Strivers: The Mind of Mays

By James Mays

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 12, 2007
• ISBN: 9781469107400

James Mays

James A. Mays is a true renaissance man: poet, scholar, popular novelist, songwriter, cardiologist, and civil leader. His individual achievements are such that he was the recipient of the George Washington Medal. Other notable recipients of this prestigious award are Barbara Jordan and the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. Mays has written several songs, one of which, Happy Birthday Mama, was recorded by Bill Cosby. He also co-wrote several songs with H.B Barnum. As an author he is responsible for nine novels, including his latest Trapped, which is in preparation to become a movie. An earlier trilogy, Strivers, is being developed as a miniseries. Dr. Mays is widely recognized as the founder of community problem-solving programs such as the Adopt-A-Family endowment. He is currently involved in several campaigns promoting drug and AIDS awareness and giving assistance to the homeless. He has frequently appeared on television, featuring on shows including “The Today Show, The Phil Donahue Show, on radio, such as the Voice of America and has had articles published in LIFE, Newsweek, the Washington Post, the L.A. Times, and Ebony. Dr. Mays, who was decorated as combat physician in Vietnam, is a lone parent with four sons.

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Copyright © 2007 by James Mays.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any

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from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the

product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to

any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

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Contents

NARRATIVE FOR THE MIND OF MAYS

PROLOGUE

DEDICATION

To Our Oldest Son

James Arthur Mays Jr.

The Classy Example of a Good Husband, Father and Son

We Are Proud

NARRATIVE FOR THE MIND OF MAYS

The Mind of Mays is a concept that I developed based upon my admiration for Sir Winston Churchill who did his life in a series of volumes. I do not compare myself to the great statesman. However feel that for my personal references as well as those of my posterity including my present four grandsons that the Mind of Mays has many thoughts of this man whose seed contributed to their perpetuation. I am in hopes that society will take a bit from my mind that will make our city, nation and world a better place. Therefore proceed with me to the next volume—Titled—Strivers, developed and conceived in—The Mind Of Mays.

Also

Remember Our Friend

Atty. Johnnie Cochran

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PROLOGUE

Pain and suffering has been the plight of mankind since cave men and/ the biblical creation. Remedies and their messengers and practitioners have contrived many methods to heal, cure, or even just relieve pain and suffering. Methods have ranged from potions concocted by forms of witch craftry to the accidental discoveries of roots, bark, berries and leaves consumed by animals and copied by primitive man. Those methods extended to tribes and more contemporary Native Americans. Scientific medicine was enhanced by Egyptian and Greek philosophers and men of medicine that established the bases for advanced medical care. Primitive surgeries were done without anesthesia to drain pulsating puss filled boils and ghastly war wounds represented an ongoing dilemma.

Chemicals were formulized to relieve pain and cure infections after germs (bacteria), the microscopic scrounge was discovered to be the most deadly culprit. Cures to redirect psychotic minds or provide pleasure were readily available to the rich. The same exist for wealthy royalty to the presented day spoiled rich, while poor browns and blacks attempt to escape with street drugs in barrios and ghettos of our inner cities.

The poor has always been the sickest and least cared for, therefore presenting the greatest challenge to scientific and medical practitioners.

Trauma, suffering and disease have always been the ordained life for them. Modern day expectations of gene therapy is now the New Frontier. But can also lead to self replication for the rich or even opens the door for clandestine minds to create the super race. There are no plans to clone OJ Simpson’s, Mike Tyson, Michael Jackson’s or LA crips—Tookie Williams.

The role of the primary care practicing physician is pivotal in the education, prevention and care, especially of the poor. The hospital is the next stage and often represents a form of failure. It is many times too late when one reaches the hospital and often too late, especially for the poor in that the rich have the building blocks of good nutrition and care, while the poor have poor proto plasm.

Regardless of how strong our genes are, (nature) nuture (environment) has near equal influence. Therefore, the nuture of the poor equals out or cancels any strong genes from their parents.

People with poor health care fare poorly. Also, people that suffer oppression and anger are prone to diseases, possibly by suppressing their immune systems. If you slowly chop at the base of a huge California redwood tree, it will eventually fall or even if you constantly pull on and hack a shack, strong men will fall. It may start with the toe then the foot, bruises to the thighs and later to the heart and brain.

Chopping and hacking has been the plight of the poor, along with limited quality medical care is a form of, the genocide of neglect.

Inner city doctors are relegated to observe patients slowly die at a rate more rapid light than whites, this is also true of frustrated angry well-to-do Blacks. Anger and good health is a paradox.

Trapped, mercy is king and chameleon explores the drama of dedicated, mostly black practitioners of medicine. They are the, Strivers that dedicate themselves to relive pain and suffering of their people in the most complex social environment (nuture) of anger, trauma, violence, deprivation, ignorance, poor nutrition, crime and drugs. They are trapped however, use the survival adaptations of the Chameleon to obtain God-given mercy . . . .

Mercy is King because,

Strivers are Kings of Mercy

Alonzo Brackens scanned the crowd of well wishers in gospel singing merriment whose faces revealed toothy open-mouthed smiles, interrupted by dark power pale dry sun taunt skin that followed his panoramic gaze onto the landscape of snow-white plants of cotton covering fields for miles; a landscape of 1953 Mountain grove, Mississippi. Exhaust fumes from the Greyhound Bus quickly evaporated in the warm September sun as it accelerated its engine in preparation for departure.

He could not believe that he, Alonzo Brackens, a country farm boy was to begin a journey to Nashville, Tennessee and with hard work and perseverance, would one day become a medical doctor. The challenge of the profession was so unlikely and remote that he had already set his highest goal at becoming the principal of The Mountain grove Colored