Who Inspires you?

[David Beans]

I took a couple of days off this past week to do some early spring cleaning. As I was going through my closet, I found a book written by Horace Carter, and the book was inscribed to me by Horace last year on a visit to Horace's company in Tabor City, North Carolina.

Now Tabor City is not really a city at all, more like most small towns in NC, one stop light, one food store and Horace's business, now being run by his son.

The reason I tell this story is that Horace (now in his eighties) had to be one of the most inspirational people I've ever met. And if you had to define someone as being courageous, well Horace is your man.

Horace began a small town weekly paper back in 1946 called "The Tabor City Tribune".
Now many of us know that the Southern US has some history with group called the Ku Klux Klan. Horace told me about the horrifying things that where happening in his small town by the Klan.

Quote from Horace... " I searched my soul that evening and on into the next week. Was it worth sacrificing our happiness, shattering the tranquil life of running a little weekly newspaper in a small town and taking part in Red Cross Drives, church covered-dish suppers, and the Annual Yam Festival promotion just because I believed in a principle? Was it worth the risk that the print shop might be burned, our home dynamited? I could be dragged from our house with the frantic screams of my family ringing in my ears. I might suffer a brutal lashing by a band of masked hoodlums or even death if I dared to oppose them."

Horace reflected and he did indeed become the town's champion who fought to rid his community of the prejudice and violence that the KKK promoted. He fought them with written word in his newspaper and in turn "they" boycotted his paper. He literally had thousands of death threats, and one story he told was how a hit man was hired to kill courageous Horace of which Horace prevailed.

I am happy to say that in the end, this man's editorials helped guide the first-ever convictions and imprisonment of Klansmen for KKK activity. In 1952, Horace received the Pulitzer Prize for his paper, a tribute to Horace's bravery. The first distinguished award ever given to a community newspaper.

But his story does not end there; Horace began to energize his community and expanded his business to other opportunities. His company has grown to 400 people and has established itself on an international level. Not bad for a man who started out with a small community newspaper.

Why do I tell this story today? Well, for reasons other than telling his inspirational story?
On my return from my business trip to Horace's company, I purposely put his signed book in my closet for I cherished so much that I did not want anything to happen to it. But over time, I simply forgot it was there and forgot the energy and spirit that Horace gave me. Sad, no?

To be honest, I had a bit of guilt when I recently came across this book, so I immediately put his book clearly in a prominent place in my home. I want others who come to my home to be inspired by this man as he has inspired me and for me to not forget what others have done for us.

Thank you Horace for standing by your principles and carrying your positive energy to me and to many others.


D

[Darkwinter]

Michio Kaku, brillant mind.