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Book Review: “Still Waters Run Deep, Family—A Life Story”

Published

6 years ago

February 17, 2018

On the first Sunday in February—Black History Month —a book-signing took place at Allen Temple Baptist Church with a remarkable author who has been making history all his life.
Dr. Donald H. Godbold, Ph.D., has written a memoir entitled, “Still Waters Run Deep, Family—A Life Story,” and it’s a stunning reminder that we are surrounded by remarkable people in our community who can personally relate their inspiring stories to all of us.

Congregation members lined up to buy the book and have it signed by Dr. Godbold, as 60-year Allen Temple member Mother Virgie Green and Mrs. Dolores Godbold stood by. The books flew off the table.

This is the second of two books by Dr. Godbold. The first, “A Career in Community College Administration: The Challenges, Successes and Pitfalls of a First African-American Chancellor of an Uban Multi-College Community College District,” relates the saga of his community college administrative career.”

This is the story of Dr. Godbold’s career with our own Peralta Community College District, first as President of Merritt College, then as Chancellor of the whole district. Peralta in 1980 had five campuses and three outreach centers. Currently, it has only four colleges.

The second and newest book, “Still Waters Runs Deep” is a deeper story of the Godbold family reaching back to 1830, describing the Kinney and Godbold clans in Alabama, South Carolina, Detroit, and ultimately leading to California.

Dr. Godbold was born at home in Detroit in 1928, “right down the street from Peace Baptist Church where my mother and father were married in Northeast Detroit.”

While both books relate in fascinating detail the struggles and challenges Dr. Godbold and his family have faced, the main message of both is: “If you want it, you can get it.”

He describes this newest book as relating, “The blessed journey of education, achievement, respectability and the development of character.”

“This book is intended to serve as an incentive and inspiration for anyone, particularly African-Americans and other persons of color who may read it, to disbelieve that because of the circumstances of being a so-called ‘minority,’ or person of ‘disadvantage,’ means that they cannot learn, or are incapable of surmounting the obstacles and impediments that they may encounter in an antithetical world of bias and discrimination,” writes Dr. Godbold in the Preface to the book.

Both books are available on Amazon.com

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

6 days ago

April 26, 2024

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

1 week ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

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City Government

Vallejo Welcomes Interim City Manager Beverli Marshall

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10. Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Published

1 week ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Beverli Marshall began her first day with the City on April 10. ICMA image.

Special to The Post

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10.

Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Current City Manager Michael Malone, whose official departure is slated for April 18, expressed his well wishes. “I wish the City of Vallejo and Interim City Manager Marshall all the best in moving forward on the progress we’ve made to improve service to residents.” Malone expressed his hope that the staff and Council will work closely with ICM Marshall to “ensure success and prosperity for the City.”

According to the Vallejo Sun, Malone stepped into the role of interim city manager in 2021 and became permanent in 2022. Previously, Malone served as the city’s water director and decided to retire from city service e at the end of his contract which is April 18.

“I hope the excellent work of City staff will continue for years to come in Vallejo,” he said. “However, recent developments have led me to this decision to announce my retirement.”

When Malone was appointed, Vallejo was awash in scandals involving the housing division and the police department. A third of the city’s jobs went unfilled during most of his tenure, making for a rocky road for getting things done, the Vallejo Sun reported.

At last night’s council meeting, McConnell explained the selection process, highlighting the council’s confidence in achieving positive outcomes through a collaborative effort, and said this afternoon, “The Council is confident that by working closely together, positive results will be obtained.”

While the search for a permanent city manager is ongoing, an announcement is expected in the coming months.

On behalf of the City Council, Mayor McConnell extended gratitude to the staff, citizen groups, and recruitment firm.

“The Council wishes to thank the staff, the citizens’ group, and the recruitment firm for their diligent work and careful consideration for the selection of what is possibly the most important decision a Council can make on behalf of the betterment of our City,” McConnell said.

The Vallejo Sun contributed to this report.