Flashback: On this DATE in Black History...

February 10,



1868 - Republican conservatives drafted a new constitution which concentrated political power in the hands of the governor a limits the impact of the Black vote. This was made possible by Conservatives, aided by military forces, who seize the convention hall and establish control over the reconstruction process in Florida. 

1907- Grace Towns Hamilton, an African-American civil rights advocate, feminist, and politician was born. She became the first African-American woman to serve in the Georgia legislature (1966-1984). Described as “the quiet warrior,” she fought hard for better health facilities, improved education, help for the indigent, and rights for the disenfranchised. She brought the power to minority voters in the state of Georgia.

1909- “Chick” Webb , an African-American drummer and bandleader, was born. His dynamic drumming and easily recognized compositions arranged by Edgar Sampson earned him and his band an enthusiastic following. Stompin’ at the Savoy and Don’t Be That Way 1934 were signature selection of the times. Ella Fitzgerald, who would become the bands leading attraction, sang Webb’s hit recordings A-Tisket A-Tasket, 1938 and Undecided, 1939.
Chick Webb died on June 16, 1939, at the age of 30 from complications following an operation.
1927 - Mary Leontyne Violet Price, one of the world's greatest operatic talents, was born in Laurel, Mississippi. She amassed many operatic firsts, being the first African American to sing opera on network television and the first African American to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Among other honors, she received the NAACP's Spingarn Medal, three Emmys, and Kennedy Center Honors.

1937 - Roberta Flack, legendary American singer, was born in Black Mountain (Asheville), North Carolina. She began her professional singing career in Washington, DC. She won Grammys for "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," "Where Is the Love," and "Killing Me Softly with His Song."

1942 - Mary Lovelace O'Neal is born in Jackson, Mississippi. Educated at Howard and Columbia universities, she became a professor of fine arts and head of the Art Department at University of California at Berkeley. Academia allowed her the freedom to become a painter and she exhibited her work in museums in the United States, Morocco, and Chile.
1943 - Eta Phi Beta, the national business and professional sorority, is incorporated in Detroit, Michigan. It has chapters throughout the United States and number among its members civil rights activist Daisy Bates and artist Margaret T. Burroughs.

1945 - The United States, Russia, Great Britain, and France approve a peace treaty with Italy, under which Italy renounces all rights and claims to Ethiopia and Eritrea.

1945 - The Chicago Defender reports that over a quarter of a million African Americans migrated to California during the years 1942 and 1943. As the percentage of African Americans in California increases from 1 1/2% to more than 10% of the total population, so does the practice of racial segregation.
1971 - Bill White becomes the first African American major league baseball announcer when he begins announcing for the New York Yankees.

1989 - Ronald H. Brown, who had served as Jesse Jackson's campaign manager, became chairman of the Democratic National Committee, the first African American to hold the position in either party.

1990 - South African President, Frederik Willem de Klerk announces that Nelson Mandela will be set free on February 11th after 27 years in prison.

1992 - Alex Haley, author of "Roots," and "Autobiography of Malcolm X," passed away while on a lecture tour in Seattle, Washington at the age of 70.

1992 - Mike Tyson is convicted in Indianapolis, Indiana of raping a contestant in the Miss Black America competition and sentenced to six years in an Indiana prison.

1998 - Dr. David Satcher is confirmed by the U.S. Senate to become Surgeon General.
2007-Obama announces bid for presidency in Springfield Illinois. 


Sidenote: Happy 21st birthday to my younger brother MLD. Love you!

Morning Inspiration

GREAT morning everyone!!! Happy Hump Day!


Sometimes you need to be jolted back to reality with two words: DO better! Sometimes all you need to hear are four words: "You can do it" or "I believe in you" or "Get the job done!" Sometimes we don't need a pat on the back to know we did a great job. Silence accompanied by a nod and a smile is all you need.  I recognize that we don't always need a 3 page essay to tell us what we need to hear which is simply this:

Have a vision. Be demanding. -- Colin Powell

Grab a mental pen or pencil (because sometimes we make mistakes) and draw your vision of success. One of my friends is a journalist who is launching his own magazine very soon. Like many of you he heard about the recent sell of the Huffington Post for $315 millie and commented that they "set the standard." In short I told him what I think you should all hear:  Set your own standard, build your own brand and demand success.  Be confident in what you have and dont sell yourself short because of naysayers. Hold on to your dream and DEMAND that it becomes your reality. Get out of your own way and eliminate self doubt. Live your life according to what you believe success looks like for you. If you measure success with dollar signs and Huffington Post sold for $315 millie then build up your empire and sell it for $316 millie! Got it? Good!

Today's Song Choice: Big Daddy Kane-I get the job done (LIVE!) Salute!

Spread Love!

Flashback: On this DATE in Black History...

February 8, 

1865 - The first African American major in the United States Army is a physician, Dr. Martin Robinson Delany.

1871-Justina Ford ,an African-American physician and humanitarian was born. As a doctor breaking down barriers for Blacks and women, Ford also worked as a humanitarian: her expertise in gynecology, obstetrics, and pediatrics was often provided to low-income and indigent people of all races. She delivered over 7000 babies during her distinguished practice of more than 50 years.

1894 - Congress repeals the Enforcement Act, which makes it easier for some states to disenfranchise African American voters.

1898- The “Grandfather Clause” was enacted for voting purposes. It was a legal and constitutional mechanism passed by seven Southern states during reconstruction to deny suffrage to black Americans. It meant that those who had enjoyed the right to vote prior to 1867, or their lineal descendants, would be exempt from educational, property, or tax requirements for voting. As a result, even if they met all the requirements, they were not allowed to vote.

Because the former slaves were not granted that right until the adoption of the Fifteenth Amendment in 1870, these clauses worked effectively to exclude Blacks from voting and assured the vote of many impoverished and illiterate whites. In 1915 the Supreme Court declared the grandfather clause unconstitutional because it violated equal voting rights guaranteed by the Fifteenth Amendment.

1924-Joe Black, an African-American baseball player in the Negro Leagues and author is born. He became the first Black pitcher to win a World Series game

1925 - Marcus Garvey is sent to federal prison in Atlanta, Georgia for mail fraud in connection with the sale of stock in his Black Star Line. His prosecution was vigorously advocated by several prominent African American leaders, including Robert Sengstacke Abbott and others. Garvey was railroaded because of the power he had amassed over the African American population of America.

1925 - Students stage a strike at Fisk University to protest the policies of the white administration at the school.

1944 - Harry S. McAlpin of the "Daily World" in Atlanta, Georgia, is the first African American journalist accredited to attend White House press conferences.

1965 - Dr. Joseph B. Danquah, Ghanaian political leader, joins the ancestors. He had been the leader of the United Gold Coast Convention, a political body which had pressed the British for a gradual relinquishing of colonial rule.

1968 - Gary Coleman is born in Zion, Ohio. He will become a child actor portraying "Arnold" in the television series, "Different Strokes," which aired from 1978 to 1986. Go ahead and say it "What you talking bout Willis?" May he R.I.P. 

1968 - Highway Patrol Officers kill three South Carolina State University students during a demonstration in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Students are protesting against a whites-only Orangeburg bowling alley.

1970 - Alonzo Mourning is born in Chesapeake, Virginia. He became a basketball star at Georgetown University and went on to play for the NBA Charlotte Hornets, New Jersey Nets and later the Miami Heat. He was praised for his courage for making a comeback after undergoing a kidney transplant and years later winning his first NBA Championship with the Miami Heat in 2006. 

1984 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of the Los Angeles Lakers scores 27 points while leading his team to a 111-109 victory over the Boston Celtics. Abdul-Jabbar passed Wilt Chamberlain's NBA career record of 12,682 field goals. 

1986 - Oprah Winfrey becomes the first African American woman to host a nationally syndicated talk show.

1986 - 5' 7" Spud Webb, of the Atlanta Hawks, wins the NBA Slam Dunk Competition.

1990 - CBS News suspends resident humorist Andy Rooney for racial comments he supposedly made to a gay magazine; Rooney denies making the comments.

1995 - The U.N. Security Council approves sending 7,000 peacekeepers to Angola to cement an accord ending 19 years of civil war. 

1995- This date observes National African American Parent Involvement Day (NAAPID).

2000 - Edna Griffin, an Iowa civil-rights pioneer best known for integrating lunch counters, passes away at the age of 90. In 1948, Griffin led the fight against Katz Drug Store in downtown Des Moines, which refused to serve blacks at its lunch counter. Griffin staged sit-ins, picketed in front of the store and filed charges against the store's owner, Maurice Katz, who was fined. The Iowa Supreme Court then enforced the law which made it illegal to deny service based on race. She organized Iowans to attend the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1963 march on Washington, D.C., and helped start the former radio station KUCB. On May 15, 1999, Des Moines' mayor proclaimed "Edna Griffin Day." On February 5, 2000, Griffin was inducted into the Iowa African American Hall of Fame.

Source: http://www.informationman.com/today.htm

Morning Inspiration

GREAT morning everyone! Happy Tuesday!

Black History Fact: During the 1940s, psychologists Kenneth Bancroft Clark and his wife, Mamie Phipps Clark designed a test to study the psychological effects of segregation on black children. It has since been referred to as "the doll test."

Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude. -Thomas Jefferson

There are two types of people: Those who have learned to control their mental attitude and those who haven't. Don't ya hate dichotomies? Aren't there always outliers? Are you always the outlier? Dont worry, I still love you. Back to the point of this post. When it comes to controlling your mental attitude, the only difference between those who can't and those who can is the decision to control it. You have to become proactive about controlling how things affect you. Why do you think people mourn differently? Why do you think people handle pressure differently? They have (although unconsciously) decided how they will deal with LIFE.  You decide how LIFE affects you. Got a flat tire? You can either get frustrated and upset OR you can get proactive and exit the vehicle to change your tire. Got a broken heater in the dead of winter? You can either sit in your home upset 24/7 or you can grab a few blankets with some snacks and snuggle up. My point is this: sh*t happens things happen. Everything will not always be perfect for you. Everything is not perfect for everyone else either. Don't be fooled, some people deserve Academy Awards for the airs they put on. If you haven't learned to see thru them yet, just know you should be skeptical of anyone who pretends bad things have never happened to them. Everyone has lost a relative or a dog. Everyone is dealing with something but we all decide how outside forces will affect us.

It amazes me when people act like they can't control their mental processes. Aside from irregular brain functions and other medical issues, you control your mental attitude. Just as you decide when to put your right foot on the floor and get out of bed, you decide the state of your mental attitude. If you want to have a positive attitude, decide to have a more positive attitude. Proclaiming it will help you make it happen. On a side note, learn to deal with your personal problems in your personal time and deal with your professional problems during your work hours. Why? One thing I have learned is if your personal life is not in order, it will leak over to your professional life. There is only so long you can use work to run from your personal problems. There is only so long you can use your personal problems to run from work; eventually you will run out of sick days. Today's challenge is for all of you to see just how much you can control your mental attitude. I'm going to test myself today too. As a Florida girl to my core, I will be tested today with wind gusts of 45 mph and temperatures of 22-39 degrees. I hear you wondering why its relevant. Usually when its *this* cold I am in a bad mood and I spend my entire day cursing the day I decided to move away from my sunshine. I declare that today will be different. I have decided the only thing I will allow the forecast to dictate is what I wear today. No I haven't gotten dressed yet, dont judge me. The point is I am making the proactive decision to have a productive and positive day today despite my inhibitions about 45 mph wind gusts. Today is about us and our mental attitude.  Its your choice: Get your mind RIGHT or get LEFT!


Today's Song Choice: LL Cool J-I need Love
Thanks for stopping by!

Spread Love!

Morning Inspiration

GREAT morning everyone! I hope you all did not party too much on Superbowl Sunday because its time to get back to the grind! Hey I made a rhyme! Moving on...read below for today's quote:

Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world. -Harriet Tubman

I have said it once and I will say it once again, at this EXACT moment you have everything within you to transform the world around you. YOU have all the power, strength and passion you need to make your dreams a reality. There are things you will need to learn, but aside from those things your characteristics are a gift. Gifts are meant to be opened and used to their highest capacity. Do not sell yourself short by hiding your gifts from the world!! How many of you still have holiday gifts you haven't opened? How many years do you allow holiday gifts to sit and fester? If you do not allow material gifts to sit and rot, why are you doing the same thing to your innate gifts? Why do you think you were born with a natural ability to do certain things? 


You were meant to use your life experiences to "marry" your gifts to your surroundings. If you have a natural athletic ability and you work in an office that requires you to be at a desk, use your gifts to start a fitness challenge between your co-workers. If you have a natural ability to speak well in front of crowds and you work at a customer service call center, use your ability to organize team meetings and company pow-wows. I could go on and on with examples but I think you get the point. Your surroundings are not an excuse to not use your gifts. You may not be where you want to be in life right now but neither are the Steelers. Do you see what I did there? *giggles* My point is for you all to learn to incorporate your gifts into your life right now and take full advantage of them. Tap into your gifts!!! 


The Randoms:


1. Shout out to Green Bay Packers the Superbowl Champs!!! Yea uh huh you know what it is! Special hugs for all of my "cheeseheads!" Green and Yellow, Green and Yellow, Green and Yellow! As a tribute to the Packers, today's song choice is a song Lil Wayne recently recorded, "Green N Yellow." Warning: NSFW version. Word to Vince Lombardi. 





2. In 2007, Mike Tomlin became the first African-American head-coach for the Pittsburg Steelers and the 10th African-American head coach in NFL history.


Spread Love! 

Morning Inspiration

GREAT morning everyone! Congratulations, you have survived the standard workweek! BUT, if you're anything like me, the weekend has become a time to catch up on all the things you allowed to fall by the wayside throughout the week. If this has never happened to you, count your blessings!

Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope... and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.  ~Robert F. Kennedy

The photo you see affixed to the right features American sprinters Carlos and Tommie Smith. The two raised their black-gloved fists on the medals stand as a symbol of protest 40 years ago at the Mexico City Olympics. Not only did they take a powerful stance, they also created an iconic image from the games. One that is as powerful today as it was when the men stood on the podium. Speaking to The Associated Press on the Fourth of July, Carlos said it wasn't an easy decision to raise his hand in protest during the playing of "The Star-Spangled Banner." Both he and Smith were expelled from the games.

When was the last time you truly stood up for something you believed in? If your belief system was challenged in your workplace what would you do? Would you stand up for yourself or would you let it slide for fear that you may lose your job? Beliefs dont pay the bills do they? Since the fear of losing your job is REAL, I wont issue a challenge that will jeopardize your employment. BUT I will challenge you to stick to your belief system no matter what. If your ideals prevent you from handling certain matters, find a way to express your sentiments to your supervisor and ask for some kind of accommodation. I dont live in a cave or a box so I recognize this may not always be the best option and that is why I call it a challenge. Challenges are not meant to be easy. The purpose they serve is to force you to think outside of the proverbial box. Do not misinterpret my challenge as me telling you to barge into your boss's office demanding to be switched to another assignment. This is not the Tasha Mack School of Business! I am challenging you all to find ways to stand up for your ideals which will help you find a way to balance your beliefs with your employment. While I am not naive enough to say everyone is tolerant, you may be surprised to see how much your beliefs are embraced by your co-workers or not. Either way, it will give you the opportunity to learn more about the people you spend a great amount of time with.


The weekend is usually a time where we relax and catch up on our thoughts that we might have lost during the week. Today I challenge you all to use the weekend to learn something new. Visit a museum or buy a new book. Visit a new city and go on a tour.  Learn about a new culture. Visit a new restaurant and try a new entree or dessert.


Today's Song Choice: Frankie Beverly and Maze-Before I let you go (LIVE!) I dare you to listen and NOT tap your feet! It's impossible!


Spread Love!!!

Morning Inspiration

GREAT morning everyone!!! Happy "almost Friday!!"

" I had no idea that history was being made.  I was just tired of giving up."  ~Rosa Parks

Have you ever stopped and wondered if anything you are doing will make "history"? Not just history in your hometown or history in your friend circle but history on a larger scale. I'm talking national history or making the history books of your college or university. I'm talking "a street is named after me" history. Maybe I'm a narcissist but I think about this all the time. I wonder how I will leave my mark on the world on a daily basis.  I assume many of you are the "movers, shakers and gunners" of your community and I commend you. Whats your motivation? Do you want to be part of the "cool kids" or are you simply motivated by reaching the pinnacle of success?  


Imagine being Rosa Parks and doing something your spirit moved you to do and you end up making history! Since I know the back story behind the bus boycott I wont go so far as to say Rosa Parks simply refused to give up her seat for the heck of it, but I will say maybe she didn't know the full impact of her actions on that fateful day. Sometimes we do things and we don't realize the full impact of our actions until days, weeks or years later.  This often happens with random acts of kindness where people take a few moments to get over their initial shock at your behavior before they recognize the value of your actions. Fact is, if you're doing something because you want some form of recognition you are doing it for the wrong reasons. Just sayin...


Read on for more...

Tuesday Trailblazers

The Greensboro Four (North Carolina A&T College, 1960)

The sit-in movement used the strategy of nonviolent resistance. As far back as 1942, the Congress of Racial Equality sponsored sit-ins in Chicago, as they did in St. Louis in 1949 and Baltimore in 1952. In August, 1939, African-American attorney Samuel Wilbert Tucker organized a sit-in at the then-segregated Alexandria, Virginia, library. Tucker would continue his efforts of desegregation by inspiring four men to execute one of the most instrumental actions in Civil Rights history. 

Four men: Ezell Blair, David Richmond, Joseph McNeil, and Franklin McCain organized the first “official” sit-in of the Civil Rights Movement. On February 1, 1960, the four students from the Agricultural and Technical College of North Carolina  sat at the lunch counter at Woolworth’s in Greensboro, NC and ordered coffee iFollowing store policy, the lunch counter staff refused to serve the African American men at the "whites only" counter and the store's manager asked them to leave. The men refused to move until the store closed. The next day, they recruited more than 20 students to join them, asking them to dress professionally, sit quietly, and leave every other stool available for any White supporters who might be inspired to join the cause. A statement issued by Woolworth's national headquarters said the company would "abide by local custom" and maintain its segregated policy. On day three, more than 60 students were involved. On the fourth day, 300 people came out and also spread the boycott to the lunch counter at a local Kress store.

By the second week of February that year, students and activists in other Southern cities, including Raleigh, Richmond and Nashville copied the Greensboro Four’s efforts. By July 1960, all Woolworth’s lunch counters were desegregated. The sit-in helped increased national sentiment and word quickly spread. 

As early as one week after the Greensboro sit-in had begun, students in other North Carolina towns launched their own sit-ins. Demonstrations spread to towns near Greensboro, including Winston-Salem, Durham, Raleigh, and Charlotte. Out-of-state towns like Lexington, Kentucky also saw protests.

The movement then spread to other Southern cities including Richmond, Virginia, and Nashville, Tennessee where the students of the Nashville Student Movement had been trained for a sit-in by civil rights activist James Lawson and had already started the process when Greensboro occurred. Although the majority of these protests were peaceful, there were instances where protests became violent. For example, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, tensions rose between blacks and whites and fights broke out. 

As the sit-ins continued, tensions grew in Greensboro and students began a far-reaching boycott of stores that had segregated lunch counters. Sales at the boycotted stores dropped by a third, leading the stores' owners to abandon their segregation policies. 

Black employees of Greensboro’s Woolworth’s store were the first to be served at the store's lunch counter, on July 25, 1960. The next day, the entire Woolworth's chain was desegregated, serving blacks and whites alike.

I know we have spotlighted these gentlemen before but there story is worth telling again.

Talented Generation Salutes the "Greensboro Four": Ezell Blair, David Richmond, Joseph McNeil, and Franklin McCain!!!! 

Morning Inspiration

GREAT morning beautiful people!!

The time is always right to do what is right.  ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

If I had to choose 10 words to live by, the words above would be all I need. Isn't it true? Isn't it always a good time to do the right thing? How much does doing the right thing really cost you? It takes an extra 5 seconds to hold the door for a woman you see struggling with bags. How long does it take to pick up an elderly man's cane he accidentally dropped? Although doing both of those things are free, I see so many times when people dont stop to do whats right.

Have we really become *THAT* busy? Does it matter who needs our help? I used to think it the duty to help was engrained in us so 'help others' went without saying, but when I see people walking around a fallen elderly citizen I realize its no longer true.  If we aren't willing to help the elderly or the disabled what kind of people have we become? We walk around with our beats blasting, twitter apps rolling and we are in our own little world. Too busy to notice things happening around us. I'm not saying its just you all because I'm guilty of it too.

 I'm not asking you to give up your career and become an ambassador for peace or donate all of your earnings to charity, I'm just asking you to do what you can. When I was younger, my grandmother used to tell me "you should hope you live to see the things an old woman has seen" and it still resonates with me today. To know what I have experienced in a quarter century and all the wisdom I think I have, I know nothing but wisdom can come from someone who lives to be 3 times my age. I challenge you to sit and chat with your elders. Learn your history. Hear the stories and then share them.

*Jumps off soapbox*

Dont do what you know is wrong today in hopes that you will be able to correct your wrong doings tomorrow. The time to do what you know is right now. The time to act how you know you should be acting is right now.  The time to strive for excellence is now. The time to speak your accomplishments into existence is now. The time to build your network is now. The time is ALWAYS right to recognize your self worth. Do not sell yourself short by putting your dreams off until a later day. Give the gift of motivation to yourself!!

Today's song choice: James Brown-Say it LOUD! 

Spread Love!!

P.S. Punxsutawny Phil says we're going to have an early Spring this year! I'm hoping his prediction is true!

Morning Inspiration

GREAT morning ladies and gents!!  Its the kickoff for black history month and I'm so excited! I love to see my people honored. I know the sentiments usually last for 28 but I love every moment! I hope the quotes below help get you fired up about celebrating black history not just today but everyday. Blacks have played a significant role in our history that deserves to have the spotlight on a daily basis.

We should emphasize not Negro History, but the Negro in history.  What we need is not a history of selected races or nations, but the history of the world void of national bias, race hate, and religious prejudice.  ~Carter Woodson, 1926

This being Black History Month, I would like to ask people to celebrate the similarities and not focus on the differences between people of color and not of color.  ~Lynn Swann

The African-American experience is one of the most important threads in the American tapestry.  ~Bill Frist

I don't want a Black History Month.  Black history is American history.  ~Morgan Freeman

The African race is a rubber ball.  The harder you dash it to the ground, the higher it will rise.  ~African Proverb

I am America.  I am the part you won't recognize.  But get used to me.  Black, confident, cocky; my name, not yours; my religion, not yours; my goals, my own; get used to me.  ~Muhammad Ali 

There is no Negro problem.  The problem is whether the American people have loyalty enough, honor enough, patriotism enough, to live up to their own constitution.  ~Frederick Douglass

Celebrate black history month! We stand on the shoulders of giants on a daily basis. Do not only honor them in February honor them everyday! Find out who the pioneers were in your profession and honor their legacy. If you are an attorney, honor people like John Swett Rock who in 1865 became the first African-American attorney admitted to the bar of the US Supreme Court. If you are a poet, honor people like Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou. Honor people like Benjamin Banneker, Mordecai Wyatt Johnson, Benjamin Hooks, Lena Horne and so many more! Take the initiative to learn about your culture. 


Spread Love!!

Today's Song Choice: Ray Charles-Lift Ev'ry Voice. Does anyone else raise one fist in the air when listening to this? Its just HBCUs? ok.

PS. If you dont follow me already on twitter, check me out twitter.com/yourfavblogger. I'm going to post a black history fact everyday!!