By SheelaR

Do you ever feel like you’re part of a race that never truly can be won? Of all the brothers and sisters I’ve met, there have been less than a handful to uplift me; less than a few to educate me; fewer than that to keep my optimism alive. We are a community of lost people. Our tribe is bombarded with stereotypes and cast as unmotivated beings. From the days of our forced beginning to the inauguration of our first President, we have come too far to fall so low.

Today is a day that would make our forefathers weep with tears of triumph and cry with tears of sorrow in unison. As a people, we are too easily satisfied. Freedom was won, the fight to end segregation was won, the race to keep our brother in office has been won, but why stop now? How many of us are actually grateful for the blood, sweat, and tears put into our freedom? If our past leaders were watching us today would they be proud? Think very carefully.

What does it mean to YOU to be an African American? So many of us strive to fit the image that the media has created. The drugs, the degrading music, the violence; to many other races this is what we are, this is what we have become. 70 years ago we were a race trying to better our place in this country, on this earth. We were a race that would stop at nothing to become successful beings. We would be lying to say that the motivation and integrity of our predecessors lies with us today.

While there are still African American activist, the population is scarce. We are a beautiful, intelligent, and powerful race; Nobody else will believe that until we do ourselves.  Give hope to those who may have lost their light. Play your part and never settle. We are not only products of a painful past, but leaders of a bright future.