Black Youth: Incarceration in Louisiana By: Lakischa Smith In Louisiana, children as young as 10 years-old are being detained in adult prisons. A new report reveals that Louisiana is putting more kids behind bars than any other state, many for offenses like truancy and running away from home. According to...
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Setting Black Kids up for Success in Life: 10 Steps to Building Self Confidence
Imagine a Black child who is told they are "too Black" or "not Black enough." Imagine that same Black child being told or made to feel they are not good enough to be an athlete, musician, scholar or artist. These messages can crush the self-confidence of any person. In this...
Beginners Guide to African Herbal Medicine for Black Mothers
African Herbal Medicine is a powerful and holistic tradition that has been used for centuries. It can be an effective way to treat many different ailments. Black mothers are at a higher risk of developing complications during pregnancy as well as postpartum depression. This blog post will explore herbal medicine...
The Power of the Words we Speak to Children: A Personal Experience.
Here is what I know, the way that you speak to your child can change the course of their life. The words we sow into our children can guide them into a position to be their higher selves, or place them into a position of only wishing they could overcome...
Hair- A Brief Reflection
Hair – A Brief Reflection When I was in middle school, I decided I no longer wanted my mother to press my hair. All of those memorable afternoons, with the windows open, the hot comb on the stovetop, and a sharp, sometimes stern reminder to “sit still, hold my ear,...
Halloween Across Generations – Black Motherhood
A few days ago I was speaking to my mother about Halloween. I remember as a child dressing up in homemade costumes, trick-or-treating with neighbors and sorting through piles of candy as soon as we returned home. I remember Halloween as fun and exciting, but my mom remembers being worried...
In Awe of our Black Moms
I remember waking up to the sound of a rooster every morning when my mom and I lived with my grandparents. We would walk out of the room to greet them as they enjoyed their cups of coffee. I didn’t understand what they were saying because their morning discussions were...
Why I Don’t Want to Raise a Strong Black Woman
I love being Black. I appreciate the expression, creativity, and resiliency that molds the Black experience. I love being a woman. My body, my curves, my features, make me feel confident in who I am. When you marry the two, a distinct set of expectations are construed. Recently there has...
Checklist Before Accepting an ADHD Diagnosis of the Black Child
As many of us already know, ADHD was originally viewed as a "white kid" disorder. It hasn't been until recent that ADHD and learning disabilities has become a more prominent diagnosis in the Black child and surprisingly even researchers claim they don't know why our children are now taking the...
Raising Conscious Black Children
Let me just say this; raising conscious Black children is a must if we want to help create a better world for our communities. We can not raise our own children to turn a blind eye in the same manner so many white parents have in the face of systemic...