Vernon Can Read!: A Memoir

life in general: Make the most of what you have at the moment, do the best you can when it counts, and hope and expect good outcomes from your efforts.

home ran smoothly, so I never had to concern myself with that.Then Shirley was also a wonderful hostess. Her natural warmth put everyone at ease, and I got the great benefit of that: Not only was I the head of the Urban League, but I also had a beautiful and gracious wife. From our days in Atlanta, we entertained in our home a great deal, an import

Jack's Southern honesty won me right over. Northern whites tend to be secretive about their true racial views, which can lead you astray as you think they are on your side when they really are not.

frank and honest discussion of what really matters to us, where we actually are, and where we want to go in the world. Members of the public (and I am particularly concerned about young black people) too often fall for the posturing and take it as evidence of real political commitment or, even worse, effective political action. And it is all an ill

judgment I trusted, to get their thoughts about what to do. Even when I have an idea or preference about the best course of action, I have found it useful to sound out others about any life-changing decision I might make. The advice can be accepted or rejected,but it doesn't hurt, and it often helps, to think through contingencies with other people

Angst was pointless and wasted too much energy. Our minds were very much as one in that belief.

Still, having those aspirations voiced and reiterated on a weekly basis was, for me, an integral part of the educational experience at Howard.

That was one of the problems that black institutions faced with regard to their white donors, who tended to give to the individual who was the head of the institution, not to the institution itself. That worked well as long as they liked the person in charge. If they got angry at their favorite, they would pull back their support and the black scho

Wednesday it makes me want to regurgitate. Having said that, I have two things I want to say to you. The first is that I hope you're going to decide to become my law partner. And when you do become my law partner, I hope you won't stop believing that crap you believe."