Reflections on Brotha 2 Brotha

If what William Burroughs says is correct, that "revolution in America begins in books and music, then waits for political operatives to implement change after the fact", then I certainly hope that Brotha 2 Brotha, Becoming Healthy Men From the Inside Out (B2B), inspires a revolution among men of color. In my own life I have reached the understanding that life is not a sprint but rather a marathon, and that if we as men of color are to claim our God-given future, it requires that we harmonize our internal strength with our external reality.

That is essentially why I took pen to paper, to inspire a revolution of self-love, self-acceptance and self-actualization amongst my brothas in Spirit. Toward that, B2B is a letter to black men, not a book about black men. Lord knows there are volumes that purport to define men of color but in often negative tones. Thus, we have been variously described as "deviant", "disturbed" and "dysfunctional".

I, for one, refuse to accept these labels and the indictment of scholars, social scientists, culture critics, historians and the like, who have condemned and confined men of color to life's junkyard. I believe that each of us as black men is in possession of a seed planted deep within, and that it is our task in life to nurture and cultivate that seed of empowerment and greatness - regardless of where we may find ourselves in the present! The cultivation of that seed, then, requires patience, understanding and lots of self-love. Individually, it becomes more evolution than revolution because it will require of us to unravel layers and layers of stereotypes, guilt and baseless assumptions about brothas.

It will also require us to accept and deal with two realities: The reality that the American experience has created for us - racism, discrimination, oppression, inequity - and the reality that we have created for ourselves with self-destructive behaviors, poor choices, parental neglect and the like.

B2B posits that if black men are to become healthy from the inside out, then this is what black men should do:

• Define where you are
• Understand the difference between what you can control and what you can influence
• Identify any giant in your life
• Move against that giant
• Commit to developing yourself holistically - spiritually, emotionally, intellectually and physically
• Be aware of how the giant in you can oppress others
• Seek ways to become a "good" brotha as you seek intimate union and companionship
• Become conscious of your pratical development and survival and the development and survival of the community
• Know where you are going

Peace,
W. Eric Croomes