Rosa Parks’ attorney, Gregory Reed, brings influence, life experience to WCC

Rosa Parks’ attorney, Gregory Reed, brings influence, life experience to WCC

Quinn Davis

Staff Writer

ROBERT CONRADI WASHTENAW VOICE

Rosa Parks’ attorney has quite the résumé. He was Nelson Mandela’s official escort, helped Parks win the Congressional Gold Medal — and he now teaches at Washtenaw Community College.

“I was recruited by two other colleges, but I went to Washtenaw,” Gregory Reed said. “They have a chance to be one of the leading institutions in America.”

Reed is one of two new faculty members with a law degree, and one of 16 with a doctorate. He teaches entertainment law every Tuesday from 7-8:55 p.m. While Reed may be new to WCC, teaching is very familiar.

“It’s been a good 20-some years,” Reed said. “I love teaching. I’ve been having a ball.”

Reed isn’t the only one happy to make these new connections. John Lawrence, director of the music performance program at WCC and full-time instructor of music, is certifiably ecstatic.

“Have you ever seen his résumé or his bio?” Lawrence asked. “I’ve done a lot in my life, but… woo! Compared to him, I’m just scratching the surface!”

Lawrence isn’t exaggerating, at least not in his praise. In addition to his 14 books, Reed helped draft Detroit’s Entertainment Commission, produced and/or represented Broadway plays and cast members in such productions as “The Wiz” and “Ain’t Misbehavin’” and was listed in the Who’s Who books of entertainment, black Americans, American lawyers and finance. Reed’s biography is an article in itself.

So how does he stay so active?

“I don’t need much sleep. I used to do better. Four or five hours was good. Now I need six and a half. If I get eight, I get restless,” Reed explained.

It may be that restlessness that brought Reed to the college in the first place. Reed still practices law in downtown Detroit. Even with his busy schedule, it was Reed who sought out the position.

“I had kind of given up on trying to find somebody out in Detroit because of (distance). But then, Gregory Reed gave me a call,” Lawrence said. “I want it to get out (that he’s at WCC), because I know it’s going to be a big plus for our school to have him there.”

Both Lawrence and Reed have big plans for WCC and Reed’s involvement. The men talk about adding classes to Reed’s repertoire including courses in humanities, history and management. Most, however, would fall under performance art, like his entertainment law class.

“This is specifically for artists, entertainers and people in the performing arts so they can get away from that mentality of being ‘starving artists,’” Lawrence said. “I hate that term.”

Reed apparently isn’t fond of it, either.

“I believe in people being prepared to deal with the reality of life,” he said. “Right now, they’re having a quiz on how to prepare copyrights for books. I’m taking theory and turning it into practicality. I said I would prepare them before they’re even entered into the job market after they take my one course. They would be able to be paralegals or work in the field with intellectual property and understand copyrights when they get through my course.”

Even though entertainment law is geared toward performers, many students outside the department are joining the class. Reed welcomes this. Besides, as a man with an engineering degree, one in management science and a master’s and doctorate in law, Reed can understand the appeal different disciplines offer.

“I integrate the disciplines. See, with my background, I could structure different programs that could assist a school because the intellectual property and other legal aspects can cut across all disciplines,” Reed said. “Some of the students taking my courses aren’t interested in music. They’re interested in management. I can tie all that in.”

Reed shows his students a lot of the same tactics he uses to protect his clients, including the late Rosa Parks.

“I’m preparing the students to go into the industry and even showing them how to make their own industry in this one course,” he said. “They’re getting beyond just music so they feel very energized.”

While Reed’s Tuesday night class is capped at 30 students, Lawrence foresees the class growing due to Reed’s popularity.

“I can see this class going into things where we have to teach it in Towsley Auditorium in order to accommodate all the people that are interested in it,” Lawrence said. “Once people hear about him and realize what we have, we’re going to have to offer more sections or open up the class to like, 100.”

Reed hopes to use his influence to help WCC grow.

“They have a chance to be one of the leading institutions in music in America,” Reed said. “People from all over the states, even the lawyers and people in the industry would want to come to Washtenaw when I get through.”

If you’re asking yourself, “Why WCC?” you’re not alone.

“One of my questions to him was, ‘Why do you want to come and teach at little ‘ole Washtenaw Community College?’” Lawrence said with a laugh. “He said that he sees it as an opportunity to make the college grow. He thinks he can make a difference here, and I believe he can too.”

Lawrence has the same belief now that Rosa Parks held in 1990 when she first walked into Reed’s Detroit office.

“She walked in here and said, ‘I want Gregory Reed to be my attorney.’ She didn’t know that I had been harboring that for three years. I said, ‘Sure!’” Reed said.

At some point during their first few months working together, Reed presented Parks with a checklist. It was a summary of all the different things Reed would help her do, including earn the Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

“She didn’t come here for that. She looked at the list and said, ‘No one has ever done this for me!’ She was overwhelmed,” Reed said. “I said we’re going to do books, figurines, a film on you – documentary and a congressional medal. I put down 27 items and we accomplished 24 of them.”

One of the books Reed created with Parks led him to work with Nelson Mandela. The book, “Dear Mrs. Parks: A Dialogue with Today’s Youth,” is a compilation of letters Mrs. Parks received over the years and her subsequent responses. Mandela saw the project and was interested in doing something similar.

The result was an art exhibit that collaborated Parks’ and Mandela’s letters. When the exhibit premiered in South Africa, Reed was there.

“I was the only person from America to be his escort,” Reed said. “When you’re in that situation, and you’ve never been in that situation, you’ve got to rise up and be all that you can be.

“As I was waiting, I was breathing. I had to breathe!” Reed said with a laugh. “I had to calm myself. I had to say, ‘Gregory, this is your day.’ And I had to meet this giant. I said, ‘Your life has prepared you for this.’”

Reed came to the event with three books: one for Mandela and Graça Machel’s wedding anniversary, one for Mandela’s birthday and one for Mandela to sign. All three events happened on the same day.

“That book has his signature and Rosa Parks’ signature. It’s the only one to have the signature of both of them,” Reed said. “I was the only hand he shook that day and the only one he gave an autograph to that day. My life — I can’t believe it.”

Students might not know about the experiences Reed has had or the influence he brings. Those who do aren’t wasting any time in soaking up what he has to offer.

“I’m planning on taking his class! I’ll be right there,” exclaimed Lawrence. “You don’t get that type of instruction every day.”

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