be a little bit disappointed in me making that decision, but I felt she should have that opportunity also to go and pursue something that no one else had done so. That's why I made that decision that I would resign and go to Indonesia Now.

Speaker 1:

In Indonesia, initially, I served as a legal advisor with an Indonesian law firm for about a year and a half, which was revealing because Indonesia a huge country, acapella, a lot of islands, 16,000 islands and it is a country that's a developing country with a lot of natural resources.

Speaker 1:

So you have a lot of different countries, different businesses going there and pursuing opportunities there, some of it good, some of it bad, because you wind up taking advantage of people when they are in a lower position than you are. A country with a lot of super successful people with a lot of money, but many, many, many more that are very poor, in subsistence type living. So for me, it was an opportunity to go and develop. Also, for the last year and a half that I was there, I pretty much just volunteered myself with some legal advice for businesses that requested it, and I played a lot of golf and got myself in shape too. So the last year and a half it was a lot of fun. You know you think about Indonesia. Most people don't think, but when you say Bali, that brings it home and that is a part of Indonesia. There was a lot of good times there and a lot of anxious times also.

Speaker 2:

Your son Floyd, was there as well.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, he was. It was very interesting. But it was very interesting. Floyd went there and he spent the last part of his middle school time was at Jakarta International School, where you had people from over I think it was almost over 50 different countries children there attending school. So he had that ability to interact with folk from everywhere and it was significant. I thought it helped him and it also just rubs off on the family also.

Speaker 2:

That's good. That's good, you know. I know you have been a mentor to so many young lawyers and judges. Can you talk about some mentors in your life?

Speaker 1:

Ooh yeah, you know I think about my military time and there are some folk from my initial assignment as a lieutenant there was a colonel who was the post commander at Fort Campbell, kentucky. The post and the division the 101st Airborne Division totally separate entities and operations, but this colonel was really significant in allowing me to develop myself. I was the post-S-4 as a second lieutenant and he allowed me to develop myself a lot with his guidance and everything and part of that. He even gave me a medal when I left and I had only been there for a year and a half, two years before going to Vietnam and throughout my military career. There are those that want to keep their thumb on you. Being an African-American, you're going to hit some bumps here and there, but there are also folk that you latch on to that gives you some assistance and know your capabilities and assist in developing you, giving you opportunities to develop yourself.

Speaker 1:

I went to spent three years on Okinawa as the executive officer of a petroleum depot there, where we provided petroleum for the military units on Okinawa, as the executive officer of a petroleum depot there where we provided petroleum for the military units on Okinawa. That was a revealing experience for me, to give me an opportunity to look at things on a larger scale and be able to do that. I attended the command and general staff college there and after coming here and being in the reserves, I was a commander of a battalion and I didn't have to have that. But someone saw something in me and gave me an opportunity. I commanded a group, attended the Army War College and graduated from that.

Speaker 1:

So I've had people that have pushed me on, graduated from that. So I've had people that have pushed me on as a judge. You know who you can talk to and who's going to give you sound advice and not just tell you something to lead you astray or what have you. And there were judges that I could go and talk to and get advice from. You know and you use that advice to make yourself better and know who you can trust and who you can't trust, based upon their track record and not necessarily on what I do or what I can't do.

Speaker 2:

That's awesome. You know we talk a lot on the podcast about mentors. We also talk about sponsors. Yes, you know it's good to have those mentors. I think Jordan Miller shared this. Good to have mentors, but you got to have a sponsor. It sounded like you had those who were pounding the table. Give them a chance.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, you know, significant. I mentioned that. Maybe I didn't, but this was my second marriage. My first wife died of a heart attack at 39. And at the time I had an 18-year-old son and a 20-year-old daughter. We went through hiccups there.

Speaker 1:

But there was one person that really I thought you mentioned, sponsor Dorothy Teeter, who was a city councilwoman at the time Columbus City Council. She was running for election and she selected me to be her campaign manager. Now, really, she didn't need a campaign manager, but she gave me that opportunity and I remember at the celebration after she was elected, one of the things that she said is that he should be a judge in front of all of those folks there. And she pushed that in saying he should be a judge. You know, and even after that, when Judge Glasgow was getting ready to retire, I was selected to run for his position.

Speaker 1:

She set up a number of people with money that would be able to help my campaign. So she, you know, was a true supporter and sponsor of me when I initially ran for judge Wow, and I will always be grateful to her for what she did for me at that time. But one of the things that I felt was significant in my running I mentioned her as a person that initially said something, but you can't rely just on that when you're talking about getting people's support. I think it's important for me to be out, and I did this in the community. I think it's important for me to be out, and I did this in the community, meeting people, letting them know who I am and what I stand for. Critically important to do that so that folk will know who I am. People run up to me now and call my name.

Speaker 1:

I don't know who they are, but I don't remember who they are. Let me put it that way.

Speaker 1:

But they remember who I am and you know, that sort of makes me feel good because at least maybe I did some good as I was going through and meeting. You do your best, there can be no questions. If you do your best you don't have any more to give. You've done your best and that's what I always try to do. Whether I'm assisting someone or whether I'm not, I try to do my best. I still mentor law students. I still mentor young lawyers. A young lady calls me all the time she works in Indianapolis. Now How's my favorite judge? I say where is he or where is she? But it's all a matter of being accessible and realize that if you plant that seed, that potentially it'll grow. You know, potentially it'll grow.

Speaker 2:

Well said, you know. Speaking of that for some young lawyers or some young people who may be listening to the show, what words of wisdom would you share with them?

Speaker 1:

the show. What words of wisdom would you share with them? Well, I always tell someone number one do your best, know who your friends are. Everyone that run up and say I'm your friend, they're not your real friend. They're looking at what's in it for them, and it's perilous times right now for young people. They don't know who to trust and they're getting a lot of their information from their cell phones and computers and they're not getting it from their parents or from folk that really are looking out for their best interests. They need to know who to trust. They need to know that do your best. Do your best, don't be ashamed of doing your best. And so many of our young men, young boys. Peer pressure enters in and they decide that do I want to get along with my friend or do I want to do my best? Do your best. We're depending on it. I'm going to move off the stage eventually and you're coming on the stage, so be ready to step up and do your best. Boy, that's a good word.

Speaker 2:

Do your best, do your best. That's the bottom line. It is Nobody can take that from you. They can. We had a thing at our school. My mother would always say education is something no one can take away from you. Correct, nobody can take that from you. Correct, nobody can take that from you. Nobody can take that from you. Correct, nobody can take that from you. But do your best, do your best. You know this is a legacy podcast. What does the word legacy mean to you and what is the legacy of Judge Guy Reese?

Speaker 1:

That's a toughie, I think, legacy for me if I look at my dad and my mother. They didn't have the education, they were just common folk, but they worked hard and they showed love and they cared about what was going on with their children and their community was going on with their children in their community. A legacy from them is instilling, maybe in me and my sisters and brothers the desire to do your best and to work hard, no matter where you are. You know, I'm the first one in my family to get a college degree and, of course, certainly a professional degree during law school. My hope is that my children and my grandchildren and children after that will feed off of that, not necessarily because I'm the greatest thing since sliced bread, but feed off of that to do even more and better things in their lives.

Speaker 1:

We as African-American folk don't have that built-in wealth and what have you. Maybe you know we can pass on a little something that will start that also, so that our children and our children's children will be better off than we were. My legacy is hopefully folk will say he contributed while he was here. He made things better by what he did and what he tried to do. And I think if I can do that then I know my dad did and he was a sharecropper but he did something to make it better. My mother, you know. She primarily raised the kids.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that's moms Primarily raised the kids yeah that's moms.

Speaker 1:

That's moms Primarily raised the kids. So if I can add to that, then I will have done something. Maybe that's beneficial, especially if I look at my children and grandchildren.

Speaker 2:

Praise God, this brings us to the end of today's episode. I want to thank our special guest, judge Guy Reese, for sharing this incredible life story of commitment to serving our country and community. Judge, thank you for always being an advocate for the common person. Your life is one that's a model of encouragement to so many. Thank you for being that role model of excellence.

Speaker 1:

Thank you, coach Brown, for having me here today. You know, one of the things that I never do is introduce myself as Judge, so-and-so. I just don't feel I need to do that and I don't do that. But thank you for having me and I accept that opportunity to be here today. And thank you so much.

Speaker 2:

Well, thank you to the Be A Baller audience for joining us for this episode. As always, please share with others, keep being a baller and building a lifelong legacy of sharing wisdom. Thanks, judge, for being on the show.

Speaker 1:

Thank you. Thank you so much.

Speaker 3:

If you've enjoyed this episode, please share it with family and friends. The Be A Baller podcast is available on all major podcast platforms. This podcast was created by Coach Tim Brown and recorded and edited by the video production class of Worthington Christian High School. 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.