THE QUIET

The only way you can learn is to listen. Everyone has two ears and one mouth. So this a.m., I quietly mouthed the article, published on the Huffington Post’s internet version of the paper twice before I decided what I had learned. The article, “Rags to Riches: Self-Made CEOs Who Started With Nothing,” listed 10 people who are now “rich” but had to struggle to get it. There are absolutely no men of color on the list; not even honorable mention. Two sisters made the cut; but, Oprah, who I give mad props to, is really overdone.

What I learned from this article is that sometimes if you want something done, you have to do it yourself. Have to. I want my son and nephews to be inspired. So I wrote the following about six men—brothers, who have “arrived,” and had some sort of adversity as well. I just cannot believe that the author (who is not listed) never heard of at least one of the following men: Jay-Z (Shawn Carter), Tyler Perry, or Russell Simmons. Granted, they actually may not have ever heard of Chris Gardner, Les Brown or the late Reginald Lewis. May not, but when you write, you research; took me a total of about 75 minutes—and I’m not a writer by trade.

Why I Picked These Gentlemen:
They are not simply rich, they are wealthy. There is a difference. Chris Rock defines the difference as (paraphrased), “wealth is the people who own the basketball team, not play on it.” They all own companies and/or they are CEOs. And in the case of Reginald Lewis, his company is still around today despite his death in 1990 to brain cancer.

Why They Truly Make The List:
Jay-Z from Marcy Projects to owning several companies, selling millions of records and hobnobbing with the President.
Tyler Perry from being poor in New Orleans, to homeless in Atlanta, to the chitterling circuit with his plays, to having his own movie studios.
Russell Simmons from dropping out of Community College, to selling records to owning Def Jam Records, to producing Def Comedy and Def Poetry Jam to owning Phat Farm (not exactly rags to riches but hailing from Queens, NY automatically makes his story sort of “riches from rags.”)
Les Brown from being abandoned by his mother at 6 weeks, to be declared retarded to being left back twice to becoming a motivational speaker and author who talks about wealth and overcoming obstacles.
Chris Gardner from being in the medical field to deciding that was not in fact for him to being homeless to taking a non-paying internship where he had to work twice as hard as everyone else to earning the job on the other side of that internship to going to become a CEO to having a movie made about his life and Will Smith playing his part.
Reginald Lewis from working to pulling together enough dough to secure McCall patterns which was bankrupt to turning it around to leaving this earth AND, most importantly, leaving behind a legacy his family could continue.

People of color did not write the book on struggle and overcoming adversity—however we do take up a great many chapters and should be deemed experts if the circumstances are in order.

(NO) WELCOME MAT

I met a gypsy and she hip to some life game
To stimulate then activate the left and right brain
Said baby boy you only funky as your last cut
You focus on the past your ass will be a has what
~Andre 3000

The President is coming to town and nooooobody wants to hang out. Seriously. Roy Barnes, former Georgia governor and Democratic gubernatorial front-runner for this year’s election has plans to campaign in middle and south Georgia. It’s the part of the state un-affectionately known as the “other Georgia;” it gets little attention and needs help with a capital h. John Barrow, another Democrat, and running for Congress is in DC undergoing minor surgery (shazam! He’s got healthcare? Wonder if he’s single…?).

Congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis’ staff has simple stated he “has other plans.” Jim Marshall, also running for Congress, is helping his daughter move (on a weekday?). And Hank Johnson, who has the President’s endorsement prominently featured in his dry-a radio spots (can we get some hip-hop music in the background, please!) is also in DC, preparing for his spot on an impeachment board prosecuting a judge.

It doesn’t matter if we feel these gentlemen’s reasons are valid or not. We live in a democracy. Hence, if the man who is not exactly your boss, but sort of in charge of the company you work for, comes to town, you do not have to bend over backwards to see him. But this does show how the tide can turn. One day you can be hot stuff, and the next… Furthermore, it isn’t really surprising since President Obama did not get Georgia's electoral vote in 2008.

Still, the last time President O. visited Georgia (February 2010), he spent most of his time in Savannah. It is said that a good time was had by all. He even went by Mrs. Wilkes and got down on some fried chicken—the First Lady wasn’t with him, so he got to do whatever he damn well pleased (pretty sure, though, he caught hell when he got back to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.).

But that was then.

The honeymoon America had with its first African-American President, who still “speaks so well and is articulate” but just not saying what we need to hear, is over. Matter of fact, the memo came out with the last unemployment figures.

Yet another way to look at it is that Barnes is about the business of getting re-elected. Given the rampant, crushing, joblessness, poverty, etc. occurring statewide, surely, getting an up close and personal look at his constituents’ needs is more important than the President’s trip. In 2012, regardless as to whether or not President Obama is still at the helm, he won’t be hurting for much. But the people that Barnes is going to visit may not be as fortunate.

And perhaps Congressman Lewis’ very short yet crystal clear message is that he does not want to be bothered with the dude he did not support initially. See, it wasn’t until after Obama clinched the Iowa Caucus in January that Lewis switched his support from Hillary Clinton. It’s sorta like, “I only did what my people told me to do. I wasn’t feeling you then and now…well, you ain’t all of that.”

I watched part of the President’s appearance on “The View” last week. Everyone was all abuzz and shit. Shoot, even Barbara Walters, who is recuperating from heart surgery, came by to see him (Barb really loves the brothers, doesn’t she…?). But it’s apparent, especially with Hasselbeck digging and damn near calling the man a liar, that the President ain’t getting much love when he travels these days.

It’s like that cousin dropping by your crib with his bad ass step-kids—not his fault they are bad; they were like that when he married his wife. He’s doing his best, but they’re simply off the chain. You cannot tell him to go away because he’s your favorite cousin. So you let he and his family in, but make up some shit you “gotta do” so they know they “can’t stay long.”

Indeed I feel sorry for the President. No worse feeling than to go “whisitting” (my late Dad’s southern way of saying, “visiting”) and folks put the “gone fishing” sign out before you even arrive in town. Damn.

I’m just a low level reservist, but if the President asked, I would have lunch with him (and since he’s technically my boss, he’d treat, right?) We would not even have to talk shop; just about music, movies and parenting in this day and age.

But that’ll never happen.

Hey, maybe he should see if Jermaine Dupri, Tyler Perry or Outkast are at home…