Again, Hard Conversations?

AND even if you think no one is listening.

Yes, we are having the hard conversations today. As we celebrate Malcolm X's birthday, while celebrating at the Pan African Festival at a community center called SHAPE (yes, they are at the forefront of my week worth of advocacy), we are talking about it. Today, we hosted a documentary and talk about Malcolm X and a conversation about modern day slavery. SHAPE has been shaping the well-being of a community for almost fifty years and throughout all of the decades, it is famous for the hard conversations.

Look, no one wants to really talk about the problems of the world. It would be nice to be in a cocoon of our making, shutting out the ills of the world, praying that we will remain safe and unaware. Alas, it is not to be, partly because if you are reading this, I won't let you. Apologies, but I'm not really sorry. You can guess why, but the reason: you don't get to ignore the problems of society and wanting to feel that they can't or won't affect you is not an option.

Apathy is ignorance. More, it is a state of being that cannot be sustained. You think that the poverty of children or the sex trafficking in your city is not worthy of notice? Or rather do you think that somehow these problems are only the problem of people affected by them? And the reason I'm raising this issue to you, someone who may not want to know or if you know, not want to be bothered with it, because I know that I can't do this alone. And my role is to find a way to get you to hear because if I know you and call you friend, I know something about you and that you are needed.

Today is a good day to get involved. Today is the day to think about what role you will play in the healing of a world gone sour far too long. And today, celebrating the life of Malcolm and others who made a difference in the way I think today, the way I approach this life, and the work I do, I think you might find that joining me will make it easier on all of us.

Peace.