Member-only story
Black Excellence is Real.
I have never had to look hard or far for role models.
My family and friends are remarkable people: kind, decent, brilliant, creative, caring, honest, God-fearing, and hardworking. Growing up, I assumed everyone was like my parents. I thought devotion to family, honesty, trustworthiness, hard work, and providing for those you love were simply part of being a responsible adult.
My grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins are/were outstanding people too.
All of my uncles, with only two exceptions, served in the military. All of them. Despite the racism and mistreatment many of them endured, they remained deeply patriotic and proud to be Americans. They were able to separate America as an ideal from the failures of some Americans to live up to that ideal. Their faith in the promise and greatness of this country never wavered.
My family is filled with skilled tradespeople. We have welders, carpenters, painters, mechanics, brickmasons, and craftsmen of every kind. My Uncle Terry invented a subway switch known as the Howard Joint. One of my great-uncles invented something as well, though I confess I cannot remember exactly what….lol. I have also known for years that my cousins, the Lee Brothers of Charleston, created a recipe that was later sold and became associated with Heinz ketchup.
