We often hear that America is the land of opportunity. People from around the world come to America seeking their pot of gold. Unfortunately for those people that helped make this country what it is today they never received their pot of gold. Now we will embark upon a journey through time in America to better understand the concept of a “pot of gold”. In addition this country is oftentimes referred to as a “melting pot”. Both of the aforementioned concepts implies that this country called America is a place that is accepting of all who set foot upon this great land of opportunity. These concepts are true in theory only but not in actuality.
Many of us believed that getting an education, working hard and being productive citizens would afford us the resources to care for ourselves and those we love. However, time has taught us otherwise. Education is important and there are people of color that benefit from higher education; however, the percentages of those that truly benefit are minimal. Given the number of people of color that are educated and well qualified in every area of the work-force that are unemployed compared to others that have little or no education but are rewarded positions of leadership I would call this a travesty that denies many their “pot of gold”.
Time has taught me that things in this country are done by design. For example, we are constantly asked for our zip code when we shop, purchase a car, buy insurance, purchase a home and for numerous other reasons. The fact of the matter is that this information is being used for the purpose of red- lining. Red-Lining is a system used to deny those that live in certain zip code areas the same benefits as others. For example, I had an insurance provider for my home from 1988 until 2004 and I never filed a claim while insured with this very large company. One day out of the blue my policy was canceled. After consulting with an attorney it was quite obvious that this practice was indeed red-lining and based solely on ones zip code. This directly contradicts the melting pot concept.
Time has taught me (as I’ve said before) that the only hands that you should depend on are your own. It’s also very important that we (people of color) begin to rebuild our communities, create our own businesses, employ our own people and teach our children and grand-children to think like investors and not remain the consumers that we have become. The aforementioned is how the hands of time have taught me the power of hard work and self-sufficiency. Go out into the world, use those hands of yours, the wisdom you’ve learned over time and make a difference in the world. In closing, in the words of Napoleon Hill, the author of Think and Grow Rich, “Whatever your mind can conceive and believe, you can achieve”.
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