Page 112 - How We Lead Matters

On the Same Day

On the same day that someone hung a noose on the office door of a black
professor at Columbia University, I spent the evening with Reatha Clark
King, a Columbia MBA graduate and an African-American. Reatha shared
her journey from field hand to corporate executive at a gathering of business
school students at the University of Minnesota. Neither of us knew about the
incident that had occurred earlier that day.
Reatha talked about her decision in the 1970s to augment her PhD in
chemistry with an MBA from Columbia. That decision would land her a
position at the food giant General Mills and launch her into a community
leadership role as president of the company’s foundation. Now retired, she
still wears her community leadership role elegantly, generously sharing her
story and wisdom.
Listening to the news the next morning, I was chilled to the bone
reflecting on our time together.
On the same day that someone prepared a noose, Reatha talked of her
childhood picking cotton in Georgia, separated for a time from her mother,
who had gone north to earn money to send home.
On the same day that someone transported the noose to the campus,
Reatha recounted her passion for schooling, knowing that education was the
only way to improve her “lot.”
On the same day that someone hung the noose on the door, Reatha
described the many ways we are diverse: from gender to religion to personal-
ities. She ended by gently reminding us that “race” was the most difficult
conversation our country has ever had, and she urged us not to shy away.
Yes, the talk must continue, with the hope that one day “someone” will
listen.

Marilyn Carlson Nelson 95