As Black History Month comes to a close, we are reminded that there is much about ourselves that we still do not know. That’s why the mission of informing the world about our contributions to past events must continue.
In that vein, we are reminded of change sparked by those still living who persevere in managing the present and futures of our neighborhoods, communities, states, nation, and world.
One such man is Thomas R. Carter, a critical thinker and team leader I would like to pay tribute to today. This is just a small pronouncement that should fill a book instead of a column, for the depth of the man is deep and his reach extremely influential.
Carter, 71, grew up in Orange Mound, Tenn., a pocketed African-American community in South Memphis on land originally known as the John Deaderick Plantation. He is a graduate of Melrose High School, home of the Golden Wildcats.
When you meet Carter, you are enamored with his speech and hand motions. One thumb has two fingernails. He is highly animated. He often wears a baseball cap. His voice is deep, loud, and self-assured. He drives a truck without electric door locks or windows. He is constantly on the go but always has time for a joke when you see him in a parking lot.
Carter is the husband of his second wife, Candace, who he lovingly calls Candi. He has five adult children and several grand kids. He is an Air Force veteran, has worked on Wall Street, and was an early programmer at IBM, the only job where he said he did not experience racial discrimination.
Involved in several organizations, Carter said the now disbanded Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Support Group was a powerful force in Cobb County. He was instrumental in its dealings with the county school board.
When invited to talk to my fourth grade computer class at Garrison Mill Elementary school in the ‘90’s, Carter’s message focused on planning for success. The assignment for students was to type notes on IBM word processors while he talked. “You must have a plan,” one student typed.
Known as "TC" to friends, Carter seems to be acquainted with everyone in town, especially politicians and pseudo politicians, and claims to have been in the background helping anyone who has made it. He has the personal phone numbers of important folks throughout Georgia.
An active member of the Cobb County Democratic Committee, Carter is a former member of the Kennedy-King Democratic Party in Queens, N.Y.
He is a proponent of Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) which he adopted after mistakenly taking a class he thought dealt with computer programming. NLP is the process of sending, receiving, storing, and responding to verbal and non-verbal communication which affects behavior.
Carter recently recovered from a pre-stroke condition and vowed to cut back on community involvement because of family pleadings. Within two months, however, Carter was back to doing what he does best – problem solving - and he appears younger as a result.
Focusing on having small meetings with others, Carter outlines his agenda, even when just three are gathered, and met recently to discuss how to help Cobb Democrats gain members.
He ran for County Commissioner in 1988, securing 10,000 votes. “We must be at the decision making table,” is one of his favorite quotes. Another one is “Be careful who you trust.”
(Thomas Carter at political fundraiser with Debby and Bob Overstreet in 2008.)
Carter spends his retirement looking for work, searching for causes, playing golf as therapy, highlighting words and phrases in newspaper articles, mentoring community activists, and answering emails. “BOTH POLITICIANS AND DIAPERS NEED TO BE CHANGED OFTEN AND FOR THE SAME REASONS!” was in the text of a recent email he forwarded to friends.
One of Carter’s heroes was the late Oscar Freeman, former president of the local NAACP. In an interview for the Kennesaw State University oral history project, Carter said, “Oscar Freeman, I would walk on water for if I could.” Carter claims that his relationship to Freeman spurred his involvement in community activities.
Carter has integrity. If he says he’s going to be someplace, he shows up; if he says he’s going to do something, it gets done. Such qualities in men are hard to find.
©2011 Tomi Johnson. All rights reserved.
In that vein, we are reminded of change sparked by those still living who persevere in managing the present and futures of our neighborhoods, communities, states, nation, and world.
Carter, 71, grew up in Orange Mound, Tenn., a pocketed African-American community in South Memphis on land originally known as the John Deaderick Plantation. He is a graduate of Melrose High School, home of the Golden Wildcats.
When you meet Carter, you are enamored with his speech and hand motions. One thumb has two fingernails. He is highly animated. He often wears a baseball cap. His voice is deep, loud, and self-assured. He drives a truck without electric door locks or windows. He is constantly on the go but always has time for a joke when you see him in a parking lot.
Carter is the husband of his second wife, Candace, who he lovingly calls Candi. He has five adult children and several grand kids. He is an Air Force veteran, has worked on Wall Street, and was an early programmer at IBM, the only job where he said he did not experience racial discrimination.
Involved in several organizations, Carter said the now disbanded Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Support Group was a powerful force in Cobb County. He was instrumental in its dealings with the county school board.
When invited to talk to my fourth grade computer class at Garrison Mill Elementary school in the ‘90’s, Carter’s message focused on planning for success. The assignment for students was to type notes on IBM word processors while he talked. “You must have a plan,” one student typed.
Known as "TC" to friends, Carter seems to be acquainted with everyone in town, especially politicians and pseudo politicians, and claims to have been in the background helping anyone who has made it. He has the personal phone numbers of important folks throughout Georgia.
An active member of the Cobb County Democratic Committee, Carter is a former member of the Kennedy-King Democratic Party in Queens, N.Y.
He is a proponent of Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) which he adopted after mistakenly taking a class he thought dealt with computer programming. NLP is the process of sending, receiving, storing, and responding to verbal and non-verbal communication which affects behavior.
Carter recently recovered from a pre-stroke condition and vowed to cut back on community involvement because of family pleadings. Within two months, however, Carter was back to doing what he does best – problem solving - and he appears younger as a result.
Focusing on having small meetings with others, Carter outlines his agenda, even when just three are gathered, and met recently to discuss how to help Cobb Democrats gain members.
He ran for County Commissioner in 1988, securing 10,000 votes. “We must be at the decision making table,” is one of his favorite quotes. Another one is “Be careful who you trust.”
Carter spends his retirement looking for work, searching for causes, playing golf as therapy, highlighting words and phrases in newspaper articles, mentoring community activists, and answering emails. “BOTH POLITICIANS AND DIAPERS NEED TO BE CHANGED OFTEN AND FOR THE SAME REASONS!” was in the text of a recent email he forwarded to friends.
One of Carter’s heroes was the late Oscar Freeman, former president of the local NAACP. In an interview for the Kennesaw State University oral history project, Carter said, “Oscar Freeman, I would walk on water for if I could.” Carter claims that his relationship to Freeman spurred his involvement in community activities.
Carter has integrity. If he says he’s going to be someplace, he shows up; if he says he’s going to do something, it gets done. Such qualities in men are hard to find.
©2011 Tomi Johnson. All rights reserved.
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