Dr. Henry Musoma and Emerson Contreras
A chance encounter in Mozambique between an American man and a Zambian boy ripples across two contents and three generations. At StoryCorps, Emerson Contreras talks with his mentor, Professor Henry Musoma, about how Musoma became a U.S. educator and the influence he has had on Contreras' life.
- [Emerson] So, my first question for you Dr. Musoma is, what really instilled that passion and commitment to education for you?
- [Dr. Musoma] Emerson, you know, it goes back to growing up in Zambia and seeing how my father came from a family of 12. My grandparents were all in the village, and to see my father come out of that background, go to university and accomplish what he's accomplished, working as an international diplomat, I think those were the first seeds, you know. I think the passion started back there. I looked at education as a tool for empowerment, and also as a liberator, both in mind, and also in personal life.
- [Emerson] Can you talk to us about the chance encounter you had in Zambia that forever has changed your life.
- [Dr. Musoma]So actually, the chance encounter was in Mozambique, and we're living there. I'm walking down the street and I see this American home. I struck a conversation with this man. He was walking out of this yard, and we're walking down the street, he asked me what I was doing in my life, and at that time, Emerson, I was going to school in Zimbabwe, and I was on break, and he said son, have you ever thought about going to school in the United States? In that moment, the man gave me an idea. He gave me an idea that I hadn't strongly considered. I thought, wow! America. It's a place my father had gone to to [sic] Harvard, and he came back with all this knowledge and good stuff. Reeboks, I had a pair of Reeboks from America, you know what I'm talking about?
- [Dr. Musoma] Eight months later I was in the United States because I met a stranger who stopped long enough on the street. And in one of the classes, the class that you were in, I talked to the students about a man that gave me this passageway, if you will, and one of the students in there took it upon himself to find him for me.
- [Emerson] Wow.
- [Dr. Musoma] 21 years later, last summer, Sam White walks in my office, he said, Dr. Musoma, I found that man.
- [Emerson] That's amazing.
- [Dr. Musoma] He gave me an email, which said, Dear Sam, Thank you so much for reconnecting us with Henry, we've often wondered what happened to him.
- [Emerson] Wow.
- [Dr. Musoma] He was one in a million. When we saw him, we knew there was something about him. Please give him our phone numbers, we'd love to talk to him. So, that night, my wife and I called Mr. Cates. Henry, hi! He was so excited. He said, I'm retired. I'm about 87 years old.
- [Emerson] Wow.
- [Dr. Musoma] And I live in Virginia. I'm blessed to know that my path's crossed with a man that didn't look like me, that was from a whole different country, but he stopped long enough at a corner of a street in Africa, and spoke to this little boy who's now the professor at one, at a very prestigious university such as ours.
- [Emerson] Isn't it just amazing that such a chance encounter, you know, you could've easily just walked past that gate and not said anything.
- [Dr. Musoma] That is correct.
- [Emerson] But the fact that you said hi, and you introduced yourself changed your life tremendously.
- [Dr. Musoma] I remember going back to your high school and seeing where you've come from, and I remember you and I going suit shopping.
- [Emerson] Yup.
- [Dr. Musoma] And I could see you as a CEO, I could see you as a CFO. The world really is your canvas.
- [Emerson] I really appreciate that Dr. Musoma. My college experience would've not been the same without you in it. You made me see something in myself that I didn't, especially where I come from, people call it the hood, the ghetto, whatever may be. For me it would've been really easy to just leave, graduate, get out, move away from there after I left college, but for me, there are kids out there just like me, and I want to help them as much as I can. Even if its just seeing me as someone they could strive to be like or be even better.
- [Dr. Musoma] Mm-Hmm.
- [Emerson] You're one of my best friends. I know I can turn to you whenever I need something. Whether it may be small or something very big, I know that you'll be there for me, 'cause I know I'll be there for you.
- [Dr. Musoma] Thank you so much Emerson. It's been a joy.