Nonprofit Mississippi News Eric Motley, 12 years old, met a wheelchair-bound white man on a visit to the library. Motley says Wheelchair Man, an African-American aide, was as curious about Eric as the boy about Wheelchair Man. He looked like a man with a heavy load. Motley’s grandfather (he called him Daddy) didn’t speak badly of Wallace, although Daddy did later change his views. “I believe he changed his view about black people” after the assassination failed, Daddy stated. “That placed him in a wheelchair the rest of his lives and made him understand suffering the first time,” Motley recalled his grandfather saying about racism. Motley spoke during Tuesday’s reading of Madison Park: A Place of Hope from his memoir. Motley (45), is now executive vice president of Washington, D.C.-based thinktank The Aspen Institute. He described the book as a memoir. Motley describes the Montgomery, Ala. all-black community, founded by former slaves after the Civil War, as the place where he learned that the community is more important than individual. Madison Park, his grandparents, who stressed the importance of education and the vibrant community of characters around him, were the mainstays of Motley’s life. Samford University gave Motley his bachelor’s degree, which he received in philosophy and political science. He was a Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholar and earned a Master of Letters (International Relations) and a Ph.D. in International Relations as the John Steven Watson Scholar. He was appointed as President George W. Bush’s special assistant. Motley states that Madison Park and its people are essential to understanding Motley’s journey. It is located near the intersection of U.S. Highways 231 and 152. It is located near the intersection of the present-day U.S. Highways 231 & 152. It was built on the site a former plantation owned by ex-slaves Eli and Frances Madison. This was meant to provide a safe refuge from the outside world. Eric Motley was raised by his grandparents Mamie Ruth and George Washington. He grew up as an only child, receiving wisdom from them that he said he still keeps with him. He recalls that his grandmother used to lift him up in the air when he was a little boy to hang his hat from the top hook on the coat rack. This taught him to reach higher. Eric Motley learned a lot about community and the importance of building community. Motley says that Madison Park was a formative experience for him. However, people must continue to seek out and build community in all aspects of their lives. Motley said that everyone is responsible for building community in a divided society. “I was approached by a woman tonight who said that she was rich and white and that she is privileged. What can I do? I replied that there were many Eric Motleys in Jackson. They need mentors and people to encourage and support them. After his Lemuria Books reading, Motley spoke to Mississippi Today. He said, “We must challenge each other to understand the community in the context of stepping out of our comfort zones and entering other people’s lives with an intentional approach. “We must seek to understand rather than being understood constantly.”