REFLECTIONS
by
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Reflections Each time I look into the mirror, it is not my self that I see For I see the reflections of the many, that have paved the way for me I see a small ship, ill equipped, overflowing with Africans Snatched from their place of birth, to be sold in a foreign land I see them sailing across the ocean, with many dying along the way But God gave some the will to live and see another day Those survivors were sold into bondage and were forced to work in the field It is they who continued their struggles and are the reasons why I live I see some escaping from the South and some fighting during the Civil War Many looking for a way to freedom, freedom they never saw Some who made it learned to read and write, though they were denied an education Finding a way to increase their knowledge through the power of determination I see some joining the antislavery movement, which began to divide this nation I see a president taking a stance and issuing the Emancipation Proclamation I see many people risking their lives, demonstrating for Civil Rights Protesting segregation and discrimination, their faces both dark and light Whenever I look into the mirror, it is not my self that I see For I see those bold and beautiful images looking out at me Their struggles continued throughout the years and progress was often slow But had they not continued their fight, where I would be, I just don’t know When my children and others look into the mirror, I want them to see what I see The reflections of the many that paved the way for them and me
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About the Book
The Reflections is written in remembrance of the many things that can and do occur during our lifetime. These occurrences play a major role in our journey through life and how we live our lives. There are good time and bad times, happy times and sad times. We meet and interface with many people during our journey through life, and their impact on us can be either positive or negative. In spite of it all, life still goes on, and we often reflect back on all of the things that have occurred during our time on this earth.
About the Author
Willie T. Kearney Jr. was born in Warrenton, North Carolina, on July 6, 1953, to Willie Thomas Kearney Sr. and Lula Mea Kearney. He was raised in New Haven, Connecticut, and graduated from Richard C. Lee High School in 1972, where he was the captain of both the football and track team. After graduation, the author enlisted in the United States Army for three years, half of which he spent in Germany. After returning to New Haven in 1975, he went to work for Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, a division of United Technologies, where he began his study of the Toyota Production System (TPS). He received Toyota Production System training in Japan and the United States and is a highly recognized expert in Lean Enterprise Implementation. He has lead and implemented Lean Enterprise practices in the United States, Europe, and Asia. In December of 1995, he was selected by Industry Week magazine as one of six American industry’s “Unsung Heroes” for activities associated with the turn-around at United Technologies’ Pratt & Whitney’s Turbine Airfoils Product Center. In the fall of 1997, National Productivity Review magazine published his article on the “Seven Elements of World Class Manufacturing.” He is a lifetime member of Lexington’s “Who’s Who” and a highly sought-after speaker who has presented at the Shingo Prize Conference, Society of Aerospace Engineers (SAE), National Society of Black Engineers (NESBE), Dowling College of Avionics, Harvard, Yale, and to a wide variety of audiences. In 1988, he published his first book of poems, In a Lifetime, and also won the Golden Poet award from the World of Poetry Press. He is also a member of the historical Knickerbocker Golf Club in New Haven, Connecticut. He received his BS in business administration from Teikyo Post University and his MBA from the University of New Haven. He currently resides in New Haven, Connecticut, with his wife, Barbara J. Kearney, of forty years.