Sunday, February 20, 2005

Tribute to Black History--pt 4

We Can Learn A Lot Today: Gleaning from Yesterday’s Civil Rights Leaders
by Anita S. Lane

I recently took the time to view the landmark series, "Eyes on the Prize," a 14-part documentary of the civil rights movement and its aftermath, spanning from the 1950s through the mid 1980s. As I reflect on the extraordinary movement of the 1950s and 60s, I clearly see why the movement was so successful. We’ve all heard the phrase “everything rises and falls with leadership.” Well, the black community of that day had its fair share of dedicated leaders who set the pace and led a nation of people toward true democracy.

What is it that these leaders did or possessed within them that made them and ultimately the movement, so extraordinary in my opinion? They possessed many qualities. And I realize now that these are the same qualities that the black community needs today in order to move further ahead collectively. “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy,” Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. said. It may not be the 1960s, but the black community yet has challenges and controversy that we need to address.

What have I observed about the leaders of the nonviolent civil rights movement? In short, they were brilliant, courageous, well-read, strategic, team-oriented, persistent, publicly unified, resilient, focused, patient and hopeful. They also embraced the help of anyone who meant the movement well. And most importantly, they drew strength daily from God and from one another.

This is what it took to make an incredible history-changing movement like the one we experienced in the 1950s and 60s and this is what it will take to forever transform our lives in the 21st century.

I heard a message by a Pastor in Virginia who stated that Dr. King knew that in order to help take his people to the “promised-land” that he had to help “plant a dream inside of them.” King knew it would take vision. The pastor went on to state that we need some young people today to “stand up and say, I too have a dream.”

The pastor lamented that in our society today we’re letting secular entertainers shape our children’s dreams. He stated that entertainers like Snoop Dog, Lil’ Kim and Eminem have become the model of success for many young people. Now, I have nothing against individual entertainers who do what they feel they need to do in order to be successful. However, many of the behaviors and character traits they exhibit I don’t want my children to emulate.

The point is, we still need a dream—a dream that’s larger and more profound than a 52-inch plasma TV, or a tricked-out Lincoln Navigator. We need to pinpoint areas in which we have yet to make adequate strides in American Society and strategically set goals to make advances in those areas. We must push ourselves beyond ourselves.

Sometimes I’m concerned that we think we’ve arrived. Yet we really haven’t. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the poverty rate for African American children is more than twice as high as white children. The college graduation rate for black students is only one-third that of whites, and only about half of all Blacks who enter the ninth grade graduate with regular diplomas four years later.

Clearly we haven’t “arrived.” No, the “struggle” is not over, and there is a lot we can learn from the civil rights movement, its leaders and participants. And we must. If those leaders were to speak to us today, I believe they might say:

We must read books. It makes us smarter.
We must stay in school. It widens the window of opportunity.
We must learn to work well with others. It increases our probability of success.
We must stay the course in spite of opposition. It produces patience and results. We must bounce back after failure. It is the only way to achieve success.
We must be brave. It makes us stronger.
We must keep hope alive. It paralyzes fear.
We must keep our eyes on the prize. It's how endure temporary pain.
We must never give up. Otherwise we will never know what we could have achieved.
We must continually look to the hills from where our help comes. Our help comes from the Lord.

The qualities that empowered the leaders of the modern civil rights movement were not exclusive to them in their time. Those qualities will also work to advance the Black community today.


Copyright ©2005 by Anita S. Lane
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Monday, February 14, 2005

Happy Valentine's Day!

Everybody Loves Love
by Anita S. Lane

Recently my husband and I went to see the movie, Hitch. When the movie ended the audience erupted in applause. I was surprised, but I too joined in. It is my inclination to applaud after a great film, but this is an act I typically reserve for viewing movies at home with my young children.

Whether we realized it or not, those of us viewing this movie chose to applaud in a dark movie theater before an inanimate screen where the actors are who knows where, and totally unable to hear or see our vote of confidence. What is it that would cause young, old, black, white, male, female, Asian, Latino, wealthy and working class to all join in unified applause? My guess is that it is the universal theme of love.

Since the beginning of time love has been the great equalizer among people. People on the seven different continents may spell it, say it and pronounce it differently, but we all feel love the same way.

It’s my speculation that majority of the audience was reminded of that special love after watching this film. Opening Valentine’s Day weekend, Hitch was released to capitalize on the holiday dedicated to love. The movie stars actors Will Smith, Eva Mendez and Kevin James, and is about a Date Doctor who helps nice guys woo the girl of their dreams.

Like Hitch, the original St. Valentine helped couples literally get “hitched.” As the legend goes, St. Valentine was a priest in third century Rome who performed secret marriage ceremonies for young soldiers and their brides because the Emperor had outlawed marriage under the premise that unmarried men made better soldiers. St. Valentine was ultimately put to death, but not before writing a letter to the young girl who visited him while he was in prison, and with whom he’d fallen in love. He signed the letter, “From your Valentine,” which we still say today.


So what is it about love that everybody loves? Well, true love is unconditional—it’s kind, gentle, forgiving, faithful, patient, hopeful, endearing and enduring. Love defers to others and it never gives up.

According to the American Heritage Dictionary, the word Love means a deep, tender, ineffable [indescribable] feeling of affection and solicitude toward a person, such as that arising from kinship, recognition of attractive qualities, or a sense of underlying oneness.

It is this indescribable love that makes you feel like you can fly, climb the highest mountain, swim the widest ocean, and achieve your wildest dreams. The genuine love received from another person makes you feel good about yourself and has enormous power to help you accomplish things you never thought you would.

The best part about love is that we each have the capacity to give and receive it. As children of the creator who IS love, to love is as much a part of our nature as breathing. It’s just that we have to put forth some effort to get it “just right.” Yea, it’s work, but it’s worth it.

So as we celebrate Valentine’s Day may it remind us of the power of love—the power of love to uplift, ignite and transform. This view of love must have inspired the songwriter who wrote the lyrics “what the world needs now is love, sweet love…” Love truly is what the world needs.


Giving and receiving love makes us happier, better people. Deep down we know that and that's why we desire it. It doesn’t matter who you are or what culture you come from, everybody loves love.

Copyright ©2005 by Anita S. Lane
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Sunday, February 13, 2005

Tribute to Black History--pt 3

May Black History Month Remind Us Why Affirmative Action is Still Needed
by Anita S. Lane

This Commentary was published in The Detroit News. CLICK HERE to see the article.


One hundred and twenty-two years after President Lincoln freed the slaves, I walked on the university campus as the first individual from my family lineage to attend and graduate from college. I’m an African-American.

I didn’t have the advantage of writing the name of a parent or sibling who attended the university before me. I was a young lady with promise, good grades, and leadership ability, but I owe my entry into the University of Michigan in part, to supportive counselors and affirmative action.

Opponents of affirmative action say that it is unfair, undemocratic, unconstitutional and two wrongs don’t make a right. But how fair, democratic and constitutional was the institution of slavery and the illiteracy, poverty, self-hatred and family dysfunction that ensued as a result—compounded by the effects Jim Crow and racism? The entrenched residual effects of slavery were not undone by Lincoln’s emancipation nor the Civil Rights laws and unfortunately, in spite of many positive steps forward, many of these factors still negatively impact the African-American community today.

According to the U.S. Census bureau, in 1860 there were approximately 4,000,000 slaves in America. African American slaves helped construct our nation’s most symbolic structures, harvested our crops, and by force, sweat, and blood helped build the industries that made America prosperous.

America cannot repay African Americans suitable damages for the 400 years of transatlantic slavery, but America can, being honest and compassionate, take positive actions that affirm the fact it so incalculably and systemically wronged a whole race of people for hundreds of years.

In a country with a progressive tax structure, virtually 100% tax write-offs for corporations and wealthy Americans, as well as a history of welfare and entitlement programs, lawmakers are accustomed to instituting laws and programs they think are fair, just and equitable. Affirmative action is no different.

Even more, affirmative action does not award undeserving individuals with degrees. Yes, I was admitted to college on the basis of their efforts to reach out to more minorities. But I worked hard and graduated. Then I worked hard and graduated again with my Masters Degree.

As humans we innately gravitate towards, understand and perhaps prefer people like ourselves. Affirmative Action helps to ensure that people of color are no longer systematically shut out of the ranks of the “movers and shakers” as well as positions of leadership in institutions that have been traditionally led by whites.

Affirmative action also isn’t about quotas. In the case of the college campus, affirmative action is, at its core, a conscience effort made on the part of admissions counselors to value racial and cultural diversity when making admissions decisions—believing that a diversified college campus makes for a better college experience and ultimately a better workforce.

From a cost-benefit standpoint, affirmative action costs very little. Yet we suffer grave social and economic consequences when we don’t make the effort. When blacks, whites and people of other races share the same dormitory, the same classroom and the same board room, great cultural exchanges take place. We stem the tide of ignorance and we learn to live in harmony with one another.

One affirmative action is all it took, and the world opened up for me. And now the world is open for my children. My children will have the social networks, education and experiences to take our family lineage to the next level.

However, it is now 140 years after Lincoln freed the slaves, a mere forty years since African Americans could expect equal treatment under the law, and there are still many African American individuals who yet need an opportunity like the one I received.

Yes, African Americans attend college at higher rates than we did fifty years ago, yet, according to a study by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, the disparity between white college graduates and African American college graduates has actually increased since 1960, and the percentage of African American college graduates today is only one-third that of whites.

Let’s not peddle backwards. In a progressive society like America, colleges should look at the whole person when considering his or her potential contribution to the campus—including race. That’s why I commend the University of Michigan’s continued fight for affirmative action.

Each February we take time to remember the achievements of notable African-Americans and what progress we have made thus far. But this year I hope we will look openly and honestly at our broader American history and the ramifications on African-Americans in our society to see why affirmative action is still needed.

Copyright ©2005 by Anita S. Lane
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http://keepingfamilyfirst.org

Sunday, February 06, 2005

Tribute to Black History--pt 2

I’m Black and I’m Proud…Now
by Anita S. Lane

I grew up as a minority in a predominately white and Orthodox Jewish neighborhood which grew increasingly ethnically diverse throughout my K-12 academic career. I remember going into kindergarten and first grade with just two or three Black children in my class. I remember becoming best friends with Molly and later, Julie who were both Jewish. In high school I remember falling for the one Latino guy in our class and having the biggest crush on the popular, muscular, dark-haired, dark-eyed boy named Brad.

I remember me and my best friend having a saying that went, “white boys, black cars, colonial houses and lots of money, honey.” Suburban life had really taken its toll.

Then I went to college. Giving credit to the Black Action Movement (BAM) the Black Student Union, courses in the College of African American Studies and other culturally aware students, I learned more about African American history than I ever did growing up. I learned that “my people” had so much that I could be proud of.

Most importantly, I give credit to God for showing me how to love myself and others unconditionally. I became a Christian at age 18 and really began to challenge my subconscious beliefs about race, culture and beauty. My mom informs me that when I was in elementary school I wanted to be white and have long, straight hair like the other girls. Amazingly, I don't remember that. However, I do remember being a teenager and having a preference for light-skinned Black boys with “good” (that meant straighter) hair.

As a result of the salvation and cultural education I experienced as a young college student, I began to accept, appreciate and love myself and those like me—Black people—more. I knew I had truly “crossed over” when I loved and appreciated myself enough to desire to marry someone just like me—albeit, male. It wasn’t long before I met my wonderful, tall, muscular, very handsome, brown-skinned husband-to-be while on campus. Had I met him before my metamorphosis, he would have never made the cut--
and I would have missed out on God's best for me.

While it is unfortunate that I had to go through such a deep inner transformation just to unconditionally love, appreciate and accept myself and other Black people, I’m just glad that I made the tranformation. And if I can be an encouragement to anyone else with the same struggle, that's great. My people are incredibly bright, strong, courageous, passionate, loving, creative and beautiful people. I doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks of us. I know that now. I’m Black…and I’m proud.


Copyright ©2005 by Anita S. Lane

Visit my online magazine for moms
http://keepingfamilyfirst.org/