Confessions of a Single Parent (Actress)

It is no secret that 2016 has been a beast. Not only did we just recently elect a fascist, and remember just how racist America is, but the number of deaths this year have been multiplying since January 1st. It appears as if everything is going to hell in a hand basket and it feels as if the entire world is spiraling out of control. This is the time that we all need to to take stock of the life that we are living. Are we living in our truth? Or are we living a half-life filled with fear and doubt?  Despite the crazy, this year has actually been much better than the previous one. And each year, since I started living in my own truth, my pathway has become less filled with obstacles, and more light continues to fall on my journey. Is it perfect? Hell no. Perfection is not the truth that I seek. My truth is found in the mess, my relationships, my struggles, and most of all my ability to be a fully realized human being. Many of us are afraid to live in our truth because that means w...

Dear White People, please do not and I repeat do not wear a safety pin to identify yourself as an ally to the Black, Brown, LGBT, or in other words, the rest of America. 70% of the voters in the 2016 election were white and both the popular vote and the electoral college were mere votes apart, It was not a landslide. It was a message. And important message for ALL of us. NO ONE WILL SAVE US FROM THIS DEBACLE! WE MUST AND SHOULD BE PLANNING TO HELP OURSELVES. In fact, I believe this truth that was revealed on November 8th, is exactly what we needed to cease being complacent. Now I am all for marches, rallies, and folks speaking out. But, today, this month, and for the next year, I am looking for ACTION PLANS, And I will be the first to admit that I am unsure of what it should look like. I do know that it cannot continue to start with any savior or missionary mentality because those are by products of a colonizing mindset. It must start with a stream of truth. Dear White people stand u...

This morning, I was awakened by my daughter wailing at the top of her lungs that Donald Trump is the 45th President of the United States. This was followed by a slurry of words that I could barely make out in between her tears and gasping. Things like, concentration camps, civil wars, where are we going to go, what are we going to do, and the last thing hit me to my core as I held her, HE IS GOING TO KILL US ALL!! Yes, my daughter yelled between tears, He is going to kill us all!! Then I finally looked at the results that I had been avoiding for the last 12 hours and realized just how close this damn election was. It was close enough to see that Trump did not win by a landslide, but he won by a mere thousands of votes.The red throughout the South, Midwest (Kudos IL) and North was blinding. Then I took to social media and quickly realized who had voted for who and why. The crazy thing is that I have not shed a tear nor am I in shock. I am just angry and numb. Angry because EVERYONE ...

Welcome to the audition hamster wheel. You know the one where you continue to audition and get called back but then do not book the gig. You feel awesome in the room. They are laughing or crying during your audition and you are feeling, awesome. Then you come home to silence and no gig. Maybe if I say it louder, the cheap seats will understand. NO GIG! NO GIG! NO GIG! I feel so much better now. You may ask yourself, Is this where you give up? Where you lay down and say well I tried, time to go back to a normal existence where rejection does not exist. The truth of the matter is rejection is around every corner and in every aspect of life. Actors, performing artists, and other artists are simply faced with it on a constant basis. This is when you jump off that hamster wheel and find breath and actual living before you lose it. This is when your spiritual toolkit becomes handy. It is vital that you find joy in this business. It can be in writing, producing a short film, practicing yoga...

This month has been filled with scheduled community meetings at 11 Philadelphia Public Schools that have been pegged to be changed as a result of their School Progress Report, an evaluation that scores schools on a scale of 1 to 100. The evaluation is based largely on academic factors but attendance and climate is also rated. On October 27th, Newsworks published an article by Dale Mezzacappa and Avi Wolfman-Arent, which discussed the differences between the meetings that occurred at Kensington Health Sciences Academy and Benjamin Franklin High School. There were vast differences in the level of engagement. Kensington had about 150 in attendance and Benjamin Franklin had 10. One is a smaller school with a staff and principal that have been there longer, and Benjamin Franklin has a new principal who has been bounced around to a few places. At the end of the day regardless of the level of engagement at any of the 11 meetings, The higher ups at the School District of Philadelphia have a ...

"Trials are necessary for our spiritual health and growth" (1 Peter) Fire is harmful and helpful. It destroys and yet stages the renewal. For the past few months, I had been enduring my very own fire. It challenged me to my spiritual, emotional and religious core. And just when it was ending, more death entered my inner circle. It is during this time that you realize who your true friends are. Those are the ones who send you a text or call to check in, but they are also the ones who don't get hurt feelings when you go dark and sequester yourself away. This grieving has taken on many forms, and unlike moments when I fight it off, I will also lay down and accept it at times so that I can feel my face wet with tears and be okay with that too. Then when you add all of the death that surrounds us each day with Black lives being taken constantly, I simply want to lay down. But, that is when art and writing become my refuge and my weapon. Whenever I feel silenced by despair ...

Terrence Crutcher and Keith Lamont Scott are the latest victims in a cascade of Black victims shot by police officers. Both, like many others, are on video for all to see. Yet, many question the validity and truth of their deaths. Here is the truth. Both men were unarmed and both men were shot and killed by police. There it is and that is all you need to focus on. We also need to stop having debates whether the police are or are not racist. Are they simply doing a difficult job as they protect and serve? Are communities becoming more and more dangerous? Well the answer is yes, to all the above. Just a few days ago, the local Police Union announced its support of Trump for President. And a local organization that represents Black police officers came out with a statement opposing the support. And I have friends and family who are members of the police department. But, it never softens or skews the reality. Each day another Black child, teen, or adult is murdered on our street corner...