Ross transcript
05/08/11

>>MARCUS: Marcus Ross. I'm an attorney at law here in Columbus, Ohio. Reading and the importance of literacy is something that my parents imparted upon me and my brother Charles at the early age in terms of the importance of reading and getting a quality education. I remember, early on, one of the things that my mother did when I was a very small child was work on syllables and developed my ability to sound out words. Word construction. My father who actually was an English major in college, was very good at that too, about making sure we understood how words operate within context, within sentences and the importance of just reading. I always have a passion for reading and that quest for knowledge is something that my parents imparted upon me and my brother at a very early age. The importance of, shall we say asking the questions that we wanted to ask and getting the answers that we wanted to get? The whole notion of being independent thinkers. Thinking critically was most important to my household. Growing up, we did a lot of board games. Played a lot of board games. Many instances in my house where my parents would cut the television off and we'd just talk about issues. Things that were going on in the community. Things that we wanted to achieve in life. The importance about how education would open doors for you.

One of my fondest memories from a literacy standpoint was in my first grade, my first grade teacher, Mrs. Battersby, used to always, for Martin Luther King's birthday, she allowed me to read to the class. She thought I was a very good reader. She thought I had the ability to pronounce words very well. I think that experience early on began to train me for leadership. I've always been a person who's always been willing to speak in front of people publicly. Never been shy as far as cameras were concerned, I guess you can say. Per se.

That was an experience that I think began to allow me to have the opportunity to communicate in public. Obviously, being a trial lawyer for 3 and a half years with the City Attorney's Office, that early experience was something that prepared me for my professional career down the road. And I didn't even know it. At an early age.

I also remember in my 6th grade year of elementary school, the spelling bee that I participated in. I didn't prepare for this, for whatever reason, focused on my day to day academic responsibilities. I didn't prepare for it at all. And just based on my ability to recognize words and syllables and construction, and sounding them out, the principle gave us the words, I ended up winning the spelling bee. Didn't miss a word. And it was an experience that has stayed with me, really, I think, gave me a great deal of confidence and prepared me for the profession I'm in today as an attorney. Because so much of your ability as an attorney depends on your ability to write, communicate effectively, not only paper, but within the context that you operate as a trial lawyer. I think those early experienced developed within me a confidence of the command of the King's English that can influence individuals and shape opinions, the institutions that shape people's lives. So it gives you a great deal of the possibilities of what you can achieve at an early age. Give you a history of my father was the inaugural chair at the Black Studies department at the Ohio State University. We moved here in 1970, when he obtained that position as the inaugural chair. He had a dual appointment at the College of Social Work as an associate faculty member. My mother is an attorney and at an early age I always felt that I had the ability to be a good lawyer. She's obviously very proud. I'm the youngest of two boys. She's very proud that I followed her into the legal profession and my brother who's faculty at the University of Mississippi, history department, he followed my father into academia. Obviously, pursuit of higher education was something that was stressed in our family at an early age. The importance that we have a larger social responsibility beyond just ourselves in terms of doing things in the community that was socially relevant to benefit the African American community. And so that is stuff with me as I continue my professional endeavors. I've always tried to assist those who don't have a voice, when I can. When the opportunity presents myself so that I can do pro bono work or take a reduced retainment to try to assist others that don't have the ability to help themselves. Those without a voice. Those that are disenfranchised, marginalized. That is something that my parents instilled in myself and my brother, that we have a responsibility greater than ourselves. We'd been afforded to opportunity to get a quality education, then we have a responsibility to use it to help others. And so that's a life lesson that's stuck with me throughout and continue to stand on the shoulders of my parents who taught me and my brother to try to make a difference in the lives of others.

I attended Columbus public schools, graduated in '85. I'm actually celebrating 25 years reunion. It's hard for me to believe. I've come and getting ready to celebrate that.You know, did well at high school, graduated with over 3.0 and was awarded a scholarship to [unsure] University. One of the premier historically black colleges in the country. I was teasing some buddies of mine that we consider ourselves the crown jewel of the Middle Eastern Athletic Conference. Howard University and some others, I'm sure, will beg to differ. I'm proud that I'm telling you. Graduated with a degree in Finance. Was there 4 years. Some of the best years of my life. Beautiful part of the country. Got the opportunity to really develop leadership skills there. Was involved in some of the fraternities and gained leadership roles there. Those relationships were good and have lasted a lifetime. The professors there, like at any HBCU, are committed to making sure you matriculate that university and going on to become leaders. That's obviously been the historical mission and purpose of historically black colleges and universities because, as you're well aware, de facto segregation and public facilities were segregated prior the Civil Rights movement and the movement for racial justice in this country. Those were the only institutions we could attend. They were responsible for creating some of best and brightest minds in this nation and around the world and I'm very proud to be part of this legacy.

So, you know, that experience, from there I went on to graduate school and got a master's degree in the Black Studies department. The same department that my father establishes the inaugural chair. It gives me a great deal of pride for obvious reasons. And then attended Capital University Law and Graduate Center, where I obtained my JD. And I sat for the bar exam. Then, for a period of time, I was a prosecutor for the Attorney's Office. For about 3 and a half years. I got a tremendous amount of trial experience. It give me a lot of confidence as a litigator to work within that politically charged public sector law environment. And it gave me an independence of action and expression that you wouldn't necessarily get within other bureaucracy. Because it was great to work for as was my immediate superior Macintosh, who is now a member of the Franklin County Police as a judge. He's a member of judicial branch of government.

So, I used that as a springboard of what I'm doing today. Attorney General Council for Innovative Architectural Planners (unsure). It's an 8A small business administration, 8A certified minority construction management architectural engineering firm located here in Columbus, Ohio. We obviously pursue federal contracts where there's a minority set aside designation that allows us to develop and establish relationships with larger firms, to build public sector contracts. So, it's been a great experience. I used my experience as a prosecutor for those 3.5 years to develop a litigation skillset which I think serves well in a business and litigation context. 

So, literacy and education I think is the key. [Someone] said education is the passageway to the future because tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for today. And, my parents, mom and dad, stressed upon myself and my brother that we had to prepare for tomorrow, and that education gives you choice. Literacy gives you choices. The ability to read, write, and be able to solve complex problems in a society, thus becoming more global, internationally as you are well aware. As the demographic begins to change, the country becomes more racially and ethnically diverse, the importance of literacy and being able to communicate and some might argue that the country might need to consider having a second language because ,as one of the main industrialized nations around, my understanding is that America is the only one that has one language. Whereas you go to other countries, they're multi-language societies. Literacy and reading is critically important. The numbers and statistics clearly bear out in the African American community, those who go out and pursue in getting an education, their immediate income and quality of life is much better.


>>INTERVIEWER: Marcus, do you have any favorite books that you remember either in high school or in college that stand out?

>>MARCUS: I read Black Boy by Richard Wright. That was in my English Literature class and I would say one of the books that I've held on to was Johnnie Cochran's autobiography, Journey to Justice. He is a tremendous role model of mine because he was the type of lawyer I wanted to be. I had the opportunity to meet him once in Detroit, Michigan at my fraternity's national convention and, you know it's interesting for those who know me, particularly my buddies from college, I've never been set on expressing myself but it was one of the few moments in my life where I was awestruck by his presence. The commanding presence of a razor sharp litigator. An individual who could take something that's complex, legal concepts, and explain it to someone on the street, who utilized our system of jurisprudence to shape the social and political landscape in this country. He, quite frankly, outlawed the choke hold in Los Angeles police department. I don't know if people were necessarily aware of that. He took on cases that were socially relevant. So, reading his book and understanding the role that he played in changing this country and making the impact as an architect or agent of social was something that really has stuck with me. I'm pretty sure I read that book while I was in law school and it really, to some degree, I don't want to say it was a eureka moment, but it was one of those moments where you say, okay, this was the right profession for me to choose.

That was a book that stuck with me. What I'd like to be able to do is to be able to utilize the opportunity here at Innovative Architectural Planners to go on and be in a position of financial independence where I can take on cases where I believe it's necessary, that are socially relevant, that can impact the social and political landscapes. I'd say those two books, off the top of my head, that have stuck with me.

>>INTERVIEWER: And what are you currently doing now in the black community that you would think are helping the younger generation understand the importance.

>>MARCUS: I'm involved with a group called the Political Access Initiative. It's a non-partisan group of African American professionals, many of us are attorneys as well, and we put on fund raisers and assist candidates who are running for elected office. African American candidates who are running for elected office. It's important to have individuals involved in the judicial branch of government, for example, on city council, that understand the needs in our community and understand the importance of how public policy impacts the day to day lives of tax paying citizens. That's part of my charge as an individual who's in the legal profession who's been in public service, as I shared with you before, I was a prosecutor for 3.5 years or so. Serving the public was something I've always done from when I was on the ground floor of the staff, the local chapter of a hundred black men, which focuses nationally on mentoring young African American men. As we know, so many African American men, and particularly given the economic downturn, are dealing with a litany of issues, underemployment, incarceration, graduation rates at public institutions could reflect that African American boys are not doing as well as the white counterparts. Those of us who have an opportunity to try to make a difference and give them a different perspective on what they can achieve have a responsibility to do just that and get involved and play roles in their lives and make them realize that they can achieve anything they want. And education is the cornerstone of that. It begins with that. That very thing.

>>INTERVIEWER: I was just reflecting on the comments that you made on Malcolm X. He understood the importance of education. Sometimes it might have got lost with some of the other things that he was doing but that was one of his focal points.

>>MARCUS: Absolutely. Lots of people don't realize that Malcolm X, when he was incarcerated, read Webster's dictionary cover to cover. Phenomenal order, obviously an individual who was tremendously insightful in the history of this country and understood that education was the building block and how you're educated, the ability to think critically, and I think that was something that my parents in particular, but more my father, but both my parents, but my father was an individual who always imparted on myself and my brother to think critically and independently outside of what was taught to us in a classroom environment. He encouraged us to look at issues and ask tough questions. For example, things that come through the media, we they're filtered often times, and you're getting things third and fourth hand, and so you'd have to be able to look at how something is presented to the electronic media, print media, and make a determination on what part is closer to actual fact and what part has been sensationalized somewhat. That was stuff in my home that was stressed at an early age. You need to always ask questions. Always think critically. If you don't get the answer that you want, ask the question again, until you clearly understand what's being presented to you. It's important.

>>INTERVIEWER: Okay. Is there anything else that you'd like to cover?

>>MARCUS: Well, just, you know, I'm pleased that I've been selected to participate in this opportunity as it relates to whatever role I'm playing here to facilitate the continued growth and development of the city of Columbus and the continued development of this generation, particularly African American leadership. I'm particularly proud to carry on the legacy of my parents. My family has a tremendous legacy in this city, as you're well aware of, in terms of my father in particular's role, in challenging some fundamental public policy assumptions that people make about who should and who should not gain access to opportunity. In many respects, many of the individuals that you see in leadership roles in the public domain, roles that fell under the blanket of the freedom that my father and individuals like Les Brown and others created. So, I'm very proud to be a part of that legacy. Without struggle there is no progress. As Fredrick Douglass would also say, power concedes nothing without a demand. Never has. Never will. And so it can be within a corporate context, within a litigation context. Power concedes nothing without a demand. I'm very proud to be able to have whatever impact that I've had during my professional development in assisting others to reach their professional goals. One of the things that I didn't mention early on was that my father was actively involved in getting the first African American mayor elected. He served as a political consultant. Harold Washington is the first African American mayor of Chicago, Illinois, and played a major role in assisting another person's effort in becoming a member of the city council. And then I played a role when he decided to pursue the mayor's office and assisting his grassroots African American turn out campaign effort. And I was really involved on the ground floor and we actually set a record for voter turnout in the African American community and the precincts and wards we worked. We are very proud of that.

I tease my dad on election night, I said, I was a year younger than him when Mayor Michael B. Coleman was elected the first African American mayor to be elected in the city of Columbus, Ohio. My father was a year older than I was when Richard Hatcher was elected in Gary, Indiana. So, I was giving him a hard time. I've pushed the envelop, I've moved it forward. And he was saying to me, that's what you're supposed to do! Or else I failed! Both he and my mom love, love them dearly, and both me and my brother are truly blessed to have the kinds of parents we've had. We can achieve anything we want in life by obtaining a quality education and always stressed: "You boys can do whatever you want too." Just go to school. "Take care of business. Go to school."