Surrendered: The Rise, Fall & Revolution of Kwame Kilpatrick

by Kwame Kilpatrick

  SURRENDERED

  The Rise, Fall and Revelation of

  KWAME KILPATRICK

  Copyright © 2011 by Kwame Malik Kilpatrick

  and Khary Kimani Turner. All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2011932233

  Design by Ron Dorfman

  Front Cover Design by W.G. Cookman

  with Ilustration by Frankie Fultz

  Published by Creative Publishing

  PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.

  dedication

  I DEDICATE this project to the enduring love of my wife, Carlita, and my sons Jelani, Jalil and Jonas.

  The greatest moments and times of my life have been spent with all of you. Whether having our hilarious discussions at the dinner table, piling into Mom’s and my bedroom for family movie night, turning all the house lights off and playing the scary movie game, or even Carlita and I beating the boys in basketball (and tackle football in the yard), my most treasured thoughts are of you four. We are family! But I have taken you all for granted, ignored, and even abused the abundant blessings of our family relationship far too many times. I have let you down, and caused all of you a great amount of pain, confusion and despair.

  I sincerely ask for your forgiveness.

  I know that the process of forgetting seems nearly impossible, because of the sustained, aggressive assaults in our lives. But I would hope that you all will remember and look for the fruit or the results that accompany my true repentance. It takes time to grow, but I believe that all of you can see the positive transformation taking place within me. Our renewed relationship with God and each other has already taken root and sprouted.

  Carlita, Jelani, Jalil, and Jonas, thank you so much for being my crew! Your support, encouragement and godly love has provided the blessed hope of new beginnings. I love you all so very much.

  Daddy’s Home!

  in gratitude

  MY TWO Grandfathers, James B. Kilpatrick and Marvell Cheeks Jr., instilled in me a tremendous respect and appreciation for history. They both firmly believed that going back to the beginning of something is the best way to find original facts; therefore, you find the truth. Thank you, Granddads!

  In that regard, I thank my Creator, the One who makes all things possible, the Author of truth. This book is named Surrendered, and so many times while writing it, I experienced inspiration, an idea here or a memory there, that was vital to the work. Each time, it happened not by my power or might, but by His spirit. I surrendered. To God be the Glory.

  I am thankful to many for this process. This book, as mentioned earlier, is not casually dedicated to my wife and children, but explicitly. They are truly the wind beneath my wings. Jelani’s funny and sarcastic comments, Jalil ‘pretty boy swag’ moments, Carlita’s goober/nerdy expressions, or the awesome spirit-lifting sound of Jonas’ voice; it all nourishes my soul. Thank you so much, Kilpatrick crew.

  I am eternally grateful to my Mom and Dad. Mom, you are one of the most remarkable public servants of our time. Thank you so much for your guidance, support and love, and for never missing a parent/teacher conference, or allowing me to miss homework assignments. You did it all. Dad, thank you for always being authentically you. You told me, when I was ten years old, that you would always be there for me. Through every football or basketball game, election, child birth, triumph or disaster, you were there. Thank you so much for keeping your word. You are still The Man!

  To my sister, Ayanna, I thank you immensely. You took this project under your wing and moved it forward, often doing the heavy lifting alone. You organized meetings, conference calls, follow-up strategy, marketing opportunities, etc. You are the bomb! When we were kids, folks called us “Kwameyanna”, as if we were one person. But I want to tell you, that you have grown into a strong and loving individual, sister and Mom. It was your passion, work ethic, tenacity and organizational skills that got this done. Thank you, Bone!

  To my sister, Diarra, who I affectionately call the smartest Kilpatrick of all, thank you, as well. Your encouragement, uncanny wit, comedic talent and love has been a buoy for me. An e-mail, phone call or visit from you would force me to reach beyond the thoughts I bought into at times, and inspire within me a greater awareness of the spiritual light at the center of my being.

  I also want to honor my other parents, Carlton and Pamela Poles. Thank you so much for your unyielding love, support and encouragement. You have given Carlita and me an amazingly powerful example of what being united in marriage truly means. I love you both.

  To all the descendents of Marvell and Bessie Cheeks (MBC), the greatest family on planet Earth, I thank you all so much for always having my back, front and sides. Also to my Kilpatrick and Simmons extended families, I thank you for your support and encouragement.

  No matter how many copies this book sells, it has already been a successful endeavor. I asked Khary Turner, nearly three years ago, to help me do this. He is an outstanding writer, poet and storyteller. I soon became very impressed with his keen thinking skills and infectious positive energy. We developed a rhythm and vibe with one another that transcended our basic notion of writing a book, to a higher calling of spreading knowledge, wisdom and understanding. It was my considerable pleasure to work with Khary on this project.

  I’m also thankful to Catherine Van Harren, who did an outstanding job editing the project, and went out of her way to consider and understand my story. Thank you, Catherine, for your expertise and insight.

  To my 14 line brothers, the ones who “crossed the burning sands” and joined Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., on the evening of March 14, 1990, in Tallahassee, Florida. Nubians, I can never say thank you enough. You looked out for my wife, my children and even kept me from falling so many times. I’ve lost a lot of so-called brothers over the past few years, but you all have consistently held up the light of brotherhood. You further cemented, in my spirit, that your commitment was not for that day, but for all of our lives.

  In no way do I intend to devalue or disregard the magnitude of the crisis faced, particularly by communities of color, as a result of ongoing mass incarceration, or give any notion of positive credit to what author Michelle Alexander calls “America’s new caste system.” However, I must say, that I am so much better because of the prison experience. My fall has enabled my life, and my remaining life’s work, to rise. I have met several men, while held behind prison walls, who played a major role in helping to rebuild my character and my life. I am grateful for brothers like; Charles “Fish” Fisher, Nate Cox, Akil Powell, Corey Nelson, Karl “KG” Graves, Terry “T” Tyler, Demetrius “Knowledge” Wilson, Andy “Shoop” George, Mark X, Joseph “Chip” Stines, Marcel “Cell” Asbell, Jajuan “Weezy” Gardener, Jerry Oday, Terrence “TC” Coles, Tony “TP” Powell, Larry Adams, DeAndre “YB” Shaw, Larry “WB” Richards, DeWan “Wan” Smith, Brian Green, Derrick Shirley, and so many more. Thank you, Brothers! You will NEVER be forgotten.

  To my Pastors, Bishops J. Drew Sheard and T.D. Jakes. I remain exceedingly grateful to both of you, for answering your call. God, in His infinite wisdom, caused my life to intersect with yours, at precisely the perfect moments. Your encouragement, honesty, and love provided much needed direction and hope for a new day, for me and my family. I also want to thank the great congregations that you both lead, my Greater Emmanuel Church f
amily in Detroit, and also my Potter’s House Church family in Dallas. You have been an amazing gift to my family. Your love never fails!

  During my time of incarceration, I’ve read more books than I’ve read in my entire life. Many of these authors have become my invisible counselors. Their ideas stoked my intellectual curiosity. Their prose entangled me in webs of suspense, fear, excitement, and joy. Most of all, their personal testimonies enabled me to gain valuable insight, mentorship, guidance and the soul-stirring unction to rebuild Kwame Kilpatrick, mentally, physically and spiritually. Nelson Mandela, Johnnie Cochran, Charles Colson, C.S. Lewis, James Weldon Johnson, Joyce Meyer, The Honorable Elijah Mohammed, Max Lucado, Napoleon Hill, Michelle Alexander, Paulo Coelho, Jemal Gibson, Andy Andrews, Ekhardt Tolle, Carter G. Woodson, Muhammad Bashir, Esq., Jim Collins, John Maxwell, James Patterson, Renita Walker, Sydney Sheldon, Pearl Cleage, Dan Brown, Walter Mosely, and so many more. Thank you all for sharing your gift with Me.

  Finally, I want to thank the people of Dallas, Texas, and of Detroit, Michigan. Over the past couple years more than 250,000 people have moved from places all over the United States and beyond, and now call the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex home. On behalf of my family, who were a part of that number, we thank you for welcoming us to your community with open arms. Quite simply, you all loved us in a way that we didn’t know was possible for a community the size of the DFW area. You turned the lights on for us, and I thank you.

  To the people of Detroit, you played a major role in my life. From my teachers, coaches and childhood mentors, to my classmates, neighbors and friends. I can never thank you enough for all that you have done for me. The moments are few and far between that Detroit’s unique, authentic and revolutionary spirit was not present in my ideas, thoughts, emotions and actions. That cutting edge, innovative, sometimes radical flavor is the real Detroit.

  Detroit moved the world by putting it on wheels, birthed the Motown sound, even gave a platform to a young southern preacher named Martin Luther King, Jr., who delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech months before he captured time on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. That Detroit birthed men and women who dare to be different, to be bold, to be free. And its those Detroiters, and their unmistakable Motown swagger, who raised me. To them, and their children, I owe a tremendous amount of gratitude. I hope and pray that they are empowered by this book. By learning the truth, you are free to speak with courage, conviction, passion and, most of all, love. As it says in the Gospel of John, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Go and get your freedom! Its always been about Detroit Love!

  prologue

  We’re not always a forgiving nation. We do intolerance and rigidity when it fits our purpose.

  ~TIM KEOWN, ESPN columnist

  KWAME MALIK KILPATRICK, the former mayor of the City of Detroit who is currently serving a one-and-a-half to five-year prison sentence for violating terms of his probation, is a brilliant man. That’s no understatement. He is one of the most intelligent individuals I have ever known.

  I should qualify that statement. U.S. President Bill Clinton was known for remembering the names of people he’d shake hands with in even the most obscure places, such was his gift of recall. Kwame also has that ability. His retention skills sometimes seem photographic. He’s a natural conversationalist and possesses that rare, innate talent that makes just about everyone feel at ease in nearly any social setting.

  He’s also clear on his abilities, which makes him very confident. His decisions tend to come quickly and resolutely. If he says, “Let me think about that,” he doesn’t waste a lot of time. He returns with a decision, and an argument to support it. But even in disagreement, he remains affable and open to other perspectives. He is one of those individuals who balances a firm strength of conviction with a fair-minded quality of temperance. Needless to say, it’s a disarming quality for adversaries, but fortunately, Kwame rarely meets an enemy. He is a humanist who sees the natural good in people. That might have hurt him early in his career, but more on that later.

  I’ve communicated with Kwame several times a week for the past two and a half years, and we’ve disagreed on things, but we have never argued or debated. We shared points and counterpoints, and arrived at amicable decisions befitting successful writing partners.

  All of the aforementioned observations amount to good leadership skills. But Kwame’s most impressive quality, his sense of compassion for people in need, probably clashed with his most glaring fault, professional immaturity, and created a perfect storm of controversy and conspiracy that ruined his career. He went from a rising star to one of the most scandalized political leaders in American history. This book explores it all.

  Among the many details in that “perfect storm,” Mayor Kilpatrick had a vision for Detroit, and the chops to make it reality. Perhaps his willingness to enforce checks and balances threatened the wrong peoples’ bottom lines. Striking an imposing figure at 6’4”, and being black and assertive in a city with a long history of racial discord didn’t help, either.

  The other element of that storm was the personal strain the Kilpatrick household endured, due to the pressures of his job. This is where Kwame’s maturity failed him. His actions and reactions regarding his personal life and his underestimation of the dangerous political atmosphere around him led to his downfall.

  If a perfect storm is a convergence of critical events that aggravates a situation, then Kwame Kilpatrick’s story qualifies as a hurricane. My fear, even as we go to press, is that the storm continues to rage, and that this book could either balance public perspective or further upset it, leading to his federal trial. I’m afraid that some of Kwame’s enemies wouldn’t mind seeing him dead, not just imprisoned. In a society that is fiercely individualistic and too singular of thought to concern itself with, be outraged over, or suspicious of the kind of conspiracies that claimed the lives of icons during the Civil Rights era, it’s not far-fetched to think it could happen to him.

  Kwame wrote me from prison about two weeks before I composed this prologue and asked me to be brutally honest in my process—specifically, about my opinion of him. I initially thought it odd to ask a supporter to lend a public critique, but he truly wanted me to disclose my true feelings about him and his situation, even after working so closely together for such an extended time. I’ve been a proverbial fly on the wall of his life for more than two years. But after some thought, I understood and respected his rationale.

  I’ve felt the same fear as Kwame’s one-time supporters, who have distanced themselves from him, either out of fear of career suicide or frustration. On the latter point, Kwame is loyal, possibly to a fault, and some believe that individuals in his administration created enemies for him, even as he made allies. He may offer a different opinion on that assertion, but the conversation certainly made rounds in Detroit political circles. How much loyalty it cost him is anyone’s guess, but I can understand why he would want to know what his remaining allies think of his situation. It’s akin to the question Jesus asked the Disciples—”Who do you say I am?”—just days before His crucifixion. The Disciples tried to dodge the question at first, describing what others said about him, but when Jesus pressed, only one, Peter, spoke up. The others masked their doubt with silence.

  At times, I have doubted Kwame during this process. It’s hard not to when newspapers run salacious headlines almost weekly. The political atmosphere in Detroit became overwhelmingly negative, and the city became emotionally depressed. To Kwame’s credit, however, he never ducked. I took my doubts to him in the form of questions, and he responded, apolitically. I also paid close attention to the feelings of people in the streets. Neighborhoods are great sources of intuition. So-called everyday folk often sense what they don’t see. And those on the streets overwhelmingly sensed that something was not right in the press’s portrayal of Kilpatrick.

  I soon became convinced that the media had as much of an agenda in his saga as anyone.

/>   I also became convinced, after much interaction, that if Kwame were mayor of Detroit today, he’d not only be in his third term, but would be considered by many as one of Detroit’s most progressive mayors. Beyond his faults, he truly believed he owed the people of Detroit his service. His eye on community development and his empowerment of his staff to fulfill that vision with a certain degree of autonomy would have, ten years on, triggered an educational resurgence that by now would have resulted in a sharper sense of professionalism among Detroiters, most of whom are African-American. That would have triggered pride, which would have encouraged neighborhood care, cleanliness, concern, and heightened safety. In short, people would be happier and hopeful. I’m not saying things would be perfect, but I believe they would be better.

  Detroit would still be in the national conversation as a city that matters, instead of being described as a town whose time has come. I think Kwame, as he’ll describe by finally telling his story in this book, had the ability to lead such a charge.

  I have other opinions on the former mayor. To me, his youth was both a blessing and a curse. To voters, it’s sexy to be young, smart and talented. It’s also dangerous if you are not attuned to the dangers of image, and the depth of the ever-present political cesspool. Kwame knew these dangers existed, but I truly believe he thought he could build bridges over them by embracing them, when he should have protected himself more carefully. His vision clashed with the city’s wealthy and elite, and damn how much they liked him, he wasn’t good for their bottom line. Those kinds of people are usually eliminated, by removal from position, or even death.

  My problem with Kwame—my friend, brother and cousin (full disclosure: we are related by marriage, but I am also very close to some of the people who, at times, disagreed with him – Detroit is “towny” that way)—is his rose-colored perspective that keeps him from protecting himself. He gives people too much credit. Other than that, the only thing I believe he actually did wrong, without outside influence, was cheat on his wife, and then lie about it under oath. That’s a misdemeanor and, in a just world, he would have gotten no more than 90 days in jail for being a first-time, non-violent offender, and his future would be left to the druthers of the voters in the next election. But in this scenario, he wouldn’t have resigned, and he wouldn’t be in prison today.