MAN CODES: BLACK HISTORY

”I don’t want a Black History Month. Black history is American history.“ - Morgan Freeman

“You are where you are today because you stand on somebody’s shoulders. And wherever you are heading, you cannot get there by yourself. If you stand on the shoulders of others, you have a reciprocal responsibility to live your life so that others may stand on your shoulders. It’s the quid pro quo of life. We exist temporarily through what we take, but we live forever through what we give.” -

Vernon Jordan

”The African race is a rubber ball. The harder you dash it to the ground, the higher it will rise.” African Proverb

“Anybody, no matter who they were, could come right off the boat and get more rights and respect than American-born Blacks.” - Assata

Shakur

Compiled by Bilal S. Akram

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, When I was born, I was colored. I soon became a Negro. Not long after that, I was Black. Most recently, I was African American. It seems we’re on a roll here. But I am still first and foremost in search of freedom.” -Harry

Belafonte

“...and I think about living in a place that’s chock full of History and devoid of memory. I think about how it’s impossible for a nation to have a conscience if it doesn’t have a memory.” - Rayshauna

Gray

Deuteronomy 32:7 “Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past.

Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you.”

They say if you work your passion as a job, you will never work a day in your life. Tru Pettigrew must be on a lifetime of PTO (Paid Time Off) because he is living in his passion while he serves as the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer.

The position extends to all four franchises of the team, which includes, The Minnesota Links WNBA basketball team. When Pettigrew was brought on board the focus was to enhance workforce diversity, fanbase diversity and supplier diversity.

That means that He is responsible for making sure that more Blacks come to games and more importantly that more Blacks become vendors for the Timberwolves, which move the financial needle for Black businesses.

But the journey that Pettigrew is on did not start there. It started back in his home town when he realized that if he wanted to see