YOUR SAY: Carson's message resonates even with political foes

The speech I read reminded me of the first time I visited the Tubman Museum many years ago. I enjoyed every aspect of the tour, but the part that surprised and delighted me the most was the large room filled with many of the gadgets, tools and more complicated products invented by slaves and later by emancipated black Americans. I was thrilled to think of all the schoolchildren who would see what I saw and be inspired by the intelligence and ingenuity displayed in that room.

But back to the speech. It was given earlier this year to Al Sharpton's National Action Network by Dr. Ben Carson, a prominent black neurosurgeon who is one of the leading candidates for president of the United States on the Republican side. His bumper sticker is on my car.

Carson and Sharpton are on the opposite sides of the political spectrum and Carson's presence at the NAN conference was no doubt a surprise to delegates. But when he had finished his speech Carson had generated much applause and laughter and he received a standing ovation.

His personal story is compelling. He was born to a mother who married at 13 and was illiterate. His father turned out to be a bigamist and his parents divorced early on. Certain people and decisions turned Carson away from a future headed for disaster to a career as one of the most prominent pediatric neurosurgeons in the country. You can read about his life online or in one of his books.

My purpose here is to tell you a little of what Carson told those delegates at Sharpton's conference -- things that surprised and inspired them a great deal.

Carson zeroed in on black youth, especially young black men. Carson said that many black teenage boys seek out gang membership to establish their identity and masculinity. After all, they have seen only a few people in their American history books who looked like them and contributed to America's greatness. This is why, says Carson, that black parents need to step in at an early age and change their children's perspective of life's possibilities for them in America. No government program can do what black parents can accomplish way before their children reach the teen years. With a little study, said Carson, any black parent can take little Johnny by the hand when he is 6-years-old and walk down the streets of New York or any other city and give him a black history lesson he will never forget.

Then Carson illustrated that "black history walk" by launching into a recitation of black inventors and entrepreneurs so extensive and impressive that it blew my mind and likewise rocked the world of his audience. He told of people like Frederick Jones, a black man, who invented the refrigeration system for trucks, which was later adopted for airplanes, trains and boats. Jones also invented the gas mask, which saved lives during World War I. Henrietta Bradberry was a black woman who invented the underwater canon, which made it possible to launch torpedoes from submarines. Do you know who the first woman of any nationality in America was to become a millionaire on her own efforts? It was a black woman named Madame C.J. Walker, who invented cosmetic products for women of dark complexions. (Guess she missed the memo about white privilege.)

Carson urged parents to walk past a hospital and talk about Daniel L. Williams, who conducted the first successful open heart surgery in the world. Carson said to stroll past the railroad tracks and mention Andrew Beard, another black man, who invented the automatic railroad car coupler that helped ignite the industrial revolution.

Ever heard of the saying, "Is that the real McCoy?" That expression became popular because of Elijah McCoy, a black man who invented so many things, including the automatic lubrication system for locomotive engines, that people began to use that expression to ask if something was genuine or not.

Carson went on to name dozens of black inventors and entrepreneurs who significantly improved American life in a wide variety of ways.

Carson's point was that no young black man in America should doubt that his ancestors played an important part in making this country great and there is even more opportunities now for young people of all races to add their contributions to American life.

Carson had much more to say in his speech about economics, values and unifying the country. There were many reasons he received a standing ovation from Sharpton's National Action Network. Watch for news of Ben Carson coming to Middle Georgia before the spring Presidential Primaries When he does, I hope many voters will come and hear him speak, especially black voters who historically vote Democratic, Give Ben Carson a fair hearing. He has walked the walk as well as talked the talk. It would be well worth any voter's time to get to know this remarkable man.

Rinda Wilson is a resident of Macon.

This story was originally published January 14, 2016 at 10:01 PM with the headline "YOUR SAY: Carson's message resonates even with political foes ."