Freedom.

At last, the feeling begins.

Freedom from slavery is more than an Emancipation Proclamation signed by an American president; freedom from slavery is a self-inspired act. How is it that we, in the span of 150 years, have gone from celebrating the loosing of our chains to placing them back on ourselves? Why? Our people have no one but to blame but themselves. We may have received a raw deal over the course of history, but we must be accountable.

If we aren’t able to hold ourselves accountable as a people, we will never understand our issues and thus mature as a community. It’s true. Until that day comes, we will never collectively rise from the depths of our economic, social, spiritual, and intellectual despairs. There is no other community in the world like ours; we have influenced nearly every corner of the world in some form, yet we cannot prosper.

We must fight to do what we can to solve the problems that trouble us within our boundaries and let the remaining chips fall where they may. How many find themselves settling for less, without realizing that the world is a much larger place than their neighborhood? Open your eyes! There is so much to be had through the appreciation and recognition of profound literature in our local libraries. Our imagination is POWER.

The installment of a vibrant imagination into the mind of a small child at an early age serves to ignite a desire for more than the norm. It inspires a child to dream; it inspires a child to wonder; it inspires a child to theorize. The world becomes a magical land of adventure. Even as the child matures, this vibrant view of the world eventually transforms from wishful dreaming to the birth of a creative mind state.

Creativity becomes an abundant resource for the formation of new ideas and methods to ease the struggles of life through human ingenuity. Science is applied to a growing mind, infusing it with a unique way of thinking and bringing something brand new to the forum of innovation. Thus, a new creation is born. The mind, given enough nourishment at a young age, is able to flex its muscle in a way that benefits everyone.

And this is only one mind, designed by Yahweh to be unlike any other. Just imagine if we were able to raise a community of thinkers like so! All of this is possible, but there are enemy agents out there hell-bent on ensuring that never happens. This enemy of ours has many faces. Some are as follows: Laziness; pride; apathy; jealousy; immaturity; egoism; incivility; ignorance; faithlessness; doubt; hate; envy.

And it continues on. The onus falls upon us as men to empower ourselves through a renewed emphasis on knowledge, community, love and faith. Read a book and turn off BET. There’s nothing on that channel that merits the exhausting of your mind’s daily resources more than knowledge. Turn that music off for some time and listen to a podcast or two that speak to matters of society that affect us all. Your mind will thank you.

Turn the dial away from your local DJ and tune into NPR, that you may introduce your mind to the many cultures of the world. You’ll benefit. Instead of that TV show you have on-demand, visit your local library and expose yourself to the thousands of books available free of charge. There’s a time and place for everything that we view as entertainment, but the mind is also an object worthy of our attention. Believe it.

Our community has the opportunity to succeed, but that won’t happen unless a majority decides to grab the bull of prosperity by the horns. But it all starts with you. Will you be the change you seek in your community?

It’s all in your hands.

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