We’ve struggled through oppression, suppression and poverty. We’ve had the duty of balancing family and work, and when family came before work we were fired. We’ve had to press through the dirty looks, inequality and disrespect. Disrespect was when you called me nigger. Disrespect was when you attacked me because you feared me. Disrespect was when you belittled my existence to just 3/5 of a man when we were all “created equal.”Yeah, let’s talk about disrespect. Let’s talk about being labeled as someone who is socially disadvantaged, let’s talk about the stereotype of dumb, black and no good. Let’s talk about the many double standards that exist. Like, do as I say and not as I do, or same job but unequal pay.Things have changed but so much has remained the same, and because of the hypocrisy of this nation, to set laws but yet break them, our country is in a rut. It may not be as obvious as it was 30 or 40 years ago, but it is still exists. The prejudice, the racial profiling — when will it stop?When will this nation, that is supposedly founded under the principles of Christianity, begin to live the life that symbolizes it.Turmoil still echoes in the streets in black, impoverished neighborhoods. The cry for a leader who will do what it is that he or she says is desired in a society that lacks, so it seems, any leadership.It’s time for a change. It’s time to get back to the root of why we’re here. It’s time to establish ourselves as legitimate citizens with a voice that deserves to be heard. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying the finer things in life, by all means strive to be successful, don’t limit yourself. But by no means should gaining success mean forgetting about those who don’t have the opportunities you have.African Americans have made great strides in not just accepting inequality to be the norm. African Americans have advanced in ways that no one thought they could. We hold positions in the Senate and in the House of Representatives. It’s truly a blessing to see that time heals wounds. But what I’m not satisfied with is that when we, African Americans, get into those positions we think that that’s it. Not realizing there’s so much more work to be done. We still have to change people’s perceptions about politics and let them know getting involved doesn’t hurt.If we really want to change how we are treated and viewed we must begin to take action against those who are treating us and viewing us in ways that are contrary to who and what we really are.The answer isn’t in violence, the answer isn’t in hating or payback, but the answer is in standing up and making your requests, your needs and your concerns known to those who are in positions of leadership.The bar has to be raised for African Americans. We have to start caring because things haven’t changed as much as we would like to believe they have. Black men are still treated as less than white men, women are still considered inferior to men, racism still exists, the gap between those who have and those who don’t continues to widen and the rich keep getting richer and the poor even poorer. That’s the truth loud and clear. It’s our duty to change that. It’s our duty to make a name for ourselves and to make the next generation proud of our accomplishments, and the fact that we worked hard to give them an opportunity to succeed.