A Global Mission:
Bronzed Connections is designed to serve as a support network, as a motivational tool with positive undertones. This newsletter is not a resource for "griping" or blaming, but rather a forum for men, women and children to communicate and share experiences, enlighten and encourage one another. An opportunity for African Americans and other ethnic groups to connect with their own race and with other races to find solutions. Before you can truly embrace others, you must first embrace yourself. To appreciate and respect other racial groups, you must first appreciate and respect your own.

Bridging the Economic Divide Starts With Bridging the Education Divide
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Since all human beings are connected and journeying on the same tracks in life ... just traveling on different trains, the topics presented in this Mears Management newsletter will pertain to local, state, national and international issues . These articles can be helpful to everyone, everywhere who may be facing similar difficulties and having similar concerns.

The original publication of "Bronzed Connections" was issued locally as hard copy November 1, 2006. Excerpts from that issue will be found within this online publication along with additional articles and updates. The decision was made to share with as many people possible. What better way than the global internet system?

to ... Bronzed Connections Forum Topics

Education  Education Defined and Refined  No Child Left Behind & Eliminating School Suspensions Entrepreneurs  What's Your Marketable Skill?  Building African American Businesses Politics  Politics: Seeking Public Power and Control for Private Gain  Escaping Small Town and Big City Politics  President Barack Obama's Impact on African American Experience Online Mentors  Profiles and Contact Info of Mentors for Youth and Adults BC Members  Membership Benefits with Special Options and Listed Partners

On Bridging The Cultural Divide:
Learning From Other Ethnic Groups

My definition of "The Cultural Divide" is the unwillingness to socially and professionally interact with people of different cultures from your own. It includes the disparities in racial, gender and generational class (status) created by bias and discrimination, by lack of self-motivation and mostly by the lack of knowledge. This phenomenon has been ongoing and difficult to penetrate because many people simply feel more comfortable with others who are playing in the same sand box as themselves. The overall impact is unrest, blame, fear and repression.

Bridging the cultural divide begins with bridging the education gap. And bridging the education gap includes not only advancing academically, but it also involves progressing socially, learning life skills for transitioning into our globally diverse society, getting job training and career development insights. Since it takes a village to raise and educate a child, why limit interactions to only certain villages, especially since one will eventually have to associate and work with others who’re not part of his/her group?

African Americans should consider communicating with other Americans who are willing to mentor and provide clues to reaching goals. Consider communicating with those people born in other countries who come to America and are able to find a way to adapt, to adjust their lifestyles and grasp opportunities that are offered to them or create opportunities when they are not offered any. Many of these people are not only surviving, but actually thriving. Learn from their persistence, their perseverance. Discover how they were able to learn a foreign language, gain citizenship, get an education and/or job training, find employment or create their own businesses, maintain careers, secure homes, take care of their families, etc. Find out how they managed to beat all odds and remove or navigate around the many barriers placed before them.

The differences between one ethnic group and another are often seen as things that divide. But when we’re able to see the connections that we can make by interacting with, communicating and sharing information with people whose culture is different from our own, that’s how social bridges are built, bonds are made and the harmony that everyone claims to want so badly can actually become a reality.

For it is our differences that make us all special. Rather than fearing and running from the unique characteristics of another person, it would behoove us to move toward and attempt to see what lessons that individual or group of people can bring to our life and what lessons we can bring to theirs.

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