Rarely do we take the time to build a level of intimacy which far surpasses the lustful desires of our physical expectations. We seek to find the rarest jewel, but fail to inspect its flawlessness. We are all guilty of judging a book by its cover, but when we do so we deprive ourselves of the content within. I've recently been fueled with the desire to rekindle a connection with my people. I've always been a lover of Black Love, but recently I've had the opportunity to see love in a new light. I realize that our people are far too separate from one another and it saddens me to think we may never find the love we once shared. Black men and women alike, have struggled to break the hold that slavery has placed in our society, the irremediable damage it has caused to the African American mentality. Though most of us rarely think of slavery and how it affects us today, there is daily evidence of its subliminal psychological effects. The broken structure of African American relations and how we women view our men, the black man was once viewed as dominant, influential, strong, beautiful and powerful. But slavery has taught us to devalue our men, teach him that he is inferior, beat him down, strip him of his pride and honor. As black women were forced to watch our men being beat by the white master, witnessed he being hung from a tree, hanging powerless, without dignity or control, we were taught to have little or no confidence in the black man’s ability to succeed and so was he. So how to we reverse the effects that slavery has left to bear? I say, Black Men hold your head up high. Be proud, bold, strong, enduring, stead fast, unmovable. Endure much success, joy, beauty and honor. Know that you are powerful, sexy, strong, worthy, magnificent and easy to love. Grow in the light of glory. Hope with all your might and pray til’ your heart is content. You are a force to be reckoned with. Delight in the truth that you are the leader of a nation of people blessed with creativity, talent, athletic ability, courage, strength and wisdom. And Never, EVER forget who you are, where you’ve been, where you’re going and where you came from!