Ben Carson on Being from Detroit: ‘We Love the Motown Sound’

CLEVELAND, Ohio: GOP presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson opened up to David Webb about his personal life in a special that will air on Sirius XM’s the David Webb Show Wednesday evening.

Webb introduced Carson by saying he has written eight books. “Clearly an underachiever when it comes to writing,” Webb joked.

Carson responded that he “just finished a book about the Constitution.” Not everybody knows what’s in the Constitution, Carson explained, saying his book really breaks it down for the reader.

Webb asked Carson about accomplishments. “When things got really tough for me – that drove me,” Carson said. “It made me refuse to quit.”

Carson then switched from his career accomplishments to his family traditions. He said he always made sure the family took vacations. His family also gathers together, reads from the Book of Proverbs, and prays together. “It is central. … I will never deny it,” Carson said, speaking about his faith and its importance in his life.

Carson said it bothers him that people are not attributing importance to the First Amendment, and he said America will regret turning away from its religious convictions.

Webb asked Carson about his favorite music. Since he is from Detroit, he asked about Motown. “We love the Motown sound,” Carson said, but added he also enjoys classical music. “My wife is a classical violinist,” he explained, adding that all their kids grew up playing classical instruments.

Carson said his mother is the smartest person he knows. She only has a third-grade education, but “refused to be a victim.”

His mother, he explained, was one of 24 children and was married at the age of 13. Soon after, she moved to Detroit and discovered her husband was a bigamist. “If anyone could claim ‘victim,’ she was the one … but she refused to do it,” Carson stated.

He added that his mother made the children work, and that she would always say, “My kids are going to be successful.”

Carson switched to the topic of education and the importance of educating youth. “They don’t know the basics of life,” Carson said. He continued by saying they are being taught political correctness instead of the basics. “We’ve got to get back to that.”

He and his wife have started reading rooms in schools across the country, he said, focusing especially on Title I schools, which tend to be poor and thus unable to afford books.

Carson added that one of his top accomplishments is raising his children with his wife.