Do You Ever Get A Second Chance To Make A First Impression?

When we hear of or see someone of another race, color, ethnic group, what is the first thought that comes to mind?

And where did those stereotypes come from?

The word current is described as that which is common, widespread or popular.  The common view of an Asian is no longer the irreverently bowing, physically smaller individual.  Today the Asian economies are second to none, China recently hosted what some have described as the finest Olympic Games, and Asians leads the world in mathematical sciences

There was a time when Latinos in America was viewed as Ricky Ricardo, or Scarface.  Today Latino’s are governors, mayors and supreme court justices. They are now known as God fearing, family oriented and hard working people.  And while there is still much work to do, they seem more than equal to the challenge.

A black man has ascended to the highest office in the land, yet he can’t seem to escape the current of racism, bigotry and hatred.

The current state of Black in America is that of abandoned mothers, imprisoned fathers, wayward son’s and hurt daughters.  And while we celebrate the Oprah’s, the Cosby’s and Johnson’s, these dilemmas are proof positive that no single individual can rise above the current condition of his or her people.

Currently, there is a new movie on tap, which is brought to life under the genius of Mr. Lee Daniels, supported by none other than the great Oprah Winfrey as well as Tyler Perry.  The movie, according to reviews, deals with the abuse of a young black woman, and the many trials of her young life.  While we must, forever thank the great Miss Winfrey for bringing these elements of black life to the consciousness of not just black people, but the world.  I couldn’t help but wonder do we ever get a second chance to make a first impression?  Most of the black women I know are strong, dignified, elegant, and dependable.  Strong women have held what remains of the black community together, they run our churches, schools and most homes.  And one can never underestimate the power behind the throne at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. When will their stories come to light? I couldn’t help but wonder, why I prefer the genius of Tyler Perry on display in movies like “Why did I get married”?

Then came the answer given by none other than Mr. Bill Cosby himself, black people are no longer unable to solve our own problems.  Black people need to take responsibility for our own destinies.  Black men need to be better fathers, black women better mothers, thereby producing betters children and families.  Self-improvement we are taught, is the basis of community development.

The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan recently reminded readers in the Final Call newspaper that “We must depend on Allah (God) and ourselves”.  In all of our churches, we sing songs of salvation, redemption and resurrection.  The television is filled with wonderful preachers of the gospel, who speak of the same.

As a child, I enjoyed watching the television program called interestingly enough “Good Times”.  However as I got older I reflected that times never did get good for the Evans family.  Each and every time they seem to be making progress, there was another problem, which they just could not seem to overcome.

The movie “Color Purple”, made its star Whoopi Goldberg, synonymous with pain and heartache, for her brilliant portrayal of Miss Celie.  In the current climate that theme is once again revisited, sadly there are far too many cases where this is all together real.  For as the great Bob Marley once spoke “it’s a world that forces lifelong insecurities”, but as the song says we are the survivors.

The great rapper Jay-Z recently said it is now time for the “Death of Auto-Tunes.” A Black man is in the White House, a black man is arguably the greatest golfer of all time, and black players make up the majority of all major professional sports. Two black women rule professional tennis, blacks have helped to make cities like Atlanta, Chicago and Charlotte world-class destinations.

Our young and gifted are constantly being challenged to produce the kind of art that would uplift and transform the children of the world, as they are their recognized leaders.  Meanwhile, they continue to say they are simply reflecting the realities that confront them each and every day.

The poet Maya Angelou says “And still I rise”, because regardless of the tremendous obstacles that present themselves each and every day, we are encouraged to look beyond our current circumstances and see “the promised land”.

Sadly, the reality that is the movie “Precious” is far too real in the lives of too many young women and men in today’s world.  The idea of the abuse of any child should be heartrending to any human being.

However as we work to change the dress, behavior and attitude of the children, we must use every avenue to uplift and encourage.  We must continue to challenge and accept the challenges to change, for change we must.

While abuse is a part of the story, there is more to the story, and the moral of the story must be focused on transformation, and renewal. Not just for a people, but a world in crisis.

-Bro Richard