Christmas, Kwanzaa, and additional holiday traditions that may be rooted in the Black Community play a significant role within our culture. On the night of December 31, 1862, enslaved and free African Americans gathered, many in secret, to ring in the new year and await news that the Emancipation Proclamation had taken effect. Just a…
Losing a loved one is never easy. I’ve experienced the death of both of my parents within the span of the past four years, and the tears don’t stop. The emptiness is still there. The pain of not being able to call my mother and enjoy Scrabble with her and the void of not being…
Health & Wellness Editor’s Homegoing Tribute to loving mother, a “Daughter of Zion” Ruth Ellen Carrow Grimes was born on March 13th, 1940, in Kinston, North Carolina, to the Rev. Eli Edward Carrow and Addie Mae Brewer. At the tender age of 5 years, Ruth displayed resilience and strength when stricken by Polio. She was…
Enough emphasis cannot be placed on how important Self-Care and Maintenance are. We, not just as believers but as humans, are given one body, and we are mandated to be good stewards of our bodies (1 Cor. 6: 19-20). Ideally, we should strive to be in our best physical shape not just for our own…
Well, it’s that time of year again. The ever-so-loving hustle of back-to-school antics. For students: shopping for clothes and school supplies, learning a new class schedule, making new friends, learning new teachers, coping with the hormonal stresses of puberty, acquiring new courses in your major (for college students), gathering money for tuition, etc. For educators:…
Alcohol, Communication & Assertiveness, Diet & Body Image, Mindfulness, Nature, Nutrition, Sleep, etc. These are all topics that pertain to health and self-care. July is Social Wellness Month, which promotes a theme for us as individuals to prioritize our social wellness. This is done through forming healthy relationships, strong social networks, and support systems, all…
Let’s face it, it can be tough existing as a racial minority here in America. From 1619 to the present day, peoples of African Descent throughout the Diaspora have faced insurmountable challenges that no other ethnicity in the history of mankind have faced. Relying on ingenuity, unity, survival instincts, and faith, have all the deciding…
May is here, which means we are in the heart of the Spring Season. The month of May encompasses several themes, one of which is Mental Health Awareness Month. As a result of our daily transactions, we tend to experience burnout, and that comes from all types of professions affecting people from all walks of…
Long hours at the Job. Challenges within our relationships be they marriages, courtships, or platonic friendships. Obstacles with the school. Kids acting a fool. Financial Challenges (i.e., Destiny’s Child 1990s R&B Hit “Bills, Bills, Bills”). All of the aforementioned are components within our daily lives that can contribute to that sneaky little demon known as…
The Month of March is essential for various reasons. It’s the period in which we are one-quarter through the Calendar Year; it is the Month that ushers in the Spring Season, and it is also the time of year when we recognize Women’s History Month. However, the Month of March is also recognized as the…
Evolving from “National Negro Week” established by Carter G. Woodson in 1926, Black History Month was celebrated everywhere in America since 1970. In February 1969, educators and students involved in the Black United Student Organization at Kent State University proposed for an entire month dedicated to celebrating Black history in America. The first celebration of Black History Month took…
It’s February – American Heart Month – a time when the nation spotlights heart disease, the No. 1 killer of Americans. President Lyndon B. Johnson, among the millions of people in the country who’d had heart attacks, issued the first proclamation in 1964. Since then, U.S. presidents have annually declared February American Heart Month. Throughout…