You Got A Second?
Cornell Thomas
International speaker, 5X author, corporate trainer, youth speaker, workshop facilitator, and effective speaking coach.
Did I get your attention? That was completely my intention. To be honest I'm tired of all the scare tactic headlines to get people to read an article. I think this one is just asking for a few seconds of your time. (Maybe minutes unless you're a speed reader) I just wanted to talk about this picture really quickly.
This is a picture of me and four out of my five brothers, and my little niece (now 18) Tiana. We were celebrating Bobby Thomas day in Passaic New Jersey. If you know me even a little bit you're probably aware that Bobby Thomas was my father. I use the word was because my dad passed away when I was only four years old, about three decades before this picture.
My dad was a police officer, but he was a lot more than that. He was one of the first black police officers in the city of Passaic New Jersey in the year 1969, and I believe he was the only bilingual police officer on the force. (My father spoke fluent Spanish) The title of Police Officer was really only just a title when it came to my father. He had an even bigger vision, he wanted to help the youth of Passaic. So he started food and toy drives, a junior police organization consisting of just kids, and brought famous musicians to #11 park to perform for the city (FOR FREE) Acts like the Sugar Hill Gang etc.
So here we are at #11 park as they unveil Bobby Thomas Way, the street they named after my pops. I don't know when my father understood the importance of legacy, but he figured out that leaving something positive behind on your journey was more important than anything else.
So when I ask you if you have a second, I know how important each one is, so I appreciate your time my friends make the most of yours!!
Chair of Footwear for The Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design. Creative Design Officer for SoleWorks LLC.
5 年Absolutely! Bobby Thomas Way is TRULY A WAY LAW ENFORCEMENT SHOULD CONDUCT THEMSELVES. Serve and Protect. God Bless your Father and ALL your family Cornell Thomas; this story is one of legendary capacity.
VP of Business Development x 3 | Leadership, Culture & Mindset training | Chemicals | Pharma
5 年Just stunning Cornell Thomas?- so many takeaways for me from such a short insightful post.?? We are all so much more than the box that job titles give us. We all matter, far more than we realise ourselves at times.? What an amazing man your father is and was. We are all connected and hardwired to support each other.? It may not feel like it right now, but these fractures at the highest levels are the ending of an outdated, fear-based paradigm.? Yes there is a pain to come, but the end result will be far more humanity, connection and equality. Your work is so inspiring and looking forward to chatting shortly.