Kalen Nicole

In 1964, R & B sensation Luther Vandross recorded A House Is Not a Home.

In this timeless ballad, Vandross mourns the loss of the lady in his life. He compares the void in his life to the void a vacated house.

A chair is still a chair
Even when there’s no one sittin’ there
But a chair is not a house
And a house is not a home
When there’s no one there to hold you tight
And no one there you can kiss goodnight
Woah girl

-Luther Vandross, A House is Not a Home

House and home are often used interchangeably. They complement one another, but they function independently.

A house is a building, and a home is a sensation.

As Luther Vandross describes the emptiness and uselessness of his empty home, he realizes that the presence of the woman he loved is what made his house livable.

The United States is a house to over 321 Million, but how many is it really home to?

• How many Americans feel welcome and accepted in their own country?
• How many citizens feel protected and comfortable?
• How many people are treated as if they belong?

Our country is supposed to be home of the free, but to an overwhelming number the United States isn’t really a home at all.

A glance at social media or nightly news reveals the detestable presence of prejudice and xenophobia within our own borders. Behaviors of exclusion and discrimination are nationally normalized and largely expected.

Though normalized, discrimination will never be tolerated by me. To solidify my stance I will borrow a few words from the Old Testament.

¹⁵ But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” -Joshua 24:15

A house divided against itself cannot stand: The United States of America cannot be the Home of the Free if its citizens are not treated fairly and protected equally.

The US is one of the most powerful countries in the world, and from an outsider’s perspective the US may appear perfect; an ideal house of sorts, but many citizens can attest that their place of residence is not fully a home.

I want the United States to become a place where everyone feels protected, empowered and inspired to create and live their own lives and to add to the lives of others.

Vandross, the 20th century philosopher was right. It is not the appearance that makes a house a home, it is the feeling of love and acceptance of the dwelling space’s inhabitants that make a home livable.

The founding document of the United States support the assertion that, “Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” have been endowed to each person by our creator. It is time that we take this assertion to heart. It is time that we live out our beliefs. It is time that everyone that all Americans can feel at home in their own country. It is time for a change.