I woke on Saturday to surprising news. A man I respected and admired, Mr. Julian Bond, had passed. My first reaction, was to reconfirm that the news was accurate. It was.
I didn’t know Mr. Bond as well as I may have wanted to, but I did know him. And all of my memories are fond ones. I remember one time in particular, when I was dealing with a difficult situation involving an individual within the NAACP. I reached out to him with a letter, and he responded with a personal call.
The call was short, sweet, to the point, insightful, smart, helpful — and funny. And that, in a nutshell, pretty much describes the man.
My heart goes out to Mr. Bond’s family, namely his son Michael Bond, who is Councilman Michael Bond here in Atlanta, Georgia. I just saw him a couple weeks ago here at our home. A wonderful human being, and a solid leader. This — is Mr. Julian Bond’s living legacy. And it is strong.
Condolences, to the entire Bond family, from the Bryant, Bryant Group and Operation HOPE families.
John Hope Bryant