EVERY PERSON AND TRIBE ON PLANET EARTH… 
has a narrative—a detailed story about who they are, where they’re from and what they’ve done. Even places have their own stories. With those things in mind, the question arises: who better to share a narrative about a person or group than the person or people themselves? As a lifetime writer and lover of non-fiction, I find truth to be the most important element of storytelling, especially when it comes to describing “the people who lived it,” which brings me to why I created and produced the TalfordArts feature: “Generations: Reflections of the Seed of the Ancestors.” I’ll begin by telling a brief story…
Many years ago, not long after ending my active duty military service and taking a job at a hospital ER, I became friends with a fellow employee—a man from India. He was several years older than I was at the time (I was in my early 20s). In fact, this man whose name I’ll withhold, was actually old enough to be my dad, but that’s par for the course for me (the majority of my closest friends are all older than I am anyway).
My friend worked in environmental services, so whenever he came through the Emergency Room to clean up or swap out dirty linens for fresh ones, we would often chat for a few. During those brief but meaningful chats, we talked about work and life in general, and exchanged stories about our experiences. One very profound story that has remained with me to this day, is the time that he told me about how wrong the image was that he had of “Black People from America” when he first came to this country.
My friend told me that as he was preparing to leave his native India to pursue a better life here, he was warned to “avoid Black people,” because they were said to be “violent,” “dangerous,” and “not to be trusted.” I maintained a poker face as I listened to him say that, but deep down inside, I was utterly disgusted at what I was hearing. “How can people in another country say and believe those lies about us without even knowing us. Who’s over there selling that crap?” Still, I knew him well enough to believe that-that was just what he was told and not who he was or how he personally felt.
He went on to tell me that the media images and movies portraying Blacks in America helped to solidify the negative stereotypes he had been forewarned about. As he went on though, I realized that for him, “a funny thing happened on the way to ‘The Wild Wild West.’”
My friend told me that not long after he arrived in America, he began to feel guilty for believing the stories he had heard about us. He told me that he ended up moving to a neighborhood where he had many Black neighbors, and that what he began to realize is that those very same people he was told to be afraid of, actually ended up being the friendliest and most down-to-earth people he had ever met. He said he was a regular fixture at his Black neighbors’ cookouts, and had many of his friends and neighbors over to his house for dinner and good times. Looking back, what that situation taught me is that if you want your truth to be told, you have to write the narrative yourself. No one will ever be able tell your story the way that you can.
So fast-forward to today…
In an effort to rewrite the narrative, my company (TalfordArts) has created a feature to tell our story the right way…
“Generations: Reflections of the Seed of the Ancestors” was created with two goals in mind:
- To shine the spotlight on everyday people who represent the majority of us, who work hard to provide for our families, improve our positions in life, and strive to be positive examples for the youth.
- To show the younger generation that success is not just what mainstream media says it is, by providing examples of everyday people who look like them, and are living proof that there are many different paths to success, and that it comes in a variety of flavors. These everyday people pass on words of wisdom that have helped steer them—words that have been passed down through generations of their predecessors.
In closing, it has been 400 Years since the first documented arrival of captured souls from the shores of Africa to the shores of North America, and by the hand of the Almighty, the majority of those souls survived, thrived and produced offspring worthy of wearing the mantle of strength and determination carried by those before them. And as the story above told by my friend from India has illustrated, the negative narratives being spotlight time and time again by mainstream media, do not accurately reflect the majority, who with our words and deeds, continue to make the spirits of the ancestors proud. In light of this, my company TalfordArts has decided to help the seed tell their stories; and we are proud to spotlight those who continue to lead by example. If you would like to share your story with us, simply do the following:
- Follow us on our Facebook and Instagram pages (@talfordarts).
- Send us your best picture wearing our 400 Years Commemorative T-shirt.
- Either Direct Message (FB or IG), or email us three or four sentences sharing positive thoughts on what the 400-Year legacy means to you (send us email using the form at the bottom of this page). It can be anything positive that you want to share regarding your thoughts on the 400-year legacy, the ancestors, a word of wisdom poured into you by a parent, grandparent, neighborhood elder, mentor, etc—however you’re so moved.
Based on the volume of spotlight requests received, our staff will choose their favorites, and we will feature those on our TalfordArts Facebook and Instagram feeds. At the end of each month, we will take the male and female who’s spotlight received the most combined likes across Facebook and Instagram, and feature them in a “Generations Spotlight of the Month” post in our blog, both at talfordarts.com and at mdtalford.com. Those Generations Spotlights of the Month honorees will also receive a free 400 Years Commemorative Coffee Mug (also available in our online bookstore).
(Don’t have your TalfordArts 400 Years Commemorative Tee yet? Order yours at www.talfordarts.com).
Finally, as we remember the strength of the ancestors, let us be mindful to leave a legacy that our successors can also be proud of.
God Bless!
—MT
Contact Us
Matt D. Talford is a writer, narrator, and author of three books: “Stuck In An Elevator” – a fictitious tale of passion and self-discovery; “Captain’s Mate: A Practical Guide for Tennis Captains, League Players and High School Coaches”; and his award-winning debut title: ”From Fear to Faith: A Survivor’s Story” – a memoir about overcoming a rare form of what he calls “the C-word.” All three books are currently available in paperback on this website, www.talfordarts.com, or at Amazon; and in eBook format on Amazon Kindle and Apple iBooks. “From Fear to Faith: A Survivor’s Story” is also available in audiobook (narrated by Talford himself) at iTunes, audible.com, and at many other sites where audiobooks are sold. For information on these and other products, click the “Products” link in the menu or visit www.talfordarts.com.
