I was born and raised in a small town in the Mississippi Delta.  Ruleville, Mississippi has a special place in my heart and for good reason. I’m a country girl at heart, and being raised in the Mississippi Delta has made me into the person I am.  I have a heart for people, and I want to use the gifts that God has given me to give back to my community.  Did you know that the reading scores of our children are used to determine how many prisons will be built in our state?  This disturbs me.  If you can’t read or write, the statistics say you will drop out of school and live a life of crime. Instead of investing in after school programs to help children, prisons are built instead. Prisons are making people rich, but I am ready and willing to stop the cash flow from my community to the prison system.  I refuse to watch the news, complain about what is going on in our society, and not be the solution.

While visiting my family in Mississippi,  I stopped in Dockery, Mississippi.

Sunglasses (Chanel), blazer (JCrew), tee (Banana Republic), watch (Michael Kors), jeans (Madewell), oxfords (Cole Haan Original Grand)

I went to the Grammy Museum in Cleveland, Mississippi.

I was so excited to be back home, but no matter where I went, I could not shake the fact that I am needed in my community and I need to give back.  I need to stop talking about it and put action behind my words.

W.E.B. DuBois stated, “The Negro race, like all races, is going to be saved by its exceptional men.”  What will you do to help build your community?  Will you volunteer your time and your talents, or will you wait for someone else to step up to the plate?  Our young people need to see you, touch you, and know you.  They need to talk to someone who has done well and pulled themselves up by their bootstrap.  It’s time to be the voice in your community.  You might not have the means to build a school or start a nonprofit, but you can do something to help another child, even if it’s just mentoring and being there for them.  Let’s not make excuses for not lending a hand in our neighborhoods.  Let’s move forward by reaching back to help those who need us.  For many of our children, we are their only hope.  Until next time, be better and do better!