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Table Of Contents
A Black Man’s Happiest Moment
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Black Men Awards
11yrs & Still Counting, Meet Xavier Vance Julian Lark, The Man, The Brand, The Mogul Legacy Of James Woods Black Pilots Matter Meadow’s Review
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The Black Man’s Gift Guide
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A Black Man’s Happiest Moment So often black men are wrongly profiled, treated less than, unrealistically feared and made out to be the villain and criminal of most situations. Where can they turn to just be happy and enjoy being a black man? What even makes the black man happy? Here is a unique insight to the Joy of the Black men. We asked black men what their happiest Black Boy Joy moment was, here are their answers. Click images for full article.
My greatest moment as a Black man is becoming the man I didn’t know existed. This feeling I have makes me want to be a better husband, father, friend, colleague, etc. I was not bad in those areas but I can always improve. And the drive to want to get better leads me to believe that everybody around me will benefit and get better also. My wife has shown me how to become a better man by allowing her to lead me in areas where I have shortcomings. I always thought I had to do this one way and that was me doing it. I had to learn the hard way, but now that I know better I do better. My wife gave my last name substance in generations to come and I wear that as a badge of honor. - John D Lewis
Becoming a father. Witnessing the woman I love deliver someone who looks like me helped me realize that the world is bigger than myself. Being a good father is the joy for me. My projects mean nothing. I’m talented but my talents are only there to provide for my family.
Fathering a child at 17 years of age and having full custody of my son when he was 3-months-old, the data says that it would have been more likely for us to be in prison at the same time than to both graduate from college. It’s with a great sense of pride that as a first generation college graduate, that I was able to lay the foundation for my son to achieve what he has in his life. When I spoke with my son, he said it was never his dream to play in the NFL. He reminded me of conversations we had growing up where we discussed using football to get a free education and contacts and to never let the game use him and he walked away from the game. This was a great moment for me because not only did we both make it, it reaffirmed to me that I was doing something right in this world. - Gerald A Moore Sr.
- Eric Dizzy
One of my Proudest moments , was being able to meet, experience and then get the 1st black female pilot in Texas, inducted into the Aviation Hall of Fame. - Kenneth Morris
Graduating from art school, with my mom in the audience, and her seeing my senior art show. - Chris Walker
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Dr Harry Robinson Ceo & Founder of African American Museum in Dallas. Tx Under his leadership, a new facility was built in 1984 as Fair Park in Dallas to house the collection. The collection includes African American decorative arts, and the carefully researched archaeological specimens of the Freedmen’s Cemetery Collection. Robinson has developed the African American Museum in Dallas into a nationally recognized destination for people from all over the world.
Quan Fish Launched Young Fathers Standing United in 2010, Unlocking his God Given purpose and passion to serve young fathers. To date Quan’s non-profit has serviced more than 3000 fathers and counting.
Shawn Blanchard Has been coin the Mentorship Specialist according to Forbes Magazine. As a result of his leadership and dedication to serving his community, Blanchard has been awarded the 2019 Terrie M. Williams National Author Award, President Barack Obama’s Volunteer Community Service Award, selected as an annual University of Michigan Emerging Leader, and awarded the Michigan Chronicle 40 Under 40 award to name a few awards and accolades. Due to his expertise with mentorship Blanchard was requested to deliver at TEDx Talk “The Science of Mentorship”. In sum, Shawn uses his life experiences to enable people to live life to the fullest with a winning perspective.
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Black Men awards
Shawn Dove William Malcom William Malcom is the founder of The Suit Project, which provides life skills mentoring, interview preparation and clothing to young men. In addition he started the Man of Style & Substance Scholarship Contest that awards scholarships to students based on their educational achievements and community activism.
Shawn Dove serves as the CEO of the Campaign for Black Male Achievement (CBMA), a national membership organization dedicated to ensuring the growth, sustainability and impact of leaders and organizations focused on improving the life outcomes of America’s Black men and boys. Started by the Open Society Foundations in 2008 as the nation’s largest philanthropic initiative on this issue, Dove’s stellar management has propelled CBMA into becoming an independent entity, growing its membership to more than 4,800 leaders representing over 2,600 organizations nation-wide.
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11 YEARS AND STILL COUNTING: XAVIER VANCE SPEAKS ON HIS JOURNEY SO FAR
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avier Vance is the CEO of Vance Events, a board member of Streeterville Chamber of Commerce and a successful entrepreneur. His hard work, dedication and perseverance have earned him the Small Business of the year Shining Star Award in the year 2018. Does that name sound familiar now? Resilient Innovations got you covered! We have moved steps further in getting him to talk about his “11 years and still counting” journey. We urge you – our esteemed readers to sit back and read along as your reading satisfaction is our pleasure. Briefly tell us about the journey that has led you to this point. I am a culinary chef. I have been a chef for about 11 years now, and I originally started off in the industry as an event planner and slowly migrated over to the art of food. I did my best in making people feel good about food and have those great feelings that food brings. While being an event planner, I owned a company called VANCE EVENTS. I did a lot of corporate, social and wedding events. I have always had a love for food and right out of the culinary school, I shifted over to a total full-blown catering one-stop-shop company.
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Of all lucrative careers, why food? I am a huge foodie. I have travelled the world just to eat amazing food. It is really my core passion and it is what drives me. When I entered my first semester at the culinary school, I knew that this is what I love to do. Also, the look on people’s faces when they eat my food brings me a high level of joy that event designing did not really give me. I knew at that point that this is what I really want to do and I am really good at it. Sometimes, when I am opening, people make remarks like “we cannot wait until we get some amazing macaroni and cheese in Chicago and we’re waiting on you”. That just gives me a few all that I need. When did your biggest motivation occur? It was actually doing the pandemic. Right before the pandemic, I was starting to kick off and go on full throttle as a caterer. I was doing a lot of corporate events – it was very straightforward and there were no real feedbacks. I started doing a lot of individual meals as well as giving away meals and a lot of my friends became my first responders. I started to do it and it was at that moment when people started replaced individual orders with me and replied under my comments on Instagram about how amazing my food, tagged me and the likes, that I was wowed. I was amazed that people really love my food. Have you taken the bold step in opening up your own restaurant? I have! It has been a very challenging but amazing journey. Opening up a restaurant especially doing COVID-19 is crazy already and I am still trying to find loopholes to make sure that I am hitting all of those targets. I am not leaving anything out and it has been crazy. I’m hoping to open later in the summer in Chicago. Do you agree with the message in the Disney movie RATATOUILLE; that anyone can cook? I do not agree with that! I went to culinary school but to be quite honest, a lot of my style and the way I season are from a family background. My family is originally from Memphis Tennessee and at reunions, we were always making different
cuisines. My experiences with friends also made me realize that cooking food, especially making soul food is something that is already embedded in you. I am not trying to play perfect here but that is my take on that part. Are there any tips for home chefs to get desired results in cooking? Absolutely! I recommend mixing seasonings that have sodium in them with some that do not have any sodium in them. That way, they will neither be overdoing nor underdoing the seasoning. Can we expect a seasoning line coming out of your brand? I would love to do something like that! I am very well known for a
lot of my homemade sauces. I make my Cajun Alfredo from scratch and people like it. I also make a lot of my gravy from scratch and people love it when I put it on anything so, I think that should be my next move. My restaurant is called Southern Ridge and one of my major focuses is my wine collection. I am considering soul food and my goal is to have amazing dishes paired with wine. When it
comes to soul food, most people go straight for the bourbon or the cocktail or the Hennessey but I am bringing something very different. I have a very deep love for amazing wine. I have travelled to Italy and I have distributors from California and Florence. After I have been well known my wine with great Southern dishes, my next move would be sauces, wholesale and then seasonings. What ignites the passion whenever you are cooking? When I start cooking, I try to arrange the pieces of the puzzle by adding colors to spice up my food. One of the things I learnt from culinary schools is to be big on presentations. I amaze myself by cooking in a way that I try to see the colors in the food I cook. And the essence is my desire to bring the food to life and make people feel good about food. What is the most creative moment in your culinary career? I think that goes back to the way I played. I noticed other chefs and what I try to do is to be big on presentations. For instance, I make Cajun cream sauce and mashed potatoes in an entirely unique way by loading the mashed potatoes with asparagus. I put three to four pieces of asparagus on top of the mashed potatoes, top it up with my Simon and that makes people wowed. I can say that my play in my presentation, the feeling I get when people eat it, the way it breaks apart when they start diving into it; all of that makes the most creative moment in my career.
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As a black man, when you won the Shining Star Award, what did you think it meant for you and your community? I won that award at Navy Pier and I sit in the board in the chamber of commerce. I am the only black person that is a part of the executive board and to be quite honest, it means a lot to me. I feel like I am breaking barriers in a way that fellow blacks can see that it is possible to go in. The award is very important to me also because I am young. This is because I am showing people of my culture that we can accomplish anything regardless of the age. My biggest plan is to bring this restaurant to the cul-
ture to show them that we can do something nice by ourselves. I want to show them that we can do fine dining within our own community in our own culture. What was the greatest influence in shaping you as a man and as an entrepreneur? To be honest, it is my mom! My mom pushes me to the limit by not letting me settle for anything less. My mom has always been a single parent and she has always made sure that she gives me the leg roll to do anything. Originally, my background is in banking. While I was in school, I was working as a banker as a tele-supervisor at PNC Bank. When I was ready to branch off into becoming an entrepreneur, the bank said they will make me a branch manager if I did not resign but my mom advised me to go out and do my own thing. She also advised me not to get trapped into something that I do not have the passion for and that has always been my driving force. With your achievements so far, what advice will you give to a young Xavier Vance? Honestly, this is a tough one. Sometimes, I feel scared, frustrated or moody but I still encourage myself by telling myself that I put it all in God’s Hands. To anyone who looks up to me, I am encouraging you to hope for the best and pray to come out strong. Be determined to do anything to get the best outcome in life and be ready to put it all on the line for what you want. As my mom would say, everything is always in its divine order and what is meant to be will be. So do not stress and just let it go. What do you want your legacy to be? I always wanted to leave behind a legacy where people can say my name with a lot of confidence; a legacy that people can be proud that I took chances and I decided to beat the odds and be different. I want to be known for bringing a different type of black excellence to the table and for bringing all my experiences together in creating opportunities. What do you do in loving yourself? This year, I have been reading the Bible very intensely. This is because, with all that went down last year, I realized that I needed to keep myself as sane as possible. Also, I am very big on therapy – I do therapy once a week. I face a lot of things in getting successful in what I do and that is why I see the need to work on my mental health more than anything.
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ATTENTION _ ATTENTION
IMAGINE changing the political connectivity of your community in just two weeks. For 4 hours on May 15th, come join BlackBirds.io, Inc. in the discussion about our Juneteenth for Technologists event. This "Ask Me Anything" event will be just that. Ask us why we are doing this event; why it is important; how do you win; or anything else on your mind. Stay for as long as you want. We can also go over the event registration and how teams will be formed. ATTENTION
ANNUAL Juneteenth programming for our community, providing education, motivation, and celebration of our African American history.
It has really been a very difficult job being a black man in this world. Also, I am a black gay man which is also another problem in the society so I try to do my best to really give amazing examples and show people the happy side of life despite everything that is going on. If a reversal happened, what industry would you go into other than food and events? At the beginning of my career, I went to Northern Illinois University with the thought of being a doctor – a pediatrician to be precise. If I could do it all over again, I would probably go back to that route because I love the aspect of helping people become better and I have always
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had a deep love for children. I would definitely be a doctor for sure. What is your favorite cuisine? I would definitely say Italian food. I love Italian food, I love pasta. There is something about it that is so good. But soul food is my number one. When you eat something some fried chicken and some greens that are cooked the right way, you will be on another level of life! Nevertheless, if I was to choose another, it would definitely be Italian. I love Italy and I cannot wait to go back. It is one of the places that I have travelled to and it is the number one place I have been to. I visited Rome, Florence and Pisa and it was an amazing experience. What should we be expecting from you in the future? I am working on a lot of different projects when it comes to expanding my culinary brand and one of the things I am working on is a reality show pilot. I would love it to be centered around on my restaurant opening and the process of opening the restaurant, my staff, showing the world how to manage and run this upscale Southern Restaurant. I would also love to get some of my food into grocery stores. On seasonings, I would love to do a cookbook. You can expect a lot of different exciting things coming out of Vance Events, Xavier Vance, the whole Vance and Southern Ridge brand. How do you think the community can support you? Firstly, my wine collection is going to be available for people to purchase all over the US. Also, everyone can follow me on Instagram at Xavier Vance and be able to see when the southern Ridgeline collection goes live. My restaurant will be opened and everyone can come and visit. I am hoping it becomes one of those focal points for the culture when people travel to Chicago. I hope it becomes one of the well-known restaurants.
Terrell Arts DC is a family business led by husbandand-wife team, James and Zsudayka Terrell. The Terrell’s are fine artists who use their work to create unique Afrocentric designs and textiles for home décor and fashion. Our premium throw pillows come in 3 sizes and change designs every year to add glorious pops of color to any home. The textiles reflect the richness of Black American culture and art and are a statement piece for Afro bohemian styled households. TerrellArtsDC.com IG @zsudayka
Julian Lark, The Man, The Brand, The Mogul
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ulian Rashard Lark, started waiting tables at a restaurant straight out of Fashion school. All the while designing clothes and trying to find a solid entry point into the industry and begin his life; one would say he had a lot on his plate. As he sat down in the booth on his lunch break, Julian decided “I’m done asking for help and being ignored.” Sending email after email and essentially being left on read every time, Julian says to himself “ I am going to start my own
magazine.” However his decision wasn’t set on the premise of showcasing his own designs and creations, Julian looked around him, and saw all the raw talent that was going unnoticed and ignored just like his and showcased that. Essentially providing and paving away for innovators and creatives alike, to gain recognition and get noticed in the industry.
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Q&A
“Not being given the opportunity, I created one, and it was the best thing I ever did.”
When did you know “I have arrived and I Am not leaving”
Starting the Kontrol Magazine
Him: Getting hired by Anita Baker. They found me on instagram, after seeing the work I did with Lynn Whitefield and was trying to find out who the stylist was, which was me of course. They wanted me to style Anita Baker for the BET Awards where she was accepting the Lifetime Achievement Award. That was the moment I knew that anything I wanted to do, I could do and I was “That Man!” No Need to downplay who I am and the work I do anymore, so I gave myself a pat on the back.
Originally deciding to make and style all the clothes and just have people wear and rock them seemed like the gold mine idea, but after the 2nd issue dropped, quickly realizing, this is a lot! Spending literally 24hrs sewing clothes in his room, Julian knew that this was not a sustainable model and a change needed to happen. Consulting his husband at the time, about becoming a full time stylist and literally giving away the sewing machine plus fabric. While strategically laying the foundation of Kontrol magazine with the number one rule of “If you want to shoot with the magazine you have to be styled by me.” Building not only his brand credibility but also his portfolio of being a talented stylist. Which positioned Julian to gain the majority of his clients through the Kontrol Magazine.
Sweetest memory you have in your career
12 years later Kontrol Magazine celebrates turning 12 years old this year. With 12 symbolizing the number of perfection, Kontrol’s 12 year had a seemingly imperfect start, which has delayed their official 12year celebration. So unofficially, officially May will be their grand 12 year celebration roll out. However, like every preteen in the world, with age comes wisdom and being the only black owned fashion 1st magazine for this long, has come with its fair share of bumps, bruises, scrapes and scratches. Leading to the philosophy to “stop asking permission, just build it and they will come.” Spoken like a true innovator. “These past 12 years have been good, but they could have been better, and that just means I need and will be leveling up on myself to be better.” 12 yrs means that there is nothing he cannot do. 12 years means that when he ignored the world continuously telling him that what he was doing wouldn’t work, he made the right decision by blocking that negative energy. 12 years means that Julian lark continues to move based on his intuition, discernment and his own journey. Not many people, let alone businesses can say they saw and surpassed year 12, this is a feat worth celebrating and commemorating. Becoming a Force in the industry At some point we all want to be “That” person. The person who is a force in their industry; when they speak, the room is silent and it’s as if the world has stopped.
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A force is in constant motion, never stagnant, never stuck but continuously moving forward. Unfortunately few know how to become and continue to be a force to be reckoned with. Julian Lark is what we consider a force in the industry. From the beginning of his career, stale and complacent are never words used to describe Julian or his work. “ I never wanted to be who people told me I should be.” He is able to give something new with every look, innovate and inspire others through his own creativity. Every force is not the same, as they shouldn’t be, but the one thing that the force of Julian Lark had, is that he does not and will not follow trends. Julian’s pieces are timeless. No matter the decade you are in, if you see his work, it will still resonate with the time. That is a force that is constant motion. For the record, trendy, does not get you to the Emmys or Grammy’s being timeless does. “I remember styling my client for the red carpet and the day of the televised event they said my client couldn’t walk. I let her publicist know that this gown says that she’s walking the red carpet. When she got out of the car, that’s exactly what she did.”
Him: I am a true believer that a closed mouth doesnt get fed. There was an opportunity as a stylist, and you know it can be hard to get into certain parts of the industry and I wanted to get into television but I had know clue what to do or how to do it. I remember having a conversation with a good friend talking about how I wanted to get into television, not even knowing that she was getting ready to shoot a pilot and made me a part of that pilot. Knowing nothing about wardrobe styling or how to do it, I called up Melinda Williams from soul food and she literally walked me through what needed to be done and not done. It was at that moment I realized it’s not about not asking for help it’s about ensuring that you are surrounding yourself with people who you can learn from and then turn around and help someone else. Whats Next For Julian Lark Him: I am transitioning out of styling this year. Starting in May I will be launching the Julian Rashard Group which is a branding and media company that builds websites, marketing materials, logos, videos and stylings for small brands to provide them the opportunity to level up. If you are starting your business, we literally help you from the ground up and get you to a luxury level. I am also getting ready to launch my makeup line Revel by Julian Lark. Julian Lark True Or False Quiz: T or F Julian is a virgo T or F Julian’s love language is physical touch T or F Julian Called his Dad when he 1st saw Brandy T or F Julian was star struck meeting Kimora Lee Simones T or F Julian starts his morning with Gospel Music T or F Julian still is dangerous with a thread and needle.
JUNETEENTH is a day to be remembered, when African Americans were finally liberated from slavery in 1865, years after the Civil War ended. Join the celebration with an evening of painting. Get step by step instruction to create a beautiful canvas painting that celebrates giants in African American history. Enjoy curated music, learn, and create a memento of this joyous day.
AS THE CITY of Winter Haven expands its efforts to enhance diversity and inclusion, it is our goal to provide meaningful interactions that improve community relations, encourage collaboration, and bring forth a sense of pride. This observance of the emancipation of slaves in the United States will be focused on education, the arts, supporting local business, and unification. Utilizing the many nonprofits and local educational institutions within Polk County, the festival will promote and provide an abundance of education and health resources. By strategically infusing the visual and performing arts, this event will enhance each attendees’ understanding of African American Culture. The City’s goal is to provide fun and safe activities, community awards, contests, and games while enjoying influential jazz and r&b musical acts.
THE 2021 Juneteenth Music Festival invites all to join, online, for a positive, educational and entertaining day celebrating African American history and the mission to make Juneteenth a national holiday. The goal of the 2021 Juneteenth Music Festival is to educate the larger population about the important American milestone that is Juneteenth and generate awareness to make Juneteenth a national holiday.
WE recognize and honor the importance of Juneteenth with this presentation of Black music mixed live from the great altar by Oakland-based DJ Nina SOL. Nina’s curated selection of gospel, R&B, jazz, Afro-Caribbean and other celebratory sounds pay homage to artists and musicians who have helped to shape American music.
The Legacy of James Woods BY ANTHONY CHILES
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rian puts his hand on the sun bleached wood gate that leads to the front yard of his childhood home. He looks at the house and realizes it was ten years to the day that he left for Chicago and he hadn’t been back since. On the day of his departure, Brian’s father, James, told him to not wreck the car. That was it. No mention of being proud of him for successfully graduating from college. No acknowledgment of him leaving to start a life of his own. No I love you. Just a demand to not wreck the car. And on that day, Brian resolved to not look back. He held onto that resolve for years despite his mother’s desperate attempts through phone calls and texts and emails to connect him with his father. A month ago, his resolve wavered. His fiancée informed him that she was pregnant and Brian considered reaching out to his dad. He wanted to know what to expect as a father. He wanted to know if his dad was ever proud of him. He wanted to ask his father why he never heard him say the words, ‘I love you’. That was until his mom called a week ago, and his opportunity for reconciliation evaporated. A cold breeze brings Brian back to the present and he releases his grip on the gate. The emotional drain of the service and burial left him empty and the thought of talking to anyone else felt overwhelming. He decides he’ll check in on his mom tomorrow. As he walks away, he notices the handprint he left on the sidewalk as a child. He remembers at the time being scared that it would get stuck and laughs at his younger self. He thinks of his first child on the way and looks forward to doing something similar together.
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“Brian!,” his mom calls for him from the porch as he stares at the ground, “what in the world are you doing out here? Come say hi to everyone.” She makes her way to him, sees his vexed expression, and wraps him in her arms. The two embrace as the brisk autumn air flows over them. She shivers. “Get back inside mom. I’ll come by and see you tomorrow. I’m going to be here a few days to help you get things in order, so you’ll have plenty of time to see me.” “What about the rest of your family? You haven’t talked to them in years. Your cousin, Butter, was just asking about you.” “Jimmy is here? I didn’t see him at the funeral.” “You know that boy just came to get something to eat. Talkin’ about he don’t do funerals, but he wanted to see everyone.” Brian shakes his head and grins, “he hasn’t changed one bit.” “Not an ounce. But he’s family and he wants to see you. You don’t have to stay long, just say hey.” Brian nods and walks his mom back to the house with his arm wrapped around her shoulder to keep her warm. The door opens and Brian hears the chatter from all directions and feels the weight of a dozen eyes on him. His mom squeezes his hand, kisses him on the cheek, and leaves him at the doorway. He squirms at the idea of a crowd of people sharing their condolences. “What up cousin?!” Brian turns to see his cousin approaching with a full plate in his left hand and a chicken wing in his right. Jimmy bites the wing as he approaches. A whiff of collard greens hits Brian’s nose and he remembers he hadn’t eaten all day. “What’s going on Jimmy? It’s good to see you. You’re looking healthy,” says Brian. “You mean fat,” says Jimmy while chewing on the wing, “Paula keeps telling me I need to start working out, but she’s trying to get her bakery business going so it’s always cakes and pies in the house and who else is going to be her taste tester. I’m sacrificing my figure for her.”
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“Let me guess, she made that plate for you too.” “Naw, she had to work and couldn’t make it, but I couldn’t turn down Alice’s catering. Come on in this kitchen and get you some before I eat it all. You need to get some meat on your bones. You still runnin’?” Jimmy and Brian chat as they walk to the kitchen. Brian grabs a plate, and makes his way to the warming trays aligned on the counter. He fixes his plate and instinctively grabs a hexagon shaped drinking glass from the same cabinet it has been in since his childhood. He looks around the kitchen and realizes not much has changed. As his eyes scan the rest of the house, he sees an unexpected yet familiar face in the living room. Brian puts his plate in the refrigerator and walks over to the thin black man in a tailored black suit with a perfectly trimmed salt and pepper fade and beard. “Mr. Macky?” “Brian,” the two hug, “It’s so good to see you. I saw you at the service, but couldn’t get to you before you left. I was hoping I would see you here.” “Mr. Macky what are you doing here?” “I appreciate the respect, but I prefer Daren. Besides, I’m not your boss anymore. So, James never told you?” asks Daren. Brian looks at him bewildered. Daren continues with the story. “Your father and I met shortly after you were born when he had his shoe station in the barbershop off Lincoln. I was in the shop one day talking about this promotion I just got at work and how I was about
to get a new car, and a bunch of other crap. Your dad said you need to take that money and invest in yourself. That cut me deep. I went home that night, wrote down a few ideas I had, and one of them was the idea for my company.” “I’m sorry. My dad inspired you to create one of the largest IT companies in the country,” says Brian. “Yeah, which is why when you left college and moved to Chicago, he called me and asked that I consider you for a position and I didn’t hesitate to give it to you. Your dad was a good man and I owe him tremendously.” Brian hears his mom call him from the living room, “Brian, come say hi to your aunt May.” Brian looks over at his mom and aunt standing side by side, then looks back toward Daren. “Go on,” Daren says, placing his hand on Brian’s shoulder, “I’ll say goodbye before I go.” Brain walks onto the creaky Living Room floor to his aunt. “The older you get, the more you look like my
brother,” says May as she rubs Brian’s face. Tears flow from her eyes while he embraces his aunt. Half a minute later, she releases her nephew, kisses him on the cheek, and walks away. Brian looks around for Daren, but doesn’t see him. He turns to his mom as she adjusts the pillows on the couch. “Mom, why didn’t you tell me dad knew Darren?” “Who?” “Darren Macky, he is the CEO of the first company I went to work for when I moved to Chicago.” “Your dad met a lot of people. I couldn’t keep track. To be honest, half of the faces I saw today I didn’t recognize, but your dad must have touched them in some way which is a blessing.” “Dad told him to hire me. That was my first job out of college and dad never even mentioned it. I didn’t even have a chance to thank him.” Brian holds back tears by biting his lower lip. “Your father didn’t always know what to say,” his mom explains, “but he loved you in his own way.” Daren walks into the living room, “Brian, it was so good seeing you. I wish it would have been under better circumstances.” “Thank you for coming,” says Brian. “Before I go, I want to finish telling you about what your father did for me. Not only did he tell me to invest in myself, he also invested in my company. He gave me five hundred dollars so that I could cover my fees to register with the state and some other upfront costs.” Brian’s mom blurted out, “he gave you five hundred dollars, he didn’t tell me that,” she shakes her head, “that’s my husband.” “He didn’t just give me the money Mrs. Woods, it was an investment. In exchange for the five hundred dollars he received a one percent stake in my company.” “Wait,” Brian interrupted, “you’re saying that right now, she has a one percent stake in Macky Incorporated?” “If he didn’t sell his shares, then yes,” Daren looks at his watch, “I wish I could talk more, but I have to run. Here’s my card. If I can help in any way,
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just call me.” Daren hugs Brian and his mom and walks out the door. Brian’s mom looks at her son who stares at the business card in his hand, “Baby, can you please explain what you two were just talking about.”
both her hands over her mouth. He looks down at the statement, “Why was he still shining shoes? Why didn’t you guys move?” “I don’t know. He would ask me all the
meantime, think about what island you want to move to,” Brain says with a smile. He puts the documents back in the folder and opens the drawer. Towards the back of the drawer, he sees
“Mom,” Brian places his hands gently on both her shoulders, “Where did dad keep his files?” “In the office, your old room.” Brian jogs toward the stairs and ascends them two at a time. He makes a left down the hall and opens the door to his old bedroom. The shock of what he sees stops him at the entry. All of his medals he won in track hang on the wall to his left with framed newspaper clippings from various meets from high school and college between the medals. On the other walls are pictures from prom, graduation, and photos of him and his fiancée. Brian walks into the room and takes in the memorabilia of him that his father collected. He turns to the wood desk underneath the window and grabs a framed photo of his dad holding him as a baby. On the corner of the photo, Proverbs 13:22 is handwritten in black ink. He looks up to see his mom standing in the doorway. Brian looks back at the photo of his dad holding him and points to the verse, “do you know this verse?”
a folder labeled, ‘To Brian’. He picks up the folder and opens it. Inside are a series of unfinished, handwritten letters from his dad addressed to him. The collection was filled with half pages and quarter pages of notes. Brain picks up one and read it to himself.
She nods, “I do. It says that a good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.” Brian nods then starts to look through his dad’s files. The desk drawers are meticulously organized with labeled manila folders. Brian finds the folder labeled investments. He places it on the desk. He pulls out the latest brokerage statement and carefully reviews the third page which lists his dad’s holdings. In the middle of the page, a single line item shows one hundred sixty seven thousand shares of Macky Incorporated. He yanks his phone out of his pocket and looks up the value of the Macky Incorporated stock. He drops the phone onto the desk. His mom shakes him, “how much is it?” “Just over eight million dollars.” She steps away from Brian and places
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time if I wanted to move somewhere else,” his mom utters with a shaky voice, “and I would tell him I loved it here. And he’d leave it at that. I would ask him all the time when he was going to retire and he’d always say never because he was doing what he loved. But Jesus, if I had known we had all this money...” His mom takes a seat on the bed. Brian reaches over to rub her knee. “I’ll call the broker on Monday and figure out what we can do next. In the
Son, I want you to know that I appreciate you. I love you. I’m proud of you. I hope you’ll find a way to be a better father than me. A more caring father. A father in touch with his feelings. I pray you learn the lessons I never learnedBrain’s mom interrupts, “what’s that?” Brain folds the paper and puts it in his pocket before turning to his mom, “it’s what I needed.”
The Remarkable Story Of Jamal Wilson Ultimate
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Tell us about the journey that led you to this point. That is an expensive question! I was originally into real estate mortgages and title business, went through the 2008 recession all the way through 2011 to 2012. I ended up selling my company to a local credit union in 2013. I also spent two years with my two young boys and after a year and a half of doing that, I realized that I missed creating something and working with people and building towards something great. So I told all my family and friends that I sold my company for a certain amount of money and I do not care what the industry is, I just want to work with people I like and do something fun. My cousin actually initiated the idea of food hall after watching a food hall explosion on CBS News. I obviously had no experience in restaurants other than being a customer. As a result, I spent six months travelling all over the country visiting available food halls. What I realized was that the diversity of food was great but the service experience was terrible. That was when I thought that the best restaurant concept in the world would be one with diversity of food but at the same restaurant experience with full service. We are able to do it and it has been a great experience so far. When thinking of food halls, what should any customer be expecting to experience?
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o many successes have been recorded in the diary of Jamal Wilson, the brain behind the popular restaurant; The Hall on Franklin. He is a well-known developer with incredible inventions to his name. Being a father of two sons, he dedicated two years to spending time with them at the expense of losing precious ‘business’ time – what a fatherly figure! The mastermind behind the amazing development, being an approachable figure, has talked a lot about his journey in achieving his goal in the food industry as well as real estates.
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Our customers are prone to experiencing the best restaurant service they can ever wish for. When you walk in, you are greeted by a host. The host will explain a little bit of our concept, make you feel comfortable, and then escort you to your table. Once at the table, our servers will take your order from one comprehensive menu for all nine concepts. Then our food runner makes sure that your order is exactly what it needs to be and then brings it to your table. We also make our services diversified so it is not that you just eat one type of cuisine. You are able to experience other items from every restaurant so your entire table can be filled with restaurants from nine different concepts. You do not need to interrupt your experience to run up to a vendor and try to get one more item. You can also order a second or third of something that you like. It allows people to be able to spend more time enjoying each other’s company. I think it is a lazy way to serve your guests. Have you always had your eye and interest on the real estate industry or do you go out and source the restaurants first before buying the actual audit? The way it typically works out is that we
find the real estate first and we survey the area. We try to recognize the density. We try to recognize the taste of the community in the area. We then try to reach out to some local chefs because we always want to have local chefs representing their community, giving someone an opportunity like never before. We then say a third of our costs are local, a third of our concepts are of people that we've worked with in the past, chefs that have been great in one of our other locations and want to branch out further. And the final third is we are looking for new, fresh faces. One of the cool things that we are able to do is that we have a financing arm and we are able to finance an entire vendor into our hall for free. Basically, you can walk in with just your experience and your skill, not without having to have money in your pocket, because, a lot of chefs have worked somewhere for ten, fifteen years and they have not been able to put together the amount of money to open up a restaurant, which is typically at least anywhere between four hundred thousand to a million dollars and build up. So with us, we will finance your build out and your equipment. You can walk in and you can start making money from day one. About the financing, we do not put a noose around your neck. If it does not work out, you can leave. You do not have a big loan on your back. You can walk away scot free. One of my tenements is that I only want to work with people I like and people that want to work with me. If the experience does not work out, it does not make you a bad person. I also do not want
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to be detrimental to your future. I want you to have a free walk to be able to do whatever you want to do. We just want people that are interested in what we are doing and want to push our concept forward. How do you choose the new, fresh faces that work with you? We have had a competition before which we put on social media and said that anyone that is looking for an opportunity can come to us. We had a huge response that we actually picked a winner. She is doing a Cuban cuisine concept in Atlanta. And, yes, we move forward and that is kind of evolved. I think it lends itself to be in a reality show, being able to give people these opportunities. Why do people not talk so much about this industry that you are in? I guess why people do not talk about this industry is that you are like a chef that opens his first restaurant. He has probably had to leverage somewhere between 50 and 80 percent of his equity in order to open this restaurant. He opens this restaurant and is excited to have his name on a building and actually show people what he is able to create. And then at the end of the year, you realize that he is not making much money because all of the investors are taking the bulk of the money. So when you build something, like I have been fortunate to build a restaurant or even a business, you realize how important it is to retain your equity and the blood, sweat and tears it takes to be able
to create something from scratch. What do you think is the most difficult thing in life? Turning an idea into a physical manifestation is probably one of the most difficult things in the world. So knowing that for me, I realize what the chefs are going through, what they just wanted to be able to create all their lives and they get this opportunity which really falls flat because even if it is successful, they are not what they really want to be. So my entire idea was how can we go out and give people that do not have an opportunity a great opportunity? For me, it is great to give people that do not have an opportunity a chance to come in because they have been working on concepts all their lives. What do you mean by “chefs are artists”? It is kind of like when you hear artists saying “I have been working on my first album my entire life”. Chefs are artists! They have been working on their concept their entire life. And for them to bring it to life is great for us. What do you do if the chefs feel that your concept does not work out for them? If it does not work and they leave, we have plenty of chefs that want to come in and have that opportunity. So why strangle them with this huge loan? Let them go on. Let them move forward if it does not work. But if it does work, then they have the opportunity to grow with us. They have the opportunity to open up in future food halls and turn a concept that is may-
be netting two or three hundred thousand dollars a year. Then they have their own businesses, their own restaurants, and they have a million dollars in net profit as well as their companies. I believe there is nothing wrong with helping people and helping yourself in the same conversation. We are very committed to that idea. How do you assist the artists (chefs) in being more sensitive to their art? The restaurant industry is extremely hard – you cook, you manage labor, you control finances, and you work on very small margins. So seeing chefs that have been cooking for years does not necessarily mean that they have gained those other skills of managing labor and balance sheets. By working with us in the food hall, we take all of that off your plate. We manage labor, we have CPAs on staff, our technology and POS system is able to designate who gets what when it comes to the way the money is distributed. Not only will you be able to make money, but also to do what you love. What we want is for you to do what you do best, and that is, be an artist, be a chef and create something that people love. How has fatherhood shaped you as an entrepreneur from the start to potentially going forward? To answer that question, I probably have to take it back to my parents. All my life, I have been willing to take risks. They have always pushed me forward. I didn't come from a rich family but my parents worked very hard. Being an only child, they were able to afford to put me to private school and those sacrifices gave me different opportunities. Also, I have always had this innate willingness to take risks, push things forward and try to do something which I would consider incredible or great. My children also motivate me. Yeah, I have always been a risk taker and I have never had fear in my life until I had kids. Kids are great motivators and I am fearful of being able to not only provide for them, but also being able to be there for them
and give them everything that they need. That's my greatest responsibility in life – to be able to provide and give my kids more than what my parents gave me. They definitely push me because I want greatness for them and I want them to have every opportunity in front of them. Also, selfishly, I want to be a great dad and I want them to be able to look at me and say ‘dad accomplished certain things’. I do not necessarily want them to be in my business, but I want them to know that if things do not work out, this business is here to be a trampoline for them to jump back into whatever game or whatever life goal they have. It did not start with me. It started with my parents and hopefully, it will not end with me. It will move on to my children and their children. You could be talking about Carnegie Mellon, the Rockefellers and the JP Morgan’s but there is always that one person that was willing to risk it all to give their family that opportunity to create generational wealth. And if that is me, that would be great and I have no problem being that person that is willing to risk it. At which point of your life have you embarked on travels alone; leaving family behind? Although we were not rich, my parents were able to send me to family in Jamaica every year by myself. We couldn't afford to go all as the family every time because obviously that would be three plane tick-
ets. My parents also sent me to family in Holland when I was 9 years old for three months. My parents sent me to England when I was 11 for three months during the summer to stay with family because they wanted me to have those experiences that they did not have when they were kids. That way, I have always been kind of independent because of the colonel in the sea that my parents put in me. And I think that is very beneficial. What do you want your legacy to be? I know this only because I have been spending a lot of time during COVID-19; remodeling who we are as a business and now I know what I want. I want people to be able to say Jamal achieved greatness with kindness. I value kindness more than anything else in this world at this point of time in my life. I think I got that from my mom. When I was young, I was like, “Mom, why are you doing this for this person?” and she was like, “I'm not doing it for me, I'm doing it for you. You know, maybe this kindness that I do will fall back on you. It is never for me”. One of the four tenements in our business is BE KIND, LEAD KIND, SERVE KIND. If anyone is speaking about me, I hope that they would say “Jamal did it, worked hard at it, he went for it and was willing to sacrifice whatever but he did it with kindness in his heart and was kind to those around him”. If someone speaks of me in those terms, I am absolutely good with that.
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WITH over 155 years of this anticipated commemoration in Brooklyn NY, our 12th Annual Juneteenth family fun day gathers 5,000+ attendees locally to the NYC community to enjoy a vibrant day of rich culture through music, dance, poetry, skits, history, vendors, and families. This year we have turned our one day event into a 3 day summit starting on June 18 and running through to June 20th, 2021. This year is shaping up to be like no other with a weekend Summit celebration that starts on Friday with professionals and residents talking about Health and Wellness; Saturday our hybrid virtual / In-person festival and ends highlighting aspiring youth entrepreneurs on Sunday at our Juneteenth Pomp.
WELL in light of celebrating us and how far we've come we want to return with our oh so fun, trivia night. Juneteenth a chance to shine a light on our dopeness, our badassness, and we want to do that with you. Join us for a night of fun, laughs, games and more. If you win, you just might get a prize! Forward this to a friend in need of a pick me up. Unplug for a little while. Restore your batteries. Let's celebrate how beautiful, talented, amazing, intellectual, we are together. Our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and ancestors are already smiling. Let's give them something else to be proud of. Bring a drank! Get cute boo if you need an excuse. And catch us on the inside.
Black Pilots Matter, The Kenneth Morris Story Ultimate
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enneth Morris being the oldest of 7 and the only boy, originally from 5th Ward Houston Tx. Growing up in a rough environment, something to the likes of New Jack City, Kenneth used the military as way to circumvent any potential mis happenings of the highly exploited story line and origin story of “The Black Man escaping the ghetto.” Contrary to Hollywood's belief, Black men like Kenneth can come from loving homes and have an actual childhood. But we digress. “Go Be a Cook or Something.” By going into the military, that became the 1st experience Kenneth had on a plane as well as the 1st time being outside of Houston. Being able to get into aviation, because he scored so high on the entrance exam, despite coming from a low GPA in high school career, Kenneth was actually suspected of cheating and had to take the test over again, where he then scored even higher on the exam. For
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readers at home, that’s what we like to call Black excellence. Even after qualifying to go into aviation, Kenneth was still recommended to go into a different field or even become a cook. Can you believe that? Putting that bad career advice aside, Kenneth chose to go into aviation, knowing that 80% of people fail out or cannot complete it. Oh, but Kenneth was not in that number, he completed all the requirements and was able to fly and see many places all over the world. “The most rewarding part is be able to give back and help young people explore the industry and get exposed to it. ” Never growing up seeing black or Hispanic pilots, aviation was never even on Kenneths radar. Aviation essentially chose him, and he hasn’t looked back since. But he has been able to make an impact in the city of Houston by simply bringing awareness to the next generation that aviation is not only possible but accessible.
“One of my Proudest moments, was being able to meet, experience and then get the 1st black female pilot in Texas, inducted into the Aviation Hall of Fame.” Azelia White passed away at 106yrs old. She was the first black woman to get her pilots license in the state of Texas in 1946. While going to get a haircut, Kenneth’s barber of 15 years points out a family across the street that he believed to be in aviation also but of an older generation and definitely retired. Of course, suggesting that Kenneth go over and have a chat with the family and see just meet someone else in the community. After 3 or 4 attempt to catch the family at a good time he finally was able to be let inside, since he clearly wasn’t a reporter and meant Mrs. White no harm, he was granted access to priceless and unimaginable insight on the history of aviation through the eyes of Mrs. Azelia White herself. Being so grateful for the experience but also a bit upset that she wasn’t being recognized for her achievements or even celebrated for paving the way for literally everyone else. Kenneth was able to work with Aviation Hall of Fame for Texas and get Mrs. White an interview with his CO a 3-star general and even he was blown away from her story. This all resulted in her being accepted and inducted into the Aviation Hall of Fame of Texas that same year. The true definition of community and giving someone their roses while they are still with us. Still to this day she is still the only black one to be inducted into the Aviation Hall of fame outside of Betsy Coleman. What do you think about the increase in our community traveling more and further away from home? Him: Black travel movement has really helped people's perspectives on life. Being subjected to only what you see on social media and what you hear on the news, you are missing out on what life is truly about. As a pilot my only request is for the community to utilize gojetit.com which is a black owned private jet company. Fun fact: There are only 2 black people that are in the CEO position in the entire industry. My friend Glenn Gonzales, the CEO of Gojetit.com, who is also from Houston and the second is the president from United airlines. So, when you think about that next group trip, know that there are black pilot entrepreneurs that you can support and experience quality.
We will essentially have more planes that we have pilots. To be honest, we are already at the beginning of a pilot shortage. So yes, there is definitely space in the industry for us, but the first hurdle is seeing pilots that look like us. Contrary to belief, flying a plane is a lot easier than it seems, you just need training. Which is why I everything I learned; I have brought back to Houston to teach the kids in my organization. Why should the community aspire to be in the aviation industry? Growing up, in predominately black neighborhoods, you are starved of exposure besides sports, entertainment and music. That what you are around and practice the most you, you do the best. The lack of awareness is what prevents us from pursuing these careers. But once they know that its obtainable then, its just a matter of why not? Besides the money, meeting celebrity after celebrity, the exposure to different cultures and people and the understanding that you gain from it, is worth all the riches in the world. Just so we are clear, it's not just about being a pilot, you can be a pilot's attorneys, airline cooks, airplane mechanic, air dispatcher and so much more with in the aviation industry. The real problem is that once people make it, they don’t send the elevator down for others. Talking about diversity in aviation. Can a change be made?
Is there space for us in the industry?
“We are working in silos of excellence”
90% of industry are older white men getting ready to retire. Within the next 10 years we will need over 400k pilots.
4-5% are female and maybe 1% of that is black. A lot of grass roots organizations that are making impact in our communi-
ties to increase awareness and opportunity such as my organization the Aviation Community Foundation, as well as Black Pilots of America, Latino Pilots of America, Legacy Flight Academy, Sisters Of The Skies , an even National Gay Pilots of America to name a few. So, there are organization out there that are working towards the same cause in different parts of the county. Unfortunately, we are a lot alike, in that we don’t have a lot of resources, funding, notoriety ect. To let people, know all the positive things that we are doing or what is going on. And on top of that we aren't necessarily working together, instead we are what I like to call ‘Working in silos of excellence.’ For example, the mayor of Houston knows me as the guy who gets kids into planes. But outside of Houston, I am not as known. Working together can bring so much more awareness and impact to so many communities. Tell us more about your foundation. Aviation community foundation purpose is to innovate, motivate and inspire change in the youth. We actually do work with other organizations and share resources and even help train other organizations on how to reach and improve their approach on connecting with the youth. Here in Houston, we focus on taking our own youth and having them engage with professionals in the industry as well as going up into the air. We are here to provide exposure awareness, but also just adding another option on the career choice questionnaire of life.
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SYP and Celebrate is an interactive wine tasting series and in June we will be celebrating Black revolutionaries in the wine industry. Hosted by wrapista and wine lover, Mo Groves, come learn about Black winemakers and share your palate. Bring your favorite Black -owned wine and let's discover it's characteristics as we celebrate Juneteenth. This event is open to all. If you are outside of the US and would like to attend please contact us at headwrapsandwine@gmail.com
JUNETEENTH for Joy is a TODAY experience of the world that works for us. For just one day, immerse yourself in joyful freedom to remind yourself exactly what we're working together for. Take a mental health DAY OFF on Saturday, June 19. Stay away from the things that destroy your joy. Turn off the news. Safely gather with your loved ones. Eat fresh, nourishing foods. Surround yourself with visuals that heal you from the trauma. Listen to that bop.
Meadows’ Review Must Reads: Men’s Edition Forty Acres by Dwayne Alexander Smith
What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker
(Fiction)
by Damon Young (Memoir)
When adults are starting their reading journey, and they want some very engaging fiction this is the first book I recommend. This is a thriller, a literal page turner. It opens with Martin Grey finding himself in the national spotlight for a civil rights lawsuit that would mark the beginning of a highly successful career and a sky-high payout when he wins. He is then recruited to join a small, elite group of successful Black men who operate in the shadows to advance the Black community. This is a rare opportunity, and one that Martin can’t pass up. He soon learns their way of uplifting the race and getting reparations may be too radical for him. What lengths would you go to change the status quo for Black people? Dwayne Alexander Smith has given us all the things with his award-winning debut novel.
“I’ve been taught by Dad that emotion, emotions, and emoting aren’t just time-consuming annoyances to keep stashed away in a vault, pressure compressed, until they’re released as hypertension and acid reflux.” Very Smart Brothas (VSB) is a website started by Damon Young and Panama Jackson in 2008. It is a collection of essays and think pieces that are Black centered and hilarious. When Damon Young announced he was releasing a memoir of essays I knew I could not pass it up. This book evaluates the evolution of growing up as a Black man. There are life lessons the reader may have also learned, but the way Young expertly dissects the valleys and peaks we all experience is unmatched. Young’s voice is distinct, unapologetically Black, and much needed in our lifetime. Warning: This book will make you laugh loudly in public.
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Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You
All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
The Gucci Mane Guide to Greatness
by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
(Young Adult- Manifesto)
by Gucci Mane with Soren Baker
(Young Adult-Non-Fiction)
READ BANNED BOOKS! Ibram X Kendi wrote, Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America. Jason Reynolds remixed it for the young adult genre in which he writes. Stamped is number two on the banned books list for 2020 due to it not “encompassing racism against all people” and “selective story telling.” Yup, they “all lives mattered” this book so much that it is on the top ten banned books list. This makes it all more the reason you should read it. This remix is geared toward adolescents and teens with explanations of terms in the way they would understand. “Segregationists are haters. Like, real haters. People who hate you for not being like them.” The history of racism is chronicled from the year 1419 to present. The West African Sankofa symbol means “return and get it.” It symbolizes the importance of learning your past to enhance your future. Stamped is your Sankofa bird coming to take you to the past. Go get your future!
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(Self-Help)
“If a story doesn’t add up, don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions. If those teaching the information are unwilling to give you the answer, you go and do the research yourself.” No one can truly know what it is like growing up as a Black queer man. In telling his experience, George gives us an in depth look at some of those struggles that others might not give a second glance at. This book illuminates the LGBTQIA+ experience and helps those who are struggling along the way. Everyone deserves a genuine connection to their culture and community. George bridges the gap between these two communities in sharing his story. All stories deserved to be told.
Self-help and Gucci Mane. These are probably two words you would never put together, but here we are. Radric Davis (Gucci Mane) has overcome obstacles in his life that would otherwise end some people. Selling drugs, abusing drugs, prison time, and multiple arrests. Gucci has written a guide for readers to glean from his struggles and revelations to be greater. This book covers topics from self-awareness to turning burdens into blessings. The best thing about this read is every piece of advice is given to you in that Gucci Mane way. It feels like Gucci is sitting next to you and letting you in on the secrets to success. It is sprinkled with “guccisms” like, “Have faith that the hardship will pass. Know that whatever happens does not forever define you. Resilience is knowing that another outcome is on the other side. Resilience is weathering the storm.” This self-help book is strictly for us.
the black man’s gift guide Perfect Gifts for Black Men By Black Men Rugged Evolution
Vieryle Watches
Bevel Mens Shaving Kit
Tuccipolo Luxury Mens shoes
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Echelon Mens Cologne
Black Card Revoked
Dusse VSOP Black Men Grooming Den
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