I was one of the blessed ones, I grew up in a paycheck-to-paycheck family that supported and encouraged me my whole life. I was given both opportunity and humility, which is a good as it gets. In my junior year at college I decided to sign-up for the Jumpstart Program in Boston – at the time it was a work study opportunity I jumped on at the last minute; I didn’t know then how profoundly it would impact my life. I was assigned three kids, ages four and five to supervise for four months. Each had a unique personality and set of challenges. There was one young man that I really connected with. He was four years old, eager to get to five. He was energetic and at times out of control. He loved to paint in order to make a mess, recess in order to run and sing to jump up and down. Reading was a challenge because his patience was thin. When I first started working with him I often felt helpless, and gregariously reading the most entertaining books could only keep his attention for so long. Over time he calmed and opened up about his young life – he told me stories, anecdotes about his family and all about his parents who were African immigrants. When my time in the program ended I watched him graduate from pre-school. He was mature yet still energetic – and his most frequent phrase was “I’m ready for kindergarten.” My parents instilled in me some great lessons and values – and I’m proud to say I passed them on.
My ebook, Faith in the Dream, is a call to action and an invitation to participate in a conversation about our future. We must reaffirm our American values and renew our commitment to generational responsibility to keep the American Dream within reach of everyone – everyone – in our country. And we must do it together.
So we invite you to be a part of the conversation. Please share a story of how you or someone you know has made a difference in their community or our country.
Tell us where you see the values of opportunity, equality, and fair play at work in your life.
Explain how you or your organization have been involved in grassroots political organizing or activism that has been effective. What was the issue and what was the outcome?
And if you have ideas or suggestions for better ways to drive an agenda about promoting the American Dream, what are they?
These stories and ideas will be the foundation of a book I am writing about the power of ordinary Americans to shape this country’s future and protect the American Dream. We would love to include yours.
