Mr. T taught me a lesson every kid on Chicago's South Side needs to hear

I recently watched the new Netflix documentary on Mr.

T.

I admit it was disappointing.

It felt thin and rushed to me.

The filmmakers clearly had no passion for the film since it failed to capture his nature, his complexities, his faith, his service, the hardships, and the depth of the road that he traveled.

A 48-minute documentary is not enough to do justice to such a life.

After all, this is a man who traveled from the rough and violent housing projects known as the Robert Taylor Homes to the top of the world.

Still, the documentary reminded me of why Mr.

T has always been such an inspirational figure in my life, from my childhood even to now.

I hold him up as a role model to my young kids at Project H.O.O.D.

His life is one of hard work, doing the right thing, and having a dream.

Those are not clichés or empty slogans.

They are the values that create opportunities in life.

Laurence Tureaud was born May 21, 1952, the second-youngest of 12 children on Chicago’s South Side .