(solemn music) ♪ (man) Good morning, Sarasota!

More ever, good morning, Newtown.

It's your boy Uncle Ronnie.

Wake up, wake up.

September 11th.

9/11.

Every time I mention this day, it kind of stirs something up in me.

I'm pretty sure it stirs something up in you.

Where were you on that day?

I know where I was.

Me and my mother were sitting in the kitchen, she was just fixing me breakfast, and we sat there and watched the two planes hit the--the Twin Towers.

-Get ready.

-"Robber."

(teacher) Yes, robber.

Get ready!

-"Running."

-Yes, running, good job.

(Uncle Ronnie) Six blocks away from here, President Bush was going to be sitting in a classroom at Emma E. Booker, being read to by those children in Newtown.

Black school.

Wow, that was exciting.

♪ But you know what seems to be forgotten?

The day was supposed to be about them, to focus on their hopes and dreams and aspirations of a great future, and they got eclipsed by tragedy.

♪ This day here, I'm dedicating this day to the children who were in that classroom reading to President Bush.

Today, it's about you.

♪ (bell ringing) ♪ (blonde woman) Who let y'all get this picture?

♪ I actually don't even remember this picture.

It's crazy you got it, though.

That's me.

This is huge.

This is a huge moment.

For me and, you know, the rest of my classmates.

So here I am, over here in the corner.

Wow.

(gasping) (sighing, chuckling) These are my babies.

My students.

I don't care where I am, where I go, wherever I see them, it's just like we're in second grade.

It's like time stood still.

(kids in unison) "She played with her goat in her yard."

(Kay) Good job, go on.

(kids in unison) "But the..." (Kay) I fell in love with the kids.

They were eager to learn, they wanted to learn.

They were like little sponges, and anything you gave them they soaked it up.

(mellow music) ♪ They were coming from maybe a home that did not have a father, maybe a home that did not have a mother.

Maybe a home that didn't have a father and mother, and they were being raised by an older sibling.

♪ (woman) Many of these kids came to the school without knowing how to read.

The school adopted a very prescribed reading program that showed tremendous success.

The teachers worked incredibly hard.

(Kay) We were at the bottom.

We were at the bottom of Sarasota County.

And because of the reading program that our principal implemented into the school, our scores soared.

They made the highest reading gains in Sarasota County.

(bright music) ♪ (Shiela) We got a call from the governor's office.

They wanted a school that had shown tremendous gains in reading.

They said that they would like to come to Sarasota County Public Schools, and the president would like to be there to kick off a reading initiative.

The principal of the school, Gwen Rigell, was a dynamo.

We looked at Mrs. Rigell like, "You're gonna do what?

How are you gonna get all us from across the tracks, from Sarasota, and you talkin' about the White House?"

She didn't take us to the White House.

She brought the White House to us.

(woman) I don't think we took it seriously.

'Cause, you know, you're in second grade, you're a child, you're like, "Pfft, the president?

Pssh, he's not coming."

As children, we didn't really understand the entire significance of it, but we did practice.

(woman) Now I'm like, "Okay, this is so important."

And so I remember feeling, "Okay, Lazaro needs to practice."

He was seven, you know, seven years old, but he needed to practice and read well.

(soft music) ♪ (man) One particular thing that I remember from that day is how beautiful the day was.

See, I never forget that September 11th, the entire day was sunny.

It was a special day.

Actually, on that day, it was like getting ready for the paparazzi and everything.

Like, you just knew you were gonna be famous.

(woman) She was like, "Today is the day!

I'm gonna meet the president!"

And I was like, "Yes, you are."

I said, "Do you need me to be there with you?"

She looked at me, "Now, Mommy.

Now, you know I got this."

♪ My grandmother pressed our uniforms out extra hard that day.

(Lazaro) My mom did cut my hair, so that was a nice little treat.

Well, my grandmothers were very crazy and protective and very loving of me, so in preparation for that reading, they did spray me down with a lot of perfume.

(mellow music) ♪ (Dinasty) Okay, I remember we had to wake up extra early and get to school.

And I just remember pulling up, and it felt like a movie or something.

♪ (man) There was a lot of police officers, like, walking around.

(man) There was a lot of polices on horses.

I think there was a sniper on the roof, uh, dogs, obviously, as well.

♪ (woman) The school was pretty much on lockdown.

Getting to class, news cameras, everything, everywhere.

♪ (La'Damian) Obviously, something's big going on, so my eyes are just like, "Wow, what is all this?"

(mixed chatter) (Natalia) The school looked transformed, like it looks like a whole different school.

You had to go through the Secret Service to get in the school.

From the Secret Service, you had to go around about.

♪ (Dinasty) So it felt, I don't know, I guess my first experience feeling like a celebrity.

♪ (woman) They were letting us know, "Okay, Air Force One has landed at the airport.

His arrival should be in about 10, 15 minutes."

We were told the president was gonna be in the classroom and everyone's like, "The president?"

(woman) I didn't really know who the president was, I just knew it was a big man.

I didn't even know what "president" meant.

(man) You guys are very well-behaved.

-What grade are you in?

-Second.

(Kay) It started out as a very, very good day.

I had 16 darlings in front of me, and I was keeping them ready to receive the president.

(sirens chirping) (Dinasty) I saw all the long, black limousines, and then, literally, it felt like "Men in Black."

(Kay) The motorcade came up.

He got out.

(camera shutters clicking) (Gwen) Good morning, boys and girls.

(in unison) Good morning, Mrs. Rigell.

(man) I remember just the whole classroom just filled with cameras, and just, you just hear just the cameras going off, click, click, click, click, click.

-Good morning.

-When the president first came into the room, Natalia and Danielle shook his hand.

They were the ones closer to him, where he was gonna be seated.

And then he introduced his self, even though we knew who he was already.

-Yes.

-Good to meet you all.

-Hi.

-And this is Mrs. Daniels.

(President Bush) Hi, Mrs. Daniels, how are you?

Great to meet everybody.

Sit down, please.

-Thank you for standing up.

-Be seated.

(President Bush) Good to meet you all!

I want to thank you all for practicing reading so much.

It's really, it's really important.

(Kay) Get ready to read these two words the fast way.

-Get ready.

-"Robber."

-Yes, robber.

Get ready!

-"Running."

(Kay) Yes, running, good job.

-Get ready.

-"Ball."

(Kay) Yes, ball.

Get ready!

-"Sound."

-Yes, sound.

-Excellent.

-Yeah.

(Kay) Okay, get ready to read the words on this page without making a mistake.

-Get ready!

-"Deal."

-Yes, deal.

-Get ready!

-"Plane."

-Yes, plane.

Get ready!

-"Must."

-Yes, must.

(Lenard) Ms. Daniels actually told us to pick up our books, and then she told us what story we were gonna read, which was "The Pet Goat."

(Kay) Sixty on page 153.

(ominous music) I saw someone approach the president, and I knew that was not supposed to happen.

♪ (Lenard) I noticed something was wrong when a guy came in with a suit and whispered something into the president's ear.

♪ (Kay) What did he just say to the president?

♪ (Lenard) And then that's when the president looked up with like a blank stare in his face.

♪ (Kay) He mentally left the room.

Get ready to read the story the fast way.

Get ready!

(kids in unison) "A little girl had a pet..." (La'Damian) As we were reading, I took a quick glance up.

I saw the president's face was really blush red.

(Kay) From the beginning of that sentence, get ready.

-"She played with her goat."

-Something was bothering him.

And it was kind of like he was in another world.

Like he was there, but wasn't really, you know, tuned in to what was going on.

(indistinct reading) (Kay) Let's clean that up, get ready.

(Natalia) Tyler Radkey even thought that he had to pee or he had to go to the bathroom or something, 'cause his whole face changed.

Like, he went from listening and, you know, into it and like, "Yeah!"

to... "It just got serious."

It was one of those moments, like, you could actually feel the seriousness in the room.

(kids in unison) "They did not see the car robber.

More to come."

-Whew, these are great readers.

-Yes, they are.

(President Bush) Very impressive!

Thank you all so very much for showing me your reading skills.

I bet they practice too, don't you?

(Kay) Oh, yes, that's a requirement.

Homework, reading homework.

Reading more than they watch TV?

(Kay) Oh, yes.

(Gwen) Place them under your chairs, and thank you so much for coming today.

(man) Thank you, press, if you could step out the door where you came in, please.

(man) Thank you all.

You can step out the door where you came in.

(Kay) What--what happened?

Did I do something wrong?

Did I say something wrong?

Or, you know, I didn't know.

I didn't know what to think.

(man) Please ensure all cell phones and pagers are off at this time, thank you.

(murmuring) (applause) (President Bush) Thank you.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is a difficult moment for America.

(Stevenson) I personally didn't think anything was wrong, wrong until he addressed the nation when he came in.

Um, that's when I think the whole world got the news of what happened.

(President Bush) Today, we've had a national tragedy.

Two airplanes have crashed into the World Trade Center in an apparent terrorist attack on our country.

(engine buzzing) (whooshing) And I've ordered that the full resources of the federal government go to help the victims and their families.

And the--and to conduct a full scale investigation to hunt down and to find those folks who committed this act.

(Mariah) I think the question that a lot of us asked was, why?

Or, why there, why here?

What was the point of it?

(President Bush) Terrorism against our nation will not stand.

And now, if you join me in a moment of silence... (Kay) They were carefree, innocent children.

We went from high emotions that morning... to, whoosh, low emotions.

This tragedy happened on American soil.

(whooshing) (somber music) ♪ If you didn't feel like you had been violated in the worst way, if you didn't feel like the people in New York were your brothers or your sisters, then I'd ask you, are you human?

That would be my question.

Are you really human?

Ms. Daniels, my teacher at the time, cut the TV on and we were watching it, and she started crying.

And we kinda didn't-- I kinda didn't know what, you know, what was going on.

I remember she was sitting behind her desk, like, eyes bloodshot and crying.

And seeing that was, it was weird.

You know, it was kind of like seeing your parents cry for the first time.

You never see them weak.

So, very emotional.

I don't know how anybody couldn't cry, knowing what was going on.

I don't know how any human being would not have been touched or would not have cried when they saw that.

On 9/11, Ms. Daniels was really, really hurt.

All she did was, like, just cry, but I remember, she played this song called Hold On, a Change Is Gonna Come, and she played it the whole day.

(female vocalist) ♪ Hold on a little while longer ♪ ♪ Hold on ♪ (Kay) I did sing with them as a comfort.

Not only for them, but as a comfort for me as well.

(soulful music) (female vocalist) ♪ A little while longer ♪ ♪ Every little thing will be all right ♪ This is terrible.

It is the worst you could imagine, but hold on.

Just hold on, a change will come.

(vocalists) ♪ Hold on just a little while longer ♪ Don't you quit, 'cause this is not the quitting time.

This is time to hold on tighter, just hold on.

It's not gonna be like this always.

This is just a part of your journey.

This is not your full journey.

So I told them, hold on, change is coming.

(vocalists) ♪ Everything will be all right ♪ ♪ ♪ Everything will be all right ♪ (Uncle Ronnie) This generation is very special because of all that they've been through.

After 9/11, you got troops going to war.

(explosions) (intense music) ♪ You got the collapse of the economy in 2008.

(President Obama) I, Barack Hussein Obama, do solemnly swear... (Uncle Ronnie) The first Black president is elected.

Social media, their bombarded with so much.

(woman) Not guilty.

-What do we want?

-Justice!

(Uncle Ronnie) Racial divide starting to rear its head.

(President Trump) Hatred, bigotry, and violence on many sides.

(Uncle Ronnie) They had grew up with all of that.

(shouting) (soft music) ♪ Woo!

(laughing) Yay!

I am Natalia Jones-Pinkney.

I am 24 years old.

Oh, that's Natalia Pinkney right there.

Natalia was super sweet.

Natalia is a very loving person.

(Dinasty) Natalia, she is just fine.

She's the life of the party.

Full of life, energetic.

Sometimes she wanted to be my boss.

That was my little crush back in the day.

I thought she was pretty.

Um, and she always made me laugh, you know, she was funny too.

(Natalia) Oh, my God, look at me.

Ready for it, hello.

See, there it is again.

There it is right there, this is the pose.

Ready!

(laughing) From birth, I feel like I was born into greatness.

I feel like I always been that person that's supposed to be in the limelight, that's supposed to, you know what I'm saying, that's always had their face at the front of always, of something.

You're welcome.

So, who feeling silly?

(girl) Me!

-Who feeling cool?

-Me!

(Natalia) I run a babysitting service.

It's called Natalia's Babysitting Service.

What's emotions?

-The way you feel!

-The way you feel.

I wanted to own my own actual daycare.

Can you point to your mouth?

Let me see your mouth!

Can you point to your ears?

I wanna see your ears!

Can you rub your tummy?

Let me see you rub your tummy!

Even though I still have my two kids, I have my mom and my sister who helps me out, so I kind of do get a breather in between.

You know, it's not all work, work, work, work, work.

She will fight for her family.

She stands up for her sisters, her brothers.

Don't mess with her brother.

That, that would be the wrong thing to do is to hurt her brother.

(woman) If you could travel anywhere in the world and do any fun activity in the world, where would it be and what would you do?

Mm, I would probably go on a... take a cruise ship and just travel the whole world.

Jeremy, he went to Venice High, graduated early.

He--his football team of that year, they went to the state championship.

They won state.

He had 31 college offers.

(whistle blowing) Right now, at this point... my family is going through a trying time right now.

(solemn music) Natalia's brother was shot by the police.

He was just sittin' in the car.

(reporter) An early morning shooting that included two Sarasota police officers.

The driver, Jeremy Trebbles, Jr. (man) Jeremy was in a car.

The car was parked, and the officers believed that they were involved in some sort of illegal drug activity.

They approached the car and Jeremy sped off, and the officer ended up having his foot run over by the car.

He then shot into the car at Jeremy several times.

(Natalia) They were shooting with the intent to kill.

Yeah, he got two bullets in his chest.

They're still in his chest.

If they remove the bullets, they could kill him.

So they have to leave 'em.

Then he got shot in the hand, his whole hand is shattered.

And his pinky is gone.

He had to get his whole hand reconstructed.

(reporter) Trebbles is now charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

(Ron) That charge is aggravated battery on a police officer, so that's pretty serious.

It's typically three to 15 years.

I--my mama can't even imagine.

Her 18-year-old son just graduated from high school.

He didn't even--they took everything away from him.

Didn't get to walk across the stage, didn't get to go to prom, because this one thing.

We just have to wait.

There's nothing else we could do.

It's a hard situation.

♪ And I pray ♪ ♪ That you never have a rainy day ♪ ♪ And no matter what people say ♪ ♪ Even when it hurts, it'll be okay ♪ ♪ Laila, this is what your mama prays ♪ (mellow music) ♪ (man) I describe Sarasota quite frequently as "Circus City."

This is the home of the Ringling Brothers' Circus.

♪ And if you know Sarasota, we are a three-ring circus all the time.

We have a ring of old money, a ring of new money, a ring of clowns and the hustlers.

♪ Yeah, everybody wants to come to the circus.

People come to Sarasota because of the attractions.

♪ Sarasota's one of the richest counties in the United States.

We've got the Sarasota Bay Club, retired senators, congressmen, some of the richest people on the planet.

But the financial disparity between the rich and the poor is so great.

♪ Newtown's closed off.

The Black community is only 10 blocks wide.

No whites from Myrtle all the way to 10th Street, 10th Street back to 301, all Black.

No white.

And it's very, very separated.

♪ A lot of individuals in the Black community, and including my mother's father, worked out here to help build the tracks going through Newtown.

You can see the actual difference between-- just on this side of the street, to this side of the street.

When you get to the railroad tracks, it's like you walk back in time, you know what I'm saying?

As you walk through the neighborhoods... What's up, partner?

...it looks like it's-- it's been there for a long time.

It's almost like it was-- it's like a time capsule or it's like it's been left behind.

♪ This is Woodlawn Cemetery.

This is where a lot of my family, it's right here.

♪ There's no white people buried here, ever.

Because this is the Black cemetery plot.

It's been that way for years.

And no white people will ever be buried here, because they don't wanna be buried here.

♪ (Ron) Where people live in Sarasota, it's still very segregated.

♪ Sarasota is overwhelmingly white, especially jury, juries that we deal with.

So if I'm representing a minority defendant, the defense in the case is how the police handled the investigation.

What I always do with juries is I will, in those kinds of cases, is I'll always ask this question: "How many of you have ever been pulled over by the police for a traffic infraction?"

And everybody will raise their hand.

And then I'll say, "Keep your hand raised if, during those traffic stops where you were pulled over for speeding, the police asked to search your car."

And what generally happens is all the white people put their hands down and the minority people still have their hands up.

(upbeat music) ♪ (Uncle Ronnie) In a 10-block radius, this is the only place in Sarasota that has a sub-police station, 10 blocks.

There's more police cars in this one area than there is all over the Sarasota.

That's crazy.

♪ You know, I've never seen this many cameras.

Cameras on every corner.

But I don't see this many policemen in the outside of my community that is on the inside of these few blocks.

♪ My name is Tyler Radkey, and I'm 25.

This is Tyler Radkey, my adventurous one.

I remember Tyler Radkey.

He was like the class clown.

Oh, my gosh.

Tyler Radkey, right here.

Tyler Radkey, oh, my God, the most craziest, craziest boy I know.

We used to always argue, every day, just every day, 'cause I think I might've had a crush on him, but don't tell nobody else.

He was actually the prankster of the class too, if I remember right.

And, you know, he would always cause a little bit of trouble.

(Kay) Boys and girls, read this word the fast way.

-Get ready.

-"Smile."

(Kay) Yes, smile.

Sound it out.

Get ready!

(kids in unison) "S-mi-le."

-What word?

-"Smile."

(Kay) Yes, smile.

-Read these words... -I don't like losing, you know?

I'm a big--I'm an athlete, so I like winning a lot, you know.

I--I don't like losing.

So, um--and it just felt like, you know, our class was winning because, you know, we were like the best readers, you know, in our grade, within the state or something, in the county or something like that, you know?

We were the fastest readers and the best readers.

We got good test scores, you know, it just felt like we were winning.

(mellow music) (woman) He loved his sports.

These are all Tyler's trophies.

This is some of his trophies that he got when he was doing BMX biking.

He was actually number one in the state.

♪ He was in football, piano lessons, karate.

He got tested for gifted.

His academic level was, like, very high.

As he got older, he didn't smile anymore in any of the pictures.

He wanted to be like this tough, macho kid.

Like, I'm not gonna smile no more.

(Tyler) In 10th grade, I kind of veered off into living in the streets, you know, fast money, that type of stuff.

(car directional clicking) We're going to where I used to-- I used to hang out fairly a lot back when I was in school and I just started getting in trouble and everything.

Spent more nights here than I was at home.

This is the house we all used to be at, it was right there.

Me leaving their father, that tore--that tore him up, and that's when the change happened.

And I couldn't pull him back.

And I lost my son to the streets.

(Tyler) I fell in love with getting fast money and hanging around a certain lifestyle, and I just wanted to be in that lifestyle.

And I got into a fight and I got stabbed.

(soft music) I got stabbed in the heart and pierced my left lung.

So I had open heart surgery when I was 18.

I was on bed rest for like six months.

Just kind of went downhill from there.

You know, I just didn't have self-esteem, felt like I couldn't do nothing no more in life.

Felt like all my chances were taken away.

So instead of doing something to better myself, I kind of went more downhill and end up getting into a lot of trouble.

♪ I got charged with grand theft auto, three burglaries on an unoccupied dwelling, fraudulent use of credit card, another grand theft auto, two grand theft autos.

And I got sent to prison for two years.

♪ (Uncle Ronnie) There's these private companies that carry mugshots.

Now, when somebody Google your name, your mugshot will come up.

You may have committed a crime five years ago, you're not that person anymore, but people see you and you're wonderin' why you can't get hired.

It's because of these companies.

The mugshot websites, they're very destructive, but you've got to pay a lot of money to keep them from showing your picture.

How do you get past that moment in time?

Every time somebody Googles your name, that pops right up there.

So they make you think that's who they are.

They're branding you.

♪ My uncle has a concrete company.

I work for him, and when his work is slow, I have another job doing metal framing and remodeling movie theaters.

♪ I was leaving here, just was driving down this road here.

Cop got behind me and was following me fairly for about three or four miles.

Pulled me over, asked me, did I have anything in the car.

I asked him, "Why'd you pull me over?"

He said I didn't have my seatbelt on.

So he ended up searching the car and I had like 50 grams of pills on me and, uh, took me to jail.

Never sold drugs a day in my life.

I'm a user, and it's not what the State's trying to make me seem like.

They're trying to make me seem like I'm a kingpin drug dealer, which I'm not.

(male vocalist) ♪ Let's go ♪ ♪ Get sued, get sued, gotta chop 'em down ♪ ♪ Lock 'em up, watch us knock 'em down ♪ ♪ Get sued, get sued, gotta chop 'em down ♪ (man) My personal opinion is that Tyler does not belong in prison.

This happens a lot when police officers are out being proactive in neighborhoods, stopping people, searching them, arresting them, and sending them to prison.

One officer told me, he says, "Well, when you go fishing, do you go where the fish are or where they're not?"

And the easy arrest just happened to be minorities.

(mellow music) ♪ I just have my arraignment today.

I'm charged with trafficking MDMA, which is ecstasy, and I'm going to take a plea today.

♪ I guess right now my greatest worry is... ♪ ...just losing my freedom.

♪ We're going downtown Sarasota to the judicial courthouse.

Oh, man.

Running a little bit late.

♪ Just try to be positive about it.

(solemn music) ♪ -"The Pet Goat."

-Yes, "The Pet Goat."

Fingers on the first word of the story...

When you look at faces like that, you can't help but smile.

In those smiles is potential.

And they got this look of, "Inspire me."

The brightness in their eyes is like, "Tell me more.

Give me more."

♪ I'm Dinasty, 23.

I was very shy and quiet at that age.

(woman) She's very smart.

Wanted what she wanted and went after it.

That's Dinasty.

We grew up together, two peas in a pod.

Same background, a lot of the same struggles growing up in life.

It was just a little reverse.

She had her dad, I didn't have my-- I didn't have my dad, but I had my mom.

(woman) And she's all about making her money.

(laughing) (soft music) ♪ (Dinasty) I started my first business when I was 18, so an online hair extension company as well, made well into six figures, so I did that all throughout college.

Also in college, I went ahead and got my real estate license.

September, our main goal will be the social media agency.

And within the course of all this, of course, we are still gonna be working on growing the app.

Hello, everybody, and welcome to the Young Boss webinar.

We're doing Instagram to Income, that's my new class.

Nobody knows about it but you guys.

After college, that's when I started Queendom Dinasty, which is basically an online business consulting company and then social media marketing strategies.

So, so far, I've helped over thousands, literally thousands of women start their online businesses.

What about the 21st?

Oh, I'm going to China.

(woman) Oh, oh, you'll be going to China.

Unless we do it when I get back, which may be smart, because, you know, everybody will be watching me -while I'm out of town.

-Mhm, yeah.

And it's like build this buzz up.

We could talk to them about, you know...

I'm a leader.

I'm the eldest of five girls.

So naturally, I've always been this person of I have to show a good example, I have to reach, you know, to the highest of my abilities.

I mean, you graduated with a 4.0, -who could ask for anything?

-4.5.

(woman) Oh, I'm sorry, 4.5.

Dinasty, really, I'm not bragging, but she really was not a problem child.

You can hear some horror stories, but she's not one of 'em.

(Dinasty) Yep, that's my parents.

(Mary) I think it was your dad's birthday.

-So what, he was probably 15?

-Mhm.

I think you were born when they were 17.

-Mhm.

-Your mom was probably 16, 'cause she got a late birthday.

She told me once when she was little, she wanted to be a little better, she want to be more prepared, because she didn't think her parents were prepared when she came along.

So I think that instilled her to work a little harder, drive a little harder.

(mellow music) ♪ (Dinasty) If you wanna be successful, if you want the business to keep going, you know, I have to do it, I have to get out there and make it work.

So that's why it seems like I'm always on the go.

So I just wanted to talk to you guys a little bit about what advertising maybe you're using in your business right now.

I'm getting my makeup done now.

I'm about to do a photo shoot, just to get some content for my social media pages.

(photographer) All right, and we're good.

(Dinasty) In order to get better, you have to go and get it, it's not gonna come to you.

So that's why I push myself so hard, because I understand if I want better things in life, I have to be better and do better.

(male vocalist) ♪ I should've known that you'd break my heart ♪ ♪ Man, I shoulda knew it from the very start ♪ ♪ Should've known that... ♪ (Uncle Ronnie) It's your Uncle Ronnie.

September 11th, a day to reflect, a day to be thankful.

Soldiers and servicemen across the nation are getting ready to put their lives on the line to protect this country, here and abroad.

And for those who are in the military, man, I wanna tell you, man, thank you for your service.

Thank you for your sacrifice.

♪ I should've known that... ♪ (La'Damian) My name is La'Damian Smith.

I will be 26 this Sunday.

(Natalia) Then you got La'Damian Smith.

He was always like, I don't know, standoffish.

Like we used to pick on him all the time.

I know La'Damian, I speak to him every blue moon.

A little gentlemen.

(Megan) La'Damian, I heard he's doing real good.

He's married.

I think he's in the military now.

Crazy, crazy picture.

Wow, I can't-- I still can't believe like to this day that I was a part of that.

As much as you try and downplay it, you know, that's still a major part in American history.

(Kay) Sixty on page 153.

(camera shutters clicking) (ominous music) (La'Damian) It definitely makes me feel on edge that there could be more attacks of that nature.

It happened pretty much out of nowhere.

♪ (Uncle Ronnie) Everybody was caught off guard.

It scared the hell out of America.

They realized that we're vulnerable, and they were afraid.

It made 'em rethink how safe we really are.

We're not that safe.

(President Bush) Terrorism against our nation will not stand.

(woman) La'Damian being in the class with the president on 9/11, I do believe that that was an influence for him joining the army.

(men in unison) The Sapper Green!

I am Sapper, the cutting edge of my country's sword.

(truck beeping) (La'Damian) I am a private first class in the United States Army.

I joined the military because they help motivate you to become a better person.

Will not go down without a fight.

I will be playing OPFOR, which is the enemy.

It's very important to learn how to do this.

Mainly because once you get overseas, you won't have that opportunity to make any mistake.

Meaning you could lose your life.

-Hey, Smith?

-Mhm.

(man) Hey, so they have already stepped off.

-Okay.

-We're going to go -and set up for that.

-Okay.

(Terrell) My name is Sapper First Class Terrell.

I manage logistics and support for all Sapper trainees for the engineer regiment of the United States Army.

If there's ever a terrorist attack again, we're here, we're training, we're ready.

When 9/11, when that happened, I felt vulnerable, like I couldn't have done anything at that point.

I wanted to be a part of something bigger, and make a difference for our country.

(rapid gunfire) (suspenseful music) My Iraq deployment, it was scheduled for 12 months.

♪ I was blown up four times on that deployment.

I was in countless amount of firefights.

(gunshots) ♪ I lost my squad leader, my team leader, and my best friend.

I think that was-- that was probably the worst part is losing friends.

-You all set up?

Good to go?

-Good to go, sir.

All right, man, let's kick it off.

(gunshots) ♪ You'll never take me alive!

♪ Losing my life overseas is something I keep in the back of my mind.

I knew that coming into the army, that eventually at some point in my career I'd have to deploy.

♪ I'm in no rush to get deployed, but if the opportunity presented itself, I'd be willing to help our country, do whatever it is that they need of me at the time when I deploy.

♪ I would rate this experience a complete 10 out of 10, and I'm still alive, so... -There's Daddy.

-Hey!

-Daddy!

-Hey!

The army gives me that assurance to know that, you know, if something were to ever happen to me, my family would be well taken care of.

-I wanna be your best friend.

-You wanna be my best friend?

(girl) Mhm.

Ow!

(Jamie) That La'Damian could get deployed, I am afraid of that actually.

I would not want him to get deployed, but I'm pretty sure that's gonna happen within his career.

But it'd be beneficial for us, definitely, if he was to get deployed.

(La'Damian) What?

(laughing) Money-wise, you get more money overseas.

(dramatic music) ♪ (Uncle Ronnie) 9/11 reopened the wound of racism.

That's a pretty bold statement to make, but it scared America.

♪ The pictures that were shown of the individuals that caused this, they were Brown people.

♪ And then over time, all people of color were looked at as a problem.

We went from terrorists to Muslim, to Mexicans, to Hondurans.

The soul of America is under attack from within.

This is just not white America anymore.

♪ They can't stop the changing of America.

They can't stop the browning of America.

The White House is gonna be "The Tan House" pretty soon.

♪ My name is Lazaro Dubrocq and I'm 24 years old.

(Bryan) That's Lazaro.

I remember Lazaro being a goofball all the time.

He was a very serious little boy.

Lazaro, very, very sweet.

He was such a nice-- he was very, very nice, a nice boy.

Perfectionist.

(Natalia) Lazaro?

Oh my God, he used to throw these parties every year.

♪ (Lazaro) To me, the world was my house and a little bit of that school as well.

Growing up, I didn't have the standard American childhood of playing on the streets with the other kids, because in large part, I didn't speak the language, and I was essentially a foreigner in this country, despite being born into it.

(Kay) Sixty on page 153.

(camera shutters snapping) (Lazaro) The president visited us because of our strides and improvements in our literacy rate.

(students recite story) (Lazaro) Good things will come to you if you work for them and if you believe in yourself.

(students recite story) (Kay) Good job.

Go on.

(Isabel speaks Spanish) (kissing sounds) (Lazaro speaks Spanish) (Lazaro) My parents put a lot at risk to ensure that I was presented with the most amount of opportunity in my life.

They stopped paying their mortgage on their house here in Sarasota to pay off my college tuition.

(Isabel) What Lazaro accomplish is a career, an engineering career in four years, in chemical engineering, which typically takes five to six.

He start out working almost immediately.

(Lazaro) There was a little bit of traffic.

(Isabel) Okay, how was it?

-There was a little traffic?

-Yes, a little bit.

-And work, the work?

-Work was busy.

(Javier) Never complaining at you.

(Isabel) He's making all the right decisions, I think.

So much, that Lazaro now is helping his brothers and he's helping us.

(Javier) See the lion?

-Which lion?

-The lion, yes, the door.

(Javier) The Lion King, it's right there at the door waiting for you.

(Lazaro) Ah.

Nice.

(thud) You painted the door too.

I handle all the finances of this house.

This house is actually my house, and I-- I bought it, and they can live in here with me.

Did you check mail?

(Javier) You can check it now.

(Lazaro) Being the main breadwinner of the family, actually being the engineer, I make more money than both of my parents do.

I know exactly what they're spending at all points in time, and I make sure that all the bills are paid.

How was the dancing?

(Isabel) Okay, I think, yeah.

Okay, yeah.

And one, two, three, up, two, three, together.

That's beautiful.

(Lazaro) My family was very lucky when they decided to immigrate here.

My parents emigrated from Cuba early on to Mexico, where he met my mother, and shortly afterwards, they immigrated to the United States.

So it's--it's a series of very fortunate events that, you know, led me to being born here and eventually led me to where I am today.

(Isabel) That--relax your fingers.

There you go.

And one, posing here.

(Javier) America represent everything for us.

It represent the beginning of the new life, the future of our children.

(plane's engine roars) (shattering explosion) (somber music) America did seem to become a little bit more paranoid as a result of the attacks.

♪ I do believe that that day did have a negative impact on America's view on immigration.

(Isabel) A little faster.

(feet stamp rhythmically) I do understand that the fear of having, you know, suddenly, uh, thousands of immigrants coming and feeling that they're gonna be living from the system, from the government, and you have to support them.

(feet stamping rhythmically) One, two.

(Lazaro) The fear of immigration isn't completely unsubstantiated.

We do have individuals who do feel threatened by it.

I know, because I work with them on a daily basis.

I don't see these individuals to be racist at all.

They know full well that I'm Latino.

They see me working hard, though, and I think they judge me based on my character, rather than the fact that I came from immigrants.

What I do think they are fearful of, though, is the fact that this-- this massive change could be a threat to their way of life.

(Javier) We're not gonna fix the problem by building a wall and forget about them.

They're gonna climb the wall and they're gonna jump the wall, or they're gonna go under.

-Because they have no choice.

-Right.

(mellow, moody music) ♪ (Lazaro) I do find it very unsettling that in just a few years, my parents would not have been able to immigrate to this country.

I would not have probably been born to the same circumstances, and I would not have been presented with the same opportunities.

I could have been a completely different individual.

♪ (Uncle Ronnie) It's your boy, Uncle Ronnie.

I want to take a moment to talk about the gun violence in our community.

Sadly, when a parent loses a child, you can't imagine that.

But then you also can't imagine what it is when a person has to develop themself through a tragedy.

But then, I've seen it firsthand, the triumph of spirit, where they didn't let that circumstance dictate what their lives are going to be.

♪ (Megan) My name is Megan Diggins, and I'm 25.

Megan Diggins, my princess.

(Natalia) Oh, yeah, I know Megan Diggins.

Me and her go way, way back.

We had a few differences, growing up.

We used to always kind of get into it, like, you know one of those sister-type quarrels?

Looking at this photo make me want to be a kid again.

What would I tell myself?

Um... You're beautiful.

And everything is going to be okay.

♪ I wanted to be a singer and actress.

I really felt like I was the diva.

(giggles) (distant children's voices) School was just not for me.

Like, I had got kicked out of Booker Middle, expelled.

I was in a relationship with my baby father for four years.

He beat me for four years.

Honestly beat me, pregnant and all.

He used to choke me, pull my hair, punch me.

He even beat me after I had my baby and bust my stitches open.

And I had a C-section.

Do you think he cared about any of that?

Of course not.

He did not care.

(dark music) ♪ It was me, my baby father, and my ex-boyfriend.

They just started fighting and I tried to break them up, and I ended up getting shot.

♪ Instantly, I couldn't feel my legs at all.

I just didn't want to die.

I even told the EMT, I said, "Please don't let me die.

I got a baby."

I didn't even care about nothing else, I just cared that I just wanted to make it for my baby.

That's it.

♪ They told me I would never walk again.

I cried so much.

When I got home, I wanted to be in the bed all the time.

And the doctors say, "If you don't get yourself out that bed every day, you're going to kill yourself."

(uplifting music) ♪ I just woke up and I said, "Today you're going to get up out your bed, and you're gonna do something productive today."

(door closes) Everything about being disabled is hard.

Just imagine you walking all your life, and then the only thing you got is your arms.

Whoo!

♪ Being disabled's expensive, because you have to get so much stuff that Medicaid don't pay for, as in like diapers, catheters, catheter bags.

Like, you gotta pay for all that stuff, gloves, you gotta...

There's so much that come with this disability thing that people don't even understand.

And when you're only getting like $500 SSI check, it's not much at all.

And they mail you hospital bills, but I don't look at 'em.

I don't.

Say hi!

This is my niece, Aria.

I watch her from Monday through Friday, 7:00 to 5:00.

Hey!

Yeah, so I'm glad they gave me an opportunity to watch her, 'cause I'm disabled, and you know, you don't know how people think.

Maybe people think I can't do stuff that able-bodied people can do, and I can.

(gentle nuzzling sounds) What I want to be in life is a paralegal, or I want to be an advocate to help other women that have been through domestic violence.

(Kay) If you're at the bottom of the ocean, or if you're on top of the moon, my love doesn't change for you.

Life is life, and we recover, and we move on.

(funky music) ♪ (Uncle Ronnie) WRBA Radio, 107.5 FM, it's your boy, R.E.P.

Esquire.

Uncle Ronnie got your back.

The tension between law enforcement and my community is at an all-time high.

♪ Young brothers today, they walk around, they're scared, you know?

They don't know when they're gonna be shot.

There's no reason for a young Black male to be afraid of the person who has on the side of his car, "protect and serve."

The soul of this country is in play in Newtown, in every small town across the country.

♪ (Natalia) Yeah, a cop shot my brother, like, he shot him, shot him to where he almost died.

First, their story was he shot back at the officers.

No guns were found and everything.

They had to throw that story out.

Chief of police came onto the news, and then all of a sudden, she changed it to they "injured" an officer.

(tense music) (Bernadette) One of our officers, as they were approaching the, uh, the driver's side of the vehicle, the vehicle accelerated, uh, towards where the officer was.

The officer felt like they were in danger.

They withdrew their firearm, shot a number of rounds into the vehicle.

The individual that was the driver is going to be charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, which is the vehicle.

We know we're going to trial, it's just making it to trial, making it to May.

(reporter) There's been some tension between the Sarasota Police Department and those-- some members in the Black community, saying that they feel like they're not being treated fairly, that they're being silenced, specifically by you.

How do you respond to that?

There's actually no, um-- there's no animosity with the police department in our community whatsoever.

There's some individuals, I understand, some organizations that had said those things, and it's quite frankly, um, ludicrous.

(male singer) ♪ I'm bulletproof, I got the S on my chest ♪ ♪ Say something wrong and get served like the rest ♪ ♪ I knock it out the park, real quick, lights out ♪ ♪ Got the players and the stayers... ♪ They call it "driving while Black."

And our men, they are being targeted.

They have a saying, when they stop you, put your hands on the-- just do it.

And that's sad.

You don't really have faith in them.

It's kind of like you feel like they're not really for you.

-Mm-hmm.

-Or they won't be there -to protect you.

-Mm-hmm.

It's sad that if you do get stopped, you have to take all these precautions to make sure you don't do the wrong thing when you're probably-- you're not really doing anything wrong, but it's literally just make sure you don't die.

Like, you shouldn't get stopped by the police to make sure you don't die.

(Mary) You don't die.

What have we overcome in 50 years?

Every year, we celebrate Martin Luther King when we see a lot of injustice still going on.

It's sad.

This man died for the cause, and I know he's probably turning over in his grave, thinking, "We ain't overcome.

What have we overcome?

Nothing."

(male singer) ♪ I'm 'bout to get some help ♪ (choir sings gospel music) (male singer) ♪ Well, this Christian journey I have piloted, baby ♪ ♪ Sun is shining rain, I'm 'bout to get some... ♪ ♪ ♪ Listen, church ♪ ♪ If I hold out ♪ ♪ Hold out... ♪ ♪ Hold out ♪ ♪ Hold out... ♪ -Help me to... -♪ Hold out, hold out ♪ (male singer) ♪ And I know, whoa... ♪ I've been going through several challenges trying to stay afloat.

Number one, me trying to become a 24-hour daycare, switching over from a babysitting service, has been tough.

I had to shut down my babysitting service because I was having multiple families.

The state requires for you to only have one family at a time.

I wasn't getting any child support, so I mean, I had to get a side job even at McDonald's to try to help with the bills, 'cause I do still have two kids, you know?

My mom was in the hospital.

She went 'cause she's having some gastroparesis problems.

(Stephanie) It gets hard.

Some days are worse than others.

And you know, right now, I'm at a state where I'm going through testing for cancer.

It's scary, because at any given time, she could leave, she could be gone.

I'm not afraid of dying, but I'm afraid of leaving them.

If I'm gone, then who's gonna keep 'em grounded?

(pastor) I want us to even be in prayer for one of our members, a young man named Jeremy Trebbles, who's related to Natalia.

Gifted young man, played on the state championship winning team for Venice a year or so ago.

He's facing a whole lot of challenges.

We've gotta love, uh, these young men and women in spite of their flaws, their mess-ups, uh, and see the potential of them and speak to their future, not their past.

Are you in Matthew 25 with your Bible?

(Natalia) My brother's in jail, my mom just got out of the hospital.

I mean, it's a lot, but you know, you just kind of feel like you got to put your dream on pause just so you can make it everything you want it to be.

Just these last few days, last few months, I feel like God has been setting me up and putting me in a position to be able to fly, and I deserve that so much.

'Cause from a little girl, I've always knew my life was destined for greatness and destined for somethin' special, something greater.

And so I fight, because I want better for my kids, I want better for myself, I want better for me.

(Pastor) And could it be that some of us are not realizing our potential?

We're not being all that we're supposed to be because we're not playing to win, we're just playing not to lose.

And let me tell you that God did not bring you through everything He brought you through, saved your soul, kept you from things you don't even know, for you to play life safe and not go into the end zone.

They lied on me.

So what?

I'm getting stronger.

I was broken, had bad credit, so what?

I'm getting stronger.

Ain't got what I want, but I'm getting stronger.

(congregation cheers, shouts) Tell somebody, I'm getting stronger.

I'm getting wiser.

(Natalia) Savior God, have Your way!

Have Your way!

(pastor speaks indistinctly) (Natalia) When I make it, everybody around me gonna make it.

So that's why I wake up and still fight and push and try to be the best me and put the best me forth.

That's why I put-- give the best me.

Because the hurt parts of me do not define me or do not make me less of a woman or less of a person.

It helps motivate me to be a better me.

(in unison) ♪ My hope for tomorrow ♪ (pastor) If you can stand on your feet and help me sing it, come on, what'd I say?

-Pastor... -♪ Pastor ♪ (pastor) Yes You are, Jesus.

-♪ You're my Savior ♪ -♪ Savior ♪ (pastor) ♪ Yeah, He's the ruler ♪ (Kay) Historically, Black women have been the person that stood in the gap when everything else around us fail.

We had no choice.

We couldn't give up.

-♪ Sing Jesus ♪ -♪ Jesus ♪ -♪ Jesus ♪ -♪ Jesus ♪ -♪ Jesus...♪ -♪ Jesus... ♪ (hum of traffic) (Geoffrey) Tyler is charged with three counts.

The first count is a trafficking in drugs count, which is a first-degree felony punishable by up to 30 years.

Second count is possession of marijuana, which is a misdemeanor, and possession of paraphernalia, which is also a misdemeanor.

Tyler was driving down the road without his seatbelt, which is why the officer stopped him.

Normally, you get a ticket, you pay the ticket, and then the officer noticed the smell of marijuana.

So it wasn't like he was out selling drugs on the street.

(Tyler) I'm not a bad person, man.

I just--you know, I just make mistakes.

And, um, unfortunately, they're freaking bad mistakes, but I'm not perfect, man.

And, um, I'm just trying-- trying to become a better person every day.

(Geoffrey) Um, you've got, you know, some things that are good in your background.

You know, you're working and you're reporting, -you're testing clean.

-Piss testing, yeah.

(Geoffrey) And not getting in any more trouble.

-Okay.

-So that's good.

(Tyler) I've already been to prison once, and, um, it's not fun.

Do you think I'm gonna go to prison?

(Geoffrey) Well, right now, that would be a very good probability.

(Tyler) Okay.

(typing) (Ron) Florida and Texas are probably the two toughest states from a criminal justice perspective, crime and punishment perspective, in the U.S.

Eight years ago, if you were a convicted felon, that means you did something really, really serious.

You know, robbery, kidnapping, murder, sexual assault, theft.

Now there are 10,000 felonies.

Driving on a suspended license for your third time is a felony.

You know, having in your hand a--a trace amount of cocaine is a felony.

(indistinct chatter) (Tyler) Definitely don't wanna go back to prison.

I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy.

It's a zoo for humans.

And they tell you what to do, when to sleep, eat, and ... .

That's the worst part.

(Ron) State prison is a completely different ballgame from county jail.

You could have people in there for DUIs, you know, trespassing, shoplifting.

But when you're going to state prison, everybody there has either committed a pretty serious crime or has a really bad criminal record.

That's a big thing that a lot of my clients are always afraid of.

They're--they don't mind doing time in county jail.

They've--they're in and out of jail over the years, but they're really concerned about going to state prison.

(female bailiff) All rise in Circuit Court in the Twelfth Judicial Circuit (indistinct) Sarasota County now in session.

Honorable Judge Roberts.

(Geoffrey) Our goal will be to secure no prison time.

That would be what we're looking for.

So I'm going to try to work and convince the state attorney to amend the charges to something that he can live with.

Keep your fingers crossed.

(Geoffrey) Mr. Radkey, come on up.

Judge, this is Tyler Radkey approaching the podium, in 18CF17714.

(Tyler) They don't even know me, you know, they don't even know.

They just know I committed a crime.

I don't even think they see me at all.

I think they just see the charges.

...or if possible, (inaudible).

(Tyler) The State offered me five years' prison time, um, followed by two years' probation.

Putting all my history together and then adding the points and stuff up, it just... that's what they come up with.

-Any questions?

-I decline on that -for right now.

-...copy of this as a reminder.

Thank you.

(Geoffrey) 'Cause the State's offer was prison, we were not going to obviously accept that today, so we set it for a trial date.

(Tyler) I definitely don't think it's fair at all.

Okay, they did a crime, let's put this guy in prison.

How is that gonna help that person?

Especially if he's trying to better himself?

Like, I have three jobs, I'm getting ready to try to, um, get my own business.

You know, I'm trying to better myself, you know, I made a mistake.

I'm a great guy.

You know, I just have a-- I've got bad habits, bad tendencies that I'm still trying to overcome.

I don't think that, uh, they're going to try to feel like that I need help about it.

I mean, I can control it, but there's certain times where, you know, you go through so much stuff in life where you feel like the only thing you can turn to is drugs.

(Kay) Life is real and hard times will come.

Times that'll come and make you want to say, "I quit."

Uh-uh.

You hold on, you hold on, because you can make it.

And if you feel like you need to talk to somebody, call Miss Daniels.

(upbeat music) (male singer) ♪ Just when I think the world has got me down... ♪ (Uncle Ronnie) Everybody's striving for that American Dream, a piece of the pie.

I know regular life has a tendency to beat you down.

It does.

You know, you-- you're barely making it, you know what I'm saying, you're struggling just to pay your bills.

I know that can be overwhelming, but I'm telling you, do not give up on that dream.

♪ The American Dream to me means an even playing field.

Basically, doing what you want and being paid very well for it.

I just wanna live, I just wanna be alive to make it to see my grandkids, you know?

I just wanna have a--a, uh-- I just want to be happy.

(Mary) Do I believe in it?

Nah.

Do I think a lot of-- we have made progress?

Some, but not nearly enough.

What is the American Dream?

What is the American Dream?

What, what-- 'Cause, I mean um, I ain't never seen no American Dream in America.

And I done been in America my whole life, and I ain't never seen no American Dream, so what is the American Dream?

Who--whoever made it possible, what is that?

We're trying to make it through just regular, regular, everyday struggles of being able to make sure we have a place to be able to eat.

(male singer) ♪ Hello, misfortune in the park ♪ ♪ Little child with no shoes ♪ (Uncle Ronnie) Life is relentless, but through these tragedies, there's an opportunity to create strength and character, and to overcome all obstacles.

(male singer) ♪ As I sing this tune ♪ ♪ Hello, it's for you ♪ (Kay) Megan Diggins.

She has the strength, she has the authority to say, "Don't feel sorry for me.

I can do this.

My shoulders are wide enough that I can carry this, because this is my lot.

This is what I have to do."

(male singer) ♪ You know that you ought to get it together ♪ ♪ Right now... ♪ (Megan) I just never thought in a million years that I would be telling my story or helping other women out.

(applause) I would tell a woman, if they're getting beat on like I have before, like, get out of it while you have the chance now.

Get away while you can.

Don't deal with no man beating on you.

Don't think it's okay.

Don't think he love you, 'cause he don't.

He's not going to stop, no matter how many times he tell you he's sorry, that he going to stop.

He's not going to stop.

I'm telling you, I lived through it.

Get away while you can, 'cause you deserve so much more.

(Kay) Tragedy happens, but you just can't lay there and wallow in sorrow in it.

She doesn't want a pity party.

(smooth R&B music) ♪ (female singer) ♪ How you tryin' to be, I'm me ♪ ♪ You a carbon copy, trying to imitate me ♪ ♪ You can never duplicate and get swag like me ♪ ♪ Must be putting on a play trying to act like me ♪ (Megan) I get so much love and attention online, it's just crazy.

Wheelchair Bae is more sassy attitude, someone beautiful, just icy.

Like, they just got-- they just got it going on.

(dramatic, bass-heavy music) ♪ (Natalia) Like, a lot of times when you got to trial and you lose a trial, they give you the max for that trial.

Like, can you imagine the-- the five to seven years?

What?

For an 18-year-old?

I'm optimistic about all our future, everybody future, especially Jeremy, 'cause he just like me.

We one in the same.

We brother and sister.

Like, just like I was destined for greatness, so was he, and nobody and nothin' gonna stop him from doing it.

(soft piano music) Truly.

♪ (Nina) Today, my son had to turn his self in.

I'm sure he's scared.

I'm sure he's angry because of this mistake that he made.

(Nina) It's a difficult day for me right now today.

I'm trying not to break down right now.

But, um...I'm gonna get through it today.

(clears throat) It's very hard, mm-hm.

♪ (Tyler) I think about my family, you know, how much I'm gonna miss 'em.

How I won't be able to talk to 'em.

How I won't be able to see 'em.

♪ Most of all, I'm gonna miss my freedom.

It's like turning around and like walkin' into a shadow, walkin' into the dark.

♪ I'll never give up.

Even though, uh, my mind tells me to sometimes, but my heart won't let me.

I have plenty of hope, and I believe that everything will be okay.

♪ (melancholic, evocative music) (Uncle Ronnie) September 11th.

This is a historical day.

I know it's a sad occasion, but it's important that we reflect on it.

That day, we all came together as one.

There was no Black, there was no white.

It was just--we was all unified for that one moment.

This humanity in us is still there.

That thin thread of human decency is in everybody during a national tragedy.

That's the good part about America, that's the real America.

That's the America everybody wants to see all the time.

♪ Well, I'm in New York City.

I'm here to visit the memorial museum for the 9/11 tragedy.

If I'm gonna be honest, I feel a little somber about it.

Um, it's a-- it's a really tragic event and I know that I'm pretty intimately tied to the event.

It'll be really interesting to see what kind of exhibits they have.

♪ When I saw the memorial and all the different faces, I saw police officers, I saw firemen, wives, husbands, a victim who could not have been more than five years old.

The tragedy of this event is an incident that expanded upon all kinds of cultures, all kinds of lives, all kinds of families.

I was pretty emotionally moved by it and I couldn't... My thoughts kept going back to that photo of that child and thinking to myself, "Hmm, I was around that age."

(soft, indistinct chatter) This steel beam was a part of the South Tower, the east side of the South Tower.

The same--the same tower that was struck when I was reading to President Bush.

Touching it is profound.

You feel it immediately, how strong this thing is.

And you can see it visually, how it was bent like nothing.

The enormity of it is hard to describe.

♪ When I saw that photo, it was a bizarre mix of-- of various different reactions.

Um, it took me back immediately.

But it's--it's rough, it's a--it's a pretty, pretty big jolt.

♪ (Kay) Get ready to read the story the fast way.

Get ready.

(students) The little girl had a pet goat.

♪ (Lazaro) Visiting this memorial didn't change my line of thinking at all.

In fact, if anything, it reinforced my mindset and my pride that I have for this country.

But at the same time, it does instill with me a sense of optimism for this country, for this country's tenacity in the face of adversity.

And also, that we are gonna become greater than who we were before, despite any tragic events that might happen.

♪ (Kay) Life happens and we're resilient people.

We learn and we get up and we move on.

♪ When things get tough, and they will, when life throws you the biggest punch you ever think you would experience, and it may come, hold on.

(birdsong) (all) Yay!

(Natalia) You gotta blow it out.

(Stephanie) You gotta blow.

(Mike, puffing breaths) Say... (Natalia) I am very happy.

Um, we just had my baby's first birthday party.

(Stephanie) Yeah, you gotta blow.

(Natalia) My daughter just turned one.

(Stephanie) You blow it.

(gasping) (Natalia) I finally made my babysitting service all the way legit.

That some good cake?

(Stephanie) Can I have some?

(Natalia) So now I do offer daytime care, nighttime care, after-school care, and weekend care, even house calls.

We do pick-ups and drop-offs.

That's pretty much about it.

And I have a boyfriend.

I think Michael might be the one.

(Stephanie) I got it.

-"I'm stingy today."

-I got you.

(upbeat music) (Natalia) We been kinda getting a little bit serious, takin' it to the next level.

He's been there for me and my children.

It's just a big turnaround from where I was.

This is Natalia, this is my world, and I'm so thankful for y'all bein' a part of it.

♪ (Kay) I am excited about going back to Emma E. Booker Elementary School and to meet with my students that were with me on September the 11th, 2001.

There she is.

(indistinct chatter) (La'Damian) You couldn't teach here?

How come?

(Dinasty) It's a shame.

We spoil our kids.

They don't need nothing.

(all, excitedly) Hey!

Oh my Lord!

(Dinasty) Look at her.

(sentimental music) Oh, come here.

♪ (Kay) Lazaro Dubrocq.

Look at you.

Good to see you.

Did you hear that voice?

Say that again.

Say it again!

(Lazaro) It's good to see you.

(Kay laughs) -How you doin'?

-Give it to me.

-How you doin'?

-La'Damian.

(Natalia) Hey, y'all, hey.

(Kay) Come here though, 'cause I already been crying.

(Natalia) Don't make me cry.

Don't make me cry, Miss Daniels.

(Kay) I'm not gonna make you cry.

I just wanna touch you.

(Natalia) Okay, touch me.

(Kay) 'Cause I've held everybody.

(Natalia exclaims) (Megan) I love you, Miss Daniels.

(Kay) I love you more.

I love you more.

It's so good to see everybody.

We have an attachment, and that's something I will cherish for the rest of my life.

The relationship that we have, it will never go away.

And you know, we've all had our different paths in life.

Some days were good, some days were not good.

Nobody told you the road would be easy.

You all are just beginning to live, but as life goes on, you're gonna find out every day brings a change.

And it also brings an opportunity.

Seize your opportunities.

(Megan and Kay) ♪ Yesterday, a man said to me ♪ ♪ He said, how can you smile ♪ when your world is crumbling down ♪ ♪ I said, here's my secret ♪ ♪ When I wanna cry ♪ ♪ I take a look around and I see that I'm gettin' by ♪ -♪ And I hold on ♪ -♪ Hold on ♪ -♪ Change is coming ♪ -♪ Change is coming ♪ -♪ Hold on ♪ -♪ Hold on ♪ -♪ Don't worry about a thing ♪ -♪ Hold on ♪ (male and female singers) ♪ Hold on ♪ ♪ You can make it ♪ ♪ Hold on, everything will be all right ♪ -And I hold on.

-♪ Hold on ♪ -Change is coming.

-♪ Change is coming ♪ -Hold on.

-♪ Hold on ♪ (Uncle Ronnie) Okay, I wanna thank y'all for tuning in to the show today.

But before I go, I wanna let you know that, uh, joy will come in the morning.

I believe that.

So whatever you're going through, don't worry about it.

Give somebody a hug.

Call your mom up, tell her you love her.

Tell somebody you love them.

And I promise you, Uncle Ronnie and WRBA 107.5, Wall Street ready, backstreet able, we'll be right there with you, ready to walk you all the way through.

(male singer) ♪ Don't give up, just be strong ♪ ♪ Keep the faith and hold on ♪ -♪ Your change is coming ♪ -♪ Change is coming ♪ -♪ Hold on ♪ -♪ Hold on ♪ ♪ Don't worry 'bout a thing ♪ -♪ I said hold on ♪ -♪ Hold on ♪ ♪ You can make it ♪ ♪ Hold on ♪ ♪ Everything will be all right ♪ -♪ Just hold on ♪ -♪ Hold on ♪ -♪ Change is coming ♪ -♪ Change is coming ♪ -♪ Hold on ♪ -♪ Hold on ♪ -♪ Don't worry ♪ -♪ Don't worry 'bout a thing ♪ -♪ Hold on ♪ -♪ Hold on ♪ -♪ You can make it ♪ -♪ You can make it ♪ -♪ Just hold on ♪ -♪ Hold on ♪ ♪ Everything will be all right ♪ (singers vocalizing) ♪ -♪ Just hold on ♪ -♪ Hold on ♪ -♪ Change is coming ♪ -♪ Change is coming ♪ -♪ Hold on ♪ -♪ Hold on ♪ -♪ Don't you worry ♪ -♪ Don't worry 'bout a thing ♪ -♪ Just hold on ♪ -♪ Hold on ♪ -♪ You can make it ♪ -♪ You can make it ♪ -♪ You can make it ♪ -♪ Hold on ♪ ♪ Everything will be all right ♪ -♪ Hold on, you can make it ♪ -♪ Hold on, you can make it ♪ (female singer) ♪ Hold on, you can make it ♪