Motivate Your Team! Cheer Up A Friend! Inspire Yourself!
Motivate Your Team! Cheer Up A Friend! Inspire Yourself!
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| Wooden's Wisdom - Volume 13 | Issue 754 |
| Craig Impelman Speaking | Championship Coaches | Champion's Leadership Library Login | |
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"A HISTORY LESSON FROM COACH TONY FULLER YOU WILL LOVE." John Wooden Video Clip (59 sec.): Coach Wooden defines Alertness. During the first half of the 20th century, (1910 - 1960) Detroit Mi was among the richest, fastest-growing, and most economically powerful cities in America! Detroit became such positive and thriving place due to the "Culture" of disciplined work ethic, family structure, and sense of pride that Immigrant Europeans, and Southern Blacks brought with them when they migrated to Detroit seeking a better life for themselves and their families. This influx of new citizens brought with it amazing and diverse spectrums of thought, skill, customs, religion, food, craftsmanship, and music!
There was no thought of depending on the Government for assistance in any way. Thus, families had to stick together, and every man or woman had to develop a skill, a trade, or a talent that they could use to earn money and contribute to the family.
This fixed mindset of hard work, ownership, family, pride, and discipline by its citizens is the blueprint for what Detroit ultimately became. The unskilled laborers studied and became machinists, welders, steel workers, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, auto mechanics, and were able to earn enough income to support their families, purchase homes, and live the American dream.
They were self-reliant, proud, and happy. It was a time of unparalleled prosperity! I know because in 1958 I was born and raised in Detroit! (In fact, in 1960, Then President John F. Kennedy, recommended Detroit Michigan to the international Olympic Committee as America’s choice to host the 1968 Olympic Summer Games that ultimately went to Mexico City.)
All character traits that Booker T. Washington stressed during his many years as an educator. When I grew up in Detroit in the sixties I never heard or was exposed to victimization or being a victim in any way. I never felt underprivileged, although adults around me told me I was. The world was mine and I felt I could do and become anything. I never bought into the seduction of inadequacy, the intoxication of low expectations, nor the illusion of complacency that has come into this once great city and sadly brought her to her knees.
There are many Detroiters that have gone on to great success using the same roadmap as the immigrants and the southerners. People like Dr. Ben Carson, Henry Ford, Albert Kahn, and Lee Iacocca, to name a few, but my favorite one of all is Singer/Songwriter Smokey Robinson!
William "Smokey" Robinson is a Member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, who was born and raised in Detroit Michigan. He is known and celebrated worldwide for his talent and success as a performer, song writer, arranger, and record producer. To date, Smokey is credited with having written over 4000 songs, and given them to Motown acts such as the Miracles, the Supremes, the Temptations, Mary Wells, Marvin Gaye, and others. Many of these songs climbed the charts and became "Smash Hits" that middle aged americans (like myself) regard as "the soundtrack of our lives."
A few weeks ago, I was listening to Smokey being interviewed on the radio. He was asked the question: "How do you explain the fact that the city of Detroit had so many incredible artists, writers, singers, musicians, producers, and business professionals all in the same place at the same time? What was it? Was there something magical in the Detroit drinking water in the late 1950’s when Motown records started?"
Smokey chuckled, then answered the question. "No! There was nothing special or magical in the water of Detroit. In fact, there were thousands upon thousands of young people in every major city all across the country, in churches, schools, and on street corners, just as, and possibly more talented than the ones in Detroit, but what made Detroit different was the fact that we had a Berry Gordy Jr."
Berry Gordy Jr. was the 6th of the 8 children born to Bertha and Berry Gordy Sr. He dropped out of Detroit’s Northeastern HS after his Junior year, he then pursued a brief boxing career, and earned a GED before joining the armed forces. He would later go on to found Motown Records aka "Hitsville USA" and achieve unprecedented fame and fortune.
Smokey continued…."Berry taught us all how to be disciplined, professional, hard working, unselfish, and organized. He was so unique, because as good as he was at business and leadership, he was even better at making music! He understood song structure, telling a story, writing, harmony, and the importance of the listening public being able to identify every Motown song by hearing only the first two or three notes and/or lyrics when it came on the radio!"
As a native Detroit and Motown Records fan, I have always wondered what was the inspiration of Berry Jr.’s ability to do all the great things he did. It wasn’t until I started reading about his father Berry Gordy Sr. that I got my answer. Berry "Pops" Gordy Sr. was a disciple of Booker T. Washington. (Just as so many of us Coaches are disciples of Coach John Wooden) He was an entrepreneur, that learned from BTW, and valued ownership, economic independence, and self reliance. He lived by these principles and he taught his children to do the same. In fact one of Pops’ businesses was a grocery store called the "Booker T. Washington’ grocer on Detroit’s Eastside.
Booker T. Washington taught: economic empowerment, self reliance, the pursuit of excellence, personal accountability, vocational excellence, self help, hard work, and professionalism to name a few. These values were taken by Berry Gordy Sr. and instilled into his son Berry Gordy Jr. and in 1959 Berry Jr. borrowed $800 from the Gordy Family Savings Club. To start a record company. And, the rest is History!
So, with all that being said: I’ll be the first to say, "Without Booker T. Washington and his philosophy, Motown Records would never have come into existence!" And Detroit wouldn’t have become the crown jewel of America it was in 1960. Bring Booker back.
Coach Fuller Thank you Coach Fuller. All of America needs lots of Booker T. Inspired by Coach Fuller you have access to 42 Issues about Booker T. In our library. He is a person you will benefit from by knowing! Click here to view the Booker T. Washington Issues
"The Worst Thing You Can Do for Those You Love is to Do the Things They Could and Should Do for Themselves." – Abraham Lincoln (Mentor to Booker t. Washington and John Wooden)
Yours in Coaching, Craig Impelman
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"Life is Fine" I went down to the river, Langston Hughes (1901-1967)
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