CNN PRODUCER NOTE     omekongo says he just wants black people to be proud of their accomplishments and feels that it's unfortunate, but having a strong racial identity is important to have. "Many people still see black people as criminals, lazy, and on welfare. Despite having a black president and many black people excelling in the corporate world, we are still racially profiled and many of our educational practices end up in more black children being left behind," he says. "Despite that, we still must develop a 'no excuse' mentality. Black people have faced far worse in the past so we should not be complaining. We just need to be active. We've made great progress, but more needs to be done."

Having two young daughters, he shares that he wants them to be knowledgeable of their history as black Americans. "I want them to be know what we've gone through in this country and for it to be the foundation for their belief -- that they can overcome any challenge if they are rooted in their history," he says.
- Anika3, CNN iReport producer