Using the Village to Build a Better Community
It takes a village to raise a Black child.?That’s what the African-American community told me when I was in school. I had the benefit of being raised by my neighborhood.?There was always someone to help, and I remember a lot of things like the time I got my first pair of shoes, a size 6, at age five. I had my first Black teacher in pre-K/head start.?She was a wonderful role model and gave me confidence in myself and my abilities as an artist. Her love for the arts continued to inspire me throughout high school, college, and into my career. My first Black teacher was the one who took me aside at a very young age and told me that I was a great artist. She told me that I should consider art as a career. And it’s something that I did!
I valued the perspective of the Black elders in my neighborhood. It was easy to talk to them. They were all middle-aged and retired. Most of them had known each other for a long time. They knew how to sit still and listen. When I asked them about their experiences as children, they told me stories of growing up in the segregated south in the 1950s. Their parents, who were poor, didn’t have enough money to pay for the bus fare to get their kids to school. But they didn’t care. They just wanted their kids to be educated in an affirming way.
My church centered literacy in ways that were culturally affirming.?We were able to meet the needs of our community with the resources we had available. We did not have a library, but we had a lot of children’s books. In addition, we had an excellent bookmobile that was staffed by a woman who was also an English teacher. She would stop by our church, and bring us books that she thought we would like. It was always a pleasure to visit her, and to see what wonderful things she had brought for us! We also had a series of classes at our church that were designed to teach children about the Bible.
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Various perspectives on life allowed me to choose a lane that best fit my values.?A few years ago I chose a single-lane road and it led me into the most successful business I’ve ever had. I’m not here to tell you that it was easy, or that it was without its challenges. It was, and is. However, there are some key things that I learned about myself and how to be more successful over time. I can’t promise you that it will work for you, but I hope this article can help you to find your own path.?I get asked quite often how I “do it all” — how do I manage my time, money and stress? The truth is, it’s not one thing, and there’s no magic trick. It’s about being organized, having a vision, sticking to it, learning from your mistakes, and doing the hard work that will eventually pay off in terms of more time to spend with your family and friends, less stress, and more money in your pocket.