Famous author Dr. Leon Bass talks about being “good enough”

The famous author Dr. Leon Bass was invited by Mr. Williams, a history teacher at the Asbury Park’s Middle School to lecture to the students on why he wrote his famous book called “Good Enough”.

“Good Enough” takes us through a journey through time as segregation and Jim crow laws were still alive and well.  It was a evil reality for many African Americans including Dr. Leon Bass.

Dr. Bass served most of his life as teacher.  He was as a former principal and was a veteran of World War II.  Dr. Bass stood in front of those young students and told his life story on how hard it was to live during those times of segregation. Seeing signs that magnified for colors and white was etched in his head for a life time.

Dr. Bass talked to the students about the Liberation of Buchenwald concentration in camp in 1949. He fringes and captures the moment. The students listened intensely as he described the horrible human conditions of people dying.

“You could see their ribs as the smell of death was everywhere,” Bass said. It was a life changing moment for him.

That moment literally changed his life because he became an angry soldier.  Dr. Bass became angry because in his words

“I was being asked to fight for freedom while at the same time, as a black man, I was being told in many ways that I wasn’t good enough to have that freedom in his own country.”

Dr. Bass ended the session on a positive note and urged the students to stand up and be counted for doing the right thing. He answered their questions as they remained fully engaged in his story.

Dr. Bass has presented his story to audiences throughout the United States and across the world.  You can purchase is book at on his website.