Summer is a time for vacations and fun-filled outdoor activities.  Most importantly, it is a season most suited to family activities.  In the African American community, summertime is a great time for family reunions.  While the last family reunion I attended was five years ago, I have a friend who attends both paternal and maternal family reunions every summer.

Reunions offer loved ones an excellent opportunity to reconnect and strengthen bonds.  They also provide a wonderful venue for new relationships to be forged and solidified across generations.

We live in an age and time when family relations are strained by individual pursuits and isolating activities.  Two activities that really get to me involve the playing of electronic games and spending time on the computer.  These activities are fine for family members if engaged in on a limited basis, but social scientists are among many who are concerned that people are losing important social skills by spending too much time with electronic gadgetry.

As a rule, human beings are social creatures.  As I say that, I'm sure you can think of a relative or neighbor who prefers to be to left alone.  But in reality, we need social interaction to maintain healthy perspectives and to live balanced lives.  Our children also need interaction with other children as well as with their parents and other adults.

In this edition of diversityinbusiness.com, Guy Summers explores the seeming divide that exists in perspectives and aspirations among Blacks of the Civil Rights Era, and the current generation of young Black professionals for whom that era is simply a chapter in their history books.

In his commentary, Summers stresses the need for greater communications between the two groups in order to establish and maintain a healthy respect for one another.  Common respect is key if the African American community is to progress as a collective. 

Bill Cosby recently spoke out about the lack of respect that many young African Americans demonstrate in their outlook on life, education and family.  Mr. Cosby challenged Black parents to resume their roles as parents.  Values are something that are handed down, one generation to another.  I support and applaud Mr. Cosby for making his concerns known publicly.

While there are those who criticize Mr. Cosby for "airing dirty laundry," I find their criticism inappropriate.  I agree with Mr. Cosby's assertion that the dirty laundry is aired every time our children use improper grammar and vile curse words.

I remember coming home one day from the playground, empowered with words I heard the older children using.  I recall using those words in the presence of my parents and being stunned by their reaction.  Instead of making me powerful, I was quickly discovered that bringing foul language into our home diminished me.  My parents' displeasure was accompanied by a spanking that has since become part of our family lore.

The bottom line is that in my parents' home, they determined what was acceptable and what was not.  They were not the least bit concerned with what was politically correct, or the cool thing to do.  They weren't interested in being my friend, or being accepted by my friends.  Instead, they were committed to instilling within me values that have served me well through life.

I respect Mr. Cosby's decision to publicly talk about problems within the Black community.  He is interacting with the community in a family way.  It's obvious he cares about the future of the African American community and he's not afraid to speak out in order to help steer this and future generations away from lives of hopelessness and despair.

Yes, it's time for all of us to commit to our families.

Today, the word family has many meanings.  It might refer to an immediate, biological family, or an extended family comprised of multiple generations of relatives; or it could be a social, spiritual or fraternal family.  All are important because families create communities.

It's my pleasure to acknowledge in this edition of diversityinbusiness.com a marketing campaign launched this summer by GM Goodwrench.  The service division for GM vehicles has launched an awareness campaign for African Americans driving to family reunions this summer.  The ads encourage African Americans to have their cars serviced before taking to the road.  Obviously, GM would like for African Americans to drive GM cars and trucks to those reunions, and to have those vehicles serviced by GM Goodwrench mechanics, but the message has universal application.  Preparation and safety are crucial for any journey.  We salute GM for finding a way to pursue its business objectives while supporting an important social phenomenon and need within the African American community.

My call to devote time to family is not directed exclusively to the African American community.  I extend it to everyone.  African Americans are proud members of the American family, and Americans are clearly members of the world family.

The more we recognize each other as family members, the greater our prospects for achieving a more cohesive, productive and safe world.

Enjoy this summer and enjoy your family.

Be blessed and bless others. 

 

The End