The Values of My Father

On Father’s Day, I celebrate the memory of my dad and the values he instilled in me, which have shaped my understanding of public service. Among the many lessons I learned from him that I strive to live by daily are the following:

• Freedom can never be taken for granted
• All people deserve to be respected and included

These were among the many values that my father held and passed on to me and my two siblings throughout his life.

My dad grew up in Jacksonville, Florida during the Great Depression. His mother was a school teacher, who was sometimes paid in food stamps. By receiving a scholarship and taking on odd jobs, like waiting tables and moving furniture, he was able to attend Princeton — and eventually, he went on to Harvard.

Dad was a real life example of the American dream and he recognized that our country’s freedom could never be taken for granted. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, dad volunteered to serve in World War II, eventually fighting in the Battle of the Bulge, which is known as one of the deadliest battles in our nation’s history. It was also known as one of the first times where white and black soldiers fought alongside one another.

His service didn’t end with the war. When he returned home, he was determined to live by the values of equality and inclusion that he had learned on the battlefield where African American soldiers fought and died alongside their white counterparts.

Dad began to study urban policy and became particularly interested in housing and urban development, knowing that the foundation for equality started with the basics of having a roof over your head and a livable community to call your own. He went on to help develop and then work in the Department of Housing and Urban Development, where he helped create the Fair Housing Act of 1968, the landmark civil rights legislation that prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, religion, sex, or national origin in the rental or sale of housing.

Despite being born and raised in the segregated South, my dad worked hard to break down the racial and economic barriers in our country’s housing policies. To his core, dad believed that all people deserve to be respected and included.

My siblings and I grew up watching and learning from his dedicated public service. When we would gather around the breakfast table, my father would ask, “What are you doing for freedom today?”

I continue to ask myself that question just about every day. And I hope that when I fight for the health, education, and financial-well-being of hard-working Granite Staters, and a more inclusive country for all Americans, I am living up to my dad’s values and expectations for me.

Though my dad is no longer with me, his values continue to support and guide me — and this Father’s Day I cannot help but feel extraordinarily grateful.