Read this!

Black people in America must immediately disengage from the diversions of mind-deadening entertainment, useless sports, hyper-sexuality, excessive social celebrations, pointless conversations and debates, meaningless media and the civil rights issue de jour approach to managing our problems. We must focus on the most important issue in our communities — making education the highest priority. We must create a culture of literacy and learning that replaces intellectual apathy and resistance to educational progress. Somehow, we must re-inspire our children to want to learn and to love to learn. But having educated children is not enough. We must have educated families and educated communities. Every Black man, woman and child must become part of this new community of learners.

He goes on to say…..

The ability of a people to survive in changing times is not magic, nor is it by chance. Success depends on people being able to change to survive in a new environment! And new environments demand new skills for survival. Equipped for the Future tells us that without certain basic skills, survival will be extremely difficult for Black people, or any people, in the 21st century. These essential skills are the ability to read with understanding; convey ideas in writing; speak so that others can understand; observe critically; listen actively; solve problems and make decisions appropriately; plan and put those plans into action effectively; use math to solve problems and to communicate; cooperate with others; guide others; advocate and influence; resolve conflict and negotiate; take responsibility for life-long learning; learn through research; reflect and evaluate; and use information and communication technology. These are the skills necessary to survive in the 21st century.

Phillip Jackson, Executive Director

The Black Star Project

People it is time to make a change, time to take our community back.  Are you ready?

Be self motivated…

People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents.

                                      -Andrew Carnegie

We need to be change agents.

Change agents?  Oh my, you mean I have to give of my own time to help better the community in which I live.  You mean to tell me I can not just sit on the side lines of the world and banter along as a spectator? The answer is no.

We have to give up our soft chairs of comfortability and begin to mentor young people, educate the un-educated, become fathers to the fatherless, mothers to the motherless, etc.  We can not sit by and continue to watch the demise of our communities only to run to the suburbs of saftey and then talk about how bad “those communities” are becoming.

So what do we do?  What can we impact when we have our own families to care for, provide for.  I mean it is survival of the fitist at this point, isn’t it? 

Well that is a fine point to bring up, but what happens if we continue to forge into the future with that attitude.  An attitude that is all about self, an attitude that secludes the rich from the poor, creating an even bigger chasm between the have’s and have not’s.  I believe going in the same direction that we are headed, will bring upon even more dire times.

Let us begin to change our minds back to the old way of doing things.  Sometimes I think some traditions should be continued.  The tradition I am refering to is the working together as a community.  Buying in our own neighborhoods.  Teaching our own children.  We need to stop depending on the world around us to speak into our lives with out our say so.  So let us begin the change, let each one of us make it a point to mentor another, let each one of make it a point to become a change agent.