Call Me Iron Girl by Cylia Lowe

The Inspiration I was inspired to lose weight after I reached every other goal I set for myself. I graduated college, law school, became a member of an amazing sorority, passed the bar exam on the first time, became a prosecutor, bought my first home, etc., etc, but weight loss still escaped me. It was [...]

Suffering in Silence by Mikenda Early

    Dear Diary, May 1, 2008   As tears stream down my face I search through my make up to find concealer to cover up the black eye I received the day before. Looking in the mirror I ask myself why I stay, and the answer is always the same. I stay because of [...]

Finding Mr. Right the Godly Way by Elaine Broaster-White

Growing up as a little girl I never really dreamed of being married. I mean I thought about it when I watched movies like Cinderella. However, I wasn’t fixated on it. As I grew and matured it was only then that I desired to be married. I had two children by the time I was [...]

Just What the World Needs… Another Baby Who Can Read by T. Wright

When I was first inundated with commercials posters, videos, and talk shows promoting these programs promising to teach babies to read, I hoped, no I prayed, that this was just a passing fad like leg warmers or sea monkeys. The videos of little babies reading flashcards annoy me to no end. I know, I know…I [...]

After the Love is Gone by J. Williams

My relationship is over. Although we haven’t officially sat down and discussed the details of how we’ll take care of our children and what our separation will look like, I know it’s over. For the past couple of months I’ve noticed the change in her behavior; how she barely looks at or speaks to me. [...]

Souls of My Young Sisters Reading with ShalenaD.I.V.A.

I am so excited! I am having my very first book signing and reading for the highly acclaimed Souls of My Young Sisters book written by Candace Sandy and Dawn Marie Daniels with the foreword by Mary J. Blige and Madeline Small! My essay, “Your Mom’s In my Business” was included in this awesome anthology. If [...]

So you wanna be a Nurse… by ShalenaD.I.V.A.

A conversation I had with a 14-year-old girl in the hair salon in early April of 2010 finally convinced me that I needed to create www.shalenadiva.com, an online resource for women that addresses issues such as self esteem, education, career, relationships and so many other issues that are openly discussed on the website. Prior to [...]

Handling a Crisis with a Crisis Budget by Kim Allman

Is your job secure?  Recent unemployment numbers indicate that the job market is still rocky.  Many of us are still at risk of either losing our jobs or being unable to find a new job.  Take a moment to think about your situation:  Do you consider your job to be “recession proof”?  Or maybe you think it’s [...]

A Woman on the Verge Part 2 by Devon Greene

 “Hitched”             “Are you really going to wear that?” I asked overlooking Troy’s gray tee shirt and navy blue hooded sweatshirt. He wore his blue jeans went un-cuffed overtop his crisp tan Timberland boots.             Troy threw his hands up in the air and then said, “What else am I supposed to wear?”             I [...]