Episode 1: A Tribute to the Black Experience in America. My Voice My Story Our Reality.

Dear Listeners/Subscribers,

I wrote the following on my Facebook page in July 2016 after Alton Sterling was killed by Police after being pinned to the ground and shot multiple times in the back. Now here We are as a Nation, four years later, after many instances of killing Black and Brown Men and Women, still addressing these same issues. These words…my words, still ring true in America today. Soon after this event and many others, I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma Cancer. As a Cancer Survivor and a Black Male Survivor in America, I’m putting My Story Out here so that We as a Country and a People can begin to Heal. Healing starts with the Acknowledgement of your part…our part, in order to move forward. Mutual Respect and Mutual Admiration is what’s needed so that we as a nation can truly move forward and heal this “Dis~Ease” that has kept us apart for far too long. Welcome to Spread Joy, the Podcast. Spread Joy!!! Change Lives!!

… HAVING SPENT THIS PAST WEEKS~END IN DEEP REFLECTION… AND MANY WONDERFUL CONVERSATIONS WITH STRANGERS & FRIENDS ALIKE… ABOUT LAST WEEKS HORRIBLE EVENTS… I’VE COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT WHAT WE NEED AS A COUNTRY IS… MORE… HONEST… AUTHENTIC… CONVERSATIONS AS A WHOLE… FIRST… WITH OURSELVES… THEN WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES… NEXT… WITH OUR LOCAL LEADERS… ( WHO WE VOTE FOR AND PLACE INTO OFFICE )… ONCE WE AS A NATION FESS UP TO ALL THE ATROCITIES COMMITTED INSTEAD OF WHITE WASHING THEM… AND GLOSSING THEM OVER… WE CAN GET PAST THE FINGER POINTING… AND START… WITH WHAT’S REALLY GOING ON… TODAY!!! AND HOW WE CAN… MOVE FORWARD… TODAY!!!

… YOU HEARD ME!!!

…AS A BLACK MAN IN AMERICA… I UNDERSTAND… THAT THE FOUNDING FATHERS OF THIS COUNTRY… DID NOT HAVE MY BEST INTEREST IN MIND… WHEN THEY WERE DRAFTING THE CONSTITUTION… THE IDEA… THAT ALL MEN/WOMEN WERE CREATED EQUAL IN THIS COUNTRY… IS SOMETHING THAT HAD TO EVOLVE… IT DID NOT HAPPEN OVER NIGHT!!! I WAS BORN IN 1966 AT WHAT I FEEL WAS… THE HEIGHT OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT… IF I STILL HAVE TO BE HYPER VIGILANT TODAY… AS I MOVE ABOUT IN A COUNTRY IN WHICH I WAS BORN… YES!!! SOMETHING IS WRONG… IF MY GRAND MA~MA & MY MOTHER HAVE TO TELL ME… TO BE CAREFUL WHEN I LEAVE THE HOUSE AT 49 YEARS OF AGE… YES!!! SOMETHING IS WRONG… IF MY PRESENCE IN WHAT SHOULD BE… A NORMAL ROUTINE SITUATION… MAKES PEOPLE FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE… YES!!! SOMETHING IS WRONG… HAVING ALMOST BEEN KILLED 3 TIMES IN MY LIFE… BECAUSE OF THE COLOR OF MY SKIN… YES!!! SOMETHING IS WRONG… WELL NOW… THAT I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION… HOW DO WE… PROPOSE… TO FIX THIS… WHEN DO WE SIT DOWN… FACE TO FACE… AND HAVE CONCRETE DISCUSSIONS… I’M READY… ARE YOU??? THERE ARE ENTITIES OUT THERE… WHO’S MAIN OBJECTIVE IS TO DIVIDE AND CONQUER US ALL… BUT IN MY HEART… I KNOW OF ENTITIES WHO’S WHOSE LIGHT AND LOVE ARE STRONGER!!! I’M AN AMERICAN… BORN AND RAISED… UNTIL WE STOP… MAKING PEOPLE FEEL LESSER ABOUT THEMSELVES… IN A PLACE WE ALL CALL HOME… WE WILL GET… NO WHERE… I’M JUST SAYING… THIS CONVERSATION… BEGINS WITH YOU!!! SPREAD JOY!!! CHANGE LIVES!!! O MY BUDDHA!!! GOOD~MORNING!!!

*Photo by Pui Panich – “The Society of Ethical Culture Building, NYC”

1 Comment

  1. Audine Bergman on December 20, 2020 at 4:32 pm

    My heart was there with you during the entire podcast. Love ya Reggie, Audine

Leave a Comment