The Re-inventer

Malcolm X

"Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for today."

-Malcolm X

Malcolm Little was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1925. His father, an avid civil rights activist, was murdered by white supremacists in 1931, forcing his mother to admit herself in a psychiatric ward. 

Despite the hardships in school, Little was extremely intelligent. However, his perspective changed when his teacher told him he could not become a lawyer because he was black. 

It was in prison, in 1946, where he regained his loved for learning and began devouring books . In 1952 Malcolm  dropped “Little” as his last name and replaced it with “X”. This was a tribute to his African ancestors, and in the same year, he officially joined the Nation of Islam.

X’s powerful rhetoric for blacks such as ending racism “by any means necessary” and “you don’t have a peaceful revolution, you have a turn the cheek revolution”, helped the Nation of Islam accumulate 399,600 members in eight years.

After leaving the Nation of Islam, on bitter terms in 1964, he traveled to North Africa and the Middle East to regain a since of focus and deeper self understanding.

On February 21, 1965, at the age of 39 years old, Malcolm X was shot 15 times at point blank range by three Nation of Islam members.

Throughout his life, Malcolm X was constantly reinventing himself. Like X, our students, should take note that we are not written off by our past, but creators of our future. Malcolm went from a childhood of dreams, to a young man embraced by prison, to one of the most respected and controversial voices in the civl rights movement; and finally, a man who ended his life believing all men and women in this country had a place to live together in harmony. 

Malcolm X shows our students that we can use our voice to change the world and more importantly, change ourselves!


-Rodney S. Lewis, Ed.D.

The Birth Of Black History Month

“I am ready to act, if I can find brave men to help me.” 

-Dr. Carter G. Woodson

If I could meet Dr. Carter G. Woodson, I would thank him for having the moxie to, nationally, raise our country’s awareness about the significant contributions African Americans made toward society. To a larger degree, he did not realize he would be gracefully recognized like those he admired. 

Dr. Woodson was born into slavery on December 19,1875 in West Virginia. Although he could not attend school early in his childhood due to poverty, the determined Woodson taught himself the basics until he was 17 years old.  At the age of 20, in 1895, he enrolled in high school and graduated two years later. Fourteen years after obtaining his diploma, in 1912, he became the second African American to earn his Ph.D. from Harvard University.

Once he completed his graduate studies, Dr. Woodson noticed the lack of distinguished African Americans presented in our “history books.”

Eager to change this historical account,   Dr. Woodson, in 1915, created the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, and in 1926, Dr. Carter G. Woodson launched Negro History Week as an effort to elevate our national consciousness to the notable efforts African Americans demonstrated throughout the country. 

He decided to place this celebration in February as a tribute to Abraham Lincoln (born in February 12, 1809) and Fredrick Douglass (born in February 20,1818) because of their positive and seismic influences on African Americans. 

As African Americans have shown through out history, change happens from thinking big ideas, communicating big ideas, and staying persistence with those big ideas. If our young minds understand and connect these three themes once this month is complete, our celebrations will be time well-spent.


-Rodney S. Lewis, Ed.D.

The Life and Legacy of Booker T. Washington

“There are two ways of exerting one's strength; one is pushing down, the other is pulling up.” 

-Booker T. Washington 

The legacy of Booker T. Washington inspires me. No matter how many times I read about his life or his book, Up from Slavery, I am reminded of the courage it must have taken to advocate for people, who in some cases, were not very receptive to his advocacy.  

I wonder in 1881, when the Alabama legislature approved $2,000 for a trade school for African Americans to attend, how did he feel? What’s more, I wonder how he responded when General Armstrong, a white man and his mentor, recommended the 25 year-old Washington take on the challenge of starting and leading the school from nothing?

By the time Booker T. Washington died in 1915, 33 years after he opened Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute (now Tuskegee University)-the college had accumulated over $2 million in funding, trained students in 38 trades, employed 200 faculty members, constructed 100 buildings, and enrolled 1,500 students. Booker T. brought his vision to reality. 

The complexity of his legacy is more amazing than his accomplishments. Politically, he advocated for African-Americans to play a submissive role in society and not interfere with whites, while behind the scenes, he challenged the legal system on racism and unfair practices.

I am moved because he understood the power of goal setting. During his time at Tuskegee, his mission was to help African-Americans gain financial independence through specific areas of training. 

Finally, Booker T. Washington’s passion for education is the central theme for me. His story tells us how valuable our work is to our students. Washington understood that without an adequate education, his students were servants to rigid opportunities. However, with one, our students are servants to their limitless possibilities.

-Rodney S. Lewis, Ed.D.

Leaders Of The Past: Fredrick Douglass

“If there is no struggle, then there is no progress!”
-Fredrick Douglass

As I was working on my dissertation, I came across some literature about Fredrick Douglass and was instantly intrigued. His story of slavery, writing and speaking, and his assistance in the Civil War has left a lasting impact on my thinking.

Douglass possessed the determination and persistence for greatness. As a young boy, he taught himself to read, ran away from his master by the age of 20 (that was the last time he was enslaved), and wrote three autobiographies: The Life of Fredrick Douglass, An American Slave in 1845; My Bondage, My Freedom in 1855; and the Life and Times of Fredrick Douglass in 1881.

For sixteen years, this former slave, authored a newspaper, went on a two year speaking tour in Great Britain and Ireland, delivered thousands of speeches, and was a prominent champion for ending slavery. 

His passion for racial equality was transparent once the Civil War arrived. Fredrick Douglass was one of the most influential men in the world, and that influence was noted in 1863 when President Lincoln enacted the Emancipation Proclamation which freed all slaves from the Confederate Territory. 

Douglass went on to serve on several political positions such as the president of Freedman’s Savings Bank, charge of affairs for Santo Domingo, general counsel to the Republic of Haiti, and in 1872, became the first African American to ever appear on a presidential ballot as a vice presidential nominee. 

Fredrick Douglass shows our students that our start does not predict our ending. Believing in yourself, taking advantage of all opportunities, and using your written and spoken communication can effect positive change in the world.

If our students carry these three traits, like this American legend, they can change the world as well.

-Rodney S. Lewis, Ed.D.

The Five Leadership Traits My 3-Year Old Has Taught Me

" To a father growing old nothing is dearer than a daughter. "  -Unknown

1. Focus On 1 Task 

Once Sophia, starts watching her daily episode of Doc Mc Stuffins, on Disney Junior-for 22 minutes-nothing else exist. In her mind, she could not focus on her show if she were doing something else.

2. Speak Your Truth

I remember when Crystal cooked dinner and asked Sophia if she liked it. Sophia’s response was, “No mommy, I do not like it.” If you ask her a question, she gives you an honest answer. It is as simple as that. 

3. Be Decisive  

After picking Sophia up from school, she said she wanted to go to Pizza Street, a buffet restaurant of different types of pizza. I suggested Chevys or Chic-fil-A. She sharply replied, “No, daddy! I want to go to Pizza Street.” I suggested the alternative restaurants 4-5 more times. The same response was replied back to me. We went to Pizza Street.

4. Ask Questions

“Daddy, what shape is this?” “Daddy, can I have some candy?” Daddy, are we going to school today?” “Daddy, can we play?” She does not assume anything and understands if she wants to know something, she must seek out the knowledge.

5. Use Your Imagination

I cannot tell you how many times I have turned our house into a super hero battleground between Spiderman (Sophia) and the Big Lizard (me). Spiderman always wins. She is always playful at heart with a smile on her face. 

Learning is around all of us. Sometimes, the teacher is an unlikely source. These five leadership traits stay with me during every walkthrough, parent phone call, and student interaction. What are you learning from an unlikely source?

-Rodney S. Lewis, Ed.D.

I Cannot Imagine

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge

and controversy. 

-Dr. Martin Luther King

I cannot imagine leading a national boycott at twenty-six years old. Think about it, one person was able to work with so many, to boycott the most prevalent transportation system of its time-for 382 days. That type of dedication to a specific cause is unthinkable!

I cannot imagine going to jail twenty times, being stab in the chest, having my house bombed, being attacked frequently, and having threats against my family.

I cannot imagine in eleven years, traveling nearly 600 million miles, communicating  2,500 speeches, writing five books, a dozen articles, winning the Noble Peace Prize,meeting with the president, and being named Time magazine's Person Of The Year.

I cannot imagine delivering one of the most powerful speeches in United States history, in front of 250,000 people on the Washington Monument. 

His vision for equality made it possible for my wife and me to date, marry, and start a 

family. His voice inspired hope all over the world. His value for humanity brought all walks of life together. The valleys this country experience became the spring board to the victories I experience daily. Along the same lines, it is hard to believe that a man would volunteer his well-being to make my daughter's better.

His short-lived life embodies some of the most essential character traits we want from our students: collaboration, imagination, dedication, honesty, and critical thinking. 

I cannot imagine this world without  Dr. Martin Luther King! I cannot imagine the world without his dream.

-Rodney S. Lewis, Ed.D.

Common Thread

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“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” 

-Mother Teresa 

​Every human being in this world shares one common thread. Despite who you are or what you are, we all share this same common thread. If you are lower class, upper class, or middle class-we all share this common thread. If you are a celebrity, CEO, stay at home parent or part of the working class-we all share this common thread. If you are healthy or inflicted with a disease-we all share in this common thread. This common thread can never be altered, manipulated, changed, or modified. 

Every human being from ancient to modern civilization all share this common thread. The one common thread that I am not referring to is that all people on this earth were conceived from a female. That is powerful, yet, we are not discussing that concept. This common thread, despite positions of power, share the same theme. By now, you are probably wondering what is this common thread? Every human being shares it. What is it you ask? It is simply this....we only have 24 hours a day.  
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As a college instructor, I have shared this concept with my students and I receive the same look of “That’s It!"  As I have shared with them and now with you, despite, money, fame, grades, social status or emotional status; we have only 24 hours a day to make a difference. This realization is a powerful notion. We may be born with different resources, but NO ONE is born with more or less time. Therefore, the professional athletes, celebrities, business professionals, have the same amount of time as you. They have nothing more or nothing less. From my experience, most people don’t understand the significance of this concept. Conversely, once you truly understand the common thread, then it becomes a gift and a curse.
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The gift is we should be encourage that we share the same basic element that some of our most successful counterparts share. No one is born with more thread than you. Everyday, we all start out with the same amount. We all end with the same amount. As Eric Thomas, one of the most powerful motivational speakers states, “...... the differences between Oprah and the person that is broke is how they use their 24 hours.”  Simply put, individuals are not successful because they have some magical gift; instead, they reach success because they understand the gift of time.

​The curse of the common thread is we cannot physically touch time. Time is elusive. Unlike money, you can see yourself giving the dollar away and seeing the immediate return on your purchase. Time is slightly different; you can spend one hour watching your favorite television show and you don’t physically see the time leaving your life-never to return again. It is so easy to waste time doing nothing. Before you know it, you have spent your day during meaningless activities and nothing to improve your life. America is one of the fattest nations in the world. The number one reason why people do not workout or have an active lifestyle is time. Most people use the same words to describe their reasoning for a non-active lifestyle, “I don’t have the time.”  Wait you don’t have the time? Most gyms open up no later than 5:30 a.m. and several facilities are open 24 hours. GET UP! You do not need 25 hours in a day, just use more of the 24 hours you already have.
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The common thread is the most important element to any living organism on the earth. It has been said that the average lifespan of Americans is mid 70s. In one year, you will have 8,760 hours to use for your life. Once you have reach the age of 70 years old, you will have used 613,200 hours in your lifetime. Anyone that reaches 70 years old will have the opportunity to use those same number of hours. How are you going to use your hours?



-Ron S. Lewis, Ph.D. Candidate
-Rodney S. Lewis, Ed.D.