When I was in my early twenties I saw a young man with whom others said I had a lot in common. They were referring to our childhoods. Many thought I should talk to him (romantically). I made plans to one day speak with him. However, my plans were to interview him in order to find out the reason for our visible differences. He smiled all the time-I did not! I was bitter. I was angry at the people who did not raise me. I hated being around them. I wanted them to apologize for not loving me, not supporting me, not wanting me to be born, and punishing me because I was alive. Not him! He walked around melodiously singing everywhere he went-always smiling! I was so exhausted by the wounds I refused to allow God to heal that I could only muster a smile for my son. Our differences confused me. I always wanted to ask him, "Why?" then, "How?" How was it (according to people) that we had lived such similar childhoods, and become different adults. Why wasn't he wounded? Why wasn't he angry? Where did he get the strength to smile and laugh? Why wasn't he bitter and miserable? I wanted answers, but I didn't want to invade his happiness with my sadness. I didn't want him to catch what I had. I didn't want anyone to feel like I felt-defeated and enslaved by uncontrollable torrents of emotions. Rather, I wanted what he had. Instead of asking him, I decided to ask God. Yielding my pain, I set out on a journey: armed with a Bible, a pen, a notebook, and a song-always a song. This was the beginning of my freedom; A New Way of life.
Brenda can't believe what's happening right before her eyes. Her daughter is fighting for her life while sh'e fighting to maintain her sanity. As she reflects on her life, her spirit becomes tormented by the secrets her heart carries. David wants to be there for Brenda but can she take the pressure of keeping secrets from him? How much will family hold back from one another? When the devil comes knocking, will they let him in or will they send him packing? Find out where the twisted drama leads in Brenda's Enigmas.
The award-winning book, Raw Foods on a Budget, is here! Co-created by Brandi Rollins and a team of readers like you, Raw Foods on a Budget was designed to teach you how to enjoy a budget-loving, plant-based lifestyle. It doesn't matter if you are 100% raw, high raw, vegan, or veggie-friendly, this book goes beyond the price of food and shows you HOW to buy food; STORE, PREPARE, and EAT food in ways that stretch your dollar; CREATE and MAINTAIN a budget; use a budget to get the LIFE YOU WANT; and GROW and FIND high-quality, inexpensive produce! There is even cost-effective guidance on how and where to buy common raw food ingredients and equipment! Now add 90 budget-loving recipes--each with their own cost estimates, money-saving tips, and nutrition information--and you have the ultimate program to living an abundant, budget-conscious raw food lifestyle!
When I was in my early twenties I saw a young man with whom others said I had a lot in common. They were referring to our childhoods. Many thought I should talk to him (romantically). I made plans to one day speak with him. However, my plans were to interview him in order to find out the reason for our visible differences. He smiled all the time-I did not! I was bitter. I was angry at the people who did not raise me. I hated being around them. I wanted them to apologize for not loving me, not supporting me, not wanting me to be born, and punishing me because I was alive. Not him! He walked around melodiously singing everywhere he went-always smiling! I was so exhausted by the wounds I refused to allow God to heal that I could only muster a smile for my son. Our differences confused me. I always wanted to ask him, "Why?" then, "How?" How was it (according to people) that we had lived such similar childhoods, and become different adults. Why wasn't he wounded? Why wasn't he angry? Where did he get the strength to smile and laugh? Why wasn't he bitter and miserable? I wanted answers, but I didn't want to invade his happiness with my sadness. I didn't want him to catch what I had. I didn't want anyone to feel like I felt-defeated and enslaved by uncontrollable torrents of emotions. Rather, I wanted what he had. Instead of asking him, I decided to ask God. Yielding my pain, I set out on a journey: armed with a Bible, a pen, a notebook, and a song-always a song. This was the beginning of my freedom; A New Way of life.
Some of the greatest football fans in the world purchase seats on the fifty-yard line, but only a select few actually have the privilege of touching the turf. Brandi Jones does not have to imagine standing four quarters on the sidelines of a football game: she was a professional cheerleader in the NFL. Jones shares a unique perspective from the fifty-yard line as she offers an intriguing look into a professional cheerleaders role on game day. Jones, who started cheerleading at a young age, leads others through her personal journey as she discovered a love for cheering, trained and prepared for the game like an athlete, and fiercely competed for spots on squads. While demonstrating that cheerleading is not really all about hair and makeup, Jones highlights behind-the-scenes realities as she details grueling practices, promotional appearances, and skill requirements, proving that inner strength and grit determine whether a cheerleader succeeds or not. The View from the Fifty-Yard Line shares a former NFL cheerleaders take on the successes and failures, ups and downs, and glory and pain she experienced while cheering for some of the greatest football teams ever.
What's a girl gotta do to get what she wants out of life? According to Ra'Keeyah Jackson, she'll do whatever it takes. Ra'Keeyah has million-dollar dreams. She's determined to come up, and she won't stop until she does. Nothing is going to stop her from getting the hottest clothes, the finest men, and money to burn. Easily influenced by her conniving girls Shayna and Quiana, Ra'Keeyah resorts to shoplifting, stealing married men's credit cards, and passing bad checks to get what she wants. Ra'Keeyah is struggling to stay on top, and she has sunk to an all-time low when she meets Brick. He's a savvy, street-smart hustler who will surely take her young heart for a ride and make her want to change. Will she be able to resist, though, when Shayna comes to her with an idea that is sure to keep their pockets on swole? This idea could cost the girls a little more than they bargained for, along with teaching them that not everyone is to be tricked!
A renowned doula shares powerful lessons on healing and thriving through the murky seasons of life in this moving, intimate guide to deeper self-awareness and radical joy. “This book is a beacon of resilience. . . . A must-read for anyone committed to growth.”—Erica Chidi Cohen, author of Nurture We’ve all been there: We take a pause, look at our lives, and desire more—more from our relationships, more from our wellness journeys, maybe simply more from ourselves. For some, it might be more fun, more peace, more exploration—but what does it take to get to the other side of living in survival mode? In On Thriving, Brandi Sellerz-Jackson helps us wade through what she calls the four great labors of our lives—labors that she’s had to overcome and that she has led many clients through. Drawing from her experiences as a doula and intimate storytelling from her own life, Sellerz-Jackson guides us through the many phases of these great labors—labors that we can get stuck in, stunting our ability to thrive. Across age, gender, economic status, or background, we all move through the great labor of our relationships, our mental health, grief and loss, and the feeling of being othered. Sellerz-Jackson doesn’t shy away from the pitfalls of these labors but rather challenges us to actively remain present within them and ask ourselves: What do I need to thrive in the space I’m currently in? In On Thriving, you’ll come to recognize the survival tools you’ve picked up along the way and exchange them for thriving tools and “rich-uals.” You’ll commit to no longer making a home out of chaos and rediscovering sanctuary within yourself. Comparing our thriving to that of plant life, Sellerz-Jackson simplifies the complicated—and oftentimes overwhelming—journey as we attempt to grow in an inhospitable environment. With insightful and vulnerable storytelling, she invites a deep, soul-stirring investigation of our past and present to gather all that we need to thrive right where we are, right now.
In Claiming Union Widowhood, Brandi Clay Brimmer analyzes the US pension system from the perspective of poor black women during and after the Civil War. Reconstructing the grassroots pension network in New Bern, North Carolina, through a broad range of historical sources, she outlines how the mothers, wives, and widows of black Union soldiers struggled to claim pensions in the face of evidentiary obstacles and personal scrutiny. Brimmer exposes and examines the numerous attempts by the federal government to exclude black women from receiving the federal pensions that they had been promised. Her analyses illustrate the complexities of social policy and law administration and the interconnectedness of race, gender, and class formation. Expanding on previous analyses of pension records, Brimmer offers an interpretive framework of emancipation and the freedom narrative that places black women at the forefront of demands for black citizenship.
**A New York Times Editors' Choice Pick** **One of Kirkus Reviews' Best Nonfiction Books of 2022** "Political activist Collins-Dexter’s essay collection is timely as well as pointed. In it, she argues that Democrats have taken Black voters for granted, and that the consequences of this mistake have already begun — and will accelerate." —The New York Times,"15 Works of Nonfiction to Read This Fall" For fans of Bad Feminist and The Sum of Us, Black Skinhead sparks a radical conversation about Black America and political identity. In Black Skinhead, Brandi Collins-Dexter, former Senior Campaign Director for Color Of Change, explores the fragile alliance between Black voters and the Democratic party. Through sharp, timely essays that span the political, cultural, and personal, Collins-Dexter reveals decades of simmering disaffection in Black America, told as much through voter statistics as it is through music, film, sports, and the baffling mind of Kanye West. While Black Skinhead is an outward look at Black votership and electoral politics, it is also a funny, deeply personal, and introspective look at Black culture and identity, ultimately revealing a Black America that has become deeply disillusioned with the failed promises of its country. ---------------------------------------------------- We had been told that everything was fine, that America was working for everyone and that the American Dream was attainable for all. But for those who had been paying attention, there had been warning signs that the Obamas’ version of the American Dream wasn’t working for everyone. That it hadn’t been working for many white Americans was immediately and loudly discussed, but the truth—and what I set out to write this book about—was that it hadn’t been working for many Black Americans either. For many, Obama’s vision had been more illusion than reality all along. When someone tells you everything is fine, but around you, you see evidence that it’s not, where will the quest to find answers lead you? As I went on the journey of writing this book, I found a very different tale about Black politics and Black America, one that countered white America’s long-held assumption that Black voters will always vote Democrat—and even that the Democratic party is the best bet for Black Americans. My ultimate question was this: how are Black people being led away—not towards—each other, and what do we lose when we lose each other? What do we lose when, to quote Kanye West, we feel lost in the world.
This book of poetry is about a girl's journey through life and how she dealt with the struggles along the way with the help and guidance of a loving family and God. It's about how she lived and loved, especially the love she has for her county. Some of you might be able to relate to the poems in this book or maybe you've lost someone or a family connection or it could be the love of music or our fine country. I think you will find that there is a mix of different topics to enjoy.
Improvement Science in Education: A Primer provides a comprehensive overview of improvement science as a framework to guide continuous improvement and reconceptualizes improvement by centering equity and justice as the purpose of improvement. This Primer is designed to introduce improvement science, a methodology with origins in manufacturing, engineering and healthcare, to educational audiences. The book first explores the philosophical and methodological foundations of improvement science, juxtaposing it with traditional forms of research so that clear distinctions can be drawn. Chapters in the latter half of the book introduce the principles of improvement, give guidance and tools for operationalizing the principles in practice, and conclude with questions to ensure you are improving with equity in mind. Constantly reminding readers to think about who is involved and impacted, the Primer makes improvement science accessible to novices and adds critical dimensions for experienced practitioners to consider. Perfect for courses such as: Educational Research, School Improvement, and Program Evaluation
Introduced by her boyfriend to the more sophisticated aspects of the drug trade, Blu confronts a difficult choice when she falls in love with a mysterious Haitian who tempts her to take over the operation.
Catanese's beautifully written and cogently argued book addresses one of the most persistent sociopolitical questions in contemporary culture. She suggests that it is performance and the difference it makes that complicates the terms by which we can even understand 'multicultural' and 'colorblind' concepts. A tremendously illuminating study that promises to break new ground in the fields of theatre and performance studies, African American studies, feminist theory, cultural studies, and film and television studies." ---Daphne Brooks, Princeton University "Adds immeasurably to the ways in which we can understand the contradictory aspects of racial discourse and performance as they have emerged during the last two decades. An ambitious, smart, and fascinating book." ---Jennifer DeVere Brody, Duke University Are we a multicultural nation, or a colorblind one? The Problem of the Color[blind] examines this vexed question in American culture by focusing on black performance in theater, film, and television. The practice of colorblind casting---choosing actors without regard to race---assumes a performing body that is somehow race neutral. But where, exactly, is race neutrality located---in the eyes of the spectator, in the body of the performer, in the medium of the performance? In analyzing and theorizing such questions, Brandi Wilkins Catanese explores a range of engaging and provocative subjects, including the infamous debate between playwright August Wilson and drama critic Robert Brustein, the film career of Denzel Washington, Suzan-Lori Parks's play Venus, the phenomenon of postblackness (as represented in the Studio Museum in Harlem's "Freestyle" exhibition), the performer Ice Cube's transformation from icon of gangsta rap to family movie star, and the controversial reality television series Black. White. Concluding that ideologies of transcendence are ahistorical and therefore unenforceable, Catanese advances the concept of racial transgression---a process of acknowledging rather than ignoring the racialized histories of performance---as her chapters move between readings of dramatic texts, films, popular culture, and debates in critical race theory and the culture wars.
Kylee Hampton is no poor little rich girl. She's living the life—nicely furnished condo, decent ride, designer clothes, and a purse and shoe game to kill for—and she knows it. Mommy and Daddy foot the bills for their only child. In their eyes, she deserves it. Kylee's never given them problems. She graduated high school and is ready to start her freshman year of college. If her parents took time to look into her closet, they'd do the math and realize that not even the allowance they provide Kylee could afford her all the luxuries she has. Of course, Kylee would never allow them in her closet because she knows that beneath the red bottom shoes and Louis Vuitton bags, skeletons would be discovered. Kylee's secrets are safe with her girl Ja'Nay, a loyal friend who has tried to be the voice of reason when it comes to Kylee's lifestyle. Ja'Nay hasn't been able to get Kylee to see the ugliness of her ways, but she still prays that her friend will come to her senses. The last thing Ja'Nay wants is for Kylee to reap what she sows.
How can three women living three totally different lifestyles have so much in common? Alexis is a single mother of two, with an abusive baby daddy her girls keep pressing her to leave. Between her difficult man and her girls' constant nagging, Alexis is forced to live a double life. Watch as she tries to hold on to a secret that would definitely tear apart any friendship. Keaundra is constantly haunted by a troubled past and lives by the motto "Trust No Man!" This has left her lonely and with plenty of time on her hands. But what happens when she crosses paths with Mr. Right? Will Keaundra let him in, or will her past experiences force her to let him slip away? India is classy, intelligent, loyal, and used to having her way. Between her rich father and her boyfriend, Martell, she wants for nothing. But when her loyalty to her girls starts to affect her relationship, will India have to choose between her best friends and her man, or will he make the choice for her? When life and love get complicated, these three unlikely friends will have some very difficult choices to make.
This book investigates how cooking, eating, and identity are connected to the local micro-climates in each of Ghana’s major eco-culinary zones. The work is based on several years of researching Ghanaian culinary history and cuisine, including field work, archival research, and interdisciplinary investigation. The political economy of Ghana is used as an analytical framework with which to investigate the following questions: How are traditional food production structures in Ghana coping with global capitalist production, distribution, and consumption? How do land, climate, and weather structure or provide the foundation for food consumption and how does that affect the separate traditional and capitalist production sectors? Despite the post WWII food fight that launched Ghana’s bid for independence from the British empire, Ghana’s story demonstrates the centrality of local foods and cooking to its national character. The cultural weight of regional traditional foods, their power to satisfy, and the overall collective social emphasis on the ‘proper’ meal, have persisted in Ghana, irrespective of centuries of trade with Europeans. This book will be of interest to scholars in food studies, comparative studies, and African studies, and is sure to capture the interest of students in new ways.
When her brother is killed, Trouble, who has everything she could ever want because of her brother and his "complex occupation," embarks on a mission of revenge that involves seducing the enemy and then killing him. Original.
While Washington, D.C., is still often referred to as "Chocolate City," it has undergone significant demographic, political, and economic change in the last decade. In D.C., no place represents this shift better than the H Street corridor. In this book, Brandi Thompson Summers documents D.C.'s shift to a "post-chocolate" cosmopolitan metropolis by charting H Street's economic and racial developments. In doing so, she offers a theoretical framework for understanding how blackness is aestheticized and deployed to organize landscapes and raise capital. Summers focuses on the continuing significance of blackness in a place like the nation's capital, how blackness contributes to our understanding of contemporary urbanization, and how it laid an important foundation for how Black people have been thought to exist in cities. Summers also analyzes how blackness—as a representation of diversity—is marketed to sell a progressive, "cool," and authentic experience of being in and moving through an urban center. Using a mix of participant observation, visual and media analysis, interviews, and archival research, Summers shows how blackness has become a prized and lucrative aesthetic that often excludes D.C.'s Black residents.
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