THE WRONG PLACE. NORMAN LEAR GONE AT AGE 101
Although I was there at the right time, something kept telling me I was at the wrong place. But I had the address. I knew it was correct because my highly reliable friend had set this opportunity of a lifetime…
NOVEMBER- NATIONAL ADOPTION MONTH
Please click here to view the photo story of Brandi's adoption! “I never said I wanted to adopt, ” I explained once again, to the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services' social worker. As a single…
SHIRLEE SMITH GOES TO HOLLYWOOD (1999)
Flashback to 1999 and see how things ain't changed a bit. Kids still shooting up schools. White folks still making up excuses. Shirlee Smith still loud, pushy, and obnoxious. "Shirlee Smith Goes To Hollywood" was originally published May 13, 1999,…
GRADUATION AIN’T NO SLAM DUNK
GRADUATION AIN'T NO SLAM DUNK They didn’t look like me. Not in any shape, form, or fashion. Close to 300 of us filled the seats in the UCLA Haines Hall lecture room. But not one, not one, of them looked…
The Long Journey – Mental Health Month
She told her sister that she’d danced that day for her high school counselor. Not hardly the truth, I reasoned. Calling the school the following day, my daughter’s counselor said not only had she…
OUR UNCHECKED MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
“Suicide is a viable option. But what if I don’t complete the task and I’m maimed for life — then what? “Damn!” Total depression to be followed, having experienced this missed opportunity to end life’s woes and now facing the…
Mother’s Daze
There is a powerful burden on the shoulders of America’s black mothers. Throughout our existence, in this land called home, it has been our responsibility to interpret life for our young. That’s not different from the responsibility for mothers…
ELECTRONIC GADGETS NEED PARENT CONTROLS
Summertime and the usual nonsensical dilemma of who runs the household - the adults or the children - comes into question. While this is an ongoing episodic issue in far too many American households, it has escalated with school lock-down …
THEY’RE YOUR KIDS, NOT YOUR FRIENDS
A cranky old lady once told me kids weren't my friends. I wondered just what was wrong with her thinking. She had passed away by the time an editor asked me if I had any suggestions for my book title.…
EASTER-THE REASON FOR THE SEASON
Oh, do the baskets with bows, streaming ribbons, stuffed bunnies, a few fake soft feathery yellow chicks, candy and a toy help make Easter Sunday a worthy celebration? One mom said that Easter, for her, was all about getting her preschoolers pretty clothes…
CALTECH’s FIRST LADY
Mildred Goldberger became Caltech’s First Lady in 1978 accompanying her husband, Marvin, who served as the science institute's President. Mildred was bold. She stepped out of her comfort zone. She set a path for all women to follow. Women’s History…
FACE MASK NOT REQUIRED
Parents are protesting. Children are suffering. Children are dying. It’s not a pleasant experience writing about children dying from Covid. A simple act of using commonsense, coupled with some adult responsibility, on the part of parents, would have me,…
OCTAVIA BUTLER — THE GENIUS
Octavia's Genius Continues To Shine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0UgiE8vYuI Interview with Octavia, the GENIUS, on Democracy Now Week of March 8th, 2021 Inducted Into American Women Hall of Fame Week of March 1st, 2021 a space landing was named for her…
MONEY MATTERS -JUST IN TIME FOR XMAS
By Lorene Fleming - Guest Contributor Like I was, there are mothers, single parents, and other people who are struggling to get by but are just not prepared for the financial journey. Let's Hit The Highway Starting with the…