Living Legends

How did I miss this award-winning gentleman, Kevin Clash?



My kids were only surprised that a kid wasn't the one doing this voice but I, like a lot of people, I'd bet, was thrilled to find this out when I was reading Jet magazine recently:



And then there is this young brother, Barrington Irving.



He is the first young, African-American male to fly around the world solo. He has a blog of his own so you can read about his adventures there.

And now I am starting to think I need to cut these pictures out and make a book for my babies to have as they get older and start to think about what they can do and want to do. In a way, it's a shame we can't just praise them for their accomplishments or even let people like Kevin stay in the background so the fantasy stays intact. But that is not the world we live in. When we as black people break the mold, go against stereotype and achieve in these ways, we may not toot our own horn but someone should, if only for the sake of all children who are still looking for their place in the world. Same goes for any "minority" including women. I always tell my own brood that they can do whatever they want and if they have a passion, deep joy, for it, then God is trying to tell them something - do it! Still, pictures are worth millions of words. In the meanwhile, in this age where we just may get our first African-American president, let's just bask in the glory of their success.