YUSEF WILEY BLOCK

Some of you may not like what I’m about to say. Some may disagree. But I hope it makes us stop, think, and have an honest conversation.

We know the devastating impact slavery had on our people. We know the generational trauma, the economic destruction, the stolen opportunities, and the systemic racism that continues to affect Black communities today. That is one of the reasons I strongly support Reparations for descendants of enslaved people.

But beyond acknowledging those realities, we must also ask ourselves a difficult question:

What are we doing to heal, rebuild, and move forward?

For generations, many of our families have been trapped in cycles of poverty. Many of us grew up in underfunded schools, in neighborhoods lacking resources, with parents working multiple jobs just to survive. Too often, our communities have been forced to operate in survival mode instead of growth mode.

The result? Generational disadvantages that affect education, health, wealth, opportunity, and even how we see ourselves.

So where do we go from here?

We must begin with our children.

We must invest in young parents. We must teach financial literacy, ownership, entrepreneurship, leadership, discipline, and critical thinking. We must embrace academic excellence as passionately as we embrace athletics and entertainment. We must expose our children to science, technology, the arts, culture, and the limitless possibilities that exist beyond what they see every day.

We must build a culture that celebrates intelligence, achievement, character, family, wealth creation, and community responsibility.

Imagine a generation of young Black boys and girls who grow up knowing their worth, understanding their history, mastering their education, building businesses, owning property, creating wealth, and leading institutions.

That future is possible.

But it starts with us.

Not tomorrow. Not next year.

Now.

Because if we truly want respect, influence, and power, we must build the kind of communities, families, and culture that produce them.

The next generation is watching us.

The question is: What are we teaching them?