Hardeman says it's the foot on the neck of the community. (You can skip to 31:40 if you must, or settle in for a great discussion with Ajay Raju)
From the basketball courts of the Raymond Rosen housing development in North Philadelphia to the hallowed halls of Oxford University, Hazim Hardeman's story is as improbable as it is inspiring. Once an indifferent student struggling to make his way through a woefully under-resourced educational system, Hardeman barely made it through high school, but his mother's determination sent him on a new course; first to the Community College of Philadelphia, then to Temple University, and ultimately to the distinction of becoming Temple University's first (and as yet, only) Rhodes Scholar.
In Part 2 of this conversation with Ajay Raju, Hazim talks about the best and worst of America, and how those labels depend on who you are, whether we are living in a world where political correctness is standing in the way of just talking or the true meanings of words and history are too important to ignore, and why his worst days were "a typical Philly thing."
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Watch Part One here.
Want to skip around? Here's what you need to watch:
2:00 - How can we help people face the challenges that life throws at them so that they can become the best they can be?
7:00 - Hazim can drop quotes and lines of literature, but he says he doesn't have a photographic memory. How does he do it?
9:30 - Why Hazim would not get in a time machine to share words of wisdom with his younger self (the 0.0 high school student).
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13:00 - Should people of color turn their backs on the institutions and organizations that are historically racist, or should they reclaim them and make them better?
18:42 - What were Hazim's thoughts on the National Anthem protests in the NFL?
23:40 - Hazim describes his best day and worst days, and why the worst were "a typical Philly thing."
26:12 - What were the best and worst days in America? It all depends on who you are.
31:40 - Hazim explains what he meant when he said there is nothing wrong with his community except for "the foot on its neck."
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34:17 - Political Correctness: Are we ever going to get to place where we can say what we want without having to worry about the historic meanings of the words?
36:52 - "When you learn, teach." How generations should be part of a cycle of improvement and growth.
Have you watched Part One of this interview?
Josh Shaprio isn't holding back when he talks about his frustrations with the Catholic Church.
Watch Ajay Raju and Mike Quick in Overheard at Tredici