Chasing Passion, Not Paychecks: My Journey Beyond the Grind

“Oh no! I didn’t get that job or opportunity.” Okay, but did you just quit after rejection? Did you just give up? Giving up is not an option for me. I hate capitalism. I would love to be in my “soft girl era,” but I grew up watching my mom hustle. She took us to…

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When Democracy Feels Like a Distant Memory, We Speak Louder

I gave a speech at the 50501 No Kings Rally in Pittsburgh on Saturday, and it’s heartbreaking/frustrating to continue giving speeches on the City County Building steps because our elected officials are still so out of touch. We assumed that we would get a thousand people to speak, but was overjoyed when there were so…

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Barbie Didn’t Dream of This: When Pick-Me Politics Ruined the Plot

The Barbie Movie feels a bit like real life, except for the happy ending. I keep thinking about the part where the accomplished Barbies ride around town rounding up all the Barbies that have been brainwashed by the Kens in Barbie Land and trying to reprogram them to remember who they were before Ken discovered…

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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…

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Cuisine with a Cause: Café Momentum Sets Lunch Menu

Café Momentum, located in downtown Pittsburgh, is more than just food outside of Market Square. If you Google “Food Near Me,” it will show you the Momentum Menu, but delving deeper into what accelerates this restaurant makes you want to come back for seconds. Opened in March 2023, Café Momentum was started by Chad Houser…

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Black Women Lead Even When It Hurts

Black People have been leading the movement for change for decades and the change has always intentionally included everyone else, but if this election taught us anything, it taught us that everyone doesn’t have that same “everyone” mentality.

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…

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17 NYE Parties in Pittsburgh to Bring in 2025

Last year I made a list of awesome NYE parties in Pittsburgh and although I made it my mission to go to none of them because staying in is a much better time for me. But if you’re looking for somewhere to bring in the New Year check out these events. CAVO Pittsburgh $60 |…

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