Growing up as an African American male in urban, America has been quite a journey. Striving to achieve excellence beyond the daily routine of self-destruction was unheard of. “The Hood” is not trying to hear about academic achievement, going to college, a legal career, and definitely not a 401k. “The Hood” is trying to hear about who shot whom, who is about to be shot for shooting the person shot, and how much money can be made from a pack stored under a random sixteen year old’s sneakers or old dingy sock.
The set values bestowed upon individuals living in “the hood” are unfair and pessimistic, but most importantly changeable. For an individual to rise against all odds, and blossom into a rose grown from concrete, they have to posses an inner strength and passion for change. All it takes is one seed to create a garden. Roses do not grow alone; they grow on a bush surrounded by others of the same kind.
Academic daily. Education and opportunity act as water to my growing process. The opportunity to learn more, and strive to create something better for myself and the people around me can and will help change, and transcend urban communities across the globe.
As humans, we naturally understand the concept of selflessness, but confuse it with selfishness because we only look out for ourselves. Individual capitalism is seen as means of salvation more than communal fellowship, helping others. We only create more injustice by reaching for the top and not reaching back to lift another, which ultimately has proven to be a clear hindrance to world progression.
More individuals need to posses a passion for planting gardens of growth, social welfare and equity to stifle, shut down, and destroy what “the hood” has done such a great job replicating, and protecting.
