THE SUPREME END OF EDUCATION

“It seems to me that there never was a time in the history of the country when those interested in education should the more earnestly consider to what extent the mere acquiring of the ability to read and write, the mere acquisition of a knowledge of literature and science, makes men producers, lovers of labour, independent, honest, unselfish, and, above all, good. Call education by what name you please, if it fails to bring about these results among the masses, it falls short of its highest end…How I wish that from the most cultured and highly endowed university in the great North to the humblest log cabin school-house in Alabama, we could burn, as it were, into the hearts and heads of all that usefulness, that service to our brother, is the supreme end of education.” – Booker T. Washington, (1899) The Future of the American Negro

Presidential Commentary by Dr. Brian Johnson

Cornel West suggests the following about the “quantity” of educated persons in the present generation as opposed to the “quality” of the past generation in his best-selling work, (1994) Race Matters: “THERE has not been a time in the history of black people in this country when the quantity of politicians and intellectuals was so great, yet the quality of both groups has been so low…How do we account for the absence of the Frederick Douglasses, Sojourner Truths, Martin Luther King, Jrs., Malcolm Xs, and Fannie Lou Hamers in our time?” And perhaps the answer to Professor West’s rhetorical query resides in what the founding principal and president of Tuskegee (Institute) University wrote in the above passage: “…usefulness, that service to our brother, is the supreme end of education.” (Here again, Washington’s Tuskegee idea was not one based solely upon the work of one’s “hands”. Rather, the complete configuration of his conception of education-as ought be for all of education-was that of Heart (Character)-Head (Competence)-Hands (Capable). And once again, the little-discussed and deeply personal notion of the individual “heart” in modern education from which the “service” of the head and hands flow is likely why the “quality…has been so low.” The heart (character) is the seat of all an individual’s ambitions, ideas, motives and foci, and if the heart is not rooted in the idea of genuine and authentic service to mankind without respect to color, then the number of degrees, the name of the universities or the notoriety of the career matters little. And this is precisely why the “education”-not simply degree-received at Tuskegee University revolves around the university’s motto: Knowledge-Leadership-Service.

Award-winning actor, Derek Luke, will be this year’s spring Commencement speaker on Saturday May 7, 2022. The actor who is well known for his roles in Antoine Fischer, Captain America: The First Avenger, Friday Night Lights, Biker Boyz_ and Miracle at Saint Anna amongst many others will share about his Career and Calling and demonstrating excellence in Civic and Sacred Spaces. Derek’s faithful witness as he pursues passions in the movie industry will be such an instructive treat for our Spring #wpuknights graduates and our campus community. 👏🏾🙌🏾👑

“You are going to get rooms that you do not like. They will not be, perhaps, as attractive as your desire, or they will be too crowded. You are going to be given persons for roommates with whom you think it is going to be impossible to get along pleasantly, people who are not congenial to you. During the hot months your rooms are going to be too hot, and during the cold months they are going to be too cold. You are going to meet with all these difficulties in your rooms. Make up your mind that you are going to conquer them. I have often said that the students who in the early years of this school had such hard times with their rooms have succeeded grandly. Many of you now live in palaces, compared to the rooms, which those students had. I am sure that the students who attend this school find that the institution is better fitted every year to take care of them than it was the year previous.” “A Sunday Evening Talk: Some Rocks Ahead,” Booker T. Washington

Presidential Commentary by Dr. Brian Johnson  

Among the many priorities Mr. Washington had in relationship to his duties as president of Tuskegee Institute (University), fostering a relationship with his students was high among these. The Sunday evening talks were designed for students to engage the founding principal and president in less formal ways than at official gatherings such as convocations, commencements and formal student body association meetings. Moreover, he used these times to try to instill in them something of the “Tuskegee spirit.” Yet, try as one might-and in spite of the many positive aspects of the institution that are hardly ever touted-there are always areas of on-going concern for students, or “some…rocks ahead” for students within a university living-learning environment. Here, Mr. Washington addresses one of these: residential living. To be sure, this address was for Tuskegee Institute (University) students in the 19th century as opposed to the 21st century. (And it is clear that the 21st century institution has a fiscal duty to ensure the best facilities available to its students.) Notwithstanding, there are simply some matters in residential living that are common to all persons living within a university environment that are entirely unavoidable, and a student must simply “conquer them.” First, the room may not be as “attractive as you desire.” The living-learning environment is by no means the culmination of one’s career. It is a stop en route to a glorious career path that has as its ultimate destination a home purchase consistent with one’s desires and affordability. (This is often dependent upon your academic success as a student.) Second, “roommates” may not be “congenial.” Everyone recalls meeting strangers for the first time and though the initial meeting was uncomfortable, these strangers became life-long friends. (Many of our best, life-long friends are cultivated in the college and university living-learning environment, and had we not endured, we would have missed a valuable relationship that might be instrumental in our future successes.) Third, heating and air challenges are often the case even with respect to one roommate preferring it cold while the other hot. (Universities do their very best to address these situations upon proper reporting to the designated resident advisor, residential hall director, facilities director and Vice President for Student Success and Engagement. It is not the university president who one contacts for these matters until the lines of authority are exhausted.) Lastly, a balanced perspective recognizes that “many of you now live in palaces, compared to the rooms which [previous generations of] students had” and for most universities, “the students who attend this school find that the institution is better fitted every year to take care of them than it was the year previous.” While the “struggle” of residential living within a university environment is oft-times a real and verifiable one, students would do well to remember the following adage: “Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off the goal.” And the goal is the successful completion of a baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate degree-preferably a University baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate degree. And ultimately a career coupled with a calling fulling a great purpose: Careers fill Pockets; Calling fulfill People and Careers coupled with Calling fulfill great Purposes.

“If I am not mistaken, your views and those of my friend, Mr. Washington, are diametrically opposed, or at least in that you feel that his program in all particulars is not in harmony with the modern spirit.”-“Letter to W.E.B. Du Bois,” Richard Lloyd Jones, Editor, _Collier’s Weekly_ January 7, 1904

“I have been thinking over the invitation you gave in your letter to me to send you my ‘editorial thought.’ Have you ever thought of this: the color line is belting the world today; about it world interests are centering. Would it not be an interesting experiment to start in Collier’s a column-or half a column-called ‘Along the Color Line’ or the Voice of the Darker Millions’ and put therein from week to week or month to month note & comment on the darker races in America, Africa, Asia & c., from the standpoint of the serious student & observer-the spirit of it being informing & interpretive rather than controversial. Would it pay? Would the public stand it? I think I could edit such a column.”-“Letter to Richard Lloyd Jones,” W.E.B. Du Bois, January 30, 1904

W.E.B. Du Bois’s proposition to periodically “inform” white audiences who, at the time, were the primary readers of _Collier’s Weekly_ about African American social problems and “interpret” the “darker races” for them not only allowed him to avoid problems along the racial divide that explicitly incriminated white Americans; it also revealed his handling of white periodical editors to support reform ideals very similar to those introduced in “The Conservation of Races,” which was written during his tenure within the American Negro Academy. (Along with Alexander Crummell, Du Bois founded the academy to inspire reform ideals within the African American community while simultaneously fighting against vicious onslaughts attacking it.)

Similar handling would also lead to significant leadership roles in the Niagara Movement in 1905 and the NAACP in 1909. Besides Collier’s Jones, many progressive and religious white periodical editors were intrigued by a Harvard-trained African American scholarly figure like Du Bois who sought to “solve the Negro problem” in a manner quite unlike Booker T. Washington, the most well-known African American social leader during the period. After Washington’s infamous 1895 Exposition address in Atlanta, which led to his far more infamous Tuskegee policies emphasizing industrial training, Washington became the enemy of a fiery-but institutionally impotent-class of educated and socially progressive African Americans that included Du Bois. Until Du Bois’s periodical writings appeared in major white periodicals between 1897 and 1910, this group was largely silenced due to Washington’s enormous influence among white institutions, including national white periodicals.

As the first socially progressive African American with a Harvard Ph.D., Du Bois was the most successful spokesman among his educated (though to a lesser degree) African American peers. His success as spokesman, along with his belief that an advanced education was essential to real reform, garnered great interest in his writings from sympathetic white periodical editors.

“I suppose you’d like to be a Crow and fly over the world and see just everything as I,-and maybe I wouldn’t like to be a dear Brownie!-but since Crows must be Crows and Folks must be Folks, I’ll try to tell you about some things I’ve seen on my flight over the seas!”-William Edward Burghardt Du Bois, _Crisis Magazine_ (July 1920)

While W.E.B. Du Bois’s own descriptions of the crow’s travels through “many and varied nests” appear to explain his idealistic search for a centralized place for his unique and innovative concerns as a scholar, the crow’s prophetic symbolism in relation to the periodical is far more enigmatic.

As an embodiment of Du Bois himself, the black crow bore a conspicuous resemblance to that of an Old Testament seer or prophet with only one distinction: a biblical seer or prophet possessed a providential mandate for his oracles and writings, whereas Du Bois’s authority-manifested most profoundly in periodical and utilitarian writing-proceeded from his standing as the first Harvard- and Berlin-trained African American sociologist.

Du Bois addressed African American social maladies using truths derived from sociological investigations in the African American community, which heretofore had never been attempted by an African American. He also possessed the unique advantage of being the most qualified African American to pursue African American social questions from an academic standpoint, and, among qualified sociologists, Du Bois was among the few whose work was wholly devoted to African American social problems for reform purposes.

The black crow embodied in Du Bois’s founding of _Crisis Magazine: A Periodical of the Darker Races_ in 1910 as an arm of the NAACP; with it Du Bois marshaled the periodical’s unique ability to tersely disperse his enormous academic breadth of knowledge for reform and uplift purposes for the national African American and the larger global black communities. By situating the “black” crow “high above,” “looking downward with sharp eyes,” and dropping “bits of news” to the ordinary “folks,” Du Bois was able to metaphorically describe his uniqueness as an African American scholar relaying pertinent historical and contemporary knowledge for the purposes of reforming African Americans.

Although the imagery surrounding the crow remains cryptic, it is certain that Du Bois was prescient enough to to know that the figure of the crow would personify an African American with unparalleled possibilities in the realm of utilitarian periodical writing that few could ignore, including major white editors and their national white audience.

From such progressive, liberal and religious platforms, Du Bois could finally be seen and finally disseminate what he saw in a manner that he could not through the many academic and scholarly works that many non-academics would never encounter. His most famous work, (1903) _The Souls of Black Folk_ contained 9 of the book’s 14 essays that were first published via periodical publication.

Finding alternative means for communicating to the masses information gleaned from many long years of study and research makes W.E.B. Du Bois a progenitor for modern-day social media pundits. One need only imagine how W.E.B. Du Bois might have utilized social media for the purposes of communicating his research.

Isa 49:2

2 And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;

KJV

It should come as no surprise when God finally reveals to others those servants who He intends to use for His purposes; besides, what brilliant military strategist (or even CHESS strategist) allows his opponent to see the instrument that will ultimately prove to be their undoing? Consider Moses. Would the Egyptians have trained Moses in all their art and skill if they knew that he would be the Hebrews’ hoped-for deliverer? Consider Paul. Would Gamaliel and his contemporaries have trained Paul if they knew that he would be the communicator of some strange new doctrine? In many ways, two longstanding, revered institutions unwittingly assisted God in hiding, shaping, crafting and training men that would be later used for His purposes. Therefore, wonder and care not for the apparent obscurity of your present circumstances:

[…Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?] Esther 4:14

Deut 7:7

7 The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:

KJV

In Paul’s letter to the Romans he reminded the brethren: “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.” And the reminder is one that we would all do well to remember. For the state that we were in when our Lord sought us out and found us was not one of position, status, rank, stature, fortune or spiritual strength; rather we were altogether weak and in need. Consider King Saul. He was from the smallest of the tribes of Israel—the Benjamites, and was not thought to be worthy of being named as Israel’s first king; Yet when he became king and was in need he relied more upon the title he obtained rather than returning to the state he was in prior to receiving the title of king. Samuel reminded the king of this when remarked: “When thou was little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?” What Saul failed to remember is one of the most recurring ideas found in scripture: With God, His strengths are most present in our weaknesses:

[And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.] 2 Corinthians 12:9 KJV

“The more we talked with the students who were then coming to us from several parts of the state, the more we found that the chief ambition among a large proportion of them was to get an education so that they would not have to work any longer with their hands. This is illustrated by a story told of a coloured man in Alabama, who, one hot day in July, while he was at work in a cotton field, suddenly stopped, and, looking toward the skies, said: ‘O Lawd, de cotton am so grassy, de work am so hard, and the sun am so hot dat I b’lieve dis darky am called to preach!” – Booker T. Washington “Up From Slavery” (1901)

Presidential Commentary by Dr. Brian Johnson 

In hindsight, it would be all too easy to take issue with Mr. Washington’s late 19th and early 20th century preoccupation with working “with the hands,” or his use of dialect to illustrate a noteworthy principle; however, if we were to suspend judgment we might find an important ideal revolving around notions of “calling,” “vocation,” and the requisite work required for success within a designated “field.” Though stated broadly and not ascribed to the entirety of the ministerial profession, Mr. Washington’s statement that some students elected not to continue working “with their hands”-opting instead to pursue ministry-has profound reverberations for the present.

To be sure, many students laudably elected to change their pursuit of one profession to another for a variety of reasons-including seeking congruence with their latent talent, skills and desires. All the same, there are many instances where a student may have not simply had the wherewithal to continue his or her labors due to the proverbial “price of the ticket.” And this is clearly Mr. Washington’s concern in this passage. One simply cannot expect to achieve enduring success in any endeavor or profession without first putting in the requisite work that is often designed to harden and prepare for subsequent experiences in the profession. For demonstrating a proven ability to overcome difficult circumstances-and preferably more than one-is infinitely more impactful than merely communicating the stories of others who have overcome.

“I have great faith in the power and influence of facts.” – Booker T. Washington, _Up From Slavery_(1901)

Presidential Commentary by Dr. Brian Johnson 

Men and women who possess leadership responsibilities beyond their own persons would be hard pressed to find any better ally or supporter than facts. And men and women of the ilk of Booker T. Washington, founding principal and president of Tuskegee (Institute) University, marshaled both favorable or unfavorable facts to similar ends. It is simply not true that one should keep one’s eyes open to favorable facts while closing one’s eyes to unfavorable facts. Mr. Washington’s penchant for earnestness, frankness and directness in his communications to donors and external constituencies always commingled both favorable and unfavorable facts. As to favorable facts, one ought always communicate what the organization does well in a clear, documentable and evidentiary fashion. (An outcomes-oriented organization need not rely upon fables when facts are present.) On the other hand, communicating unfavorable facts is equally important. Whether one concedes it or not, everyone knows when something “is not right.” A plain statement and admission of an organization’s current environment is one of the clearest telltale signs of organizational integrity. (Hear again, “integrity” is the single greatest 9-letter word.) For Mr. Washington did not merely state that all things were always favorable. (Why would anyone seek outside help if all things, as they currently exist, are favorable? Any petition for aid immediately pronounces the opposite. For no one asks for help when there is no need for it.) Instead, he oft-times made a plain statement of the organization’s current environment while positively projecting its target environment. In this regard all successful outside entities have empathy towards such an organization because a right understanding of one’s current environment with a view towards its target environment necessitates a commingling of both facts that are favorable and unfavorable.

Rev 3:8

8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

KJV

The very best open doors of opportunity are those open doors that have been set before us by God. While there are many doors of opportunity that lie open before us each and every day, we would do well to discern whether the door has been opened by the Lord. Consider Jael and Sisera. As Sisera fled from Barak, Jael invited Sisera into her tent and offered him milk and butter in a royal dish. And when he became weary and went fast asleep, she smote a nail into his temples. Although Jael offered Sisera safe entryway into her tent and was supposed to stand guard at the door to decieve would-be pursuers, ultimately, Jael proved to be the person that would take Sisera’s life. While Sisera was already in opposition to God, the principle taken from his entry into an open door remains the same: Unlike Jael, when the Lord promises you entry into a door, He will also ensure your safety while within.

[For when ye go over Jordan, and dwell in the land which the LORD your God giveth you to inherit, and when he giveth you rest from all your enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety; Then there shall be a place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there;] Deuteronomy 12:10-11

Jude 22-23

22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:

23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

KJV

Among believers and unbelievers alike there are found two general classes of people who walk contrary to principles found in scripture–those who do so ignorantly, not understanding the doctrine aright, and those who do so willfully and intentionally by providing some rational justification for their actions. And here Jude provides two separate prescriptions for such classes: For the first class, enduring (non-judgmental) compassion and love is what may invite such persons to consider their lives in light of the wisdom of such principles, doing so “in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves.” For the second class, the expression “save with fear” suggests that such believers or unbelievers must be communicated with uncompromising truth. (Though much in contemporary American society resists such communication, this ought not be the case.) For there are a great many people whose lives will be spent in utter misery owing to our failure and fear to speak plainly both pleasant and unpleasant truth. Such communication will often prove to be what “pull[s] them out of the fire,” for though they reject and ignore such words, such a communication will forever be lodged within their conscience, and with this very awareness they will be reminded one day. Still further, such a communication ought be done so with deep and abiding love for the person, yet not for the “garment spotted by the flesh.” For one’s garment whether clean or unclean, typifies the righteousness and unrighteousness of one’s works throughout scripture, and in the case of both unbelievers and (faltering believers) we can only stand before God clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ:

[Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.] KJV Revelation 19:7-8

“ONE of the first questions that I had to answer for myself after beginning my work at Tuskegee was how I was to deal with public opinion on the race question.It may seem strange that a man who had started out with the humble purpose of establishing a little Negro industrial school in a small Southern country town should find himself, to any great extent, either helped or hindered in his work by what the general public was thinking and saying about any of the large social or educational problems of the day. But such was the case at that time in Alabama; and so it was that I had not gone very far in my work before I found myself trying to formulate clear and definite answers to some very fundamental questions.” – Booker T. Washington, My Larger Education(1911)

Presidential Commentary by Dr. Brian Johnson 

As a prelude to the second chapter, “Building A School Around A Problem,” contained within his book, My Larger Education (1911), the founding principal and president of Tuskegee (Institute) University discussed his need to not only build a school but to do so “around a problem.” And like similar undertakings when starting something anew, it was never a question of Booker T. Washington’s professional preparation, training or skill set; nor was it ever a question of his personal “integrity” and “knowledge”. Rather, Mr. Washington found himself consumed with the “problems” of race that persons were more concerned with than the work of “building a school” designed to partly address these matters. And Mr. Washington makes it crystal clear how he would proceed to begin grappling with matters beyond the strict performance of his duties associated with being principal and president of Tuskegee: “ONE of the first questions that I had to answer for myself…”

Note, no one was qualified nor experienced enough to assist the 25-year-old Booker newly arrived in Tuskegee, Alabama (Macon, County) in 1881, where the idea of starting an institution would be entirely foreign to a group of newly emancipated enslaved men and women who possessed no literacy nor life experiences beyond the rural locale. (He would also have to learn to communicate with former slave owners who had never encountered a gifted, visionary educational leader who could read, write and think beyond what they had probably expected.) To be sure, advisors similar to General Samuel Armstrong, founding principal and president of Hampton Institute (University) could certainly provide guidance on the actual work he was doing and on these matters in general; but on the day-to-day matters of living, learning and leading in Tuskegee, Alabama, this young founder had to find out “for myself.”

And what is crystal clear is that he not only did so but he did so in exceedingly, demonstrative and effective ways for everyone to see in both Tuskegee and throughout the world for over 34 years at the helm of Tuskegee. Here again, this is why we celebrate his “vision”, his abilities as a “leader” and his extraordinary-not ordinary-“genius” in the centennial year (1915-2015) since his passing. And in this writer’s opinion, “vision,” “leader” and “genius” are the greatest 6-letter words in succession.

2 Samuel 3:1

1 Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David: but

David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and

KJV

Whosoever believes that strength, wealth, wisdom, maturity, resources and a host of other desirable attainments is an overnight process (absent from struggle) possesses hopes, dreams and ambitions that the men of God of old did not experience: For these men often “waxed stronger and stronger” while contending for a long time; And perhaps there is no better example of this than that of King David. While one could begin easily enough with Saul’s pursuit of David in his youth, even when David would be king at Hebron (over the house of Judah) at age 30, he would not be king over all Isreal until age 37 (after reigning for 7 years and 6 months over Judah). Though Saul had been dead for some time, David would still need to contend with Saul’s house until God would bring about what was promised. And while David contended, fought and struggled, God was causing him to wax stronger and stronger, while his enemies waxed weaker and weaker:

[And the LORD thy God will put out those nations before thee by little and little: thou mayest not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee.] KJV Deut. 7:22

‘Ever since the beginning of this school, we have made it a point to try to secure teachers who would be willing to work wherever and whenever duty called, and in this respect I feel that we have been unusually successful. This school is supported almost wholly by people who make sacrifices of personal conveniences in order that they may give to us, and I cannot feel that it is right to allow a teacher to refuse, without adequate reasons to give a small sacrifice of her time to work that has the good of the girls in view, while at the same time our Northern friends and others are doing all they can to support the school in the belief that each teacher is willing to perform her duty in the same spirit that they give the money. We have a large number of girls whose mothers have entrusted them to our care [and it] seems to me that you should count it a privilege to go into their rooms once in a while and get acquainted with them and help them in a way that will impress them all through their lives. Such work should not be counted a task.” “February 9, 1895,” – Booker T. Washington

Presidential Commentary by Dr. Brian Johnson 

No single individual can ever be fully and thoroughly compensated at the level he or she deserves especially for all the good that one is able to do for students when working in an institution of higher learning. From attending events that celebrate student success in the classroom to cheering students on as they represent the institution’s proud brand and heritage in extracurricular activities, there is not a price that can be put on these interactions. And this was precisely Mr. Washington’s point in his communiqué to one of his teachers at Tuskegee Institute (University). Non-profit work, which includes higher education, is indeed a revenue-generating endeavor, but revenue and high salaries are not the principal reasons for the existence of such organizations. The mission of non-profit organizations like Tuskegee University serves humanity in a number of ways, and the work of the university is to provide an education both inside and outside the classroom to equip a student for future employment and life-long living and learning. This is why it is generally “count[ed] a privilege to go into their rooms once in a while and get acquainted with them and help them in a way that will impress them all through their lives. Such work should not be counted a task.” For the man or woman who helps a single student on his or her pathway to full adulthood during such an impressionable period will be rewarded with something greater than mere money. This man or woman will be rewarded with the sense of knowing that his or her work has impacted not only the future of a single student but the lives of many others who will also become impacted through the single life of a single student.

2 Cor 10:1-2

10:1 Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:

2 But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.

KJV

Many who are described as introverted, timid, fearful or unlearned simply because they are deferring, self-effacing, meek and quiet in the presence of others are often a strong reservoir of inner strength, discipline, counsel and wisdom, which for our sakes and their own, makes it necessary for them to operate in deep humility. Otherwise, such men and women would be considered arrogant, attention seeking or self-aggrandizing if their deep giftings were fully on display when they seek to serve. Among the many wonderful revelations of God that Paul shares with his readers in his letters to the Corinthians was the disposition and personality of God’s ministers when communicating the mysteries of the gospel with those who would hear. For these men and women knew that to bring attention to anyone but the one to whom all glory is due would be indeed be as those “walked according to the flesh” and gloried in themselves. Still further, such men and women, as sincere ministers of God, declare similar to Paul in their service to God and others: “I seek not yours but you.”

[But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.] 2 Corinthians 4:7 (KJV 1900)

2 Chron 29:34

34 But the priests were too few, so that they could not flay all the burnt offerings: wherefore their brethren the Levites did help them, till the work was ended, and until the other priests had sanctified themselves: for the Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests.

KJV

Although there have always been ebbs and tides in the quality of the priesthood in the history of Israel and Judah, God has always left a remnant in the midst of His people who would remain upright in heart. While God has often used prophets, judges and even civil servants for such a task, in this instance, it was the Levites who were found faithful due to their willingness to remain faithful to God. Although all priests were apart of the Levitical order, all Levites were not priests; these performed a variety of services (such as singers, scribes, judges etc.) throughout the sanctuary and among the people. And this parallel resembles the body of Christ today. For while some men are full time stewards in the house of God, other members serve in helps ministries as well as fulfilling their own vocational calling in their respective careers and callings in the civic sphere. Yet, most importantly, we find here that God was no respecter of persons in describing the Levites as more upright in heart than the priests; He regarded not the titles of the men who served Him but their hearts.

“For the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”- 1 Samuel 16:7

“I said I would take living men and women for my study, and I would give the closest attention possible to everything that was going on in the world about me […] I said to myself that I would try to learn something from every man I met; make him my text-book, read him, study him and learn something from him. So I began deliberately to try to learn from men. I learned something from big men and something from little men, from the man with prejudice and the man without prejudice. As I studied and understood them, I found that I began to like men better; even those who treated me badly did not cause me to lose my temper or patience, as soon as I found that I could learn something from them.” – Booker T. Washington, My Larger Education (1911)

Presidential Commentary by Dr. Brian Johnson 

Of his many writings demonstrating the magnanimity of Tuskegee Institute’s (University) founding principal and president, this sits on top: The most learned men and women are those who continue to learn, and there is no greater “text-book” to learn from than the lives of men and women. And Mr. Washington not only learned from great men and women-those who have achieved fame deservedly or not-but he learned “from big men and something from little men.” He even learned from his enemies. Any man or woman “with prejudice” is an enemy to humanity because this person has predetermined expectations of what a person within a racial, ethnic, socio-economic, religious or organizational group is capable of without regard to examining the merit and makeup of the singular individual. Even in this, Mr. Washington was able to “learn something from them.” When one learns about people, you learn about yourself. And this understanding leads to one of the most important facets in leadership and service to others: All people understand and show favor to one who recognizes that his or her condition is very much like everyone else’s.

2 Cor 12:14

14 Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.

KJV

Whosoever lies awaiting for the day when their children (or those within their charge) become so increased that they will repay them with material possessions for the services of rearing them, grossly misunderstands what the apostle suggests here about parental responsibilities: “For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.” To be clear, expressions of appreciation, gifts, honor, money and service ought not be neglected in giving honor to those who have labored in rearing the lives of future men and women (natural and spiritual). Yet and still, the belief that children owe (as debt) some measurable, material return to them who the Lord has charged with the responsibility to care for, nurture, make provision for, teach and train for their own lives and future families is not consistent with God’s expectations. For such a responsibility (though perhaps lessened in degrees as children take their place as mature men and women, naturally and spiritually) is never rescinded in the eyes of God. For much like God the Father, when one seeks the welfare of sons and daughters, it is forever, because their attitudes are that we desire, “not yours, but you.”

[A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children.] Proverbs 13:22

“To [George Augustus Gates]…If you take the position of President of Fisk, and later on you feel that I can be of real service as a trustee, I shall be willing to think favorably in that direction. I do not think well to act, however, in the matter now. Serving as a trustee of Fisk will not take so much of my time as in the case of the other institutions for the reason that I am already pretty well acquainted with the Fisk plant and also with the methods and policy of the institution, and I take for granted that a large part of the meeting will be held in New York. As I stated to you in my verbal conversation, in case you take the position, in my humble way I will stand back of you and support you in every way possible, and Dr. Frissell I am sure will do for the same thing. Both of us feel that there ought to be at least one strong central institution in the South for the higher education of the Negro, and that all things considered, Fisk is by far the best institution to be strengthened and supported in a way as to make it serve this purpose. Yours very truly.” 

– Booker T. Washington, “October 7, 1909”

Presidential Commentary by Dr. Brian Johnson 

Booker T. Washington, founding principal and president of Tuskegee (Institute) University, had not only ascended to the posts of both professor and president in his long and stellar academic career, but had also served as board of trustees member. (Among other institutions, he had served on the board of trustees at Howard University during the tenure of President Wilbur Patterson Thirkield.) All the same, Mr. Washington had not only been routinely and regularly approached to assume presidential posts at other institutions, requested to speak at other institutions and selected for awards and honors at other institutions, he was often conferred with to take on posts of “stewardship” in the capacity of a board of trustee member. President George Augusta Gates, who would eventually be named as president of Fisk University, was ultimately successful in securing the services of Booker T. Washington as a trustee member. (This would be the modern-day equivalent of securing the appointment of one of the most well-placed, wealthiest and most influential African Americans in the world.) Unsurprisingly, Booker T. Washington’s appointment to Fisk’s board of trustees during the Gates administration coincided with Fisk’s eventual $1M endowment, which was reached in 1920. To be clear, Fisk University was preeminent before Washington’s arrival to its board of trustees for it had produced stellar alumni-perhaps none so well regarded as W.E.B. Du Bois as well as his wife Margaret Murray Washington. Nevertheless, as he had done with respect to all of his professional achievements as a professor and president, a man of “integrity” and “knowledge”–the first and second greatest 9-letter words–the man Booker would not sit idly by in his capacity as a Fisk board of trustees member and not utilize his “influence,” the third greatest 9-letter word, to help make a great institution become still greater. And his able and “influential” service in the capacity of a board of trustee member is yet one of the many proud reasons why Tuskegee University celebrates in this the centennial year since his passing (1915-2015), Booker T. Washington-a man who did not just write words worth reading but lived a life full of works worth reading.

“I have been a slave once in my life-a slave in body. But I long since resolved that no inducement and no influence would ever make me a slave in soul, in my love for humanity, and in my search for truth.” – Booker T. Washington, (1907) The Negro in the South

Presidential Commentary by Dr. Brian Johnson 

In a little-known, yet most noteworthy moment in the history of both American and African American literary history, Booker T. Washington jointly published the book _The Negro In the South (1907)_ . It contains 2 essays from himself and 2 other essays from none other than W.E.B. Du Bois. (And this was not their first co-publication. This would be the second book containing these two stalwarts in American and African American educational and intellectual history.) All the same, in the first of Mr. Washington’s two essays, he makes the distinction between being a “slave in body” versus being a “slave in soul.” Note the following concerning the remarks of the founding principal and president of Tuskegee (Institute) University: He made a strategic, calculated set of decisions to ensure that his outward circumstance would not determine his future circumstances. (And these decisions revolved around a “love for humanity” and a “search for truth”, which will always place the “lover” and “seeker” of such beyond the pale of those whose pursuits are self-interested, selfish and slavishly fearful.) First, a lover of humanity is unafraid to come to learn to love others because he or she has first come to love himself. One can hardly come to love others if one does not possess a deep love for one’s self, and this includes learning to love both the learned and the ignorant. For a man or woman who ascended to leadership, as Mr. Washington had done, not only encountered both but had been both during his long ascent ‘Up From Slavery’. Second, the seeker of truth seeks after that which is right without regard to where this truth leads. Leo Tolstoy eloquently suggests the following about such a principle: “If you wish to know the truth, first of all free yourself from all considerations of self-interest.” Whether the truth Mr. Washington discovered was for the benefit or detriment to himself or not-“integrity” is the single greatest 9-letter word-this pursuit is without question what leads to 34 years of ongoing, consistent and enduring success for Tuskegee (Institute) University. For unbroken, undivided and unwavering consistency and wholeness is perhaps the closest description of both “truth” and Mr. Washington’s presidency that has served and will continue to serve generations of “humanity.” And this is why we celebrate his accomplishments in this the centennial year of his passing (1915-2015).

Ps 119:52

52 I remembered thy judgments of old, O LORD; and have comforted myself.

KJV

One way to have a glimpse into what God is doing now in our individual, national and global affairs is to carefully consider what He has already done in the affairs of individuals, nations and generations who have gone before us. And there is no better record of God’s activities among men than to consider the judgments of old found in Holy scripture. To be sure, having a glimpse does not amount to absolute certainly about God’s present plans and purposes (for such omniscience belongs solely to God), however it does confirm what God declares about himself, “I am the LORD, I change not.”

This is what the psalmist is comforted by when He remembers these judgments. By considering the many fulfilments of God’s holy promises–regarding obedience and even disobedience–it has the effect of both assuring and comforting us about the integrity and endurance of God’s Word, particularly when we align ourselves with those things that pleased Him in times past; For what pleased Him or displeased Him in times past is what pleases Him and displeases Him now:

[Therefore remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth. There has not failed one word of all his good promise.] KJV 1 Chronicles 16:12

Brian Johnson, Ph.D.

1 Kings 15:14

14 But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa’s heart was perfect with the LORD all his days.

KJV

It would be a mistake to assume that a perfect heart amounts to a sinless life resulting in wholly perfect actions even as our Lord. Consider King David. Although he committed adultery with Bathsheba, plotted the killing of her husband, disobeyed God by numbering his forces and had countless difficulties when rearing his children, scripture describes him as a man “after God’s own heart.” And no less was the case with his great-great grandson Asa. Asa, who began his reign with a series of reforms and great victories, concluded his life with a refusal to seek God’s assistance for his own health or in battle. Yet, in spite of this, scripture records that his “heart was perfect with the LORD all his days.” The notion of a perfect heart speaks to those motives that fuel actions. While one may indeed accomplish wonderful things for God, God will only be concerned with the motives by which these things were accomplished. On the other hand, one may fail to accomplish something that brings glory to God, but God will be principally concerned with what were the motives of the heart:

[For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.] KJV 2 Chronicles 16:9

“The title is the shadow; what you say [and do] is the substance.” – “Substance vs. Shadow: A Sunday Evening Talk” – Booker T. Washington

Presidential Commentary by Dr. Brian Johnson 

Shortly after beginning his presidency, Booker T. Washington began a series of “Sunday Evening Talks” to students and teachers. When compiling these in a book for compilation in 1901, he wrote in his preface: “These addresses were always delivered in a conversational tone and much in the same manner that I would speak to my own children around my fireside.” Unlike a well-prepared lecture or speech that any might be able to prepare, Mr. Washington allowed his hearers to engage him directly in a “conversational” manner to learn who he was as opposed to who he appeared to be. And few other quotations excerpted from one of these talks demonstrate that he was a man of purpose, not pretension, than the one found here: “The title is the shadow; what you say [and do] is the substance.” It would have been all too easy for Mr. Washington to rely upon his fame and renown to fully justify his not appearing before students in such an informal manner. (For he gave speeches across the nation, wrote books read 100 years since his passing and was the force behind what came to be regarded as the “Tuskegee Machine.”) Rather-as a man of both words and works indeed-Mr. Washington wanted to fully demonstrate that he was a tangible person whose life embodied what he proverbially preached. He did not simply possess a title, which permitted him to perpetually parade in pomp and circumstance because of it. His work and achievements could be readily deduced and substantively emulated and followed by those he led. In sum, he was the real thing-not the “shadow” but the “substance.” And in hindsight these Sunday evening talks is what likely leant even more power to his reputation. For Mr. Washington would have them to understand that he was no pretender but a man of purpose. And in the end, it was the person of Washington that men and women of Tuskegee could follow, not the position of Washington-the principal and president of Tuskegee Institute (University).

1 Cor 15:10

10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

KJV

If a believer in God through our Jesus Christ has no other reason not to glory in individual triumphs, the apostle Paul provides an important one: “Yet not I but the grace of God which was with me.” To an uninformed observer, such as the noble Festus, many of Paul’s assertions bespeaks of a man who was irrational (or even mad) because he gives glory to another divine force which governs his thoughts, ideals and actions. Paul does so repeatedly throughout the New Testament, for instance, when he remarks, “I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives within me.” Nevertheless, in spite of what appears to be some mad communicator of some strange new doctrine, we find in Paul’s communications a complete dependence and utter reliance upon the grace of God found in Christ Jesus our Lord. For grace is something much more than unmerited favor that every believer receives upon coming to know our Lord. Grace is a tangible, profitable endowment and gifting that enables us to live holily, walk worthy of the unique vocation we are called to fulfill and to accomplish whatever task that God has assigned to us:

[And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.] 2 Corinthians 9:8

“I resolved at once to go to that school, although I had no idea where it was, or how many miles away, or how I was going to reach it; I remembered only that I was on fire constantly with one ambition, and that was to go to Hampton. This thought was with me day and night.”  – Booker T. Washington. Up from Slavery (1901)

Presidential Commentary by Dr. Brian Johnson 

“Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off the goal,” is a maxim that has survived several revisions, and though it has been attributed to several historic personages, Booker T. Washington’s autobiography is a fine representation of this idea. One need not be reminded that the founding principal and president of Tuskegee (Institute) University was a man who was formerly enslaved. While his autobiography chronicles his family’s poverty and difficult circumstances, it also chronicles his undaunted courage, persistence and determination “to go to school” in spite of these challenges. Consider the following: Booker T. Washington possessed a “vision”-the greatest 6-letter word-to get an education that would be bound by neither obstacles nor the opinions of others. More than this, “this thought was with [him] day and night.” (At night, while others were perhaps sleeping, this man was likely reading, writing and thinking, particularly as he gradually developed this life-long habit.) One can easily imagine the very apparent “obstacles” that might have caused him-as they did so many others-to retreat to a position of resignation that acquiring an education would not be within the grasp of a formerly enslaved young man. Or that somehow his “one ambition” was fool-hearted because others had not done so. Rather, he held fast to his idea to acquire an education when perhaps there was no reason to do so-except for “vision”. (And he did infinitely more than receive the education he long “thought” of and “that [he] was on fire constantly for”.) He was first educated. He next became a teacher and finally, at age 25, he became founding principal and president of one of the preeminent institutions in the world where he served for 34 years.

2 Kings 7:3

3 And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die?

KJV

There must necessarily come a time when we must take decided action in the midst of desperate circumstances, or else we’ll die. (To be clear, such death is not often literal, but figurative.) For whether such death occurs in our spiritual, vocational, educational, familial, and financial circumstances, they all amount to needless suffering since everyone has it well within one’s self to at least act. Consider the four lepers who when the Syrian army invaded Israel caused a most incredible turn of events due to their plain willingness to act. It would not be the large host of Israel that would cause the Syrians to run in fear, (slaying one another) and leaving riches and food for the people of Israel who were in the midst of famine. Instead, four weak, oppressed, ostracized and sickly men decided not to sit and fear, but take certain steps to gain provision for themselves (and ultimately the whole nation). For these men (based upon their single decision to act) encountered exceeding blessings that they might have never realized if they continued sitting until they died:

[And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.] KJV Exodus 14:15-16

1 Kings 19:10

10 And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. KJV

The prophet Elijah was gravely mistaken in assuming that he alone remained faithful in the midst of corrupt and hostile ungodliness. And the Lord would move quickly to correct the prophet’s presumption: “I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.” The Lord’s reminder certainly wrought a deep humility in the prophet, and should do so for ourselves as well. One need not ever think that his or her solitary efforts are needed to preserve God’s kingdom:

[for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.] KJV Matthew 3:9

Gen 41:16

And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace. KJV

Whether received through God’s written word, in the inward parts of one’s inner man through God’s Spirit, or through one of God’s messengers, believers (and occasionally even unbelievers), one can expect to receive answers from God for perplexing and difficult circumstances in life. When one find such answers from God, they will be answers of peace, and Joseph’s communication to Pharaoh demonstrates much for discerning God’s answers of peace.

First, Pharoah was troubled and confused about a circumstance that was presented to him. (To be sure, not every dream conforms to this, for Pharoah was leader of a great people and his decisions had impact among his people and throughout many surrounding nations, including God’s people. This dream was no vain or carnal imagination for personal aggrandizement, it affected people.)

Secondly, Pharoah searched for answers (and could not find it) among the wise men and magicians of Egypt, those widely acknowledged to have preeminent, world-reknown expertise in such matters. Thirdly, Joseph’s communication was one that was “in season,” for a problem presently confronting Pharaoh in the very near future. (It will be no hindsight commentary that anyone can provide, for answers are always seemingly perfect concerning past events where all circumstances are known.)

Fourthly, God’s answer of peace provided a solution. (To be sure, it would not be Pharaoh who would be “so discreet and wise” to manage the store houses of Egypt–but someone who could–in this case, Joseph.) In the end, God’s answer of peace not only resolved the difficulty and provided a solution, but resulted in blessing; the blessing was not only intended for a single individual, but Egypt, surrounding nations and particularly God’s own people:

[For] the blessing of the Lord maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.] KJV Proverbs 10:22

Brian Johnson, Ph.D.

“Some people may say that it was Tuskegee’s good luck that brought to us this gift of fifty thousand dollars. No, it was not luck. It was hard work. Nothing ever comes to me, that is worth having, except as a result of hard work. When Mr. Huntington gave me the first two dollars, I did not blame him for not giving me more, but made up my mind that I was going to convince him by tangible results that we were worthy of large gifts. For a dozen years I made a strong effort to convince Mr. Huntington of the value of our work. I noted that just in proportion as the usefulness of the school grew, his donations increased.” – Booker T. Washington, _My Larger Education_ (1911)

Presidential Commentary by Dr. Brian Johnson

Nothing is more disturbing to hear about individual or organizational success-especially if you have contributed to such success-than that such success should be attributed to “luck” and not “hard work”. Hard work involves deliberate and persistent effort directed towards a designated end that is often easy to gloss over when witnessing the outcome and not the work preceding it. And such was Mr. Washington’s work in the advancement and development efforts of Tuskegee Institute (University). Here was a man who did not scoff at any amount received into the coffers of Tuskegee whether great or small. Without regard to the amount, he “made up [his] mind” to be resolute about his pursuit for even larger ones with his chief aid being “tangible results.” Or, as he wrote elsewhere, “Let[ting] Examples Answer.” For when an organization’s “examples answer,” it becomes easier to proceed from strength to strength because past successes are often the surest indicators of future successes.

“The education that I received at Hampton out of the text-books was but a small part of what I learned there. One of the things that impressed itself upon me deeply, the second year, was the unselfishness of the teachers. It was hard for me to understand how any individual could bring themselves to the point where they could be so happy in working for others. Before the end of the year, I think I began learning that those who are happiest are those who do the most for others. This lesson I have tried to carry with me ever since.” – Booker T. Washington Up from Slavery (1901)

Presidential Commentary by Dr. Brian Johnson 

One single pound of “passion”-one of the (3) greatest 7-Letter words-is far weightier than the one single pound of pessimism. This is particularly true for professors who desire to impart “knowledge”-the second greatest 9-Letter word-to palpable pupils. And the founding principal and president of Tuskegee (Institute) University makes this point quite powerfully about the professors he encountered at Mother Tuskegee’s sister institution, Hampton University. Mr. Washington’s observation is one whereby all university-trained men and women can attest to. (One might hardly remember a professor’s pedigree, pedantic idiosyncrasies or pedagogy, but you will always remember the professor’s passion.) Passion proceeds from a right sense of a person’s “purpose”-the greatest 7-Letter word-and there is no more passionate person than a professor who has the daily opportunity to impart their hard-won “knowledge”-the second greatest 9-letter word-to students. (Hear again, the complete cycle of education is first learn, apply and demonstrate repeated mastery for one’s self-then and only then-do you teach others.) These people are not only “happy”; they are healthy because they daily receive the reward and return from their students that all persons receive “who do the most for others.” “Unselfishness” lies at the core of this life-long lesson Booker T. Washington, formerly unknown enslaved boy who grew into a well-known globally-renowned leader based on the training he received at the hand of his professors. Though a 19th and early 20th century principal and president of the very highest order, Mr. Washington properly understood a recently recovered 21st century servant-leadership principle pertaining to leadership and power-power primarily should be used for empowering others.

Isaiah 50:4

4 The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.

KJV

Throughout ancient, modern and postmodern times, there have been countless and competing ideas about who is truly learned. (Even the Latin etymological root of “doctor” means, “learned.”) All the same, they remarked of Christ, “How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?” And they marveled when they perceived that both Peter and John were “unlearned” and “ignorant” men yet spoke as if they were the most emboldened theologians of their time. Paul went so far as to declare that the wisdom that he speaks with was not of this world. Though Christ, Peter, John and Paul amazed their hearers, it came from nothing that we regard in the present as learning. Their learning was administered by God. When it speaks it edifies its hearers and when it hears, it hears directly from God through his school of “learning”. And men and women who remain in this school of learning and hear, speak and communicate accordingly are generally considered “the learned.”

[Luke 21:15 (KJV 1900): For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.]

Brian Johnson, Ph.D.

“In order to be successful in any kind of undertaking, I think the main thing is for one to grow to the point where he completely forgets himself; that is, to lose himself in a great cause. In proportion as one loses himself in the way, in the same degree does he get the highest happiness out of his work.” – Booker T. Washington, “Up From Slavery,” 1901

Presidential Commentary by Dr. Brian Johnson 

One can find no greater joy than to serve a cause higher than one’s self-particularly when the cause is associated with one’s work. And it would be very difficult to find a historic figure whose life and work better embodies this notion than Booker T. Washington and the work of building Tuskegee Institute (University). Consider the circumstances of his arrival in Tuskegee from Hampton Institute. An abandoned hen house served as his first classroom; His students possessed varying levels of literacy, and above all, he had few resources to purchase additional property for the institute’s growth-pawning his own watch in repayment of an early loan. And while he might have easily thought of himself and abandoned the entire enterprise, he did precisely the opposite. Mr. Washington “completely [forgot] himself” to serve a “great cause.” Serving a cause greater than personal preference often leads to the kind of success that benefits not only a singular person but both people and purposes. For careers fill pockets; Careers linked to callings fulfill individual people; and fulfilled people achieve great purposes.

Eph 3:16

That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

KJV

There are a great many strengths to be had during our time here on earth, yet the Apostle Paul recognized that none are more pressing to pray for than “to be strengthened with by his Spirit in the inner man.” For spiritual strength is none other than God’s own Holy Spirit finding union with and abiding within our very own spirit (the inner man). And the results of such a union are clear enough even throughout biblical history. For though Old Testament personages like Gideon, David, Elijah, Sampson and a host of others were not able to experience the finished work of Christ, and thus able to have God’s own Spirit permanently abiding within them, as many interpreters would argue, God would intermittently endow such men with His Spirit for the accomplishment of great and mighty tasks. And when one considers their accomplishments, all of which done in the face of opposition and adversity, then it becomes all the more necessary for contemporary believers in God through Jesus Christ to labor in prayer for the same abiding spiritual strength when we face the challenges of our lives:

[(For) if thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.] Proverbs 24:10

Brian Johnson, Ph.D.

“My dear Mr. Schmidlapp: I thank you very much for your letter of January 3rd, also, for yours of December 7th, which I did not have the privilege of answering in person. We thank you for your subscription of One Hundred Dollars toward the Repair Fund. This will help us much.” – Booker T. Washington, January 12, 1910.”

Presidential Commentary by Dr. Brian Johnson 

There is no greater expense for many universities that were founded in the mid to late 1800s than the following: Deferred Maintenance Costs for both living and learning facilities. And the founding principal and president of Tuskegee (Institute) University was at the forefront of understanding how to create a diverse portfolio of fundraising that included, among other things, restricted gifts for the express purpose of going to the “Repair Fund.” Note, the modern-day equivalent of the “Repair Fund” is akin to seeking both small and major “restricted” gifts for the renovation, restoration and repair of “bricks and mortar”. (These are living facilities where students reside and learning facilities where professors teach and research. Many institutions have now combined such functions where students and professors can simultaneously “live and learn.”) “Restricted” gifts designated for the renovation, restoration or repair of living and learning facilities are often used to serve “unrestricted” purposes. For when an institution can secure such gifts then monies contained within its own annual deferred maintenance budget can be used to renovate, restore and repair additional living and learning facilities or be used for other items in support of teaching, learning or research. More importantly, when an institution possesses a deferred maintenance plan, schedule or a campus master plan that designates monies for renovation, restoration and repair projects over a certain period, a single major “restricted” gift might allow the institution to improve a residential facility or classroom facility years before what the deferred maintenance schedule and plan originally projected. While this is generally understood in a knowledge-based, data-informed and outcomes-oriented 21st century higher education enterprise, here we find that Booker T. Washington was doing this not only in 1910, but as early as 1881 when he arrived in Tuskegee, Alabama only to discover that he would be spending his earliest years teaching in a hen house. (34 years later, he took this hen house and-with the help of employees like Robert R. Taylor and Emmett J. Scott and faculty members like George Washington Carver-transformed it into the single most immaculate campus in all of higher education both nationally and globally. At the time of this writing Tuskegee University is one of 15 largest campuses in America in terms of acreage owned.) And this is why we celebrate Booker T. Washington in this the centennial year (1915-2015) since his passing. For this was a man of “substance” whose writings, correspondence and (most importantly) deeds demonstrate “integrity” and “knowledge,” which are the two single greatest 9-letter words. This is also probably why one of Mr. Washington’s favorite sayings was as follows: “Let Examples Answer.”

Ezra 10:11-13

11 Now therefore make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives.

12 Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do.

13 But the people are many, and it is a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand without, neither is this a work of one day or two: for we are many that have transgressed in this thing.

KJV

In our zeal to remedy past errors, we must never presume that such reforms are an overnight process. When Ezra learned that many of the people had married strange wives that did not honor the God of heaven, he directed and implemented what was necessary for reform.

And while the people confessed their transgressions in the matter and consented to his plans, they were wise enough to realize that such efforts could not take place in “one day or two.” For the people well understood that true repentance always accompanies works in keeping with it, and they desired to do nothing less than to bring forth fruits meet for it; And they fully understood that such fruit would “not” be had in “one day or two.”

[For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.] KJV 2 Corinthians 7:11

Brian Johnson, Ph.D.

“My dear friend Mr. Briggs: I will open school the 1st Monday in July. Judging from present prospects I shall have about thirty students the first day and a steady increase…” – Booker T. Washington, June 28, 1881

Presidential Commentary by Dr. Brian Johnson 

On June 28, 1881, a 25-year old Booker T. Washington had enrolled 30 students before Tuskegee Institute (University) was officially founded on July 4, 1881. While this was clearly a noteworthy moment at the onset of his presidency, this is not what is most startling about the first of many achievements that this young president would accomplish during his subsequent 34-years at the helm of Tuskegee (Institute) University. This young man’s single most signal historic achievement-in this writer’s opinion-occurred on June 24,1888, which is the date that this student and teacher who had been trained by General Samuel Armstrong, arrived in Tuskegee, Alabama. (We know this because on June 25, 1881 Mr. Washington wrote to James Fowled Baldwin Marshall the following: “Dear friend: Arrived here yesterday.”) And it was on that day that a “Copernican Revolution” in the landscape of higher education occurred, not only in Tuskegee but in the history of the world. For this young man’s arrival (to start an institution of higher learning for newly freed African Americans) reverberated and transcended not simply the city of Tuskegee and the county of Macon, but the entire world. These 30 men and women who were likely still using skill sets acquired during enslavement would now be afforded the opportunity to use these skills to gain their own economic and intellectual independence. They need not work for their former masters with little distinction in pay from the time of physical bondage. After the training of their hearts, heads and hands within this new institution of higher learning called Tuskegee Normal School (Institute) University, they could now use their own skill sets to start their own businesses and offer their services in a much more economically viable exchange between formerly enslaved men and women and their former masters. And this perhaps ranks atop of the many other significant reasons why we celebrate Booker T. Washington in this the centennial year (1915-2015) since his passing.

Phil 3:13-15

13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

KJV

Pressing is the position that the perfect (mature) believer takes to progressively move toward all of what God has for him or her both in this time and in the time to come. For contemplation and meditation of things of old (both good and bad) results only in stagnation and inactivity in the present unless it translates into present activity. Even in this, the mature believer quickly forgets both his or her shortcomings and successes because he or she is reaching towards an even higher calling in his or efforts to fulfill their God-given purpose. For to fulfill the will of God is one whereby the believer proceeds from “glory to glory” yet often accompanied by trials, valleys and the need to press in between.

[Therefore, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.] KJV 2 Peter 1:10

[And remember not the former things, neither consider the things of old. For behold, the Lord will do a new thing.] KJV Isaiah 43:18-19

Brian Johnson, Ph.D.

Isa 6:5-8

5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.

6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:

7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

KJV

Although there have been men and women throughout scripture who have been privy to eternal majesties and have been assigned to spectacular missions by God himself, their qualifications were not much different than our own. James writes of the prophet Elias that he was a man subject to like passions even as we are. Notwithstanding, the virtue and nobility of those men and women selected by God for magnificent purposes lie not in the fact that they were sinless and perfect like our Lord, but within the fact that they were deeply aware of, and admitted their own sinfulness when others were not and would not. Though Isaiah’s vision of the throne and his subsequent response, “Here am I; send me” is quite familiar to most, what’s most impressive about the prophet is his acknowledgement of his own uncleanness, and God’s subsequent purging of his sin. His proverbial confession was not, “I am righteous!” Yet rather, it was “I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell amongst a people of unclean lips.” For this pattern is one whereby all believers follow when responding to a call from God to serve. One must be completely assured of one’s own forgiveness, and having been forgiven, one must serve.

[For how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?] KJV Hebrews 9:14

Brian Johnson, Ph.D.

Horse Is Prepared

Proverbs 21:31

31 The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD.

KJV

In all our exhortations to believe in, trust in and rely entirely upon God, let us also be mindful that our horses ought still be prepared in the process. Throughout Israel’s biblical history, we are most attentive to the many miraculous deliverances that were wrought at the hands of God—enemies slaying one another, hail and rainstorm descending upon foreign invaders and even the sun being held in time and space to ensure victory; Yet and still, in each of these events Israel was ready, armed and prepared for victory to be delivered into their hand. For contrary to what many believe, safety, deliverance and the spectacular often comes to those who have prepared themselves for it. (We do our very best, and then we trust completely in the Lord.)

[Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.] KJV Psalm 20:7

A Pillar
Rev 3:12

12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
KJV

Although some read the book of Revelations for those things that have already been fulfilled, some read it for its many future implications and still others read it for its many present implications; perhaps the most expedient way to read it is to bear all three in mind, simultaneously, particularly for the principle of the pillar. For having overcome his insecurities, doubts and double-mindedness, Peter (along with James and John) was considered a pillar in the Lord’s house. And surely all who have endured to the very end, overcoming the world and its temptations, trials and afflictions, will become pillars in the temple of God found in Heavenly Jerusalem. Moreover, we who are alive ought to appear as pillars in our present assemblies, (fixed in the faith) grounded and settled, always overcoming because of it. For the overarching principle of the pillar is one of strength to support and to bear the weight of not only ourselves but others. Most importantly, pillars stand upon truth chiefly expressed through the word of God.

[That thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.] 1 Tim. 3:15 KJV

Brian Johnson, Ph.D.

6And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.
Isaiah 49:6 KJV

Whenever we limit God to our own provincial location based upon race, ethnicity, or socioeconomics, we’ll quickly discover that His plans are always surpassingly greater than our own preconceived notions. Consider the prophet Isaiah in describing his mission, even signifying prophetically the mission of Christ. God sees ministry directed only towards the tribes of Jacob and Israel as a light thing in comparison to the innumerable persons that would eventually become fully and intimately acquainted with the good news of the gospel. And this is God’s usual pattern when he calls his people to fulfill particular purposes.

Joseph not only served his own people but the Egyptians and persons from surrounding nations; Paul not only preached to the Jews of Damascus and at Jerusalem but would go on throughout the coasts of Judaea and then to the Gentiles. Bearing prophetic witness which transcends race, culture and creed (even as Christ) is the intrinsic calling of every man or woman regardless of our vocation:

[For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.] KJV Romans 8:29

“I do not say you should not use them, should not posses them, should not crave them, but do not make the mistake of feeling that titles are going to help you, unless you have got strength aside from the title. No amount of titles will put brains into a person’s head if the brains are not there before.” – Booker T. Washington, “A Sunday Evening Talk,” January 10, 1909

Presidential Commentary by Dr. Brian Johnson 

Hear this again and again: Positional and titular authority is the lowest form of authority. If a man or woman cannot nor does not command the respect of his supervisors, peers, colleagues and subordinates independent of a position or title, this man or woman is no greater than the man or woman who has no such position and title. Positions change, and the only permanence one can possess is that found in one’s own person in back of the position. This is why the founding principal and president of Tuskegee University constantly impressed upon his students the need to constantly improve their own persons. Note the following: It is but half the task to secure the title or position. The most significant half is what one does with the title or position. (One must not only plan how to get the position or title, but what to do with the position and title when one gets it.) And the attention paid to one’s own person helps towards this end. Aside from acquiring credentials and competence, the comprehensive development of one’s person is a third facet that can never be taken from the person in back of a position. More importantly, these facets are easily transferable from position to position, unit to unit or organization-to-organization, which is why the singular, solitary focus upon a position and title (as opposed to the development of one’s own person) is unwise. For the man or woman who has “strength aside from the title” and who has “brains” in their “heads” will always possess these attributes without regards to a position or a title. (And they will always be desired and in demand.) And the founding principal and president of Tuskegee University who we celebrate in the centennial year since his passing (1915-2015) was not only such a man, but he also offered these wise “words” and set forth the accompanying “works” in his 34-year long presidency at the helm of Tuskegee (Institute) University (1881-1915).

“We can fill your heads with knowledge, and we can train your hands to work with skill, but unless all this training of head and hand is based upon high, upright character, upon a true heart, it will amount to nothing. You will be no better off than the most ignorant.” – Booker T. Washington, A Sunday Evening Talk

Presidential Commentary by Dr. Brian Johnson

In this writer’s opinion, “integrity” is the greatest 9-letter word, “knowledge” is the second greatest, and “ignorance” is-by far-the worst and most dangerous. And the founding principal and president of Tuskegee (Institute) University, Booker T. Washington, gives on this Sunday evening talk his oft-repeated conception of “heart-head-hands” to help his students avoid the dread of becoming “no better off than the most ignorant.” One can easily seek the help of professors to develop one’s “head”. (These men and women have as their primary purpose to fill the “heads” of students with “knowledge”.) Likewise, professors are able to help make a student’s “hands”-or their work-“skill”[ful]. (Through repeated instruction and correction a student will either become skillful at their work or they will receive failing grades.) Yet, the matter of the “heart,” Mr. Washington suggests, is one matter where students must begin and complete this work largely alone. (Let no man or woman ever presume to become an expert on the subject of another’s heart.) Of all subject matters, it is the one that is deeply personal and unique to the individual. Whereas both the competencies of the “head” and the credentials of the “hands” lie in full view, the “heart” is always hidden from view. Yet, without it, all else “will amount to nothing.” For Mr. Washington’s complete configuration of Heart-Head-Hands in education is akin to the strength necessary to shoot arrows a great distance even as Tuskegee University has shot forth the sons and daughters of Booker into rewarding and meaningful careers of service for over 133 years. The heart is the unseen and invisible strength that determines how far one can bend the bow to make the arrow go.

“Among the most trying class of people with whom I come in contact are the persons who have been educated in books to the extent that they are able, upon every occasion, to quote a phrase or a sentiment from Shakespeare, Milton, Cicero, or some other great writer. Every time any problem arises they are on the spot with a phrase or a quotation. No problem is so difficult that they are not able, with a definition or abstraction of some kind, to solve it. I like phrases, and I frequently find them useful and convenient in conversation, but I have not found in them a solution for many of the actual problems of life.” – Booker T. Washington, My Larger Education (1911)

Presidential Commentary by Dr. Brian Johnson 

We often deceive ourselves by assuming that a word fitly spoken, an opinion boldly proffered, an argument well-written or a critique loosely given is tantamount to leadership–particularly with respect to solving “the actual problems of life.” And this is the idea that Booker T. Washington explained in his observations of men and women who offer words without any accompanying works. Thomas Edison suggested that “A vision without execution is a hallucination.” To be clear, “vision”-the single greatest 6-letter word- requires words for articulating, reasoning, inspiring and motivating. Yet, this is only one half of the deal in leadership. The other half is transforming those words into works.

Such works, unlike words, are never philosophical or theoretical “abstraction[s]”. These works are “solution[s] for many of the actual problems” that visionary words propose to solve. Works are the evidentiary and documentable deeds done that substantiate the words of visionary leadership. Works are what can be touched, pointed to and-most importantly-verified, substantiated and authenticated precisely like the presence of Tuskegee (Institute) University that still stands a full century since Mr. Washington’s death (1915-2015).

Mr. Washington’s late 19th and early 20th century demonstration of visionary leadership is the complete expression of a leader’s love for “words” that he found “useful and convenient in conversation,” as well as his “work” achieved and completed at Tuskegee. And witnessing such visionary leadership is akin to persons upon a ship viewing an iceberg in the middle of a frigid ocean. The “words” are what sit atop the iceberg’s tip until the “works” of the impressive mass that lies beneath comes slowly into view.