Humanities – Our Journey

EDWARDSVILLE - The Center for Humanities Foundation opened in 2012, one hundred years after the racially segregated Lincoln School opened. The Foundation’s Vision was to understand how people interact with their environment and respond to its realities. This type of translational research was designed to use a humanities language to study what actions most profoundly affects people’s lives and behaviors. For example, an early discovery confirmed nearly every household in this rich and beautiful country has been victimized in some way by a legacy of injustice and bias…

Nelson Mandela; spent 27 years in prison, after being elected President of the apartheid country of South Africa he was quoted as saying “my LEADERSHIP goal is to pursue assurances that no one is ever treated the way I’ve been.”

The Center for Humanities Foundation, was conceived by three founders as a “sense of place” with a vision dedicated exclusively to preparing 21^st century Leadership in the better understanding of Humankind as well as the causation of the American caste system and its bi-product diseases of bigotry and sexism.

Understanding, forgiveness, dignity, and respect were initially the operative terms of the Center. As time passed; the team migrated its focus to communications, feelings, awareness, and the language of cause and effect. These four elements were the Center’s early organizational pillars. In 2012 the initial published vision was that the state of Illinois would become the recognized world leader in the study of Humanities. The chosen direction of the Center was not to replace traditional civil rights organizations or to overload followers with data regarding USA’s aging population, the plight of the poor, climate change and the rapidly evolving demographics of people of color. The founders sought to explain and demonstrate its findings as a positive adjunct to USA’s social and governing experiment; often referred to as a “liberal democracy”.

I’m often referred to as a world traveler, a person of color, a high-profile global executive, father of two globally sensitive and professional daughters, and a former sports performer turned owner. From these many experiences, I’ve been able to deal firsthand with the trends and challenges faced by many world leaders. From my privileged Board of Directors seats on six Fortune 500 companies and from my twenty-five-year global platform at Honeywell, I observed that humankind mostly gravitates to comfort and safety with well documented political history of hiding from problems. In years past, problem avoidance strategies and fragmentation of “tribes” most often resulted in massive migration and often warfare. Neither of these avoidance methods are viable in today’s world.

The MJCHF founders assumed a Humanities disaster was on the horizon and leadership urgently needed upgrading before the many structural and operational gaps in communications, economics, environment, education, healthcare, water rights, climate, security and criminal justice systems would become so disruptive that traditional leadership resources, would be greatly over-whelmed. The Centers’ Founders also foretold, as did George Orwell’s’ Best seller 1984, the impact of technologically advanced communications creating unprecedented numbers of “snake doctors” that would become critical of the constitution, and abuse free speech, democracy, and capitalism.

Finally, early findings also reminded the Center that America’s education system was likely serving the needs of fewer people and often misrepresented history by simply maintaining and not upgrading its traditional curriculum…. Remembering the DaVinci code “education leaders should seek to find and erase years of deception in order to understand the truth.” (reference CRT)

One of the MJCHF founders (Dr. Dale Chapman) spoke frequently of the countries’ growing pluralism and growing negative coping mechanisms. To explore this further; two of the three founders, met in Palm Springs, California – with three noted consulting contrarians to discuss research trends and appropriate contemporary board room language to address crisis leadership, vision, teamwork, language (words). At this session, it became increasingly difficult as differences fanned the flames of arguments. Some of the negativity made for a great meeting, everyone in the room was able to discover firsthand words truly mattered.

The Foundation’s programming offered the opportunity for the public and institutional leaders to gather, listen and discuss the most complex humanities topics facing the world. For example, one topic addressed was Lewis and Clark Community College global water rights conference in Washington DC, which has since been critically reviewed as “astounding”, by academic and legal leaders. This idea was originally engineered by Dr. Chapman Past-President of LCCC. It demonstrated to all in attendance that progress on very complex issues when addressed in the right tone, the right forum with non-bias humanities preparation has a greater chance of being peacefully remediated.

The Centers gratitude goes out to all the donors and business supporters, to the paid and volunteer staff; to acting directors Dr. Sherri Shaw and Sarah Mellinger. To Edwardsville former Mayor Harold Patton (never missed a meeting or critical timeline), Dr. Dale Chapman, of course Dr. Edward Hightower, CFO Mike Syracuse, a friend and straight shooter, Dr. Randall Pembrooke past-president SIUE and the Centers’ amazing legal mind and humanitarian; attorney Mark Goldenberg, and a special thanks to several generous donors, and of course, “hats off” to the unique and bipartisan roles played by several state legislators. Our gratitude goes to friends Charlotte Johnson, the Lincoln School Foundation, the JF Electric family (they simply understand trust), the late Randi Gori and wife Beth, Gayla and Scott Moore for their generosity and willingness to take paths less traveled.

In Closing a few of my memorable/appropriate quotes …… first; agonizing over who we are now is not who we have to be in the future – in fact it could very easily lead to our quicker demise- Truth telling commits to uncovering the evidence and exposing the truths of life. It has been the Centers’ strategy to live inside the mental landscapes of the world’s most elite thinkers and Leaders; the Centers value proposition was to value every opinion with the goal of achieving Dr. Chapman’s “fast start humanities Laboratory”. It was a bold gesture, on the Founders behalf to mobilize MJCHF (a start-up non- profit) teaming with local businesses, local colleges, local and State government, and expect the community to listen and believe the worlds’ most pressing issue (Leadership) could be solved by simply embracing the “silver bullet” of the Humanities and with a commitment to being unselfish.

Further; thanks for the vetting of the foundation’s Vision by nationally known speaker/visitors like the Legendary rights activist/columnist Kareem Abdul Jabbar, former Secretary of State General Colin Powell, South Africa’s Naomi Tutu, Diane Rehm, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, and scores of other academic and political leaders. This exercise did wonders for the MJCHF Brand and the city of Edwardsville.

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who can be trusted and have come alive.”

“If you love to read, or love to learn about reading, you will have an amazing life. Life will always have its hardships, pressures, and incredibly annoying people, but books (and good media) help to comfort and rationalize it all. In books, you will often find your North Star. Surround yourself with successful people who have been there and done that”.

NOTE: The Foundation Board of Directors attracted trustworthy and experienced thinkers; Like Robert J. Watson Director LCCC, Attorney Vada Manager former Nike VP of Global affairs and strategic opportunities, David J. Downey Attorney Specializing in Finance and Banking.

MJCHF set out to build programming around effective “new-age “leadership. The Center opened the humanities door to National Science foundation with an effort that morphed into SIUE’s very successful STEM meets Humanities, again led by Board of Director member Harvard educated Attorney Elsie McCabe Thompson; President of The New York Mission Society and the indefatigable and persistent Dr. Ed Hightower.

The eighty-six-million-dollar North Main Hotel and Convention Center development plan simply ran out of political and economic momentum, due largely to changes in Government leadership, unplanned national/state economic realities, and other conditions beyond anyone’s vision and control. The Jackson family Trust had agreed to carry the investment with every dollar earned used to fast track and fuel the non-profit MJCHF.

As painful as it has been the MJCHF closed in late 2020 due to lack of sustainable momentum. A Lesson learned from 30 small company acquisitions and closings (while at Honeywell) the only thing more painful and often less certain than when to buy is when to sale or close.

Another life’s cherished experiences came from Edwardsville’ Herman Shaw in 2003 when he said “Please Believe me, The Lincoln School location is very, very, special to Edwardsville, the state of Illinois, and our country…. You should buy it and save it. Lincoln School is this regions statue of liberty” ……. To this day - I sleep with those words….

I strongly believe Something very special, in the Humanities field, should happen at this treasured historic location— don’t allow this historic place to be marginalized by indifference and fearful financial thinkers; call, text or write Dr. Trzaska President LCCC. To my Edwardsville friends and family…Thank you- for the opportunity to serve…….

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