Publisher's Note

With this History issue I wanted to change it up a little and make our focus Black Future. With Barack Obama on the cover, I would not feel right talking about the past when we have so much work and great promise in our future. I recently saw evidence of this when I was graced with the pleasure of serving as Principal for a day at p.s. i.s. 187 in Upper Manhattan, where as a boy I had my fair share of trips to the office I was to temporarily take over. The experience was surreal; everything seemed smaller. I felt like Yao Ming as I talked to the kids and some of the teachers who used to tower over me. Spending time at the school made me feel proud of our future as I saw beautiful young faces eager to learn and reach for untold heights.

We have to take responsibility for all kids, whether they are ours or someone else’s. We have to tell them that we believe in them and that they can be anything they wish. Principal Cynthia Chory, who is a fellow 1983 graduate ( sorry for blowing your cover Cindy), gave me a book called Believe which said the following: “I believe you have to prepare yourself for the best. You have to believe it’s ok to hope for it, work for it and embrace it when it comes. And I believe you need to help others do the same.”

That idea is what our entire future should be based on. We need to prepare ourselves no matter what. More importantly, we need to share that knowledge with the youth of today and be positive role models for kids. As principal, I wanted to create something that would provoke the students to think about their futures, so I had an essay-writing contest for which they had to write a 250-word essay on why they were going to be successful. There was a tremendous response—so much so that I could have filled each of our six issues with them—but I could only choose two. Below are excerpts from the winning essays written by Theresa Torres Marciano and Nathaniel Briggs. All we need to do is light that fuse by telling our youth that we believe in them. Amazing things can happen when you do.

My life is a blank page waiting to be filled with thoughts, memories, and moments that will last a lifetime. I can be a great person who will excel in life and will not let anything get in my way. I know I can accomplish any goal I set! I can expand my knowledge every day. Every day I learn something new from my teachers, peers, family and even myself. I can learn from my past mistakes and make better judgments. I can go beyond my expected potential and have an exceptional learning experience and career later on in life.

— Theresa Torres Marciano

Life is full of obstacles but if you try hard and never give up you will succeed. Whether it is something as complicated as trying to get a new job or something as simple as trying to beat a video game, put your mind to it and you will succeed. If you believe in yourself you can do anything your heart desires. People did not think the Wright brothers could fly but they did not listen to any discouraging talk and they made their airplane fly through their perseverance and determination.

— Nathaniel Briggs