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(More customer reviews)Julius Caesar Watts, Jr. recently became the chairman of an organization of which I am a member; since I only knew of him as an outstanding wishbone quarterback from the Barry Switzer glory years at the University of Oklahoma and as the first black member of the Republican Congressional leadership, I figured that reading his autobigraphy was the best way to begin to learn about the man. My hopes were tempered by my usual skepticism concerning books by and about politicians because of the agenda and vanity of the writers, but I was encouraged by the fact that J.C.'s book was published after he had announced his retirement from Congress rather than as a stepping stone to higher office. This book exceeded all my expectaions. You learn about J.C. - his family, his upbringing, his values, and the crucial experiences in the formation of his character and outlook on life. The story is told in a straightforward yet very interesting manner, by the end of the book I had developed a real understanding of what makes J.C. "tick". Usually, I have trouble staying interested in this type of book because they are either boring, BS, or both. This was an easy read, several times when I had planned to only read a single chapter I found myself continuing due to my fascination with the story.
The other surprising aspect of the book is that the subject of race does not dominate every discussion; obviously it is one one the key formative factors in J.C.'s life and is dealt with openly, as are the subjects both of religion and the role of faith in his life and also politics and the impact of him being the first black southern Republican Congressman since the reconstruction era. This story begins with J.C. as a boy growing up during the struggle to end segregation; he was one of two blacks to integrate his town's all white elementary school. He later faced the pressure of becoming the first black quarteback for OU. His parents "never gave [him] an excuse to fail", rather he learned the ethic of hard work from his father Buddy who had grown up during the depression with the added burden of being black. He also had the love and discipline of his mother Helen, the "sheltering oak" in his life who counterbalanced "the strong wind" of his energetic and ambitious father. In addition, he learned from the example of his Uncle Wade, who overcame the prejudice and animosity of the Grand Wizard of the Klu Klux Klan so completely that this former KKK member actually spoke in tribute at Wade's funeral.
In summary, this is an inspiring story which provides the insights necessary to understand a remarkable man, but it is also the story of America. It is about personal responsibilty, hope, faith, belief in our power to overcome obstacles (even when the mountain is as high as our past history of racial injustice) and create a better tomorrow for future generations. As he explains, J.C. Watts is an American of African descent who has chosen not to let his race either deter or define him; as such he has confounded not only the proponents of victimhood who view him as a "traitor" to their cause but also those Republicans who had hoped that he would become the "black spokesman" for their party. While his experiences inform his choices and viewpoint, as he often says - most issues should not be about the black or white view, but about the facts and your goals.
In the words of Martin Luther King Jr., J.C. Watts Jr. is clearly delineated by "the content of his character" rather than the color of his skin. He is living proof of the view espoused by John McWhorter in AUTHENTICALLY BLACK (Amazon review 3/20/03) that while blacks undoubtedly often still face additional hurdles on the road to success, that the biggest stumbling block to their success today is the culture of victimhood that denies the opportunities that do exist and creates a feeling of self pity rather than self worth.
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