In 2021 Black American History Month will either propel black Americans forward towards being better versions of themselves, or it will just be a celebration of the struggle and trying to overcome in the world of the white man. Over the past few years, I have used this month to showcase black Americans from all walks of life. I have used this month to show that even with the deck, sometimes stacked against us , we can and do still prosper. The history of America is rich with culture, color and experiences. Some are similar but none are exactly the same.
Our nations went through a rough year in 2020. There's no need to recap it here. It was what it was. Now it's time for all of us to move forward and be the agent of change we want to see in America.
My purpose for the next 28 days is to show you, some of the tremendous accomplishments black people have made and are making in this country. Even though the focus is on black Americans be sure that every American can be proud of these accomplished people and their achievements. As always, I welcome comments about any and all the stories shared.
The ability to find success can come easy for some for a variety of reasons and it can be hard for others for reasons known and unknown. We need to understand we all are provided with the opportunity to succeed. We are not guaranteed the same outcome.
One of the things I try to avoid is showcasing athletes. There are many who believe sports is the only way out of a life of poverty specifically, for black men. When people decry the money athletes make playing professional sports the misinformation is ridiculous. Each sport pay their players differently based on the collective bargaining agreements and the sport itself. For this discussion, I'll focus on the NFL. People believe that all NFL players are millionaires.
That is the furthest thing from the truth.
The average salary of an NFL player is $860,000 per year. No doubt that's a lot of money, but there's more to the story. Couple that salary with an average career span of 3.3 years and you can see this is not the best path to take for becoming a millionaire. If you enter the NFL at the age of 22 and you're out of the league by the age of 25, you've made $2.8 million . Since you probably spent some of that money, and of course got taxed on all of it, you might have $1 million left. Remember you're now 25 years old.
Did you leave college early hoping for fame and fortune in the NFL? Did you major in something that will help you get employed in another career field, because the fact of the matter is you're probably going to need to get another job.
Here's my point. We (especially black people) need to stop overly encouraging our sons and daughters to pursue a career in sports. I am all for playing sports and I believe they help develop the skills need to be apart of or lead a team but 98% of the population is not gifted enough to be the next Patrick Mahomes, who recently since a 10 year contract extension for $503 million dollars. Instead, even when you see a child doing well in a particular sport, or a child that's tall or looks athletic, tell them they look like an entrepreneur, an accountant, a financial analyst, an engineer, a veterinarian, a pilot, a CEO, a doctor, an educator, a nurse, a banker or a stock broker. Better yet ask the child what they want to be then help them create a plan to achieve their dream. Remember dreams without goals are just dreams.
All of our children can excel at all things, not just sports.
One of the people I will show case is currently the Chief of Staff of the Air Force. In discussing this matter with a family member, he said having a black Chief of Staff probably should have happened along time ago.
Maybe.
In order for this to happen again, black men and women need to become officers in the Air Force. They need to develop into great leaders and accept assignments that will move them toward the rank of general officer. In case you are not aware, the Chief of Staff is a four-star general position. You have to be willing to put in the time. Those selected for this position, typically have served for 30+ years. There has to be a certain amount of luck involved and it's important to meet the right people, and perform at a high level in the right positions. After that, the selection process require input from many people. The president then makes his selection and finally the nomination must be confirmed by the senate. If the pool of black 4 star general officers is small, we need to find out why so that the chances of obtaining this high level position increases. We have to understand that everyone can't reach the top of the mountain; but, we should never stop climbing and we should never discourage those who want to climb. We all need to support the person who starts their journey after us and gets higher up the mountain than we did. We should be proud if we helped them achieve greater success than we had.
My stories have been and will continue be about successful hard working men and women, who believed and achieved against all odds. In the past I've written about ordinary people like my father-in-law and my sister-in-law, who coming from humble begins continue to move the needle for those who are coming up behind them. Just because your name isn't in lights doesn't mean you aren't a role model for someone.
One last story and then on to the good stuff. I shared a video on Facebook of me playing football with my grandsons. I let them tackle me. In my post I said there are many reason I stay fit and maintain my health. Being able to rough house with my grandsons at 60 years of age, is the primary reason I workout. I received a response from a guy that played high school football with my sons. He agreed with my sentiment; but then he said, he struggles to remember a lot of things, but he remembers being in high school in the weight room. Everyone was struggling bench pressing 225 lbs. He remembers me going to the bench and pressing that weight 2-3 times. It inspired him and others and he has obviously never forgotten that moment.
On the other hand I have no memory of that moment.
We are all doing something at sometime that someone is seeing. Is the something you are doing something that will positively impact a life or are you a drag on every life you encounter?
My hope is someone will read one of these stories and be inspired to become a better version of themselves. Enjoy!