Owed to Fine Black Men

By Gloria Dulan-Wilson

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JUNE 19th, 2016

Hello All:

Yesterday, June 18th, not only was  the day that most of the conscious Black people on the planet chose to celebrate Juneteenth - a National Day of Black Liberation Consciousness - but it was also the birthdates of two of the most special men in my life - my Grandfather on my Mom's side - Enoch Gaines; and my favorite uncle on the planet - Adolf Dulan (my dad's youngest brother) - who turned 82 years young.  And while I was dealing with what I was going to write in celebration of Fathers' Day, which is Sunday, June 19th this year, it suddenly hit me that I have  been blessed with having had nothing but Fine Black Men in my life ever since the day I was born.  I mean that seriously!!

Starting with my dad,  Warner Hale DULAN, Sr. who was the first FINEST BLACK MAN I ever saw - but his predecessors who nurtured, raised, guided and  taught him to be the Fine Black Man he became - i.e., my handsome Granddad, Silas Sylvester DULAN- his father.  Granddad was raised by his father, Benjamin DULAN - who was murdered by a bunch of rednecks from Missouri after he and escaped from them taking his family to Oklahoma Territory, where whites were forbidden to enter.  He taught his sons to be Fine Black Men from day one.  There are traditions and standards that run deep in the Dulan Family to this day in terms of manhood, honor, discipline, faith, creativity, enterprise, race pride, generosity, trustworthiness, and courage that you just don't mess with!

Fine Black Men aren't just good looking - although it's part of the definition - they're built right from the inside out.  My Grandmother used to say "Handsome is as handsome does," meaning it's got to be more than good looks to define a real man.   And you just couldn't get around that - especially when the entire community in which I was raised in Oklahoma felt the same way and held to the same standard of excellence.

Every Fathers' Day I write something about my Dad, Warner Hale DULAN - but tonight, I want to praise all the Dulan men - including and especially my Uncle Adolf DULAN -my own personal hero, who has rescued me from some pretty intense messes I managed to get myself into over the course of my life - and all the members of the Dulan Clan who were my grandfather' brothers:  Narva, Brent, Otis I & II, Ferman, Uncle Floyd, Roy and Ben DULAN - My cousin LaMont Talton, whose mom (Aunt Alene) was a DULAN but name changed due to marriage.

 This is also to all the Gaines off spring, starting with my Uncle Buddy (Mother's only brother); and those whose names changed because my 5 aunts married and their names changed as well, cousin John Combs, my cousins Ronnie and Yay-Yay Bradford (sons of Eula Pearl Bradford, Mom's eldest sister), because they all exemplify these wonderful codes of honor that apparently either no longer exist, or are no longer valued among many of our contemporary peers.

I want to incorporate my Handsome Brother, Sylvester II (named for Granddad) DULAN his son, my nephew Silas Dulan III, my Handsome Son, Rais Wilson, Handsome Son-in-Law, Hugh Harrell IV, Handsome cousins, Gregory DULAN Jeffrey DULAN  and LaMont,  and my late, favorite Cousin, Kenneth - the Outlaw -DULAN  And I also have to mention our wonderful Dr. Gravely E. Finley, our family doctor, who brought all my brothers and sister into this world, and kept us healthy - who was just as much a part of our family as any one.

 And from the Wilson clan of course Lou Wilson, the love of my life, our Handsome son, Rais - a A FINE BLACK MAN FROM BIRTH; and  Lou's handsome  first born son Victor  Louis Wilson; Lou's brothers Ric, Wolf, Carlos Wilson.  I couldn't, in any clear consciousness, mention them without giving praise to their wonderful dad, Fine Black Man number one, Wilfred (Fred) Wilson - who was the most romantic, wonderful exemplar for these guys to have been fathered by.  My favorite history and political buff - we spent hours talking and solving the problems of the world. 

But I'm not going to stop there, because when I say I was blessed to be around some of the Finest Black Men on the planet, I mean it.  I had some of the most fantastic teachers coming up  - starting in the 6th grade  at Dunbar Elementary School with Mr. Hancock, my teacher who I absolutely adore til this day.  Mr. Hancock taught us everything we needed to know about how to succeed and made us put it into practice.  At Moon Jr. High School it was my bio teacher, Mr. Emory, who told my parents I was "College Material", and Mr. Rucker, my homeroom teacher who told my parents that I should definitely be encouraged to write.  And of course, E.C. Moon himself, for whom the school was named, who took a vested interest in all of us succeeding.

At Douglass Sr. High School, it was Mr. Buford (History), Mr. Sam Harris (social studies), Mr. Mosely, my Uncle Otis DULAN (my chemistry and physics teacher), Mr. Wyatt F. Jeltz - Principal, Mr. Mason (Coach), Mr.  L.O. Alexander (shop), Mr. Perry (Band and Orchestra  - I didn't have him, but I loved to watch him rehearse the band - he had such presence); Mr. Benefee, Mr. Powell, Mr. Todd (my drama and theatre teacher - I was once a Thespian, you know!!!)  These were all FINE BLACK MEN!!

When I reached Hampton, I had Alfred Moleah, my first ever friend from Africa! But my experience with Fine Black Men really escalated when I entered Lincoln University, in 1965!! Suddenly, I had to be able to separate the wheat from the chaff.  Suddenly, everything I had learned from my relatives and my teachers really came into play as I began to interact with the plethora of males - 600 in number, of which I was only one of 16 females on the campus.  Suddenly I am surrounded by some of the handsomest Black men on the planet - and the standard by which I had been raised was put to the acid test - and I am proud to say that from 1965 through 2015, I have had the privilege and pleasure of having had as friends and associates some of the Finest Black Men on this planet - the FINE BLACK MEN OF LINCOLN UNIVERSITY.  I have lifelong friends like Sam Anderson, Anthony Monteiro, Dwight Murph, Ja A Jahannes (the late), Levi Nwachuku, Beale Morgan, Foday Turay, Patrick Henry, "B'More, Bax, Rocky,  Pablo, Bullwinkle, Johnnie G" (all rabble names - sorry), Tom McGill, Doc "Chuck" Hamilton, Joe Williams, Naib Iscandari, Hidipo Hamutenya (Prime Minister of Namibia), Gene Harvey, Vaughn Thomas, the late Gil Scott-Heron, Joe Williams; and a host of new found Lincolnian friends - Bob Ingram, Kenny Pool, A Jami Craig, Henry Lancaster, Darrell Braxton, Larry Smallwood - all FINE BLACK MEN OF LINCOLN UNIVERSITY - who are a wonderful part of my life.  

I would be totally remiss to leave out  other brothers who have become important to me over the course of my life; each one a FINE BLACK MAN in his own right:  Zach Husser, Yahnick Martin,  Hank "Perks" Perkins, Roy Ayers, Eric Adams (now MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY), Sparkie Martin, Sir Shadow, Stephen Kinsey, Joe Budd, Craig Fullmore, Kenny Gamble, Molefi Asante, Rev. Anthony Stevens, Relentless Aaron, Michael Coard, Tracey Fisher,  Robert Johnson, Bobby Hunter,  Earl Harvey,  Sam Brown (Our Children's Foundation), Charlie Moses,  David Smile, and Ben Codjoe -- this is by no means the entire list - just wanted you to get an understanding of the high caliber of Fine Black Manhood these brothers represent.

Of course I can't leave out those FINE BLACK MEN who have set great examples by the great things they have done in their lives  - my personal heroes - some living, and others who are part of the Ancestor/Angel Squad - President Barack Obama - my favorite contemporary FINE BLACK MAN; Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rev. Al Sharpton, Rev. Martin Luther King, Brother Malcolm X, Dr.William H. Cosby, Vernon Jordan,  Rev. Ike, Min. Louis Farrakhan, Pres. Robert Mugabe, Pres. Julius Nyerere, Pres. Nelson Mandela, Pres. Jomo Kenyatta, Rev. Leon Sullivan, Julian Bond, Brother Muhammad Ali, Don King,  Kwame Nkrumah, Thurgood Marshall, Ossie Davis, Bro Tyler Perry, Spike Lee, Ice Cube, Paul Robeson, Marcus Garvey, Adam Powell, Jr., Adan Clayton Powell IV,  and the late Joe Jackson (father of  Michael, Janet and The Jackson 5) - Each a FINE BLACK MAN  in his own right, and an inspiration for what Black Men can be when they reach for the greatest inside of them!!  

It's so wonderful to know that these FINE BLACK MEN are  doing so many positive wonderful things - individually and collectively -  that make a considerable difference in the world; and that we're friends and associates.  

I guess from this list you can tell that I have very eclectic tastes when it comes to my my choices for who fits the definition of FINE BLACK MANHOOD -  but believe me, each one has a large measure of what it takes to fill the bill.  

Like I said, I have had the privilege  of being surrounded by Fine Black Men All my life - spiritually, physically, mentally, and socially.   And it is with great pleasure that I take the privilege of acknowledging each and every one of them and wishing them a 

BLESSED & HAPPY FATHER'S DAY - 2016 - which is also JUNETEENTH!  A DAY FOR DOUBLE CELEBRATION INDEED! 

Keep being the wonderful exemplars you are.  I wish for each and every one of you:

Breakfast in bed, exclusive use of the remote control; that you favorite team wins, that your kids each and all give you plenty of hugs, love and kisses and that your wives (or girlfriends) pamper you endlessly - you've earned it and you deserve it.

I encourage you - not just the brothers who are privileged to be fathers - but my sister/friends/daughters/Sorors/neices as well - to take time to list those wonderful FINE BLACK MEN in your life who have inspired you directly and indirectly and lift them up in gratitude and honor right here and right now -  you'll be amazed, like I was, at how many have had an impact in your life. 

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Birthday in Heaven Uncle Adolf!!!!

Happy Juneteenth Everybody 

Stay Blessed &

ECLECTICALLY BLACK

Gloria Jeanne

 

Gloria DULAN-Wilson