Think 5 Moves Ahead

He sits low at the table, chin almost touching the board, eyes locked on the next move. The pieces stand like soldiers waiting for orders, each one carrying a choice, a possibility, a risk. The room is quiet, but his mind is alive, mapping out five moves ahead.'
 
In this drawing, LaKeem captures more than a game. He captures a truth that runs deep through Black culture — the constant need to think beyond the moment. To stay three steps ahead in a world that does not always play fair. This is not just about chess. It is about survival, about strategy, about learning how to move with both patience and purpose.
 
The young boy becomes a reflection of every lesson taught at home, in church, in barbershops, and on front porches — where elders spoke in parables about life and timing. Through pen and ink, LaKeem turns that quiet wisdom into image. Think 5 Moves Ahead is not just a reminder to play smart, but to live with vision, to see the whole board, and to know that brilliance has always been part of who we are.