Skip to main content

Dear Olivia Pope...

If ever there was a time this country needed Olivia Pope (and obviously Jesus) it’s now. If you’re not familiar with Olivia Pope, she’s a fictional character on Shonda Rhimes hit series Scandal. Olivia is a complicated yet smart, beautiful, gutsy, and determined go-getter that fixes any and every crisis that goes down in Washington. So, I imagined what I’d write to Olivia Pope to enlist her services to handle things, and it’d probably go a little something like this:

Dear Olivia Pope,
I don’t know where to begin. Things have been a mess and I’m reaching out because the struggle has been too real. As I’m sure you’ve seen in the press, and perhaps a little before last November things have been super out of control. This country’s got enemies in and outside of the area, massive amounts of hate, in addition to inequality and division like never before, and all hell feels like its breaking loose. Lately, I’ve also found myself in a situation that’s been uncomfortable, and it’s something I’m sure you’ll find relatable. I’m a black woman. I’m smart, educated, attractive, and more than qualified to do the things I do, but often find myself having to work twice as hard to prove myself to people who either underestimate me or are expecting me to fail. I’ve knocked on doors only to have them slammed in my face, and have had some doors open, and still had to grind harder than ever to prove myself. Whenever I speak up or stand up, I’m shunned or considered angry, difficult or emotional when I’m simply exercising my free right to use my voice. The suffering in silence got to be unbearable. Any advice on how to handle this? And is there anything you and your fellow gladiators can do to improve the chaos that's impacting the youth, minorities, schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods? I know you’re probably busy but your services are much needed. I believe you and your employees at OPA can really help. I look forward to hearing from you soon and thank you in advance.
Best,
PS – Did I mention I love your wardrobe? Girl, you slay.


Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

A Year Of Being Ghosted

Ghosting: the practice of ending a personal relationship with someone by suddenly and without explanation withdrawing from all communication. I’ve been ghosted by every guy I’ve met within the past two years. About  six  to be exact. ·        The first guy pursued me and then got shady whenever I asked him about what he did for a living and where he lived. When he started dodging and avoiding questions, wouldn’t initiate dates, and slowly stopped keeping in touch with me altogether, eventually, all communication ceased. ·        The second guy was someone I met through a family member. He was super cool, very smart, handsome, and funny, but didn’t want to be in a relationship and acted like he didn’t want to be seen with me publicly. When we had plans to meet for an outing, he didn’t show up, and then texted me about a week later with an apology. We chilled at my place a few times, had a few phone conversations, and exchanged occasional texts, but eventually he stopped responding to me
Read more

Teacher Table Talk: When Parents Attack

As an English teacher, a core belief I’ve held close since the beginning of my career has been the importance of relationship building. I believe that if great relationships between teachers, students, and parents are established at the beginning of the school year, everything else will fall into place. Authentically modeling, practicing, and establishing mutually respectful and professional relationships within my classroom has been the bridge for effective communication, solid classroom management, and creating a safe and effective learning environment that fits each of my student’s needs.  And though I’ve seen and experienced the benefits of great relationship building, unfortunately, there have been times when some students and parents have not been receptive or interested in my efforts to establish connections that would best serve all parties involved. I’ve also noticed and shared spaces with other educators, school counselors, and administrators who’ve experienced the same. And
Read more

How To Respond To A Nasty Email

Technology has made many people bold, rude, and incredibly messy. Often to the point where some may hide behind words they’ve typed instead of verbally communicating a message they want to convey. Such can be the case when it comes to sending emails. Ah, emails. You know what they are. Electronic messages that can be quickly drafted, sent, and misinterpreted (because you can’t always interpret tones or emotions through them). Which is why it’s key to know how to respond to nasty emails if they should ever come your way – especially in the workplace.       As a working professional, there have been plenty of times when a coworker or superior sent an email my way that was petty, mad disrespectful, and unprofessional. And before I learned how to properly utilize email etiquette, my first instinct would always be to clap back. I just felt the need to respond and to communicate that I wouldn’t allow anyone, no matter who they were, to disrespect me. And while I haven’t taken things too far
Read more