Rico Sharp speaking at Keep Jackson Beautiful. Message: Unity in the Community

We're here to celebrate Keep Jackson Beautiful and our awardees. So we're going to have an early morning party, and I want you all to join me, uh, in this party. We have with us today a gentleman by the name of Mr. Rico Sharp from Orlando, Florida, who is a professional motivational speaker, life coach, leadership trainer, who who has over 33 years of experience. Rico is known for his ability to inspire resilience, passion, and positive change. Today he joins us to motivate and encourage us to continue the important work of keeping Jackson beautiful, reminding us that our efforts matter. With his dynamic energy and Powerful message. Rico will inspire us to keep pushing forward and uplifting others along the way. Let us give Mr. Rico Vance a hand as he comes.

Thank you. Well, I gotta tell you, I certainly feel welcome. It's an honor to be here with Thank you all today, and I do want to say to the mayor, I've already had an opportunity to eat some of your delicious food. Being born and raised in Florida, I didn't think it was possible to eat anyone's cooking that was better than my mother's. However, after eating here at this In the restaurant on yesterday, I had an amazing born-again experience with some macaroni and cheese. I had plans to kind of venture out a little bit yesterday, but after eating, Mayor, I found myself in my hotel room bed staring at the ceiling wondering why I I took the liberty to eat as much as I did. It's an honor to be here. I want to thank Alicia and the board of directors and everyone else for allowing me to be able to come and share this, this wonderful, wonderful extravagant moment with you all. I can attest that there is a lot of hospitality and everyone Everyone here has been quite hospitable, and I feel blessed to be amongst you all. So again, I do want to say thank you to everyone and to all of the elected officials and all of you in your respectable places. My position today is to share a little bit with you on Keep Jackson Beautiful, and I've taken the liberty to highlight this moment and call this particular keynote Unity in the Community. And I just want to share with you for about 15 minutes what unity in community looks like here for Jackson, Mississippi. Number 1, the word unity means to be united for the same common goal or cause. Unity is continuity without deviation or change, as in purpose or action. There's a stand— there's a statement that reverberates throughout this earth, and that statement is, together we stand, united we stand, but divided we fall. And that is true for nations, that is true for kingdoms, that is true for families, that is true for corporations, that is true for nonprofits, that is true That is true for the city of Jackson. That is true for any municipality. Together we stand, divided we fall. I'd like to suggest to you that either as a city we will stand for something or fall for anything, and I believe it's advantageous for us to take a stand for something that we all believe in, something that we all cherish and admire. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is keeping Jackson beautiful. We are taking a stand to keep Jackson beautiful. I want to suggest to you that each and every one of us are environmentalists, whether you accept that title or not, or whether you run Recognize that you've been called to be an environmentalist. What is an environmentalist, one may ask? An environmentalist is someone who is concerned with and advocates for the protection, the upkeep, and the beautification of the environment and its sustainable resources. In other words, we all care about where we live and the conditions of our environment. We all care about our city. We all care about our neighborhoods. We all care about our communities, our society. And it's all of our joint responsibility to make sure that we're doing everything within our powers to keep our community beautiful. If you live in Jackson, you are Jackson's environmentalist, whether you realize it or not. The moment you decided that you wanted to live in this beautiful city, you took on the active role of being an environmentalist for the city of Jackson. In every community that you live in, you are an environmentalist, and your assignment as a citizen, as a resident, is to do all that you possibly can and to use your personal jurisdiction To uphold the beautification of that particular environment. Jackson is the capital of Mississippi, and you all as environmentalists of Jackson, because of your residence, you have capital gain in the capital of Mississippi. And your capital gain, your asset, is your property. And that is something something that you must do all that you can to enhance and to keep beautified. Because when you fix up and when you beautify your property and you maintain your property, you are helping to keep Jackson beautiful. Do you agree with that?

Yes.

I do want to say to you that we are a community. And I'm talking as if I live here because I feel like, as the mayor said, that one day I might find my roots being replanted and regrown right here in Jackson, Mississippi. I want to say to you that we are a unified body of individuals such as residents with common interests living in a particular area. It's not the federal government, the state government, it's not the county government or the city governments It's the city's job to keep Jackson beautiful as much as it is every resident's job to keep Jackson beautiful.

Amen.

I know you pay taxes, and I know you think that your tax dollars can work miracles like God, but the truth of the matter is we have to lend a helping hand from time to time and oftentimes periodically to help make sure that our properties are maintained, not just in the 4 walls that we live in, not just on the, the lot that our house is on, but down the street, around the corner, across town, and in every neighborhood within the confines of the city of Jackson. We have in our neighborhoods what we call homeowners associations, and as homeowners associations We understand that there are certain things that we have to do because there are certain laws and bylaws that will substantiate our doing. But apart from homeowners association, I want to introduce to you homeowners initiation, which means without an association, I have an obligation.

Come on.

And my obligation is to initiate the beautification Of the area I call home. You see, ladies and gentlemen, your home is not just your house. Your home is the square footage of the community that your house is located in. Your home is not just the square footage of the community, but your home is citywide. This city is your home. This city is where you live. This city is where your roots are.

Amen.

And even if you're not born here in Jackson, but you live here in Jackson, I once heard it said before that it's not where you're born, it's where you're at that matters. I believe we have some proud residents of the city of Jackson dwelling amongst us even now. And even if you don't live here, but you frequent here, I believe that the more you frequent here, That because of the hospitality, because of the beautiful environment, because of that good old Southern fried chicken, and because of people who can look at you and give you a warm smile, I believe that you should feel obligated to do whatever it is that you can to help keep Jackson beautiful. I came up with this acronym for the word BUILD. According to Webster's Dictionary, the word build means to form by ordering and uniting materials through a gradual process into a composite whole. But I want to break down for you the word build, an acronym that I thought is befitting. Number 1, for the letter B, build means to beautify, to fix up. We're talking about your home. We're talking about your block, the street that you live on. We're talking about your community. There are things that we can do that won't break the bank to build and to fix up our community. And can I just say to you that if you're living in an area, a community, or even a home where there are some things that needs to be done to enhance the appearance of that home, I suggest to you these 3 simple words: fix it up.

Fix it up.

Don't wait for the government. Fix it up. Don't wait for FEMA. Fix it up. Don't wait for the city officials. Fix it up. Why? Because when you fix up your neighborhood, when you fix up your yard, when you fix up your home, You're investing into your capital gain. You invested into your personal portfolio. Can I suggest to you that your home is the most valuable asset that you can own? It's not your diamond ring. It's not your Mercedes in the driveway. It's not the Gucci bags and the nice clothing that you have in your closet. Your home is your most valuable asset. And if your home is your most valuable asset, then you should be Willing to fix it up. The U stands for undertake. That means to personalize the responsibility to do what needs to be done. Don't wait for someone else to do it. There's an old lady that I— from back home where I live. Her name is, um, Miss Mary. And every so often, Miss Mary would get her broom and start at her front door and just start sweeping. Around her front door. But she didn't retire there. She would go out to where the sidewalk is and start sweeping down the sidewalk. She didn't stop there. She would go out to the corner and she would start sweeping the curb, and she would proceed on down the street. And around about 5 o'clock in the evening, Miss Mary is still out there sweeping and just doing her part. She did that until she was like 95 years of age. It was one of the things that kept her going. See, ladies and gentlemen, we all need to be a Miss Mary. We all need to grab a broom or a trash bag. We all need to grab a hammer and some nails. We all need to do something in our community to make sure that we are gatekeepers not only to our city but gatekeepers to our neighborhoods, so that whenever property value does go up, Guess what? Our property value rises too. Then you have I, invest. Put money into your neighborhood, put money into your home, put money into rundown buildings, put money into homes that have been left abandoned. Do what you can to fix up property. One of the things that I've done for years as an initiative is that I would go out throughout the community and my church and we would find properties that were desecrated, and there we would fix them up. We would paint them. We would replace windows. We would do things that nobody paid us to do. Nobody asked us to do. I'm from the old school. When you see a problem, you fix it.

Right.

When you see something needs to be done, you do it. You don't wait to see who else is going to do it. You don't call for the mayor to come do it. You become the mayor of your block. You become the mayor of your neighborhood and you take on the responsibility to invest back into your neighborhood. The L stands for love. Love your city, love your hood, love your community. Love is a powerful word that requires action. It demands you to get down to it. Love your city. And when you love your neighborhood and you love your community, it will exemplify the love that you have for it. Nobody will have to ask the question about, do you love where you live? When people can drive through your neighborhood and see everything is clean and everything is fixed up, the question answers itself. The proof is in the pudding. The reflection is in the mirror. You know that you love it because of what you do for it. And then D, Defend, defend your property, defend your property value, and make sure that you're always taking the initiative to build up what you work hard to accomplish. After all, ladies and gentlemen, at the end of the day, you did work hard for it.

Mm-hmm.

You did have to go to work and work a 9 to 5 or start some business and become an entrepreneur in order to accomplish what you have. And so your home and your neighborhood should be in your portfolio of your pride and joy. This is something that you work hard to accomplish, and anything that you work hard to accomplish, you must also work hard to attain. Give me about 7 more minutes. I wanted to share with you Something that I consider to be quite important, quite fascinating. This is what happens when communities unite and come together. I call this teamwork makes the dream work. The United Way— we all heard of the United Way before. Well, their movement began in 1887 in Denver, Colorado, when a group of people from the community came together To improve their community through cooperative action. Nobody asked them to do it. They made the initiative. The organization's mission now is to tackle challenges through partnership and collective action throughout the country and beyond, and to help people achieve their full potential. You see, they came together with a simple plan. We're going to fix up our community. And as a result of them fixing up their community, they organized and began to branch out. And now they are fixing up communities and helping organizations around the country and beyond. Listen, United Way is not just an organizational name. It's not a nonprofit's name. United Way is a It's a principle, and it must become an adopted principle for every community. Together we stand, that's the United Way. Divided we fall. Together we rise, that's the United Way. Together we build, that's the United Way. Together we can beautify our communities. Together we can keep Jackson beautiful. Thank you, Rico. That's, ladies and gentlemen, the United Way. Then there's the Community United San Jose. Community United San Jose provides after-school services to youth in a crime-ridden area. Don't talk about the crime if you're not going to do anything about it. Don't talk about young people out on the street corner if you're not going to try to get out there and get them off the corner. Don't talk about the homeless situation if you're not going to do anything to help.

That's right.

In fact, let's not talk about it, let's walk about it. Let's be about it. This organization provides services including computer labs, sport events, recreational activity, and literacy programs. And then we have Communities United, which is based out of Chicago. And this, this organization, they help to build collective power. To achieve social change. This organization works— focuses on leadership development, community engagement, research, and community empowerment. And then I would like to submit to you that great things happen when communities come together. Research shows, ladies and gentlemen, that when When communities come together, when the citizens of communities come together, that cultural enrichment is a direct result. Enhanced well-being is a direct result. Increased resilience is a direct result. When community comes together, when constituents within the community come together, there will be stronger social bonds, more of an economic development That spreads amongst all residents. And then there is improved problem solving. You know, when we can put our heads together, we are stronger together than we are individually. And then there is increased civic engagement. There are so many wonderful things, and these are only a few. There are so many wonderful things that happen as a direct result Of us pulling up our sleeve, getting a bucket, a broom, a rake, a shovel, getting a couple of 2x4s, a hammer, a saw, and a couple of people who know a couple of things. And we get out there in the community and we work like we're building our own house from the ground up. And then finally Jackson is known for some wonderful, wonderful attributes, wonderful things. I just want to name a couple of them according to my research. Jackson is known for its amazing people and hospitality, its civil rights movement. In 1966, Dr. King marched alongside of Mr. James Meredith, and their march was against fear. Jackson is known for its rich history, the civil rights movement that ignited equality nationwide, marked by historical museums that still exist today. Jackson is known for its music heritage. The City of Soul is what you guys are known for, or known as. You guys got blues here like no one else does.

Mhm.

You have gospel, you have folk, which is music that is passed down from generation to generation. You have a great collection of people who have come forth from Jackson, Mississippi, and are popular in their own right. Releasing music around the world. You have diverse culinary scenes, Southern cuisine. I've had some of that good old, good old, good old, good old food. And guess what? I'm about to have a little bit more of that good old, good old, good old food. You know, you know you love eating when all you can do is think about how you should have taken one more bite. more bite of that piece of fried chicken before you lay down to retire. You're known for your soul food and your seafood. You're known for your beautiful architecture and art sites. But I want to propose a question to you. Will you be known for keeping Jackson beautiful?

Yeah.

Will you be known— you know, history records and rewrites and And add basically to the history that is already written on a yearly or generational basis. So in other words, history is constantly being added to and rewritten. And so the question is, along with all this wonderful history that you have here in Jackson, will you also be known for keeping Jackson beautiful?

Yes.

Will you be known as the generation that took a vow, that took an oath amongst itself to say, I'm going to do my part to keep Jackson beautiful? Will you be known as a generation that says, hey, I know I can do something? I may not be able to do everything, but I can do something. And whatever my something is, I'm going to do it whenever the opportunity is presented. Will you be known for keeping Jackson beautiful? And so here's a couple of things that you can do to keep Jackson beautiful, and I retire with this. You can develop— and I know you have Adopt a Spot, I think it is— but you can develop Adopt a Spot, a block, on an interracial basis. And this is just something that I thought, um, maybe we can add a little flair to what we already have and begin to cross racial barriers and bring people together. For example, let's say we got communities that tends to be separated by corridors and oftentimes separated by demographics. We can get certain people out of certain demographics and bring them over to other demographics and let them help out with beautifying the area. We can take people from the middle class and bring them down to the hood, if you will, and help out. We can get people from the hood, if you will, and take them to middle-class neighborhoods and collectively work together. That's right. And what's happening? We're inspiring relationships. We're breaking down divides. We're bridging the gaps that exist within our community. And then number 2, we can create community-wide events, and I know you all are doing that to certain degrees. Number 3, we can have volunteer opportunities for local projects, community-wide projects where people come out that are Plumber. Plumbers, electricians, people come out that are masons, people come out that have different skills and, and different ways of working to work together to make it happen. Then we can adopt a property improvement week where we set a whole week aside, Mayor, once a year to improve personal property. Some people may not have the finances or the physical capacity to do certain things. But maybe we can adopt a once a week out of the year to go into the community and fix up properties for the less fortunate. And then we can adopt a community-wide property week where everybody comes together, which is what I'm just— which is what I said, and work to get things done. And finally, the intergenerational activity where you have the young, the middle-aged, the old, and everyone else coming together, working together to beautify Jackson. I will say this in closing. This is your community. This is your responsibility. You have what it takes, and you can get the job done. Sometimes you just need a little motivation, a little incentive, and oftentimes a little reminder. And I believe this program has been designed— this, this event today has been designed to remind us that we've got work to do, that we've got something that God has blessed us with, and we want to take advantage of keeping it and making it all that it has the potential to become. I want to leave you with this quote: Always reach for the moon, because even if you miss, you will land among the stars.

Yeah.

Always be willing to aim high and hit nothing rather than to aim low and hit everything. Be willing to be on top because it's the bottom that's overcrowded. Understand that your attitude towards life determines life's attitude toward you. And might I add something? Your attitude towards Jackson determines Jackson's attitude toward you.

Yeah.

Be willing to do today things that others won't do so that you can have tomorrow things that others won't have. Be willing to build today Today in Jackson that your children will live in tomorrow. Understand that other people's opinions of you matters not to the determination of your potential, nor to the dictation of your destiny. So walk not in the shadows of those you admire, but discover your own passion and dare to aspire. For then you will realize your greatness and leave a legacy that inspires. And think sharp, plan sharp, talk sharp, walk sharp, live sharp, and you'll be sharp. My name is Rico Sharp, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you so much for your time.

Thank you, Chris. Chris said it's time for the offering since, uh, Rico has spoken. Thank you so very, very much for those encouraging words. Now we can take it back to our community and express what we have learned today, because one thing about it is, uh, we need to, uh, work together and keep Jackson beautiful. When I was on the radio, that's one thing that I used to preach about because I care about my city, uh, is picking up litter and And trying to encourage people not to throw litter on the streets because it looks very, very bad. But once again, I want to thank Mr. Sharp for those encouraging words. And, uh, hey, let's give him another round of applause. And now we will have an invocation laid