The Empowerment Framework
Originally drawn from the scholarship of John Dewey, Lisa Delpit, and Parker Palmer (and later strengthened by the research of John Gaventa, Paulo Freire, and Gloria Ladson-Billings), the Empowerment Framework … Continue reading
The Black Woman
Based on the officer that was just acquitted in Baltimore, Maryland (in the trial surrounding Freddie Gray’s death), I wanted to recycle a post that I had written last year (posted here) about … Continue reading
I Am
About five years ago, I gave up the pursuit of being perfect. Began dancing in the love of being. With this new identity, Of being a person rather than … Continue reading
The Oscars and the Economics of Worth
Jada Pinkett and Spike Lee called for a boycott of The Academy Awards for reasons best expressed in the #OscarSoWhite Twitter conversation. In short, advocates argue that the Academy Awards … Continue reading
Parenting and the Emotional Needs of Children
Part IV of Room Series. Recently, I was stunned when I read about the relationship between emotional trauma in childhood and physical ailments in adulthood. As noted by Nadine Burke Harris, … Continue reading
Direction of Care: Child to Mother or Mother to Child?
Part III of Room: A Lesson on Parenting. As discussed in the previous post, I was feeling some kind of way when Joy (one of the main characters in Room) was … Continue reading
A Mother and Her Son: A Hero in Question
Part II of Room: A Lesson on Parenting. Room is about a young mom and her son trapped in a small shed. In the first part of the movie, the … Continue reading
Room: A Lesson on Parenting
As a social science teacher, I have a deep fascination with social institutions and how they influence the development of the individual. Family being one of those social institutions, the … Continue reading
What Beyonce Teaches Us About Politics in Apolitical Spaces
In response to the controversy surrounding Beyonce and her Superbowl “Formation” performance, I want to share an essay I first published last summer (click here). While I don’t talk about … Continue reading
Empowerment Starts Here 
Why We Can’t Talk About Racism
When the world went up in arms after the no bill indictment surrounding Darren Wilson (the officer charged but exonerated in the slaying of Michael Brown), I noticed two reactions. … Continue reading →