** Please visit our website: http://www.africanassociation.org **

Dear Hedi,

What or who was the source of your information? If true, this is indeed a
great loss to our community.

Daniel Kunene

At 11:59 AM 2/28/2005 -0600, you wrote:
>** Please visit our website: http://www.africanassociation.org **
>
>It is with a great deal of sadness that I heard today of the passing of
>Eugene Parks. I credit my own personal political involvement to Eugene
>as he caught my attention as a young girl both as a public figure, but
>also as a name I heard my parents speak of often growing up. When I got
>older, he became the bar that I measured myself against - I know for
>some that sounds strange - but I always appreciated his honesty in
>addressing issues - even if I didn't like the delivery. So I tried to
>balance myself using him as the standard. If I could say what Eugene
>said (which I usually agreed with) and still have people's attention
>then I knew I was doing a good job.
>
>I've had lots of interaction with Eugene, as a young person trying to
>sneak into Mr. P's and being dismissed because he knew both of my
>parents or as an adult working for the Mayor and being told that he
>wouldn't hire me if he was Mayor because I wore a toe ring. I took all
>his words in stride and knew that he was telling me things the way they
>were and it wasn't personal as much as it was his job to be a
>truth-teller.
>
>My own kids have Eugene Parks memories and will similary be affected by
>his passing, which lets me know that it is about what you do on this
>Earth that people will remember - that you can't be afraid to be
>controversial and it is okay to stand on something.
>
>Having recently come to terms with the passing of my father in December
>- I have similar feelings when I think of Eugene and I reaffirm that it
>is incumbant upon each of us to have our own opinions, but more
>importantly to know what we're talking about. I know that Euguene did
>his homework when he spoke and he had experience to back up his words.
>Which is why he was someone I greatly admired.
>
>Much respect to Eugene's family and friends.
>
>Sincerely,
>Hedi Rudd
>
>Hedi Rudd
>Equal Opportunity Analyst
>Affirmative Action Department
>Madison Municipal Bldg., Suite 130
>215 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd
>Madison, WI 53701-1626
>
>608-266-6511 Phone
>608-267-1142 Fax
>http://www.ci.madison.wi.us/affact/AAIndex.html
>
>"To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong."
>Joseph Chilton Pearce
>
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