The problems that African-American face today are similar to the ones of 50 years ago. Median Black household income is well below the national average of U.S. Households. We are still fighting for our civil rights as the Black Americans of the 1950’s and 1960’s were. President Eisenhower signed the Civil Rights Act of 1957, the first civil rights legislation since Reconstruction. The negative stereotypes of Black People of today are more politically correct than the 1960’s, but they are still there. Any African-American organizations that express displeasure with the current state of affairs in the country are ravaged by the media. They are blamed by some people in law enforcement for a police officer’s death. Is this different from what the FBI did in the 1950’s? J. Edgar Hoover set up a counter-intelligence program to infiltrate and discredit civil rights groups.
Jay Harold in 1978. Full of hope and dreams. Searching for an opportunity.
It seems like there’s a war on Black Men today. How many positive things have you learned about Black Men lately? Marvin Gaye’s “Trouble Man” is just as relevant today as in 1972. While it seems like nothing has changed, in fact, many things have changed for the better.
Who knew that America would have a Black President in 2008? Robert Kennedy said, “There are those who look at things the way they are and ask why…I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?” Don’t let society’s problems stop you from achieving your goals.
“If you can dream it, you can achieve it.” was Jay Harold’s motto as a teenager in Texarkana, Arkansas in the mid to late 1970’s. Everything necessary for success was in place then as it is today. Plato said, “The beginning is the most important part of the work.”
Black Men, to reach your goals, you need to focus on the beginning. Jay Harold’s goal isn’t to get you to the top, but to keep you from losing hope and sinking to the bottom of the pit. Long range goals are great, but Jay Harold wants to help you get short term results. When life looks bleak, remember the poem “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley.
Everything starts with you! Your mental toughness will be tested severely. Disappointment will be a constant companion. Even when you do the things society expects of you, there’s no love for you. Earth, Wind and Fire’s “That’s The Way of The World” summarizes Jay Harold’s thoughts on the subject.
Be steadfast in your quest to reach your goals. Seek out people who can help you and don’t give up. Use your brain to find multiple paths to reach to your first short term goal. The experience you gained from the first step will be beneficial in the future.
Jay Harold realizes how difficult it can be for Black Men today. Jay Harold has and always will count on my fellow Black Men to find a way. How else could a Black male born in Atlanta, Texas have hope? Together we will reach the distant shore where your dreams live. Remember “The best way to escape from a problem is to solve it.” – Alan Saporta
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