A Letter To A Mayor Who Was Once A Menace, by Tony Lewis

If my old drill instructor, was to stand me at alert right now and blare to know my thoughts, I’d snap at attention and begin to to bark big props, about a Mayor.
And that Mayor, was a man who made it.

Im fresh back from the call-out, and Im not surprised at he mood I’m in. The elation inside, blows into me Hope, and continues to drift me to a place, called bette days. And oh, what a lil’ positivity can do, for a person striving for success.

See, today, I finally meet a man, that a man like me is suppose to meet- a mayor. And being that, that was my first encounter with a person of his stature, for me, it made the moment even ore precious, because this mayor just wasnt any mayor…he was a brotha; and when I say ”brotha”, that meaning, delves deeper beyond any of the shadowy shades of pigment.

Typically, when you merge certain terms like: jail, adversity, and ‘black mayor’…the fisrt thing that pops into a person’s recongnition, is DC’s Marion Barry; and thats quite understandable for a guy like me, because Im familiar certain truths, and this sort of truth is obvious- that most people would think of Mr. Barry, because most people, arent aware of the story of Mr.Wilson.
But who is Mr.Wilson?
How could they not know about such a tale of truimph. I dont know, but if I can help, they’re about to.
The story of Jermaine Wilson, is a story that AMERICA needs to be aware of; more than others..our low-class communities. Because its a story that needs to be mentioned, especially when one bounces around R words such as Reform and Resilience.
Many years ago, if Jermaine Wilson would’ve told the person serving him his prison slop, that he was going to become Mayor, of the SAME CITY which had banned him of his presence… I reckon, a stream of doubt would’ve been beamed his way. But when you think about it, you can’t blame that person for such a cynical reaction. How can you? I mean, you inform me, how many other men of color, do you know of, who fell victim to the system, was sent to prison… to sit, for over half a decade, was released, kept his nose clean for many years, then earned to have his record expunged, only to go on and not only run for office, but Win it!!!
I scoff, with a scoop of admiraton; Not merely at the accomplishment, but rather, at the sight of what a lil’ dedication and determination can do for someone- especially someone whose not that much different from I.
Stories, such as Jermaine Wilson’s, are stories that must be televised. They must be broadcasted, for the masses, becasue it is in the masses where the lost and confused stand. And sometimes, it is the stories of redemption, and trimph, of black people that motivate others to achieve more than what they deemed possible.

One night, as I conversated with a wise man, he told me that sometimes its best to help the next man before you help yourself. Or, sometimes, you can actually help yourself, by simply helping the next man.
Those words, makes me think of Mr.Wilson and how I felt as I clasped his hand that day I meet him. Little did he know, I wasnt just the average priosner, approaching with a mere smile and a shake, nor just a congradulations on his accomplishments; I had so much more to offer, and I had so many positive things I wanted to show him, to prove off the jump that I was extraordinary. Unfortunately, our brief meet and greet didnt pan out like I hoped…but yeah, like the man I want to be, I found another way…another way to impact this man’s life, from behind these cages of confinment; because if its one thing Ive learned and grasped an understanding on is that, when it comes to building relationships to cherish,
most times, people like I have to show how our presence in a person’s life isnt to be harmful, but benefical, and not merely for me, but the person we’re seeking the help from.
So…what better way to do that, then to reach out to someone who I know would be interested in hearing Mr. Jermaine Wilson’s tale from Menace…to MAYOR.

Anyone have the address to the Steve Harvey show?

This prose was written by TonyMyHomie, author of up coming self help A Million Wayz II Make A Million Wagez. He can reached via Jpay.com

Tony Lewis
DOC #98308