“I could list thousands more Black firsts in this country as there have been many.  The pride that I feel when I hear the words “first black,” cannot be contained but my feelings are mixed because while being the first is historical, it also comes with a burden of undeserved pressure for every person who accepts the challenge.  And  it agitates me that 400 years after the first Africans, were forced to the shores of what would become the United States, Black people are still denied access into every positive opportunity that American offers.”

“Slavery in the 18th and 19th centuries was commonplace so I wonder what George would think about so many people in modern times working to erase this sordid practice and its effects from the annals of  American History.”

“Racially motivated assaults on Black people are not new and this is one of the many reasons that teaching accurate American History is critically important.  We need to understand the historical connection between past and current oppression against Black people in this country.  The mechanisms by which Black people are being oppressed have changed form but the motivations are the same.”

“We all have a light, even it’s a flicker.  I encourage you to pay attention to the flicker; don’t’ ignore it or smother it.  No matter what age you are, don’t discount the leap in your heart when you do something that ignites your internal flame.  God is always leading us toward a deeper relationship with Him and He is always nudging us closer to our purpose in Him.  We will feel the nudge if we choose to pay attention.”

“Historically, American history has recorded and perpetuated a European perspective.  It’s not those other points of views and experiences didn’t exist; they were intentionally omitted because the one who holds the pen controls the narrative.”

“Maybe you have never considered the idea that racism exists in America or maybe you don’t believe that racism exists.  Perhaps you think that racism is a Black problem and that it doesn’t have anything to do with you, your family, or your community.  Racism has everything to do with all of us and we can choose to become engaged and intentionally become part of the solution.

“God gives us opportunities to shed our old skin, skin that is no longer serving us so that our new skin can emerge. As we grow in Christ, we need to be willing to let go old habits, old thought patterns and even old relationships.   God is always trying to do something new in your life and in mine but we have to be willing to let go of the past.”

“As the day wore on, I noticed an uncomfortable trend.  I observed that even though we all seemed to be of African descent, these people were not my people.  I noticed that I had to carefully sift through what was being said about race, racism and injustice to analyze and filter truth and the information with which I agreed.  I observed that our thought processes about race and approach to education,  building community and reconciliation were totally different.  These people seemed to think that racial separation and warring against a human enemy were the answers to justice and freedom.  For the first time in a long time, I felt alienated in the company of people who looked like me.”

“Black people, and certainly, black youth as a collective, do not have the freedom to simply be or to make the mistakes that make us human without the potential scrutiny of public opinion.  Any misstep whether perceived or actual, by an African American person is fodder for judgment and stereotyping of all African American people .”