Font ResizeReach Jennifer Vogelsong at 771-2034 or jvogelsong@ydr.com.
COMING MONDAY
Read about rising stars in York's black community in Part 2 of this feature, appearing in Monday's Living section and on ydr.com/living.
Bobby Simpson
Age: 60
Residence:York
Occupation: Executive director, Crispus Attucks
Education: 1965 graduate of William Penn Senior High School, Caterpillar management school, international correspondence school, leadership development classes at York College
Family:Wife, Linda; sons, Mark, 40, Wayne, 38; daughter, Wonique, 36.
Community involvement: He is on the following boards: York College
Hobbies/interests: Jogging
What is the biggest challenge you've faced? How did you overcome it? Being raised by a single mother. There were 10 of us. It really built character and made you stronger and more independent because we learned to do for ourselves at an early age.
What is your proudest accomplishment? Why?That my kids turned out well and have done well. My older brother, Sonny, and I both got married at 19, in part so we could raise our younger (siblings) who were taken from our mother and put in foster care when she was going through some challenges.
What would you change if you could? I think if you go back and try to change the past, it negates who you are now. I think all the things I went through - even though some of them were tough and ugly and I wouldn't wish them on anyone - they were good for me because they made me very independent and very focused.
What are your goals for the future? My number one priority right now is to continue our efforts to raise $7 million for our much-needed Early Learning Center.
Who is your role model and/or mentor? It depends on what part of my life you are talking about. At this point in my life, there are too many to list. As a kid, I didn't have any. As I got older, it was a guy by the name of Freddy Sexton who ran a pool hall. I was in junior high and had won a wrestling trophy and I took it by to show it to him. He was so proud that he gave me a job in his pool hall making $5 a week. Boy, that was a lot of money then.
There were a couple of teachers in school I really liked, and some people in the business world - Caterpillar plant managers Don Helfer and Elliott Breese. And Dan Elby. He's a younger dude, but I respect him because he's been through some hardships but has been very successful. He's sort of like me - a self-made man.
What is the best advice you've ever received? My mother always told us - and this is exactly how she said it - "Nobody owes you shit in life. Get it for yourself." That's one of the things she always instilled in us. It's an imperfect world. So what. If you look for scapegoats and reasons not to do something, then you become a failure. Your job is to be ready to take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves.
What is the most important lesson you have learned? We had Tony Brown come here to be a keynote speaker for our (Crispus Attucks') 50th anniversary celebration. At that time, we couldn't understand why we couldn't get the black community to support Crispus Attucks the way they should.
He said, "What makes you think you're any different than anyone else who has tried to do this? Take the few people you have and go do what you need to do. You're never going to get buy-in from 100 percent of the people."
It was like a light bulb went on in my head and from then on, CA's progress went spiraling upward. He was 100 percent right. That changed my whole life.
What advice would you give to the Rising Stars? Leadership is not easy. Taking responsibility is not easy. Making decisions is not easy. I have a picture on my wall that says "Leaders are like eagles - you see them one at a time - not like pigeons that flock together." Be like an eagle and stand out. Be different. You can always tell the lead dog by the bites on his ass. You don't have time to slow up.
Also: Take advantage of every educational opportunity available to you - no matter how unimportant it may seem at the time - because at some point in life a situation is going to come around where you will need that.
Back (when I was in high school), that wasn't my focus. My focus was playing football. The opportunity I had to come to CA with the limited education I had won't happen again. I was blessed that people around me trusted me, it was good timing, and a lot of things fell into place. Back then, it was a smaller organization - about 30 people with a $3,000 budget. Now it employs 110 people and has a $6.5 million budget. Organizations like CA now require the best.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Ray Crenshaw
Age: 74
Residence:York
Occupation: Retired from the Pennsylvania Department of Mental Health
Education: Associate degree from York Junior College and bachelor's degree from Lincoln University
Family:Wife, Dorothie; five children
Community involvement: Past president and member of the York Chapter of the NAACP, member of the executive board of York County Commission Against Racism, active in Small Memorial A.M.E. Zion, member of Social Friendship Lodge No. 42 of the Prince Hall Masons.
Hobbies/interests: Working out at Crispus Attucks gymnasium, community activism
What is the biggest challenge you've faced? How did you overcome it? Being an activist and trying to eliminate racism. I'm still working on it every day. Even though it's a work still in progress, I meet so many positive people who are as interested in the issue as me, and that gives you hope because you're not alone. In the end, we're going to win.
What is your proudest accomplishment? Why?I was president of the Crispus Attucks Community Center when we dedicated the new building at 501 S. Duke St. - back in 1972 - and that was one of the proudest moments in my life - to see where that came from to where it ended up.
What would you change if you could? I constantly look forward and try to learn from the past.
What are your goals for the future? To get a county-wide human relations commission. We have the city one, but the problems are countywide, and in order for us to be successful, we need to move it from the confines of the city to the county at large.
Who is your role model and/or mentor? Nelson Mandela. I can't think of another person - and that includes Dr. King - who endured the hardships and continued to persevere like he did. To come back after 30-some years of being confined and become president of a country and be recognized around the world as a leader, I just can't imagine a human being with more tenacity. Also, when I came to York in 1955 from Port Arthur, Texas, to go to junior college, there were no dormitories, so I rented a room from a lady by the name of Helen L. Thackston, and she became a second mother to me.
What is the best advice you've ever received? Don't give up.
What is the most important lesson you have learned? Good always conquers evil.
What advice would you give to the Rising Stars? Why be a follower when you can be a leader?
Daniel Elby
Age: 58 Residence: Springettsbury Township Occupation: CEO of Alternative Rehabilitation Communities Inc., a nonprofit human services agency that provides rehabilitative services to juvenile offenders. It has locations in Harrisburg, York, Carlisle, Chambersburg, Lancaster and Lebanon.
Education: Graduate of John Harris High School in Harrisburg, bachelor's degree in social services from Lock Haven State College (now Lock Haven University), master's degree in counseling and administration from Michigan State University.
Family:Wife, Brenda; sons, Rashad, 29, Brandon, 26; daughter, Jordyn, 16.
Community involvement: On the board of: Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, Martin Library, WellSpan Health, Central York School District, York County High School, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, Crispus Attucks. Also a member of the council of trustees for Lock Haven University.
Hobbies/interests: Working out. Spending time with his family and his 82-year-old mother.
What is the biggest challenge you've faced? How did you overcome it? Establishing my own agency 31 years ago. You're always told to get the best education you can, and then you can get a good job. But after I got my graduate degree, everywhere I went for a job, I was told I was overqualified. No one would hire me. That was very discouraging because you always figure the key to success is a good college education. ... When they were closing the state correctional facility in Camp Hill to juveniles in the early 1970s, I met a guy who was involved in that who suggested I start my own agency. I was tending bar for my father in Harrisburg at the time and figured it was better than that. (He co-founded A.R.C. with Bob McKendrick.) It was very scary and a lot of work, but when you're young and idealistic, you feel like you can take on any challenge. I thought there was nothing I could not do.
What is your proudest accomplishment? Why?My agency and my children.
Most recently, running the New York Marathon in November. I had a pulmonary embolism (blood clots) in both lungs in July and was in the hospital for eight days. After they dissolved it, I couldn't run for five weeks, so I missed out on some of my training. I only got 11 weeks of the 16-week training program, but I was determined to still do it.
There were only two people who told me not to: my wife and my mother. My wife was real nervous. My mother told me that God takes care of babies and fools and she said I'm not a baby. It was something I wanted to do; I said to myself, "I'm 58 years old, and if I don't try it now, it will soon be too late." When I crossed the finish line, tears were just rolling down my face with all the excitement of completing it. I still get choked up when I remember it.
What would you change if you could? I can't really think of anything.
What are your goals for the future? I think I've been very blessed in my life. I'd like to try to create opportunities for others and give back to the community every opportunity I can.
Who is your role model and/or mentor? My parents have always been role models for me because they instilled in myself and my brothers and sisters that if you work hard and you're willing to discipline yourself and not always want immediate gratification, you'll be able to achieve anything in life you want.
Also, Ray Crenshaw. He's the type of person who can find the silver lining in everything. One of his favorite sayings is "Everything is gonna be all right."
What is the best advice you've ever received? A friend of mine was dean of students at Lock Haven when there were only five other black students on campus. Whenever I'd be feeling down my first year on campus, he would always take the time to talk to me and tell me I have a chance to make a difference. He said, "It may be difficult now, but if you don't give up, you can make a difference for other students who come after you at the university. They'll see that you didn't give up so they won't give up." So, don't give up no matter how tough things seem. If you're focused on what's important and have support around you, you can realize whatever goals you have.
What is the most important lesson you have learned? We can very easily look at a person and be judgmental because of their situation. I see that a lot with the young people who are in my agency. We can very easily be judgmental about them, not knowing their whole situation. What I have learned from that, and what I try to teach others, is that it is really, really important to be open-minded about any encounter you have. Just because things may appear one way on the surface, if you look a little harder, they may be different.
What advice would you give to the Rising Stars? Surround yourself with good people; people who have achieved the type of things you would like to achieve. Talk to them about what some of their struggles were and how they overcame them. When you learn how to do that, you can accomplish anything you set out to do.
William Lee Smallwood
Age: 61
Residence:York
Occupation: Retired continuing-education administrator for Penn State York; city councilman of 26 years
Education: 1963 graduate of William Penn Senior High School
Family:Wife, Janis Rozelle; son, Donald; daughters, Rebecca, Paula, Yolanda, Aundrea, Liza; 11 grandchildren
Community involvement: Member of: York chapter of the NAACP, Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in York, the African American task force for the York County Heritage Trust, participatory planning committee for Penn State York's learning center, planning committee for Y Achievers program at the YMCA of York, African American History Museum development committee, living history participant at the Goodridge Center.
Hobbies/interests: Community service.
What is the biggest challenge you've faced? How did you overcome it? Being able to stand up and speak out. I was a very shy individual growing up, but as I moved through life, I realized if I don't, I will never be able to be successful. What really got me through a lot of that process was four years spent in the U.S. Air Force. Being away from home, you have to learn to stand up for yourself because if you don't, people will take advantage of you.
What is your proudest accomplishment? Why?Raising my family and getting them to the point where they can go out on their own and establish their own lives and careers.
What would you change if you could? I just wish that living and working and social conditions in the community would have improved much faster and quicker and at a higher level than it has at this point. We've come a long way, but we still have a long way to go to be able to work together and get along with each other.
What are your goals for the future? To be completely retired, able to travel and visit my children and grandchildren.
Who is your role model and/or mentor? Ray Crenshaw and Tim Warfield Sr. These are two individuals who mentored me in the political process.
What is the best advice you've ever received? Fred Holliday, former superintendent of schools here in York, told me to always be yourself and don't let anybody make you what you're not.
What is the most important lesson you have learned? You have to learn how to take care of yourself and take responsibility for your actions, your family and your future.
What advice would you give to the Rising Stars? Prepare yourself by knowing where you come from - studying your history and being able to apply it so you know where you're able to go. Get the best education you possibly can get. I came through an era when you could get a high school diploma and be OK. Now, you have to have a master's degree if you want to be truly successful.
