{"@context":"http://iiif.io/api/presentation/3/context.json","id":"https://saaacam.aviaryplatform.com/iiif/ft8df6mm4m/manifest","type":"Manifest","label":{"en":["Dr. Morris Stribling Interview"]},"logo":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/571/original/full-color_2x.png?1735841768","metadata":[{"label":{"en":["Publisher"]},"value":{"en":["The African American Network TV (TAAN TV)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Description"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eDr. Morris Stribling discusses his medical practice in podiatry, his work in the  community supporting housing through his work with the local Housing Authority and business mentorship on a large scale. He also talks about the value  of family.\u003c/p\u003e"]}},{"label":{"en":["Rights Statement"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eAll materials are for noncommercial educational or research uses only. Please contact SAAACAM for any questions regarding usage rights.\u003c/p\u003e"]}},{"label":{"en":["Date"]},"value":{"en":["created"]}},{"label":{"en":["Type"]},"value":{"en":["Interview"]}},{"label":{"en":["Format"]},"value":{"en":["MP4"]}},{"label":{"en":["Keyword"]},"value":{"en":["Podiatry, Family, Business, Housing Support, African American Leadership Summit, SA Black  Business Expo, African American Leadership Institute, Housing Authority, 300 Voices in 300 Days"]}},{"label":{"en":["Subject"]},"value":{"en":["Podiatry (topical term)","Family (topical term)","Business (topical term)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Language"]},"value":{"en":["English (primary)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Access Ss"]},"value":{"en":["access_public"]}}],"summary":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eDr. Morris Stribling discusses his medical practice in podiatry, his work in the  community supporting housing through his work with the local Housing Authority and business mentorship on a large scale. He also talks about the value  of family.\u003c/p\u003e"]},"requiredStatement":{"label":{"en":["Attribution"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eAll materials are for noncommercial educational or research uses only. 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I have with me this evening Dr. Morris Stribling. And we're going to learn quite a bit about his life and how he's contributed to the city of San Antonio. So, Dr. Stribling, tell us a little bit about you. Where were you born?\r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  0:26  \r\nI was born in Buffalo, New York.\r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  0:29  \r\nOkay. Siblings, you have- uh, quite a few siblings or?\r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  0:33  \r\nYeah, I have one older brother, one older sister. I'm the baby.\r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  0:36  \r\nOh, the baby of the bunch.\r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  0:38  \r\nMy mother's favorite child.\r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  0:40  \r\nOh, okay. Well, that's what the baby always says. \r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  0:43\r\nThis is true. [chuckles] \r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  0:44\r\nSo how did you end up coming down here to San Antonio?\r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  0:47  \r\nWell, I went to podiatry school and training in our- residency training in Philadelphia, and a friend who I went to high school and college with was already in Texas–she was in Dallas–and she's the one who got me interested in Texas. I hadn't thought about Texas, but there was a lot of opportunity here. And so I took the licensing exam and ended up settling in San Antonio.\r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  1:08  \r\nOkay, now, how long have you been in this city?\r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  1:12  \r\nUh, 28 years.\r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  1:14  \r\nWow. A long time. \r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  1:15\r\nLong time.\r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  1:15\r\nSo this is your home now?\r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  1:17  \r\nYeah, it is. It is. Yeah.\r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  1:18  \r\nYes, yes. And tell us, where did you go to school? Did you- um, you went to school there in New York and then down here, and–\r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  1:26\r\nYeah. My undergrad–\r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  1:26\r\n–tell us a little bit about your college.\r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  1:28  \r\n–was at a small Catholic college in Buffalo, New York called Canisius College. And then from there, I went to grad school at Buffalo State. Uh, I guess I didn't want to start working yet. So then I went to podiatry school, and that was in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. And then I did my residency there too.\r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  1:46  \r\nOkay. And so tell us, you have a practice here in this city. Tell me a little bit about that.\r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  1:52  \r\nWell, I have a podiatry practice. My training is- I'm a foot and ankle surgeon. My practice actually has, um, four different tiers to it. It's a podiatric medical practice, which is foot and ankle surgery and treatment of the foot. And then I also have a licensed pharmacy, I have a surgical center, and then another company called the Foot Store and Spa. So we sell foot-related products and we also have a spa where we do mani- manicures, pedicures, and massage.\r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  2:22  \r\nOh, sounds really nice, then. So you have that one location? Or do you have other locations around the city?\r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  2:29  \r\nNo, I have- just have that one location. And shameless plug, 305 East Euclid. So– \r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  2:35\r\n[to the camera] You heard it.\r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  2:36\r\n–so if anybody has any foot-related problems, that’s- that's where you go.\r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  2:40  \r\nWonderful. And do you get a lot of referrals from doctors around San Antonio? Or do you have patients coming in from other cities?\r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  2:47  \r\nNow, a little bit of both. I get referrals from primary care doctors, mainly vascular doctors. Um, dermatologists will sometimes refer to me, but I think the bulk of my patients are referrals from other patients. You know, over the years. It's been- that's how it's been.\r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  3:04  \r\nSo you probably see a lot of veterans here in the city. This is a military city. Do you get to see a lot of veteran patients?\r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  3:12  \r\nI do. Because recently, the VA [Veterans Affairs] has started a new insurance program called TriWest. And it's because the, um [pause] VA hospital and their clinics are so overcrowded, they have to send patients out to the private sector. So I see quite a few veterans because of that.\r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  3:29  \r\nThat's awesome. That's awesome. Well, tell me I want to, um, just kind of find out some of the things that you do, uh, after you leave your practice. What contributions are you making to San Antonio?\r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  3:42  \r\nWell, currently, I'm the chairman of the board of the San Antonio Housing Authority. So the Housing Authority has probably around 70,000 residents that we house, either in public housing and/or Section 8 housing. And so it's an appointment by the mayor and I'm- like I said, I serve as the chairman. We have a number of programs and of course, housing is our- our principal thing. As a matter of fact, we are building East Meadows–which is former- former Wheatley- Wheatley Courts, um, over on the East Side–and that is a $120 million project. It’s part of an initiative by the Obama administration–when he was in office–called Choice Neighborhood. So it's something that's going to help transform the East Side, I believe.\r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  4:24  \r\nOh, okay. So does that keep you pretty busy?\r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  4:28  \r\nYeah it does. As a matter of fact, I was at a groundbreaking today because the Housing Authority was in a collaboration with St. Philip's College and the city for, um, a Veterans Outreach Center that's on the East Side now. So we made a major contribution financially for that because it's in our footprint and [clears throat] with the housing authority, we like to think that we do a comprehensive approach to housing. So it's not just housing people there, but there are other aspects of their lives that we try to help also.\r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  4:58  \r\nOkay, that's awesome, an awesome contribution. What other things do you do after hours? What are some other organizations that you're a part of?\r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  5:07  \r\nWell, I’m actually the chairman of the board of a, um, a small nonprofit on the East Side, and the Antioch Community Transformation Network, which has been in existence for about 14 years. So we do a number of programs on the East Side and have been doing that for quite a while. We actually run the Antioch Sports Complex, which the Silver Stars practice there, that's kind of their home court. I think we have open gym for the kids in the neighborhood and a number of other programs too. \r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  5:38\r\nOkay. And do you have children yourself? Or? \r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  5:41\r\nYes, I have, um- my oldest son who’s 25–as a matter of fact, this Saturday, he's graduating from Prairie View University, so–\r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  5:47  \r\nOh, congratulations.\r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  5:48  \r\nThank you, me and my pocket are very proud of him. And my daughter is also at Prairie View, she's going into her junior year. And then my, um, youngest son is working. He works at USAA.\r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  5:59  \r\nWonderful, wonderful. And so, um, what are- I guess, what is the inspiration behind your profession, though, I want to go back to that. What inspired you to become a podiatrist?\r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  6:14  \r\nWell, you know, I had two of my faculty advisors suggest to me podiatry. When I was an undergrad, my faculty advisor said, “You know, I really think you ought to go into podiatry, I think it's a good, um, that's a good specialty.” At that time, I wasn't ready to go back to school, so I went to work for a bit and then I went to graduate school. And my faculty advisor in graduate school said the same thing. Now those two guys did not know each other. So you don't have to tell me three times. And so I checked into it myself, and then I ended up going into podiatry. One of the good things about podiatry is that there are not a whole lot of emergencies. Some physicians, depending on their specialty, will spend a lot of time in emergency rooms or in hospitals at night. This allows you to have a profession, but also to have a- a private life too.\r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  7:00  \r\nRight, of course. Uh, what would you say- what are you most known for in this city? And I know you have your practice going on, sometimes folks will have their main profession going but do a whole lot of other things on the side, what would you say you're most known for in San Antonio?\r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  7:18  \r\nProbably two things: I started the Black Business Expo in 1996, and that ran for about 10 years, and then maybe in the early 2000s, I started the African American Leadership Institute. And I think that institute was probably the thing that people know me most for I wou- I would think.. My community service has been varied- like I said, I serve on the board for the Housing Authority, I've been on a couple of boards for Chambers of Commerce, the Black Chamber of Commerce, and also the Greater Chamber. So I've done a variety of things. I've been fortunate enough to be involved in a lot of different things, and it gives you, um, a bigger perspective on things. I could have stayed in my practice, and just, you know, just did that, but I think, you know, once you have the opportunity to go to medical school and get a practice, then I think after that you need to give back. And that's what I've been concentrating on doing. And hopefully, my kids are watching that, so maybe they'll do the same thing. And you got to leave something behind.\r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  8:17  \r\nAbsolutely. Your legacy. Yeah. So tell me a little bit about the African American Leadership Institute, or is it the Institute?\r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  8:26  \r\nYes. \r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  8:27\r\nOkay. Tell me a little bit about that.\r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  8:27\r\nThe African American Leadership Institute it’s a- it's a nine month program. It was patterned after the leadership programs that the Chamber has. What I found during that time period was there were not- not a lot of African Americans admitted to that program. And so it dawned on me that a program specifically geared toward the Black community, to study the history–Black history of San Antonio–and then to expose African Americans to all of the major players in town that would give them an opportunity also to get involved from a community standpoint and even help them from a business standpoint. So that was one of the main reasons behind it. It actually ran for about 12 years, then I turned it over to the Black Chamber because around that time I was running for public office and so had to cut all that loose, run for public office and, uh, and the Chamber took over.\r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  9:21  \r\nSo you're all into politics and how- did you like that, or is that something–?\r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  9:25  \r\nI did. When I ran for public office, the thing that I enjoyed the most was the debates. I would try to gather information my- I felt my opponents did not have, uh, and to get an advantage. But just to discuss current events, and then to come up with ideas that will help improve the community was where I- I thought I, you know, did- did my most work.\r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  9:46  \r\nRight. That's wonderful. Um, what other volunteer things do you do just outside of business? Have you volunteered with your kids with sports teams or anything like that, or?\r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  9:59  \r\nYeah. You know, my son, um, the one that's graduating, has been playing football since he was a peewee. So we- we did that. And any parent that has a kid in athletics–when you go from, you know, elementary school to middle school to high school to college–it’s like another job. So we- we- and then my daughter, also, she played on the basketball team for Churchill High School, and then when she was in middle school. And then my youngest son is autistic, he actually played basketball and ran track when he was in high school.\r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  10:30  \r\nThat's awesome. Now, did they do any, like, AAU [Amateur Athletic Union] or anything like that? Or mostly–\r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  10:36  \r\nNo, my son did AAU with basketball for a little bit, but he was mainly concentrating on- on football.\r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  10:44  \r\nGood. Wow, so those are the things that you do for fun. Anything else you do for fun? Because you sound like you work really hard. You have to balance that out.\r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  10:52  \r\nYeah, I do. And I think the thing that I do to balance it out is to play golf. Usually, when I get a chance to play on the weekends, I, you know, don't miss it.\r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  11:01  \r\nYeah. Are you any good?\r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  11:03  \r\nI think so. \r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  11:03\r\n[laughs]\r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  11:04\r\nWell, it depends on, you know, the day.\r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  11:06  \r\nTell me, then, what would you say- I guess, when people think about the contributions that you’ve made, what would you say is your best or- contribution to this city?\r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  11:19  \r\nI think probably to, um, kind of put together African Americans to be on the same page. ‘Cause I think sometimes we operate in silos. And we may be doing something good as an individual, but if we coalesce and put our power together, we can do a lot more. And that's really what I've tried to do. I think the Leadership Institute was a good example of that because we brought in people from all walks of life. If you looked at my leadership team in any particular year, I might have somebody who did not have a high school diploma up to someone who was an attorney or a doctor with a PhD, because I think those people, uh, everybody has something that they can contribute. [unintelligible] There are some people who went on to, uh, to own their own business because we had a- a strong emphasis on that, especially during the month where we talked about business opportunities. Also people got, um, a little more in tune to what's going on in the community. So they may not have started a business, but they wanted to make sure that they were making a contribution someplace. Someplace where they had a skill set, or a place where they could develop a skill set that would make the- make this place where we live a little bit better. \r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  12:31  \r\nRight. You’ve done a lot of things, and I know you've been in contact with a lot of folks, it sounds like you had a really good upbringing. Who would you say has been most inspirational to you in your lifetime?\r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  12:43  \r\nI would probably say my mother and father because they demonstrated to me that a- number one: a marital relationship can work, and not be perfect, but it can work. And what I noticed about my mother and father is that they recognize that, um- like, for example, I used to see my father give my mother his entire check. And then when I was a kid, I asked him why- why would you do that? And he said, “Because she handles money better than I do.” You know, and what I saw was that didn't make him less of a man, it made- and in my eyes it made him more of a man. And I also recognized that he had a strong work ethic. Ever since we were little kids, that's all I remember is my father going to work every day just to make sure that we would have a good standard of living. So it's those kind of things that make a difference in your life. It may not have been a big speech that my father gave me, but the speech was his life. And so I noticed that with- with him and then my mother was a devout Christian. And that made an impact on me too. So when I grew up, I made sure that I went to church, my kids went to church and that- that Jesus Christ was a significant part of our life.\r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  13:50  \r\nSo what do you most like about San Antonio? You've been here for a long time. You probably like a lot of things, but wh- what would you say you most like about the city?\r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  13:59  \r\nActually, I like the weather. I grew up in Buffalo. So I grew up shoveling snow when it was extremely cold. I like an area where there is no snow, so I don't have to shovel anymore. But I also like the people of San Antonio. There is a distinctiveness about the people of San Antonio. There's a friendliness about them, a welcomeness about them. And I like that simply because I'm from the north. And so, you know, I had people call me Y- Yankee from the north, but I always felt welcome here, you know, and I've grown to love the city. And also because it has a- a good standard of living and I think it's a good place to raise kids.\r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  14:39  \r\nIt is. We, uh, hear that a lot. And San Antonio, you know, it is large, but it is like a big town too.\r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  14:45\r\nIt is. Yeah. \r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  14:46\r\nYeah. Very warm, welcoming people here.\r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  14:49  \r\nYeah, It is. And, you know, the other thing I like about San Antonio is that it's a place of opportunity. America is, in general, but I think if you're an African American, and there's something that you really want to do, whether it's in business or in other areas, this is a place to do it. This is a place where you could distinguish yourself.\r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  15:06  \r\nRight, so a lot of exposure, then, that people may not even know about. And so I think it's important. And I know you've talked a little bit before, but you do some mentoring with- and I know through your African American Leadership Institute. But you do that outside of that too, don't you?\r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  15:23  \r\nYeah, I do it professionally. I still talk to individuals who are majoring in Life Sciences, and they want to know, “What- what can I do with this degree?” And some pe- people are pointed toward medical school, and some other entities like that. But any chance I get, if somebody is open to it, I'll talk to them about what they can do to better their lives, what they can do to better their education, and to get the skills that can make them successful.\r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  15:52  \r\nYes. Now, your own children: are they looking to move back to the city? This is a great city. Are they interested in moving back, or are they going on to other places?\r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  16:02  \r\nWell, you know, not too long ago, my oldest son told me that he wanted to see what it was like to live in a different city. But right now, I think he's planning on coming back to San Antonio. Will he stay here? I don't- I don't know. I've always told him, you know, go where the opportunity is, and I think that's what he's going to do. So we’ll- we'll see what he- what he does.\r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  16:23  \r\nYes. Gonna be interesting watching, huh? \r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  16:26  \r\nYeah, it will be. It will be. So we'll see if he can make some good decisions. And right now he's a grown man, so–\r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  16:32  \r\nYes. Good. I guess the last question to wrap things up. Why do you feel it's important [as an African] American to tell your own story?\r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  16:43  \r\nWell, I think it's important because we have a subset of the African American population where they don't have any hope. And sometimes you can be a middle-to-upper-class African American, and you think that's the way life is for everybody, but it's not. And so it's important for people who live in a situation where they live in poverty and poor schools, to see individuals who still care, because we all–more than likely–came from the same kind of neighborhoods. But I've always had the attitude- is that you can't forget. So I think it's important in that respect, because it gives a positive message to people and gives them hope that they can come out of any situation, and they can be anything they want to be.\r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  17:26  \r\nAbsolutely. I guess, as we wrap up; you've done a lot of things. Is there anything that you haven't done that you want to do in the future?\r\n\r\n\r\nMorris Stribling  17:35  \r\nI'd like to learn how to play the saxophone. That's one thing I'd like to do. I also have some other business interests. My practice keeps me so busy that it would be very difficult to do, and so my immediate plan is to bring on some Medical Associates. Um, number one, so I can have some help with the practice, but number two, I've gotta pass it on. I've been in practice for almost 30 years, and it wouldn't make sense, to me, if I couldn't pass that on–particularly to another African American. So to give them a step up. None of my children went into medicine, but I'm going to be looking for somebody that I can mentor, somebody that can eventually take over the practice, and then, of course, pay me for it.\r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  18:19  \r\nYes, pay you for it. \r\n\r\n\r\n[laughter]\r\n\r\n\r\nSaundra Nichols  18:22\r\nAnd you have heard it. Again, this is Saundra Nichols with TAAN TV, celebrating San Antonio's tricentennial with none other than Dr. Morris Stribling.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://saaacam.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2808/collection_resources/127822/file/239681#t=0.0,1116.24847"}]}]}]}