From 2010: Wes Moore, and "The Other Wes Moore"

Summary

The script explores the divergent paths of two individuals, both named Wes Moore, growing up in similar challenging environments. One Wes, a Rhodes Scholar and military officer, finds success and recognition, while the other ends up in prison for life for murder. The narrative delves into their backgrounds, the influence of family and choices, highlighting the profound impact of education and mentorship in shaping one's destiny.

Takeaways

• 📚 Wes Moore is an accomplished individual with a background as a Johns Hopkins graduate, military officer, and Rhodes scholar.
• 🔍 The name 'Wes Moore' is associated with two vastly different individuals: one a celebrated student and the other a convicted murderer.
• 👦 Both Wes Moores grew up in challenging environments with single mothers and were influenced by their surroundings, leading to different paths.
• 🏡 Wes Moore's father died when he was young, leading to a move to the Bronx which proved to be a worse neighborhood than the one they left.
• 👮‍♂️ The other Wes Moore was involved in a tragic jewelry store robbery that resulted in the murder of a police officer.
• 🔒 The convicted Wes Moore is serving a life sentence without parole, reflecting on the consequences of his actions and the impact on the victim's family.
• 🎓 The successful Wes Moore attributes his achievements to education and the support he received, particularly from his mother and military school.
• 👨‍👧‍👦 The successful Wes Moore is now focused on his four children, aiming to provide them with a better life and opportunities.
• 🤔 The script raises questions about the influence of environment, upbringing, and personal choices on an individual's life trajectory.
• 🏆 Wes Moore's accomplishments, including becoming a Rhodes Scholar, highlight the power of resilience and the support of mentors.
• 📖 The script is based on Wes Moore's book 'The Other Wes Moore,' which explores the parallel lives and diverging paths of two individuals with the same name.

Q & A

Who is the author of the book 'The Other Wes Moore'?

Wes Moore, a Johns Hopkins graduate, military officer, and Rhodes scholar.

What significant event in their early lives did both Wes Moores share?

Both Wes Moores grew up in drug-ridden neighborhoods and were raised by single mothers.

How did the Wes Moore who became a Rhodes Scholar's life change after his father's death?

After his father's sudden death, his mother moved the family to New York, but they found the neighborhood there was worse than the one they left in Baltimore.

What was the turning point for the Wes Moore who ended up at Johns Hopkins University?

His grandparents took a loan against their house to send him to Valley Forge Military Academy, which was a pivotal moment in his life.

How did the other Wes Moore's life take a tragic turn?

He was involved in a jewelry store robbery that resulted in the murder of a police officer, leading to a life sentence in prison.

What was the name of the Wes Moore who was involved in the jewelry store robbery?

The other Wes Moore, who was also known as 'Kid Cupid' in his neighborhood.

How did the Wes Moore who became a Rhodes Scholar first learn about the other Wes Moore?

His mother called him in South Africa to inform him that the police were looking for a man with his name in his old neighborhood.

What was the name of the police officer killed during the jewelry store robbery?

Police Sergeant Bruce Prothero.

How did the Wes Moore who was imprisoned react to the murder of the police officer?

He expressed that the family of the officer must feel the pain that his own family feels, acknowledging the grief and loss.

What is the current focus of the Wes Moore who was a Rhodes Scholar?

He is now focusing on his four children and ensuring they have a better life, being more involved and participating in activities with them.

What does the Wes Moore who became a Rhodes Scholar believe contributes to a child's life path?

He believes that who gives birth to you, your family, friends, and the neighborhood you grow up in significantly influence your life path.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Parallel Lives: The Two Wes Moores

This paragraph introduces two individuals named Wes Moore, each with a strikingly different life trajectory. One Wes Moore is a successful Johns Hopkins graduate, military officer, and Rhodes scholar, while the other is serving a life sentence in a maximum-security prison for murder. The narrative explores the initial shock of discovering a namesake with a criminal background and the subsequent journey of understanding their shared history. Both men grew up in similar, drug-ridden environments and faced challenges as children of single mothers, yet their life paths diverged significantly.

05:05

👦 Childhood and Choices: The Making of Two Destinies

This section delves into the early lives of both Wes Moores, highlighting the pivotal moments and choices that shaped their futures. The first Wes Moore experienced the death of his father at a young age, which led to a challenging upbringing in a transitioning neighborhood. His life took a turn when his grandparents took a financial risk to send him to Valley Forge Military Academy, a decision that ultimately saved him from a life of crime. The other Wes Moore, influenced by his older brother's involvement in drug dealing, followed a similar path, leading to a tragic robbery and the murder of a police officer. This paragraph illustrates the stark contrast between the disciplined life of one Wes Moore and the criminal life of the other.

10:07

🏆 Triumph and Tragedy: The Aftermath of Two Lives

The final paragraph contrasts the outcomes of the two Wes Moores' life choices. The first Wes Moore, after graduating with honors from military school, goes on to become a Rhodes scholar and an influential figure, reflecting on the importance of leadership and the impact of his upbringing. The other Wes Moore, convicted for his role in a jewelry store robbery and the murder of a police officer, expresses remorse and the pain of living with the consequences of his actions. This section also touches on the impact of their lives on their families and the broader community, emphasizing the ripple effects of individual choices.

Keywords

💡Wes Moore

Wes Moore is the central figure in the video, representing two individuals with the same name but vastly different life trajectories. One Wes Moore is a successful Rhodes Scholar and military officer, while the other is serving a life sentence for murder. The name symbolizes the concept of fate and the divergent paths one's life can take based on choices and circumstances.

💡Crime and Punishment

Crime and punishment are central themes in the video, as they explore the consequences of criminal actions and the justice system's response. The video contrasts the life of a Wes Moore who committed murder with the other who chose a different path, highlighting the impact of crime on both the individual and society.

💡Parallel Lives

Parallel lives refer to the early similarities in the upbringing and environments of the two Wes Moores. Both grew up in drug-ridden neighborhoods and faced similar challenges, yet their life outcomes were drastically different, illustrating how similar beginnings can lead to divergent endings.

💡Single Mothers

Single mothers play a significant role in the video, as both Wes Moores were raised by single mothers who faced financial and emotional struggles. These mothers' efforts to provide for their children and the challenges they faced underscore the importance of family support and the impact of single parenting on children's lives.

💡Drug-Ridden Areas

Drug-ridden areas are mentioned to describe the neighborhoods where both Wes Moores grew up. These environments are characterized by high crime rates and social issues, which influenced the choices and opportunities available to the individuals, emphasizing the role of environment in shaping one's life.

💡Military School

Military school is a pivotal point in the life of one Wes Moore, where he was sent by his family to address behavioral and academic issues. This decision marked a turning point in his life, leading to a successful career and education, demonstrating the potential for change and personal growth.

💡Rhodes Scholar

A Rhodes Scholar is an elite academic title awarded to students for outstanding scholarly achievements and potential. One Wes Moore became a Rhodes Scholar, symbolizing the heights of academic achievement and the transformative power of education in overcoming adversity.

💡Reflection

Reflection is a key concept in the video, as it refers to the process of introspection and self-awareness that one Wes Moore underwent during his prison visits with the other. This reflection led to a deeper understanding of their shared experiences and the choices that led to their divergent paths.

💡Second Chances

Second chances are a recurring theme, as they represent the opportunities for redemption and change. One Wes Moore's mother emphasizes the importance of education and involvement in her grandchildren's lives, hoping to provide them with the guidance and support that she believes can lead to a different outcome than her son's.

💡Leadership

Leadership is mentioned in the context of providing guidance and support to at-risk youth. One Wes Moore's mother suggests that leadership involves caring for others before expecting them to care about one's thoughts, highlighting the importance of role models and mentors in shaping young lives.

Highlights

Wes Moore, a Johns Hopkins graduate and Rhodes scholar, explores his life and the life of another man with the same name, who ended up in prison for murder.

The two Wes Moores grew up in similar drug-ridden neighborhoods and faced similar challenges, yet their paths diverged significantly.

Wes Moore's father, a television journalist, died when he was young, leading to emotional and financial struggles for his family.

The Moore family moved to the Bronx to escape a dangerous neighborhood, but found the new area to be worse.

The other Wes Moore's brother Tony was a known drug dealer, and he followed in his footsteps, making thousands of dollars a day by age 13.

Wes Moore's grandparents took a loan to send him to Valley Forge Military Academy, a decision that changed his life.

Initially resistant to military school, Wes Moore eventually thrived, graduating with honors and later attending Johns Hopkins University.

The other Wes Moore was involved in a tragic jewelry store robbery that resulted in the murder of a police officer.

Despite insisting he was not present at the robbery, Wes Moore was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Wes Moore's mother, Joy, played a pivotal role in his life, insisting he stay at military school and supporting his education.

The story of the two Wes Moores illustrates the impact of upbringing, choices, and the role of support systems in shaping one's life.

Wes Moore's journey from a troubled youth to a Rhodes Scholar demonstrates the power of education and perseverance.

The other Wes Moore reflects on the consequences of his actions and the pain his family and the victim's family have endured.

Wes Moore's mother, Mary, is raising his children with a focus on education and involvement, hoping to provide them with a better future.

The story emphasizes the importance of leadership and the belief that children need to feel cared for before they care about what others think.

Wes Moore's book, 'The Other Wes Moore,' serves as a reflection on the different paths that can be taken from similar beginnings.

Transcripts

of all the names to achieve a place in the history  of crime and punishment perhaps none has ever got  

there in quite the same way as the name Wes  Moore Wes Moore himself explains it all in a  

new book with the perplexing title the other  Wes Moore our Russ Mitchell sorts it all out

this is Wes Moore Johns Hopkins graduate  

military officer Rhodes scholar  Charmed Life very blessed life

Wes you hear us this is  the other West Mall [Music]

it's hard to imagine a more unlikely pairing one a  celebrated student College Football Hall of Famer  

White House fellow the other in a Maximum Security  Prison serving a life sentence for murder there  

was this this terrible robbery of the jewelry  store and an off to the policeman was killed  

Joy Moore called her son who was studying in South  Africa she said the cops are looking for a man in  

your neighborhood with your name and I was like  what and she said there are wanted posters in  

your neighborhood saying wanted Westmore assumed  to be armed and very dangerous part of me when I  

first heard it was wow my glad was his so many  thousand miles away that they weren't looking  

for my son all the same this Wes Moore couldn't  get the other Wes Moore out of his mind he began  

visiting him in prison and found a man who was  troubling and complicated but also more reflective  

than he'd expected I learned just how much we  we had in common and more than just our name  

both men grew up in nearly identical  drug-ridden areas where both were making  

names for themselves on the streets and as  behavior and academic problems at school  

also both men were raised by single moms on the  face of it they were living parallel lives but  

in reality they were heading in very different  directions here are their not so simple stories  

this neighborhood we'll begin with this Wes Moore  before he was even four his world unraveled his  

father big Wes as his family called him a 34  year old television journalist in Maryland  

died suddenly as his young son watched I started  hearing him come down the stairs and I ran to  

the stairs and then he collapsed and he just fell  and I remember my mother running in from the from  

the kitchen and a pot falling and just chaos  all around me and I just remember just staring  

in the Years following her husband's death Wes's  mother Joy struggled emotionally and financially  

she's a widow now she's a single mother she's got  three kids and she could see their neighborhood  

outside Baltimore was turning dangerous so she  moved her family to live with her parents in New  

York but Wes says their Bronx neighborhood would  prove to be worse than the one they'd left so this  

was definitely a neighborhood in transition when  we actually moved back here for a kid it sounds  

like a lot of opportunities to get in trouble  yeah a lot of opportunities to get in trouble  

sometimes I really did feel  like I was losing my son  

back in Baltimore the other Wes Moore barely  knew his father this is when they were little  

his mother Mary had goals for her children  finish school and go to college and get a  

good job it was a hope that Mary herself had  grasped but couldn't hold she was the first  

person in her family to go to Junior College and  was accepted to nearby Johns Hopkins University  

but when her funding fell through she had to work  full-time instead often leaving Wes with his older  

brother he was very close to his brother Tony yes  it was over the years Mary says she knew Tony was  

becoming a well-known drug dealer but she thought  he was taking a do as I say not as I do approach  

with Wes Tony was StreetWise and all that and he  knew what was out there and he didn't want that  

same thing for his brother but by the time Wes was  13 he was already following in his Big Brother's  

footsteps soon he says he started making thousands  of dollars a day and never looked back so I  

I think they were supposed  to come to me at light speed  

but when I was given opportunities to take  my time and be patient I rushed past him

around the same time up in the Bronx  eleven-year-old Wes Moore like the other  

Wes was looking to the streets for his sense of  belonging it all starts off with little stuff  

walking into a corner store and stealing a candy  bar it's just amazing how fast that graduates to  

much more serious stuff you had a nickname in the  neighborhood I did kid Cupid kid Cupid kid cupid  

is that bestowed on you or did you give that one  I gave it to myself I gave it to myself and my tag  

was just two k's next to each other with a circle  around it there are quite a few Bronx walls that  

had uh had those two k's next to it this is  the place you spray paint it this is it right  

here and got caught got caught so my friend and I  were actually tagging and basically cop car turns  

the corner and you hear that distinctive like  you know like the cop sirens right they grab me  

put the cuffs on me and next thing I was I was in  the back of a police car and I'm just terrified I  

couldn't even imagine that phone call to my mom  telling him you need to come pick up your son  

that call never came the cop took us out and undid  the handcuffs and he said get moving did you learn  

a lot from that uh I I think I did for a short  period of time it's amazing how fleeting that  

is and all I was looking for was acceptance and if  that meant spray painting some walls skipping some  

classes you know getting in the fights and that's  what I was gonna do he was heading down the wrong  

path said no not again he lost my husband I'm not  going to lose my son his grandparents took a loan  

against their house to give their daughter Joy  the money she needed to send her only son here

Valley Forge Military Academy

sending him to military school was probably one  of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make  

um I agonized she'd been threatening me in  military school since I was like eight years old  

so I was like there's no way she's gonna send  me away do you remember exactly what he said  

to you at that time now he had more sense  than to say exactly what he was thinking  

in those first four days I literally ran away  five times from the middle five times in the first  

four days that's right that's right and after  that fifth time even the school had had enough  

they brought him to a phone and he dialed the  only number he knew the 12 year old that started  

pleading as soon as his mother answered she  stopped me and she's like too many people have  

worked for you to be here so you need to give it  a shot so it was really tough for me to hear that  

level of of of pain and sincerity in her voice  but I think it was also part of the trigger that  

really helped it all make sense to me what was  it about that phone call her persistence and uh  

you know my mother wasn't going to give up on me  even though I was giving her a lot of reasons to  

do so and the idea that this was bigger than me  that yearning that acceptance I was looking for  

I had the whole time and I was with my family  some of the proclamations it was a push that  

led to many small successes after that first year  I was actually doing well academically and I was  

doing well tactically and I was actually allowed  to participate uh on sports teams because up until  

that point I was always on probation I'm starting  to say you know this isn't too bad this doing well  

thing he graduated with honors at 17 and return  turn to the city of his childhood Baltimore this  

time he was an undergraduate at Johns Hopkins  University for all the barriers all the the  

glass ceilings and and in many ways almost uh you  know self-imposed glass ceilings that I had over  

me were lifted the other Wes Moore's life could  not have taken a more tragic and violent turn  

on February 7 2000 24 year old Wes along with  his brother Tony and two others came to this  

jewelry store armed with guns Rylan Powers was  working there like two guys come around this side  

to come around this side everybody Hit the  Floor get in you know standing over him a man he  

identified to police as Wes Moore some things you  never forget but Wes Moore you saw he had a gun  

he was right here what role did he have he he was  more or less like you know the ringleader you know  

power says the four men were already fleeing when  one of them shot police Sergeant Bruce prothero in  

the head and chest at Point Blank Range 29 year  old Tony Moore later confessed to the shooting  

his younger brother Wes has always insisted he  wasn't even at the heist when he says to this  

day you know he wasn't here he wasn't didn't  have a gun he wasn't part of this you said  

there's a line piece of garbage the brothers  went into hiding sparking a national Manhunt  

they were arrested in the 2200 block of North  19th Street they were captured in Philadelphia  

Tony pled guilty to avoid the death penalty he  died in prison of kidney failure two years ago  

Wes was convicted and sentenced to life  in prison with no possibility of parole  

do you feel bad at all for the officer who  died the night of the jewelry store robbery

the family must feel for the pain that  my family feels and I'm still living I'm  

still here grieving and being able to talk to  him and speak to him I heard him and kiss him  

and that family don't have an opportunity to do  that the year of the murder the Moore Brothers  

high profile case often made headlines but one  day this Westmore made a headline of his own it  

was one of the most remarkable moments because I  thought to myself you know here I was a kid who  

literally less than a decade ago was  sitting in the back of a police car  

with handcuffs on and being sent away to a  military school for academic and disciplinary  

reasons and now I'm standing here hearing  a gentleman announce me as a Rhodes Scholar  

today the other Wes Moore now 34 years  old is focusing on his four children

people to think less bad people sometimes  my children might be embarrassed but I'll  

be involved I'm not trying to change that  yeah you know what she thought his mother  

Mary is raising two of Wes's children what  would you say you're doing differently well I

got education

and more time with them um participate  in activities all the things I didn't do  

like God gave me a second chance  to do it right so doing it right  

she hopes her son's children will have lives  more like this Wes Moore who still Ponders  

their common name but very different Fates I think  a tremendous amount of life is like who gave birth  

to you who are your family who are your friends  which neighborhoods did you grow up in my mother  

says kids need to think that you care before they  care what you think they want leadership if I  

wasn't lucky enough to have people help provide  that to me the kids in the corner sure wouldn't