>> the pressures of street life threatened to silence the potential of too many young men in baltimore, but there is hope from places likely taharka brothers ice cream shop. find out how this business is stepping up life changing realities for those with a troubled past. and keeping with the theme of overcoming obstacles, we will meet dwayne betts, a young man who went to prison and immerse himself in reading and writing and came out a new man. you talk to him about his book called "a question of freedom

." [captioning made possible by constellation energy group] captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- >> taharka brothers ice cream is located in our washington did it has a purpose far beyond profit, which is helping troubled young men rebuild their lives. hopefully, employees will learn an entrepreneurial schools so that they can run the company. it helps that he's open beach foundation to help more people. joining us is michael prokop, and the ceo-in-training, carol skipwith. i want some ice cream. this afternoon might be a little bit better for that. my question to you, in a

nutshell, what is the story behind taharka brothers that makes it not just a productive business, but a unique business in that it gives back to the community? >> taharka brothers is a business is centered around possibilities, leadership. we want to be a symbol of hope and opportunities for the community. we think that we can reach communities and give young men, first of all, a sense of identity, and power them towards change -- empower them towards change, and have them care about the community more. >> that is what we do. we change the mindset of young men in the communities. we use them as a tool for things that we show them and teach them. >> how long have you been with the company and how did it change your focus? >> i have been with taharka

brothers for about five months. how has it changed me? >> did it change you, did you go as far as being a ceo? >> my change was in development. what attracted me to the company was an opportunity to be a part of the solution instead of part of the problem. we have an opportunity to maybe change one life and change other lives. >> do people come in and volunteer and get involved? tell me how that works. >> eventually, we want to start an entrepreneurial school, where we will take on the young guys who want to do things. not guys who are troubled and have all these problem issues.

we want these guys to take on more entrepreneurial skills and connect them to what they are interested in. what is giving an internship in some type of a company, things like that. that is how we direct them and change their lives. >> oakleigh it will cause a ripple effect. -- hopefully it will cause a ripple effect. people with problems will learn from leaders. >> seeing good role models like you guys. you are doing great. how has it been this summer? we are in recession. >> business is great. >> and what are some of the innovative approaches you take as far as the business plan in general? you are more than just an ice cream shop. you have social events and other outreach programs. tell me about that, carroll.

>> we have this thing at mount washington that is like a block party. we have a guest scoopers come by, like katie o'malley. she was great. >> i want to be a guest scooper. >> we do festivals where we not only sell ice-cream, but we inform the public that everybody needs to be invited to the idea that we have to change the community. we are not the only person who can change the community. not the only person who has the idea of helping young people. everybody was like a pillar of their own community. your neighbor told the young guy next door, opened would stop that, or i will tell your mother. everybody has to be a part of the solution. >> have accountability, i guess, is what you are sacred to you

think you would being too idealistic? or do you really think -- is what you are saying. you think you're being too idealistic? would you to think you are setting the example? >> running this company, and at the same time, conducting their lives the right way. >> what is the biggest challenge would not only what you are undertaking, but the challenges with the communities? >> right now, the biggest challenge i see is getting people to listen. we are in the learning stage right now. once we get to learn everything, that is when we get people to listen. people will see us as an example. >> the biggest challenge right now is the lack of leadership in our communities. everybody wants to be the same. nobody wants to be unique.

the biggest thing is, people can be different, step outside the box, and don't be the norm. that's changed people's lives. -- let's change people's lives. don't just hope that he or she is all right. the involved. >> it takes work, though. you guys know. you work very hard at what you are doing. ceo of this company, tried to get this going. but it is worth it. >> absolutely. >> we have a whole other side and coming up and when we come back, we will talk to 19-year- old devon brown,

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devon brown, public relations director, and carroll skipwith, ceo-in training of taharka brothers. your future will models, you have so much going on, and since you are the puerto rico guy, tell us what you are going that is so unique -- since you are the pr guy, tell us what you have going that is so unique. >> ever wednesday, we do something at the mount washington shop, where we bring in different celebrity guests, city officials, and they share stories. what we are trying to do is a showcase of entrepreneurship. we honor that if we create better businesses, we can create a better baltimore. at our shop, that is what we do. we have live music, entertainment. we had kate o'malley.

this upcoming wednesday, we have the city council president, stephanie rawlings-blake. different activities, and besides, having the best ice cream in town. somebody told me one day -- they said, "your ice cream is so good, and makes your tongue want to smack your brains out." >> using hyperbole like that, you've got it going on. what the whole story behind the name? and did little bit of history. you have a long history when it comes to this business. >> taharka brothers -- taharka itself has a whole lot of history. the founder of this company, sean smeeton, met me when i was

12 years old. it was francis scott key middle school. taharka on that team with me. he went through many struggles. sean through his evolution as well, and that team changed his life. taharka lost his life some years back. i thought it was only right that in his inspiration for the company, he named it after taharka. a real individual, past friend of mine. he lost his life to the street. it was tragic, but hopefully, we can spin that and make something positive out of his name in memory of him. >> you think about him every day when you go to work? >> absolutely. this tragedy, hopefully, will be a stone we can pivot off of

and transfer baltimore in a positive light. >> what do you think is most important in trying to do that? you think we need more leaders, trying to bring in leaders to meet people. what are the other ways you plan on going about reaching those who deal with life in the streets that is not good? >> we are the primary example of possibility and change. when you looked at skipwith and mike and myself, we all have stories. my comes from a troubled background. -- michael comes from a troubled background. i went to africa for a year because of my past dealing with a drug-it did mother. -- drug-addicted mother. we know the stories of what a lot of urban people are going

through. we are the possibility, we are the change. when they see as an basie we are creating a business, -- and they see we are creating a business, they say, "i want to be just like them," or "i can start my own company." everybody wants to be a basketball player, an athlete. we are showing that everybody can be in entrepreneur. you can start your own business. it can be anything, whether you want to clean up the streets of baltimore, start a business. if you want to help elderly this -- if you want to help elderly people, start your own business. we are all about the arts and different artists. we are really funky, tried to build up the mount washington shop and make it more cruel and urban. the art director was the art director for def jam, so to have

him on board -- we are making a difference. >> ice cream is a thing that brings people together. >> it is social. >> it is unique, different, not something that has been done before. we want to use the ice cream as a bringing together of the community. >> your tongue once to smack your brains out kind of ice cream. >> we were rushing to get here. >> you want me to be a scooper. talk about your favorite flavors and favorite kind of went by. >> key lime pie -- >> honey gramm.

>> we do sundays, we do milkshakes -- sundaes, milkshakes. we do catering, too. we have done stuff for big companies, catering events. stephanie rawlings-blake comes to our shop all the time. we have done a catering event for a guy who owns -- >> a staple of your diet, ice cream. you guys look like -- >> it is all natural. nothing is artificial. >> i'm starving. a stop at already. i wanted mint chocolate chips. when we come back, we will meet dwayne betts, the author of "a dwayne betts, the author of "a question of

>> at the age of 16, dwayne betts when from excelling as a high-school student to carjacking a man in virginia. it was a mistake that led to prison time. while in prison, his grip of money from cleaning toilets to buy books, and he immersed himself in reading and writing. he is now an author with an amazing story of his turnaround. is a new book is called "a question of freedom," which will debut in bookstores in august 6. i cannot wait to read it. it is absolutely unbelievable, especially on the front jacket, where you read it and you were drawn into what it is about. tell us about your history and your time in prison and have you got to where you are now published author. >> a lot of people write stories about prison. i was not the typical child to people fought -- i was an honor

student, on a roll all the time in my school. even after i got locked up, i got my diploma before i was sentenced to prison. but the thing about it is that a lot of things are going on with young people that they just don't know about. with the book, i'm hoping to start a conversation about the troubles that people have that they cannot tell their friends and their parents. >> was this the kind of thing that your parents -- was it an impulsive thing? >> it was definitely a plus of. it was the first time i had a gun in my hand, first time i had committed a crime before. what i was trying to say is that i had no idea that 30 minutes would change my life. i had no idea that a crime that was 30 or 40 seconds to commit would change my life. immediately after doing it, i felt regretful.

the book started as an essay called "a question of freedom" that i was riding when i was in prison. i was writing essays that i could understand the situation. i had no idea it would become a book. the only reason it did become a book is that when i came home, i was working and reading books and i started a book club for young boys. it was a great opportunity, agreed experience for me. basically, what i did is transferred part of my experience, a lot of reading and talking about books for people come into a book club, and said, "how do i create a space where young boys can get together and talk about august wilson," and they could use that to talk about hip-hop and troubles in the classroom. i did that, and was blessed and fortunate to have a news reporter -- >> "washington post."

>> who did a story about it, and it ended up being on the front of "the washington post." when they did a book called, they did not know i was in prison. once they found out, it became a big story, and i had an opportunity to revisit questions from "a question of freedom" about why i was in prison. >> it is universal, it is very deep. you describe it very well. i've not read the whole book, but i cannot wait to read it. talk about why you think it is relevant to today's youth, and what everybody should read this and maybe learn from it. >> it is not only relevant to today's youth, but anybody into literature but primarily it is about literature and the things that young people face. it is about how books altered the way i see reality.

>> you were already well read it before you got to prison. you are already a good writer, or not? >> i was kind of a good writer. about 11 to grade, i was kind of well read. when i got out of prison -- >> a whole new level. >> i had conversations about a wide range of literature in a whole range of subjects. >> did you have mentors in prison who helped to write, or was it all from your heart? >> it was all from my heart, but there were a lot of people in prison i talked to. i sort of taught myself how to write by reading great writers. we were talking about mysteries before the segment. walter mosley is one of my favorite writers. these poets and writers figure heavily into the book as i talk about my experience. i talk about what they're

writing did to me. if i wanted to synopsize the book, i would say that it is a journey into the mind of a 16- year-old who went to prison and held on a to literature and great works, the possibility of life that a book and hold. >> all whole other world. >> it was definitely a world that was different from prison, and believing that it was possible was what got me out of prison. >> you are reading all the time, cleaning toilets, taking spare change to get more books. was this addictive? >> it teaches you the value of money in a different way. when you are working for those hours and you decide what to get money on, would you buy a suit, or save the money for a book? it teaches you the importance of literature, how precious is to believe in anything. that is another thing you will find from the book, how precious and challenging is to deal with

the problems of society, but once you figure out that it is important to deal with those things, it becomes easier, -- it doesn't become easier, but it becomes more manageable. all of the things are in the book, the same things i dealt with in prison are things that people deal with every day. >> this comes out august 6 and you can pre-order rate. >> rdwaynebetts.com. you can also order from amazon. >> are you going to be working at anything else, poetry, or are you going to be promoting this for a while? >> i will be promoting this but my poetry book has also been my poetry book has also been accepted.

>> if you want to pre order a copy of "a question of freedom, closed would visit the web site, r