August is National Black Business Month. If you are a business owner this may be a good time to look for opportunities to boost your business. During this month consider marketing your business more. Showcase your services or products. Networking with others can give your business that added edge to increase revenue.
The month of August we celebrate and support Black businesses. You can also use this time to encourage aspiring business owners to start their entrepreneurial projects. Sharing and connecting with people who want to start a business is another way to network.
Being a Black business owner does not come easily. It is not all glitz and glamour. The extra work has to be done in order to make it possible to be able to work for yourself. A sense of accomplishment is felt when you can provide a product or service to help people and contribute to the successes of the economy.
Did you know?
The top three places with the highest numbers of Black owned businesses are New York, Atlanta and Washington, D.C.
How do you celebrate National Black Business Month?
You can spread the word about any products or services that you like.
Shop Black owned businesses.
Research about Black entrepreneurs.
It is important because we can encourage these businesses to keep going and continue to contribute to the economic wealth of not only minority communities, but also the world abroad.
The inspiration for this poem is my dear father, may he rest in peace.
Emptiness is creeping in Knowing that missing piece is no longer there Gone Never to return
Until that day Waiting to see Waiting, waiting, just waiting
Time is passing How can I fill the void The void of the man who made me Until that day Still, I wait
When you look at me, what you don’t see The depth My soul Aching Begging for a glimpse of half of me
Nostalgic father
I am nostalgic
Until that day
The other half of me, where does it come from? My slanted, crooked smile, my complexion The Boricua in me, ¿dónde está Papi? In heaven is where you be
Until that day, I wait
My mom instilled in me Black, resilience, humility Black, resilience, humility She is the half of me Empty inside? How can this be?
Nostalgic father
I am nostalgic
Two people came together as one To create me She is her and he is him She is here and he is there
Forever encapsulated in my heart you will remain Thoughts of you never bring feelings of disdain Although my heart is heavy Until that day, until that day That we reunite The anticipation, anticipation brings me pure delight
Sharing a personal experience of speaking in front of a crowd. I challenged myself to perform an original poem about my father. Although, I was not one of the finalists for the talent show. it was a great experience. I learned that you could do anything you put your mind to. Even when you do not take home the prize it is still rewarding just for trying.
Reposting this in light of another tragic and unjustified police shooting of Sonya Massey. A black woman who called police because she thought there was an intruder outside her home. Calling police for help and sadly, she lost her life that day.
Rest in peace, Sonya Massey and countless others who have lost their lives by the hands of police.
Let’s take a minute to bring attention to something that is happening all over the country. African Americans have lost their lives due to police brutality. It does nothing for the officers who honor life and truly believe in the notion to protect and serve. When you see officers on both sides of the coin, how do you discern between the ones who uphold the law and those who do not?
Being in a role of authority, there comes great responsibility. Responsibility to uphold duties for the community in its entirety. More frequently these days this is not the case, the opposite is happening. Basic human rights are being taken away at the hands of people who took an oath to protect and serve. Preserve life, not take it away.
Too many times, certain people take their authoritative position to the extreme. When people see you, they should not fear for their lives. They should have the opposite feeling of comfort and/or safety. When people see you, they should not run away from you. Instead, walk towards you with a general feeling of trust. What happens to the world when the people who are meant to be in place to help others are the real perpetrators!
It is a form of abuse of power. Taking advantage of individuals because you are in a position to temporarily control a situation. Using phrases such as, “I felt that my life was in jeopardy”, as an excuse. An excuse to beat, choke, kneel, shoot, choke and kill another human being. And, why? Because you can. Because you hide behind a piece of metal that you wear on your chest. You escape prosecution because you are upheld by some who wear the same piece of metal.
Protect people, preserve life. That piece of metal does not give you rights to take another’s life. Those people have families, just like you. Some also have children, just like you. They have people who love them and are looking forward to them coming home safely. What kind of protection are you providing when people have to take out their cell phone to record a routine traffic stop? Disrupting people’s lives with your contempt is not acceptable. What happened to trying to restore order by using the least amount of force? Thank you to the officers who help people, who are serving all people. To the ones who are not, shame on you!
Serve All People
As a uniformed person, working under the law. Honor that! Serve the people. Serve us with dignity, respect, kindness. I know there are encounters that you experience where you are not met with kindness. You are trained to handle these situations. This is what you signed up for and are trained to handle such situations in the least harmful way.
I implore you to approach your daily interactions, while on the job with humility. Please, do not wake up and put on that uniform with contempt and hatred for people and your profession. If you find it so hard to go into it with some semblance of humanity, stop and think. Think before you take someone else’s life. Stop and ask yourself if this is the profession for you. We all deserve to live. We all deserve to go home at the end of the day.
Rest in Peace
Let’s take a moment to remember some of the people who lost their lives due to brutality.
Tyre Nichols
George Floyd
Tamir Rice
Eric Garner
Sonya Massey
Walter Scott
Breonna Taylor
Sandra Bland
Philando Castile
What can we do?
Protect and Serve was originally posted on Feb 11, 2023.
Do you ever stop to check in on yourself? Really think about how you are feeling. The video message highlights a few points to really get you thinking about how to be optimistic and look on the brighter side of things.
As always, thank you for watching! Stay well and be blessed!
School will be back in session soon. Are you a parent considering home schooling your child? With the things happening around the world, it seems rational to think about keeping the kids at home to complete their education.
Home schooling gives parents some autonomy when it comes to what their children are learning. Is it easy? Is it for everyone? Should it be the “new normal”.
Education has changed, post covid 19. Remote learning has been implemented more frequently. Some school systems have moved more towards a hybrid learning experience. Both in-person education and remote learning.
Home schooling may look more appealing to some parents who are concerned for their children’s safety. Safety from violence of other students, teacher-student conflicts, bullying and school shootings. Home schooling may be the best option for some families. Unfortunately, it will not work for everyone.
In the working age and rising inflation, parents need to work full time, outside of the home. With growing violence in schools and some states allowing teachers to carry firearms, poses a lot of risks. As a parent, how would you feel letting your child go to school knowing that the teachers are carrying a firearm?
Benefits of Home Schooling
Safety from violent acts at school
More control of what children are learning
Protection from bullying
More conducive environment for the child to learn
Eliminates busing across town for some students
Flexibility with school and life balance
Home schooling cons
Lack of social skills for students
Decreased opportunity to form friendships with their peers
Limited or no access to extracurricular activities; arts, sports, clubs
What is a parent to do? Parents should not have to contemplate whether or not to send their child to school. Or decide how to plan for their child(ren) to receive very basic education.
On the other side of the coin, a part of the problem is disrespectful children. Respect for authority is gone. Children are so brazen and will challenge an adult without a second thought. Some kids these days are armed with weapons themselves.
Teachers nowadays feel vulnerable and question their personal safety. A possible solution is a less lethal one. Instead of firearms maybe carry a taser. This way teachers and school authorities can defend themselves without deadly consequences. Firearms and schools just are not a good mix.
We cannot protect ourselves or our children from everything. What do you feel is a solution?
As always, thank you for reading. Stay well and be blessed.
Growing up was such a fun time. Every family had their challenges but overall, it was a good time to just be a kid. Go outside, play with friends on your block or in your neighborhood. Today’s children are so isolated. The video games and internet have robbed children of social skills.
Back in the day, we played outside. The girls would play double dutch, or we would play with our dolls and tea sets. We would play dress up too. The boys would play football in the street or hand ball, stick ball. Games everyone played together are hide and seek, red light, green light, hopscotch, hot peas and butter, Mother May I.
My favorite childhood games were double dutch and hopscotch. I liked Jacks too. What was your favorite game to play when you were a child?
As always, thank you for taking the time to read. Stay well and be blessed.
Can You Answer This? Is Lack of Eye Contact Narcissistic?
Why don’t you look at me? I’m talking to you.
Eye contact is an essential part of communication. It is a non-verbal way to connect with each other. As vital as it is for effective communication, it is sometimes overlooked. No pun intended. How much importance do you place on the use or lack of eye contact in conversations? Do you prefer people to connect via eye contact or the averted look?
Some people feel uncomfortable making eye contact or when someone looks at them too intently. Shyness is one reason why people may avoid eye contact. I’m sure if you ask around you will get varying reasons of why people prefer not to make eye contact. You may think it is rude or downright disrespectful. Anxiety or nervousness are also causes for this type of avoidance.
Lack of eye contact is a tactic of narcissistic individuals. Not to say that everyone who avoids making eye contact is a narcissist, as there are many reasons for this. It is used to up play the narcissists feelings of importance. By avoiding eye contact while speaking with others shows that they are not interested in making a true connection with the person to whom they are speaking. It makes them feel superior with a thought such as, “I do not need to look at you, I am above you”.
Weigh in on this and share what you feel on this topic.
Nappy and happy; a renewed perspective describes the sentiments of better health and vitality. The crown, better known as our hair, is something that most women pride themselves about. It is a part of who we are and our identity. Arguably, too much emphasis is sometimes put on hair. Depending on your heritage and upbringing you may agree or disagree on this subject.
Putting hair over health is something that happens often but no one acknowledges that fact. Personally, I have seen many times that physical health/self-care takes a back seat due to not wanting to “sweat one’s hair out”. Sweating your hair out, is not welcome because you invest a lot of money and time into your hair. Why then would you risk messing it up with sweat from physical activity? You know, the kind of activity that is essential to long life and health. Why on earth would anyone want to do that? Crazy right?
Renewed Perspective
If you are someone who has decided to incorporate more physical activity and exercise into your life, you understand the benefits of doing so. Being healthy, feeling good, getting in shape and knowing that exercise/physical self-care is important is a hard pill to swallow for some. The healthier you become the happier you are too.
Personally, I have begun to make self-care a priority, instead of an option. Inconsistency with exercise was the road I travelled. Knowing that life is short, and I have no idea how long I have to be on earth is why I can say that I am nappy and happy. Of course, you can get hair styles that are more friendly with working out and are easy to maintain. For me, I would rather have improved health and vitality than great hair and bad health.
What is your take on great hair versus bad health? Do you feel that we can only have one over the other or both great hair and great health? How do you take care of your crown while maintaining good health?
Diverse and beautifully made with Blemishes that confirm your true existence Extravagance with your style of dress Authenticity in the way you deliver grace Unapologetic in your conviction for life Thoughtful when expressing strong opinions Intentional in your approach to love and kindness Flawed only to those who do not understand you Unique in your lens to the world Lavishly, loving life and doing it all with a smile Diverse and beautifully made, that's you, with all These colorful qualities wrapped into one
Image credit: Tom Barrett on Unsplash
Diverse and Beautifully Made is written in response to the prompt by Sadje, What do you see #243
Can You Answer This? What is the Best Place You Have Travelled?
Travelling
Name a place that you have been to that you really enjoyed. What did you most like about it and would you travel there again? Was it the culture, the food, the scenic views, music, people, etc…
Back to basics, why representation is important takes a look at how we represent ourselves. I do not mean in a court of law but in general day to day life. We say so much without speaking a word. Just by how we present at the first outward appearance. Like it or not, we are judged before we utter a single word. However, I do not agree that we should be judged in this way, it does happen.
It brings to mind the saying, “do not judge a book by its cover”. I agree that one should not be judged by how we appear. Unfortunately, it does not work that way. People form an opinion of us within the first few minutes of meeting us even before we say our name. Which is why I think bringing it back to basics is important.
Take the Time
Take the time to iron or steam clothing before leaving the house. It doesn’t require a lot of time to do this. It is one of those small details that sometimes gets overlooked and seen as unimportant. Presenting yourself in ironed or steamed clothing sends the message that you do care and you took pride in how you represent yourself.
If you show up to an important meeting or appointment and are in wrinkled clothing, do you think you will be received well? Take the time. The person(s) you are meeting may perceive you as being lazy, unprepared, or incompetent.
Leave the Bonnet Behind
Leave the bonnet behind when going outdoors. The bonnet, head scarf, head wrap, whatever you like to call it is meant to protect and preserve your hair while sleeping. Wearing this outdoors is not a good look. Just imagine you slept in the bonnet then go out shopping. When you get back home, you will sleep in that same bonnet and bring all those pollutants back into your house and into your bed.
It also sends the message that you weren’t too bothered or concerned with combing your hair or putting it in a ponytail. We want to be taken seriously and showing up anywhere but the hair salon or hospital with that bonnet on is not the way. Medical and religious reasons are excluded for the purpose of this post. Back to basics, take the time. Even if that bonnet matches your outfit, leave it at the house. This is not a fashion accessory.
Sleepwear; Oh Dear!
Sleepwear like pajama pants is made for sleeping. So many people are outside wearing pajamas at restaurants, shopping, appointments, etc. You slept in those and went to an establishment and are going back into your home and will sleep in those same PJs. It only takes a few minutes to put on apparel meant for the outdoors. Yes, they are comfortable but when you are seen outdoors in PJs it sends the message that you just woke up and went out without the proper basics.
Although, we do not sleep in our bed slippers I have to add this to the list. Slippers like the fuzzy pink or black ones with the toes out are meant for the house. I know you just got your toes done and you want to show them off. Throw on some sandals or flip flops. Also, the cute fluffy animal slippers. Those slippers ae cute in the house not outdoors picking up all kinds of dirt and germs that you track back into the house.
The Basics
The basics are simple and short steps we can take before presenting ourselves to the world. We are human and no one is perfect. We can bring it back to basics with these small details. There are times we will skip certain things for various reasons. We might not feel well, or wake up late for work, etc. We must give ourselves grace.
If you are ready to drop some ill talk or action on someone, stop and drop some good will or cheer instead. For example, if you are about to say something foul to someone, especially someone that you love or who loves you. Stop and say something nice instead. It can be so easy to take those closest to you for granted. Those closest to us, sometimes do not get the best of us. This is because we figure, I see this person on a daily basis, so I do not have to be on my best behavior or give my all.
If you are going to say something that you know is hurtful to your loved one, give a complement instead. Forget about the argument you just had. Let it be. After you have decided to say something nice and complementary, it will make the other person feel good and you will feel better as well. Try it. What do you have to lose? Ok, I will tell you. By saying something positive about someone, you lose stress and anxiety. Ill feelings that increase cortisol in our bodies. You want to release dopamine and endorphins, the feel-good hormones.
Lose the negativity and grudge feelings. Love rules over everything. Be slow to anger and quick to love. Becoming angry is so easy and that is exactly why we must challenge ourselves. Embrace love and forgiveness.
