Page 6 - Florida Sentinel 9-29-17

Editorials/Columns
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Shaking My Head
have always been a firm believer in people stand- ing up for what they feel pas- sionate about. I respect those individuals who ex- hibit fearlessness in their willingness to sacrifice everything for their princi-
ples. ThisiswhyIhavea
tremendous amount of ad- miration for men like Colin Kaepernick. Last year, when he decided not to stand for the National An- them before NFL games as a way of protesting the killing of unarmed Black men by members of law enforce- ment, he did it because it was an issue close to his heart.
He didn't ask for permis- sion. He didn't worry about whether or not what he was preparing to do would be of- fensive (I'm sure the fact that he would piss some peo- ple off was part of his moti- vation). He just sat down and refused to participate in a ceremony that celebrated the ideals of freedom and justice that individuals, who looked like him, were not ex-
periencing in this country. When people say that his actions were disrespectful, they're absolutely right. But
isn't that the point?
By not acknowledging the
flag, and what it's supposed to mean, he was simply mir- roring what was being shown to him. Unfortu- nately, as is typically the case, a number of people be- came upset because they were unable to take what they so easily dished out.
It was this understanding of Kaepernick's message that had me highly disap- pointed in what I witnessed occurring inside of NFL sta- diums across the country last Sunday. Players, coaches and owners locked arm-in-arm (some kneeled) in one of the lamest attempts at a so-called "protest" I'd ever seen.
On top of the fact that the weakly orchestrated demon- stration was more about ad- dressing Donald Trump's disparaging comments than the issue Kaepernick orig- inally raised, the worst part was that many of the play-
ers, who refused to join or were highly critical of Kaepernick's stance, had no problem participating in an act of rebellion to defend the league. Their defiance wasn't on display for their own benefit. They did it be- cause their NFL masters needed to show a unified front to protect their prod- uct.
The entire gesture, to me, was a joke. And the fact that Kaepernick still doesn't have a job after NFL owners, basically, hijacked his methodology to protest against someone like Trump, who attempted to oppress them, isn't just ironic, it's downright de- testable.
There was a time when I wanted to see Kaepernick back in uniform, playing for a team and making a living doing what he loves. But, after seeing the true shallow- ness of the people he would be working for, I realized that, when it comes to some- one of his character, they're not even deserving of his presence.
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Puerto Rico, Too, Is America!
A s we see the devastation left behind in Puerto Rico, and try to understand the unbelievable po- litical ambivalence, we are momentarily reminded of the words of poet Langston Hughes where the writer
asserts, “I, too, sing America.
I am the darker brother. They send me to eat in the
kitchen/ When company comes, / But I laugh / And eat well,/ And grow strong.” Then the writer concludes, “Tomorrow, /I’ll be at the table/ When company comes,/ Nobody’ll dare/ Say to me, ‘Eat in the kitchen, then . . .’ Besides, they’ll see how beautiful I am/ And be ashamed. (For,) I, too, am America.”
As if it were a transparency, we take these words and place them over the current face of a place that is on the verge of total collapse. And we ask the question, “Has America ever really seen Puerto Rico and its peo- ple as “beautiful?” And more distinctively, has the tiny island of Puerto Rico, ever been given the right to sing or say, “I, too, am America?”
If the answer is “yes” to any of these questions, then no doubt the aftermath of Hurricane Maria will be positive, despite the hiccups on Capitol Hill and mis- placed tweets by the 45th president.
But if the answer to these questions is “no,” then Puerto Rico may never recover.
By no means let us be fooled by a language barrier. Puerto Rico is an African American state that should long ago have been the 51st star on the Stars and Stripes.
However, until then, Puerto Rico promises to “eat well, and grow strong.” For, tomorrow, America will see how beautiful Puerto Rico is, and will no doubt be ashamed.
Empowered To Impact
“Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”
I Timothy 4:12
mpowered Greetings.
Today is the last day that you should wander aimlessly, haphazardly en- countering people without empowering, impacting and imparting into their lives. When I am invited to speak at a church, facilitate a workshop/conference or de- liver a keynote speech, I de- sire to leave an empowering impact.
Just as I seek to em- power those that read this column or the homeless
man on the street, you should make it your busi- ness to empower people that come in contact with you.
Empower people by your words. Speak words that are seasoned with wisdom, grace and positive epithets. Allow your words to give hope and encouragement even when things seem to be at their worst.
Empower people by the life that you live. Rather you believe it or not somebody is watching you and emulating what you do and say. Live a life that is exemplary of what you believe.
Empower people with love and kindness. Acts of charity are shown by what you do for others not by
what you say. Acts of love will always speak louder than the words “I love you.”
Empower people through faith. Share the gospel of Christ by which people can be saved, deliv- ered and set free. For it is the power of Christ, the Anointed One, that will im- pact lives.
Empower people by liv- ing a pure and unadulter- ated life. Live a life with moral standards and values that are sound and built on a sure foundation.
You have just been em- powered. Now go and im- pact somebody else’s life for the better.
To contact Selphenia Nichols-Simmons by Email: selphenian@suc- cesscoachtowomen.com ; follow her on twitter @queenofsuccess1: Facebook: Selphenia Nichols Success Coach To Women: Instagram: @Selphenia; Call 813- 603-0088 to Invite Selphenia to speak at your next event.
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