One of the things I remember most about my college experience at Tougaloo College is to be the change I want to see.  As students, we were continuously told to be a change agent, question the status quo and initiate programs that lead to lasting change. In short, we were taught to leave a legacy and soar like an eagle.  During that time, I developed a mindset of never settling and taking courageous steps to reach my fullest potential.

That foundation and those lessons have served me well. There comes a time when you can no longer sit idly by and take life as it comes.  Something begins to stir in your soul propelling you to take action against systems you don’t agree with. There comes a time when you realize you must be the change you want to see through educating yourself, not being afraid to step into the unknown and networking and collaborating with others for greater impact.

Clearly, we sit at a crossroads in our nation and even the world where many of us are being challenged to do something.  We feel a stirring within to use our voice to speak up, our minds to brainstorm solutions and our feet to walk through a new journey.  Martin Luther King Jr said, “Our lives begin to end when we become silent about things that matter.”  Silence is acceptance.  What have we become comfortable with accepting?  What has lulled us to sleep in such a way that we accept status quo? What are we being silent about?

I challenge us to speak up for change. It’s time to collaborate and create change that uproots systems of bondage.  It’s time for us to leave a legacy that empowers generations after us. And how does one start, you ask? Be the change you want to see. It starts within.

~Coletta Jones Patterson

Coletta is an author, speaker, life coach and business executive who is passionate about helping others get unstuck. Her book, “Beyon