If you are not actively engaged in efforts and progressive actions that will help us as a community, especially for our younger generation, we will continue to allow others to mistreat, degrade, and disenfranchise our people. 

Start by doing the smallest you can do…

• Steer away from negative energy. Stop thinking negatively and taking negative actions that impact your well-being, your family, your cominity and our ancesters. 
• Stop worrying about things that are beyond your control and concentrate on what you can do. 
• Stop thinking negatively and taking negative actions that impact your well-being, your family, your community, and our ancestors.  
• Have respect for your self and others; does not necessarily mean you have to be friends with everyone, but you can, at least, be cordial and courteous.  Greet one another, wave, say ‘Hello’.

Steps as simple these may, to some, seem easier said than done and to others, it may seem like not enough; maybe I’m just stating the obvious. However, as a community, we don’t do enough of these.  We don’t uplift our brothers and sisters, and we don’t empower one another.  We degrade each other with B***, H***, N**** or the amalgamation of a number of epithets such as, “B**** Ass N***”, which, I guess, would be the lowest degradation of a N***** (which would further imply that among Blacks there’s a heirarchy of N*****s, a heirarchy within the lowliest classification on the social stratum. Sounds ludicrous, huh?).

All I’m saying is, there are so many manifestations of subconscious self-hatred that we inflict upon ourselves and to one another; so much, in fact, that we basically “welcome” others to treat us similarly.  We get degraded, ridiculed, stepped on, spit on and pushed down by society because we have exhibited such malicious and self-destructive behavior amongst our own people.  Maybe if we begin to treat each other with more dignity and respect; treat one another as brothers and sisters with a common struggle, a common legacy, common ancestors, and a common future, maybe we’ll finally begin to see ourselves as the kings and queens we are; and, our strong sense of pride and committment to the betterment of our community will be respected and recognized by the world at large.  Dedicate each day to doing something positive, productive, and progressive that will indubitably radiate your influence.