I’d love to chat with my late grandfather, Arthur C Lamb. He died in 1988, the same year I graduated from HS. I only have a few childhood memories of him. Mostly that we called him “Dear” & that during our infrequent trips to Baltimore, he’d indulge the family in a game of Scrabble (still my favorite board game). I also remember him as a stoic man of few words. It wasn’t until, years after he died, that I realized just how much we have in common! I so badly wish we could chat because I’m sure he’d be a great storyteller. Like me, Dear was educated in predominantly White schools. But…

One of the many things I love about my culture is that, collectively, we know our worth and will never stop fighting for political, social and economic equity. We are the original activists. From subjugation, violent oppression, and institutional racism we have led the journey toward progress by birthing leaders, ideas and opportunities for us and others. We are resilient visionaries and social justice warriors.

ace, racism, and discrimination is different. So it’s important to listen, even when things get uncomfortable. For some it stirs up SHAME, GUILT, or DENIAL while, for others, FRUSTRATION, ANGER and EMOTIONAL EXHAUSTION. I remember when a Pilates student of mine casually declared that racism didn’t exist anymore. My blood instantly boiled before leaving my body. My brain filled with expletives and a gazillion snarky responses. But …

Black history has never been separate from US history. We are integral to it. We’ve lost so much, been denied so much and fought for so much. We’ve survived so much, overcome so much, and achieved so much. So, for a mere 28 days, it behooves us to pause and assess our own personal understanding of Black history, the impact it’s had on the U.S., its institutions, and our beliefs about Black people. The more we ignore accurate history, the more we get buried in its trenches & progress never happens.

In 2022 I’m gonna fall in love. Das da bucket list, baby! Yep, I’ma throw that out into the Universe but also clarify – ‘cause y’gotta do that with the Universe sometimes. I will not “settle” into love. Nor will I “fall” in the dizzying sense that obscures all the red flags. Those are life lessons I’ve failed and repeated too many times. I’ve finally graduated from messy, toxic love and situationships. And please rest assured, I’ve done lots of self-reflection, personal growth sh*t and deem myself a constant work in progress toward the best version of myself. Nevertheless, I love the here and now version of myself! So #sheready! I’m ready for that grown and sexy kinda love.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Five things that make me happy? Easy-peasy.
1.) Learning/Teaching: When it comes to learning, I’m like a 2yr old who constantly asks “why?”. Not to be a brat but, if I’m intrigued by something, a superficial overview simply ain’t enough. I got questions. I wanna dig deeper. I wanna understand the nuances. And the more I understand something, the more excited I get about sharing it with others. And that’s why I love teaching so much. I love the challenge of finding effective ways to communicate concepts, ideas and skills to others; especially in ways that inspire curiosity and excitement in them too.