Whitfield School Ambassador Speaker Series: Becoming a Champion with Earnest Hart, Jr.

By B.W. Durham

When 400 lively high school students enter the gym at Whitfield, a private college prep school, to pack into the bleachers and turn off their cell phones, it’s a safe bet that something important is up.

Today it is a black man wearing a black sweat suit and black baseball cap who says to the throng of teenagers, ”What kind of world would this world be if everybody in it was just like me?”

The occasion is Whitfield’s latest Ambassador Speaker Series and today’s guest speaker is Earnest Hart, Jr. His opening line gets everyone’s attention.

Why? None of the students is just like him. Except, perhaps, in their desire to succeed in life.

That’s the point. The Ambassador Speaker Series offers Whitfield diverse points of view and life experiences from different people to generate dialogue and help students understand how other people live, overcome their challenges and be the best they can be.

And that’s why Earnest Hart is standing alone at the center of Whitfield’s huge gymnasium facing hundreds of young men and women eager to hear what he has to say.

Cultural Differences

Whitfield is an independent, coeducational day school for grades 6–12 on 26 acres near Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis County, Missouri. Whitfield strives to nurture ethical, confident and successful young people by fostering an educational community of innovation, collaboration and trust.

The alert group of students in the gym is gearing up to enter the next stage of their lives – college and living on their own. Most of them currently live in comfortable, upper-middle class homes. Few visit downtown St. Louis, which has a notably high crime rate, except perhaps to attend a baseball game, a hockey game or a rock concert.

None has lived in a neighborhood where gangs, guns, drug dealers and violence rule the streets and where life can be a struggle -- and the future often dark -- unless they, somehow, can find a way out.

Earnest Hart, Jr. grew up in dangerous St. Louis housing projects – until he found a way out. He grew up with guns and knives in his family’s apartment and learned to dive into a bathtub for protection when shooting started on the street outside.

As a kid in the projects, he was bullied by gangs. He got caught in gunshot crossfires while walking down the street. He got in fist fights and knife fights. Earnest’s father told him if he didn’t learn how to protect himself that he would be dead before he was 15. He was 14 at the time.

“I began looking for a way out,” says Earnest. But, how? His heroes were Batman, Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan. And he idolized a young Olympic boxing champion named Cassius Clay who later became Muhammad Ali.

One day Earnest saw a group of people dressed in white clothes behind a storefront window. “I thought they were the Ku Klux Klan!” Then a man came outdoors and invited Earnest inside.

“He told me it was a martial arts school and that he was the owner – and he suggested I look around. The people wearing white were learning martial arts movements – and not the Ku Klux Klan.”

Earnest soon enrolled there, working hard to learn all he could. “Within two weeks the school owner – a man named Rich Hootselle – told me that one day I would be a competitor, a great competitor. That was an inspiration and motivation for me – so I started to work as hard as I could to learn as much as I could.”

Earnest’s devotion to self-discipline and self-control – learned through years of practicing martial arts with Rich Hootselle, as well as other teachers and role models – ultimately helped him escape the perilous streets of his childhood.

Fueled by determination – and assisted by his quick reflexes -- Earnest mastered boxing, judo and jujitsu, and ultimately earned 15 different black belts.

By his early 20s he became a global kickboxing champion, toured both sides of the world, appeared in Hollywood movies and consulted for well-known actors and athletes. Among them, he worked with George Clooney, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Willem Dafoe, Ozzie Smith and the only St. Louis Rams football team to win the Super Bowl.

Along the way, he had the opportunity to meet and hang out with Muhammad Ali.

To the crowd of Whitfield students Earnest admitted, “When I was a little boy I was like Forrest Gump. When bad guys chased me what did I do? I was like… ‘Run, Forrest, run!’”

The Whitfield kids appreciated his candor – and broke up with laughter.

Today, in his presentations and seminars, Earnest shares a non-violent approach to help school kids build self respect and self confidence; recognize danger; avoid being bullied; enhance their own personal safety; and say no to drugs.

One advantage Earnest has when he appears at schools – particularly those in rough, urban neighborhoods – is that he worked in a number of Hollywood movies, including “Batman & Robin,” and that gets kids’ attention.

Earnest’s reputation preceded his appearance at Whitfield not only because of his background as a martial arts champion, movie actor and stuntman but because Earnest has served as a mentor, trainer and personal coach to several Whitfield students over the years. Some of those young men were in the school bleachers to see him speak, along with adults who knew or have worked with him.

One of those men, Ken Meyer, a former student of Earnest’s, owns and manages Meyer’s Gymnastics, a studio in St. Louis County that offers gymnastics training to kids from age three through their teenage years; many of them participate in competitive gymnastics.

A former college gymnast, Ken is a Professional Member of USA Gymnastics and related organizations – he’s been in business for 28 years. But he is not a former Whitfield student – he is a former martial arts student of Earnest Hart, Jr.

Says Ken, “Earnest is a great teacher, personal coach and mentor – I saw him fight on television when I was a kid. When one of my gymnastic students told me that Earnest was a consultant in St. Louis, I signed up with him and got my karate black belt as a private student with him.”

“His patience is unbelievable. He is knowledgeable and has a great sense of humor. But he is tough. Growing up like he did made him aware and competitive, and then he became a world champion. And one reason he made it, got through everything, is because he has a good heart.”

Ken adds, “Earnest has a lot of experience working with kids and young people – his message is all about developing self respect, good character and respecting other people. And he is a good communicator.”

“When kids listen to him they learn a lot about getting through life and the importance of a positive attitude to be successful.”

Positive Attitude

Earnest is first to admit that he did not always have a positive attitude. He told the Whitfield students that when he was moving up the ranks as a professional kickboxer a St. Louis business executive who practiced martial arts invited Earnest to a party at his home in the exclusive suburb of Ladue.

The extensively furnished home was full of well-dressed men and women sipping cocktails and eating hors d'oeuvres around a swimming pool.

“I was self-conscious and I very uncomfortable,” Earnest told the Whitfield students. “I told the man who invited me that, sorry, but I had to leave. Right then, he took me aside and he gave me advice on how to talk with new people I meet, and to feel comfortable being myself. And he suggested I work on and improve my communication and social skills. As I was leaving he gave me a book to read – one that I recommend to this day. It’s called ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’ by Dale Carnegie. And I read and believe every word of it.”

Earnest embraced the principles of Carnegie’s book. He matched them with his own principles, experience and personal opinions to use in his sessions with young people to promote the importance of self confidence, self respect and respect for others to be successful in life.

The man who gave Earnest the Dale Carnegie book – Frank Babcock – attended the session at Whitfield, and was sitting high in the bleachers. Earnest pointed him out and introduced him to the crowd as “a man and a mentor who made a positive difference in my life.”

“My experience with him opened my eyes to other opportunities and deal with any situation.”

“Over the last 20 years I have been fortunate to work with kids from all backgrounds, rich and poor,” Earnest says. “I have seen undisciplined kids become disciplined. I have seen teenagers without goals set positive goals for themselves. And when young people develop self discipline, self confidence, self esteem and self control, it sticks.”

“But as I discovered in my own life, all kids need mentors and positive role models – and good teachers -- to help them put it all together. And they need to make a personal commitment and decide to work to be the best person they can be.”

“I always wanted to be a better person and had an inner drive to succeed. I was fortunate to find a way out of the old neighborhood because I was exposed to positive role models and good mentors along the way who helped me develop and maintain a positive attitude – and keep working to achieve my goals.”

“Where I came from in the city, many black kids see violence, death and drugs in their neighborhoods and don’t feel they have a way out,” says Earnest

“It’s hard for those kids to believe they can grow up to be successful when no one gives them guidance, no role models. If you want to see black kids -- or white kids -- start thinking differently about their situation, they need to see positive role models. So, if they don’t have them at home, they start at a disadvantage. They need to have good mentors who can help inspire and motivate them to be the best they can be.”

Earnest’s hour-long talk at Whitfield was not typical for him. It was an opportunity to discuss his background and life experiences, and share information about how kids can succeed.

Earnest currently conducts training sessions, mentoring sessions, personal safety and personal growth seminars at schools and organizations in the city of St. Louis for teens who live in tough neighborhoods such as he described at Whitfield. The Innovative Concept Academy at Blewett Middle School; Premier Charter School; and the YMCA of Greater St. Louis Urban Core COVAM Program are among them.

Earnest’s seminars focus on developing self confidence, better interpersonal communication skills and developing a positive attitude. He does not “lecture.” His interactive approach uses demonstrations and instructive methods to encourage personal growth and character development. It is a message that connects with – and resonates -- with students of all ages. Adults, too.

“My objective is to educate people about how to get along, treat others with respect and learn to become good human beings,” he says.

When Earnest returned to his parents’ apartment in St. Louis after winning championship kickboxing events around the world, he discovered that neighborhood tough kids wanted to fight him and try to beat a champion.

“Going back to the old neighborhood is always a reminder of where I came from, and it keeps me humble,” he says.

“And it is a reminder that many kids are looking for a way out – these kids are important – and they need positive role models to help them develop more confidence and self respect – and learn better communications skills to find a productive path.”

At the end of Earnest’s talk the Whitfield kids asked him many questions. Some wanted to know about movie stars and professional athletes he has worked with. Another asked if he would demonstrate some martial arts moves – at that, Earnest comically froze in kickboxing posture and yelled “Ah-eeee!” generating laughter from everyone.

Then a tall young man near the top of the bleachers asked, “After all these years, what do you think is the most important for young people need to get ahead?”

“Positive attitude and positive role models.” Earnest replied. “And never think like a victim – and don’t blame other people for your problems. Take responsibility for problems in your life – deal with them, work them out.”

Earnest then smiled and waved as every student in the bleachers burst into applause.

Ms. Catalina Martinez, Whitfield’s Director of Diversity and Inclusion, said, “Earnest Hart Jr. delighted students and adults alike with his anecdotes and sense of humor during his presentation. He also left us with something to think about since all of the stories Earnest shared had underlying life lessons. He emphasized the value of working hard, not judging others and continually finding ways of improving and growing as a person. Having Earnest at Whitfield as part of ours Ambassador Speaker Series was quite a treat!”

Earnest Hart, Jr., lives in St. Louis County with his wife. They have two grown children. To reach Earnest, call 636 537 0078 or email ehartjr@earthlink.net.

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