Step By Step

The story of Bertie Bowman is truly a great American tale. The fifth of fourteen children of a poor farmer. To hear him talk about his rise from a thirteen year old runaway from South Carolina, to where he is right now. Is truly a breath of fresh air and should be heard by all, especially blacks. The story may not be so popular among blacks, due to some of it's key players. His story of hope, friendship, perseverance and living the American dream. Makes him sort of a modern day hero.

Bertie Bowman rose from farmer's son in the Jim Crow South to entrepreneur, with a stop in between as the longest serving African American on the U.S. Capitol Hill staff. Starting in what was essentially a janitorial position, he went on to work for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, first as clerk and retiring as hearing coordinator. Bowman is now president of his own company and a Senate Federal Credit Union board member. The South Carolina native writes about his journey in his autobiography, Step by Step.

Listen to the interview:

http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/archive/200806/20080603_bowman.html#