Without Struggle there is no Success”

Last night I watched this movie on CityTV, called “Higher Learning" with Omar Epps, Laurence Fishburne, Ice-Cube, and Tyra Banks. This movie was actually pretty good, not something I’d pay money to watch in a theatre, but a movie with a lot of meaning.
The movie talks about racism, sexual confusion and fitting in at school. This is what YahooMovies had to say:

Drama
The third installment in John Singleton's trilogy about South Central Los Angeles, HIGHER LEARNING examines mid-1990s university politics from racial, sexual, and economic standpoints. At fictional Columbus University (where a statue of the explorer stands witness to the dominant culture's supremacy), three freshman arrive to find a campus ready to explode. Malik (Omar Epps) wavers among the influences of revolution-preaching super-senior Fudge (Ice Cube), no-excuses Professor Phipps (Laurence Fishburne), and his motivated girlfriend Deja (Tyra Banks). Kristen (Kristy Swanson), another neophyte, is thrown into sexual confusion when she meets a charismatic lesbian, while the socially inept Remy (Michael Rapaport) can only fit in with the local skinheads. The storylines cross and complicate as each character tries to discover what's right, but the potential for violence grows with every wrong choice they make. Singleton recruited an emsemble of considerable talent to flesh out the complex plot, which allows him to deal efficiently with a breadth of concerns without preaching.

At the end, there was this really good quote:

Character Played by Laurence Fishburne: “ ’Without Struggle there is no success’ ”
Character Played by Omar Epps: “Frederick Douglass”

I found this quote very interesting and moving actually. But I wanted some background on this Frederick Douglass. Mr. Douglass was a slave in the 1800’s. He escaped slavery and became a speaker, worked with the likes of Abraham Lincoln, and fought to end slavery.

So I was thinking to myself, wow, this guy achieved so much with so little. One of the great successes in American History probably. And I think to myself, he probably went through some of the greatest trials ever when he was alive. First off, since he was a slave, even though he escaped this, he probably went through turmoils and troubles. I can’t even imagine what he went through. But then I wonder how he ever got noticed, how he got to a person of his stature. He was on the run, born to the name Frederick Baily and changed his name so he could escape a little more easily to Frederick Douglass.

This man had such a resounding affect on American History, he fought for emancipation with Abraham Lincoln in the Civil war, truly a man who has lived.

So why do I write about him? Well, back to my ever non-ending “no success” issue, it really meant something to me. I mean, we all say this all the time, that everything is not always an easy ride. There are great trials to succeed, and in my case, this may be one of them. I’ve heard countless times that God provides, and that I believe. But I guess I too often forget how much He has done for me. I think it’s a part of human nature to dwell on the things we do not receive. I guess that goes back to yesterday’s blog about living in the past.

I guess the times I feel I am going through is one of those times one struggles through life, and it’s what I get out of it that helps me build right? I mean here I am kind of feeling sorry for myself when there are tons of people in this world who have it worse. I think I’ve fallen into the trap of having too much success, that when the first sign of trouble comes along, I can’t handle it. But I am trying to handle my situation. Am trying not to think too much about it, but persevere onwards, hoping for the best, and having faith our Lord.

So words to live by, “Without Struggle there is no success.” Frederick Douglass

Today’s Current Events:
- Government says it will not sell Hydro One anymore
- Weekend carjackers taken into custody, I think it was 5 minors.
- Some dumb Waterloo councilor wants to build a Lennox Lewis statue in town in honour of him. This is absurd. Article
- Lakers leading Nets 89-87, almost have it all WON