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Wilborn / Most Effective Leader

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Interviewer: So, let me ask you—it’s a two-part question. First, who do you think was the most effective leader throughout your lifetime here in the East Texas, Marshall area kind of on a local level? Wilborn: Well, A.P. Watson. He was a history teacher at Wylie College. He always made things real. He always—I can recall everything that he taught, he put a dollar sign up. He would tie everything, don’t care what it was, tie it into the dollar. Now, I see—I recognize—I didn’t really recognize it. He made us see the lessons of (inaudible), but it’s so clear since I got grown. Really grown. I was grown then, really, but anyway, since I matured I see how true that is in the wars we fighting. Everything going on right now, it’s tied to the dollar. They won’t tell you that. Even the Medicare and Affordable Care and all these others Obama whatever you want to call it. All of its tied into money. Doctors, you know. My man, my surgeon, Ben somebody. I was able to see him in person, listen to him in person. He’s against it. He should be a millionaire. You call his name. It’s Dr. Ben, Ben from Detroit. The surgeon divided these twins. Anyway, he’s—can’t call his name. Ben Carson, that’s it. He’s running, yeah. He’s against the Affordable Act and all. Been (inaudible.) I pay a little bit more, but my point is that everybody can get it and they can’t put you out. That’s the key, because I know a lot of people—in a car, you have to wrecks, they put you out. Then you got a letter (inaudible) where they put you out and you can no longer get insurance. Same thing with sickness. I think about all that. I know (inaudible) people been put out of insurances. They get these terminal illnesses that they have. That’s what’s important. They can’t get you out or skyrocket your insurance you can’t pay. So, that means I’m not a selfish type person. Although it may cost me a little bit more, but I just take off on the other end. Like I’ve always balanced my budget. You always got—I take a little of this and put it over here. Everybody’s—a country like this, nobody should really suffer, and I know you got lazy folks everywhere. Always going to have them. The Bible speaks of that. Fool going to be with you always, but he also tells you to help others. That’s what I’ve always been about even when I was on the council or city commission. Helping people. Even helping them, they’ll try to lie on you. They think you’re weak, because I know one fella I was helping, but he wouldn’t tell the policeman who they was that was jumped out the car. I told him, I said, “I’d lock you up too.” So, word got around. Said man, you’re not supposed to do that. I’m around helping you. I’m not trying to beat the police—I want you to be fair to the policeman as I want the policeman to be fair with you. That goes both ways. We talking about being fair. Not to play (inaudible) with people. This is what it’s all about. I’m not disliking the policeman. I’m not disliking you. I want everybody to tell the truth. Just like it is. You not telling the truth. I can’t do that. I been helping you fellas. I see what you for. It’s not right. So, they stop calling. (inaudible) word can get around. Stopped calling them. For my health. Lot of things they were telling were not true. We have to look into—when people tell me something, say something, I take it in but I’m going to check it out. See what it is.

Interview Interview with John Wilborn
Subjects Quantitative Questions › Most Effective Leader
Tags Watson, A. P.
Carson, Ben
Wylie College
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Interview date 2015-06-23
Interview source CRBB Summer 2015
Interviewees Wilborn, John
Duration 00:04:56
Citation "Most Effective Leader ," from John Wilborn oral history interview with ,  June 23, 2015, Marshall, TX , Civil Rights in Black and Brown Interview Database, https://crbb.tcu.edu/clips/1455/most-effective-leader-8, accessed March 29, 2024