Past and Present

Dr. Cornell West has said time and time again that, “There can be no calling without a recalling, and there can be no vocation without an invocation.” These words stand true but have a much abbreviated duality. I personally believe what Dr. West is trying to say is that to be who “you” are, you have to go back and find out where “you” came from. People of all colors and creeds have benefitted and suffered from the rights and wrongs of the people that came before them. Many preach the ideology that the secure understanding of your history brings you to a more complete understanding of self: a minor echoing Ghanaian proverb “Sankofa”. Dr. West says that it is beneficial to you and your people to delve deep into your past to find your voice, but I feel it is just as important for people of the past to make it their obligation to help shape the tender minds of the future. The black community has been labeled as having a “crabs in a barrel” mentality where in direct contrast Jews and Italians “take care of there own”. Hopefully one day the “take care of you own” mantra will break past racial barriers and turn into an altruistic social standard. Reaching down from high places of achievement to help the next young person succeed is the catalyst that will spark maturation of an entire people. Mentorship is key. Helping to shape the paths of the future is something we all can do by tapping into the lives of other people. So as Dr. West urges the youth to learn their history, we as the youth should encourage and invite the past to come and help shape the present.