The Moguls and Mogulettes

We live in a generation where people love to glorify what they do and it is because of this I dread going to networking events with young 20-something professionals. I have to mentally prepare myself for the load of lies and embellishments that will be thrown my way such as, "Yeah. I'm the CEO of my own fortune five company" or "Due to my remarkable marketing skills I've had the honor of working alongside hard hitters like Nelson Mandela" or my favorite line, "I just flew in from Bangkok where I'm into the business of buying and selling containers." Really? You buy and sell containers? Containers full of what? *awkward silence* "Ehh...I can't say..."

In my opinion it is OKAY to admit that you aren't self-employed or that you are making a little above minimum wage or that you are still searching for that dream job. The reality is that many of us will not get those jobs that pay six figures and give us the luxury to travel whenever we want straight out of undergraduate or graduate school---It is a rarity. 

Sometimes I feel as though people are afraid of being looked down upon or judged by their peers if their standard of living isn't "up to par" however I can assure you that most of us aren't judging you for your position but, rather, your hustle and work ethic.

Not everyone is destined to be a mogul or mogulette. Not everyone will own his or her own business...and even if some of you do succeed in owning your own business, statistics show that it may fail *shrug*.

So own where you are in life. It is just a stepping stone. Your occupation does not define you. Use this time to work on the skills that will make you a competitive candidate in the field of your preference; instead of lying to us turn those fabrications into actualizations! So long as you're living and breathing there is always an opportunity for you.

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xoxo,

J.Nne

Black History Month.

Is it just me or is Black History not what it used to be like when we were in elementary school? Teachers made it their mission to teach us about the same historical African American figures. 

They taught about Martin and his dream, Harriet and her railroad, Mr. Carver and his peanuts, Booker T. Washington creating Tuskegee, and even Madam CJ Walker who gave us blacks the gift of straight, manageable hair...that was it. We just knew them and what they did...we memorized their names and their significance.

The routine of memorizing these figures made most of lose our sense of connection to these people...these people whose pictures we would see...whose stories we would read. After a while, most of us got over them and their stories.

Maybe it is because I have grown into a woman or maybe it is because I have come to have a deep passion for African Americans and their stories, but I am disappointed in what we have become as a people in America.

I tutor intercity children in Washington D.C., my kids range from kindergarten to the third grade. The other day during reading time, I tossed the book aside and decided to ask them if they knew the significance of the month we're in (February); they did. I asked them if they could name any historical black figures and what they did (They gave me names, but could only tell me the conventional "he had a dream, she had a railroad, he made peanuts, etc."

It saddened me that these children did not know more about their people; that they did not know the struggle and pains that some of these people went through in order to ensure that future generations, like theirs, could have the things we take for granted now; a good education, jobs, equality, etc.

I am a part of a generation that would rather drop out of school and work for below minimum wage than graduate and obtain a career.

It is sad to see the descendants of Egyptian royalty, of the Ashanti tribes; people of the great African kingdoms subjected to the mindset that they can only achieve a certain amount of greatness- assuming they can even achieve anything at all.

Where are the black activists of my generation that strive to spread self-identity and cultural awareness? Where are OUR black fathers to teach their sons respect and hard work while teaching their daughters what it is like to have a good man? Where are OUR mothers to set an example for their daughters? Depleting. Diminishing. Disappearing.

My brothers and sisters a change must come and it must begin with us, now. We must remember who we are and what we come from. We must remember that we are placed on this Earth for a reason. We must remember that we set the stage for the generations to come and we influence what happens in the future.

We must celebrate Black History Month and remember those that paved the way for us to be who we are; to have the freedom and opportunities that we have.  

xoxo,

J.Nne

A Birthday Tribute To Bob Marley

Happy Birthday to a man that inspired and STILL inspires millions with his music. A man whose music has lived on through generations. Bob Marley, here's to you.

There's a quote by Bob Marley that I love...one of my favorite quotes about love. It goes like this:


"He's not perfect. You aren't either, and the two of you will never be perfect. But if he can make you laugh at least once, causes you to think twice, and if he admits to being human and making mistakes, hold onto him and give him the most you can. He isn't going to quote poetry, he's not thinking about you every moment, but he will give you a part of him that he knows you could break. Don't hurt him, don't change him, and don't expect for more than he can give. Don't analyze. Smile when he makes you happy, yell when he makes you mad, and miss him when he's not there. Love hard when there is love to be had. Because perfect guys don't exist, but there's always one guy that is perfect for you."
-Bob Marley

Last but not least, I leave you with one of my favorite songs by this amazing musician.

No Woman, No Cry

xoxo,

J.Nne

Famine in the Horn of Africa

7-month old Mihag

Little Mihag

A malnourished child waits to be admitted to Banadir Hospital in Modadishu.

This is what is happening in drought-ravaged Somalia. Mothers have to walk for days to reach aid camps in Kenya and Ethiopia. This baby's mother had to walk for seven days without food or water to reach an aid camp and by the time she got there, this is what her 7-month old son had turned into, almost starving to death. Doctors aren't even sure little Mihag Farah, who weighs same as a newborn, will make it. 

Mihag is just one of 800, 000 children that could die in Somalia in the worst drought in decades, because of the ongoing civil war in the country. The country's prolonged drought became a famine because neither the government nor many aid agencies can operate in areas controlled by Al Qaeda-linked militants.

Imagine not knowing where and when your next meal will come. 

You can help these families.

You can help save lives. I don't want to sound like one of those annoying 'Feed the Children' commercials, but these kids need our help! Anything makes a difference.

• You can choose to help people in the Horn of Africa and other places here. 
• You can make a $10 donation to the World Food Programme by texting AID to 27722.

Read more about the famine here

xoxo,

Miss Nwoka

Domestic Violence is Real.

It's only make-up

Domestic violence is the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior perpetrated by an intimate partner against another. It is an epidemic affecting individuals in every community, regardless of age, economic status, race, religion, nationality or educational background. 

Violence against women is often accompanied by emotionally abusive and controlling behavior, and thus is part of a systematic pattern of dominance and control. Domestic violence results in physical injury, psychological trauma, and sometimes death. The consequences of domestic violence can cross generations and truly last a lifetime.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE FACTS

• One in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime.
• An estimated 1.3 million women are victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year.
• 85% of domestic violence victims are women.
• Historically, females have been most often victimized by someone they knew.
• Females who are 20-24 years of age are at the greatest risk of nonfatal intimate partner violence.
• Most cases of domestic violence are never reported to the police. 
• There are 1,500 shelters for battered women in the United States. There are 3,800 animal shelters.
  
• Three to four million women in the United States are beaten in their homes each year by their husbands, ex-husbands, or male lovers.
  
• One woman is beaten by her husband or partner every 15 seconds in the United States.
 

 If you ARE being abused, there are shelters that you can go to. Domestic violence can happen to anyone...it can be physical or emotional...

xoxo,

Miss Nwoka

The Evils of Photoshop.

Technology has given us many good things. Light, McDonalds, free music sites, etc. However, with all things good there are those of us that take advantage of it.

Photoshop started out as what photographers used to cover up and fix a model's appearance for magazine and billboards...but with the increase in technology, people found a way to make applications [such as Adobe photoshop] in order to alter their appearances.

Sure! We understand if you have a HUGE pimple that you want to smooth out...or maybe a scar that you want to blot out; but some people change themselves completely. 

...Now imagine meeting someone online and setting up a date. Lo and behold the person you meet looks NOTHING like the person from the internet. lol.

It's fascinating yet disheartening at the same time. 

Be comfortable in your own skin. You don't need photoshop to be beautiful!