So much to ponder on the eve of a new beginning.
Bronzevillian spirits must come together in prayer to change our lifestyles across America...
to begin to refocus on education and re-committing ourselves to taking responsibility for ourselves, our families and our communities.
We must cease the celebration and comittment
to being Bu-shetto
celebrating ignorant, penitentary-bound and dangerous lifestyles,
be they in fashion, music, movies, bad language or thuggish behaviors
and calling it our culture !
It spits on the graves of our ancestors!
It is time to honor our ancestors who fought and died for our ability to vote or be educated,
to be able to read!
Those acts need to be celebrated with a recommitment to excellence, achievement, mastery of our skills coupled with a willingness to be a part of the nation and the world's future innovations in science, economics, health, medicine and the arts.
Barack and Michelle Obama have reset the bar of educational achievement not in a elitist way but with the understanding of the struggles of everyday folk as well.
"Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today." - Malcolm X
We must learn new languages, learn to travel and begin to become educated about other nations around the globe. For as we look at travels of Obama as he set on a country-wide and world wide campaign tour, he has changed perceptions and broken stereotypes wherever he went.
And the world has been loving it and him!
His work speaks volumes and we must in our communities, rise to this historic occasion to began to respect ourselves as citizens.
In our communities, homes and families, we have work to do.
"Up, you mighty race, accomplish what you will." - Marcus Garvey
We must consider that as we have enjoyed the benefits of this nation, what we can do as citizens to contribute to making it a greater one.
"Ask not what the country can do for you but what you can do for your country" - JFK.
We can focus on leaving our own racism and remnants of self-hatred in the past....
We can commit to making ourselves stop having a community that anguishes at the funerals of our children while ignoring the parts we play in their deaths.
When we don't act as citizens to band with police to root out the drug dealers and criminal element that we know exists, what more can we expect?
When we don't monitor our children or their lifestyles and begin to live as an example ourselves, why are we surprised when we hear our children curse, call each other the n... word and basically act as mirrors to the abberrant behaviors that we live and practice.
As we move to gentrify (which means to improve and rennovate) and rehab our homes and our communities, we must gentrify our inner selves as well.
Yes, children do as we do, not as we say.....
so it's time for that hard look at that man and woman in the mirror.
As the world focuses its attention upon Obama and his potential leadership of America,
the focus will expand to our communities as well.
And as the world turns its attention upon us... what will they find?
We can shape that answer.
Be the Change.
Aki Antonia 10-08
