WARREN NASA exec says: Fight injustice
The speaker said caring and common sense should top the list of personal attributes.
By CYNTHIA VINARSKY
VINDICATOR BUSINESS WRITER
WARREN -- Dr. Julian M. Earls was still a student during the civil rights movement of the 1960s, but he's old enough to remember the way people of all religions, races and backgrounds worked together then for "a noble cause."
Now a high-ranking executive with the National Aerronautics and Space Administration, Earls urged a Warren audience of 200 Saturday to speak up about injustice and not to become complacent when they achieve personal success.
"In the year 2003, it is just as important to have our say and to speak out as it was at the height of the civil rights movement in this country. It is not equal yet, and it will not be equal anytime soon," he said.
"Neutrality helps the tormentor, not the tormented. Silence helps the tormentor, not the tormented. I maintain that the hottest places in hell are reserved for those who sit by in silence when they see injustice."
NASA appointment
Earls, who takes over this week as deputy director of NASA's John H. Glenn Research Center in Brook Park, a Cleveland suburb, was the keynote speaker for the Warren-Trumbull County NAACP's annual Freedom Fund banquet in Packard Music Hall.
Colette Parker, banquet chairwoman, said the event is a major fund-raiser for the group.
The speaker, who has several college degrees, said he owes much of his success to his parents, who were self-educated. His father completed only fourth grade, and his mother was forced to drop out of school after eighth grade. "They used to cry when they could not attend school," he said.
Earls said his parents taught him to value education, but they also stressed the importance of common sense. "My parents used to say that education without common sense is like a pile of books on the back of a jackass," he joked. "If you have to choose between education and common sense, choose common sense."
Praise for wife
The speaker also praised his wife of 41 years, Zenobia, a Cleveland schoolteacher who stayed at home working and rearing their two sons in the early years of their marriage while he pursued his education.
"Always acknowledge the people who helped you," he said. "Don't assume that they know how you feel."
A lifetime member of the NAACP, Earls told the crowd the organization represents people who care about people, and that's what separates human beings from robots and other technical creations. "You can have all the technological knowledge at your fingertips, but if you don't care about people, you're the most dangerous creature on earth," he said.
A Portsmouth, Va., native, Earls is a Jennings Foundation Distinguished Scholar Lecturer and has written 27 publications both technical and educational. He has been a Distinguished Honors Visiting Professor at numerous universities throughout the nation.
A distance runner, Earls has run more than 10,000 miles in the past five years and has successfully completed 25 marathons, including the Boston Marathon. He also served as an Olympic torchbearer for the 2002 Winter Games, carrying the flame for a segment through Cleveland.
Educational background
He earned his bachelor's degree in physics from Norfolk State University, his master's degree in radiation biology from the University of Rochester School of Medicine, and his doctoral degree in radiation physics from the University of Michigan.
He also earned the equivalent of a second master's degree in environmental health from Michigan and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School's prestigious Program for Management Development.
He was awarded the honorary Doctor of Science Degree by the College of Aeronautics in New York and the Honorary Doctor of Pedagogy Degree from Nova Southeastern University in Florida.
Earls has twice been awarded NASA medals for exceptional achievement and outstanding leadership. He also has received the Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Executive in the Senior Executive Service.
vinarsky@vindy.com