African Americans and Hispanics struggle with common issues: broken homes, poverty, high crime rates, poor education, and discrimination. If the African Americans and Hispanics unite, if we raise up leaders and organize, if we emphasize education in our cultures, we will be much more effective in tackling the issues that we face together as minorities. We would be wise to heed King Solomon’s words, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” Pity on us if we do not unite and we do not help each other up when we fall!I believe that an essential element in uniting the Hispanic and African American communities is to work toward a common goal. African American and Hispanic communities already share common goals: to be accepted, valued, treated with justice, and to have a fair shot at living successful and fulfilling lives in America. We must raise up leaders from within and work toward these goals together. I cannot reinforce this idea enough: our Black and Hispanic communities must raise up influential leaders. Raising leaders will help ensure that we are heard. It will help us gain respect. It will give us opportunity to improve public relations between our cultures. And it will give us opportunity to contribute to our society in meaningful ways. Look how powerful and influential it has been when we have had leaders; Martin Luther King Jr., Oprah Winfrey, Cesar Chavez, Condaleeza Rice (currently the most powerful woman in the world), and Nelson Mandela. We must continue to infiltrate the political scene. We must continue to break through and fill up the white collar jobs – engineers, lawyers, doctors, teachers, professors, politicians. That is how we can make change happen, for Blacks and Hispanics, for America, and even the world. Education is the first step of this action plan. We must aggressively campaign to reach our young kids: kindergarteners, elementary schoolers, junior high and high schoolers. We need to motivate them to have a love for reading, a love for learning, a love for Math and Science and the Liberal Arts. We need to teach them to think big, to be willing to make the world a better place for Blacks and Hispanics. This will advance our cultures and produce leaders. The plan to educate our people will take time. It is not a quick-fix. It is a long-term plan. It may even take a generation. But I can say with confidence that it is a plan of action that will be 100% successful. Blacks and Hispanics will gain the respect and influence that we deserve. We will have political, social, and economic influence. The days of discrimination will be over. Historically Black Colleges and Universities is an outstanding example of leaders organizing for the betterment of our Black and Hispanic communities. Providing scholarships is one of the most practical and impactful ways HBCU can contribute. HBCU should continue to improve our communities by empowering younger generations to get a good education, set ambitious goals, and ultimately, become leaders. HBCU could additionally have successful Black and Hispanic figures going to our Junior High and High Schools to motivate our youth. Our youths need to be told of the opportunities and potential they have. They need encouragement and role models. They need to be molded into good leaders. Another wonderful idea is for HBCU to have a mentoring program.Thank you so much, HBCU for the support and opportunity that you offer to me and all of us Blacks and Hispanics! Please keep it up!
