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My original shine or motivation to be a person of substance came from my mom and dad; both were caring people of action who used their talents wisely. Even though my mom only made it to the eighth grade, she was proficient in math and helped others do their taxes. Mom always helped other families, something that I saw as a kid and that has been reinforced in recent years by my contemporaries, explaining how she positively impacted their families.
My dad, a home-building contractor, helped train many area Black's to become highly skilled carpenters and future building contractors. I got to be in charge of grown men during my teens. He got guys to work when others could not; this was accomplished by turning the crew into a team that supported one another. I started at ten cents an hour, and by the time I finished high school, I was up to a whole dollar an hour, smiling.
Interestingly, much of what I learned from my parents came from their friends and my dad's employees. They would tell me what my parents thought of me and my siblings.
My older sister ruled the house when my parents were absent; she was controlling and, fortunately, a smart cookie. Cleanliness was definitely next to Godliness. Adults often took her advice, so you know kids respected her.
When I was about four years old, I tried to figure out ways to help Black people improve. Because my family members had equalized relationships with whites who wanted buildings constructed or did business with my aunt and uncle's businesses, I had a different race-related perspective that most of my friends did not get to have.
Honestly, I was more self-assured because of my folk's relationships with local whites. A couple of examples: When I damaged the oil pan on my 62' Chevy 2, the local Chevy dealership worked on it Easter Sunday for me to return to college. Next, When my uncle was purchasing me a new 66' GTO, he asked the owner of the Pontiac dealership, "What kind of discount are you going to give me on this thing?" He replied, "Let me think about that!" then he said, "I'm gonna give you the same discount that you will give me when I buy from you!" My uncle said, "Let me think about that!" Then Unc said, "I don't want no damned discount, as much as you buy from me!" The GTO is the only new car in my life where the listed price was paid.
While at Prairie View A&M College, I lived with my uncle and aunt. What I learned is beyond what can be explained here. My uncle, an accountant who ended up as PV's Fiscal Vice President, was a wealth of financial and otherwise advice. My aunt, an educator, was my inspiration for becoming a good writer and communicator. They were exemplary parents to their two outstanding daughters; naturally, their parenting skills rubbed off on me.
When raising my kids, I could take a combination of lessons learned
and willingness to go out of my way to nurture them to be all they could be. They both graduated from Harvard Grad School, which is icing on the cake!
William Leroy Kennedy
Former Financial Services Professional at Kennedy Group, Ltd. – Financial/Motivation
Studied Architectural Engineering at Prairie View A&M University “Giving a strong recommendation: Khan Academy for educational succe