MANNERS

We can all get very busy in life and forget to do the basic “niceties†that we were taught. We forget basic manners like calling, writing, touching, coming to visit Mom and Dad.

—Pearl Bailey

Perhaps a few of us might rank a talk on manners as pretty far down on our communal and personal agenda. Yet courteousness and good manners have long been part of our African-American tradition, tying in with our feelings of personal dignity, the respect we are owed, and the civility we have had to demand.

It’s important to keep this tradition strong, because it is both affirmative and uplifting. Let us start first in the home, with our families, and then extend our consideration to others, especially to those in our African-American community. How we talk to each other can either enhance quality of life or detract from it.

Call to Action: On this day, I will take five minutes to talk to my children about manners, their place in our family, and in African-American culture.