Earlier this year, a story broke about a college admissions scandal where wealthy parents were accused of bribery to get their children into schools. I never really understood the outrage about the bribery because the wealthy have been bribing schools for years to get their kids in. Donations and endowments are just a fancy word… Continue reading Our Education System isn’t the Only Thing That’s Separate and Not Equal
Last weekend, a video went viral of an employee from a wedding venue in Booneville, Mississippi denying an interracial couple the opportunity to get married at the Boone’s Camp Event Hall. The couple was denied based on the “Christian Faith” of the owner of the event hall. After severe backlash, the owner has issued an… Continue reading Faith is Not an Excuse to Discriminate
I highlighted my 30th birthday last month, but today I wanted to highlight something different that I did to celebrate: I had my first Reiki Session. Reiki is a form of alternative medicine that seeks to bring physical and mental healing through the movement of energy. A couple of my coworkers had done a session… Continue reading Reiki: Yay or Nah?
Sugar. Diet Soda. Fast Food. Sitting all day. These are just a few of the items that have been studied and determined to be public health risks. But New York City’s Health Department has identified a new threat: our criminal justice system. After studying the data available to them, the researchers determined that even minor… Continue reading The Latest Public Health Risk: Our Criminal Justice System
I can’t believe that we are already in August! This year has flown by! As the Summer begins to draw to a close, I wanted to highlight some of my favorite black owned businesses here in NYC in honor of black business month. All of these establishments, I have been to personally so I can… Continue reading August is Black Business Month
I wouldn’t say that I’m the most athletic person there is, but growing up there was one activity during P.E. that I loved: Dodgeball. For anyone who doesn’t know Dodgeball is a game where you divide up into two teams one on each side of the court. Soft balls are placed in the middle of… Continue reading Kids Will Be Kids Doesn’t Apply to Everyone
Over the weekend, temperatures here in New York City reached over 100 degrees with the heat index. I had just come back from Florida and it was hotter here in Brooklyn than it was in Miami. Less than a week ago, there was a blackout in Manhattan and city residents were beginning to worry that… Continue reading Thousands Lose Power in City Sanctioned Blackout
I officially turn 30 on Friday! I can’t believe that my 20s are coming to an end. It has been a difficult, challenging, decade filled with a lot of growth. Now that I am about to start a new decade in my life I would like to share some of the wisdom that I’ve gathered… Continue reading Twenty Life Lessons to Celebrate my 30th Birthday!
AfroMusic Festival is a music festival based in Detroit and as the name suggests it is geared towards African-Americans. Tickets cost $10 and non-POC tickets cost $20. What’s the difference? Well a non-POC is exactly what it sounds like, a non-person of color. Why would a festival charge people who are not of color twice… Continue reading AfroMusic Festival Tries to Create Equity amid Backlash
In 2016, the Treasury Department asked the public to vote on the redesign of new currency. The $5, $10, and $20-dollar bills were getting facelifts in order to combat counterfeit money. The public voted that Harriet Tubman would be the person to replace Andrew Jackson on the $20-dollar bill. This is an amazing honor and… Continue reading I Might Spend Less Cash if I Saw Harriet’s Face Looking Back at Me
This weekend while grocery shopping, I picked up a bag of shrimp to cook for my dinner this coming weekend. I turned the bag over a couple times to find out where the shrimp was from and discovered much to my dismay that the shrimp was from Thailand. Last week, I had the pleasure of… Continue reading Ghost Fleet Sheds a Light on Human Trafficking
I knew the story of the Central Park 5; how 5 young minority boys were coerced into admitting to a crime they didn’t commit. A story that highlights how our justice system was not built for black and brown people. A story about how the justice system protects the wealthy and turns their back on… Continue reading When They See Us Brings the Central Park 5 to a New Generation
I recently watched the documentary “Dark Girls”. The film highlights the struggle of being a dark-skinned women in the African-American community and also within the world. As a dark-skinned African American woman, I was intrigued by the topic and interested in hearing stories from other women regarding their experiences. I can remember the first time… Continue reading The Darker the Berry….
For Black History Month, I highlighted Florida’s Amendment 4. Amendment 4 was a historical moment in November’s mid-term elections that granted over a million formerly incarcerated felons the right to vote. Even in a predominately Republican state 64% of Florida voters, myself included, voted to give felons back their right to vote. While the amendment was… Continue reading Florida’s Amendment 4 and Jim-Crow Tactics
Last week, a writer living in DC posted a photo of a transit worker eating on the Metro. Food and drinks are not allowed on the DC Metro, which is how they are able to keep the system cleaner than other major cities (NYC, I’m looking at you). She sent a quick tweet with a… Continue reading Cancel Culture and the Modern-Day Colosseum
A couple weeks ago, an interview surfaced about about dog walking on the campus of Howard University. Like most major cities, D.C is undergoing gentrification in many neighborhoods which brings with it differing opinions and conflicts. The new neighbors around Howard University have started walking their dogs on the campus specifically the yard. On campuses… Continue reading No, We Will Not Move for Your Dogs.
Last week, Queen Bey blessed us with a whole documentary and album drop from her historical Coachella performance. I had a very long weekend, and week so far which means that I have yet to watch the film but have heard wonderful things about it. I wouldn’t say that I’m a part of the BeyHive,… Continue reading Thanks, B.
In 2014 prompted by the ending of a dating situation and a relaxer that burnt my scalp so badly, I decided to go natural. This means that I stopped relaxing my hair to make it straight and would now be wearing my hair’s natural texture. The first few months weren’t so hard because the two… Continue reading What Defines You?
Happy April! It’s finally Spring and here in New York, we’re in that in between season where it’s not quite Spring, not quite winter but everyone has Cabin Fever! April is also Financial Literacy Month and I wanted to address a trend that I’ve been noticing a lot more frequently: cashless stores. The first time… Continue reading Is Cash No Longer King?
A few years ago, I was heading on vacation. As many people do before a trip, I made an appointment to get my hair done. At this point, I had been natural for a few years and decided that for this trip, I didn’t want braids I wanted a halo braid. After much research I… Continue reading Beauty while Black
At this point in my life, I currently have 3 jobs; 1 full time job and 2-part time jobs; NYC is expensive. I work full-time as an administrative assistant at a law firm, part time as a studio assistant at a fitness studio, and on the weekend with kids. All 3 of my jobs, require… Continue reading How to be an Introvert in a Customer-Facing Role
In honor of Women’s History Month, I wanted to highlight an issue that affects women not only here in the US but all over the world: the issue of period poverty. Period poverty is the inability to buy menstrual products due to a lack of finances. As a woman having a period is a normal… Continue reading The Type of Poverty that Only Affects Women
As we wrap up our discussion on love I have been thinking about what love means in the context of being single. I’ve shared this before, but I have been single (technically) for a few years now and not involved with anyone for the past 7 months. It’s been an adjustment not having anyone in… Continue reading Four Advantages of Being Single
Last month I went out to celebrate one of my best friend’s engagement. At her celebratory dinner among multiple conversations, the topic of my ex who was known to most everyone at the table came up. Through this conversation, I learned some information about him that confirmed some of my greatest fears as well as… Continue reading Never Underestimate the Influence of Lessons in Love
To all the men I’ve loved and lost, Thank you. Thank you for the memories both good and bad. Thank you for the laughs we shared and the tender moments. Thank you for the trips we’ve taken, and the dates we’ve gone on; they were fun. Thank you for the gifts; I really appreciated them… Continue reading To All the Men I’ve Loved and Lost
Happy February! The second month of the year is all about love: loving others, loving ourselves, loving this world that we live in. As we celebrate Valentine’s Day this year, I wanted to highlight the ways in which I practice self-care. To me self-care means taking care of the most important relationship that I will… Continue reading Six Ways I practice Self-Care
Happy Friday! Happy February! Happy Black History Month! To start this month off, I wanted to highlight an important piece of legislation that passed in Florida during this last election season. On the ballot, this past November, Amendment 4 petitioned to restore the voting rights of more than 1 million felons in the state of… Continue reading Happy Black History Month!
The year was 2000, and a brand-new show called “Big Brother” was starting. The show put a group of strangers in a house with cameras and the viewers could watch their every move. I’m not sure why I decided as a child that I was going to start writing a weekly review on Big Brother,… Continue reading Don’t Forget the Child in You
Today is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. January is also Trafficking Awareness month with the entire month dedicated to slavery and human trafficking awareness. I first became aware of the issue of human trafficking in college through the work of an organization called Invisible Children. Invisible Children has been fighting against the use of child… Continue reading January 11th-National Human Trafficking Awareness Day
Last year I had the pleasure of visiting the Island of Bali for a Girls Trip!! Our group consisted of 9 beautiful ladies and we had the most amazing time. The best part was that this trip didn’t cost more than $1500 dollars! Bali is an incredibly cheap country to visit and I’m here to… Continue reading Bali: The Last Paradise
Last week a federal judge ruled that Congress cannot ban the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). US District Judge Bernard Friedman said that the 22-year-old ban was unconstitutional and that it should be left to the states to decide because the procedure is basically criminal assault. I’m sure for the victims of FGM they… Continue reading US Ban Against FGM Found Unconstitutional
A video has been circulating of Pastor John Gray discussing his marriage and his wife. In this discussion, he says that his wife has birthed him and covered him as he has grown out of his immaturity to become the man that God has destined him to be. This video has… Continue reading No One Has Time to Birth a Grown Man
In about 6 weeks, I will be traveling to Bali! It’s a girl’s trip, with 9 of us going and we are all so excited! This will be the first real vacation that I will have for the year and I am looking forward to getting away and experiencing some much-needed R&R. Last year I… Continue reading Thailand’s Newest Operation:X-Ray Outlaw Foreigners
When I was younger my favorite show was 7th Heaven. I remember one of the episodes where one of the characters Lucy was upset because she hadn’t gotten her period ,but all her friends had. It seemed like such an odd thing to be upset about. Fast forward a few years and when I finally… Continue reading Read this If You’re on the Fence About Trying a Menstrual Cup
Last month, I had the pleasure of watching the Netflix documentary, “City of Joy”. City of Joy is about a village created in the Democratic Republic of Congo where women can be safe from gender-based violence and take the necessary steps to begin healing after trauma. The DRC has been at war for more than… Continue reading Founder of City of Joy Wins the Nobel Peace Prize
Twenty-seven years ago, the country watched as a woman named Anita Hill told her testimony in front of a Senate committee as she recounted her harrowing experience of sexual harassment by Supreme Court Nominee, Clarence Thomas. Today, September 27th, 2018 another woman named Doctor Christine Ford will testify in front of another Senate committee to… Continue reading It’s a No to Kavanaugh
This past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending a screening of the film “She Did That.” This documentary follows the rise and success of several black female entrepreneurs. I had first heard about the film, from a weekly newsletter that I receive and was anxious to see it in theaters and hoped that it… Continue reading Go See “She Did That”!!!
Yesterday Nike released an ad with Colin Kapernick in celebration of their 30th anniversary of their trademark slogan “Just Do It”. The backlash has been swift with people cutting off the swooshes from their Nike socks. I won’t even comment on how idiotic that it is since you’ve already purchased the item and Nike has your… Continue reading If You Stand for Nothing, You’ll Fall for Anything.
Recently I watched a Vice Video about a white student that chose to go to Morehouse. Morehouse is all male historically black college or university(HBCU) in Atlanta, Georgia. It is famously known for having graduates such as Martin Luther King and Spike Lee. Many students apply to Morehouse for it’s rich… Continue reading Affirmative Action is Still Needed
Today, the Supreme Court upheld the travel ban on several majority Muslim nations. They argued that the President was within his power to make this law and it is based on a shared nationality not on religious beliefs. The judges who ruled against the travel ban argued that this decision was based on the same… Continue reading Happy Independence Day?
Spring signals the renewal of warmth and growth. Winter is finally over, and we can begin to look forward to warmer days ahead. It also means that it’s graduation season. I can’t believe that it’s been almost 11 years since I graduated from high school and almost 7 years since I graduated… Continue reading Congrats 2018 Graduates!!!
I’m not sure what prompted me to write the post below, but I did write it in December. Since it was the holidays it's themed around Christmas, which my family celebrates, but the message is relevant to any time of the year. With the recent news stories about minorities unable to live without raising suspicion… Continue reading What Do You See When You Look at Me?
One of the most talented rappers of our time, Kanye West, has been sharing his thoughts on the only medium where important thoughts are shared: twitter; Kanye has always shared his thoughts without being worried about political correctness but lately his thoughts have become more controversial. Last week he stated that he supports President Donald… Continue reading Kanye, We were Rooting for You.
One of the causes that I am most passionate about is human trafficking. Human trafficking or modern-day slavery, as it’s sometimes referred to, is a multi-billion-dollar industry. In terms of numbers, it is estimated that human trafficking makes $150 billion dollars a year; in terms of illegal activity, this is second only to drugs. Traffickers… Continue reading FBI Shuts Down Backpage
As Women's History Month draws to a close, I wanted to bring awareness to a story that has not received a lot of attention in the news. Last month in Nigeria, Boko Haram kidnapped more than 100 young girls while they were at school. The story is very similar to the 2014 kidnapping of 276… Continue reading History is Meant to be Taught, Not Repeated
This past Tuesday, our country heard the news of another school shooting. Two high school students were shot, a boy and a girl, and the shooter was shot and killed by school personnel. Sixteen-year-old Jaelynn Willey was taken off life support on Thursday after being shot in the head. It is reported that she had… Continue reading Celebrate Us by Protecting Us
A little over two weeks ago I found myself on one of the most amazing trips of my life. I was in the middle of literally nowhere, in the bush, without access to warm water, but it was undoubtedly one of the best weeks of my life. I had the opportunity to go on a… Continue reading Three Checks Off My Bucket List
Happy Black History Month! The Lord has blessed us with a special something this February by giving us the best super-hero movie ever, yes ever. I will try and not give away any spoilers but this movie was so wonderful when it ended I wanted to cry not out of sadness but joy. I've never… Continue reading Black Panther. That is All.
I’ve always known from the time I was about a teenager that I wanted to get counseling. I knew that certain experiences in my life would affect my decisions growing up and talking with an unbiased professional seems like a wise decision. Once I went to college, I chose Psychology as my major because I’ve… Continue reading Starting 2018 in the Right Head Space
