You often hear the phrases, “A giant among men” and “Standing on the shoulders of giants”, but what does that really mean? Yesterday, during the Celebration of Life for Chief Bill Logan, I learned more about a giant and reframed my understanding of what it truly means to achieve giant status.
In this context a giant has nothing to do with stature and is not to be confused with a giant man (woman).
Growing up, especially in Evanston, there are circles which start in elementary school, they grow as you get to middle school, and then high school. These circles are your social circles that form the Venn Diagram of one of the most critical stages in life. My diagram includes Billy, Cheryl, and Gilo (Gary back then) Logan. Billy and Cheryl, a couple of years older and Gilo a few years younger, but all intertwined in the same circles. Back then Black Evaston was a much closer-knit community.
As kids you generally knew what the parents of your friends did for a living, our community was filled with mechanics, construction workers, teachers, and yes, doctors, dentists, and lawyers. As well as countless Black owned businesses, Black jobs. As kids, we never read the resumes the adults in the community, I think in part because their job title didn’t matter, we respected all the adults in our lives, from the garbage men to the stay-at-home moms.
The legend of Chief Logan, then Officer Logan being Dr. King’s bodyguard during his visits in the early ’60s to Evanston. I think every Black household had a story recounting those days with pride. My generation hadn’t even begun school, and some were not born during this time but as we grew up it was part of our Black history.
Sometimes you recognize giants and as kids they are easier to see, looking up to someone phase of life. For me, Chief Logan was a man I respected and knew he was one of the most important people in the community. During the last few days, I learned or better yet gained a true understanding of what it meant to be a giant, thanks to Chief Logan.
To Billy, Cheryl, and Gilo thank you for sharing your dad with us and know that we all still look up to him.
