Confessions of a Single Parent (Actress)

I am convinced that movie critics who are often white, do not get The Photograph and they may never get it so please do not let it keep you from seeing it. This movie is unapologetic Black Love, Black Joy, and Blackness. From the soundtrack that features Al Green to Luther Vandross, you know the songs that many of us used to have on a mixtape. Or if you are younger, the songs that you were probably conceived to during senior prom or college. Why does Kendrick make us feel guilty? Drake makes us feel like he is our cousin? And we just worry about Kanye...since his mom died. These memorable moments are just the surface. This is a story that I have been waiting to see my entire life. I have seen it in my actual life and in the lives of my melanated friends, but never onscreen or onstage. I have never seen a mother show her love for her daughter by being, "An arc of a woman." I have never seen a Black woman be complex in her need, her wants, her desires, and her art while raisi...

Why be an Antiracist in the classroom? Because it matters to ALL children that we actively work on our biases and our conscious of them and especially how they materialize in our work with children. But it’s hard work and it’s often masked in a watered down diversity training or something less effective. There are some excellent trainings and trainers but they are not consistently available to all schools and regions. And while we are trying to figure it out,  Black and Brown children are screaming for help. In the words of Jamilah Pitts, “We may be uncomfortable talking about race, but we can no longer afford to be silent. We have chosen a profession that—like parenting—requires us to put our comforts second to those of children.” We also can no longer sidestep or carefully confront it. For many of us that are actually old enough we have seen history repeat itself time and time again. For those that have been fighting for many years, the exhaustion of the status quo and the...

This is not my typical end of the year reflection, nor is it my typical “my goals and aspirations list” either. It is simply a statement that I believe needs to be read by somebody. Especially because I know someone needs to hear this.  Lately, it has become difficult to breathe. Difficult to process clarity. And I have started to realize that it is because I let too many people in to my emotional and spiritual vibrations due to my work and kindness, but lately I have not downloaded or dumped all of the trash. And my lesson for 2020 is to be better about cleaning my soul and spirit. This also includes being honest in the moment and not holding onto things to fester. Or even better not worrying or giving time to problems that are actually not even mine. Second, I need to make sure that I maintain my positive energy with consistent self-care. This includes me taking care of me, which I also forgot about in 2019. So make sure that you take care of your body, mind, and soul....

There are many benefits to being a member of Actors Equity or Screen Actors Guild. But, if you join to soon, you may quickly find yourself not working. What are the signs that you are ready to join either one? What are the differences between the two? How will it be different from being non-union? Actors Equity Association (AEA) The union for professional actors and stage managers that work in live theatre. They negotiate minimum wages and the ability to negotiate, along with health and pension plans. More information about becoming a member can be found here . SAG-AFTRA This union now brings together two great American labor unions: Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. It is a union that represents actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voice-over artists, and other media professionals. More information about becoming ...

Each year that I organize and work towards good in the greater world, I realize some new things and some old. The old information is that individuals who are truly inspirational organizers are simply about the work being done and the purpose being met. They gather people around them who are also about the work and the same purpose being met because they know that everyone is important and that every job no matter how small should be recognized and appreciated.  True organizers also trust everyone who works with them without the need to micro manage or to question their purpose or plan. They also do not seek the limelight or to be noticed because at their core the work and purpose is what drives them.The new things that I learn each year are not so positive. These not so nice lessons are usually: Everyone does not truly care about the purpose Some mistake activism for organizing Gaining momentum is always a game of chess and not checkers Being an organizer is more than throwing...

In 2013 after George Zimmerman was acquitted for the murder of Trayvon Martin a hashtag erupted into a movement. Alica Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tomati created #BlackLivesMatter. A way for local organizers to pull together and continue the fight for Black lives. Because let's face it, we our under attack. And this attack has not ceased since we were kidnapped and brought by force to this country. In fact, the attack on brown and black bodies has been a global issue since ever. It is for this reason that we must continue to unearth the truth and share it without making it clean or easier to digest. Philadelphia and many cities around the country are planning the National Black Lives Matter Week of Action in Schools . And I sit here and wonder if it is enough. Have we fully actualized the 13 guiding principles of this movement? Principles like Diversity, Loving Engagement, Collective Value, Queer and Trans Affirming, Black Families, Black Women and more? Have we? The answer...

Each year I look back and reflect on what the year has brought me in terms of lessons. What new relationships have been developed and which ones have perished or simply withered away. My growth as an individual, a mother, an artist, and more. How many of my plans actually came to fruition and which ones have flourished beyond my wildest dreams. As you move forward in purposeful creativity, it is vital that you recognize that your gifts are to be developed and nurtured. If you want more joy in your life, then you must work towards that. If you want more sanity in your life, you must be committed to that. If you want to feel more love and physically feel healthier, that is only possible through consistent and persistent work. We live in a society that practices and celebrates mediocrity. And often when we want more we are pushed back or ridiculed. I say, continue to push forward and thrive for the beauty in excellence. Take care that your work means something. And that will always br...