Danny Ray Christian - Young, Gifted and Black: The Defiant Truth About Our ChildrenS Ability to Meet Every Foe

Young, Gifted and Black

The Defiant Truth About Our Childrens Ability to Meet Every Foe

A Formal Rebu ttal

DANNY RAY CHRISTIAN

Young people live your life on purpose and for a purpose, thus it is sure to ma tter

Copyright 2017 by Danny Ray Christian.

ISBN: Softcover 978-1-5245-8287-6

eBook 978-1-5245-8288-3

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Rev. date: 02/10/2017

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CONTENTS

This book is dedicated to all my nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews and my son, along with every other young African American who is living their lives to make all of our lives and world be tter

My life today would not be possible without the prayers and support of some special people, beginning with my mother, Dorthea Powell, who has carried me far beyond nine months. I owe an unrepayable debt to the mother of my son, Cheri, who has stood in my steed in my sons life for twenty-seven years. My brother Andrew has been a great help through his phone calls and encouragement for me to pursue my dream of one day being as big as Tyler Perry. Mia Burks deserves a special mention for her being a friend in deed in a time of need when I was trying to publish my third book. Omar Shaheed and Billy Brown who have both been a source of counsel in those dark moments when I had no one else to talk to and was doubting my abilities as a writer. Ray Gregory, who has been an invaluable mentor, warrants a word of thanks as well as Freddie Moffit, who literally charioted around when I still had chains on my ankles. Finally, I am greatly indebted to my best friend, Crystal Dalton, who has been a source of sunshine throughout my journey back to life and freedom. I neednt say that there are many more people who I have not mentioned who have helped me in untold ways and who have helped me become the man I am today.

The most crucial information this generation of African American youth must know, is the fact that unless they live their life with a sense of urgency and purpose, the world is going to pass them by. Now is the time for those who want something more out of life than mediocrity and the status quo to go out and get it. The people who are going to survive and prosper in this era of rapid change are those who are able to be radical in both their thinking and dreaming. Young people of today cannot content themselves with waiting on others to give them an opportunity and open doors for them, but must become proactive in creating opportunities for themselves. Know this one thing for sure, opportunity doesnt breed purpose, purpose creates opportunities by virtue of it driving you out of your comfort zone. I wish for my son and every other African American youth to know that the more of their comfort they are willing to give up, the more of their dream and success they can achieve. You are reading this book because I sacrificed five-hundred of my seven-hundred dollars a month income to publish it, without having a place to live or knowing how I was going to make it through the rest of the month. But that is what dream chasers do, they throw everything they have behind their dream. I caution every young person to not listen to those who tell you, You cant afford to spend your last dollar on your dream. The truth is you cant afford not to if you hope to ever see your dream come true.

You can spend your life and money consuming somebody elses dreams or spend it producing your own d ream

Chapter 1

Young Gifted and Black

The Defiant Truth about Our Childrens Ability to Meet Every Foe

A Formal Rebuttal

Introduc tion

I dare any man, woman or child to tell me as the father of a son who was born two months premature to parents who were less than perfect, and a father who was in prison at the time of his birth, and spent twenty-two of his twenty-seven years of life going back and forward to prison, that he is irreparably damaged by the whipping life has given him thus far and that he has no future. The nightly news, teachers and community activists are all telling us that our children are a lost generation and that the enemy they face is unlike any we as a race have ever faced, and therefore, they are right to feel like life is hopeless and has no purpose, and to even say that there is no God. Today I stand up to speak for the hopeful prospects of my sons future and potential and all other young black childrens future and potential.

At what point did black children go from Being Young, Gifted and Black, to being lost, hopeless and disposal able? Todays black youth will have us believe that they are somehow a totally different species of Black Folk than has ever existed on the face of this earth. But as I look at them walking around with their pants hanging off their butt, with their tats and unkempt hair what I see is not despair incarnate, but children who are the very substance out of which tomorrow is going to be built. Am I blind to all the behaviors they display which mark them as being more fit for hanging out to dry with everything else we see no use for than being reasons for us to believe that the Day of Jubilee is immanent? I do not have my head in the sand by any means, I simply know that the better future of our children begins with what we see of them when we look at them. Thus, this short booklet is my attempt to shift the picture from one of hopelessness to one of hope and promise when conversation is made of todays African American youth.

I have had enough as of this day, October 18, 2016, of people throwing in the towel on our children simply because, Life aint no crystal staircase for them, like it ever was for any generation of our people in this country. I take it upon myself as the father of a young Black man who could make an excuse for giving up on himself and life because of the hand that was dealt him, to declare that to, Be Young, Gifted and Black, is still a wondrous thing, just as Nina Simone said in 1969 in honor of Loraine Hansberry landmark play about the youth of her day who she thought were the epitome of Black Achievement and Prosperity.

An Open Letter for the Young Gifted and Black, Who Are, Every Bit Worthy of Our Support and Adoration for their Negritude Born of their Apti tude

Written in tribute to my son, Dionte, an example of the fortitude and potential of todays Black y outh

Here is the real deal, young people, the world will give you excuses for not living up to your full potential for the simple reason of keeping you from your destiny. But I am not going to do that for my son or you. I am here to tell you that great challenges make for great people. Life has taught me as a man who has had more than his share of failures and obstacles to overcome, that while life surely does have its difficulties that it doesnt do you or me any good to say that because the odds are great against you and I that we are justified in giving life less than our best.

Listening to your, no-stuff taking talk and tough bravado, I know that you think you are the baddest thing that has ever walked this earth. I feel you on this; if you dont blow your own horn, who is? I only caution you that sometimes you can be too bad an ass for your own good. What I mean by this is that by going around with a chip on your shoulder prevent you from seeing the beauty of your situation. Ill school you on a little known fact of life, and that is that strong people are only made from battling strong opponents. I hear the young brothers who wear their pants below their waist saying that they are stronger than any black men that have come before them. I wont burst their bubble by telling them that I doubt this because if they were, they wouldnt have their pants hanging off their butt with their draws showing to the world. Entertaining their swag, I will just say that I welcome them to step up and to be the men and women that they say their fathers and mothers werent.