Sikiliza Africa

From what I can see, we remain strange fruit because of the narrative America has created in order to identify Black People. It drives every perception of us. Our skin color is the weapon, we are always seen as armed and dangerous. 

I’ll never forget the day Walt and I were riding down the highway on the way to a speaking engagement. I remember being hype because I had just published my book. Before we left we'd loaded boxes of them into the back of the suburban. Out of nowhere we heard a siren, and realized we were being pulled over. Two white officers approached each side of the truck with hands on their weapons. They made us get out of the car with our hands up as they called for backup. They then separated Walt and me, and put me in the back of the police car. I remember feeling outraged and also helpless as they brought a dog and searched the boxes. Once they figured out that I was the author of the books they found, they told us we were free to go. 

Walt and I rode to the engagement the rest of the way in silence. The rage and anger I felt was real. The helplessness I felt was palpable. A year ago I felt the same rage and helplessness when I went for a walk at 3am in my own neighborhood and was confronted by the sight of several garage doors spray-painted with the word “NIGGER” in big black letters. In both of these situations I made it out physically unharmed, but my heart and my mind were left hurting. I’m saying this as a grown man, husband, father, pastor, and Ph.D. in education. I have stability. I have support. I have a community. And I still have an extremely tough time processing this. Stop now and think about how a 17-year-old who doesn't have what I have—whose life up to this point has been full of these interactions and messages—think about how they feel right now. They need us. They need you. That’s why it hurts so bad when the “good” people don’t condemn racism. If we are truly your brothers and sisters, it’s not enough to be Non-Racist you must be Anti-Racist. 

Power is consolidated in the law—those who write it and those who enforce it.

Right now, the most important thing we can do is to better ourselves, our communities, our families. Do all we can to protect what we Love and continue to Educate each other in ways that Uplift us and ennoble us.

Stay in the Boat. Remain Committed. 

Love you

Ya Boy ET

Text Me 📱313-251-1181

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Todays Story/Fable:

Love stays

A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside. ""Your son is here,"" she said to the old man. She had to repeat the words several times before the patient's eyes opened. Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, he dimly saw the young uniformed marine standing outside the oxygen tent. He reached out his hand. The marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man's limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement.

The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the bed. All through the night, the young marine sat there in the poorly lighted ward, holding the old man's hand and offering him words of love and strength. Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest awhile. He refused. Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the marine was oblivious of her and of the night noises of the hospital – the clanking of the oxygen tank, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging greetings, the cries and moans of the other patients.

Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words. The dying man said nothing, only held tightly to his son all through the night. Along towards dawn, the old man died. The marine released the now lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell the nurse. While she did what she had to do, he waited. Finally, she returned. She started to offer words of sympathy, but the Marine interrupted her.

""Who was that man?"" he asked. The nurse was startled, ""He was your father,"" she answered.

""No, he wasn't,"" the marine replied. ""I never saw him before in my life.""

""Then why didn't you say something when I took you to him?""

""I knew right away there had been a mistake, but I also knew he needed his son, and his son just wasn't here. When I realised that he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, knowing how much he needed me, I stayed.""

The next time someone needs you ... just be there. Stay."

"Todays African Proverb:

" Tomorrow is pregnant and no-one knows what she will give birth to.

say Less  "Any Means Necessary" Famous Malcolm X speech

The donkey

An old man, a boy and a donkey were going to town. The boy rode on the donkey and the old man walked. As they went along, they passed some people who remarked it was a shame the old man was walking and the boy was riding. The man and boy thought maybe the critics were right, so they changed positions.

Then, later, they passed some people who remarked, ""What a shame, he makes that little boy walk."" So they then decided they'd both walk!

Soon they passed some more people who thought they were stupid to walk when they had a decent donkey to ride. So, they both rode the donkey. Now they passed some people who shamed them by saying how awful to put such a load on a poor donkey.

The boy and man figured they were probably right, so they decided to carry the donkey. As they crossed the bridge, they lost their grip on the animal and he fell into the river and drowned.

The moral of the story? If you try to please everyone, you might as well... Kiss your “donkey"" goodbye! And even this ending won’t please everyone."

"Todays African Proverb:

" When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.

Ending: That's the end, what do you think? ....We hope you liked it and we are always looking for fables stories and guest readers to join us. Connect with us on unikfocus.com or email us at [email protected]. Connect with me on IG/Facebook princenestaradio  

Till next time!

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The motion: This House Would Embrace An Ever Closer African Union.  

ABOUT THE OXFORD UNION SOCIETY: The Oxford Union is the world's most prestigious debating society, with an unparalleled reputation for bringing international guests and speakers to Oxford. Since 1823, the Union has been promoting debate and discussion not just in Oxford University, but across the globe.

The two pebbles

Many years ago in a small Italian town, a merchant had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to the moneylender. The moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the merchant's beautiful daughter, so he proposed a bargain. He said he would forgo the merchant's debt if he could marry the daughter. Both the merchant and his daughter were horrified by the proposal.

The moneylender told them that he would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty bag. The girl would then have to pick one pebble from the bag. If she picked the black pebble, she would become the moneylender's wife and her father's debt would be forgiven. If she picked the white pebble, she need not marry him and her father's debt would still be forgiven. But, if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into jail.

They were standing on a pebble-strewn path in the merchant's garden. As they talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As he picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two black pebbles and put them into the bag. He then asked the girl to pick her pebble from the bag.

The girl put her hand into the bag and drew out a pebble. Without looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles. ""Oh, how clumsy of me,"" she said. ""But never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked.""

Sometimes it is necessary to think out of the box or, in this case, out of the bag.

Todays African Proverb: After a foolish deed comes remorse.

That's the end, what do you think? ....We hope you liked it and we are always looking for fables stories and guest readers to join us. 

Connect with us on unikfocus.com or email us at [email protected]. Connect with me @Greenlemonsd  Till next time!