August DEI&J committee meeting / open to the public
new time: 5:00-6:00pm
My View From the Back of the Bus
An inspirational memoir by Merritt D. Long
Through his lens as a “colored” child, “Negro” teenager, “Black” young man, and finally successful African American state official, this book reveals how Merritt D. Long was shaped by – and helped to shape – American history.
Jim Crow laws, segregation, and the civil rights movement are the backdrop to Long’s childhood and youth in Alabama in the 1950s and 1960s. As a child, the color of Long’s skin dictated what doors he could walk through, where he could sit on the bus, where he could eat, and what water fountains he could use.
But like many other southern Black people, the powerful pride of his family and community steeled him against the incessant insults of racism. And, the civil rights movement helped fuel his determination to become an educated, successful professional.
Along the way, he met and was inspired by Muhammed Ali, Rosa Parks, and Julian Bond.
But even at the pinnacle of his professional success as the head of several major state agencies, he continued to experience racist reactions to his authority and leadership.
His journey led him to become a widely admired community leader, a loving husband and father, and a mentor and benefactor to the next generation of young people who struggle to overcome economic hardship and the still-present barriers of entrenched, systemic racism.
Merritt Douglas Long grew up in Bessemer, Alabama, attended Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, moved to Seattle, Washington in 1968 and to Olympia, Washington in 1973. After an illustrious career in Washington State government, having headed four state agencies, Merritt retired and worked as a consultant for several private sector companies. He has served on a number of non-profit boards as well as three bank boards.
He and his wife, Marsha Tadano Long, who also served on the Governor’s Cabinet, founded the Learning Seed Foundation to help students go to college by awarding new and renewable scholarships. As of 2021, 116 students have been awarded $490,250 in scholarships. You can learn more at the Learning Seed Foundation Facebook page.
"My View from the Back of the Bus" has enjoyed very complimentary book reviews in The Olympian and The International Examiner (Seattle) newspapers. Merritt has been the featured presenter for the South Puget Sound Community College Art and Lecture series, the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, the City of Bellevue, and Olympia High School, as well as numerous book clubs, Rotary and Kiwanis clubs and other community organizations.
State agencies Merritt led are: WA Commission for Vocational Education, WA Human Rights Commission, WA Lottery, WA Liquor Control Board