HUMANS: Weapons of Mass Instruction

Posted by: Akidah Njuzu   February 3, 2010

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

You will not be able to stay home, brother.
You will not be able to plug in, turn on and cop out.
You will not be able to lose yourself on skag and skip,
Skip out for beer during commercials,
Because the revolution will not be televised.

The revolution will not be televised.
The revolution will not be brought to you by Xerox
In 4 parts without commercial interruptions.
The revolution will not show you pictures of Nixon
blowing a bugle and leading a charge by John
Mitchell, General Abrams and Spiro Agnew to eat
hog maws confiscated from a Harlem sanctuary
The revolution will not be televised.

The revolution will not be brought to you by the
Schaefer Award Theatre and will not star Natalie
Woods and Steve McQueen or Bullwinkle and Julia.
The revolution will not give your mouth sex appeal.
The revolution will not get rid of the nubs.
The revolution will not make you look five pounds
thinner, because the revolution will not be televised

(Excerpt from poem by Gil Scott Heron)

Margaret Thatcher once said, "The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money." Isn't this statement also true of time? When do we run out of excuses, the hope that someone else will organize the effort or educate us about a cause? When is it "our time" to take the initiative?

In these tough economic times, I admire President Obama's belief in the power of the global community and the individuals who comprise it. Wherever you stand on the socialist versus capitalist divide, you can't continue to stand idly by. Communities, small businesses, the education system, the physical health of our nation and our families need attention. If you have the inclination to serve, you are needed, everywhere and there simply isn't any more time to waste!

My new year's resolution is to be a muse for movement, an agent for progressive change. I've decided to use the tools that I've been handed to accomplish that. What tools? We all have the ability to prioritize our time, the internal fortitude to confront our passion and fears, the strength to operate from an educated belief system and I believe that secretly, we all posses the audacity to be ambitious in our attempts to reach as many people, as equally infected with the passion to transform the condition of those in need for the better.

As the current Ms Maryland 2010 delegate in the Ms United States pageant system, I am an advocate for Autism and Asperger's Syndrome Awareness. GRASP.org has graciously allowed me to partner with them and to support their programs. As an advocate, I am a fierce believer that an educated perspective, coupled with the power of an individual committed to service, is our best weapon of mass instruction. Humanity is a personal experience, one that we all should benefit from and share with our communities. Aside from the recent surge in Autism and Asperger's Syndrome diagnosis statistics, I've been quizzically asked "why this movement?" My first answer are the facts, resources are slim for autistic children while the associated expenses to manage them are increasing. The government provides meager assistance to some youth impacted by the array of symptoms on the spectrum, but once they are adults, that assistance essentially disappears.

My second is answer is a question, who helps the human in need, when there isn't a cure and it's no longer as "cute & cuddly" an effort, when there are no Autism Speaks fundraising walks, celebrity hosted awareness events and life skill resources are still needed? Fortunately, a few organizations such as, GRASP.org and individuals like you and I, answer the call to serve.

As Americans, we live in a time where the world literally is at our fingertips. If something goes awry in Haiti Ð we can whip out our collective iphones, text "Yele" to 501501 and we've done our humanitarian duty for the day. Or have we? For me, service is about more than what's convenient, it's also about impact and longevity. One of my favorite poems was written by Gil Scott Heron and is entitled "the revolution will not be televised." The more conversations I have, the more aware I become about the closing of community based programs, the global apathy that festers in the hearts of our nation and the more I wonder, do you believe, let's say, a year before a potential global melt down, there will be a commercial that plays as follows: "citizens of the world, the time for change is today! An initiative has been assigned to you. Skip work and report directly to the care center."

I hope not, only in a James Cameron, Guy Ritchie or Michael Bay movie would that be a reality.

The revolution of change advances each time we serve humankind. No matter the method or how modest our donation, we must remember that our time has as much value as our checkbooks, if not more so. It shouldn't take devastation like the earthquakes of Haiti to inspire us to move towards nurturing change in our own backyards. Opportunities are abound from the platforms of the Divine Nine to faith or community based initiatives. There are human beings in our zip codes that need assistance. We shouldn't wait for a global 911 alert before sliding off of our collective couches and launching into action.

You are more powerful than you know.

Here are five ways to express your humanity:

Google For Good: Do you already know what your passion is? If so, Google 501c3's that are in line with your personal mission statement. Step two; create a resource to share with friends about the reputable organizations that you've discovered.

Spread The Love: Have an excess of time but not money? Volunteer and share your experiences with your sphere of influence. How can you be a muse for change, if no one knows how awesome you are?

Help Yourself: Join me in my cellulite reduction program, get to a gym and take a yoga class. You'll be a better source of inspiration if you're living the talk and you're healthy.

Explore Our Earth: Service is not a one size fits all commitment. Don't be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone, leave your zip code or cross racial barriers. We're all human with shared needs. A few ideas are, inviting your e-mail address book to join you as you start a scholarship program, donating canned goods to a local food bank, giving your used but clean suits to a "dress for success program", assisting church or turning a Habitat for Humanity "build day" project into a family outing.

Be Fearless: The power of 1 is deceptive, don't believe the hype, if you're single, a young professional, or a person with a limited social network, you can still make a difference. Be fearless and show up anyway! It only takes the action of one person to inspire others.

To learn more about Apserger's Syndrome and the wonderful work of GRASP.org please visit www.grasp.org. Donations are appreciated.