>>> WELCOME BACK.
FSCJ IS TEAMING UP WITH RASHEED
MATHIS TO PRESENT AN IN-DEPTH
LOOK AT THE DISPARITIES ACROSS
OUR COMMUNITY, THOSE THINGS THAT
KIND OF KEEP US APART.
BUT IF WE HAVE CONVERSATIONS
ABOUT THEM THEY CAN BRING US
TOGETHER.
HE WILL KICK OFF THIS EVENT THIS
WEEKEND, IT IS BRIDGING THE
DIVIDE WHERE TEN PEOPLE WILL BE
ABLE TO JOIN THE DIALOGUE AND
EXPLORE WAYS TO BETTER CONNECT
OUR CITY AND THIS COUNTRY.
JOINING ME NOW, FORMER NFL
PLAYERS RASHEED MATHIS, GOOD TO
SEE YOU AGAIN.
NOT ON THE FIELD ANYMORE BUT
STILL WORKING IN THE COMMUNITY
WHICH WE LOVE.
AND FSCJ ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF
DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL CHANGE.
IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW THEY HAD THAT
GOING ON IT IS GOOD THAT WE.
YOU, WE ARE IN A TIME WHEN WE
ARE SO POLARIZED.
EVERYONE THINKS THEIR OPINION IS
THE RIGHT OPINION.
THEIR EXPERIENCE IS THE ONLY
EXPERIENCE.
BUT WHEN WE OPEN OUR EARS AND
LISTEN, AND REALLY LISTEN, STOP
TALKING THAT WE LEARN THINGS
ABOUT PEOPLE AND IT OPENS US UP
KNOWING THERE ARE DIFFERENCES
KNOW IF YOU DON'T LIVE IN A
GLOBAL OR STEP OUTSIDE OF YOUR
BUBBLE, IT IS OKAY TO LISTEN TO
THOSE DIFFERENCES AND SAY YOU
MIGHT THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT
THIS SITUATION.
BUT WE CAN COME TOGETHER AND
COMMUNICATE AND HAVE SERIOUS
CONVERSATIONS AND PEOPLE ARE
SCARED TO HAVE SERIOUS
CONVERSATIONS.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE SERIOUS
CONVERSATIONS CHANGE WILL NEVER
HAPPEN.
>>> HERE IS MY ECONOMY --
QUESTION.
HOW DO YOU KEEP THIS CIVIL.
DO PEOPLE ACTUALLY NOT ARGUING
AND GETTING UPSET AND, YOU KNOW,
KEEP IT SOMETHING WHERE IT DOES
BECOME A LEARNING EXPERIENCE?
>> BECAUSE THIS IS NOT -- WE'RE
NOT DOING THIS AS REACTIONARY,
THERE IS NOTHING THAT HAS
HAPPENED IN JACKSONVILLE RIGHT
NOW.
WE GET A CHANCE TO BE PRO ACTIVE
AND A CHANCE NOW EVERYTHING
WE'VE BEEN WATCHING ON THE NEWS
THE LAST FEW YEARS AND EVERY
INCIDENT HAS HAPPENED AND NOW WE
CAN PARTNER TO FIGURE OUT WHAT
ARE EFFECTIVE WAYS AND THINGS
THAT WE CAN DO TO REALLY MAKE
SURE THAT WE'RE ON THE FRONT END
OF ANY MAJOR CO THE ASTFY.
>>> THAT IS THE IMPORTANT PART,
YOU WANT TO BE IN FRONT OF IT SO
THAT MAYBE PEOPLE CAN PULL FROM
THIS INFORMATION AND REACT
DIFFERENTLY IF SOMETHING DOES
HAPPEN.
THIS IS PART OF YOUR FOUNDATION.
YOU WANT TO INCREASE PEOPLE'S
UNDERSTANDING OF DIVERSITY AND
GET THESE REAL SERIOUS
CONVERSATIONS GOING.
>> YES, IT I THERE.
REGARDS WHETHER WE ACKNOWLEDGE
IT OR N THERE IS DIVERSITY IN
EVERY CITY, EVERY TOWN, EVERY
NATION.
SO IN OUR NATION.
SO TO REALLY UNDERSTAND AND GRAB
HOLD TO THAT AND UNDERSTANDING
THAT IF WE COME TOGETHER FOR A
SPORTS EVENT AND PUT DIFFERENCES
ASIDE, IT IS OKAY TO TALK ABOUT
DIFFERENCES IT IS OKAY TO BE
UNCOMFORTABLE.
YOU HAVE TO BE RESPECTFUL.
IF YOU'RE ABLE TO BE
UNCOMFORTABLE AND STILL HAVE
THESE CONVERSATIONS AND STILL BE
ABLE TO TO CONNECT WITH SOMEONE
THAT LIVES 30 MINUTES ACROSS
TOWN FROM YOU, THAT IS OKA.
>>> WE'RE PULLING FROM COMMUNITY
LEADERS, IT IS GOING TO BE A
PANEL OF 4 FOR THIS EVENT.
A COUPLE OF COMMUNITY LEADERS,
FSCJ AS WELL AND A STUDENT AS
WELL WILL BE ON THE PANEL AS
WELL.
WE'RE TRYING TO GET ALL ANGLES.
DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE
STUDENTS THEY SEE THINGS
DIFFERENTLY THAN WE SEE IT.
SO IT IS GOOD TO HAVE THEM THERE
TO HEAR THEIR VOICE.
THEIR VOICE MATTERS AS WELL.
THEY'RE THE FUTURE.
SO, WE'RE EXCITED.
>> I FEEL YOUNG WHEN I START
TALKING TO MILLENNIALS.
IRNEVER THOUGHT ABOUT IT LIKE
THAT.
>>> GOOD LUCK AND I CAN'T WAIT
TO SEE WHAT IS NEXT.
AND AGAIN,LY HELP YOU OUT.
I COULDN'T EMCEE THIS BUT IN THE
FUTURE I WOULD LOVE TO HELP
BECAUSE I LOVE THIS CONCEPT AND
IDEA.
SO GOOD LUCK.
AND YOU GUYS COME OUT AND CHECK
IT OUT.
THIS IS A KICK-OFF EVENT TAKE
PLACE THURSDAY, 5:30 TO
8:00 P.M. AT FSCJ DOWNTOWN
AUDITORIUM
>> THIS IS JAGS, GREAT WIN.
>>> YOU MIGHT HAVE ADVICE FOR
THEM, WE'LL TALK DURING THE