JFIFC    $ &%# #"(-90(*6+"#2D26;=@@@&0FKE>J9?@=C  =)#)==================================================" }!1AQa"q2#BR$3br %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz w!1AQaq"2B #3Rbr $4%&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ?QhO֢gAhnN,&MOR1n窰]yZX'9 @ 95t;vq$|0kA BHx|eh˕+_ \|UwO.ȫ( GW >msGJH:U4Q$bAPG\O1k\C%OPㄷ(>UNk>HDa6o d1 a6n۷BQXZ}W +LI%E],hp3;ho1^?/iapO^g`.8@g  &]i7JTq^PTeMy3xkTܧ$HFjmmo@/ Y'xݯnÅ`(BdFp0P2sUn)kϦse `A=ү~YeLkL鸞Rع'.,_sʌ ph<+bg k?YGml]ļMsLNmmr*& Ym-n 1pzTeq|M`y}B ַ+Ir 'hRIv^֤,n" *8׭pzmťWΪs q2 #ޯw-+?ԩ8a=zP[neъmylJHKOu}\`1m$2čhخ5&I ǭ[ӯe2sd|+ !*Ha:|+Ic?6qs@e.G!?U#wXEY#4Vf2O1WĒhrZYKIuZkz=]HD1tV; Q XG0BGWICb#˥$~RAgGYy1+r Y5mԑթqZJVj'&Vڜ/5ޔb|:ݫ3Wq [V壸vo+p=9}jthԼH8%.#*(j6&i<v^³4h&]bR`Lki9=SQwyWfյ^ԣK27c\&e6 䎌.mEKymjLGtM0$ ݱmxEQ,0=6&$@6rF{V=Oa;k{nPB@L@%U"^PrIÚKUL|?.<@=u"=%t=.}9RG$(үلW$d7R5b,r$ r(W&Ybs8#]Dž5^e[}\֗El,  Õ+Ca5̲N[E] iZ}H^`qLGZq[,A2ZX Ew"~o Qx :nJőOe/㸔98>[PKRr~PlSIO'FO@7JӚ}(+أPlmAqMFOL" o!LEKz5RJ!}rpEiiLbKHH9 OmhPAS28wryzF9?SXwpm N:uYGwPlu@Ke@&]?ݠ ,&0tV*eAr۵Νsy3j#d3$l#z.\:t?[OS,a lO[BKg3P.8F>Ml"s@vx e3VֵYMܘcAݘ{S8K=2 Y$cڹk\%U}W( Yi >չJA ja<k돳n8Žhz4R(ϽmEFI*Fn3@HqUg]jĄt|]:F|MKcE%ĨSM@/ бBi݃95,d {Ӆx(7\)=kHZGS xdEƀ*} Ѿ˂Uϴ 3ϭt0Ʃp>ꇊ<(:&oe aAvmFrOq}wc9xf9gaRMw6[[E|1rjG[o÷`L<­z$S+4/\ o b$At>J'7NkUD89UeSA䅣{+pp)Z9BKQv-ۑ~ٝ&/a?F>NEs%WP8; i62%RƊlgay`FB ުD1ѓw.soh$IeMҶ.d<`ܟuI/썮Q?2{mXx%R7Tm -"]Zx}GSr*ZJǏӊW3 uk" asq8v4]fgl*EE<#ۥN-i~J$x1EM7[dv >?t7ĚĚlI-lKvl PP+= n'X,daWisqjl0ǡ T8MݎhB rhJ_ E[>(>Z }iq5.rG@*=T+ϱF=E;a ?whғ`h@˞0}QyC|b Kv;TB7v\P*/0q1ExZ2 rj*!@+[Ѽ5{m9ۈ`m/D7 ܣ#],Fxa9:[xvO!x$?uIj6gS2c\4ԏZ_,c'OPMڍpi!o=0# @3ޘF2F5*/=4܂(E9_;a0$)F@y@ 3NʑȩKOaB(ې0}ip09 SHP8s@(#ץ;4|A\4=903ڊsomeone else s life, you must first change your own. So, I set out to make a difference in my own life first. I had no idea that my simple goals would someday become what is being called by many,  the preamble of the first and only African American Creed. <br>The African American Creed is not about being perfect, nor is it about the color of your skin; it is about being proud of one s heritage and doing the best that you can in life. The creed starts out by eschewing the negative and embracing God and country. It also revisits history and is about self-sufficiency and placing yourself where you can make a difference. Early in the creed it talks about warding off hatred and bigotry. A mistake that this generation (all races) is still paying for.<br>The way I see things, is that we all have been blessed with many talents, and I am not talking about those talents that you hear about in a million dollar seminar, but those talents that people do so well that you have to stop and wonder how it is that they can do what they do so great! Take Michael Jordan for example. Why was Michael so successful? Because he was doing something that he enjoyed and worked extremely hard at it. And, if you think for one moment that he was born to play basketball, you re dead wrong. Like many others before him (yes there was basketball before Michael, he worked very hard to get where he was. Yet, he did not stop working hard after he earned his way into the NBA. Let s face it. Nothing in life that is worth anything comes without a price. We even have to work to earn our own sweat!<br>I feel that it is important to note that I am not without my faults. I bleed like you, I hurt like you, and I can cry like you. And like you, I too, have made many mistakes in my life. But, I realize that I have only two choices: I could sit around and wallow in  could have  or I could rewrite my map (the creed) for life and change my current negative circumstances to reflect the  real me. I said a prayer or three and chose the latter.<br>I would like to leave you with these final thoughts: Whatever it is that you are doing well, do it bigger, faster, stronger and wiser the next time. And never wait until you get sick and tired of being sick and tired before you decide to change a negative situation into a positive one. Think it, Dream it, Become it, <br>Live it - Just Do It! <br><br><br>___________________<br><br><br> When I first saw the National African American Creed, I was deeply touched. I contacted author Terry Harris and got his permission to share it with our BFS readers.<br>I also went to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Visitor s Center in Atlanta to gain further insight. The center is a place