There’s something about overcoming enormous odds, starting from the bottom and working your way to the top that leaves a deep and long-lasting impression on people. Eric L. Motley, who as a toddler was essentially abandoned by his parents and raised in a rural community founded by former slaves in Alabama, is one such story. Having nothing materially but having everything in terms of love and community support, Motley worked himself up to earning a Ph.D. and a position in the White House under former President George W. Bush. His life’s story is a living testament that the present doesn’t need to replicate the past.
Motley, who is now executive vice president of the think tank The Aspen Institute in Washington, D.C., spoke to ChristianWeek about his new book, Madison Park: A Place of Hope (Zondervan, November 2017), and about the “debt of love” he owes to the people of Madison Park, Ala. The book is a tribute to this small black community where residents give their last dollar to help a neighbor in need and do so without expecting any recognition or reward in return. It was in this little known community of love, generosity, and “doing the right thing” that Motley grew up and one where he promised to never forget.
Below is a transcript of the interview with Motley, lightly edited for clarity.
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