With the approach of summer, I can’t help but to imagine the influx of mermaid looks rolling in and crashing the internet. I’m anticipating even more bathing suits, toys, and accessories as we move closer to Disney’s upcoming live-action film The Little Mermaid featuring the beautiful Halle Bailey.
To this day, I can’t understand why some folks complained and fought so furiously when she was chosen. Why are we infatuated with the mermaid? Why am I? Maybe because growing up, I wanted to swim freely in the ocean with flowing locs and glistening skin, but for so long, images of mermaids didn’t look like me, or anyone I knew – well, maybe my white friends.
There is no escaping the fact that readers engage in stories where they see themselves. –Natasha Bowen, author of Skin of the Sea
All that is transforming, and I’m here for the wave of color in books and more, as the tides change. Here is a glimpse of a few titles for the young and young at heart.
Nearing the end of a year-long Master’s Program journey. I think I might burst from excitement! One thing I’ve mastered is that if you want it, you must claim it.
Perspective…is it worth your writing freedom? I say yes…otherwise, I would not have my book, “Victorianne Phoenix is a Real Princess”. My daughter would’ve grown up not realizing her value and worth. If I had given up, when agents and publishers turned my manuscript down, perhaps she would not have the self-confidence she now displays. Knowing her own story was enough for her parents to put everything they had into it, sends a signal to her and her brother that they matter. Their stories matter, their lives matter and if they want to be successful in this life and in this America, they will have to step away from “the white gaze”.
Each part of the majestic elephant has a symbolic function in the Hindu religion. The head symbolizes the ability to acquire wisdom & knowledge. His ears bestows the patience to listen carefully. His small eyes can behold the future & recognize truth. His long trunk has the ability to sniff out good & evil. Her belly symbolizes the ability to digest both the best & worst in life. She is “perfect wisdom”, a “remover of obstacles” and a “bestower of prosperity”.
I heard on YouTube today that the bird’s gift is to fly. If the bird is in a cage it doesn’t mean the gift no longer exists. It is merely limited…the gift remains nevertheless.
We are ALL born with a unique gift. It is up to us whether we discover and use it or allow it to die. How sad that some choose to live their lives in a birdcage?
“It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.”
— Maya Angelou
This is the first post on my new blog. I’m just getting this new blog going, so stay tuned for more. Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates.
Why Humans Will Always Have the Edge Over Technology
After submitting my application for a writing gig, I regretted not doing more. I loathe realizing I’ve forgotten to include something only after the opportunity has passed. So instead of waiting for the next application or essay, I’m sharing my thoughts while my stream of consciousness is still streaming. I wanted to emphasize my potential impact on their team, highlighting that hiring a writer with my storytelling expertise, industry familiarity, and customer-centric approach honed through sales and technology background can make a significant difference. No matter how much writing experience you have, you can’t fake the essence behind the engine.
Robert McKee, in his book “Story,” explores the boundless nature of human imagination, highlighting how our ability to think infinite thoughts translates into our stories being unlimited as well. Our minds have the capacity to conceive worlds, characters, and narratives that have never existed before. This innate creativity is what sets us apart, not only from machines, but from one another; and ensures that storytelling will always be a uniquely human endeavor.
While some may argue that you can simply “feed” the machine with enough data to mimic human experiences, the reality is that the human experience is far too complex to be replicated in such a manner. Each individual’s story is shaped by their unique circumstances, emotions, and interactions with the world around them. Once the soul enters the body and experiences life on earth, their circumstances will determine their story which in itself can be limited because the body itself is the container. Which leads me to believe it’s not the mind that’s unlimited, but the spirit within the human being. That boundless burst of energy that combusts, multiplies into matter, and connects us all. Which makes me think of Neil deGrasse Tyson.
You Matter. Unless you multiply yourself by the speed of light squared. Then you energy.
Neil reminds us of the vastness of the universe and the limitless possibilities it holds. Just as the universe is infinite, so too is the potential for human creativity. As we continue to embrace technology in our everyday lives, there will always be a place for the arts which includes storytelling. It’s a gift that’s been passed down through generations, from the first storyteller sitting around a fire to the modern writer sitting in front of a screen.
So, while AI may have its place in assisting with certain aspects of writing, the richness and diversity of human stories matters first, and requires the unique touch of our experience and imagination to go further. As we look to the future, we can rest assured that the art of storytelling can never be replaced by the machine, but it will be driven forward by the boundless energy of the human spirit.
I recently saw The Batman and once again I was excited by the performance of Catwoman. I loved Zoe Kravitz’s cool interpretation and I love cats! That doesn’t mean I dislike dogs, it simply means there’s something in cats that I gravitate to. They have subtle mannerisms that display a secure and undeniable inner vision of themselves. On my walk the other day, I heard a dog barking insanely. The owner gripped its leash and I clenched my jaw. Was it barking at me? Past experience taught me never to exhibit fear in the presence of a dog and just as I attempted to fortify my nerves, I looked in the direction in which the dog barked. A gray and white cat sat quietly on its hind legs. It blinked twice, yawned, then stretched -obviously unmoved by the erratic canine. The dog’s owner finally pivots and pulls the dog until the cat was out of sight. Was the cat confident that the dog’s owner had it contained and therefore unafraid? Did the cat believe that if the dog broke free it could outrun the dog? Certainly, it must have known it had the ability to scratch the living daylights out of the dog. Perhaps the cat knew it could simply stand its ground, throw the hairs up on its back, and evoke sheer fear from the dog. Either way, the cat’s conviction in itself was clear. This is evolution! I want to be that cat. Catwoman – ha! I think we can all learn from a cat’s perspective. If we find in our lifetime the opportunity and the courage to be so strong in our inner abilities and talent, that we could never be threatened by anyone or anything; we would all be FREE. Free to stretch, yawn, and overcome life’s tragic circumstances – at the very least, maybe nine of them.
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“The measure of intelligence is the ability to change”
-Albert Einstein
B&N BHM2021
I rejoice every time an order is placed with new titles and smile when I see books that tell the story of our people in a way that celebrates instead of victimizes us. But, all too often, I continue to see “To Kill A Mockingbird” in a cart and on a book list. I have nothing against the book, but I know too often, the feelings of pity, as the only black student, sitting in a classroom of white students while reading excerpts from the book. It’s difficult to listen to those who express their desire for a better world while continuing to move as they did last year and in the years prior.
When I began my position at Barnes & Noble, “Just Mercy” by Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, was gaining popularity. There was a push to get the book into the hands of educators by comparing it to TKAM for a contemporary audience. We were aided with teacher guides to host a discussion group and show the correlation to Common Core in reading, writing, literature, history, and social studies. I was excited for an opportunity to inject change into the ELA curriculum and determined to share this idea of the new classic with the community. There must beEnglish Language Arts teachers and Curriculum Supervisors genuinely interested in breaking tradition. Wouldn’t they be curious about this similar, but true story of racial injustice? Surely, they would want their students to get a glimpse of history and see how it plays on the world today? They could discuss the differences in the times and also the similarities. Discussions with young people could help them see their opportunities to bring the real changes they want to see in the world. But no one showed up to the discussion group and I was disheartened.
“Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.
As a mother of a black son, I think about how “Just Mercy” can alter the psyche; for this time, instead of the white, male savior in TKAM, the hero is an educated black lawyer.
Although it’s happening slowly, there are flickers of a brighter future when I discover that my children are learning about Amistad and Nat Turner’s revolt while studying the Civil War. A far change from my memory in school when the curriculum didn’t recognize these historic uprisings against slavery and the truth about organizations like the Black Panther Party. But we have a ways to go. As Americans, we must remember to reflect on our own areas of darkness and light. For example, in as much as we discuss the Holocaust and WW2; we must also bring up the genocides of Black Americans in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Rosewood, Florida so that all children can believe their lives matter on their home soil. America’s own Great Migration and the effects of it in “The Warmth of Other Suns” by Isabel Wilkerson is an excellent study and instant classic of my people during the depression because in High School, I could not relate to the characters in “The Great Gatsby”. If you want to encourage students to read more, they must see themselves reflected in the windows, mirrors and sliding doors of their required reading. It will take some imagination, a trip to the bookstore and a talk with your bookseller.
These are the stories that have shaped America and also give a peek at what continues to plague it. How else will we create solutions that foster real change? I want my children to know that our people have been fighting all along and they are no one’s victim. They must not be complacent no matter how easy things appear in their own lives, because others that look like them might not share those same opportunities. Immigrants must understand all of America’s truths in order to properly respect it and those whose ancestors who’ve helped build it. Our public schools have a duty to portray this history accurately, else we are doomed to repeat it. We’ve all witnessed what ignorance and an ill-informed mass of people can do. It’s time to see those changes reflected in every aspect of our lives and schools. We owe it to our future leaders to be courageous enough to reinvent the classic and take the leap outside the box.
The #BLM movement in the US has sparked protests all over the world. In researching my next project, I stumbled upon Lake Victoria, named after the Queen of England. I wondered, what did the natives call this extraordinary body of water? A quick #google search provided this article by Andrew Wasike.
KShakur_Mastering Work, Life & Beyond 