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  Honor thy mother and father. At the time this statement was made I wonder what was the state of the black family. I believe many of our minority community issues stem from something much deeper. As I did research on the mid Atlantic slave trade, I was shocked to find out African tribes would sell off rival tribes to be enslaved in the New World. What? Yeah that’s what I said. Our own people selling out for some dollars and cents. Sounds familiar!

    Is there no limit to what a man will do for money? I guess not, because I’m an American citizen instead of an African. The dismantlement of the black family is sadly a historic trend. It began as an involuntary trend in the slave era. Fathers were taken from there families and sold like cattle. The white man was the enemy then but today is a different story. Men voluntarily abandon their families and children to remain unattached to responsibility. Men roam the streets in search of a woman with assets. An independent woman is a weak man’s prey. The era of something for nothing is at an all time high.  This is just one obstacle of the black family.

  My friends and I speak often about helping family, setting goals and living abundantly. Some how we had our rise to power all mapped out in our head. It was obvious it wouldn’t be a cakewalk, but never did we expect the parent trap. Parents between the ages of 35-50 seem to think their children owe them.  Let me remind you that many black parents due to lack of education themselves don’t know the struggles to achievement in a less than welcoming corporate community.

  The pedestal college diplomas are placed on in the black home symbolizes achievement and hope, but that responsibility doesn’t come without ridicule. Parents believe college grads with salaried jobs, 401k’s and benefits are a Godsend. Because our parents are often working minimum wage jobs, are laid off, depending on public assistance and abandoned hope for a better life, we must bare the burden of single handedly lifting from poverty. See the problem isn’t just about money. Many college grads are more than happy to give back to those that have raised them. The bigger issue is that parents believe this is owed to them. Really? Should I really owe my parents if they never put a dollar on my tuition, books, meal plan or room and board? Should I really owe them if I have to take out 40,000 dollars in government school loans? Should I really owe them if I hustled to find a job and connections after college? The reality is parents are supposed to prepare their children for life by giving them a head start. This means saving for college before I can count, going to PTA meetings, explaining the importance of not borrowing money and promising to pay it back, teaching me to never depend on the government for help but to find my own path.

  Our parents are not sharing their experiences with us; they are only allowing us to see the results of their mistakes. We need to know what went wrong and what it will take for us not to follow the same path. It’s not just about money it’s about education. If you can’t offer money wisdom is free. Many of us 20 something’s are struggling to start our lives because of lack of adolescent guidance. We are confident we can make it and its known that our journey will be different from our counterparts.

  The new generation of parents must abandon the notion that the children we decided to have in unfavorable circumstances; some how owe us something because we didn’t continue to have faith with action as parents. Our kids don’t owe us anything. We owe them to instill values, knowledge and a head start in life with hopes of them being the leaders of our future.

Sincerely

Black Girls Rise2Power

Thanks for reading….

-Live Abundantly

Lets take a look at what wealthy Black Women Know, so we can begin to accumulate finacial stability.

Provided by Essence Magazine

 Hey Miss Lady,

It’s a beautiful feeling when you set goals , plan and accomplish them. When I graduated from college I was like WOW, I did it, Mama I made it! Honestly it made me feel like I could accomplish anything. I constantly study financially successful people and when they accomplish one goal they set out on the next mission. It’s like you get addicted to the pursuit of happiness. I think that’s a good addiction as long as we remember to live in the moments. The pursuit of happiness isn’t a specific destination but the beautiful moments leading up to your destiny.

God has placed on my heart the gift and curse of seeing potential in all people.  It’s a gift if people take heed to the inspirations in life. It’s a curse when they are exposed to their greatness but chose not to pursue. It becomes a bit overwhelming to want more for other people than they want for themselves. Through many trials and errors, I’ve learned people see the mountain but not everyone wants to climb it and see the mountain top. Choices are our greatest gift, because one word or action can simply change the course of our life. Author Dennis Kimbo’s  book Think and Grow Rich highlights the power of our thoughts. The beauty of choices is that even when you get off track there is always a road leading back to greatness. 

            I get excited at the thought of someone else reaching their goals. Positivity is contagious but unfortunately so is negativity. The choice to embrace all things possible carries a lot of weight. The world is filled with opportunity but it’s disguised in the form of obstacles. When people see the word obstacle, they immediately think work. It’s true overcoming obstacles is hard work, but the pleasure you receive after that obstacle is conquered, is unexplainable. Failure is something we all no to well, but Victory is reserved for warriors.

            As optimistic as I am, I understand that everyone isn’t destined to be rich or be the voice of the people.  Understand, The best road for getting what you want is to assist someone one in getting what they want. Always demand more of yourself than you demand of others and your example will inspire people to want more.

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Good Afternoon Urban Princess/ Queen,

Wow, the holidays are quickly approaching and I personally have so much to be thankful for. This blog isn’t about me. I want you to focus for a second on the blessings in your life. Close your eyes and breath in the air, listen to the noise around you, smell the aroma, and touch your face. Amazing!! These are all things we take advantage of on a daily basis. We become so accustomed to having we lose sight of the fact that everyone isn’t as fortunate. Many children are born handicapped every day, but we yell at out siblings for listening to our conversations, touching our things and having to much energy. Some children will never know the joys of running through the park with friends.

Children in Africa are fighting for clean water and food. Kids in our neighborhoods are losing parents to cancer, aids and other terminal illnesses. Young ladies count your blessings and spread them around. Giving abundantly isn’t something I just say. It’s something I do! You posses the power of inspiration. You can simply say hello, how are you? And put a smile on someone’s face. We walk around thinking it doesn’t matter. It matters. We need to care about each other. We need to give to each other. We need to value life. We need to rejoice in each other’s accomplishments, instead of magnifying one another’s defeats.

This Thanksgiving don’t just be thankful for what you have. Go out and help someone be thankful for what they have. Give away something. Some family needs your clothes, shoes, couch, and food whatever.

Let’s continue the trend of thanks far after Thanksgiving is over.

-Live, Give and Love Abundantly

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Black Girls Rise2Power Network

“Raise the bar on LIFE.”