Heroes

Top Ten Heroes of 2009

	10. TYLER PERRY So many black folks have tried to build a viable movie/television empire. He’s done it. An amazing business success. Then a million dollars to the NAACP. I wish I could make donations of that size.
	9. LAURA LING, EUNA LEE AND BILL CLINTON What a horrible situation for these two brave journalists, and kudos to Clinton for bringing them home.
	8. SULLY! Not just for being a great pilot, but for testifying before Congress about the sad state of American air travel.
	7. MICHELLE OBAMA For being such a classy, smart lady, holding it down for her family and her man.
	6. LUDACRIS For his charitable efforts, including giving cars away to the needy. This is beyond turkeys on Thanksgiving.
	5. BARACK OBAMA For carrying the weight of the world.
	4. DAVID MILLS For being a great artist and thinker until the very end.
	3. SAM WILSON A brother who holds in down in the trenches of our schools every day all the while marching down the hard lonely road of self improvement.
	2. DAN Trey Ellis is wonderful writer, father of two kids and dear friend of mine. Dan, a childhood friend of his, donated a kidney to him. Wow. Dan is the Man.
	1. CURTIS METCALF For carrying all kinds of personal weight this year with grace and class while helping me and Lord knows how many friends, families of friends and whole communities.