Habari Gani? Kuumba! What shall I leave to my children? Dignity. Excellence. Compassion. Political awareness. Respect for our ancestry, history, and culture. This is what I teach. This is what I want every generation after me to pass on to the next.
Author Archives: Ms. Chantal
Kwanzaa 2021: Day 5
Habari Gani? Nia! When were we great? We were great when we cared about each other’s success. When we had Aunties and Uncles who were not related by blood helped us to raise our children. We were great when we sought knowledge and excellence instead of fame and fortune by any means necessary. We wereContinue reading “Kwanzaa 2021: Day 5”
Kwanzaa 2021: Day 4
Habari Gani? Ujamaa! Can we stop with the beauty salons and the soul-food diners and the little tchotchke places where you can buy candy, socks, and water ice? Every billionaire in this country gets rich with our money. Everyone but US gets rich with our money. Why are we buying purses and shoes when ourContinue reading “Kwanzaa 2021: Day 4”
Kwanzaa 2021: Day 3
Habari Gani? Ujima! Besides unification, what is the biggest challenge of our community? Lack of leadership. Everyone wants to be a boss, but no one wants the responsibility of leading. What will it take to get the community to care enough about itself to act like a village again? It will take a leader. NotContinue reading “Kwanzaa 2021: Day 3”
Kwanzaa 2021: Day 2
Habari Gani? Kujichagulia! I am Woman. I am Eve, the Mother of All Living. I am Wisdom and Creativity. I am Author. Creator of Worlds I will prosper and thrive in the skin that I am in.
Kwanzaa 2021: Day 1
The more I observe this time, the more it means to me. Habari Gani? Umoja! As impressed as I am with how much my community can accomplish when we are all in accord with each other, I am equally frustrated when it does not always happen. Last year, we voted a monster out of theContinue reading “Kwanzaa 2021: Day 1”
Merry Christmas – 2021
Our holiday is Christmas (and our decorating theme was “Jingle Jangle”, from the Netflix movie of the same name). Whatever you may be celebrating, Jenise and I wish you a happy holiday and a prosperous New Year!
NaNoWriMo 2021
Well…it’s that time of the year again! National Novel Writing Month, when writers make resolutions that they may or may not keep. For years. I have bitten off more than I can chew, promising myself that I can write a novel in thirty days. I have failed spectacularly. Last year, not in November, I provedContinue reading “NaNoWriMo 2021”
Opportunity!
Ferengi Rule of Acquisition #9: “Opportunity plus instinct equals profit.” (Yes, I am a mid-level Trekker–let’s leave it at that.) I have come to realize how important this adage really is, especially when trying to promote my work. I also realize why a traditional publisher would not be interested in Beauty School Drive-By: it isContinue reading “Opportunity!”
Second Edition!
I gave my book a face-lift and a new proofread. I am calling it my “second edition”, even if Amazon will not. Enjoy!