No. 1 - To believe, or not to beleive

Black Americans are nearing the final stages in the fight for recognition at every level. Our communities are quickly fading to become distant memories. Our youth are living beyond the edge in their attempt to find themselves. The family unit is fragmented and disjointed so badly that everyone now believes it’s okay to live selfishly, to trust no one, and to “get theirs”. The few role models our young children have had come in the form of a gyrating body on TV or news of the latest gangster to make it to prison or get shot.

I asked myself where all this came from. I spoke to our future – our youth – about my concerns. I think we could all learn a lot if we only stopped preaching and listened long enough to genuinely hear what they have to say. You would be “sadly” surprised to hear of the profound hurt our youth live with, or of the tremendous fear they must cope with to simply move around in their neighborhoods, or the pain and distrust they routinely have to manage because of some sexual abuse they endured.

I sat, I listened, I learned. The simple truth of the matter is we adults have failed our youth in ways that will only be overcome when we re-engage them and make them part of our lives. We are parents because we have been blessed with the presence of our children and it is our duty to guide them to becoming responsible adults. We are responsible for helping our children understand what it means to be a community and how interdependent we are on one another. We should teach our youth the only way to build a sustainable future for all of us, is to support each and every one of us.

I’ve heard all the many reasons why Black folk are suffering, from being held down by others, to the legacy of slavery, to no one caring. I challenge that line of thinking because it serves no purpose other than to perpetuate the myth that we are less than capable of overcoming our past, and unable realize a greater future. I believe we are fully capable of achieving great things and that we have everything we need to restore our place in society.

The solutions to our problems will not come from any other ethnicity because they have their own issues/goals to deal with. It will only come from us. It is about us making the choice to act responsibly towards our community in ways that build it up and sustain it. It’s about recognizing the true financial power Black America has and fearlessly coming together for the benefit of Black America. It’s about feeling a true sense of pride and fellowship within and about our community.

It may sound like a lofty idea but the truth of the matter is unless we decide it’s time to regard ourselves as such – and begin acting as such – no one else will do so for us… and our fate will be sealed according to the dictates of others.

So what does it mean to believe or not to believe? In a word… everything.

Truth is, what we believe dictates what we do and how we do it. Truth is, what we believe allows us to dream bigger while acknowledging the value of working together, knowing full well our history demonstrates we can. Truth is, we need to believe in one another.