We Collect Inspiration: Tresa Dunbar and Kerry Purcell

We haven't done this in awhile. And these women are FIERCE:

Principals Tresa Dunbar and Kerry Purcell are the subjects of the new documentary The Principal Story. The documentary explores how the two principals, Purcell with six years of experience and Dunbar with only two years, go about inspiring their staffs, their students and themselves to improve conditions and test results in their schools.

"If you want to turn around troubled schools, schools that are challenged, school that have a majority of low-income students, you really need strong leadership," said Tod Lending, the film's executive producer and co-director, who followed Dunbar and Purcell for a full school year. Lending received a grant from the Wallace Foundation to document the challenges faced by school principals in America.

At the two schools, at least 95 percent of students are at or below the poverty line. At the beginning of the documentary, each of the principals was leading a school that faced tremendous disciplinary problems, including poor attendance and failing test scores.

Listen to this story here. Seriously.

Out With the Old... In With the New

I've been struggling with what to do with my personal blog for a while. I've changed the theme, played with the colors and format, etc but I just wasn't happy with it. I thought of deleting it but have simply decided to retire it and start anew. I posted a final post on silence is sound with an explanation of my decision and an update on my "28 by 28." Check it out if you are interested. Please drop in on my new space occasionally. I value your comments and input. They are what kept me from deleting it altogether. I hope to make daily posts on whatever I fancy but I hope it will reflect my journey as I learn to live out Loud & In Living Color.

What Do You Call This?

I don't feel like arguing with stupid men on Facebook, so I came to the Common Room. Click the link for the story.

Man Wakes Up Ex-Girlfriend With Special Sauce

Yes, it is what you think it is. Some people think this is funny, like the friend who posted it. I think it's sexual assault. What do you think?

On second thought, I kinda do feel like arguing. I replied to the post because not doing so only perpetuates the rape culture.

TOTALLY RANDOM: the small joys of being single

cereal, chips-n-salsa or maybe a nectarine with a glass of wine for dinner. hell, why not all four?
combine that with no one asking you, "hey, can you pick something up? what are we having? should we go out for dinner?"

howabout being FLYY as hell and doing it for ya damn self?

ok, ok, one more...having unlimited options of who you spend your time with: him? nah, him...no wait, him. eh, maybe the girls. no wait, i don't want to see a damn person. ;)

anywho, i just had a moment.

lata, loves!

Chris Brown Revisited

I am watching his interview with Larry King and it's making me quite upset. I'm not going to comment on it any more than saying that it is clear that I won't see what I want to see from him any time soon. However, in my dream world, this is what would happen...

Chris would apologize and mean it. He would admit that he has a "problem" and get help for it. He would do it for his fans - all the kids that are looking up to him, all the little girls that adore him and all the grown ass women who jumped to his defense - for Rihanna, any future women in his life, his mom, and mostly for himself - or the scared little boy that he used to be. He would accept that it's not enough to just say "I'll never do that. I'll never hit a woman." He would also speak to men and young boys and encourage them to seek help to deal with what they saw and experienced in their homes. He would speak to women and girls and tell them that Rihanna didn't deserve what he did to her and that his actions can't and shouldn't be justified. He would tell them that they deserve better. He would encourage those in violent relationships to seek help or find a way out of a dangerous situation. He would say all of the things that he wanted someone to tell his mother. He would do his part to make sure that at least one other child doesn't go through what he did...

but we don't live in my perfect world. At the end of the day, I know he is just a young man who happens to be famous. However, he is also a young man who spoke out about how domestic violence affected him as a child and who has an opportunity to help other young girls and boys in the similar situations. He could be just what someone needs to break the cycle, if only he realized he was still caught up in it.