SILKTHESHAKUR "When you lose the fear of flying, you will jump off of cliffs." - Mar 24 add/view comments (0)

"The teenagers and college students who left their homes to march in the streets of Birmingham and Montgomery; the mothers who walked instead of taking the bus after a long day of doing somebody else's laundry and cleaning somebody else's kitchen -- they didn't brave fire hoses and Billy clubs so that their grandchildren and their great-grandchildren would still wonder at the beginning of the 21st century whether their vote would be counted; whether their civil rights would be protected by their government; whether justice would be equal and opportunity would be theirs.... We have more work to do."

-- Barack Obama, Speech at Howard University, September 28, 2007

Hello to all. I know that I am a bit behind schedule but spiritually and psychologically I was held back from writing until now. This year's theme is DETERMINATION. 2008 was a whirlwind year for all of us. We saw the negativity of campaign politics. We saw the resurgence of in-your-face racism. We saw the uniting of the masses for one common cause AND we saw the nomination of our first African American President. What a year!!!

Enter 2009 and the journey towards change. Change is synonymous to alter, vary, and modify meaning to make or become different. Change implies making either an essential difference often amounting to a loss of original identity or a substitution of one thing for another. Change calls for sacrifice and most certainly Determination. Here is where I make my point.

Romans 12:2 says "Do not be conformed to this world, but continually be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you may be able to determine what God's will is-what is proper, pleasing, and perfect." The key word here is continually, which again implies a certain level of DETERMINATION and a degree of dedication to make the change.

In 1965 our people made a commitment to change placing their bodies in harm’s way to the advance of billy clubs, water cannons, dogs, and armed police officers all the while singing 'We Shall Overcome'. And, by sheer DETERMINATION and grit, they changed the face of racial dysfunction and ushered in the Civil Rights that we are benefactors of even today. The question is this; do we as a people appreciate those who lost their lives that we might be free? Do we truly understand what they did and our ability to do it again? I DON'T THINK SO.

Today we are experiencing the backlash of way too much freedom and no responsibility. We have been lulled to sleep. So much so that we have even exchanged WHO we are in order to become WHAT the world thinks we have always been. They say our young men are hoodlums and streetwise criminals destined for the prison or the grave. They say that our young women are hoochies, prostitutes and gold diggers anxious to use their bodies instead of their minds to get ahead. They say we are irresponsible concerning money and spend beyond our means in order to fulfill an image. They say our children are developmentally challenged and in need of sedatives like Adderall, Concerta,  Dexedrine, Focalin,  Metadate, Methylin,  Ritalin, and Straterra (SNRI not a stimulant) because they have ADHD. They say that our men are absentee fathers who make babies but don't take responsibility for the children they spawn as if to say we are not human but more like fish that fertilize eggs and move on to the next. Could this all be true?

ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!

2009 IS THE YEAR OF JUDGEMENT and it is based on DETERMINATION. In order to get ahead you are going to have to work for it. The free ride stopped a long time ago and even the rich have felt the pinch of their disregard for the poor. Jesus said “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.” - Matthew 11:12 If we are Kings and Queens, why do we gloat in being paupers? Webster’s defines a pauper as: a person destitute of means except such as are derived from charity; specifically: one who receives aid from funds designated for the poor. What is crazy is that we have become so good at being poor and the underdog that white children has chosen to leave the comforts of their often privileged existence in order to become ebonically literate and street credible. This should not be. Then there is the dummification of our youth. We are the only people in the world who can tell our children with a straight face that it is OK to be stupid, to underachieve and be insignificant. We lead them to believe that they are 1 step away from a recording contract, a basketball scholarship, or some other form of entertainment success. Look at this. "teemunney" at http://www.talkingpointsmemo.c om said this:<o:p>

In the eyes of young blacks even in my generation, smart does not equal cool.  In fact, perpetuating the cycle of poverty and underachievement may just be "keeping it real".  After all, "white" society expects nothing of you, so why bother trying to join it?  And if you didn't graduate from high school, you'd likely be proud of your daughter if she was making C's but still graduating (emphasis mine):<o:p>

"KEEPING IT REAL?" To be honest with you, stupid people make me itch, especially if I know that they can do better. 2 Timothy 2:15 says "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." Dividing in this text means to comprehend with forceful application. Once again, we see an attribute to DETERMINATION. I have saying which goes like this "If we do not teach our children about the successes of yesterday then we are intricately and socially responsible for the failures of tomorrow." Think about this, the Pyramids were built by peoples of African descent and they are wonders of science and mathematics even today.

How about the economic crisis? We have been in an economic crisis for years by means of our complacency to do nothing. Think about this, we are the most underpaid race in the country yet we spend the most money. Forbes said that "When hip-hop began more than 20 years ago, corporate America ignored it. Big mistake. It now generates over $10 billion per year and has moved beyond its musical roots, transforming into a dominant and increasingly lucrative lifestyle." Hip Hop is indeed the voice of the people and its impact is far reaching. Every dialectically challenged word that comes from Hip Hop can be found in almost every "black-centered" commercial geared at earning your money. Here's a little known fact. Before Rosa Parks gained fame for her ground-breaking refusal to give up her seat there was The 1953 Baton Rouge Bus Boycott. So severe was its application that it nearly bankrupted the city's bus system. Now that's power!!! We still have it today yet we won't use it, rather choosing to accept things as they are and complaining. First we were 'crabs in a basket', now we are 'I gotta get mine, you gotta get yours'. There is no unity and as a result of poor training and education, we are usually the first to lose our jobs when the pink slips come out. Do you know that if every black person decided not to spend one dime for 20 minutes we would essentially bankrupt the country? Not that I would suggest it, but these are the things you need to know. We have the resources to be able to benefit in this economic famine. Here's something else to consider. It has been said that the reason why 85% of the workforce on construction sites is white or Hispanic is because black folks don't want to work and complain when asked to do menial tasks. Menial tasks? Pay me $15/hour to pick up construction trash and I'm there in a minute! The economic downturn is the result of 10% of the country controlling 90% of the money. We have it within our scope to repopulate manufacturing plants abandoned by Big Business who sent jobs overseas. This is a message for you $100 million dollar plus players like Ophra, Puffy and Jay-Z. If you have it within your power to create industry and opportunity for your people but refuse to do so, we will still admire your accomplishments but we do not have to respect you for it!!!

So here it is. We must be diligent and determined to change our way of living one house, one apartment, and one car at a time. We must no longer accept the unfair treatment we experience under the law in the justice system. We must demand equal opportunity to education for ourselves, our children, and our children's children. We must request that our children be given a fair shot at a good education and not substandard instruction and social promotion. We must get involved with the rearing of our children and also educate ourselves so that we can rebuild the foundation of Black America. We must empower ourselves and be proactive to tap into emerging markets and create jobs which will bring prosperity back to our communities. We must dedicate ourselves to eliminating crime in our neighborhoods so that the police are no longer patrolling and shooting down innocent people, but are actually doing their jobs to SERVE and protect our communities. We must find ways to help our brothers and sisters recover from the crutches of drug abuse and alcoholism. There is a cure for AIDS and we must demand that it be released to the masses. However, we also must change our lifestyles for the good of us all and raise our children in the fear of God so that they are no longer victims of society but conquerors and overcomers of adversity.

We have a long way to go but we will be judged on what we did at this time and how we utilized this very unique opportunity that is before us. Never in our lifetime has there been such an opportunity for transference of wealth and the restoration of our families. We must seize the moment and make what has been our obstacle a stepping stone for the good of us all.

Be Blessed!!!!

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

"The thief comes not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10)

"Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path" (Psalm 119:105.

"Your word is a doorway that lets in light, and it helps gullible people understand" (Psalm 119:130).