Yes. Please... people of color, people of God, let's stop saying it’s the white man that's holding us back when we know it's not the truth. We are doing things to ourselves… the things that help us ruin ourselves. Here's my take on what makes us all better, especially in Rural Arkansas.
The Hussle (defined): Moving your program, product, agenda, and services to the market that gets you paid. Paid, being money, fame, satisfaction or whatever pleases your cause, purpose, motive, etc. Is this a good thing? Maybe yes, maybe no. Is this something you ran (or are running) a campaign to achieve? Now, is this a GOD thing? This is the question that must get the correct answer… EVERY TIME!
The Huddle: This is where the strategy of the coursework comes in to play. If this is a God idea/vision/dream, the question must be… “Is my Hussle going to match a strategy that compliments the ‘good of all’? No, not just the good of me, but ‘the good of all’. This is what pleases God and gets the results that can transform lives. And when we don’t… this is too often where the ball is fumbled, and the pass is intercepted. These are the mistakes that make the Hussle a sure loss for all the players. Getting the wisdom from studying the films, studying the Word of God is what we take into the huddle before we execute the play.
THE ONLY WAY TO WIN: Black Americans ‘must learn how to unite, and stop being divided.’ We are in too much competition and not enough complimenting. This simply means we must know how to work together on the same thing long enough until we see success and command success for generations to come. We MUST NOT PUT EGO BEFORE ECONOMICS. If not, sustainability will be rare, if ever!
One group starts a program, and the next group says I can do the same. Or they say… “I can do it better”. One of my main purposes for moving back to Arkansas and to Dumas is to ‘continue’ a work.
The problem so often is we only see the present moment. Rarely do we pause long enough, collaborate in any formal huddles/strategic planning that gets our vision clear and strong enough to endure the short-term and long-term testing requirements for success to be sustainable for the ‘good of all’.
Is this easy? NO! Is it possible? For sure.
The only way to win the respect, the amount of concentrated results, will be to unite and adhere to some strategic truths. If we are going to do it in the faith community, we must stop starting so many ‘churches’ and splitting them up to start another. Have we heard/applied…? ‘Let brotherly love continue.’ If we are going to do it with new startups, we must look at how to diversify and find something that’s missing in the market and see how to bring it forth. When existing programs are moving forward, seek to connect, partner, and build long-lasting initiatives and endeavors and for this post… if we are going to do it with institutions… get one started and add departments and leaders to expand it. Find the ones that do not exists, especially in small rural towns. Build on this!
This list continues until Black Americans can stop long enough to read and do as the word outlines in old testament to the prophet Habakkuk. Chapter 2. vs1 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. 2 And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. 3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. 4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up, is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
No blaming here, but a word first to me, and then to all who will read it and pray it forward. When we do so as outlined in biblical order… WE ALL WIN! www.justgod.today
