I Should Not Be Here
I should not be here. I'm a black man, 30 years old. Statistically speaking, many folks in my demographic are either dead or in jail. I should not be here. I grew up on the west side of Chicago with a crack house across the street. My mother was a crack head, my aunt was a crack head and like Barack, I didn't know my father until I was about 12 or 13. My mother abused me until I was about 12. You know, physical beatings, but worse was the mental abuse. She told me she only had me for a welfare check. She told me I would never do shit, be shit, or have shit.
You know sometimes, people. I don't just mean black people. Most people of lower socio economical means put caps on themselves. They limit what they feel is possible.
My grandmother took me to the doctor when I was 12. Doctor Alexandria. She was an immigrant from Jamaica. Dr. Alexandria did what doctors do when they have kids in, she asked "What do you want to do when you grow up?" I was 12, so I said "I want to be a doctor and a lawyer when I grow up" My grandmother Said "Hush Boy! You ain't gonna be no doctor and a no lawyer!" Dr. Alexandria said, "No, You Hush! Don't you tell that boy what he can and can not do. I have a friend that is a doctor and a lawyer. If he wants to be a Doctor and a Lawyer, he can be a doctor and a lawyer!"
Now, I'm not a doctor and a lawyer, but I did graduate from Northwestern with a B.S. In communication studies. And I'm in Los Angeles pursuing my goals in the entertainment industry. I'm supporting Barack Obama not because he's a black man, because if Flavor Flav was running for office I wouldn't be here. I'm supporting him because he's a good man. An honest man. His unlikely story tells any kid no matter what race they are, whether their parents are immigrants, whether they were rich or poor, no matter what their starting circumstance, if they work hard and are good people they can be whatever they want to be. I'm supporting Barack so no other kid will have to hear that he can't be a doctor or a lawyer or whatever he or she wants to be.
At this point the election is just 6 days away. If you've been watching the coverage or reading the blogs on a daily basis then you know we have a great chance to make history. But this is not the time to let up. Monday and Tuesday are the closing days of the campaign and we're going to need all the help that we can get. This is your last time to help shape our country's history.
Ask yourself, do you want to want to tell your kids about the time you Voted for Change or do you want to tell your kids about that brief moment in history when you got off the couch and you made Change Happen! This is your chance to be the narrative instead of just reading the narrative.
If you're in Los Angeles, the you should sign up for a couple two hour phone banking shifts at the "Official Obama Biden Election Day Phone Bank." You can click here. If you're not in Los Angeles then just go to BarackObama.com put in your zipcode and find a phonebank near you!
I know many of you HATE making phone calls. Ask yourself this, would you rather do something you don't like for two hours or have a president you hate for another 4 years.
When you wake up on November 5th will you be able to say that you did all that you could.
You know sometimes, people. I don't just mean black people. Most people of lower socio economical means put caps on themselves. They limit what they feel is possible.
My grandmother took me to the doctor when I was 12. Doctor Alexandria. She was an immigrant from Jamaica. Dr. Alexandria did what doctors do when they have kids in, she asked "What do you want to do when you grow up?" I was 12, so I said "I want to be a doctor and a lawyer when I grow up" My grandmother Said "Hush Boy! You ain't gonna be no doctor and a no lawyer!" Dr. Alexandria said, "No, You Hush! Don't you tell that boy what he can and can not do. I have a friend that is a doctor and a lawyer. If he wants to be a Doctor and a Lawyer, he can be a doctor and a lawyer!"
Now, I'm not a doctor and a lawyer, but I did graduate from Northwestern with a B.S. In communication studies. And I'm in Los Angeles pursuing my goals in the entertainment industry. I'm supporting Barack Obama not because he's a black man, because if Flavor Flav was running for office I wouldn't be here. I'm supporting him because he's a good man. An honest man. His unlikely story tells any kid no matter what race they are, whether their parents are immigrants, whether they were rich or poor, no matter what their starting circumstance, if they work hard and are good people they can be whatever they want to be. I'm supporting Barack so no other kid will have to hear that he can't be a doctor or a lawyer or whatever he or she wants to be.
At this point the election is just 6 days away. If you've been watching the coverage or reading the blogs on a daily basis then you know we have a great chance to make history. But this is not the time to let up. Monday and Tuesday are the closing days of the campaign and we're going to need all the help that we can get. This is your last time to help shape our country's history.
Ask yourself, do you want to want to tell your kids about the time you Voted for Change or do you want to tell your kids about that brief moment in history when you got off the couch and you made Change Happen! This is your chance to be the narrative instead of just reading the narrative.
If you're in Los Angeles, the you should sign up for a couple two hour phone banking shifts at the "Official Obama Biden Election Day Phone Bank." You can click here. If you're not in Los Angeles then just go to BarackObama.com put in your zipcode and find a phonebank near you!
I know many of you HATE making phone calls. Ask yourself this, would you rather do something you don't like for two hours or have a president you hate for another 4 years.
When you wake up on November 5th will you be able to say that you did all that you could.
