To You, My Inspiration (Black History Month, 2012)

To You, my Inspiration (Black History Month, 2012)
by J. J. Charles, 2012
Laughing and crying in the same breath and with the same fervor
Laughing to keep from crying about our dreams deferred
Laughing about our solitude in crowded spaces, laughing with much ardor
Crying about the huge gap of indifference despite our interdependence
Laughing about our smartphones and social media that make us dumber
Crying about the mountain we have to climb each time we gaze upon its peak
The glass ceiling still exists to remind us of the road nonetheless traveled
It appears there is always something on our path to knock us down
However a thousand times we’ll get back up ‘cause our hope is well anchored
Nothing is a gift. All is given to us on a loan. Grateful we must continuously be
For the achievements of our lives and immense joy brought to us by family and friends
Oh such a feast to be alive today and be able to share the bounty of these times!
In comparison, others before us had a harder time. Yet, they went on their way
Singing, whistling, loving, laboring, dreaming, and dancing in the rain
What unites us to our forebears is the eternal spring of renaissance
Swearing to bury and not to recycle the ills of the past, we will be triumphant
In our forward-looking stance in many areas of our common terrestrial pilgrimage
For without hope, we are like a broken-winged bird
Therefore, we will keep on laughing, dreaming, and hoping for a better tomorrow
Over will be our daily heartache, worries, misunderstanding, and deception!
Oh, may this day be hastened to be christened the day of pure joy and glory!

Mr. J.J. Charles is the author of this book and many others:

Freedom Rides to Sweet Magnolia: Eyes on the Prize - Why I Got on The Bus
A Booklet of Poetry on the Men, Women, -Black as Well as White,
Young as Well as Old- Who Boarded Buses To Protest and End
Discriminatory Practices in the U.S.A.

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...Excerpt from the Booklet of Poetry:

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New Chants D’Espérance Hymns EBook & Lyrics: Soaring on Wings Like Eagles is a collection of poems and chants inspired by the Christian faith. It has poems that will encourage Haitians and the rest of the international community in their efforts to find a lasting solution to the Haitian problems caused by the Jan. 12, 2010 quake. It tells you from which sources Haitians find comfort in these difficult times. This way, you can better appreciate Haitians' resilience, faith and dedication. This new book can be sub-titled, "Haitian Writings for Hard Times." All the lyrical poems were written in English.

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Top Black Women in American History and Culture: From Harriet Tubman, Oprah Winfrey to Rosa Parks and Michelle Obama...

Black Women in American History and Culture

MARY MCLEOD BETHUNE - Educator and activist mobilized thousands of black women as leader and founder of the National Association of Colored Women and National Council of Negro Women. She helped establish Bethune-Cookman College.
DR. MAE JEMISON – NASA astronaut and the first black woman to travel in space when she went into orbit aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour on September 12, 1992.
ROSA PARKS – African American Civil Rights activist called the mother of the modern day civil rights movement.
SHIRLEY CHISHOLM – In 1968 she became the first black woman to be elected to the United States Congress representing New York’s 12th Congressional District for seven terms from 1969 to 1983.
HARRIET TUBMAN - Escaped slavery to become a leading abolitionist. She led hun-dreds of enslaved people to freedom along the route of the Underground Railroad, and was known as the Moses of her people.
WILMA RUDOLPH – The first American woman to win three gold medals in track and field at the 1960 Olympic games. Named Associated Press Woman Athlete of the year twice.
ALTHEA GIBSON – Tennis champion and the first African-American invited to play at Wimbledon and the first to win a Grand Slam title in 1957 and again in 1958.
OPRAH WINFREY – Businesswoman, talk show host, actress, producer, and philanthro-pist, hailed by Life Magazine as the most influential woman of her generation. In 2005 Business Week named her the greatest black philanthropist in American history.
ELLA FITZGERALD - "The First Lady of Song," Ella Fitzgerald was arguably the finest female jazz singer of all time having sold over 40 million albums and winning 13 Grammy awards.
MAYA ANGELOU – Civil rights activist, poet, teacher and prize winning autobiograph-ical novelist. One of only two poets asked to read at a Presidential inauguration
Myrlie Evers-Williams, widow of Medgar Evers, Civil Rights Leader and Icon, shot almost 5 decades ago in Mississippi. She wants us not to forget Medgar Evers who paved the way for Martin Luther King and others to fight for equal rights
Michelle Obama, Wife of President Barack Obama, The First African-American First Lady