Judge Greg Mathis is successful without a doubt – he’s into his 16th seasons as a TV judge. But it wasn’t always that way. He began life with some obstacles including involvement in a street gang in his Detroit hometown. After a stint in jail as a juvenile and his mother’s cancer diagnosis, he found an education to be a better option, ultimately becoming one of the youngest judges in Michigan history.
This year he marks the 10th anniversary of his Mathis Community center in Detroit and he’s linked up with President Obama‘s “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative.
“A lot of our fathers have some challenges, so I joined up with President Obama and the My Brother’s Keeper initiative..we’re trying to help our men be better fathers. Our men weren’t born to be absentee fathers,” Mathis told the Tom Joyner Morning Show. “Nor were their born to be criminals. There are some root causes behind it and that’s why I’m trying to work with The White House on this and why I love our President so much. He is focusing on our community more so than people might suspect.”
Just this past weekend, Mathis joined a Barbershop Buzz where men sit in barbershops around the country talking to young men about their triumphs and challenges.
“We’re going around the country to educate each other and get past the alienation between the father of the child and the mother of the child, that keeps the father from being involved and showing the economic challenges that keeps some brothers away. We’re showing these brothers the strength of themselves – don’t punk out because you don’t have any money, still go and see your child. With My Brother’s Keeper, we’ve recommended some things to the President and he’s raised $800 million to help implement them.”
As for the show Mathis says he’ll keep doing what he’s done so well for the past 16 years.
“My viewers have kept me on – thank you to them, because they love having fun with me and they like the information that I give out trying to educate,” Mathis says. “We’re going to keep doing the same thing.”
Click the link above to hear the entire interview.
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