HOLIDAY CHALLENGE 2022

The Holiday Season is based on Love, Joy, and Peace  

We celebrate the power of giving, which is the essence 

of Love.  We recognize and appreciate the Blessings 

that are bestowed upon us every day which bring us 

Joy.  But obtaining Peace is often based on how we 

deal with challenges.

Today, we live in a society replete with challenges.  

There are persons who subscribe to an ideology based 

on incivility; void of respect, concern, and compassion 

for others.  There are communities where food is 

scarce and clean water non-existent.  There are 

neighborhoods where safety and security is the 

primary challenge.  These challenges, and others, 

make it difficult for many people to get into the 

holiday spirit, but what should be remembered is that 

overcoming obstacles is a product of Faith, and 

through Faith, we are able to approach Peace.

My challenge to you is to be Faithful.  Offer kindness 

to others that is rooted in your guiding Spirit.  Share 

not only food or toys, but share time and compassion 

with those who need it..  Sometimes a kind word, or a 

smile, or just taking the time to listen can be the most 

meaningful gift.  As your Faith manifests itself, you 

approach Peace.

The bottom line is that every day we get to be in this 

realm we are Blessed no matter the obstacles we face.  

Take every opportunity, but especially during the 

holidays, to give and receive Love.  Strive to 

appreciate the Joy from the Blessings that are 

bestowed upon you.  And finally, remain Faithful and 

Peace will be your reward.  That is the holiday 

challenge.

SAM

The Angela Basset Award for Excellence

When it comes to performers, athletes, singers, actors, etc., we use superlatives to describe what they do. I have no superlatives to describe Angela Bassett. When you look at the performance history of Ms Bassett, what you see is an actor that has played some of the most iconic Black women of our time. Tina Turner, Dr. Betty Shabazz, Katherine Jackson, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King.  We must also give props to her role as Queen Ramonda in the Black Panther movies.

 

There is no doubt that Ms Bassett deserves all of the accolades that have been, and will be bestowed upon her stellar career.  I don’t know how the legacy of her work will be enshrined, but if an actor gives an “Angela Bassett” worthy performance, then the award for that performance should be named accordingly.

The Last Free and Fair Election in the United States of America

The upcoming 2022 mid-term elections in November will be the most important election in the history of the United States for Black Americans.  With the greatest political and cultural divide the country has ever witnessed, and with countless issues feeding the divide, this election will go a long way to determine the future of the country as a whole, and the future of Black America in particular.  Quite literally, this could be the last free election the United States will ever see.

In the sixties, Black Americans realized that economic, educational, and social prosperity would only be realized through political power.  Black politicians who understood the problems facing Black communities and had plans to solve those problems, needed to be elected.  Developing such candidates was, sometimes, the challenge, but the real problem was mobilizing the Black citizenry to get out and vote for those candidates.  The skepticism of politics in the Black community is strong, and that skepticism is warranted.  Some politicians have a history of showing up in the community only during voting season, and not keeping promises made.  But in the sixties and seventies, the community overcame many of those concerns, and Black mayors were elected in Cleveland, Chicago, Gary, D.C., Atlanta, Detroit, and Newark.  More Black members of Congress were elected, as were state and local officials.  It is sobering to think about how people were beaten and killed over the basic right to vote, yet it is that sacrifice that lead to the creation of Political Black Power. 

In this election prominent issues such as personal rights of choice, banning books, and sanitizing the racial history of the United States are under attack.  Even the 1965 Voting Rights Act is in jeopardy of being eliminated.  There are more Black elected officials today than at any other time in U.S. history, yet because of these challenges, there is an ongoing need to elect more in order to create policies that will protect the community from those who peddle in bigotry and divisiveness.  The election of President Obama proved what Political Black Power could do, and in conjunction with other coalitions, elected a Black man President of the United States.  In the six years that President Obama has been out of office, there has been a continual and concerted effort to erode the progresses Black Americans have made.  To thwart these threats, it will take the efforts of all of the coalitions of the past, plus the participation of a New Generation of strong, knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and socially aware young adults.

The mandate is clear:  Black Americans and their allies must get out and vote in the 2022 mid-term election.  Too much is at stake.  If you don’t vote, and the other guys win, you may never have the opportunity to ever vote again in a “free and fair” election in the United States of America.

10.14.2022

DON'T FORGET THE ACHIEVERS

No one can argue that events over the last few years have created tremendous challenges for students in the United States.  The pandemic is still real.  Economic uncertainty clouds the future.   Social injustice continues to plague our cities, and political maleficence makes it hard to maintain a positive mindset at times.  While many Americans are affected by these issues, the Black Community, historically, has been negatively impacted more than the nation as a whole.  That’s why the Graduation Season is particularly important to the Black Community.  In the midst of all the negativity, it is necessary that we shine a light on the positive accomplishments and contributions of our high school and college graduates.

These young people have chosen to be more despite societal obstacles and roadblocks.  What we hope is that these achievers will lead us to a more just, safe, and compassionate society.

We need to remember to celebrate these students who put in the effort to obtain an education.  Those who didn’t quit when it got hard and remained positive and focused during a tsunami of negativity.  While they may not quite understand the importance of their achievements today, it is certain that their educational perseverance will have a positive impact on our communities for years to come.

So if you see someone who is graduating, congratulate them on their achievement, encourage them to be all that they can be, and thank them for choosing to affect change in a positive and constructive manner.

 

 

S. A. Miller (Steve A. Miller)

Fort Wayne, IN

Email: soulperspectives20@gmail.com

Phone: 260-744-6511

Blog: www.soulperspectives21.blogspot.com

 

S. A. Miller is a movie producer, author, educator, and entrepreneur who has opined on social, economic, educational, and political issues for the last 40 years.

 

A SPECIAL MOTHER'S DAY MESSAGE

Mother’s Day is the day we celebrate the Heart and Soul of our Family.  Take time to remember how important Mom is, not just on one Sunday in May, but each and every day of the year.  Just simply say, “Thanks, Mom!”

Happy Mother’s Day from The Video Factory

A Mother’s Day Message Video

https://vimeo.com/416156438

COWARDICE POLITICS: THE REAL THREAT TO DEMOCRACY

Much of the discussion in the media during the last two years has been about the “threat to democracy.”  Stories and polls sound the alarm that the United States’ version of democracy is about to be taken over by a bunch zealots intent on destroying what has become the “American way” of governing.  The biggest threat to democracy, however, is cowardice politics.

The fact that so many elected officials vote based on nothing more than whether there is an “R” or “D” after their name causes more harm to this country than any other threat.  For many legislators, governing is a game, and the goal is to win and retain power at all costs.  It is that mindset that is eroding the bedrock of democracy.

The latest example is the confirmation of Judge Katanji Brown-Jackson to the Supreme Court.  There were senators who voted against her confirmation based on the fact their party leadership opposed her confirmation.  From a logical and practical standpoint, it made no sense for these men and women to oppose her confirmation, but they did because they are beholding to the letter “R”.  Of course there was bias, prejudice, and bigotry also in play, but the majority of those voting no, like Indiana’s senators, Young and Braun, did so because of their fear of reprimand from McConnell.  How else can you explain Tim Scott (R) South Carolina, voting against Judge Brown-Jackson’s confirmation?

So it is the blind politics of fear that will have democracy constantly putting out fires to defend itself.  If, and when politicians find the courage to make decisions based on what is right and good for the people, and not on the fear of leadership, that is when we will see democracy protected and fortified.

S. A. Miller

 

WHITE KIDS WANT TO KNOW ABOUT BLACK HISTORY

There are governors in Florida, Texas, and Virginia who don't want little White kids learning about Black History because the more the kids learn, the more they might acknowledge, admire, and be inspired by the accomplishments of Black Americans.  The following videos are examples of why these governors, and all of their wicked supporters, fear Black History.

New Tech Academy Honors Black History Month

Hickory Center Elementary Honors Black History Month

Oak View Elementary School Honors Black History

THE DR. KING HOLIDAY, 2022

The angst and anxiety that many people felt in 2021 continues in 2022.  From an unrelenting pandemic that has taken many lives, to the continual fight to overcome criminal and social injustice, to the preservation of voting rights, Black people in the United States have to deal with many challenges.  How fitting it is, then, that the first major holiday we celebrate in 2022 is the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.  At a time when we need all the hope we can get, honoring the dream and vision of Dr. King should offer us some solace.

Dr. King believed America could be better, but he understood change would neither be swift nor easy.  There has been progress for Black America over the last 50 years, but the journey has been, and continues to be, filled with challenges.  Newton’s Third Law states:  “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”  For every step made towards fairness and justice, there have been those who vigorously oppose that progress.  Today, Blacks are more prominent in politics than at any other time in United States history, yet the organized efforts to suppress the Black vote are as strong as they were in the sixties.

Despite all of the efforts to thwart the political and social advancement of Black people in America, I believe Dr. King would be encouraged by the progress Blacks have made over the past 50 years, but Dr. King would also remind us that progress made, has to be progress maintained.  That it takes conviction, faith, hope, and unwavering persistence to prevail against those evil forces that would conspire to deny Blacks Americans fair and equal opportunity.

So as we celebrate the Dr. King holiday in these troubling and unsettling times, let us be comforted, encouraged, and appreciative of the vision of the Dreamer.

  

S. A. Miller

1.05.2022