1/3rd a Lawyer.....

So, the grades are in. The summer has begun. Clerkship has started. 1L year is officially over. 




I have survived. I am happy. I am content. I did it. 


This year has been a whirlwind of stress and emotions but I conquered it. When I thought I couldn't do it, I proved that I could. 


I did not give up. I showed up and showed out. 


There aren't enough words to express who happy I am. 


Thank you to my husband Corey who is an amazing support system. Thank you to my mom who is my #1 supporter. Thank you to my son Jae for not chastising me for not being around as much :)


Thank you to Amy Brammell for being the best Twin Best Friend a girl can have. If I didn't have someone to share in this experience and allow me to lean on you at my low points, I may not have come out of this. 


Thank you to all the wonderful people I met this year. Raniyah, Dibora, Whit, Whip, Julie, Elizabeth, Lia, Greg, Shayan, Patty, Susan, Jocelyn, Leo, Veronica, Tiff, Brandon, Melanie, Adam, Olya ;), Camille, Jerrica, De, Del, Lafa, Kristen, Jimmy, and soooo many more people. 

Beginner's natural hairstyle

So a little over a year ago, I did the big chop and once it grew out I began to be bored with my afro although it was bomb!


So I began google searching natural hair styling. 


My first hairstyle I tried was a two strand twist out. it came out perfect. 


Two Strand twist out:
1. You wash (or co-wash) your hair, condition it and towel dry it. 
2. Next you use your favorite moisturizer and you either can apply it throughout your hair or you can apply it to the section of hair you are twisting. 

3. I section my hair with my finger, grabbing a small section of hair, starting in the front and I apply a small amount of hair care product, which I used SheaMoisture, and you split the hair section into two and you twist the hair around each other. 

4. Repeat though out the entire head. 
5. Once your finished you place a silk bonnet or scarf and go to sleep.
6. The next morning or later in the day, once your hair is completely dry, you start at the root of your hair and you untwist your. You don't pull it apart because you will create frizz. 
7. After you take all of the twist down, you go through the entire head untwisting the strands further. 
8. Style it as you like. 






Another style that I used quite often was a rubber band less headband. On days I don't twist my hair or its a day or two before I plan to wash my hair and it begins to act up, I pull it back with a non breakage  stretchy headband. 

With headband

Spring Break

Oh how I have waited for Spring break.....


Plans of going away, waking up late, and doing nothing. 


Now Spring Break arrives and guess what? I am still up early, working hard and at the school for three days of my break....


What a joke! LOL




But all in all, I appreciate the great weather in Chicago this week and the opportunity to get organized and recap all that I have learned this semester to improve from last semester. There is always room for improvement and I am enjoying my leisure time and my ability to get on top of things. 

Never will I fall......

Some people attack your integrity, try to pull you down, diminish your character. I have really felt the weight of negative energy swirling around me and instead of folding I continue to stand firm. 


People's opinions of me does not move me. It will not deter me from my path. It has only opened my eyes further. I regret allowing it inside my head. 


I wanted to give up. I felt defeated. It only lasted briefly. 


This is not me. I don't trip over obstacles I run around them. Never again will I allow the poison of disdain, anger, negativity, and ignorance seep inside my soul. 


I have grown from this experience and emerged a lot stronger and wiser. 


Thank you for giving me that push. It is all I needed. 

1L 2nd semester

So now is the time to evaluate what you did good or bad last semester and make some changes. 


This is a new semester, different classes but you now have experience under your belt. If you did good then you know how to manage and keep doing well. If you did less than satisfactory, it is only up from here. (Hopefully)


This new semester I have five classes, two volunteer positions and less money. At the least my stress level has elevated but I know what is needed. I know what needs to be adjusted. What worked and what did not work. 


I never learned how to properly study because my ability to understand new concepts have been great so far. This is something new. I tried new ways to study and some worked and some didn't. I was one of those students who went to class, studied for exams the night before and got a effect score. This isn't undergrad and I can't do that. I didn't do that but I still was unsure on how to properly study or if my method of studying was good or not. 


Grades were not perfect but they weren't bad either. I did good for my 1st semester and I am excited to do even better this new semester. I am more confident, have little bit more knowledge and some new techniques under my belt. 


I vow to make this semester my best of the year. First week was chaotic but glad to be in this position. Pursuing my dreams, completing my goals and expanding my knowledge. 

Criticism first, congratulations last...

Since when has being negative become the common thing to do. You rarely see someone say something nice anymore. The first reaction to any kind of news is to criticize it, without knowing all details or even the person commenting on. 


It is a sad world we live in when a complete stranger can hate you from what is posted online. 


Technology is a great invention. It has made life much easier, although sometimes too easy. 


Technology has allowed people to hide behind their insecurities, emotions, and true essence and given them a platform to spread hate. 


What ever happened to compassion?


People's first thoughts are always negative. To get attention on twitter they tweet someone with something negative to get a RT and potentially some new followers. The problem is that it isn't genuine. The internet has given people imaginary lives. It has given them confidence and most importantly an attitude. 


Everyone has flaws, everyone has insecurities, no one is perfect. 


But before pointing out the next person's imperfections remember that you are too imperfect. 


Lift up and not tear down. People are quick to post a bible scripture but don't portray what they tweet or post. 

Winter Break

Ok, so winter break is finally here. Final are behind you and you are living the life. Waking up as late as you want. No where important to be but then it hits you.

Grades will be here soon. Job applications don't fill out themselves. Scholarships and fellowships want you to conjure up a miracle also known as a law school transcript and panic sits in.

Winter break should be relaxing, or just a BREAK.

In reality, it is disguised as pandemonium and a cover letter fiesta. I have typed 25 cover letters and still feel behind.

Winter break has let me down completely. I have one grade so far and my anxiety has jumped to an all time high.

Why even give them one at a time???

To drive me crazy. That is why.

One more week and I am back to hibernation.

Can I have a minimum of at least two more weeks???????

The Big Chop!

I am coming up on my 1 year anniversary of the BIG CHOP!


I was very nervous and anxious and frustrated all rolled up in one. My journey has been long but I enjoyed learning about my natural hair. I had no idea what I was doing. I started transitioning October 2010. I chopped it all off one afternoon, on Feb. 4th, 2011 and the rest is history.




I did my research on youtube. Youtube is an excellent resource on finding about new products and how to do styles. There were so many people going through the same thing as I was. Transitioning to natural hair. There youtube channels have wonderful tips on what products to use, how to make your own products and great styles to try on your newly transitioned hair.


Doing the big chop and rocking the fro is no easy task. Your hair does what it wants from day to day, some products work, some doesn't. Going from straight hair to tightly coiled hair is a different experience to say the least. You have to find what works best for you and remember to not get frustrated and go day to day. What may look busted to you looks beautiful to everyone else. I have gotten many compliments on styles I thought was horrendous.


I enjoy trying to make my hair do what I want it to do. The two strand twist outs, blow out, flat twist, and small, medium and large fro styles keep me from looking the same day to day. I am proud that I stuck it out and did not succumb to using the "creamy crack" on days that I got frustrated.


I created a page on Facebook to discuss all things natural hair and if you are a natural girl or considering transitioning or doing the Big Chop check it out sometime. It is not just be talking but many people ask questions and I answer them or find the answer or we all discuss it. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Transition-to-our-natural-roots/122876514462181?ref=tn_tnmn

Me after the big chop and some hair color. 

Me Now. 

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.

1L....I am not about that life!

My very first semester doing what I always knew I would...becoming an attorney. Six years old with the dream of being an attorney who does hair on the side, now twenty years later, my dreams are attainable. I began a little over two months ago, I began confused and excited. Now I understand more and much more comfortable but so overwhelmed. My schedule is non existent just like my social life. Juggling my son, husband, school work, and the different organizations I am involved in, has been nothing short of time consuming. It is not a matter of law school being hard, it just requires hard work. Keeping up with readings, outlines and my schedule of things to get done has made my life so much less appeasing. 


But with all that said, I am even more excited to have start this journey and so much closer to living my dream! 


Goodnight until I find another free Saturday night to blog......