A band leader's take on the drug dealers' dress code | Forensic Files

I used to wear a shirt and Tide to work every day every day because that is what
my teacher Dr Isaac Gregs at Southern University instilled in me you wear certain TI work every day because you
are not a student you must be distinguished as the teacher the teacher wears a tidee but I noticed about five
five six years ago my competition was the guy in the hood who had on the $200 pair tennis shoes who had on the $150
pair jeans and he had all he had the nice fancy cars and and I noticed the children was
starting to be some of my band students I was starting to lose them to those guys so I said to myself one day I said
you know what I'm going to go out and buy myself a pair of those tennis shoes couple pairs of those jeans some of them
shirts you know next time I get me a car I'm going get me a nice car man put me some pretty rims on it everything you
know and uh I noticed that the kids were like wow I'm Sur you doing with SH I said why I can't
wear these shoes then I pull up with the car when got a nice car put some rims like Mr Rollins what you doing you must
be selling drugs no I'm selling education I I went to I went to college I got a degree here's my degree right
here this is what a enables me to do this they like so I could go to college and get a call like that like he's like
man my friend got a call just like that my boy he on the corner he he got what how he get that what he why he go to
work every day he don't work you know what he do I'm like but I bet you he can't just ride around whenever he want
to I bet you he can't just go wherever he want to go without looking over his shoulder I bet you he can't he you know
what I'm saying he can't go in this neighborhood and that neighborhood you know I bet you can't pull up to the
police station and uh he was like you can't pull up to the police station in that car like that I know the people
gonna hack you up I was like no they won't oh Mr R they going to hack you up I know they going
to hack you up I said I tell you what after the practice to day you and I going to take a ride all right all right
so I put him in the car we rolled to the police station and we rolled up to the police station and we pulled up in front
of the police station and got out the car and hung and sat on the car and we just
talked and all of the police officers passed us by and said how you doing sir how you doing spoke sir how you doing
everything's okay with you guys yeah everything's fine yeah it's one of my students and such such you know yeah oh
and then we got in the col like damn man they a tell us nothing they didn't tell
us one thing Mr L what's you must know him I said no I don't know him I said it's the man in which you behave I'm not
in the hood and I'm not a thug and I'm not trying to sell drugs and I'm not trying to poison your mind you know I'm
a loyal upstanding citizen I go to work every day I can work and get what I want
and you can do the same thing and the next week that kid started coming back to Van
practice

Band director Wilbert Rawlins knows he's competing with drug dealers for the hearts and minds of his students, so he found a creative way to make a big impression. Watch "48 Hours Presents: the Whole Gritty City" Saturday, Feb.15 at 9/8c on CBS.

Brief Summary

A teacher changes his appearance to connect with students and demonstrate success through education.

Key points

The Power of Appearance. A teacher reflects on how his appearance affects his students' perception of him.
A Lesson in Behavior. A teacher takes a student to the police station to demonstrate respect and citizenship.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

I'm selling education!

A teacher explains his choice of lifestyle to students.

1:13WatchFeb 7, 2014

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