This Is Only The Beginning..

As tears welled up in my eyes I weap not for the victory that has occurred last night, but for all the victories that have not occured thus far. Nat Turner fought and died for the right to be free, yet we live in metal slavery...and are happy about it. 24 hours changed the life of Frederick Douglass, from slave to freeman. He was a self-taught writer and orator, more eloquent than most, yet we refuse to read a book. Booker T. and W.E.B. debated, created, frustrated, and elevated a population to be self-educated (HBCU), motivated (NAACP), and creative...yet we refuse to recognize our own talents and to use them to uplift our own. Martin marched and Malcolm stood watch so that we could walk the streets and not be afraid, yet we are the reason no one walks out at night. The Huey P's and The Stokley's created programs to unity and uplift our people, yet our activist organizations are nothing but tea sipping social groups.

Since 1492, our lives as displaced Africans in America have gone through so many changes.The tides have changed as of November 4, 2008 11:01pm EST. But this accomplishment will be all for nothing, if we do not pick up our own torches and do for ourselves like we used to do. We must stop riding on the legacies of the organizations and institutions that we have become a part of and begin to create a new destiny for a new direction. Battles have been won, but the war is yet to be over. But a short time ago we were all screaming FREE THE JENA 6 (remember them??? Do we even know how that all played out???), so clearly there are still stains of injustice still creating ugliness on the fabric of American Life. This race is far from over, we have many laps left to go. But what are you going to do about it?

Are you going to remain in your various organizations being stagnant and a hurdle to progression? Are you going to pick up where Newton and Carmichael left off and give back to your community? Are you going to be like Du Bois and say it's about time for me to take my all? Are you going to do as King suggests and cash the check that America owes you? Are you going to be like Malcolm and do whatever is necessary BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY to secure a place for yourself, your children, and generations yet to come? What are you willing to sacrifce? No great movement has come without a price, some have lost their lives (Turner, King, el-Shabazz, Hampton, etc.), some have lost their livelihood (Assata), and many have been placed on the American Watchlist of Homeland Terrorist. What are you willing to sacrifice? Change is not for the week at heart. Change is not for the timid. Fear does not motivate change.

Fear brings about resistence to change. But Courage, which was experienced in the 2008 elections, and Faith bring about the Hope that will bring people together to create a change. So now that the dust has settled, and we finally after over 400 years of subhumane treatment, a Black man said YES I CAN...and ran and won the presidency of the United States of America; what do you plan on doing to make all his efforts not in vain? What are you going to do to commemorate the legacy that has been established? What ACTION are you going to take us all the way?

I am dedicating my life work to the cause...what are you going to do?