In my 41 years on this earth, there have only been two times that I was truly afraid of dying. The first was in 1999 when I learned of the death of James Byrd Jr. in Jasper, Texas. The second time was in 2017 when my friend Anh died in a plane crash. These moments are significant for me – Byrd’s horrible murder told me how much America hates the Black man. Anh’s death hit me hard because this was someone who was going after her goals and taken from…
Going to see a shrink? That’s something white folks do,” I’d hear as a kid. “They got the money for that kinda shit. We can’t afford to lay on no couch and tell somebody why we sad or why my dad didn’t play with me enough.”
In June 2019, I performed at PechaKuchaSF! Meaning “chit chat” in Japanese, Pechakucha is a story telling format that has 20 images in 20 seconds, so the speaker weaves a tale around that. Pechakucha can be a about many different things, so keeping with the “redux” theme, I spoke about how backpacking through Central America lit my fire and motivated me to change the direction of my life. This was a fun experience! Please check it out –
When I saw The Met, I remember just looking at it for a couple of minutes. Staring at its elegance, opulence, and beauty, I was at awe.
I was a guest on Erin Sanchez‘s “Just Say The Word,” a story telling podcast. She and I talked about the word “confidence”, my backpacking trip through Central America, and how to keep your confidence. I liked this conversation because Erin is easy to talk to and we always a good time. Check it out here –
Eating the proper foods, drinking plenty of water, and taking the correct vitamins are incredibly important to survival. These take on greater importance when children are involved. Having access to healthy foods is a very important component to developing minds and bodies. Grocery stores that sell vegetables and fruits are necessary to aid kids and teenagers as they grow up
Thinking of the death of Nigel Shelby, the 15 year old Black kid who committed suicide due to being bullied for being Gay, I used to think that kids needed to be tough. I thought that we “babied” young people and that being bullied was a right of passage. I cannot tell you how wrong I was. In the age of social media, we often don’t understand how bulling has taken a more sinister turn. Instead of whispers in the hallway, cracking jokes, and notes passed around about people, there…
I was recently a guest on my friend Simma Lieberman’s podcast “Race Convo” to talk about everything race in 2018! I had a great time with Simma and look forward to coming on her show again. Check it out below and subscribe to Raceconvo
I was talking with a young man yesterday about the importance of travel. In the midst of loud music and sips (or in my case, gulps and stutters) of our drinks, I advised him to leave the country, see different sites. I remember a conversation like this years ago; an older man who I looked to for guidance had implored me to see the world. I liked this guy; he was always in a good mood and loved people. He had a sense of gravitas that I always admired and…
Growing up, I would hear stories from my male friends about how their baby sitters would kiss them or touch them in inappropriate ways. My friends would talk about making out with a “play aunt” or having sex with a family friend. It was not looked upon as a bad thing; in fact, it was something they bragged about. This was a rite of passage to many of us.
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