Living History

“This is the time to show up. This is the time to work hard.” –EJS Project founder and executive director Emmanuel “Dupree” Jackson.

My friend Dupree speaks the truth.

What an important message.

It is time to get to work. It is time to make a difference.

Recently, I spent a few days (virtually) following Dupree and a group of teenagers from the EJS Project as they traveled from Delray Beach to Alabama to soak up history.

I followed their adventures on social media as they met with leaders and learned how history informs our present and our future. I watched with pride as these young leaders learned how they can shape the world they are about to inherit. Even through Facebook videos, you can see when the lights turn on in a young person’s mind. You can feel the spark.

Yes, something very special is happening at EJS. It’s extraordinary to watch.

The EJS Project has vision.

The EJS Project is ambitious and the EJS Project is changing lives by educating and empowering future leaders.

And we need leadership more than ever.

We need it in Delray Beach, we need it in Florida, in America and in our world.

Leadership moves mountains. It’s just that simple.

The goal of the “Young Legislators Trip 2024” was to educate and open the eyes of future leaders. And based on what I watched online; the trip was a success.

The teens went to Selma, Alabama. They walked the Edmund Pettis Bridge, met with the extraordinary Bryan Stevenson (whose Equal Justice Initiative is nothing short of miraculous) and they talked to mayors and legislators about the future. They also visited the Legacy Museum in Montgomery which displays the history of slavery and racism in America. The museum was founded by the Equal Justice Initiative.

It is one thing to learn about history and talk about it in some classroom. It is quite another to walk in the steps of giants who risked their lives to move this nation forward.

The EJS Project allows our children—and they are our children—to explore history and learn why it is relevant to our present and our future.

History is never really the past—it informs our day to day and that’s why I was thrilled to see these kids take a  journey through the cradle of the civil rights movement.

I was overjoyed when they visited Mr. Stevenson, a personal hero of mine. Bryan Stevenson’s life was portrayed in the movie “Just Mercy.” A few years back, I had a chance to see him speak at a Leadership Florida meeting. He gave the single best speech I’ve ever seen—and I’ve seen  lots of speeches.

Mr. Stevenson has devoted his life to defending those wrongly condemned or those not afforded proper legal representation. He’s a courageous man and it makes my heart sing to know that the kids from EJS had time with someone who believes that “somebody has to stand when other people are sitting. Somebody has to speak when other people are quiet.”

Stevenson also talks about the concept of proximity.

This idea is often used in the context of you can’t hate someone if you get to know them and so we are called to be proximate to others. I also believe it can be used to describe what EJS is doing; ensuring that our youth is proximate to the action so that our kids can understand how our world works or why it sometimes falls short.

I believe with every fiber of my being that it is important for all of us to be exposed to the trailblazers in our world. Mr. Stevenson is a remarkable example, as were John Lewis and Martin Luther King Jr., who led a march to the Edmund Pettus Bridge so that our kids can cross that bridge safely today.

But as important as it is to walk in the steps of giants, it’s also important to note that heroes are everywhere we look if we open our eyes.

Earlier this year, a marker was placed near our public beach to commemorate the integration of that beach and the work of local icon Alfred “Zack” Straghn who made it happen.

I was privileged to know Mr. Straghn who was very generous with his time. He made it a point to meet with and educate people from many walks of life in his beloved Delray Beach. I was one of thousands that he touched.

But in our fast-paced world, I often wonder if these heroes get forgotten with the tides which rise and fall with the currents of the day.

That’s why I’m so glad that retired fire chief Kerry Koen made it his mission to place that marker for his friend Zack on A1A near the pavilion so that generations can learn and remember.

Kerry is himself, a local hero, generous with his time and his knowledge. He has touched thousands and has become the gold standard for a fire chief.

The best leaders are generous. They are born to share, and they are passionate about expanding opportunities for others.

That’s what attracted us to Dupree and the EJS Project. The Carl Angus DeSantis Foundation got involved with a small grant and we have watched the EJS Project grow, while enduring some challenges that might have stopped a less passionate movement. But instead of seeing them shrink when obstacles emerged, we watched their resilience strengthen and we watched their mission expand.

We are committed as well…the foundation is setting aside $50,000 a year for three years for EJS’s mission. They need commitment from funders, and we are happy to stand alongside them as they transform lives.

We believe the future of Delray is brighter because of organization’s such as EJS. And we hope others will step up and watch this special nonprofit build the next generation of leaders.