Democracy Matters

If you have happened to catch a Golden State Warriors basketball game in the last few years, then you have seen 6'10" Adonal Foyle in action. Adonal plays center for the Oakland, California-based NBA team, and has been with the Warriors since the 1997 draft. The average fan may think of him as any other player, but then the average fan would be wrong.

On top of playing basketball and pursuing a Masters Degree from John F. Kennedy University in Moraga, California, Adonal is the founder of Democracy Matters, an organization advocating for campaign finance reform. Yes, that's right, campaign finance reform! He is dedicated to working with high school and college-aged youth on campuses across the country to change the political environment in the United States.

After leaving the islands where he was born and raised, Adonal attended high school in the US and college at Colgate University. He is an avid reader and poet, and has gotten numerous awards for his community service. On top of juggling all that, he made time recently to answer some of my burning questions.

WireTap: What was it like growing up in the islands? Were you conscious of politics in St. Vincent and the Grenadines?

Adonal Foyle: I grew up on a tiny island, Canouan, which is one of the small islands that are part of the country of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. On Canouan there were less than 1,000 people, no electricity, and my tiny house had no in-door toilet and a kitchen outside. I was raised by my grandmother and great-aunt who "gardened" -- growing peanuts and other ground crops. I grew up working in the garden and doing many other chores all day when I was not in school.

Everyone is aware of politics in St. Vincent because the country is so small. Also, people on Canouan and the other small Grenadine islands think that they get ignored and shortchanged by the main island where most of the politicians are from, so we are very aware of what is going on.

WT: When you were a child what did you think you would be doing when you grew up? What was your dream?

AF: When I was a child I dreamed of becoming a judge but I knew that I would end up like everyone else on Canouan -- fishing, gardening, or working for the government in a road crew doing maintenance work.

WT: Why did you decide to come to the US for high school?

AF: Two American professors came to my island to do research and I met them. They asked if I would like to get an education in the US and I immediately said yes though I did not know them at all. Everyone I knew dreamed of coming to America and getting a chance to get ahead because there was little chance if you stayed in the Grenadines.

WT: When you left high school you decided to go to Colgate University and studied history. Why did you decide to go to a small school, as opposed to a school with a large focus on basketball? Do regret that decision?

AF: I decided to go to Colgate for one main reason: I really wanted to be sure I could get the most out of my college education. I loved small classes where you could have discussions and really get to know the faculty. Colgate is a school that is highly ranked on the academic side but still plays division one sports so I thought I could have the best of both worlds that I loved: basketball and education. I was worried that at a school that was a basketball power I would be forced to neglect my studies. I have absolutely no regrets!

WT: How did you get interested in politics?

AF: I have always been interested in politics -- but when I came to the US at age 16 I of course wanted to understand this new country, and understanding politics is an important part of that. In addition, my American parents -- the Colgate professors who brought me to the United States -- were very politically involved. Both Joan and Jay Mandle were part of the Civil Rights Movement and the struggle to end the War in Vietnam. Joan was director of Women's Studies at Colgate, and Jay has written many books on globalization and poverty. So our dinner table was always an education in itself -- mostly about politics and social change.