Peace of Mind: A Social Issue Blog

Illustration by Tori Hong. Thank you  TC Daily Planet  for covering this story. While it covers the 2018 election it also reflects on the 2017 election. I am still unpacking last year when I ran for City Council in Minneapolis. I will continue to share as time goes on. The 3rd Ward race was exciting and I learned many things. One thing is for sure. I am not bitter even though I easily could have allowed myself to be. I still ended up at City Hall. My desire was to be doing this work and making a difference in our City and I am still doing that. It may not be in the position I wanted it to be but I am in a position and I am thrilled to be doing the work. In fact, many boundaries are broken that no one knows of. My Facebook posts have been so fast and furious that many of you may not have seen my post about how many Black, Brown, and African people are working on the 3rd floor of City Hall as Policy Advisers both for the Council and the Mayor. Not to mention how many are working i

My first blog post was about Black on Black love. So many times you hear the opposite, such as the constant focus in the media of Black on Black crime and how Black people should not worry about police brutality because they do not care about the brutality they inflict on each other. I can see that point and why one would think that. Especially, when it is spoon fed to us.  But the fact is, every single race has crimes that are committed by and to people of the same race, religion, sexual orientation etc. The Black race is no different than other other group or sect. Some of us just believe it to be because of what the media shows us. Maybe you did not grow up around many Black people and or you do not live in a place where there are many in the population. What you may associate with being Black, whether that is behavior, attitude, clothing, etc is going to be very different from person to person. As free thinking people, obviously we all know this but we are influenced heavily by wha

I posted this meme earlier today on Facebook and a friend of mine asked the question, "What tax revenue? Isn't the US already $18 trillion in debt now? It is a good question. I thought about it and decided to blog.  Tax revenue? Yes, we have it. Here is what I believe the problem to be. First of all, we do allocate tax dollars. The problem is what we allocate it to, secondary to the problem of spending without a plan. In the business world, at least with a successful business, your budget is usually flat. What does that mean? It means that there is not enough to do everything that you want to do. You have to pick and choose but also you look for ways to get things done. For example, waste. There are several types of waste and by reducing these types of waste it can be a huge cost savings, especially over time. That cost savings can they be used to build infrastructure, upgrade facilities, or update computer systems for example. Our government, as most of us know, virtu

Last Friday, I went to an event at my sons high school. He was working the sound board for the Black history performances put on by their Black Leadership Council. I was amazed and at several points during the program I cried. These young adults performed original poetry that was simply amazing. I always find it fascinating to hear about how social issues affect our youth. They are scared, they are looking for guidance but they are ready to lead and are hungry for opportunities to do so. It made me feel good about what I already do to connect youth with strong mentors but it also made me think about what more I can be doing to start those partnerships and really make an impact where it matters. I was also moved by the steppers, and various dance performances. They were all very unique and had a powerful message. I love that our Somali brothers and sisters shared their heritage through dance with us as well. Black and Africans need to do more to break down the invisible wall and make c

This is a hot topic and can easily be spun. I did not always work for a Fortune 500 company. I have needed medical, cash aid, daycare assistance and food assistance. I am not ashamed to say it. I was a young mother, just out of college and needed help. I have been working since the day I turned 16. Nothing to be ashamed about. These programs exist because people need them. It is not a cake walk. First of all, at least for me anyway, there was pride. I certainly did not want to walk into that office. I felt like a loser. Just being honest. Of course I am older now and do not feel the same way but at the time I was embarrassed and it caused me an extreme amount of anxiety. You go in and tell the person at the desk what you need. You fill out a stack of forms. You need last pay stub, a stop work form filled out by your employer, SS card, birth certificate, basically everything but your 1st born. If you need cash services, you will be scheduled to watch an out of date movie. It explains w

There has been a lot of talk lately about institutions that assist black people such as NAACP, various award shows and channels, etc. I can completely understand the concept of why someone would say that these things further segregate us. However, just because that is what people are saying does not make it true. They do not understand the history behind these types of shows and institutions. Just because main stream media Black History Month for example is about the preservation of culture and making sure that the accomplishments of Black males and females are not forgotten. Black history is and should be part of American History but it is not. Proof of this is in high school. Children have to take a class like this as an elective. These contributions are not taught as part of the whole. They are taught segregated and I believe that is what leads to animosity, "white guilt", and other social issues. It is not a separate history. No matter what color your skin is, your ethn