Portraits in Determination - Inspirational Individuals

Becoming a Pioneer
An Interview with Art Fletcher
By Linda Furiate

I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Arthur A. Fletcher a couple of years ago when I personally interviewed him for a local cable access television program I produced and hosted. Many people may know Dr. Fletcher as the "Father" of Affirmative Action having authored the current day Affirmative Action Laws as the Assistant Secretary of Labor under President Nixon. During the 1950's he was the first Black to play professional football for the Baltimore Colts and later with the Los Angeles Rams. As President of the United Negro College Fund he coined the phrase - "the mind is a terrible thing to waste" - this becoming the most successful slogan in the history of fund raising.

Dr. Fletcher is the son of a Buffalo Soldier born December 22, 1924 in Phoenix, Arizona. Having the pleasure of traveling with his father in his youth to places like Oklahoma and Kansas, Dr. Fletcher had the opportunity in the 8th grade of hearing a speech from the great Mary McCloud Bethune during a school assembly. She fascinated him as she told the children "One of you in this audience will some day give advise to presidents". Little did he know at that time, it would be himself.

As an early pioneer in the Civil Rights Struggles, Dr. Fletcher was one of the original nine plaintiffs in the famous Brown v. Topeka Board of Education. This is the case Thurgood Marshall took to the Supreme Court and brought legal integration into our school systems. To this date, he has never stopped being in the struggle for civil rights.

Blacks fighting for freedom was often met with less than favorable outcome and this was no exception for Dr. Fletcher. Disgusted by the discrimination of the 1950's, Art's first wife took her own life by jumping off the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge leaving him to raise their five young children.

Dr. Fletcher continues to press on, like he did when he was wounded in the chest during WWII, then, a segregated Army; during his fight to gain back his dignity when once a great professional football star to then being unable to find employment; when his first wife passed on; and to one day having the privilege of advising presidents as he has done for over forty years, fighting for what he believes in.

Linda Furiate - To hear this it all sounds so easy but that wasn't always the case. For every triumph there were tears to shed and lessons to learn. Art - take us back to your childhood - a young black boy growing up in Kansas in the 1930's and 40's. Your mother had you out of wedlock and you didn't know your father until the age of 14. Describe your childhood and tell us who Grandma Young was.

Arthur Fletcher - Well you have heard it said "it takes a village to raise a child" well I am one of the children the village raised. Although my mother had a nursing degree she was unable to find work as a nurse because of her color, so she was forced to get jobs as a maid and family cook. While she was working I would stay with a woman we referred to as Grandma Young. She was there to provide tender loving care and helped raise nearly 300 to 400 children.

LF - At a school assembly in the 8th grade you had the opportunity to listen to Mary McCloud Bethune. What words do you remember her saying and how did this affect your life?

AF - At the time Ms. Bethune was advising President Roosevelt. She visited various schools to encourage black youngsters to get ready for opportunity and stressed education. This was 1938. I was sitting in the back and never considered she was speaking to me when she said "one of you in this audience will someday advise presidents."

LF - What one word would describe your personality?

AF - Loner.

LF - You were on the football team in high school hoping you would move on to college and play for Kansas U. What adversity did you face as a young man in your attempts to fulfill a boyhood dream?

AF - There was no adversity. In those days you couldn't play for any of the major colleges if you were black.

LF - You were drafted in WWII into a segregated Army, describe what it was like emotionally taking a bullet in the chest for a country that didn't believe you were a full citizen because of your race.

AF - It was confusing being in a segregated Army but we knew who the real enemy was during those days and that was Adolph Hitler. We knew we needed to save the one country that would allow us to move on if we fought for our rights so it wasn't that hard to fight for our country.

LF - You were able to play football for a smaller college and again broke the race barrier by becoming the first Black to play professional football for the Baltimore Colts and later with the Los Angeles Rams. How incredible that must have been, everybody knowing who you were. But, after playing pro ball you found no white employer willing to hire you. The only job you could find was delivery Ice. At that time you described yourself as a "College Graduate/Football Hero/Iceman!" Characterize what that did to your ego.

AF - The first thing I had to overcome was the emotional devastation not being allowed to play professional football anymore because of the wounds and scares I received during WWII when I took a bullet in the chest. At that time football was all I wanted, I had all the moves but because of my scares it was too risky on any given Sunday to play ball. Once I was able to overcome that devastation I believe then it was much harder on my family. I thought I could get a job coaching but you also had to teach academics and they thought I would be a treat to teach young white girls. So I got a job delivering Ice at Fort, Riley.

LF - Here you are a young man, 35 years of age, you have a wife, 5 children, live in Northern California. No doubt that life had it's many struggles up to this point. Your wife, the mother of your children, decides she is no longer able to handle the discrimination and numerous challenges, takes her life by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge. What did this experience teach you about yourself on a spiritual level?

AF - Don't ever give up. This was October 2, 1960. Little did I know by the end of the 1960's I would be Assistant Secretary of Labor and later advising Presidents.

LF - When did you decide to make Affirmative Action and the fight for Civil Rights a part of your life?

AF - That's a long story but what drove and motivated me to make that part of my life was to see that no one ever had to kill themselves because they couldn't find a job because of their color.

LF - What price did you pay for your desire to fight for Affirmative Action and Civil Rights?

AF - I have paid many a price, at one time I had a contract out on my life for being so outspoken about Affirmative Action and I was denied promotions and leadership positions.

LF - You have undergone 2 heart bypass surgeries and are Diabetic. You truly have had to fight for your life - something keeps you ticking, when you feel like you can't take another step, you feel like throwing in the towel - what gets you through these times?

AF - You may consider throwing in the towel, but the options are not acceptable. If I stay in the game I can do what I want to do and figure out my strategies and tactics. (The Victorious Living Creed).

LF - What is your attitude or philosophy about adversity?

AF - Without adversity there is no progress. Progress is the product or result of the ability to overcome and creates the ability to help others through.

LF - What is one adverse incident in your life that has happened that you would not give back if you were given a second chance?

AF - I wouldn't want to go through losing a wife and some children. Once my wife killed herself my children lost confidence in life and living. If I could go back I wish I could have kept the disaster out.

LF - Do you feel that you have been able to fulfill your purpose in this lifetime?

AF - Yes. In college political science, history and administrative law were all easy for me. My gift is a political mind. God guided me into the political arena. Although I don't like politics, have very little use for politicians and despise the political environment, this is my gift. Given this was my gift, I wanted to experience fulfillment so I would have to use my God-given gift. It has served me well.