I am so proud of the young leaders who are emerging in our communities and around the world. Today I am focusing on young African American women and men who are being vilified in our communities and in the press. I personally hear conversations in local communities in New York City and other urban communities around the country about the way African Americans have lost their way by creating chaos through criminal behavior, and failing to take advantage of education and job opportunities. Yes, I am aware of this very small segment of the African American population, but I will say to the critics of the much-used African adage that “It takes a whole village to raise a child.” I will not dwell on the theme of the “half empty’ theory and talk about the “half-filled.”
African American youth and young adults are the change agents in our society. Our history supports my assertion. I make this assertion because I am a living witness of the power and courage of African American youth and young adults to prepare and challenge evil apartheid systems that are perpetuated by white supremacy in all areas of government and society. I was a teenager when I participated in the Civil Rights Movement at Alabama State University in Montgomery, Alabama that resulted in the passing of the federal law assuring that all students have “due process.” History will also support my positing that youths led the way and lost their lives in the struggle for the right to vote in the south. The biblical scripture that “a little child shall lead,” describes the Civil Rights Movement. Now we need young people to lead us to victory in the 2020 election. The country is living under the leadership of a government that is seeking to undo all of the progress that so many people over the years suffered and died to achieve. We must get out the vote.
Our past is important and I will call it our “Sankofa Factor” by looking back and fetching wisdom from our past. I travel to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly White Universities (PWIs) and see the hope of our ancestors being fulfilled. There are so many young African American men and women preparing themselves for future leadership roles in this country and around the world. I am a proud grandmother of one of those bright young men who is a sophomore in college and voted for the first time this year.
I end this blog with an alert! Suicide of young Black men is an epidemic looming in our communities!
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