Maybe it’s a sentiment that occurs within every generation: the feeling that you aren’t ready yet to take up the life’s work of the leaders you have so long admired both near and far. When greats like William Raspberry leave this Earth it feels almost as if no one can fill that void in quite the same way. Who will speak against the grain when it’s right but unpopular? Who will remind us that every child has the capacity to be a sound and beneficial citizen with the right support? Who will speak for the “cabbie” that represents the every man with no time to be his own voice?
The reality is, as is often stated when a legend passes away, there will never be another William Raspberry. But the beauty is that his mentorship leaves the treasures of his mind behind for our generation to continue onward. This speaks directly to one of Mr. Raspberry’s most constant points of view that with the right guidance, specifically parenting, every child has a chance despite the hardest of societal pressures to succeed. When I was first introduced to Mr. Raspberry, through the Ron Brown Scholar Program, I wasn’t even aware that I was an example of his sound theory. Like many of my fellow Ron Brown Scholars, I was coming from a single parent household and a school system that struggled to meet the statewide standards. But for some reason I was standing in a room with individuals like William Raspberry on the verge of being selected for a $40,000 scholarship, a lifetime pool of mentors and a premier college education. How? Because I had a mother that knew despite all of the odds that were against me as an African American in a lower income community that her encouragement and belief in me would make all the difference. My story is not different from the other nearly 300 Ron Brown Scholars throughout the world that have benefited from Mr. Raspberry’s insight. And I like to believe that Mr. Raspberry believed in us and our Program because we were proof of his theory.
Once I did learn of his great ideologies, I needed to learn more and continued to follow his many opinion pieces through the Washington Post. His life’s trailblazing work awed me from a distance and when I and my fellow scholars had the opportunity to meet with and learn from him directly the insight was priceless. His keen ability to never waver from his stance on what is right in America whether or not his thoughts were popular or appropriately aligned with political tags was a personal trait that cannot be taught but should always be aspired towards. His mentorship through his column, speeches and conversations will be used to direct the nation’s moral code long after his passing this week.
Because Mr. Raspberry was so rich in thought and touched the lives of so, it is necessary to say thank you in words but also through action. As I know, having had an amazing mother, parenting is vital but in the last seven years after losing her to cancer, mentors have proven to be a more than necessary alternative when parenting is not available. William Raspberry served as a mentor to so many, and I hope his life encourages others to support the innate potential that all young people possess. I hope it encourages individuals to become mentors to even younger generations to share the teachings of greats like William Raspberry and encourage independent thinking in our young people. In his passing, I believe he has also passed the baton of leadership onto our generation. So as daunting as it may be to even begin to think of stepping into the shoes of the likes of William Raspberry, the reality is that we must answer the call. We are no longer the next generation; we are the generation responsible with teaching the next generation. It is time.
So in honor of Mr. Raspberry, his work, his unyielding thoughtfulness and longstanding dedication to ensuring that the United States had a voice that encouraged fairness and equity for all, I and my fellow Ron Brown Scholars will take up the charge of ensuring that mentorship is an integral part of our personal legacies.
We thank you for your life Mr. Raspberry.
Link to Washington Post version: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/therootdc/post/william-raspberry-a-mentor-even-from-afar/2012/07/18/gJQAcmdetW_blog.html
