I watched a show on B.ET last night.., can you believe that? LOL
It was a top ten countdown of moments that have negatively affected Black History. It included things like Hurricane Katrina, gangs, drugs, the deaths of Malcolm and Martin, AIDS and then at the top was slavery.
It was very interesting to watch (especially with crazy Paul M.o.o.ney hosting-love him!). However, as I watched I became angry. Black people, I can’t lie. We have been through a lot. It is disheartening when you look at the history that we have come through and the state we are currently in. There is absolutely no denying the past.
The bad news is…..the 40 acres and a mule are not coming.
The good news is………Do you really need that to start to do better for yourself?
The responsibility for changing us starts with us. In our households. With our families and our children. One at a time.
We have to accept responsibility for our futures. Other races have grasped the understanding that education is the means to move their people forward. They have started to push and challenge their children and are raising some of the brightest kids we have ever seen. You already know that with knowledge comes power and financial freedom. When you don’t know something…..are you challenging yourself to go and find out the answer? It is NOT COOL to be dumb. Period. I can remember asking my mom what a word meant and she would make me go look it up and then come back and use it in a sentence. Challenge yourself to become smarter. More knowledgeable. Read the news daily. Understand what it means to invest your money. Teach yourself about credit, buying property and managing your money. What is holding you back from getting the job you want? What are you doing to rectify that situation? You are your own investment. What are you doing to grow and make yourself more valuable?
In the past twenty years, aids has gone from being a disease of a few to the number one killer of black women today. NUMBER ONE. Our sisters have to demand that power over their bodies. We are not whores and hoochies. We are beautiful black women, the nurturers of our generation and we are making poor choices. We are risking our lives for a fleeting feeling of love. We have to find that love in places other than beneath a man that would risk your life for his personal satisfaction. Start with you. Love yourself. Recognize your worth. If you have kids……Put your kids first. A mother should know that but some of us seem to have forgotten.
Black men…I know you have it hard. The odds are stacked against you. Most of you don’t even have fathers or male role models to pattern yourself after. Please don’t lose faith. We need you. I need you. My sons need you. We need our men to be men. To lead us. We have irrevocably broken down the family unit. We have children raising children. Mothers struggling to do your jobs. Those children are YOUR responsibility. They are our future. When you fail them, you fail us. How many more obstacles are we going to throw in their paths and expect them to navigate without help?
2008 is upon us. A new year. A clean slate. What are your resolutions? Not just for yourself but for all of us? What can you do better? How can you affect change directly?Are you doing all you can do to make yourself and the rest of us better? It starts with a single person. It really does.
Resolution (synonyms) determination, perseverance, tenacity; strength, fortitude.
Happy New Year to all. Thank you for reading and getting to know me as I have gotten to know you. I wish us all change, prosperity, wisdom and strength in the new year. Be safe!
