Chapter 1: Who is Congressman Jim Clyburn and what is his legacy?
You're listening to Mick Unplugged, hosted by the one and only Mick Hunt. This is where purpose meets power and stories spark transformation. Mick takes you beyond the motivation and into meaning, helping you discover your because and becoming unstoppable. I'm Rudy Rush, and trust me, you're in the right place. Let's get unplugged.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another exciting episode of McUnplugged. And today I literally get to sit down with one of my heroes. You know, he's advised presidents. He's reshaped the course of American history with a single endorsement. We're talking about from the halls of Congress to the heart of the movement. His voice has never wavered.
It's been a compass for change, for justice, and for unity. He is the visionary. He is the resolute. He is the legendary. He is my congressman, Mr. Jim Clyburn. I am so honored to spend some time with someone being from South Carolina, being a young Black man from South Carolina. You've shaped who I was, who I've become, and the legacy that I'm trying to create.
And that all stemmed from you showing me it was possible. So I wanted to take just a moment And just say thank you. And I mean that from my soul. Thank you. I appreciate that. Thank you. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. And I would be remiss if we didn't talk about out of the gate. This amazing book that you were writing, The First Eight. And we talk about the legacy I want to leave behind.
You put your legacy in writing for us. I'd love for you to just talk about The First Eight, where the thought came from to put this out and who you hope to touch with this amazing book that you have. Thank you.
When I published my memoir 10 years ago, 2015, one day, A group came to my office when I was a Majority Whip, and I had on the wall of my conference room these eight pictures. They're pictures of the eight African Americans who served in Congress from South Carolina before me. One of the people in the group asked me who they were.
And when I told them, she said to me, I thought you were the first African American to serve in Congress from South Carolina. And I kind of playfully said to her, no, before I was first, there were eight.
And later that day, I said to myself, you know, maybe one day after I get over this book we just published, I might write a book about these eight people, because I think so many of them are so important to our history. Joseph Rainey was the first African-American to be elected to the House of Representatives and sworn in on
December 12, 1970, Richard Cain, who was number four in that group, Richard Cain became an AME bishop and had pastored Emanuel AME Church down in Charleston. Then there's Smalls, Robert Smalls from Beaufort. Robert Smalls is only, to me, genuine hero of the Civil War. And it served in the State House of Representatives here in Columbia and in the Congress.
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Chapter 2: What inspired Jim Clyburn to write 'The First Eight'?
So that's the way I would open every prayer. But then people started talking to me about about my voice. And that's when I first realized it. My dad said a lot of things and offered a lot of compliments, but he never said anything to me about my voice being any distinct. And then it still happens.
I sometimes get on airplanes and the moment people, they recognize my voice before they recognize me. And so I found that out when I was a student. And so I can understand and I can tell the difference now when I develop My voice changed.
People don't recognize me. Well, again, you're someone who I studied and someone who, when I was in junior high and high school and we had to have speech class or we'd go and do debates, again, things that the young kids don't do now, I would pattern myself after you and I would study the pace of which you spoke and how you put inflections on certain words and
and how you would use your body and your gestures to get certain points across. And I always felt like it's a lost skill. And so I got to a point now where, like, my kids will study some of your speeches and some of your talks because I want them to understand the power, number one, that you have had always, but how they can train themselves and really learn from men like you.
And so, again, I'm just appreciative on so many levels. Yes, sir. And I want to come back to the first eight again, because when I first heard about it, I immediately said, wow, the power of mentorship.
And I'm sure that you didn't know all eight of those, obviously, personally, but I'm sure that all eight provided mentorship to you, just like you have to so many that maybe they don't know you personally, but we follow who you are. Talk to us about
what mentorship means to you and how these eight have kind of formed that group of mentors, even though, again, you don't personally or didn't physically know all of them.
You know, people ask me who the heroes in my life are. My dad, I always mention first. Because he was an interesting person who grew up in Crushoe County, South Carolina at the time when the state of South Carolina did not provide high school for African-Americans. And so he only went through the seventh grade.
And then when he was not allowed to go to school anymore, he self-taught and he became sufficient enough to pass a college entrance exam and got into college, but then was never allowed to graduate college because the state had a law at that time that you could not get a college degree if you did not have a high school diploma.
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Chapter 3: How did the events of January 6, 2021, influence Clyburn's writing?
I hope that the people will find in this book, let's just say substance and sustenance. to weather the storm of this country. I do believe that we're going to get through these challenging times because I saw what, I have seen what these eight people did and did not do and what we can learn from it. I really believe people understand it. This book was written with that in mind.
You got it. Congressman, again, I thank you so much for your time. Thank you for who you are. And I can't wait to see you soon in person.
Thank you. That's another powerful conversation on Mick Unplugged. If this episode moved you, and I'm sure it did, follow the show wherever you listen. Share it with someone who needs that spark. And leave a review so more people can find their because. I'm Rudy Rush, and until next time, stay driven, stay focused, and stay unplugged.