I am a proud Fisk University graduate and getting to meet and have lunch with Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, widely regarded as one of Morehouse College’s most esteemed alumni, remains one of those memorable moments in my lifetime.
Our chance acquaintance occurred in Atlanta at an Adult Education conference held at the then new Marriot hotel. It is the site in which former World Heavy Weight Champion Muhammed Ali made his return comeback fighting Jerry Quary in Atlanta 1970. Atlanta’s elite citizens and celebrities from all over the country attended the fight and the gala gatherings it spawned, and many observed the weigh-in.
On that memorable Day, I also met Mrs. Corretta Scott King as she entered the hotel foyer, greeting and being warmly greeted by throngs of her admirers. I politely greeted her and she asked me if I was here for the fight. I explained that I was in Atlanta for the education conference hosted by the University of Chicago where I was in Graduate school. Mrs. King noted that Dr. Mays was also at the Hotel and that he too was once a grad student at the University of Chicago.
I beamed because I had only recently read his autobiography, and I was well acquainted with Dr. Mays’ personal narrative and affiliation with the University of Chicago. Mrs. King mentioned she had talked with her good friend Dr. Mays earlier that morning and he had stated he’d plan to have lunch at the New Marriot Hotel, the first hotel to possess the bubble elevators. She directed to the café and I felt such hospitality and encouragement as a young grad student. I was elated.
We talked about education at the University of Chicago and its value. I ruminated on some of the highlights in his book Born to Rebel, which I had recently read. His advice to me as we parted was that he wished me well in my studies and said “I hope you can focus on learning to listen as well as you know how to talk and present your ideas.” Advice that I try to carry with me.
Here’s a quote from a post by Black Men in Higher Education: “Dr. Benjamin E. Mays emphasized scholarship, academic rigor, and a well-trained mind as essential to the education of young Black boys. He anticipated they would pursue excellence and high academic achievement in all their endeavors without excuses or reliance on crutches. As he stated: “Whatever you do, strive to do it so well that no
