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Dr. King – Much More Than a Dreamer

We must wake and change the Narrative!!!

Much More Than a Dreamer!

Rapidly approaching the half century marker since the untimely and terroristic slaying of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. many (this writer included) are jockeying to provide meaningful context and commentary to explain what Dr. King’s life seeded into the harvest of modern-day American protest.
I recently posted on my Twitter page (@PKeithW) that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the 13 years from age 26 to 39 engineered dramatic and lasting change in America. I will add here that his efforts also influenced change agents around the globe including the likes of South Africa’s Nelson Mandela. I will also add here that Dr. King continued and excelled against great odds, against enemies and foes some who looked like him and those who did not.
My purpose here is not to debate, disagree or even discuss the thousands of printed words or the avalanche of unending speeches that continue in Niagara Falls like fashion to roll non-stop over the airways.
No, my purpose here is simply to encourage the reader to stop and take a moment to truly learn about the man and how he met and wrestled with his moment in time.
Many will agree that his time measured chronologically was cut short however, when we truly inspect what Dr. King and his team accomplished we are often physically, mentally and intellectually fatigued when we attempt to absorb all that he was able to accomplish.
I submit that it is the fatigue and weariness caused by our futile attempts to fully acknowledge the measure of Dr. King that has allowed us to embrace the narrative of King as an “Idyllic or Blissful Dreamer.”
Dr. King was much more than a dreamer, he was a doer, a person who used his God-given talents in the service of others.
Though Dr. King was an intellectual giant, a great orator, a gifted writer a compelling and compassionate leader, he was first and foremost a preacher of the Gospel. Dr. King never abandon his spiritual moorings despite the controversies or pressures surrounding him. His mantle of leadership was firmly rooted in his faith. The kind of faith that allowed him to speak to a political convention in 1967 and declare that we are not to seek vanity and do what is popular or what is politic Dr. King asserted we must always summon the courage to do what is right. This is in stark contrast to candidate Obama who for purposes of political expediency allowed his opponents to goad him into dismissing and rebuking without protest, condemnation or comment from the faith community two authentic spiritual leaders in the black community.
Dr. King maintained his spiritual moorings as a pastor who took his assignment to guard, grow and protect the sheep seriously.
While our personal pride may cause us to become offended at the description of sheep I simply ask you to pause and describe the predicament (pasture) of the majority of our seven billion population.
We did not need to become “King” scholars to understand that he was a person who understood that our collective mission is to use our Godly gifts and talents to assist and serve “the least of them among us. He was not ambiguous in his desire to see a better life, an end to hatred, starvation, inequality and poverty.
Dr. King was clear to let all know he was a believer in Christ and he took to heart the words of Christ found in Matthew 25:31-46
The Final Judgment
31 “But when the Son of Man[d] comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne.
32 All the nations[e] will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
33 He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.
35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.
36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink?
38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing?
39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters,[f] you were doing it to me!’
41 “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.[g]
42 For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink.
43 I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’
44 “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’
45 “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’
46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”

As I encourage you to learn more about the man and his message I am reminded of my college history professor the late Dr. Clement A. Price who shared with me that “History does not repeat itself, but rather-People repeat the mistakes of History.”
When we consider the major challenges of Dr. King’s day as they relate to the least of these verses the major challenges of 2018 for the least of those among us—-We are unable in good consciousness to remove any of his challenges from our present-day list of major challenges.
• He focused on equal rights and the quality of life for African-Americans directly and all Americans indirectly.
• Eradicating Poverty
• Jobs
• Housing
• Voting Rights
• American values and foreign policy
• Education
• Health Care
• The glaring and growing Wealth gap in America

He wanted to eliminate a “Military Centric” Economy where the focus continuously remained on WAR!!!

Dr. Kings’ life was engulfed in a continuing crisis of Race Relations. He was determined to tear down the WALLs of Segregation…. that led to the separation–isolation and exclusion of Blacks from mainstream life in America. He was committed to charting a new course in the history of a nation that once professed-“All Men Are Created Equal…”

As a student of history, April 4th, 1968 is one of several dates etched into the consciousness of those of us born in or prior to the early 1950’s.
To be exact I came along in June 1953 and the dates of June 12th, 1963, September 15th, 1963, November 22nd, 1963, February 21st, 1965, April 4th, 1968 and June 5th, 1968 are all dates that individually and collectively speak to the dark pathos and tragedy of American life during that period.
On these dates America and the world witnessed the murders of Medgar Evers, Ade Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson, Carol Denise McNair, President Kennedy, Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Senator Robert Kennedy.
During this season of terror in America it appeared that my classmates and me were aging faster than the five-year time horizon we were living through from the ages 10 to 15.

While we were attempting to make sense of our environment by echoing the words of our parents or mimicking the adults around us, our maturing process was accelerated beyond our years.
We were the generation that remained friends even as we discussed loving Malcolm and ignoring King, some thought Malcolm strong and King weak. While some of our parents cheered for Sonny Liston we were rooting for the agitator Cassius Clay (not yet named Muhammad Ali).
We learned later through the freedom of information act about the COINTEL Program created by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation that the messages formed by our young mouths did not necessarily matriculate in our minds, they were manufactured messages from the mouths of our oppressors and those who oppressed Dr. King.

It is worth repeating that Dr. King’s oppressors came from every conceivable and imaginable center of influence including the government, political parties, the media, the press, the church and segments of the black community.
Despite the walls of oppression surrounding him, Dr. King maintained that Non-Violent peaceful protest and love of our Neighbor as his weapons of choice.

“The Oceans of History are made turbulent by the ever-rising tides of hate. History is cluttered with the wreckage of nations and individuals that pursued this self-defeating path of hate.”
Dr. King believed that America needed a revolution of VALUES during his day. He believed that such a revolution would cause us to question the fairness and Justice of many of our past and present policies. “A true revolution of values will soon look uneasily on the glaring contrast of poverty and wealth…”

“America, the richest and most powerful nation in the world, can well lead the way in this revolution of values. There is nothing, except a tragic death wish, to prevent us from reordering our priorities, so that the pursuit of peace will take precedence over the pursuit of war. There is nothing keeping us from molding a recalcitrant status quo with bruised hands until we have fashioned it into a brotherhood,”

While we rush to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. King we should do so with a fuller knowledge of the man, mission and message.
As we celebrate and honor Dr. King today we do so on the eve of having sojourned 400 years in America -1619-2019. Four centuries that can easily be segmented by 244 years of chattel slavery (1619-1863); 100 years of Jim Crow-Lynching and Second-class Citizenship; (1864-1964) and the remaining years of synthetic progress for the few.
Dr. King maintained his spiritual moorings, he was not blinded by the traditions of religion nor was he ignorant of the power of the ballot. His focus remained on identifying strategic tools and tactics to destroy segregation, poverty and second-class citizenship for African-Americans and for black people and people of color throughout the diaspora.

As we assess the spiritual, political and economic landscape for African-Americans approaching 400 years in America we must do so with our eyes wide open. We must take to heart the final speech of Dr. King where he urged us to stay unified, to use our economic power, to strategically boycott those who failed to support our community and to continue to stand in the gap for the least of those among us as we made our way to the “Promised Land.”*

If we are to truly honor Dr. King, we must aggressively change the dreamer narrative that has been attached to his name and legacy.
We must end our dreaming and wake up to the prophetic voice that lived among us encouraging us to respect the dignity of labor, a voice that said Equality Now and The Time for Freedom has come.

We must end our dreaming and wake up to the prophetic voice that called for the right to vote with the belief that “We will Transform the South” indirectly and the Nation directly.

We must end our dreaming and wake up to the prophetic voice that acknowledged our collective buying power was sufficient to determine the profit or loss of many businesses when we stand united. We must end our dreaming and wake up to the prophetic voice that called for us to stand and fast against the appetite of racism, economic exploitation and militarism all of which he labeled the “Evils of Society.”

In our 2018 celebration of Dr. King -we must end our dreaming, wake up and realize that we can only celebrate him through our actions of service and love towards each other; truly recognizing that Dr. King was and is an ambassador of Christ who maximized his moment in time to bring healing and preach reconciliation to all who would listen.

He was a man of action—he was Much More Than a Dreamer.

*Then the LORD said to Abram, “You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land, where they will be oppressed as slaves for 400 years. 14 But I will punish the nation that enslaves them, and in the end they will come away with great wealth. (Gen 15:13-14)

Listen to this timeless message below as Dr. King speaks on the “Three Evils of Society”

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Saluting Our Teachers

Honoring the impact they have on our Lives-

This week marks the official beginning of summer and it is an appropriate time to salute our teachers past-present and future.
As we ease into the summer months of longer days and much warmer weather many families are thinking about upcoming gatherings such as cookouts, weddings, family vacations, family reunions and other leisurely related events.

These events and others are certain to be crammed into the eleven weeks leading up to labor day and the eventual return to school. However, before our words rush the summer away let’s take a moment to acknowledge and salute all members of the teaching profession for their commitment and dedication to teach and educate those who are entrusted to their care.

Years ago I read a quote I believe but am not certain was from Mark Twain. It read- “We are all ignorant-just on different subjects.” That quote has stuck with me and it continues to inspire me to remain a curious student. The quote also speaks to the heavy lifting our teachers and educators perform on a regular basis to move us away from ignorance towards enlightenment and intelligence on a variety of subjects.
While we salute our teachers I would ask you to reflect on the teachers throughout your educational experience that have greatly impacted your lives. What was it about that teacher that directed you to a certain occupation, industry or profession?

To be certain, all teachers are not created equal, yet we are blessed to sit under their guidance and tutelage and increase our learning across a variety of subjects.
Those in my age category are often classified as “Baby Boomers” and as such we can reflect upon our educational experiences without the Internet, social media, YouTube and most importantly, without cable TV and the five hundred plus channels to choose from. The classroom teacher, the librarian, Encyclopedia Britannica, our parents and/or our older siblings or relatives were central to our educational journey.

I like many of my contemporaries remember fondly those special teachers who motivated and encouraged us to dig deeper and reach higher to attain the necessary skills and knowledge to become successful life-long learners.
I think of Mrs. Curry my first grade teacher, Mrs. Griffin my fifth grade teacher who first planted the seeds of “self-talk” and made me believe at the age of ten that the sky was the limit.

There was Mrs. Coleman my High School English teacher who encouraged me with the words written in my yearbook- “When you catch up with ideas in your Head-Wow” and finally, there was Dr. Price who after grading my report on the History of Jazz in Newark 1938-1970 stated that the paper was of publishable quality and I should consider working towards a terminal degree in history.”

Yes, there were other teachers and individuals who assisted and some continue to assist in my ongoing education however, those mentioned above connected on a deeper and more personal level for which I will forever remain grateful.
These individuals came to mind recently when speaking with my granddaughter Blair who has successful completed her freshmen year of high-school. Blair’s high school is three times the size of my high school and her text books and assignments were provided to her on a school issued IPAD allowing her 24-hour instant access to the school’s website and teachers.
As we spoke about the experiences of her first year we recognized we shared one thing in common despite the half century that separates our high school days. We share the experience of having teachers who inspire and connect on a deeper level. That alone is worthy of saluting the teachers in our lives and in the lives of those we love.

I am certain you too can list the teachers that impacted your lives the most. Take a moment and salute them in the comments section below.

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Be Not Deceived; God is Not Mocked:

Harvesting our own Words\Works?

This familiar refrain, “BE NOT DECEIVED; God is not mocked” is taken from Apostle Paul’s letter to the Galatians. The specific quote found in the sixth chapter is part of a timeless, powerful and precise message that continues to speak to the debilitating and destructive behavior eroding many aspects of kindness and decency in our society.
The power of Paul’s letter is found in its observation that we are responsible and rewarded, not only for our own conduct, but we have an obligation to help restore others as well. Paul addresses this point in his opening words:
“Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.
Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct.”
The call to pay attention to our own work is very elusive for many in our digital “microwave” society. Our current conduct, as exhibited by our continuous news cycle, leans heavily towards condemnation, corruption and competition. I “gotcha” is the catch word…what major brand can we destroy…what celebrity is in hot water… which politician’s missteps will generate headlines and ratings.
While it is appropriate to expect decency and order and to expect accountability from our leaders, Paul makes the point that real accountability begins in our hearts and minds. Paul also makes the point in his epistle to the Romans that “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory.” (Rom 3:23)
Paul hinges the idea of doing our best work while inspiring others to do the same to the principle that we will always harvest what we plant.
Two thousand years after his letter, the historical archives bear witness to the wisdom of his words. We are today reaping the harvest of the words and deeds we planted in our yesterdays. The good news for those of us not content with todays’ harvest is we can begin this moment planting new words and deeds knowing we will harvest the same.
Apostle Paul said it like this:
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”
Think of who you might encourage today-call them-write them and plant a seed of encouragement.
To the reader needing encouragement, I pray this day that any hindrances keeping you from becoming your best self are forever removed, in Jesus’ name.

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Memorial Day-Make It Count!!!

Next week we as citizens of America will celebrate Memorial day. Excitement is building as workers are already planning how to maximize the coming three-day weekend.
Growing up in the state of New Jersey, Memorial Day was for me and most other kids, recognition that summer was coming and school would soon be over. The day was also important since our neighboring town always held a morning parade.
I am certain our elementary teachers instructed us on the significance of the day and the reasons why the adults were taking time to honor the memories of those lost in battle.
In high school it became very clear that this day was set aside to honor our fallen soldiers, however, my high school years coincided with the escalating conflict in Vietnam. This was a time when Americans became divided over how best to protest the war (and what many believed was a war machine aptly called the “Military Industrial Complex”) while still paying tribute and honor to our soldiers.
It was also during this time that an older cousin of mine was returning from Vietnam having served as a paratrooper and was cautioned by his dad (my uncle) that perhaps he should not wear his uniform in public as some sentiments ran contrary to civilized behavior from some citizens.
Thankfully the war ended, the protests faded and the last President responsible for sending troops to Vietnam resigned from office, and we could focus on healing the division in our Country.
What I did not know as a kid or even as a teenager was that the division in our Country was the underlying cause for the initial celebration of fallen soldiers.
The initial celebration known as Decoration Day began as a set time in the month of May to honor and decorate the graves of men lost in the Civil War sometimes called the War between the States.
Despite our best attempts at re-telling the story or enhancing the narrative through books, films or newspaper accounts, it remains unimaginable to most that some 700,000 plus citizens of America would die from the hands of fellow Americans. Moreover, the aggregate losses fail to account for the unrelenting and universal pain that was unleashed on the majority of American families.
While there is a national moment of remembrance that takes place at 3:00 p.m. local time, it is unfortunate that Memorial Day, like other Federal Holidays, has morphed into shopping sales where the focus is on present day consumption versus remembering the past.
I have stated in this Blog and on other occasions that it is a faulty belief that history repeats itself-it is the people that repeat the mistakes of history. As we approach Memorial Day 2017 we can do so remembering that its very reason for existing was borne out of hatred and neighborly conflict.
As we reflect on the day and the current mood of our Nation and the World we may wish to redirect our thoughts, hopes and aspirations toward a place and time where we will no longer add to the rolls of fallen soldiers.
We may want to consider the words of Jesus found in Matthew 22:37-40:
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Memorial Day has a special meaning for our families, our neighbors, our Country. For the sake of our children and the generations to come—Let’s Make It Count!!!

Question: How will you celebrate Memorial Day?
-Leave a comment Below.

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ANGER APP (Not Responding?)-Technology and the Promise of Peace and Prosperity!

The Challenge of restoring Civility in our Conversations.

A few days ago I was working on a document and my system froze. I was provided a diagnostic message that stated, “WORD (not responding)” — I could either close or restart the app. “HMMMM”, I thought!
Can you imagine having an app to manage your anger allowing you to always be in control? You pre-select the criteria expressing what type of events, words, comments, situations and people you will allow yourself to express or release fits of anger to. Conversely, if a situation is not pre-coded for anger, you ignore it while maintaining a positive outlook on life.
I know it sounds silly; it sounded silly to me while writing it. However, the driving question behind the silly idea of an anger app is: Why IS There So Much Anger in America—In the World?
What is it that has us on such a short fuse that we find it difficult to smile and say a kind word; to say good morning; thank you; have a wonderful day or a blessed day? Yes, I understand these comments do occur at times. However, you would have to agree with me that the character of our conversation in our country, especially our conversations between residents in our cities, when observed, would not score high marks in civility.
The low scores notwithstanding, these same cities when faced with an external threat, a terrorist attack, a major fire or hurricane or any event that is non-discriminate in its destructive nature produces a different conversation among the residents. These horrific events somehow immediately produce residents and neighbors who respond with care, concern and compassion for neighbors and strangers.
Every reader of this blog who is old enough to remember the events of September 11th, 2001 can also tell you about the tone and tenor of the conversations during that day and the weeks and months shortly after the attack. They can also tell you about the legendary response at ground zero from first responders, citizens, public officials and others. They can tell you about the increased conversations with family, friends and complete strangers. Pastors reported increases in charity and church attendance. In many places, work activity came to a halt as employers and employees were glued to televisions hoping against hope that perhaps this was a nightmare, a bad dream that we would all collectively wake up from and return to our normal behavior.
I will leave the definition and explanation of normal behavior for Americans to our talented social scientists along with my question, “Why IS There SO Much Anger in America in 2017?”
The promise of the last half century was one of a better life, one filled with increased health and prosperity driven by the wave of technological breakthroughs in America and around the globe. The expectations for an improved world led members of the United Nations, according to the UN website, to develop and share Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that included halving extreme poverty, halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education by a target date of 2015.
Two years past the target date and we can indeed report progress against the goals while the UN revamps the MDGs for post 2015 activity amid a world that is growing increasingly hostile with terror attacks on the rise. What has become clear to all is that ANGER is at the center of every attack committed against humanity.
We are slowly and painfully learning that technology will not usher in world peace and prosperity. To achieve lasting peace and prosperity will require a change in our minds and hearts.
Almost sixty years ago, Dr. King spoke to the issue of lasting peace and prosperity during a speech given to the National Urban League. Dr. King stated:

“We must work assiduously and with determined boldness to remove from the body politic this cancerous disease of discrimination which is preventing our democratic and Christian health from being realized.

Then and only then will we be able to bring into full realization the dream of our American democracy-a dream yet unfulfilled.
A dream of equality of opportunity, of privilege and property widely distributed; a dream of a land where men will not take necessities from the many to give luxuries to the few; a dream of a land where men do not argue that the color of a man’s skin determines the content of his character; a dream of a place where all our gifts and resources are held not for ourselves alone but as instruments of service for the rest of humanity; the dream of a country where every man will respect the dignity and worth of all human personality, and men will dare to live together as brothers-that is the dream.
Whenever it is fulfilled we will emerge from the bleak and desolate midnight of man’s inhumanity to man into the bright and glowing daybreak of freedom and justice for all of God’s children.”

Prophetic and wise words that remain instructive for the discourse and conversations we MUST have to avoid responding in anger while increasing the peace both here in America and around the globe.

What additional ideas can you share to increase the peace?

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Keeping Our Teens Talking in a World of Posting and Texting.

A few weeks ago a colleague posted on Facebook her concerns about a recently released series on Netflix entitled 13 Reasons Why.

Her major concern was her belief that Netflix was somehow romanticizing ‘teen suicide’ to the extent that school districts began sending notes home to parents advising them about the show and the need to guide and monitor their children’s TV consumption.

Prior to the Facebook Post I was not aware of the series however, I shared with my colleague that I would review the show as I was preparing to speak to a group of teenagers on the subject of self-esteem.

After binge watching the entire series I came away with accolades for Netflix and how they handled and genuinely portrayed a very delicate yet major topic of teen suicide.

I will not play the spoiler role here and provide the details of the show except to say I am in agreement with those who suggest that parents watch the show with their children and perhaps the friends of their children and then engage them in a conversation.

My reasoning for agreeing that parents must watch the show was fortified On Friday April 28th, 2017 at the Care for Me Children’s learning Center in Pennsauken N.J. where I facilitated a conversation on self-esteem with a diverse group of area teenagers and pre-teens.

The discussion was part of the John Maxwell Global Youth Initiative that took place from April 24th through April 30th. The initiative was designed to reach youth audiences across 49 different countries while engaging them in various topics such as bullying, character development, learning from failure and the importance of developing a positive self-image.

Our discussion was framed around intentionally maintaining a positive view of yourself, the power of positive affirmations and the importance of separating failures from labeling yourself as a failure.

I shared with the students the reality of life is that we all make mistakes and we all fail from time to time however, failing does not make one a failure and it is crucial that we teach our children prayerfully by way of our example to learn from their missteps.

A major takeaway from one of the parents’ present was: “Our children are eager to communicate, and share their thoughts and experiences with each other despite the prevailing thought from many adults that this generation prefers texting to talking.”

The communication became evident when I asked how many students were familiar with the recently released Netflix series 13 reasons Why and a majority of hands were raised. When I asked the parents about the series they like me prior to the Facebook post were not aware of the series.

A follow-up question asked of the students was how many of you can identify with some of the issues raised by the series and again a majority of hands were raised.

The students were able to express positive versus negative self-esteem as it related to what they saw in the series and openly began to share and discuss among themselves the experiences they have witnessed in their current school environment.

It was evident that we have only just scratched the surface but the good news is that our children are communicating with each other in their environment.

Our challenge as adults, as leaders, as teachers and parents is to understand their code of communication and be able to positively impact them during their growth and development.

More Importantly, parents must be aware of the shows and information our children are consuming.

I encouraged the students to continue to read and to begin the process of journaling. As a parting gift for their participation I provided each student with a copy of John Maxwell’s book- ‘Sometimes You Win and Sometimes You Learn for Teens.’

Poet David Whyte once said when the conversation stops the relationship is over. Let’s do all we can to keep the conversation going with our children.

Listen and hear their views and most certainly know what they are consuming over the airwaves.

What thoughts\Ideas do you have for engaging our teens in regular dialogue? I would love to hear them.

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“Pride goes before destruction,

and haughtiness before a fall.”

The words above found in Proverbs 16:18 are a not-so-subtle reminder from scripture that we can easily lose our way should we begin to think more highly of ourselves than we ought.

As we complete one third of 2017, we find ourselves in the eye of a media blitz attempting to quantify and esteem the first 100 days of accomplishments by our new President.

As we continue to promote an empty tradition that was initially designed to track the progress of the 535 members of congress by switching the focus to one individual, we, depending on our political persuasion, heap words of praise or criticism as if one individual is truly capable, much less worthy of either.

As the media continues to hype the first 100 days, there is yet another tradition known as the National Day of Prayer we should perhaps pause and reflect upon.

As we think of a day of prayer for our nation and our neighbors, we should be mindful of the piercing and penetrating words of our 16th President who presided over a nation in crisis.

“By the President of the United States of America.
A Proclamation.
Whereas, the Senate of the United States, devoutly recognizing the Supreme Authority and just Government of Almighty God, in all the affairs of men and of nations, has, by a resolution, requested the President to designate and set apart a day for National prayer and humiliation.
And whereas it is the duty of nations as well as of men, to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.
And, insomuch as we know that, by His divine law, nations like individuals are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world, may we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war, which now desolates the land, may be but a punishment, inflicted upon us, for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole People?
We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity.
We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God.
We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own.
Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!
It behooves us then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.
Now, therefore, in compliance with the request, and fully concurring in the views of the Senate, I do, by this my proclamation, designate and set apart Thursday, the 30th. day of April, 1863, as a day of national humiliation, fasting and prayer.
And I do hereby request all the People to abstain, on that day, from their ordinary secular pursuits, and to unite, at their several places of public worship and their respective homes, in keeping the day holy to the Lord, and devoted to the humble discharge of the religious duties proper to that solemn occasion.
All this being done, in sincerity and truth, let us then rest humbly in the hope authorized by the Divine teachings, that the united cry of the Nation will be heard on high, and answered with blessings, no less than the pardon of our national sins, and the restoration of our now divided and suffering Country, to its former happy condition of unity and peace.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.
Done at the City of Washington, this thirtieth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty seventh.”
By the President: Abraham Lincoln

William H. Seward, Secretary of State.
To be clear, our nation is far removed from the nation President Lincoln presided over. However, our current crisis of a nation divided is as much a threat to our generation as a permanent divide was to the generation of 1863.

The citizens of America should not look at our current and deeply ingrained divisions or the real threat of world violence as if it is a video game to be played or a movie drama to be watched on our TV screens.

President Lincoln was courageous, compassionate and clear in his call to prayer. Readers of scripture may recall the story of King Jehoshaphat found in 2nd Chronicles 20 where he called upon the nation to fast and seek God in a time of national crisis.

Today many have removed God our creator from the center of our being and existence and placed our intellect, might and strength as the controlling power of creation.

We have come to believe that man is in control and capable of interacting with GOD as he sees fit to acknowledge or not acknowledge the presence of a sovereign GOD.

Jesus would remind us that the entirety of scripture is found in two commands. In Matthew 22: 37-40, He said:

“You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’[e] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment.

39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[f]

40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

I understand that for many this week’s blog may fall on deaf ears. However, should we wake up tomorrow or next week or next month and find ourselves in the middle of yet another global conflict, we will not be able to simply place the blame on our President, Congress or on our military. The blame will rest squarely with the wishes, the sentiments, the actions and or inactions of the people of America.

For too long, we have abdicated our responsibility as leaders to do and say what was necessary to maintain real peace and prosperity.

We have collectively turned a blind eye to our poor, to
excessive violence, to hunger, to greed, to poor leadership, and we have collectively turned our backs on our disabled and homeless veterans throughout the cities of America.

Should we wake up and find ourselves in the middle of another conflict and should we find ourselves on the losing end of the conflict despite our public relations telling us otherwise (as occurred in previous conflicts) we the American people will have to accept full responsibility.

As stated previously, history does not repeat itself as some have proclaimed. Rather the people REPEAT the mistakes of history.

Nations have boasted of their might, their wealth and their strength only to be remembered as a footnote on the pages of history.

I pray that we pray with the sincerity the moment requires, and we would not be diminished one bit if we choose to simply repeat the prayer offered by our 16th President.

Will you Pray for our Nation and our Leaders?

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The Twilight Zone-Restoring Imagination and Hope!

Are we there Yet?

While thinking about this week’s blog I journeyed mentally back to the days of black and white TV, the days when our network options consisted of three private networks-NBC-CBS-ABC and one Public Network-PBS.
I journeyed mentally back to a time when Baby Boomers (as we were labeled), considered TV as something exciting, entertaining, and informative…the time when television production was limited to a certain number of hours each day and would terminate its signal at the end of the final program, usually occurring between midnight and two o’ clock in the morning, with the National Anthem playing and the flag waving.
The decade I journeyed to mentally was the decade of 1959 to 1969, the time when I first began to understand the magic of television. I remember vividly the excitement my siblings and I shared waiting for the start of the Flintstones which aired on a Friday night. We could not contain our joy as we huddled together on the living room sofa to watch a cartoon show at night without thought of a bedtime curfew.
We were not bothered with the thought that this was the only TV in our apartment, and we all had to watch the same show at the same time.
The idea of a shared family experience was lost on us as the options of personal tv’s, computers, tablets or other digital devices was still a decade and a half away from being developed. We were simply enjoying the option that was before us while also inheriting the cultural lessons, values and appreciation of a shared experience.
The sofa and the TV would also provide the setting for additional entertainment such as Popeye, Superman, the Wizard of OZ, Soap Operas for our parents and grandparents, the flight of John Glenn into space, and the first fight between Ali (then Cassius Clay) and Sonny Liston. We also experienced episodes of tragedy such as the Emile Griffith and Benny Paret fight, the shooting and murders of President Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King and presidential candidate Robert ‘Bobby’ Kennedy.
To be certain, the television was an integral part of growing up during that decade, and we took full advantage of what it provided.
The resting point of my mental journey manifested itself at the thought of a favorite show I enjoyed called “The Twilight Zone”. For those unfamiliar with the show I have engaged Wikipedia below to give you an overview.
“The Twilight Zone is an American science-fiction, fantasy, psychological-supernatural horror[1][2] anthology television series created by Rod Serling, which ran for five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964. The series consists of unrelated dramas depicting characters dealing with paranormal, futuristic, Kafkaesque, or otherwise disturbing or unusual events; characters who find themselves dealing with these strange, sometimes inexplicable happenings are said to have crossed over into “The Twilight Zone”. Each story typically features a moral and a surprise ending.
The series is notable for featuring both established stars and younger actors who would become more famous later on. Serling served as executive producer and head writer; he wrote or co-wrote 92 of the show’s 156 episodes. He was also the show’s host and narrator, delivering monologues at the beginning and end of each episode. Serling’s opening and closing narrations usually summarize the episode’s events encapsulating how and why the main character(s) had entered the Twilight Zone.”
The writers’ gift of storytelling and their vivid imagination packed into thirty minute segments provided some of the most compelling television drama of the era.
In thinking about the show, I interrupted my mental journey to summon my amazon account to retrieve some of the actual episodes. Though time would not allow me to watch all five seasons and complete my Blog post, I opted instead to select a few episodes to both enjoy and reminisce.
I watched an episode called ‘The Theatre’ where a woman would visit the movie theater and watch her life story play out on the screen (all other patrons saw the featured film) while she saw her life pass before her on the big screen.
I watched an episode entitled ‘No Time Like the Past’ where a man invented a time machine to travel into the past in an effort to prevent atrocities from occurring. As the voice of history, he was unable to stop:
• The bombing of Hiroshima –
• The rise of Hitler-
• The Ship Lusitania from being torpedoed-

I watched an episode entitled ‘The Last Man on Earth’ where scientists placed a man in a box for two weeks to test his reaction to a simulated flight to the moon.

Finally, I watched an episode entitled “To Serve Man” where a space ship landed near Newark, NJ, and our planet earth was visited by the Kanamits, a people over nine feet tall who presented their credentials to the United Nations promising to help the people of earth:

• Find new forms of cheap electricity,
• End famine, and
• Build an invisible shield around their borders to help end wars.

To those who recall the proposed Star Wars Strategic Defense Initiative- I have no comment other than to say I have digressed!

Back to my episodes, each of them true to the series outline had wonderful and interesting twists in the end. Moreover, the writers who were writing a decade past the mid-point of the twentieth century sought to balance their concern about man’s inhumanity towards man while concurrently holding on to the promise of a brighter future.

Some of the language used in the various episodes helps to clarify the duality of the writers’ struggle. (See below):

• We have too much hatred and prejudice…
• We have become a race of men who are no more than scientifically-advanced monkeys…

• We only care about staying alive– not living…

• Brutality is far more universal to us than dispensing charity to others…

• Events are losing their incisive edge of horror because we have become accustomed to them…

• We live in a world of bombs and burning children…
• We’ve created a world without love…

• We all have a film in our mind. We are reliving the past or sometimes seeing the future-from the twilight zone…

• We cannot alter the past…
• Leave yesterdays alone…do something about the tomorrows…
• Stop looking behind… try looking ahead…

• When the earth gets enough to eat-when there are no more wars or diseases or famine-this will be a Garden of Eden…

• We should seek a world with no more hunger-no more war-no more needless suffering…

• You can find love wherever you seek it…in the heart— down the block—or in the twilight zone…

If you are still with me on this journey, I yet remain unable to explain how or why I took the mental journey back to a favorite television show.

Perhaps, it was for the imagination that is sorely missing from today’s shows; or perhaps it was the need for a nostalgic moment recalling the beauty of shared experiences; or perhaps it was the beauty of the opening lines where the narrator recited:

“There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity.

It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition and it lies between the pit of mans fears and the summit of his knowledge.

This is the dimension of imagination- it is an area which we call -The Twilight Zone.”

Or perhaps—just perhaps—too much of 2017 Headline News has one thinking is this real or our we experiencing:

The Twilight Zone-Restoring Imagination and Hope —Are We There YET?

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Mirror-Mirror On the Wall…?

Our National Character-Is anyone watching?

We in America proudly boast of our National Anthem, our Pledge of Allegiance, we talk glowingly of our National Bird and our favorite pastime.
Today I want to spark a conversation about our National Character and what it perhaps looks like to outsiders.
While the dictionary may describe character as, “the aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature of a person or thing”, while it may point to “special features or traits” and while it may even address “moral or ethical qualities”, we are defining character according to a quote I read years ago, “Character is what you do when you think no one is looking.”

As an eighth grade student, I was surrounded by various quotations that our homeroom teacher had placed around the perimeter of the classroom.
Directly in front of my desk, each morning, I looked at the quote, “Character is what you do when you think no one is looking.”
My insight of the quote as an eighth grader was simply: “Don’t get caught when you are playing practical jokes on your classmates!”
Thankfully, I have matured over the years to learn that the quote was providing insight into one of life’s critical lessons: ‘character’ matters.
To be certain, I like many of you have covered a lot of territory since the days of grade school and held a variety of roles (i.e., teacher, parent, employee, employer, entrepreneur, etc.) over the years, and I was not always pleased with my character. Having said that, I also like most Christians would quickly share with you (from memory I might add!) an often cited scripture:
Romans 3:23 (NLT)
“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”
That is our get out of ‘character jail’ card when we are caught in a character breach.

Catching one in such a breach is not the point nor the intention of this blog. This post is here for the purpose that we must pause and take a collective look at our National Character in the way Michael Jackson encouraged us to look at the “man in the mirror”.
Several years ago, I had the pleasure of visiting one of my classmates and his family in South Africa. We were both students in a Harvard Business School Executive Education Program in Cambridge, MA in 1994, and I witnessed as he and a few other classmates went into Boston to cast their vote for Nelson Mandela as president.
During my visit to his home, he took me around to various places of interest. At one particular location, a vendor asked me what part of the States I had come from. Somewhat puzzled knowing my grandmother is from St. Croix and my grandfather was of Jamaican descent, I asked him how he knew I was from America (silly me). He said “your accent-your accent is American”.

Interestingly, I had only recently moved from New Jersey to Maryland and the people in Maryland would say—“your accent is from New Jersey”. My South African observer did not distinguish between the states; he simply said “your accent is American”. He did not qualify me as an African-American; he simply said “your accent is American”.
As I reflect on his comment two decades later in a world that has become increasingly global, confrontational and vocal (social media), I wonder what additional thoughts today might accompany the statement “you are American”.

At a time when the observers of American culture have convinced the American people we are a divided nation without any immediate hope of reconciliation, our pledge of “One Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all” appears to be sequestered far away from the daily activities and thoughts of many.

Though we continue to share with our children the following words of Frank Outlaw and a few others:
“Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny”…,

it is clear from our conversations, or more aptly put, our lack of real and honest conversations, that our National Character needs our immediate attention.
You may be thinking as you pour over these lines that what has been said is true and reflective of our current state of affairs, however, there is very little that can be done to change things. Or perhaps you are thinking it’s only the politicians, pastors and pundits who need to come together and reconcile around all things “American”.
If you believe as I do that our strongest asset is having a good name and a good reputation, and that both are determined and measured by how others assess our character, then we have to agree as the elders would say — “we all have some skin in the game” — we all have a part to play.

We agreed earlier that none is perfect, we all have flaws that require our attention, yet we maintain the capacity, the desire and the willingness to change and improve.
Our Character is the one thing that always remains under our control. You are the architect of your character and what you do can often impact those around you.
Legendary player and coach Tony Dungy wrote in his book, The Mentor Leader:
“As their title suggests, mentor leaders seek to have a direct, intentional, and positive impact on those they lead. At its core, mentoring is about building character into the lives of others, modeling and teaching attitudes and behaviors, and creating a constructive legacy to be passed along to future generation of leaders, I don’t think it’s possible to be an accidental mentor.”

Coach Dungy is correct. Mentoring and leading others is not accidental nor is it accidental that we find ourselves in a 24-hour cycle of negative news keeping us in a confrontational stand-off with our neighbors, both global and domestic.
Whether we openly acknowledge or quietly ignore our observations of each other, the thought of a deteriorating National Character is a clear and present danger in 2017.
I believe we can begin to turn the tide if we all would take stock and heed a few words of Michael Jackson:

“I’m starting with the man in the mirror
I’m asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you want to make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself, and then make a change
I’ve been a victim of a selfish kind of love
It’s time that I realize
That there are some with no home, not a nickel to loan
Could it be really me, pretending that they’re not alone?

I’m starting with the man in the mirror
(Oh yeah!)
I’m asking him to change his ways
(Better change!)
No message could have been any clearer
If you want to make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make the change)
You gotta get it right, while you got the time
You can’t close your, your mind!”

Mirror-Mirror On the Wall…

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Our 2017 response to Dr. King’s question-Where do we Go from Here?

Community or Chaos?

This month, April 2017 marks the forty-ninth anniversary of the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. A man whose life mission was an unrelenting search and quest to create a beloved community that would willingly share God’s gifts and blessings globally to all humanity.

Dr. King’s vision of how the world could work was exponentially bigger than the “I have a Dream” speech that professors, politicians, pastors and pundits have consistently used over the past five decades to constrain his contributions.

I recall the moment I first heard the news of his being shot on April 4th 1968. I was tasked with going to the corner convenience store to pick up a few items when I overheard the store owner say, “He was stabbed and almost died some years back; I did not realize the “He” was Dr. King until I returned home and the news was on the Television. I was a freshman in High School.

My generation unfortunately became very familiar with violence, civil unrest and murder especially, the murder of leaders who would courageously speak on behalf of a “more perfect society” as it related to the economic, educational, housing, social and working conditions of African Americans and the poor.

We, at the time of Kings’ death had already processed in our young minds the murder of President John F. Kennedy, the murder of Malcolm X, the murder of Medgar Evers, the murders of Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman and James Chaney the civil rights workers in Mississippi and the horrific and cowardly terroristic Birmingham bombing that murdered Denise McNair, Addie Mae Collins, Carole Rosamond Robertson and Cynthia D. Morris Wesley, four young female members of the 16th street Baptist Church choir.

Violent death had become all too familiar and was a driving force behind Dr. King’s question ‘Where Do We Go from Here.’

After the passage and signing of the 1965 Voting rights Act, a bill some would credit for the establishment and growth of the Congressional Black Caucus and the subsequent election of America’s first president of African descent-president Barack Obama, Dr. King would write in the final book he authored –‘Where Do We God From Here-Community or Chaos’ of the massive mood shift and backlash that occurred in America. King wrote:

“A year later, some of the Negro leaders who had been present in Selma and at the capital ceremonies no longer held office in their organizations. They had been discarded to symbolize a radical change of tactics.

 A year later, the white backlash had become an emotional electoral issue in California, Maryland and elsewhere.

 In several southern states men long regarded as political clowns had become governors or only narrowly missed election, their magic achieved with a “witches” brew of bigotry, prejudice, half-truths and whole lies.

During the year, white and Negro civil rights workers have been murdered in several southern communities. The swift and easy acquittals that followed for the accused had shocked much of the nation but sent a wave of unabashed triumph through Southern segregationist circles. Many of us wept at the funeral services for the dead and for democracy.”

 I have often heard people say that History repeats itself and I am persuaded here to say -NO!!!—People repeat the mistakes of history. America and the world are certainly facing many significant and challenging decisions.

 While Dr. Kings’ question may or may not be top of mind in today’s public discourse regarding the future of our republic it yet remains a question that will undoubtedly be answered by the actions of those who can influence the direction of our country.

Dr. King was an abundant and audacious thinker who long before Jim Collins challenge to American companies to create BHAGS or what Collins called Big Hairy Audacious Goals.

Dr. King fifty plus years ago sought an end to racism, economic exploitation and unchecked militarism. Dr. King actually believed that mankind was intelligent enough to end wars. His belief in non-violent demonstration would extend to every area of conflict he confronted.

He had the audacity to research and report that world poverty could be erased if the wealthy would simply agree to get rich slower—that is to say if they would accept a six percent return instead of an eight percent return-poverty could be wiped out. Dr. King stated after a trip to India with Mrs. King that America did not have to spend millions of dollars to store away surplus food but rather that food could be stored in the stomachs of starving children around the world.

Dr. King was uniquely focused on how we as global neighbors, with America leading the way, could create a beloved community.

To be certain, it is clear some today are indeed focused on making our world a more humane society; the organizing principle around sustainable development, reduced poverty and shared prosperity is such an example.

However, we must all confront the reality that our 2017 headlines include, millions of people facing famine and food insecurity with expected increases up to one hundred million, terrorist attacks, civil wars and international skirmishes resulting from resource extractions and unchecked greed are occurring around the globe.

Leaders are releasing chemical gases and drone strikes on citizens while other leaders are seeking to remove healthcare and basic services from those who need it most.

We must confront the fact that fake news (Whole Lies) has become normalized as is the notion we are a divided country on track to remain divided. We must confront the reality that ‘One Nation-Under God-Indivisible with Liberty and Justice for All does is not reflective of our current environment.

Dr. King understood the challenges facing his generation and the generations to follow-yet he believed in the words of Thomas Paine who stated “We have the power to begin the world over again.”

Our nation in the past half century has yet to produce a gifted intellectual, compassionate orator and futuristic visionary on par with Dr. King and perhaps we will never see the likes of him embodied in a single individual again.

Nevertheless, in the same manner Dr. King made use of the wisdom that came before him we too can make use of his insight, his intellect and his inspiring words while working to answer the urgent question of Chaos or Community.

 

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?