In case you haven’t noticed, we are not very civil with each other. There is an air of distrust between us. It’s most noticeable between men and women. Those with means don’t seem interested in the least about those without means. Parents of successful children seem reluctant to share parenting techniques with parents who are struggling with their kids. Many Christians who love God don’t love their neighbor unless that neighbor is also a Christian and preferably a member of the same church.

No matter how different our backgrounds, level of education, place of residence, occupation, or spiritual base… We are brothers and sisters. I can hear the minds churning saying, “Just because you’re black doesn’t mean I have to like you or speak to you.”  No, of course you don’t have to like a black person just because you’re black. There’s a whole lot of black people I don’t want to know and don’t think I would like based on what I’ve observed from their actions. However, when I pass a brother or a sister on the street, in an office building or in the grocery store, there is no reason for me not to be civil towards them… and that my friends is where we as black people need to start in order to turn our ship around… civility toward each other.

“Hello” is a simple word which can open the door to endless possibilities. Said with a smile, it can change a person’s whole outlook that day. At the very least, it’s a friendly verbal greeting which is so much better than a head nod which we brothers have made into an art form or the half-fake smile women sometimes give each other only if a woman has on something the other woman likes.

We are a spirited and passionate people and that’s not a bad thing. It is why we laugh loud and cry hard. We have deep feelings for those we know and love but seemingly no feelings for those we don’t know. Both men and women have said that saying hello is often times taken as a come on. If someone takes a simple “Hello” as a come on then they are probably not worth your time anyway. So realizing that, you can just write them off and move on. But I believe more brothers and sisters than not will welcome a friendly smile and a warm “hello” from a stranger, then say to themselves “That was nice” and as a ten year old once told me a long time ago…”It’s nice to be nice.”

Imagine the groundswell of positive energy we can generate by just saying “hello” to each other. We can begin to feel good about each other. Over time, we’ll begin to reach out and talk to each other, trust each other, educate each other, and forever put to rest any idea that we can be divided and conquered.  Yes, that will take more than a simple “hello” but it’s a good start and one we should begin doing today.

Say It Loud!