Today, I spoke at Joseph Stockton School graduation.  I was so proud of our young people of color, ready to take the next steps in their lives.  In my speech, I told them to "Make Today's Dream Tomorrow's Reality" by continuing to pursue their goals and believe that they can succeed because nothing is impossible with faith, hope and love. I also quoted Helen Keller: "When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that ...

The idioms stereotype and picaninny are lost in translation.   People hear, see and feel these words yet ignore that these expressions are exploited in every form and fashion today. 

Buckwheat’s Journey… is a young adult fiction, with a light-hearted yet evocative perspective of stereotype/picaninny that addresses social skills, self-esteem, and bullying and conflict resolution.  Set in Chicago, Buckwheat re- enters the 21^st century as a doll and clashes with black classy female dolls beca...