“I believe in prophets because I have met one…Mississippian legend Otha Turner, one of the last purveyors of the fading blues fife tradition, favorite sayings, one has always stayed with me—a phrase he would always offer to his family and friends when they were faced with a difficult life decision: ‘Don’t nothing make a fail but a try!’ Its meaning was clear to me: Trying to do something is not enough. You simply must do it. Given the obstacles we are faced with in life, the only way to meet them is head-on. Happiness, community, and justice must be pursued with conviction and determination….I have tried to heed Otha’s words and teach them to my children.”