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<\/a>Both Carter and Denzel share much in common: their commitment to faith, their background in Fordham and their careers in communications. (COURTESY OF ANTHONY CARTER\/MY CENTRAL JERSEY)<\/p>\nUniversity President Tania Tetlow moderated the event, taking the two men back to where their friendship began: Fordham. Both Carter and Washington arrived at the university as first-years in 1972, where they first crossed paths in a biology lab.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSo Doc, you both came here to Fordham as freshmen in 1972. How did you meet?\u201d Tetlow asked.<\/p>\n
Carter said he could not think of the exact moment when he and Washington first met, but recalled that they quickly connected as they both initially planned to pursue medicine. Carter gained the nickname Doc after trying and failing to dissect a fruit fly in a biology lab. Their paths eventually diverged.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoc stayed with me, but the MD degree was never achieved,\u201d Carter said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMy first show was a musical. I found out I couldn\u2019t sing.\u201d Denzel Washington, FCLC \u201977 <\/p>\n
Washington spent two years at Fordham\u2019s Rose Hill (FRH) campus in the Bronx before transferring to the Fordham Lincoln Center (FLC) campus in 1975. He ultimately transferred into the theater program at FLC after discovering his interest in acting while working at a YMCA camp. Following a performance for campers, one of his fellow counselors encouraged him to consider becoming an actor.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMy first show was a musical. I found out I couldn\u2019t sing,\u201d Washington said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He later played Othello as a senior at Fordham in March of 1977.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Washington recalled that an English professor at Fordham, Robinson Stone, also played an important role in encouraging him to pursue theater. Stone had previously worked professionally in theater and, according to Washington, once performed in \u201cOthello.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201c(Stone) believed in what he saw of me when I was here,\u201d Washington said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At the start of his career, Carter worked as Press Secretary for former New York City Mayor David Dinkins.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As for Carter, after moving away from science, he pursued journalism, hosting a show on WFUV (Fordham\u2019s public media station) and writing for both The Fordham Ram and The Paper. At the start of his career, Carter worked as Press Secretary for former New York City Mayor David Dinkins.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The pair said their shared work in communications gave them another way to support one another.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s when we started to explore this whole arena of communications, but most importantly, how we could impact people,\u201d Washington said. \u201cDuring that time we were supporting each other, and I think it erased away this concept of failure.\u201d<\/p>\n
As their friendship grew, Carter became more connected to Washington\u2019s family.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI got to meet his mom, I got to meet his brother, his sister, his family, (and Washington) got to meet some of mine, and then it felt like family,\u201d Carter said. \u201cWe looked out for each other.\u201d<\/p>\n
As both men built their own families, their friendship extended to the next generation. Carter became the godfather to Washington\u2019s son, while Washington is godfather to Carter\u2019s daughter. Carter drew on these experiences while writing his book.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI lived it more than I read it, you know. I know Anthony Carter.\u201d Denzel Washington, FCLC \u201977 <\/p>\n
Carter retired from corporate America in 2015 after 13 years as Vice President of Global Diversity & Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer for Johnson & Johnson. He initially envisioned writing a book centered around the corporate world. The project became more personal over time. The book centers around the life lessons Carter has learned and his dedication to his faith, family and relationships.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tetlow then turned the conversation to Washington\u2019s role in the book, asking how he connected with Carter\u2019s story enough to write the introduction.<\/p>\n
\u201cI lived it more than I read it, you know. I know Anthony Carter,\u201d Washington said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Carter said writing about his life required him to examine experiences he had not previously discussed publicly. The process was difficult but ultimately meaningful, particularly because of his family\u2019s support.<\/p>\n
He credited his editors, notably Gary Jansen of Loyola Press, for encouraging him to explore those personal experiences rather than limiting the book to just his professional career.<\/p>\n Tetlow pointed to one of Carter\u2019s central questions in the book: \u201cWhat do you do for others that gives you a purpose-driven life?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Washington\u2019s answer turned the question back on itself.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWhat you do for others gives you purpose in life,\u201d Washington said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Carter echoed this sentiment.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI learned to live a life of purpose but not knowing always what the purpose was,\u201d Carter said.<\/p>\n Tetlow brought up Carter\u2019s previous work as Chief Diversity Officer for a Fortune 500 company. She asked how he was able to remain hopeful while working on issues involving diversity, equity and inclusion.\u00a0<\/p>\n Carter responded by saying he focused on his commitment to work and to improving outcomes for others, such as health care disparities.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIf we\u2019re going to solve problems, we all need to hold hands and do that,\u201d Carter said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Carter also described the role prayer played in his writing. He prayed before beginning to work on his novel each day, asking for guidance and patience. Carter described his Catholic faith as the foundation for finding his purpose and emphasized the importance of using one\u2019s life to serve and uplift all.<\/p>\n \u201cFaith for me is not certainty,\u201d Carter said. \u201cFaith is the ability to choose God in the middle of uncertainty.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Washington, a Pentecostal Christian, spoke similarly of his experiences with faith as not a single defining moment, but as something that constantly shapes one\u2019s life. He emphasized that discovering one\u2019s purpose is an ongoing process: \u201cFinding yourself is not a moment.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Washington\u2019s ties to Fordham have been shaped by his longstanding involvement with and support for the university\u2019s theater program.<\/p>\n Two years ago, over 90 students from the Fordham Theater Program had the opportunity to attend a special performance<\/a> of \u201cOthello,\u201d followed by a talk with Washington, co-stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Kimber Elayne Sprawl, and stage manager Narda E. Alcorn.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/a>Washington is an actor and producer known for his roles in \u201cMalcom X\u201d and \u201cThe Equalizer\u201d series.<\/p>\n