M.A.D. (Making A Difference) for Peach County, GA

11/05/2019

Who all is making his/her votes count today?

07/12/2015

Fort Valley, I understand that sometimes we need a very clear picture painted to push us to action. Well, just for clarity, individually as a native son, and collectively with my brothers, The Diplomats Fraternity, Inc, we really need more people to assist with making a change in the direction our beloved hometown is heading. I don't know about you, but I find being ranked the #7 worst place to live in Georgia an embarrassing recognition. I believe we should and can be better than that. There is very objective data used to compile these rankings, and most of us who are paying attention have seen this coming. Quite frankly, the relatively high crime rate, failing educational system, unstable economy, along with low incomes and home values is not a surprise to many of us today. So, read the report, or research for yourself. However, if you care about the future of Fort Valley, please help us make a difference there. We must do something differently than what's been done to have a different result! We have a number of initiatives through Friends of The Diplomats Fraternity, Inc., as well as my organization UPLIFT Community Fellowship, Inc. Please visit the pages and help us help Fort Valley. WE NEED YOU!

We used science to determine which places in Georgia are the real (Peach) pits.

07/06/2015

Concerned citizens... We are in need of your assistance to provide a meaningful back to school event for the children and teachers of Peach County. With almost 200 members in this group alone pledging even a small token of support, we will be able to meet our goal. I am simply asking each of you to reach into your hearts (and wallets) and give $5.00. Again, I'm only asking that each of the supporters pledge this very doable amount so that as a group we will accomplish our mission of making a difference for the citizens of Peach County. Thank you all in advance for your assistance!

Friends of Diplomats Incorporated, We, the Diplomats Fraternity, Inc., are partnering with The City of Fort Valley and the I Think I Am Foundation for the 3rd Annual L.E.A.P. (Learning, Expanding, and Producing) Back to School Bash in Fort Valley, GA on the 15th of August at Festival Park.  Our...

06/11/2015

Now this is certainly an interesting "call out" of Kanye West. However, I've never been one to do a whole lot of praising of "anonymous" preachers. Put your name on your principles, or be quiet! However, as a nation we as Blacks with any interest at all of being taken seriously need to quit holding irresponsible people like Kanye West up as some "quasi" representations of OUR success. He, and far too many other well known individuals of supposedly uncommon talent (Rapping) have shown time and time again that the money just makes them more of what they already had instilled within their malformed character... When we stop celebrating this purported "Glamorous Life" then these buffoons will stop advertising it through their music as if it were an attractive way to live... I don't need to hear about how hard he had it growing up either; because none of us enduring the summer days in the peach fields of Fort Valley,GA growing up thought that was a walk in the park; nor did my best friend getting shot point blank range in the face at Howard University suddenly turn me into a revenge inspired, gun toting, drug selling thug, ready to get back at the world. Enough is enough... How about we start celebrating OUR business owners, pilots, architects, doctors, lawyers, and teachers; so we can actually give our children someone positive to emulate... and aspire to those and other more morally appropriate venues of "success!"

Just in case anyone is missing the "mark" of MY post. I’m addressing the basic premise of whether or not Kanye is behaving in a manner to be taken as "Dumb"/"Stupid” as insinuated by this video. To better clarify, it is my contention that Kanye is neither "Dumb" nor "Stupid!" He is being exactly who he IS (or at least who he and his record label would like fans to believe he is)... In other words "Stupidity" is only an applicable descriptor to a behavior contrary to what is expected. Who exactly expects Kanye to behave any differently than he is? He and many other misguided Black celebrities parlaying the Hip-Hop arena find glory in this negative "persona" (i.e. Lil' Wayne, Nicki Minaj, etc )... And unfortunately too many within our own ranks are steadily snapping fingers, rappin' along, and shakin' our behinds to the beat. I'm not speaking from theory, but from fact.

I'm not referencing his being viewed as a role model as much as I am referencing the fact that the ends (financially speaking) justify his means (acting a fool). Why? Because instead of calling these ridiculous behaviors out for what they are and denouncing them; the public will go in-mass to see the next "BIG" thing that Kanye releases (and Lil' Wayne/Nicki Minaj for that matter)!

Yet, for some reason the general public wants to believe that celebrity or money is suppose to make the recipients inherit society's moral standard. Well, it never will cause such an effect. Integrity is a nurtured trait... If Kanye is truly from the streets, then he's doing what the streets nurtured within HIM. You know what I mean: "Ballin' outta control"..."By any means necessary!" So, as things stand in the trendy society of today where the moral compass has certainly shifted, Kanye is not Dumb or Stupid. He's a master at his craft. The more he acts a fool, the more he's viewed as "street credible!" Therein, the more records he sells, and appearances he'll get. Unless, of course, we do as I shared and stop allowing such buffoonery by our people to be held in high regard; and start purposefully exposing our kids to more appropriate models of success.

My reference to "fact as opposed to theory" was inclusive of those outside of the rap community (i.e. athletes, entertainers, kids of the wealthy etc.). We often see public spectacles by many of these people that are unfathomable to most of us. All of the "guilty parties" have a common link to a component of their upbringing that led to their asinine behavior. In some cases it may be from what was lacking; while in others it was over indulgence. Either way all seem to share the sense of entitlement. The "oppressed" street thug feels the world owes him/her whatever they missed out on growing up; while the "blue blood" feels the world owes them what they've always enjoyed from birth (a different set of rules).

I played alongside many teammates in the league who lived by a different set of rules because the system had allowed it their entire lives. Some were hardly educated, treated women like crap, and viewed many components of the law as optional. As long as they performed on the field at a high level, their indiscretions were conveniently absolved. Of course this system doesn't produce the most productive of citizens for society... Though the "edge" this type of person brings to their craft is well utilized by the "craftsmen" who created these monsters (i.e. record execs, coaches, boosters, & team owners).

My closing point is that it's a nurtured phenomenon that will take an intentional initiative by our people to counteract. There are some who are "throwing blows" in the fight... We need many more to join the battle though!

06/04/2015

PEACH COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL...

MaxPreps News - Stephenson and Westlake lead the way with six each.

04/26/2015

Many of you are familiar with the newest instance of a Black man falling victim to authorities with the case of Freddie Gray in Baltimore. Today my heart is troubled, but my mind is going 100 miles per hour with solution-oriented ideas I believe wholeheartedly God planted in me even as a child. You all might recall a challenge I extended to my fellow Black men, and others genuinely interested in making a positive impact on the lives of those others who are caught in the conundrum of America's general fear of their mystique! At that time I utilized the message within the "Black Men United" song entitled "You Will Know," to simply ask that we start being more aware of others in our environments we might mentor. Being a father of two young men, I not only must be cognizant of how I publicly present, but I also must be deliberate in my cultivation of my sons into independent men who are able to not only thrive themselves in this Country, but even how to survive interactions with those authorities, and other entities, that might feel threatened by them.
I believe not in happenstance. So, this incident serves as another wake up call for us to DO SOMETHING THAT MATTERS. I am fortunate enough to have positive direct mentors who have been present throughout my life in my parents, many of my teachers, as well as my coaches. Additionally, my peer group has provided me with some wonderful like-minded males with whom I've grown, been mutually accountable, and remained connected as adults. A recent conversation with one of my childhood friends and teammates who had a couple of brushes with the penal system really echoed the impact of those proper mentoring and peer relationships. He shared that although he doesn't use it as an excuse for the poor decisions he's made in his life, he recognized the positive impact on the lives of me and others who he observed had present and loving fathers in our youth! Simply put, he just didn't have that!
Unfortunately, I believe we have far too many people who have grown too complacent, apathetic, or self-centered to be concerned about the holistic state of our communities and culture. To be more direct, we have more cowards than those willing to lose something personally in order to progress as a society. People are more concerned about hurting someone's feelings and/or losing their little slice of the pie, than they are about doing what's right. Black Americans in particular can not continue down that path without our educational, political, and socioeconomic empowerment becoming more sparse than it already is. We can not continue with this ridiculously subjugated approach to systematic disparities in almost every category of economic, social, political, and educational analysis.
As you all know by now, I am a writer, and this can get rather extensive if I don't stop. So I'll go ahead and wrap up the invitation within this commentary: Fort Valley, those boys you knew as "The Diplomats" growing up in the 70's & 80's are now back as men; officially as Diplomats, Inc with a renewed purpose "To Enable Intentional Living." As Woody Gosier, one of our Diplomats Inc. founding fathers reminds us often "it's not so much about us (as individuals or a group), but about impacting Fort Valley!" So, I would like to remind everyone that's also the message we need as a society.
Please come out and share in the food, fun, and fellowship of SunSplash on May 23rd. But even more importantly, please support us with your presence, prayers, and financially when possible, as we implement our ongoing initiatives; including college scholarships, lifeskills workshops, and a mentoring program for young men in Fort Valley and surrounding communities. Our first series of meetings is scheduled to begin in the 2nd week of June. I want to also continue to encourage those who are willing to step out of your comfort zones, no matter where you are in the Country, to start a mentoring program in your area. You don't have to recreate the wheel, as we already have the framework for lifeskills workshops and mentoring that we will be implementing in our hometown. Reach out to me, and I will share whatever I can to help you get started. So, we've talked enough, let's DO SOMETHING THAT MATTERS!

As Diplomats, our motto, Be Ye Always of Excellence, is the founding methodology and genesis of our existence.

03/05/2015

Hello Peach County Family & Friends... For years now I've been sharing my insights on current topics in sports (OK, yes primarily FOOTBALL). smile emoticon However, Sportsblog.com has actually created a forum to reach a broader audience and receive remuneration in the process. I'm always looking for different ways to provide additional funding for my community initiatives. Therein, I'm soliciting your assistance to (1) Support my Blog yourself, by following the link and clicking on the "FOLLOW" icon at the top of the page, then simply insert your email address in the link that opens... (2) I ask that you share the same with your friends. Whenever I write a new Blog post you'll receive an alert. Thanking you in advance... LET'S MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Tim Watson 10 days ago The Best Ever? Montana vs. Brady Tom Brady - "The Greatest" Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports Joe montana & Bill Walsh Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports Since Brady won his 4th Super Bowl ring earlier this month with the Patriots, there has been a lot of talk lately about “who is the bes…

02/18/2015

WAKE UP FORT VALLEY:

02/18/2015

Folks, the issue with the ESPLOST vote continues getting more convoluted without a discernible degree of input from the constituent stakeholders of Peach County. As has been the case in many instances of the past, those holding the position of allies and adversaries to our position have become clouded as well. Though I was unable to make the BOE meeting last Thursday, it is my understanding that it ended with a bit of a "shot in the dark" from a Fort Valley pastor by the name of Gus Oglesby who spoke in support of the ESPLOST while painting Chuck Miller as a troublemaker. Additionally, I was made aware that Gus, along with longtime resident and former councilman Marvin Crafter, are a part of a group that terms itself PUBLICS. They actually claim to "have been working on this and many other issues that affect (Peach County) for more than ten years. Of course Chuck doesn't need me to defend him, or fight his battles. However, this is larger than personal attacks. What's happening in Peach County is indicative of a systematic problem. We need better information to, inclusion of, and input from the citizenship as a whole. The fact of the matter is that the Peach County School System is not performing well, no matter how you dissect the results.

I certainly don't want misinformation passed around as it relates to what's going on with Peach County High School. However, I'm a big researcher and a bit of an analytics person myself. So, I have always kept abreast of the performance of Peach County from the statistics shared within the National Database. Within that information exists the following: "Peach County High School currently has a rating of 3.5 out of 10. This score is based on students' performance on state standardized tests compared to other schools in Georgia." Accredited or not, that is an absolutely awful academic performance by our beloved school. So I don't see how erecting a new building improves the quality of the teaching. That looks like a human resources problem, not a bricks and mortar one! I'm sorry, but all of this is but "smoke and mirrors" to me. Put money into better curriculum and teachers, then update the necessities at the current high school. I have not seen any proposals or discussions on fixing the real problem in Peach County. So, the people are supposed to get excited about plans for the superficial of shiny new buildings, with no strategy in sight for bettering the actual education of the students within them! This ESPLOST vote should be postponed until such time as a more comprehensive plan is formulated with more informed and involved stakeholders included in the entire process! If the Board insists on moving forward with the vote NOW, then I don't see how anyone using any degree of common sense and community consciousness can vote anything but NO to continuing the ESPLOST!