Happy New Year

Just a quick post wishing everyone a prosperous new year.....

Kwanzaa

I wanted to begin to celebrate Kwanzaa last year. I remember learning about it in grammar school and in a book a few years back. I researched about it last year and I felt inspired. 

I feel that the message is beautiful. I wonder why not many people celebrate it. I don't celebrate it because I feel that I am black and have to but because I believe in the principles it represents. 

I am going to give a general overview of Kwanzaa's seven principles which is celebrated each of the seven days of Kwanzaa. Also the lighting of the Kinara. There are many more traditions and customs associated with Kwanzaa. I am giving a basic and simple overview.

Day 1 is Umoja which stands for Unity. We strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race. 

Day 2 is Kujichagulia which stands for self determination. To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves. 

Day 3 is Ujima which stands for Collective work and responsibility. To build and maintain our community together and make our brother's and sister's problems our problems and to solve them together.

Day 4 is Ujamaa which stands for cooperative economics. To build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together. 

Day 5 is Nia which stands for Purpose. To make our collective vocation the building and develop if our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness. 

Day 6 is Kuumba which stands for creativity. To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.

Day 7 Imani stands for faith. To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders and the righteousness and victory of our struggle. 


Each day of Kwanzaa you light the candles on the Kinara. You have 3 red candles, 3 green candles and one black candle which sits in the middle. 

You light the black candle on the 1st day

You light the black and first red candle on Day 2

You light the black candle, 1st red candle and 1st green candle on Day 3

You light the black candle, 1st & 2nd red candles and the 1st green candle on Day 4. 

You light the black candle, 1st & 2nd red candles, & the 1st & 2nd green candles on Day 5. 

You light the black candle, all the red candles and the 1st & 2nd green candles on Day 6. 

You light all the candles on Day 7. 

Mutual Respect

Whoever said that you have to like someone or dislike someone on behalf of someone else is wrong. Whoever said that it was okay to become obsessed with superficial reasons to dislike someone is wrong. 

All I ask for is the respect I give out. My life is whole, I have enough love ones. I am not in search of more but if great people enter my life then great, if not, there is no great lost. 


Me holding anger and hatred for the next person holds only ME back. Hate consumes you and takes over your thoughts. There is so much that you can focus your energy on. I respect everyone I encounter whether you make my skin crawl or draw a smile on my face. 


I believe the key to happiness is peace of mind and positive energy. You receive what you give off. Nowadays the people in the limelight or with a few fans and followers think its great to talk down or belittle someone they feel they are above. You never know a person's life or aspirations by how many Facebook friends, twitter followers or the attire they wear. 


People get lost in the hoopla of social media, their image and how to get their next compliment. 


As long as you know who you are, there is no need for reassurance. There is no need to put the next person down. 


Respect me. That is all I ask. If I encounter you and you have disdain flowing in your blood towards me, don't dwell on it. Keep it moving. Don't take my hello or smile to be fake. Take it as my attitude towards life. 


There is just too much that is right in my life right now to be mad. 

Diversity in Law School

One of my law school friends felt that I needed to touch on this topic. I promised her I would write my thoughts today so here you go....

Yes. Law School is a culture shock. Me being African American, students in my classes have always looked like me, sound like me, dressed similar and had customs like mine.

In Law School I am truly a minority. I never walked through life and felt like the minority because in my schools, neighborhoods and jobs, there were plenty of people that look like me.

I stepped into orientation and realized I am not on the South Side of chicago anymore. I saw maybe 10-15  faces like mine. But I digress because that is not what is important. I came to get a law degree and thats what I am doing. I refuse to dwell on the issue of being a statistical figure. I am more than a small percentage of minorities allowed in. I deserve to be in Law School as well as all of my fellow minority class mates.

There are times where being a minority resurfaces and is thrown in my face. I had a young lady put some very degrading comments on "How to impersonate a black women". The impersonation used did not contain proper english, sounding very ignorant illiterate and stereotistical. It made me angry. I never want to be the victim not am I sensitive and on the fence about being a minority. But to be so insensitive can be sickening.

It has not been so bad. One of my closets friends is from law school does not look like me but its not a factor. I don't see my class mates as a race or different shades of skin color. It is hard when you have insensitive people who make broad generalizations about african americans in your presence but it does not hold me back. It does not affect me because their limitations from being ignorant and blinded is their problem not mine.

I don't see color, I see individuals. Yes, I joined the Black Law Student Association and I have an unspoken bond with the other black students but its just from the mutual respect and journey we share.

Being a minority in law school is not a handicap. I am proud of who I am but my skin color does not define me nor shape my experiences or success. You can stand up for yourself but don't allow being different hinder your success. Embrace your experiences, allow them to shape your outlook but look past the negative experiences.

1/6th of a Lawyer.......

I am back! 

Finals are over. The stress is gone. Break has began. Holidays are here. 


First semester of law school is an experience that cannot be put into words. I feel that I walked into Law School blind. Now at the end of December, I feel that I have on glasses. The glasses do not enable me to see clearly, its still blurry but I can see so much better than August 22nd. 


My first case briefs were atrocious to say the least. They were entirely too long and did not even contain any of the relevant facts, rules, issues or analysis. By October, I had taken my first midterm and cases were read within a matter of minutes instead of a few hours. 


Finals came, they went, am I scarred now? For sure. I feel as if finals period was an out of body experience. I never felt as if I studied enough but the final dates were definite not flexible. I could ask for more time. I showed up and gave it my all or what I understood to be my all. 


Now, all that I can do is wait. Once the last final took place, I felt liberated...for five minutes. Now I feel anxious and nervous. Fearing the inevitable. Will I flunk out, did i perform so much lower than expected? I don't now. Grades take time. Soooo much time. 


The waiting period is much more dreadful then finals period. I am supposed to be enjoying my break. I am partly but I am worrying about how did I perform, purchasing books and how to approach next semester to improve my abilities. 


I am whole, I have grown, and I am confident in my abilities now. Not enough advice could have prepared me for this experience but I would not go back. I value all that I have learned, the new friends I have made and the accomplishments I have attained.