Paul Adams III walked out onto the stage, fairly wise, and had a sense of respect about him. After being introduced, he talked about “planting trees,” or setting up a good, safe, and secure path for those who come after you. His “We Believe” speech was an inspiration.

He then took his listeners on a trip back in time, to the days of Rosa Parks, Emmitt Till, and the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., all of whom most of us have only read about, but he experienced those times firsthand.

“Dr. King was a sharp man,” Adams said. “I met him before he was famous, at the age of twenty six, and even then, when being around him, you couldn’t help but feel a sense of change.”

Adams was born and raised in Alabama, and received his BA from Alabama State University. He was blacklisted in Alabama, and because of it was unable to obtain a teaching position. He then moved to Chicago, and from there received his master’s degree in psychology from Northeastern Illinois University.  1971 was the year he received the job as a director of guidance from Providence St. Mel School, and a year later, became its principal.

Providence St. Mel is a school in Chicago, Illinois. This is where Adams decided to plant his trees. This is where he decided to make a change.

What started off as a breeding ground for new gang members and drug runners was transformed into a college preparatory school, thanks to the “take no prisoners” model of teaching implemented by Adams.

“There was zero toleration,” Adams said. If we even heard your name come up saying you were involved in gangs, drugs, et cetera, you were gone.”

You would think anybody coming in to change what is considered to be routine would experience backlash from opposition, and like all great leaders, Adams did.

“Yes, I’ve had to standup to gangs, fight for my children who wanted to learn,” said Adams, “to make sure they had a safe environment. The thing about gangs is, if you don’t fight back, they’ll keep coming.”

Adams’ dedication to these students became legendary. He was committed to making sure these kids had the best opportunity to succeed, and nothing was going to stop him. Adams became a leader for these kids, a leader they needed. He even gave his listeners insight to leadership that they will always remember.

“People are always looking for leaders, instead of becoming one,” said Adams. “They turn their heads side to side, expecting the next person to step up, while the next person is expecting them to do the same. I remember back then when I would get arrested, and then come home a few days later and my mother would ask me why I didn’t just let the others do it. I would always say to her, if I didn’t then who would?”

He then went on to tell me that Dr. King was pushed into becoming the man we know him to be, and he took the opportunity to plant his trees for future generations. You can see the motivation he set in Adams, becoming a leader and taking an opportunity when asked to become principal at Providence St. Mel.

Adams wants us to start planting our trees soon.

“People usually ask me, ‘When is the best time to start planting your trees?’ The answer is always the same…today.”

When asked why the environment wasn’t changing despite the success of Providence St. Mel, he responded, “So many years of neglect. The lack of attention and education we give to our children. 506 murders happened in Chicago last year, two to three a day.”

It’s cemented in the ways of the city, and although Adams is doing his best to encourage change, we need more people with his determination, to plant trees of change in the world.