Happy Birthday

Robert J. Dale!

Martin Luther King, Jr. once said that “[ t] he the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” In his 75 years on this earth, Bob Dale has stood tall in the face of numerous challenges and countless controversies. So, today, as he celebrates this milestone birthday, we recognize and honor his dedication as a father, his accomplishments as a business leader and his contributions to his community. Given the current climate in our city and country, it’s more than fitting that we honor Bob Dale, a black man who shrugged off societal expectations and successfully raised four sons on the South Side of Chicago. While Andre Bryant, mother to the three oldest sons, played a significant role in raising them, this is a celebration and acknowledgement of Bob Dale who was the custodial parent for those three sons during most of their formative years; he later played a pivotal part in assisting his current wife, Cathy Dale, in raising her son, Damon. Our father taught us first and foremost to be proud to be black, to love ourselves, and to respect our elders. He also taught us the value of discipline, hard work and education. He ensured that we didn’t only know “His- story,” i. e., the incomplete history of African Americans portrayed in most history books. Rather, he made it his personal mission that we would know our story— the story of black folks. He taught us the story of the red, black and green; the story of Kwanza; and the story of Malcolm X, among many others. He was a living example of these facets of our history. Every single day, he lived these values. That made us proud to be black and proud that he was our father. In addition to the challenge of raising four black males on the South Side of Chicago, our father was faced with the unexpected circumstance that two of his children were blind. Yusef and Kareem were born with a congenital condition that caused them to be born with limited sight and eventually led to their total blindness. They were born in the early 70s, a time when the country, and particularly the African- American community, was not thinking progressively about raising blind children. The prevailing wisdom in society, including the belief of some family members, was to take it easy on blind children. Well, taking it easy has never been Bob Dale’s style. Whether it was household chores, getting As in school or traveling on public transportation, he had the foresight to ignore societal norms and insist on, and expect, independence and excellence from Yusef and Kareem. It was precisely that insistence and those expectations that would lead to Yusef’s and Kareem’s success; Yusef is an Assistant United States Attorney in the Chicago office’s criminal division and Kareem is an attorney who also worked for President Obama in the White House, holding the highest ranking White House position on disability policy ever to be created by a President. In short, our father knew what would later become obvious— blindness has absolutely nothing to do with a child’s ability to achieve success. And, if that wasn’t enough, his other two sons, Kondo and Damon, also have very impressive academic and professional achievements. Let’s be clear about something. Bob Dale was not our friend growing up; he was our father. There’s a fundamental difference, and more fathers need to adopt that philosophy. He was very demanding on us in all aspects of our childhood development, especially our education. That meant he was equally demanding on our teachers regarding their responsibilities for our educational development. Just because he was demanding doesn’t mean we didn’t have good times filled with love and fun; we did. We all remember the weekly Sunday visits to see the latest action movie at Evergreen Plaza or River Oaks, followed by visits to Grandma Jessie’s for Sunday dinner. And, just when one of us would doubt his skills in the kitchen, our father, yes, Bob Dale, would whip up an outstanding meal, such as a roast beef and potato dinner using those old- school seasoning bags. We can’t believe it now, but we remember him helping Kareem ride his first big wheel. We recall the time he rode that 10- speed bike home and presented it to Yusef. And, we remember him taking Kondo, his oldest son, and Kondo’s friends “to school” on the basketball court at Stony Island ( now Jessie Owens) Park. We cherish the summer he bought the pool table for our basement and made our house the place to be in the neighborhood, that is, until the blind guys started beating their friends and taking their money. Even later in life, after raising 3 boys and guiding them through college and law school, he readily assumed the responsibility of helping bring another young black boy, Damon, into manhood. And, when he wasn’t helping round Damon into a strong, successful black man in the same way he did with his first three sons, the two loved to golf on early weekend mornings. For all these things and so much more, we are eternally grateful to call him our father. Paid Advertisement While Bob Dale successfully raised his own children, he gave so much more to young black men and women. He positively changed the life trajectories for countless young people that may never have excelled but for his intervention, tutelage, wisdom and inspiration. Having received his MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, for years, he was a professor of business at Chicago State University, stewarding countless students through their initial forays into higher education. As he was with his own children, he was extremely tough with his students, toughness many of those students likely had never experienced. But, without fail, those same students rave about how much they love Bob Dale and how much they appreciate what he did for them. Bob Dale has been more than just a father and professor. He has been a true giant in the black business community. It’s not surprising that he became an entrepreneur. He tried working for other people, but anyone who knows Bob Dale, knows that he has an extremely difficult time taking orders. So, with 3 kids and a wife, he defied common wisdom and launched his own business, then known as Adworks Advertising, housed in a small office on the South Side. From the beginning, he demonstrated that he would be a powerful force in the business world, representing renowned black- owned companies, such as Baldwin Ice Cream. We can still remember sitting around our kitchen table on 87th and Merrill, taste testing flavors of ice cream. He later would move the company to far more glamorous digs on the Magnificent Mile at 500 N. Michigan Avenue, and change the name to R. J. Dale Advertising and Public Relations, thereby launching what would become one of the most successful African- American owned advertising agencies in the country for decades. Its reign commenced with the national advertising campaign for Luster Products and its legendary S- Curl line. It continued through the middle years with such industry giants as JewelOsco and McDonald’s, and also included campaigns for two Illinois governors. And, the agency’s later years were highlighted by a campaign for Illinois Lottery that featured iconic commercials with the late, great Bernie Mac. Bob Dale, through his agency, also had a substantially positive impact on the lives of Chicagoans. He personally employed hundreds of African- American men and women and, indirectly, was responsible for the employment opportunities in the communication industry for hundreds more. And, through his own personal contributions, the contributions of his business, and contributions that he directed through his clients, he was responsible for reinvesting tens of millions of dollars into the African- American community. Bob Dale and his agency have left an indelible imprint on the African- American business community and the lives of individuals, and the impact will be felt for decades to come. While he certainly had a highly successful business career, Bob Dale’s professional life has been about so much more than profits. He has given generously of his time and resources in an effort to improve the quality of lives of others. He served on the board of the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation. Additionally, he served as the President of the Board of Directors for the Black Ensemble Theater, where he supported the development of African- American artists and the positive portrayal of African- American historical figures. He also has been a tireless advocate for black children; for decades, he has invested his time, energy, money, and passion, arguing that black children should be taught an African- American based curriculum in order to foster a positive self- image, to better prepare young black men and women to excel, and to create a more educated and conscious crop of future black business and community leaders. To that end, he served as president of the Board of Directors of the Institute of Positive Education, where he helped shape and guide that exact type of curriculum. Bob Dale’s legacy as a business leader, a leader in the black community, and most importantly, a father, is one that any son would be proud to honor and acknowledge. We definitely are proud of him. Simply put, he’s a living example of who a man, but especially a black man, should be. We can’t wait to see what he does next!

We love you very much. Happy Birthday!!