Our Lifestyle is Our Legacy

“Over our lifetime, whether we want to or not, we develop a lifestyle that is a reflection of our character, beliefs, and values. It is ours to embrace, understand, and develop. It is our footprints in the proverbial sand – our legacy.”

I like to think of legacy as the impact that a person’s journey has on others, both in the present and the future. It is common to think that legacies are only between parents and children or for those who are doing big things in the world. In reality, though, each of us has the potential to leave a lasting imprint on the future, and with that comes a responsibility to reflect on that legacy, no matter how big or small.

As the work that individuals do intersects, a collective legacy begins to emerge. I believe that that we have a spiritual obligation to build a foundation for a collective legacy of great works across many disciplines that have a common goal: growing people with community, with a “do for self” foundation. That is not to suggest that we will never need the support of others; we will. My point is that a hand-up is better than a handout, which was my philosophy as I built Streetwise newspaper in Chicago and Washington DC from 1993-2005.

Approximately, 66% of the men and women who sold Streetwise and were homeless wanted an economic stairstep up from homelessness and poverty. So, I leaned into the idea of a hand-up and built a concept of “moving to greater levels of self-sufficiency.” When I left Streetwise in 2005, I continued to implement my vision of impacting the community from the bottom up as I have worked to build economically sustainable communities that grow people as they grow. This is my contribution to Chicago, a collective legacy of empowering people to empower themselves.

This quarter’s issue of Lifestyle @ the Intersection will feature another man who has also dedicated his life to serving the people. Congressman Danny K. Davis 7th Congressional District legacy towers over politicians of our time. To me, he’s a John Lewis, Jim Clyburn, legend. His legacy has been educating the people and meeting us from where we are without judgement. As a senior legislator, who sits prominently on the most powerful Ways and Means Committee in Congress, he continues to bring home much needed resources and thereby positively impacting the community economics and social viability. He has much more to do, and I know your will enjoy his story as he continues his real, real legacy of growing people and community while at the intersection of this important moment in our history. It is my distinct pleasure for our next generation writers and readers to feel who this distinguished gentleman is.

Welcome to the L@TI Legacy edition.