Dear Readers,
Increasingly, I have found that friends, colleagues, and acquaintances are finding solace in finding ways to survive in the current environment. It is believed that we as a community can address current circumstances with these proven ways to survive. I, along with countless others, contend that throughout African American history in the U.S., we have found ways to rise above seemingly insurmountable circumstances, despite adversity.
As in the past, religious, cultural, and social traditions will all play a part in surviving the coming years. For example, at the turn of the century, after slavery had ended, former slaves saved pennies to build schools and churches. Many, if not all churches, housed the first HBCUs. During the early years of the Civil Rights Movement, they served as the focal point for organizing marches and providing instructions on how to maintain their non-violent posture in the face of potential violence.
Again, we rise to the challenges of this current moment, whatever our capacities, individually and collectively. Hard-fought victories are under attack and, therefore, obstacles must be met with equally intentional actions.
New programs like the KR Scholars and the poetic verse of a local behavioral therapist/poet, both featured in this issue, will help meet the impending threat to the upward mobility of the masses, particularly African Americans.
Thank you for reading,
Reflectively,
Gwen Bethea
Editor
Richmond couple creates nonprofit to help current and future HBCU students
(excerpts from the Richmonder)
Kristen and Rufus Johnson founded KR Scholars to help students access Historically Black Colleges and Universities. (Contributed photo)
Jessica Grimes was a sophomore at Nashville’s Fisk University when she first received a scholarship from KR Scholars.
Kristen Johnson describes the group as “family.” She has since graduated and is now attending one of the few historically Black medical colleges in the country, to pursue her dream of being a dentist.
Hers is one of a number of success stories touted by KR Scholars, a nonprofit founded by Kristen Johnson with her husband, Rufus.
Both are alums of Historically Black Colleges and Universities: Winston-Salem State University and Fayetteville State University. Their personal experiences led to a love of HBCUs, and after the events of 2020, the couple wanted to make attending these schools more accessible.
“We founded KR Scholars in 2020 to help more HBCU students graduate and change the course of their economic trajectory.
The KR website states, “We take a multifaceted approach to supporting our scholars, focusing on skill development, and resource access to ensure their college prep, financial literacy, and workforce readiness for current and aspiring HBCU students,”
“Thanks to KR Scholars, I have been able to continue my educational journey without stress. Not only that, but they have also helped me step out of my shell and become a leader in my community. It isn’t just a foundation, it’s a family, ” states one of the KR scholars.
Michael Phillips & Kendall Taylor of The Richmonder and Dr. Gwen Bethea. editor of this newsletter, contributed to this article
POETRY/PROSE CORNER
PRETENTIOUS PEOPLE
By Michael Pierre Henson, I
As a child first born, without what someone would say is a plan
The behaviors expressed by the child is not shaped by mere man
Character can be built on by the example shared as a child grows
And they become great or not by the things he or she knows
The negative aspect of life creeping through the back door
Causes situational circumstances, leaving one’s feelings, quite sore
Whether it’s the TV or some story in a book one had read
The lessons of life began running around in his or her head
Some of the things that one does is natural, but other things are not true
Some of these things create pretentious people and these are things that they do.
Pretentious people present to you sometimes as a friend
And they make being a part of your life, the beginning of your end
Pretentious people in a lot of ways are smarter than most
They will lavish you with luxuries while you’re playing the host
Pretentious people watch every move their victims will make
With the sole purpose of scheming about the things from you, they will take
Pretentious people can even convince you that their love is true
As they reel you in so they can succeed in what they plan to do
Pretentious people have a soul like that of Satan himself
They steal your heart from your body and place it on the shelf
Pretentious people have a keen sense of self and a keener sense of you
And with all this knowledge, they can hurt and destroy and make your life blue
Pretentious people are unlike they were when they were born
Their lives have become bitter, confused, tattered, and torn
Pretentious people plan the moves they will make towards you
And their act of pretentiousness is exactly what they intend to do
Pretentious people infiltrate all walks of the society in which we live
And they use their pretentiousness to fool, and harm again, and again
Pretentious people borrow, beg, steal, cheat, hurt and destroy
For a pretentious person can be a man or woman, a girl or boy
A person’s outlook in life is shaped by so many different life events
A wise man can gather the useful information from the simplest of hints
Many make the mistake of not following the silent voice inside their soul
Which makes it easier for the pretentious person to succeed with their goal
Not every person we meet today practices the tool to pretend
Some make it a habit and care not who they offend
I’m a firm believer that a person practices what they see and learn
And have no real desire to destroy demolish, tear down or even burn
An answer to this type of behavior is called a second chance
It teaches the pretentious person how to adjust their life’s circumstance
The teachers of such a demanding skill set
May have had some of these same behaviors I’m willing to bet
This life we live is a challenge to most to just live day by day
In it some go to work, but others choose to play
Then life shows up and hands you a ball of wax
You can do what you want, but you still have to pay the tax
One has to turn it all around and make the life we live a new deal
So that a pretentious person may not have to ever again beg, borrow or steal
When they are all armed with this new example of life instruction
The pretentious person ceases the unnecessary path of self-destruction
Then they can be an essential part of the society that we all desire
And they have now taken their feet from the eternal heat of the eternal fire
Mistakes we all make, and the prize is learning not to make those same mistakes anymore
Pretentious people can now keep both feet planted firmly on the floor
Once you do this simple thing in your life each and every day
There will be no need to be pretentious anymore or in any way
You’ll find that it is OK to make a slip or even take a fall
And by not being pretentious, you can now stand straight and tall
Henson is a certified behavioral /addictions therapist, author, and poet. His biographical sketch may be found under Speaker Profiles on the website, hbcuspbresearch.org.
The Arts
A Review of Sophisticated Ladies
