Q: As you reflect on your father’s life, what are the key elements that you believe guided his resistance to the societal structures within which he lived at the time? 

A: You must remember that being born in 1913, he grew up in the Jim Crow south, where public lynching of Black men was a common occurrence. Resistance could have easily brought about his death, as it did for Martin Luther King, Jr., and scores of others. 

Consensus and coalition, therefore, informed his advocacy. He sought a “win-win” solution for all sides in conflict. Of course, sometimes war must inevitably be waged. But for my father, that was the last and least attractive option. 

By way of example, he fought aggressively for the ordination of women to priesthood in the Episcopal Church, at a time when he still faced persistent racial discrimination in the churches over which he governed as bishop. As adopted in the 1979 Episcopal General Convention in Minneapolis and made canonical law, the ordination of women to the priesthood was an extraordinary accomplishment for him and fellow advocates. But to execute the new policy and actually ordain women in his role as suffragan (or assistant) bishop in his diocese, he created something later referred to as the Chicago Plan, which allowed his superior, the Bishop of Chicago – who was philosophically opposed to the policy as were many major donors – to, in essence, “wash his hands” of the matter thus allowing diocesan ordinations to proceed. Bishop Montgomery ultimately became a true believer in ordaining women to the priesthood, but my father’s solution allowed the bishop the time he needed to heal the diocese and its major contributors. The Chicago Plan was later emulated in many conservative dioceses throughout the Church. 

In a much less celebrated act of resistance, Quintin used to love wearing his multicolored stole, which is the long, narrow sash that a bishop, priest, or deacon wears around their neck to celebrate mass. He received the stole in appreciation from the gay (now LGTBQ+) community for his unwavering support. It was a symbolic gesture on his part but made him loved by this community. He would not hesitate to tell congregants across the diocese where it came from, often causing raised eyebrows and general disapproval! 

Q: What measures today, as it pertains to Black Americans’ resistance to cultural inequities and inequalities, do you think your father would point to as the most powerful change agent to improve the lives of Black Americans?  

A: My father would constantly say to me, “God bless the child that has his own.” This line is from the famous 1940s Billie Holiday song of the same name. The song and the expression were a way of saying, don’t rely on anyone else, work hard and get it yourself. Create your own businesses, hire your own people, and control your own books and records. Quintin was a firm believer in entrepreneurship as a vehicle to change our social condition. Martin Luther King and Louis Farrakhan embraced the same thinking. 

Education was equally on the top of his list for social change. He encouraged his children, and all Black children in which he came into contact, to get the best education they could. If he were alive today, I believe my father would say resistance means studying harder, working harder, being an example for your family and community.  

But he would be the first to say that as a people this doesn’t mean we should not demonstrate and march and legislate for equal access. For example, one of the most important activities of NAACP is litigation. NAACP is the most impactful civil rights organization in the United States. It was the Brown vs. Board of Education decision in 1954 by the U.S. Supreme Court – argued by the NAACP’s Thurgood Marshall, later a Supreme Court justice – that gave Black Americans equal access to education as opposed to the separate but (un)equal doctrine that preceded it. This is resistance, but it is resistance by working diligently and tediously within the system to change it. 

Voting is resistance. I believe this is our most powerful form of resistance, bar none. Collective voting allows us to elect politicians that represent OUR interests, both Black and Brown. In American cities (and states) where African American and Hispanic voters unite, voting with common issues and beliefs, our voices are unassailably heard and respected. 

Q: How have you personally emulated your father’s work regarding resistance?  

Within the commercial real estate industry where I am an entrepreneur, I am a constant advocate of diversity, equity, and inclusion. My advocacy and resistance to the status quo have sparked debate and harsh criticism, but it has not deterred me or my firm in any way. A senior executive at one of the largest tech companies in the world recently took me aside and said, “We are very sensitive about race matters here at _________, could you please not constantly bring it up?” I told him that I would be more sensitive to him and his associates going forward (disagreement, but with respect), but by no means would I stop pointing out areas of concern relating to social and economic participation by minorities. 

Throughout my life and career, I have endeavored to be an example of hard work, integrity, honesty, and faith. While I am far from perfect, and in an imperfect world, these are areas in which I demonstrate societal resistance – and follow in my father’s (and mother’s) kind and gentle footsteps. 

Quintin E. Primo III is Chairman and CEO of Capri Investment Group. He is also co-Chair of Primo Center’s Board of Directors. Read more about Quintin.