emPower Magazine Blog

Access Granted

By kat calvin

This weekend, thanks to an amazing fellowship from Bloomberg Businessweek, I attended the Sandbox Global Summit in Lisbon, Portugal. For those of you who don't know what Sandbox is, it's a community of international entrepreneurs under the age of 30. I love being in Sandbox, it's an extraordinary family of dreamers, thinkers, and doers who are changing the world every single day. It's an honor to be in the same organization as them, and spending the entire weekend at the summit was one of the most ephiphanous (I made that word up because it's the only one that applies) experiences of my life. There's only one problem with Sandbox. With over 650 members all over the world, it's pretty diverse. And yet there are, at my last count, exactly two black women, both from the United States. And at the summit? Three black women attended (it was open to everyone) and I was the only member. There are, at my last count, exactly zero black men from the U.S. in Sandbox, but there are a few from Africa and Europe. Two of them were at the summit. You see, Sandbox was founded by five white men in Switzerland. They have done an extraordinary thing, and I give them credit for having actively sought out members of all races, religions, and ethnicities from all over the world. At the summit alone there were 200 people from over 32 countries. It was amazing. But engagement still follows a pattern that makes it almost impossible to break in if you don't already have that most coveted thing in the pursuit of upward mobility: Access.

Getting into Sandbox is not easy. First, you have to find out about it. How many of you had heard of Sandbox until the above paragraph? I had only heard of it in passing once or twice before I encountered it. Second, whether you've heard of it or not, you have to be invited to attend an event. Yes, if you find out about it you can send an email and hope for an invite, but in the end, you have to be invited. Then, you have to attend two events. Then, you have to hope that an ambassador invites you to apply and gives you a password for the application. Then you have to fill out an application that at first glance seems so daunting that I know people who have had the application for a year and haven't done it yet. The hardest part is called the "Wow" part and people put together incredibly impressive projects (a friend of mine from Brazil wrote a 150-page book about her life, from birth to present, hand written, with pictures on each page. Personally, I locked myself away for 72 hours, downloaded a trial copy of Adobe InDesign and a copy of InDesign for Dummies, and spent the weekend teaching myself how to make a digital mood board. After several frantic emails to my friends and the only graphic designers I know, it came out pretty amazing and is something that I am extraordinarily proud of. But boy was it not easy). Next, the application goes to Zurich, where it is reviewed by the committee. And, if you're lucky, somewhere between 2-6 weeks later, you'll get in. Did I mention that you have to be under 30 and an entrepreneur? Yeah. 

Once you're in, you're in, and you're welcomed into the family with open arms. The access is extraordinary. Suddenly you're connected to the brightest and most successful under 30s in the world, working in every sector, building businesses, and changing the world. Need advice? Got it. Need a government hook up? Done. Need a job? You've got options. You're also suddenly connected to the young people who are speaking at TED, going to Davos as Global Shapers, getting invited to Summit Series, winning Echoing Green fellowships, being listed in the Forbes 30 under 30 and basically achieving every other over-the-top accomplishment in the world of entrepreneurship, social enterprise, non-profits, international development and literally everything else. And they're all absolutely open and kind and humble and willing to share because those are the values of the community as a whole. It's a group that anyone with entrepreneurial ambitions would love to belong to. And yet it's closed off to a whole world of people, and those people just happen to be my people.  

I know you know how segregated we are as a nation, so there's no need to abuse that horse again. And you probably already know that it's that segregation that keeps Black kids in New York out of a community that has dozens of members in locations as varied as India, Egypt and Argentina. And yet I belong to a Hub in Washington DC in which I am the only Black member. It's a problem, and it speaks to a larger problem, which is that of access. All of this talk about the 1% isn't just referring to the number of zeroes in your bank account, but to the conferences, summits, events, organizations and conversations that happen every day and that shape our world. WE should have a part in that conversation. But we're not getting invited, because how many Black Americans just happen to have friends who just happen to be in an organization that just happens to be full of extraordinary people and is run by five white guys from Switzerland? Without access, we miss opportunities, and without opportunity, we will never get the chance to have an equal hand in running the world.

But what can we do about it? Now that I'm in Sandbox, I can seek out young Black entrepreneurs and invite them to events. I don't yet have the power to invite them to apply, but I'm working on it. I can also share the resources that I have access to so that my friends and community have a shot at the same jobs, fellowships, and opportunities as everyone else. But I'm only one person, and, quite frankly, Sandbox is as high as I go. I'm not exactly on my way to Davos right now. The problem is systemic, and it will take a lot more than just me sending links to my friends to get it done. A lot of the problem is a lack of awareness, and I don't know how to fix that, besides writing about it in online news magazines, because most of these organizations aren't really interested in being known by everyone. There is also a problem of soft skills. Black youth don't learn how to network and take advantage of opportunities like everyone else. I can’t count the many extraordinary friends I have spoken to who are looking for a job or opportunities and are afraid to tap into their incredible networks to find it. Do you think anyone else is afraid to call a friend and ask for help? No. But we are. We also often don't learn how to code switch. America is so segregated that it's easy to spend your entire life in a community of people just like you and then when you're 28 and encounter an entirely different world, it's hard to adjust. The problem is, we live in a globalized world, and if we can't get along with everyone, we'll never get ahead. I'm not talking about assimilation. I'm talking about communication. Global communication is a skill we have to teach our children.

I'm sure there are about 50 other things you're thinking about as well. The good thing is, there is a lot that we can do. And WE have to to do it. We can't sit around waiting for invitations. They're not coming. We have to take control and change the way we think and operate because the rest of the world has no problem with the fact that they're leaving us out. But to me, sitting in that incredible room with those extraordinary people, all I could think about was who wasn't there. That has to change.

What YOU Can Do

• Apply for fellowships, jobs, and experiences that seem beyond your reach. The worst they can say is no, and quite often you'll be pleasantly surprised.
• Encourage young people to explore options outside of their immediate communities and comfort zones.
• If you are in an organization that could stand to be more diverse, invite others to join, don’t be afraid to share.
• Don't be afraid to ask for help.
• Read articles about business, government, and international development and research the conferences, people, and organizations mentioned.
• Believe, really believe, that you deserve a seat at the table, that you are smart, creative, innovative, and extraordinary and that you have just as much a right as anyone else to decide the future for yourself and the world around you.

 

kat calvin is a lawyer, a writer, and a businesswoman who is hopeful for the future of her people.

kat calvin is a lawyer, a writer, and a businesswoman who is hopeful for the future of her people.

MLK Day

By Monique Gamble

As we know, the good old 1950s and 60s weren’t so good for Black folks.  Somebody needed to do something, and it had to be done in a way that would rally national support for kicking Jim Crow in the nuts.

By the way, ever wondered who this cat, Crow, was? I thought so.

His name was Thomas Dartmouth Rice, a.k.a “Daddy,” a.k.a. “T.D,” an actor and comedian living in New York. One day, Rice came across a crippled, slavish-looking Black dude who was singing and dancing to this song:

“Come listen all you galls and boys,
I’m going to sing a little song,
My name is Jim Crow.
Weel about and turn about and do jis so,
Eb’ry time I weel about I jump Jim Crow.”

Later, in 1828, Rice appeared on stage in black-face makeup as “Jim Crow,” an exaggerated version of the guy he saw on the street. The act became so successful that within a few years, the “Jim Crow” character was a staple in minstrel shows across the country.

So that’s how it started.

The “Jim Crow” south, however, was a different demon altogether. It’s synonymous with the second most degrading part of Black American history — where folks were “free,” but were they though? I mean, really. Pools got drained if little brown toes were dipped in them. Pools … drained. Cats were superstars, and weren’t allowed to enter the front doors of their venues. Not that they needed some obscure entrance because of their stardom; they weren’t allowed in the front door.  Or maybe it’s most degrading. One could certainly make the argument.

At any rate, Jim Crow laws were the manifestation of separate but equal with respect to racial integration. Blacks on one side, whites on the other … and never the twain shall meet. We know equality doesn’t work that way. The culture and psychology of white supremacy that made slavery an institution had been inculcated; it was part of us.  There would be no possibility for separate and equal when nearly every aspect of American life reinforced the idea that Blacks were, in every way that mattered socially, inferior to whites. The psychology of equality, and thus, any real concept of equality, was absent like shit as black codes spread like wildfire across the country.

For this reason, it won’t matter at all that Rosa Parks wasn’t the first woman to be arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus. What matters is that she did. And she did that day. In fact, I’m not even sure Ms. Parks was about that protest life like that. But I imagine it was the kind of emotion like that embodied in the following photo that swelled pride in Ms. Parks’ chest, and lit her lil flame:

Not that she’s a man, of course. But that she was mankind, human being — one who gets tired, who needs to sit, and who’s value is as much as anyone else’s.

What’s beautiful about Dr. King rising to this occasion, and to the kind of timeless influence and acclaim that earned him a spot on the National Mall, is his unwavering faith in the righteousness of Civil Rights. He believed that the freedom to live out one’s boundless human potential is a gift that isn’t man-made. And neither is it a gift that man, in his arbitrary determinations of human worth, gets to take away. Dr. King was able to wrest control of national attention.  He provided a mirror big enough for the world to see us, and for America to see itself — to see clearly that the Americans who frequented high society functions in New York were the same Americans bussin’ brothas upside the head in Birmingham.  There wasn’t a rug anywhere big enough to hide that much dirt.  We had a race problem, and let’s be honest, the world had a race problem.  The difference was that the U.S. defended dignity everywhere except under its own nose.  We had a race problem, and needed to be shamed into dealing with it.  But if the ends justify the means, well then…

That notwithstanding, for as much as the militant side of me is militant as hell…

….I can acknowledge that freedom, equality and all of that are universal values. They are God-given and people can find common ground there. I also can accept that you have to give folks a chance. Offer ‘em a Billy Martin* and hope they get it right. Perhaps the upside to such an act of benevolence is that, remember, the myths aren’t true. So one can be sure that when he or she does need to pull the race card, shit’s warranted it. Think “teachable moments.”

Sometimes there are excellent exceptions, and folks get it right without much persuasion. The MLK monument on the Mall is one of those times. No matter his nuances, Martin Luther King, Jr. was a great American. His life changed the course of this country, and probably the course of history.  The Civil Rights Movement was a force of good for the world.  That’s not to say, of course, someone else might have done it if Dr. King hadn’t, or that he didn’t have an enormous supporting cast helping along the way. What can be said, however, is that Dr. King stepped into the spotlight and wore the responsibility like no one else. He knew the risks, saw the storm, and walked toward it.  I salute that. Moreover, Dr. King’s effigy on the National Mall, among such American luminaries as Lincoln and FDR, makes the statement that we, as a country, salute that kind of courage.

I’m happy to have this day to reflect on how a single life can make such a profound impact on the world.  To be sure, the monument to Dr. King is symbolic of progress, which is, lest we forget, a quality of American history we can all be proud of. 

 

Motivational Monday: Oh, Go Motivate Yourself!!

By Adrienne, the Soul Power Coach™

Yeah, I’m a little busy today so I’m letting you do the heaving lifting. Oh, but there is a great reason for this. Did you know there are two basic types of motivation? There is motivation that comes from outside of your – extrinsic. This is motivation that comes from others like a boss or a parent, or a partner, or a client, even a mentor or coach. This motivation can be positive, powerful, and encouraging. And there is motivation that comes from within you – intrinsic. Guess which one is more powerful.

Yep! So go motivate yourself.

Today, practice looking for your internal motivation. What is driving you from within to do the things on your to do list? Why does it matter to you? Move just beyond the things that you are trying to avoid like getting fired, or feeling pain and focus on what you want more of in your life. For example, you may want to lose weigh. Great! Why does that matter? How will it enhance your life? You want a new job? Wonderful. What is it that this new job will bring to you?

Okay so before I leave you to your dreams, let me give you 4 quick and easy ways to motivate yourself.

1. Create or Update Your Gratitude List

The more you live in a state of gratitude, the easier it is to find the will to motivate yourself through a challenging task. When you find yourself feeling unmotivated, update your gratitude list with all big and small things that come to mind that you feel simply grateful about.

2. Drill Down Into Your Purpose for Doing

A quick way to get into if you ‘should’ or ‘need’ to do something is to ask yourself 5 successive whys just like a child would do to a parent? Why does pushing through this challenge matter to you? And why is that important? But why? But why? But why? By the time you get to the 4^th or 5^th why, you will drill down into the meaning behind your actions. 

3. Create a Vision of Your Future

Spend 5 minutes writing down a detailed highly specific vision of what your desired results looks, feels, smells, tastes, and sounds like. If it helps, close your eyes and spend time imagining yourself experiencing that desired future state.

4. Remind Yourself of Your Past Success

Refresh your memory. Create a list of times when you have successfully pushed through a challenge and achieved your desired result. Allow yourself to vividly remember the big and even small times in your life when you have been successful.

 

Adrienne, the Soul Power Coach™ is the founder of www.mysoulpower.net and the “Sort Out Your Life in 30 Seconds with Soul Power Challenge”. Using the principles of living with Soul Power, Adrienne shows creative thinkers like artists, engineers, and other problem solvers how to stop struggling with variations of self sabotage like pride, procrastination, fear, resistance, and indecision. Many clients come to her seeking a more meaningful career. Her clients learn to embrace their unique purpose and start taking action on the big ideas they have about being of service to the world.

The complimentary Taste of Soul Power Coaching Conversation is specifically designed to provide a listening ear and help you articulate your specific positive intentions & priorities for the next 6 months. You decide based on your intentions if you want coaching support to create the focus, accountability, peace of mind, balance, and joy required to achieve those results. To request your complimentary Taste of Soul Power Coaching Conversation and get a free Soul Power Pack of Life Area Cards, visit www.mysoulpower.net You may also connect with Adrienne, the Soul Power Coach on Twitter (soulpowercoach), Facebook (Soul Power Coach) , and Google+ (SoulPower Coach).

The American Deficit: Where Do We Go from Here?

By Marian Wright Edelman

“There is nothing new about poverty. What is new, however, is that we now have the resources to get rid of it. Not too many years ago, Dr. Kirtley Mather, a Harvard geologist, wrote a book entitled Enough and to Spare. He set forth the basic theme that famine is wholly unnecessary in the modern world. Today, therefore, the question on the agenda must read: Why should there be hunger and privation in any land, in any city, at any table, when man has the resources and the scientific know-how to provide all mankind with the basic necessities of life?”

Forty-five years ago this month, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. took a very rare sabbatical at an isolated house in Jamaica far away from telephones and the constant pressures of his life as a very public civil rights leader to write what would become his last book: Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? The excerpt above feels as though it could have been written yesterday. Professor Mather’s book arguing that mankind had achieved the ability to move beyond famine was published in 1944, but in 2012, despite nearly seventy more years of unparalleled advances both in scientific and technological capability and in global resources and wealth, hunger and want are still rampant. Back then Dr. King wrote:

“There is no deficit in human resources; the deficit is in human will… The well-off and the secure have too often become indifferent and oblivious to the poverty and deprivation in their midst. The poor in our countries have been shut out of our minds, and driven from the mainstream of our societies, because we have allowed them to become invisible. Ultimately a great nation is a compassionate nation. No individual or nation can be great if it does not have a concern for ‘the least of these.’”

When Dr. King died in 1968 calling for a Poor People’s Campaign, there were 25.4 million poor Americans, including 11 million poor children. Today there are more than 46 million Americans living in poverty, including 16.4 million poor children. The question of why we still allow poverty and hunger to exist—and the answer—remain the same: The deficit in human will.

As another political season gets into full swing in the United States, a new crop of candidates are making a lot of promises about their competing visions of America. But how many TV debates are focusing on whether America is a compassionate nation? How many stump speeches are saying how shameful it is that last year more Americans relied on food stamps to eat than at any time since the program began in 1939? How many are responding to Occupy Wall Street’s outcry about the morally obscene gulf between rich and poor in our nation where the 400 highest income earners made as much as the combined tax revenues of 22 states in 2008? Which PACs are running commercials to remind Americans that we are normalizing poverty, child hunger, and homelessness, and creating historic income, wealth, and mobility gaps that threaten to destroy the American dream? If the qualification for individual and national greatness is genuine concern for the ‘least of these,’ too many of our political leaders and citizens are failing.

As our nation pauses for the national holiday celebrating Dr. King’s birthday, I hope we will not spend it just listening to speeches praising Dr. King but instead will heed and act on his words.

When will we hear what Dr. King declared in 1967—“the time has come for an all-out world war against poverty”—and work to win the first victory right here at home in the richest nation on earth? Is it possible to overcome our deficit in human will, or is the fact that we have already squandered so much time and still have so far to go a reason to give up?

Dr. King’s voice guides us if we are willing to take the next step and use it as a road map for action. In Where Do We Go from Here?, as he reflected on what direction the struggle for civil rights and social justice should take next, he shared a story about the need to commit to difficult struggles for the long haul. Dr. King described a flight he had taken from New York to London years earlier in an older propeller airplane. The trip took nine and a half hours, but on the way home, the crew announced the flight from London back to New York would take twelve and a half. When the pilot came out to visit the cabin, Dr. King asked him why. “‘You must understand about the winds,’ he said. ‘When we leave New York, a strong tail wind is in our favor, but when we return, a strong head wind is against us.’ Then he added, ‘Don’t worry. These four engines are capable of battling the winds.’”

Dr. King concluded: “In any social revolution there are times when the tail winds of triumph and fulfillment favor us, and other times when strong head winds of disappointment and setbacks beat against us relentlessly. We must not permit adverse winds to overwhelm us as we journey across life’s mighty Atlantic; we must be sustained by our engines of courage in spite of the winds. This refusal to be stopped, this ‘courage to be,’ this determination to go on ‘in spite of’ is the hallmark of any great movement.”

Today we need to rev up our engines of courage, battle against the fierce head winds of economic downturn, unemployment, poverty, and greed that threaten to undo the progress of the last fifty years, and stay true to the course Dr. King set for us. Now is the time to end child poverty and hunger in America.

 

Marian Wright Edelman is a lifelong advocate for disadvantaged Americans and is the President of the Children's Defense Fund (CDF). Under her leadership, CDF has become the nation's strongest voice for children and families. Learn more by visiting www.childrensdefense.org. This article also appears in Change.org and the Huffington Post.

 

All Those Damn Kids Have Cell Phones Though, Don’t They?

By Matt Amaral

My uncle is a Republican. He says he is a Democrat, but then begins defending rich people like they are going to be thrown out of their houses and begin starving any minute now. This is common Republican reasoning—defending people who own most of the wealth instead of defending actual people who have already been kicked out of their homes and are starving as we speak.

Have you seen the recent studies? 50% of Americans now live in poverty. It increasingly seems like we are in a Depression, not a Recession, and like the last Depression, we probably won’t call it that until it is almost over.

Yet as the gap between the rich and the poor continues to expand, something that has been happening since the Reagan Revolution, we find money isn’t trickling down at all. I’m thirty years old, so for my entire life I have been hoping to get trickled on. I have yet to feel a drop.

What we don’t realize is that with the technology we have today, and the cost of obtaining computers, printers, and an internet connection, our poor kids are being left further and further behind. One in five kids doesn’t have enough to eat, let alone wi-fi at their apartment.

But if you listen to the discourse coming from the right, you hear Fox News laughing at our poor, telling us they aren’t really poor. After all, they say, 99% of them have a refrigerator.

And my uncle says things like, “Yeah, but they all have cell phones don’t they?”

Well, to really answer the question. No, they don’t.

Have you ever met a poor person? Seriously. They don’t have s*%t. My students have four outfits they wear to school every week, which means they have to wear one outfit twice. In order to space it out you can bet they wear it Monday and Friday hoping nobody will notice. Our school offers ¾ of our students free breakfast and lunch because their parents can’t afford to feed them. They come to school cold and shivering, and before I ask them “Where’s your sweater?” I have to bite the question off when I remember they don’t own one. Or they’ve worn the one they do have twelve days in a row and are trying to switch it up.

The really broke kids don’t have cell phones. Sorry to burst anyone’s bubble, but if you thought they did, you must not be in touch with how 50% of this country now lives.

Let’s move on to technology. These same students couldn’t type up and print a paper if their education depended on it. Actually, in this age of information and internet, their education DOES depend on it. Consequently, they find themselves further and further behind. They don’t have computers, internet, or printers at home. They also don’t have them available here at school. They only have access to the computer lab if their teacher takes them to it. And even when we do we don’t have enough computers for a class of 35.

And even if they had a printer at home, they aren’t going to be able to pay what those motherf*%$#ers charge for ink. Take the printer I have—it is cheaper to just buy a brand new one than fill up the ink. Seriously.

Of course the deeper issue here is that even if every poor kid in this country had a cell phone, why is that bad? With the little money their parents have, they want their kids to do one thing with the rest of the world—KEEP UP.

So as this depression deepens, and the kids who do have cell phones can’t afford to make the payments, and as we continue to pay their parents less and take away their benefits as a shared sacrifice of austerity, our students will fall further and further behind the rest of this technological coporatocracy.

Contrary to popular opinion, all these damn kids don’t have cell phones, computers, printers, or anything. But yes, most of them have refrigerators—those poor bastards.

 

Matt Amaral is a writer and high school English teacher from the San Francisco Bay Area. Read his blog, teach4real.com.

 

Motivational Monday—Dr. Martin Luther King: Where Do We Go From Here?

By Adrienne, the Soul Power Coach™

As I started to write another message of motivation for you today, I realized that it’s time to let someone else take a turn on the mic. I want to honor and recognize the birthday of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I’d like to highlight his speech from August 16, 1967 addressing the Southern Christian Leadership Conference titled “Where Do We Go From Here?” So often, we fall back on his “I Have A Dream” speech as his defining moment. His words delivered to the SCLC on this particular day outline a comprehensive action plan for the individual as well as the nation & the world. His words not only convict us about where we –still – are, they also inspire and educate us about how to reach into a better future filled with love and peace. Here are a few highlights of Dr. King’s speech, Where do we go from here?: 

“Now, in order to answer the question, "Where do we go from here?" which is our theme, we must first honestly recognize where we are now.”

“First, we must massively assert our dignity and worth. We must stand up amid a system that still oppresses us and develop an unassailable and majestic sense of values.

“Now another basic challenge is to discover how to organize our strength in to economic and political power.”

“Now, we got to get this thing right. What is needed is a realization that power without love is reckless and abusive, and that love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best, power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love.”

“We must create full employment, or we must create incomes.”

“Now, let me rush on to say we must reaffirm our commitment to nonviolence.”

“Let us be dissatisfied until America will no longer have a high blood pressure of creeds and an anemia of deeds.”

“Let us be dissatisfied until the tragic walls that separate the outer city of wealth and comfort from the inner city of poverty and despair shall be crushed by the battering rams of the forces of justice.”

“Let us be dissatisfied until those who live on the outskirts of hope are brought into the metropolis of daily security.”

“Let us be dissatisfied until every state capitol will be housed by a governor who will do justly, who will love mercy, and who will walk humbly with his God.”

“Let us be dissatisfied until that day when nobody will shout, "White Power!" when nobody will shout, "Black Power!" but everybody will talk about God's power and human power.”

Martin Luther King - Where Do We Go From Here? (Conclusion) from MLK Speeches on Vimeo.

 

I hope you will take time now to read the entire text of this incredible speech posted on this site. http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/index.php/encyclopedia/documentsentry/where_do_we_go_from_here_delivered_at_the_11th_annual_sclc_convention/

Please spend time not just today, but everyday honoring the legacy of Dr. King with your actions as well as your words. Spread LOVE!

 

Adrienne, the Soul Power Coach™ is the founder of www.mysoulpower.net and the “Sort Out Your Life in 30 Seconds with Soul Power Challenge”. Using the principles of living with Soul Power, Adrienne shows creative thinkers like artists, engineers, and other problem solvers how to stop struggling with variations of self sabotage like pride, procrastination, fear, resistance, and indecision. Many clients come to her seeking a more meaningful career. Her clients learn to embrace their unique purpose and start taking action on the big ideas they have about being of service to the world.

The complimentary Taste of Soul Power Coaching Conversation is specifically designed to provide a listening ear and help you articulate your specific positive intentions & priorities for the next 6 months. You decide based on your intentions if you want coaching support to create the focus, accountability, peace of mind, balance, and joy required to achieve those results. To request your complimentary Taste of Soul Power Coaching Conversation and get a free Soul Power Pack of Life Area Cards, visit www.mysoulpower.net You may also connect with Adrienne, the Soul Power Coach on Twitter (soulpowercoach), Facebook (Soul Power Coach) , and Google+ (SoulPower Coach)

A Day On Not A Day Off

By Denisha Jones

Once when I was growing up in New Jersey, I was at a shopping mall when a lady from a newspaper asked if she could interview me for a story she was writing. She wanted to know how I was spending the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday and what the day meant to me. I had actually forgotten it was a holiday and that’s why I was at the mall instead of school. Some of my coworkers at a local fast food restaurant did not even have the day off from school. I told her that the day did not really mean anything to me and was just another day off.  Today I have come to understand the importance of Dr. King’s legacy and the call to service that has been forged with his memory. 

In 1983 legislation was passed creating a federal holiday to celebrate the birth of Dr. King, Jr. The holiday was first observed in 1986 and celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2011.  In 1994, the federal holiday was designated as a national day of service, coining the term, “a day on, not a day off”.  Part of a presidential call to service initiative, the MLK Day of Service “empowers individuals, strengthens communities, bridges barriers, creates solutions to social problems, and moves us closer to Dr. King's vision of a ‘Beloved Community’” (www.mlkday.gov). Each year thousands of people spend the day honoring Dr. King by engaging in a variety of service projects to support local communities. 

Unfortunately, there are probably still children like my young self, who do not have the tools to think critically about Dr. King’s legacy and the importance of his message today. Some children spend one month out of the year “celebrating African Americans” and often these celebrations offer little relevance to their lives today.  While other children, in Gwinnet, GA, are given math worksheets that include slaves in word problems in an attempt to “incorporate history into math”. Neither of these approaches help children understand Dr. King’s message. Children need opportunities to become civically engaged within their communities, which is best done through action-oriented service. Engaging young people in service provides them with opportunities to address important social issues within their community while celebrating the life of a national civil rights leader. 

We have seen great progress over the years since Dr. King shared his dream, but the work is far from over.  Many communities of color continue to be plagued by poverty and many minority children receive an inferior education compared to their white counterparts. As the country continues to recover from an economic recession, it is imperative that people unite to achieve social justice for all. 

As you make plans for the upcoming holiday weekend consider honoring Dr. King by participating in the MLK Day of Service.  The world’s problems will not be solved in a day, but steps in the right direction can be taken as a man who spent his life fighting for justice is honored. 

What YOU Can Do

Find an MLK Day of Service project near in your area.

 

Denisha is currently finishing her PhD from Indiana University in Curriculum and Instruction. She is a former kindergarten teacher in the District of Columbia, and is completing a Future Faculty Fellowship at Howard University.

2012: The Year of Turning Apathy to Passionate Motivation

By kat calvin

I didn’t get a chance to follow politics that much this week—partially because I’ve spent more time on planes than on the ground in the last eight days and because if I hear one more blatantly racist rant from a “serious” 2012 candidate I’m going to lose it. But mostly, because I have been dealing with personnel issues. No, not personal. Personnel.

In between shouting “Get off my lawn” to neighborhood children and passing cats, little old men (and women) like to complain about the youth of today and how irresponsible, lazy, inattentive (insert synonym for “not-as-good-as-we-were” here) we all are. And, of course, as one of those “youth of today”, I (politely) respond that, no, in fact, we kick ass. Except here’s the thing: We don’t. I have been learning the sad fact lately that the youth of today, in general, really are lazy good for nothings who would rather be talking to Siri than doing anything productive. It pains me to say this. And, I am by no means claiming that the youth of yesterday were any better. I’m pretty sure our parents were pretty crappy too. The proof? See, i.e.: The state of the world today. But, that being said, it is incredibly frustrating to have to admit that we are, very generally speaking, a pretty pathetic bunch.

Personally, I have come to this decision after several failed attempts to get even the most dedicated, intelligent, motivated and well-educated young folks to get any amount of work done without having to breathe down their necks constantly. Remember micro-managing? Yeah. These folks love it. Unfortunately, it ain’t so great for the manager. For whatever reason, there just isn’t any initiative any more. Give someone an assignment that they volunteered for in an organization that they care about with a mission that benefits them and they might do it a few days after the deadline if you ask nicely about 10 times. Ask them to take the lead on a phone call or a meeting? Ha! They’ll hang up and call back when you have time to hold their hands and guide them through it. Show up at a meeting and pay attention for more than an hour, including breaks? Not going to happen. People will literally just get up and leave.

Dan Pink’s book Drive is an incredible read. In it, he clearly and convincingly describes the science of motivation and that people are not motivated (for long) by the carrot and stick but by Purpose, Mastery, and Autonomy. Give people a reason to do something, help them learn how to do it perfectly, and then give them the room to do it on their own. The book discusses study after study that proves that this is a far more successful way to motivate people to do great work than just offering extrinsic rewards like a bonus or a cheap prize. Unfortunately, I don’t think this works for a generation of young people who are largely apathetic, self-centered, and uneducated about the world.

That last part is really the kicker, because when confronted with their behavior, the average member of “kids these days” cannot for the life of them comprehend what is wrong with what they’ve done. They just don’t get it. And you can’t train someone who is too opaque to even understand how the world should work.

The sunny side? There actually is one. The fact is, while there aren’t a lot of “kids these days” who are doing much, the ones who are ARE. For every 10 apathetic “kids these days”, there is one who is doing something incredible. I am constantly meeting young people like my friend E.W., budding journalist, who writes for one of the nation’s top newspapers, interns at a local radio station, and edits for an event and lifestyle blog all while constantly reaching out and meeting people in her field who she admires. Or my friend K.L. who lives in both DC and Pakistan and started a non-profit that is helping young people in Pakistan get the funding they need to start socially innovative businesses, which requires her to fly back and forth several times a month, and yet she is still involved in her community and several organizations and writes a very successful blog about Pakistani news and events. Or K.R., who didn’t go to college and instead spent her time interning while holding a full-time job and learning as much as she could from the people who are doing what she wants to do and just started a new initiative that had an incredibly successful launch and has a bright future. I have so many friends, from all walks of life who did or didn’t go to college, grew up rich and grew up poor, live in the city and the country, in the U.S. and abroad, are male and female, black, white, both and everything in between who are highly motivated and dead-set on working their behinds off to solve some of the world’s biggest problems and achieve their dreams, all while having a great time. They are my constant inspiration and I wish I was like them, but sadly, just talking about them has exhausted me!

So there is hope for our generation. Much like the 1% and the 99%, there is a serious and dangerous spread of the motivational wealth. A few kids are using the blessings we are surrounded with (thanks Steve Jobs!) to be more productive, engaged, innovative, and successful than ever before. But most of us are just being distracted. And that doesn’t bode well for the future.

What YOU Can Do: No matter your age or situation, stop letting life happen TO you and make your life what you want it to be. That’s my New Year’s resolution. What’s yours?

 

kat calvin is a lawyer, a writer, and a businesswoman who is hopeful for the future of her people.

By Nature, Youth Need Second Chances, Not Incarceration

By Rick Bartlett

Note: According to a new study that was the subject of a recent report by the New York Times, almost one out of three Americans are arrested for a crime by the time they reach the age of 23. Youth Pastor Rick Bartlett makes the case for giving young people another chance.

One evening, before I was to lead a youth group, “Brian,” 14, walked into the room and asked me to explain the theological concept of predestination. We started talking, and I was amazed at the insights Brian shared.

The next week I approached Brian for another conversation. I was stunned by his single syllable answers. Had aliens invaded and snatched his brain? I was mystified. Later I learned that Dr. David Elkind calls this behavior “pseudostupidity” – the uncanny habit teenagers have to shift between high-level thinking and Neanderthal grunts.

Because adolescent brains are still developing, I believe the systems that deal with adolescents should give kids a second chance.

Recently, a study on adolescent brain development emerged from the research of Dr. Jay Giedd. Reported widely, including on PBS Frontline’s feature, “Inside the Teenage Brain,” Giedd’s findings help unlock some of the mystery of teenage behavior. The so- called “CEO of the brain,” which controls planning and moods is still developing during the teen years. As a teen’s prefrontal cortex matures, his or her ability to exhibit reason or self-control improves.

Until then, normal brain functions can be inhibited. This helps to explain teen risk-taking.

For those of us who work with adolescents, this isn’t new. We know, if put in an emotional situation, many adolescents aren’t always capable of thinking through options; instead, some will likely choose an emotional response over a reasoned one. What is new, however, is the role of science in helping us answer the question “why.”

Going deeper into the arena of immature behavior, British author Katherine Partridge has found that those risky teen behaviors that drive adults nuts — staying out late, shoplifting, drinking, trying drugs —release dopamine and stimulate the brain’s pleasure centers. “Ergo, more risk equals more joy!” she claims.

For me, these findings reinforce the call for caring adults to engage in the lives of young people. It seems odd that at exactly the time when adolescents need significant personal support to help them navigate the maze inside their brains, apart from teachers, coaches, and youthworkers, many adults check out of their lives. In other words, many teenagers often end up raising themselves without the presence and support of caring adults.

Harvard educator Robert Kegan provides a proposal for how to help teenagers move ‘forward’ in their thinking and practice, in his book “Over our Heads.” He encourages adults to provide teenagers with a balance of challenge and support. This is a critical piece for encouraging young people in the journey toward adulthood. Too much challenge and the young person will feel pressured and depressed when he or she cannot live up to the challenge. Too much support and that same teenager will feel that he or she is not being given room to grow and try things independently. This balance is essential.

As a pastor and former youthworker, I’d like to encourage our community to look for creative ways to help all our adolescents navigate these years by offering challenge and support.

Fortunately, many churches and organizations are working to provide more mentoring for teens. At our church, we’re making efforts to promote mentoring and partnership between teens and adults while celebrating significant passages (drivers license, job, graduation, etc). Teens could also stand to benefit from more programs that provide opportunities for them to serve as apprentices in the workplace.

As adults, let’s work together to better understand teen behaviors so that we can create a vibrant intergenerational community where teens and adults can interact, thrive, and feel supported.

With over 25 years experience in youth ministry, Rick Bartlett currently serves as Lead Pastor of Bethany Church in Northeast Fresno and is co-author of Consuming Youth, released earlier this month. This article was originally published by New America Media.

Motivational Monday: 5 Reasons Why You Can't Focus and What To Do About It

By Adrienne, the Soul Power Coach™

We have all had moments in life when we needed to get something done that was not being done. You may have even experienced a time or two recently when you were upset with yourself for being so unfocused and undisciplined with an important task. It is no fun to be under a tight deadline for a task that could have been accomplished hours, days, weeks, months, or yes, even years ago.

Take a look a these 5 reasons why you cannot focus and what to do about it:

1. You Think You Cannot Focus

We have all heard the well worn adage “Whether you think you can or you cannot, you are right” To accept that you cannot focus is defeat before you get out of the gate. Take it from one of the most enthusiastic butterfly chasers around, if I can focus, ANYONE can focus. Saying you cannot focus means that you do not have a choice. There is always a choice. I said there is always a choice. Always. You can focus and if you are willing to be honest about it, there are times when you do focus. So decide that you can and you will focus on the task at hand. Yes, just like that. Make the choice to believe that you can focus at anytime, at anyplace, on anything.

2. It Does Not Really Matter

Perhaps the reason why you are not focusing is because it does not really matter – to you. This is the difference between a To Do and a Should Do. Say this: I am exercising. I should exercise. I am doing this monthly report. I should be doing this monthly report. Do you feel the difference, the drop in your energy around the word ‘should? It does not matter how important a task is to anyone else if it does not honestly matter to you. Go far enough to connect that task to something personally meaningful. Ask yourself why it matters to you and what accomplishing this task does for you. Motivation can come from gaining something or can come from avoiding some level of pain. The strongest longest lasting motivation comes from gaining something positive and personal. So why is this task personally meaningful to you?

3. It Is Not the Highest Priority

Even with your efforts to find the personal meaning, some things we are doing or are asked to do are not meaningful. If the task is not highly meaningful you may not be focusing because you have more pressing concerns. If you are not focused on a task because it is not a high priority, ask yourself if there is something else you must address first. When you are preoccupied with something that is pulling your attention away from a task, it helps to acknowledge what ever it is and address it. How long will it take to make that phone call to communicate that thought or set that ball in motion? How much faster can you get back to the task at hand if you allow yourself five minutes to process and respond to how you are feeling? The best way to focus on a task is to simply take care of all the more important tasks first.

4. You Are Feeling Overwhelmed

When you are feeling overwhelmed, you are more likely to begin avoiding that thing you want to focus on. How funny is it that we get incredibly creative finding ways to avoid those things we are attempting to focus on. How many sock drawers do you think get organized because there is something else that was overwhelming on the to do list? You may not be able to focus because you are standing in front of that elephant with a fork thinking how in the world am I going to be able to eat this whole thing! Well, there is your answer. Take one bite at a time. Break that elephant into more manageable pieces and get to work.

5. Your Pride Is In the Way

If you cannot focus, you may be in need of more knowledge, support, or assistance. Are you allowing your pride to get in the way of asking someone to help you? Do you feel like you are obligated to do this task alone? Where can you find others who are ready, willing, and able to help you get things done? How much lighter will your load be if you found someone to carry some of that for you? What shortcuts are you missing out on because you have not asked the person who knows more than you do for guidance? Go back to the reason why this task matters and convince yourself to put your pride down long enough to get help so you can focus on the task at hand.

 

Adrienne, the Soul Power Coach™ is the founder of www.mysoulpower.net and the “Sort Out Your Life in 30 Seconds with Soul Power Challenge”. Using the principles of living with Soul Power, Adrienne shows creative thinkers like artists, engineers, and other problem solvers how to stop struggling with variations of self sabotage like pride, procrastination, fear, resistance, and indecision. Many clients come to her seeking a more meaningful career. Her clients learn to embrace their unique purpose and start taking action on the big ideas they have about being of service to the world.

The complimentary Taste of Soul Power Coaching Conversation is specifically designed to provide a listening ear and help you articulate your specific positive intentions & priorities for the next 6 months. You decide based on your intentions if you want coaching support to create the focus, accountability, peace of mind, balance, and joy required to achieve those results. To request your complimentary Taste of Soul Power Coaching Conversation and get a free Soul Power Pack of Life Area Cards, visit www.mysoulpower.net You may also connect with Adrienne, the Soul Power Coach on Twitter (soulpowercoach), Facebook (Soul Power Coach) , and Google+ (SoulPower Coach)