I want to first thank all of you for allowing me to speak to you today. I come before you today humble for the fact that I believe that a real change is coming. I believe that a real change is about to happen in all our lives because one person in this crowd wants to make a difference and I believe that by the end of my message that many more of you in this crowd will be willing to be a difference in the lives of others someway, somehow.
We all have heard this message that one person can make a difference but lately it seems as if many people on speak it and don’t live by it. Well I am here to tell you that one person can make a difference and there are many examples throughout history to show that one person can make a difference. Now some people might say that one person can only do so much but most movements, most change operations and most causes begin with one person deciding to get something started.
So if it wasn’t for one person who decided to take action rather than just speak about to others than some of the things that we have today both at home and abroad probably would not have happened as quickly as it has happened. Let me give you one example, in the Bible, we know the story of Noah’s Ark and how God used Noah to save at least two of every creature on Earth. Now Noah was just one person and many doubted Noah by saying that a flood wasn’t coming. However Noah believed in what God told him and he worked night and day to build his Ark and he filled it with two of every creature on Earth.
Therefore if it wasn’t for Noah, we would not see many of the creatures we have today and Nora is just one person who can make a difference. However Noah is not the only person in the Bible who made a difference. Everyone knows of Moses story and how he told old Pharaoh to let his people go. While many of Moses people had talked about being free, not many took the direction that Moses took to actually demand Pharaoh to let them go. Moses was just one person who led his fellow Egyptians out of slavery because God told him that he could do it.
Then if you look right here in America’s history, than you will find many examples of some famous people and some less known local people who made a difference in the lives of others. Like during slavery, when many slaves dreamed of being free, there was a woman who found freedom and wanted to help other slaves become free so she helped to build the Underground Railroad, which was a path to freedom for many slaves. This one woman was hunted by the name of Harriet Tubman wasn’t the only person involved in the Underground Railroad because others joined the movement.
However Harriet Tubman risked her own life trying to free other slaves and while she made these trips in the midst of the night, her courage while being hunted by dogs and slave owners with pitch forks and guns, just goes to show anyone, the amount of guts her and others had. For some of people, they measure guts and courage by what someone does to help others when no one is watching. I agree with that but I also measure guts and courage by what a person does when some many believe they are wrong but they know that God will write the history of what’s right and wrong when it is all said and done.
That is why we as a people must not be afraid to stand up for those who are being abused, mistreated and misused by others because if in our heart of hearts we believe something is wrong than why not fight for. Why not speak out against it even if people of today might not agree with you. It is those who speak out and stand up against injustices and discrimination of any kind no matter what the privileging winds of current history say, that is what matters because as we know, what is viewed or deemed good in the present might not be viewed that way years from now.
Remember that during slavery, many people deemed it as a good thing and look at where we are as a nation today thanks to those who knew it was wrong and inhuman. Remember Jim Crow and segregation was deemed as good but some in this nation but look at where we are today thanks to those fought for integration and civil rights laws. Then if we look at world history, just look at the Germany and South Africa.
Just a few decades ago, we were fight World War II against the Germans and other nations but it was many Germans who believed that Hitler was right and even some people in the world probably thought like Hitler. However as history has shown, Hitler was wrong and look how better off Germany is for it. Then if we look at South Africa, just a little less than two decades ago, there was apartheid in South Africa similar to our Jim Crow and thanks to those like Nelson and Winnie Mandela, apartheid was abolished after years of fighting against.
All I am saying that is that although present history or those in the present might view something as good today, tomorrow others may view it as bad and even those who view it as good today might not tomorrow. History has a way of changing things, people and minds of others. That is why I encourage all of you to stand up for what you believe in and don’t worry about how others perceive your cause today because tomorrow will tell the real story.
Still I don’t want anyone to get lost on the point I am making which is one person can make a difference and always will be able to make a difference no matter what others say. We can just look at the news no matter if it local, national or international news to see how one person is making a difference somewhere, somehow. For example, I know all of you heard the story about the military contractors parting at the U.S. embassy in Iraq with strippers where strippers posed with guns and on or in military vehicles.
Well what many news outlets didn’t talk about was the fact that one person had the guts to blow the whistle on this and as a result of that, the military has adopted a policy of no more alcohol on military bases or U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. It was one person who had the guts to send these photos to Congressional leaders, the Defense Department and news outlets to let people know how dangerous and outrageous this was during a time of war. One person helped to reveal all of that but the person who made the biggest difference in so many Americans lives in these tough economic times is the person who took down Bernie Madoff.
I know many of you probably thought I was going to President Barack Obama and he is making a difference in his own right but the person who took down Bernie Madoff probably saved more billions of dollars from being ripped off by Madoff’s Ponzi scheme. Think about the Security Exchange Commission and other U.S. governmental agencies didn’t detect what Bernie Madoff was doing because he was friends with many of the top officials in those agencies and if just one of them had of looked more carefully at Madoff’s business than billions of dollars would have been saved. Nonetheless, one person broke the code on Madoff and worked tirelessly to get the SEC to do something but after years of being ignored by the SEC, that one individual finally was able to show his evidence to political officials and others who wanted to listen. Thus that was what resulted in Bernie Madoff being busted.
One person had the guts and the determination to expose Mr. Madoff and thanks to that one person, Madoff’s operation is no longer in business and while Madoff ripped off billions from all sectors of America, his operations could be still going on today in those tough economic times, ripping off even more billions. Therefore because of one person speaking up and taking federal government agencies to task on the Madoff issue, finally something was and now our federal government is looking at changing how government agencies operate in order to prevent future Madoff operations from happening again.
One person can make a difference people. I can tell you about two stories that took place in my own hometown of Detroit. One story deals with the determination of a former Detroit Police Officer named John Bennett who had the guts to challenge at the time his boss, Police Chief Jerry Oliver. Mr. Bennett decided to start a website called Fire Jerry O (www.firejerryo.com) because he felt that his boss Jerry Oliver was only brought in as Police Chief of Detroit because of who he was related to which was he is the cousin of Carlita Kilpatrick who is the wife of former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick but at the time he was the Mayor of Detroit.
To make a long story short, Mr. Bennett fought long and hard to get rid of Jerry Oliver because what good is a Police Chief who can’t carry a gun due to a case he in Virginia that barred him from carrying a gun. Then finally with a blink of an eye, Oliver was caught with a gun trying to travel through metro airport and that spilled the doom of Oliver. Now I am not saying that what caused Oliver to get fired was simply that one incident but it was the nail in the coffin but Mr. Bennett deserves credit for telling the truth about the corruption that was taking place in the Detroit Police Department under Jerry Oliver. John Bennett was one person who made a difference and in the process he lost his job only to win a case to get it back and even while back he was harassed but Mr. Bennett stood his ground and fought against corruption and injustices in the City of Detroit.
Then there is the famous whistleblower case that ultimately took down Kwame Kilpatrick due to his extra-marital affairs with his Chief of Staff Christine Beatty and other women. However this case was brought about by two former Detroit Police Officers, one of whom I know personally named Gary Brown who was the head of Internal Affairs for DPD and the other was an officer assigned to Kilpatrick detail team. Nonetheless, both man lost their jobs for investigating the alleged Manoogian Mansion Party or for telling what they knew about that party. To make a long story short, both man sued the city and won their cases because Kilpatrick and Beatty lied under oath about their affair and as a result of that, they settled with the officers in the hopes of sealing the text messages that the officers attorney’s had that revealed the affair amongst other illegal things done by Kilpatrick and his Chief of Staff.
Now that alone is not what put the nail in the coffin of Kilpatrick and Beatty but it was the secret cover-up and the perjury under oath that lead to the demise of the Kilpatrick machine along with a host of other things that followed. Nonetheless, while it was one person Gary Brown who looked to investigate the alleged party allegations and police officers on Kilpatrick’s detail team breaking the law that led to the bigger issues that ultimately took down Kilpatrick. It was one officer on Kilpatrick’s detail team who had the guts to come forward and reveal valuable information to Brown about some shady dealings and actions by Detroit Police Officers.
One person can make a difference people despite what anyone may say. One person can make a difference in the lives of others and one person can change the direction of a community, a city, a state or a nation as well as the world. One person can truly pave the way for a better life for millions of Americans. One person can do it and has done it before.
It was one person who said, “I Have A Dream.” Now we all got dreams and we have shared them with many people but Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. although he gave his famous “I Have A Dream” in Detroit first, decided to redeliver it to millions of Americans during the March on Washington for the Civil Rights Movement in order to let millions of Americans in D.C. and those who were watching television or would read about it in the newspapers would know that he had a dream. Now Dr. King’s dream was no different than thousands of other civil rights leaders during that time but it captured the hearts of millions and captivated the future of America with four words, “I Have A Dream!”
It was on person who said, “I have a dream that one day…. little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.” One person can make a difference and one person can give us hope for all our dreams. One person said “Yes We Can” and although many before him said it, this time, it gave a new sense of hope for millions of Americans and as well as people across the world.
I don’t believe what the naysayers say when they say one person can’t make a difference. I believe in the notion that one person can’t do it all because while one person might can’t do it all by themselves, one person can get the ball rolling and even if they don’t see their fruits of their labor today, it will happen.
Dr. King said his best in his I’ve Been to the Mountaintop Speech, “I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land!”
Well people this is the creed that all of us should follow. The work we do today is not just about today but it is about making life better for people today as well as in the future. Even if all of our fruits aren’t achieved in our lifetime, let’s hope they are achieved in our children’s future and the future of their kids.
One person can make a difference people. One person can begin anew today. One person can create opportunities for others to live prosperous lives today. One person can make this nation and this world a better place.
Gandhi did it with his peace and nonviolence approach which is what Dr. King adopted for the tune of the Civil Rights Movement in the South. Mother Theresa did it with effortless tries to help millions of Americans achieve success. Princess Diana did it by using her celebrity status to bring attention to many international issues such as malaria, malnutrition and poverty to just a few.
One person can make a difference and one person has made a difference in each of our lives regardless if we know it or recognize it. One person can be the difference between justice and injustice. One person can be the difference between prosperity and poverty. One person can be the difference between equality and inequality. One person can make a difference.
Do not allow others to tell you differently. Do not allow others to tell you that one person can’t make a difference. One person can do it.
Just look around you and ask yourself what you can do to make your community. Look around you and ask yourself what you can do to make your city or town better. What can you do to make your state? Seriously ask yourself what can you do to make this nation and the world a better place for all of us as well as future generations?
One person can make a difference but it begins with all of us deciding on what types of difference do we want to make. Not all differences are positive differences so I don’t want anyone leaving here thinking that all differences are good because they are not. Selling drugs to others might make a difference in poverty and unemployment to some degree but the long term hazards of doing that causes more problems than good.
That is why we need to make positive differences that have short term and perhaps long term encouraging impacts on society. We need impactful differences that leave long lasting positive impressions on the lives of others. Making a difference is not about getting awards or praise which is nice but making a difference is simply about doing good deeds out of the goodness of one’s heart.
Everyone knows that the time for us to look out for only ourselves is over. Now is the time to look out for each other. Now is the time to look out for the sick, the elderly and the most vulnerable. One person can begin to uplift the young to believe in their dreams. One person can help the elderly understand that the future of America is in good hands with our youth. One person can help end poverty by finding ways to find the poor and the homeless.
All it takes is one person deciding to stand up and to speak against injustices, discrimination and bigotry. All it takes is one person deciding to be the voice that speaks for so many people whose voices have gone unheard for far too long. That is why sometimes elections can pave the way for that one person to make a difference.
Many of us paved the way for a New Generation of Leadership in Washington and in the White House with the election of Barack Obama as President. However all cannot just hinge on the election of Obama to the White House because there are other elections both locally, state-wide and nationally that can pave the way for positive differences in the lives of so many Americans.
There is a saying that I have on the back of my personal business cards that I took from working on the Harold Ford, Jr. 2006 U.S. Senatorial campaign in Tennessee:
“Once in a GENERATION, a voice comes along that speaks for us. We have the power to make that voice be heard because ONE VOICE can make a difference so can ONE VOTE. So make sure you vote in EVERY ELECTION and allow that voice as well as your own voice to be heard.”
Well I am telling you today that one person can be that voice and one vote can give their voice the chance to speak for all of us and by expressing our right to vote in every election, we are giving our own individual voices new life. One person is just as powerful as a million people. One person is just as articulate as if it was a thousand people. One person can make a difference but it begins with that one person believing that they can do it and it begins with others believing in that one person doing it.
I leave you with this, if Dr. King didn’t say “I HAVE A DREAM,” would your dream mean any less or more today. If Obama never said, “YES WE CAN,” would you still believe you can yet alone we can? If Noah’s didn’t build the arc, would you still see many of the creatures we have today? If Moses never told Pharaoh to let his people go, would you still have the courageous to speak up? If Harriet Tubman didn’t risk her life for others to be free, would hundreds of thousands of more slaves had of dead thus preventing many Blacks from being here today? If one person never fought tooth and nail to uncover Bernie Madoff’s scheme than would Madoff ever had got caught and how many more billions would Madoff had ripped off?
Think about this people. If these single individuals never did what they did, where would we be as people? If one person never did what these individuals than how would our past, our present and our future be different?
Think about our history as a nation, as a world and as people, how would the single acts of others and their positive impacts on our society be different if they alone had never decided to pursue many of the causes they decided to fight for such as AIDS/HIV awareness, poverty, healthcare, civil rights, equality & equity for all, free and democratic elections, voting rights, justice, worker’s rights, and a host of other issues.
How would we be different people?
I don’t know about you but I am thankful for those single heroic individuals who decided to speak up when others were silent. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said it best, “In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” So I hope that no one in this room will remain silent as we fight for justice, freedom and equality for all people. I hope no one will remain silent as we fight to get rid of bigotry, racism, sexism and discrimination of any kind no matter who it is from. I hope no one will remain silent when others race bait and use hatred to divide us.
Dr. King also said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” Therefore we have to fight with love and we have to make a difference with love in our hearts, our minds and our souls.
I encourage all of you to be the difference you want to see in the world because each one of us can make a difference. We can make a difference. One person can do it and together we shall do it.
Thank you all for listening and I hope today begins anew for all of us.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
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