Who Is Dr. John Carter?

Dr. John H. Carter is a retired Vice President of AT&T (formerly BellSouth Corporation). He also managed the Human Resources and Corporate Services’ $900 Million-dollar budget and coordinated the corporation’s $34 Million contingency fund for environmental remediation. After retirement from the Bell System, he managed a successful consulting firm, Carter & Carter, LLC, which offered management consulting, facilitation, and executive coaching for ten years. He also served as an adjunct professor at Strayer University and a course developer and seminar presenter for the non-profit university for ten years before fully retiring in 2018.

Read More

  • "Written in the straightforward, wry, unpretentious yet sagacious style emblematic of its author, “Hold My Mule,” walks the reader through a familiar but unique saga beginning in Central Georgia in the mid-19th century."

    Mr. Steaven Misher

  • "The life story of Dr. John Carter is a roadmap from nothing to something. Lessons learned here transcend the time of John's life and are applicable today."

    Michael Lomax

  • "John Carter is content with a life away from the spotlight. However, his work underpins historical events that shape who we are today, from the corporate board rooms to our nation's capital landscape."

    Michael Lomax

  • "John Carter is a man worth knowing...his life is a story worth reading. From struggle to success, John is an inspiration. You will love his adventure."

    Michael Lomax

  • "Dr. John H. Carter is easily described as a once-in-a-lifetime leader. What he has done throughout his days on this earth is nothing short of remarkable and life-changing."

    The Honorable Constace Morella

  • "Dr. John Carter is genuinely one of Atlanta's treasures. My father recognized this while John worked with him in the Mayor's Office as a loaned executive from the BellSouth Company. John was a confidant and advisor to my dad and helped guide him through some turbulent times."

    Maynard H. Jackson, III

  • "The seriousness and importance of legacy - that which is passed down from generation to generation."

    Dr. Randall Pinkett

This compelling life story chronicles the journey from the red clay dirt roads of South Georgia to the corporate board rooms of America

Buy Now

I pushed and pushed on that button but could not summon the strength to do it. He said, “YOU CAN!” I kept trying and finally used both hands to shove the button as hard as I could. The door crept open, delivering to me my very first “Hold My Mule Moment.” … That day, I learned what Seaborn, Otis, and my ancestors learned in order to survive 400 years of oppression and servitude during slavery. When we allow ‘can’t’ to slip into our vocabulary, we give the word credence. We also give it power! (pg. 13)

They told me that they did not have any record of my request. Out of options, I boarded a Greyhound bus one Saturday morning to travel to Atlanta and personally inquired about my application to matriculate at Morris Brown. The majestic clock tower at Morris Brown stands at the highest point of elevation in Atlanta. … Once it was in view, I began to make my way up the aisle to ask the bus driver to stop. … The driver let me off at Rich’s Department Store (now the Richard B. Russell federal building), and I walked about a mile before I reached the school at exactly 1:00 p.m. As I was about to pull on the locked door of the administration building to make my way to the registrar’s office, I experienced a “Hold My Mule Moment.” Dorothy Allen (Williams), a former classmate from Drake, came to the other side of the door. She opened it and asked, “Why are you here? The building closes at 1:00 p.m. on Saturdays.” I told her my story, and she unlocked the door to the administration building. She then took me back down to the registrar’s office to obtain an application. (Pg. 95)

Upon graduation from USC, I was positive that I would be transferred back to BellSouth at least as a Level 5, Boy was I wrong! I received a lateral transfer as a Level 4 even though I replaced a Level 5. (pg. 206)

Rattled from my sleep, I looked up as the rain poured down on my face. I saw the night sky punctuated with flashes of lightning and heard the booming sound of thunder. Undaunted, my mother swiftly gathered her baby girl in her arms. She grabbed me by the hand and led us out of the house and into the darkness of the storm. The rain pelted my face and drenched my clothes. No time to stop, my mother trudged through the red mud that spawned the nickname of our community - Redskin. To this day, I can feel the pressure of my mother’s hand on mine as we traipsed that dirt - now muddy road. This was a true mother who would stop at nothing to ensure the safety of her children. (Pg. 36)

HE meticulously navigated me around the haunting specter of being called to serve in an unpopular, deadly war, and I was promoted four times in fifteen months. I had all the essentials in life, including good health, food, and shelter. I was blessed in a union with a soulmate who could anticipate my every need and now I was on my way to an ideal job, in an ideal city with a Fortune Five Hundred Company. I may not fall down and flail in praise like the man plowing his field, but I do give thanks and honor and recognition to the source of my blessings. “Hold My Mule!” (pg. 139)

We lived in a world that was “separate” and clearly “not equal.” While paying the same taxes, we lived in communities with no paved streets, no public utilities, or access to government facilities such as libraries, parks, and swimming pools. We were driven past fully funded white schools to unequal public schools by African American bus drivers and taught by underpaid teachers in underfunded, overcrowded classrooms. All around us, there were daily reminders of our unequal status. We were directed by signs that read “Colored Only” as we were shepherded to the back doors of restaurants where we could not get a table. We saw and cleaned restrooms we could not use, and even when we were sick, doctor’s and dentist’s offices were entered through the back door. (pg 52)

When we came through the clearing, it was around 4 O’clock. We saw Sarah running toward us. She had gotten too close to the fireplace, and her little starched dress had caught on fire. The concept of “stop, drop, and roll” had not yet been popularized, and she ran out of the house and into the elements calling for help. …When she reached Lula and me, all that was left was the collar of her dress. Her beautiful, starched dress had completely burned from her precious body. From her knees to her neck was charred. I will never get this sight out of my mind as long as I live! (Pg. 43)

For some reason, he elected to coach me throughout my career without ever using the word mentor. This process began toward the end of our time working together in Corporate Planning and continued throughout my career. In fact, one day, I was sitting in my office and received a call from Walt. He said, “John, I am flying out on the corporate plane today from the Peachtree Dekalb Airport. I will be flying back into the Atlanta Airport. I need you to pick me up at 8 p.m. tonight and take me back to the Peachtree Dekalb Airport.” I was taken aback. The airports were only 20 miles apart and an easy taxi ride. I was not a chauffeur; I was a District Manager. I went home early to wash my car, and Susan asked if I was going to wear a white coat and a little chauffeur hat! When I arrived at the airport, Walt had two other VPs with him. The ride was, in essence, a job interview, and I was transferred to the organization of one of the VPs at the end of my Corporate Planning job. (Pg. 192)

My message in writing this book is to say to young people, “Pick up your mat.” You will be faced with obstacles; others will jump in front of you, but all you need to do is listen to the voices around you and pray for strength, and the pool is all yours. “There is no such word as “Can’t!” (pg. 244)

Hold My Mule

 

Interested in Connecting