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.
Stop Holding Back, an organization that is dedicated to helping people with their stutter co founder Ayo Adesayna and I talked about how we grew up stuttering, our techniques in dealing with it, and why we are both dedicated in not letting it stop us from our goals. Check out this awesome conversation.
Some black folks would say, “Leave that ghetto shit at home. Talk like you got some sense!” I wanted to go far, get a nice job, and make money, so I would switch it on and off when I needed to. I felt like I was doing what I needed to do in order to become accepted in the world.
When I was younger, I would do and say things out of anger. I’d get mad and yell. I would regret the things I said and after some time, I would apologize. My Mother would accept my apology, but as I continued to do those things, she would get tired of my routine. One day after throwing a tantrum and apologizing after, she said, “You know, you keep saying you are sorry, and at some point it doesn’t mean anything.” I thought about that. I wanted my word and actions…
One of my goals in life was to speak at a TED event, and I got a chance to do so in Sept. 2018. TEDxWilsonPark in Florence, Alabama held their inaugural event and I was invited to share my talk “How I Overcame My Fear of Stuttering.” I spoke about growing up with a stutter, the obstacles I faced, how my confidence was affected, and how I used this to power past my insecurities and pursue my dreams. This TEDx is for everyone who is struggling with something and don’t…
Black folks are tired. I mean worn out, depleted, and exhausted. The marathon of life and the hate we experience has got us debilitated. Drained of power and desire to talk with white folks about what it means to be Black, our struggle, and attempting to justify why we should not be terrorized. We are out of ways to tell white America why we are deserving of respect and peace. Black people cannot describe our lives enough. We have said everything and done everything. It is over. This is the…
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