God uses a sacred burden to birth dreams and visions. Typically, we introduce a concept foreign to a community or city. In other words, we are bringing to market or fulfilling a void within the community. Attorneys Rick and Marjorie Hurst did just that. They witnessed the untold and under-told stories of our community. They observed how the mainstream media narrowly framed our experiences into tropes and stereotypes. Twenty years ago, they embarked on a journey to chronicle African Americans’ actual occurrences in the Pioneer Valley.
The African-American Point of View is a powerful resource to tell the stories of a resilient community. It covers the fullness of our black experience, from politics to religion to health and financial responsibility, from humor to a bit of shade. The African-American Point of View archives our joy, our laughter, and our culture.
When God grants us dreams, two distinct words accompany the dreams and visions, courage and commitment. Persistence requires courage and commitment.
Courage means doing something that frightens you. It takes courage to do what God has assigned, qualified, and uniquely gifted you. Unfortunately, our lives are often held hostage by our inability to use and exercise courage. The courage to live, enjoy, and pursue morphs into the courage to learn, grow, and experience. With courage, we forge ahead despite obstacles and naysayers while gaining expertise and filling voids.
Commitment means following through. We often rob ourselves of opportunities because we lack commitment. Often, we go into situations looking for or planning an exit strategy. We do not need an exit strategy but a commitment strategy. Now is an excellent time to begin to internalize your commitment strategy.
Commitment reminds us of why we embarked on this journey in the first place. When resistance rears its head, the why continues to inspire us. The Hursts allowed the why to spur the dream into 20 years of prosperous journalism. Their commitment strategy includes a team of writers, contributors, and editors devoted to excellence.
While wicked people in our country launched a concerted effort to mute and erase the contributions and history of African-Americans, The African-American Point of View gives voice to a beloved community. Congratulations to The Point of View as you continue to chronicle our experiences. With a readership of over 16,000 people, courage and commitment made the dream possible. I salute this vital resource on 20 years of building a legacy. ■