It takes a village…

Once upon a time, there was little girl who grew up in a community where everybody knew everybody. It was neighborhood where people shared and cared; a place where children felt safe and protected by Moms who weren’t there Moms and Dads who weren’t there Dads but it didn’t matter because everybody belonged to everybody. And if you got out of line, everybody belonged to everybody.

In this neighborhood, no one went without. Do you remember a time where if you needed sugar you could go next door and borrow some? Or if your Mom ran out of eggs she would send you across the street to get some from your neighbor? It was that kind of neighborhood, where if you needed help, the village was there to lend a hand. It wasn’t a perfect place but it was a perfect place to grow—a community where people talked to each other and encouraged each other to reach beyond their grasp.

I remembered my neighborhood when I reached out to Mrs. Michelle Obama, the First Lady of the United States. I told her about the “I AM ENUF” foundation that helps young people embrace their uniqueness and accept differences in others and expressed my interest in partnering with The White House to stop bullying. Many children stay home from school because of it…some teens commit suicide because of it… and others live in a state of fear because of it; and as a community, we have the power to say, ‘enough is enough.’

In the words of Mrs. Obama: “America needs your hands, your hearts, and your hard work now more than ever. History tells us that when we come together as a Nation with a sense of purpose and a spirit of service, no challenge is too great.”