Black Girls Rock

I don’t watch BET on a regular basis but one of their shows this weekend caught my attention.  It was entitled Black Girls Rock and its primary focus was to highlight the amazing accomplishments of black women of all ages.  Instead of focusing on how many records someone has sold or their number of times on the cover of Ebony magazine, Black Girls Rock highlighted on the core of what made each person beautiful.  Whether it was sticking to your morals, strong beliefs in family or being a voice when nobody else would listen, each woman had a story and deserved to be celebrated.

This made me think about the women in the Louisville community.  So many of us “rock” in our own right yet often aren’t the ones given the praise.  If I were to give out awards locally to women who “rock”, I’d include people like LaShawnda Styles.  She is an amazing single mother of a very active teenage daughter.  Her daughter is a talented cheerleader at Male High and is often running from one practice to another.  In addition, Shawnda is also in school full-time.  I am amazed at how she keeps moving and moving and moving.  Not only is she improving her own life, but she also serves as a wonderful role model for her daughter.

Then there are people like Jessica Green.  Jessica is both a graduate of Spelman and UK Law School.  That is an accomplishment in its own right, but the reason I would tell her she “rocks” is because of what she does on the home front.  Many people know her mother, Dr. Judy Green.  Dr. Green’s life has been dedicated to adopting children. It seems like a natural instinct for her.  But, Jessica (who I believe is younger than 30) has now adopted kids (plural) of her own.   While so many other people her age are worried about the latest sale at the mall or who said what on Facebook, Jessica is committing her life to creating a caring and loving home environment to our youth in need.

Who else would “rock”?  Diva Deborah Williams.  Watching Deborah in action over the years I can tell that she has accomplished a lot in her  banking career.  But the thing that I truly admire about her is her dedication to the Louisville community.  It seems like regardless of what community circle I am in, everyone seems to know her name.  She has left a piece of her magical touch in many places and each of those places is in a better position because of her.

And I could go on and on and on.  We each need to realize that “WE ROCK”.  It’s not always about your job title or your picture perfect smile.  Sometimes it’s just about being the best you can be and lifting as you climb.  On the show Ruby Dee received the Living Legend Award and she summarized it best.  She said the word “legend” begins with the word “leg” and that if we are lucky enough, we become the legs of the next generation.  So just in case you didn’t know “YOU ROCK” (and don’t let anyone tell you any different)!

M.Y. November 2010