D.O.P.E. E.R.A. During Oppression People Evolve and With Growth Everyone Rises Above

STILL BLIND TO A BROKEN MANS DREAMS? STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW THAT ROSE GREW FROM CONCRETE? YOU STILL WOULD RATHER DISCUSS THE HOW, WHILE IGNORING THE WHY? HOW ABOUT WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE PEDALS FROM THAT ROSE, ENJOY ITS STORY. THAT SAME ROSE THAT GREW WITH NO WATER OR LIGHT, THE ONLY SUN RAYS IT EXPERIENCED WAS WHEN THE SUN PLAYED PEEK-A-BOO THROUGH THE CRACKS OF THE PROJECTS. BUT IT STILL ROSE, "STILL I ROSE," LIKE IN THE WORDS OF THE GREATEST WRITERS OF THE 20TH CENTURY WERE BLESSED TO HAVE, DR. MAYA ANGELOU AND PROFESSOR TUPAC SHAKUR.AS YOU GET OLDER PERCEPTION PLAYS A MAJOR ROLE IN YOUR LIFE'S CHOICES. BECAUSE YOU BEGIN TO PAY MORE ATTENTION TO DETAIL, AND KNOWLEDGE BLESSES YOU WITH INSIGHT. GROWTH ALLOWS THE APPLICATION OF UNDERSTANDING AND TO PROCESS THAT IT'S NOT WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT BUT MORE ABOUT WHAT YOU SEE. SIGHT & VISION ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT IT TAKES WISDOM TO UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE. SIGHT IS THE ABILITY TO SEE ON THE SURFACE, VISION IS THE KNOWLEDGE AND INTELLIGENCE TO KNOW THAT IT'S ALWAYS MORE THAN WHAT YOU SEE. OVERLOOKED ARE THE PRICELESS GEMS, HIDDEN IN THE BEDS OF RUBBLE, CONFUSED FOR DEBRIS. WHAT I WISH FOR MY PEOPLE IS FOR YOU NOT TO TAKE MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT BUT FOR YOU TO RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF STAYING FOCUSED AND BEING ABLE TO PREVENT THE DERAILING OF YOUR TRAIN.LEAVE NO CONFUSION IN MY CONCLUSION, THE SOLE PURPOSE OF THIS BOOK US TO RELIGHT THE LAMP OF GUIDANCE THAT MY GENERATION HAS STOPPED UTILIZING. I WANT TO A VOICE OF REASON TO THE MISGUIDED YOUTH, ALL THE WHILE CREATING COURSED WITHOUT THE COLLISIONS. A VAST MAJORITY OF MY PEERS GREW UP WITHOUT FATHERS, FORCING THEM TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES, SO MUCH SO THAT THEY BECAME DETACHED FROM RELIANCE AND DEVELOPED A DISDAINING ATTITUDE TOWARDS AUTHORITY. SO ANYONE TRYING TO BE "FATHERS," OR "FATHER FIGURES" THEY WERE EASILY DISREGARDED. KNOWING ALL I AM UP AGAINST, I DON'T SET OUT TO BE ANYONE OTHER THAN "LIBBY'S DADDY." BUT I DO WISH TO REINVENT THE ROLE MODEL AND BECOME THE "BIG HOMIE", I WISH I HAD WHEN I WAS GROWING UP. NOT THE ONE WHO MANIPULATES THE YOUTH, BUT THE ONE WHO MOTIVATES THEM. IF YOU BELIEVE, THAN YOU CAN ACHIEVE, I MEAN HELL, JUST LOOK AT ME!....PAC SAID "I MAY NOT BE THE ONE WHO CHANGES THE WORLD, BUT I WILL SPARK THE BRAIN THAT DOES." RATHER I CHANGE THE WORLD OR NOT THROUGH MY WORK, I HOPE TO ALTER THE PERCEPTION OF MY PEERS WHO CAN'T SEE PAST THEIR BOXED IS PARADIGM. I AM OFTEN TOLD THAT I SHOULD RUN FOR MAYOR....NOT IN A MILLION YEARS DID I GAVE THAT ON MY TO-DO LIST GROWING UP, BUT YOU NEVER KNOW....I AM JUST KEEPING A POSITIVE PERSPECTIVE, STAYING DOPE AND AM GLAD TO BE ABLE TO RECEIVE MY ROSES WHILE I CAN APPRECIATE THE SMELL.SO MUCH NEGATIVITY IN THIS WORLD, I AM JUST TRYING TO PUSH PEACE, AND RESPECT OTHER'S HAPPINESS AS I WOULD HOPE THEY'D RESPECT MINE. SINCE I AM MY OWN BIGGEST FAN, REGARDLESS IF THE WORLD LIKES MY WORK, JUST TO SAY THAT I'M A PUBLISHED AUTHOR, I'M SUPER EXCITED....."MOMMA, I WROTE A BOOK!" LIL BAD ASS STANLEY WITH A.D.H.D. SAT DOWN AND REALLY PENNED A BOOK. HAHAHAHAHA. I AM GIVING BACK BECAUSE IF YOU KNOW, THEN YOU OWE. IT'S ALL A PART OF RESILIENCE, RESPONSIBILITY & ACCOUNTABILITY. BEING A FATHER AND A PUBLIC FIGURE AND ALWAYS PUSHING FATHERHOOD OVER FIGURES I KNOW THAT IN THE END IT WILL BE OK, AND IF IT'S NOT OK THEN IT'S NOT THE END....I'M TOO ANOINTED TO BE DISAPPOINTED, SO I WILL LEAVE THE SAME WAY I CAME, IN PEACE AND HARMONY WITH HOPE THAT THE SUPREME BEING MAYBE PLEASED WITH MY CONTRIBUTIONS....BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE SUPPORTERS ALONG THE JOURNEY THIS IS JUST THE FIRST OF MANY....THE ERA WAY

Derrick D. Grace II is an American ? Motivational speaker ? and Author ? known for his eccentric ideas in how to discipline African American ? Children. Born and raised in the state of Florida ?, he grew up in the city of Tampa, Florida ?. He attended C. Leon King High School ?.He grew up in a family of professionals: his father has worked in the Secret Service ? as an officer for more than 30 years; and, his mother is a school teacher. ? He has an older brother who is also in Law enforcement ?.