Picture provided by Michael Cogdill
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What is the most interesting fact about yourself? I am an outlier of domestic violence. I have witnessed domestic violence as a child, I have witnessed the violence of an alcoholic man, my father, against my mother
My dad hit low-bottom as a drunk but he bounced back to be the most beautiful man that I will ever know. Nonetheless, children that see violence tend to adapt to violence. But I adopted the exact opposite as I consider myself an evangelist of peace, I insisted upon peace.
There was an honor that I had in that of doing a story on DeAndre Hopkins, a story on both him and his mother. DeAndre was also in a domestic violence situation, his mother was hit with a bucket of bleach and lye but I can tell you, DeAndre is a man after my own heart. He has the same attitude [peace] and DeAndre once told me, in that interview, “there is no violence in me. I am made of my mom, my mom made of me. We are one in so many ways. She taught me peace, she created a peace within me.’ It takes a real man to have that attitude, it takes a real man to know how to treat a lady and be at peace within.
How long have you been in Greenville? Since 1989, thirty years.
What is your background? I do not have any siblings, I was an only child. I was almost ten pounds in a Catholic Hospital in 1961, my poor mother, God bless that woman.
I am a product of my dad, even before he got sober, my dad was born one of seven children in the Great Depression. My dad had to quit school in the fourth grade to deliver pharmaceuticals on a bicycle: he would even go the local Canton, North Carolina YMCA and have the dignity to take a bath. My dad longed for education that he could never had, he had a brilliant work-ethic, drove an eighteen wheeler and loved to go to work: he taught me the value or work, but more importantly, the value of learning. For him, learning was in the news whether it be on TV or getting a newspaper.
I remember watching Vietnam with my dad on TV, the TV was right in our living room and of course, as a kid, I thought, ‘this is going to be my fate, I am going to be in Vietnam.’ I thought that because not only was I kid, but I watched my cousin Danny go back three or four different times. All of this brought a great sense of being able to learn, to know more tomorrow than you do today. I set my sights very early on in electronic journalism and people laughed. These folks had no reason to do anything else because I looked and sounded like Ernest T. Bass from the Andy Griffith Show. I did not resemble Peter Jennings, but he was my idol. I listened to him [Jennings] along with other idols such as Harry Reasoner and Howard K. Smith.
My dad taught me how to appreciate the idea of serving, individuals that might be disadvantaged, poor of money, poor f learning, opportunity. There is not a level-playing field of opportunity within this Country. One of the ways that I created a legacy for my dad is by having a scholarship in both of my parent’s name from my Alma Mater in UNC Asheville. I get a letter ever year from a student that receives the scholarship. And almost every year, it is a young lady with a phrase that implies she would not be in school if it wasn’t for this scholarship. This would move my dad, he loved to learn.
God, I miss that man. This job is not easy, and I am hoping that he would be so proud.
He would still be here if it wasn’t for those cigarettes. He would evangelize our youth to stop smoking, even at WalMart with a full tank of oxygen. He’d always say, ‘you best go put that down.’ That is the way he was.
I’ll never forget the night my father passed, he had pneumonia and we were told that morning he was not going to survive and to hurry and go meet with him. I asked the nurse, ‘how much time does he have?’ She implied a couple of hours. But twelve hours later, that night, he was still thriving. His heart was jumping. Midnight, that same nurse pulled me aside and said, ‘you better hope that you have what he has in his chest, he is a racehorse.’ My father passed away early the next morning and before he did, I said, ‘you know I am going to take care of her. You know I am going to take care of mom. And that was when dad let go.’ That man, he loved my mother.
He had two-halves, there was a power of simple redemption. My dad received the Grace of God, it changed him. My dad let the Spirit of God give him a second chance. It was beautiful to watch.
Only when I stopped trying to be my dad’s God, did God have an opportunity to start working in my dad’s life.
Very often our rock-bottoms, the ones that you want to shake your fist at God, can make us believe over-time.
I will never forget eulogizing my father, I stood up in the Church. It was nearly full. I looked out in the crowd and I could not make eye-contact with my mom. I said, ‘folks, I want you to look at this Church. Look at this turnout for this man that was the town drunk. He was the town drunk. So many of you saw him getting drunk not even a stone’s throw away from this Church. But look at us. This man became a driver of the church bus, he became a friend of God and God was a friend of him.’
My mom was a factory worker, she was a glass blower at a company called American Enka. She blew glass funnels for polyester fiber, you had to have glass funnels for this fiber otherwise the fiber would break. That is what she did, all of her life. It was the only job that she ever had and retired fairly early. My mother could throw a ball like a man, I should have been a relief pitcher for the Dodgers. She was all lady but had the strength of ten men. Part of that strength is also a graciousness.
My mom is still alive, she is 94-years old but is in the throes of dementia. It is a very closing a twilight of her life. There is still this glow about my mother when you go and visit her. It is a terrible scourge, but I also think that it is a stepping stone with some popcorn to lead the way. You can pick up piece after piece after piece. It is a reminder to me that there are so many things in this life that can actually be worse than death, my mother is living this right now. It gives us a sense of peace with death, a sense of peace with life. God has got us, the eternity part, the best part, is to come. I grieve my mother, I grieve her now. This is not the fullness of her, for that fullness is waiting. There is an aura around here in so many ways.
My mother and my father were ahead of their time in civil rights. Even though they didn’t know Dr. King, they were friends with Dr. King message. I watched my father be that man at work, be the man that recognized a brotherhood amongst a person of color. That was evangelized in me within the 1960s. This will be apart of my eulogy to my mother. You talk about a son who is proud. My Heavens, that is my mother and my father.
I have a daughter that is two-years old. I will show people a picture and then they look at me, then at the picture and say, ‘that is your granddaughter.’ Then I say, ‘no that is my daughter,’ then people will look at the picture again and they say, ‘oh she is a gorgeous granddaughter,’ and I will say ‘no ma’am, that is my daughter.’
My daughter was born to a same-sex couple that asked for my help. After no small interview process, a process where I initially met these two wonderful women via my ex-wife, I prayed it up and I said, ‘Lord, this will only happen if you want it to happen.’ It did, she is beautiful.
I did not dream that this would be my life. [On winning 29-Emmys], I remember the night that I first won an Emmy. It was a complete surprise, it was an honor just to be nominated. We won, it is a team effort, it is never me.
My proudest Emmys are the ones for Writers. They go to telling stories of the ordinary, the stories of folks that work in the shadows, people doing remarkable things with virtually nothing. Being able to write those stories, to have that honor is huge. These stories teach you so much.
The Emmys that I have in my house are just objects, but they are an object of gratitude. All the Emmys, the Murrow [Edward R. Murrow Award], I just think about my mother and what she would say, ‘your dad would be so proud. If he could see this….’ there are no words. I thank the Good Lord everyday of my life.
[As a Journalist], we are not always at Grace and peace within. Two stories come to mind on this, two stories that were especially hard for me.
Susan Smith was one of these stories. You have a woman that drowns two infants in car seats in cold water. She then lies about it being a black man, saying that a black man did it. The Town of Union could have gone up in flames but it did not, Union gets a lot of credit for this.
The other story, the Emmanuel Nine. I had never felt such a depth of heartbreak, I have never felt evil but at the same time, never seen such light between strangers. There was a memorial out in front of that church in no time, it looked like the Garden of Eden. It happened in June, in the middle of tourist season in Charleston. Everyone was wearing a jacket, we were all sweating I remember standing and watching tourists, both black and white, just standing there, not knowing one another but yet, holding one another in sorrow. There was hope, it was absolute recoil against that evil act. Loved filled the streets, the streets were filled with love.
As Journalists, we are to be honest and fair. I believe in the personal practice of a deep care within my journalism. There is no way to objectify victims in these two stories. You could feel the evil but you could also feel the love. It is not easy, you have to mirror this to your audience throughout the whole day, and it can get exhausting, but it is our role.
What are your hobbies? I love a good boat. Any chance to get on a boat, and I am there. I love to sail, I want to get certified and go international. I love training [gym], it calls to me. I am also working on my second novel. There is something stirring within me.
What are you currently reading and/or watching? It is funny, I do not watch as much as TV as I use too.
Reading, I am reading a negotiation book entitled, ‘Never Split the Difference,’ by Christopher Voss and Tahl Raz. I am also reading, ‘Evolve Your Brain,’ Joe Dispenza. I am also a big Malcom Gladwell fan and the likes of Fitzgerald and Hemingway.
And then there is, ‘Cold Mountain,’ by Charles Frazier. Cold Mountain has been my inspiration to write my first novel.
What phrase(s) do you try to live by? ‘Be kind to everyone because everyone is fighting a hard battle.’
One of the things that makes the news interesting to people is that they want to see the stories of hard work. People have true empathy when they watch and consume the news.
Who do you work for? WYFF4/Hearst. I also have a publishing company, HeartStrong, where we are publishing ‘She-Reign,’ and I am currently in the process of getting Venture Capitalists to make this a motion picture.
What is your day-to-day on the job? I am an anchor on the six o’clock and eleven o’clock news. I am surrounded by greatness of a professional family of beautiful souls. Our team knows the power of evil and they know the power of love. They get it, they are able to articulate both in a journalistic approach.
How would you describe Greenville? Blissfully complex.
How would Greenville describe you? I hope that they would say caring.
What is your happiest Greenville moment? I got nominated for three additional Emmys last year, but I didn’t win one. However, I was so honored to be surrounded by love from both friends and family at a wonderful party.
I also love when Carol [Clarke], get to do a field assignment in Downtown Greenville. People will come up to us, say hello. Not necessarily because we are on TV, but because there is a connection. I love being able to say hello, make connections within our community.
Where is your favorite Greenville morning hangout? Anytime Fitness on Woodruff Road.
Where is your favorite Greenville evening hangout? Here lately I see my mom about every night. I would also say Hall’s and Jianna.