and I just want to tell you I'm the first person in my family to not go to college.
And as the president has told you I've done outstanding in spite of that
but one thing I didn't want to say one thing today just made me think about for
all the things that I've done I'm most renowned for what I didn't do. I've made
decisions in my career that a lot of people have called insane. In 2004 had 50
million dollar deal on the table and in a crisis of conscience flips the table
over and walked away went to South Africa everyone said I was running away
from the money that is not true in fact I still want that money the idea that I
wanted to just share with you guys is the idea that sometimes you do what you
think is best
whether anybody understand it or not. I heard a story about my father where
someone told me he used to do statistics for a company in DC the company did
statistics for started doing business with the South African government .so he
quit his job. it's caused a lot of problems between his him and his wife
it's hard for a man when he can't provide for his family the way he wants
and he suffered through it and a generation later when I had my crisis of
conscience I was able to go to a free South Africa and get away from the heat.
This idea that what you do in your lifetime informs the generations that
comes after is was something I keep thinking about. something that it's so
much bigger than just ourselves. and today I'm standing in front of you guys
and I know you guys know you're bored but I see family of mine in the front
row that I some who I've never met and I just realized how how old all of us are
connected my great-grandfather built something
more substantial than buildings he built a community and he built more
importantly than a community he built a way
you know so I'm very grateful very grateful hello police
I have something I like you staying over like so this is what black people talk
I just want I just want I just want you guys remember you know that right now
there's this thing with where ethics aren't what they used to be this idea
that people are trying to replace the ideas of good and bad with better or
worse and that is incorrect you got keep your ethics intact because good and bad
is a compass that helps you find a way in a person that only does was better or
worse is the easiest type of person to control they are a mouse in a maze that
just finds the cheese but the one who knows about good and bad will realize
that he's in a maze so that being said I just hope that all of you guys transcend
whatever you see as your obstacles and that you live outstanding lives and that
you stay connected to your communities because you have so much power there and
that you grow your communities and you diverse fire communities and that you
don't let anybody anybody tell you you can't or to be afraid it's okay to be
afraid because you can't be brave or courageous without fear the idea of
being courageous is that even though you're scared you just do the right
thing anyway so in 2004 I walked away from 50 million dollars and in November
I made a deal for 60 million dollars so
although I am NOT the most famous comedian of my time I would like to know
what their great grandfather's did I'm very proud today
- neither has
you