DC Honors Travels to Authors, Authors!
(Defiance, OH). The Defiance College Honors Program recently took a trip to the Toledo Library for an event that they put on periodically called Authors, Authors! This event is where they have authors of books, movies, or anything else come in and talk about current topics, their upcoming books, or even their old books.
This time, DC got the chance to listen to Wil Haygood, the author of The Butler: A Witness to History, and Showdown. Mr. Haygood talked about several topics, but he was not just an author. He was a storyteller. He had the ability to have every single person in the room wrapped around what he was saying.
The main topic throughout Mr. Haygood’s speeches throughout the night were his books, but it was interesting because he did not talk about them in a way where he was saying you have to buy them, but he talked about them in a way where he explained the importance of the events of Thurgood Marshall and Eugene Allen.
Mr Haygood was able to bring a very, very sticky topic in today’s culture, and have a very professional conversation, while shining light on both sides of the issue. The topic was race, and he was captured the audience with every word he said.
Mr. Haygood left the audience with several thought provoking concepts. The first thing that he talked about was advice that he was giving the audience to “let ideas hatch.” He said that we as a society tend to talk ourselves out of ideas that can become really good, as long as we let them develop into what they need to. He wanted everyone in the audience to follow their dreams.
The next concept was when asked about how to get more respect for African Americans and fight for more respect. He referenced November 4th, of 2008, when Barack Obama was elected. He mentioned that this is something as a culture that we need to look at as a respect for all types of people. President Obama being elected was not a win just for one race, but a win for the world as a whole. That event changed the world, to where we are starting to take steps in the right direction.
The final concept that he left us with is when we talked to him personally after his speech. He told us to “go in the direction of our heart beat.” This is something that can be left up for interpretation, but is a very powerful message.
If someone on the campus has a chance to listen to, meet, or read anything by Wil Haygood, I highly suggest it!
Written by Zack Bires
