Good News in Baltimore

It can get depressing reading the latest statistics about our black males.  So imagine me refreshed when reading the following article showing how our black males are staying in school: Black male students in Baltimore are staying in school and receiving their diplomas in higher numbers, school officials said on Wednesday, raising hope that future [...]

Politics of Marijuana

Interestingly, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy just released a report warning parents to the heightened dangers of marijuana use that has risen sharply, with kids starting to use the drug at a younger age. According to recently released data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), released by [...]

Advice to Young Girls: Don’t Get Pregnant

I remember writing an article giving advice to young girls looking for a way out.  The last bit of advice I struggled with.  I wondered if it was politically incorrect, judgmental, or condescending.  That last piece of advice was not to get pregnant: It is tough enough in this world alone, even harder as a [...]

Childhood Obesity

September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month – the first such commemorative month to focus on childhood obesity.  An initiative started by Cleveland Congresswoman Marcia Fudge (D-OH), President Obama recently proclaimed September as National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. According to President Obama’s proclamation: Childhood obesity has been a growing problem for decades.  While it has [...]

Grading Teachers Gets An A+

Makes sense to me.  And apparently it is starting to make sense on the West Coast.  In Los Angeles Unified School District, some 6000 teachers were recently graded on their performance.  Most importantly, these performance indicators were made public so that parents understand if the teacher is qualified to teach. The Los Angeles Times writes: [...]

Superheros of Today Not Making Boys Into Good Men

Watching superheroes beat up villains may not be the best image for boys to see if society wants to promote kinder, less stereotypical male behaviors, according to psychologists.  According to researcher Sharon Lamb, PhD, distinguished professor of mental health at University of Massachusetts-Boston, “[t]here is a big difference in the movie superhero of today and [...]

Immunize Your Kids!

August is recognized as National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM). The goal of NIAM is to increase awareness about immunizations across all ages, from infants to the elderly.  Parents are enrolling their children in school and immunizations are critically important for kids Why? If a child is not vaccinated and is exposed to a disease germ, [...]

Football Moms: National Signing Day

By Shavannia Williams, Heels & Helmets Recently, I received several questions from “football moms” seeking advice on helping their sons choose a college to play football.  So, I decided to share a few points to help moms go through college recruiting with their sons.  This is not an endorsed list from a university or the NCAA, [...]

Violence Also Killing Educational Future of our Children

As if the body count wasn’t enough, research confirms what many of us already know: kids in violent settings have lower achievement and test scores. Children living in areas where homicides are committed have lower reading and verbal test scores, a study by New York University Sociology Professor Patrick Sharkey shows. The research, which appears [...]

Little Girls Lost

When I heard about the now infamous 7 year olds mimmicking Beyonce’s Single Ladies video I shook my head in frustration. The parents just don’t get it. One thing you can never get back is your youth. And as a young girl, there is a delicious slice of life when all you care about are [...]

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