Where There’s Smoke....

BEING BLACK IN TODAY‘s AMERICA

“Smoke” what does this word mean to you? For me... it’s meaning is determined by the context in which is being used yet generally refers to a Cigar. For you it can and most times will be referred as drama or conflict.

My name is ”Prez” and I and the CEO and Founder of Iron Lungz Cigars LLC. and Iron Lungz Cigar Club. We have coined the phrase “Where there’s Smoke... There’s Iron Lungz” and adopted it as our Mantra. Like my company, I too have applied it to my life and to further elaborate, I have a very good comfort level being in, apart of or simply With the Smoke.

As a cigar smoker of 18yrs and having a business in the cigar culture, almost all of my interactions and networking requires me to be in rooms where lots of cigar smoke is present. As a nonprofit owner and advocate for my community, I also spend time in rooms, face to face and or on phone calls with Community Leaders along with Politicians lobbying for the needs of my people which often comes with smoke (verbal debating and negotiating) between the other parties and myself. So as I aforementioned, when asked do I want or am I With the Smoke, my answer is and will always be yes and in fact, I’m with ALL the Smoke. Yet not all of us are...

As a Black Man in America, I take great pride in who I am, the struggles we as a people have both experienced and overcome, our historical contributions to this country, and the process of pursuit for not only our TRUE history as a people but my TRUE linage as well. By default to the very qualities I speak of, I strongly feel that it is imperative the we as a people begin

1. Questioning the status quo;

2. Investigating and Fact checking every bit of information you have ever been given about who you are, where we come from, religion and government.

3. Educating yourself with the laws of the land (both federal and state);

4. Holding your Elected State/City Officials and Community Leaders accountable and ensuring that they carry out the promises and fulfilling the needs of your communities.

Once you have actively and effectively completed the aforementioned task, the next and most important is the pass ALL of this information down to our children and or the generations behind us to ensure they take control of their futures.

Then when it’s all said and done, you too will all be just as comfortable With the Smoke as I am.

So I ask you...

Are you with the Smoke?

-Prez