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When I was a child, I loved to spend time with my dad. We played basketball together and often I would tag along with him as he ran errands. My recent visit to Los Angeles, where my dad now lives, reminded me of how much I appreciate the man who has made a significant impact on my life.
As indicated in last week’s column, I accepted a position as an Assistant Professor of Education at a university in the Caribbean islands. My family and I packed up our home for the past two years in Mazatlán, Sinaloa Mexico and traveled to Los Angeles for some time with family before moving to our next destination. It was a blessing to see many of the people who we have remained in contact with through social media and to stay in my parents’ home.
My mother and father moved to Los Angeles eight years ago, after living in Chicago and the south suburbs for twenty-seven years. Although my mother was born in California and many of her family continue to live there, along with my grandmother, it was my father’s decision to relocate to Los Angeles that placed them in the home where they reside today.
My dad, who pastored a church in Chicago’s Roseland community for many years, decided he wanted a new challenge.
That challenge included the revival of a church in south central LA. The church, located in a community where young people attend schools with limited resources and where criminal elements discourage politicians from creating more equitable opportunities for residents, continues to demonstrate much potential. There exist advertisements for positive non-profit organizations’ initiatives and a vibrant artist scene. With my father’s history as a leader in lower-income communities, he was pulled from Chicago to LA by his calling to serve other people in need.
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My father is a servant leader. For years, I watched him give money to people who are homeless. I have observed him on multiple occasions put the needs of others before his self-interests. My dad is the type of honorable leader who former Coldwell Bank CEO Greg Campbell describes in his book, The 5, 2, 1 Principle, as an individual who strives for growth by learning about and listening to the population he wishes to serve.
I witnessed my father’s approach to leadership as a child. Spending time with him in Los Angeles last week was a reminder of why I have come to respect him as a man.
My dad is not the perfect father. Similar to each of us, including myself, he has character flaws. In my book—which is a series of autobiographical narratives—I discuss many of the challenges I encountered growing into the man I am today under my father’s leadership.
Regardless of the ups and downs that came with being a preacher’s kid, I am grateful for the man I call dad. He taught me discipline and the value of working hard. In his relationship with my mother and sisters, my father taught me to respect women. Through his constant reading at home, he instilled in me the value of education.
From the United States to Mexico to the Caribbean Islands, I am grateful to have my father as part of my life. This week, I would like to encourage you to take a moment and recognize a family member in your life. It could be a father figure, mother, or anyone who has consistently shown up in your life.
To read more about my relationship with my dad, check out my book: Critical Race and Education for Black Males: When Pretty Boys Become Men.
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