Reagan’s First Presidential Moment Came in 1931

A note to young leaders.

We’re all created with a neck. We’re meant to stick it out occasionally.

Sticking your neck out for what you believe in builds self-confidence and self-esteem.

In 1931, a 20-year-old Ronald Reagan travelled with his Eureka College football teammates for an away game near his hometown of Dixon, Illinois.

When the team arrived, the hotel refused to admit their two Black players – William “Burgie” Burghardt and Jim Rattan – solely because of their race.

To shield his teammates from humiliation, Reagan pulled his coach aside and said: “Tell the team the hotel is overbooked by three rooms. I’ll take Burgie and Jim home with me for the night.”

That night, the two young men shared a warm meal and a roof with Reagan’s family, before rejoining their teammates the next day.

In 1931 Illinois, such a gesture of inclusion was virtually unheard of. Segregation and prejudice were the norm.

Reagan had stuck his neck out to do what he believed was right. He did that repeatedly for decades before he eventually had the confidence to run for President.