Plead To My Brothers

Pleading to my brothers,we are tired of the self annihilation that we seem to be setting out for! We are tired of these senseless murders in our communities! I will continuously say this, "black on black crime is an epidemic." I need no stats to prove that this has gotten out of hand. There have been far too many of us dying out here over nothing! We have become our own worst enemy!

Think about this: if we continue to denigrate ourselves from the inside, it won't take much outside force to eradicate us forever!!!

Malcolm-Jamal Warner

Good evening family! This entry is about another brother who influences a lot of areas of my life. That brother is Malcolm-Jamal Warner. Many know him as Theodore Huxtable from The Cosby Show. Malcolm-Jamal Warner's body of work extends way beyond that role. He has starred in his own sitcom with Eddie Griffith entitled Malcolm and Eddie. Along side acting Malcolm is also a spoken word artist and bass player. He leads a jazz funk band called Miles Long. Check out more on my brother at www.malcolmjamalwarner.com

African American Perspective on STEM and Medicine

Growing up I always knew that I wanted to be some kind of scientist. As a child I always experimented with all kinds of stuff. That initial spark never wavered. I was also influenced by the character Bill Cosby created in Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable of the "Cosby Show". This character showed that an African American could be anything we put our mind to. Dr. Ben Carson's book entitled "Gifted Hands" was pivotal in my decision to go into the medical field.

I digress because this entry is not about my road to my career choice, but more so a perspective on the African American role in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). The role is so diverse and career tracks are vast!

The face of the African American in these fields signifies the diversity in it. A lot of organizations are geared towards promoting these careers to our younger generations. I was personally introduced to STEM in middle school through a program called SECME( Southeastern Consortium for Minorities in Engineering).  The pipeline from that program led a lot of my fellow peers to careers in Engineering.

There is a need for more doctors, scientists, mathematicians, and engineers of the African American persuasion. I write this not to talk down on any other demographic. However, I want to present a different dynamic to our community because I am an African American male. There is more to career choices than being just an athlete or entertainer.

I always have loved science and always will love it! From a self professed nerd research your options in STEM and Medicine....you won't regret it!!!

Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass is one the most influential people I have ever read about. His actions inspire a lot of what I aspire to.

Douglass was born in February 1818 in Talbot County, Maryland. Douglass, a former abolitionist, was also a writer, preacher, and statesman.

Frederick Douglass escaped slavery on September 3, 1838 by jumping a train then following the Underground Railroad to Pennsylvania.

Douglass passed away on September 3, 1895 in Washington D.C.

Hill Harper

Good morning family! In addition to posting the books I am currently reading, I will also be highlighting some positive African American brothers who has personally influenced me. The first one in this line of entries is Mr. Hill Harper.

I had the honor of meeting Hill a few years ago when I was living in Atlanta. The brother is highly intelligent. He recieved his Bachelor's degree from Brown University. In addition he received and MPA  and Juris Doctorate from Harvard University. Hill is most famous from his role in CSI. This brother is a personal mentor of mine.

Have We Lost Our Minds?

As you have it these days morals, character, and anything that remotely resembles any civility appears to be invisible! I could use this entry to do a lot of name dropping on some so called celebrities, but that would just add on to their fame and ultimately their pockets! I could blame them but that's not the beginning of the problem....its a visible and dysfunctional result.

Let me explain: growing up I was always told to stay out of grown ups conversations, told to stay in a child's place....you know boundaries were established. When those phrases were uttered I immediately retreated back to my lane. Fast forward to today, most would ask what does it mean to be in a child's place? Is this the result of garbage media or the "I want be my child's friend" syndrome? I firmly believe its a combination of both.

As a parent you are called to be the guardian of your child. That means that you guard their eyes, ears, hearts, and intellect until they reach the point of accountability. Accountability comes with age and maturity. It seems a lot of us drop the ball with connecting that concept or really don't understand it at all! As a result a lot of popular train wrecks end up slipping through the cracks and into our homes. The result ends in the guard being let down!

This entry is only to start a dialogue of accountability for parents to remember to be their children's guardian and protect their innocent mindsets! When they grow up with standards being set it will guide them for the rest of their lives! Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old , he will not depart from it.

Leadership Trail

Hello family! I am going to start posting books I am currently reading and ones that I would like to eventually read. This week I am starting with Principle Centered Leadership by Stephen R. Convey. I am calling this series of the blog the Leadership Trail.

Regain Control!!!

This is a simple message in this entry. Regaining control of the lifestyle you want is all in regaining the perspective you see it from. Practical, reasonable, and logical are some of the aspects of a good and meaningful lifestyle.

Living over or above your means creates a door for stress to enter. Closing that door forever means regaining perspective. The end result is that all the pieces begin to fall in place!

Begin to think and reason for yourself!!!

Lack of Consistent Leaders

With so many issues that plague our landscape these days, we appear to lack true and consistent leadership. We look for someone to rise up and take charge when chaos rears its ugly head. I have been constantly disappointed time and time again with those whom profess to be leaders. My experience has led to research what it is that is the missing link to consistent and quality leadership.                                                                                                                                                                  

One of the first things that I encountered is that a mere host of those that lead are seeking self gratification. They are looking to make their names great. Now I personally know a lot of committed people at the grassroots level that lead consistently but have know need to be popular. The problem there is that these are the ones that I would love to see out front!

Others that somewhat call themselves leaders only pop up at opportune times. Let me explain: the tragedies of Ferguson, Baltimore, and South Carolina brought about opportunities for those types to show up. No need to name names because my intent is not to put them on blast but to merely show the contrast in the inconsistencies.

All in all, I am in constant search of new and innovative ideas to seek out elements in which true leadership can be pushed towards the forefront! 

Reawakening a Sleeping Giant

Far too long have people taken too much for granted. We have evolved into a culture that is me first and I got mine, so you get yours! We have lost the sense of the benefit of the whole! We have stopped being proactive and have become too reactive! The sense of community and village have dissipated

The events of the Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC is one of horrid  and despicableness! Mass murder and terror is what it was! A young man filled with hate thought it best to enter into one of the most sacred institutions in the United States to unleash chaos and mass disorder!

One thing that is probably overlooked is the fact that these servants of The Most High God welcomed him in and in ,one small instance, almost loved the hate right out of him! The example those people set is one we should follow! More often than not, we cast out those whom may seem below us in status or of some other creed. We should love unconditionally.

Now don't get me wrong, I am definitely a proponent of our rights to bear arms and defend ourselves, but in all, be very discerning of your particular events and circumstances! 

I firmly believe the Creator has given us all that we need to live fulfilling lives, but we choose to drop the ball over and over again and continue to miss the point! Really, many of us have no point of reference for anything we do! We wonder aimlessly!

Now my challenge to anyone who reads this is to love unconditionally, learn to use discernment, and have a point of reference!