2023 House Hunting (Repost)

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“Home is the nicest word there is”.

(Laura Ingalls Wilder)

I moved to Fort Pierce in April 2020 during what we thought was the worst part of COVID-19.  Different time from what we experience today. 

Back then, realtors and apartment managers were not allowing anyone to enter buildings.  I remember coming down to Fort Pierce to look for a place to live and office staff made me call them on the phone and speak to them while I stood outside—even though I could see them through the glass door.  It was a precaution to keep them safe, but it was a weird dynamic trying to find a place to live. 

My intention when I moved here was to purchase a house, condo or townhouse but did not feel comfortable trying to purchase something I could not view—guess I am weird like that.

Found an apartment complex close to my new place of employment and they allowed me to view their model apartment on my own.  There’s plenty of space here, a workout room and close to work.  Still had intentions to purchase something in this area but did not feel a need to rush the process.

Got the urge to purchase again in the summer of 2022 so decided to put more effort into the process.  Started slowly by trying to identify areas I wanted to live in and more importantly, areas to avoid.  Got active on Zillow to start locating properties but decided to reel in my search to include condos and townhouses.  Decided early on I did not want to take care of my own lawn anymore.  Yard work was cute back in the day when I had a house in Georgia, but I do not want any part of cutting my own yard or weed eating in South Florida.

Started touring neighborhoods on my own after finding properties on Zillow.  This allowed me to expand my boundaries and get a better understanding of different areas in Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie, and Vero Beach.  Put more energy into looking at properties in Fort Pierce and Vero Beach—eliminating Port St. Lucie was easy based on the amount of traffic there.  Keep hearing stories of how long it takes to navigate around St. Lucie West

Reached out to a realtor when I wanted to get more in-depth knowledge and help with the search.  She has been in this area for a while and has a better feel for the process—I needed someone to guide me.  Gave her an idea of what I was looking for to include a price range I wanted to stay within.  She quickly found condos and townhouses that matched what I wanted, and we were off and running.

I still was not in a rush, so I was able to view multiple properties to see how they fit what I wanted in a new home.  I was very selective on what we viewed since I did not want to waste her time or mine.  She gave me a lot of freedom in this process, so this made it more like an adventure and not a task to complete.

The breakthrough came while viewing two condos in Vero Beach.  Both looked great online and were in nice neighborhoods, but they did not feel like home.  Asked my realtor to find others and set them up for viewing.  She agreed but decided to bump my price range up a bit and discovered a townhouse in Fort Pierce that was only two miles from where I currently live.

I never knew there were townhouses in that subdivision—always saw the houses from the road and never ventured in there.  We set up a viewing for this townhouse two days later and made our way over to see it.  This was the first place I walked into, and it felt like it could be ‘home’.  Spacious living room, large kitchen (means nothing really), great space in the bedrooms and a large walk-in closet for me. 

Fast forward and I put in a bid for $20k less than the asking price.  The seller countered a $5k increase and I accepted.  Got a townhouse listed above my stated price range within my price range without having to go back and forth with the seller.  Took my realtor’s advice on this process and it paid off for me—no pun intended.

I am using my time to update a few things in the town house before moving in; removed carpet and replaced with wood laminate floors, painting the inside, tile and grout cleaning and a professional cleaning.  Did not have to rush my move-in date since my lease is still active—this worked out where I had time to update the townhouse before physically moving in.

There are times when patience pays off and this is one for me.  Found a home two miles from where I am currently writing this blog article and I am excited to continue to Walk into the Future.

What does HOME mean to you?

Irie!

“A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it”.

(George A. Moore)

Career Choices 101 (Repost)

(Image by Orange Fox from Pixabay

“Don’t chase the paper, chase the dream”.

(Notorious B.I.G)

The Great Resignation is a term that describes the trend of the mass voluntary exit of employees from their employment obligations.

The Great Regret is a new term that describes the feelings of 80% of the people who took part in the Great Resignation.

The quote above is one of my favorites from the great hip hop artist, Notorious B.I.G.  He was a lyrical genius, and the quote above can be used as a career metaphor. 

My simple translation = find your WHY and career success will follow.

The Great Resignation provided a lot of people the freedom or guidepost to see the world of work in a different way.  The new work view provided some with the vision to seek more and bet on themselves with so many new opportunities available.  That’s a positive considering I preach to everyone to explore as much as possible.  My blog is titled Walk into The Future because I continue to explore opportunities and will not limit my options (work, travel, fun).

There are some folks who viewed the Great Resignation as an opportunity to change their work situation and in some cases cash in more financially.  That’s not a problem if the workplace change was made to get the individual closer to doing things they enjoy.  It could be a problem if the individual changed careers simply because there was more money available for the new job.

Quick question:  How much of a pay raise will it take for YOU to be happy today?  Would $5,000.00 or $10,000.00 make you enjoy what you are doing more?

I ask clients and staff this question to get them thinking about what they truly want.  Chasing the paper may seem like the logical answer but don’t forget you still have to pay taxes on that paper.  Also, an extra $5,000.00 to continue to work in a place you are not happy with does not sound enticing to me.  Conversely, leaving a company for a job paying more money may sound just as good but the switch should not be based solely on the money.  Refer to the quote above from the Notorious B.I.G.

The best of both worlds would be to find your WHY and build up your skills so that when your dreams come true, the paper (money) follows.  Sounds like a simple concept and it can be, but nothing will be simple without knowing/understanding the WHY. 

Going to work without a WHY causes a lot of people issues daily.  I work with folks who believe that they are not being paid their true worth in the workplace.  Some are completing the same duties they have been assigned for 10+ years—no additional responsibilities or growth from them but they want more.  Why is that?  They have not identified a WHY for their work life and have not built the skills to chase the dream.  A larger problem is some don’t even know what dream to chase to find the happiness they seek. 

The lack of paper (money) is not really the problem.  The problem is chasing something they are not fully invested in and believing additional funds (salary) will turn this around and they will immediately become happy with what they are doing. 

Albert Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

No WHY equals a form of insanity in the workplace.  I coach clients to seek/find their WHY to determine the best course of action for their careers.

Chasing the DREAM can bring the paper.  Well stated Biggie Smalls!

What dream are you chasing?

Irie!

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/02/80percent-of-workers-who-quit-in-great-resignation-regret-it-new-survey.html

Poetic Flow / Life can be so nice!

FP Inlet

Eliminate the hunger and take away all wars,

Break down all color barriers and bring equal rights to all.

People living in unison, all getting along.

This would make the world a better place for you and for me.

Maybe one day kids can play together and have some fun.

No war, no hunger, no racial wall.

Life could be so nice.

Black Wall Street–100 years later (Repost)

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Hostility Sculpture in Tulsa, Oklahoma

(Image by Mike Goad from Pixabay)

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”.

(Dr. Martin Luther King)

My first introduction to Black Wall Street came when I served as a panelist for a Florida State University (FSU) Black Student Union (BSU) program.  The students invited me to enhance their professional development program, but I got a history lesson I did not expect or know I needed.

I love working with college students because they bring a passion for subjects they are interested in and that passion keeps them curious and intent on growing daily. My role on the panel was to help BSU students understand how to present themselves when networking for future career opportunities.  We got that process going and had a good question and answer session with lots of input from the students in attendance.

One of the students present asked the moderator why the activities for the week was labeled Black Wall Street?  The response is where my education on the subject began.

The BSU leaders saw Black History Month as the perfect time to educate its members and guests on important periods, i.e., The Harlem Renaissance, Black Wall Street, Black Excellence and Black Power.  I was familiar with each of the periods identified for the month except Black Wall Street.  I assumed this was BSU’s way to show members how to build financial freedom and eventually make their way to Wall Street (NYC).  I was wrong and totally missed the boat on the meaning of Black Wall Street.

The BSU leadership wanted to show members how financial freedom could be gained by following the blueprint laid out by the founders of the true Black Wall Street in Greenwood, Oklahoma (Tulsa).  I had never heard of Black Wall Street, Greenwood, Oklahoma or the massacre that happened there in the early 1920’s.  My students were more than happy to fill me in on another history lesson I never received during my formal education programs—this seems to be a common theme with American history.

The concept a black town in Oklahoma was self-sufficient in the 1920’s seemed unreal at first but decided to learn more after talking with students.  I consider myself a lifelong learner and this was another educational journey I needed to fully see the great things that happened on Black Wall Street prior to the massacre.

O.W. Gurley was a prominent figure who relocated to the Greenwood district and purchased land which then could only be sold to people of color.  This was Gurley’s vision to establish a place for the black population.  Most of his businesses were frequented by black migrants fleeing the oppression of the Mississippi delta.  Gurley worked with others to pool their financial resources and support the thriving businesses being developed in Greenwood.  The residents of Black Wall Street were doctors, lawyers, and entrepreneurs. The success of the black residents of Greenwood played a role in the 1921 massacre because of the jealousy of their white neighbors in nearby Tulsa.

My Black Wall Street education increased my knowledge of this important period of Black History and led me to dig deeper on the actual massacre.  The news program, 60 Minutes did a report on Black Wall Street and the massacre a few years ago.  This led to additional investigations and a team has been formed to find and excavate hidden graves to bring closure for descendants of the massacre victims.  This painful piece of American history continues to garner interest and my hope is we never experience something like this again.

Learn more about what happened in Greenwood here:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoinegara/2020/06/18/the-bezos-of-black-wall-street-tulsa-race-riots-1921/#65183f08f321

60 Minutes program on Greenwood, Oklahoma:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yA8t8PW-OkA

“History has shown us that courage can be contagious, and hope can take on a life of its own”.

(Michelle Obama)

Note:  This was a repost.  My mentor thought it was timely to put this in front of readers again.  It has been 100 years and this injustice is finally getting national attention.

My 2022 reading progress

Reading list

(Books I’m reading now)

“A book is a gift you can open again and again”.

(Garrison Keillor)

I start each year with a measured set of goals.  Reading and writing are two areas I focus on for my goals.

These are the areas where I find a ton of joy daily along with my running program.  My 2022 reading and writing goals are below:

  • Read bible daily / Proverbs, Matthew, and other areas for better understanding
    • Read 2 books monthly
  • Write daily (poems, journal, BLOG articles, LinkedIn posts monthly)
    • Publish Authentic Leadership eBook (April 2022)

So, this is where I update you on my progress. 

I discovered the book The Richest Man Who Ever Lived by Steven K. Scott 15 years ago and adopted an aspect from the book into my daily life.  The book highlights the benefits of Proverbs and how King Solomon identified secrets to success, wealth, and happiness.  I originally read the book thinking it would TELL me how to become rich financially which did not happen.

I read the book and did not understand the lessons the author was trying to relay to the readers.  I dismissed it as an attempt to get people to read the book because of the catchy title.  Luckily for me I decided to go back and read the book multiple times and followed the directions provided to see where they would lead. 

I adopted the practice of reading Proverbs daily because of the wisdom (secrets to success, wealth, and happiness) this book provides to readers.  I have been a daily Proverbs reader for over 15 years now and continue to discover new wisdom insights.  Decided to add other books in the bible to my daily reading program in 2022.  This is the reading goal I continue to meet and/or exceed so far this year.

Now, let’s talk about my goal to read 2 books each month.  I started the year off with a bang and was able to handle my book goal in January and February.  I started to go downhill with my reading program in March.  I added more racing and training to my routine to get prepared for multiple half marathons but that’s not the real reason my reading has been slacking. 

I have not done a great job of identifying book topics/titles that keep my attention.  I big part of reading for me is an interest in the topic/title and the author.  I started grabbing books off Amazon based on recommendations but some of the books did not have a true flow and caused me to become a slower reader than normal.  No excuses but it is taking me longer to digest and get through the books I have selected.  I’m averaging a book a month but need to increase my pace or make the time to read these books.  There is still a lot of 2022 left to get more books read but I may not average 2 books each month.

My writing program remains strong, and I am happy with my progress in 2022.  The blog articles keep me searching for new adventures and ideas, but I am happy with my ability to create content.  It helps that a lot of my life revolves around traveling, running and the beach.  I am sure I will continue to have content to turn into another Walk into the Future blog article. 😊

I have published multiple articles and posts on LinkedIn so that is another goal win.  I continue to look for ways to network and connect with a larger audience.  LinkedIn has allowed me to attract readers to my blog and share my adventures and leadership thoughts.  I will use LinkedIn to build my leadership audience so I can get back to conducting Authentic Leadership workshops for organizations looking to improve/grow.

I have rolled my publishing a leadership eBook into 2022.  I have the content for the eBook but need to get busy with cover art and putting the content into publication.  I will use the summer months to finalize the content and work to get cover art so I can get the eBook to market.  It’s coming—I promise! 😊

Still got work to do but I am making progress towards my 2022 reading and writing goals.

How are you doing with your 2022 goals!  I welcome your thoughts—thanks!

Irie!

“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body”.

(Joseph Addison)

Poetic Flow / Fallacy

Poetry

(Image by lolame from Pixabay.com)

The fallacy of today is tomorrow will be a better day

Regardless of what the hope will be

There are things we will not see

The motivation of circumstance

Will keep all searching for their chance

Improving daily

But what chances should be taken?

 

80s day at work!

80s Beth and Calvin

“If work isn’t fun, you’re not playing on the right team”.

(Frank Sonnenberg)

The concept of FUN at work comes up often when discussing how to keep organizations moving forward.  The quote above makes me laugh with the simplicity of the concept but it does have a place in the modern work environment.

Organizations that do not allow their staff members to unwind and have fun are doomed to have unhappy people in the workplace daily.  I am not saying staff must be entertained daily but the concept of fun has shown to be an attractive variable for some well-known organizations.

Google leads the way for work environment fun with nap pods, video games and ping pong tables available daily for staff members.  Who would not want to take a nap at work?  Genius concept!

Texas Roadhouse is another organization that values fun at work.  It’s right there in the mission statement:  We are committed to our shared Core Values of Passion, Partnership, Integrity, and Fun with Purpose

The staff gets to line dance multiple times during their shifts to some upbeat country music.  It is great watching the staff members dance with huge smiles on their faces while enjoying being at work.

Well, if the Texas Roadhouse folks can dance at work, then why can’t I?  That is a loaded question but one that we recently overcame in my current work environment.

Yes, there can be dancing at work! 😊

A friend at work and I started joking a few months ago about having a break-dancing contest in the parking lot.  It was our little inside joke and it made us both laugh.  We would mention the dance contest passing each other in the hallway and occasionally feign a dance move.  A couple of our coworkers overheard us talking about break-dancing and offered we should have a dance battle at work—true story.

This led to others chiming in that we should have the contest at work and dress the part.  The more this talk went on the more buzz the topic generated at work.  A final suggestion was everyone in the building should wear 80s gear and we should make it an event.  Please note, while at the FSU Career Center we had a Fantasy Career Day in October.  Staff members dressed in gear to represent their fantasy career—one year I went as a golfer complete with golf shirt, shorts, and a golf club.  This was the only time I wore shorts to work as a professional—it was great! 😊

This concept was the catalyst for us to create an 80s-decade event for our division.  I went to my boss to let her know we were dressing in the 80s and her response was:  I am coming as Madonna!  I did not have to make a plea; it was as simple as that.

The entire campus caught the energy, and the Fall Celebration Day was established.  The challenge went out to other divisions to dress in a preferred decade—we had dibs on the 80s.  The 60s and 70s were quickly grabbed by folks on campus and the celebration was on.

We decided to go all in for the 80s and dress the part.  I was a frequent eBay shopper as I looked for the perfect 80s outfit to enjoy the day.  The great thing about the 80s is the multiple phases we all went through—so many great looks to choose from.  I went with the mid-80s Hip Hop look as a throwback to some of my favorite artists—Eric B and Rakim, DJ Easy Rock and Public Enemy.

I was able to find multiple options for vintage Nike 80s track suit within my stated budget.  I was also able to find a fake (plastic) gold chain to accessorize my look.  A quick trip to Party City allowed me to complete the look with large rings for my fingers to really get that throwback look.  One of my colleagues had an old boom box at home and allowed me to borrow it for the day to complete my 80s throwback look.

Fast forward to 10/29/21 and we produced old school flyers to pass out on-campus to promote the dance battle in our building.  We wanted to ensure we had an audience and allow everyone to join in on the fun.  There were several practice sessions so we could space out the dance battle and then bring in a few surprise guests—we kept the surprises close to the vest so it would enhance the event.

We coordinated a three round dance battle to get the crowd pumped and generate fun, laughter, and anticipation.  The goal was to have fun!

I won the dance battle coin toss and elected to have my friend lead off with his first routine.  We agreed to three rounds and then get silly with dances an old dude would do:  the sprinkler, starting a lawn mower and the robot.  The crowd got into each round and really enjoyed the process of two professionals making a fool of themselves at work—it was all for fun! 😊

We finished our dance sequences back-to-back in a B Boy Stance.  We positioned ourselves directly in front of our VP—on purpose!

She pushed us both out of her way as the Salt N Pepa classic hit ‘Push It’ started to play.  This was surprise #1 and she rocked it.  She had been practicing for two weeks to get her moves right and started out with the 80s dance classic, The Roger Rabbit—the crowd went wild!  We joined her after with a choreographed rendition from the Push It video—don’t think I have ever had that much fun at work.

We got everyone in the building up and dancing with a classic Soul Train line.  It was fun to see others with HUGE smiles on their faces as they went through the Soul Train line multiple times.  I went through the line about 5 times since we were buying additional time for Surprise #2.

We have a Performing Arts program on-campus and partnered with faculty to request a student flash.  The students practiced the Michael Jackson’s 80s classic Thriller dance to finish off our dance party.  I had our DJ adjust the music once I saw the students enter the building.  We cleared the dance floor and let the students take over.  They were a big hit with the crowd as they went through their Thriller routine—it was fantastic!

The last part of our event was the Electric Slide!  Most of the folks hit the dance floor again as we did the Electric Slide—a great way to complete a dance party.

I have not seen people smile so much at work as they did during our 80s day!  Several made a point to let me know this was the best day they have had at work.  The smiles and happy faces made dances in front of colleagues worth the effort.  Some have asked what we plan to do to top this event—I’m going to let someone else plan the next event, but we will continue to have fun at work.

What do you do to have fun at work?

“Work is either fun or drudgery.  It depends on your attitude.  I like fun”.

(Colleen Barrett)

Happy Thanksgiving!

thanksgiving-g944bc9341_1920

“What if today, we were just grateful for everything”?

(Charlie Brown)

Here’s to a great day for everyone who reads this!  Hope you take time to enjoy your family, friends, and great food.

Continue to Walk into the Future!

Calvin

“Be present in all things and thankful for all things”.

(Maya Angelou)

Track Shack UCF 5 Miler

5 Mile race

“Every morning we are born again.  What we do today is what matters most”.

(Buddha)

Merriam-Webster defines resilience as an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change.

Happy to report there has not been any misfortune for me, but the change has been an adjustment to my training regimen.  I am still putting in work but not able to get the same quality sessions I put in pre-COVID.  This can be directly attributed to my work role in Fort Pierce but please do not think I am complaining.

We have made some major operational improvements and there is light at the end of the tunnel where we will soon normalize operations and I can get back to putting in more training miles.

The concept of resiliency reminds me of the old saying:  try and then try again!

Decided to use shorter races as a bigger part of my training program to get me prepared for the rigors of the half marathon distance.  I have the 2021 Rock N Roll Savannah half marathon in November and the 2021 Track Shack OUC half marathon in December.  My overall goal is to run a half marathon under 2 hours and the Track Shack OUC half marathon is the ideal setup to make this happen.  I need to put in additional training miles to build my endurance back to my 2019 levels. 

My fastest half marathon was the 2019 Track Shack OUC half marathon with a time of 2:05:51 (two hours, five minutes, and 51 seconds).  2020 was set to be my fastest year ever but of course COVID-19 shut down racing and my training lagged—that’s on me! 😊

So, what’s my plan to correct my training and speed issues?  Well, I check multiple running clubs to see what races are being offered locally and within driving distance to me in Fort Pierce. 

I routinely scan the Fleet Feet Stuart and Orlando Track Shack events pages to determine which races are available to help with my training program.  I just shared with my best friend I have a hard time training with race pace—it is a mental thing for me since I do not have competitors or anyone to pace with.  I am sure I may be the only active running with this issue but targeting real races seems to get my competitive nature going.  This may not be the ideal strategy, but I will try this out to get me closer to my half marathon goal. 

Made my way back over to Orlando for the 2021 Track U Can Finish 5 Mile race to get some speed work in.  I ran this same event when I lived in Oviedo, but this is the first time I tackled the race distance in 8 years. 

This is an interesting event because it has multiple distances available for runners to try.  The first event is the U Can Finish 2 Mile race and Track Shack has a distance dare.  Runners can sign up to run the 2-mile race and then compete in the 5-mile race right after.  The hook for distance dare runners is the opportunity to collect 3 medals:  2-mile, 5-mile, and distance dare medals.  Runners love their bling and a lot of them took part in the distance dare.  I did not—officially. 😊

Did something new on race day to ensure I got in extra training miles.  I stay in the same hotel each time I visit the Orlando area and it is down the street from the UCF campus. 

I decided to leave my vehicle parked at the hotel and ran the 2-mile distance to the UCF campus for the start of the 5-mile race.  Figured this was a great way to warmup and stretch my legs before my race and ensured I would get in a long training session—it was just broken up into segments.

Toed the line for the 5-mile race completely warmed up and excited to run on the UCF campus again.  The race village was setup directly in front of the Career Services building where I worked for 4-years prior to moving to Tallahassee and the FSU Career Center.  Great being back on the old stomping grounds. 😊

My goal for the 5-mile race was simply to test my endurance and consistently run miles splits with a 9 on the front of them (9:05, 9:10, etc.).  Mission accomplished.

The UCF campus is completely flat which helped a lot.  Went out with the intent to run my race based on feel and then push myself when I could. 

Mile-1 went by at an 8:44 per minute pace and I felt good with the effort.  Mile-2 through 5 were:  9:15, 9:33, 9:57, 9:42 which got me to the finish line at 47:29.  Targeted 45 flat but happy with my results considering I put in a 2-mile run before my race. 

Collected my 5-mile medal and took some pictures to commemorate the race and my time back at UCF.  Got some refreshments and stretched a bit before heading out.  I tucked my race medal away and began my 2-mile journey back to my hotel—yes, I ran back for a total of 9 training miles for the day.  Felt great every step of the day!

I will look for additional races to help me prepare for my next two half marathons.  Still have some speed in these legs, just need to release it in my unique way.

FYI—I am still on pace to meet my 2021 goals of 1,000 training miles.  Imagine my mileage if I could stay consistent with my training.

Irie!

How do you display resilience in your daily activities?  Thanks!

“Life does not get easier or more forgiving, we get stronger and more resilient”.

(Steve Maraboli)

Two Americas—Right before your eyes!

USA

(Image by Mediamodifier from Pixabay

“The worst form of justice in pretended justice”.

(Plato)

Dictionary.com defines white privilege as inherent advantages possessed by a white person based on their race in a society characterized by racial inequality and injustice.

Merriam-Webster defines bias as a tendency to believe that some people, ideas, etc., are better than others that usually results in treating some people unfairly.

So, where am I heading with these definitions? I will get to the point but need to ask you a few questions.

Who is Gabby Petito?  Who is Brian Laudrie?

I am sure you did not need to run a Google search to provide an answer to either of those questions.  We have learned more about both individuals on the morning, afternoon, nightly and cable news shows almost daily since September. 

We know she was a travel influencer and they traveled out west to hike and camp while documenting the trip.  We also know there was an incident during the trip and police were called in to investigate and/or deescalate the situation between the couple.  No arrests were made, and the couple continued the journey without a warning from the police. 

I will not dive much deeper into the situation because it has been covered extensively by the news media.  We know where they were before Gabby went missing and Brian decided to return to his parent’s home in Florida.  The media set up outside the homes of both families and conducted interviews with them.  The media spoke with local law enforcement, FBI agents and experts on finding missing people. 

The media coverage for this ONE case was 24/7!  We got in-depth and breaking news coverage to let us know every time something new was identified in the case.  Bravo to the news media for being so aggressive providing us with these vital updates.

Next question.  Who is Jelani Day? I am going to wait so you can go Google his name.

He disappeared the month PRIOR to Gabby but no round the clock coverage to inform us of updates in the investigation.  We did not get updates on a person of interest, circumstances surrounding his disappearance or background information about him.

I found an article on USA Today in the News category—it was not listed as Breaking News or a Top Headline.  I am happy his story was listed at all but why the disparity in how both cases were covered by the media?  Another question I must ask is how many other people went missing during the same time frame, but we heard nothing about them on the national news either.  This is what media bias looks like!

People of color are missing right now but there appears to be only one story the media is interested in covering.  I am fine with the media covering this case but why do they completely ignore everyone else?  It is hard to not see the media bias in the coverage, but the sad thing is multiple networks/outlets are all doing the same thing.

Would we know more about Jelani Day’s investigation IF the media put as much interest in his case as the one we all have been hearing about since September?  Don’t answer that—I know the answer!

Jelani Day and all missing people should be afforded the same coverage and investigation we have seen for the disappearance of Gabby Petito—nothing more or less!

I wrote about The Two Americas last summer—this is another example.  You be the judge.

Research:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/09/23/jelani-day-illinois-state-university-missing-body-river/5837256001/

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/09/23/gabby-petito-mourned-search-continues-brian-laudrie/5825006001/

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/fbi-releases-video-of-10-rioters-who-allegedly-committed-most-brutal-assaults-on-police-officers/ar-BB1eJ4Dl?li=BBnb7Kz

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/grim-list-of-deaths-at-police-hands-grows-even-after-verdict/ar-BB1fUUsL?li=BBnb7Kz

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2021/10/26/kyle-rittenhouse-victims-shooting-trial-judge-ruling-travesty/8560336002/

“Freedom is a road seldom traveled by the multitudes”.

(Public Enemy)

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Retrospective Lily

Reflections on Faith, Disability & Life

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