By James B. Ewers Jr. Ed.D.
Like everything, America has changed. Things we did in the past, we don’t do anymore. Do we need some of the things and customs we did in years long ago? That probably depends upon where you are in your life today.
Age and experiences are telling when it comes to what you want and what you expect. Living long lives means that you have watched the country evolve and as a result you are able to compare yesteryear with this year.
If you haven’t been around long enough it is hard to compare.
For example, I hear much younger men talking about “the old school”. Politely, I listen to them to gain their perspective about a variety of subjects. Inwardly, I soon realize that they care about what is happening today.
I have been called an OG on several occasions. It is a term of respect, admiration and endearment. That term has been used for several of my dear friends as well.
Growing up, we watched men and women lead in our communities. They carried themselves in such a way that made you proud of them. They worked hard and made us better people because of their actions and their words of encouragement. The Bible says faith without works is dead.
This has always been the case as we continue to keep high standards and lofty goals. Our ancestors lifted us up so we must do the same for future generations.
Men and women who look like me led with compassion and conviction. I am somebody and keep hope alive are signature expressions of Reverend Jesse Jackson, a Civil Rights icon.
If you are of a certain age, you have used both of those expressions many times. They are said with pride and with purpose.
There were women like Barbara Charline Jordan and Constance Baker Motley who spoke truth to power before the term was ever used.
Barbara Jordan was the first African American elected to the Texas Senate after Reconstruction. She was also the first African American woman from the South to be elected to the United States House of Representatives.
Constance Motley served as a judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. She was also the first African American woman to argue a case before the Supreme Court.
Despite this current and uncertain climate, we must navigate through these troubled waters with a newfound sense of brotherhood and sisterhood. Let’s dig deeper to
find those nuggets of compassion and understanding that we all possess.
On Sunday, February 16 th , Pastor Chip Luter of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans Louisiana gave an impassioned message to the congregation befitting for today’s America. The title of his sermon was, “From Overwhelming To Overcoming”.
He made the following three points: expect trouble in this world; be encouraged by the Word and stay engaged in the will of God. It was a call to stay strong and to not be sidetracked by people of ill will. Those with selfish intentions are seasonal and their evil attempts will eventually disintegrate.
Righteousness and treating each other with dignity and respect should be our daily mantra. Let’s renew our pledge to be kind and less judgmental. Our eyes should always be on the prize of civility and empathy.
We are wrapped and interwoven in the fabric of humankind. We are people who need each other. Keeping that thought ever present in our minds will strengthen our
resolve to do what is right each day.
As we continue to honor our glorious and steadfast past, I am reminded of some of the lyrics from the hymn, Lift Every Voice and Sing by James Weldon Johnson. “Thou who has brought us thus far on the way; thou who has by Thy might led us into the light. Keep us forever in the path, we pray”.
Dr. James B. Ewers, Jr. is a long-time educator who hails from Winston Salem, N.C. Ewers is a life member of the NAACP and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.
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