Codis Hampton II Author – Page 3 – Hamp's Corner of America

One Trick Pony or Jack of all Trades?

Some of you millennials may not have heard the term ‘One Trick Pony.’ For those who haven’t let me explain how it relates to people, places and things. It’s pretty simplistic in meaning that the pony has one trick. It is not good at any more than one thing, thus the phrase.

A lot of professionals in entertainment, business occupation or career slots suggest you pick a field and stay with it. They say you have to be passionate about your selection. Be persistent, unyielding, don’t let anybody move you off your spot. Keep moving toward your ultimate goal. Zero in on that particular skill set and enhance it to make you a well-rounded individual in your field of expertise.

Professions relied on calling in THE expert. Whenever they needed to solve a burning question to finally implement a big project or solve a problem in their processes. They’d call for the big kahuna. And you better believe THE expert would come at a BIG expense.

This being a capitalistic country and a money driven society made everyone long to be that expert. Therefore, with the emphasis being on a talents expertise there was a rush to become THE expert in various fields. Yeah, go forth young man or woman, become a specialist.

That’s what business instructors, analysts, and prognosticators said as recently as a couple years ago. In most cases it worked yesteryear. Some are stuck in that mode today. Unfortunately they are giving you the old way of rising in your chosen field. That doesn’t work today. Whether you are aspiring to be a Singer, Actor, Doctor, Lawyer, or Politician, versatility is a must to become a star in any chosen field.

Over the last few years, doctors were urged to become specialists in some type of medicine. That is supposed to make them experts in their particular field. Yet it hinders them by causing them to call in another specialist when they run into another organ issue that is connected to their operational body part. They try to have all the necessary surgeons in during the operation. Every now and then, they still have to call someone else to scrub in during an operation. Or if it’s beforehand they send you to another specialist in order to get another experts opinion.

Take a rapper for instance, who think that all they have to do is get a beat and a hook in the rap to create a number one hit. Keep in mind that their entire premise is based upon voicing the truth about what they supposedly have personally experienced in the hood. For those outside the rap game, the entire presentation all sounds the same. And that’s because it is the same. So people chase the dream of becoming a rapper for over twenty-five years and still are no closer than they were before their first release. A lot of rappers are attaining stardom for one hit record. Then fading as fast as they arrived because there is no there…there. If quietness is kept, it also happens to one hit singers.

How about an actor or actress? The two that comes to mind are Denzel Washington and Viola Davis. There is no typecasting these individual whose versatility is always on display to an audience. They are not one trick pony’s. When you think of them competing for various parts, they are two people that can play a couple of stationary bowling pins. As long as you gave them dialog and allow facial inflictions; case closed for considering anyone else for the part.

This also applies to our personal lives. On a personal note, I was a one trick pony. At the time, I had a dying need to please me and only me in every way imaginable. I wanted to be the best all talented, all rich, etc. etc. in the world. I wanted to be recognize as THE one and only. I was a walking neon sign that said look at me, for I am the one. The one of what didn’t matter, because I wanted to be THE One of it all. Maturity was realized and it dawned on me that whatever I tried to do, someone came before me and many were more accomplished at it than I. I had to drive out the conceit and begin to find my niche in life. My father words rang in my head, “Boy whatever you do, do it well.” I started taking his words to task. I became pretty good at most things. And boy did I get an education about life while becoming “A Jack of all Trades.”

Even if you excel at one of the personal traits, self-satisfaction is secondary to shared success. With maturity also comes the realization that all things worth having is even greater if share with someone. That goes double for sharing it with someone you love or even a group. Success is more special when sharing it with family, or a few close friends. That’s why you see so much jubilation when a sports team wins a championship. There is no substitution for looking in the eyes of someone you know is happy you reached a certain pinnacle. Keeping in mind that it is better to be good in several areas to become a superstar.

In the end when you look at the big picture, which would you rather be? Will you settled for being a home run hitter? Or would you like to be thought of as a complete ball player. When the managers on certain jobs come around with layoff pink slips? Who normally gets to stay on the job? The expert or the person that can handle various duties as assigned.

And finally, as an Entrepreneur, wouldn’t you feel more comfortable with a working knowledge of your entire business investment? Otherwise, how would know if people you have placed in certain positions are able to handle all aspects of the job. How long would it take for you to see that one or more is faking it? Their intention is to get paid, for they can find another job. But how many times can you come up with the funds to invest in a business venture. Now which would you rather be, a ‘One Trick Pony’ or ‘Jack of all Trades?’

Peace, yet stay vigilant for our American rights. Make it a day in which Jesus Christ would be proud of you,

Codis Hampton II

Follow Hamp at https://twitter.com/#!/HampTwo

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Join us for the live broadcast of our bimonthly BTR Shows at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/hampscornerofamerica

In a continuing effort to publicize my book, Gracie Hall-Hampton, the Arkansas Years 1917-1953, I will join LitFires Publishing exhibit at this year’s ALA (American Library Association in June) Annual Conference & Exhibition in Chicago. Go to http://exhibitors.ala.org/ for the full details. Meanwhile look for my fifth book to be published in early July. Thanks and see you in Chicago.

Get any of my books by visiting my Amazon.com Authors page at http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B017TYFKBI?ref_=pe_1724030_132998070

Our Parent Company and sponsor is CHIIA Group, online at http://hcoa.net/ and http://www.chiia.com/home.html .

ACT’s Symposium Request for Dialog

ACT (Antioch Community Team) sponsored a symposium that I attended last Saturday evening. The issues of why police are shooting and killing black folks at an alarming rate of consistency were the topic. The flyer advertisement spoke directly to the events purpose. Noting that “The primary goal of the symposium is to have a proactive community dialogue that ensures trust among law enforcement and communities-at-large via a panel discussion.”

Antioch, California’s Delta Bay Church of Christ was the facility host. Attendance was pretty good considering the available seating accommodations. I would estimate there was over 100 guests excluding the six-member panel and moderator, Dr. Lawrence Rasheed. One absent panel member (Con Johnson) had to be excused to take care of a family issue. The Panel’s expertise was mixed, a current member of the California Highway Patrol, one retired police officer who was a member of the Oakland, CA police department. There was an Attorney who worked on the San Francisco Blue Ribbon study for police tactics, a couple of ladies that recently moved to Antioch within the last six years. Both were from professional backgrounds and one directly involved or connected to law enforcement one way or another. And one other individual with a doctorate that spoke to the interpretation of individual fear and trauma.

There was also a lady in attendance that audio recorded the event for a documentary. I understood her to say she works for KQED. I am not sure if she was making the documentary for the TV station or on her own. I think it was a personal project. I do intend to keep in touch with her and have her as a guest on my new show in the future. As I always make it my business to keep up with Dr. Rasheed and his involvement in local issues. Look for him to also appear on my future shows.

Brother Rasheed, the moderator, has long been involved in community affairs before receiving his doctorate. He is the founder of G.R.I.O.T. (Greatness Rediscovered in Our Time). That organization is “a mentoring & advocacy systemic gestalt providing culturally relevant intervention for African American males.” As such has been a guest on my Blog Talk Radio Show a couple of times. I’ve found him to be front and center when it comes to community issues with our youth and a nice guy in which to have a productive conversation about such topics.

As one can almost count on at these types of affairs, there were technical issues that prevented the showing of videos. One scheduled is entitled “23 Ways You Can Be Killed If You Are Black in America.” You can access the video at the following link, http://www.metatube.com/en/videos/312953/23-Ways-You-Could-Be-Killed-If-You-Are-Black-in-America/ There was also another scheduled video not shown with President Obama 21st Century Policing as the subject matter.

Yet there were many positives that ACT can take from this symposium. First and foremost is that it was scheduled and attended by some very interested local parties. Also in attendance were numerous members running for local political offices, and a few already elected officials. I was happy to learn the presence of a councilman from my city of Pittsburg, located next door to Antioch. The elephant in the room was that no member or representative of Antioch’s mayor’s office or their police department attended the event. In fact, one guest speaker questioned that logic. The community activist, we will call her, asked why the mayor or Antioch’s police captain (both black men) were not asked to attend or serve as members of the panel.

She was right in that particular critique. The two Antioch officials are people in a position to speak on the very issues and topic of conversation. I don’t know when she arrived but at the outset, Dr. Rasheed had noted that these individuals were contacted and invited to attend the event. They declined and obviously did not think to send a representative in their stead. She was reminded along with the rest of the audience of that fact. One might ask then why even have the symposium. It was a forum to hear other people thoughts. With that in mind, it was a successful start to a conversation this country must have on a local and national basis.

They invited members of the audience to make comments and ask the panel a question. They stood in line on both sides of the room waiting their turn at the microphone. The moderator who I thought handled the conversational flow of the meeting in a very respectful expeditiously manner also refrained the audience from firing comments or questions at those commenting at the time.

There were a couple of horror stories of police brutality. A few asked the panel for explanations of police tactics and training. The primary question was why Police Officers should be treated any different than ordinary citizens when there is a questionable killing of people of color. I learned there are rules of law on the books, like the “Police Bill of Rights” and others that govern the investigation of police officers. Although I must confessed I will have to study this, and other laws mentioned to familiarize myself with the actual wording. But one thought became clear; these laws or directives are taken into account when dealing with what the public can even see or learn during an investigation. That is one of the issues that frustrate the public in their search for transparency in these different local and national cases.

There was the lady who informed us that she was once a County Sherriff whose policeman husband lost his life while on a domestic disturbance call. She made it clear that she suddenly found herself a widow and mother of three very young children to raise by herself. I must say, there was no resentment in her voice only happiness at the scheduling of such an event. She was hopeful that more individuals from both sides could attend and talk about solutions and a get a general knowledge of understanding of each other’s needs and requirements.

I think we were all in agreement that the community sorely needs forums such as this. As ACT stated on the face of their itinerary booklet, this was “A symposium looking at Bridging the Divide and Re-Imagining Police – Community Relations.” I can only guess at the reasons the Mayor’s office or Antioch Police hierarchy felt they need not attend such a classy and well-managed event as hosted by ACT. It was not a pity party, nor blame the police for all the communities’ ailments.

It was a chance for concerned community representatives, elected officials, and the police department to talk about their concerns for their city residents. It was a chance to engage a well-attended audience consisting of community leaders in a forum managed by a respectful organization that is serious about addressing a local and national problem. It seems that would be better than meeting a large crowd of demonstrators in the streets. After an incident where the norm is to have people shouting at each other in anger. Where you always run the risk of people who are really not part of the demonstrations organization but are there waiting for the opportunity to destroy property, break in retail outlets and steal items. You can always tell these individuals. Most are not local people but from other areas in the country. They normally have bandanas over their faces or other attire to obscure their identity.

The fact that the officials were not there only confirms the thought that they are not transparent, or interested in a dialog with members of their cities constituency. A constituency that’s looking for answers from their elected officials. Specifically, they want to understand the motives of a force that are carrying weapons, patrolling our streets that we truly need to follow their mantra, “To protect and serve.” We truly believe that people can avoid conflict if all the interested parties are communicating with each other. Maybe they can clear their schedules for the next forum. For now, they can call that one an opportunity missed by those in a position to implement changes in their practices. I hope ACT will sponsor more of these type symposiums.

Peace, make it a day in which Jesus Christ would be proud of you,

Codis Hampton II

Follow Hamp at https://twitter.com/#!/HampTwo

Subscribe to this blog at http://wp.me/p65rCa-et

Join us for the live broadcast of our bimonthly BTR Shows at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/hampscornerofamerica

“In my latest book, Remember Moz, Gracie & John Hampton’s First-Born, I wanted to tell the world about a unique individual. Not because he happened to be my father but to explain who he was, where he came from, and how he evolved into the man he became up until his death. In doing so, I wrote of his ancestor’s roots back to and through the Civil War. The inclusion of his birth and upbringing in the heart of Arkansas, or Jim Crow country, add southern reluctance to learn why our country involved itself in a bloodthirsty four-year exercise in the first place? Then you begin to understand why our parents behaved the way that they did. See if I captured the essence of this paragraph.” Get the book via the Authors Page at http://outskirtspress.com/webPage/isbn/9781478766056

Or visit my Amazon.com Authors page at http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B017TYFKBI?ref_=pe_1724030_132998070

Our Parent Company and sponsor is CHIIA Group, online at https://hcofa.net/

Checking Our Life Progress at Age Forty

My online pastor, don’t trip, I also attend First Baptist in Pittsburg. As I was saying, a few Sunday’s ago Doctor Lance Watson of Saint Paul’s Baptist (Richmond, VA.) began a new sermon series. The new series is entitled “Fortyish.” The subject is as it sounds, people reflecting on their current status in life at the age of forty. Naturally, Dr. Watson looked at it from a biblical sense.

It started me wondering about my state of mind after turning Forty. First of all, I had my midlife crises in my early thirties. I had to close a thriving retail business because I didn’t have the collateral to get a business loan. With two kids and a wife, finding a career that had growth possibilities at home was a lost cause. After closing our retail outlet, I reasoned that my future was not in Milwaukee.

I was familiar with the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Area. As a young soldier, I was once stationed at Fort Ord, outside Salinas and Monterey, CA. From there I was assigned to Oakland’s Army Terminal to await a ship that took me to Korea. While there, I’d settled in so well, the Forty- Niners’ became my second favorite football team, after the Packers. Reluctantly my wife agreed, and we decided to move to Northern California. I should also say my life took a drastic change for the better with that decision. I put in an application for a governmental position in Alameda. I got hired as a Supply Clerk by a lady I ending up calling my West Coast Mother. She called to tell me I had the job and found my wife to be pregnant expecting our third child. Ida M Brown (RIP) allowed me to report, two months later after the birth of the baby. After I had arrived, she suggested I move into the Oakland YMCA, which I did and invited me and my new friend, Denny, over to her house for a Thanksgiving Dinner. I never forgot her kindness. That was in 1978. I was thirty-four years old.

But let’s stay on point. I should note that I passed my forties over two decades ago. By age forty, I was working as an Accounting Technician at Naval Supply Center. I transferred from the Accounting Department and took a job in the Procurement Department. My dream had come true. I was a Purchasing Agent and feeling like I’d made real professional progress.

For most people, as Dr. Watson says, turning forty is a time we spend taking inventory of our life. Specifically, we look at our professional life, social environment, and friends.

Professionally we compare our dreams and hopes at twenty to our current reality. We look at our professional gains or losses. We wonder if we had taken this or that turn would we be in a better financial position. Are we happy in our chosen profession? Are we in an upward position or a dead end? Is my position as rewarding as I originally thought, does it provide me the required security. And one of the most important aspects of a career, am I paid enough for the work.

Should we make a slight change in direction or change careers? In these days, maybe the choice has been made for you. Companies continue to downsize, and look for ways to cut staff as a way of improving their profitability. In my opinion, all possibilities must be reviewed including starting your own business.

We also take stock as to who in our lives are worth keeping and who might need to write off as a loss or nuisance. Sounds cold? Come on; we’ve all had those people in our lives. Friends and, or relatives who have and will continue to cause constant problems in our daily existence. Most mean well, but come into your life with their personal agenda. Some go so far as to get what they need from you and move on to other sources. For a few, you may just have to say enough is enough; we just can’t be around each other. That would also include those in our love life. Is this the person I want in my life. Have the past years been as wonderful for both of us or neither one of us?

There is also an important examination that is biblical in nature. Do our possessions contribute to our mental well-being? In short, what we have purchased or personally own is the subject. Do our toys, for lack of a better word, make us happy? The size, brand or value of your toy may not mean the same to other individuals. Maybe it is a status toy like a home or automobile. Whatever the case, the question remains the same. Does it make you happy?

Sometimes we find that after getting a new toy, we are bored and begin to set our sights on a more expensive or new toy. In other words, we may find ourselves always longing for something we don’t have and possible can never own. That calls for self-examination of our values. Do we need this or another toy or can we find happiness with what we already own? And just where do our friends, family, and spouses fit into our toy equation? The value of human contact and interaction should always outweigh our desires for toys.

The point of the exercise is to examine all aspects of your life at this stage. It’s a case where you have to be selfish and honest with yourself. If the exercise is carried out in the correct way, one will learn a lot about themselves and people around them.

This article is a series of personal examinations at the subject decade milestones in our lives. We welcome comments on your thoughts as write about each topic point. We can all learn from others experiences as well as our own. Look for a new article every two weeks.

Next up: What Happens When You Reach Fifty?

Followed by: Sixty, the new Forty or Fifty?

Ending with: Seventies, are you Done?

Peace, make it a day in which Jesus Christ would be proud of you,

Codis Hampton II

Follow Hamp at https://twitter.com/#!/HampTwo

Subscribe to this blog at http://wp.me/p65rCa-98

Join us at the live broadcast of our bimonthly BTR Shows at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/hampscornerofamerica

“In my latest book, Remember Moz, Gracie & John Hampton’s First-Born, I wanted to tell the world about a unique individual. Not because he happened to be my father but to explain who he was, where he came from, and how he evolved into the man he became up until his death. In doing so, I wrote of his ancestor’s roots back to and through the Civil War. The inclusion of his birth and upbringing in the heart of Arkansas, or Jim Crow country, add southern reluctance to learn why our country involved itself in a bloodthirsty four-year exercise in the first place? Then you begin to understand why, our parents behaved the way that they did. See if I captured the essence of this paragraph.” Get the book via the Authors Page at http://outskirtspress.com/webPage/isbn/9781478766056

Or visit my Amazon.com Authors page at http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B017TYFKBI?ref_=pe_1724030_132998070

Our Parent Company and sponsor is CHIIA Group, online at https://hcofa.net/

Mrs. Clinton is the ideal Candidate

The former first lady, state senator, presidential candidate, secretary of state has a wealth of political knowledge on building a consensus with opposing forces. Now she is a candidate for President of the United States for the second time. The Democratic Candidate reign on Super Tuesday, March 15. She won 5 states over her rival Senator Bernie Sanders. No doubt she is tying her coattails to President Barack Obama where ever she can do so.

Bernie, as do the Republicans, says she is a flawed candidate. With her resume and former actions, she was bound to have pissed some people off with her votes as a senator and actions as a human being. Remember the first heath care plan she tried to champion as then President Clintons first lady? The question for Democrats and others who might consider her candidacy is can she win against the eventual Republican nominee? Followed by can she wade through what has become Republican obstructionism, govern and be an effective president? Or should we vote for and nominate an idealistic Bernie Sanders?

We have to pick an individual that withstand an array of attacks time and time again during the election process by the Super Pac’s. They, who do not have to identify themselves, thanks to a vote of the conservative-leaning members of the Supreme Court. Super Pac’s with unlimited dollars to place attack ads against our nominee’s record, friends, associates, pets, habits and idiosyncrasies. That person has to give as much as they take in a classy fashion and stay on message. It takes someone who has been through a few political wars, so to speak to be tough enough to withstand the barrage of attack ad aimed at the next Democratic nominee. If I were betting money, I would bet that Hillary Clinton has the experience and confidence to withstand anything the Republicans throw at her during the national election for president.

In November of 2008, U.S. voters elected an idealistic, fresh outsider and community organizer to run our country. We all were proud of our country, and our neighbors for helping us make a very qualified black man president of the United States. During the last, almost eight years we have sat stunned by various attacks on a sitting president by Republicans for varying reasons. They didn’t like his policies, his wife, children, mother-in-law or dog. Never mind he almost singling handed worked to save this country from going over a financial cliff beginning as soon as he got elected President of the United States. If you recalled, G Dubya, the president at the time had mentally checked out of the White House. So it was up to the newly elected President, Barack Obama.

At the time, a political cartoonist drew a picture of G Dubya riding off into the sunset as his horse had left behind piles of manure. Different labels were written on each pile such as Iraq War, Consumer Confidence, Mortgage Crises, Consumer Debt, US Debt, etc. The picture also depicted the new president dressed as a trash man with a broom and bucket picking up the Bush Administration’s droppings of horse manure. President Obama should have framed that one as a keepsake.

You may also remember, there was a meeting of the top Republicans in the Senate and House a few days after Mr. Obama’s election. Congressional elected men who got together and agreed to become obstructionist to any and everything the newly elected president proposes. Mitch McConnell, the minority speaker at the time stood before national television cameras and stated the Republicans in the House and Senates number one job was to see that President Obama’s failed in carrying out his duties as POTUS.

Frankly, as an Army Veteran, I thought it was a treasonous statement followed by actions or inactions of elected Republicans to slow the American Economy. But then as a black man, I know there are…let’s say…different strokes for different folks. It would have been a treasons statement under any other circumstances. Despite their tricks, rhetoric and Fox News, President Obama will go down as a man who brought back civility to the office, champion and sponsored legislation that passed and continued to make a difference in today’s highly political environment.

I would be the first to agree that Senator Bernie Sanders is frank and tells his audiences what they want to hear from a candidate. He might act in a way we long for in our elected officials. But it is all a dream. Senator Sanders is the ideological opposite of Donald Trump. Neither will get elected in November.

Sanders, a liberal extremist, a socialist, a man that’s so far left of President Barack Obama, it should be a crime. Those are some of the kind words you can expect from the political ads. No one, and I mean no one has brought up stances that he took in his thirties, forty’s, or fifties. I listened to his speech from Madison, Wisconsin after someone told him he won the Alaska and Washington State Democratic Caucus. I see why people are attracted to him. He spoke from an item to item list of problems that a lot of people are going through and like all politicians, promised he would change things. By the way, some of the issues were addressed by law or executive order by President Barack Obama, who ran into vigorous opposition from a Republican House and Senate. Sanders’ ideas are not that different than his opponent, Hillary Clinton. He tells his college students he is for a free college education with no tuition. Who thinks that law will be passed even in a Democratic House and Senate? He thinks that all his free programs can be funded by a tax on Wall Street. And if by the slim chance in hell that law would get passed by Congress, get ready for the cost to be passed on to you and me, the consumer.

I can almost see the Super Pac’s Ads along with Tea Party Members, and Republican office holders and commentators day after day, hour after hour. They would tell whoever is listening to radio and TV of what a scary thought it would be to elect Barney Sanders. There is no place for naïve thoughts and promises in this election. We need someone who can get results.

As for the Donald, his mouth, policies, and tactics would not pass the scrutiny of the United States voting population to get him elected President. His party realizes that fact.

Democrats have got to nominate, elect and send an experienced individual to hold the highest office in the land. We should elect a candidate who has crafted good policies for this country. Someone who can get things done by using their experience to navigate Republican obstruction. It should be an individual who is willing to listen and work for all the people including the common folk. Most of all, a battle harden political veteran who can get elected despite the mined road to the White House. Mrs. Clinton is the ideal candidate at this time. Unlike any Republican running or otherwise and certainly not Barney Sanders.

Peace, make it a day in which Jesus Christ would be proud of you,

Codis Hampton II

Follow Hamp at https://twitter.com/#!/HampTwo

Subscribe to this blog at http://wp.me/p65rCa-8d

Join us at the live broadcast of our bimonthly BTR Shows at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/hampscornerofamerica

“In my latest book, Remember Moz, Gracie & John Hampton’s First-Born, I wanted to tell the world about a unique individual. Not because he happened to be my father but to explain who he was, where he came from, and how he evolved into the man he became up until his death. In doing so, I wrote of his ancestor’s roots back to and through the Civil War. The inclusion of his birth and upbringing in the heart of Arkansas, or Jim Crow country, add southern reluctance to learn why our country involved itself in a bloodthirsty four-year exercise in the first place? Then you begin to understand why, our parents behaved the way that they did. See if I captured the essence of this paragraph.” Get the book via the Authors Page at http://outskirtspress.com/webPage/isbn/9781478766056

Or visit my Amazon.com Authors page at http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B017TYFKBI?ref_=pe_1724030_132998070

Our Parent Company and sponsor is CHIIA Group, online at https://hcofa.net/

Reading for Knowledge is Mandatory, Part 1

I know you’re wondering, who is this fellow? What credentials, education or background gives him the authority to suggest what I should do, much less how I should advise my family?

Well, I am really nobody special, just a black man, an interested party in the growth, survivability, of my people and their ability to compete for whatever job in every profession available in the worldwide job market. I want us to take ownership in our community and stop waiting on others to dictate what happens there. I didn’t go to Harvard or a historically black college. In fact, I’ve never graduated from any major college. But I did graduate cum laude from the School of Hard Knocks, with a major in “Common Sense.” So, this year I will use my media sites (HCofA’s “Reading for Knowledge” Initiative) and credentials to advise us all to read more, especially during this political season.

Believe me when I say, I’m not trying to be flippant here, but I do want you to consider the following information.

A Huffpost Books headline screams “The U.S. Illiteracy Rate Hasn’t Change in 10 Years.” Granted it’s from a December 12, 2014 update, but do you think it has gotten better since then? In the article the U.S. Department of Education along with the National Institute of Literacy states 32 million adults (14% of our American population) in the U.S. can’t read. 21 percent of adults in the U.S. read below a 5^th grade level and 19 percent of high school graduates can’t read. Major question…how do they graduate if they can’t read?

According to the Department of Justice, “The link between academic failure and delinquency, violence, and crime is welded to reading failure.” According to BeginToRead.com “85 percent of all juveniles who interface with the juvenile court system are functionally illiterate, and over 70 percent of inmates in America’s prisons cannot read above a fourth grade level.” They predict that “2/3 of students who cannot read proficiently by the end of the 4^th grade will end up in jail of on welfare.”

Although these are the statistics from all juveniles regardless of color, creed or origin, shouldn’t this concern you for Americas present and future? What about the People of Color community? Do you see growth in these numbers? A collogue recently posted the following sign on Facebook. It read “No one is coming to save you. This life of yours is 100% your responsibility.” Even God expects us to do certain things for ourselves by utilizing the human gifts he has bestowed upon us.

I’m a history lover; World, American and especially Black History. I’m just as fascinated today to read of black people, their inventions and exploits as I was as a kid. I used to skip school to go to the library because I believed they were not teaching me what I needed to know in school, parochial or public. It was dumb on my part because even today, you still need that degree now more than ever to compete for a decent job. Yet, never overlook the importance of reading a book for some type of media for knowledge.

Why don’t we get personal and look at the people in our circle of acquaintances, people we meet and talk to on a day to day basis? An irritating person is someone with whom you’re having a discussion that obviously does not know what they are talking about. During the conversation you find that the source of what little information they have on the subject comes from a friend of theirs or something somebody else has told them. Since they haven’t taken the time to read up on the subject, they are not aware they are repeating the wrong information. Yet they hang on to their erroneous information as if its word of Jesus Christ. Often time they are the most opinionated individual in the conversation and refuse to admit that their real lack of knowledge. Do you know anybody or ever been involved in that type of conversation?

Add to the mix those individuals, which can be any ones of us at times, who drive up to a neighborhood street, a store, a strip mall, or city business that is closed or moved to another facility. We wonder why we hadn’t gotten the word of this major detour or event. Not only are some of us not watching the local news, we are not aware of community developments. All that is needed is to browse our city websites or attending monthly meetings at the city hall. No…we tend to wait until some event strikes a personal nerve. Then we are all over it only to find out decisions about this particular project were made months ago. We are now too late to effect any kind of change in plans.

What about those who are backing a particular local or national political candidate knowing nothing about their real plans or reasons for running for office in the first place. Yet we are sometimes sure about whom we don’t want to vote for or we simply don’t vote. When that happens we get the kind of local or national Representatives, senators, or Presidents that don’t have our interest at heart. Or we are surprised by a position the newly elected official has taken that is opposite of our beliefs and the will of the people or everyday citizen. Once again, does any of this sound familiar to you?

There is a dire need for all of us to stay current on local and national events. We need to know the true details in order to avoid and in some cases provides us the ability to take action to effect change that affects your bottom line. That bottom line includes economics, community lifestyle or your children’s future.

A prime example is some in our local police department with cowboy attitudes when it comes to certain people of color. Does it really take a bevy of cops to empty their firearms into an individual’s back, front, or side that is armed with a knife? With the police chief stating at a press conference the officers feared for their life. Yet the video tells a different story of events.

Why must we wait for that to happen in our community? Why can’t we insist that our local officials, mayor, council persons demand additional training and a change in cultural in police? What is wrong with our policemen taking a stress test along with their fitness test every year? Such a physiological test is bound to reveal psychotic symptoms from certain individuals that should not be on the street with a weapon. Maybe they have been on the street too long to have a clear judgement in a normal response to a police action call. And overriding evidence has revealed that certain police tactics need a vast overhaul. The point is to implore the people who can effect change to act beforehand.

As a community of people, we must be more proactive instead of reactive. We start by being aware of current events in our community and nationally. Next, more remedy’s to the problem in Part 2 of this article.

Peace, make it a day in which Jesus Christ would be proud of you,

Codis Hampton II

Follow Hamp at https://twitter.com/#!/HampTwo

Subscribe to this blog at http://wp.me/p65rCa-7P

Join us at the live broadcast of our bimonthly BTR Shows at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/hampscornerofamerica

“In my latest book, Remember Moz, Gracie & John Hampton’s First-Born, I wanted to tell the world about a unique individual. Not because he happened to be my father but to explain who he was, where he came from, and how he evolved into the man he became up until his death. In doing so, I wrote of his ancestor’s roots back to and through the Civil War. The inclusion of his birth and upbringing in the heart of Arkansas, or Jim Crow country, add southern reluctance to learn why our country involved itself in a bloodthirsty four-year exercise in the first place? Then you begin to understand why, our parents behaved the way that they did. See if I captured the essence of this paragraph.” Get the book via the Authors Page at http://outskirtspress.com/webPage/isbn/9781478766056

Or visit my Amazon.com Authors page at http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B017TYFKBI?ref_=pe_1724030_132998070

Our Parent Company and sponsor is CHIIA Group, online at https://hcofa.net/

What is the Black Church’s Responsibility?

You’ve probably heard of the latest uproar in our community concerning the black church. Recently, Presidential hopeful Donald Trump hosted a; well let’s not even give it a name. The billionaire who is seeking the Republican Party’s nomination to run for President of the United States in 2016 had chosen few Black Pastors to attend a meeting. The Nov 30^th meeting billed as “Donald Trump meets with Coalition of African-American Ministers. It went on to name some of the most media-visible pastors and added, “Live from Trump Towers.” The public was offered several ways to watch this gathering. To keep it fair, I understand those invited were not all Trumps supporters. Some chose to go just to see what this particular candidate had to say or how he would address problems in our communities.

If I’d known about the event beforehand would I have watched on TV? No, because I already know Donald Trump. What I know of him, his politics over the last few years is enough for me to pay no attention to him.

From all I’ve read and surmised Trump was at best seeking an endorsement and at the very least seeking and bringing attention to his campaign. The question on the table was there for the consumption of those watching as well as those in attendance. Would this event show or make him a viable candidate that could attract the vote of the black community? A tall order given the rhetoric he has spouted the last few months.

Right after the meeting, a few pastors found the microphones of an eager national media. They wasted no time in stating what a wonderful meeting it was and how they had met a man that was true to his convictions, etc., etc. One of two went so far as to say, we need to take another look at Trump as he is not who he is portrayed to be in the media. At that the black community yawned.

Upset at the entire spectacle, Baltimore Poster, Reverend Jamal Bryant was quoted as stating about those in attendance, “ They are prostituting themselves and, in essence, the black church.” A couple of ministers who attended were a guest on Roland Martin’s TV1 News One Now show. Martin, who thought the entire meeting was “a waste of time”, asked his guest if there were any relevant substance gained from the meeting. In short the collective answer was no.

Some in social meeting took this incident to ask a potent question. What is the black church responsibility in our community? As it always is in social media, opinions were all over the place with most upset at the pastors for allowing themselves to be a pawn in Trumps media circus. People posted their opinions on Facebook and other social sites. Most of the comments centered on the role of the church. Again, it’s a question that concerns me as both a community advocate and church member in my little town.

I don’t pretend to speak for anybody but myself in any written matters. But…just for the record, the church is not the police department. In response to some who think the church should do what to the drug dealers and other criminals in the community? The church is made up of community people and as such goes about trying to follow the word of God as noted in the Bible.

The real question for those who always seem to overstate the church’s responsibility is what should the community do about the dealers and criminals in their midst? Whenever and wherever that questions answered, then the community could seek the church’s assistance in developing programs and assistance for those in need of services that are no longer available because of political or financial reasons.

But the bottom line, the church is in the business of saving souls, spreading the word of God, and providing a place for its members and all who want to worship. I would imagine if you ask any pastor, they would tell you it’s a full-time job just keeping their members entrenched in the word of God. Pastors, Deacons and Ministries are there to assist or provide the tools and interpretation of the Bible parishioners require to be saved and act as a good Cristian. Anything outside of actions that meet those goals is either a bonus from the church or what one would call extra curriculum activities. I have no problem with any pastor advocating his members to exercise their right to vote in all elections. The clergy can implore our cooperation and discussion with city, county, state and even national political offices to facilitate improvement within our community.

There is always going to be a Pastor, Preacher, or Evangelist, who goes outside of what they are supposed to be in the name of God. Every week or so, there are questions in my mind as to how some supposed man of God can justify their belief in Jesus Christ while spouting viewpoints that goes against the word of God. In the end, they are human and have their agenda when it comes to most of their actions and rhetoric.

More importantly to me, is the fact that some in the black community who are so very quick to criticize our churches role don’t belong to a church. Nor do they even attend a church in any community. Do You want to find out the churches role, get more involved in your community church? All you need to do is attend a church of your choice, join and become involved in the church business.

There is no doubt the church can have a tremendous effect on their community. But also, keep in mind that the church is comprised of members of your community. Your church pastor serves at the members convenience.

Any church will do their members bidding if enough of the members make it a priority. At least, they will do it in the disguise of their mantra. So as for that little performance by Donald Trump or any candidate that is looking for the black vote, the church is a great place to troll for votes.

On the other hand, any prominent clergyman or woman can suggest endorsing a candidate for its members. The vote is still up to each and every member. And just as there are black Republicans and you wonder why given their rhetoric over the years. Some black person will back some idea, cause or individual that makes you wonder if anybody is home in their brain. And you can bet their action will lead off Fox News and all the ultra-conservative media spots. But that is really old news by now. We all know what side our bread’s buttered on as the old folks use to say.

Peace, make it a day in which Jesus Christ would be proud of you,

Codis Hampton II

Follow Hamp at https://twitter.com/#!/HampTwo

Subscribe to this blog at http://wp.me/p65rCa-6N

Join us at the live broadcast of our bimonthly BTR Shows at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/hampscornerofamerica

“In my latest book, Remember Moz, Gracie & John Hampton’s First-Born, I wanted to tell the world about a unique individual. Not because he happened to be my father but to explain who he was, where he came from, and how he evolved into the man he became up until his death. In doing so, I wrote of his ancestor’s roots back to and through the Civil War. The inclusion of his birth and upbringing in the heart of Arkansas, or Jim Crow country, add southern reluctance to learn why our country involved itself in a bloodthirsty four-year exercise in the first place? Then you begin to understand why, our parents behaved the way that they did. See if I captured the essence of this paragraph.” Get the book via the Authors Page at http://outskirtspress.com/webPage/isbn/9781478766056

Or visit my Amazon.com Authors page at http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B017TYFKBI?ref_=pe_1724030_132998070

Our Parent Company and sponsor is CHIIA Group, online at https://hcofa.net/

What Am I Thankful For In 2015?

What am I thankful for on this Thanksgiving? Where do I start? First of all, I am thankful for being the child of Doreatha (Childs) and Codis Hampton. Two people whom I dearly loved and will miss through eternity. And my heavenly father for placing me in their care and guidance in the first place.

I am thankful for having such wonderful siblings as my sisters, Delores, Carol, and stepsister, the late Johnny Mae. And let me not forget my little brother James Edward. I was the oldest and should have been the most responsible, but forgive me when I strayed to the dark side in my late teenage and young adult age.

That was a period when all five feet four of me thought to be cold blooded, hardcore and tuff was a prescription for survival in this country. The streets of Milwaukee called for guile, cunning, a bad attitude and short fuse. At least that is what I thought at the time. The first words out of my mouth to anyone who disagreed with me on any subject was F_ _ _ you, followed by I will kick your M-F A_ _. It made no difference if the guy was 5’4” 140lbs or 6’4” 250 lbs. My only suggestion to the person was to bring a lunch because it’s going to be an all-day fight to the finish. I won some and lost others. In fact, have you ever seen a group of different size dogs on the street or in a yard? The smallest runt of the pack is always barking the loudest, jumping up and down. The others may not even bark, but that runt is lunging at you as you walk by and seems to want to tear one of your limbs off your body. I was that runt.

I was mad at the world, didn’t care who knew it and was not planning on passing the age of twenty-one. And if that was to come to pass, I was going down swinging at my foe. Along the way, I found out a simple truth. It didn’t matter who won, my body still felt the pain from being in a fight. All praise is to God; I got over and lived through that phase. I also give thanks to a three-year service in the US Army which helped me mature in a manner I never knew existed for a black man in this country.

I’ll tell you some other people who knew what I was learning the hard way. And that is my mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, uncles, Aunts and adult cousins. If I had listened to them in the first place, well…that phase in my life could have been spent more productive maybe resulting in a master degree in something or the other. I have no regrets. That is what it took for me to get to 2015. Now it’s just another reason for me to be thankful today.

I am grateful for having met my wife, Sandra along the way. For our children, Shawn Lynn, Richie and Brandon, now grown and finding their way in life, I am all so proud of their accomplishments. They are down to earth people who are real and see life as it is not through rose colored glasses. My wife and I tried to raise them in the way we were raised hoping they would be better and avoid some of our mistakes. The fact that they are alive and well is a blessing in itself.

Today, I can say; I have family and friends that I keep in contact with, some daily, weekly, others monthly, and yearly. There are friends and family I haven’t touched bases with in a while who know me well enough to know I still care and think about them. As in life, there have been disagreements with family and friends causing them to fall out of touch for whatever reason. They should know; I’m not a person who holds a grudge or harbor some dislike for them because of some incident between us. Thank God, I can say, I’m not that kind of person today. I have evolved and continue to do so. I am a better person than I was years ago, last year and several months ago, as I continue to work on me every day. I am certainly thankful for that.

Make no mistake about it. I go through what you all go through on a daily basis. We have to deal with rude and obnoxious people in the grocery store or other retail outlets. Making a phone call to a vendor while trying to correct their billing error can be challenging. Is it me, or am I correct in concluding that customer service is lacking at too many of our service industry companies these days? Sometimes it’s as though the Human Resource Office in these companies have hired a staff of incompetent, uncaring, and impatient individuals to answer their phones and yet call themselves a customer service representative. Most of time, I feel I should send them an invoice for helping them do their job. You feel me? But then, over the years I’ve learned not to let a person or persons put me in a bad mood for the day. I deal with it at that time with that person and move on; it’s that simple. And for that change in my personality, I am thankful to Jesus Christ.

I am oh so thankful for the new people I am meeting in my life. Some of which, I have never personally met or seen, but often communicate by phone as if we’ve known each other for a lifetime. I’ve met most of these new friends and contacts in connection with my church, BTR Show, publication of books or my role as their tax preparer.

Every day many of these people or colleagues give me hope there is a better day coming for our people of color and communities across this nation. We share a common goal for the human race and specifically for the black race. These are people of all colors who demonstrate on a daily basis that they are community driven first rather than only seeking profit for their endeavors. It is these people, along with my upbringing that keeps me going and selfishly giving of my time for my community.

I am so thankful to my Savior for guiding me as I take the actions required to give and contribute in my way to our community. To say that I’ve evolved into a good husband, father, citizen and black man in 2015 is an understatement in my view. I’ve found peace with myself, my God, my family, friends and everyone else. And for that, I am eternally thankful this Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving to you all, may you find the same type of contentment in your life.

Peace, make it a day in which Jesus Christ would be proud of you,

Codis Hampton II

Follow Hamp at https://twitter.com/#!/HampTwo

Subscribe to this blog at http://wp.me/p65rCa-6t

Join us at the live broadcast of our bimonthly BTR Shows at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/hampscornerofamerica

“In my latest book, Remember Moz, Gracie & John Hampton’s First-Born, I wanted to tell the world about a unique individual. Not because he happened to be my father but to explain who he was, where he came from, and how he evolved into the man he became up until his death. In doing so, I wrote of his ancestor’s roots back to and through the Civil War. The inclusion of his birth and upbringing in the heart of Arkansas, or Jim Crow country, add southern reluctance to learn why our country involved itself in a bloodthirsty four-year exercise in the first place? Then you begin to understand why, our parents behaved the way that they did. See if I captured the essence of this paragraph.” Get the book via the Authors Page at http://outskirtspress.com/webPage/isbn/9781478766056

or visit my Amazon.com Authors page at http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B017TYFKBI?ref_=pe_1724030_132998070

Our Parent Company and sponsor is CHIIA Group, online at https://hcofa.net/

Don’t Drink the GOP’s Brand of Government Kool-Aid

Every time there is a natural disaster who do we call for help? What about if some terrorist drop a bomb in New York City, other US land, or US presence via ship or whatever anywhere in the world? What happens if you need to regulate an industry from taking advantage of the common man and woman in the US Street? The point is that we look to our United States Government to solve those problems.

No one calls up Donald Trump, The Koch Brothers, Russ Limbaugh, or California’s Silicon Valley tech billionaires. In those instances, the only entity that can take on, address or solve those issues. And that is the United States Government. By the way, that is the same organization that wrote the rules of commerce those billionaires used to become wealthy.

As we enter this political election sphere leading up to the nomination and eventual election of a new president and members of Congress, we are confronted with the same concoction. I call it The GOP’s brand of Government Kool-Aid. You will probably recognize parts of the formula. The indigents are as follows,

Start with the base flavoring, one small package of ultra-conservative Sugar Substitute.

Add two tablespoons each of Super PAC Cash, Various Right-Wing Media, Erroneous Polls, Right-Wing Christians, Tea Party Rhetoric and Fox News. Make sure they are all lemon-lime flavored to give it that tangy taste.

Slice up a Secession Orange, only found in states like Texas, etc. to give it that States Rights wholesome flavoring.

Pour in two gallons of plain water, top it off with a few ice cubes to make it a cool drink and serve at Media parties, election campaign offices, and to attendees at all political gatherings.

There should be a warning on the packaging of this concoction, but there isn’t. The warning would state; Beware of drinking this type Kool-Aid as it will destroy your compassion toward your neighbor, fellow US & world citizens and lead you to vote against your best interest.

Whatever speech uttered by one of their candidates always includes the two mantras of the Republican Party political platform, Govt. should not be in any private business affairs and States Rights overrule the US Govt. Rights. It’s a concoction they serve that works well all the time. A word of caution, avoid mixing any socialist ingredients otherwise you will ruin the batch.

I am saying this because in a little over fourteen months we are going to select another President, Vice President, members of the House of Representative, and Senators. Who we choose will have a definite impact on our country’s priorities. Will it be more governmental involvement where it should have oversight or no government involvement at all except to protect corporate interest? Will our president be a man or woman of the people or a corporate puppet? It’s just that simple.

Here is one very, very important note that you must remember. Whichever party is the majority in the House of Representatives and Senate runs that congressional body. That means they will run the agenda that their members vote on or bring up for a vote.

And the final piece of this important political process reviews to remember. The next president will have his pick of who will be the head of government agencies, i.e. The IRS, Social Security Department, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), etc. Those agencies act as the watchdog to protect you, the average citizen in the street. The question, which candidate do you think will serve your needs, or which one will serve corporate needs? Those are the issues in the next election.

And let’s not forget, in the case of a vacancy the president will make a recommendation as to who will sit on the Supreme Court. A reminder should be the 5-4 split on most decisions now favors the Republican Party. A show of hands…or think about it, who do you think the Republican Party represent? Don’t say what you heard on Fox News, CNN, or MSNBC. Who do you really think the Republican Party represent, given the actions they have taken in the House of Representatives over the last few years? How about the present Senate? Do you think they care about Black Lives Matter, Climate Control, Minimum Wage, Women’s or Equal Rights, or the Voting Rights Act? Look at what they have done, not what you hear on the news or your buddy tells you. How many of their sons and daughters have served in the military or fought in a war? They’ve had one theme going on over the last six years, Damn President Obama, the Antichrist and repeal Obama Care. Of which they have spent a lot of money telling you it’s a stupid law. They have no plan to replace it. And immigration, should I go on? Now do you see why I am asking you not to drink their brand of Government Kool-Aid?

For added measure, I am going to solicit help in articulating the following,

**RESPONSIBILITIES OF CITIZENSHIP

Citizens of the United States, it is clear, have a great many rights that give them freedoms all peoples hold dear: the freedom to think what they like; to voice those opinions, individually to their elected representatives or collectively in small or large assemblies; to worship as they choose or not to worship at all; to be safe from unreasonable searches of their persons, their homes, or their private papers. However, the theory of democratic government holds that along with these rights come responsibilities: to obey the laws; to pay legally imposed taxes; to serve on juries when called to do so; to be informed about issues and candidates; and to exercise the right to vote that has been won for so many through the toil and tears of their predecessors.

The responsibility that can make the most lasting difference, however, is getting involved in the political process. “Proponents of participatory democracy argue that increased citizen participation in community and workplace decision-making is important if people are to recognize their roles and responsibilities as citizens within the larger community,” says Craig Rimmerman, professor of political science, in his book The New Citizenship: Unconventional Politics, Activism, and Service. “Community meetings, for example, afford citizens knowledge regarding other citizens’ needs. In a true participatory setting, citizens do not merely act as autonomous individuals pursuing their own interests, but instead, through a process of decision, debate, and compromise, they ultimately link their concerns with the needs of the community.”

Tom Harkin, U.S. Senator from Iowa, says that the kind of activists who fueled the earlier civil rights, anti-Vietnam War, and environmental movements are now focusing their energies “closer to home, organizing their neighbors to fight for such issues as better housing, fair taxation, lower utility rates, and the cleanup of toxic wastes…. Cutting across racial and class and geographical boundaries, these actions have shown millions of people that their common interests far outweigh their differences. [For all of them], the message of citizen action is the same: ‘Don’t get mad, don’t get frustrated, don’t give up. Organize and fight back.”

**VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES

Some concerned American voters have chosen to stay involved by being in touch with their elected officials, in particular, the president and their senators and representatives. They have written letters, sent telegrams, made telephone calls, and gone in person to the official’s office, whether in Washington or in the home state or district. During the past few years, however, a new medium of communication has burst upon the scene and given voters extraordinary power — the power to learn what is going on in their world, to comment on those events, and to work to change the things they don’t like. This medium is the Internet, the World Wide Web, the Information Superhighway. Whatever it is called, it is changing politics in America, rapidly and irrevocably.

** Source: U.S. Department of State, entitled ‘Government of the People: The Role of the Citizen.’

So the next time, you are having a debate with your family, neighbor, or friends, realize who is responsible for the individuals that represent us in Washington today. Indirectly, we are the Government. They represent us, so it is up to us to determine if this is the type of Government we want.

I am not advocating overthrowing the US Government. In fact just the opposite; I am saying more of us need to get involved with Government. Voting, Community organizing with the help of the Internet, demonstrating, letter writing, and phone calls to our personal and other US districts representatives always lead to action by the same. No matter what you might hear from uninformed or self-promoting political analyst, these tactics do work. It is the number of people that are advocating a particular idea that implement change for the better and all involved.

For the record, I’m not a fan of people storming the stage of an event, interrupting the speaker and shouting “What are you doing about our people getting shot by the various policemen around the country.” Yes, they should be confronted wherever feasible but not at a major speaking engagement. All you are doing is giving the other side ammunition to say…”I told you those people are crazy and violent.” Let’s be smart and efficient about our protest. And yes target Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. We need to hear more than a thirty second TV ad. And by all means, once they are elected, hold them accountable for their promises. We should press for fair-minded actions, not political party-speak that favors who donated to their campaign. The Constitution begins by stating “We the People, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, Insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, etc. etc.” You think they were trying to tell us something, give us a hint on how we as a society should behave?

Peace, make it a day in which Jesus Christ would be proud of you,

Codis Hampton II

Follow Hamp at https://twitter.com/#!/HampTwo

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Get my latest book, a collection of my Blogs/Articles from 1999 through 2014. It’s entitled The Episodic Thoughts of Hamp. Go to the following Authors page link for details. http://www.outskirtspress.com/webPage/isbn/9781478746232

Our Parent Company and sponsor is CHIIA Group, online at https://hcofa.net/

Why Do We Rush To Get Everywhere?

Every now and then I remember the words of a class instructor from back in the day. I was attending a Semi-truck driving course in Plymouth Indiana. It was during the time when I was searching for any profession that would allow me to take care of my newly growing family as a married man. This class was one of a few I took hoping to land, as my father use to call them, “A good job.”

The instructor reminded us all as we prepared to get practice time behind the wheel of semi’s that particular day. He warned, “Remember this…there is an accident up the road. If you hurry, you can get in on it.”

Everybody is always in a hurry. They say, and I repeat, they say they don’t have time. Or the old standby, “Hurry up, I’m running late.” Most automatically add the word “again” to “I’m running late.” Do you notice we never seem to catch up? Frankly, I am not even sure if some of us would recognize what we were chasing if we caught up with it. If you are not careful, you may pass it moving so fast. You’ve heard the saying “Can’t see the Forrest for the trees.” And what is it? That, my friends, is the real question. What are we really chasing?

As youngsters, we were trying to get in all the playtime we could before our parents asked us to come into the house. We chased the opposite sex as teenagers. As young adults, sometimes our chase of that main squeeze became our number one priority with a career as number two. However the numbering, the chased took on a serious note. Because we were also chasing a standard of living, to live life the American way. You remember, “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

And let’s say you, sooner rather than later, found them both and all that they encompass. With that being, a good mate, young children, a decent place to live, and a good paying job (or career) to support all those other things. Maybe you’ve been one of the fortunate who is a professional sports player or blessed as an entertainer. If not, and we are talking about today. Most households have both parents working to make ends meet. Whichever …you’ve finally made it. Now what, are you going to slow down, stop rushing all over the place? No…because now your nickname should be Mr. or Mrs. Paranoid. You remember how it use to be compared to how it is…and now your number one priority is to keep what you have. You have got to keep producing, rushing before somebody catch you and take some or all of those things away. Then there is the possibility that you may do something to lose one or more of the things that are currently making you happy. That is if you are happy. It’s difficult to be happy and paranoid at the same time.

There is safety and comfort in a family unit. At least it was back in the day. Today we are not spending as much time with each other as we have in the past. Teenagers are somewhat on their own whether one or both parents are at home. They tend to be self-absorbed with smartphones, tablets and talking with friends. Yet we, including them are still in-a-hurry and normally chasing something or the other. Mostly it’s ourselves because we’re constantly running out of time. Life does have an expiration date. We don’t know when but we do know it’s a certainty.

I remember prior to retirement I made punctuality part of my D&A. It was a fetish to get away from the term “Color People Time.” Now I find myself not being able to calculate how long it is going to take me to get to the freeway from my house. This, knowing the way that I drive, it’s not going to take me as long as some people to navigate my way through traffic. I might add that I am a defensive driver, not a reckless speeder. Defensive driving is another mindset I learn at the semi-truck driving school. Mind you, we are not talking about commute traffic. While in my car, I sometimes smile as I become impatient with a particular driver. In these cases, my mother would often yell at the same type driver, “I wish I’d known you own this street (or highway), I would not have come this way.”) So in retrospect, I am still in a hurry to make appointments on time.

The point is we don’t really have to hurry. If we take the time to give ourselves enough time to avoid being pressed for time. That would include timely appointments and the biggie…reaching a certain prosperous station in life. One thing that I have learned over the years is if there something for you…that God has in store. You will get it. It may not be in the time frame that you had in mind, but it will be there waiting for you whenever you get there. Our Father in heaven is not going to give someone else your blessing. He does not work that way.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not a religious fanatic, or someone who can quote the Bible from start to the finish. Many, who’ve read my articles, know how I’ve described how the Catholic practices and beliefs had me questioning God Almighty as a teenager attending St. Benedict de Moor. It took me a long while, but I have reconciled my faith in Jesus Christ and all that he embodied. Although, as an acquaintance of mine said the other day, “I’m not quite there yet.” This was his answer to an unsolicited question of did he feel as forgiving as Christ was and is. That would be my answer too. For this articles view, I am simply stating that even if you do not believe in Christ. And you choose to look at it another way. The fact is, life will provide what you have coming and you don’t have to rush to get it. That is the exact point of this article.

No matter, how fast we attained certain things like food, shelter, a good mate, fame and a workable annual income that supports you and yours. After securing all those needs and other things that come with that, most will not be satisfied. I will just state here, Google or Bing Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Needs.” Study his pyramid and think about life.

You simply cannot rush to success. It has to come to you. You can and should prepare, by continuing to put in the work to handle it once received. Oh, a few might get it early in life and lose it just as quickly. And…success for some might mean an entirely different thing to others. You know the hashtag, “It’s complicated.”

So the advice here is to take your time. Save yourself a lot of stress, wear and tear on you and your family’s nerves. Whatever is for you will come, sooner or later, to you. Just make sure you are aware enough to recognize it, especially those progressive steps. Sometimes it looks like we are going backward instead of forward but that is not true. No matter whom we are, we learn something new every day. That alone is progress because you are better today than you were yesterday. You have to take advantage of the circumstances leading up to your blessing. And just as important, live life one day at a time, one moment at a time and you will find yourself enjoying it more if you slow it down. I’m just saying…

Peace, make it a day in which Jesus Christ would be proud of you,

Codis Hampton II

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Mount Olive of Bradley County AR

I am fascinated by our people who suffered the humiliation of Slavery and subsequently the Jim Crow era of the South. I have a profound, deep respect for people who were not only able to survive but thrive while raising a family. Personally, my tolerance for pain is very low and my patience with racist people? Well, let’s not even go there. We will just say, there are days when I feel diplomatic and somewhat forgiven. And then there are days, when I am not feeling it, don’t have time for it, and will rise up on a fool if they don’t get out of my face.

As I write this article, I remember the times I would stop by my grandmother’s apartment. I was in my twenties, at a time when I was hurrying to get somewhere but really didn’t know where I was going. Grandma Gracie lived by herself in a little ground floor studio apartment around seventeenth and Vliet Street in Milwaukee. That had to be around 1965 or 1966. I always liked to stop by and have lunch, eat one of her teacakes while visiting with her. Sometimes I would bring her something, a packaged pastry or candy bar from the corner store. She liked the company but was always in grandmother mode. “Junior, you moving too fast…boy why you in such a hurry?” she’d ask. “Have you found you, somebody, to settle down with?” “Naw mama…but I am having a ball looking,” I would respectfully answer in the street lingo of the times. She would just look at me, shake her head and smile. “That’s all right, you’ll learn someday.”

We would sit there and chat about this, that and the other. She would ask about daddy and the rest of the family. I would report that all was well. She would tell me stories of how she had to tell the doctors at Milwaukee Country General Hospital “what is what” about her health. “I told him, you better stop poking me so hard otherwise Um gonna have to cut you.” “Grandma you didn’t pull your knife on the doctor again did you,” I’d ask while chewing my food. “Naw, but that old fool knows, he better not mess with me.” “I am sure after that time you chased him down the hall, they all know you,” I would say the both of us laughing about that particular incident. After a couple of hours, I would excuse myself, telling her I’d see her no later than next week and hurriedly leave after getting a hug and kiss. More than likely, I was headed for my favorite hang out at the time, Loves Hideaway Bar. It was only about four blocks up the way.

While walking I would laugh at some of the escapades Grandma had caused, been in, around or ended. She, like a lot of her peers from Bradley County Arkansas, was a woman who didn’t take any stuff from anybody of any color. Later on in my life while researching the book I wrote based on her life I learned of the hardships our people had to endure living in Jim Crows South. And that is when the reality of it all hit me.

For those who are still with us, we ought to kneel down, wash and massage their tired feet. They survived knight riders and other racist terrorism. Or at the very least, keep in mind the humiliation, mental and physical pain they endured as we look into their tired old eyes. Try to imagine some of the things they have seen and heard in Jim Crows south during their lifetime. Young white boys that had too many beers, looking for a darkie to tease, abuse, and push around. I’ve have heard a few black folk make statements like, “Don’t start bringing up those days. It’s over and I am glad I don’t want to have to deal with it.” I just shake my head and say, those people are the reason we are here. We are the reason they took all of those insults, beatings, and sometimes hangings. So, a little respect for those who came before us is in order…please.

You want to know who you are. Look across the dinner table at your mother or father. Talk to your grandparents if you are lucky enough to have them around. Ask your older uncles or aunts what it was like living in Bradley County when they were barefoot children. They didn’t have a television, radio, or even electricity. The comforts of hot running water or indoor bathroom facilities were not part of their house.

How about the right to vote? Or be educated with the most current educational tools, or even work for a fair labor rate? When you get a chance, look up the word sharecropping on the internet. Read all about the land owner’s requirements and how they tried to bind sharecroppers to a lifestyle of servitude. Look up and read books about the great migration of the Negro race from the south. Think about reasons why, reasons other than the primary one of searching for a better life. You will realize our folks decided that living in the south was like a dead end job at the time.

In fact go back to pre-Civil War days. Yes slavery, that time that some of us would like to erase from our consciousness and maybe our history. Look at that famous picture; it’s in all the documentation, on the internet, books, and films. They show you a not too old black man with his back to the photographer. He has so many whipping scars on his back it looks like a design of some sort until you realize what the whip has done to this man’s skin. Have I got your attention yet?

It places the importance of such places as Mount Olive in perspective. Imagine if the ground, trees and foliage could talk, what stories it could tell you about your people. Think of the contradictions between how white folks worshiped, calling themselves christens, all while wholeheartedly supporting slavery of black people. An example of that solid Southern support can be found in the following Civil War era 16” x 21” propaganda poster. It begins by announcing in a bold headline…

“SOUTHERN DEMOCRACY! The object of the Southern Rebellion and its Northern allies is to render Slavery universal. Under the names of Democracy, they seek to deprive labor of all its rights. Read what the Leaders say: The theory of free labor is a delusion. Slavery is the natural and normal condition of the laboring man, WHITE or BLACK. –De Bow’s Southern Review. The enslavement of the laborer is right in itself, and does not depend upon difference of completion. -Richmond Enquires….Make the laboring man a slave, and he would be far better off.- Fitzhugh’s Sociology…Thus the “Democrats,” North and South pronounce free society a failure, and feel labor a curse. Slavery is a blessing to be extended over all men who labor whether black or White.”

This idea came from and was no doubt written by the cream of high society. One thing is clear, they don’t really care who gets the work done as long as it gets done and garners them all the profit and a bare minimum amount of expense. After reading this poster, I bet some poor white people was able to see the writing on the wall, while suddenly realizing that these planters didn’t really give a damn about them either. A sobering thought for whites who thought they were just as special as the masters and mistresses. Nevertheless, and by the grace of God, the Civil War ended with the Union intact and the end of slavery as they knew it.

It was a long and hard road for those who were once slaves to find their way in this new environment. Amidst this chaos sprouted, one of many in the South, a community of black folks. It is noted that Mount Olive began as a safe haven for black land owners. Land as low as fifty cents per acre attracted homesteaders from surrounding states at the time. These settlers did as white settlers around the country. They built a community with entities that communities needed to function, such as a church, school and stores that sold or barter goods and services. Some of which they didn’t have or couldn’t grow. Every month or so, such items were brought into the area by steamboat on the Saline River. And therefore by the grace of God, and their belief in the same, they acted as the unincorporated community they were by raising families.

They built log cabins for housing. Women ‘wore homespun dresses, knitting their socks and stockings.’ Their first church was called Camp Ground. Its seats were made from split logs. By 1883, they bought a little church that was near the center of the community, naming it Mt. Olive.

The Mount Olive community was the benefit of funding from a favorite project of philanthropist Julius Rosenwald. His School Fund was established to build schools for the specific education of black folks. In 1927, the Mt. Olive Rosenwald School, located on Bradley Road 45 was built. The wood frame building, one of five such schools built in Bradley County during that era, has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2004.

That is why they have these Homecomings in the South. It’s like walking on hallowed ground that once supported our ancestors. You get to see and feel the hot sun they endured during field duty. There is nothing like visiting these type events that are so connected to our great grandparents and other relatives from that era. Call Hostess/Host Princella & MacArthur Davis at 870-226-7011 for details.

Let us embrace how our ancestors spoke, conducted business, lived their lives with morality, cooperation among other members of their community. We should remind the world that those people who many categorized as simple, uneducated by societal design and thought to be nothing but chattel was able to make away for us to be here. Let us show the world who we are and where we came from. What if the world doesn’t care? Oh well, it does not really matter because it’s not the world that we wish to honor. It is those millions of black folks brought to this land in chains and their offspring and thus…ourselves. It’s the culture borne out of poverty and a lifestyle of survival and the necessity to cope with life. It is the way we sing, dance, eat, dress, and yes even pray and forgive that we are honoring today. For with the events happening in the way it did, we are a stronger people for it. We may be forgiving of the past, yet we are also cognizant of the future. As a people, we embrace it with open arms. It is great to be black and alive.

Peace, make it a day in which Jesus Christ would be proud of you,

Codis Hampton II

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