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Black History Month - February 24– #BHM2011–Juan Williams

This is installment 24 in the Black History Month series. This series contains inspirational quotes from Black Americans that are good for all people. While some friends will want me to use “African American History Month”, I will use the traditional name to identify it with American born and raised leaders.

The blog post is to give a little background, while my twitter @davetravis – will get regular updates of the posts.

The first week’s theme was historical figures, last week, Civil Right’s Leaders. Last week was entertainers and politics week. We wrap up the month this week with Educators.

For many generations the leaders of the Black community were its pastors and school teachers and officials.

Today’s twitter quote:

“So much focus in the country is the impoverished minority community. But while 25 percent of the black community lives in poverty, 75 percent is outside of that. It doesn't always get in the news.” Juan Williams

I know, I know, Juan Williams name is mud to many people. He was fired from NPR last year and is now full time with Fox News. But I mention him for one of his early achievements.

Mr. Williams wrote the companion book to “Eyes on the Prize”, the 1980’s landmark documentary series of the Civil Rights movement. It is a must see for every American. Most libraries have a copy and it occasionally is shown on PBS (including last year.)

In this role he is a true educator, not a pundit or personality.

And my quote above is not to turn a blind eye to the poor of any race, but to recognize that our stereotypes are out dated.

Black History Month–February 23–#BHM2011–Condoleezza Rice

This is installment 23 in the Black History Month series. This series contains inspirational quotes from Black Americans that are good for all people. While some friends will want me to use “African American History Month”, I will use the traditional name to identify it with American born and raised leaders.

The blog post is to give a little background, while my twitter @davetravis – will get regular updates of the posts.

The first week’s theme was historical figures, last week, Civil Right’s Leaders. Last week was entertainers and politics week. We wrap up the month this week with Educators.

For many generations the leaders of the Black community were its pastors and school teachers and officials.

Today’s twitter for #BHM2011:

Race is ever present, like a birth defect that you learn to live with but can never cure. Condoleezza Rice

The full quote: America is not color-blind and likely will never be. Race is ever present, like a birth defect that you learn to live with but can never cure.

I return to California and Stanford to bring up Secretary Rice. Raised primarily in the deep south in the 1960’s she started her career as a university teacher, professor and later provost at the prestigious Stanford University. Her skill as a Soviet specialist brought her to the attention of President George H.W. Bush where she served on his staff.

Later of course she served as the National Security Advisor and as Secretary of State during the President George W. Bush administration. She is now back at Stanford and the Hoover Institution teaching and lecturing.

I have just finished her book about her upbringing and parents. Both of her parents were educators beginning their careers in segregated schools but helped to lead positive change through school integration. (Her father was also a pastor) It is well worth your time to read.

Black History Month–February 22–#BHM2011–Shelby Steele

This is installment 22 in the Black History Month series. This series contains inspirational quotes from Black Americans that are good for all people. While some friends will want me to use “African American History Month”, I will use the traditional name to identify it with American born and raised leaders.

The blog post is to give a little background, while my twitter @davetravis – will get regular updates of the posts.

The first week’s theme was historical figures, last week, Civil Right’s Leaders. Last week was entertainers and politics week. We wrap up the month this week with Educators.

For many generations the leaders of the Black community were its pastors and school teachers and officials.

Today’s twitter for #BHM2011:

“Opportunity follows struggle. It follows effort. It follows hard work. It doesn't come before.” Shelby Steele

Dr. Shelby Steele started his a career as an English Professor. With the publication of “The Content of our Character” echoing the great phrase of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, he won a National Book Critics prize and became a columnist and commentator on contemporary affairs. He is now a fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.

Certainly he is not without controversy as he is known as a “black conservative.” But again, to label the thinking and opinions of all black Americans as one is an affront. The opinions and thinking are just as broad and diverse as other Americans.

Black History Month–February 21–#BHM2011–Alex Haley

This is installment 21 in the Black History Month series. This series contains inspirational quotes from Black Americans that are good for all people. While some friends will want me to use “African American History Month”, I will use the traditional name to identify it with American born and raised leaders.

The blog post is to give a little background, while my twitter @davetravis – will get regular updates of the posts.

The first week’s theme was historical figures, last week, Civil Right’s Leaders. Last week was entertainers and politics week. We wrap up the month this week with Educators.

For many generations the leaders of the Black community were its pastors and school teachers and officials.

Today’s twitter for #BHM2011:

“In my writing, as much as I could, I tried to find the good, and praise it.” Alex Haley

As I said above, I call this educator’s week and this choice of Mr. Haley is a little bit of a change up. While he served as a writer in residence for a few colleges after his fame was established, I call him an educator for the popularity of his novel and the subsequent television series “Roots.” I believe the popular tv series transfixed American when it was broadcast in the 1970s.

Subsequent controversies about the book and series not withstanding, the nation came face to face with the horrors of slavery and the generations that followed right there on their TV screen. It was highly rated among all viewers.

Haley began in the Coast Guard and served honorably until his retirement. He is also known as the author of “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” based on numerous interiews he had with Malcolm X.

At one point he was the best selling African American author for all his works. While I am not sure that is still the case, I believe he helped educate all of us with his writings.

A bonus quote for the blog readers:

Racism is taught in our society, it is not automatic. It is learned behavior toward persons with dissimilar physical characteristics.

Black History Month–February 20–#BHM2011–President Barack Obama

This is installment 20 in the Black History Month series. This series contains inspirational quotes from Black Americans that are good for all people. While some friends will want me to use “African American History Month”, I will use the traditional name to identify it with American born and raised leaders.

The blog post is to give a little background, while my twitter @davetravis – will get regular updates of the posts.

The first week’s theme was historical figures, last week, Civil Right’s Leaders. This week we get more contemporary. I call this week – Entertainer and politics week.

Today’s twitter for #BHM2011:

“We proved that we are still a people capable of doing big things and tackling our biggest challenges.” President Barack Obama

Now I am sure this one will raise a bit of controversy. Technically I think President Obama is an African American because his father was not a citizen of this country. But I think we all recognize him as the first black President of the United States. This is a remarkable story of progress and uplift of racial understandings in my lifetime.

While many will surely and honestly question his political views, no one can underestimate his leadership abilities and rhetorical skills to inspire young people.

While I am very careful to guard my own political views due to my position, I will confess that I did not vote for him in the presidential election.

But I pray for him every day. As we all should.

Here is the bonus quote of the day:

"There's not a liberal America and a conservative America; there's the United States of America."

Black History Month–February 19–#BHM2011–Satchel Paige

This is installment 19 in the Black History Month series. This series contains inspirational quotes from Black Americans that are good for all people. While some friends will want me to use “African American History Month”, I will use the traditional name to identify it with American born and raised leaders.

The blog post is to give a little background, while my twitter @davetravis – will get regular updates of the posts.

The first week’s theme was historical figures, last week, Civil Right’s Leaders. This week we get more contemporary. I call this week – Entertainer and politics week.

Today’s twitter for #BHM2011:

“Don't pray when it rains if you don't pray when the sun shines.” Satchel Paige

Leroy Robert Paige was best known as a baseball player, the first player from the old Negro Leagues to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. While he became known for his witty sayings, he actually worked hard to use sports to bring understanding between the races in his time. He played on several mixed race barnstorming teams in addition to his Negro League career. He played in the major leagues at an advanced age 42 and played some form of pro ball well into his 60’s.

His wisdom, like that above, often humorous and playful, reminds us of simple truths that can be embodied by all.

My bonus quote of the day:

“Ain't no man can avoid being born average, but there ain't no man got to be common. “

Black History Month–February 18–#BHM2011–Barbara Jordan

This is installment 18 in the Black History Month series. This series contains inspirational quotes from Black Americans that are good for all people. While some friends will want me to use “African American History Month”, I will use the traditional name to identify it with American born and raised leaders.

The blog post is to give a little background, while my twitter @davetravis – will get regular updates of the posts.

The first week’s theme was historical figures, last week, Civil Right’s Leaders. This week we get more contemporary. I call this week – Entertainer and politics week.

Today’s twitter for #BHM2011:

“Do not call for black power or green power. Call for brain power.” Barbara Jordan

Most of my friends know that I spend lots of time in Texas where I have an office in Dallas. Jordan was a trailblazer in that state. She was the first elected African American to the Texas State Senate and then became a US Congressperson. After retirement she was a professor at the University of Texas at Austin.

My bonus quote for the day:

“Let there be no illusions about the difficulty of forming this kind of a national community. It's tough, difficult, not easy. But a spirit of harmony will survive in America only if each of us remembers that we share a common destiny.”

Black History Month–February 17–#BHM2011–Charley Pride

This is installment 17 in the Black History Month series. This series contains inspirational quotes from Black Americans that are good for all people. While some friends will want me to use “African American History Month”, I will use the traditional name to identify it with American born and raised leaders.

The blog post is to give a little background, while my twitter @davetravis – will get regular updates of the posts.

The first week’s theme was historical figures, last week, Civil Right’s Leaders. This week we get more contemporary. I call this week – Entertainer and politics week.

Today’s twitter for #BHM2011:

“I think there's enough room in country music for everybody.” Charley Pride

This one is going to get me some heat. As a sometime country music fan though, you cannot ignore this man. Here was a man that reached across generations and races with his popular country songs. Eventually, and too late I would add, he was invited to join the Grand Old Opry. As country music is a favorite of a large segment of the population, his contributions should be recognized.

Few remember that he started as a Negro league baseball player and now is a minority owner of the Texas Rangers MLB team.

A bonus quote from Mr. Pride:

“Any entertainer who tells you that the adoration of fans is not a heady experience probably never had the experience.”

Beware of the Compare–“As compared to what?”

The layman droned on about his views on the shortcomings of his pastor. The leader in question was a man of close acquaintance, a person I had spent multiple hours with over the last 15 years.

Like most leaders the pastor in question had much strength. Along with those strengths he did have some weaknesses as well. Over that same period the church had grown, thrived, planted churches, sent out leaders to other kingdom causes and he led the church in bettering its own local community. Now, it is true that he is no longer the “hot young pistol” he once was in church circles. The younger set generally knew him not.

Bob Buford always taught me to ask the question: “As compared to what?” and so I did.

The response from the layman was telling. He mentioned a leader/pastor several states away. He had listened to some messages via podcast, read his book and even attended a conference where this man had spoken. He described how things worked there to the best of his knowledge.

I knew that leader/pastor quite well too, and indeed the layman was correct. He is a fine leader and they have a good ministry in their city. That leader is a generation younger, hipper and has more prominence in today’s leadership circles.

But I also know that leader well enough to know his downsides, indeed that leader has brought to me some issues in confidence for my counsel on multiple occasions. He is also an humble learner and like most pastors of growing churches, is always running into issues involved in having the tiger by the tail.

Without betraying a confidence I had to say to the layman “I know that man well and he is a good man. We have spoken many times about issues within their church. We all write books and tell the positive things we have learned through the battles, but we rarely tell the hard things while we are in the midst of them. If you would live with that church and pastor for a season, I am sure you would find things are not always as they appear from a distance. I choose to celebrate both men for their leadership.”

I am not sure he was satisfied with my answer, but no matter, my heart was clear.

I am blessed to work with a great group of pastoral leaders from around the world. I love each of them in their own way. I celebrate their strengths and know of their challenges. I am not oblivious.

But when you hear a critic, ask “As compared to what?” Often the critic is describing their view of an ideal that does not exist.

Black History Month–February 16–#BHM2011–Les Brown

This is installment 16 in the Black History Month series. This series contains inspirational quotes from Black Americans that are good for all people. While some friends will want me to use “African American History Month”, I will use the traditional name to identify it with American born and raised leaders.

The blog post is to give a little background, while my twitter @davetravis – will get regular updates of the posts.

The first week’s theme was historical figures, last week, Civil Right’s Leaders. This week we get more contemporary. I call this week – Entertainer and politics week.

Today’s twitter for #BHM2011:

“Life has no limitations, except the ones you make.” – Les Brown

I used to see and hear more of this motivational speaker who used to have a large following in the leadership scene. Adopted as a child, his story of overcoming obstacles of being labeled as a slow learner led to a big following.

He was a state legislator in Ohio for a few years.

His passion is helping people articulate their goals and dreams and be determined to meet them. He is still out there speaking almost every week to a variety of audiences.

Here is the bonus quote for the day:

“Other people's opinion of you does not have to become your reality.”