I am exhausted!

WHY?!

It’s been quite a few sleepless nights this month.  I’m not complaining though.  This year’s black history month has been LIT.  I can go on and on about the accomplishments of celebrities this month with the Oscars and Grammys but I want to focus on where we’re going.

How can we incorporate black history within the schools, and outside of the school systems.  It’s evident especially with the movies such as Hidden Figures, there is so much we still need to accomplish.  Our children are suffering with a lack of knowledge in a culture/history that is being wiped away.

One of the reasons I insisted on starting a children’s book series is to highlight or bring awareness to the stories that are often untold.  There is one thing that I noticed that we need to continue to do outside of social media.  We need to have more discussions about black history, and what we can do to form unity within our communities.  On Sunday, I had the privilege of hearing one of my friends speak about where we are going in our community.  Our community is 97% black with the neighboring town being the complete opposite.  How can we work together to strengthen our communities?

The discussions were raw, uncut, and above all timely.  We discussed everything from the Middle Passage, Voting Rights Act of 1965, to the present with our state of education and healthcare not only in our community but the nation.

I left the discussion feeling empowered, and decided to take a stroll around downtown.

I began to reflect on the values, and even the movement of my grandparents, and great grandparents.  The sacrifices that were made in order for us to have a better life, and didn’t allow a “NO” to keep us from where we needed or wanted to be.  I realized the potential that was within me, and the importance of acting now instead of later.  The time is now to reclaim what is ours, and not allow one NO to keep us from where we are destined to be.

My wheels are in motion, and striving for nothing but greatness for the second quarter of 2017.

Above all I know that I am #SteeleThankful for the passion to serve the community that raised me.

XOXO,

RJ