Getting Off the Sidewalk of Life: 3 Centuries of Black Greatness

Have you ever wondered what makes some persons more successful than others? Well, it could be because some people prefer to stay than getting off the sidewalk of life; playing it safe. And that side of the road usually offers limited options for success.

It’s easy to accept things the way they are but to attain greatness requires more. Hard-work, focus and tenacity are the tools great minds have used to get to the place called ‘there’. You too can take the leap to greatness irrespective of your creed or challenges in life.

Olaudah Equiano, Booker T. Washington, and Oprah Winfrey, three centuries apart, understood the secret to success and applied it. If time, space, race, and society did not stop them, what’s stopping you?

Now, let’s talk a bit about these three great minds and how they were able to overcome their travails in life. You can learn a thing or two from their stories. So hitch a ride with me in getting off the sidewalk of life.

Three die-hard Success Stories: Off the Sidewalk of Life

Olaudah Equiano

Equiano was a slave who lived over two centuries ago. Against all odds, Equiano worked hard to buy his freedom and was notable for his literary works and the abolitionist movement. His books became a bestseller and attracted public opinion regarding the plight of the black community even in the high courts of England. In a time when it was more or less a crime to be black, Equiano got off the sidewalk of life and made a statement against slavery.

Booker T WashingtonBooker Taliaferro Washington was born into slavery over one and a half centuries ago. Through sheer determination, Booker was able to put his footprints in the sands of time. He worked to pay his way through school and later became an influential black leader. Washington founded the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute to help educate blacks and promote industrialization in the black community.

Oprah Winfrey

Oprah is a true example of what it takes to get off the sidewalk of life and excel against all odds. Today she is one of the most influential black women in the world, a TV Host, producer, actress, philanthropist, etc. Oprah is one lady who rose from abject deprivation to an enviable position in business, media, and politics; a success story in the 21st century.

The list of die-hard successful people is endless. You too can be all you wish to become if you would remain focused. Get off the sidewalk to fight for what you believe in. Here’s what Steve Harvey says, “you have to take the stairs in life… through your trials, God toughens you in life… imagination is everything”.