Rich Dad, Rich Dad

Growing up, one of the most misleading thoughts I used to have went something like this: If my father were rich, my life could possibly materialize into better opportunities. It is a common misconception among many that a trampoline to success creates continued success. However, that is not always the case.

My father was a man of gentle strength. He grew up in a small town and worked on a farm on land inherited from my great-grandparents. He graduated from an HBCU with an economics degree while also participating in some of the succeeding Greensboro civil rights events that birthed after the sit-ins. He was a standout baseball and football player, an avid runner, and loved training in martial arts. My father taught us the importance of love of country as my great-grandfather was a World War veteran. He dressed me up in a sharp bow tie, and frequently took us to Sunday school. My parents often homeschooled me on various subjects, enabling me to test out of an entire grade in elementary school, but my father thought it best for me to remain with my age group. A fundamental principle that I adopted from this was that relationship and connectivity are often more advantageous than knowledge.

“Oral history is one of the intangibles that is slowly evaporating from our communities. Many of our elders were amazing storytellers…”