Have we forgotten God?

Have we forgotten God?
Marcus Girard

I don’t know anyone in this day and time in my life that is not going through a lot just to maintain their sanity. Times are hard in all of our lives but they are hard for a reason. When we are going through car troubles, immediate and extended family troubles, job crises and uncertainty, we wonder where God is when we need Him. The Creator is not absent. He hasn’t moved away from us, we’ve moved away from Him. When times are going real good many of us don’t have any real time for God. Many of us are just to busy to pray and ask God for His assistance on a daily basis. So He has to keep most of us in constant trouble just to get a sincere prayer out of us.

The entertainer Fantasia sang a song called, “Free Yourself”. The lyrics simply went, “If you don’t want me then don’t talk to me. Go ahead and free yourself. If you don’t want me then don’t talk to me. Go ahead with someone else.” On the surface she may sound bitter over some relationship. But we have to look a little deeper and ask ourselves, “Is God expressing to us the same sentiment in this song?” By now we all should have learned that God is a jealous God. He doesn’t like us to place anyone or anything before Him. When we do this we cause God to destroy that thing or that person right in front of our eyes just to show us that nothing deserves to be praised or worshipped but Him.

He wants it to be in the front of our minds and hearts that He is the one that blessed us with our College degrees. He gave us the health, and the strength and the knowledge and the patience to get through that process. He blessed us with a spouse and then a house and then maybe a car or two. Then He blessed us with children. God will bless us with money and then send a poor man or woman our way just to see what we will do and what our attitude towards the less fortunate than ourselves truly is. How’s your attitude towards people who don’t have what you have? Do you hate the poor too? The Bible says that the poor are hated by their own neighbors. Many of us don’t even associate with people who are not in our income bracket. The Bible also states that the love of money is the root of all evil and because we are so busy coveting over the material possessions that someone else has we have erred from the faith and pierced ourselves through with many sorrows. Have we allowed money to become our God?

In this hour where our faith is being tried, and many of us are suffering loss we should re-study and reexamine the book of Job. God had blessed Job with what seems like everything and then God allowed the devil according to the Book to take everything away from Job except his life. God already knew what kind of heart and mind Job had. Many times He allows us to be tried so that we can see what’s really in us. Job lost everything and was even stricken with sickness. But look at Job’s attitude about all the stuff and possessions that he had acquired. Job said, “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” After successfully completing His trial, Job was given so much more than he originally had. We need the faith of Job in this hour of great and tremendous loss. As I conclude this post, I just wanted to share that God is always checking our attitudes and our overall gratitude towards Him for what He has given us. My teacher taught me that God will test our love for Him until it is pure and then He will test our love for Him again, after it is pure to make sure that it is still pure. Do you have a pure love for God in this hour? If He gave us all that we have, then He can take it away from us when and if He so pleases. And He can make all of our knowledge that we have acquired to be of non-effect to keep what He has given us. The question that is before us to consider is, “Have we forgotten God?” My teacher told me, “When the trials of life begin to disturb you, it is only God beckoning you to come closer to Him.” Are the trials of life beginning to disturb you?

Marcus Girard
Books and CD Messages

This is your nation on white privilege!

Someone shared this with me in an email and I had to share it with you. Read this carefully for it is truly insightful.

This is Your Nation on White Privilege
September, 14 2008
By Tim Wise

For those who still can't grasp the concept of white privilege, or who are constantly looking for some easy-to-understand examples of it, perhaps this list will help.* White privilege is when you can get pregnant at seventeen like Bristol Palin and everyone is quick to insist that your life and that of your family is a personal matter, and that no one has a right to judge you or your parents, because "every family has challenges," even as black and Latino families with similar "challenges" are regularly typified as irresponsible, pathological and arbiters of social decay.*

White privilege is when you can call yourself a "fuckin' redneck," like Bristol Palin's boyfriend does, and talk about how if anyone messes with you, you'll "kick their fuckin' ass," and talk about how you like to "shoot shit" for fun, and still be viewed as a responsible, all-American boy (and a great son-in-law to be) rather than a thug.* White privilege is when you can attend four different colleges in six years like Sarah Palin did (one of which you basically failed out of, then returned to after making up some coursework at a community college), and no one questions your intelligence or commitment to achievement, whereas a person of color who did this would be viewed as unfit for college, and probably someone who only got in in the first place because of affirmative action.*

White privilege is when you can claim that being mayor of a town smaller than most medium-sized colleges, and then Governor of a state with about the same number of people as the lower fifth of the island of Manhattan, makes you ready to potentially be president, and people don't all piss on themselves with laughter, while being a black U.S. Senator, two-term state Senator, and constitutional law scholar, means you're "untested."*

White privilege is being able to say that you support the words "under God" in the pledge of allegiance because "if it was good enough for the founding fathers, it's good enough for me," and not be immediately disqualified from holding office--since, after all, the pledge was written in the late 1800s and the "under God" part wasn't added until the 1950s--while believing that reading accused criminals and terrorists their rights (because, ya know, the Constitution, which you used to teach at a prestigious law school requires it), is a dangerous and silly idea only supported by mushy liberals.*

White privilege is being able to be a gun enthusiast and not make people immediately scared of you. White privilege is being able to have a husband who was a member of an extremist political party that wants your state to secede from the Union, and whose motto was "Alaska first," and no one questions your patriotism or that of your family, while if you're black and your spouse merely fails to come to a 9/11 memorial so she can be home with her kids on the first day of school, people immediately think she's being disrespectful.*

White privilege is being able to make fun of community organizers and the work they do--like, among other things, fight for the right of women to vote, or for civil rights, or the 8-hour workday, or an end to child labor--and people think you're being pithy and tough, but if you merely question the experience of a small town mayor and 18-month governor with no foreign policy expertise beyond a class she took in college--you're somehow being mean, or even sexist.*
White privilege is being able to convince white women who don't even agree with you on any substantive issue to vote for you and your running mate anyway, because all of a sudden your presence on the ticket has inspired confidence in these same white women, and made them give your party a "second look."*

White privilege is being able to fire people who didn't support your political campaigns and not be accused of abusing your power or being a typical politician who engages in favoritism, while being black and merely knowing some folks from the old-line political machines in Chicagomeans you must be corrupt.*

White privilege is being able to attend churches over the years whose pastors say that people who voted for John Kerry or merely criticize George W. Bush are going to hell, and that the U.S. is an explicitly Christian nation and the job of Christians is to bring Christian theological principles into government, and who bring in speakers who say the conflict in the Middle East is God's punishment on Jews for rejecting Jesus, and everyone can still think you're just a good church-going Christian, but if you're black and friends with a black pastor who has noted (as have Colin Powell and the U.S. Department of Defense) that terrorist attacks are often the result of U.S.foreign policy and who talks about the history of racism and its effect on black people, you're an extremist who probably hates America.*

White privilege is not knowing what the Bush Doctrine is when asked by a reporter, and then people get angry at the reporter for asking you such a "trick question," while being black and merely refusing to give one-word answers to the queries of Bill O'Reilly means you're dodging the question, or trying to seem overly intellectual and nuanced.* White privilege is being able to claim your experience as a POW has anything at all to do with your fitness for president, while being black and experiencing racism is, as Sarah Palin has referred to it a "light" burden.*

And finally, white privilege is the only thing that could possibly allow someone to become president when he has voted with George W. Bush 90 percent of the time, even as unemployment is skyrocketing, people are losing their homes, inflation is rising, and the U.S. is increasingly isolated from world opinion, just because white voters aren't sure about that whole "change" thing. Ya know, it's just too vague and ill-defined, unlike, say, four more years of the same, which is very concrete and certain.White privilege is, in short, the problem.

Tim Wise on You Tube

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Our Young People and Sex

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Our Young People and Sex

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the United States more than 19 million STD infections occur annually. Half of them are contracted by youth ages 15 to 24 (CDC 2003). Facts such as those are startling and should be taken very seriously. The most important thing to remember is to talk to your child when they are young. Teaching your child to wait until they are married to have sex is one of the most important factors in preventing pre-marital sex. When you talk to your child, incorporate the benefits of a loving relationship, peer pressure and making healthy choices. Teach them how to value themselves and build self-esteem. Finally, let your child know that they are important to you and that they can talk to you about anything.

Getting a child to talk to you maybe harder than anything you have ever tried to do. Whether you think they are listening 5, 10 or 100 percent of the time, remember that something is better than nothing because when you least expect your child can surprise you and make the right decision. Teaching your child how to refuse the pressures of sexual activity can be the most important things you teach him or her. Let your child know that you understand peer pressure and how strong it can be. Then help your teen think through and plan what he or she would do in a tough and/or uncomfortable situation. The final not to take with you is…you are the first influence in your child’s life and that takes top priority over anything else.

Unplanned pregnancy among young adults is at one of the most important public and social issues challenging the world today. Even the sound of the words “teen pregnancy” can be frightening to any parent. Teen pregnancy can be very tough on the entire family; emotionally and physically. As a parent do you think that the words “teen pregnancy” applies to your teen? If you answered “no”, then you are wrong. As a parent, sometimes being naïve seems to be easy and convenient for everyone. But the truth is that as a parent, you have can have a critical impact on your child and how they navigate through difficult and complicated waters of being a teen. Whether you know it, your teen may or may not have already contemplated thoughts about sex and even pregnancy. You may not know their thoughts about sex, but for them to know the truth and the consequences of having sex and becoming a teen parent they must know your thoughts. Have you ever wondered what your teen is wishing you’d say to them or if they actually want to have the so called talk with you? As a parent you must ask a question in order to get an answer. Sometimes fear of getting in trouble will keep your teen from communicating with you, but don’t let that happen in your household. Get inside the mind of your teen by starting the conversation and make things clear to your teen about the topics of sex, love, relationships, pregnancy and values, even if they act like they don’t want to hear it.As a parent you can play a major role in whether or not their teen will have sex. A few ways to prevent your teen from being a statistic of teen pregnancy, you must teach them to save sex for marriage. You must also teach them that aside from the risk of being a teen parent, they have a high risk of contracting STD’s because of unprotected sex, dropping out of school and living in poverty.

For more ways to talk to your teen about abstinence, sex and teen pregnancy please contact your local G-RAP office at 229-567-9066.

Marcus Girard Website

Marcus Girard Email Address

I love and support Michelle Obama too!

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Black. Female. Accomplished. Attacked

By Sophia A. Nelson
Sunday, July 20, 2008; B01

There she is — no, not Miss America, but the Angela-Davis-Afro-wearing, machine-gun-toting, angry, unpatriotic Michelle Obama, greeting her husband with a fist bump instead of a kiss on the cheek.

It was supposed to be satire, but the caricature of Barack Obama and his wife that appeared on the cover of the New Yorker last week rightly caused a major flap. And among black professional women like me and many of my sisters in the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, who happened to be gathered last week in Washington for our 100th anniversary celebration, the mischaracterization of Michelle hit the rawest of nerves.

Welcome to our world.

We’ve watched with a mixture of pride and trepidation as the wife of the first serious African American presidential contender has weathered recent campaign travails — being called unpatriotic for a single offhand remark, dubbed a black radical because of something she wrote more than 20 years ago and plastered with the crowning stereotype: “angry black woman.” And then being forced to undergo a politically mandated “makeover” to soften her image and make her more palatable to mainstream America.

Sad to say, but what Obama has undergone, though it’s on a national stage and on a much more prominent scale, is nothing new to professional African American women. We endure this type of labeling all the time. We’re endlessly familiar with the problem Michelle Obama is confronting — being looked at, as black women, through a different lens from our white counterparts, who are portrayed as kinder, gentler souls who somehow deserve to be loved and valued more than we do. So many of us are hoping that Michelle — as an elegant and elusive combination of successful career woman, supportive wife and loving mother — can change that.

“Ain’t I a woman?” Sojourner Truth famously asked 157 years ago. Her ringing question, demanding why black women weren’t accorded the same privileges as their white counterparts, still sums up the African American woman’s dilemma today: How are we viewed as women, and where do we fit into American life?

“Thanks to the hip-hop industry,” one prominent black female journalist recently said to me, all black women are “deemed ’sexually promiscuous video vixens’ not worthy of consideration. If other black women speak up, we’re considered angry black women who complain. This society can’t even see a woman like Michelle Obama. All it sees is a black woman and attaches stereotypes.”

Black women have been mischaracterized and stereotyped since the days of slavery and minstrel shows. In more recent times, they’ve been portrayed onscreen and in popular culture as either sexually available bed wenches in such shows as the 2000 docudrama “Sally Hemings: An American Scandal,” ignorant and foolish servants such as Prissy from “Gone With the Wind” or ever-smiling housekeepers, workhorses who never complain and never tire, like the popular figure of Aunt Jemima.

Even in the 21st century, black women are still bombarded with media and Internet images that portray us as loud, aggressive, violent and often grossly obese and unattractive. Think of the movies “Norbit” or “Big Momma’s House,” or of the only two black female characters in “Enchanted,” an overweight, aggressive traffic cop and an angry divorcée amid all the white princesses.

On the other hand, when was the last time you saw a smart, accomplished black professional woman portrayed on mainstream television or in the movies? If Claire Huxtable on “The Cosby Show” comes to mind, remember that she left the scene 16 years ago.

The reality is that in just a generation, many black women — who were mostly domestics, schoolteachers or nurses in the post-slavery Jim Crow era — have become astronauts, corporate executives, doctors, lawyers, engineers and PhDs. You name it, and black women have achieved it. The most popular woman on daytime television is Oprah Winfrey. Condoleezza Rice is secretary of state.

And yet my generation of African American women — we’re called, in fact, the Claire Huxtable generation — hasn’t managed to become successfully integrated into American popular culture. We’re still looking for respect in the workplace, where, more than anything else, black women feel invisible. It’s a term that comes up again and again. “In my profession, white men mentor young whites on how to succeed,” a financial executive told me, but “they’re either indifferent to or dogmatically document the mistakes black women make. Their indifference is the worst, because it means we’re invisible.”

As someone who recently left a large law firm to work in the corporate sector, I have to agree. I liked my firm, but I always felt that I had to sink or swim on my own. I didn’t get the kind of mentoring that I saw white colleagues, male and female, getting all around me. The firm was actually one of the better ones when it came to diversity, and yet of 600 partners, only five were black women.

A 2007 American Bar Association report titled “Visible Invisibility” describes how black women in the legal profession face the “double burden” of being both black and female, meaning that they enjoy none of the advantages that black men gain from being male, or that white women gain from being white.

Invisibility isn’t the only problem. I run an organization dedicated to supporting African American professional women and often run empowerment workshops at various conferences. At a recent such workshop, I asked the participants to list some words that would describe how they believe they’re viewed in the workplace and the culture at large. These are the kinds of words that came back: “loud,” “angry,” “intimidating,” “mean,” “opinionated,” “aggressive,” “hard.” All painful words. Yet asked to describe themselves, the same women offered gentler terms: “strong,” “loving,” “dependable,” “compassionate.”

Where does the disconnect come from? Possibly from the way black women have been forced into roles of strength for decades. “Black women are the original multitaskers of necessity,” says one nonprofit executive. “We’ve perfected it because we’ve been doing it for so long. But people don’t appreciate the skill it requires, and they don’t recognize the toll it takes on us as human beings.”

For all our success in the professional world, we have paid a significant price in our private and emotional lives. A life of preordained singleness (by chance, not by choice) is fast becoming the plight of alarming numbers of professional black women in America. The fact is that the more money and education a black woman has, the less likely she is to marry and have a family.
Consider these stunning statistics: As of 2007, according to the New York Times, 70 percent of professional black women were unmarried. Black women are five times more likely than white women to be single at age 40. In 2003, Newsweek reported that there are more black women than black men (24 percent to 17 percent) in the professional-managerial class. According to Department of Education statistics cited by the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, black women earn 67 percent of all bachelor’s degrees awarded to blacks, as well as 71 percent of all master’s degrees and 65 percent of all doctoral degrees.

With all the challenges facing professional black women today, we hope that Michelle Obama will defy the negative stereotypes about us. And that, now that a strong professional black woman is center stage, she’ll bring to light what we already know: that an accomplished black woman can be a loyal and supportive wife and a good mother and still fulfill her own dreams. The fact that her husband clearly adores Michelle is both refreshing and reassuring to many of us who long to find a good man who will love and appreciate us.

Recently, a friend who’s a married professional mother of three girls wrote to me: “I think one of the most interesting things about Michelle Obama is that what she and her husband are doing is pretty revolutionary these days — and I don’t mean running for president. For a black man and woman in the U.S. to be happily married, with children, and working as partners to build a life — let alone a life of service to others — all while rearing their children together is downright revolutionary.”

It’s how so many black professional women feel. And our hope is that if Michelle Obama becomes first lady, the revolution will come to us at last.
snelson@iaskinc.org

Sophia A. Nelson is a corporate attorney and president of iask, Inc., an organization for African American professional women.

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Black Men and Depression

Check this Video out that someone shared with me. There are so many brothers going through this right now silently in your own life. Ask questions to us as men. Ask us are we ok? Let us know that you care and that you are here for us if we need you. We may seem like we are doing ok and that everything is fine but many of us as black men are crying in the dark. Many of us are pouring ourselves into alcohol and drugs to escape the pain of our lives. This is sad but very true. Too many men believe they have to go it alone and that no one really cares about them personally.

Terrie M. Williams in her own words on why she wrote the book, 'Black Pain'

Please come out on Sunday September 21, 2008 and support this wonderful play that our youth have developed!

"If you want to see a play that is outstanding and properly showcases the many talents of our young people then come join Brother Marcus on Sunday September 21, 2008 at the College Park Auditorium. We are going to have a fantastic time and learn something in the end. Call the numbers listed below for ticket information. Thank you in advance for your support."

Eight million Blacks still not registered to vote

Source: http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/article_5168.shtml

Eight million Blacks still not registered to vote
By Hazel Trice EdneyUpdated Sep 3, 2008, 11:33 am

WASHINGTON (NNPA) - Despite record numbers of voters who turned out during the presidential primaries last spring, eight million Blacks are still not registered to vote.

This according to Rick Wade, African-American vote director for the Obama for America presidential campaign.
“Our principle focus has been a 50-state voter registration initiative. I think we all appreciate that if we increase the number of African-American registered voters and then increase turnout and get people to the polls on Nov. 4, then Sen. Obama will be the next president of the United States,” Mr. Wade says.

Mr. Wade explains that the eight million unregistered Black voters accounts for 32 percent of eligible Black voting population nationwide.

“In 2004, African-Americans made up approximately 11 percent of the overall vote nationwide. If the percentage of African-Americans was a mere 2.5 percent higher at 13.5 percent, Democrats would currently be running for re-election at this time,” he said. “For example in the state of Ohio in 2004, we lost by 2 percent or 100,000 votes. There were 270,000 unregistered African-Americans. I use that as an illustration to show how the African-American vote can make the difference in a state and across this country. So the African-American vote can absolutely make the difference in this election.”

But, the Democrats are not alone in going after the Black vote. Republicans, who barely get a tenth of Black voters in presidential elections, say they are not giving up.

“The [Republican National Convention] is working to turn out voters of all races to support Sen. John McCain and all of our Republican candidates, by focusing on using a strong grassroots program that relies on neighbor-to-neighbor interactions, putting out surrogates on a daily basis, and registering and mobilizing voters,” says RNC spokesman Sean Conner. “Chairman Duncan has visited 38 states in the last 16 months, and our Party’s nominee has participated in important African-American national events such as the NAACP conference and the National Urban League Convention. We’re looking forward to increased support from the African-American community, and will compete for each vote within the various ethnic communities of our country.”

As both parties prepare for grassroots mobilization efforts at their back-to-back conventions (Democrats, last week of August and Republican, first week of September), non-partisan groups have intensified their efforts with grassroots campaigns year round.

Melanie Campbell, executive director of the non-partisan National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, says because of the intensity of voter registration efforts, there’s a great possibility to take voter registration to a whole new level, particularly in the Black community, by intensifying voter education and focusing on issues.

“The potential is that you will create a whole new expanded electorate. It’s something that we’ve been trying to have happen for a lot of years,” Ms. Campbell says. “Because traditionally, there’s been about 15 million people not voting in the general election. So, this has potential for that number to go down tremendously...If the trend continues, because it’s so competitive, it’s going to drive the turn out and that’s going to be across all demographics.”

The intensity of the current election and get-out-to-vote efforts have caught fire from coast to coast and doesn’t begin and end with the presidential election.

“There’s elections from the school board to the presidency that impacts your life,” Ms. Campbell says. “We know the presidency is a big deal. But, it is one of many elections that’s taking place on Nov. 4.”

Related links:
NAACP National Voter Registration Page (NAACP.org)
Respect My Vote goes after out-of-college youth (FCN, 08-14-2008)
Black voters made the difference in 2006 election (FCN, 12-03-2006)
Can Obama and Black Democrats deliver the Black vote? (FCN, 08-22-2004)

Please vote brother and sister! Make sure you are registered to vote!

Why we must always vote................

This is a real and true document. Never forget the price paid for where you stand today. This was once our resume' ... None of us has had to experience the pain of separation or live with the disgrace and humiliation that comes with not being free. When you cast your vote for who will run our country, never forget your history and keep this bill of sale in mind. When we allow ourselves to forget our not so distant past, then we are destined to repeat these actions in our future. Stand for those who came before us and those who could not stand up for themselves. VOTE! I encourage you to share this with everyone you know.

None of us has had to experience the pain of separation or live with the disgrace and humiliation that comes with not being free. When you cast your vote for who will run our country, never forget your history and keep this bill of sale in mind. When we allow ourselves to forget our not so distant past, then we are destined to repeat these actions in our future. Stand for those who came before us and those who could not stand up for themselves. VOTE!

The Wise Men and Women Have Sent Me to Tell You

Description of Marcus Girard's New Book, "The Wise Men and Women Have Sent Me to Tell You."

“This is the first book by Motivational Speaker and Trainer, Marcus Girard. In this book Marcus offers pearls of wisdom to young men to light the pathway towards what being a man is truly all about. Mr. Girard candidly shares his experiences of growing up on the mean streets of Brooklyn, New York and offers readers four life principles that aided him in keeping his own life on track. This book helps young men to take a hard look at the kind of men they are becoming spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally, financially, socially and sexually. Mr. Girard hammers away at the pseudo image of manhood that negative rap music and hip hop culture offers young men in today’s times. He also aids young men by providing insight into how to choose the right friends for their journey. This book offers understanding to young men on the critical role they are expected to play in society today and in the future. Other topics covered in this book include functional illiteracy and the immeasurable value of reading, developing a work ethic, and transitioning out of their parent’s home. Mr. Girard helps young men pinpoint the sources of trouble that factor into the lives of so many young men today. Marcus also discusses relating properly to the female and explores many other unhealthy, anti – social attitudes of today’s male youth population. Young men get a chance to look ten years into the future and consider where the positive and negative consequences of their actions have brought them. This book is truly a great read for every young man in America. It is a fabulous gift to any young man trying to get out in the world and make his mark.”

Marcus Girard Ordering Marcus Girard's Book Online Radio Show

The Black Community and Depression

The Black Community and Depression
By Brother Marcus (Girard)

Peace brothers and sisters. Have you ever come across an important book that once you read through the first few pages you instinctively knew this book would be transformative to you? Well if you have had that experience then you know what I must be feeling. For the month of September 2008, I will be discussing a book by Terrie M. Williams called, “Black Pain – It Just Looks Like We’re Not Hurting”. Although Williams is a highly successful social worker by training, and a public relations professional by trade she opens up to readers about her personal battles with depression as well as the stories of many others with readers in the book. She makes a point to let the reader know that depression isn’t something new but cultural influences shape how people of different races deal with the illness.

Depression is definitely something that all Nations, races and ethnicities need to pay attention to. Of the estimated 20 million Americans who are affected by some form of depression, 9.2 million have major or clinical depression and two-thirds of people suffering from depression do not seek the necessary treatment. Eighty percent of all people with clinical depression who have received treatment significantly improve their lives. The economic cost of depression is estimated at $30.4 billion a year but the cost in human suffering cannot be estimated. It is also worth noting that women experience depression about twice as often as men. By the year 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that depression will be the number two cause of "lost years of healthy life" worldwide.

In a interview on her new book, Terrie Williams said, “There's a tendency to hide or ignore symptoms of depression, which include sadness, energy loss, feelings of worthlessness, thoughts of death or suicide, change in weight, and oversleeping or difficulty sleeping. That tendency means missed opportunities to hit the disorder with effective treatments, including talk therapy, antidepressant medication, or both. In the black community, depression is a sign of weakness. Black people would rather say that they have a relative in jail before they will acknowledge that they have a mental illness. But many of my white friends and colleagues who are very much more open will tell you that they can't make an appointment because they are going to see their therapist. But it's a very different experience in the African-American community. In our communities, we're perceived to be ones who can handle our business, and so there is that tendency to not recognize depression in African-Americans. In general, I think that there's a lack of knowledge about the black experience with depression. I feel that we are in such a major crisis. We haven't really named what's ailing us. Almost any given day, at any turn, you can see that we are a people who are hurting. I hear many different kinds of reasons. What I know is that we experience life in this country in a way that makes it very difficult to be.”

Again, Terrie Williams is not arguing that depression is a black thing. In describing the symptoms of depression that everyone deals with she said, “You run from yourself. It's a human thing to keep things locked up inside of you. When you're working 24-7 and you don't have the energy to do anything at all, when you have difficulty concentrating, when you're not doing work that fills your spirit — those are things that mean you have unresolved issues. And you may also sleep a lot because you're afraid to get up.African-Americans suppress and repress pain. [Still], there are many signs of depression that are like neon lights, but we don't really pay attention, or we don't have time to listen. With more dialogue, maybe, just maybe, there will be more sensitivity. Remember, everyone has a story. Assume that that person has a story just like you do, is just as fragile and as challenged as you are. I've always been a very sensitive person. I feel other people's pain and have a tendency to absorb it. I have a sense of the universality of humanity. I have a sense that underneath the face that everyone wears, we all share the same thing. People speak to you on so many different levels. I often will pay more attention to a person's body language than I will to what they say. That's what speaks really loudly to me. And a lot of times, I think three of the hardest words to answer honestly are, "How are you?" We usually lie, and when we do lie, it chips away at our spirit. So when we do ask this question, really listen to the answer.”

Here are some questions for you to answer. These questions are not designed to clinically diagnose you in any way but to perhaps put you on the road to seeing someone who can help you. Do you find yourself experiencing sadness throughout the day, nearly every day? Feeling sad is a natural part of life, but prolonged sadness can be a symptom associated with depression, especially if you find that your sadness interferes with everyday life. Have you experienced a loss of interest in or enjoyment of your favorite activities? If you have lost interest in the things you once enjoyed, like going to the movies, hanging out with friends, or walking in the community, you may be experiencing one of the common symptoms of depression. Are you experiencing feelings of worthlessness? Do you feel like you don't matter or that you don't deserve to be happy? Have you experienced these feelings for an extended period of time? Are you experiencing inappropriate feelings of guilt? Having excessive feelings of guilt should raise a red flag. Are you constantly blaming yourself when things don't turn out well? You may have done nothing wrong, but maybe you feel like what you do is never right. Are you experiencing thoughts of death or suicide? In one of the rap songs by the late great prophet, Tupac Shakur, called “Shed so many tears” he stated, “Now I'm lost and I'm weary, so many tears. I’m suicidal so don't stand near me. My every move is a calculated step, to bring me closer to embrace an early death, now there's nothing left.” If you are not suicidal then never think for a moment that the thought hasn’t crossed the mind of your teenage son or daughter. Thoughts of death or suicide are common in depression, and it's important to take these thoughts seriously. If you feel like giving up, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline, 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433).

Are you experiencing trouble making decisions? Are you having trouble making decisions? Do the little things frustrate you? Do some decisions seem too overwhelming or burdensome? Are you experiencing fatigue or lack of energy? Did you know that feeling tired or fatigued nearly every day may be associated with depression. Do you drag yourself out of bed each morning? Do you feel like you have no energy to make dinner or do laundry? Are you experiencing sleeping too much or too little? Sleeping too much or not enough may be a symptom of depression. Do you stay awake at night and feel sleepy during the day? Sleep studies suggest that 40% to 60% of outpatients—and 90% of inpatients—with depression may have sleep problems. Are you experiencing changes in appetite or weight? A weight change of more than 5% (up or down) in a month when you haven't been trying to gain or lose weight may be a sign of depression. Are you experiencing trouble concentrating? Has your performance at work or school gone down because you can't concentrate? Are you unable to focus on your daily tasks and projects? Is your mind always racing? Are you experiencing complaints of pain? Complaints of pain can be a symptom of depression. Do you have nagging aches and pains that don't seem to go away? Are you experiencing restlessness? Are you easily agitated? Do you have trouble sitting still? Do you pace back and forth?

Please listen to the Brother Marcus Show this week on Sunday at 8:00 p.m. to learn more about this powerful book and to have some discussion with Brother Marcus. We are all in this together. Depression doesn’t have to be a secret anymore.

Marcus Girard Brother Marcus Show Black Men and depression