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thousands, maybe millions, of workers and executives out there paralyzed with fear, afraid their secrets—large or small—will be exposed or their careers will be ruined. It means we live in a society dominated by cheaters.
    My career started on the inside of the body politic working as a public servant. Now, I’m on the outside but still working for the public—with public TV and radio programs. In college, I learned to regard the public’s trust and its money seriously. In media, it’s the same; nothing is more valuable or sacred than the public trust. Whether I’m on TV or radio, delivering a speech, or conducting an interview—integrity is as important to me now as it was when Mayor Allison taught me that tough-love lesson in integrity years ago. From that day forward, I vowed never to disregard, misuse, or violate the public’s trust.
    Likewise, wherever you work, whatever you do, remember: Integrity and trust are so terribly important—not only for your company, but for you, your family, and our society as well.
    Accept Responsibility,
Make Amends, and Recover
    Because of one stupid, desperate act, everything had exploded in the young college student’s world. Keisha didn’t know if she’d be heading back to school to start her junior year or not. Her mother and father were going through a bitter divorce. The thought of depleting more of her mother’s scarce resources troubled her deeply. She had secured a summer job at a clothing store but hadn’t earned nearly enough to survive another semester.
    One day, when no one was looking, she stole a few hundred dollars from the store’s cash register. As it turns out, someone was looking. The police were called. The honors student who had never committed a crime in her life was arrested. Although her mother made sure the store was reimbursed, she feared charges would be filed against her daughter.
    Keisha’s mother was an acquaintance of mine. She had read my memoir and recalled my experience with Mayor Allison.
    â€œYou were a college student around the same age when you almost lost your way,” she said. The failure had taken a heavy toll on both mother and child. “Will you please talk to her, Tavis?”
    When Keisha and I met, I saw a female version of my younger self. Her shame was palpable. At first, she had trouble even looking me in the eyes. She didn’t need me to chastise her. Everybody in her circle had already done that.
    She needed clear-eyed support, direction, and affirmation as well.
    I sat with Keisha and explained that I’d heard lots of good things about her academic achievement and potential. Then I shared my failure and what I had to do to truly learn my lesson. I explained why saying I’m sorry isn’t enough. What I had learned from the mayor was that my betrayal of trust not only required an apology; it also required making amends. Sorry is a convenient word, but making amends means admitting that you were wrong and making a change. There was a price to pay for failing to maintain her integrity, I said, but hopefully she had learned that a failure or falling down is irreversible only when we fail to take responsibility for our actions and correct our behavior.
    Let’s compare the stories of New York Congressman Charles Rangel, former House Majority leader Tom DeLay, and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick. The 11 counts the House Ethics Committee issued against Rangel in 2010 charging him with violating its rules were pretty damning. Rangel protested, saying that his actions didn’t rise to the level of House censure, which is the strongest punishment short of outright expulsion. Considering some of the personal misdeeds of Members of Congress within the past 20 years, Rep. Rangel makes a valid point. Although his lawyers insisted that he had not intentionally violated any laws and had not misused his office for personal financial gain, the