This episode contains police footage that some may find disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised.

Each of the young men featured in this second episode of the “Road Scholars” series had the traumatic experience of being stopped by police simply for “driving while Black.”

Two older men – the first Black sheriff elected in Florida since the Reconstruction era, and a former felon-turned-community activist who helps juvenile first-time offenders – reunite with some of the young men whom they mentored back in 2009 when they all took part in an oral history project. During intimate conversations recorded in 2023, they talk about navigating the reality of being a Black man in America today. Their conversations offer hope, inspiration, and a possible roadmap for change.

The project started in 2009 when twelve at-risk Black adolescent boys hit the road armed only with an audio tape recorder to interview older African American men from all walks of life in the hopes that their own lives might change. Leading the way was Thelma Straight, a teacher who received an oral history grant. Her mission? To help keep the youngsters from becoming another statistic.

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Watch the series:    • Road Scholars  

“Road Scholars” is a four-part digital series produced by Investigative Media Group, Inc. in association with The WNET Group's Chasing the Dream initiative.

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The WNET Group is the parent organization of THIRTEEN, WLIW21, NJ Spotlight News, ALL ARTS and operator of NJ PBS – media made possible by all of you.

Chasing the Dream: Poverty and Opportunity in America is a multiplatform public media initiative reporting on poverty, justice, and economic opportunity, and showcasing promising solutions.

Major funding for Chasing the Dream is provided by The JPB Foundation with additional funding from Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III.

Additional support for "Road Scholars" was provided by the Community Foundation for Northeast Florida.

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