Jim Clyburn

My dad said a lot of things and offered a lot of compliments, but he never said anything to me about my voice being any distinct.

And then it still happens.

I sometimes get on airplanes and the moment people, they recognize my voice before they recognize me.

And so I found that out when I was a student.

And so I can understand and I can tell the difference now when I develop

My voice changed.

You know, people ask me who the heroes in my life are.

My dad, I always mention first.

Because he was an interesting person who grew up in Crushoe County, South Carolina at the time when the state of South Carolina did not provide high school for African-Americans.

And so he only went through the seventh grade.

And then when he was not allowed to go to school anymore, he self-taught and he became sufficient enough to pass a college entrance exam and got into college, but then was never allowed to graduate college

because the state had a law at that time that you could not get a college degree if you did not have a high school diploma.

And so when he could not produce his high school diploma, they would not allow him to go into his senior year of college.

And so that is the kind of stuff and experiences.

I would talk to him often about his experiences.

Now, I did not know that he had not graduated college

until about six months before he passed away.

And I found that out from a person who was in college with him who asked me about him, wanted to know whether or not I knew him because of my last name.

And so when he told me that my dad didn't show up that senior year, I then left Hampton County where this was taking place and went straight to Sumter.

I asked my dad for an explanation, and he did it.