Are you part of the village?

     The old adage it takes a village to raise a child is so true.  Growing up in Mississippi, I was raised by my community.

     The community included men who took the time to teach me to fish, hunt, and horseback ride.  The community included women who took the time to tell me what it meant to be a good man, by treating women with dignity and respect. The community included my older cousins who kept me on the right path.   The community included the church where I learned morals and values.  The community included neighbors who gave me my first jobs – cutting grass, washing their cars, hauling wood and cutting bean sticks for their gardens.

      Today, I realize that no matter how far I go away from my hometown in Brandon, Mississippi (Kone Hill Community), there is a piece of the community that remains with me. 

        America is about communities, where our youth should grow up learning the lessons of hard work, respect for others and themselves, morals values, and a sense of pride. 

       I know that there is a village somewhere raising a child, right now.   

      Are you part of that village?