Press Play: H.E.R.’s Back Of My Mind Album

There aren't too many musicians I purchase full-length albums from these days. But when I found out about H.E.R.? I was sold. This. Girl. Is. Fire. And she’s one of a kind. She’s all kinds of #BlackGirlMagic – she writes, sings, and plays the guitar and has dropped smash hits like Focus and the socially conscious track I Can’t Breathe that dropped during last year’s Black Lives Matter movement. Her latest release, Back of My Mind, sounds and feels like a private journal gone public with words and melodies from a young woman who’s not afraid to speak her mind and express what she wants and how she feels. Her work, vulnerability, and down-to-earth vibe remind me so much of Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, and I can’t help but get Prince feels from her too – maybe it’s the way she gets down on the guitar. Either way, she’s the coolest. I love her style, her swag, and her voice, and I appreciate how she’s changing the game. If you’re checking for some cool music to kick back to, press play and check out H.E.R.’s Back of My Mind album. Enjoy!

Thoughts From a Black Educator: Qualified, Credentialed, and Constantly Undermined

I’m a Black educator in my fifth year of teaching middle school English, and in my third as the 8th Grade English PLC (Professional Learning Community) Lead. And while I genuinely enjoy the purposeful work I get to do, seeing the growth of my scholars, and continuing to hone my skills in a content area I’ve loved since I was a little girl, I’ve had to confront some unpleasant experiences in this space. I’d been through much worse when I was an academic advisor at a Christian university. Racism, sexism, harassment, and workplace bullying were sadly norms in that environment. However, some of what I’ve experienced as a Black educator hasn’t been normal … It doesn’t seem normal to be the only Black educator in my department – in a predominantly Black school. One of my Black colleagues once said, “It should look like a Tyler Perry movie in here.” But it doesn’t. It didn’t feel normal being reprimanded in a meeting (during my second year of teaching) by an administrator who went in on...

Ditching Dating And Decentering Men

Today’s current dating climate is bizarre. It’s grown so bizarre, that men barely, if ever in some cases, will approach a woman in person and ask her out on a date. Instead, the new normal has become DM sliding, creeping on social media accounts, and liking photos to build romantic connections, which honestly doesn’t sound too romantic or appealing to me at all. As a child of the 90s and a teenager of the early 2000s, I miss and prefer the time when men interacted with women without hiding behind technology. There was something special about handwritten cards and notes, thoughtful dates, serendipity, and intentionality. After having some unpleasant encounters, embarrassing moments, and failed set ups (from well meaning people who believe I need to be partnered), I’ve decided, that now, at 36, to choose me. I’m ditching dating and decentering men. I’m no longer interested in meeting anyone, dating, or creating space to prioritize a relationship. I’ve never been a male-centered woman any...

The Day I Took A Concealed Carry Course

Ability, opportunity, and intent are three words I’ll never forget after taking my first concealed carry course. Learning about firearm safety, how to properly purchase and use a firearm, and obtaining my concealed carry license were goals I set for myself and accomplished at the end of last year. Although I felt completely outside my comfort zone, I knew taking these steps were important to me. Mainly because of the current state of our world and society in general. During the course with Concealed Coalition, our instructor began by stating that the world seems more hostile than ever. He shared how you could be an innocent person minding your own business and suddenly find yourself in a situation where a firearm is present or needed. When he asked, “What made you take this course?” I responded, “For protection.” The course was filled with men and women there for the same reason and others. We all learned about specific laws in place surrounding firearms, the steps to purchase them, ho...

Making Waves