I sat there day after day, drinking in the atmosphere of the place-the smell of the books, the feel of them, the easy chairs. The way of life that the library symbolized-the commitment to knowledge and the leisure to pursue it-struck a chord in me that still resonates. I wanted all this for myself and my

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

everyone outside the magic circle into the category of the presumptively unqualified.

want.

create tensions for us. Giving over that power allows others to set the agenda for what is, after all, your own life. You will always be dancing to another person's tune, called for reasons that often have very little or nothing to do with you and your needs, and everything to do with problems, issues, and concerns they may have in their own lives.

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.

Shirley's role during those years was like that of the wife of a CEO. She was a full partner in my career. Like most men of my generation, I saw providing for my family as a primary duty. I marvel at today's fathers. Even those in so-called high-powered positions often take an active role in the day-to-day operations of family life-something with w

Whether we want to or not, all blacks end up representing the entire race wherever we are, and given the racial landscape, the bad things we do are taken as more generally representative

And when I say "created for me" (and I should include my brothers Warren and Windsor in this), I mean that literally. It was as if the world had been built for the three of us, and it was just our job to make the best of it.The principal architect, general contractor, and bricklayer for the whole enterprise was my mother, Mary Belle Jorda