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Abstract

Wow, is all I can say! Let me just tell you that I am Wilfred Pace, the first African American to serve as the Farm Service Agency Director (FSA) for the State of South Carolina and I stand here privileged to just sit between wisdom and knowledge. Now you say, “why does Wilfred Pace stand between wisdom and knowledge?” I must then admit that I am justice, so three in the saddle makes it complete, but there is a fourth that is not here whom I wish you would have had the opportunity to meet. Jewel (Bronaugh) brings remarkable experience and resourcefulness to the Farm Service Agency. I stand here between wisdom and knowledge in awe of the opportunity to serve in this capacity minorities and all farmers, ranchers, and citizens of South Carolina. I could not have gotten here if it was not for the foundation that was laid by gentlemen such as wisdom and knowledge. It has been almost four years ago since I became South Carolina State Executive Director of FSA. Well, somebody said, “it couldn’t be done” but I with a chuckle replied, “that maybe it couldn’t, but I would not be the one who would say so until I had tried.” So how did I try? I googled first, and the first name that came up was Mr. Daniel Robinson. I say this because to the young people who are in the audience today, sometimes you need a role model. You need to have a vision in front of you as to how you are going to achieve what you know has already been predestined and ordained for you. All you need to do is to walk out on that path that will lead you to those destinies. As I was saying, I googled, and Mr. Robinson came up, and I could not believe it, and I said, “this gentleman has almost my identical background in Agricultural Education and how he had matriculated through the FSA, and then rose through the ranks to be the State Executive Director of Alabama.”

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