I am the sum of many parts

I just finished Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. I was impressed by his work and research. At first I was a bit put off because I must admit that I too was a follower of that American Cult of Personality—and after speaking with many friends from many cultures realizing that the entire world had been duped— believing in the “Self-Made Man.” That unique individual who through no help from anyone else rose from the deeps of miserable poverty to achieve superstardom in whatever field he chose. Mr. Gladwell dispels this myth with extensive data collection and good old common sense. Mother Wit is the name my mother gave it.

If you’ve never heard of Horatio Alger I’m sure you've heard his
philosophy (many would now say myth) about how any any person working hard and long enough can attain great wealth in the United States. The modern Republican social platform is built around it. Mr. Alger was the writer who espoused the rags to riches story of America. He wrote over 100 books during the 19th century mostly aimed at boys and young men. “By leading exemplary lives, struggling valiantly against poverty and adversity,” Alger’s protagonists gain both wealth and honor, ultimately realizing the American Dream. Now I know for years I used to ram my head against that dream and wonder what’s wrong with me. If Oprah can start life impoverished in a one-room shack and rise to the pinnacle of running a billion dollar empire then why couldn’t I? As I read in Outliers the conventional wisdom of her fighting like a Roman gladiator to secure the legacy she now enjoys was not so much a singular event but a culmination of many milestones. Now to be honest Mr. Gladwell didn’t profile Oprah Winfrey in his book (he did profile the Beatles, Bill Gates, Joe Flom, Canadian Junior Hockey leagues, Korean Airlines, Southeast China and the peasants who work in rice paddies). I just took his formula and applied it to Oprah and indeed it worked.  Here is a quick bulleted list of the basic ingredients that goes into making a successful
person:

Opportunity
Birth
Practice/ Preparation
Intelligence
Ethnicity
Luck

Legacy
Culture
Family Support
Communications
Work Ethic
Education
Access

He says no man is built all alone; that you must practice and prepare (at least 10,000 hours to become an expert.) You’ve got to be smart. Your ethnicity can also be a powerful attribute and not just a hindrance in most cases. If your family is super upportive it will help you communicate better and therefore be more confident in going after what you want. You must have a tremendous work ethic and a good education. Now read Oprah’s biography using the above list as a filter and you will see that even she didn’t spring forth from the head of Zeus as the Oprah we’ve come to know and love.

Now after reading his book I would like to reexamine my own life and take time to reflect upon and thank all the people that helped me strive to be as successful as I am now. First I was born in a time when African-American children were being integrated into the greater society. Unlike my older cousins I grew up with diversity. My high school graduating class was the first to go through all 12 grades in an integrated school system in Winston-Salem, NC. I never felt whites were alien or foreign or less or better. They were just classmates, friends, normal people. That ease around people from all walks of life has helped me tremendously. I’ve prepared myself by writing and being creative since I was six years old making up my own stories with my G.I Joe and Planet of the Apes dolls. Being black in America has made me proud of the heritage my people have brought to the world and given me a vast stockpile of experiences to pull from.

Growing up in the South has enriched my life with the importance of honor and being a man of his word. The south was at one time racially intolerant but by confronting the evils of segregation America was made better and that helped me too. My mother put me in private art classes and took me cultural events growing up. Being a musician and an essayist herself she knew the importance of opening up the mind to divergent and sometime disparate ideas. When I was kid and asked her why there weren’t any black superheroes in my comic books she told me to create my own. I invented 77 characters: mutants, super-heroes, super-villains, aliens, demons you name it. I had many mentors all throughout school: Mr. Humphries that brought me science fiction books when I was in his 7th grade English class, Mr. Whooley and Mrs. Spaugh (two white teachers that had me switched to the more advanced literature classes after I had been put in remedial English twice by the school system even though my test scores showed a stronger aptitude), Mrs. Gerotha (G-dot G-dot) Gentry who inspired me to love everything from African folklore, Chinese proverbs to Dante’s Inferno, Dr. Peter Radcliffe whose guidance during my college years still resonates with me. My father passed his incredible willpower/ work ethic on to me. A man who was born in 1908 and had to leave school in the third grade to work on a farm but taught himself how to read and insisted on me being well educated. My mother still tells me of the days he would come home from work and implore her to help me with my homework because he could not. Recently when I saw the movie Precious the abuse and horror didn't make me cry, but when she made that first step in learning how to read I thought of my father and that made me emotional. He started working at R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in 1942 as a part-time laborer, carrying huge bales of tobacco to the auction floor to be sold. He retired 28-years later as a machine inspection supervisor for an entire department. He is the reason I am passionate about literacy.

So upon the shoulders of these people am I hoisted. Lifted and moved. Thank you all for the incalculable help and support. For the first time I feel like a success. Not because I have a private jet or drive a Maybach or wear Gucci (ok Universe I'm not saying I would turn any of that down!) but because of all the enriching experiences and people I have interacted with in life. Good luck and God bless.