Dear Student Leader, How are things? Did you use last week’s lesson on consistency and accountability? We are less than two weeks into 2026. Like any day, now is a great time to build new habits. Take the “New Year Resolution train” and start your journey to making changes. Failures will happen, but don’t let them stop you. Courage isn’t authorizing bombings, shooting observers, or removing politicians. Loud power plays often feed weak egos and starving ethnocentric beliefs.

Dear Student Leader, Enjoy the final days of your holiday break. The time to connect with friends and family can serve as a refreshment between semesters. I thought about you as I ran through downtown Sacramento and across the Golden Bridge. Did you make New Year’s resolutions? Want better grades this term? Maybe, for you, building muscle or losing weight is the goal this January. This letter is part of my commitment to growth through writing: in 2026, I will write more than

Have you ever thought about your last message? By this, I mean the last words you will leave behind for your family, friends, and community. It’s morbid to discuss death, but it’s also foolish to ignore the reality of our limited time on Earth.   Thinking about legacy can clarify priorities, reduce stress, and clear barriers to significant success.   One day, hopefully not any time soon, people will reference us as Ancestors. What will people say? Does it matter?   On this fi

I don’t know how many more days, months, or years I have left to live. The doctor says, I’m in excellent shape, but life is unpredictable. I am writing this letter to you for your 15th birthday, in case death comes sooner than expected. Sure, I could have shared these words with you in a private setting. However, much of your time is spent online and on screens these days. I want to see more of you around the house, but you can read this letter in your favorite place at home-

Imagine a stampede. Footsteps pound around you. The breath of other mammals touches your neck. Dust speckles make it hard to see. Do you panic and stop or keep up? I tried to keep up, but after the first five miles of California’s International Marathon, I regretted the decision. The telling pants and painful foot strikes forewarned me of the pending failure. Despite this awareness and thanks to my music turned to max, I ignored the signs. Until mile 14, I maintained the grue

Creativity is not limited by time and space; it lives in us and thrives throughout our natural environment. Kuumba is Kiswahili for creativity. It is the sixth principle of Kwanzaa, necessary for innovative solutions to problems regardless of the season. In recognition of Kuumba, I give this offering. Leaves on the ground   We arrived at 6:45 PM. My family parked across the street from my coworker’s home. We crossed the street, found the address, and climbed the stairs to the

Can you imagine not eating on Thanksgiving Day? What if your decision to remain hungry could build a school for your community? A cause just might be worth avoiding the macaroni and cheese, turkey, dressing, peach cobbler, and greens smothered in meat fats. Twenty-four years ago, a hunger strike led by a concerned Chicago coalition forced politicians to listen and build a new high school. It wasn’t November when the students, parents, activists, and grandparents decided to st

Did you hear the recent news? Target adopted a policy  requiring its employees to smile at customers and display other forms of welcoming body language during their work shifts. The company is hopeful that the change will increase revenue and restore its Black customer base following this year's boycotts. Target regrets leaving the diversity, equity, and inclusion train as soon as the Trump conductor announced its stop. Their decision corresponds to losses in diverse dollars.

Do they want you home? Yes. Would you like to be home more often? Absolutely. Yet the pull of passionate, meaningful, and purposeful work keeps you away.  I know this dilemma too well. It stirs internal conflicts, cooks destructive thoughts, and serves plates of frustration. Sometimes, I eat challenges and digest gratitude. I have moments when I also take on too much and vomit the excess. Lost or disgusted? Read on for context. The Umoja Community Education Foundation held it

Much has changed. While living abroad for eight years, my family stopped recognizing American holidays. I viewed the occasions as capitalistic schemes to boost the economy. They aided the status quo while keeping the most vulnerable populations poor. I laughed at the plot.   While I still find many of the dominant holidays silly and materialistic, I have softened my stance. Last week, my children celebrated Halloween for the first time. My oldest is almost fifteen and a fresh

Today is Halloween. It’s scary to imagine the ghosts that have surrounded us since birth. I’m not referencing zombies, flying spirits, or the vampires responsible for childhood nightmares. The ghosts of white supremacy, patriarchy, and religious hypocrisy are real. Emile Suotonye DeWeaver’s book, Ghost in the Criminal Justice System: Reform, White Supremacy, and an Abolitionist Future , is a game-changer. Each chapter challenges common perceptions of structural oppression and

Last weekend, a capoeira comrade invited me to a “No Kings” protest. While I appreciated the invitation, I declined and instead spent time with my parents during their short visit to a nearby town. I settled for honking the horn to encourage a group of protestors marching down the street. While I’m aware that presence offers the best present to help others engaged in the struggle, I am hopeful this post and subsequent writings add to the protestors’ calls for social justice,

Stars The Umoja team inhaled and exhaled. We sat in plush seats on a black minibus behind tinted windows, like superstars of African-centered diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging initiatives. The bus’s vents circulated a mixture of Egyptian musk, incense, perfumes, air conditioning, and positive vibes. We pulled away from the curb at 8:45 AM on a mission. At the stop sign on the corner of 7 th  Street in Sacramento, our driver turned right. We entered th

We know exercise has physical and mental benefits, yet it remains a challenge for many of us to prioritize. Between assignments, appointments, and annoyances, it’s difficult to find time for working out. A 2022 study reports that 28% of adults in America meet the physical activity marks to support aerobic and anaerobic fitness. The lure of watching TV, scrolling on social media, drinking, eating fast food, or smoking to offset the responsibilities of home and work is strong.

I never met you, but something tells me I knew something about you. In undergrad, I read your book, Assata: An Autobiography .  It was...

Hip-hop lives. During car rides and school days, the music and culture of hip-hop can encourage awareness and prevent suicide.. Nino Paid’s song Joey Story  offers us an example. I can’t front. Nino Paid’s music is not on my playlist. Here’s a brief story about how I learned of this artist. The drive for awareness. My teenage son opened the passenger’s door and sat in the front seat. He fastened his seat belt, and we pulled away from the curb. Within seconds, he connected his

Politics aside, we must appreciate life. For white conservatives, black radicals, and everyone else on the racialized and political spectrum, life is short. In the last two weeks, Charlie Kirk, Demartravion “Trey” Reed, and Mayumi Narita died. Of the three names in the previous sentence, you may only know of one. Before the incident in Utah, I didn’t know anything about Charlie Kirk. After he died, I learned of his similarities to another influencer who shares the same first

America needs the KPop Demon Hunters. Consider the recent tragedies in support of my argument. Is it possible to arrange for the three evil-slaying animated entertainers to rescue us from the demons of violence, racism, xenophobia, and homophobia in America? Not really, but contemplate the idea for a moment. The KPop Demon Hunters film features three fictional Korean pop singers who fight evil entities by day and entertain crowds by night. In their quest to save humankind, th

With help from a staff member and a cane, an elder walked to the podium. In a voice rich with confidence and experience, she introduced herself as a founder of the Umoja Community Education Foundation. Next, she described the cultural grounding activity and invited the room of higher education practitioners to close their eyes.   I sat on the carpeted floor, crossed my legs, and listened as the elder established the importance of remembering and honoring Ancestors . We opened

What if you invited love to work with you? Would you show up differently?   If you teach or serve in the social sector, imagine how love could increase your drive, motivation, and ability to impact lives. On some days, the emotion could encourage you to smile and silence the sigh when opening your office door. At some point, we get there. The roads may take us along different paths. We may not arrive at the same time, but we connect with passion and purpose when it’s our turn