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Dr. Dorothy Height motivates with a story from her experience during the Civil Rights Movement.

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THE QUESTION
How do you Instill Hope in Today’s Black Male? “When They See The Playing Field Is Still Not Level.”
October 17, 2007 Oprah: Dr. Bill Cosby & Dr. Alvin Poussaint

Question: How do you Instill Hope in Today’s Black Male? “When They See The Playing Field Is Still Not Level.”

I grew up with same type of upbringing as Dr. Cosby, Dr. Poussaint and Ms Winfrey
Where you went to school received a good educations took a good job and raise a Family and had a very Strong believe in GOD.
Believed in the things of Dr. King and Malcolm X . I myself believed things were going to change for the better when Donny Hathaway sang “Someday We’ll All Be Free”
That was the Year I graduated from High School 1973.

Hang onto the world as it spins, around.
Just don't let the spin get you down.
Things are moving fast.
Hold on tight and you will last.

Keep your self-respect your very bright.
Get yourself in gear,
Keep your stride.
Never mind your fears.
Brighter days will soon be here.

Keep on walking tall, hold you head up high.
Lay your dreams right up to the sky.
Sing your greatest song.
And you'll keep, going, going on.

(Hey) Just wait and see someday we'll all be free.
Take it from me, Someday we'll all be free.
(It won't be long) Take it from me someday we'll all be free.
Take it from me, take it from me, take it from me.

I have never seen that day but I have not stopped believing not for myself but for my three sons, who I raised teaching that Education Is Our Only Way Out.

Ladies and Gentlemen That World We Knew No Longer Exist. That World has Passed Away. Most of all what has happed is Grand Momma - Big Momma & Mommas have passed away.





© STLyrics.com 2002 - 2007 All song lyrics are property and copyright of their owners. All lyrics provided for educational and language learning purposes only.

We now live in the World of “Get Rich or Die Trying” and “American Gangster”.
In a World where Professional Football Players may do time for Dog Fighting. Where Entertainers KILL one another and could do time for having Accepted Delivery of Machine Guns and Silencers.
Now I’m not talking about the Black Men who just don’t care and who are raised in lives of crime but for the ones who were raised to do the right thing and are losing hope.
The Ones who are getting the Education and degrees and cannot find or buy a job.
The Ones who go to WAR and upon their return home cannot find or buy a job.
The Ones who play by the rules but the rules are always not in their favor.
Before I go on let me give you some True Examples.

1. Bill Cosby’s “You Bet Your Life”
There was a young White male who was on the show who was an English Teacher in Japan. Had NO degree in English, No College, and No license to teach English No Nothing!
Dr. Cosby’s responds “You whites get away with “or “You guys get away with”.
It was not to long afterwards that, that show was off the air.

2. I have a friend who has a Bachelor/ Masters degrees “International Banking“, speaks six languages, has four children (school age) and a wife and is the only one working for $10.00 an hour parking cars at the Bank. But Keep the believe that God is going to make a way.

3. I myself returned to College at the age of 50 and graduated Jan. 2007 since my externship I have worked a total of two and a half days. I’m always putting in resumes with no luck. I’m also with a Medical Staffing service. Now this is the kicker.
I have my High School Diploma, Associate degree of Arts/ Sciences, Substitute Teacher Cert. and a Medical Assistant Cert. and cannot find employment. I have a Female (BLK) friend who I referred to the same staffing service who does not have a GED but they keep her working, with good jobs.

4. I have a son who has done two tours in Iraq and he cannot find employment. When I suggest he return to College His responds is “Dad, Did It Help You”, and these are the good guys who have done the right thing all their lives.

What do you tell my sons Now!!!!!!!!!











Asked by AnthonyGarnersr 1 year, 1 month ago
Community: General
Topic: Culture

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»  Are we all the human race? Why are people have to be called labels such as black and white. Does stereotypes and labels created hate, racism, and other cultural problems?
»  can we overcome the differences?
»  i am an african young oy who needs some help in promoting an african singer
DREAMER7 says:
I read all that you wrote, and Sir, I just want to cry. Where is the hope? Maybe Donny Hathaway commited suicide because his heart was so shattered at the ways of the world. If you get a felony, especially if you are black and if you are male, it's a death sentence. Even if they want to change to, they do not see the light at the end of the tunnel. My father played professional football and has a Master's in buisness. His company just went down the tubes and he's having extreme difficulty getting back on his feet. Sometimes it's like damned if you, damned if you dont. We need to start doing our own thing because everyone else could care less.

Answered 1 year, 1 month ago
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askdiana says:
Well sir, I for one, respect you tremendously! I am a white female who had to fight for my education. Approaching 50 years old myself, I got married (not because I had to), but because I needed to...I was abused as a child. Getting married was my way out, but things didn't get easier. I married an abuser who didn't want me to go to school, and the well-to-do neighborhood I had been attending wouldn't "allow" married young teens to go there so I enrolled (in spite of anyone's opinion) in Adult education classes. Later, when I became pregnant, I had too many credits to obtain for my diploma so opted for the GED instead, then still later went on to get my Associates in Computer Programming, pursued legal, banking and engiineering work, went back to college for my studies as a community activist with law enforcement avenging the rights of children in the state of Florida and quit to become a Realtor after I won a "National Hero" award in 1996.

I have a 27 year old son in Texas that really had to struggle to make it through high school I haven't seen since 2003. I lost my close connection to him partly due to my work to avenge the laws that didn't protect children like him from a sexual predator that lived in our neighborhood unbeknowst to anyone of us! My son was the TRUE HERO! He was the Tracy Edwards of a Jeffrey Dahmer type of thing going on - although not that gruesome. I'm just very thankful that a) he said something when no other child would b) he's not upset I got so involved c) the perpetrator brought back my boy without harm and d) now...due to my efforts in those days ALL STATES have registration laws!

But I digress...just a little history.

My 17 year old daughter doesn't have the voracious love of learning I have either. It gets me. Since I was denied an education as I was (even had to pay for the GED in those days) as well as all my college education, but since it wasn't easy for me, I just wish they could get an understanding of how important it is! But without anyone seemingly rewarding those efforts with job offers, it's hard to "prove" that our efforts were so valant isn't it?

That's why I mention my 4 year non-profit job as President/Founder of my own task force here in Florida called Task ACT!, Inc. (now defunct). It was formed in 1992. I disbanded in 1997 after Dr. James Dobson honored those efforts in his National Citizen of the Year award in Colorado Springs. My whole family was flown out there, my children had never seen snow before. It was AWESOME.

I had joined Toastmasters International to learn how to get so far as a confident speaker and it really helped. Maybe you should try that. I don't think there has ever been a age limitation! You can be 106 and join! Look for one near you. www.toastmasters.org is where to start. Most clubs are FREE. And you can read all about it there on their site, but as you gain more confidence in your own natural abilities, and have others in a positive environment help you develop your unique qualities and skills to relay your ideas more to others, you'll be amazed how many doors that can open for you!

I wish you all the best. We truly are an example to our children. I did get my son involved once with Toastmasters here in Florida, and saw him really come out of his shell as a more confident, well-spoken young man who KNOWS what he wants and goes after it. That's why he's in Texas right now. I truly miss him but am very proud of him none the less. He knows...for instance, how to get a job, anywhere he truly wants one. He learned that, he says from my great resume writing skills (he says) and knowing how to "sell yourself". He's right. Everything matters. You don't get a second chance too often to make a good first impression.

/>askdiana@flash.net

Answered 1 year, 1 month ago
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sayjuan2006 says:
Enter your answer here. By telling them that it was never leveled in the first place and it will never be leveled and that we need to do what our ancestors did when slavery was over and they walked off the plantation. What is that, it is to do what you have to do to make it. When we did not have our own anything we made our own anything. Somehow or another we have lasped into to this idea that someone is suppoed to give us something in this world and they are not. Think about this, if someone had the idea long ago that we were free labor to use and abuse and thrown away then why would those same ancestors feel any different today. Especially in this day an age. I am not sitting here saying that none of the ills from then do not exist now, I think more so. The thing is then people died just to be able to read and write and walk proud as a man and now it seems that since that danger is gone it is thought maybe we can just relax a little bit. No, we cannot relax, we still have to make our own, you haven't worked then make your own business and do it right and do not take advantage of the people who you want to be your customers. You are a father, if you see a young man or young lady who does not have one then with the parents permission be a father to them. We have lost communitty, so many times jobs are learned about by passing along the information. So many times in our communitty we do not want to share the wealth or the compliments of the job. So many times we have ignored or denied a chance to each other because we may have different job goals so one person may not be on your level anymore. We need to get over that because in the end we can all end up with a pink slip at the same time.....Do what we have always done, if there is not a wheel, then make a wheel.....

Answered 9 months, 1 week ago
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