Some people will stand in lines outside haunted houses. Others will wear costumes and attend parties. Halloween is tomorrow, but some of us live with fear every day. We fear success and failure. Instead of making progress on dreams, goals, and assignments, we procrastinate. Life is difficult. We invented AI to make things easier. And while AI can do plenty, it can’t give our lives meaning and purpose. Fulfillment comes from divine alignment, loving relationships, and impactfu

Ask Chat for some advice. I’m not asking Chat for nothing. It’s artificial intelligence. Not Real. That doesn’t mean it’s not helpful. It can be. But I have my doubts. The text message exchange continued with my sister. She tried to convince me to ask ChatGPT for parenting advice. Frustrated with my refusal, she asked Chat, and I lost another battle with AI. Operation Avoid AI is a futile mission. Everywhere we turn, AI greets us. Open Chrome and Gemini peeks over the brows

Reflective writing supports learning. While it isn't a suitable standalone punishment for perpetrators of crimes, it is a valuable tool for initiating behavioral change. This week’s blog post reflects on my family’s move abroad and the transitional lessons it offers for fatherhood. The memory of my daughter crying as she said goodbye to her friends has not left me. After her last water polo match, poolside, she and her friends hugged, laughed, and talked as they wept. Later,

Action is the answer. Procrastination prevents progress. When life’s tests arrive on your desk, review your choices and respond. We must do better to prepare boys for manhood. Consider the number of men in US prisons (AI estimates 1.8 million), suicide rates among men (nearly 4x higher than women), and cases such as “The Cornell 7.” On multiple levels, we have failed individuals identifying as men. Some of us have embraced patriarchy, rejected self-improvement, and empowered

Before my children started kindergarten, my wife and I argued. I wanted our children to attend public schools. She wanted to enroll our children in the best school, period. I believed in public school reform and envisioned working in Chicago schools to support Black, Brown, and other students from underserved communities. My PhD in Policy Studies in Urban Education convinced me that I had the answers to systemic problems. The struggle taught me humility. Like others, I didn’t

For months, I respected a mysterious man from afar. His long gray beard pulled into a ponytail, wrinkled face, and stocky build made him hard to forget. After one of my runs, I practiced capoeira near him as he completed multiple sets of pull-ups. We talked during a break between sets, and our friendship began. Our commitment to early-morning workouts formed a bond. Three days a week, I found Dan at the park near my former home, exercising as the sun peeked over the horizon.

The job market is tough. Without protection, it can beat you until you bleed anger, disappointment, and self-doubt. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a 4.1% unemployment rate; AI translates this statistic to 7.031 million people without work. My recent job search taught me that unique experience, a PhD, skills, and talent do not guarantee employment. In the current economy, getting an interview invitation is a significant accomplishment. Extreme effort, Divine guida

Yesterday, my son asked, “Is anyone afraid that we are flying to New York tomorrow?” My wife and I looked at each other. She replied, “No, we’ll be fine.” I revised this post on a plane en route to New York. While some of the cabin’s passengers slept, enjoyed movies, or ate, I wrote. Much has changed since 9/11/2001 in the United States, but some terrorist threats remain. Artificial Intelligence thinks for us, religious divisions divide, and conflicts with countries in the Ne

The church should be a safe sacred space. Love and forgiveness are among the core Christian precepts. However, in some instances, church leaders use scripture to justify their agendas and manipulate believers. Netflix’s documentary, Death of the Pastor’s Wife, tells the story of Pastor John-Paul (JP) and First-lady Mica Miller. Episodes depict how Pastor JP preached God and embodied Satan. He delivered sermons in the sanctuary and abused his wife at home. While the couple led

My wife said, “We need to keep our kids off drugs.” Along with encouraging conversations and explaining the importance of positive peers, we made sports part of our strategy. Organized sports activities offer children a healthy alternative to sitting at home, looking at screens, and filling idle time with misusing substances. Beyond the physical and mental health benefits, sports encourage children to build resilience, develop grit, and learn collaboration. By attending pra

All she wanted for her birthday was my undivided attention. Between moving logistics, writing deadlines, training blocks, and parenting responsibilities, my calendar is full. But I had to put everything aside and gift her my presence as this year’s present. My wife turned older and became more beautiful this week. To celebrate, we had lunch at her favorite restaurant and walked around a nearby mall. It wasn’t much, but it’s what she wanted. The time together is what we needed

“I’m a freshman, Dad,” said my son. “Yup, he’s fresh meat!” replied my daughter. Their exchange reminded me of how I used to talk with my sisters. We teased each other out of love. After my son filled his hair with gel and my daughter got dressed, they packed their book bags, and we climbed into the car. On the ride to school, I tried to remember, but forgot what my parents had said to me on my first day of high school. “Surround yourself with positive people, be respectful t

Love is an energizer. Seven hours after returning home from a conference in Baltimore, I drove to Yosemite National Park. With a cup of coffee in my hand and anticipation in my head, my boys and I left for a rite-of-passage experience. We anticipated adventure. A bear encounter, hours of hiking, and an allergic reaction were not on the itinerary. Yet, the unexpected appeared. The roads leading into the National Park have twists, turns, tourists, and reduced speed limit signs.

I am writing this letter to you in the lobby of the Lord Baltimore Hotel. You know, I’m here for a conference. My work with writing and capoeira sent me traveling during your birthday week. Thank you for pausing your skateboarding to participate in the video of our music practice. I will use the footage during my presentation. You have officially become a teenager. This weekend we will celebrate you. From simply being you to earning straight A’s and making the Junior Olympics

“Do you believe life exists on another planet? Is there a parallel universe that we can’t see?” My son asked me these questions as I put shoes on to take him to football/soccer practice. I unlocked the car doors, sat in the driver’s seat, and fastened my seatbelt before I replied. “It’s possible. Much of this world is yet to be discovered by scientists and our current technologies. There are portions of the oceans that we have yet to explore.” The conversation shifted as I pu

Last Saturday, I reconnected with nature. I drove to a forest preserve and almost ran a marathon. While I covered 20 miles around a river and eyed small islands, the Wells case crossed my mind. What do you believe happened to 18-year-old Nolan Wells? The current story seems suspect. He leaves with friends on July 4, sails to Horn Island near Mississippi, and then dies. Wells’s parents, investigators, an attorney, the FBI, and the police are attempting to uncover additional de

Are you as lost as I am in the World Cup? Multiple moments have confused me during several games of what Americans call soccer, and everyone else recognizes as football. We attended a community watch party hosted by a local soccer club for the USA vs. Belgium match. Our friends came, but despite crowd cheers and presidential interferences, the USA team lost. I played basketball, baseball, and American football as a child. Whenever my gym teachers covered the soccer unit in PE

We, the people, will celebrate your 250th birthday tomorrow. Some of us will line the streets and fill public parks with red, white, and blue flags in our hands. Others will mourn, lower their heads, take a knee, and consider hypocrisies in the home of the brave, land of the almost free. Tomorrow is Independence Day, but Frederick Douglass questioned this holiday. Remember, he asked, “What to the slave is your 4th of July?” Ancestor James Earl Jones read Douglass’s speech on

Fifteen years ago, I became a father. Where the time went, I don’t know, but I lost it somewhere between December of 2010 and today. “Cherish these moments. They grow up fast,” said older parents when they witnessed the limitless energy of my babies. I replied with a smile but didn’t recognize their wisdom. My youth convinced me that I had many Father’s Day holidays ahead. With this blog post, I’m asking you to do something I couldn’t do as a younger parent. Listen. I’ve lear

We know half the story of Juneteenth. On June 19th, 1865, emancipation reached enslaved Africans in Galveston, Texas. That’s one half of today’s holiday. The other half includes accounts of former enslavers choosing to die by suicide on the day of Jubilee. They couldn’t fathom living without the exploitation of African labor and perceived death as the comfortable alternative. Their decisions indicated the value of African bodies. Masters assessed slaves as priceless. If we co