About the Book
All young people need good role models, and black youth especially need positive and real examples beyond the famous and wealthy people they see on SportsCenter highlights and MTV Cribs. While success as a celebrity athlete or entertainer may seem like an achievable dream, the reality is that young African Americans have a much greater chance of succeeding in the professions through education and hard work—and a mentor to show them the path. Real Role Models introduces high school and college-age African Americans to twenty-three black professionals who have achieved a high level of success in their chosen fields and who tell their stories to inspire young people to pursue a professional career and do the work necessary to achieve their dreams.
Some of the individuals profiled by Joah Spearman and Louis Harrison, Jr., include Leonard Pitts, Pulitzer Prize–winning columnist for the Miami Herald; Melody Barnes, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council; Danyel Smith, editor-in-chief of Vibe; and Dr. Tim George, Chief of Pediatric Neuroscience at Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas. They and other interviewees describe their backgrounds, career paths, and desire to give back by helping others reach their goals. Representing a wide range of occupations, these real role models prove to African American youths that a whole world of successful, rewarding careers awaits them.
The Real Role Models
Rufus Cormier, JD, Partner at the Baker Botts Law Firm, Houston, Texas
Melody Barnes, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, Washington, D.C.
Eric Motley, PhD, Managing Director of the Aspen Institute's Henry Crown Fellowship Program, Aspen, Colorado
James McIntyre, Spokesman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Washington, D.C.
Tracie Hall, Assistant Dean and Librarian at Dominican University, River Forest, Illinois
Kimberlydawn Wisdom, MD, Surgeon General of the State of Michigan, Lansing, Michigan
Timothy George, MD, Chief of Pediatric Neuroscience at Dell Children's Medical Center, Austin, Texas
Victoria Holloway Barbosa, MD, Ethnic Dermatologist and Former Executive for L'Oreal, Chicago, Illinois
Bill Douglas, White House Correspondent for McClatchy Newspapers, Washington, D.C.
Leonard Pitts, Jr., Columnist for the Miami Herald, Miami, Florida
Danyel Smith, Editor of Vibe Magazine, New York, New York
Ed Stewart, Managing Director of External Communications for Delta Airlines, Atlanta, Georgia
Lynn Tyson, Vice President of Investor Relations for Dell, Austin, Texas
Willie Miles, Jr., Founder and CEO of Miles Wealth Management, Houston, Texas
Horace Allen, Founder and CEO of TeamPact, Atlanta, Georgia
Deavra Daughtry, President and CEO of Excellent Care Management, Houston, Texas
Je'Caryous Johnson, Founder and CEO of I'm Ready Productions, Houston, Texas
Steve Jones, Cofounder of a graphic design company, Oakland, California
Isiah Warner, PhD, Chemistry Professor at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Gloria Ladson-Billings, PhD, Professor of Education at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
Bernard Muir, Athletic Director at Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
Craig Littlepage, Athletic Director at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
Beverly Kearney, Women's Track Coach at the University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
Table of Contents:
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction by Louis Harrison, Jr., PhD
Part One: What They Are and Why We Need Them
Chapter 1. Why We Need Real Role Models
Chapter 2. Defining a Role Model
Chapter 3. They Are More Important than Ever
Part Two: Who They Are
Chapter 4. Moms: Our Personal Real Role Models
Chapter 5. Rufus Cormier, JD
Chapter 6. Melody Barnes
Chapter 7. Eric Motley, PhD
Chapter 8. James McIntyre
Chapter 9. Tracie Hall
Chapter 10. Civil Rights and Real Role Models
Chapter 11. Kimberlydawn Wisdom, MD
Chapter 12. Timothy George, MD
Chapter 13. Victoria Holloway Barbosa, MD
Chapter 14. Bill Douglas
Chapter 15. Leonard Pitts, Jr.
Chapter 16. Danyel Smith
Chapter 17. Are We Really "Keepin' It Real"?
Chapter 18. Ed Stewart
Chapter 19. Lynn Tyson
Chapter 20. Willie Miles, Jr.
Chapter 21. Horace Allen
Chapter 22. Deavra Daughtry
Chapter 23. Je'Caryous Johnson
Chapter 24. Do We Really Lack Real Role Models?
Chapter 25. Steve Jones
Chapter 26. Isiah Warner, PhD
Chapter 27. Gloria Ladson-Billings, PhD
Chapter 28. Bernard Muir and Craig Littlepage
Chapter 29. Beverly Kearney
Part Three: How They Do It
Chapter 30. Qualities of Real Role Models
Chapter 31. Self-Esteem Is Not Self-Taught
Chapter 32. Education: A Real Ticket to Success
Chapter 33. Being a Real Role Model
Chapter 34. Final Thoughts
About the Authors
About the Author :
LOUIS HARRISON, JR., is Associate Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in the College of Education and the Center for African and African American Studies at the University of Texas at Austin.
