booth gardner - Washington Secretary of State

with the Oakland A’s.
“I’m sure Booth took a lot of flak for chauffeuring black kids all over town in his car
during that era,” Staton says. “I’m also sure it never bothered him. He was always bucking
the tide. He always stood up for the rights of his kids. He taught us how to play the game
and be young men. He emphasized discipline and order and always made sure his players
had the proper equipment and looked sharp. That was our trademark.” Gardner coached
baseball, soccer and football, Staton adds, but above all he was a mentor. “When Booth
teamed up with O.L. Mitchell, that changed everything for him and the Central Area.
They were both men of high integrity and they were dedicated to the welfare of African
American kids. They had rules and expectations – from the shining of your shoes to the
pressing of your uniform; cleaning your room – the whole picture, not just playing ball.”
Booth made a lot of lasting friends on the playfields of Seattle. It was there that one
of his mantras as governor – “You can pay me now or you can pay me later” – first came to
mind. Poverty and poor education beget more poverty, broken homes, fatherless children,
joblessness, hopelessness, violence and crime. Rising the tide to lift all boats is not just the
right thing to do, he argues, it costs a lot less than new prisons, more child welfare workers
and higher unemployment. He says The United Negro College Fund’s slogan sums it all up:
“A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” Working with the Central Area kids as a college student
“was one of the best times of my life, as well as one of the worst,” Booth says. “I was
getting a hands-on education while the bulk of my peers were getting a book education. I
learned that people liked me. I could relate to them, and then they’d trust me. And then I
could help – I could make a difference in their lives. But there was so much to be done.”
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