The lecture, aimed at MCSD families, drew a crowd of about 25 in the auditorium, and earlier in the day, Brown spoke to district staff during their inservice day. On Tuesday, he is set to address MHS students during school hours.

During his speech, Brown recounted some of his own struggles growing up — his parents divorcing, his older brother dying at the age of 19 and his own experiences being bullied at school because of his distinctive hairstyle, which he traced back to his family’s ancestral roots in Tanzania.

Through it all, he kept a strong sense of optimism and gained perspective spending time on his family’s farm, where he learned “life lessons” and the value of hard work. He ended up spending time at a police boxing gym, which, he said, changed his view on law enforcement and helped him develop a more positive feeling toward officers who he got to know when they weren’t on duty.

He also mentioned the concept of “servant leadership,” a description he said fit MCSD Superintendent Theron Schutte, who was in the audience, and Brown hammered home the importance of weathering storms in life.

After wrapping up his remarks, Brown signed copies of his books and sold merchandise at a booth in the hallway outside of the auditorium.

“Open it up and deal with it,” he said. “Everyone here tonight is either in a storm, coming out of one or about to get in one.”

As a son who became a father and eventually a grandfather, Brown has learned plenty about parenting over the years, and he shared a few of his observations with the audience while also welcoming participation through an interactive dance sequence to KC and the Sunshine Band’s “Get Down Tonight.” But he wasn’t afraid to get serious in pointing out some of the more pressing issues facing families today.

“It starts at home. Let’s stop blaming schools and teachers,” he said. “They can’t do it alone.”

He lamented what he saw as a trend of “bubble wrapping” kids and believing that they can’t be exposed to certain things like their parents arguing, contending instead that the resolution of said argument is much more important in the long run. He then shared “The four Fs” — fun, fair, firm and flexible.

Before he wrapped up and signed copies of his books in the hallway, Brown shed his original outfit and hair he had worn onstage to the tune of Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror,” took questions from those in attendance and shouted out a cousin who was on the trip with him and had spent over 24 years incarcerated before getting out within the last few years. He also relayed the message his wife, who first battled cancer and has since dealt with neuropathy, shared with him — it’s a small price to pay for being alive and getting to spend time with family.

After the event, Schutte said Brown’s message had the 700 plus district employees he had spoken to earlier in the day “spellbound,” and the families he spoke to Monday night and the high school students he was set to interact with on Tuesday would walk away with a similarly positive feeling.

“I think he’s a great example of someone that had significant challenges in youth and yet had a lot of adults who extended support and a helping hand,” Schutte said. “So I think it’s important for kids to know that just because you might have some challenges earlier in your life and through your upbringing, there’s no reason they can’t take advantage of the supports that are made available to them to hopefully dream big and reach those goals.”

Schutte added that the district plans to continue to bring in more speakers and performers with positive messages of hope during the upcoming school year. Learn more about Brown at https://www.docspeaks.com/.

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Contact Robert Maharry at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.