Some Do Care ─ Contemporary Lives of Moral Commitment

Although many people believe that this is a barren time for moral leadership in this country, in Some Do Care Anne Colby and William Damon show that moral heroes do exist today. Drawing on in-depth interviews, they offer a revealing look into the lives of twenty-three Americans who have provided exemplary moral leadership in communities across the United States. These are people who have worked for the poor, fought battles for civil rights, worked for peace and protection of the environment, and generally have dedicated their lives to the service of others. Some are highly educated; others have had no more than a grade school education. Some are wealthy and influential, while others live near the poverty line. All have made a marked difference on their own communities and on America society. Some Do Care traces the lives and goals of these dedicated people from their first moral awakening in childhood to the wisdom and enduring moral commitment of their later years. The authors explore how these people acquire their moral goals, how their goals change and grow over the years, and how they sustain their faith and certainty in the face of grave risk and formidable sacrifice for themselves and their families. Drawing on these lives, the authors offer new insights about the role of faith and the importance of role models, particularly during the exemplar's formative years, as well as the meaning of moral courage and how it may be acquired. Five of the book's chapters present in-depth profiles of each of five moral exemplars living across the United States. The stories of their lives present a moral vision of America in inspiring color and detail. In conjunction with the profile chapters, integrative theme chapters present findings from interviews of other living moral exemplars and new theoretical insights about moral commitment in every day life.

William Damon is professor of education and chairman of the Department of Education at Brown University.