{"id":13740,"date":"2024-09-27T16:41:55","date_gmt":"2024-09-27T16:41:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/?p=13740"},"modified":"2024-09-27T16:41:55","modified_gmt":"2024-09-27T16:41:55","slug":"an-enigmatic-encounter-when-conservatism-meets-social-consciousness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/2024\/09\/27\/an-enigmatic-encounter-when-conservatism-meets-social-consciousness\/","title":{"rendered":"An Enigmatic Encounter: When Conservatism Meets Social Consciousness"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Rev. D.L. Perryman, PhD<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By Rev. Donald L. Perryman, Ph.D.<\/strong><\/em>
\nThe Truth Contributor<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0Justice cannot be for one side alone but must be for both.
\n<\/em>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0– Eleanor Roosevelt<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Fred LeFebvre is an enigma in today\u2019s polarized political climate.<\/p>\n

The host of the long-running \u201cmorning show,\u201d LeFebvre is arguably the preeminent voice in Toledo\u2019s media landscape and, for over 40 years, has been a part of WSPD, the dominant station in local conservative talk radio programming.<\/p>\n

Yet, Fred defies the typical expectations given the nation’s widening ideological divide and deepening partisan hostility. A child of the Civil Rights Movement, his journey from growing up in the suburbs of Detroit to settling in Toledo, where he has been embedded in the community advocating for local initiatives, has shaped his uncommon worldview.<\/p>\n

This intersection of Fred\u2019s conservative roots with his passion for community-driven change has also produced a pragmatic approach often missing in today\u2019s hyper-partisan environment, making him an enigmatic figure who resists being easily categorized simply as a binary \u201cconservative\u201d or \u201cprogressive.\u201d<\/p>\n

I caught up with Fred to discuss his enigmatic perspective. Hear the conversation in his own words.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Buffalo Soldiers PIO Fred LeFebvre<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Perryman<\/strong>: Let\u2019s start by telling us a little bit about yourself. What brought you to Toledo?<\/p>\n

LeFebvre<\/strong>: I started in radio about 46-47 years ago in Celina, Ohio. After a couple of years of working down there, I got a call from the management at what was then WMHE 92.5 on Bancroft Street, who promised to pay me more money than what I was making, and that was enough.<\/p>\n

Perryman<\/strong>: How old were you when you came to Toledo?<\/p>\n

LeFebvre<\/strong>: I was 29. I\u2019m originally from Lincoln Park, Michigan, which is a suburb of Detroit. I went to high school in Detroit itself and actually lived in the city for a number of years. I worked in the city in the grocery industry before getting into radio and moving to Ohio.<\/p>\n

Perryman<\/strong>: Please elaborate on your early formation.<\/p>\n

LeFebvre<\/strong>: I was in high school from \u201965 to \u201969, so that was the best time for music. Those were the best years for rock and roll, Motown and all the changes happening. Everything was happening like the War in Vietnam, the Civil Rights Movement through all those years.<\/p>\n

I was old enough to remember the assassination of John Kennedy. I watched the funeral on T.V. and see Jack Ruby shooting Oswald in the basement of the Dallas Police Department, Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King and Medgar Evers, and all of that stuff happened during my teenage years.<\/p>\n

Perryman<\/strong>: Compare Toledo’s vibe or regional culture to Michigan. What makes you unique?<\/p>\n

LeFebvre<\/strong>: I grew up in the suburbs, and no African Americans were in my neighborhood. We watched the Civil Rights Movement on T.V., but I don\u2019t think my parents understood. Their attitude at the time was, \u201cThese people, what do they want?\u201d Then they sent me to high school in the City of Detroit, and I was going to high school with African American kids whose parents were sending them to this Catholic school where there was a tuition that had to be paid, but those parents wanted their kids to have the same stuff that I had already. They also wanted their kids to have a better life and grew up in neighborhoods that were nothing like the neighborhoods where I grew up in Lincoln Park.<\/p>\n

So, I went to high school with a pretty good melting pot and really learned there that we had a whole lot more in common than we had in differences.<\/p>\n

Perryman<\/strong>: How did you first become engaged with Toledo\u2019s African American community groups?<\/p>\n

\"\"
Fred LeFebvre, Sheila Cook and Earl Mack<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

LeFebvre<\/strong>: I first saw Earl Mack speak at my daughter\u2019s high school, Notre Dame, about the responsibility parents have for making sure graduation parties and other events don\u2019t get out of hand, and I thought, man, this guy has a lot to say.<\/p>\n

Then, about 10 years later, I heard about his involvement with the Buffalo Soldiers and invited him on air because I\u2019ve always believed we can\u2019t wait for the government to solve our problems – we have to do it ourselves. I started attending their events at the schools and in the community. Eventually, they asked if I\u2019d like to be a member.<\/p>\n

Perryman<\/strong>: What specifically about the Buffalo Soldiers piqued your interest?<\/p>\n

LeFebvre<\/strong>: I\u2019m a history student, and I\u2019ve learned so much about the original Buffalo Soldiers and what they did from just after the Civil War until 1951, supposedly that I never learned in school. I had no idea there were Black cowboys. I didn\u2019t know the Buffalo Soldiers had planned out and created the roads in our national parks and that one of them was the first African American superintendent of national parks.<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t know they fought along the border and were the first border patrol. I didn\u2019t know they helped the settlers cross the Great Plains and fought against the Indians and fought with Indians. I didn\u2019t know they were the first sheriffs. I didn\u2019t know the Lone Ranger was a Buffalo Soldier. The Buffalo Soldiers got the worst horses, crappy uniforms and lower pay than anybody else. However, they fought for this country to better themselves and their family\u2019s lives.<\/p>\n

And, even though when they came back from World War I and were being lynched down south, they continued to fight to make this place better than what it was to keep that promise, as it says in the Declaration of Independence, that we\u2019re all created equal.<\/p>\n

Perryman<\/strong>: WSPD is known, and even celebrated by some, for its conservative slant and perspective. How do you balance being a conservative voice while supporting initiatives that may challenge conservative policies?<\/p>\n

LeFebvre<\/strong>: And that\u2019s the thing, you should see my email and my Facebook page. Seriously, in one three-hour show, I can go from being a right-wing nut job to a left-wing radical because I don\u2019t look at topics as a conservative.<\/p>\n

We (WSPD) carry conservative shows because, number one, there aren\u2019t any liberal shows out there. We carry shows that bring us the most listeners. In the morning, I do what I do, which is mostly local because it gets the most listeners for what I want to do in the morning.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Toledo Buffalo Soldiers Fred LeFebvre, Earl Mack, Larry Taylor and State Sen. Paula Hicks Hudson (seated)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Perryman<\/strong>: How can communities and individuals work together to bridge this divide in political perspectives, especially regarding race?<\/p>\n

LeFebvre<\/strong>: If I had taken the attitude that I heard at home into high school, I wouldn\u2019t have had any African American friends. However, I went into high school realizing that I was going to be surrounded by all these different people; I needed to take advantage of what they were offering, so I did. I had Black friends, Hispanic friends and some really good friends with whom I still keep in contact and live all over the country.<\/p>\n

You can\u2019t do this in groups, but if you can sit down with a guy, like Earl and I did, talking about what we had in common\u2014the fact that we wanted to move the community forward, making where we live a better place\u2014that stuff has to be accomplished one-on-one.<\/p>\n

Perryman<\/strong>: In Toledo, the African American community faces higher unemployment rates than the general population. How can our leaders address those disparities?<\/p>\n

LeFebvre<\/strong>: The current administration seems more in love with creating bike and multi-use paths, changing our city flag, and doing things like that. The neighborhoods are dying, but we have major development going up downtown.<\/p>\n

I look at Dorr Street and see that stupid sidewalk they put in for the Solheim Cup from downtown all the way to Inverness. I can\u2019t even imagine how much that costs, and the people who were coming in for the Solheim were not using that sidewalk.<\/p>\n

Why aren\u2019t we taking some of this money spent for the sidewalk, revitalizing what buildings can be fixable and refurbished, and saying, \u201cLook, do you want to start a barbershop or other entrepreneurial effort here?\u201d If we can give a tax break to Jeep and any other big company, why can\u2019t we give it to this person? But no, instead, we do it for Stellantis, First Solar, Chrysler, and Jeep, and they don\u2019t need it.<\/p>\n

Perryman<\/strong>: Police – community relations and criminal justice, issues of police brutality, racial profiling and over-policing of minority neighborhoods. Do you want to talk about that?<\/p>\n

LeFebvre<\/strong>: I would like to see more cops on the beat in the streets. I think that\u2019s important. People in the neighborhood need to see a face they recognize, and the police need to recognize those residents. They need to know who the store owners are, who the teachers are when they come out of the classroom, and who the neighborhood kids are.<\/p>\n

Not only that, but one of the things I learned a lot from Earl is that there has to be training. You can\u2019t just take a new cop, like a new white cop, and throw him into a Black neighborhood unless that\u2019s where he grew up, so he understands because he doesn\u2019t get it. He doesn\u2019t understand the attitude. He doesn\u2019t understand the ingrained fear and distrust that African Americans have for the police. Cultural awareness and competency are essential for every neighborhood. You must know the people you\u2019re working with.<\/p>\n

Perryman<\/strong>: Let\u2019s discuss disparities in healthcare and healthcare access, including reproductive rights.<\/p>\n

LeFebvre<\/strong>: There are local events like The African American Male Wellness Walk, but until you convince people just how important it is to maintain their own health to the best of their ability, to demand healthcare and eat properly, stop smoking, and do the things that they can do, you can put all the hospitals out there you want, somebody\u2019s going to have to pay for that healthcare somewhere along the line.<\/p>\n

As far as reproductive rights go, I\u2019m not a woman, so I don\u2019t control any woman\u2019s body. I can only control my own. If I don\u2019t want my girlfriend or my wife to get pregnant, then I better take some precautions on how I approach her when it comes to sex.<\/p>\n

Perryman<\/strong>: Did you read the Toledo Blade article based on a CNN report about the United States being last among wealthy nations in healthcare and access to healthcare? The article points out that the U.S. spends more than other countries on healthcare and gets the worst outcomes. I recommend reading Black Health by Dr. Keisha Ray, which might further educate you on that issue.<\/p>\n

LeFebvre<\/strong>: Certainly.<\/p>\n

Perryman<\/strong>: Lastly, let\u2019s play a little word association.<\/p>\n

LeFebvre<\/strong>: OK.<\/p>\n

Perryman<\/strong>: Soul food?<\/p>\n

LeFebvre<\/strong>: In Detroit, while working on 14th Street, every Saturday, the ladies in the neighborhood would come in and take our orders. Then, about an hour later or so, they\u2019d come back with chitterlings, hog maws, pigs feet, collard greens, and all this stuff. I tried it once. I never acquired a taste for collard greens.<\/p>\n

Perryman<\/strong>: Ethnic festivals?<\/p>\n

LeFebvre<\/strong>: I love them and have learned much from them.<\/p>\n

Perryman<\/strong>: Hip hop?<\/p>\n

LeFebvre<\/strong>: I like hip-hop. \u201cI like it when you call me Big Poppa.\u201d I like Biggie. I go with everything from hip-hop to country, rock to rhythm and blues.<\/p>\n

Perryman<\/strong>: Comedy?<\/p>\n

LeFebvre<\/strong>: I love comedy. Queen Cookie was on with me just the other day. She just makes me laugh, and I love that it wasn\u2019t until she was 63 that she said, \u201cYou know what? I\u2019m going to try something\u2026\u201d, and it took her all the way to The Apollo Theatre in Harlem where she got a standing ovation and success all around the country.<\/p>\n

Perryman<\/strong>: Wade Kapszukiewicz?<\/p>\n

LeFebvre<\/strong>: I don\u2019t like the mayor at all. I don\u2019t think he\u2019s done enough to get our police in line. The cops that sicced the dog on that guy, there should\u2019ve been more consequence for that.<\/p>\n

Perryman<\/strong>: Marcy Kaptur?<\/p>\n

LeFebvre<\/strong>: We know a much better way to spend our money here than sending it to D.C. I don\u2019t want anybody to be in office, whether it\u2019s a Democrat or a Republican, for more than 20 years; that\u2019s your term limit.<\/p>\n

Perryman<\/strong>: Mike Bell?<\/p>\n

LeFebvre<\/strong>: I like Mike Bell. I don\u2019t see him often, but I\u2019ve spent time talking to him after he retired, and I think the story is that he and his brother grew up being a part of the active community and swimming pools. He told me when he became fire chief, he wanted to do the rescue on the river stuff, and they looked at him and said, \u201cWell, you know you gotta know how to swim?\u201d Mike hadn\u2019t told anybody that he spent every summer with his brother at the local swimming pool racing, so he said, \u201cOh really? Okay.\u201d He\u2019s just unassuming; just go out and get it done.<\/p>\n

Perryman<\/strong>: Pete Gerken?<\/p>\n

LeFebvre<\/strong>: I don\u2019t like Pete Gerken at all. This dog warden thing, he\u2019s got his name all over that. That\u2019s a problem that had been brought to his attention sometime before.<\/p>\n

Perryman<\/strong>: Kamala Harris?<\/p>\n

LeFebvre<\/strong>: I like Kamala Harris. I just wish she would just be direct. I don\u2019t care that you grew up middle-class, that your mom was a single mom, or that you worked at McDonald\u2019s. I want to know from every politician what your plan specifically is. Like Trump said the other day, \u201cWell, I\u2019ve got ideas for a plan; a concept.\u201d I don\u2019t give a crap. Just tell me what you\u2019re going to do, and then I will decide if I think that would work or not.<\/p>\n

Perryman<\/strong>: Finally, Donald Trump?<\/p>\n

LeFebvre<\/strong>: Not a fan. I didn\u2019t vote for him last time, so I won\u2019t again this time. It\u2019s a temperament thing. If you\u2019re an asshole, then you will not be in my circle of friends. I don\u2019t treat people the way he treats people. It\u2019s demeaning, it\u2019s wrong, and I don\u2019t want the face of my country, no matter what plans he might have in place. I don\u2019t want the face of my country to be that ugly American that he is in so many cases.<\/p>\n

His son Eric was in the studio with me in 2016, actually, and when we were done, he said, \u201cSo did I convince you to vote for my dad?\u201d I said, \u201cNo, I\u2019m sorry. I can\u2019t vote for your father. I\u2019m never going to vote for your dad. He\u2019s just not the person I want to see as the President of the country I live in.\u201d<\/p>\n

He kind of looked at me like crap. \u201cThat\u2019s not the answer I was expecting,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Contact Rev. Donald Perryman, PhD, at <\/em>drdlperryman@centerofhopebaptist.org<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Rev. Donald L. Perryman, Ph.D. The Truth Contributor \u00a0\u00a0Justice cannot be for one side alone but must be for both. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0– Eleanor Roosevelt Fred LeFebvre is an enigma in today\u2019s polarized political climate. The host of the long-running \u201cmorning show,\u201d LeFebvre is arguably the preeminent voice in Toledo\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":13741,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,250,17],"tags":[],"wf_post_folders":[255],"class_list":["post-13740","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-headline","category-local-news","category-local"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13740","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13740"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13740\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13744,"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13740\/revisions\/13744"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13741"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13740"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13740"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13740"},{"taxonomy":"wf_post_folders","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wf_post_folders?post=13740"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}