Gerard Spinks’ Open Letter to a black father who I’ve seen once in my life:
A Black Kids Guide to business success
Dear Dad Pops,
I’m sure you are a good dude. If you’ve ever seen a black man become successful in life and the Internet, you’re looking at him right here. I was surprised when my moms showed me pictures of me that I had signed when I was my daughters age around 7 or 8. Yes, I was the one looking real geeky studly and interesting at St. Philomena’s elementary school in Peoria, Illinois. I don’t know how my moms got me to sign those pictures because I never saw you.
I vaguely remember seeing you once when I was getting ready to go off to college to St. Ambrose College University in Davenport, Iowa. Moms never had any money so she sent me off to St. Ambrose with $20, a skillet, and a bag of clothes. Yes, she expected me to do well but she had nothing else to offer. Wish you were there. Actually, at St. Phil’s, being around all these white kids, everyone had a dad. It used to make me feel real crazy that you weren’t there but their dads were at the basketball games and taking them to play JFL (Junior Football League) that some call Pop Warner Football.
I always longed for a dad especially as I started playing sports and doing well average in high school. Some of the white kids really hated on me and even the coaches didn’t want to see me succeed because I was black. If I could only tell them that my dad was there and supported me, it probably wouldn’t have been so tough and hard on your son. At any rate, I had to fight through this nonsense, the hatred, the dissing, and somehow make a success of myself. Moms told me to just keep playing and stop listening to everyone.
How to do this I have no idea. Really could have used your help and guidance. Moms didn’t did know exactly how but she did. She already had two boys, I was her youngest so she did have some experience. Anyway, I learned how to be successful without you. It was hard. A lot of blood, sweat, and tears. While at Texas, I really needed help and called mom for some money. She couldn’t help. She had none. She never had money She had God and that was all we needed. Even though some of the kids in high school thought we were doing well because I had success in football, we were broke we had cash flow issues, always. Forever on food stamps Forever relying on God’s grace and power. It was our secret though.
When I called out for help to moms and wishing you could help, I realized in that moment that no one could help me God was guiding me and taking over. I realized that I was raised in a situation where I could count on no one other than myself for success God. I realized as a very young kid that it was up to me and only me God to succeed. Yes, pops, this kind of sucked because other people around me had help. They could go home and get help. I couldn’t. I vowed at this moment to turn my life around and be the success that I envisioned and that I saw all these white kids have. Their parents literally sent them to the University of Notre Dame. They made sure they went to great colleges and universities in the midwest. My moms made sure I knew how to apply for food stamps be successful by listening and relying on God. I would do it. I would succeed if it killed me. I would make a million dollars. I would claim it and I would actualize it at all costs in the San Francisco Bay Area. I would be successful with out you, my pops by putting God first and having faith and belief in what God had created, ME.
