step stools
step by step a memoir of hope friendship perserverance and living the american dream
from sharecroppers son in depression era south carolina to hearing coordinator for the senate foreign relations committee bowman shares his inspiring life story . born in summerton s.c. in 1931 young bertie was raised by his stepmother and strict father to do his share of the farm work in the spirit of molding a mans character by hard work determination and keeping your word as taught by booker t. washington . after meeting south carolina senator burnet maybank at a rally bowman ran away at age 13 to washington d.c. and got a job with the kindly senator . he swept the capitol steps shined shoes and started a taxi service before being drafted into the newly integrated army in 1951 . things changed with the election of strom thurmond in 1954 but the dedicated segregationist also professed to be a personal friend of all blacks . he writes candidly and without irony of the typical southern politicians accepted personal versus political views . as an invisible on the downstairs african american staff bowman overheard a great deal and he shares some delicious gossip about lyndon johnson and others . eventually he landed a plum position under william fulbright chairman of the senate foreign relations committee who remained his friend and ally until the senators death . bowman also gushes over fellow southerners jesse helms and bill clinton .