It is my passion to help empower others to change their mindsets from a poverty mentality to an abundance mentality. It is my hope that sharing my story will help change the mindset of how people living in poverty are viewed. I lived in poverty my entire childhood. I believe it is important to know our history, grow from the knowledge, respect and learn from each other, and live together equally in an integrated society.
When I was a child my family and I lived in a shack in the middle of a cotton field. I loved to read under the protective leaves of the big oak tree. Reading provided knowledge and a temporary escape from daily life. One day, I saw an eagle soaring in the sky like he or she didn’t have a care in the world. As I watched, the eagle used his or her long broad wings to lift up and go higher. I imagined what it would feel like to sit on the wings of the eagle and look down and see the world from a different view. My daily view was not pleasant. I was eleven years old and tired of racism and poverty. I believed that everyone should have the ability to prevail. I resolved to lift myself up like that strong and powerful eagle. This is the reason the eagle became my logo.
As long as we have equal rights, we have the power to be successful. To succeed in life, we must want to and put forth the effort. We are responsible for how we respond to situations.Who and what we are today is a reflection of how we responded to tough situations in the past. What we become in the future will determine how we handle situations today. We should not react impulsively or blame others. We have the ability to reach decisions, resolve conflicts and reach successful conclusions.
When we grow our resolve, we make a firm determination to do something. It’s compared to a steering mechanism that keeps us committed to staying the course to get to our desired objective. It requires action to accomplish our goals. Without it, we may drift off shore. It should reside in the fiber of our being. It may begin with a changed mindset that includes justice for all. Every day, we awaken to something new. It may be a new opportunity or a new challenge. What matters is how we respond to it.
When we allow ourselves to be victims, our resolve diminishes. When we blame, criticize, complain and make excuses we weaken our resolve. Resolve enables us to speak out against injustice, not as victims, but as a human right. When we dwell in the past and hold on to emotions like anger, guilt, and fear, these feelings diminish our resolve. When we cease engaging in victim behaviors and let go of the negative influences of the past or the future, our resolve is at its strongest and most powerful. When we are confident, feel good about ourselves, have courage, are focused and fearless, our resolve will guide us to our objectives, goals and achievements.
My life living in poverty was a long and painful lesson yet prepared me for the future. It served as a momentous drive toward educational opportunities. Achievement can only be accomplished when we have information, the right aptitude and mindset. My parents taught me how to change my mindset. This change allowed me to have future hopes and dreams. While living in poverty, I made short and long term goals to help get out of poverty. Once I got out of poverty, my goal was to remain out of poverty.
My first goal while living in poverty was to get an education. My parents were my first mentors. They could not complete requirements to obtain a formal education. They grew up prior to the civil rights era. They were self -taught by living life and they taught their children. My mother grew up on a cotton farm in Mississippi. There were no compulsory school laws in the south. She and many other children had to drop out of school and help work on the farms. Many schools did not have a high school. The churches became schoolhouses and the teachers were not college educated. Regardless, they were still devoted to teaching their students.
My father grew up in Chicago and worked as a bricklayer. He moved south as an adult and was not able to obtain meaningful employment. He served as a military police during WWII. After discharge the Veteran’s Administration sent him to school to learn more about his trade. Prior to my birth, he worked for the Army and Air Force Depot. When the budget was cut, he was laid off. After WWII, marriages increased and there was an explosion of children born. This generation of children was called “Baby Boomers”. My siblings and I were all in this generation. He and other black men lost their jobs to white men. This did not prevent him from gaining knowledge. He read many educational books to gain knowledge and passed this knowledge to his children. as a result of the Manpower and Training Act of 1962 and Older Americans Act of 1965; he eventually obtained a meaningful job with benefits. He was nearly sixty years old but never lost his resolve.
College is expensive and is not for everyone, however, everyone can gain knowledge with some form of education. It can be formal, informal or non-formal. Formal learning usually takes pace in a school or institution of higher learning. Informal education may be less structured. Many people get an informal education by reading books. Today, education may be obtained from educational websites. Informal education does not require a person to study in a school setting and may consist of experience. Non-formal education includes adult basic education or adult literacy education. There is an ability to learn literacy, other basic skills or job skills. Regardless of the type of education, they all lead to the road out of poverty. Education was a passage to progress and a life out of poverty for my family and me. When we are armed with information and knowledge, we can make better decisions. Education brings positive changes in human life and behavior.
When I was in grade and middle school, I rode on a school bus approximately thirty two miles round trip to an underfunded segregated school. The administrators and teachers were dedicated to helping the students learn. Because of segregation laws, many of them attended historically black colleges in other cities. Their families and people in the community sacrificed to help them achieve. After graduating, they taught in predominately black schools for less pay than other teachers. They did not allow negative circumstances or inferior materials interfere with providing us with a solid education. They were fired up with aspiration and determination. My parents expected the same for us. Poverty was not an excuse for failing to show respect and learn.
My mentors told me many years ago that no one can act beyond their knowledge. This is why I believe knowing and sharing one’s history is so important. We can’t change it but we sure can learn from it. Today, public schools provide free education to all children. Children should be encouraged to go to school, be respective, and learn. The parents and teachers have a common purpose which is the welfare and healthy development of the child. In school, children learn how to develop important life skills such as problem solving abilities, negotiation skills, and the ability to focus. Most employers prefer to hire people with at least a high school education.
I owe it to the trailblazers that paved the way for me to grow my resolve so I could release the clutches of poverty. Many of these trailblazers did not have formal education or training yet they excelled. The ray of hope was their guiding light. Their efforts and services were voluntary and often at a sacrifice to their immediate families.
Many people are damaged in their aspirations, thinking, and ability to assume responsibility. According to some studies, people who believe that only people who are born wealthy will succeed are likely to remain non-affluent. This is an example of a poverty mindset. Many people living in poverty prevailed and became successful and affluent.
There are many unsung heroes in the fight for justice and equality. These humble and unnoticed heroes helped all of us achieve. They were shouldering the responsibilities of the county, state and nation. We stand on the shoulders of these brave heroes.
Like the eagle, we can lift our powerful and strong wings and go higher. In spite of circumstance, it’s time to grow our resolve!