Alaman Haile has gained the wisdom that comes from experiencing firsthand the civil rights movement in America for three quarters of a century. It helped shape the man he is today.

Alaman grew up in St. Louis, MO and was raised by a mother who was the first in her family of 14 to get a college degree. She instilled in him the importance of education and community service from a young age, which inspired him to make the most out of all the opportunities available to him. He enrolled in the NAACP Youth Corps and the Boy Scouts, and later became part of his local YMCA leadership group.

“It was a good place to be raised,” Alaman says. “The Black community was close-knit and culturally connected. All these opportunities help you start learning to be respectful and not to be full of yourself.”

He indulged his passion for baseball by following African American major league players like Willie Mays and Ernie Banks. The St. Louis Cardinals didn’t have any Black players at the time, so he turned his admiration to a local hero, Cool Papa Bell of the St. Louis Negro League team. Alaman played baseball himself in high school; as a second baseman he is said to have stolen the bases with ease.

Alaman remained in his home state as he got his own place, attended college, got married, had children and started a business of his own – all after the Supreme Court declared racial segregation unconstitutional. And yet, he continued to witness injustices around him. He and his wife joined others in community activism to protest businesses that violated fair hiring practices. He recalls with pride the protests he engaged in against Howard Johnson’s and Church’s Fried Chicken for not hiring African American employees though they served mostly Black communities.

By his late 30s, Alaman had nurtured a vibrant graphic design business. He attributes a great deal of his success to his character and diligence. As a gregarious business owner, he attracted clients by building strong relationships and producing good work. Word spread that his clients could depend on him and his business flourished.

“It’s always about who you are as a person and your trustworthiness,” Alaman explained. “To get ahead in life, you need people who trust you and want to have a part of your success.”

With the advent of new interstate highways, much of his family migrated to cities like Detroit and Chicago. This was part of a greater migration, during which millions of Black Americans moved out of the South to the Midwest, Northeast and West. Alaman relocated a few times before landing in Washington, D.C. to be closer to his daughter, despite his distaste for its harsh winter weather.

A stroke in 1991 made it too difficult for him to continue with his graphic design business and activities like calligraphy (which he spent years perfecting). It also required him to use a wheelchair and made it more challenging and dangerous to use the electrical stove in his home. Now, at 76 years old, he receives support from his local Meals on Wheels America Member program, Iona Senior Services who is there to bring him food to help supplement his diet and make sure he gets the nutrition he needs.

Alaman remains a dedicated supporter of the today’s civil rights efforts and the battle for racial equality. He is unable to physically join a Black Lives Matter protest due to concerns for his safety. However, he is fully there in spirit.

“I don’t go out because I’m in a wheelchair and can’t move fast enough with the tear gas and what they use to break those up. I would go, if I could take care of myself better,“ Alaman says. “I do get pride to see these young people who have purpose.”

Alaman offers young activists two keys to a fulfilling life: patience and reading.

“You need to read and comprehend what you are reading in order to form your own opinions and be independent.” Alaman says.

His wish for all of us is to read to better understand the world so that we might find our own independent ideas.

“That is the only way we can truly be free.”