One Thursday, March 12, 2026, I had a video conference on FaceTime with my mentor, Ted Childs.
Ted had been battling illness for some time, but our conversation that day was not about illness. It was about the struggle for equality—particularly in corporate America—and the unfinished work that still lies ahead.
For years I had been encouraging Ted to establish something that I believed the next generation desperately needed: the Ted Childs Institute on Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity. My concern was simple. Many young professionals entering corporate America today did not fight the battles that Ted and his generation fought. And because they did not live through those struggles, many are not prepared for the challenges that are still in front of us.
Ted, being the humble man he always was, never wanted the attention focused on himself.
But during that conversation on Thursday, we reached an agreement. I told Ted that I would do a video interview with him so that we could document his lifelong contributions—his experiences, his insights, and the lessons he had learned from decades of leadership inside corporate America.
The last thing he said to me was simple.
He smiled and said, “Yes, that sounds like it’s going to be fun.”
This morning, I learned that Ted had passed away.
And it was only forty-eight hours ago that we had that conversation.
During our conversation, we also talked about Rod Adkins’ book. I told Ted that Rod had sent me an email pointing out the exact page where I appeared in the book.
Page 130.
Ted laughed when I told him that.
Then he said, “That sounds like Rod.”
It was one of those moments that reminded me of the friendships and relationships built over decades among leaders who had spent their careers opening doors for others. These were not just colleagues—they were part of a generation of leaders who carried the responsibility of changing institutions.
So while we may not have the video interview we planned, what we do have—within Collin AI, STEM City USA, and the archives of Career Communications Group—is a long legacy of Ted’s writings, his leadership, and his voice.
What you are about to hear is STEM City USA and Collin AI sharing the history and legacy of a great man and a great warrior.
At the BEYA Stars and Stripes
At the BEYA Stars and Stripes
The Legacy of Ted Childs
A Corporate Warrior for Equal Opportunity
Within the institutional memory of Career Communications Group, the story of Ted Childs represents one of the most important chapters in the modern history of corporate leadership and equal opportunity.
Ted Childs belonged to a generation of pioneers who stepped into corporate America at a time when opportunity was limited and expectations were low. Yet through persistence, strategic thinking, and moral courage, he helped reshape how major corporations approached fairness, opportunity, and leadership development.
His work helped move corporate America beyond compliance toward purposeful leadership and accountability.
The legal foundation for many of these efforts was established decades earlier with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited discrimination in employment and public accommodations and created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to enforce workplace fairness.
But laws alone do not transform institutions.
It takes leaders.
Ted Childs was one of those leaders.
A Strategic Voice Inside Corporate America
Throughout his career, Ted Childs worked to ensure that opportunity inside corporate America was not limited by race, background, or access.
He understood something that many corporations would eventually learn:
Innovation thrives when organizations embrace a diversity of skills, experiences, and perspectives.
His influence helped companies recognize that expanding opportunity was not simply a moral imperative—it was a strategic necessity for global competitiveness.
Preparing the Next Generation
One of the most important lessons Ted often emphasized was the importance of historical awareness.
Many young professionals entering the workforce today benefit from opportunities created by earlier struggles. Yet without understanding that history, they may not recognize the forces that shaped those opportunities—or the challenges that remain.
This is why the idea discussed in that final conversation—the creation of a Ted Childs Institute on Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity—is so powerful.
Such an institute would serve as:
a center for historical preservation
a training ground for corporate leadership
and a knowledge hub preparing future professionals to navigate evolving workplace challenges
The Role of STEM City USA and Collin AI
Today, through the digital knowledge infrastructure of Career Communications Group, that vision is already beginning to take form.
Across platforms such as:
US Black Engineer & Information Technology
the BEYA STEM Conference network
Women of Color in STEM
STEM City USA
and Collin AI
decades of insight, leadership perspectives, and institutional knowledge are being preserved and shared with future generations.
Even without that final interview, Ted Childs’ voice continues to resonate through the ideas he helped shape and the institutions he helped influence.
A Legacy That Continues
Great leaders are often remembered for their titles or their positions.
But the true measure of leadership is influence.
Ted Childs’ influence lives on in:
the executives he mentored
the policies he helped shape
the opportunities he helped create
and the generations of professionals who now walk through doors that once stood closed.
His life reminds us that progress is never accidental.
It is built by individuals who are willing to stand up, speak clearly, and work patiently to build a better system for those who follow.
Ted Childs was one of those individuals.
A pioneer.
A mentor.
A strategist.
And above all, a warrior for opportunity and fairness in corporate America.