72 D
EFINING
M
OMENTS
‘‘Almost every racial dilemma I had confronted,’’ Lewis later re-
called, ‘‘involved the recognition of achievement rather than blatant
rejection due to race.’’ His response to these situations was a personal
philosophy that he summarized as ‘‘Action over words.’’ He had
always chosen to take advantage of the opportunities offered him,
rather than stew over why he was offered them. He knew he had
earned or overearned his opportunities, but instead of trying to
explain this to others, his aim was to show them that he deserved
the opportunities and would make the most of them.
In the past, however, Lewis knew he had earned the awards and
was qualified to meet the challenges of the opportunities offered
him. That didn’t seem to be the