At the end of every article I write, “Conspire to Inspire”.  I’ve never explained to my readers what this means to me and why I spread this message.  Conspire to inspire has become my motto.  From an early age I was inspired by my mother and father to achieve all that I dreamed.  I was inspired by my grandparents and a few select teachers as well. 

Unfortunately I realize from my life experiences that not enough of us are inspired.   To be inspired is to be encouraged, motivated and stimulated.  I find myself still inspired by my husband, my ancestors, my friends and by the thought of those yet to come…

The importance of inspiration can be felt in the achievements of many and the plunders of the minds of far too many more.  We cannot continue to complain about the negative behavior of our youth if we have never taken time to encourage or motivate them to do anything better… 

We speak platitudes yet how many of us actually take time to bond and go one on one with a child, a teen, a youth and encourage them to achieve their goals or show them how to set goals? 

It is our responsibility to be that which we are required by necessity to be.  The cultural manners of European and Western society is to “mind your own business”, the cultural manners of Africans is “it takes a whole village to raise a child”, thereby ensuring involvement and participation of the community as a collective in the individuals life…

We` as a people need to go back to the ways of our ancestors and create and recreate.  We must re educate the mis educated and uneducated to the beauty of our heritage as African peoples from the Diaspora and encourage and motivate our people, young and old, to set goals and learn how to achieve them. 

It should become our way of life…the effects will be far and felt…to conspire to inspire…

Roxann Latimer