Letters: Keep the fire burning

I try to open my mind to the fact that racism is gone or is getting better. I find it hard when I see commercials, news articles and watch the news. As an African-American year old man, I have experienced racism. I believe if you tell someone something long enough, he or she will start to believe it. Black men are portrayed as bad, ending up in jail and not faithful or trustworthy. I believe all men have mountains to climb, some bigger than others. I have overcome sickness, lack of a college education, the mental fight of knowing who I really am and that I have a purpose in life despite what people, the news and movies portray. The key to survival is keeping the fire going. You fuel it with positive words and believing in yourself and accepting yourself. I am still here and I do make a difference, and am proud to be black. I hope and pray we "keep the fire burning" by changing what we read, see and listen to. Know that success is being ready when the opportunity knocks. It’s not how many times you get knocked down but how many times you get up. Let’s keep the fire burning.

This story was originally published January 15, 2018 at 2:35 PM with the headline "Letters: Keep the fire burning."