Until the story of the hunt is told by the lion, the tale of the hunt will always glorify the hunter. This is an African proverb demanding that we tell our own stories. If we don’t tell the stories of our struggles and victories, it will become someone else’s tales of our hunt. As Black History Month approaches, this proverb takes on greater meaning and urgency.

People often tell me that my Sketches are history. I am reluctant to embrace that concept, but I like the thought.  As I write Senate Sketches each week, the thought that I’m writing history encourages me.  I have written Sketches for 1,546 straight weeks without one miss in 30 years. These writings may be history, and I may be the lion telling the story of the hunt so it will not become somebody’s tale of the hunt.

I have written an article every year for The Greene County Democrat Black History Edition for many years. Whatever the theme, I try to address it within the context of my experiences and understanding.  These writings may be history, and I may be the lion telling the story of the hunt so it will not become somebody’s tale of the hunt.

I have written various open letters to the president of the United States and to some of those striving to become president. I have also written to governors and other well-known personalities such as former NBA basketball player Charles Barkley.  In these open letters, I beseech them to think and act differently. I always explain the need for such changes by sharing the story of our hunt.  These writings may be history, and I may be the lion telling the story of the hunt so it will not become somebody’s tale of the hunt.

I also write confidential letters to presidents, governors, various leaders and others. I do not make these letters public because I want them to have a certain impact. I feel like if I make them public, the recipient may feel that they have to take a popular public position rather than a private productive position. These writings may be history, and I may be the lion telling the story of the hunt so it will not become somebody’s tale of the hunt.

I appear on many radio programs. I often read Sketches on the Faya’s Fire Radio Program. I have been doing this for some years. I do the Sunday school lesson every week. I have been doing this for nearly 17 years. I have been doing Law Lessons on the radio for fewer years, but I don’t remember how many years.

Many of these are recorded. Some are on the world wide web. These radio programs may be history, and I may be the lion telling the story of the hunt so it will not become somebody’s tale of the hunt.

I also appear on various television and other media programs. I tell our story of the hunt directly to listeners. No one slices and dices my story to fit in their story. These programs include appearances on radio and television programs in Selma, Montgomery, Atlanta, Ohio, New York, Florida, Texas, Seattle and many more places. These appearances may be history, and I may be the lion telling the story of the hunt so it will not become somebody’s tale of the hunt.

I wrote a novel, Death of a Fat Man. While it is fiction, it still tells our story. (Aren’t most tales of the hunt mostly fiction anyway?) In novels we tell deeper truths we cannot tell in non-fiction. A novel is another way the lion tells the story of the hunt. This novel may history, and I may be the lion telling the story of the hunt so it will not become somebody’s tale of the hunt.

I am writing a book for each of my nine grandchildren by birth. The series is called The Gift of Struggle. Each book takes the approach of a series of short letters addressed to each individual grandchild and chronicles my struggles. The central theme is that struggle is good, not bad and therefore it is a gift. However, the gift of our struggle is only revealed when we embrace our struggles. My life has been one continuous hunt with many chapters of struggle. These stories may be history, and I may be the lion telling the story of the hunt so it will not become somebody’s tale of the hunt.

I am trying to learn to record rather than write everything. That’s another way to tell the story of the hunt. Even if we believe we cannot write well, we can record well. Our recordings may be history, and we may be the lion telling the story of the hunt so it will not become somebody’s tale of the hunt.

When my children were growing up, I often told them stories about my personal childhood struggles.  They loved these stories and requested the telling over and over.

Every time we tell our stories to our children and grandchildren, we are telling the story of the hunt. These stories may be history, and we may be the lion telling the story of the hunt so it will not become somebody’s tale of the hunt.

I do a lot of public speaking. I nearly always tell stories during these speeches.

People identify with stories in a special way. Sometimes someone will remind me of a story I told in a speech decades ago. I am certain that when our ancestral warriors returned from the lion hunt, the old and young gathered around to hear tales of the hunt.

If we don’t tell our stories, they will be forever lost at best or become tales of the hunt. Until the story of the hunt is told by the lion, the tale of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.

Each of us has our own hunts. Each of us has our own stories of the hunts. If we don’t tell our stories of the hunt, somebody else will tell tales of our hunt.   Their tale will always enlarge them and reduce us.