Confessions of a Recovering Racist

Book excerpt: The memoir of a dyed-in-the-wool racist forced to change his beliefs to succeed in the progressively changing times of twentieth-century America. This true story is about George O’Hare and his upbringing in a segregated, White, Irish Catholic, Chicago neighborhood. As an adult moving up the corporate ladder at a time when America was transitioning from Jim Crow to Civil Rights, George was asked by his manager to join the Junior Chamber of Commerce, which often worked closely with a race of people he did not want to know and did not trust. Consequently, George was faced with a dilemma. How could he be a part of this organization and fulfill his hopes of corporate success given the beliefs and principles he was taught as a child and had embraced his entire life? The path George ultimately chose to follow shaped and changed his life forever. He met some of the most iconic African Americans in the country and became good friends with Dr. Martin Luther King, comedian Dick Gregory, Father George Clements, Muhammad Ali, State Senator Barack Obama, and many others. This compelling memoir is also an historical document, giving insight into the heart of America during one of the most momentous eras in history. It is a must-read for anyone willing to look at George’s life, examine one’s own, and decide like George what each of us can do in our own small world and for our nation.