John Telford

- John Telford... retired (and once-fired) school superintendent, recent (and twice-fired) DPS executive director (couldn't keep quiet about the corruption), Hall-of-Fame sprinter, Distinguished alumnus of the Year, 2001 (for civil-rights activism) columnist, the bi-weekly Telford's Telescope column in the Chronicle, Author, A Life on the RUN - Seeking and Safeguarding Social Justice (book endorsed by Huel Perkins, Geoffrey Fieger, Dennis Archer, NFL star Glenn Doughty and NBA star Spencer Haywood (both of whom I coached in track at Pershing), and other heavy hitters. John says...No, the streets definitely don't love you back. I came up on 16th and McGraw, was in the youth home by the time I was 14, was expelled from Northwestern High at fifteen, and got sent to live with my father on the east side and graduated from Denby with an athletic scholarship to WSU that transformed my life. I ended up beating Olympic champions on the U.S. Team in Europe and coaching state champs. I taught and administrated in the inner cithy and worked with gangs out of a police ministation on Chene. A Life on the Run, is a memoir by author, activist educator and former All-American sprinter Dr. John Telford, he recounts his battles against bigots, his sometimes scandalous love affairs, and his fights for racial equality.