By Terry Allen
Lucille “Big Mama” Allen wanted us to know that no matter, if we were not being a servant to others then our own prosperity would be in default and personal benefits would fail.
“Big Mama said you have to have two learnings, one from mankind and One from God. She also took a deeper dive and told me that mankind’s lessons have to come from a mankind that looked like you and uplifted you.
Right after she stated that she said, “because all skinfolk ain’t kinfolk” so she was headstrong about having self-love of our authentic culture and origins.
My 6th grade-educated Big Mama read a lot. She and I traded books and magazines throughout my time at SMU. Big Mama loved Ebony, Time and Newsweek magazines and she and my Mama, Betty, loved Jet magazine. She said this about Jet, “those are some real Black folks in those stories!”
If she was here today, she would be excited about every issue of Texas Metro News, from Superb Woman to Norma Adams-Wade and Cheryl Smith’s columns.
One day she handed me the book “The Miseducation of The Negro.” I was drawn to Woodson’s statement.
“Philosophers have long conceded that every man has two educations: “that which is given to him, and the other that which he gives himself. Of the two kinds the latter is by far the more desirable. Indeed all that is most worthy in man he must work out and conquer for himself. It is that which constitutes our real and best nourishment. What we are merely taught seldom nourishes the mind like that which we teach ourselves.”Carter G. Woodson
I am charged and reminded of the scripture that Big Mama added about faith without works. James 2:17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
Big Mama lifted up the forgotten and neglected just by proximity – being with them when no one else would be. She said believers have to know that to serve others renders God’s promise for us. Scripture: “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” John 3:18
Hallelujah! Lucille Bailey Allen.
Big Mama’s Playbook was the foundation for my team taking 59 women off welfare and making them CEOs. Judge Brown-Jackson does not need bad gravy from the majority of the 47 nays who walked out during her confirmation.
Nor does Will Smith need the “Academy” to confirm his journey and devalue his apology with their unbalanced action.
Some ‘kinfolk” do not help and do not share gravy. There are those who need a Peer to Peer gravy intercession!
Congrats to Publisher Smith. She built a platform to use the gifts of others to shine!
Let me name a few who have poured into others. (Check the website for my larger list) Shout out to Ken Carter, CEO, Focus Communications; Anthony Boyce, CEO, Kut Konnect; Pastor Keith Lofton, Mem- phis; Andrew Boykin, Executive Director, The Restoration Project; Norma Adams-Wade, Founding Member, NABJ; Johnny Foster, CEO, Dallas-based MCS Devices; Oliver Sims, CEO, Venture Capitalist leader; retired highly-decorated NYPD Police officer, Thomas Higdon and Shannon Cannon, Faith and Fitness guru.
I close with this: How do you show your faith with works? Email me at the paper. Terryallenpr@gmail.com
Terry Allen is an NABJ award-winning Journalist, PR professional and founder of 1016 Media, the charity - City Men Cook and Dallas Chapter President of NBPRS-DFW
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