A sunny welcome to the reader from Japan, Cambodia (who I think is a regular who is travelling 😉), Belgium and Ireland.
I did not post in January so best wishes for every success in 2019 to all my readers.
As I pondered the subject for this blog, I thought of highlighting the wonderful achievement of the West Indies cricket team, which beat England in two successive games to win the series and the Wisden Trophy. I thought of featuring my fave gospel songs nominated for the Grammy Awards on February 10, 2018. Then, I heard a caller on a local call-in programme reveal that a guy is so despondent over not finding a job, that he said it is better to kill or rob others to get by.
A torrent of criticism followed and one well-known social activist called to give her testimony admitting to being poor and working at various jobs at different times in her young life before establishing herself in a career. The clip is 45 minutes and this discussion occurred in the last 10 minutes or so, which means you will hear a good deal about Barbados - our imperfect society and all. It is real people speaking their mind so this is as real as it gets in this island.
A torrent of criticism followed and one well-known social activist called to give her testimony admitting to being poor and working at various jobs at different times in her young life before establishing herself in a career. The clip is 45 minutes and this discussion occurred in the last 10 minutes or so, which means you will hear a good deal about Barbados - our imperfect society and all. It is real people speaking their mind so this is as real as it gets in this island.
That excerpt will be the focus of this blog for my generation raised this "entitled" generation that wants opportunity to drop in their lap - or so it seems.
Just like the social activist who was saddened by the other caller's revelation, I was flabbergasted that this is how our young men are thinking - moreover there was a spike in violent crime in Barbados in the month of January. It was very unreal.
I will be sharing this entry with my teacher contacts because everyone, not born into privilege, has to work hard to be successful and the generations after us need to know this. The problem is that our young people see others who have achieved and believe they were always there. Look at the cast of Black Panther, comprising stellar African-American talent, yet as actors they have been told over the years there are no parts for them. Thanks to TNT for posting this clip for posterity.
Black Panther: Award Acceptance Speech | 25th Annual SAG Awards | TNT [Source: TNT 2019]
Look at former first lady, Michelle Obama, who does not hesitate to share her experience especially with young people. Imagine, she was told by a school counsellor that her expectation to get into Princeton may be too high. Imagine her outspokeness early in her husband's campaign for the 2008 Presidency earned her the label "angry, Black woman". Click on the link to hear what she said at a college registration programme in 2018.
Becoming - the memoir by Michelle Obama
We have disappointed our children. We have not raised them to focus on character - but on possessions. We have not raised them to value determination - but position. We have raised them for with a quick-fix mentality rather than to take the time to get a task done right. We need to do better to not lose our grand-children's generation in the same way.
As it is Black History Month in Barbadian schools, I'm sharing this clip on the baseball great, the late Jackie Robinson...
Jackie Robinson: This I Believe [Source: knickerbockervillage, 2013]
The fact is, life is not easy. Sometimes it is not even fair, but we owe it to ourselves to be the best we can be and to do our best and to influence others to be and do the same. It is time to heal our children - and the world.
Michael Jackson, "Heal The World" (Official Video) [Source: Micheal Jackson, 2009]
Happy Chinese New Year and Happy Valentine's Day.
