Harvard Law Professor Responds To Devastating Diagnosis With Grace

Charles Ogletree

Harvard Law professor, Charles Ogletree, has made a career writing brilliant works on race and justice, representing high profile clients, like Anita Hill, and teaching high profile students like Barack and Michelle Obama. Now, he is dealing with a major medical issue, one he is determined to face head on.

Last week, at the 50th quadrennial General Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, Professor Ogletree announced he was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Despite the challenges he knows the disease will bring, he is choosing to see this as a blessing. As The Root reports:

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“I’ve made up my mind to be thankful for what I have rather than focus on what I may lose,” Ogletree said at a banquet of over 3,000. “Nothing but the grace of God and faith enables me to respond this way.”

“It was something I had not anticipated and I didn’t know how to respond to it,” he continues. “I never imagined that things like my health would slow me down in such a dramatic way. It was, I must admit, a blessing.”

Professor Ogletree went on to note:

“Studies show that African-Americans are almost twice as likely as whites to develop the disease,” he said. “But, praise God, I made up my mind to be grateful despite the illness.”

According to the Alzheimer’s Assocation, outside of genetic risk, African Americans are at higher risk of Alzheimer’s because of high blood pressure, high blood sugar, cholesterol and body weight, which affect the heart and brain.

Our best wishes to the legendary professor.