"No Excuses"

I just caught his O ness doing his thing at the NAACP gathering in New York, (I wonder how many more of those will be coming here in A-merry-ca? Happy 100th B-Day NAACP. Now if you could just become relevant again. Digression alert!)and I must say that I was impressed. Yeah it was Cosbyish in its tone, but a lot of what he said needed to be said. We needed to hear it from the President. I am glad he didn't go in there trying to talk policy and democratic talking points. That would have been be too much like preaching to the choir. Black folks don't want to hear politics and Washington inside baseball, they want their president to speak to them about issues that are personal to their community. On that front I thought he delivered. The "Amen Corner" was in full effect, so you know he was reaching them.

“There is no stronger weapon against inequality and no better path to opportunity than an education that can unlock a child’s God-given potential,”

Education education education. A black leader cannot stress that enough for me. That is now the number one civil rights issue as far as I am concerned. But around the issue of education are many other complex issues as well. Issues such as failing schools, crime, broken families, a failing justice system, and policies from Washington that makes it harder for certain communities to gain access to funding. His O ness didn't bite his tongue when he admonished black parents to do right by their children and make sure that they are being educated in the right way. He stressed that we must give them every chance to succeed, and that there must be "no excuses."

Of course, it's easy for those of us who were fortunate enough to be given the right opportunities and who were blessed to be raised in a black version of Mayberry R.F.D. to talk. I grew up in a family of four and three of them had PhD's. For me, there was no doubt that I was going to further my education, and I had parents and a sister who set great examples for me. I can't even begin to imagine how tough it must be for a single mother of three, for instance, to try and raise her children in inner city_____________[fill in the blank with any city you want.] It has to be tough. Your kid's father is dead, in jail, or just a dead-beat, and you are holding it down all by your lonesome. A million speeches by his O ness won't make it easier for that single mother struggling in the hood to cope with her circumstances. But policies from Washington that raises that minimum wage and allows her to afford proper health care will. Still, she has to try. That's why that speech was so important. She has to realize that one of her children could one day be the person behind that podium with the presidential seal giving that speech. Those single parents and community activists are our new MLK's. They are on the front lines of the civil rights struggle now. It's up to them; not the leaders we elect, or the folks who hold themselves up as our leaders, (see Rev. inc.) to take the lead in inspiring these kids out here.

Tomorrow morning I will be speaking to some kids at an elementary school in North Philadelphia. I think I will start by asking them if they heard the president's speech tonight. I know only a couple of hands will go up, and then I will ask the rest of the kids why they missed it. The various reasons they give me will be a great jumping off point for the rest of my discussion. A discussion, to me, that will be all too familiar.

BTW, I couldn't sign off tonight without hollering at my man racism, again. Looks like he isn't even running from me anymore. In fact, I think the SOB is starting to chase me. :)

"ATLANTA — Former U.S. Sen. Zell Miller criticized President Barack Obama's recent travels overseas, telling a group of mostly Republican lawmakers Thursday that the White House Chief of Staff needs to put "Gorilla Glue" on Obama's chair to keep him in the Oval Office.
"Our globe-trotting president needs to stop and take a break and quit gallivanting around..."

Oh Zell, shut up, you are just trying to get attention. And racism, you are way too slow, you will never catch me, not after that speech by his O ness. I am inspired!