No Irrelevant Negro
Call Him Oliver!
He was a son, a brother and of course kin to many others
He was a husband, a father ...
... and probably the best granddad a kid ever had.
He was a friend to many, a pastor, a doctor.
Oh, but don't call him that.
He would tell you in one second flat, "Call me Oliver!"
Many couldn't do it.
But he held true to it.
He didn't need titles or praise.
He just wanted to live all of his days
In the best possible ways.
He did all the good he could, by all the means he could
In all the ways he could, in all the places he could,
At all the times he could, to all the people he could,
For as long as he walked this Earth
He taught about connections and respecting multicultural diversity
He taught about justice and acceptance
Anywhere that he went
You knew he had come
He stayed fully visible, some called him radical
In my mind, he was almost fantastical!
The way that his energy never seemed to run out
He was always into something, running about
Like the Michael Jackson song,
Oliver always wanted to be startin' somethin'!
But not just wanting. Executing!
Nothing that Oliver did was for show
Everything he did, he did without ego
If you knew him for even a day
You would understand why his brother could say, "Oliver was no irrelevant negro."!
So many lessons Oliver taught
By words and example
Like, just start to get things done
Never make it about perfection
But hold on to precision and intention
And if you want to be relevant
(Without even trying)
Always and firstly
Make it about connections!
One Of His Favorite Quotes:
"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can." -- John Wesley
Direct quote from Oliver >>
"If you don't want to do it, just get out of my way." (may not be exact)
Final Words!
I had the pleasure, honor and embarrassment of being Oliver's secretary for a while. The pleasure was in the many conversations that we had; in the many lessons he tried to teach me. The honor was in being regarded as valuable to someone who was internationally known, loved & respected. The embarrassment is in the many times he would ask me to do something, then turn around and get it done himself. But he never made me feel lesser for it. Even if I'd be blaming myself, he would have already moved on to the next task, idea or project.
In my heart forever.
My Forever Radical Pastor, Very Relevant Negro!
