Friday, December 1, 2017

Ethics In The Workplace


Recently, I was offered an opportunity in my workplace to be apart of a new assignment at work. While this assignment doesn't consist of a monetary increase in pay, it is beneficial for employees involved as it boosts the chances for growth within the company. Initially, I was very skeptical about the position for several reasons. For one, I wasn't as knowledgeable about the subject as some of the other employees who would be apart of the assignment and two I was feeling that I could receive negative feedback from my peers, as I am fairly new with the company. Ultimately, I didn't let my lack of knowledge deviate me from learning more and accepted the offer, although I was still uneasy about the reactions of my peers. But why? Shouldn't I solely be concerned about myself and how I would be impacted and reject any negativity associated with my decision?

Often, we are presented with these various decisions throughout our career, but we should take more than just ourselves into consideration. The feeling or act of "stepping on toes" within the workplace may reap short-term benefits, but won't achieve long-term goals. Although this wasn't necessarily an issue in my situation, within the last couple months this has been a problem for some of my colleagues with more seniority. When I met with my supervisor, to discuss my concerns, I let her know my position and she explained to me why she chose me for the opportunity in comparison to some of our other team members/ I was relieved to know that my hard work had not gone unnoticed and felt appreciated. Moreover, acting ethically, possessing leadership, and having genuine interest in your work place does not go unnoticed , especially when your conducting yourself with morals instead of a crab-bucket mentality.

Sunday, November 19, 2017

Trust No One?


Trust is a very important factor in any kind of relationship whether it be intimate, friends, family, or even co-workers. It's evident that we all expect and yearn for trust from our peers as an unwritten, sacred bond. When people break such a bond, we view them in a different way than we once did before. Some people are harder to forgive than others, but ultimately the same level of trust can never be restored to its original state. So what does this mean? Should we really trust no one and live a life of secrecy or never reveal too much?

While trust is hard to both gain and earn, we can't live our lives trust-less. Learning proper techniques and strategies as a person as to who we can trust and who to not is something that most people struggle with. Although there will be individuals who break our trust, this should not be a reflection of everyone, but merely be an eye-opening experience to those who may not mean us any good. Life experience will show you who is trustworthy, though one can never be 100% sure about any one person in general. Just as sure as we think we know someone, they can disappoint us in ways we thought unimaginable. One of the best things to keep in the back of your conscious is to be cautious and even when someone breaks their trust with you, don't reciprocate the behavior. Learn from the experience and try to always make the best and wisest decision possible.

Sunday, November 12, 2017

November Isn't Just For Turkey


Most Americans know November to be a time filled with holiday cheer and full bellies. A time when families can come together and take a break from our busy lives. Unfortunately, November isn't just for turkeys and watching football games, November is about more, November is National Epilepsy Awareness Month (NEAM).

While no one in my immediate family suffer from this disorder, as a child, I had a classmate who was epileptic. At the age of 10, none of us really knew what was going on, but we knew it was serious. Looking back on my 5th grade years, I have so much respect for my classmate, she came to school each day with her head high, knowing  that she my have a seizure at any moment, at any second. She was a beautiful, strong person, and like many individuals with the disorder, she fought relentlessly.

Epilepsy is a disorder which effects countless of Americans and can be described as a neurological disorder which consists of uncontrollable seizures, which is a "disruption of the electrical communication between neurons." According to the Epilepsy Foundation, now more than ever are people suffering from the disorder, around 65 million people cross the world, 3.4 million being Americans. Since November is a time to give thanks, let us bring awareness, attention, and admiration to the those individuals who live with epilepsy each day. Epilepsy is one of the leading disorders in the world along with cardiac disease and cancer, so it is a big deal and deserves the same type of acknowledgment. As you spend time with your families during this upcoming season, remember that there are causes and people who shouldn't be forgotten about.

For more information about epilepsy visit: https://www.epilepsy.com/




Sunday, November 5, 2017

America: The Normalization of Mass Shootings

Over the past decade, the occurrences of mass shootings of  in America has significantly sky-rocketed. This year alone, America made history with the largest mass shooting in history in Las Vegas, Nevada at a country musical festival. Just this week, Texas suffered another shooting at a church where a gunman opened fire injuring and killing several of its members. In the last decade there have been 17 mass shootings, with four out of  five deadliest shootings taking place since 2007 according to a recent article posted by CNN.com. With the increase of these devastating acts of cowardice, it appears that Americans have become immune to such occurrences, have we given up faith in humanity?

The normalization of mass shootings seem to be something that has consistently plagued the country, although there seems to be limited effort in trying to reduce such shootings. Several years ago, a mass shooting would have seemed outrageous and  appalling, but now people really don't seem to be effected as heavily. Could it be the media? Is the issue the open access to weaponry (This topic can have a blog dedicated to it specifically)? Either way, innocent people are dying and it's being brushed off as a everyday thing, in comparison to losing your car keys or forgetting to take the dog out for a walk. While no one really knows when shootings such as these will take place, we should not take a simplistic and carefree approach to them. As a country we have to learn not only be sympathetic but empathetic to those who have experienced these unjustifiable and certifiable acts. As a country, we have to de-normalize mass shootings, trying to understand the increase, and develop efforts to reduce them. If nothing is done, we have failed as a society and the youth are doomed.

Check THIS out:
http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/13/health/mass-shootings-in-america-in-charts-and-graphs-trnd/index.html

Sunday, October 29, 2017

Halloween: Say No to Appropriation

Each year, thousands of adults and children run and gather to participate in Halloween. While this spooky holiday can be a lot of fun, everyone should be conscious of the various costumes they choose, especially in a time frame with such high racial tensions. While many people don't mean harm in the attire they choose, there are others who dress in black face and wear condescending and stereotypical attire that subjects others to cultural appropriation

Traditionally, black face was used by individuals as a form of entertainment to mock black people and their culture. It was used in stage plays and films, usually with the characters performing idiotic and unruly acts that were comedic for the viewers as a part of minstrel shows. Although this was most popular in the early late 1800 to early 1900's,  black face can still be seen today in many popular Halloween costumes. While it is okay to dress as your favorite character, one should be mindful of how to articulate this appropriately and with class.

Some may say, "It's not that big of deal," well unfortunately it is. Black face wasn't okay in the 1800 and 1900's and it's not okay now. Like most things, if the roles were reversed, it would be relevant issue. There shouldn't be any excitement in making a culture look foolish or parading around in a "costume" that cultural appropriates an entire group of people. Ultimately, everyone should consider their costumes this and every Halloween.

Sunday, October 22, 2017

Alone: Black Students at PWIs

As a recent college graduate, I often get asked about the college experience, especially as a minority student on a predominately white campus. While my experience was not holistically negative, there were several times where I didn't feel like I was really apart of the institution like the majority of other students.  In the three years that I attended my institution there were more than a few occasions where I was the only or one of a few minority students in a class. Transferring from institution that was diversely rich, this came as a complete culture shock. I felt the cold shoulder and puzzled looks as I walked in to my class, and a sense of loneliness would overwhelm me. Fortunately I managed to survive by not feeding into stereotypes surrounded by my culture and I benefited from having a relatable personality. I felt the "two-ness" and didn't feel as though I could be myself in my truest form in fear of innately being judged.

But what about the students who aren't relatable? What about the students who just happened to fulfill some of the stereotypes associated with their race of culture? Institutions of higher learning should take the initiates to make sure that the student body is unique, without making minority students feel like they were only accepted to meet a quota. Reach out to these students in a variety of ways which include organizations geared toward to diversity and ask for feedback on how to make their experience better and improve it for the next group of students.

Although I do sometimes ponder on what my experience would have been like at a HBCU or diverse campus, I am grateful for this experience as it taught me a lot about people and how to make the most out of an uncomfortable social situation. My horizons have broaden and it also showed me who I AM as a individual and what ideals and values are most important to me. Most importantly, this experience brought me closer to my culture and my people that I was lacking before and I am internally grateful for such an awakening.

Sunday, October 15, 2017

Let It Go

As I grow older, I have to learned, to take many things with a grain of salt. That being said, learning to forgive people and situations is an inevitable portion to the growing up process. Although I have always been an emotionally involved person, when I was child, I often let my emotions get the best of me. Oddly enough, I have always been a forgiving person and still willing to lend a hand to those in need, even when we were not on the greatest terms.
As I continue to proceed into my womanhood, I have learned to forgive in a different way, one that privileges me with peace and joy. When I was younger I forgave people because it was the "Christian thing to do" or the "right thing to do." While I still hold these values, I am learning to forgive for myself, so the burden doesn't become a permanent part of my everyday mental and emotional posture. When you can't forgive the perpetuating thought of how someone mistreated you, the thought lingers much like a contagious sickness. And just like any other sickness if you don't treat it, it will only continue to become worst over time. I have found that when someone has done me wrong, it is not them who suffers from remorse, but me who suffers from the constant focus on the issue.
By no means is this an easy thing to do, it takes time, especially when you've been hurt by someone who you've called a friend, family, or even a spouse. This takes will power and strength that is much more delicate than erratic retaliation to hurt the other person/people. You have to rise above your initial reaction, take time to think, and regroup. While there are some things that appear to be the most unforgiveable, in due time you still have to make the choice to overcome it.

Let It Go.

Sunday, October 8, 2017

Working in Silence - Speech Rights in the Workplace

The development of technology over the last several decades has proven to be very beneficial as communication tools for people across the world. The internet, specifically, has been used as an outlet to express ourselves and opinions on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Unfortunately, with in the last few years, organizations have become privy that the utilization of social media can be both a blessing and a curse when it comes to their reputation. Because of this many companies have began to enforce guidelines that employees must abide by when posting on both company and personal social media outlets. There have been several cases with in the past five years of employees being terminated from organizations because they did not abide by these guidelines or the company did not agree with what they posted. This poses the question as to what speech rights employees should and should not be granted and how much control should organizations really be able to have over employees' personal social media?

While organizations should have guidelines to ensure that employees aren't discussing private and important information on their social media, employees should not have to alter or limit their views just to appease their employers. United States citizens are granted the freedom of speech, therefore they should be able to express their political, religious, and other controversial views on their personal social media outlets. Many organizations try to protect their reputation by get rid of employees who they feel shed a negative light on the company or have views that may reflect negatively on them. Companies should protect their brands and reputations but not at the cost of their employees, unless the acts of the employee put the company or it's customers in harm's way. For example, in 2009 Domino's Pizza faced a major crisis after two employees thought it would be comical to record them completing grotesque and unsanitary acts with ingredients of a local franchise in North Carolina. The employees then posted a series of five videos to their personal YouTube account, receiving over one million views in just two days. In a situation such as this, Domino's was put in a dilemma where the acts of their employees on social media could affect their entire brand. Rightfully so, the employees were fired and Dominos used strategic communication of social media to combat the situation,

Ultimately, organizations should have specified guidelines about employees utilization of social media and clearly define what could possible result in termination if posted. At the same time, organizations should be mindful not to infringe on the rights of their employees, and consider that they are human and don't need to micromanaged and monitored to the point they feel like they can't express themselves in an accurate way.

Sunday, October 1, 2017

Timing Is Everything...

Timing is everything.

Often times we as people, are so eager to reach our goals and grow that we are in a rush. A rush to get that new promotion, a rush to jumpstart that new relationship, a rush to make things happen faster. I myself am guilty of all of these things, but I am in the process of learning that everything is not in my control. As someone who likes to be in control and pro-active this can prove very triumphing. While there aren't but so may hours in a day, we can choose how to spend our time, but unfortunately we have no control on when the universe will provide us with everything we want. Sometimes the best thing to do is be grateful for the situations that we are currently in and be patient. Patience is a virtue, and learning to be resilient can be very difficult. As a full-time graduate student, full-time employee, daughter, and bestfriend, I beg for more hours in the day, but I can only work with what I have. It isn't easy, but utilizing and make the most out of the time you do have will prove to be beneficial in the future. If you're reading this post, take a moment to realize all that you are grateful for, and look forward to all that you will be presented with in due time because...

Timing is everything.

Sunday, September 24, 2017

America's Not So American League?

Over the past week, America's favorite teams in the National Football League, unified to protest again President Trump and kneeling during the National Anthem. While athlete Colin Kaepernick took a stand against police brutality and race inequality nearly a year ago, several of the NFL teams, along with teams outside the sport, are now participating in act of solidarity. President Trump's recent reaction to the players stormed up negative reactions toward the league as he and many others believe it is un-American and disrespectful to kneel during the National Anthem. Well Mr. President, why is okay for you to practice your First Amendment right, while these players remain silent?

Nearly 70 percent of the NFL is comprised of Black players while making over $10 billion in revenue each year with all 32 teams. NFL players are not only athletes, they are role models and leaders to much of the youth in this country, and while they are not obligated to take stance on social issues, they can make an impact and a difference. Many minorities in this country face social injustices on a daily basis and the support that the players are giving Kaepernick and minority communities across the world is amazing, noble, and legendary. These players should not be retaliated on from the United States Government nor the NFL, their jobs should be secure, and they should continue to make a difference and take a stand. Kneeling during the National Anthem is a nonverbal, nonviolent protest that practices the First Amendment right of the players.  For those individuals who believe that this is disrespectful and un-American, is it not just as contradictory and un-American to evoke someone of this right? Furthermore, if we can only expect players to be simple puns for our viewing pleasure, maybe we shouldn't glamorize them in media and put forth billions of dollars into our favorite teams.

It is heartwarming to see these teams all over the country and world unify, and I hope they implement change.

Sunday, September 17, 2017

Learning Continues at Home

Teach.Your.Own.Kids.

This seems like a simple message, but it is far from common. Many parents believe that it is solely the jobs of educators to make sure their children are knowledgeable on a multitude of subjects, but this isn't the case. Learning does not start at school and end at home. Parents should be working with their children at home and supplementing the efforts of their child's teacher(s). Teachers can only do so much in a eight hour day, and it's the jobs of the parents as well to make sure their child is worldly.

While teachers are employed by the school system to provide children with the necessary knowledge to be successful in life, they are not perfect. We, society, should be grateful for educators and all that they accomplish, but parents play a major role in the development of their child's learning. Teachers are more often then not required to provided lessons mandated by the state, unfortunately this can leave out a vast amount of information our children need to know. Sit down with your children, look over their homework assignments and class projects. Ensure that your child has a understanding of what they are learning and help them if they need it. Be apart of your child's education processes, put books in their hands instead of cellphones.

Don't simple leave the education of your children in the hands of overworked and underpaid educators, instead help make their jobs easier by continuing the learning process at home. Use this time as a parent to bond with your child, influence them to be successful and continue their education, because knowledge truly is power.

Fenty Beauty -- Where Have Thou Been?

On September 8, pop queen Rihanna launched her first makeup line, Fenty Beauty. The beauty industry was amazed and millions of people across the world waited anxiously to order on the website while Sephora had lines out the door. Fenty Beauty, dropped with 40 foundation shades along with several contour and highlight sticks, a single universal lipgloss, along with multiple highlight shades including the overly anticipated "Trophy Wife." According to thousands of reviews from beauty influencers and makeup fanatics alike, Fenty Beauty is a diverse and authentic line that beats other competitors who have been in the industry for decades due to it's affordable price point as well as its sophisticated quality that one may have not imagined possible for a first launch. Unfortunately, there were still many people who weren't appeased by Rihanna's efforts in the community.

It's no secret that being a minority in the beauty community can be a real hassle. Many men and women struggle to find adequate color matches in products including deeper foundation shades, lip products that appear the same on all skin complexions, and even contour/highlight shades that can correlate with various yellow and red undertones that many minorities tend to have. Women and men in black and brown cultures often have difficulties finding products that work well and match with their chocolatey skin. Individuals with the deepest complexions struggle the most as expensive brands such as MAC, Too Faced, Nars, and Marc Jacobs don't cater to them. Oddly enough, minority women hold the largest buying power and much of that money is spent on cosmetics and skin care products compared to other races.

Fenty Beauty is one of the first and only cosmetics lines that cater to individuals with a multitude of undertones in shades in regards to foundation. Still, there were many people in the brown and black communities who felt that Rihanna should have had more shades for people of color, especially with her being a Black women. Well, those people should probably sit down, be humble, and be grateful.


There are currently over 50 cosmetics brands in the United States alone. A great majority of them don't focus on the minority demographic and leave women of color out of the beauty world (but what else is new). Rihanna made a profound effort to create 40 shades, which isn't a simple task. Brands who have been in the cosmetic industry for several years haven't been able to achieve this goal and people are expecting the pop star to get it perfect on the first attempt. It seems as though women in  black and brown communities would be praising and uplifting her for at least attempting to support them and their needs. Rihanna made a significant impact on the beauty world and I commend her efforts. Unfortunately, you can't please everybody, but hopefully all of the positive feedback of Fenty Beauty will continue to push Rihanna and her team to create more amazing products.


Sunday, September 3, 2017

Fighting Harvey - Who's Responsibility Is It?

For the past two weeks the United States has been plagued by the devastation of Hurricane Harvey. The lone star state of Texas was predominately impacted leaving thousands of citizens homeless, without food, and trying to maintain. Hurricane Harvey is the most impactful hurricane the United States has experienced in nearly ten years as the state and surrounding area has been flooded and destructed due to strength of this natural disaster. Making matters worst, the citizens and their families are struggling each day to try and rebuild their lives and regain some safety in the area. Homes, pets, and businesses have been left behind as they wait for the return of security and safety.

As the development of Hurricane Harvey continues there has been several issues surrounding the support of the victims in order to provide hurricane relief for Texans. The finger has been pointed in every direction
on who is and isn't supposed to be providing the bulk of the support for these tireless victims. So, who's responsibility is it to help these people regain their livelihood and recover from a natural disaster such as this one? Government? Leaders? Public Figures?

While millions of dollars have been raised in efforts to help by celebrities, athletes, and not-for-profit organizations such as the Red Cross, it seems as though one of the main focuses of us as a society is who should be contributing the most as opposed to what we've already been able to accomplish and gain thus far. Instead of being concerned about why Joel Olsteen isn't opening up his mega-church's doors, let's focus on those individuations and groups who are putting forth endless efforts to rebuild the state of Texas. It's so easy to look at the negative when everything seems to be going wrong, but a grain of faith is all we need to make a change and make a difference.

There is hope for Texas.