Queen Legacy: Will That Be You?

 

What we say and how we conduct ourselves on a daily basis is what will determine the legacy we leave.  Make no mistake about it, each and every one of us will leave a legacy; positive or negative.  Which one will you leave?  Many of us are recipients of positive women who have left positive legacies that have allowed it to be just a little bit easier for us and as we continue to make progress, it is on the shoulders of those that we stand upon.  Think, how different life would be if not for Rosa Parks and Dorothy Dandridge?  These are the shoulders of which Dr. Maya Angelou and Oscar winning Halle Berry stands upon.  Who will we lend our shoulders too?

1. You may say, "Easier said than done" and that may be true.  Here are 4 steps in which you can leave your legacy, your mark on those who come through and into your life:  You do not have to be an adult in order to leave a legacy.  Take a leadership role at school.  Create something that is lacking in your school.  For example, if your school paper lacks important issues...write them.  If your school is lacking cultural clubs/activities...create them.
2. Take a lead in bringing your family members together.  Consistently host dinners at your home and invite your family members and encourage unity amongst your relatives and the importance of doing so.
3. At the workplace be that "IT" woman.  The one your co workers go to when looking for answers.  Become an expert in your field and be relentless in your pursuit to move up.  Then become a mentor to the younger women in your company.
4. Volunteer and take an active leading role in your community.  BE VISIBLE! 

In conclusion, I would like to leave you with a quote:

"There are certain things that are fundamental to human fulfillment.  The essence of these needs is captured in the phrase "to live, to love, to learn, to leave a "legacy."  The need to live is our physical need for such things as food, clothing and shelter.  The need to love is our social need to relate to other people, to belong, to love and to be loved.  The need to learn is our mental need to develop and to grow.  The need to leave a legacy is our spiritual need to have a sense of meaning, purpose, personal congruence, and contribution." ~ Stephen R. Covey

The choice is yours.  Be undeterred in living a life of purpose and leaving a legacy for others to follow.  Honor your history by honoring our future.

By: Jessica Ballew, Founder and Chief Empowerment Officer of J.E.S.S.I.C.A. Cares/ www.jessicacares.org
Email author at: Jessica@jessicacares.org

Stephanie M. Clark, Coach, Spokesperson & Consultant 

 

Clark is well versed in all aspects of business start-up and operations. Eleven years ago she made the transition from employee to entrepreneur and has started four businesses, two non-profits and two for-profit companies. She empowers, coaches and mentors women and teen girls across the country by sharing her mistakes made and lessons learned along her journey as a serial entrepreneur. She offers practical strategies toward achieving success as a business owner to those seeking to start a business or to grow their business.  In 2012, Clark will launch a for-profit social enterprise, Womanpower, a staffing and training company employing and training single mothers and women in transition to start home-based businesses helping them achieve economic self-sufficiency.
 

As a marketing communications guru and entrepreneur, Clark possesses over 20 years of developing and executing effective marketing and public relations programs as well as producing small to large-scale special events. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Marketing from the University of Detroit-Mercy. She has worked in non-profit management for over 20 years and has worked with several corporations, faith-based and non-profit organizations as a marketing communications consultant.

 

Clark's debut book entitled "Life as a Single Mom: It Isn't Easy or Is It?" was released on October 26, 2007. She is the author of a parent handbook for incarcerated mothers, "Life As A Single Mom Behind Bars" and a character building workbook for teen girls, "Transforming Minds by Transforming Meanings" (both projects scheduled for release in 2012).
 

Clark founded My Daughter's Keeper, Inc. (MDK) in July 2002. MDK is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization which provided support and resources to mothers and caregivers raising adolescent and teenage daughters as well as provided self-development opportunities for women and girls. MDK worked with mothers/caregivers, preteen and teenage girls from all socioeconomic backgrounds throughout the U.S. and abroad. Expanding her work nationally, in 2008, Clark rebranded MDK as Project Single Moms Worldwide, Inc., a national advocacy and empowerment movement for single moms where she serves as its National Director.
 

She has been featured in national media including The Talk, FOX News, The Steve Harvey Morning Show, The Michael Baisden Show, CNN's Comcast Newsmakers, The Huffington Post, Bloomberg Urban Report, Fox TV's The Morning Show with Mike & Juliet, NAACP's Crisis magazine, Essence.com, Black Enterprise.com, NBC News' (thegrio.com) and several other local radio and television media outlets. Also, she was featured in the August 2009 issue of Family Circle magazine. Through her "The Empowered Woman" blog, Clark blogged about various women empowerment issues as a featured blogger for Essence.com.  From 2008-2010, she served as the national spokesperson and career coach for the Project Working Mom and Career Stimulus Package Empowerment Tour, two online education scholarship programs.
 

Clark was honored by L'Oreal Paris as a 2011 Women of Worth honoree and chosen as a 2011 Who Who's in Black Atlanta.  She was honored by America Online (AOL)'s ParentDish.com as one of 24 "2010 America's Most Amazing Moms" on Mother's Day. She is a 2009 Best Community Leader finalist for the Steve Harvey Hoodie Awards. She is a recipient of numerous awards and has presented keynote & motivational speeches to several faith & community-based groups, professional associations, corporations, government agencies, primary schools & colleges and has facilitated workshops to women & youth groups throughout the country. She is a native Detroiter but now resides in Georgia. She is the proud parent of her beautiful and brilliant daughter, a college student at Berklee College of Music in Boston.

 

Click here to read more about Stephanie's organizations

 

Monique Rivarde

Monique Rivarde, Mother & Advocate

 

My name is Monique Rivarde and I am the mother of Bobby Tillman. My son was killed November 7, 2010, at a house party with other high school students and was chosen by four boys to be beaten and stomped until they killed him. This has been so hard for me, not knowing what Bobby went through that night and knowing he died alone in the street. I also know that in order for someone to be able to attack another human being that way and kill them with their hands and feet, there is no self-love or self-worth in that individual.

 

Three weeks after my son's Going Home Ceremony, his friends began to come by the house, stunned at what happened to Bobby and scared to walk the streets again for fear of what may happen to them. Since there was absolutely no reasoning behind the attack on my son, his friends felt that it could happen to any one of them as well. Watching these children in pain, and feeling my own pain, I felt I had to try and do something to instill love and courage into our youth. There had to be a way to help them love themselves, so they could in turn love and respect other's lives and right to be here without the threat of violence. There is no better way to help someone else love themselves, than to show them love. I spoke with Bobby's friends and they agreed and wanted to help make their environment and schools safer.

 

Bobby was bullied that night by four boys. But what I began to learn was that children were being bullied in schools everywhere and the bullying was moving into the streets. Bobby's friends created "The Bobby Tillman Pact" which states ways they felt they could help their individual situations become a place of peace and violence-free. For example, the first three bullets of the Pact are: "I will respect and stay true to myself; I am an individual and special in my own way; it's ok to be me; I am accountable and responsible for my own actions." Once the Pact was created, the kids thought it would be helpful to share the Pact with others and also to show that they believed in the Pact through their actions. They began speaking about the Pact at churches and schools. They've also put together Winter Clothing Drives and "Stop the Bullying" events that would allow children to congregate together in love and peace and just have a good time without the threat and fear of violence sparking and we created BFAM, Inc. Bobby Tillman's Family through Bobby's friends...twelve of our future leaders.

 

It has been the worse time of my life losing my son; and honestly I only can live day to day because I don't know what the next day or month will hold for my sanity or my heart. My daughter and these children want to make a difference and that keeps me going. It's a journey no parent should have to take...my goal is to help another child to love him/herself so they will not feel violence is the answer. I want them to know they are special in their own way and destined for greatness and that is something to be so proud of. I also want the children that are doing well to receive praise for choosing to do right so they will have the strength to take a stand when they see wrong. This can be achieved through love.

 

Click to visit the BFAM Website

 

 

 

"Enlightened"

 

The funniest thing happened just the other day,

I picked up a bible just to see what it'd say.

 

I had never done this so I had no idea why,

I guess I was curious about what was inside.

 

You see, I'm a non-believer, I always have been,

I kind of enjoyed living in sin.

 

I have never been to church, who had the time?

I was much to busy leading a life of crime.

 

Then, someone told me that GOD is everywhere,

all I had to do is recite his prayer.

 

Something else I've never done, I didn't know how to pray,

I constantly lived life in the evilest of ways.

 

So, I opened this book to the very first words,

"Let there be light," is what I heard.

 

WHO WAS THAT? What had they said?

"GOD IS GOOD," then on I read.

 

I needed to know the rest of the story,

About this man called God and all His glory.

 

I don't know what came over me, 

But, life now seems bright where darkness used to be.

 

I dropped down, I got on my knees,

I thanked this God for setting me free.

 

Today, I walk with the Lord Jesus Christ,

He has enlightened my soul, 

He has enriched my life. 

 

~ Lara Adams, Upcoming Author