Ujima

Since March, I have worked for a tutor/mentor organization that serves 7-12th grade at-risk youth. This is my first stint at trying to work for a non-profit and it truly fulfills me. Even on days where I am stressed beyond belief, just knowing that I am making an impact on my community makes it that much more tolerable.

We have a social responsibility, in my humble opinion, as Blacks to maintain our community. It is easy to sit by the wayside and complain about our youth, the crime, our politics, our PEOPLE as a whole, but it takes a lot more heart and consciousness to do something about it. Black studies professors, some politicians, non-profit organization CEOs, presidents and board members take the charge and hold the reigns tightly vowing for little to sometimes nothing wages to change the community. The time is always now to act... to make our brothers and sisters problems OUR problems. You don't have to be the org's CEO or even an EMPLOYEE to want to change the community around you, thereby changing the world our kids will grow up in. The more brains tryin to work through it, the sooner we get to the solution.

In a broader sense, a (wo)man is only as strong as the foundation he/she has built upon. How can we really provide for the community if you can not love and cater to your own blood, family, time, good true friendships? Collective work AND responsibility start at home. Remember that one can't TRULY represent The Movement without the love and support, the bond that comes from family. It's a collective circle that once made whole one can do all things in community and abound.

As you focus and strive this Kwanzaa season, when you are ready, it is time to volunteer to an organization helping a community you care about, want to build, want to change.