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OPINION: Soul Work Required for Resolutions to Stick
People make promises to themselves that they won't keep. "Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right," Oprah Winfrey said once. This year, choose you.
OPINION: My Abuser Apologized, and I Forgave Him
A few years ago, I wrote a column evaluating my emotions for never receiving an apology or even an acknowledgement from my abuser for basically hurting me and demolishing my self-value.
Local List: Funmi “Queen” Franklin
Funmi "Queen" Franklin who owns business incubator Kundi Compound with her husband, Brad "Kamikaze" Franklin, has carved a space for herself in the entrepreneurship community. Here are her top 11 favorite places in Jackson.
OPINION: Finding the Good in Jackson, Miss.
Someone asked me recently what I think about the state of Jackson. After my immediate chuckle, I responded: "It's home. It's my hometown, where I have become who I am, and where I raise my children. Good and bad, it's mine."
OPINION: Making Daddy Proud
My middle name, Folayan, means "to walk with dignity." But each minute of the day I spent working in a system I didn't believe in, lending my power there, my dignity was compromised.
OPINION: White People, Respect Our Struggle
The mere suggestion that not seeing my skin color should somehow make me feel comfortable is ignorant. I am proud of my race and my skin color. You don't see me? Why not?
OPINION: Wakanda Forever
"Black Panther" is a depiction of the Africa that our ancestors knew could exist. Its portrayal of royalty and tradition is what we come from. It's in our DNA. It's a bright, new morning light that awakens pride that Hollywood has controlled for generations.
OPINION: Marriage: Not Just About the Vows
Marriage is a never-ending compromise. People like to think that as long as you love each other, it is a breeze. Lies! In fact, at the end of the day, love is only a tool that can be used to get you through rough times.
OPINION: A Student of Life
Truth is the truth whether you sugarcoat it or not. It doesn't change the facts if you write it down on a notepad with hearts and smiles, won't change the meaning if you sing the words or speak slowly.
OPINION: Telling the Rest of the Civil Rights Story
It took a while, but I soon learned (not soon enough) that the opening day and bicentennial celebration of the Museum of Mississippi History and more specifically the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum struck a nerve in my life.
OPINION: The Work of Overcoming Abuse
"Everything that happens to you is a reflection of what you believe about yourself. We cannot outperform our level of self-esteem. We cannot draw to ourselves more than we think we are worth."
A Voice for the Oppressed
It's distressing yet important to acknowledge that in this country, oppressed people have no voice. Though we yell and scream for attention and assistance, our voices don't travel beyond our network and our community.
Loving in the Face of Hate
In a recent exchange on social media, a white woman criticized me. I'm assuming she tagged me as a racist because I stated that it is impossible for black people to even be racist against whites.
Tilling Dreams into Reality
The value of creating something worthwhile from start to finish seems to have lost its steam. People want to go from idea to being rich, skipping the work in the middle.
Taking the Leap, Finally
As of April 28, I no longer have to clock in for someone else. I am my own boss. I am the chief operating officer for the Kundi Compound, a collective creative computer co-op right in the heart of midtown.
If Not for My Size
"You are such a beautiful woman for your size." Yep. In 2017, someone said that to me.
Calling on Our Ancestral Mothers
Each year I make deliberate efforts to study women throughout history. This year I have dissected my celebration. With intentional focus, I am celebrating black women. I am dedicating myself to who I am because of who we are.
Love Is All You Need
Take a good look around the world today. Many people present hate in the face of love daily. We spend a lot of time trying to correct hatred in this country. I personally believe we are in a place now where hatred is governing us.
Resolution and Revolution
This year promises to be filled with loud voices and screams of outrage. The bang of cries for justice, freedom and equality has already begun, and who do you think kicked it off? That's right, women folk with a powerful Women's March that took place all over the nation in various cities, including ours—Jackson.
Obama’s Legacy of Hope
President Barack Obama faced naysayers with quick wit and smiles and stood before us time and time again, owning his failures and offering a plan to resolve and excel.
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