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2 C/3 ISSUES INSIDE MOREHOUSE, OCTOBER 2008 Inside Morehouse is about the people who make up the Morehouse College community. To tell those stories, WE NEED YOU to send us your ideas, comments and thoughts, along with your news, information about your new books or publications and your commentary for sections like My Word. To send us your information, contact Inside Morehouse Editor Add Seymour Jr. at aseymour@morehouse.edu For more up-to-the minute information about academic departments, administration, athletics, registration, financial aid, as well as the people and places at Morehouse College, go to www.morehouse.edu Inside MOREHOUSE MY WORD The Obama Effect If Barack Obama becomes the first African American president of the United States, his message and politics of “change” will have a huge impact on the nation. But will his nomination have any influence on black boys in this country? As director of Project Identity, a pro gram devoted to keeping middle and high school black males focused on the college track, it is a rhetorical question I have been pondering. Barack Obama is certainly a piv otal figure in today’s media regard less of the city you live, the newspaper you read, or where you go to get your news on television. His message of “change” has at tracted a slew of new and young voters. And for those of us in the black community, this time is sig nificant because he’s the first black person in the history of America to win the Democratic nomination, and he has the strongest chance, I believe, of becoming the nation’s first black president. Significant, in deed, when you consider that up until the Voting Rights Act of 1965, there were many barriers for blacks to even cast a ballot. But how will all of this impact the state of black boys in this coun try, many of whom are fatherless (5.6 million of them), are growing up poor (40 percent live in poverty), or watch as black men languish in jail (840,000 black males are incar cerated in this country)? Obama’s nomination should motivate black boys to be more confident about their chances of be coming developers, doctors, sena tors, writers, even presidents of large corporations. Or even presi dent of the United States. But notice I said should. The fact is, black boys - at least many of the ones I encounter - still see their role models living in the “bling” lifestyle, sometimes as drug dealers and gang bangers, rather than politicians. If you’ve never been to a housing project or rundown inner-city neighborhood, or not had any in teraction with young boys from inner-city neighborhoods, you’ve probably not felt the kind of hope lessness one experiences in such a place. Many of the boys have given up on school years ago and have be come role models to a younger gen eration of boys who may be following their lead. I often wonder if I will live to see the day when black boys graduate from high school at a national rate of. 70 percent. That’s a huge gap to bridge as only 46 percent of black boys graduate from high school today. In a cultural setting such as this, it doesn’t seem so outlandish that black boys might not be as cog nizant - or even care - about the importance of November 4th. At some point for these young boys, if you listen well enough, the conver sation becomes more about class and less about race. They might be asking the question that we all ask: “Is there anyone in Washington who cares about me?” So, although it would be a moment of celebration for most Democratic voters in the black community - and even for black Republicans - it might just be another day in the neighborhood for these boys, even if they were old enough to vote. Understanding where they are coming from, my reason for specu lating on how Obama being presi dent will effectuate change in any considerable way in the lives of black boys, is justified. But I’m at least hopeful. I guess I’ll just wait to cast my ballot toward history in the making, and walk away, ready to roll up my sleeves for the eventual “change” to come. Even better, I will use it as inspiration and motivation to become the change agent we all should strive to be. ■ Danny Bellinger ‘92 is the Director of Project Identity. Director of Public Relations Toni O'Neal Mosley tmosley@morehouse.edu Executive Editor Vickie G. Hampton vhampton@morehouse.edu Editor Add Seymour Jr. aseymour@morehouse.edu Calendar Editor Julie Pinkney Tongue jtongue@morehouse.edu Photographers Philip McCullum Deborah McFadden Add Seymour Jr. Graphic Design Musick Design Web Services Hana Chelikowsky Kara Walker Inside Morehouse is published monthly during the academic year by Morehouse College, Office of Communications, Office of Institutional Advancement. Opinions expressed in Inside Morehouse are those of the authors, not necessarily of the College. Thurman's Work Leads to Editors Calling Recently, a friend asked what I love most about working with the papers of Howard Thurman. That’s hard to answer - there are so many things I love about my work. My work is interesting, it’s given me the opportunity to understand and know an important historical figure very well, I work with a team of bril liant scholars and there is never a dull moment. But, if I had to name just one thing, I’d have to say that I love what my work has taught me about calling. Calling. The word is tossed around a lot these days. Calling con jures up ideals of high-minded pur suits and special favoritism with God that makes most of us ordinary folk feel left out. Howard Thurman has taught me differently. Before I came to the Thurman Papers, I was an academic adminis trator at a prestigious liberal arts college. The position sounded fan tastic on paper and put me squarely on the presidential track. My proud parents bragged to their friends. My grad school friends were envious. I, however, was miserable. I liked the school, enjoyed my colleagues and the students, but I hated my work and I was bad at it. Very bad. Every day at the job felt like I was wading neck deep in water while lugging a wagon full of bricks. Every fiber of my being rebelled, most especially my feet. By mid-day, no matter what kind of shoes I wore, my feet would break out in the most agonizing itch. No amount of powder and creams helped. It was the shoes. I was sad. I felt like a complete failure, consumed with self-pity. I knew I had to make a move, and soon - before one was made for me - but I was too panic-stricken and depressed to think clearly. Then one day, I came across a copy of “The Sound of the Genuine,” one of Howard Thurman’s most famous sermons that he gave many times to audiences around the world. I knew the name Howard Thurman, but not much else about him. His words were a sweet, gentle song: “There is in each and every person a sound of the genuine. Yours is a sound like no other.” Day by day, the substance of Thurman’s sermon slowly worked its way into my spirit, until at last I could face the fact that there was nothing wrong with the job, it just wasn’t for me. I was not an aca demic administrator. I thought about what I was, though, which came through on even my roughest days. I thought about how I had be come relied upon to be an able and trusted editor of written work. A few months later, I left my job. A few months after that, I began work as managing editor of the Thurman Papers. I thought I had arrived. I had found my true calling. Smooth sailing, total bliss, no prob lem, new shoes at lash My walk with him has taught me that after finding your calling, the real work begins, and sometimes it’s not pretty. Each day demands the best and highest level of my creative, intellectual and leadership abilities. But no matter how difficult the work or how long the days, I have come to learn that in pursuing my calling, I always find myself. No shoes required. And for that I am grateful. ■ Kai Jackson Issa is the Managing Editor of the Howard Thurman Papers Project. Thurman 's Great Hope.