Posts Tagged ‘ Working Mothers ’

The “New” Black Family?

By | August 10th, 2009 | Category: BN Channel Race and Ethnicity, Featured 1, Monday 2 | 4 comments

Race & Ethnicity Blog Nosh Magazine{Originally published on Mischief Makers}

I am sure we have all seen and or heard all the ridiculous amount of rhetoric floating around about The Obamas and what they represent.

I have seen a good half dozen, at least, articles about how the Obamas are painting a vibrant healthy image of the Black family for Americans and the world. You know, the new Black Family.

HOLD ON!! WHO ARE YOU CALLING NEW? I only know of healthy black families. I have lived my thirty something years and have only been acquainted with and have seen/known of/associated with hundreds, if not, thousands of nuclear, healthy, hard working black and brown families. These families more times than not come complete with a mother and father who both work hard to raise their children properly and to be earnest contributing members of society. Most of my family and friends are not dealing with substance abuse problems, abusing the social welfare system, are not in and out of jail or struggling with joblessness and being uneducated. To the contrary, most are educated, have extreme high level of morals and ideals; and expectations for themselves and their children. They are like most Americans of the lighter skinned-hue. What is all this fuss about?

I feel like I am being painted like a rare vintage species in the media sometimes. No really, I am perplexed that in 2009, the middle class black family with no outward signs of pathology or dysfunction is still considered an anomoly.

I shouldn’t act so indignant. The imagery of black people in television and movies is still quite distorted and what can one really expect of the middle American who lives in a town with no diversity? Notwithstanding, the idea and concept of a healthy black family being abnormal is still quite disturbing.

Not too too long ago, during my college years, I became used to having to educate my classmates about what life was like having the absence of skin privilege. It was a task many black and brown people undertook for the sake of contributing to the educational experience. That is one of the stalwart positions behind diversity in the Higher Education system after all, isn’t it? –that students of varying backgrounds and of different cultures and identities would be able to interact and learn about one another, and realize, sooner hopefully than later, that they (we) are the same after all.

I do know at some point during law school, I decided that it was an unfair burden for me to have to educate Whites about Blacks and life as a Black person in America and that I no longer wanted to play that game. I was there to learn and get an education and I didn’t like being straddled with the burden of representing my entire race. When there was the topic of civil rights, constitutional wrongs, criminal procedure, I had to defend and educate the experience of Blacks and bear the weight of the pressure of making sure my classmates got it right and understood “where I was coming from”…And here we are having it resurface but on such a larger stage with so many more people watching!


Sarah Palin and Motherhood

By | September 24th, 2008 | Category: BN Channel Politics, Featured 1, Wednesday 1 | 13 comments
Sarah Palin and Motherhood

Politics Blog Nosh Magazine

{Originally Published on The Dr. Laura Blog}

I am extremely disappointed in the choice of Sarah Palin as the Vice Presidential candidate of the Republican Party. I will still vote for Senator McCain, because I am very concerned about having a fundamental leftist, especially one who is a marvelous orator, as President.

At first, I thought it amusing that McCain picked a pretty, smart, and tough female to counter the racist/sexist accusations going back and forth between parties. I remember how Oprah Winfrey got caught in the cross-fire as she stepped up to the political table to support Obama with pride that a black man could rise to such heights in the USA, only to get slammed by feminists who told her it was gender, not race, that she should back. Understandably, Ms. Winfrey pulled back from it all.

Forget gender and race. I’m frankly and sadly caught in the dilemma of having to balance policy versus example in touting a candidate for the office of the First Family. I was ferociously attacked (what’s new?) when I spoke out strongly against Bill Clinton’s dalliances in the Oval Office. That situation quickly turned into a debate whether “private has anything to do with public.” Nonsense.

Role models are very important. Children and young adults look to those who are visible and successful as a road map of what is acceptable behavior and emulate those actions over the morals and values their parents and churches have taught and tried to reinforce. It’s a tough go these days, when the “bad that men or women do” is used for entertainment purposes without judgment, or is excused because of political or financial considerations.

I’m stunned – couldn’t the Republican Party find one competent female with adult children to run for Vice President with McCain?


Blog Nosh Magazine Opens to Private Advertising and Evolves into Print

By | August 18th, 2008 | Category: Nosh Notes from the Editor | 6 comments

Less than two months in and Blog Nosh Magazine is growing by leaps and bounds, all thanks to you! In the pipeline, we have a very exciting site redesign with ease-of-navigation in mind, new channels (including Race & Ethnicity, Travel & Expats, and Personal Finance), dynamic new editors with even more diverse perspectives, and much more.

Today may be one of the biggest turning points for us, though, as we proudly announce that we are opening to private advertising! And for a very good reason:

Blog Nosh Magazine will soon introduce a quarterly print publication to complement our daily online magazine!

What serious blogger doesn’t dream of seeing their name in hard copy? Now is your chance.

Grab your piece of the pie! Cherrypie

One of the key elements of Blog Nosh Magazine is timeless content. As such, we plan to offer a quarterly literary magazine perfect for casual browsing-over-coffee-n-scones or in-depth reading during your daily (ahem) personal time. The ideal coffee table magazine that you can keep for years, so to speak.

Blog Nosh Magazine begs to have crumbs scattered across its pages, don’t you think? We do and we welcome you to be part of making this happen as an advertiser on www.blognosh.com!

(click title for more)


Pinch Me!

By | July 15th, 2008 | Category: Art, BN Channel Art & Design, Photography | 5 comments

Blog Nosh Magazine Art and Design

Originally published on emilie inc. photography.

I could hardly sleep last night because I was so excited for today! I
popped out of bed early for one final cleaning of the studio and a few
last minute additions to the walls before the art walk.
At 10a, the balloons and signs went up outside my door, and I started
distributing stickers on each visitor’s map- those who received a
sticker from each studio was entered to win a raffle.

I would
say, in the 6 hour span of the walk, I easily had 100 visitors. I was
very humbled by the kind people, many of whom gasped when they rounded
the corner at the top of the stairs and peeked in the studio (a few
asked if they could move in!). Everyone offered their congratulations
and “welcome to the neighborhood,” as well as tips for great brunch
spots and neighborhood organizations to join. Mothers with
not-yet-engaged daughters tucked my business cards into their purses
with a wink. People marveled at the artwork, the beautiful light in the
space, and the yummy cupcakes (yes, the mini version of my birthday
party treats- I’m hooked!). It was a long day, but boy, what a great
way to introduce emilie inc. to the East End and kick off the official
wedding season.

Once the tour wrapped up, J and I headed to
dinner at Flatbread with the emilie inc. associates and their families.
What a treat to spend an evening with Geneve, Steve & Sage, and
Wyndee, Pete, Olivia & Chloe. Really looking forward to working
with you!

Here are a few pictures of today’s set-up with the
studio’s finished look! Some of you may recognize photos of yourself on
my walls!

Artwalk_0008_3

(click title for more)


Mamapreneurs, you ARE your brand.

By | July 7th, 2008 | Category: BN Channel Business | 8 comments

Business

Originally published on Mamapreneurs, Inc.

-I have insomnia and I’m tired.


-I work 7 days a week but Mondays and Fridays are my FT kid days during the summer.


-E-mail is the best way to communicate for me; if you leave me a voice
mail, you honestly might not get a call back. If you leave me an
e-mail, you will definitely get a response.

I tell you all this not because you are my friends, my family, my
colleagues or my clients (although you may be one or all of these
things): I tell you this because being transparent about who I am as
the owner of three companies and as mama to two kids is essential to
the success of my businesses and peace in my personal life.

Being a
mamapreneur means that my businesses don’t just rely on the products or
the services, they rely on the entire brand package—and that includes me as the owner. As mamapreneurs, like it or not, we ARE the brand.

(click title for more)