Actor Hall tells PBHS students to shine
Pooch Hall delivered an uplifting speech to the Pine Bluff High School student body Friday morning, but he also didn’t mince words.
The 47-year-old actor, best known for his roles as Derwin Davis in the comedy drama “The Game” (2006-15) and Daryll Donovan on the crime drama “Ray Donovan” (201320), encouraged the 10th-through 12th-graders to understand their own self-value and that they matter. He gave a nearly 8-minute speech as the featured speaker in the latest Arkansas Martin Luther King Jr. Commission Nonviolence Youth Summit inside McFadden Gymnasium.
“Whatever you do, you be the best at it,” Hall said. “I’m going to tell you right now, not everyone is going to like it. Not everyone is going to give you the props you feel you need or deserve.
“That’s why I say, when you look at the mirror, you need to know ‘I matter,’ that what a person eats or drinks don’t make me s—-. You understand what I’m saying?” he continued. “I’m just going to keep it 100. So when you look at that mirror, you know you can do anything you put your mind and heart to.”
MLK Commission Executive Director DuShun Scarborough made good on his announcement during a state Board of Education meeting earlier this month to bring a Nonviolence Youth Summit to the school. The Commission, a division of the Arkansas Department of Education, promotes the legacy of the slain civil rights champion.
The summit also served as a pep rally for Pine Bluff’s season-opening football game at Grenada, Miss.
Melinda Mayo, a KATV (ABC, channel 7) meteorologist and 1983 PBHS graduate, spoke earlier in the summit and encouraged students to
be smart and make right choices.
“The reality of the world, the reality of violence can sneak into our lives,” she said. “It can creep in if we just make one bad choice. It can disrupt our education. It can take away our dreams. It can disrupt families.”
To tackle violence, Mayo urged the youngsters to show empathy toward others, speak up against violence and be inclusive of everyone.
“It may look like everyone has it all put together, but everybody has something,” Mayo said. “Find out what that is. You’re less likely to hurt them, and they’re less likely to hurt you.”
A father of four, Hall told the students working in Hollywood has its perks but can also be tough because one can lose himself or herself dealing with fame.
“I’m the father of four,” he said. “My oldest daughter was born with special needs. She doesn’t know racism. She doesn’t know hate. All she knows is love, so I took a page from her book, but it doesn’t mean the prices of life don’t get to me or things are easy. I’ve got to make sure I’m the best version of myself for them.”
Hall acknowledged he was arrested for driving under the influence at a time he lost himself. Hall said he’s been sober for five years, drawing applause from the student body.
“When I looked at the mirror, I had to realize that I matter and that my selfworth is valuable. Not just because people are fans of me or how much money you have. I have to know that myself. If you need help, ask someone, talk to someone, because a closed mouth doesn’t get fed. It’s OK to not be OK.”
Every student is a diamond and should shine like one because of the light it reflects to brighten an otherwise dark world, Hall said. Sometimes, those who see the shine from others are bothered by it and want them to shine less, Hall pointed out.
“Tell them if they think your light shines too bright, put some sunglasses on,” Hall said.