Daniel Whyte III - Letters to Young Black Men: Advice and Encouragement for a Difficult Journey

Dallas Morning NewsBestseller

Letters to Young BlackMen

by Daniel Whyte III

Published by Torch Legacy Publicationsat Smashwords

Copyright 2010 Daniel WhyteIII

ISBN 978-1-4524-3018-8

Smashwords Edition, LicenseNotes

This ebook is licensed for yourpersonal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or givenaway to other people. If you would like to share this book withanother person, please purchase an additional copy for each person.If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was notpurchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.comand purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard workof the author.

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Other Books by Daniel WhyteIII

MO' LETTERS TO YOUNG BLACKMEN

LETTERS TO YOUNG BLACK WOMEN

WHEN BLACK PREACHERS PREACH Volume I,Editor

WHEN BLACK PREACHERS PREACH Volume II,Editor

WHEN BLACK PREACHERS PREACH Volume III,Editor

7 THINGS YOUNG BLACK MEN DO TO MESS UPTHEIR LIVES

7 THINGS YOUNG BLACK WOMEN DO TO MESSUP THEIR LIVES

MONEY UNDER THE CAR SEAT (AND OTHERTHINGS TO THANK GOD FOR)

GOD HAS SMILED ON ME: A TRIBUTE TO ABLACK FATHER WHO STAYED

JUST JESUS: THE GREATEST THINGS EVERSAID ABOUT THE GREATEST MAN WHO EVER LIVED, Editor

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This book is lovingly dedicated to myDad, Daniel White Jr., My brothers: Anthony Martin & MarkA.White, My sons: Daniel IV, Duran and Danyel, My Daughters:Daniella, Danita, Danielle, Danae`, Daniqua and Danyelle, who Ihope will find good young black men, if that is God's will fortheir lives, And to All young black men across America and aroundthe world.

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Contents

Introduction

PART I: ON YOUR LIFE --SPIRITUAL

1. The Main Thing

2. Get to Know Your Creator

3. How to Obtain The Blessings ofGod

4. Your Road Map to Real and LastingSuccess

5. Tap Into Unlimited Power

6. The EncouragementPlace....

7. Pulling Others Out of TheFire...

PART II: ON YOUR LIFE --EDUCATIONAL

8. The Awesome Value ofReading

9. The Importance of IncreasingKnowledge

10. The Obstacles To Getting A GoodEducation

11. Graduating From College And StillIgnorant and Unlearned

12. The Marks Of A Truly EducatedMan

13. With All Thy Getting, Get WisdomAnd Understanding

14. Please Learn "Yourself" A LittleEtiquette

PART III: ON YOUR LIFE -- AS A YOUNGBLACK MAN

15. You Are Not Inferior!

16. Take The Road LessTraveled

17. Take Full Responsibility

18. Talk And Listen To Every Older ManPast Fifty That You Possibly Can

19. Learn About Where You ComeFrom

20. The Value Of Working Hard AndSmart

21. Things I Wish Someone Had Told MeWhen I Was Twelve

22. How To Be Really Cool

23. Women Folk!

24. Think For Yourself!

25. Signing Off For Now

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INTRODUCTION

It appears that many people areconcerned about the worsening conditions in the black community ofAmerica. And let's just be honest: we are in a bad way, generallyspeaking. I say, "generally speaking," because there are someblacks who are not doing badly at all. But the black community, ingeneral, is not doing that well. You don't believe that? Just readthe newspaper: we're killing one another, robbing our parents andgrandparents, raping our women, selling death to the dying, goingto jail wholesale, murdering our babies, not taking care of ourresponsibilities, and wiping out our future.

Why are we sinking in the sea ofmurder, drugs and mayhem? How can things be turned around? Ibelieve that the problem lies largely with the black man, and Ialso believe that the solution lies with the black man. I amconvinced that the key to turning black America around is to turnblack men around. For any group of people to rise, their men mustrise. And after they have risen, they must stay standing no matterwhat, and take their God-given position as the leaders of theirfamilies, churches, communities or what have you. These letters aimto help with that rising and standing.

These letters have been written in themidst of a very hectic schedule of traveling, editing aninternational publication, and working on several other publishingprojects. These letters have also been written in the midst ofbeing a black man, and a black husband and father, with all of thegreat and awful experiences that go with such an existence. I saidthat to say this: As I write these letters, I am not in some ivorytower somewhere philosophizing about life as a young black man.Rather, I am right in the middle of life as a young blackman.

In short, these letters come from asincere heart of a black man to the hearts of young blackmen.

Dear Y.B.M. (Please note that Y.B.M.will stand for "Young Black Man" throughout the book): I believethat this is a book that can absolutely revolutionize your life ifyou will let it.

See this book as a sign-post on theroad of life, pointing you in the right direction. Read it, read itagain, and then pass it on to another young black man struggling tofind his way in this sometimes confusing and hostileworld.

Daniel Whyte III, Tuskegee UniversityCampus, Tuskegee, Alabama

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NEVER UNDERESTIMATE A YOUNG BLACK MAN--Daniel Whyte III

NEVER GIVE UP ON A YOUNG BLACK MAN --BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW... --Daniel Whyte III

TO OLDER BLACK MEN: NEVER AGAIN FORGETABOUT, CAST ASIDE, NEGLECT OR MISTREAT A YOUNG BLACK MAN, FOR THEYWILL GROW OLDER AND REMEMBER YOU--Daniel Whyte III

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ON YOUR LIFE --SPIRITUAL

THE MAIN THING: LetterOne

Dear Y.B.M.:

I am writing this letter from Hamden,Connecticut. I trust that you are doing well in thesedays.

Recently, I was speaking at a church inOrlando, Florida, and I saw a sign on the front of the pulpit thatread:

The Main Thing
Is To Keep
The Main Thing
The Main Thing.

In this, my first letter to you, Iwould like to speak to you about the most important aspect of yourlife -- your Spiritual Life: the Main Thing. Now, you may not nowthink that your spiritual life is the most important part of yourlife, but trust me, it is. The longer you live on planet earth, themore you realize that life is more about the inner man than theouter man; for you see, you are not a body with a spirit. Rather,you are a spirit with a body. If your physical body would fallaway, you would still exist.

Jesus said: "Man shall not live bybread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth ofGod." --Matthew 4:4

I realize that talking about thingsspiritual is not popular these days, and it may not be what youwish to talk about at this time. I recall, when I was a child andgot sick with what they called the "whooping cough" or some type offlu or cold, my dear grandmother Beaman and/or my great-grandmotherBreedlove would give me something that I didn't like -- but needed.It was called "Castor Oil". Dear Y.B.M., you may not like all thatI am talking with you about, or you may not be interested in what Iam talking with you about, but being that I have gone the way thatyou are going, I can say firmly and lovingly that you need it!Before we talk about things that may seemingly be of more interestto you, we must put the horse before the cart. We must put firstthings first.

Your spiritual life, your relationshipwith God, should be your number one priority in this life. No, itis not your health, your wealth, or even your education. It is Godand God alone! There was a time that we as a race of people putmore of an emphasis on the spiritual life than we do now. Today,however, we place more of an emphasis on the body, material thingsand money. And we wonder why we have the murder, mayhem and madnessin our community!

Young man, you can be a part of turningthings around for your people. But you must put God first and makeyour spiritual life priority number one.