Be a Huxtable, Don’t Just Watch the Huxtables.
I just realized that I am obsessively hooked on the news. I have been checking my news apps multiple times a day, over and over again.
Today, it literally took me a couple of hours to get over Dilbert being cancelled, being called a racist just for waking up Black, Elon Musk weighing in, and then wondering if just waking up Black means I’m “woke?” When did that happen? Thinking to myself, "I am so glad I bought a Ford Mach E and not a Tesla." I mean, it was really messing with my head.
And then I remembered the Cosby Show. Yeah, I said it, the Cosby Show. I remember being hooked on that show. I watched it every day after school. I was fascinated with the doctor/lawyer couple (my parents were pastor/social worker.). I was intrigued by how they talked and what they talked about. It was like I was projecting myself into the set- becoming Theo. And then one day I noticed that they weren’t watching T.V., they were busy being about what others watched on T.V.
I remember vowing to myself to aspire to live a life so meaningful and interesting that it could be a T.V. show all by itself.
But somewhere along the way T.V. got replaced by the internet and news and social media channels. And I forgot the promise that I made to myself. Be the show. Be the show.
Like Mrs. Huxtable, I too am an attorney and have been one for 30 years. True to my roots I specialize in nonprofit law and advise mostly Pastors and Social Workers.
In addition, I am a CEO who develops affordable housing.
I also strive to be a social entrepreneur that creates marketplace-driven solutions that help address historic inequalities. My first foray into this space became a national phenomenon known as The Nehemiah Program, American’s first national, privately funded down payment assistance program (here is a nod to the last day of Black History Month.)
My current venture, Qualified Buyer Index (www.getqbi.com), is a tool that helps overcome the implicit bias that occurs in the homebuying process. Many homebuyers are not taken seriously by real estate professionals because they just don't "look" like they could buy a house. QBI is an objective tool that helps assess a prospective home buyer's readiness based solely on income, credit score range and other mortgage-qualifying criteria.
Stay tuned. Now that I have wrestled my voice back from the algorithms that have been feeding me xenophobic gloom and doom you will be hearing more about it and from me in general.
I love America. I want to help anyone and everyone who aspires to become a responsible homeowner. I want us all to be able to live together in harmony and peace in diverse neighborhoods of our ability and choosing. It’s what I strive to do every day as an attorney, nonprofit CEO and social entrepreneur. This is my reality. This is MY show.