I Grew Up in the Ghetto, So What!

Many of us define success differently.

I define it as such…

Success is being raise by a single mother, the oldest of four girls in a low-income housing project, in the inner city of downtown St. Louis surrounded by drug infestation, consistent and ongoing gun fire and having witnessed the murder of a woman at the age of 5.

Success is despite your environment, financial limitations, and limited access to knowledge that could make your life better, yet having a mother who was wise enough, desperate enough and persistent enough to desire more and better for her children, leading her to seek financial aid from the Lutheran Church and bus her four girls to the Lutheran private school.

Success is continuing your high school education on a grant by attending a Lutheran private high school, being teased by students daily saying "you live in the ghetto," going to school with no lunch money (no lunch programs existed at the school), having no food at home to take with you for your lunch, and striving to learn while hungry, But never missing a day of school in 4 years despite having to catch three public buses to get there, and in all kinds of bad weather.

Success is having crossed paths of people who cared enough about you to impart words of encouragement, by instilling in you that you can do great things, by giving you the funds to buy your first set of college books after returning to school to pursue your bachelors.

Success is going on to College to obtain a bachelor's degree and graduate with Cum Laude honors after being made to feel like you were not that smart by teachers, counselors and the like and then going on to secure 2 master’s degrees.

Success is working your way up from a cashier in a parking garage at a hospital, where it was hot in the summer and cold in the winter but continued to brave the elements until the next opportunity came, never complaining.

Success is marrying at the age of 20 and 29 years later, still being married and still madly in love with your best friend, having birthed two sons, having almost died during child birth with your first born and being their to support your spouse through his career pushing him from Janitor, to Lead Janitor, to Supervisor to Director of facility services, to now owning his very own general contracting business.

Success is more than a title. Those who get me and who care enough to understand my journey, who know about the amount of trauma I have experienced along the way, know that. I must admit I am slightly offended to know that there are people who have worked with me, who believe that I am in this for a title.

NO, I am in this to make an impact, to make a difference. I am genuinely interested in breaking down generational curses to include financial oppression. I am interested in being in a position of influence not for myself but for others,  to influence change, to be a role model and positive example demonstrating that no matter what life throws at you, no matter how bad the hand you were dealt, YOU CAN GO AS FAR AS YOUR FAITH, PERSISTENCE, RESILIENCY AND PASSION will take you.

To all those who have had a hard past and who may be living in a hard present. Know this, when you put your mind to something, it will come to pass. Hard work, dedication and integrity are priority values for me. But the highest value I possess is to serve others. I have realized my purpose and that realization requires me to strive for greatness, for one cannot be a blessing if they themselves are not blessed. Therefore, if my quest to fulfill my purpose is offensive, then I DO NOT APOLOGIZE. My recommendation is this: If it is within your sphere of influence to make a difference, do so, if it is within your control to help me to help others, do so, for we were given this life for a reason and I believe that reason is to leave a legacy and I have decided what I want my legacy to be.

Success is me; I am success any questions?