My 103-Year-Old Grandfather’s Advice Changed How I Think About Life
Naked Beauty
The Naked Beauty Podcast
4.5 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 25 May 2026
⏱️ 55 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this very special episode of Naked Beauty, I had the privilege of talking to my grandfather, Calvin George Kemp, about his being 102 years old. He shared his experiences growing up in the segregated Vine City in Atlanta, Georgia. He explained how his father and other elders sheltered local children from the harsh realities of racism, and raised him in a community of Black people where he felt comfortable and safe. Things changed after he was drafted into the United States military, and he faced encounters no one should have. My grandfather, a brilliant and accomplished man, talked about rising in the ranks and fighting for the right to apply his skills and brilliance in Okinawa, Guam, and a host of other countries.
We talked about his memories of historic moments in American history that most people would only learn about in history books. My grandfather was open about the emotional toll of his experiences, including the joy of meeting my grandmother, who inspired him to step up his style. This conversation was a lovely reminder that “acting one’s age” is a choice, and that you can have a full and interesting life, so long as you commit to it. This conversation was intimate and revealing, and I’m excited to share his wisdom on how he’s managed to live a life filled with adventure and love for over a century.
Tune in as we discuss:
(0:10) Life at 103 Years Old
(1:20) What His 20’s Were Like
(1:50) 1940s Pop Culture
(3:30) Growing Up In Segregated Atlanta
(5:55) His Being Drafted Into The Military
(9:40) Encountering Mounting Segregation In The Military
(17:08) Initially Feeling Embittered By Racist Experiences
(21:44) Memories of Historic Black Events
(22:35) Voting For President Barack Obama
(26:40) Meeting His Wife of 45 Years
(27:30) Tips For Having A Long And Happy Marriage
(32:50) Having an Immaculate Personal Style
(37:20) What A Beautiful Life Means To Him
Rate, Subscribe & Review the Podcast on Apple
Join the Naked Beauty Community on IG: @nakedbeautyplanet
Thanks for all the love and support. Tag me while you’re listening @nakedbeautyplanet & as always love to hear your thoughts :)
Check out nakedbeautypodcast.com for all previous episodes & search episodes by topic
Shop My Favorite Products & Pod Discounts on my ShopMyShelf
Stay in touch with me: @brookedevard
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Hello, hello, this is Brooke DeVard and you're listening to the Naked Beauty podcast. |
| 0:09.7 | If you're listening on Monday, release day, it's Memorial Day here in the U.S. |
| 0:14.3 | Memorial Day is a holiday that's dedicated to honoring military personnel who died serving |
| 0:20.5 | in the United States Armed Forces. |
| 0:23.3 | The holiday dates back to the years after the Civil War. |
| 0:26.8 | It was originally known as Decoration Day. |
| 0:29.6 | Families would decorate the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers. |
| 0:32.8 | So over time, that evolved into the Memorial Day that we know today. |
| 0:37.0 | So now it's become a big commercial |
| 0:39.1 | holiday that's been co-opted by like sales and barbecues. But the true meaning of Memorial Day |
| 0:44.2 | and learning more about the history of this holiday made this conversation feel even more |
| 0:48.8 | meaningful because today's guest is my grandfather, Calvin Kemp, we call him Papa. By the time many of you |
| 0:56.8 | are listening to this, he is either just about to turn or has officially turned 103 years old. |
| 1:03.8 | June 2nd, 2026 is his birthday. So happy 103rd birthday. Given that today's guest is 102, nearly 103, I also wanted to |
| 1:15.2 | take this point that I have realized, and I'm guilty of this, of course, as someone that has a |
| 1:19.5 | platform and interviews people, we live in a relatively like youth-obsessed culture. |
| 1:24.9 | Youth meaning we don't spend a lot of time hearing from people in their 70s, 80s, |
| 1:30.5 | or 90s when arguably these are the people that have the most life experience that are the |
| 1:36.6 | wisest in our culture for someone who has built their perspective over decades and decades and decades |
| 1:42.2 | and decades just has a level of wisdom that you're just |
| 1:45.9 | not going to get in like your average banter between two you know millennial gen x gen z people chatting |
| 1:53.8 | you know like there's just a there's just a different depth and perspective that you gain over |
... |
Transcript will be available on the free plan in 17 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The Naked Beauty Podcast, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of The Naked Beauty Podcast and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.