The door slid along the carpeted floor. I entered the rectangular office with off-white walls and wooden furniture. On the bookshelf, I found welcoming gifts from the foundation. Sandwiched between two hardcover books, I read the title of a popular book from my college years. I blinked twice and smiled. The leadership team had placed a copy of Dr. Joy DeGruy’s book Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome: America’s Legacy of Enduring Injury and Healing  in my office. Upton Press publis

I stepped out of the office and picked up my sister’s call. When she answered, I could tell from her voice that something was off.  She explained how she broke a finger while walking her dog. The pup got excited at seeing another dog and yanked the leash while she tied her shoe. His four legs and her ring finger went in opposite directions.  I listened as she explained her frustration and how the injury would restrict her activities. After failing to console her and making it

I arrived at the office earlier than usual. Last Friday, I had family plans that demanded a clear head. My middle son had a soccer tournament two hours away from our home. I had to meet my writing goals before 4 PM to enjoy the family time and watch the games without thinking about pens, pages, or how to explain the importance of African-centered education. Immediately after reaching the office, I deactivated the security alarm, poured coffee, and sat to revise an article.  T

A few weeks back, I ran a local 10K race. When I shared my plans with several people, they laughed. My family and friends know that my weekly distance runs often exceed 10 miles. 10Ks, 6.2 miles, are shorter than marathons, but the push from competing with others makes them worthwhile. They also offer speed work and an endurance test. On one curve of the race, it started to rain. The water hit my face like small acupuncture needles as I fought fatigue, trying to catch another

What is ideal work for you? As much as we would like to chill and enjoy every luxury life can offer, it is not a reality for us. We must work. Let's return to the opening question. How do you define ideal work? W. E. B. Du Bois says, “The ideal of Work–not idleness, not dawdling but hard continuous effort at something worth doing by a man supremely interested in doing it, who knows how it ought to be done and is willing to take infinite pains doing it.” Tasks aligned with our

Why should we push toward discomfort when our environments encourage the opposite? Comfort has become our default setting. On every corner, a fast-food joint offers us a hot, convenient, and delicious meal. With the tap of a credit card, we can avoid cooking and fill our stomachs with empty calories. Although the food tastes good, it lacks nutritional value. Our phones offer countless hours of entertainment without pressing a button. Flashing our faces before the screen unloc

"Artificial intelligence helps us imagine who we are.” I listened as my coworker shared ideas from her conference presentation. After our meeting ended, I scribbled her words on a notebook to review later. How do you make use of AI? Are you hesitant or jumping in to use the tools without inhibition? On some levels, I’ve been reluctant and skeptical about AI’s shortcuts to research, productivity, and creativity. I use Grammarly for editing assistance, but outsourcing human thi

Have you ever experienced the feelings of being sick, naked, and afraid? Men often ignore their vulnerabilities, but the façade has limitations. Difficulties can teach you plenty when you embrace the fullness of your identity. So many of us project false images of ourselves as tactical tools to survive. We put up a front. We get wrapped in our public personas while losing touch with our inner selves to fragile and narrow definitions of masculinity. Check my usage of “we;” I’m

Forty minutes before the train departed, I arrived at the Sacramento Valley Station. Everything online told me thirty minutes or less was enough time to board the Amtrak line to Hayward. The Uber driver dropped me at the curb at 11:15 AM for an 11:55 AM train. I pulled open the heavy glass door and surveyed the lobby. The waiting area mirrored a scene from an old Western movie. I sat on a long wooden bench and waited for further instructions. No announcement came on the inter

Have you read the “Dear Colleague” love letter from Craig Trainor, the Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights with the United States Department of Education? The letter was released on Valentine's Day and quickly circulated among higher education professionals. In the final minutes of our last all-staff meeting, a colleague passed copies of the letter around the boardroom. As a staff member read passages aloud, my biology replied. My head filled with rage, and my hands i

After this post, I am putting this issue to bed. I am tucking it under the sheets, turning off the light, saying good night, and closing the door. Seeing and typing the words will help me acknowledge reality. What do you think? Are you lost and confused? Read the next sentence. Between the environment and multiple interactions with people, I must concede to living in America. I live in a country with abundant resources, but people without homes lack critical support and must

After growing up in Chicago, I fell in love with the winter seasons of what some economists mis-frame as the Global South. In Mexico, and Antigua and Barbuda, I enjoyed the year-round warm weather. The sun wrapped its arms around me from January to December for eight years. Every morning I stepped outdoors this week, the dark sky and cold temperatures reminded me of the life I left behind. I struggled to accept the separation. Being back in the States feels like dating an ex-

My new office What or who do you call God? Are you agnostic, not knowing how to reference a Creator? Think about these two questions for a second. I'm not here to judge your answer. Nor am I interested in debates about "My God" and "Your God." However, you recognize or choose not to acknowledge a supreme being is your business. To paraphrase Malcolm X, el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz, invisible divisions disrupt unity the moment we discuss religion. Let's instead focus on building a