Reflecting on Black History Month

The importance of Black History Month

As I reflect on why Black History Month is important to me, I think about how it causes me to pause from the normal high tempo pace of my life and focus on the heritage of my race and family. It is hard to believe that I am three generations removed from a family history of sharecroppers. The process of understating where your family roots originated and observing the progress made by my immediate family is encouraging. However, the celebration also makes me realize there is much more which needs to be done to make sure every American has the opportunity to achieve the American dream.

 My personal influences

The two most influential people who have shaped my experience are John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. 

 As a young kid I remember and identified with President Kennedy’s inaugural address quote, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” I pondered that quote when I decided to attend West Point over 47 years ago. That quote influenced me to take a path which I’m glad I followed — do something for your country. My Army experience provided me the background and leadership opportunities which positively influenced my life and contributed to my success.

 I was born and raised in Alabama during the height of the Civil Rights movement, which was led by Dr. King. I have vivid memories of entering the theater through a side door and only being allowed to sit in the balcony, being stopped on the road by Ku Klux Klan members in robes, seeing signs on water fountains which indicated “whites only” and going to the back of restaurants to get food because Blacks were not allowed to go in the front doors and sit at a table. It’s hard to believe these events occurred in the America that I love and was prepared to give my life for as an Army officer. As Dr. King said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” I live by that motto and at times it causes challenges, because I speak up for what I believe is right. In the end I believe I have positively influenced success, particularly around diversity and inclusion, because I share my experience and passion to make organizations better.

  The future of Black History

As a grandfather, I have a positive outlook on our future. The innocence of youth makes me optimistic about the future. The nation has gone from electing the first African American president, to a situation where the country is more overtly polarized than I can remember. Despite these challenges, I believe our country will continue to thrive. Blacks overall have had a disproportionate, negative participation in the economic expansion of the last decade. The solution to this fact is education in the new digital economy. Therefore, I’m inspired by educators who will make a difference as role models and standard bearers of instilling a concept of excellence in all youth, particularly Black Youth. As a former professor at West Point, I understand the power of education and the bond that is established by a student-teacher relationship. 

A historic event in Black history

I previously stated that education is the key to success for our Nation. Therefore, the historic event which I consider to be most important to Black History is Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka. This U.S. Supreme Court decision ruled that state laws which supported racial segregation in public schools were unconstitutional. The separate but equal quality argument was disavowed. 

Significant influences in African American culture

Sports and entertainment have played an important role in African American history. As the first African American quarterback to start in my high school in Alabama shortly after desegregation in the early 1970’s, I can identify with Jackie Robinson, the first African American to play Major League Baseball. The common belief was that blacks were not smart enough to play quarterback (take a look at the NFL today!). During a recent interview for a story about Duke’s Coach K and me, my high school football coach was quoted saying he was criticized for starting me as a quarterback. We have come a long way where meritocracy and the quest to win rules. 

Black history and family

Family is the cornerstone of our society and is very important for Black history. In order to appreciate where you are, it is very valuable to know where you have been. All Americans should have an appreciation for Black history. We have better relationships when we have an appreciation for the struggles, accomplishments and significant experiences of our protagonists. This has been very important to me and my wife, Iris Bulls, as we have ingrained family values into our children and grandchildren.

We started by having our children spend part of each summer with my family in Alabama. This was a very important part of their development as they met family members they otherwise would not know well and saw that all neighborhoods are not gated with swimming pools and perfectly manicured yards. They also learned that vegetables are grown from the ground and that cows actually produce milk. They saw the car on blocks in the front yard and the pictures of Martin Luther King, Jr., John F. Kennedy and Jesus on the living room wall. Let’s not forget about the plastic covering the living room furniture. They also experienced sitting on the front porch and chasing lightning bugs for fun. Many of you reading this know exactly what I mean. These are foundational elements of Black life in the south for many African Americans.

These traditions were very important to help my kids develop into outstanding young men who are well grounded and are making great contributions to society in the military, (Herman Bulls, Jr.) healthcare (Nathaniel Bulls) and technology (Jonathan Bulls) arenas.

I have attended over 40 of the last 45 Army-Navy games. My wife attended all of those games with me, except five. During the last two decades we have continued that tradition with our children and our grandchildren. We look forward to continuing these traditions with our grandchildren and hopefully they will appreciate Black history and pass the lessons learned to the next generation.

This article was written in partnership with JLL’s celebration of Black History Month. See how other employees at JLL are celebrating.