Welcome

Written By: Nairobi X

When I first met this man, I knew nothing about him except that he was a Black entrepreneur and a friend of my brother's. Since then, he has become someone who inspires and uplifts me. He often calls me out of the blue to encourage me to keep pushing forward,  no matter what the world looks like around me.

 I remember him telling me "You're going to make it because your heart is in the right place. You are always trying to help people." At that moment, He had no idea how much I needed to hear those words.  I had tried so many things but felt like I wasn't getting anywhere, and I was about to throw in the towel. His words sustained me. Not only has he been a calming inspiration, but he is also the only person I turn to for top-of-the-line quality in my graphic T-shirts and hoodies. DLK Printing has designed shirts for every organization that I own or am a part of-- from 2 Gain & Give, The 40 Strong, The Unchain My Brotha's Movement to now Hear Her Voice.

Please welcome Keon Hutson CEO of DLK Printing

 DLK PRINTING represents more than the name of my company, more than

the title of owner or founder. It represents my ambitions, my purpose, a solid

foundation, an empire, and a pyramid of love!  DLK are the initials of

children’s names.

Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Keon Hutson. I manufacture

clothing and specialize in custom prints. I started out in the basement of my

home with basic ink transfer and vinyl. In little over a year, I grew to brick and

mortar, silk screen printing and now embroidering.

Though, the transition happened rapidly the new challenges that I faced were

bona fide. Passion and creativity has always been  strong traits of mine

however, they were irrelevant when it came to the upcoming task at hand.

 I still needed to learn the in’s and outs of the business, the technical side, the

graphic design, and operation of the machines. The work was demanding,

and it required for me to work diligently. 

My goal was to produce mass production therefore, I needed industrial machines. With dedication and God’s blessings my machines were paid for with my first two accounts. My crew consists of my kids and my niece. My niece is my biggest helper. We work hand in hand. While I teach her the business her youthful mind and fresh

eyes enhances my creativity.   

One of the most important things about owning a company is knowing your

network and working it. To me your network is the road to the growth of your

company. Although, I utilize social media the majority of my accounts come

from word of mouth.

I am a man of bartering. I do a lot of bartering with small businesses. I am also

highly active in the community. For Thanksgiving we donated 25 turkeys to

families that were in need, and to those that were financially suffering from the

pandemic. We also donated to other events and causes.

 Last year there was a lot of tragic deaths among young people which gave us the opportunity to show support by helping with funeral cost, we also helped with bails and bonds for the release of Black Live Matter protesters.

We take great honor in being a self-made, black owned, family business. We

appreciate the people that has helped us grow and that are continuing to grow

with us. Businesses like Top of the Line Barber Studio, Resilient Hair Design,

Toki Middle School, and Badger City Auto have been a major contribution to

our growth.

Despite the fact that we are not currently where we visualized where we would

be, we are grateful for where we are at this day and time. I see the potential

and I want to maximize on it. My goal is to outgrow our current location within

the next two years, and in five years to have purchased my own land where I

can build a mini strip mall. I would like to have an after-school program, an

indoor gym, and a lounge, so that the youth can have a positive and safe

place to hang out.

One of the things I love most about being an entrepreneur is the flexibility of

balancing home and work. I also love the sense of freedom that it gives me. It

makes me appreciate ownership. Furthermore, it is something that I can teach

my kids.

 When I was growing up there was not a lot of black ownership, so I was not taught those things by my parents. My parents worked extremely hard and they taught me that hard work pays off. I want to teach my kids to work hard but more importantly to work smart, so they are not forced to work hard.

2 Gain & Give would like to thank you for giving us the privilege to take a peak

inside your world of DLK PRINTING. We also thank you for trusting us to

present you to our readers and anyone else that may stumble across this

newsletter. We hope that this article will further promote your company and

bring about  new business for you.

Since this article was written, DLK Printing has outgrown its original space and moved to a larger location. We are excited about the opportunity to interview Mr. Keon Hutson again when he opens his dream mini strip mall in the near future.

Written By: Nairobi X

When this young man told me his story tears overwhelmed my eyes and I felt unmeasurable pressure on my heart. As I listened to him speak my first thought was this could have easily been me. To my readers I introduce to you Michael Gardner now known as Abdul Haqq.

It all started in 1983 at GIANTS GROCERY STORE. I was 5 years old. My mother often took me to the grocery store with her and used me as a distraction as she shoplifted. 

At the time we lived in Alexandria, Virginia. In low- income housing ~AKA~ “Uptown.” My mother was an addict, and my father was what I only understood at that time as being a coward. 

We were poor. I remember being hungry often. Our house was infested with addicts and roaches. It was not long after my mother’s addiction that she ended up in prison. My 6-month-old brother went to live with his father and grandparents in North Carolina and that was the last time I saw him up until recently. My aunt requested and was granted custody of me. 

The few times that I spoke with my mother she promised me that once she was released from prison, she would come get me. Needless to say, she never showed up. Instead, when she got out, she went back to drugs and the streets. She stayed in and out of jail and prison. And because of that I grew to hate her.

My father stayed not even 50 yards away from my mother and me. In the same housing complex yet, he never played a part in raising me, loving me, providing for me, not even guiding me. Can you imagine what it feels like to know your father is that close to you yet, wants no part in raising you. A child that he helped create. 

Living with my aunt was a blessing and a curse. My aunt could not have kids of her own. So I was that kid she always wanted. She would spoil me with gifts and clothes, but never love. She was strict and mean. To her I needed to be perfect in every aspect of my life and if I wasn’t, I would pay the price.

If I messed up in school, or got caught throwing rocks, or out a little after my curfew she would beat me. “My aunt would use anything in her reach to punish me with.” Belts, extension cords, and the list goes on! 

If I did not behave the way that my aunt wanted me to, she would degrade and verbally abuse me. She would say things like, “that’s why no one gives a shit about you, you're going to be just like your mother on drugs or in prison, you're not going to amount to anything, and that’s why your father doesn’t want anything to do with you.” Eventually I began to not only believe those things, but act on them as well. I stopped trying to be perfect and started being rebellious. 

I went from being an honor student, track runner, and high school football player to drug dealing, robbing people, and running the streets looking for a love that was nonexistent in my life.

Due to my rebelliousness at 15 years of age. My aunt told the judge that my behavior was out of control and that she no longer wanted to have custody of me. Instead of placing me with a different family member the judge committed me to DYFS (Department of Youth and Family Service). I was in DFYS custody for 3 years and 2 months before being released to a halfway house. I gained employment shortly after being at the halfway house. I violated one rule, and the supervisor immediately started the procedure to have me revoked and sent back to the youth correctional center where I would remain until my 21st birthday. 

When I reflected on my life...... It had been at the hands or actions of someone white that I experienced different levels of pain. My mother was taken away from me by two white police officers at the age of five. And that was the last image of my mother that had, and it replayed in my mind for over 10 years. A lot of my run ins with the law were racist situations where pain was inflected on me by a white face which, made me want to give them some of that pain back. So, my anger not just from white people, but my mother’s abandonment, my father’s absence and my aunt’s cruelness. That anger drove me to robbery.

Reality set in when I found myself in jail at 19 years old facing 4 life sentences. No one in my corner, no one to speak on my behalf, and not a familiar face in the court room as the judge sentenced me to 52 years.

In the beginning of my sentence My anger was magnified. All my actions were heartless and reckless. From selling drugs to gang banging. Nothing mattered to me except expressing my anger because that was the only way I knew how to cope with the partisan of my adversities.

As I matured, I redirected that anger and began to educate myself and enrolled in college classes, learned about Allah and allowed him to transform my life.

I have been fighting for my freedom back!!!!!!! I have exhausted all appeals and filed for clemency with the governor. By no means am I saying that I did not deserve to go to prison. But I do not believe that I should still be here. I’ve done my time; I’ve learned my lesson, and I have been rehabilitated. 

I have been incarcerated since I was 19 years old. I am now 42 years old. When is enough, enough? And when will true justice be served? My hope in the justice system is nonexistent. My hope is in Allah, and in him alone.

This story touched my heart for a lot of different reasons. One being I can relate, because at 19 years old I found myself in a similar position. Headed to prison with a 12-year sentence. But what drove me to write this story was the fact that this young man has done almost two life sentences, and he did not take a life. 

I am flabbergasted and deeply saddened by this. I have taken it upon myself to bring awareness to the fact that our criminal justice system is broken, corrupt, prejudice and without integrity! 

In most states in America a life sentence is 15 years. So, you mean to tell me that 4 robberies no lives taken is equivalent to 3 1/2 life sentences? 

Also let’s keep in mind that Abdul was 19 years old when he was sent to prison with no prior adult criminal record. So, I must ask, is our criminal justice system saying that there is no hope for this young man? That change is not possible. Where is the redemption, the rehabilitation, the mercy, the forgiveness and the chance for redirection? 

let me go a little further and say this. The brain is not fully developed until we reach 25 years of age. So, we have basically allowed systematic racism to steal this man’s life before his brain was fully developed. The system hung him out to dry and fed him to the wolves.

l have seen people with rape, kidnapping and murder charges get less time than this. 

So, it makes me wonder is Lady Justice truly blind or is she just blind when it comes to black and brown faces. It’s disgusting and heartbreaking to see how quick the system is to throw lives away. 

Abdul Haqq thank you for sharing your story with 2 GAIN&GIVE and all its readers. I am with you in your fight for freedom and justice. May Allah bless you and keep you.

Written By: Nairobi X

In this quest to get 2 GAIN&GIVE book club up and running, I have been reaching out to a lot of individuals, organizations, foundations, and resources. To my pleasant surprise one person has led me to another. As I engaged in meaningful conversations with these individuals, I was shocked to learn about so many different organizations that I was unaware that exist. It’s amazing what people are doing to help others that are at a disadvantage and that are floundering in different areas of their lives. But what’s more extraordinary is that while we are in the middle of a pandemic; some struggling financially, others are emotionally bankrupt, and some on the verge of a mental breakdown, yet there is compassion. Help and change is in our hearts and on our minds. We are the same people that the justice's system and society label as ex-felons, goons, repeat offenders, thugs, ex-cons, misfits, former inmates, outcast and hopeless. We are the individuals that are reaching back and trying to bring forth change. We are the individuals that are trying to find the root issue and provide help and healing and solutions. No matter what we may be labeled as, the Fact is not all of us are bad people. Some of us just made bad decisions and bad choices. Some of us grew up in poverty, no structure, no guidance, no direction. Some lacked education and skills that’s required to just get by in this world that we live in. This young woman that I am about to acquaint you with is one of those individuals that just needed help, and direction. Unknowingly battling bipolar disorder was a migrating factor in some of the bad choices she made.

It’s my honor to introduce Ashley Walker. Ashley Walker is the Founder of Annie’s Hands Nonprofit organization. This organization provides donated clothes to the women that are being released from two out of three women’s correctional facilities in Wisconsin.

When I spoke with Ashley, I asked her what is the reason for this organization? She told me. I remember when I got out of prison. I literally just had the clothes on my back. How was I supposed to look for a job or go on an interview? In prison I was making 10 cent a hour. You're lucky if you see $13 a month on your monthly statement. How can you prepare for your release or save money for clothes when you’re already scraping to get by. My goal is to set these women up for success not failure. Prison is designed for recidivism. And because of that I have created a list of employers that hire ex-felons, and I offer my time to help with resumes and cover letters free of charge. I also offer free rides home to the ladies that are being released and don’t have transportation. Ashley went on to tell me. The reason behind the name Annie’s Hands! Annie was actually my mother-in-law. She wasn’t always my mother-in-law. When I was first introduced to her, she was my best friend’s grandmother. Later on, down the line I married Annie’s son. I had been in their family for years. When I was released from prison in 2009, I found myself between a rock and a hard place. I didn’t want to go back to Jefferson County where I was from. It’s a small town so everyone knows you and everyone is in your business. To return there was a for sure trip back to prison. You can look at someone wrong and they will call your parole officer. And the way probation and parole are set up that just an accusation can send you straight to the county jail with a probation or parole hold. Some accusations can send you back to prison even if they’re not true. For me to go back to Jefferson County would be setting myself up for failure. So, I decided to ask my best friend if I could move in with her, but at the time she was living with her grandmother. So, she had to speak with her grandmother. Her grandmother agreed and welcomed me in her home. If it wasn’t for my best friend’s grandmother and my now husband, I don’t know where my life would have gone. Annie and my husband were my support. A lot of people get out of prison and have no support system and just the lack of support can lead on another trip back to prison, a parole violation, or just a wrong decision. There were a few times when I didn’t have the proper resources or support and I re-offended and went back to prison. Annie was very instrumental in changing my life around and getting myself together. She passed away unexpectedly in 2016. Annie passed rapidly after she was diagnosed. We were granted two more weeks with her. I miss her every day. She was very fundamental to the woman I am today. If it wasn’t for Annie’s hands, I don’t know where I would be. This is why I named the organization Annie’s Hands. It was her hands that embraced me, guided me, pushed me, held me, provided shelter for me, and supported me. It was her hands that showed me new direction. It was her hands that prompted change in my life. Because of Annie’s Hands I am free today.

If you been recently released from prison and need clothing, help with a resume, cover letter, or if your release is in the near future and you need clothing, or a ride home Annie’s Hands would love to help. To show your support or make donations please go to Facebook. Annie’s Hands nonprofit organization.

Ashley Walker, we appreciate you sharing your story with 2 GAIN&GIVE readers. I also want to personally thank you for noticing the need and for doing your part to fill the void. I respect and support your cause.

Written By: Nairobi X

My name is Shanita Lawrence. I was born in Madison, WI. My mother was a single parent to three children. My mother wasn’t very educated, but she was strong and determined to make it. She worked hard to try a and provide for us. My father was nonexistent.

Due to my mother's own demons' things went downhill for us when I was at a very young age. Because of some of my experiences and several traumas that I suffered from as a child and adolescent I made some bad decisions that eventually led me to the penitentiary. A place of punishment yet, a place of growth that I believe was God sent.

The hardest part about being in prison wasn’t the confinement but the fact that I had to face the people I hurt. Leaving my baby sister was the most difficult reality that I had to face. She was the only person that felt loved me when no one else did, who I would have died for but left out here for wolves in sheep clothing.

Today here I am working with people just like me, that has been down the same road as me.

I often tell people that my life is 180, there have been situations, people, and even places that were once places of pain the Lord has placed me back in and they are now places of justice, mending relationships, and places of love.

I currently work for a nonprofit in Madison. (Just Dane formally Madison Urban Ministry.) Our Mission is to help transform individual lives and social system to create a just and equitable community where 99% of the people I work with are incarcerated or transitioning back into the community.

I am a resource specialist. My job is to help individuals be successful in their return to the community. I help with support, education, housing, treatment and transportation.

This is the 180 that I am speaking of. Those places of pain have prepared me for a job that I love and where I can give back and help others that are currently in a place that I was once in.

Shanita Lawrence: Resource Specialist. Shanita@justdane.org

My name is Christal Arroyo Roman I am directly impacted by the Justice system and currently the FREE Campaign Organizer of the Milwaukee Chapter of Wisconsin. As a justice involved woman 10 years ago when I was released from Prison on a wrongful conviction, I served 9 years confinement with a 10-year extended supervision a total of 19 years.

I know firsthand based on my own experience of what I myself went through while released. There are so many different challenges you will face reentering back into the community you reside. The flow of everyday life is a struggle alone when you have served a significant amount of time in a correctional facility. The regular world we once knew prior to incarceration becomes a culture shock everyday life and the basic life skills are now foreign you have to pretty much relearn everything because life is very different on the outside of those prison walls.

I experienced many different hardships when I was released, employment, housing, and the felony background stigmas were all huge factors in a lot of my struggles. It was not easy at all to transition back into a society that just wants to see you through a lens that views justice involved persons with implicit bias. I am passionate about advocating to change this negative narrative toward directly impacted people and that is why I choose to do this work. The FREE Campaign offers directly and indirectly impacted women a safe space to empower, encourage and support the women in major areas of concern like family reunification keeping the families together as opposed to separating the families and creating that safe space to offer support where the mother and child can reunite in a meaningful way, affordable housing base building and educating the community around issues of fair housing for people with criminal history, civic education, employment and wellness all while transitioning back into the community safely and most importantly successfully are topics FREE is currently working on.

FREE is a support system of women that relate directly or indirectly with the justice system. There is no bias but rather a solid understanding "the life of a Felon" so to speak. FREE has helped me to find my voice as a leader in my own community with impacted leaders to drive legislative policy changes such as fair housing policies for people with criminal backgrounds, voter engagement, testimony at state budget hearings, lobbying at Madison Action Day in the state capital etc.

In addition, the FREE Campaign has partnerships with various organizations throughout the state of Wisconsin such as:

EXPO- (Ex Incarcerated People Organizing), WISDOM, MICHA, ACLU of WI to name just a few.

FREE is an agency that will work hard to restore women's dignity, stability and empower her not only to heal but reunite with her family in a safe healthy space for everyone involved.

Email: christal@expowisconsin.org

My name in Nancy Lamon, I am a clinical social worker, from Beloit Wisconsin. Growing up in the inner city, I experienced many of the pitfalls that are associated with inner city youth. I chose not to live within social norms, which lead to multiple incarcerations, addiction, unproductive relationships and a string of dead-end jobs. During my last incarceration, I finally gained understanding of what it means to live life according to life's terms. I decided to pursue education, as a means of securing employment that would allow me to support myself and my children.

I earned a bachelor's degree, in Human Services from Upper Iowa University and then went on to complete a Master of Social Work degree, at Auroura University.

I foolishly thought that I could seamlessly transition, into this field (the helping profession) and be treated equally and fairly, I soon learned that racial disparities extend well beyond the penal system. After spending about 5 years attempting to find my place within the agencies that I worked for, I finally stepped out on faith and opened my own private practice. My motivation, for entering social work was simple, I wanted to work with women and children who are challenged with some of the barriers that I once faced.

Today, I am sole proprietor of Highways and Hedges Therapeutic Services, LLC, were I provided in home and community-based psychotherapy. Additionally, I have begun volunteering for an agency that provide housing and other resources to women returning from incarceration. I have been blessed to live my life as an example, to others. My overall message is simple, If I conquered my dreams, you could conquer yours.

Nancy Lamon, MSW, LCSW

Highways and Hedges Therapeutic Services, LLC

Thank you Gain2Give for the opportunity to send some love out to all who are reading this and creating space to connect on a positive tip- Lord knows we all need more of that. My name is Tamra Oman, I am currently the Statewide Program Director for the FREE Campaign- the Women’s division of EXPO (Ex Incarcerated People Organizing) out of Wisconsin. There are many of us who are formerly incarcerated working tirelessly to raise the voices, experiences, and stories of those impacted by the justice (or not so just) system. We are educating the community, systems, and anyone we come in contact with that we are all so much more than the sum total of the decision (s) we have made, and our stories are full of more than just those moments. I have met some of the most talented, beautiful, creative human beings behind those bars.

I have been blessed to walk alongside thousands of folks behind and beyond the bars the last 17 years since my own release from prison. I have been an alcohol and drug counselor and spent time with folks coming out of federal & state prisons. In 2008 I was invited to go back to work in a prison as the first person hired in the state of Wisconsin to be open about my incarceration, my experiences, and what recovery from trauma, violence, mental health, and addiction looks like and can be. I have had the chance to train judges, lawyers, doctors, corrections personnel, law enforcement, community agencies, and people like us statewide and nationally that we are human beings that desire the same things all human beings want- we need to heal, develop alternative uses for our skills, and become who we dreamt of being before life happened. We do best when we reconcile what happened to us, and what we did to others to fully heal. WE are living examples that our pasts do not have to define our future. WE do, and what we chose to do, defines our future in and outside of those bars. EXPO, specifically the FREE Campaign is advocating legislatively for increasing ERP (earned release program), increasing TAD (treatment and diversion) programming by 15 million per year, partnering with ACLU with the discussions around ending crimeless revocations, using ATR’s (alternative to revocations) instead of just sending people to jail/prison. One of our main truths is we cannot incarcerate ourselves out of the struggles in the community- we must work together to create the kind of world we all want for ourselves and our families. WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER! If we want a different world, we have to make it so and it starts with us. One of my favorite Barack Obama quotes is this, “We cannot wait for some other person or some other time, we are the ones we have been waiting for, we are the change we seek.” I will leave you with a few ideas to ponder. If Only 2-3 % of the world’s population end up in prison- who are you spending your time with to become one of the 97% or 98%? Are they adding to your future or keeping you in the past? If you are there for a stretch, what can you do with that time to be who you want to be despite what others do or don’t do because YOU DESERVE IT? And finally, you are not forgotten! For us, we haven’t forgotten our beautiful sisters, brothers, and others on the inside We will keep working for the betterment of all- we hope you will join us! Much love to you all!

Tamra@expowisconsin.org

Hi, I'm Dr. Ingrid D. Hicks. I am the founder of Transformation Services Inc. My focus is to change lives, change communities and to change health care. Transformation Services Inc, is designed to help individuals obtain, renew, and improve their Substance Abuse Credentials.

As an ex-offender myself I always speak about the possibilities, and the provided services for this population since I was released.

Hi, I My passion is this business and offering others the opportunity to address their own trauma, give back to the community by going into the wellness business for themselves, choosing the career path of substance abuse and mental health.

Dr. Ingrid D. Hicks

drhicks@transformationservices.info

Written By: Nairobi X

A lot of people have asked me, why do you advocate for Virginia when you're from

Wisconsin? This is why: I believe that God has a purpose for me there. My mother

always told me that God works in mysterious ways, and I never fully understood that

until I started to see destiny unfolding right before my eyes.

Last year, my best friend and I took a trip to Virginia because I was

considering moving there. However, after visiting Virginia, I quickly decided against the

move.

As soon as I stepped foot on Virginia soil, something in my spirit became wary. I could

smell the scent of lost lives. Visiting the Emancipation Tree, all I could imagine and

ponder was the countless lives lost and the brutal lynchings that occurred on the

grounds surrounding me.

I felt a sense of danger as I visualized my ancestors being in a foreign land, running

through the woods, fighting for their survival. They were hiding from men and dogs who

were hunting them down to kill, beat or enslave them.

I did everything in my power to hold back the tears that forcefully rolled down my

cheeks. I was hurt and angry about the bloodshed that was beneath my feet. In the midst of my raw emotions, I felt driven and motivated, unaware that everything would come full circle.

Upon returning home, I began crafting the 2 GAIN&GIVE newsletters. I created them

because writing is my passion, helping is my desire, freedom is my goal, and love is my

driving force. While building my mailing list, I encountered a young man whom my heart

went out to. His past and pain mirrored parts of my own childhood and

adolescence, while his present situation revealed my purpose.

I could empathize with his experiences of having a mother battling addiction, an absent

father, and the challenges of entering prison at a young age. It's sad to say but these are the struggles that many black children face. Although adversity stemming from poverty and addiction are normal in our communities doesn't mean that it should be overlooked nor does that make it any less traumatizing.

While conducting interviews with several young men incarcerated in Virginia, my eyes

were opened to the cruel and unjust justice system in the state. Speaking to individuals

serving 40 and 50+ years, I realized that advocating was my calling.

As I pondered my upcoming journey for prison reform God revealed to me why he directed me to Virginia the previous year. It was to familiarize me with a land that holds the suffering of my ancestors and my people to this day. Prisons represent a modern form of slavery and genocide. Virginia justice system is among the most corrupt, racist, and unjust in the United States.

These facilities do not focus on correction or rehabilitation; they serve as warehouses

for humans for the sake of profit. Offenders are treated as mere commodities. In 2019,

Virginia incarcerated 449 adults per 100,000 people, a rate approximately 15% higher

than the national average. The state governor of Virginia allocates over $1 billion

annually to corrections, yet the question remains: what or who is truly being corrected?

In 2020, Black individuals in Virginia were incarcerated at a rate three times higher than

that of white individuals, a disparity that persists to this day.

This is why I fight for those that are incarcerated in Virginia; this is also why I advocate for second chances. While the movement begins in Virginia, its impact will extend far beyond. I am determined to use my voice to advocate for men and women that are imprisoned across the entire nation.

 By: Nairobi X and Aquile

The month of “Black History “and love is here “Valentines Day.” So why not celebrate Black Love. Which should be acknowledged and celebrated every day of the week and every month of the year.

Start by admitting that you are beautiful. Respect yourself, treat yourself with forgiveness and kindness.

Love your caramel, pecan, and blackberry complexions. Love those thick juicy lips. Love the strength that twist your locs. Love the creativity of your innovative language and how you express yourself. Love the originality of your fashion. Embrace your ancestors traits that has been passed down from generation to generation. Love the blackness that the creator made when he created you with greatness and perfection.

Remember that you are Kings, Queens, Princes, and Princesses. Although, some may hate the color of your skin love yourself and continue to love others As well. 

LOVE 4 THE OLD HEADS

Sure these are new times that we are living in, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t return back to some of the ways of the past.

When we honored and respected our elders, when we would hold the door for them, carry their groceries, helped them cross the street.

These are the people that paved the way for us. It was their wisdom, knowledge, strength, and courage that carried us over those bridges, under those tunnels, and across those oceans.

If you take a moment to stop and listen you might gain something of value.

Their stories are saturated with wisdom. Just Like those homemade meals are filled with love.

Respect, honor, and love Granny, Pa Pa, Aunt Gail, sister Betty and uncle Forrest Jr.

LOVE THY NEIGHBOR

We must love our neighbors. We must help one another when in need, we must uplift, encourage, and build one another up, not tear each other down.

Instead on talking about Lisa because she is struggling to raise three kids on her on. Why not assist her in any ways that we can.

Why trash talk Marcus behind his back, because he lost his job and is down on his luck. Wouldn’t it make more sense to be supportive, do some networking and help him find another job so that he can get back to providing for his family.

What happened to looking out for one another? What happened to making sure Lisa kids made it to the bus stop, when she has to leave early for work. What happened to making sure Lisa kids have dinner after school because Lisa has to work a double.

Let's get back to being a community. Let’s rekindle protecting one another, helping one another, and loving one another.

Am I my brother's keeper? Yes, I am! Am I my sister's keeper? Yes, I am!

BLACK LOVE "I DO"

Picture a time when black women and men were forbidden to love one another. A time when they couldn’t show any affection towards one another.

There was a time when the institution of marriage was prohibited.

Back in those times couples would join hand in hand and jump the broom to seal their commitment of love.

No matter what prohibitions there was, there was love!

I can’t imagine what my ancestors had to endure just to love one another.

In honor of my ancestors fight for love and what is given freely to me. I vow to love my husband beyond death does us part. I vow to respect the man that he is today, understand the things that he has been through, and the things that he has to face today being a black man in America.

I vow to treat him like the King he was born to be. He will know that I love him by my actions, not a ceremony or a signed document. And as the world is blessed with our presence it will encounter TRUE LOVE! 

LOVE IS

love is an action word achieved through expressions of affection, respect, trust, kindness, forgiveness, admiration, devotion, loyalty, consideration, concern, and passion. love should never be taken lightly, but at all times be valued, cherished and treasured.

Love is a gift given to us by the creator of the universe and humankind. Love brings joy and happiness to our souls. The love of the creator is what fulfills our heart and completes us.

love is not only what sustains us but what sustains life and what flourishes it. True love shows commitment and sacrifice.

CREATOR OF LOVE

My command is this: LOVE each other as I have

LOVED you. Greater LOVE has no one than this:

to lay down one’s life for one’s friend. JOHN 15:12-13

Where there is love, there is no darkness. BURUNDI

Let your love be like the misty rain, coming softly but flooding

the river. LIBERIA

“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find

all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”

RUMI

You can search throughout the entire universe for someone

who is more deserving of your love and affection than you

yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You,

yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserves

your love and affection. BUDDHA