Alex Haley: Passing The Torch

In 1980 I was living in Los Angeles waiting for a job to come through. Although my dream was to be a writer, I pursued a regular 9-5, while writing every free moment I had. One day when I was down and out, I struck up a conversation with a barber who told me Alex Haley would be in the next day when the shop closed for his weekly cut. He invited me to sit in and talk with him, but gave me a stern warning not to share any of my writing.

The following day, Haley pulled up in front of the shop driving a Mercedes convertible with the name "KENTE" on his license plate. He had been working at Universal Studios all day and strode through the door very casually dressed and walking down on the back of a pair of expensive shoes he wore like slippers. There was something about his down-to-earth appearance, the shoes and that familiar broad nose that helped me relax in the presence of this great man.

Alex took a seat in the chair and handed me pictures of his relatives in Africa. He talked about ROOTS and his personal journey as a writer. I listened intently, but with a poem folded in my pocket that I wanted to whip out and share. It took a lot of courage, but right before his haircut was finished, I handed it to him. The barber gave me a strong scolding, but Alex waved him off, saying he didn't mind giving advice to young people. He read my work, affirmed me as a writer, and speaking in an inspiring fatherly tone I never received from my own father, filled me with words of life.

I walked away from that meeting with many gold nuggets, but there was one that has enriched my life more than any other. It was what I received as he revealed his own struggles as a writer.

He told me that while working on ROOTS, he kept getting evicted from one apartment after another. One day, while living in a basement apartment, he found himself about to get evicted again. Depressed, he sent a letter to James Baldwin, not expecting anything to come of it. A few days later, however, he was surprised to find the Pulitzer Prize winner knocking at his door. He came in, pulled up a crate and shared his last can of beans and some sardines. Afterwards, they went on to have a conversation that encouraged Alex to look past his situation and continue his work.

The gold in this story is the torch of inspiration. Baldwin passed it on to Alex Haley, and Haley passed it on to me. They were both highly exalted men who came down to earth to help a younger brother believe in himself and continue pursuing his dream. Now, I don't claim to be in their league, as far as talent is concerned, but I am when it comes to drive. Haley breathed it into me just as Baldwin breathed it into him. Knowing that, I feel obligated to look for opportunities to do the same for others.

As black men, many of us did not receive that from our fathers, nor do many of the young men in our community today. A word of hope, inspiration, a simple gesture of "I believe in you" can go a long way in someone's life.

I challenge each of us to be a torchbearer for the next generation and give fire to a young man's dream. If someone did it for you, pay it forward. It's so easy to get consumed by our own journey and overlook the needy faces in the crowd. But if someone reaches out for a little guidance, let's not just brush him off. Let's be reminded of those who blessed us and ask "What would he do?" In my case, it's "What would Alex Haley do?" The answer is clear. He would inspire, motivate and empower.

If we really want to do something great, let's act on that and watch how something so small can have a huge impact on the life of another.

By: Charles Allen

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Charles Allen is a writer of urban fiction and author of the novel The Gangsta Prophecy. He can be reached through his web site: thegangstaprophecy.com