On Tuesday, we / I lost a dear friend and mentor.

I met the Reverend in the late 70s as I was running a youth sports program, and his son Yusef was one of my kids. I later reconnected when I managed a bank branch at 87th and Stony Island and he came to protest, only to find I was there and he sent the protesters home.  Over the many years to follow he became a mentor and as I progressed throughout my career, he would help me navigate a world that from a corporate lens, as it wasn’t built with a poor black kid from Englewood in mind.  There were times we disagreed but there is not a single doubt that I have been afforded opportunities that only came about as a result of his tireless advocacy for all of us.

When I last saw him healthy, he gave me a picture of him and Martin Luther King Jr. that he signed, saying, “George, keep the faith.”  As I fought for 15 years in a row to convince my employer to continue to support Rainbow/PUSH, I was reminded that it really is about “keeping the faith” because, once you lose faith, you’ve got nothing else to lose.  I’ve already missed him and will continue to do so but when I start to slide sideways, I look at the picture and I straighten my back, hold my head erect and I muster the will to “keep the faith.”

My prayers go out to the family, and I’ll always cherish those times when we would connect. Rest in Peace Reverend.