Transcript
0:00 Fight. Fight. That was our only option. We had a disagreement, we fought. We'd jump people. So much violence but never was there a second thought. If you were close enough for me to put my hands on you, I'm hitting you in your mouth. That's just how I was. But then he learned the power of his own words and everything changed.
0:30 I got a little brother. He bad too. He bad too. Now we were always being physical. We fight. That's what we do. You know? I did not know that my words had power. Ms. Porter taught me this through assertiveness, she taught me this. So now I'm going to go back and tell my "Hey little bro. This is what I want you to do. Instead of putting your hands on them, go up to them and say, "Hey. I don't like it when you call me that.
1:00 Next time just call me my name. And come back and tell me what happens." Now of course my little brother he says. "I'm not doing that! That makes me look weak." I said, "If you look at like that, it does. But what type of weak person stood up to you with his voice?" He stepped back and he thought about it. I said, "Only somebody who's weak wouldn't open their mouth at all." So I say, "It actually makes you strong to just go out there and say it. Not even get physical."
1:37 I say, "Little brother just go out there and say it, just go try, then come back and tell me." I left him with that. Now I'm not going to lie, I must admit I don't know what was going to happen. I just knew the next day my dad was going to call "Boy. Your brother done fought." But can you believe my brother get off the bus with his backpack and the biggest smile ever. "D!" I said, "What's up little brother?"
2:01 He said, "I did it." He said, "I did it." I said, "Whatcha mean?" He said, "I went up to 'em and told 'em. I don't like it when you call me that. You need to call me Marquees." I said, "What happened?" "He looked at me and said "Alright."" I said, "So what'd you think about that?" He just shook his head and went inside. If only. If only. When I was leanin' up against that wall. I couldn't let him see this.
2:33 But when I was leanin' up against that wall, if only you knew how good that made me feel on the inside. cause I'm not gonna lie I must admit as the big brother it used to make me feel good to say "Man punch him in his mouth." I'm gonna be honest, as a big brother it made me feel good to say, "Man, we don't tolerate that." If he say anything else to you I want you to wap him.
3:00 Come home and tell me about that. I must admit it really did. But the feeling that I got to tell my little brother that his words have power and he can use his words and for him to come back and tell me that it worked. That feeling was much more powerful than him coming back and telling me that he punched somebody in the mouth. It really was. And the only thing I can do only thing I can do is, sit back and think about my first day of my senior year.
3:35 I wouldn't have been able to teach my brother that skill if that first day wouldn't have happened. If we go back farther than that I wouldn't be able to teach my little brother that skill If Ms. Porter wouldn't have learned that from Dr. Bailey. And we go back farther than that I wouldn't be able to teach my little brother this skill, if Dr. Bailey, never came up with this concept.
4:06 And you know what my little brother do now? "DJ Guess what I told Austin." "What?" "I told him Next time somebody messing with him just tell 'em and tell 'em what he wants 'em to do." I said, "Yeah?" So, can you believe my little brother, who's in the fifth grade is now teachin' his friend his words have power? To his friend is going to go along and tell his little brother his words have power. So can you believe I started a whole new trend?
4:40 Everybody wants to say their words. As we strive for peace, offer the gift that teaches every child their words have power. Schubert's Big Voice ConsciousDiscipline.com
Summary
- The speaker grew up in a violent environment where physical fights were the norm.
- A teacher, Ms. Porter, introduced the concept of assertiveness and the power of words.
- The speaker encourages their younger brother to confront bullies verbally instead of fighting.
- The brother successfully uses this approach, leading to a positive interaction with a bully.
- The speaker experiences a deeper sense of pride in teaching their brother this skill than in previous violent victories.
- The lesson of using words spreads, with the younger brother teaching his friends about the power of verbal expression.
- The narrative emphasizes the importance of teaching children to communicate effectively to promote peace.