Customer Reviews

Looking Beyond Race: The Life of Otis Milton Smith (Great Lakes Books)

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This book is extremely inspiring. This man was a legend and true icon who reached out beyond the denied-but-always-existing border called racism, to achieve things that only were achieved by the 'selective elite' of society. I had the once in a lifetime opportunity to meet and befriend one of his son's (Steven), who remains a close friend to this very day. This book, along with Steve's stories about his dad (and mom), have inspired me to hold my head high and drop the racial baggage I grew up with, being a Polish-American in a mixed-race community. I was no longer the "dumb - ....". Fill in the blanks. This book still sits behind me in my #1 book-shelf, and I regularly read excerpts from it. A MUST READ for everyone. Why this man wasn't in history books is beyond me.

I found Mr. Smith's memoirs insightful and interesting. A true icon among those who mastered life in both the public and private sectors, Mr. Smith left a legacy of character, pragmatic behavior and reconciliation with the apparent facts surrounding race relations in our country. Had I to attempt what he did at the time it was done, I am not certain that I could have performed as admirably as he did. It is a story that many should know.