My 2 Cents Are Priceless: Looking Ahead

This piece was written for my US History Class. Got an A for this paper.

My mother arrived in this country on February 23, 1980 from the island of Haiti. And just like any immigrant who migrated to America in the past 200 years, she arrived here seeking an opportunity for a better life. The American Dream was, and is, a convincing selling point to citizens of other countries around the globe. Being no stranger to hard work & sacrifice, she felt in her heart, with an opportunity & the right tools, success & progression would inevitably find their way to the good fortune of her & her family.

5 years later, she was married, with two baby boys (my brother coming first in 1983 & me arriving in 1985). She went on to get her degree a few years later, and a well-paying job at a hospital, which provided security for herself & her family. As a child, I can recall her stressing the importance of getting an education, along with having a solid work ethic. She believed that those two things working together side by side equaled the formula of success for making it in America, especially for me & my brother as black boys who would eventually grow into black men.

The outlook for black people in America has always been optimistic in fantasy, while in reality, the situation was always a case of 2nd-class citizenship, permanent crisis & internal conflict created by outside forces. For the hip hop generation (urban youth who were born in 1964 or later), our outlook on our future in America all depends on how we press forward with our agenda as a community & put it to action. With the dominance of hip hop culture in the mainstream, along with the development of a cross racial, class, gender & social coalition within the culture, the future of this country rests squarely on our shoulders. I can willingly say that I’m ready to carry my share of the load. I can only speak for my generational peers who have displayed a sincere concern for the future of our country. I cannot speak on the behalf of the sheep that let mainstream dominance dictate their thoughts & actions. Only thing I can do is do my best to enlighten them on the importance of their individual role in shaping the future for our kids & grandkids, and hope they’re open-minded enough to learn how we all must work together today for a better tomorrow.

We have had the burden & privilege of growing up in a post-Civil Rights America, where the issues & events of the times are directly in front of us, ready to be discussed. The dialogue is constant amongst us, with no taboos in the closet. Everything is open for deliberation, with nothing being held back. I can’t say if this is any different from previous generations, however, the passion we approach these debates with are proudly worn on the sleeves of those who strongly believe in their freedom of speech. Sometimes, we let our emotions dictate our actions, which limit our effectiveness. Other times, we tend to put our train of thought in a closed box, with no way of escape. Yet, even thru all this, what lies beneath it all is an unwavering desire to progress forward. The ambition is there. However, the only things holding us back are our organization & individual mindset. In order for us to fulfill our destiny as a generation, there are a few responsibilities that we must hold ourselves accountable for.

The 1st responsibility should be for us to improve our financial decision-making & be more economically literate. If we do our homework & understand how our money works for us and our fellow taxpayers, and exercise financial responsibility, we’ll see the direction of this nation turn the corner for a new era of capitalism. 2nd should be for us to take more of a civic interest in local & city politics. Find out who you’re local congressman is. Know who is sitting on what boards in the community. Keep up with what they’re doing to make sure your voice is heard when they’re representing you on in the city council, the state capital or on Capitol Hill in Washington. The constituents we elect on the local level make up one branch of government (House of Representatives). They’re the foundation of our government & we’ve ignored them for too long. We’ve been more concerned with senators, mayors & governors, not realizing that from a grassroots level, we can control who’s speaking out on behalf of our interests. Change comes from the bottom-up, not from the top-down. President Obama’s movement was so grassroots, showing us the power of the people is still in heavy affect. Let’s take that energy from his presidential campaign & keep it within us to do our part on the local level. With time invested, determined individuals who can put aside their differences & work towards the same goal & patience, Change will not be a matter of “if”. It’ll be a matter of “when”.

Overall, my outlook on the future of this country is optimistic based on the potential of my generation. The reality leaves me much room for doubt, yet I feel as if I’d be letting down the future if I didn’t have something to believe in. No one ever said it would be easy, especially with all the “isms” in our society (racism, sexism, etc.). But once people understand that race, gender, religion & political preference are all vices used to distract us from coming together, I expect a steady change for the better.