“Don’t lose that fire!”
Chronicling My Rise to Consciousness.
An event cause the initial awakening… seeing, for myself, people that I thought were friends be indifferent to my insistence that something was racially insensitive was almost too much to bear. It was at that point, after being slapped hard in the face by racism, that I was “ready” to hear about the Black plight. Prior to this point, I was okay with being an individual and was not 
concerned with being a Black person really. I was a person trying to fit into society, concentrating on working hard, taking care of my family and trying to get ahead. I was all about being multi-cultural, and I tried to teach my kids how to deal with the rest of the world.
Once I was “ready” to really listen about the Black plight I was given a life changing book: “The New Jim Crow” by Michelle Alexander. This book really brought home what was going on in my community. I began to make connections that I previously wrote off as unrelated, conincidental events. The fact that our neighborhood was now pretty empty of the guys that used to hang out ( the drug war) . The whole disappearance of eligible black bachelors (not only going to white women)! I started to learn about our history, the REAL history! Not just Martin Luther King or that Lincoln freed the slaves (which he actually did not). I became “conscious”.
I became obsessed with learning what really happened in the past. And it became important to connect with other like-minded people. I began listening to lectures by Dr. Joy DeGruy & Dr. Chris Welsing. I knew right away that there was an urgent need to get this information out there. Raising money and spreading consciousness in the community seemed like the best answer.
I wanted to hear everyone’s opinion, listen to the experts and learn as much as I could. I continued to search the internet and YouTube constantly looking for someone with answers. So far I’ve found two individuals who have ideas for solutions that make sense. Dr. Umar Johnson and Dr. Claude Anderson didn’t preach hate and didn’t seem political. After listening to the two of them, I began to think of how I could help my community by (1.) Shopping and dining in Black owned businesses. (2.) Try to help develop Black businesses and start my own business. (3.) Start/help a group with the same goals. (4.) Try to organize people to make political change.
Finally, I began to listen to news radio and Black radio shows. Non-profit radios seem to offer a less biased news report. My new “conscious” eyes could see what was really happening around me. Current politics took on a whole new meaning. There is no indication that things will get better for Black people, I have reached a new level of commitment. I believe it truly is a silent war and we must be ready.