Here’s one that recently opened up fresh wounds: “As President of the United States, I am asking for a legal solution on DACA, not a political one, consistent with the rule of law. The Supreme Court is not willing to give us one, so now we have to start this process all over again.”

Within a span of a few days, he managed to stoke the fires of his anti-immigration rhetoric by promising a redress on the Supreme Court ruling which overturned his administration’s intent to dismantle the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and signing an executive order to temporarily suspend new work visas and bar hundreds of thousands of foreigners from seeking employment in the US.

Read the full story on Guardian

As a Nigerian woman living in America, I am broken by these two isolated but comparable events. There was no ambiguity in that video. An unarmed black man in Minnesota who posed no threat begged for his life for almost nine minutes as bystanders who tried to interfere were told to stay away. If that horror had not been captured on video, Floyd’s legacy would probably have been read as a black man who died while resisting police arrest. But it was, giving the world a modern-day view of a visceral execution.

Read the full story on Guardian

The July 11 shooting left a dark cloud over the Morgan community as students returned to campus for the fall semester.

“I thought I was the only one who was worried but nearly every student I’ve met in my class have the same concerns,” the chemistry major said.

With the start of a new semester already underway, university President David Wilson addressed the fears of students and members of the Morgan community on Friday, Aug. 30 with an update on the recent safety measures implemented around on and off-campus housing sites.

In a video addressed to Morgan students and staff, Wilson emphasized the administration’s commitment to ensuring the safety and security of students and the entire university community.

Those measures include streetlight upgrades within and around the campus, the installation of an MSU police-monitored video surveillance system at Marble Hall Gardens and security fencing around all off-campus student housing units.

“Over the past year, we have invested more than $9.5 million into enhanced security and safety measures,” Wilson said. “Within the last 30 days alone, we have invested even more, working tirelessly to instill a greater sense of safety in and around our campus.”

With its location in an urban city infamous for its high crime rate, Morgan students grapple with the same security challenges that residents of the Morgan MILE—the Baltimore neighborhoods within a one-mile radius from Morgan’s campus—face daily. Gun violence, robberies, homicides and assaults are just a few examples of the dangers that plague the community.

This semester, students have observed an increased number of security officers and patrol vehicles all over campus. To the approval of most students, police patrols at off-campus apartments have been significantly improved.

“There’s no time I don’t see one or two security officers at the entrance to my residence,” said Taylor McKenzie, a sophomore and Marble Hall Gardens resident. “I’m cool with their presence here. It makes me feel safe.”

In relation to security and policing, the university has taken additional steps including the addition of three new officers to the ranks of the campus police force.

“We have increased the number of contracted public safety units that patrol the campus and we have placed an MSU police officer at Marble Hall Gardens and at The Varsity apartments,” Wilson continued.

He said university officials are working with the management of Kensington and Wellington Gate to add security initiatives at those apartment complexes. The Morgan police department is also assisting the university’s escort services.

Wilson mentioned that he has considered local legislation to expand the jurisdiction of campus police further into the community.

“We have begun evaluating legislative solutions in order to change the state’s statute that would allow our Morgan State University police officers joint jurisdiction to patrol areas not only on campus but areas that are off campus adjacent to the university.”

This article was published in The Spokesman

As a 10-year-old growing up in Capitol Heights, Maryland, a suburb of Washington DC, William Kellibrew had learned how to do certain things, but begging for his life was not one of them. He already knew how lethal the gun pointed at his face was; his mother Jacqueline and 12-year-old-brother, Anthony, were lying lifeless beside him, with scarlet red blood forming pools of sorrow around them.

With his heart thumping hard in his chest, he found his voice again. But this time he wasn’t talking to his mother’s killer, a man who up until that moment was known to Kellibrew as her abusive ex-boyfriend. “God, please don’t let him kill me,” he pleaded, his face turned upwards.

Later that day, in complete shock and unable to speak, he would draw figures of his mom and brother lying on the floor in red crayon because all he could think of was the blood, so much blood, to show the police what he had witnessed. In that picture, the killer was still standing. This was before he took his own life.

The events of July 2, 1984, were traumatic enough to propel young Kellibrew to a life of depression, drug abuse, crime, and other vices. And for a period of his life, he recalls that he was in so much pain that he almost jumped off a bridge on his way to school the day he became a teenager. But at a gathering of health workers who specialize in trauma care at the St Francis Xavier Church in Baltimore city one warm spring afternoon in 2019, you could almost hear a pin drop as Kellibrew spoke about his journey to recovery. “Healing is possible, that’s really the big message here,” his voice bounced across the room. “We can survive, and we can do it!”

Through therapy and a network of support, Kellibrew’s life was transformed. As an international advocate and motivational speaker, he now takes his message of hope and courage around the world on issues relating to trauma and recovery, substance use, trauma-informed care, multiple victimizations, juvenile justice, corrections, and public policy issues. His advocacy message has taken him to the United Kingdom, China, Ireland, Japan, Guam and across the United States where he works closely with nation’s leaders, professionals and others who continue to put children and youth first.

His other surviving brother, who is serving 97 years in a federal penitentiary after being convicted of 18 felony counts, was not so lucky.

“After my mother and brother were murdered, my oldest brother went straight to the streets,” Kellibrew said, as we chat by the corner of Baltimore’s historic East Oliver street. The Church we had just left is the first African-American Catholic Church in the United States. “He became a baby of the 90s era. That is when the crack epidemic was horrifying in Washington DC and around the country.”

Kellibrew had grown up seeing his mother use heroin in the late ’70s and early ’80s. Alcohol and drugs were introduced to him and his siblings at a very young age. “We had that around us, this was sort of like a normal thing for us – the alcohol, the drugs, things like that,” he recalls.

But in all of this, he is a survivor and now inspires other people to share their stories thereby breaking the scourge of pain and silence. Kellibrew takes no credit for this and calls people like his grandmother who raised him after his mother’s death and his Assistant Principal who fueled the wheels that led him to get therapy, the “bridges” that saved him. “I’m very lucky and very blessed not to have gone down that pathway for all of my life”.

Photo Credit: Obama White House Archives

You’re a busy lady, but your beauty routine doesn’t have to suffer just because you have a packed schedule. Obviously, there is no shame in being a busy woman – work, family, kids and everything else that goes with it! When in a jiffy, we often look for quick and easy options to help us look presentable for the day. Always be on time whilst looking fabulous with our top beauty tips.

• LEAVE OUT THE LIPSTICK

Lipstick looks great right after application, but keeping that pout looking great throughout the day takes work. Instead of lipstick, try a tinted lip gloss. It gives you just enough color and shine to brighten your smile, but it doesn’t look bad when it starts to wear off. Also, gloss doesn’t have to applied as carefully as lipstick, so it’s great to slap on as you run out the door.

• MOISTURIZE

If you are in your teens and 20s, you can probably get away with moisturizing at least once a day. However, once you stepped in to your gorgeous 30s, maintaining your skin’s moisture is more important than ever. Especially when you’re working in a place where heat and humidity is more than what you’re used to. To keep your skin nourished, apply a rich moisturizer day and night. This is to lock in plenty of moisture before you get exposed to dehydrating effects of daily movement or heat.

• PERK IT UP

Being on the move usually takes a toll on the skin especially your face, so if you don’t want to turn up looking tired or exhausted, perk it up with a soft shimmer powder or cream by stroking it lightly over your cheeks, nose bridge and lips. Alternatively you could switch to cream blush to add a dash of colour and moisture. No matter how tired you feel, once applied, you’ll look fresh and rosy.

• CARD YOUR LASHES FOR MAJOR VOLUME

Before applying mascara, place a business card or index card behind your lashes to cover your lid. Starting at the roots, swipe mascara all the way to the tip. You can really let the wand fly so it lengthens without making a mess—the mascara will just hit the card! Your lashes will go from barely-there to full and thick in seconds.

• SPEED UP THE DRYING PROCESS

Make your nail varnish dry faster by soaking your nails in ice water after painting them. Fill a bowl with ice and water, and soak your nails for a few minutes after painting them. The cold water will set the paint and help your nails dry faster.

Photo Credit: Fashion Allure

This article was published in Maktoub Magazine

“As the women told their stories, I could hear in the back of my head a prosecutor building a case because each of them was adding something that could be material for prosecution,” E.R. Shipp, a journalist and columnist said about the documentary. The journalist-scholar who happens to be the first black woman to receive the Pulitzer in the category of commentary is a firm believer that the media should be a tool for driving truth and justice.

“Our job is to pursue the truth and there’s a long history of media engaging in crusades on a variety of topics, so this is no different from that,” she continued. “We are now in this era we call the #MeToo time. In the back of our head depending on what the story is, we are hoping that this would end up with some justice coming from the story. There’s nothing wrong with pursuing truth and letting the chips fall where they may.”

And the chips are falling in favor of the women who sought justice by sharing their experiences. Not only did the documentary spur a wave of legal actions against the singer, more people have come forward with claims of inappropriate conduct. In February, a Cook County, Illinois judge approved an arrest warrant for Kelly, charging him with ten counts of felony aggravated criminal sex abuse. Singers such as Lady Gaga and Chance the Rapper who have collaborated with him in the past have issued statements apologizing for their involvement with him and pulled their music from streaming platforms. Recently, a video of Kelly allegedly engaging in a sexual act with a minor surfaced. The video was uncovered by attorney Michael Avenatti, whose firm is representing a former associate of Kelly. Multiple reports also say that his longtime record label Sony Music has dissolved the recording contract with the singer.

It’s hard to exaggerate the impact Surviving R. Kelly had in bringing to the fore a case that had been buried for too long. The singer was acquitted of a similar child abuse allegation in 2008. Even though Kelly maintains his innocence and said as much during his interview with Gayle King which aired on CBS March 6, it is obvious now that the media has set in motion a trajectory to this case that cannot be easily stopped.

“I think media helped to put pressure on the prosecutors to do something,” Shipp said. “That documentary was out there saying ‘OK law enforcement, what are you gonna do? We just laid this thing out for you.’ These women are obviously willing to talk now and now the media are helping to build the case by encouraging people to come forward with more stories and more documentation.”

R.Kelly might have survived the child pornography trial over a decade ago, but he just might not survive the impacts of Surviving R.Kelly.

Photo Credit: M. Spencer Green/AP

The moment a problem arises in my business, I address it immediately. This helps me see better results all the time. They say your business is like your baby and seeing it fail is the one thing every entrepreneur tries to avoid. With my business, I’m constantly looking for ways to improve, make more money, be more efficient, and grow.

But when it comes to my body, I’m not quite so proactive. I push to the sidelines issues concerning my health like keeping fit, eating healthy, counting my calories, going for my regular check-ups and more. You’ve probably heard it before: that little voice in the back of your mind saying, “yes, I know the right thing but there just isn’t enough time.”

If your business operations are structured incorrectly or inefficiently, there could be dire consequences. Your profits will be reduced because you’re paying for inefficiencies and you run the risk of your business failing. The same thing goes for your body. It requires hard work and dedication; there are no shortcuts or overnight results. Relying on willpower alone is the wrong way of achieving the desired results. Instead of relying on willpower, seek to change the structure of your environment to support your choices.

So, if your health and fitness goals are teetering on the brink of collapse, I want you to consider a new strategy: Treat your body like your business.  

There are two strategies that work well. First, you can harness the competitive nature that has helped you in the professional world. Second, you find a way to hold yourself accountable.

Personally, I love the competitive nature of the business world. And with my own fitness, I think I’ve always been competitive with either someone else or myself. Setting fitness goals, getting a workout partner and rewarding yourself for achieving your set goals help a lot. Entrepreneurs and business owners rarely succeed on their own, having business partners and connections are just as important as having gym partners. This person needs to be able to be firm and feel confident pushing you outside of your comfort zone.

If you really want to make significant improvements in your business you have to get serious about going after it. You can’t make it a part-time business plan, it has to be consistent. The same goes for your health. If you’re successful in your business you can easily be successful with your health and fitness goals.  You just need to apply the same level of commitment and consistency in doing the things you know you need to do when you need to do them, even when you don’t want to.

As an entrepreneur, you can always work more and always achieve more. There’s no ceiling to how much you can achieve, and it feels great to constantly achieve more. It’s not surprising that many entrepreneurs work as much as they can and still feel they should work more. Unfortunately, this addiction to achievement comes with negative side effects. You start neglecting your health, family, friends, and self-care. At one point, a simple desire to work more turns into workaholism, an addiction to work for the sake of working.

The solution to this problem is similar to the solution regarding the love of work. Find something that will challenge you and make you feel productive. It doesn’t have to generate tangible results directly; as long as it gives you a similar feeling of achievement you get thanks to your business, it will do. You get bonus points for doing this activity with others. Focusing on your health and fitness and putting in the ‘work’ it requires is a sure way to achieve this goal.

Recently, I asked a friend of mine if she thought her business increased since she started to exercise more. So far, this year, her business is up 70% from last year. This can be your story too.

Making the commitment to yourself to be healthier is no small thing. It demands time from our busy lives and requires a complete change in your lifestyle to be successful. But it’s worth it. It’s common that we entrepreneurs get so distracted by perfecting our business and our brains that we forget about our bodies. And our bodies are pretty damn important: after all, without them, we couldn’t run our business!

This article was first published in Maktoub Magazine

At a gathering of over 100 faith-based outreach leaders, community leaders, frontline health workers, ministers, police chaplains and pastors last Saturday at the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Baltimore, officials of the city’s health department facilitated a training session on opioid addiction, trauma informed approach and resiliency.

“We recognized that faith tends to be a very strong influence in the lives of not just Baltimore city residents but people,” said Rev. Kimberly Lagree, Program coordinator, Office of Youth and Trauma Services at the training session tagged ‘Pathway Toward Healing Our City’. “It’s a mental health and it’s a public health approach that we need to reduce violence in our city as well as address the opioid epidemic.”

With 692 opioid related deaths in Baltimore recorded in 2017, the Baltimore City Health Department is tackling the opioid epidemic with a three-pronged strategy that involves reducing the stigma of addiction, promoting substance use disorder treatment, and educating the public to recognize and respond to an overdose with the opioid overdose reversal medication naloxone. This figure, which is more than double the number of people who died of homicide, puts Baltimore at the highest overdose fatality rate of any city in the United States.

Meanwhile, overall number of opioid-related deaths in Maryland surged 9.7 percent through the third quarter of 2018 killing 1,648 people from January to September. According to data released by the Maryland Department of Health, 1,502 people were killed during the same period in 2017.

“We are in a state of emergency not only in this city, but in the state of Maryland as well as throughout the country,” said William Kellibrew, Director of Office of Youth & Trauma Services. According to him, an increasing number of young people in Baltimore are becoming unintended victims of the opioid epidemic. Through the Family Resilience Project, the Baltimore City Health Department is focusing on providing services and alternative therapies to help them cope and get access to treatment.

“We have many people who are experiencing non-fatality overdoses who are returning back to their homes; but there are kids in those homes, young people in those homes who are very much impacted,” he said.

The rising numbers in the city’s opioid related cases have spurred the creation of resource platforms such as the Don’t Die Campaign which is a hub that provides resources, training videos and references for the opioid crisis. The city also has a Staying Alive program which trains individuals on administering naloxone and dealing with overdose. When administered to an individual experiencing an overdose, this antidote medication can take them from near death to walking and talking in a matter of minutes. Lizeth Hester, senior advisor to the Director of Trauma Services during her presentation on opioids mentioned that the Baltimore City Health Department has trained 51, 617 individuals on naloxone administration, conducted 6,238 training events and distributed 45,981 kits. These efforts have resulted in the reversal of 3,478 overdoses throughout Baltimore city.

Working on the frontlines of the opioid crisis, however, presents a fresh set of challenges for the faith-based leaders and health workers who are often confronted with their own trauma as they try to provide succor to others. The training provided a judgement-free zone for them to share their concerns and help each other through their individual journeys.

As a pastor and a public health worker, Lagree said one of the best ways of helping victims of any kind of trauma such as opioid addiction is to connect with them on a personal level. 

“The first thing is understanding healing is possible,” she said. “We’ve all had struggles. One of the challenges that I’ve noticed even in my own past is really accepting the fact that my conversations are also sermons in the lives of people, that my actions can preach a better service than my lips can. We must do our due diligence and commit ourselves to really getting to know the people that we serve and sharing our own stories.”

With Dry, she deftly channels a social justice theme with just the right mix of entertainment and creativity to drive home an important message. And the world is listening. With screenings in countries including the USA, Canada, England, Nigeria, Gambia, and Zambia, Dry has caught the attention of leaders and policymakers as it makes its case for improved maternal health and policies that protect girls and women. It is no wonder that the movie was screened for a second time at the recently concluded Pan African Film & Arts Festival (PAFF) in Los Angeles this February.

Dry won the Programmers’ Award for Narrative Feature during its 2016 screening, and Stephanie was given a special recognition award from the Los Angeles City Council during the official Blacks in Cinema presentation. In a recent interview for Radiant Health, journalist Adeola Adeyemo sat down with Stephanie Linus to discuss the message behind Dry and why it is still so relevant five years after its release.

Read the rest of this interview on RadiantHealth

In a recent interview with Axios on HBO, Trump confirmed what many had suspected would be his next move. His proposal would deny citizenship to the American-born children of unauthorised immigrants and possibly to foreigners in the country on non- permanent visas.

Birthright citizenship is a 150-year-old right and a key provision of the 14th Amendment which grants American citizenship to every child born on US soil regardless of the immigration status of the parents. The legal term for this is jus soli, “right of the soil.”

The authors of the Fourteenth Amendment were clear about this provision in the constitution which says: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside.”

Birthright citizenship contrasts with blood citizenship, or jus sanguinis (“law of blood”), in which a child inherits citizenship from its parents, often from the father if the parents do not have the same nationality. During the Axios interview, President Trump erroneously said the USA was “the only country in the world” offering such benefits when actually there are 30 countries, most in the Western Hemisphere, providing birthright citizenship. They are Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Canada, Chad, Chile, Cuba, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Lesotho, Mexico, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Uruguay and Venezuela.

The Fourteenth Amendment, however, has an exception which excludes a group of people who are not “subject to the jurisdiction” – accredited foreign diplomats and their families. “Subject to the jurisdiction” does not simply mean, as is commonly thought today, subject to American laws or courts. It means owing exclusive political allegiance to the U.S (Erler, 2015). Supporters of a review of birthright citizenship have picked on this clause however, suggesting different interpretations to it. John Eastman of the Claremont Institute’s Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence argued that children of undocumented immigrants are not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the US and thus should not be considered citizens under the Constitution.

Trump’s power to end birthright citizenship by executive order is debatable and if he decides to move forward with it, could set up a chain of legal battles and challenges by the courts. The executive order cannot be enforced without a huge apparatus of internal control. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will, of necessity, become the skeleton of a nationwide citizenship police (Epps, 2018).

According to Axios, Judge James C. Ho of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, in New Orleans said that changing how the 14th Amendment is applied would be “unconstitutional.” What would rather be a constitutional way of ending birthright citizenship is to accept the current interpretation of the 14th Amendment is accurate, and pass a constitutional amendment to override it. From all indications, this doesn’t look like the sort of thing that would ever happen.

Photo Credit: New York Post