Prince – How Come You Don’t Call Me Tyrone Davis – If I Could Turn Back The Hands of Time Minnie Riperton – Back Down Memory Lane Mariah Carey – We Belong Together Pink – Who Knew (Live) I wouldn’t normally include Pink, however, she was under LaFace at the time and…she rocked. You endured…
Life
Blurbs about black life and relationships with family, friends, and frenemies.
Take All The Time You Need
What does that even mean? Take all the time you need. Take all the time I need? Take all the time? Take time that I need? Why do people say that is if Time is something they can give me. You’re benevolently allowing me time to take time. The time I need. Who the fuck…
I’ve Lost My Mother
I’ve lost my mother. I say that as if we were in the mall and I thought she was in one store but she is instead browsing another store. As if I can’t find her. I wish that were the case. I know exactly where she is. But still, I’ve lost my mother. But my…
Happy Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day is celebrated in some form in more than 40 countries across the world. It was created to honor mothers and motherhood. On Mother’s Day, the mother figure is given love, respect, and acknowledgement through celebration and gifts. In some traditions, wearing a pink or red carnation or flower represents a mother who is…
5 Black Health and Wellness Podcasts
Forget Joe Rogan. There is too little black representation in big podcast networks. I say this again because even while looking at the podcasts pages on streaming sites, those sites usually recommend top and/or similar podcasts that are hosted by white men and women. Listen to these black hosted podcasts speaking truth and realness in…
Targeted For Profit And Death
Neighborhoods that are poor and majority black or minority are targeted for profit and death. Disadvantaged neighborhoods are targeted for profit by corporations and businesses offering access to subpar and unhealthy foods and products. Compared to neighborhoods with higher household incomes, poor communities have more access to fast food, junk food, liquor, and alcohol. The…
The Front Porch
My grandmother’s house was the hub of my family. All the family meetings were held there. All birthday parties and holiday celebrations were held in her home. Even the fights held over the phone were settled at her house one way or another. Her house had a large front yard and an even larger back…
Crack Is Still Wack
Before drugs flooded our communities, alcohol was the worst intoxicant black people used. Adults would go out on the town and drink, dance, and maybe gamble a little. Alcohol abuse did exist. However, alcohol indulgence allowed an adult to continue working and have some sort of sense of self. When drugs flooded our communities, it…
How to Have Family Fun During COVID-19
Are you as tired of ‘rona as we are? Spring is almost here and we are still wearing masks and social distancing. We’re trying to avoid people and be around people at the same time. How does that work? Here are a few ideas to get out and have family fun in a safe and…
Relationships in the Time of Coronavirus
The Coronavirus or COVID-19 has tested many relationships this year. Without much notice, the country shut down with orders to stay at home. Restaurants and schools closed. Transportation and travel stopped. Nearly everything and every place with the exception of grocery stores, food manufacturing, and gas stations shut down. Every public place we unknowingly sought…
How To Relocate The Right Way
Relocating to a new city or state can be stressful. There are many things to consider before taking the relocation leap. Some things to take into consideration are the climate, the cost of living, the people, and recreation opportunities of the new location. All of these are important especially when relocating to an unknown area….
The Significance of Grandmothers
A traditional grandmother is the moral center of every family. They are the glue of tradition and keep families from completely falling apart. A grandmother can be an elder mother figure of no blood relation where all other factors exist of a grandmother/grandchild relationship. Grandmothers and great-grandmothers can be the most important person to the…
Achieving Goals and Priorities
A priority is a need, want, concern, or desire that takes precedence before all others. A priority is something that is very important to you above anything else. Goals are similar but more specific and are usually the steps needed to achieve a priority. Goals can be long-range or short-range tasks to complete in order…
Paying It Forward
There are so many negative influences and images we see on a daily basis. Shock news and images tend to attract more views and sell more advertising. Society today is inundated with news and images of basically snuff videos of murders, killings, fighting and shootings to incite negative emotions and actions. Newspapers and networks are…
Black Families vs. COVID-19
The Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic has created hardships in nearly every sector of society, but especially for black families and those who are financially fragile. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists African-Americans or minorities who, due to long-standing systemic health and social inequalities, are at an increased risk of getting sick and dying from…