Black Future

Hi Elijah King is a 1o year old boy getting off the bus from elementary school. As he walks into his house he has a big smile on his face because of what he learned today in class at school. “I can’t wait to write this letter” he thought. “I’m gonna save it and give it to my kids one day in the future.” Elijah sits down at the desk in his bedroom and pulls out his notepad. “Here goes nothing.” He starts as he begins to write.

Hello, young Black children of the future. My name is Elijah King. I’m a young Black child just like the kids reading this letter. I’m writing you this letter as a homework assignment my teacher gave me in class today. She told me to write a letter to the next generation of young Black children and give them some wise words to live by.

I’m only 10 years old so I probably don’t know a whole lot about being wise, but my parents taught me a lot about having goals and being a young Black child with hopes for a great future. This month is Black History Month and all week long my teacher has been showing us documentaries about famous Black historical figures. I have really been enjoying these videos. It’s just so much about our history that I never knew.

One of the first people we learned about was George Washington Carver. He was like the Black Albert Einstein before Einstein actually came around and he made so much with just even a peanut. We learned so much about other Black legends like Jesse Owens, Bessie Colman, Madam CJ Walker, Thurgood Marshall. These people all did so much in sports, flying, finance and the justice system. It really amazed me to learn all of this. My mind opened up in a way that it never had before. I saw so many new possibilities of what we as Black children can be in the future.

So I’m writing this letter because I’m hoping to inspire you in the same way that I have been inspired. You may not know it yet, because well, you’re not here yet, but as Black children you can be anything you want to be. If you wanna be a lawyer or doctor, you can do it. If you wanna be a scientist or a millionaire, you can do it. If you want to be a judge, a president or a world leader you can do it because so many of us have done all that already. There is nothing we can’t do, so be inspired.

Of course you will have to work hard to get what you want because being smart just won’t be enough. There may be a lot of things standing in the way, but you can make it through all of it just like our ancestors did. So it may be another 20 years before you see this letter. Actually it may be even shorter than that, but whenever you smart and talented young Black children get here I will be holding this letter for you and when the time is right I’ll give it to you so you can go for your dreams. Good luck young brothers and sisters of the future, I’m rooting for you.

Sincerely, Elijah, a young King.

After finishing the letter Elijah folded it in half and wrote the title “Black Future” across the top of the paper. He then put the letter in his backpack and zipped it shut. After putting his book bag away he stared out of his bedroom window at the little kids in the neighborhood playing in their yard. Elijah had a big smile on his face as his mother suddenly walked in and ask “hey little man, what you doin.” “Dreamin’ mama.” He answered happily. “Just dreaming about the future.”