THIS BOOK WOULD NOT have been possible without the kindness, patience, and hard work of many people and the whispered prayers of many more. I first would like to thank my wife, Lyne. Thanks to her, I married well. She’s been an encourager and a confidant. When I needed a push, she gave it. When I needed a hug, she gave one. Thanks to my family of course. My beloved grandmother, Roberta Mae Walden, who left us in 2000. My mother, sister, and brother; my aunts Gladys, Diane, Rebecca and Pat, along with uncles Albert, Alton, Fred, and Luther; and my late cousin Marian Sanders. Thanks to Dr. Ülle Lewes, who is an honorary family member, and to Dorthey Daniels and Andre Jones, who are the best friends a person could ever ask for.
I want to express my gratitude to all of my friends and colleagues at CBS News, who have made the last twelve years of my professional life the most rewarding. A special thanks to producers Betty Chin and Rodney Comrie, who have traveled the country with me in search of important truths worth telling. I’m also grateful for the support of Jeff Fager, Sean McManus, Les Moonves, Bill Felling, Terri Stewart, Larry Doyle, and (the late) Martin Gill. Thanks as well to Richard Liebner at N. S. Bienstock, my agent and my friend.
This book would have remained just a dream without Jan Miller and the team at Dupree/Miller and Associates. My thanks especially to agent Nena Madonia. They were all an answer to my prayers. I’m so grateful to St. Martin’s Press and my executive editor, Kathryn Huck. She has made the rough places smooth. I’d also like to acknowledge Howard Kurtz at the The Washington Post, because it was an article he wrote that set this project in motion, and Lisa Dallos, who believed in my story.
A special mention for college professor Verne Edwards and a dear friend in Boston, Maceo Vaughn.
To Daniel, Tiffani, Benjamin, Angela, Brittni, and Chris-tiani, I hope I make you as proud as you make me.
And thanks to all of you who have allowed me into your homes and into your lives to tell your stories. You have taught me more than you will ever know.