The UN has declared 2011 The International Year for People of African Descent. The Year aims at strengthening national actions and regional and international cooperation for the benefit of people of African descent in relation to their full enjoyment of economic, cultural, social, civil and political rights, their participation and integration in all political, economic, social and cultural aspects of society, and the promotion of a greater knowledge of and respect for their diverse heritage and culture.
We are calling all those who are Young, Gifted & Black to take this time to maximize your own greatness. Use this year as your challenge to make beauty out of chaos. This is the time to put your skills to the test. How will you honor your ancestry? How will you honor humanity? How will you contribute something positive to the world?
The late Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King said, "Be a bush if you can't be a tree. If you can't be a highway, just be a trail. If you can't be a sun, be a star. For it isn't by size that you win or fail. Be the best of whatever you are."
Last week an online article entitled, “Report on Black Male Achievement Gap Spurs Calls for Action" appeared on browsers around the world.
Unfortunately, the message is nothing new. Where our business is located, strewn amongst the tony brownstones and white table cloth restaurants, we see wasted potential every day. While the article addresses black male achievement, our young women are adding to the uglier side of the statistics too.
Working directly with some of the youth in our hood inspired us to create Simply Gifted™; a collection of sterling silver amulets that simply read Young, Gifted & Black. While simple, the design is deliberate; the circular shape symbolizes the endless global contributions of people of color and the high polish is a surface on which to reflect. The depth of the engraving echoes our deep rooted heritage. The items are for sale on GSquaredNewYork.com. An extended selection will also available at HueMan Bookstore in Harlem, Saturday, December 4th and Saturday, December 11th, 2010 and The Studio Museum in Harlem as of December 3, 2010.
All children, but especially children of color need to have confidence instilled in them on a regular basis. By no means does a piece of jewelry do that, but it does serve as a reminder to the wearer of what they possess and what is expected of them. The idea is to be a “superman” like crest; and in this case a symbol that declares your intellectual strength. The collection is a badge of honor.
We want you to share this information with friends and family. More importantly, get our youth to answer the question, what makes you YOUNG, GIFTED & BLACK?
Answer the call on twitter.com/GSquaredNewYork or FaceBook.com/GSquaredNewYork.
