Baton Rouge Blogs — Blog

Sometimes in life, we get so preoccupied with our ultimate goals and success that we forget to enjoy the process that leads us to achieving these goals and success. Think about it like this. Say you and your loved ones are taking a road trip somewhere. On the way to the destination you pass a lot of great scenery, restaurants, and popular landmarks, but you don't take the time to stop and enjoy these things because you are so focused on getting to your destination. Yes you eventually make it to your destination, but you've also missed a lot of potentially fun, everlasting memories along the way because you were only concentrating on one part of the trip, not the trip as a whole.

“Life is a journey, not a destination.”

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

Oftentimes we treat life and our goals just like the trip described above. We don't take the time to enjoy other things that are happening around us because we are only concentrating on the bigger picture. We are so busy running through life trying to make something happen that we are missing precious moments.

I hear people talk all the time about what they are going to do when they finally accomplish a goal or reach a certain status. My question to them is, "What are you doing in the meantime?" Life shouldn't be on hold until you reach a desired point. Life is a road that is meant to be traveled and lived at all stages because you never know when that road will change or end.

Don't wait for the perfect moment to live. Enjoy the scenery on the way to that perfect moment. Living on the way to your perfect moment will make your perfect moment that much better.

On another note, I am helping out a family that lost everything during the flood in Baton Rouge. The family consists of a mother and a daughter who is in the 9th grade. If you would like to join me in assisting this family, please email me at samjahiman@styleandenergy.com for more information. Your help and prayers are greatly appreciated.

I'm enjoying the journey. Are you?

- Samjah Iman

To protect and serve huh? Don’t they mean to only protect and serve one kind? This is disgusting and unacceptable! Something has to be done about these trigger-happy policeman and their warped mentalities! This incident should be our breaking point; as a matter of fact, the first incident like this should have been our breaking point. We have to do something about it now! Alton Sterling of Baton Rouge could have easily been someone I knew or worse – someone related to me. I pray so hard for my brother’s, cousins', nephews’, god-son's, and male friends’ lives, but today I feel like my prayers are not enough. Work has to be done in addition to prayer.

Creating t-shirts adorned with police brutality victims’ names on them or posting motivational sayings and hash tags on social media shouldn’t be the only things we do to show our sentiments this time. We should take it back to the days where we walked for hours or did whatever necessary to demand justice. We should make some noise in our communities continuously so that our voices are eventually heard. We should come together as a culture and show just how strong we are collectively, and that enough is enough. I’m ready for a change, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that all black men can live in a society where they are not feared by police but protected by them – just like their Caucasian counterparts. I will be participating in the protest here in Baton Rouge on Sunday, and I hope my blog readers who are located in Baton Rouge will do the same.

A note from the desk of Dr. Saulsberry –

It’s happened again, and it’s coming again! What you ask? Another “questionable police shooting of a black young man and those critics who will inevitably turn the incident/conversation to “black on black crime.” The only commonalities between black on black crime and police brutality are: guns, a quick temper, questionable judgement, and an action resulting in a young black man being dead. The major difference is that the police officer is “supposed to be a trained professional with the skills to determine and take actions that will de-escalate a situation resulting in positive results for all involved. They are not supposed to be a professional acting out of anger, feelings of disrespect, or fearing for one’s life (the classic excuse). The “street thug” acts out of anger because they feel disrespected or fear for their life as well. They, however, have no de-escalation skills or training to turn a hostile situation around. Both reactions end in the death of a young black man. Again, the major difference is that the police officer is supposed to be a mature and skilled professional sworn to uphold the law (not to be the judge, jury, and executioner) and to DE-ESCALATE a situation. They obviously have the skills to do so, because as Jesse Williams stated in his BET Awards Speech, “Police somehow manage to de-escalate, disarm and not kill white people every day.” …

Why is it that they can see the humanity in others but not in us?

The difference apparently is as stated in the Cameo song Skin I’m In (written by Larry Blackmon). “I’m so frustrated and flustered. At what has been riddance to justice? Is it immoral or a sin? If it is, according to the skin you’re in….skin you’re in”

I’m sick and tired of just being sick and tired! I need to do something else, and I am. What about you?

- Dr. Saulsberry

Now back to our regularly scheduled, good-vibes program.....venting has subsided.

Peace and Blessings

- Samjah Iman

Enjoy the Journey

Makes Me Want to HOLLER!