It is time to turn the pressure up on you.
You the successful African American who has moved from the ghettos of the black community for the suburbs. You who have parlayed your atheletic achievement into college scholarships, built relationships and landing “good jobs”. You who have worked hard, built your business from nothing and created the life you have always desired.
I’m talking to you, the black and successful group. It is time for you to get back in the fight of growing a strong black community. We need you.
There is little doubt people need role models and mentors to guide them through the difficult periods of life and survival in the black community these days. The unfortunate thing is many of our qualified mentors and role models are long gone from the all too common, ghetto black communities that could really benefit from their assistance and presence.
This is a call to get you back in the front lines. Get you back in front of the community’s young people to make a difference. I’m not asking or begging you to get out front of the gang lines to orchestrate a cease fire, but only to come back to the community and neighborhoods to mentor and motivate the young people that are ready, willing, but able to see the light.
Reading an article today by the Denver Post sparked this thought.
The group is lead by the guy Brother Jeff, who is often on the Ricky Smiley Morning Show.
A group of successful black men who know all too well the obstacles they faced on the way up are sharing a message of hope with students who look like them: We made it, and you can, too.
“When you think about the statistics of who is not going to graduate this year,” Denver community activist Jeff Fard told black George Washington High School students last week, “the majority look like us.”
Confronting the reality that black students are about twice as likely to drop out of high school as their white classmates, a group that Fard founded has been visiting Denver schools and talking to black students.
Fard, also known as “Brother Jeff,” formed Black Men in Support of Education to bring black men of all professions and backgrounds into contact with youngsters so they could underscore for the students the value of education.
Last week the group talked to students at George Washington, Manual and charter school Sims-Fayola International Academy high schools.
“I was told I could never own a radio station,” said Jim “Daddio” Walker, 74, who worked in sales in the 1960s before spending 17 years as general manager at Denver radio station KDKO.
In 1988, he and his partners bought the station.
The men encouraged students to ask for their phone numbers, giving the kids an opportunity to find a mentor.
If the revolution depended on you being a mentor, would you step up?
Well, i’m here to tell you. IT DOES! And it is TIME FOR YOU TO STEP UP!
Are you, the successful, up for the challenge or do you just want to lie back in your ivory towers , point fingers and talk about what “should” be done?
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