Honoring Our History
through our Works
Delivered by Janis F. Kearney at Chicago's Olive
Harvey College
One great historian wrote: The culture of a
people is best manifested by the homage they pay to
those who led with dedication and devotion to
freedom and cause…"
Good afternoon, and happy Black History
Month!
It's wonderful to be here with you at Olive
Harvey College, during this important memorial to
our past, present and future.
Let me begin by personally thanking Greg
Washington, who has been my contact over the last
few months. Greg, I thank you for being so
accommodating and helpful. Thank you, also, to the
rest of the staff and administration who made it
possible for me to be here today. Particularly, I
want to say thank you to Chancellor Watson, Vice
Chancellor Lewis and Associate Chancellor Armster,
who were the very first people I spoke to about
this lecture series.
I am immensely honored to have been selected as
the Chancellor's Lecturer for this spring. Olive
Harvey College is my second in a series of lectures
at Chicago City Colleges I will be doing, and I
might add that I'm learning more and more how
Chicago City Colleges serve such an important role
in this state and region's educational
communities.
I am especially impressed with the number of
students the colleges are reaching, the diversity
of its student body and most importantly, the depth
of knowledge students take away from these
colleges. Last week I spoke at Daley College, and
just a few minutes before I spoke, a young lady
looked at me and asked: Didn't I see you last night
speaking at Woodson Library? She did. Well, after
she was nice enough to compliment my speech, I
hurriedly told her if it seemed like she was
getting a rehash of last night's speech; I wouldn't
feel bad if she left in the middle of my
speech.
So, I'm saying to the rest of you…just in
case you heard me speak last night, I will try not
to repeat myself, but please bare with me if I
don't succeed.
It is always my intention to say something that
will touch as many people in the audience as
possible. And, what I say to a church congregation,
or to a high school assembly, or to a sorority
convention -- will always have some remnants of the
same theme… maybe said in a different way;
maybe using different words, but my message pretty
much remains the same: The importance of finding
ways to honor, preserve, and contribute to our
history and our future?
And, it is always my hope, as it is today --
that you will come away from this lecture,
believing as I do, that we give value to our pasts,
our histories, our heroes and heroines through our
works - whatever those works might be. One of the
thoughts I'd like to start out with, today, is that
-- more than ever before -- you and I have a
responsibility -- and, and opportunity to make this
world a better place. It is not just a conjecture,
but it is a fact that the comfort level that we
once had, that bubble that we as Americans existed
in for so long, no longer exists.
While we all celebrated on January 01, 2001,
when we moved into what is knows as a new
millennium; just eight months later, on September
11, 2001, the nation began a long grieving period.
Our world, as we knew it, ended that day. Our
nation, as we knew it, was transformed.
But, I am an eternal optimist, and I truly
believe that the September 11 tragedy, that horror
also afforded us as a nation, and as individuals, a
challenge, a new opportunity to define what quality
of life really means.
While some sociologists, economists and war
analysts are calling this new experience a "wake
up" call; others believe we have simply been sent
back to square one. The irony of this new world we
live in today is that with all its complexities,
9-11 made us all realize that no country, not even
our great country, is indomitable. And, while that
knowledge came with a great deal of fear and
anxieties for some time, it also offered an
important lesson: It forced us to put away our
rose-colored glasses, and begin to view life as it
really is. It afforded us an opportunity to
concentrate again, on the important issues in life,
to reassign our values, and relationships.
And, I know you're asking yourself, right
now…what does all of this have to do with me,
a college student whose most pressing concern is
passing my core courses, cramming for my finals,
and graduating on time? And, what does 9-11 have to
do with black history month?
This is the parallel, as I see it:
While America is yet viewed as the global leader
in areas of technology, we now know that we are
vulnerable to some of the same threats and fears as
other countries. We are fully aware that the many
changes in our environment, in such a short time
span; leaving our leaders, our communities, our
society, searching for ways to return to normalcy
-- and, hopefully, a better existence.
But, along with this new world we now inhabit,
will come the need for a better educated
population. More will be asked of you, and students
like you. And in the end, the more knowledge you
consume here, and at other institutions; the better
prepared you will be to lead, and the better off we
as a nation are. Remember that old ad, "This isn't
your father's automobile?" I think we can all be
pretty clear, that this new world we're living in,
is not the same world that we knew just two years
ago. But, you -- all of you - are in a prime
position to take advantage of this fact.
Believe it or not, some of you sitting right in
this audience will be a part of shaping this new
world, taking part in "fixing" some of the things
that's gone wrong. As corny as it sounds, and like
it or not, you are our future. Though it has been
many years since I was your age, and sitting in
college classes; it hasn't been so long that I
don't recall how so many of the lessons I learned
during those years -- both academic, and just life
lessons -- have served me so well throughout my
life. So, I can't begin to tell you how important
it is that you take every advantage of the
opportunities afforded you, here, to start on that
journey.
You have a chancellor who is a visionary,
working diligently to serve each of you the best
way possible. Administrators and teachers who
understand and care about your futures, and who
understand the complexities of this new
environment, the obstacles you will be confronted
with, as you move from college life, into the
work-world. Take advantage of these gifts.
But a final point on this subject, and a segue
into what I'm really here to talk about, today:
Even, given these most recent terrorist scares,
these vast changes in our world, the instability of
the economic market -- we, as a culture -- and, as
individuals cannot forget our responsibility to our
past. Just as America must not allow 9-11 to be an
excuse for forgetting its promises to all
Americans, or an opportunity for America to ignore
individual's rights, in the name of fighting
terrorism; black America cannot, must not allow
this new environment to serve as an excuse for us
to forget, to shirk our responsibility to our
communities, to each other -- and, most importantly
to our pasts. We cannot afford to forget. One wise
scribe said: Those who fail to remember their past,
are likely to repeat it.
These same values and truths moved our ancestors
from slavery to full citizenship; and my own
parents from manual labor to office jobs. These are
the time-tested values each of you will need, today
and tomorrow, To move forward in this new century
-- regardless of the new technology, the new global
market, or this new world environment.
The truth is, in spite of 9-11; in spite of the
wars and rumors of wars, our ancestors had it
worse…much worse. In truth, in spite of 9-11,
we exist in a better world today, at a better place
and time than my parents and your ancestors ever
dreamed was possible.
And, this is where we come to the crux of the
matter. Our "easy street" -- if you may -- is the
gift left by those brave, courageous men and women
who sacrificed, often times, giving their lives, to
assure a better world for those who came after
them.
I'm talking about people like Harriet Tubman,
who was known Moses by both blacks and white for
her daring and courage in freeing over 300 slaves.
She was the epitome of one person risking their
lives for freedom; Fredrick Douglas, an escaped
slave who became an avid abolitionist, whose
courage and intellect helped move our race forward;
Sojourner Truth, an evangelist who was also the
first African American woman to crusade against
slavery and for women's rights; Carter G. Woodson
-- father of black history month, who believed that
unless we learn about our past, and honor our past
-- we were no use to ourselves or our race; W.E.B.
Du Bois, who used his intellect, his ability to
move in and out of the white world, to elevate the
race; Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall Jr.
who, before becoming the first African American
supreme court justice, was one of this country's
greatest civil rights lawyers, whose landmark case
Brown vs. the Board of Education, ended federally
sanctioned school segregation. Certainly we can't
forget, Martin Luther King, Jr., a universal icon
for peace and racial equality… a martyr who
gave his life to improve life for all.
And, more contemporary American heroes such as
Jackie Robinson, who shattered the color barrier in
major league baseball; and Muhammad Ali, who
changed American athletics forever -- the greatest
athlete, bar none throughout the world. Former S.
African President Nelson Mandela, the most admired
man on the planet, teaches us the power in
forgiving, by his incredible example, and that the
power of the past, is in the lessons we learn. Our
strength is in not letting our past condemn our
future, but using it as a guidepost --learning from
it, and moving forward.
There isn't enough time in the day to list the
many great leaders whose works made life for us so
much more livable. You are here at Chicago City
Colleges, gaining the benefit of a quality
education because there were so many who fought and
died for educational equality…to make sure
that you weren't placed in a building of lesser
quality, given used and tattered books, and so that
you would be armed with teachers of quality and
compassion.
You and I stand on the backs of these great men
and women….and we dare not dishonor them. We
dare not do all we can, be all we can to assure
their living and their dying, was not in vain. One
African proverb says: To he, who much is given,
much is expected.
Remember that: To He who much is given, much is
expected. Remember those words as you go about your
daily lives, enjoying a quality of life that our
courageous forefathers could not have dreamed
possible.
Think of your blessings, your expectations, the
easy street that most of us live on; then answer
this question: How are we honoring those who made
this possible?
I believe there are two specific ways we can
honor our past, our history:
Firstly, I believe the most precious honor we
can bestow upon our past, is through our works.
Proverbs 20, verse 11, says: even a child is known
by his doings, whether his work be pure, and
whether it be right.
What we do doesn't matter so much as what we put
into our work. What matters is that our work is
worthy of the incredible sacrifices made for us --
beginning over 400 years ago. Our works are the
homage we pay to those who gave their all that we
might prosper, that we might go to sleep at night
not worrying about the basic necessities like food,
comfort and security.
Even a child is known by his doings, whether his
work be pure, and whether it be right.
I am a writer. I have known that I was a writer
from a very early age. My love for the written word
began at my father's knee before I was old enough
to go to school. All through my life, no matter
what job I held, no matter what other paths I took,
I knew that my mission in life was to write.
But, I also now know that God's gifts hold no
value if they sit on a shelf. Writing for writing
sake is about the most selfish thing any writer can
do. What I have learned is that I can use my
writing as a vessel to teach, to share, to educate,
to inspire…to tell my story so that others can
see the power of hope and dreams. And, I've learned
that, without those two ideals, nothing in life is
possible.
When I asked God to guide me in my desire to
become a writer, He answered by saying the only way
I would become a writer was to use it in service.
In essence, He was telling me: I will not give you
this great gift to sit upon a shelf to collect
dust, for your own personal
gratification…which brings me to my second
point.
I believe with all my heart that the value of a
gift is realized only when it is passed on, or
shared. Thus, I believe that we honor our past, our
forefathers through sharing the heirloom, the gifts
they bestowed upon us, when they gave their
lives.
The African American spirit, throughout the 400
years we've been in this country, first as
indentured servants -- beginning in the 1600's,
then as slaves; is that of Giving Back. That is the
spirit, the values that brought us thus far.
I know, you thought it was our smarts, our
running ability, or our physical stamina. Believe
me, we could be the smartest, fastest, strongest
human beings on earth, and without that value
system, that belief in giving back -- we'd likely
still be on somebody's farm, being somebody's
slave.
So, we, each of us, owe a huge debt to those who
sacrificed for our existences today, because they
worked toward, and dreamed of a possibility that is
now a reality. Men and women sacrificing their
families, their happiness, their security and
safety for the generations that come after
them…people they never even got the
opportunity to meet.
Giving invaluable gifts such as freedom,
equality, safety, quality education…such
invaluable gifts deserve something in return from
its beneficiaries…you and me.
I am a strong believer in repaying debts, and
honoring the benefactors of gifts. I believe that a
gift, once received, has to find another home to
truly realize its value. If I receive a gift and
set it upon a shelf to only admire; that gift is
useless. I must find at least one other person,
some cause, some institution to share that gift
with, or pass that gift on to..
Let me reiterate two points: It does not matter
what your work entails -- whether it is at the top
of the economic ladder, or at the bottom. Just as
importantly, it does not matter what value you
place on your gift; the importance is in how you
use it, and how you share it with others so that
the value is fully vested.
I'd like to add a few notes to what Greg just
told you about me, and I guess to expand upon why I
feel it is so important that we as a people, as a
culture not only honor our pasts, but give back to
our community, to the people that still need that
hand up. You see, I learned this as a small child
without realizing it until much later.
I am a sharecropper's daughter, born in the
Arkansas Delta, in the early fifties. I witnessed
and experienced segregation on al daily basis. I
witnessed my parent's struggle
As a child, I witnessed and experienced
segregation on a daily basis. I witnessed my
parents' struggle to feed our family of 17
children. I witnessed people who looked just like
us, looking down on us because of my family
represented an aspect of our history, that they
were ashamed to admit still existed.
But, you have to try to envision the world that
I grew up in. It was a time and place that most of
you have only read about; only seen on HBO
documentaries, during Black History Month. An
existence that almost guaranteed that nothing good
would come of me -- or anyone else in my
family.
A small southern town, with less than 2000
people living there; it was an environment that
said if you're black, you're not good enough. And,
believe me, they meant it.
They meant it when they said we weren't good
enough to eat in their restaurants -- though our
parents oftentimes, cooked their food; Not good
enough to sit next to their children in school,
though our parents cleaned the schools at night; my
parents weren't good enough to be given bank loans,
though our parent's labor made it possible for the
banks to exist; we weren't good enough to drink
from the same water fountain, though our mothers
often-times nursed their children; and, not good
enough to worship together…though we were
supposed to be praying to the same God.
While that was the message meant for my family
and me --and the rest of the black community to
internalize, I can stand here and tell you that
James and Ethel Kearney wasn't buying it. For they
were visionaries who refused to allow such
negativity to
water down our dreams. They made sure we knew we
were good enough. They drilled into us that, though
we didn't have material riches, or money, or the
right clothes to wear to school -- they were going
to give us a gift that would remain with us all our
lives -- their permission to dream…to dream
our way out of our dire existence, to dream
ourselves into a better life. To dream beyond the
hopeless situation we saw staring us in the
face.
So, I learned early on, to ignore those other
voices that told me I wasn't good enough. Instead,
I listened to that one small voice inside my heart,
and my soul -- that said, you are good
enough…just dream, and you'll see. Of course
my parents didn't stop at telling us to dream, they
also drilled into us, these things:
- Certainly they also made us
understand that we were no better, but certainly no less
than any other of god's children -- black, white, brown or
yellow;
- That hard work, and persistence would be
necessary in reaching any goal we sought -- and was
the surest route to success;
- That one's faith in god -- whatever god you
call yours -- makes us whole. That faith, believing
in that power greater than ourselves, keeps us
grounded;
- That education was the critical foundation
for building a successful future, and you never
stopped learning until you took your last
breath;
- And, that giving back is just as important as
getting the value of your gift is in direct
parallel to how you use it, how you give back.
It was from these two under-educated, but
visionary parents that I learned to value what's
inside of a person, not what's outside. That
beauty, and fine clothes and a great house -- is
all good and wonderful; but the person inside; and
the heart inside that person, is what really
matters -- in the end.
My parent's gift to their children, our license
to dream -- bear fruit for them: they were blessed
to see 16, of their 17 children, not only graduate
from college, but graduate from some of the finest
colleges in the country -- Yale, Harvard, Stanford,
Brown and others. Nine of their children -- seven
of their sons, and two daughters, are now
attorneys. Two have served as judges. Two were
aides to a U.S. president.
Because of their consistent teachings that,
between God, a solid education, and our daring to
dream, there was nothing we couldn't do. Because of
their teachings, we always believed only the sky
was the limit.
M y journey, from the cotton fields to the white
house included many turns and stalls. That's where
persistence was so important. I never lost hope in
my dreams, in spite of the obstacles. You see, I
learned that hopes and dreams are inseparable.
Earlier, I mentioned that I am an eternal
optimist, who seeks to find a silver lining in
every cloud. Well, there have many obstacles
throughout my life, and I have always sought to
find ways to either go around them, or dissolve
them. I was certainly never perfect, I made
mistakes along the way…but making mistakes
doesn't mean you stop dreaming. As the song says so
eloquently: a sinner's just a saint who fell
down…you fall down, and you get up…and,
then you start all over again.
And, you certainly don't let life's reality's
stand in your way of achieving your goals. I
attribute two critical obstacles in my life, to
serving as my challenges to achieve my dreams. One
was the fact that my family was so poor that they
couldn't afford to entertain my love for
books…they could hardly afford to give us the
school texts we needed.
And, secondly, the fact that I grew up in the
segregated south; which meant that little black
children like me, were not allowed to visit the one
library that existed in our small town. As much as
I dreamed about walking through those doors,
reading all those books sitting on those shelves,
it wasn't happening, back in the early 60's.
I have a huge responsibility -- for I have been
given the invaluable gifts of parents who showed me
by example, the power of good work; and the gifts
of their encouraging me and my siblings to dream;
teaching us the necessity of hope, in spite of the
hopeless environment we lived in.
It will take a lifetime, of writing, of
speaking, of advising, of being the best that I can
be - to adequately honor my past, to adequately
pass on those gifts that they afforded me.
But, I witnessed their good works, day in and
day out: this sharecropping couple, with 17
children that they could barely feed, could barely
clothe -- but, who had unbounded compassion.
feeding our neighbors' children when they came
visiting -- to our own dismay; sending off whatever
they could, whether it was a dollar or two dollars
to the CARE program, for starving children
throughout the world; sending another dollar or two
to a small college down the road from us, to help
keep those doors open, to make sure that children
like us would continue to be educated.
And, I have been so very blessed. Living a life
that makes me better understand, that: Blessings
are useless… blessings, gifts, a hand
up…are all useless if we do nothing more than
accept them, then put them away; or seek only to
help ourselves. My God doesn't give me gifts to
place on a shelf to collect dust.
When one speaks of good and pure work, and gifts
that never stop giving, I think of educators.
There's something so special about educators. Te
good ones, the committed ones -- that seem to "get
it." the true educators seem to understand the
value of giving back. When I talk about people who
have made the most profound differences in my life,
I always mention two or three of my teachers. They
understood that what they gave would come back
four-fold. That, they might one day see the fruits
of their labor in a child who themselves became a
teacher, or a good and productive human being.
These teachers gave gifts that kept on giving.
It was years ago when I heard about the great
educator, Marva Collins, and immediately decided I
wanted to be a teacher. For me, this woman was the
epitome of missionary zeal. The epitome of a person
who has built their life on the precept of giving
back.
I vividly remember watching public television
with my parents one night as Bill Moyers did a
documentary on Miss Collins, and her school. I was
mesmerized…here was this beautiful,
articulate, caring human being who believed in the
intelligence, the possibilities of African American
youth. Youth who might have come from dire
circumstances, and, from families who didn't
understand the importance of education. She has
been a heroine of mine, since that day.
I found her way of looking at life, fascinating.
She was one of those people you aspire to emulate.
She spoke to my own belief, that `to get, you have
to give.'
As founder of Westside Preparatory School, right
here in Chicago, she espoused her beliefs in giving
back. She drilled that into her students and her
teachers, and the world. It was as important that
children learned their responsibility to this world
they inhabit, as it was that they learned math and
literature.
In a speech, in 1990, Miss. Collins said, "I
think it is fine to be literate, and to be
bright…but being bright is not enough. We let
our students know it is their responsibility to
give something back to the world. As soon as our
children are old enough, they must sign a contract,
as to what their contributions will be to the
world.
"Just being bright is not enough…we
certainly know what happened with brilliance in
Nazi, Germany. They were very brilliant, but they
used that brilliance to destroy humanity."
Just recently, I shared with a group, in regards
to writing our own histories, that like it or not,
everything we do becomes a page in American
history, in African American history. It's up to
each of us whether that page strengthens our
legacy, or weakens it.
I shall always be most proud and most humbled by
the opportunity I had to make a contribution to
American and African American history between the
years of 1995 and 2001 -- in my role as
presidential diarist to President Bill Clinton. I
served all eight years in the Clinton
Administration -- six of those years, I served as
Personal Diarist to the President -- the first time
anyone in history had held such a position.
My job, on a day to day basis, was documenting,
chronicling the Presidency of William Jefferson
Clinton -- an honor and a privilege, and one of the
most fascinating jobs anyone could ever hold. If
there is one thing that growing up on a farm with
17 siblings taught me, it was that there are no two
people alike, and there is no one "right" way for
all people to do any task. My work allows me to
give back, and so will yours.
Each one of us must find our own unique calling,
our own way to give back. Mine, at that given time
in my life; just happened to have been in the role
of personal diarist to the President. You see, I
was very much aware of my unique opportunity to not
only document American history and Presidential
History in the making -- but African American
history, as well.
I was in a position to record for future
historians, facts about African American's
contribution to the Clinton presidency that no one
will be able to erase or distort -- because I was
there, I watched this history in the making, and
more importantly, I documented it for the next
generation to see.
What a wonderful and rich piece of history that
will be for those who come after us. Students,
journalists and historians will learn of the
invaluable contributions African Americans made to
this country during the Clinton administration.
They will be amazed to learn how often African
American leaders visited the president, and sat at
the table as life-defining decisions were being
made about our world. They will be amazed to see
how the President reached out to our doers and
thinkers before making final decisions on policies
and initiatives that affected our lives.
We owe a great debt of gratitude to historians
such as Carter G. Woodson, John Hope Franklin,
David Levering Lewis - men who took their
responsibility of giving back, serious. Historians,
whose good works include documenting and recording
our experiences, and our stories so that our
children, and those that come after them will
know…as Dr. King said: Historians in the
future generations, will have to pause and say,
`there lived a great people -- a black people --
who injected new meaning and dignity into the veins
of civilization.
Without our historians, our tellers of
truths… the truths about the many years of
struggles; a person arriving on this planet for the
first time, would likely say that ours has been a
fast progress - from slavery, to running Fortune
500 Companies today. Thank god for black history
month, and thank god for black historians.
And, as I close here today: I want to challenge
each of you, in-between your studies, and
your…college life; think seriously about how
your work will honor your past, your history. You
have a great history…one we can all be proud
of. Our works should reflect that, and honor it, as
well.
I find that young men and women are so very much
brighter, smarter than my generation. I often tell
my son that he has the world at his fingertips with
the computer technology; the physical and social
obstacles now torn down. And, with this new
environment, comes new opportunities, new
challenges. These are the kinds of things that
hopefully, will embolden you, test your mettle,
affords you the opportunity to contribute in an
incredible way.
But…as you begin this exciting journey
…do not forget your responsibility, do not
forget the gifts. You may or may not want to draw
up a contract committing you to give back in a
certain way, as Miss Collin's students did -- but,
surely, you will commit in your heart -- to help
someone else, to move that gift from your shelf,
into someone else's home, someone else's heart.
The world is full of needs, and all of us have
so much -- if we just think about it -- so much
more to offer than we know. Whether you are an
introvert or an extrovert; an artist, or a
scientist at heart…you can contribute, you can
honor those who sacrificed to leave us the gift of
a better life.
Finally, I leave you with words from the
honorable Judge Jerome Farris, of Pennsylvania, as
he spoke to an audience of southern lawyers:
"If you believe in a free society, be worthy of
a free society. You don't need to quit your job and
enroll as a missionary in Africa to prove your
dedication. Stay where you are and do a better job,
be a better citizen, live a better life. Every good
person strengthens society…people of
integrity, by their very existences, rekindle the
belief in our possibilities…"
Thank you for having me, and may God bless.