Tag Archives: community

how to invest, pt. 2

investing is a lifestyle. investing takes time, intention and money.

in my last blog post about investing, i talked about ways that we can invest within our professions. this means that you are dismantling systemic oppressive systems at your job. many people subscribe to the thought that the only way to change the system, is to be the system. and while i believe that, being passive within an oppressive system helps no one. you must enter the system and actively work to be anti-racist. actively work to engage in change. actively work to seek out others who are about the movement.

but it’s also with our dollars. we need to be supporting black owned businesses, which is a way to support black people as individually and collectively. start asking yourself- who owns this? from what i’ve seen, most things are run by white men. where is your money going? are the passionate about the movement? what are they doing to be anti-racist? your dollar has value. use it to your advantages.

here are some resources about how to support:

support black businesses

sweet savage index

yoga green book (black owned yoga studios and black yoga teachers)

black.owned.everything (on instagram)

how do we plan?

first, you figure out what you need.

how much sleep do you need? food? water? alone time? social time?

figure out what you need to keep going. one of the biggest thing for me, like i said in the last post is yoga. it relieves stress and grounds me. i know that i need sleep too.

most of all, i know i need like minded people to talk to. i need to think things out.

i need to find research and documentaries that valid/reflect my feelings. i find it inspirational

so think about what you need?

therapy? therapyforblackgirls.com will help you locate a therapist in your area that is black. it can often be helpful to turn inward to our community during this time.

sleep? try lavendar oil on your pillow. take a sea salt soak. or an epsom salt bath. this activities help relieve stress and will help you sleep

research? this gets a little more complicated. as an educator, i have turned to data bases such as ERIC, but i am unfamiliar with many other historical databases. but google could help with that.

the mAKing of an Alpha woman

After lots of prayers and long nights, I completed my goal of joining Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated Beta Eta Chapter on November 18th, 2018. After becoming a member, I’ve been asked a lot of similar questions.

  • Why did I join?

I joined my sorority first and foremost for an increase of opportunities to support my community. As a humanitarian, I believe that it’s really important to give back to the community. And being a member of a sorority that embodies service, I’ve been able to serve my community better.

  • How do I like it?

I love it! Not only have I made friends within my chapter, but I’ve been able to connect with others from other chapters as well as other organizations. It’s been great!

  • What’s been the best part?

My favorite part has been able to connect with others within my chapter. By doing so, I have made a lot of genuine friendships. I also have been able to attend a lot more social events, because I have more people to hang out with!

All in all, I know I joined the right sorority for me. This process has been life-changing and I’ve grown so much. And I can proudly say, deep in my heart, I love my AKA.

(This was my gift from our gift exchange, from my sister Taylor!)

solidarity with communities of color 

Issues that plague communities of color* really affect the nation as a whole. While issues negatively affect communities of color, white communities are benefiting from these practices (known as the concept of white privilege). I believe that with white privilege comes white ignorance, about issues that affect other people. In addition to this, it is a popular belief that you have to be affected by these issues to stand up against them. This is not true. There are ways that white people can help communities of color and I want to talk about them.

  1. Get rid of the white savior complex– Yes I know communities of color have their own struggles that white Americans do not have to face. But that does not make us less than you. All that means is that we need more resources to help ourselves. Which is natural, because after hundreds of years of not having access to resources, there will be a need for more. If you choose to help communities of color, you have to remember that you’re not saving them, you’re just helping them do what they were already doing. All too often the white savior complex is displayed in media- the one white person enters a community and fixes everything. This is not true. My dad always says “We don’t need saviors, we need servants.” You have to be willing to help the cause, but just know you’re ONLY helping.
  2. Make friends- Because of segregation, it can be easy to only have friends that look just like you. This is not coming to help people. You need to make friends with people to understand what is truly going on. Friends talk about things that matter. There is a complex that many white people have that if something is different, the other person is required to explain it. This is not true. Being friends with someone means that you respect them, their ideas and their culture. If you are truly friends with someone, you will understand how they were raised and what things make them them. Remember to just keep an open mind. People of color are people too, and deserve to be respected.
  3. Get involved (in your local community!)– Believe it or not, there are issues in the community you live in! Just because you’re not affected by them in a negative way doesn’t mean they don’t exist! Going to Haiti to help children is helpful, but it is not going to fix the problems that are going on in your local “ghetto”**.
  4. Research and fact check!!!– What you read on the internet may or may not be true. Fact check. Look across multiple sources and figure out what is the same. And look across good sources, like scholarly papers. Talk to professors and other people. Figure out if what you’re reading is true. Be open to being wrong and understand that the way you view society may not be the way it is for other people. Be open.

Last but not least, leave your biases at the door! What you think you know about us is false! 

These are just a few tips that I believe will help change the world. But please understand that by helping communities of color you are embarking on a mission that will change your life for the better. We need helpers and can always use your help!

*As a black woman, I cannot speak on other communities of color. I just understand what goes on in my community and that these issues affect other communities of color.

**ghetto- according to Merriam Webster Dictionary a ghetto is: a quarter of a city in which members of a minority group live especially because of social, legal, or economic pressure.