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A SUCCESS PRIMER FOR YOUNG BLACK MEN, PART 11

      We’ve spent much of a great year together, examining the components of manhood that you—my young brother—will need to become an upright man in a society full of males who are not sure in what direction they are traveling.  Who knows?  There may come a time when you can pass on your knowledge to another young brother, as I have been blessed to pass on what I have learned in life to you.

      I just have a few other things to impart to you, to add to your knowledge and understanding in the hope to hear that you have developed the wisdom—as God has given it to you—to live life in excellence.  The first one being: BE a READER.  Start with the KJV Bible, that is my hope…but also read other uplifting things such as biographies of upright Black men who have lived their lives as an example of Black manhood—not a mark against it.  My young friend, we live in an age of ‘disposableness’.  We listen to disposable music, get ‘excited’ over giving and/or receiving ‘likes’ on subjects that we will forget about five minutes after we put our Iphones down and thrive on disposable ‘fake’ news based upon someone’s agenda, rather than the truth.

      The young Black brother who develops the skill of reading is a hard brother to fool.

      Then, another item is LEARN how to present yourself well.  This means LEARN how to dress and speak properly.  Yes, I know many of your friends get ‘upset’ at a young brother who can speak well—and they will attempt to push you into their valley of laziness and misery.  You will be labeled as an ‘Uncle Tom’ and ‘Wanna Be White’.  My young friend, ignore the catcalls and RISE and REPRESENT YOU!  Let the catcalls come.  Success comes from speaking well and KNOWING what to say at the right time, to the right person.

      The ONLY color of freedom is GREEN, and you cannot earn the GREEN if you fail at knowing how to speak and dress properly!  High school dropouts earn LESS than high school graduates…and those who get their GEDs eventually will have to get back to school and finish that diploma.  Do it right!  Your grades are your passport to better things.  While along the same line, do NOT turn money into an idol.  It is a tool, not a worship object.  There are going to be times when you are going to be broke, and times when you may have to pick up an extra job.  Keep your expenses livable, and do NOT overextend yourself. 

      Be thankful for what you got and don’t ‘lust’ for what someone else has in them, or around them.  You have NO clue the price they REALLY paid for their ‘stuff’.  Be happy with what God has given you.

      Another worthy skill—the skill of critical thinking.  NOT being critical of everyone but being able to carry yourself well in looking over issues and coming to logical, instead of emotional conclusions.  Where many young men ‘come up short’ these days is that not only do they not THINK about the long-haul results of their present actions, but they also don’t bother to think soberly from day-to-day.  They are ‘blown about’ by the whims of social manipulators.

      Before we wrap this up, one other point.  Be WISE in your selection of friends.  Don’t ‘hang out’ with hotheads, druggies, thieves, fools, jealous or lazy people—boys OR girls.  The same can ALSO be said about girlfriends: “Don’t bed BEFORE you WED!”  If you want to take a good look at the girl you are dating about twenty years down the road, not only take a good look at her mom…but how does her mom treat her dad?  And, IF dad is not in her life, did her mom push him into walking out on the marriage.  Worth considering.

      The wrap-up comes from my files when I started my career as a syndicated columnist.  A test that I was blessed to develop nearly 30 years ago about ‘rating’ your growth potential as a man, or, IF you are ‘stuck’ in the shallowness of being merely a ‘male’.  This is called: “The MAN or MALE Test”.  Feel free to share it with your peer group:

•  A Man does not carry a grudge. A Male looks for ways to get even at every opportunity.  ARE YOU A MAN OR A MALE?

• A Man takes every opportunity to better himself.  A Male complains, blames, and loves to exist rather than to improve himself.  ARE YOU A MAN OR A MALE?

• A Man is measured by his character. A Male is measured by his sex drive.  ARE YOU A MAN OR A MALE?

• A Man gives to his community. A Male takes from his community.  ARE YOU A MAN OR A MALE?

• A Man is a protector of women, treats all women respectfully in general and looks forward to being committed to one woman in particular. A Male views a woman as chattel and is not committed to any one woman.  ARE YOU A MAN OR A MALE?

• A Man is secure in his Manhood and is striving to help other Men realize that same security. A Male is not secure in his Manhood, and uses the gun, knife, pipe or his mouth to tear down others.  ARE YOU A MAN OR A MALE?

• A Man has established a firm relationship with Jesus Christ, church, and other godly Men. A Male uses the church for his own gain, shuns godly council and training, and seeks other gods when trouble comes.  ARE YOU A MAN OR A MALE?

• A Man is sought for his vision. A Male is shunned for his excuses.  ARE YOU A MAN OR A MALE?

     Next month is our last installment of the series.  Hope to see you there!

      Ramey’s Recommended Reading for the month: “Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto” by Mark Levin.

      Thought for the month: “I remembered our ancestors who sacrificed their lives for us. I wondered what it would be like if we had to stand before them and justify what we have become as a race. What about our vote? What about our achievement? What about our struggle? What about righteousness?”  Anonymous, 2004 from the online article “A True Knock At Midnight”.

       Strength for the Climb: “Let no knowledge satisfy thee, but that which lifts thee above the world, but that which weans thee from the world, but that which makes the world a footstool.  Such knowledge, such light, will at last lead thee into everlasting light.”  --Thomas Brooks, Puritan Preacher and Scribe.

       Mike Ramey is a Retired Minister, KJV Bible Teacher, syndicated columnist and Bible Prophecy Specialist who lives in Indianapolis, Indiana.  “The Quick Scan: A Success Primer For Young Black Men” is one of a variety of his columns appearing and abounding in print and cyberspace, written from a biblical, business, and common-sense perspective since 1996.  To drop him a line—or a whine—the address is still the same: mgmikeramey@yahoo.com.  ©2024 Barnstorm Communications International. With this 12-part series on the major issues of manhood, we are celebrating 2024 as “The Year of the Young Black Man.”