The Secret Society (The REAL reason Gary Harris held it down at the NBA Draft)

"Holdin' it down fellas!"

When I pledged Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. 26 years ago I learned secrets that only the members of the organization were privileged to know. I learned what to do and say when approached by other members no matter where they were from in this huge world of ours. There was even a secret hand shake that went along with it that sealed the bond. It was great to become a member of an organization of men that put such high value on service and scholarship as I'm quite sure all of the other fraternities do as well. However, the fraternity of fatherhood among black men is 1000 times more precious for those of us that have crossed those burnin' sands of puttin' in work because the world refuses to acknowledge our existence.

Well playboy, last night my homeboy Garry Harris Sr. held it down for the fraternity of fathers out here that the world refuses to see when his son Gary was taken in the first round of the NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls but then traded to the Denver Nuggets. It's always been disturbin' to me when I see our big time athletes get up to receive an award only to thank Momma, Big Momma or Madea for bein' there for them. I'm always lookin' for pops to be standin' there but most of the time he isn't.

 I've lost count of the number of times a college or pro athlete has reached the pinnacle of their career or major mile stones only to send a shout to mom. So I applaud the mothers and grandmothers all over the country for doin' what they've had to do in raisin' these kids alone. It almost seems like findin' fathers is like lookin' for "Big Foot." However, last night we got a rare glimpse of a member of "The Secret Society" of black men that ARE raisin' and nurturin' their kids every step of the way.

Let's keep it real or all the way 100, which ever comes first! When they called Lil' G's name both mom and dad were by his side along with his two younger brothers. Most importantly, you didn't see a whole bunch of cats goin' crazy and cryin'! Why? Because it wasn't about everybody else gettin' out of the ghetto. Why? Because Big G and Joy (his wife) had already taken care of that because they both are Purdue grads and have been in the Corporate game for years and livin' very comfortably. So it was about Lil' G becomin' a professional and bein' able to take care of himself doin' something that he loves to do. 

He doesn't have to worry about boyz hittin' him up for bread and takin' care all the duns around him because his dad is holdin' it down. He doesn't have to worry about makin' sure mom is OK because that's Big G's job. He doesn't have to pay everybody's cell phone bill and buy new whips for duns that have done absolutely nothin' but wait on a boy to get drafted. Naw pimpin' it's about him becomin' an asset to the Denver Nuggets and maturin' into a grown man.

Big G wasn't the dad that was front and center because his kid was on television and the world wants to interview him. Naw playboy, my man has been there every step of the way. First of all, he's been married to ALL three of his son's mother for more than twenty years let's get that straight out the gate. Secondly, he has always been the cat hurryin' home from work or even changin' clothes in the car tryin' to get the kids to practice or games.

I know because we've been doin' the same thing for years. However, the world refuses to believe that fathers like us exist. I know what the numbers say bruh! We've heard them our entire adult lives and they keep us motivated. According to the Morehouse Statement, new statistics show that an estimated 80 percent of all African-American children will spend part of their childhood living apart from their fathers. Seventy percent of African-American children are born to unmarried mothers and 40 percent of all children regardless of race, live in homes without fathers.

Also accordin' to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 70 percent of juveniles in state reform institutions grew up in single-parent or no-parent situations, and 53 percent of state prison inmates grew up apart from their fathers. I get all of that bruh, but we refuse to allow those numbers to become real in our homes because the God that I serve says, "A man that does not take care of his family is worse than a non-believer.” 1 Timothy 5:8.

 Gary & Joy on senior night in high school!

So my man "G Money" represented for ALL of the black men in this country that the world refuses to see last night. The world was only payin' attention to Joy but all of the REAL G's stuck their chests out when they called Lil' G's name and my man dapped him up and let him handle his business. Now I'm quite sure that there were other dads in the buildin' too so I'm proppin' them as well. Because the cameras many times have a funny way of only showin' moms when daddy is standin' right there too.

It's like only showin' the bush when they show pictures of Africa. Most people in this world think that everybody in Africa live in huts and run around naked because that's all they show you on TV.

Now this may be a rare sightin' to the rest of the world but I see it daily because birds of a feather flock together! We both grew up in the G (Gary, In.) with our dads married to our mothers until they both died! We're out here even though the world refuses to see us and we praise God that Gary has been chosen to represent the brotherhood because his son is so talented. God is awesome the way he sets things up. Thanks G for doin' an awesome job with your children and it only motivates the rest of us to continue to do the same.

Don't get it twisted, it shouldn't ever matter whether your child is an NBA first round draft pick or not. All that matters is that you support them every step of the way because they all are special and it‘s God‘s mission for us to head our households and be the examples that we‘ve been ordained to be. Also thanks to all the mothers out there that have to be both parents because so many duns have refused to join the "The Secret Society" and learn the hand shake. Stop me when I start lyin'!

And hold on a second dawg, y'all know I couldn't get out of here without talkin' about Andrew Wiggins, Adreian Payne and Jalen Rose real quick! Did they ride in together and jump out of one of those mini clown cars or what bruh! Did you see the jacket Wiggins had on? That dun looked like he hit bucket No.6 at Bozo's Circus and then robbed Cookie of his freakin' jacket. Then Adreian Payne had on a bow tie that looked like it was about to start spinnin' and take off. Now what's up with Jalen and these ridiculous roses he's rockin' on his lapels bruh? I get what he's tryin' to do but the entire rose is waaaay over the top playa. Just get a rose pin and rock it. He looks like he's about to start sprayin' water on ole dull Bill Simmons. Which on second thought ain't a bad idea because listenin' to that dun is like watchin' paint dry.

Holla At Ya Boy!
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The captions under the photo's are REAL today!
2nd Photograph provided by Steve Risley