The Wind Beneath My Wings
The task is daunting, as it complex and simple all in the same breath. How do get an underserved yet privileged, people to understand and to appreciate their role in today’s society. What are you rambling about this time, I can imagine some are saying. However, I cannot shake this thought that too many people take their rights and responsibilities for granted, yours truly included. I am specifically talking about how we take for granted the freedoms and privileges, that were fought for by the hero’s and she-ro’s of yester years.
How many of us can say that we always VOTE at election times? How many of us realize that people have laid down their lives so that you can get an education. Some men have fought wars for this country despite being viewed as less than human by many in her. When do the oppressed become satisfied with the status quo?. When do a people stop yearning to be free? This question is as relevant today as when it was stated a little differently years ago by Harriet Tubman. She was quoted as saying “I freed a thousand slaves I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves”.
How many of us can say that we are trying to live up to the dreams and aspirations that women like Ms. Tubman had for all of us, who may have been oppressed. I return to the other part of my opening statement when I indicated although being an underserved people (for those who are) we are in this day quite privileged as well. I really don’t know many who don’t have access to a cell phone or a computer in today’s age. However, how many of us use these technologies in advancement of causes and ideals that serve people other than themselves.
Imagine if we really would Google the earth, in hopes of finding the underserved farmers who needed a few pack of seeds, who when planting them could feed their family. We probably could find a box of seeds on the Internet quite cheap, mail and call foreign lands while riding on the subway to check its arrival, but do we? I am sure that there are many unsung hero’s who are doing the job of saving this world around us. However, I know that we don’t have the superstars of this type made to be our examples.
Unfortunately, we only seem to hear about the bad examples of Man’s actions or inaction’s in today’s day and age. We never hear about the true day to day heroes, or at least the ones I consider to be. They come in many shapes, forms and fashion. They are often their and you never really know it. I saw one of this day and age heroes this weekend on CSPAN. Tavis Smiley bought together some of Black Americas most thoughtful and activist individuals for the 2008 State of Black America Conference in New Orleans.
It was during this conference that I picked up the quote from Rev. Al Sharpton that Ms. Tubman made, which I further researched. I found the information being exchanged to be very insightful. However, the question going forward is what does the future hold from here? How do we improve Black America? White America? And every shade in between. I believe that we must remember that we all have some work to do.
