The Power of The Black Mind

The brain is one of the most vital organs in our system. Now I am not a science person to get into the details on how awesome it is (my grade for the test I did on the brain can testify ), but it is currently buzzing telling 'gal you know I important swa."

Yeah my brain wild.

Through out history, us, black/coloured people, were constantly told that we weren’t smart enough; that our brains couldn’t do the same thing as the white man. They robbed us from tools that would've helped us learn and develop, just to prove a “point”.  However, there is always a way to break the barrier.

Black people fought for the right to be educated and the fruits of their labour are being displayed in this day and age. 

On Friday 9th March 2018, I got to experience an dynamic session which inspired this blog post. There is a group of students from Howard University who are currently on the island with the school's Alternative Spring Break Program. This program is an initiative to spend their spring  doing community service instead of partying. There are also groups in Anguilla and the BVI. 

My mother took the opportunity ask them to sit down with the Sint Maarten Youth Parliament, which I am the current president of, along side our colleges from Conseil Territorial des Jeunes de Saint-Martin so we can learn about their program and learn something new. 

We started off with a "get to know each other" game, which was not only fun but was a serious work out. 

Our evening continued with a team building exercise, where we had to direct our blind folded teammate across the path without touching the lava. My team lost. Thanks Kadar


Thee highlight of the night was when we all calmed down and gathered around in a circle to have a small conversation. 
The group coordinator (big up to Cameron one time) started  off the discussion with a series of questions.
“What does a job mean to you?” 
"What is your dream career/passion?"
"How can your career help change the community?" 


Ideas and suggestions bounced through the circular room as everyone was engaged in the conversation. It was then, I realised how powerful we can be as a people. There was an uplifting and caring spirit in that circle as various persons shared their thoughts on certain issues, such as the education system, and words of encouragement and inspiration to everyone to move forward and chase their goals. 

The black community has always been a powerful force. It is evident why throughout history the white man tried to seperate us and make us hate each other and ourselves. They knew if we sat down together as one, we would "take over." This is why in today's society, prominent black neighbourhoods with public schools are run down and do not have the resources to teach the children adequately in the states. This is why the UK tend to look at black people as dangerous and give them a harder time than their white counterparts. This is why in The Netherlands, they give us "Antillen" people a harder time when we make the journey to the country to study. This is why they claim we are detrimental to their society.
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However, I’m here to tell every black person this: 
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Do not underestimate your abilities. You might not be strong in one area but you will be successful in another. Yes, it is hard for us in certain areas to achieve the greater goal, but use your wisdom and your skills to find and create new paths to your ultimate goal. 

Powerful black minds did not only invent many of the stuff that we use today, but it also created narratives for us to better ourselves and our communities. 

Powerful black minds also help me cook up a bomb chicken soup that day. Guys, that chicken soup was awesome. It was seasoned right, the veggies like the green banana, the white sweet potato, potato and carrots just added a nice balance and oh lord the dumpling was sweeeet. Yes lord the dumpling. ​

But back to what I was saying LOL. 
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Don’t be afraid to make the change.  It’s worth it at the end. 

Students from Howard University with members of the Sint Maarten Youth Parliament and Conseil Territorial des Juenes de Saint-Martin

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