9 Things You Can DO to Improve Yourself and Help Others

By Kevin Powell and April Silver

Kevin Powell and I have been friends and collaborators since our college years in the late 80's. In 2004, we became business associates. That year, he organized the critically acclaimed State of Black Men Townhall Meeting National Tour. AKILA WORKSONGS handled the PR and that year we became the exclusive PR company for the writer/activist.

In one of our many trips together across the country for the tour, Kevin and I had one of our age-old discussions about how do we, as organizers, practically help improve our community. What are some of the simplest things that we can do, individually and collectively, to bring positive change into our lives and justice in our communities. What is the best way to respond to people who reach out to us for advise and insight on how to do this?

Here is what came from that discussion in the sky. We pass this out at events and programs and the positive feedback has been tremendous.

1. Read, Read, Read. Seek out reading lists, ask trusted people for book suggestions. Read at least one daily paper and one weekly "alternative" newspaper regularly. You must see reading as a commitment to learning. This will help broaden your worldview and sharpen your critical thinking skills. With this in mind, minimize television watching, or at least, balance television viewing with reading, as constant reading will help you to interpret all media (including television) in a broader and healthier way.

2. Strive to be of good character, learn to be compassionate toward the plight of others. Struggle for consistency between your public and private lives. Always be conscious of what you say, think before you speak, and ask yourself "Am I about bridge building or destroying bridges?" Or, "Do I know how to love myself, and others?"

3. Be proactive with your life and in your community. For example, educate yourself about the history of voting in America, register to vote, and vote in each and every election. Voting does make a difference on the local and state levels, as evidenced by who gets to control our school systems, land usage, and monetary allotments to our communities. Finally, join an organization that is in support of everyday people. Develop a high threshold for the difficulties that are naturally associated with organization building and dynamic personalities. If one organization disappoints you, seek others. If necessary, make it a point to learn how to build an organization yourself by studying various groups and movements, then start one with like-minded folks.

4. Debate ideas and learn to formulate your own opinions. Debate in a healthy manner: always come with facts, not emotions. Make sure you are listening as opposed to waiting for your turn to speak. In other words, use your intellect, not your ego when discussing ideas.

5. Avoid frivolous spending at all costs. Purchase what you need, not what you desire. Strive to own something in your life.be it a home, a business, or land. In our community, we are used to being the renters or the employees, not the owners. Ownership, however, is a strategic way to seize power!

6. Make a commitment to holistic living: eat healthy, exercise regularly, pray or meditate at least once every day. Seek counseling in one form or another if you have ANY minor or major emotional issues. Living a balance life sometimes calls for you to be self-centered. With the right intent, being selfish is a good thing..

7. Be creative. Strive to be a talented artist. Discover what your creative expression is (e.g., writing, dancing, acting, sewing, cooking, playing music, drawing/painting, styling hair, etc.). Learn the political and cultural history of your people, your group, and other groups, so that you can incorporate a global vision as you create your art.

8. Be bold, be fearless. We should never be afraid of living our lives.honestly. And, we must be comfortable with resisting and protesting whenever necessary.

9. Seek God. When we embrace the essence and power of God in our beings, in our natural environment, we are embracing the highest and most profound level of knowledge and creativity. Simultaneously, we must respect the presence and contributions of those who've come before us. One of the greatest thank you's we could give to the God force in our lives and to our ancestors is to elevate our personal and collective selves (our thoughts, our words, our deeds).

Feel free to share your thoughts:

April R. Silver
frontdesk@akilaworksongs.com
718.756.8501

Kevin Powell
kevinpowellnyc@aol.com
718.399.8149