our view
Speak your mind Speak your mind
A Mackinac
Unsung Heroes – The Single MoTher
Time for Us to Step
call to Gen X
By Sylvia Hubbard
Up to The Plate
This week the Detroit Regional Chamber will host the
My life is not exciting like a movie or drama filled like a soap opera. I
By Raphael B. Johnson
annual Mackinac Conference on Mackinac Island to dis-
wouldn’t even dare say it’s fulfilling like a great meal. I’m a single mother
cuss issues that affect not only the city of Detroit, but the
of three along with other “jobs” in life.
Let me formally intro-
state of Michigan as a whole.
Before I continue about “my life” I’d like to say an ode to people who
duce myself. I am Raphael
This year’s event, which is titled the Mackinac Poli-
hardly get recognized.
B. Johnson. I am 34-years-
cy Conference, will feature dialog among top business
The single parent: According to the U.S. Census Bureau the single
young. I am married and
parent household is not the minority anymore. It’s the majority.
professionals, legislative leaders, corporate CEOs, vet-
have two small children. I
Yet this ode is not just to all of them as a whole. I would like to speak
eran regional champions and young professionals about
was raised in Detroit, went
about the single mothers that as Fantasia calls them “the girls that get
change as it relates remaking Michigan and executing a
to school here (Cass Tech)
no help.” Those single mothers with two or more children, who have a
vision for a “new, sustainable state”.
and got two degrees from
decent education, decent job and are just making it so that they can bring
During this week long affair, the who’s who of Michi-
the University of Detroit Mer-
up their children to have a better life, while receiving no financial, mental
gan come together to discuss issues centered on social,
or community support.
cy. I caught spiders, fought,
economic and political affairs. It is here that networking is
These are the women, who wake up five am to get the children off
break- danced, lived, laughed, cried and loved only the
at its best; hands are shaken, shoulders are rubbed and
the school and then get ready for work. If these mothers go to school,
way we can in “the D.” Just like you, I am Detroit.
coattails are pulled. But at the end of the day what will be
they have to make sure they have their books in their bag before they
Many of the 18-35 year-olds in the City of Detroit know
accomplished? Each year this conference takes place and
leave for the day. As they are at work, these women have to remember
me from working on the Maury Show with out-of-control
the typical twenty to thirty-somethings are none the wiser,
the pediatrician appointments and the annual dental check up, and we
teens and controlling men. I’ve been doing that for a cou-
because lets face it…who wants to go to Mackinac, right?
can’t forget the braces and the glasses.
ple years now. Others may know me from speaking at
But the fact of the matter is that 95 percent of everything
Once we’re off work, there’s the running around for the things we
their graduation, organization, school or to their loved ones
you will ever do, or want to do in life is predicated on who
have to do for the house and the kids. Oh yeah, there’s the school proj-
who are incarcerated. Like Tupac said, “I get around.”
you know, and only 5 percent of what your actual abilities ect and this weekend’s tasks. If there’s after school activities, there’s the
Today I want to pull your coat on the importance of get-
are. The ability to network is at the core of any successful transportation to get them back and forth to the right after school activity
ting involved in the political process. Most young brothers
business or social endeavor that you will ever set out to and then of course there’s homework, dinner, cleaning up the house,
and sisters that I meet in the schools and streets have little
accomplish. washing the clothes, combing hair, laying out for the next day and if there
interest in politics. Many don’t see the relevance it has on
For years, the career politicians and business big-wigs are any bills or payments due out, making sure the bank records are
or in their lives. The majority of young folks view politi-
have used this conference as a sounding board for various organized.
cians as shady, crooked, greedy, deceptive and fake.
ideas that ultimately shape many of the ideologies that we
It’s now eleven o’clock at night and everything is done. Allow me to enlighten you on how relevant the political
see today or have heard about: transportation, economic
Six hours later, she has to get up and do it again. By herself. process is to us and why it should be of great importance.
growth and race relations just to name a few. But when
And what is the reward for this? Lifetime achievement acknowledge- The first thing I learned in my Political Science class at U
you really think about it, without the active participation of
ments? Swiss bank accounts? Around the world shopping sprees? of DM is that politics is ‘ubiquitous.’ This means that it is
the younger generations you end up with the same ideas
None of that - Just kisses on the cheek and every once in a while, a everywhere. From the clothes on our backs, to the mu-
and practices of an older generation that doesn’t always
thank you faintly given out as they snuggle down in their sleep. sic that we download onto our IPods. Everything that we
know how, or want, to think outside the box.
Yet for all the work she does, those kisses and thank yous are the
engage in, legally or illegally, is in some way influenced or
The Mackinac Conference is a prime opportunity for
reward to her. That is going to be the satisfaction for the sacrifice for
governed by politics.
those who strive to make a change, or a difference, at the
eighteen years of doing it over and over again, praying that she is doing
Politics as an institution is not crooked nor is it bad. If
state and city levels to be heard. What this city, and state
what is best for the child – all by herself.
a painter paints your house and you don’t like it, then he is
for that matter, need is change. It needs its forward think-
For thirteen years, this has been my life. Thirteen years, no vaca-
a bad painter not the paint itself. You either have him do it
ing Gen X’ers to step up and take an interest in its future to
tions, no breaks and no assistance from anywhere, except the State of
over or your fire him and hire someone else who can get
move things ahead and bring a fresh perspective.
Michigan for the first five years.
the job done. Politics is not supposed to make the people.
Mackinac and networking opportunities like it are the
My mother always said to me, “The blessings may not come when
The people, as indicated by the late and great Tupac, are
breeding ground for endless possibilities. This is a call to
you want them, but they will come right on time.” I think I’d like to add that
supposed to make politics. The ultimate power is in your
maybe we’ve gotten the blessings and if we do our job taking care of the
action to step outside of our comfort zone and try some-
hands.
blessing to the best of our ability they’ll be bigger rewards to come.
thing new. Fusion has set the pace, now it is up to the rest
We must get out and vote. We have to create a move-
To all those mothers, there’s hope for more blessings to come.
of us to help propel their efforts.
ment of young people that will make their voices heard.
Rant and rave from How To Love A Black Woman Blogger by Sylvia
For more information about Mackinac please visit
That will organize, march and demonstrate on any Detroit
Hubbard. www.loveablackwoman.com
http://mpc.detroitchamber.com/.
leader who sells us out or don’t represent our best inter-
est. All of this is within our constitutional rights so we must
ComiC ConneCtion
not be afraid.
If you disagree with recreation centers closing down,
lights not working, trash everywhere, abandoned build-
ings, broken down cars, police not responding in a timely
fashion, all the crime in the neighborhoods and not hav-
ing any peace then you must organized. The youth have
always been the catalyst for revolution in the annals of
history.
Young Detroiters must play an integral part and partici-
pate in the political process in order to change our living
conditions. Allow me to lead and serve you as a member
of the new Detroit City Council. To vote me in will be his-
tory. I too am like you. I have been through much but I
can’t turn back now. Keeping it real, I’m young, strong,
bold, inspiring and gifted. Let’s take the lead in this ‘differ-
ent direction.’ Vote Raphael B. Johnson for City Council
on August 4th (“The man from the Maury Show”)
www.raphaelbjohnson.com
www.raphaelbjohnson4citycouncil.com
The Michigan FrontPage • May 29, 2009 
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