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If you haven't heard of Wes Moore before you likely will have by the end of this week. His book The Other Wes Moore is the Multnomah County Library's Everybody Reads book choice for the year. He's speaking at Literary Arts on Monday night. Stories about him will likely be in Oregon newspapers throughout the week. And he'll be right here on TOL on Monday morning.
Wes Moore is 33 years old. He's a Rhodes scholar, a decorated combat veteran, a White House fellow, a investment professional in New York at CitiGroup and, yes, a writer.
His book tells his story, and that of another man named Wes. Another man named Wes Moore, in fact. The two men are around the same age. They're both from Baltimore. They both grew up without their fathers.
They saw their childhood neighborhoods – in Baltimore, and also for the author Wes Moore, in the Bronx – become hubs of drug use and death. And they both got in trouble with police at before they were teenagers.
But the other Wes Moore is serving life in prison for felony murder after killing a police officer.
The Senior Inquiry students at Roosevelt High School in Portland read The Other Wes Moore. They compared it to Oliver Twist and The Wire, among other things.
We'll broadcast this show live from the Senior Inquiry class. When I spoke with them on Friday in preparation for the program a couple of them wanted to know if they could ask Wes Moore "tough questions." I encouraged it. And look forward to hearing the resulting conversation.
What questions — tough or otherwise —do you have for Wes Moore?
GUESTS:
- Wes Moore: author of The Other Wes Moore
- Students at Roosevelt High School
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I went to "The Diane Rehm Show"'s site and couldn't find the interview from 2010. Can you point me in the right direction? - Chuck Broes
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It may no longer be available for download directly. I get it via iTunes. You might try contacting the station via their "Contact Us" link (most Public Broadcasters have one on their website) and asking if it is available.
I think I found it: here's a link:
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2010-05-19/wes-moore-other-wes-moore
If you are unable to download the show, they do also offer a way to order a CD of the show (not sure what the cost involved is). There is also a link to listen directly.
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Early in the book (around page 17) Moore describes how Reagan cutting Pell Grants impeded his mom's ability to earn her college degree. During that time I attended historically black Howard University in Washington, D.C.
So many Howard students received financial aid that the cutoff caused a semester's registration to be invalidated. When I arrived to start the new semester, all students spent several days re-registering for classes. The line of thousands snaked around the gymnasium and the atmosphere was tearful and nasty.
Several junior and senior acquintances lost their financial aid and were not able to complete their degrees as far as I recall. Unlucky students packed their bags and returned home.
I sold my campus meal ticket so a friend could attend school while I subsisted on a meal-a-day diet for the semester. I'd never experienced hunger before but the experience still resonates today.
When I returned home mom freaked out due to my weight loss, but I assured her I was fine, I was merely getting in better shape through rigorous exercise. I don't recall whether I ever told her the truth. Money and the careful stewardship of its limited supply was a thorny subject. And I didn't want to test whether my altruism would win me brownie points.
Good times.
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Wes, I recently re-read Ellison's Invisible Man so I'm 1,000 percent encouraged that you wrote The Other Wes Moore. Thank you. You've given me a transfusion of hope as we try to take the next dumb step forward together.
How would you encourage young black males to pursue education and build opportunity for themselves rather than be cool and follow fools?
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Please ignore this vague question. I asked it before finishing the book. Each youngster is unique and might be best served with a customized tool box of solutions as well as personalized attention.
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Finished The Other Wes Moore at 0247 on 03/07/2011. This book dredged up a lot of stuff I've buried or mulled for 30 years. I seldom read a book in a day but Moore's story is complex, compelling and personally meaningful. A thought provoking page turner. Good choice Think Out Loud and Multnomah County Libraries. Bravo to Wes Moore for writing a classic for this age.
I'm hopeful Moore will be a catalyst to help blacks and whites talk and work through animosity and misunderstanding. I suppose folk will experience enlightenment, wisdom and peace when they're ready. It won't be forced by mandate. The last paragraph on page 160 and the first paragraph on page 161 talk about "privileged legacy" and that struck a chord.
A friend at Howard University invited me to see Reverend Farrahkan speak. I told him I would not listen to Farrahkan's racist rhetoric because early in my life many whites and jews gave me friendship, education, training and work. I would not turn against those who weren't my enemy.
Years later I worked for a company with 1,000 employees. During the decade I worked there I was often the only "black" employee. As a young "black" male I remember feeling philosophical and sad. "Are black people hated or feared so much that they can't get a job here? What qualities do I have that allow me to be employed here? Certainly there are capable black people beside me so why aren't they working there?" I didn't seek these questions; they asked themselves because they were obvious. At most there were five blacks working throughout the entire company at any particular time.
FREEDOM
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My wife and I both read and enjoyed the book, and had the great fortune to hear Wes Moore speak at the Northwest African-American Museum in Seattle at the end of January. The thing I liked best about Wes's speech was he didn't say that people had to be involved in a specific group or organization, but rather pick something we're passionate about and get involved there. There's so many opportunities for outreach, we can easily find something to support.
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RE Paucity of Comments--Sometimes Less is More.
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I thought Wes was Moore.
(Sorry -- I couldn't resist!)
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I appreciate the talk about the need for education, but that is not the only thing. Business and government policies need to change also. For example, a lot of those protesters in Egypt were/are highly educated youth with degrees but no job prospects. Iranians too, and also in the other Middle East Nations facing revolts. Highly educated with no jobs!
Many years ago the black sister of a black friend of mine applied for a job at banks here in Bend without success. Thing is she had been an executive in one of those big New York City banks and so was probably more qualified than any banker in Bend. She would have been a real "get" because she wanted to live in Bend and was willing to take the pay cuts that required but Bend was still very racist and she could not get a job. Bend lost a very good opportunity to get a person who would have been a great asset to the Bend business community and our community in general.
Maybe that old saying is true that a generation has to die for the new generations to make progress.
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It looks like for some of the Rosevelt students, The Wire came to mind as they read your book. Being from Baltimore, did that series resonate with you, if you've seen it?
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When I was about thirteen I found myself at a crossroads, although I didn't know it. I was in with a group of people who eventually got in trouble and spent some time in jail. I was briefly suspended from school for setting off some fireworks in a garbage can that happened to be full of wax paper milk cartons. My school could have burned down. Luckily it didn't. I was clearly making some bad decisions.
I had another friend who was taking sailing lessons. He invited me to go with him one time. I became hooked on sailing and, in time, became heavily in demand as a crew member. I eventually competed in the Olympic trials and world championships. I believe that for me the crossroads was, that at thirteen I found something in which I wanted to excel. For some it may be athletics, others may pursue academics. But the important part is to have a goal that can give your life a positive focus.
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I like that Wes addresses "context" and the limited choices that context provides.
I encourage people to look back over religion because that was used historically to enslave people, including the black people imported from Africa. Many black people still embrace the religion that enslaved their ancestors and without ralizing that it still mentally enslaves themselves!
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Wes talks the east coast speed.
Tha contrast between that and the relatively laid back west coast speed of speech is very interesting. 30 Rock show has that same speed.
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Thank you for sharing your story and his. We passed the book to a young family member in Juvenile Prison, who is beginning to understand the extended ramifications and consequents of his choices. He is making progress over 2 years in growth and maturity. Your book may be one of many tools and people to support that.
Thanks TOL for conducting this show at Roosevelt, where more could hear the story than can buy tickets for the Schnitz.
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Great questions, Roosevelters!
The kids really are alright!
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Great story! When I first arrived in Portland as a graduate student I taught a four week SAT prep course. One of the students is currently a senior right here at PSU. Kudos to the faculty, staff, and community members for putting this project together. I know how much time and effort go into bringing courses to life as you have done here. An excellent example of civic engagement and merging curiculum with the larger community. To Mr. Moore thank you for lending your voice and sharing your stories with tomorrow's leaders.
Best Regards,
Tim Kochanski
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Excellent show!
We seem to be talking around the old questions of 'free will' and 'determinism'.
I think that both are factors that interact and can be influenced by us.
Shortsightedness is the obvious deterministic factor for young people.
People, especially kids, need to hear and see that they have productive choices, what those choices are, and how to make them a reality. Most need to hear and see some positive version of these choices on an ongoing basis to counteract the deterministic component of their built in shortsightedness. Farsighted parents/mentors are absolutely crucial through out our formative years, and beyond.
Doability is another deterministic factor that can have as much to do with deficiencies in social and economic options as individual ability and imagination.Kids make choices all the time. One always looks a little better than another. The role of adults if to make the choices of young people less limited by their shortsightedness as well as less limited in realistic options.
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Comments are now closed.
"The Diane Rehm Show" (WAMU, 88.5-FM, http://www.wamu.org) did an hour with the author on his book way back on 19 May, 2010. It is on my short-list of books to read, once I get a chance to do so (assuming Eugene Public Library has it in its collection). Successful completion of that one last class I am missing for my degree comes first, however.