We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Terrance Ruth and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Terrance, any advice for those thinking about whether to keep going or to give up?
I live by an old wise saying, “Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly”! At the core of my actions, my decisions, and my leadership philosophy I try to uphold these three principles: justice, mercy, and humility. My hope, my desire to continue, rest on a much deeper purpose than wealth accumulation or popularity. That hope rest on the fact that my ancestors, those before me, were passionate about justice and there will be others after me that are compassionate about justice. Also, mercy is a powerful term. Actually, if we love mercy then we can uphold democracy. We can compromise and critically think even in an effort to understand opposing views. This ability to forgive gives me hope to continue. Finally, I think we can all use humility. We can all NOT take ourselves too seriously. We can all see ourselves as equal to everyone else. This gives me the desire to keep going….

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I am proud of the success that my podcast, Illogical by TRUTH, is receiving. I wanted to share ways in which people can influence their local communities. I felt that most local policy fells illogical and difficult to understand. So, I bring guests onto my show who can help listeners better understand opportunities embedded in our local democracies. Often times these opportunities are covered in mystery and my podcast, Illogical by TRUTH, seeks to make these moments of empowerment more visible. In our episodes we cover everything from: local contracting, the difference between a developer and architect, and the history of the civil rights that were local victories that changed America.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would start out with breakfast at Jubala on Hillsborough street, cross from the bell tower. We will visit my favorite barista, Jessie. Then we will walk through the beautiful NCSU campus. For lunch, we will visit the amazing A Place at the Table, a pay what you can cafe. We will meet Maggie Kane and her amazing team. My guest will be able to see CEO’s sitting with people who do not have a home. I call, A Place at the Table, the door to the city. Then we will take a historical tour with Carmen Cauthman and get a copy of her book, “Historic Black Neighborhoods of Raleigh”. For dinner we will visit one of my favorites, Chef Ruiz, at ORO. For desert, we will go visit Ajja and Chef Cheetie.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to dedicate my shout out to Ella Baker. Her leadership philosophy is the soil in which I launched my podcast, Illogical by TRUTH. Ella, is an alumni of Shaw University, and famously stated that “strong people do not need strong leadership”. She had a view of decentralized and shared empowerment of all people. There are a few leaders today that embody that leadership philosophy: Pastor Nancy Petty, James White, Dr. Harshaw, Dr. Karen Bullock, and Allen Mask. My shout out is for those who offer an Ella Baker infused leadership model for the world today. Ella’s leadership philosophy inspired me to start my Illogical by TRUTH podcast. I encourage everyone to listen.

Website: Truthforraleigh.com

Instagram: @drterranceruth

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/2ruth/

Twitter: @terrancruth

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/terranceruth/

Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/illogical-by-truth/id1689690346

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