“The light at the end of the tunnel” “Together alone” “Stay in your bubble” If I never hear some of these phrases again, I’ll be satisfied. After 2020 and 2021 I may not want to blow bubbles, ride in tunnels, or even hear High School Musical’s “We’re All in This Together.” The truth of the…
Category: Life Happens
Empathy, Toxic Ships, and How America Creates its Own Villains
“Sometimes you gotta care for the Cain and sometimes you gotta care for the Abel.” Justdae One morning I woke up and that’s the only line I remembered from a dream and I woke up and jotted it down to dissect later. Growing up my mom didn’t force any kind of religion on us as…
So You Want to Run for Local Office?
I remember volunteering with the teens at The Braddock Youth Project. I wasn’t supposed to be there but a few days before I was to report to my Keys Service Corps AmeriCorps assignment at Braddock Borough Building I was asked to change course. “We need more people at BYP to mentor the youth.” In high…
Freedumb is Ringing: How Not to Respond to a Pandemic
The United States government has been attempting to respond to the pandemic since March and it doesn’t seem like we’re doing much of a job at getting a handle on the pandemic. Federally, it’s the wild wild west with little to no leadership. It’s almost like this administration doesn’t believe in pandemics, science, or even…
We Need to Talk About the 200 Year Head Start!
Sure, slavery was abolished in 1865 (155 years ago) and segregation was deemed illegal in 1964 (66 years ago). That means my mom and my grandma’s American Dream was a nightmare. For some reason our simple-minded government that after segregation was abolished that it would fix 200 years of slavery, racism, redlining, and all in…
Zoom Has Blurred Life/Work Balance
On average since the pandemic I’ve had about a Zoom call a day and that doesn’t even take in account that I still have a full-time job. At first Zoom was the perfect way to make us closer to each other but six months in I find myself not wanting to go to any of…
The A Word
I am an awkward black girl and I don’t apologize for it. My heart races every time I speak in public. I have to stop myself from trying to appease everyone and I have routines that I hate to break but sometimes have to and it frustrates me. “You’re not awkward if you’re self-aware.” I’ve…
Learner’s Permit: Police Relations in the Black Community
I’m a millennial mayor. In fact, I’m the youngest millennial mayor in Braddock’s history. As a mayor, I get to break ties when the six person council can’t decide, make recommendations on projects and programs, bridge the communication gap between community and council, and last but not least I oversee a police department. This includes…
Hunger for Words: Thank Your Local Library
I am forever grateful for my local library as it is/was the pinnacle of the neighborhood. I took journeys near and far thanks to the knowledge planted, watered, and harvested. My mom worked so at one point I was a latch key kid. I enjoyed the free meals the library provided, fostered friendships, and before…
America, Are We Great Yet?
There is no argument that our federal government has handled the pandemic with gross incompetence from start to finish. It’s time for them to to stop pointing fingers and get to action. Also, don’t forget to vote as this election will matter. The administration (that shall not be named) announced that this was our 9/11 and I’m here to denounce that. At least 9/11 had actual leadership.
