In keeping with the spirit of the day I wanted to share with you a personal hero of mine.  No it’s not Jamie Fox, or any other star of Dreamgirls.  (As a practice I try not to hold celebrities in high regard.)  Of course Martin Luther King Jr. is one of my heros, as is Brother Malcolm, and Barack Obama.  Then, in a more general sense, social workers and teachers are atop on my list of people I admire.  In terms of fiction writing it’s Walter Mosley and, dare I say, Elmore Leonard.  But I’m not talking about any of them.  I’m talking about Roland G. Fryer, a black 29 year old Harvard economics professor (I know, I know - I also cringe a little when I think of the Black Harvard academic elite). 

Politics aside, his life story is inspirational and I like that his “fame” is from being educated, and passionate about his area of study, not a rapper or actor.  He’s a survivor and through commitment and hard work he avoided being one of the statistics that he studies.

I’ve been keeping tabs on his work for about two years; ever since I read a very personal article about him in The New York Times Magazine.  He’s only a little older than I am and has accomplished so much in academia in such a short time.   He kind of makes me want to do more so I can catch up!  I look forward to future research and writings by a man that will definitely help shape the future of black thought. 

Unfortunately his story and stories like his are hard to find in a world where the four horsewomen of the apocalypse (Britney, Lindsay, Paris, Nicole) reign supreme.  And where people glorifying sex and violence are often rewarded with muti-million dollar contracts.  But as always we push forward with the strength of the past providing us with hope for the future.  Happy MLK Day!