A Love Initiative - Day 53 “Save Our Planet” There are heroes; and there are Heroes! I watched “42” last night! Wow! What do you get when you combine Denzel Washington and Kadeem Hardison (Duane from Different World with the cool shades)? You get an amazing young actor named Chadwick Boseman; (I hope he wouldn’t mind the comparisons) a product of Howard and Oxford Universities. That’s right; an HBCU and Oxford... why not! This young man, raised in a modest size town in South Carolina, has made us all proud by chronicling the life and career, trials and tribulations, victories and achievements of a true American hero - Jackie Robinson. I agree with each of these quotes: “Stirring and inspiring.” Rolling Stone/Peter Travers “Among the best films ever made about baseball.” Boston Globe/James Verniere “42 will make you believe in heroes again.” Fox TV/Jake Hamilton This the tag for the movie: “In a game divided by color, he made us see greatness.” I confess that I’m not the biggest baseball fan, but I was riveted to this story. I grew up down the street from Ebbett’s Field so the Brooklyn scenes made me homesick. The Sanford scenes just made me sick. I call Florida home now; Sanford is about 30 minutes east of me; Daytona another 30 minutes. I visited the areas during the George Zimmerman trial and I’ve studied the history of the area; Sanford, DeLand, Daytona, New Smyna Beach and so on. I knew about the Robinson legacy from my reading and it’s all very sobering. You never see Disney, Universal, Bike Week or Spring Break quite the same. I’m sharing my thoughts and feelings about this movie because I know heroes and role models are crucial to the new Brother’s Keeper Initiative. Today, unfortunately, we have very little exposure to heroes outside of sports and entertainment and as I said on Day 52, everyone can’t sing, dance, play an instrument or play ball. I like to tell young people it’s not the career path, but it’s the determination, the focus, the discipline, the drive, the passion, the attenergy that propels you to greatness. Sometimes we have to push doors open but they will open if you’re determined enough... long enough. Chadwick went from Howard to Oxford to stardom and I predict he’s just getting warmed up. Now, long before Robinson was Paul Robeson - my first hero and role model. The son of a runaway slave, Robeson was a great athlete, actor and baritone, but he was also a brilliant mind. Valedictorian of his graduating class at Rutgers, he graduated Columbia Law and practiced law until a secretary refused to take dictation because of his race. He became a world renowned statesman, fluent in 25 languages including Russian and Chinese. I could go on and on about this giant but the point must be made; your kids can be great too. They can be chemists, biologists, physicists, geologists, lawyers, judges, professors, ecologists, economists, psychologists, psychiatrists, mathematicians, medical doctors, pharmacists, entrepreneurs, CEO’s, CFO’s, COO’s. They can be Generals, Secretaries of State, Secretaries of Defense, Commerce Secretaries, policy makers, Mayors, Governors, legislators and even the President of the United States of America. Someone’s kid has to do it! Why not your kid? Someone has to change this world! Why not your kids? Why not you? You’re dreams too small? Are you out of steam... tired of pushing boulders uphill? I get it... me too! But can’t nobody turn me ‘round! Too stubborn! Too determined! Too dedicated! Too afraid I might run into Jackie and Paul and all the others on the other side and I don’t want to be ashamed for giving out, giving in and not giving it my all. My Momma won’t want to hear it either - period. The truth is I’m lucky; I have heroes and mentors that I don’t want to disappoint. Who are your kids heroes? Who are your heroes? I suggest the Big Brother Initiative set aside some of the $200 million to fund more films like “42” that attract new stars like Chadwick Boseman and mega-stars like Harrison Ford. Films that provide shining examples of fortitude and climbing in spite of all the odds. I’m psyched! I’m in the zone! The images in my head keep me charging forward; Miles, Louis, Trane, Dexter, Diz, Monk, Duke, Count, Sammy Davis, Nat King Cole, Eckstine, Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, Earl Hines, Herbie, Chic, Keith Jarrett, George Duke, John Mclaughlin, Jean Luc Ponte, Earth, Wind and Fire, Weather Report, Return to Forever, Seiji Ozawa, James Baldwin, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Neil deGrasse Tyson - somebody stop me... Marvin, Donny, Teddy, the O’Jays, The Whispers, The Temps, Isaac, Barry, Bobby Womack, Curtis Mayfield, Ray Charles, B.B. King, Richard Pryor, Bill Cosby, the crew of the Columbia, the crew of the Challenger, Thurgood Marshall, A. Phillip Randolph, Malcom, Martin, Marcus... okay I’ll stop! Whew! They’re all in my head everyday and lots more... trust that! Next time I’ll give my list of female heroes - it’s just as long! Where do our kids find their role models? Sports and entertainment! We need beautiful minds to change our world and save our planet from destruction. Why not your kids? It’s begins with you! We’re going to need your kids to be brilliant! Okay, some of them we’ll have to settle for smart - LOL - but some of them are going to have to be brilliant - you know who they are. LOL! :-) We’re gonna need them to save our planet. You can believe the ones that do will be my new heroes! I think they call that keeping it 100! LOL! Love y’all like a crazy man loves his imaginary friends! LMBO! It’s been that kinda Monday! Peace, love and sweet dreams! Paz, amor y dulces sueños! Paix, amour et de doux rêves! M
Posted on: Tue, 06 May 2014 03:59:12 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015