Georgia Tech's CEISMC Gazette - February 2005

Calvin Mackie: an Interview
by Andrew Kerr
February 2005

Obviously we like the guy, as you can tell from our feature article on his January performance. While we deferred to the students to ask questions at the end of his address, we had a few questions of our own which we e-mailed to him afterward.

CEISMC Gazette - What were the circumstances surrounding the first motivational speech that you delivered?

Calvin Mackie - My first motivational speech occurred when I was a Sophomore at Morehouse College in 1987. As part of the National Society of Black Engineers, I went to an Atlanta junior high school to speak to kids about science and math. After about 15 minutes, I realized that they were not into what I was saying. Thus, I changed topics and began to talk about life and my experiences and how I got to this junction in life. They perked up, began to listen and asked numerous questions. I have been approaching students that way ever since then.

CG - Where has your speaking taken you geographically?

CM - My speaking has taken me literally all over the country; to all four corners: Washington, California, Massachusetts, and Florida. New Mexico and Nebraska to cover the heartland. Everywhere. I am just beginning to get international inquiries.

CG - I thought it interesting that not only did you feel compelled to speak for education, but against a lot of today's current popular culture as well. Bill Cosby recently received a lot of attention for railing against hip hop culture also. I wondered if you felt you were taking on a mountain, considering hip hop's widespread popularity, and what your thoughts were about the success of this music despite the sometimes dubious values it promotes?

CM - No, I don't feel I am taking on a mountain. I have been railing against any music or image that's degrading and corrupt. I believe that our children should not be exposed to some things too soon. Much of hip hop's culture that is popular and marketed is street culture which should be shielded from the eyes and ears of our children. I am against censorship—make your music, but our children should not have open access to it. People say that they see and hear it anyway. Yes, but in a healthy and caring society, such would not be packaged, marketed and sold to the most susceptible.

The music is successful because it is packaged and sold. The success says a lot about society and who and what we care about. Although white kids purchase somewhere around 70% of rap music, there are still videos that are allowed on BET which are banned on MTV, and they are owned by the same company. Go figure. It seems like it would make business sense to play all the videos on MTV since that is where your greatest audience with the largest disposable currency resides. The promoting, packaging and selling of the worst of hip hop is greater than money.

CG - Say you were to encounter one of the kids you spoke to in today's lecture ten years down the road. How would you judge them a success or a failure in your mind after their exposure to this morning's speech?

CM - Simply, I would ask them are they happy? Are they living their dreams? Are they able to care for themselves? Success is having dreams, Happiness is making those dreams come true. It definitely wouldn't be judged by material gain or societal status. Happiness and success must emanate from within.

Dr. Mackie's website is here: http://www.channelzro.com/home.html.

©2008 Georgia Institute of Technology