very side-by-side will stand and always
pays thy name to ever
earth lend our hearts enhance to help
increase thy face
the honor
although lease at high cost for a
loyalty now if I could really sing I
would say loyalty loyalty three times
but I’ll just say so cheerful dear Oh II
sigh huh lead on to victory I thought I
was auditioning for one of the recap
reality TV shows but I guess I’m not
today I look around the room and I feel
these Rutgers prep TEDx shirts so I
believe this is Rutgers preps headache
so I think I’ll have my seat right now
and just talk to you for a little while
so how many of you have heard that song
before anybody in the room not doing
your audition either but you heard it
before if you haven’t heard that song
before
it’s the Eastside high school alma mater
that was made famous back in 1986 by Joe
Clark the baseball bat Worthing
principal who was a star of the movie
lean on me Joe Clark appeared on the
cover of Time magazine back in 1986
because of his no holds bar style East
Side at that time was labeled a
Blackboard Jungle because of its low
test scores drugs crime and violence
drugs crime and violence mr. Clark did
something special though he really
introduced the concept of that song that
I just sang
we had some diversity side mostly black
students Hispanic students some white
students and primarily white but some
black staff and administrators but it
didn’t matter who was in the building
mr. Clark made it clear that he was in
charge as a matter of fact Ronald Reagan
was a president at the time I was in
high school and if he had visited
Eastside mr. Clark would let him know
that he was the H in I see he coined
that term
H stands for a head and well he was an
african-american male carrying around a
baseball bat
use your imagination as to what that
term means I see in charge I didn’t
realize how serious mr. Clark took that
until I called this office 25 years
later to ask him for a favor and when he
picked up there was no answering machine
or the ask machine picked up and it said
welcome to H in IC farms said mr. Clark
it’s 25 years later high school is over
in any event I graduated high school
almost 30 years ago but that song I just
sang resonates with me even to this day
as a matter of fact when I was in the
green room rehearsing it I started to
cry a little bit and I cried not because
I’m sad but because I’m grateful because
I survived that high school experience
music and song has a profound way of
influencing the lenses to which we look
at ourselves and the world what if we
harness the symmetry of song to create a
community where everybody feels like a
valued member of a winning team there
are lots of songs out there that could
fit the bill but there’s one song in
particular when I break it down
provides a blueprint that allows us to
embrace our differences and to change
the world I don’t mean to undermine or
minimize Oh trivialize it by comparing
it to this song but the simplicity of it
is very helpful and helped me to make my
point with you here today I promise you
after I finished this you will never
ever look at this song the same again
according to festive legend Santa use
reindeer to God his sleigh through the
night there were eight of them there was
Dasher and dancer and Prancer and vixen
and comet and Cupid and Donner and
Blitzen who was the most famous of them
all
who was the most famous of them all
Rudolph I’m use I’m a lawyer as you
heard and I did some research because I
understood that Rudolph wasn’t a part of
the original 8 he came much later so I
started to think to myself well how did
Rudolph get there
well how did many of us get to where we
are was Rudolph captured and transported
and sold into slavery I don’t know maybe
he was was he already there but he was
stripped by people more powerful than
him
it’s a possibility was he tortured and
put in the concentration camp and then
he fled to get away that’s an experience
of some people
where did he immigrated just like many
of us to a place and searched for a
better opportunity for himself and his
family
I don’t know how Rudolph got there but
he came later but I do know this he had
to adapt to a set of changing
circumstances in order to acclimate to
his new environment without losing his
sense of identity and who he was reminds
me of a time when I was growing up in
inner-city Paterson New Jersey we moved
a lot in fact we moved five times and
every time we moved to a different
neighborhood I had to prove myself
socially academically athletically and
yes many times physically without losing
myself and my sense of identity how many
of you have ever been there in fact one
time when I moved to a different
neighborhood I told everybody in the
school too that knew karate so they
wouldn’t mess with me and one time I
found myself in the bathroom and I was
doing moves and I saw Bruce Lee do on a
three o’clock movie in Saturday but it
was a way for me to identify and to
acclimate to a new environment just to
fit in just like Moodle how many of you
have ever been there feeling that you
had to fit in being out of place is one
thing which Rudolf was but being out of
place with a different name some totally
different ballgame when I looked at the
names of the reindeer Rudolph had a
different name there was Dasher right
what a name like that he had to be fast
like
same bolt there was dancer Wow Frank
Sinatra Sammy Davis jr. Fred Astaire
John Travolta Gregory Hines a very good
dancer with a name like that there was
Prancer probably won the Triple Crown a
few times because he prance around like
he owned everything vixen oh my goodness
drop-dead gorgeous she came in second
than Miss America only to my wife who
came in first comment oh my goodness
what if out of the box and out of the
world thinker word had at he study was
Einstein Cupid my favorite the lover
everybody loves lover right I see him
hanging out with the Dos Equis man all
the time be thirsty my friends
Donner and Blitzen short for what
thunder and lightning right power and
strength all of those names meant
something what did Rudolph’s taemi
imagine if you’re in a situation where
somebody walks in one day and says to
Mary and to Peter and to Paul and to
John into Dave and to Susan we have some
new people joining us kasym Bay Ngozi
Sasha Eduardo Hong C Fung see you choy
same petit Patel what would Marian who
think about those folks what images or
biases or preconceived notions would
they have about them think about that
Rudolph’s name may have communicated
that he was different but a physical
feature solidified it what did he have a
red nose see when people don’t
understand your name they tend to
identify you by a physical
characteristic personality trait or
personal attribute that you may have
Rudolph with a deer like just like them
but they labeled him why because he was
different labeling is a sign of control
think about it when we name our children
when we name our places we name our cars
our pets anything that we name it’s a
sign of control over them that’s what I
label Rudolph what if we did not have
any preconceived notions about people
based upon their names or judge them
because their name is different
what have we then placed labels on
people regarding sex gender race
religion mental and physical abilities
or anything else that we think
distinguishes us but instead understand
that we should experience people before
we judge them it was very easy to judge
rudolph why because he had a red nose
before people said anything or before he
said anything or did anything or made
any comment they judged him he couldn’t
hide it if he wanted to
just like the skin that I’m in no matter
where I go or what I do before I say or
do anything
people look at Who I am that’s how we do
as people when the skin color is
different the hair color is different
the eye color is different our body
shapes are different all of the
differences we point them out and then
we get amazed because we’re supposed to
be so smart that something unpredictable
happens or I should say something very
predictable happens when somebody’s name
is uncommon and we label them the song
says what all of the other reindeer used
to laugh and call him names right
Rudolph was ostracized criticized
marginalized and in some cases even
demonized why because he was different
today
weird at Rutgers Prep we call that Hib
harassment intimidation and bullying
that sometimes it leads to homicide
and in many cases suicide whoever said
sticks and stones can break my bones but
names will never hurt I say hit him with
his bat because they lie names hurt
maybe that person was never called a
racial or ethnic slur but words are
powerful I won’t repeat them here
because they hurt but words are powerful
and they can even breathe life or they
can choke us to death
what if we didn’t ostracize criticize
marginalize or even demonize people who
are different than us but understand and
embrace the notion that there’s no
distinction in humanity that binds all
of us the predictability continues when
we continue to judge people before we
experience them because their name is
different or we label them the song says
they never let poor Rudolph join in any
reindeer games you see the reindeer
controlled the game by the way there was
a movie called reindeer games I just
remembered that you know a long time ago
had nothing to do a Rudolph but it was
it was a pretty good movie the the
reindeer controlled the game socially
economically politically in every way
they controlled the game and they pitied
Rudolph and called some poor
because they wrongly interpreted his
difference as a deficiency think about
that because it was the least
threatening way for them to process who
he was instead of seeing Rudolph as a
valued member of a winning team they
perceived him as poor because he had
something that they did not have a red
nose see whenever people don’t
understand what you have and how you got
it they fear you and are intimidated by
you and one of the ways they exercise
that fear and intimidation again is
through control when I bought my house
almost 20 years ago now my attorney came
to me and before we could close he said
Vaughn you have to get the other
neighbors in the community to sign off
on you living in the community now I’m a
lawyer I understood it it’s called a
covenant that runs with the land or a
restrictive covenant and that covenant
was used by many builders back in the
day to keep blacks and others out of
their neighborhoods and so I say that to
say what if we have a society where we
give everybody equal access and equal
opportunity to play in the game without
controlling them or limiting them in any
way what if we intentionally expanded
the game to incorporate people who are
different than us both who have the
skills the talents the gifts and the
abilities to contribute in some
meaningful way here’s the thing I like
about Rudolph he’d rejected others
interpretation of who he was was he hurt
absolutely was he discouraged I believe
so but he would not be denied his place
in history how do we know this the song
continues on and it says then one foggy
Christmas Eve see the fog changed
everything the conditions the culture
the climate the situation everything
changed and provided a unique
opportunity for Rudolph to display his
gift why Santa had a job to do he had to
deliver joy and peace and happiness to
the world you know how it is when you
didn’t get something for Christmas and
how you wreaked havoc in your house
just imagine the whole community not
getting what they want so the
Fogg presented an obstacle for Santa
failure was not an option because if he
failed
they’ll be uprisings and riots and
protests and boycotts and marches and
sit-ins and while others pitied Rudolph
and did nothing
Santa spotted his uniqueness and said
something and What did he say he said
Rudolph with your nose so bright won’t
you guide my sleigh tonight
see Santa recognized that Rudolph’s
significance was in his difference
remember that he recognized that Rudolph
significance was in his difference and
with peace and justice on the line it
was all paws on deck
he didn’t label Rudolph he didn’t judge
him instead he gave him a position based
upon Rudolph’s unique skill the red nose
he saw Rudolph as a valued at a gift to
be celebrated not a freak or thing to be
tolerated and as a result of that he has
Rudolph to lead not just be a part but
to lead the sleigh from a very very dark
place remember it was nighttime Santa
had to get through the fog Rudolph’s
seize the opportunity and now we know
what his matchless contribution win
we’re not singing dancer the dancing
reindeer or Prancer the prancing
reindeer we’re singing Rudolph the
red-nosed reindeer my friends it’s
nighttime the then is now with regard to
diversity and inclusion and race
relations in this country the climate
the culture the circumstances the
situations have changed what if we had a
lot of Santa Clauses and mrs. Claus’s
and Santa’s helpers and elves and wooden
soldiers scouring their communities and
their playgrounds and their courtrooms
and their boardrooms and their offices
and wherever place people live work and
play
looking for uniqueness that could help
lead us through this dark place because
when we do that we’ll find that
behaviors will change and the script
will be flipped an attitude will change
because as in Rudolph’s case it says
then how the reindeer loved him as they
shouted out with glee Rudolph the
red-nosed reindeer
you’ll go down in history at some point
the reindeer realize that the mission
cannot be successful without Rudolph
they realized that Rudolph wanted what
they wanted which was to be a valued
member of a winning team
they realized that different means
different it does not mean deficient
they realize that Rudolph’s proficiency
and his gift did not nullify or mitigate
their contribution to the mission now
all of those insights led to something
they led to shouts of Blee about how
great Rudolph was the hateful eight
started singing Rudolph the great his
critics became as converse and praised
him it’s funny how people want to be
associated with the winner when the
winner is confirmed but not everyone
will take the time to spot the potential
winner cultivate them and then leverage
or create circumstances that allow that
unique gift to shine we need to do more
of that people don’t do it because it’s
too risky we can’t afford not to do it
why did Rudolph go down in history
because Santa recognized that his
significance was in his uniqueness and
his uniqueness made the difference and
bringing peace and joy to the world what
if we are courageous enough to display
humility after we learn that people who
are different than us just want what we
want to be valued for who they are in
the contribution that they can make
what if wherever we are we shout out
with glee that is only through the
inclusion of diversity that we can truly
deliver on the promise of freedom
liberty and justice for all
what if I what if you what if we me and
you what if they those outside this room
what if all of us me you we and they can
convince and influence them the
non-believers regarding diversity and
inclusion and race relations to change
and modify their behaviors in a very
very positive way
like Santa we cannot fail there will be
uprisings and boycotts and sit-ins and
marches there will be blood
if we don’t embrace what dr. King said
many many years ago injustice anywhere
is a threat to justice everywhere what
if I what if you what if we what if they
what if all of us can convince them
what if thank you for listening
[Applause]
pays thy name to ever
earth lend our hearts enhance to help
increase thy face
the honor
although lease at high cost for a
loyalty now if I could really sing I
would say loyalty loyalty three times
but I’ll just say so cheerful dear Oh II
sigh huh lead on to victory I thought I
was auditioning for one of the recap
reality TV shows but I guess I’m not
today I look around the room and I feel
these Rutgers prep TEDx shirts so I
believe this is Rutgers preps headache
so I think I’ll have my seat right now
and just talk to you for a little while
so how many of you have heard that song
before anybody in the room not doing
your audition either but you heard it
before if you haven’t heard that song
before
it’s the Eastside high school alma mater
that was made famous back in 1986 by Joe
Clark the baseball bat Worthing
principal who was a star of the movie
lean on me Joe Clark appeared on the
cover of Time magazine back in 1986
because of his no holds bar style East
Side at that time was labeled a
Blackboard Jungle because of its low
test scores drugs crime and violence
drugs crime and violence mr. Clark did
something special though he really
introduced the concept of that song that
I just sang
we had some diversity side mostly black
students Hispanic students some white
students and primarily white but some
black staff and administrators but it
didn’t matter who was in the building
mr. Clark made it clear that he was in
charge as a matter of fact Ronald Reagan
was a president at the time I was in
high school and if he had visited
Eastside mr. Clark would let him know
that he was the H in I see he coined
that term
H stands for a head and well he was an
african-american male carrying around a
baseball bat
use your imagination as to what that
term means I see in charge I didn’t
realize how serious mr. Clark took that
until I called this office 25 years
later to ask him for a favor and when he
picked up there was no answering machine
or the ask machine picked up and it said
welcome to H in IC farms said mr. Clark
it’s 25 years later high school is over
in any event I graduated high school
almost 30 years ago but that song I just
sang resonates with me even to this day
as a matter of fact when I was in the
green room rehearsing it I started to
cry a little bit and I cried not because
I’m sad but because I’m grateful because
I survived that high school experience
music and song has a profound way of
influencing the lenses to which we look
at ourselves and the world what if we
harness the symmetry of song to create a
community where everybody feels like a
valued member of a winning team there
are lots of songs out there that could
fit the bill but there’s one song in
particular when I break it down
provides a blueprint that allows us to
embrace our differences and to change
the world I don’t mean to undermine or
minimize Oh trivialize it by comparing
it to this song but the simplicity of it
is very helpful and helped me to make my
point with you here today I promise you
after I finished this you will never
ever look at this song the same again
according to festive legend Santa use
reindeer to God his sleigh through the
night there were eight of them there was
Dasher and dancer and Prancer and vixen
and comet and Cupid and Donner and
Blitzen who was the most famous of them
all
who was the most famous of them all
Rudolph I’m use I’m a lawyer as you
heard and I did some research because I
understood that Rudolph wasn’t a part of
the original 8 he came much later so I
started to think to myself well how did
Rudolph get there
well how did many of us get to where we
are was Rudolph captured and transported
and sold into slavery I don’t know maybe
he was was he already there but he was
stripped by people more powerful than
him
it’s a possibility was he tortured and
put in the concentration camp and then
he fled to get away that’s an experience
of some people
where did he immigrated just like many
of us to a place and searched for a
better opportunity for himself and his
family
I don’t know how Rudolph got there but
he came later but I do know this he had
to adapt to a set of changing
circumstances in order to acclimate to
his new environment without losing his
sense of identity and who he was reminds
me of a time when I was growing up in
inner-city Paterson New Jersey we moved
a lot in fact we moved five times and
every time we moved to a different
neighborhood I had to prove myself
socially academically athletically and
yes many times physically without losing
myself and my sense of identity how many
of you have ever been there in fact one
time when I moved to a different
neighborhood I told everybody in the
school too that knew karate so they
wouldn’t mess with me and one time I
found myself in the bathroom and I was
doing moves and I saw Bruce Lee do on a
three o’clock movie in Saturday but it
was a way for me to identify and to
acclimate to a new environment just to
fit in just like Moodle how many of you
have ever been there feeling that you
had to fit in being out of place is one
thing which Rudolf was but being out of
place with a different name some totally
different ballgame when I looked at the
names of the reindeer Rudolph had a
different name there was Dasher right
what a name like that he had to be fast
like
same bolt there was dancer Wow Frank
Sinatra Sammy Davis jr. Fred Astaire
John Travolta Gregory Hines a very good
dancer with a name like that there was
Prancer probably won the Triple Crown a
few times because he prance around like
he owned everything vixen oh my goodness
drop-dead gorgeous she came in second
than Miss America only to my wife who
came in first comment oh my goodness
what if out of the box and out of the
world thinker word had at he study was
Einstein Cupid my favorite the lover
everybody loves lover right I see him
hanging out with the Dos Equis man all
the time be thirsty my friends
Donner and Blitzen short for what
thunder and lightning right power and
strength all of those names meant
something what did Rudolph’s taemi
imagine if you’re in a situation where
somebody walks in one day and says to
Mary and to Peter and to Paul and to
John into Dave and to Susan we have some
new people joining us kasym Bay Ngozi
Sasha Eduardo Hong C Fung see you choy
same petit Patel what would Marian who
think about those folks what images or
biases or preconceived notions would
they have about them think about that
Rudolph’s name may have communicated
that he was different but a physical
feature solidified it what did he have a
red nose see when people don’t
understand your name they tend to
identify you by a physical
characteristic personality trait or
personal attribute that you may have
Rudolph with a deer like just like them
but they labeled him why because he was
different labeling is a sign of control
think about it when we name our children
when we name our places we name our cars
our pets anything that we name it’s a
sign of control over them that’s what I
label Rudolph what if we did not have
any preconceived notions about people
based upon their names or judge them
because their name is different
what have we then placed labels on
people regarding sex gender race
religion mental and physical abilities
or anything else that we think
distinguishes us but instead understand
that we should experience people before
we judge them it was very easy to judge
rudolph why because he had a red nose
before people said anything or before he
said anything or did anything or made
any comment they judged him he couldn’t
hide it if he wanted to
just like the skin that I’m in no matter
where I go or what I do before I say or
do anything
people look at Who I am that’s how we do
as people when the skin color is
different the hair color is different
the eye color is different our body
shapes are different all of the
differences we point them out and then
we get amazed because we’re supposed to
be so smart that something unpredictable
happens or I should say something very
predictable happens when somebody’s name
is uncommon and we label them the song
says what all of the other reindeer used
to laugh and call him names right
Rudolph was ostracized criticized
marginalized and in some cases even
demonized why because he was different
today
weird at Rutgers Prep we call that Hib
harassment intimidation and bullying
that sometimes it leads to homicide
and in many cases suicide whoever said
sticks and stones can break my bones but
names will never hurt I say hit him with
his bat because they lie names hurt
maybe that person was never called a
racial or ethnic slur but words are
powerful I won’t repeat them here
because they hurt but words are powerful
and they can even breathe life or they
can choke us to death
what if we didn’t ostracize criticize
marginalize or even demonize people who
are different than us but understand and
embrace the notion that there’s no
distinction in humanity that binds all
of us the predictability continues when
we continue to judge people before we
experience them because their name is
different or we label them the song says
they never let poor Rudolph join in any
reindeer games you see the reindeer
controlled the game by the way there was
a movie called reindeer games I just
remembered that you know a long time ago
had nothing to do a Rudolph but it was
it was a pretty good movie the the
reindeer controlled the game socially
economically politically in every way
they controlled the game and they pitied
Rudolph and called some poor
because they wrongly interpreted his
difference as a deficiency think about
that because it was the least
threatening way for them to process who
he was instead of seeing Rudolph as a
valued member of a winning team they
perceived him as poor because he had
something that they did not have a red
nose see whenever people don’t
understand what you have and how you got
it they fear you and are intimidated by
you and one of the ways they exercise
that fear and intimidation again is
through control when I bought my house
almost 20 years ago now my attorney came
to me and before we could close he said
Vaughn you have to get the other
neighbors in the community to sign off
on you living in the community now I’m a
lawyer I understood it it’s called a
covenant that runs with the land or a
restrictive covenant and that covenant
was used by many builders back in the
day to keep blacks and others out of
their neighborhoods and so I say that to
say what if we have a society where we
give everybody equal access and equal
opportunity to play in the game without
controlling them or limiting them in any
way what if we intentionally expanded
the game to incorporate people who are
different than us both who have the
skills the talents the gifts and the
abilities to contribute in some
meaningful way here’s the thing I like
about Rudolph he’d rejected others
interpretation of who he was was he hurt
absolutely was he discouraged I believe
so but he would not be denied his place
in history how do we know this the song
continues on and it says then one foggy
Christmas Eve see the fog changed
everything the conditions the culture
the climate the situation everything
changed and provided a unique
opportunity for Rudolph to display his
gift why Santa had a job to do he had to
deliver joy and peace and happiness to
the world you know how it is when you
didn’t get something for Christmas and
how you wreaked havoc in your house
just imagine the whole community not
getting what they want so the
Fogg presented an obstacle for Santa
failure was not an option because if he
failed
they’ll be uprisings and riots and
protests and boycotts and marches and
sit-ins and while others pitied Rudolph
and did nothing
Santa spotted his uniqueness and said
something and What did he say he said
Rudolph with your nose so bright won’t
you guide my sleigh tonight
see Santa recognized that Rudolph’s
significance was in his difference
remember that he recognized that Rudolph
significance was in his difference and
with peace and justice on the line it
was all paws on deck
he didn’t label Rudolph he didn’t judge
him instead he gave him a position based
upon Rudolph’s unique skill the red nose
he saw Rudolph as a valued at a gift to
be celebrated not a freak or thing to be
tolerated and as a result of that he has
Rudolph to lead not just be a part but
to lead the sleigh from a very very dark
place remember it was nighttime Santa
had to get through the fog Rudolph’s
seize the opportunity and now we know
what his matchless contribution win
we’re not singing dancer the dancing
reindeer or Prancer the prancing
reindeer we’re singing Rudolph the
red-nosed reindeer my friends it’s
nighttime the then is now with regard to
diversity and inclusion and race
relations in this country the climate
the culture the circumstances the
situations have changed what if we had a
lot of Santa Clauses and mrs. Claus’s
and Santa’s helpers and elves and wooden
soldiers scouring their communities and
their playgrounds and their courtrooms
and their boardrooms and their offices
and wherever place people live work and
play
looking for uniqueness that could help
lead us through this dark place because
when we do that we’ll find that
behaviors will change and the script
will be flipped an attitude will change
because as in Rudolph’s case it says
then how the reindeer loved him as they
shouted out with glee Rudolph the
red-nosed reindeer
you’ll go down in history at some point
the reindeer realize that the mission
cannot be successful without Rudolph
they realized that Rudolph wanted what
they wanted which was to be a valued
member of a winning team
they realized that different means
different it does not mean deficient
they realize that Rudolph’s proficiency
and his gift did not nullify or mitigate
their contribution to the mission now
all of those insights led to something
they led to shouts of Blee about how
great Rudolph was the hateful eight
started singing Rudolph the great his
critics became as converse and praised
him it’s funny how people want to be
associated with the winner when the
winner is confirmed but not everyone
will take the time to spot the potential
winner cultivate them and then leverage
or create circumstances that allow that
unique gift to shine we need to do more
of that people don’t do it because it’s
too risky we can’t afford not to do it
why did Rudolph go down in history
because Santa recognized that his
significance was in his uniqueness and
his uniqueness made the difference and
bringing peace and joy to the world what
if we are courageous enough to display
humility after we learn that people who
are different than us just want what we
want to be valued for who they are in
the contribution that they can make
what if wherever we are we shout out
with glee that is only through the
inclusion of diversity that we can truly
deliver on the promise of freedom
liberty and justice for all
what if I what if you what if we me and
you what if they those outside this room
what if all of us me you we and they can
convince and influence them the
non-believers regarding diversity and
inclusion and race relations to change
and modify their behaviors in a very
very positive way
like Santa we cannot fail there will be
uprisings and boycotts and sit-ins and
marches there will be blood
if we don’t embrace what dr. King said
many many years ago injustice anywhere
is a threat to justice everywhere what
if I what if you what if we what if they
what if all of us can convince them
what if thank you for listening
[Applause]
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