Reach For Your Dreams

I came across a post on Instagram that was showing a promotional-picture of the cast from the sitcom, A Different World (1987-1993) from 30+ years ago, and again today (minus deceased cast members, R.I.P Lou Myers) in preparation of the return of the show on Netflix. Some guy made what I felt was a very irresponsible post insinuating that the show was harmful, or had a deleterious-effect on African-Americans because of it's focus on college education and that youth should be focused on trade jobs. His exact quote was... "How about we start encouraging black kids to become plumbers, electricians, welders, etc. Well paying jobs that will serve them a lot better than having to borrow thousands to go to college and the graduate without a skill or a job" First of all, this comment is LOADED with inaccuracy and dilapidation. Yes, college can be extremely expensive and in my opinion the average tuition is criminally overpriced, but not all colleges are created equal. Some are more expensive than others, and there are always technical schools and community colleges where not only do you not have to "borrow thousands" to pay for tuition, but financial aid literally pays YOU to go to college with large amounts of money left over after your tuition has been fully paid. Even if you do not find a job in your field right away, you now have the education in your back pocket to maybe even start your own business rather than work for someone else. Also, of course there are scholarships, internships and other funding avenues to help people pay tuition. The one thing that I would agree somewhat with this guy is that you do need to have a VERY solid plan and course of action in place BEFORE you go to an expensive college. It wise to research the job market in your field of study thoroughly to see how employment is trending, the salary median, market conditions, word of mouth testimonies from people in that field, etc. It is also a good idea to start networking with people as soon as possible. Even while you are still in middle school. Put your name out there and let people see who you are so that they keep you in mind later on. Employment is a lot about WHO you know more than it is WHAT you know. Internships are a great way to pave the road for employment after graduation. You just have to be active and proactive. No job is waiting for anyone just because you have a piece of paper with your name on it. Second, not everyone is cut out for hard labor jobs. We are not all cut from the same cloth. We are all fearfully and wonderfully made, but each of us is made differently. Sure, if you 100% dedicate yourself to any job or occupation you can become "sufficient" or "adequate" at it, but if it is not what God created you to do you will never be happy, you will never have peace, and you will never LIVE. You'll just be a drone, to serve the collective which is the slave mentality that the individual that made this statement is a victim of whether he realizes it or not. Third, NOWHERE, on that entire series run do I remember anyone running down trade jobs or everyday jobs as if it were "beneath" them. Shows like A Different World, The Cosby Show, The Jeffersons, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Family Matters showed that African-Americans can do more than just trade jobs where as this wasn't being shown before on TV shows. Let's briefly look at The Jeffersons.

George and Louise Jefferson (Sherman Helmsley and Isabel Sandford) built their cleaning business from the ground up and became wealthy. We saw their journey start on All In The Family. We saw and heard how they struggled and watched how the struggle paid off in the end. Let's now look at The Cosby Show. Heathcliff Huxtable (Bill Cosby) was a obstetrician that had his office as part of his own house, while his wife Clair Huxtable (Phylicia Rashad) was a partner in the most prestigious law-firm in America at the time. Sondra Huxtable (Sabrina Lebeauf) was studying to be a lawyer. Elvin Tibideaux, (Geoffrey Owens) her husband, was in medical school. Theodore Huxtable (R.I.P. Malcolm-Jamal Warner) was a leader at a youth center with a degree in Psychology. He even turned down a lucrative marketing job to work with kids instead. Same guy at the start of the show that said he was going to be a "regular person." The reason why he wanted to be a "regular person" was because he struggled in school and he felt the a regular job was the way to go. A decision no doubt born out of frustration because he was trying hard but his grades didn't reflect that. We would find out why later on. So, if he had decided to settle on that life, he might have gotten by. Maybe he would have become a plumber, welder, or an electrician. Nothing wrong with that. However, his parents consistently encouraging him just to do his best and not worry about the letter grades took a lot of pressure off of him, and he was able to do pretty decent in school. It was in college that he learned that he had Dyslexia and once that was diagnosed not only did his grades skyrocket, but his desire to LEARN also skyrocketed. It gave him the foundation to work with young, urban kids that came from not-so-fun homes and even able to recognize that one of his students, Stanley (R.I.P. Merlin Santana) also had Dyslexia and he was able to mentor him and help him overcome it the same way he was able to. Denise Huxtable (Lisa Bonet) after MANY starts and stops finally settled down with a family, marrying a Lieutenant in the US Marines, and was studying to become a preschool teacher. Now let's look at the spin-off of The Cosby Show that continued this trend.

Dwayne Wayne (Kadeem Hardison) was a college professor that got a job as a game developer, producer, and programmer for a major video-game company. Whitley Gilbert (Jasmine Guy) at one point was a corporate art buyer. I didn't even know what that was until I watched the show. That's what shows like this did for us. Ron Johnson (Darryl Bell) was a musician, former car-salesman with his father, and business owner running a night club called Blues with Mr. Gaines. Kimberly Reese (Charnele Brown) was studying to be a surgeon. Winifred Brooks (Cree Summer) was studying to be a lawyer and aspiring to become a Supreme Court judge. Jaleesa Vinson-Taylor (Dawnn Lewis) started her own temp-service employment business. Walter Oakes (Sinbad) was a college dorm director and later became director for a youth center. Col. Bradford Taylor (Glynn Turman) was a decorated, retired US veteran and college math professor. Look at all this inspiration. All these careers spanning a wide spectrum of opportunity with African-Americans occupying them. As I said before, you didn't see all this on television before these shows. Let's go to another show. The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air

Philip Banks was an partner in a prestigious Los Angeles law-firm, and eventually became a Superior Court judge. Vivian Banks was a college professor. Hilary Banks had her own national talk show. Ashley Banks was pursuing a modeling career. Carlton Banks could pretty much pursue any job he wanted, and Will Smith after coming from the streets of Philadelphia and being on a dark path completely turned his whole life around to being a soon-to-be college graduate. Let's look at Family Matters.

Carl Winslow was a Sargent in the Chicago Police force and worked his way all the way up to being a Captain. Harriett Winslow (prayers to Jo Marie Payton on her recovery) went from being a graduate of the police academy and an elevator operator at the Chronicle (on the sitcom Perfect Strangers, to head of security of that same building, to a head buyer and manager of the Ferguson's women's clothing store chain. How about the sitcom, Martin?

Martin Payne went from working at a local radio station, to having his own local talk show, to having a national talk show. Gina Waters was a top-level marketing executive. Pamela James also worked in the same marketing firm with Gina. Cole Brown worked for the Detroit airlines as a custodian. Tommy Strawn didn't HAVE no job. Let's look at Living Single

Khadijah James started off with her own urban magazine company called Flavor. Synclaire James-Jones worked for Khadijah at her magazine company and was an aspiring actress. Regine Hunter was a buyer for a boutique. Maxine Shaw was an attorney that eventually became an Alderwoman. Overton Wakefield Jones was a general contractor. Kyle Barker was an investment broker and Wall Street executive. Just stop for a moment and take in ALL THESE CAREERS covering every corner of society, being shown to millions of people on TV, and you have BLACK people in these jobs.

So many instances of showing black people striving and SUCCEEDING in careers that a lot of people never thought possible, and some that people never even knew existed. How many black men got into medicine because of Heathcliff Huxtable? How many black women got into law because of Clair Huxtable, or Uncle Phil? How many kids grew up wanting to work for video game companies because of Dwayne Wayne? How many black people started their own businesses because of George Jefferson or Khadijah James? How many men got into investment banking because of Kyle Barker?

These shows were and ARE important for our community. Yes, we need plumbers, electricians, and welders, but we ALSO need doctors, lawyers, artists, law enforcement officers, musicians, engineers, programmers, entertainers, entrepreneurs, teachers, counselors, ministers, investment brokers, copywriters, publishers, managers and marketers and shows like A Different World and the others I mentioned showed America that BLACK PEOPLE, can do these things too. WELL.

Not to mention that college is necessary for certain occupations. For instance, you cannot practice medicine in this country without a certain level of education, and you can only practice law in this country without a certain level of education except for in California, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington that allow for legal apprenticeships.

Eleanor Roosevelt once said... "Small minds discuss other people. Average minds discuss events. Great minds discuss ideas."

In order for something a like computer or a smart phone to even exist, someone had to DREAM about that. Someone had to think outside the box. Someone had to listen to naysayers and still push forward to make a dream into a reality.

I know it's not sweet out here. This job market is HORRIBLE. I can honestly understand where this guy was coming from. People need electricity, people need plumbing, etc., and those jobs are more safe in a terrible economy, but no job is 100% safe. However, you cannot let yourself be a prisoner-of-the-moment, or to fear. As black people, we have over come TOO MUCH in this country to have ANY fear. The crab barrel mentality needs to die. Never discourage people from setting out to achieve their dreams. Whatever that may be. If they have a burning passion to become a doctor, lawyer, artist, entrepreneur, etc., it was God that put it there and by His grace and by His will if they stick with it, they WILL achieve their goals!