Who is John Clinton Biggs Jr.?
I'm a friend, a brother, an entrepreneur, a boss, a leader, and also a follower at times. You gotta be able to do both. I'm also a cook, a podcaster, influencer; I'm just an all-around, in my opinion, a great person.
Anyone who isn't familiar with Boys Will Be Boys can give us a brief explanation of it?
It's a book that tries to show younger people about racism but not be too harsh. A way to try and show them it's nothing we're proud of, and there's going to be a time in their life where it will be put in front of their face. They're going to have to deal with it at some point. I think it's best to try and give it to them a little early so that it wouldn't be so much of a shocker later on. In a simple kid-like way, and I did it the best way I could in the book.
What inspired you to write a children's book verse an older crowd?
Boys Will Be Boys was originally supposed to be a "coffee table" book. It was going to show a bunch of court cases and mug shots of black and brown men showing a crime they committed. On the other side, it was going to show a white guy who committed the same crime. I would have the sentences that the black and brown person got, and on the other side, show what the white person got to show the difference. The black and brown individuals can get a two-year sentence while the white individuals will receive community service. After talking to Justina, the other author of the book, who wrote it with me. We decided to make a children's book instead of a coffee table book. We thought it would be a little easier and quicker to go ahead and do the children's book.
Tell us about the support or if any backlash from your book?
I got a call from someone who mentioned they didn't like the teacher in the book. They felt I should have had the father go a little bit harder in the book on the teacher. They felt I just let the teacher get away with what she did, and she was wrong. I should have had the father going off on the teacher, and I didn't have that in the book. Other than that, there been a lot of praises, and a lot of support. People have been buying the book, and its been selling pretty well.
Reflecting on her comment, do you feel you should have gone that route?
No, if it was more of an adult book, I could have, but it's a children's book. I felt like parents reading it should have felt a certain kind of way anyway, so Justina and I got the reaction we were looking for.
Within the book, you speak about indifference's and the character being bullied about it. Can you tell us what your thought on bullies is?
Bullies are very bad people that I think are needed in society. Everybody needs a bully, and without them, I don't think we would grow. We turn into great people because someone pushed our buttons, and now we have someone to stand up to. Not for your whole life should you have someone bullying you, nor should you want to be bullied. Everybody goes to a job somewhere and meets someone who is confrontational and tries to bully them. Upon addressing them directly, that person will fall back and leave them alone, and sometimes bullies become your best friend. So I do think they are needed. There's no cartoon or movie without them.
For anyone that is currently dealing with such, what advice would you give them?
Stand up for yourself because no one should be bullied. Bullies build our character, in my opinion, and build strong-minded people. So if you are being bullied, and your not strong enough nor have the courage to take care of the bully yourself. Reach out to someone for advice or a pep talk to help find the words and offer advice on what to say to make them leave you alone. Sometimes you may need to find help from someone else to help confront the bully, like a parent or friend. Not in a violent way, but definitely have someone else step up and say hey, leave him/her alone.
Has this experience of being a writer inspired you to want to create more, and if so, what's next?
Yes, it actually has. Justina and I are now working on another book. Were trying to teach kids about finances, and we got that on the way. No date yet, but it's currently being worked on. I also have a podcast that I'm working on called Mackin and Hangin with Biggs and Skeez. We've got that on the way. We are going to be up there talking about pretty much any type of politics and current events.
Keep in touch, and stay in the know!
A thoughtful and timely thought leader. This is a much needed book of our time. So many of us pay lip service to the ills of our time. These to icons have jumped into the suck to be truth tellers in our chaotic and deaf world. Thank you for being the change that we most seek.