XERNONA CLAYTON'S WISDOM
Xernona Clayton has given herself the power to effect change, not only for herself but for thousands of others. When she spoke to Atlanta Womens’ Network in June, her words applied not only to women everywhere, but to all people.
Here are some excerpts:
“You can go anywhere from where you are. Imagine your accomplishments, and think into the unknown.
“You too have the power. You have complete control over yourself. If you’re not emerging, advancing and progressing, and succeeding, you’re probably in the wrong environment. So the first thing I want you to hear from me is, ‘If you can’t change the people around you, change the people around you.’
“You see, what’s beautiful about power is that you can decide whatever; you can decide whether to be ugly or nice, whether to be successful or not. I like that ‘Yes you can’ attitude. If you think you can, you will. If you think you can’t, you won’t.
“We’ve had plenty of discrimination in our time, racial discrimination and gender discrimination. People try to tell us we’re not good enough, but I finally said, ‘I am!’ My father told me, first, search yourself. Always be proud of what YOU do. Always be sure YOU’RE right. Always be sure YOU’RE good, and then whatever else happens, that’s that person’s problem, not yours.
“Always be proud of where you are. Always be proud of what you do. You’ve got to be good ALL the time. Dr. King said, ‘It doesn’t matter what you’re called; it matters what you answer to.’
“It’s real easy to complain…about what’s bothering you; about what isn’t, but the real courage comes when you get up and do something about it. It feels good, not to be boastful in order to say you’ve got power, but to use it for the benefit of somebody more than just you.
“Instead of complaining about it, I decided to do something about it. I have the resources (television) and I used it. I went to my boss Ted Turner and said, ‘I want to do a program that will herald the accomplishments of African-Americans; then everybody will see that we’ve been around for a long time, doing our craft and being denied opportunity.’ And that’s how the Trumpet Awards began 18 years ago. Now we’re syndicated in 187 countries.
“There’s an old saying, ‘Your attitude will determine your altitude’; how far you go. If you think you can, you will. And so, I don’t let anything hold me back in terms of that which I believe is right. Just do it. Don’t make any excuses. Excuses are real easy.
“And don’t EVER tell a youngster, ‘That’s a crazy idea.’ You don’t know where ideas will go.”
AWN thanks Xernona Clayton for sharing her expertise, her energy and her experiences with us. Thanks to Molly Darden, AWN's Internal Communications Director for writing this feature.
