Bill Milliken - From the Rearview Mirror: Reflecting On Connecting the Dots

Praise for FROM THE REARVIEW MIRROR

Bill Milliken is a rare human being who possesses heart, wisdom, and compassion. Read From the Rearview Mirror and relish the goodness of this man.

Goldie Hawn, entertainer and philanthropist

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., spoke of the need for a dedicated circle of transformed nonconformists to offer hope to a world in crisis. Bill Milliken is one of those nonconformists who demonstrates that our small efforts to guide and invest in the next generation will pay great dividends. May we all be inspired by his life and his lessons.

Dr. Robert Franklin, president, Morehouse College

Bill has gone where the heartache ismet school dropouts on rooftops and street corners and changed the way we think about public education in this country. In this book, we see where his passion comes from and how it was shaped by failure as much as success. Inspiring, courageous, and well-written!

Marjory Zoet Bankson, author of The Call to the Soul and Creative Aging

People think of me as a hip-hop pioneer and serial entrepreneur, but Im also someone who has worked hard for many years to integrate spiritual values and practice into my everyday world and to help others do the same. It is from this perspective that Im delighted to recommend this wonderful book by my good friend Bill Milliken.

Russell Simmons, producer, entrepreneur, and author

Bill Milliken shares his 50-year journey of personal, professional, and spiritual challenge and triumph, loss and growth, hope and reconciliation. He also throws in a few miracles along the way. Its a fascinating story of a remarkable life, and a road map for others who want to make a difference in this world.

Stedman Graham, best-selling author, educator, and entrepreneur

One of the extraordinary blessings Ive had in my life is the unique relationship Ive had with Bill Milliken. What began as a quest to solve a critical problem in American education evolved into a spiritual journey with a selfless, wise, compassionate person who guided me to my lifes purpose. We will never know the true impact of Bills work. Generations of families have been saved by his prescient observations of how to love a child to success. We talk about one-of-a-kind people in life. He truly is one of a kind.

Elaine Wynn, director, Wynn Resorts, and national board chair, Communities In Schools

ALSO BY BILL MILLIKEN

TOUGH LOVE

SO LONG, SWEET JESUS

THE LAST DROPOUT: Stop the Epidemic!

Available from Hay House
Please visit:

Hay House USA: www.hayhouse.com
Hay House Australia: www.hayhouse.com.au
Hay House UK: www.hayhouse.co.uk
Hay House South Africa: www.hayhouse.co.za
Hay House India: www.hayhouse.co.in

Copyright 2012 by Bill Milliken

Published and distributed in the United States by: Hay House, Inc.: www.hayhouse.com Published and distributed in Australia by: Hay House Australia Pty. Ltd.: www.hayhouse.com.au Published and distributed in the United Kingdom by: Hay House UK, Ltd.: www.hayhouse.co.uk Published and distributed in the Republic of South Africa by: Hay House SA (Pty), Ltd.: www.hayhouse.co.za Distributed in Canada by: Raincoast: www.raincoast.com Published in India by: Hay House Publishers India: www.hayhouse.co.in

Cover design: Charles McStravick Interior design: Tricia Breidenthal

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic, or electronic process, or in the form of a phonographic recording; nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or otherwise be copied for public or private useother than for fair use as brief quotations embodied in articles and reviewswithout prior written permission of the publisher.

Harlem Streets, 1981, oil painting on canvas by LeRoy Neiman. Donated by the artist to Communities In Schools, and used with permission.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Milliken, Bill.

From the rearview mirror : reflecting on connecting the dots / Bill Milliken.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-1-4019-3790-4 (pbk.)

1. Milliken, Bill. 2. Communities In Schools

(Organization)Biography. 3. Youth workersUnited StatesBiography.

4. Community and schoolUnited States. 5. DropoutsUnited StatesPrevention. I. Title.

LC221.M552 2012

370.92dc23

[B]

2011049423

Tradepaper ISBN: 978-1-4019-3790-4

Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-4019-4133-8

Digital ISBN: 978-1-4019-3791-1

15 14 13 12 4 3 2 1

1st edition, June 2012

Printed in the United States of America

To my brother Bobthanks for never giving up on me.

You cant connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in somethingyour gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.

STEVE JOBS

Finding the treasure is only the beginning of the search.

FATHER HENRI J. M. NOUWEN

The book youre about to read is the story of a life lived with energy, faith, and openness to change and growth. Its a story about answering lifes highest calling to serve. Its truly an extraordinary journey.

I first met Bill Milliken shortly after I was elected mayor of Newark, when he came to our city in his role as founder of Communities In Schools (CIS), which has a strong presence in Newark. CIS is helping thousands of young men and women throughout our nation to get the education they need and the future they deserve. Meeting Bill was an experience. I was immediately struck by his humility, by the kindness that seemed to be so thorough and authentic. He was a man of great accomplishment, but he had a youthful wonder about him, a light that seemed to emanate from his core and a sense of peace and hope that was infectious. The organization that he founded immediately made more sense to me; it was in many ways a natural outgrowth of the man. Communities In Schools is, in a sense, his values and spirit made manifest.

This is the power of Bills book: From the Rearview Mirror shows how a persons outward journey reflects the inward path as well. What we see outside ourselves in the society that surrounds usdespair or hope, dead ends or possibilitiesis a reflection of who we are inside. From a young age, Bill was forced to confront the challenges of growing up as a different learner (or dumb, as he was called back then). As a result, he had to choose: Would he live a life of possibilities, committing to his potential and helping others recognize theirs, or would he surrender to his fears and self-doubts?