You will command the attention of the world

YOU WILL COMMAND THE ATTENTION OF THE WORLD

“When you can do the common things of life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world.” George Washington Carver

Among my fondest memories were those of a freckle-faced kid in my neighborhood running around with my friends.  Summer days were spent outside playing football, baseball, and kickball on the block; during the school year weekends were occupied with playing handball and basketball at the corner park, and as we completed chores we daydreamed about meeting up with the crew at the local Junior High for “recreation” on Saturday nights.  But our “unremarkable” childhood was truly exceptional, and of course, I did not realize it at the time, but now I clearly appreciate the gift of our “uncommon” elder’s vigilance over and allegiance to our community.  We were guarded by the structure and safety of the invisible fence that was our neighborhood, and the dawn of evening streetlights was the universal alarm clock that faithfully called us all home each day.  From block to block, there were adult guardians who took the responsibility of overseeing the safety of everyone’s kids.  And if you did something wrong, perhaps you violated the unwritten rules of the neighborhood tribunal, these agents would immediately call you out AND ensure that your “lapse ” made it to your parent’s attention so as to ensure maximum accountability and transparency as a warning example to everyone else. Because integrity of our neighborhoods were preserved within those boundaries, we were free to fully experience the sweet essence of childhood.

Today, we have lost much of the security that was formerly commonplace in our communities and transitioned to a virtual desert where many families (and by extension our children) must fend for themselves.  If we wish to preserve the culture of community responsibility, if we want our collective “children” to grow and prosper, we need to act in the spirit of the African proverb: “It takes a village to raise a child.”

At the We Achieve Foundation (WAF), our team will operate from the three cultural pillars of dignity, respect, and humanity.  Our vision is to ensure that each boy and girl in our network can develop the skills and leverage tools and resources to prosper in today’s system and to learn how to navigate society successfully.  To achieve this lofty goal, the community must be equally a stakeholder and as well as a beneficiary.  At WAF, we will work hard to cultivate an environment where healthy relationships are fostered, developed, and honored. So,  if you are an affected family member or concerned constituent within our society, let’s partner and move towards the freedom that comes from communal kinship while we rebuild our community.  We wish to “command attention” as heralded by Dr. Carver’s words above, by focusing our time, attention, and financial investment on our children. #WAF #WeAchieveFoundation #WAF2021 #communityrevival