We Are Our Brothers Keeper

On November 4, 2008, this country was thrust into a new age that was hailed as "Change You Can Believe In." This moment was believed to be a rebirth from the old way of governance in Washington to a bold rediscovery of 'the American dream.' However, nearly a year since the historic election of President Obama, our country is now falling in a frenzied spiral with no end in sight. Surprisingly, the blame does not rest upon the shoulders of this administration; it falls upon the inactivity of its citizens.

Elie Weisel, the famous holocaust survivor and best-selling author once said,"to remain silent and indifferent is the greatest sin of all." Writing this letter as a 23-year-old Christian African-American college graduate, I cannot help but be mortified by the collective silence of every grouping that was forementioned. In my opinion, one of the most paramount issues to ever confront this country is at our doorstep and we continue to meet this challenge with unparalleled silence while men and women misled by lies storm through town hall meetings polluting and distorting the true urgency of the contentions we face.

Mahatma Gandhi, as we all know, once admonished us all to, "be the change that we wish to see in the world," and through his campaign, President Obama echoed the similar sentiment that," we are the ones that we've been waiting for." Nonetheless, many of this targeted audience is so consumed with the latest celebrity gossip, sports rumors, or our own meaningless personal obsessions that we are missing the proverbial ship. While we continue to bask in the mistaken comforts of ignorance, nearly 47 million Americans are marginalized as a result of not being able to be insured(Us Census:2006). This unrepresented class of Americans are left up to fate as a result of no opportunity to obtain, let alone afford a premium health care coverage. The mostly conservative, vocal pro-life advocates tend to be very forgetful of the fact that 30,000 infants die every year as a result of the poor health care received by the mother. While people struggle to protect that fertilized pulse during conception, we must also ensure that this pulse will be able to cultivate into a vibrant individual, fully capable of receiving a slice of the American promise.

While change can be enacted through legislation, it usually never starts there. True revolutionary change can only be born out of the awakening of the men and women who are tired of the exploitation of those who have little opportunity to speak for themselves. As Cain asked after murdering his own brother," am I my brothers keeper?" We must reply emphatically, "Yes we are". As a Christian man living in a nation whose dollar bill boldly asserts that we are,"one nation under God," I am disappointed by those "Christians" who have forgotten their calling by Jesus to not only be the 'salt and the light' of the Earth, but to also follow Him by adhering to the two greatest commandments,"to love God, and to love others as ourselves." But oh, who are those others? Those "others" can easily be recognized as those within our social hierarchy who are forgotten by our everyday culture. These outcasts are the people who are the unspoken few who do not speak at the town halls, who are not interviewed by 'Hannity & Colmes,' and are not getting an adequate opportunity for health care benefits. Could you imagine President Obama or Senator Bayh traveling to the inner city of Indianapolis for a town hall? These men and women are the same people who would've been left to die on the side of the road if it weren't for the mercy of the arch rival Samaritan traveler. Where have the sentiments of caring for our brother gone? Why have we let our own selfish desires cloud our judgement of the necessity for the poor, the college graduate looking for work, the currently unemployed, or even the employed without health benefits to have access to health care? Why do we not ask ourselves, "who would Jesus cover?" We find our answer in Matthew 25:25-40;

"When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger, and you invited me in. I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was in prison and you came to visit me."

Only after we ask when did we see Jesus in such compromised circumstances will he answer:

"I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers on mine, you did for me."

This is not so much a letter to the editor, but it is a challenge to the readers to not sit around any longer and let this moment of utmost significance pass us by. It is a call to ignite the God given fire within each one of us to inspire change. We cannot sit anymore as lanterns gathering the dust of fruitless futility. We cannot anymore let the deception and fictitious hyperbole of the media deter us from helping each other. We cannot anymore let ourselves become the Priest or the Levite who pass along the other side of the road while our brethren lay beaten and downtrodden. God calls us to," stand firm in the faith; be of courage; be strong," and most importantly, to "do everything with love." (1 Cor 16:13-14)

How much more will it take for us to wake up while Rome is burning in front of our eyes? There is no better time than the present to organize into a phalanx of truth and justice and affirm our God given responsiblity to “fight the good fight”(1 Tim 6:12.)We must serve God with a zealous passion, and love our neighbors equally relentlessly. For everything that we fight for, everything we love and desire, "all the Law and the prophets," rests upon these two greatest commandments.(Matthew 22:40) As Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King prophetically realized,"the greatest sin of our time is not the few who have destroyed, but the vast majority who sat idly by." America, its time to get up.

It Only Hurts Worse to Fight It- By Denita Braziel

Yo, my sister is THE TRUTH!! She can't cook, but boy is she an inspiration. Instead of writing my own blog, I challenge you all to read her blog here: The Diary of a Not-So-Angry Black Woman. I have seen her grow so much and this blog is a microcosm of the growth she is making. I'm so proud! So read up!

Quote of the day..May 18, 2009

I was watching the Eastern Conference semi's yesterday (GO CAVS!) and this quote was mentioned by one of the broadcasters and it was a really great quote!

"Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocre minds. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices, but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence and fulfills the duty to express the results of his thought in clear form."-Albert Einstein, March 19, 1940

This quote goes directly with what I have mentioned before about daring to be great. I'm really starting to believe when people like Albert Einstein echoe similar thoughts. We must truly have an untapped resource of strength that is capable of achieving the impossible! Anyway, have a BLESSED MONDAY!

Dare to be GREAT?

Today, at approximately 9:16 or so, I officially completed my last test in my undergraduate college career. Amidst the bittersweet feelings that I am experiencing, in many ways I am excited that I can now have the freedom to pursue and accomplish my dreams.  While in many ways, college has given me the tools that are essential to becoming a successful and competent global citizen, in other ways, it was a barrier that kept me from having the opportunities to use those instruments.  Regardless, today I read an article by Bill Simmons, a writer from ESPN, in which he was talking of how LeBron James, the MVP of the 2008-09 NBA basketball season was motivated to become "great" from the example that was provided by his fiercest competitor Kobe Bryant.  As LeBron saw Kobe wake up every morning at 6:00 am, and workout for three plus hours a day, LeBron realized that he needed to rachet up his work ethic if he truly wanted to be the best.  To sum it up, Simmons says this, "You can become great without the help of someone else, but you can't stay great without someone pushing you."  

This simple, yet profound observation is true in various ways.  When thinking of the great people, and/or movements of the past, there was always a galvanizing force that was pushing these people to achieve greatly.   The great German poet Hebbel once said, that "Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion." In the same way, I believe that we all have within each of us, a dream, an idea, a movement that is waiting for the perfect opportunity to awaken our spirit.  In my opinion, the only thing that is holding us back is us.  My dad used to always tell me that I was my own worst enemy, and he couldn't be more truthful in his statement.  Nelson Mandela, one of the men responsible for ending Apartheid, or the legal segregation of Black and White in South Africa.  This man was imprisoned for TWENTY SEVEN YEARS for leading this movement against Apartheid.  Want to talk about great? Here is your man.  He said, 

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that  other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's notjust in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." - Nelson Mandela, 1994 Inauguration Speech

In this game of life, what is it that motiavtes us? What is the event that produces the water that subsequently causes that seed to grow? What makes us passionate? We have the God-given ability to achieve anything that we put our minds to.  To briefly quote scripture from the Bible, after Jesus causes a fig tree to wither and die, He says that;

 

"if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, buy also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done.  If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."- Matthew 21:21

Now when when the son of God tells us that we have these inate abilities, who are we to doubt such words?  As Mandela said, "Who am I to be, brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world." We must ask ourselves, who will we choose to be? How will we spend our dash? Will we spend our existence scared? Lacking the faith in ourselves and in God? Or will we decide to take chances, walk in faith, and give ourselves the chance to accomplish our wildest dreams? I don't know, but I've got some mountains to move :)

Song of the Day/Moment...

Well, I'm currently sitting in a coffee shop waiting on a "friend" that was supposed to arrive 51 minutes ago. Oddly, while I was sitting here waiting a beautiful, beautiful song came on the radio. I was so touched by the song I bought two muffins and didn't even care I didn't get my change back ha. Anyway, coincidentally, in my need of a friend, this song came on.



This is definitely my favorite part of the song..

Feels like your always commin on home
Pockets full of nothin and you got no cash
No matter where you turn you aint got no place to stand
Reach out for something and they slap your hand
Now i remember all to well
Just how it feels to be all alone
You feel like youd give anything
For just a little place you can call your own
Thats when you need someone, someone that you can call

I'll probably blog something more later...I have a lot on my mind. Enjoy the song.

Can I Haaaaaaaaave It?! Can I??

So my brother thinks that my blog is too boring and that there needs to be funny posts. Well, my brother is clearly a lot funnier than I am, and until he writes a blog on here, this video is one of the funniest videos I have ever watched. I hope you enjoy it!!

Here's the script to the video clip.  Can I haaaaaaaaaave it?! haha. Oh yea, Darrell is a woman!! 

DAMN!
OH DAMN!
Ok, ok, ok.
Ahem.
‘Scume ca’I talk to yo fo a minute?
ESCUME ca’I TALK TO YOU FO A MINUTE?

Uhh, yeah, whats up?

Uhh, yeah, uhh, my name Darrell, its spelled like Darrell but it’s said pronounced Darrell.
Uhh, yeah, I just wanna let you know the back of your head IS RIDICULOUS!

Uhh, thanks.

Yeah, you are WELCOME.

Where’s your boyfriend?

Oh my, wha—uh, who?

Your boyfriend! Where your boyfriend at? Is she getting’ you refreshments? Is he tall? Is he gettin’ you Mike n Ikes? Oh, you like Mike n Ikes? Is he hefty? Is he comin’ back? Where your boyfriend? Where you boyfriend at? Where your boyfriend?

Oh—uh I don’t, I don’t have a boyfriend.

Oh you DON’T? Oh you DON’T have a boyfriend?
Oh ok, ok, ok, dats coo, yeah.
So LISTEN, umm, I was wonderin’, can I have yo numba? Can I have yo numba?

No, I-I-I don’t give out my number…in theaters, where I’m about to watch a movie.

Ohhh, oh ok, ok, dats coo, dats coo, I get it, you know.
You-You all into ponderin’ like cinemas n make believes n celluloids.
Yeah, yeah ok, ok, me too, me too, ok, yeah, yeah, I respect that. Yeah, keep doin’ your thing Miss Shallot. Miss Gene Shallot. Yeah, yeah that’s cute.

WHAT’S YOUR NAME DELICATE?

OHH! OHH! Umm..Yvonne.

OH YVONNE?
AW DAMN! HOLD UP!
THAT’S A FRENCH *** NAME YVONNE!
Yeah my lil croissant. Lil cheese, on my croissant. YEAH, mmmm!
So LISTEN, Ca’I have yo numba? Could I have yo numba?

Look, this is my day off and I just want to watch this movie…alone. I’m sorry.

Oh ok, ok, no I get it, I get it. I respect that.
...
So I can’t have it??

Uhh, no I just don’t give it out.

OOOOOOHHHH, ok, ok, I get it, I get it.
Ok, you uhh, you bein’ all selective ‘cause you got a PONYTAIL. RIGHT? RIGHT?
You think a lotta men cant handle the REGALNESS of a UP DO, right? Right?
You all like Grace Kelly. Grace Kelly. Grace Kelly.

No, no I’m not being anything because I have a ponytail.

Oh, Yvonne, Yvonne, Yvonne, Yvonne, Girl. Yvonne, Yvonne. Don’t be insecure girl.
OWN that ponytail! WORK that up do!

OK, I will.

Aw damn, you kinda sexy when you take my advice, girl, I like that.
Yeah, I like that, yeah.
So, uh, so listen, CA’I HAVE YO NUMBA? Could I have it? Could I have it? Could I please receive the secret code that if entered telephonically it will pass me through to you which means it will be your beautiful *** numba?

No, no.

Could I have it? No come on could I have it? Can I have it? Could I have it? Can I? Can I? Can I have it? Ca’I have it? [Sniff, sniff] Can I have it? 

No, no, the previews are about to start and I-I just want to ponder them…alone, so, but thanks anyway.

Oh, ok, ok alright, dats coo, dats coo, no, no, I get it, you know. You wanna like, you know, go through the all the intricacies of cinema. Ok. Ok. Yeah, so you, you know, keep-you keep doin’ your thing. You know, keep doin your thing. Yvonne Shallot, Yvonne Shallot. My little brie, yeah, ok bye. Alright, alright. I will miss you, though, will miss you. Alright you enjoy your day girl, alright? Take care. Alright. I luh you…

Ode to Denise Braziel

I wanted to be big. I wanted a big house, I wanted nice cars and I wanted to be famous. The life of the celebrity on TV is the life that I think most people in the world would not mind having. However, as a young man, I felt that that life was all that I had ever wanted, and that I could hurt and manipulate whoever I wanted to obtain these dreams..

Obviously, as I was growing up, I was an idiot. For most of my youth years, my thing was sports, sports, sports. I figured my way to success would be made through the athletic field. You would think that since I had come to this conclusion I would work my tail off so that I would be in the best shape as possible in order to be the best athlete possible. That would be false. Actually, I felt that I was above the strains and stress of life, and lived accordingly. I wouldn’t lift my hardest, I wouldn’t ever study my hardest, I was rude, I lied to get what I wanted, and if there was a corner that looked like it could be cut, I was holding the scissors. Naïve is probably an understatement when it came to my view about life, I just wasn’t aware of the hard work and dedication that it took that was being displayed in front of my eyes on a daily basis. To make matters worse, I was a hellion of a child, and at many times, I was completely disrespectful and degrading to the woman who brought me into this world. In many ways, I was living a complete and utter lie.

In all seriousness, in my eyes my mother is the most selfless woman I know, I would put her up there with the great people of history, Princess Diana, Mother Teresa, Denise Braziel, you can get the picture. When we lived in Virginia, she had a pretty modest job, it was very complementary to my father who had a very nice job. She nor my family ever had to struggle for anything, in fact, we were pretty well off in most opinions. As a high school graduate who only had one year of formal college education she had a very respectable job, while my dad, a Wittenberg graduate, had a very well paying job. However, once the we moved is when everything I thought turned to be completely different. I was overwhelmingly transformed by what the “real world” actually is. The relationship of my parents deteriorated and life got pretty difficult for my family. While most people would have quit, wallowed in self-pity and been deflated, my mother instead showed the true grit and determination that she has shown through out her entire life, and she was able to overcome the many obstacles that she had to face to become the woman that she is today.

Not only do I happen to be blessed to know the most amazing woman in the entire world, but I am doubly blessed in the way that I am able to call her my 'mom.' It is said that a “Mother's love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible.” By looking at the actions of my own mother, it is easy to see why she is such a motivating force in my life. This woman has been for me through thick, thin, up, down, left, right, numerous threats, *cough, cough* rides to the police station and seemingly everything in between and I could write every word under the sun to complement this woman and it would not even scratch the surface. This woman is a fighter, a survivor, a friend, a sister, a leader, a mentor, etc., etc., and I could not be more proud of the woman that she is.

Through the lessons that were given to me by a great strong and caring mom, I have been instilled with a great sense of values and wisdom that has without a doubt made me the man that I am today. As Nancy Friday once said, “When I stopped seeing my mother with the eyes of a child, I saw the woman who helped me give birth to myself.” So, here's to the all of the Mothers out there, today is your day, and you deserve all the happiness in the world! To my mom, I love you with all my heart!!

"History" - Jay-Z

This song is called History by Jay-Z.  The video uses the story of Barack Obama to parallel the journey through history that Jay uses in his lyrics.  Here's the video, it's really well done.


First of all, this video is amazing.  While I may not particularly agree that "victory is finally ours," I will agree that this video captures the sentiment felt by people around the world as we celebrated the milestone moment of a man of color being elected to arguably the most powerful position in the world.  However, the part of the song that I relate to most is where Jay-Z says, 

"So much misery, like missing your last shot

And fall to your knees .

As the crowd screams, for the other team

I practice so hard for this moment victory don`t lead

I know what this means, i`m stuck in this routine

Whole new different day, but the same old things

All i got is dreams, but nobody else could see

Nobody else believe, nobody else but me

Where are you victory, i need you desperately" -Jay-Z, History

This part to me is important because it really reflects a lot of the trials that I feel I am going through right now.  There are so many dreams that I have, and I know that they are within reach, but the frustration of not reaching them yet, as well as that discouragement is precisely captured in these verses.  Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the video and the song.

This will probably offend someone...

As I was watching CNN today I was exposed to a video in which pastors in Washington D.C., that are outraged about a 12 to 1 vote that would recognize same-sex marriages that are performed in other states. To most people this might not seem like much of a story, but for me I see it quite differently. I know that this is a subject that is very sensitive and I might offend many by my views, and I apologize in advance. However, I can't help but parallel the struggle of those homosexual men and women who seek equal rights in marriage to the same corresponding fight for tolerance and fairness that have been taken by African-Americans and women to name a few.

Many Americans are unaware of this court case, but on June 2, 1958, Virginia citizens Richard Loving and Mildred Jeter, crossed the Potomac river into the District of Columbia to get married, and returned home to Virginia. Under most circumstances, this would be a perfectly fine union of marriage, however, with Richard Loving being a white man, and Mildred Jeter being a woman of colored descent, this was an illegal union under Virginia state law. Police in an attempt to catch them sleeping with each other, stormed into their bedroom at night and charged them with a violation under a Virginia Code, which prohibited interracial couples from being married out of state and then returning to Virginia. Also, the Lovings were charged with a violation, which were classified as "miscegenatio

n," or the mixing of racial groups; meaning in this case whites and those designated as non-whites were charged as a felony punishable by a prison sentence of between one and five years. The Lovings pleaded guilty, and were sentenced to serve o

ne year in prison, however, they had their sentences suspended under the condition that they were not to return to the state of Virginia together for 25 years.

Eventually the case reached the Supreme Court of the United States, and they ruled unanimously that they would reverse the previous decision of the Virginia Supreme Court, while stating that the previous courts decision was unconstitutional, and that it had conclusively "invalidated all state prohibition on interracial marriages." This case proved to be one of the last landmark cases of the civil rights era, as it completely destroyed the concept that people could be separated by law for the color of their skin. Further, this case proved to be essential for even more reasons.

It is a common belief among many, that marriage is one of the foundations of human life, and I agree; this precedent is found in Genesis with Adam and Eve. Furthermore, in this case, we saw that the union of two people was previously regulated and restricted by particular states. In doing so, we saw that these laws were a direct violation of the heart of the Fourteenth Amendment, which was the deprivation of the freedoms of United States citizens' rights without the due process of law. It is the vested right of every United States citizen to be able to choose who they would like to have a legal union with, and it is not the right of the state, nor the government to have the right to impose any type of restriction upon it. While many Christians may be uncomfortable with the term "marriage," in my own opinion, given the precedent set in the Loving v. Virginia case, it is still the right of these men and women to be able to have the freedom to pursue a union with whom they choose, and it is a violation of the Equal Protection Clause, to not be able to have this opportunity without the Due Process of law.

Now this is where things get very interesting. On one hand, as a Christian, I am told that the right of marriage is to be shared only between a man and a woman. In Romans, the bible says that;

"In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and

were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men and recived in themselves due penaly or their conversion."- Romans 1:27

However, regarding sexual immorality, the bible also says that;

Deuteronomy 22:22

22 If a man is found sleeping with another man's wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.

Matthew 5:27-30

27"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery. 28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out

and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

While I don't see any Courts sentencing men and women to death for infidelity, I also do not see

many one armed men, or men and women who purposely remove their eyes due to their lusts. How can we revoke the rights of one body of individuals due to maybe 6 or 7 verses from the millions in the bible, especially when Jesus never mentioned it. However, Jesus DID mention that we MUST NOT judge others. He says;

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it

will be measured to you." - Matthew 7:1.

While these pastors and religious leaders spew their judgements upon these men and women, many do not understand that their own judgement in coming, nor do they condemn their fellow Church leadership that commits heterosexual adultery. In His ministry, Jesus chose NOT to condemn loners of society, the lepers, Roman soldiers, paralytics, the sickly, the blind, the mute, prostitutes, the poor, the same people we cast off on a daily basis. To make matters worse, these same individuals who denounce and depreciate the homosexual community fail to recognize their own faults under the eyes of God. Who are any one of us to judge these people? Jesus even says, that we must," first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." Well, I don't know about you all, but point me the person who is without sin, and I will call them a liar.

I have someone very close to me who is in a same-sex relationship, and I know that Jesus loves her no more and no less than any one of us. While I might not approve of it, I am no different in my own sinful nature to cast any judgement upon her. The term sin is an archery term that refers to when an archer missed his mark. In that case, the overseer would yell,"sin!" It is in the same way, that a sin is when we miss the mark that God calls upon each and every one of us to follow. Her sin is no different than mine, and I firmly believe that God sees it as such. The American Psychological Association released the following statement:

Now I chose to place this quote in here because one of the main arguments used in the same-sex marriage argument is that there is something "wrong" with these men and women and thus, they are not fit to have the same rights and benefits of a normal heterosexual marriage. Well, that is ridiculous, because there are millions and millions of homosexual men and women, some that we do not even know about due to biases that live productive and meaningful lives. Regardless of religious belief, and in my belief, even more so because of our religious beliefs, we must love and accept these people as children of God, because we're ALL his children. It is wrong and contradictory of us to judge these people when we are no different in sin. Ok, my rant is over, like I said, if I offened anyone I apologize. To me, it's all about equality, and if God loves us all equally, every one should be guaranteed equality if we're truly one nation, under God.

How will you spend YOUR dash?

I'm not sure if any of you have heard and/or read the poem by Linda Ellis titled "The Dash," but it is arguably one of the most provocative and influential pieces of poetry that I can remember reading. I will list it here:

The Dash Poem
by Linda Ellis

I read of a man who stood to speak At the funeral of a friend. He referred to the dates on her tombstone From the beginning to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth And spoke of the following date with tears, But he said what mattered most of all Was the dash between those years. For that dash represents all the time That she spent alive on earth And now only those who loved her Know what that little line is worth. For it matters not, how much we own, The cars, the house, the cash, What matters is how we live and love And how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard; Are there things you'd like to change? For you never know how much time is left That can still be rearranged. If we could just slow down enough To consider what's true and real And always try to understand The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger And show appreciation more And love the people in our lives Like we've never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect And more often wear a smile, Remembering that this special dash Might only last a little while.

So when your eulogy is being read With your life's actions to rehash Would you be proud of the things they say About how you spent your dash?
© 1996 Linda Ellis

I want to challenge all of us to look into our own lives and determine how we will spend our dash. Will it be wasted on worrying on things that we can't control? Will it be damaged by superficial fights with those closest to us? Or will it be spent and exhausted by loving and caring for those with every piece of ourselves? It is a tough thought that many of us will eventually have to face. As Will Smith in his movie Seven Pounds once said, "live life abundantly." Now I am posing the same challenge to any one who comes across this blog. So, how do you want to be remembered? How do you want to spend your dash?

Impossible is Nothing?!

I'm not sure how many are you are familiar with the Adidas apparel brand, but they have ran an ad campaign that I would argue is one of the best I have ever seen. These ads all correllate with the theme that, "Impossible is Nothing." The ad below, will give you an idea of what I am talking about.


"Some people listen to themselves rather than listening to what others say. These people don'tcome along very often, but when they do, they remind us, that once you set out on a path, even though critics doubt you, it's ok to believe, that there is no can't, won't or impossible. They remind us, that it's OK to believe, impossible...is nothing"

To further this sentiment there is also an ad campaign that furthers the ideals:

"Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing."

In writing this blog, I hope to echoe these same sentiments that in essence, the concept of impossible is nothing. Well let me rephrase, impossible is something only in the way that it can capitalize on our weaknesses and subsequently limit each and every one of us. As I've mentioned before, the great concept of those not recognizing the "impossibility" of their undertakings were actually the ones able to accomplish the most! Thomas Edison, the inventor of the phonograph and the long-lasting efficient lightbulb, once said that, "If we did all the things we are capable of doing we would truly astound ourselves."

Edison was a man who was probably more familiar with his failures than he was with his succeses. Thanks to Asker, the story goes...."After struggling to develop a viable electric light-bulb for months and months, Thomas Edison was interviewed by a young reporter who boldly asked Mr. Edison if he felt like a failure and if he thought he should just give up by now. Perplexed, Edison replied, "Young man, why would I feel like a failure? And why would I ever give up? I now know definitively over 9,000 ways that an electric light bulb will not work. Success is almost in my grasp." And shortly after that, and over 10,000 attempts, Edison invented the light bulb.

In looking at the record of Edison, is there any reason to doubt the validity of such words? In taking his words one step further, how many more monumental events are we capable of undertaking if we cease to limit ourselves? As I've mentioned, too many times we ask ourselves, there are just way too many things for us to do, 'I'm only one person,' or 'I'll do it later.' Aren't these all examples of limiting our power within us?

Dick and Rick Hoyt are an example of taking the word impossible and throwing it in a trash can. The father and son dynamo have competed together in over 1,000 marathons and triathlons over 27 years, and 5 Hawaii Ironman Triathlon World Championships. Oh yea, Rick Hoyt has cerebral palsy and cannot talk or walk. However, this man graduated from public high school and went on to Boston College, where he earned a degree in special education. Do you think the Hoyt family has any concept of the word impossible? I don't. Here's clip of the duo competing;



For me, to see the capabilties of human achievement can really be refreshing. Maybe the world isn't so crazy after all right? Maybe we are all truly capable of stretching our achievements to places were never thought were imaginable? Maybe there are opportunities out there that are

It's reassuring to know that we are more than capable of achieving success when others would call it 'impossible.' We care more than capable of achievement in fields many could not even dream. The are opportunites out there to find something truly exciting, thrilling, rousing and valuable for ourselves. Finding this challenge out however,can be a potential challenge all in itself. And you better believe that there is something out there that is meant to move us. But is that reason enough to not even try? I can't stress on this attitude enough, that we are the ones that we've been waiting for, and this is our movement! We just have to decide if we're gonna be defined by "small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it." We have to understand that it's OK to believe ,it's OK to fight for change, it's OK to regonize that fire that is burning within each and every one of our souls. It's OK to stand up and say, impossible is nothing.

So this morning I woke up at 6:12 am and for some reason I just couldn't fall back to sleep. After watching re-run after re-run of Sports Center I decided that I should just go for a morning jog to get myself out of bed. Usually when I run I listen to music that is really fast beat to get me motivated to keep going. However, this morning I was so captivated by nature that the uptempo songs were just boring. A song that came on that my brother Desmond suggested to me is a song called "All Fall Down" by OneRepublic. If you haven't heard it, please take a minute to listen it:



Anyway, the lyrics to this song were particularly moving to me this morning. My favorite parts are these:

Yeah God love your soul and your aching bones
Take a breath, take a step, maybe down below
Everyone's the same
My fingers to my toes
We just can't get a ride
But we're on the road

If ever your world starts crashing down
Whenever your world starts crashing down
Whenever your world starts crashing down
That's when you find me.

Lost till you're found
Swim till you drown
Know that we all fall down
Love till you hate
Strong till you break
Know that we all fall down- OneRepublic, All Fall Down

While there are clear religious overtones that can be associated with this song, the message that was most prevalent to me is how much we limit ourselves in our daily lives. While I wouldn't advocate to "love until you hate," I would absolutely champion the ideas of loving until there is nothing left to give. In dissecting the rest of the song, I love how it advocates the unconditional pushing of our limits until we are in a sense, spent of all of our resources. It is when we have nothing left, that according to the song we are essentially found. I think the song is also saying that we all fail, we all fall down, but that shouldn't restrict us from giving everything that can possibly give towards attaining something. I could go on and on, but I got to go to class! I love this song..

“Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it”

For the fear of embarrassing this person, I want to tell a little story of a woman named "Debbie." Debbie is a woman who has had about every sort of issue growing up that could possibly arise. Through the course of her life, she has been the victim of emotional abuse, physical abuse and verbal abuse. But to contrast this, Debbie is one of the most beautiful women, both inside and out that I have ever met. However, as a result of her past, instead of seeing herself as a woman who has overcome these obstacles and is truly someone deserving of being considered "beautiful," she struggles to grasp the fact that she has such a tremendous value of self-worth. Unfortunately, Debbie's story is not unlike the stories of hundreds of thousands of women and men worldwide. I myself, given my football background continue to struggle with the very same battle of attempting to determine my own self-worth within a world that in many ways is a very condemning and belittling society where our weaknesses and shortcoming can potentially be exposed, either directly through a comment or indirectly through visual displays. As a result, our own perceptions of true beauty in my opinion are severely skewed, as beauty is now determined by the size of one's waist line, the value of a pair of jeans, or the new 'bob' hair style. Through these misconceptions of our body image, we effectively lose ourselves to the standards that the world places upon us, instead of measuring ourselves based upon the yardstick of the one who made us. This sentiment is outlined in the very first chapter of the Bible in Genesis 1:27 which reads;

"God created man in his own image,in the image of God he created him,male and female he created them." -Genesis 1:27 

This verse clearly states that male and female were both equally created in God's own image, and seeing God through the beauty of his creation, He did not create us to be ugly depictions of Himself.  Even more important of a question that we ask ourselves, is why are we so concerned with our outward appearances in the first place?  Do we really think that God cares about our outward appearances?  For example, throughout history there have been examples that show that the concept of beauty is a diverse and ever varying concept that will be changing as long as the sun is in the sky.  In ancient China, the "lotus foot" was the fad of the times, as women were often forced to break and eventually bind their feet into little 4-inch appendages all for the sake of beauty.  During the Elizabethan era, women with a high forehead were deemed attractive, as women would shave and continously pluck their frontal hairs to achieve the image. Robin Henig in her book, The Price of Perfection assesses how these women also applied a very dangerous lead based make up that "caused peripheral neuropathy, gout, anemia, chronic renal failure, and disfiguring scarring," which would eventually require the users to apply even more makeup. The situation was so severe, that Queen Elizabeth I, acquired such a misshapen appearance that she banished all mirrors from her castle because she had acquired an almost "clown-like" appearance. The common moniker of "pain is beauty" is clearly seen here, and also through the millions of men and women who struggle with eating disorders around the world to maintain the figures of the models that are captured in nearly every form of advertisement and entertainment.  

  

While I wish that I were different in my own heart, there are many times that I myself find myself continuing to label my own self-worth based upon the scale that the world judges me on instead of the opinion of God.  I find myself asking first, what exactly is beauty?  Is beauty more or less qualities that give pleasure for our various senses?  Or is it as the book Captivating so eloquently describes as;

"Beauty is transcendent- it is our most immediate experience of the eternal. Sometimes the beauty is so deep it pierces us with longing for life as it was meant to be. Beauty reminds us of an Eden we have never known, but somehow know our hearts were created for. Beauty speaks of heaven to come, when all shall be beautiful. It haunts us with eternity. Beauty says: there is a glory calling to you. And if there is a glory, there is a source of glory. What great goodness could have possibly created this? What generosity gave us this to behold? Beauty draws us to God." - Captivating, John and Staci Eldridge

Biblically there are also stories that give real life example of God's idea of true beauty.  For example, there is a story in 1 Samuel of how the Lord rejects Saul after he breaks his covenant with the Lord over his ruling of Israel.  As a result, Samuel is then sent to anoint a new king of Israel.  Samuel understood that the Lord would annoint one of the sons of a man named Jesse to serve under this new position, however, he just did not know which one.  As Samuel first met Eliab, one of Jesse's sons, he was sure that this was the man that the Lord had intended to anoint as king.  However, the Lord says to Samuel, 

"Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him.  The Lord does not look at the things man loks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7 

This is a prime example of an occasion in which the Lord could've chosen a man who was an identical representation of what we would expect from a Calvin Kline model, but the Lord explicitly says that these attributes to him are futile.  Instead, the Lord chooses another son of Jesse, a sheep herder that is described as his youngest and "ruddy."  To further this point one step further, when God chose to send his son to save us, think of the modest, feeble depictions of the life of Christ.  Christ was not born within the glories of a grand festival, but in a manger surrounded by animals and without their a doubt their almost pungent scents.  Even through out his life, Jesus was not known as a man to be physically beautiful.  In fact, there are no instances in the bible in which the physical appearance of Jesus was even mentioned!  The only slightly ambiguous depiction of Jesus can be found in Isaiah 53:2, which says that; 

He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him." -Isaiah 53:2

However, the beauty of Christ was not seen through his looks, but through his heart which translated to his actions. This verse, as well as the verses that follow this one make it clear that Jesus was not a man that was attractive and handsome.  In fact, it can be seen that God did not want His son to found the Kingdom of God through the shallowness of physical appearances.  Instead, it is clear that God wanted people to be attracted to Him through his actions and his message of salvation.  If God chose to send his only son in the form of an ordinary man, what does this say about the importance of our own outward appearance?  God does not spend effort focusing on such pointless physical attributes, so why should we?

To all of us who struggle with our physical appearance in a world that values it so greatly, I have a few words of wisdom that I hope that I can even take!  It is said in 1 John that God is love, and as far as I'm concerned, there is nothing in this world that is more beautiful than love.  Following this, I previously mentioned that if we are made in the image of God, we are made with that same sentiment of love that God wishes us to set forth.   Through being made in the image of God, He sees each and every one of us to be beautiful; flaws and all.  God intended for all of us to be a direct reflection of a facet that encompasses the very character of God.  It is without a doubt, that beauty is the most essential, yet misunderstood of all of God's qualities.  This has caused untold amounts of hardship, pain and hurt as millions of us struggle to find our place within our image-first society. Women for example aren't celebrated as much for being fabulous athletes as they are for being absolutely gorgeous and appealing people. Unfortunately, as a result we are continually distressed over this issue of beauty;  We long in our souls to be beautiful, to believe that others find us beautiful, and our thirst will not be satisfied until we find it.  Well, we are already made into the most beautiful image imaginable.  We are accepted, loved, appreciated and cherished by One who will never fail us nor deceive us.  Harder said than done obviously, but we must shed off the shackles of such a conforming society and live free in the solace that we are always beautiful to our Creator, the One we hope to share eternity with.  In Romans 12:2 this emotion is echoed as we are called to; 

"not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." -Romans 12:2

To Debbie, and to all of the other people out there like myself who struggle with our self-perceptions, I have good news, there is a light at the end of this tunnel.  Debbie, you are beautiful beyond words, and so are each and every one of God's children.  All it takes is one of the simplest, yet difficult of steps; belief.

The Soul of a Black Folk..well kinda, pt.1

A few days before November 4, 2008, I cast my vote for Barack Obama to become the first man of color to hold the office of the President of the United States of America.  In voting for Obama, I was not voting for color, I was voting for change within a political system that I believed was slowly yet surely tearing down the structure of American society.  With the world watching that night, I celebrated with millions of people of color around the world as Obama accepted his nomination to take upon the responsibility of such a prestigious postion.  Through this monumentous moment, the men and women who have fought, and in many cases died for this opportunity watched in jubilation as their dreams of civil rights and equal opportunities for all were finally realized.  For many, the election of Barack Obama was received as the end of the struggle for equality, and the final event in which men and women of color broke free from the chains of our past and took our first real step as true equal global citizens.  While I agree that the election of Obama represents a moment in which people of color, specifically African-Americans, can mark as a watershed event, I firmly also believe that many of those same African-Americans have lost sight of the slow disintegration of our culture that is taking place on a daily basis.  

The title of this blog was taken from the book, "The Souls of Black Folk," the influential and moving book written by W.E.B Dubois in 1903.  Dubois, one of the preeminent African-American scholars of the early 20th century, sought to critique the pain and anguish, as well as the struggles for civil rights that were synonymous with the Black experience in America.  In writing this book, Dubois developed a groundbreaking work that aided greatly in understanding what it meant to be African-American within a White American culture.  One of DuBois most powerful arguments that is still saddeningly prevalent today are his anaysis of two significant themes-- "the veil," and "double consciousness."

The veil to DuBois is a situation in which;

"the Negro is ... born with a veil, and gifted with second-sight in this American world, --a world which yields him no true self-consciousness, but only lets him see himself through the revelation of the other world. It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one's self through the eyes of others, of measuring one's soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity. One ever feels his twoness,--an  American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder." --W.E.B. Dubois, Souls of Black Folk

In other words, "the veil" respresents a commanding and discernible allegory that represents the experience of African-Americans who lived within the segregated society of a Jim Crow world in which Black men and women were exploited and disenfranchised by their exposure through menial and degrading positions. "The veil" also represents the realities of a tangible societal, emotional, and metaphysical barrier that effectively separates Blacks from the rest of the American people, through their political disenfranchisement, economic marginalization and exploitation.  To Dubois, a direct parallel to the veil is the "double consciousness" that also paralyzes the advancement of African-American men and women.  The double consciousness refers to a feeling of "two-ness," that is a very unique and atypical condition of the African American experience that influences both aspects of the equation, both African and American. Double consciousness is the mindfulness of one's self, as well as the awareness of how others perceive that person within that culture. The dangers of double consciousness reside from conforming and/or changing your own identity to that of how others perceive that person.  These unique characteristics, when united within the realities of real people can potentially bring about a dangerous tension that can severely hinder the development of not only Black people, but also the larger American society.  DuBois almost prophetically captured this sentiment over 100 years ago.

In America today, Black people, specifically men, are still struggling with the same dispositions that DuBois described in his book.  During the time of Dubois, King, and Malcolm X, many Black men had a cause in which they were sympathetic too.  In many ways, given the deaths of these influential men, as well as the end of the Black Power movement, the hopes and aspirations of many of these causes died with them.  Sadly, today I am hard pressed to find more than a handful of Black men who are willing to rise and step forward for a cause.  Instead, our culture has digressed into a society in which many of our role models are professional athletes or rappers, or in some instances infamous criminals.  Many of our Black youth sympathize with the efforts of Al Pacino in 'Scarface,' the lyrics of the latest 'Lil Wayne' song, or the latest SportsCenter dunk by Lebron James.  To take it a step further, the word that represents the struggle, injustice and dehumanization of every Black man and woman, is now celebrated.  As a culture, we have degenerated to the point where the word that the Urban Dictionary defines as, a "slang term for homie, friend, buddy, etc.," can be heard as plentiful and common as almost any other word associated with friendship. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as well as the thousands of others who fought, were beaten, and in some cases killed as this word was being spewed towards them, are disrespected every time we use this word.  Jackie Robinson, who was dehumanized and disrespected by that word every time he stepped onto the baseball diamond would be appalled to hear the way that this word is used by countless individuals.  To further this, the NAACP attempts to hold a mock funeral service for the word, while our culture continues to ignore the societal and cultural effects that continue to be perpetuated.  Wale, a rapper from the Washington D.C metro area, understands and assesses the tension associated with this through his song, "The Kramer."  

"And niggas say nigga to a nigga, 

and nigga write nigga in a lyrics, expect the white boy to omit it,

the white boy spit it like he spit it,

recite it to his friends who by the way ain't niggas,

and say nigga, nigga, nigga, my favorite rapper did it,

and non-nigga friends got it with him, 

Incorporate this lyrics to their everyday living,

Until a Black friend kinda hear it, just a tid bit,

He thinks Aw, forget it, it's so insignificant and little,

The White boy sees this as a clearance, now its

Nigga, nigga, nigga, every single day,

And that little nigga nigga, thinks it's okay,

And he's the only nigga in his particular grade, and it begins to phase him more each day,

The things they say went a little too far,

He couldn't tell the difference between an a or er,

So they keep going, saying nigga in his face,

There's nothing he can do, he let it get away,

It came to the point he couldn't look em in the face,

The mirror made him hurl, his reflection disgraceful,

Yeah, and make sure everything you say,

Can't be held against you in any kind of way,

And any connotationis viewed in many ways, 

Cuz under every nigga, there's a little bit of Kramer,

Self-hatred...I hate you, and myself...

Niggas." Wale, The Kramer

This song is in a sense a microcosm in the way that it reflects African-American society.  Just like DuBois talked about the impact of "double consciousness" and the "veil," in many ways we keep ourselves beneath this 'shield' as we continue to degrade and detract our own people.  As Wale described, on one hand we say the word as a term of endearment, an affirmative 'eff you' to the establishment that responsible for the negative connotations associated with the word.  On the other hand, we see the damage that the word is actually inflicting, as that same establishment now has lost insight as to the true devastation that this word caused to the unhealed wounds of those still healing.  Instead of becoming inspired by the AIDS epidemic that is sweeping through the African-American community, situations of crippling economy that continues to paralyzes Americans of all colors, and countless other causes, many Black men and women continue to operate under this veil that causes them to be more concerned with when the next Day 26 song comes out, or the new graphics for Madden 2010.    This, as well as a large majority of themes associated with BET and the subsequent 'hip-hop culture,' (an issue I will definitely blog about soon), and the lack of Black men and women who have taken the lead as role models, are large prevailing issues that we face that will continue to keep many African-Americans as being defined by the word that they use so freely; ignorant niggas.