Everyone cannot receive praise from the masses.  Most people worth praising don’t get praised.  Most women who care for families while toiling and balancing and trying hard to inspire aren’t thanked.  Most men who take their responsibilities seriously fade to the background noise of consistent reminders of poor maleness and powerful patriarchy getting worse. 

And most folks don’t want unending praise.  Still, everyone appreciates a little bit of gratitude or a slice of sustained attention.

That’s why bloggers, writers, and readers should push each other to introduce people worth praising and commending.  After all, we need each other, and we need to remind one another of the gifts around us.  So I’ll  insert one person who recently slipped on the other side of death who, I think, our nation owes a tiny tribute to.  Benjamin Hooks.

I never met Rev. Hooks.  I drove by his church when I was in Memphis a few years back.  I remember saying to myself then that I visit for a Bible study or that I should have pulled over to see if he were, by any chance, there while I was in his city. 

I keep a memory of Rev. Hooks preaching at some televised event.  Perhaps he was speaking or lecturing.  It sounded like a sermon to me, the bit I heard.  He was ending the message.  Pulling at his suspenders, his voice climbing high, he spoke the words of a song I grew up singing in church.  “I’ve seen the lightning flashing.  I’ve heard the thunder rolling.  I’ve felt sin breakers dashing, trying to conquer my soul.”  That’s my first memory of the great Dr. Hooks.  Learn about him here and here or learn about his sustained efforts in and through the NAACP here.

Who do you know that others should know?  Perhaps they are still alive, with us on this side of life.  Maybe they’re dead and you clench some good memory.  Are there men or women who are largely, if not altogether, unknown but who the world should know?  Name them, and tell us a line or two about them.