Blog

Compiled by Kevin Powell and April R. Silver

1. Seek God. When we seek God we are seeking the highest

   level of knowledge. Respect the presence and contribu-

   tions of those who’ve come before us. The greatest “thank

   you” we could give to whatever God(s) we believe in,

   and to those people who’ve come before us, is to make a

   serious commitment to our personal and collective well-

   being, growth, and empowerment.

2. Read read read. Seek out reading lists, ask folks for book

   suggestions. Read at least one daily paper and one weekly

   alternative newspaper regularly. You must see reading as

   a commitment to learning. This will help broaden your

   worldview and sharpen your critical thinking skills. With

   this in mind, minimize television watching, or, at least,

   balance television viewing with reading, as constant read-

   ing will help you to interpret all media, including televi-

   sion, in a broader and healthier way.

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Appendix

3. Strive to be of good character, learn to be compassionate

   toward the plights of others, and struggle for consistency

   between your public and private lives. Always be con-

   scious of what you say, think before you speak, and ask

   yourself, “Am I about bridge building or destroying

   bridges?” or “Do I know how to love myself, and others?”

4. Be proactive with your life and in your community. For

   example, educate yourself about the history of voting in

   America, register to vote, and vote in each and every elec-

   tion. Voting does make a difference on the local and state

   levels, as evidenced by who gets to control our school

   systems, land usage, and monetary allotments to our

   communities. Finally, join an organization that is in sup-

   port of average, everyday people. Develop a high thresh-

   old for the difficulties associated with organization

   building, and with various personalities. If one organiza-

   tion disappoints you, seek out others, or make it a point

   to learn how to build an organization yourself by study-

   ing various groups and movements, then start one with

   like-minded folks.

5. Debate ideas and learn to formulate your own opinions.

Debate in a healthy manner: always come with facts, not emotionalism, and make sure you are listening as opposed to waiting for your turn to speak. In other words, use your intellect, not your ego.

6. Avoid frivolous spending at all costs. Purchase what you need, not what you desire. Strive to own something in your life, be it a home, a business, or land.

7. Make a commitment to holistic living: eat healthy, exercise regularly, pray or meditate at least once every day,and seek out counseling in one form or another if you have any minor or major emotional issues.