Do something good for someone every day.
I don't just work with these kids to make them good tumblers or good dancers. I'm working with them to make them good citizens - to become taxpayers, not tax-eaters. I teach them to say please and thank you. I show them how to use a knife and fork and how to fold a napkin.
I'm a disciplinarian. And I've always been disciplined. I like to be on time. If I have a job to do, I'm going to see it from its beginning to its conclusion. No excuses, no alibis. That's how I run my life. It's called self-tough love.
Things were tough. Segregation was all around - in the schools, the buses, the restaurants, the theaters. But Dr. King worked hard for black people to have a fair share.
Work hard, be honest, help people, never give up, love your fellow man and woman, give back to society, and don't ever discriminate.
There are some basic rules if they want to join the tumbling team. No drinking, no smoking, no swearing, no drugs and, most of all, no belonging to a gang. I read the riot act to them the minute they want to join. I tell them there's only one gang they can belong to if they want to be with me and that's Jesse White's gang.
I have to play the hand that was dealt me.
This is a great country, and it's a melting pot. People shouldn't judge other people by the color of their skin, their church, or the area where they reside.
It is every parent's nightmare when a child is in trouble with the law. As a parent, you can do your best to guide young people, but as adults, they make their own choices and live with the consequences of those decisions.
I have a center at 412 West Chicago Avenue. It's called the Jesse White Community Center and Fieldhouse. It's a state-of-the-art gymnastics facility, game room, weight room, computer lab.
We try to instill a sense of fair play, a sense of honesty.
Not one has ever left my team to go join a gang.
George Dunne stuck his neck out for me in the '70s, when it wasn't a very popular thing to do.
We just believe when you have parental involvement, we are going to get a better bang for the buck, so to speak. And we also encourage parents to speak with their young people about the importance of safe driving. And also remind them, too, they cannot be distracted.
I was not a good student; I was an average student. In order to play basketball and baseball, I had to go to school every day. And so I was pretty good in terms of attending school.
These kids are looking for direction, for identification. Kids join gangs because they need a father figure or they want to be part of a group.
You cannot force a child to use their limbs if they're in pain.
Often when we reach great heights in life, we forget who brought us there. Well, I have not.
The art of compromise should be always alive and well. You represent the people of your district, the people of your county, your city, your township. Make sure that you do it for the people rather than your party or issue.
The youngsters who live in housing projects are some of the most talented and nicest kids you'll find anywhere. But they're right on the cutting edge - they could go either way. You have to work with them, guide them, and mold them like a piece of clay.
