We Need More Humans in Human Services

My neighbor told me that if it wasn’t for Medicaid, he would have to pay over $2k for his lifesaving medication. He’s a veteran and very much retired, and Medicaid is his saving grace. The federal budget’s recent draft is calling for over 700 million in cuts to Medicaid in exchange for tax breaks for…

Unapologetically Black, Undeniably Erased: The History They Tried to Give Us

The Impatient Optimist A Quarter History “My mother told me Christopher Columbus didn’t discover America,” I remember telling my teacher during a whole American History High School Course. I say whole because I remember signing up for an African American History Course and was quickly let down to learn that only half of the course…

Nobody’s Unicorn

The Black Woman is tiredShe’s exhausted!She’s putting her cape downfolding it up, putting in the backof the closet. The Black Woman is tiredof bending over backwardsstretching all her limbs to save everyone. The Black Woman is tiredshe is exhausted of beingshelter for the worldwhen the world doesn’t want tokeep her warm The Black Woman is…

Gen X Women: The Unsung Heroes Fueling Today’s Girl Power Movement

Generation X was playing Chess not Checkers when they raised millenial women. I finally finished reading Birth Strike: The Hidden Fight Over Women’s Work and sheesh! There’s a lot to unpack there. Towards the middle it got dry and then it picked up when it started talking about Black Women and their fight for bodily…

Politicians Are Politicizing the Mon Valley’s Poverty

Yesterday I spoke in front of approximately 300 US Steel workers and supporters to give insight on what a three billion dollar investment deal would mean to the Mon Valley, and specifically my neighborhood. I also spoke about what a decrease in investment in the neighborhood cost and it’s about more than jobs. People are…

Bravery, Burnout or Both?

After almost 10 years of accidentally falling into tech, I quit! I got laid off after giving a company 9 and a half years of my life and looked at my 401k and saw the lack of sustainability when it came to a retirement plan I tried to make the new job work but it…

The Other “B” Word

Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, “The only thing constant is change,” and as a millennial who has been through several recessions, 9/11, and a global pandemic all before 40, I embrace the chaos now. I no longer believe in once-in-a-lifetime experiences and if some of us had more money I’d suggest that we all collectively play…

4 Years

Four Years ago the world shut down. I remember that February I had just gotten home from New Orleans celebrating my birthday and my biggest worry was how and when was VRBO going to compensate me as that’s the trip where the rental was infested with fleas. This was before I had a dog so…