In May 2004 I gave a speech at an ACLU fundraiser in Los Angeles. Beforehand I was told that the actor James Whitmore would introduce me. He said words to this effect: "Now ladies and gentlemen, I work as an actor and play different roles. But we have a great speaker who works in the most important field of our time, communications. Please give her your utmost attention." He said much more than that and made me feel like I was about to receive a high award, which he had won so many times. I wish that I had taped the scene because to hear the lofty rhetorical flourishes of the Actor Studio member Whitmore was surreal. I don't think anyone in my lifetime will have quite the command of a room the way Whitmore did that day.
I responded with an opening appreciation of Whitmore:
It's truly an honor to be introduced by James Whitmore. As so often goes in my life, little gems appear and last night I happened upon the 1964 movie, Black Like Me, starring Mr. Whitmore. If you haven't noticed, I'm a Southerner, and this film speaks loud and clear to me. I thought you did a magnificent job portraying reporter John Griffin who undergoes medical treatments to darken his skin and experience racial prejudice throughout the South. The last time I was home in Birmingham, where my folks live, (and yes, the family home of Condoleezza Rice!), I attended an interfaith service at the 16th Street Baptist Church and walked through the Civil Rights Institute located directly across the street from where the four little girls lost their lives. It was uplifting to see so many school children and area families, black and white, walking through the exhibits. I'm hopeful based on how many steps forward we've taken through the vigilance of organizations like the ACLU, and yet how many steps back we've taken since 9/11.
To paraphrase that modern political communications philosopher, Sheryl Crow, in her song, "Soak Up the Sun," when it comes to American democracy, "It's not having what you want, it's wanting what you've got." Unlike our fellow global citizens in Iraq who aspire to democratic institutions, rule of law, transparency, accountability, and representation, we've already got it through our Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Congressional legislation. How much of what we already have do we take for granted? How much do we allow our political proxies in the White House, Pentagon and Capitol Hill, or our communication executives at Sony Pictures, AOL Time Warner, Disney and now NBC Universal to direct us like sheep, corral our thinking and freedom of speech?
Think of the Baltimore-based Sinclair Broadcasting Group, known as the Clear Channel of local news and a 98% Republican campaign contributor, which pulled the ABC news program Nightline from eight of its affiliates for daring to recite the name, rank and age of the U.S. war dead in Iraq. Its decision was based on the news as propaganda charge: 'Despite the denials [of Nightline], the show appears to be motivated by a political agenda designed to undermine the efforts of the United States in Iraq...Before you judge our decision, however, we would ask that you first question Mr. Koppel as to why he chose to read the names of the 523 troops killed in combat in Iraq, rather than the names of the thousands of private citizens killed in terrorists' attacks since and including the events of Sept. 11, 2001.' Before we teach others about democracy, we might try practicing a bit better here at home.
Imagine how far we've come from those dark days in 2004, just a little over a year into the war in Iraq and parallel to President Bush's "Mission Accomplished" public relations appearance on the USS Lincoln.
That day in May 2004 came flooding back to me when I heard that James Whitmore had died on Friday, February 6, 2009. He was 87 at the time of his death, which was attributed to lung cancer. I think if one dies at 87, especially from lung cancer, one needs no particular cause of death published. Living a full life is good enough. And Whitmore lived it. The day I met him, a spry 82, he was full of energy and attention. I thought to myself, may I live a life of such engagement like this man before me.
James Whitmore's career spanned six decades across 146 film and television roles. He earned a best actor Oscar nomination for his 1975 film, Give 'em Hell, Harry!, which was based on his one-man show on Broadway. Another best-supporting actor Oscar nomination preceded the second by a quarter of a century when he received Academy recognition for his portrayal of a GI in the Battle of the Bulge (Battleground, 1949). He won a Tony and an Emmy and was often compared to the actor Spencer Tracy for his intense devotion to his craft. He was particularly adept at portraying great American characters like Truman, Will Rogers and even Teddy Roosevelt. Friendly with James Dean, whom he encouraged to study acting in New York at the Actors Studio, Dean would later credit Whitmore in part for his career success, tragically cut short though it was.
Whitmore was an early supporter of President Obama and stumped for him during a 2007 rally at the Gibson Theatre at Universal Studios. He said that Barack Obama had the kind of much-needed wisdom "to deal with a very, very confused and complex country, and the world." James Whitmore lived to see his endorsed candidate for president inaugurated into office just a few weeks before his death.
The man who introduced me to a group of ACLU supporters couldn't have been more of a gentleman and so humble about his own profession. I will forever treasure our brief interlude.