Cedric The Entertainer talks new novel "Flipping Boxcars", success of "The Neighborhood"

NORTH TEXAS (CBSNewsTexas.com) - You've probably heard of Babe Ruth...but there's another Babe who was significant to one family and represents an entire generation of Black Americans.

Floyd "Babe" Boyce, was Cedric "The Entertainer" Kyles' grandfather and is the inspiration behind Cedric's first novel, "Flipping Boxcars." The novel, 70% of which is based on true stories, unfolds over July 4th weekend in 1948. Babe served in World War II, and like many other Black Americans during that era, he found ways to hustle for a living. He was an entrepreneur, a gambler and a bootlegger in Caruthersville, Missouri. The title is based on his experiences — referencing when someone rolls double sixes in the game of dice but also the scheme Babe gets into using railway boxcars.

In a visit to the CBS News Texas studios, Cedric says it was important for him to tell his grandfather's story of resilience and the daily grind.

"I started to feel him and recognize that I had so much of his personality, some of his natural hustle," he said. "Growing up in a single parent household, I was like, 'Where did I get this from? Where did I get this man stuff that I've got, this machismo, but in a way that's about family, that's about going to be on your grind, that's about creativity.' And so I, while writing the book, started to really discover that connection with him." 

Cedric encourages others to talk to their elders and find these family stories.

"You'll be surprised that the things that you love to do or that you're driven to do may already be inside you, like somebody that just didn't have those opportunities in the pre-Civil Rights world," he said.

According to the Library of Congress, Black Americans were hit the hardest during the Great Depression. By 1932, about half of the Black American population was out of work and there was job discrimination in the military and other defense-related activities. After the threat of an organized protest, President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8802 to allow people of any race, creed, color or national origin, to join the United States defense.

Cedric says in his book, he highlights "the power in which resiliency wins." His grandfather's resilience is what has allowed him to be where he is today — a successful actor, executive producer, businessman and now author.

"To me, I always think about so many of our stories, especially when we see movies, they always kind of have the slavery aspect of it and everything kind of ends with this 'They didn't win,'" Cedric said. "But the spirit of us wins. Like you, generations later and here you are, on the news, so somebody won!"

That plight of overcoming racism is also mirrored in the modern-day CBS sitcom "The Neighborhood." Cedric stars in and executive produces the comedy about what happens when the friendliest guy in the Midwest moves his family to a neighborhood in Los Angeles where not everyone looks like him or appreciates his extreme neighborliness.

Cedric underscored how important it is to have representations of Black men, Black women and Black families in media.

"Our images, our stories, they're all very important and so for the networks to start recognizing that is great. And not just people in front of the cameras; We've got a lot of great show creators and executive producers, like 'Blackish,' Kenya Barris, and Lena Waithe," Cedric said. "And we still need to do a lot of push. When I think about the major broadcasters, there's still a very small space for African Americans. 'Blackish' is off the air now and so it leaves my show and then maybe 'Bob Hearts Abishola' and then, now you're on streamers. Now, you gotta go to 'The Chi' and 'Sugarland.' You gotta go to those kind of networks to find our faces and hear our stories, so it still needs a lot of work."