BE A BALLER -"Building a lifelong legacy"

Napoleon Bell's Journey: From Police Officer to Community Champion

• Coach Tim Brown, Uncommon Life • Season 6 • Episode 4

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Napoleon Bell II's remarkable journey from DJ to police officer to community relations director reveals a singular commitment: bringing people together to create meaningful change. In this powerful conversation with Coach Tim Brown, Bell shares the philosophy that has guided his decades of public service in Columbus, Ohio.

"Together we can make such a difference. We've got to inspire folk, bring them together honestly and build that trust," Bell explains, revealing his approach to community transformation. Drawing from his upbringing with civil rights-focused parents, Bell developed an early sense of responsibility toward protecting and empowering others.

Throughout his career transitions—from sales to law enforcement to community relations—Bell maintained a consistent focus on authentic human connection. His work as a police liaison officer taught him that roughly 98% of community members are hardworking people trying to make a living, while just 2% create most problems. This perspective shift allowed him to become a true advocate for neighborhood residents, going beyond typical law enforcement roles to address root causes of community issues.

Bell's founding of the annual Neighborhood Best Practices Conference exemplifies his bottom-up approach to community development. Rather than bringing in outside experts, the conference centers the voices of community members themselves, creating spaces for networking and knowledge sharing. Similarly, his work with the Civil Rights Heritage Tour connects generations through shared historical understanding, taking participants to pivotal civil rights sites across the South.

Perhaps most powerful is Bell's insight that "95% of the time, people just want to be heard." This understanding guided his approach to difficult community conversations, embracing rather than avoiding tension as an opportunity for authentic expression and problem-solving. For aspiring community leaders, Bell offers straightforward advice: have thick skin, lead collaboratively, and start now—especially young people, who have more power to create change than they realize.

What will your legacy be? Listen now to discover how small victories, authentic relationships, and consistent advocacy can transform communities for generations to come.

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SPEAKER_02:

Together we can make such a difference. It's just that we've got to inspire folk. We've got to bring them together honestly and and build that trust. Because without trust, it's just it's gonna fall apart, right? Um, and and you have to have, you know, uh an understanding of expectations. Yes. Right. And so if you if you have a you know, if they have a high, you gotta say, listen, here's here's what we can do. Because this is why I I always talk to people, I said, listen, you know, we might want to solve crime, but let's start with this. And we start with this, let's celebrate this. Let's celebrate those those small steps that we have we have made. Because if if you don't, then people go, well, see, we didn't solve crime or we didn't do this. Oh my gosh, but you we did X, Y, and Z. People are feeling better, people are on the roll, we're we're we're making a difference. You know, we've got to celebrate those those those small successes to get to that larger success.

SPEAKER_04:

Welcome to Be A Baller, where we're building a lifelong legacy for our families, communities, and the world. Your host, Coach Deb Brown, is excited for you to join him on this journey. In 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, that 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_00:

Welcome to Be a Baller Podcast. I'm Coach Tim Brown, and we're so excited to begin our sixth season of sharing ballers' experiences about building a lifelong legacy. Today, our guest is Napoleon Bell II, a visionary leader and distinguished public servant, joins the Be a Baller Podcast to share insights on building a lifelong legacy, rooted in excellence, service, equity, and community transformation. Napoleon is a graduate of Ohio State University and Capitol University. He's right here from Columbus, Ohio. And so he's excited to have him on the show. He began his career in sales and then he transitioned into community service, uh, working as a police officer, uh, community relations commission through the city as well. Most recently serving as director of DEI for the federal county sheriff's office and the court of common pleas. Well, I got a lot in here on your book. He's also the founder, and I really love this about him. He's the one of the founders of the annual neighborhood best practices conference and committee member uh for the Civil Rights uh Heritage Tour of the South. Mr. Bell, Napoleon, welcome to the show. Yeah, well, I'm I'm glad to be here. Glad to be here. Thanks. You know, we were talking off air and you grew up in uh Columbus, Ohio. You know you did. Can you talk about uh the village that raised you and that experience growing up in Columbus?

SPEAKER_02:

Well, you know, interesting. I was born born and raised here in Columbus. Uh uh I was born actually over on uh Franklin Park, uh I think it was Franklin Park south of Franklin Avenue, uh over there by Franklin Park. Um and uh uh my parents, um uh Napoleon Sr. and Dorothy is uh uh Dorothy Bell was my was my mom. And um I grew up uh went to um oh I forget there's a church on uh on East Broad Street. Uh that's where I went to kindergarten at um our preschool. And uh then matriculated, I think, over my I went to Columbus Academy for about eight years. Nice uh and and um um enjoyed that. Um and so I I've I've I've been in Columbus all my all my life, you know, went to Hartley, also Bishop Hartley High School, uh, graduated out of there, then as you as you stated, uh I went to um uh Ohio State, um, played there for a minute, and then uh decided to to hit a slower and smaller school, which is Kaplan University. Graduated out of there and played ball there for for three years. So uh yeah, I I really loved uh Columbus because of the size and and the people here in Columbus.

SPEAKER_00:

What uh what influenced your decision to pursue a degree in communications?

SPEAKER_02:

Well, interesting, you know, I was I always like to to to talk with people, right? I'm a people person, right? I like to go out and and and and have a good time, but also just really look, I enjoy hearing people's stories about and that because that gives you much a better idea of who they are. Um uh rather than you know, sometimes you might look at somebody and you think one way, but I like to uh really just have a have a good conversation with folk. Um and then also I was always been uh interested in uh telling someone's story. Uh but uh I was, you know, in high school or in college, I was a DJ. Okay. So I DJ'd, you know, I was uh when I was at Ohio State and also when I was at Capitol. And and uh so yeah, it's it's just been in my blood. I uh although uh one of the things I always thought I was gonna be when I was communications major, I was I wanted to be a TV anchor. Wow. So uh it's it's just I think it's been in my blood as far as just working with people and communicating.

SPEAKER_00:

What was your DJ name? What were you what'd they call you? DJ Bear, what'd they call you?

SPEAKER_02:

I I you know I really didn't have have a DJ name. I you know, the the the name of the uh uh because I had a company, it was um uh gosh, quality entertainment. All right, you know, uh I always used to remember the phone number, but I we had a logo and all that, and uh it was an LLC, and so I did it up, had a couple DJs there for a minute. Uh so it was a good time.

SPEAKER_00:

Did all kinds of events. Good for you. Good for you. Now this is interesting. You know, you had this successful career in management, DJing, and then you converted to uh you transitioned to into being a police officer. How did that come about?

SPEAKER_02:

Well, see, once again, um working with people, right? Um and I was, you know, uh a little bit in going into police work prior to it. I was also I was an advertising sales manager for GTE and ATT. Um, but that's also working with people. But then a friend of mine, I was always, you know, I and I took criminology in in college, right? And so um so I always had that kind of interest because I was always wanting that, I was that type of, I don't know, protector in a sense. If my if my friend was about to get in a fight, I was always a little bigger, so I'd want to, you know, bulk up and you know, try try to um prevent that from happening, what have you. Um, but then a friend of mine, uh Steve McEroy, uh got on the police department and also the show Cops came on. It was when it was started to air, and I looked at it, I was like, that's what I want to do. And so at that time, right after uh and back in 1993, I remember June of 93 is when I started with uh the Columbus Division of Police.

SPEAKER_00:

You know, could you describe your experience and transition into law enforcement and how that impacted your perspective on serving the Columbus community? Yeah, it was it was interesting.

SPEAKER_02:

So in a and it came in phases um because you know, initially, you know, when you get on the uh police department, you want to go out there and you want to get the bad guy or girl with that and the other, and that was kind of your focus, and and uh you wanted to get in the foot chases and car chases, and all that was exhilarating when yeah, when I'm when I was younger and this, that, and you know, you could chase people down, you know. Um, but the thing is though that that I was always the type of person, because I think this comes from my my father and also my mother was that because my father was big into civil rights. Um and and and my mom was always thinking about, you know, she was uh you know you know in real estate, but she she also both of them were always thinking about you know what they had gone through to be where they are then. Um and so I was always trying to to look, you know, when doing police work, thinking about what people have gone through and why they're in this predicament. Um and that kind of transitioned me uh when they started the uh a new part of the Columbus Police was the liaison unit. Okay. The liaison unit allowed you to be able to spend your whole focus was working with communities, um block watchers, civics, area commissions, et cetera, but looking at long-term uh problems and looking to into problem solving. So you had the opportunity to be able to really spend time with the community and individuals, which really makes you be able to look at if you if you if because I worked in inner city precincts my entire time, and so they're busy precincts, and so going run after run, you can start to think, wow, all the people in this community are a problem. But when you have the time and opportunity, as I did with the liaison, you your eyes open up and you're like, listen, 99% or 98% of the people are great people, hardworking people, but we have 2% of people that we're always doing having runs on. So my perspective was I'm gonna really sit back and I'm gonna advocate for these people who are in here working people, trying to make a living, grandma and grandpa, um, so that they can be able to walk down the street and be safe, right? And so I became literally, you know, that person who would would, you know, would pick it on the street. I mean, we we did a lot of things that normally law enforcement wouldn't get into. I mean, we I mean we put together the Midi State Area Community Collaborative, we were able to get areas voted dry. I mean, these are things that that long-term problem solving. This place called the Motel One, which was infested with drugs and every kind of thing going on there at Maine and James. Worked on that for years and years and years. Finally got it closed down twice, and then finally got bulldozed. So, but these things were what which make you proud of the communities that you're there working for. So when things happened on on Nine Precinct, they happened to me. Wow, that's a great, that's great testimony for sure. Yeah, I I can't say enough for for the work that was done out there. And also the person who's actually followed me up out there is Officer Wendell Tolbert. Um and yeah, and so he he got the bug for being a police officer from me. Also, he did a ride-alone, right? So um he's done an amazing job out there, too. So that's what it takes.

SPEAKER_00:

You know, as a certified defense tactics instructor and field training officer, what values or principles did you emphasize in training new officers?

SPEAKER_02:

Well, you know, you you have to two ways, because um, first of all, you know, it's it's about your presence, your command presence, and and and and and being able to communicate and work with someone or talk with someone in a respectful manner, but you don't want to inflate, make things worse, right? It's already a bad thing that you're, you know, more than likely that you're out there and you're having to deal with the situation, right? But you don't want to make things worse by saying the wrong thing, being culturally competent, right? You know, because people speak different languages, this, that, and the other, um, or or they have different lived experiences. So their lived experience with uh with officers might not be very positive, right? So you want to make sure that that you understand that. So they could be heated and hot, but you have to be be able to not take that too personally, but all to be able to calm the situation down. And so with with all the defensive tactics, that's part of the defensive tactics is to make be able to calm someone down, being sure that you're in a you're a good distance away and you're you know you're thinking smart and knowing your surroundings. Um, and then if you have to take action, you're able to do that. But but you want to make sure that, first of all, that you are safe and that, and that secondly, then those around you are safe. Um, and so I took that into the training, you know, when when when talking to people, I said, listen, you don't, you know, don't think just because you have that badge and gun, you know, you get all swelled up. I, you know, when we taught the we we taught boxing and all that, okay. You see people and they're they're all swollen up in this, that, and the other. Um, but they get into boxing or ground fighting, and you know, and they're they're not all of that, right? And somebody, you know, some of them good, but but the thing is, you know, sometimes when you get out on the street after you're after you've gone through the six months worth of training, you're fired up. And and and there are some that that are so swole up that that that they can come to a scene and create an issue in which no officers want somebody coming through and round people up after you've got everybody calmed down and you're you know, so so that's what I really try to train upon. Like, listen, you know, these people are somebody's kids, somebody's mom and dad's this, that, and the other. If you treat them with respect, you'll get respect. You know, and there are those times where it's gonna be it's gonna be challenging, but that's the way you go home safe, they go home safe, or you know, that the that whatever you're dealing with doesn't isn't any worse than it already is. And so all the ground fighting, all this, that and the other, all the stripes, whatever, aren't any good if if one or both of you are hurt or or or even worse, yeah, right, to come out of that. So tell me, work smart.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh yeah, oh yeah. It sounds like uh you were well prepared for your role as executive director, community relations commission. Can you talk about that role and your transition being a police officer? You got a lot of transitions in life. You know, you DJ to police officer, now you're now you're in this role as community relations commissioner. Could you could you talk about that experience?

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, yeah. You know, um that that transition happened in uh 2005. Um and it was a it was a big decision um because um going from law enforcement, although I maintained my commission, and I still maintain my commission as a peace officer, but um, to going in as an executive director or was actually a deputy director at that time when Jim Stowe was still there, and then he left uh three years after I got there. So then I became the executive director. But I did call upon the work that I had done as a law enforcement officer and building collaborations and this, that, and the other, and working with all different types of people, moving into that community relations commission as executive director there, which actually expanded my my reach, but also my my um my knowledge about different communities throughout central Ohio. Um, at that time in 2005, the Somali Bantu community was coming in hard and heavy with families coming into Columbus, Ohio, right? And as they came into Columbus, Ohio, they they didn't have a place to live. And so what happened is that then they were, in a sense, homeless. So there were families, it was on Broad Street, West Broad Street, they were, I forget the name of the shelter or the place that, but there were families that were literally living on the street that came from uh from Somalia um and could not get housing through uh the shelter board because at that time, if you didn't live in Columbus, Ohio first and become homeless, okay, then you can't get the services as being homeless. So they they just came here and were already home, you know, didn't have a place to stay. Um so that was problematic. So and our commission, along with Mayor Coleman, um, and and I owe uh so much to Mayor Coleman because he hired me first moral to come in there, but secondly, and trusted me to be the executive director. Um so uh we were able to then work out to be able to get temporary housing um for these multiple families while they got connected with um uh refugee um uh resettlement agencies to be able to get them started on on some more permanent housing and and and jobs, et cetera, et cetera. Um but it was so so being a part of that um just added to, I think, a piece of the puzzle to the work that I've I've I've been doing throughout my career. Uh because it's it's you know, one steady thing through this is I've always been working with people.

SPEAKER_03:

Yes.

SPEAKER_02:

And communicate, and and that's been really my push, my my passion, um, those that I advocate for. Uh so it it is it's just something I just feel strongly about, you know, to really make that impact, not for myself, but for those who are around and who need the help.

SPEAKER_00:

You know, you you're a founding member of the annual neighborhood best practice conference. What motivated you to uh create this initiative first off, and what impact have you seen on local neighborhoods?

SPEAKER_02:

Well, so that started, God man, I I forget, I don't know whether that was back when I was a police officer or when I started that when I was uh at the Community Relations Commission, but um it was it was the communities I I felt, you know, all is always about collaboration, bringing people together. I always thought that that was how we grow our strength and knowledge. And so I said, let's, you know, myself uh um and uh uh a couple folk from the community, um, Sharon Ware, um, oh my gosh, Quate Barnes, um oh gosh, uh I'm I'm forgetting people out of there. But um but we came together and we thought, you know, we says, let's let's do this conference, but but have the conference speakers be those who are in the community doing the work. And they can come and talk and and and talk about in their workshops how they've made a difference within their communities. So it was a ground up piece that people came together, we had a keynote, a couple keynote speakers, we'd have lunch, and you know, we'd get people to sponsor it. But it was the central piece was to have the community be those who are educating other community members. And the biggest thing that we always wanted was to have the opportunity for people to network. So that networking and coming together was very important to me because especially as a as a police officer, I saw how people would would, you know, live on a street, they'd come home, close the doors, lock themselves in because of the fact that there's no connection with the community and they've given up. You know, they're they're they're fed up with everything that's going on. They got the crack house across the street or a burned out building, whatever it is, you know, and they've called about it and the and the feeling is nothing ever changes. So I felt as though, you know, it's it we need to inspire each other and bring people together to show the positive things that are happening within within these communities. And that uh uh our our our catchphrase was uh we can do it, you can do it too, or something, something like that, right? Because that's that's and even now that's what I feel as though as much needed is that empower people to be able to make a change. You know, be able to inspire, show them great things that are happening, and how we can, as a, as a, as we come together from all different communities, all walks of life, we can make a huge change for the better in many communities.

SPEAKER_00:

You know, I I'm hearing a lot about collaboration, bringing people together. Can you talk about, can you share with the audience uh how to build effective relationships? You know, some how how how how did you do that? What's what's the secret source in that?

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah. Well, you can't do it through email, right? You can't do it through texting, right? It's not gonna happen. It's not gonna you know. Um, first of all, they people gotta believe in you. Yes. You have to have, you know, have that honesty about you that that that people and and that people will trust you. Yeah. You know, if if if you're talking out two sides of your neck, then you know they're they're they're not gonna trust you. And so they're not gonna want to truly connect with you because they're there the feeling is that there's an alternative agenda to this. And so you really got to show them that that, hey, I am here. This this is all of us together working on the on the on this piece. We want to work together to make a difference. And so when you when you have that, and and also you gotta show, you know, you have to be humble about things that you you're doing, and and also, you know, be uh put your heart out there. Because I think when when when people see that you are vested in this honestly, yes, you know, and that you want to work with work with them on this particular issue or or or the overall issue, um, or bringing inspiring others, then they see that. And then they're like, you know what? Okay, I'm with you. So what I have found is that, and I'll I have boots on the ground too. You know, when they are picketing in this, I'm out there, okay, let's come together. Let's, you know, they know that I would go, you know, as an officer, you know, I would go to city council or, you know, whoever it was, you know, not the typical officer things, you know, or or bring in uh code enforcement health department, whoever it is, but to address these issues so they know that I was serious about I am your ad. I I I'm here with you, I see what's going on, I feel it too. So when you're you're building collaborations, when you're you're building building community, you've got to be in the trenches with them. Talk is, you know, talk is talk. Right. But if you're not, if you're if you're not in the trenches, because if you've got to be able to feel it. You can't you uh it's almost talking about a leadership. You can't lead from up in a chair somewhere, right? And saying, hey, this, this. You've got to been either been in it or you need to get down in it and to to break bread and really talk with folk and and and spend some time. And then you'll have a better understanding because you will feel what they feel, at least have that opportunity at that point in time. And when they see that, you it it makes a world of difference. One thing that I don't know if you can get to or not, but I I I ran for state rep in, you know, in in 2016. And when I was going, I went to over 5,000 houses and talking to all kinds of people, and they were like, this is amazing. We've never had somebody come out this, that, and the other, blah, blah, you know. But to hear their stories makes you just want to, it's like, oh my gosh, we have got to do something. And we have got to be able to give them a voice to be able to do something, right? To be able to make this change, or at least to be heard.

unknown:

Yes.

SPEAKER_02:

What I found is peep 95% of the time, people just want to be heard. Just hear me out. And that goes into the law enforcement piece. I can tell stories all day long. But when we do when we do town hall meetings, and and a lot of times, you know, law enforcement administration would be not, and I'm not saying this is for now, but for when I was there, would be worried about doing town halls because people would be upset. And they'd be they'd be, you know, you know, very loud and boisterous. Right? So, but but my thing was listen, that's because they're I says we've got to be able to hear that. Don't take it personally. We've got because that's where they are. We've got to be able to peel back the layers of the onion to be able to understand what the root causes and where they are. But but you've got to be able to hear them first and kind of feel what they're feeling, and then work on the root cause and the issue because uh they haven't been heard. And this is their this is my opportunity to be heard. And so that's where when it's been great as far as my my career path, and then when I was in the at the community relations commission, it was a big piece was about being heard. Because also with the community relations commission, we you know enforced the civil rights code and housing employment and then public accommodations. So we dealt with uh those who were whose civil rights had been violated and investigating those complaints, um, and did a lot of different programming, et cetera, et cetera, and a lot of different shows. So um educational pieces. So this is this is where I you know it just keeps coming back full circle, is that together we can make such a difference. It's just that we've got to inspire our folk, we've got to bring them together honestly and and build that trust. Because without trust, it's just it's gonna fall apart, right? Um, and and you have to have, you know, uh an understanding of expectations. Yes. Right. And so if you if you have a you know, if they have a high, you gotta say, listen, here's here's what we can do. Because this is why I I always talk to people, I say, listen, you know, we might want to solve crime, but let's start with this. And we start with this, let's celebrate this. Let's celebrate those those small steps that we have we have made. Because if if if you don't, then people well see, we didn't solve crime or we didn't do this. Oh my gosh, but you we did X, Y, and Z. People are feeling better, people are on the roll, we're we're we're making a difference. You know, we've got to celebrate those those those small successes to get to that larger success.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, you got me ready to vote for you. You talked, you mentioned earlier about your mom and dad and the and the civil rights. And yeah, you and I are that age, we're civil rights kids, so we're saying that. Uh, but you're also part of a committee of civil rights uh heritage tour of the South. What do you hope participants take away from visiting those historical sites?

SPEAKER_02:

Well, you know, the the the heritage tours was is is an amazing tour. Um, and it actually started um when I was at the community as executive director of community, well, as I was a deputy director of the community relations commission, myself, Jim Stowe, has started um, and I think I came in on the second year, but it was right 2005. Um but uh continued doing it. It was and um and then in 2016 when I left, uh the city stopped doing it, and um we started an LLC, a nonprofit, and continued doing it. But what it is, it's a tour down, uh we do it every year. Um uh we take 50 people, young people, older people, uh, you know, cross generations, um down south through to Atlanta to the to the King Center, from the King Center to Tuskegee, where Tuskegee Airmen flew out of at Mountain Field from Tuskegee to Selma, Selma to Birmingham, Birmingham to Montgomery, Montgomery over to Memphis, Tennessee, to Larine Motel, up to Louisville, Kentucky, to the Mohammed Allah Museum, and then back home. So at six days, we leave on a Monday, we come back on a Saturday night. And throughout that tour, you know, um, we have some amazing conversations between younger folk, older folk at the locations that we go to. Um, it's just amazing. We have a round table, I think, on like the third day because some of the stuff is some heavyweight information um and what they might see. And so they uh uh it's it's it's amazing conversations that happen. So I think uh what we get out of it is first of all, knowing your history. And secondly, when you're there in the locations that things happen, it makes the world a difference. People get it, you have this feeling in Soma it literally hasn't changed. You can see the pictures back then, you see them now, they're just about the same. Right? Um, and so when you're in the places where history happened and you're watching the videos that we play on the bus and you're going to talk to people about it, and you're going to these different museums, it it's a it's a it's a life changer. And many of the young people that we have talked to, and we've got a lot so much video on this, but uh are just um it really touched their lives. And and and and you can see how and when they went back to school and they talked about you know the tour and and did presentations on it, um it's it's it was it's it's that's one thing that you know it's a lot of work to get it done. Myself and my wife, Tony, get you know, get it done. And now we have a uh a committee and and so forth, but the impact I think um is is uh realizing history. And I and I don't say just you know black American or African American history, but it is history of the United States that um we need to know our the the actual history.

SPEAKER_00:

Sounds like you've been living a faith journey. Like a lot of these things that you've done and truly been walking by faith. Can you talk about your faith experience and how faith has helped you and and all these transitions and just life?

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, you know, I I I would I would like to say, you know, that I'm I go to church every day and this, that, and the other, or every week, and um, and I and I can't say that, but I can say that I'm very spiritual. I I my father was was kind of the same way, and I didn't even realize until I heard read some of the things that he'd written um early on that I still have and and uh that he was really into into faith and into the church. But I think that I know there is that God up there that's that's leading me. Um and I know my father and mother up there right beside him, you know, uh uh leading me also. Um but that you know it's it's it's always I always have that that thought in my head, you know, and and and that saying, you know, what would Jesus do, you know, you know, about we've got to be kind to each other. You know, we're we're here for a short period of time. And when you think about whether it's legacy or or or what you know you're you're leaving behind is that uh what's you know, the the the saying of you know, you they always remember how people, you know, how you treated them. And so that's what I I I try to do. My my my I have faith though that that I'll continue to be led. Um sometimes things are tough, this, that, and the other, but you you always I always feel that push is that this is the things to do, especially when working with young people and you just see how their eyes light up, or that gotcha, you know, or what's even more amazing, and you know this as a as a coach, it's like they'll come back 10, 15 years later and they'll go like, coach such and such and I used to coach Reynoldsburg youth football too. Okay, right. So that was another little thing. But um, but it's it's that amazing where where I had a young person just come up and I couldn't remember his name, but he's like, Hey, you know, I'm going to I'm at, you know, in college and I'm doing this, and I'm like, oh my gosh, that's amazing. This great stuff. So that's where, you know, uh my my passion has has been, and just you know, trying trying to make a difference.

SPEAKER_00:

Right. You know, as we come around the corner, this is a legacy podcast. So as you look back on your many decades of public service, what legacy do you most hope to leave for future generations?

SPEAKER_02:

Well now, and thinking about legacy and and and you know first of all I want it to be a inspiring legacy right uh some people can have a bad legacy right uh but I want it to be an inspiring legacy I I think um you know I'm really I I just I I want it to be that my legacy is that that that is as a person who really cared about people um was the advocate for people but just wanted to be someone who was kind to everyone regardless of the situation. Um I uh I I and I'm almost I'll say intentional but I always think about um the uh there was this saying I I don't I can't remember where I got it from but um it's every day you're writing your eulogy every day and so I look at it as you know I I've got to continue to do the right thing continue to treat people right um every day regardless and be that advocate for people who can't advocate for themselves who can't be heard you know as we wrap up um we're in a time of transition even in this country in this world uh what advice would you give to young people aspiring to become community leaders and agents of change?

SPEAKER_00:

What advice would you give to them?

SPEAKER_02:

Wow um have a thick skin um dad was always saying keep your eye on the sparrow um I'd say that that you know things especially when you're trying to make change things are not going to be easy change is always hard regardless of what you're trying to change whether it's in government whether it's in some agency um many times people people push back against change but uh know that it can be done right as leaders you're you're you know you can lead but you can all lead collaboratively bring people along with you um because there's always people out there that are looking for someone to tell them you know have that vision and then move them in that vision. So um that's where I I think that to those future leaders and I and and I tell you what young people you know often we say you know as a future leader I'm like ain't no future leader you're a leader now listen we look back in the civil rights movement you know when when those children were marching right every day going to jail listen they were leading yeah there was there's no doubts about it they were they were leading and they could do that now and even some of the marches that that that's been around recently um throughout the last eight years or so right there's been young people out there they have no idea well I'm sure some but there's no idea of how much power that you have and how much um that you can influence by young people can by coming together and and and making this making a statement um they just did that on uh Columbus City schools I think in regards to an issue there uh that I happened to be at a a board meeting and young people were were were talking about um I think it was around regards to the bathrooms or what have you but in the event the their voice is heard. So when you show the interest and you you and and they they stand up I can tell you it it it makes a huge difference. So I I say to all any young person who says I want to do this or I want to make this change right do it. Start now don't wait till oh I'm gonna do it when I'm you know 15 or 20. You can start pulling people together now there's young people that feel the same exact way you do.

SPEAKER_03:

Right.

SPEAKER_02:

Let's let's do it no better time but the present.

SPEAKER_00:

Now yeah I think it's part of your the tour it shows young people what can be done and was led by young people we have this saying that we say all the time real change happens when the people who need it lead it. And young people need the change and they led the change. When you think about the old 60s or whatever the price moves young people led that change. John Lewis is talking about that bridge he was 18, 19 years old going across that bridge you know so real change happens when the people who need it lead it. So Napoleon I want to thank you for sharing your remarkable journey a story defined by service courage and an unwavering commitment to building bridges in our community your story is one that means a lot to persons to hear. And your story is one that it's a reminder that all the seeds that we plant today through compassion advocacy and determined action can help uplift generations to come. Yeah and I want to thank you for what you've done in this community and I'm just so excited to have you on the show and give you an opportunity to share share those stories. And trust me those some great stories.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah well no I got I got plenty of stories you do but I I I appreciate you though and in in in in doing this and um I just hope it can get out to to folk to hear but also most importantly not about me but to just inspire them to that they can they too can make a difference in their communities no matter what the circumstances are just let's come together and let's do it.

SPEAKER_04:

I tell you let's let's come together you know come to me with a with an issue and a possible solution let let's let's do it yeah that's it let's let's let's get on it so I want to thank our uh be a baller audience for joining us on this journey uh be sure to subscribe stay engaged and continue building your own lifelong legacy as a true ball in your community so thanks to Paulin for the show 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