Meet Dr. Terrance Ruth | NC State Assistant Professor | Creator of the Podcast Illogical by TRUTH

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

Hi Dr. Terrance, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
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.

In doing justice, I seek to do what is right and what is right for the collective. My personal ambition and success should never overshadow my desire to do what is right and that gives me hope. That hope rest on the fact that my ancestors, those before me, were passionate about justice and there will be others after me.

In loving mercy, I must show an infatuation for forgiveness. This is a powerful term. Actually, if we love mercy then we can uphold democracy. We can compromise and critically think by understanding 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.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I believe in seeking full alignment between what I believe, how I live, and how I present as a leader. So, my eventual outcomes as a leader should point back to three personal values: justice, mercy, and humility. “Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly”! At the core of my actions, my decisions, and my leadership philosophy I would like to seek alignment. I think this alignment shows up in my new podcast, Illogical by TRUTH.

In this project, I highlighted Ella Baker and her view on leadership. Ella famously shared that “strong people do not need strong leaders”. I would love to live that philosophy out right now. So, my podcast Illogical by TRUTH, seeks to empower, ignite an awareness of power invested in the local individual voter to shape and form democracy in their city or town. In each episode, we explore opportunities to exercise power and we decode the concepts and structures that seems confusing to the everyday person.

I think when there are more strong people then we can have a strong democracy and accountability for leaders in office. I think this is healthy leadership and I think that it is necessary for leadership, in any industry.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
In Raleigh, there are so many wonderful places to visit so this question is difficult. However, I would first meet at Jubala Coffee across from the belltower near NC State University. We will get a mocha from one of my favorite baristas, Jessie. Then I will walk the campus of NC State and show off the amazing libraries and thinkers. Then we will go downtown for cake and coffee at Union Special and have a deep conversation with the owner, Andrew.

Then we will head for lunch to the “door of the city”, A Place at the Table. This cafe is in the heart of the city, and it is the largest “Pay What You Can” cafe in the US. More importantly, this is the only place in the city where you can find a CEO eating with an individual experiencing homelessness. It is clearly at a place where all are welcome.

For fun, we will visit Johnny’s Black Friday Market and then we will take a tour with Carmen Cauthman. She is the author if Raleigh’s Historic African American Neighborhoods. She was born and raised to socially active parents and she has preserved the story of Black Raleigh.

For dinner, we will visit one of my favorites, Chef Ruiz, at ORO. Then we will get dessert and drinks at Ajja with Chef Cheetie Kumar.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have the opportunity of receiving mentorship from a broad group of people. My leadership support is made up of a coalition of great human beings. Early on, I was gifted with guidance from Dr. Momon, who is the President of Oglethorpe University. Her guidance helped me understand the connection between theory and practice in social impact work. I have benefited from Carmen Cauthman’s rich stories and history of Raleigh. She has helped me understand the names and voices of those who created Raleigh and are largely unknown. James White helped me understand the layers of humanity that we must consider in providing leadership in a social context. Allen Mask, Kiara, Miles, and others helped me understand the necessity for centering the human condition and casting a vision for what we CAN BE!

Website: https://truthforraleigh.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drterranceruth/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerranceRuth

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