MIDLAND, Texas — A philosophy of hard work is something Eddie Venzant instilled into his two boys at a young age.
"Coming from a small town you know you have to work harder," said Midland Christian senior Joseph Venzant.
"I feel like that’s why me and my brother work so hard. He put me and my brother before a lot of things," said older brother Daniel Venzant. "Him and my mom sacrificed a lot of things just for us."
What Daniel sees as a sacrifice, his dad saw as a father’s obligation.
"You know financially there’s situations where there’s trips that we take and a lot of big expense but, those are things we feel like we needed to do," said Eddie Venzant.
But their biggest investment isn't one money can buy.
"You know not everybody has that father figure in their life or, you know like, seeing your parents in a good marriage," explained Joseph. "So it’s just a blessing to have both of them in my life."
Having their father present has taught Daniel and Joseph the struggles of being a Black man in America
"We have to be careful as a Black man, we can’t do the same things that other people can do," said Daniel.
Even through those challenges, Eddie knows he’s given his kids the tools to overcome the narrative.
"Don’t want them to feel like because you’re Black you have less opportunities, you may have road blocks, you might have a door closed," said Eddie. "But if you work hard you can accomplish whatever you want to if you really put your mind to it."
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