Enjoyceinglife

Started a Substack: Still Enjoyceinglife

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce E. Davis) — Sat, 18 Jan 2025 02:37:00 +0000

I've started a Substack. Hope y'all will engage with me there. Keep Enjoyceinglife!

Atlanta's Alley Pat - Black Radio's Mouth of the South

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce E. Davis) — Mon, 19 Oct 2015 03:04:00 +0000

Atlanta, if you have not seen the award-winning documentary on Alley Pat, the outrageous radio host who started in 1951 on the country's first black owned radio station Atlanta's WERD, as well as WYZE and WAOK, you are missing out! From his sparing with Hosea Williams to his unique local advertising, knowledgeable record spinning, skewering hypocrisy, and bailing out civil rights workers, he was such an authentic person.

I remember my parents playing his a.m. radio show when I was in elementary school. He made you laugh, think and have pride about your community. I'm glad I'm old enough to remember when this type of local radio was vibrant and powerful.

There are some great (and even hilarious) stories about the night before Dr. King died, Pat's trips to racist Georgia towns to bail out civil rights workers and his banter with his radio public. Even if you are not from Atlanta, if you appreciate soul, blues and jazz, and a wild personality who had some purpose in his mischievousness, you will LOVE this documentary: http://www.pba.org/alley-pat/. #BlackHistoryMatters #MouthOfTheSouth

#Enjoyceinglife

Help! Vacation Read Suggestions Please

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce E. Davis) — Wed, 15 Jul 2015 06:29:00 +0000

Help! I need a book to read. I'm going on vacation and I want to be swept away. If I had my choice I'd finish Ntozake Shange's Some Sing, Some Cry, which I got about a third of the way into a couple of years ago before life interrupted. I loved that book, and was desperately looking for my personally signed copy, when I came across all these others (pictured above) that I remember like loving friends. Douglass' Women by Jewell Parker Rhodes, Tayari Jones' Silver Sparrow & Bridgett Davis' Shifting Through Neutral are a few others that left a lasting impression on my soul.

Even though I read some of these novels more than a decade ago, they are stories I want to go on - characters whose lives I wish would not be so finalized. I still drag out reading the end of a book I'm relishing, praying it will never end, and having the nerve to be almost angry at the author when it does. All but one of these are works of historical fiction and have complex black women as leading characters. The writing is lush and literary - and as soon as I saw or thought about each, I remembered the decisions the characters made, its impact on their lives, and how those situations resonated with me so deeply that I felt connected and empathetic to them.

I only get to disappear totally into an engrossing novel about once a year, so I'm gonna be selfish with this choice. I don't want to read anything related to the news or my profession, or that's informed by social media or pop culture. I want to physically & mentally go away. So if you've got any recommendations for some wonderfully written historical fiction, I'd appreciate a heads up. Even if I find Some Sing, Some Cry, I'll be elated to have a list - and I may even try to get in a few more during the year!

I'm thankful when talented writers share their gifts and I have nothing but gratitude for of all the authors highlighted in this post, including Kuwana Haulsey, Denise Nicholas, Margaret Cezair-Thompson, Florence Ladd and Rosalyn Story.

Keep on Enjoyceinglife - it's incredible!

My Late Night Vow for 2015....

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce E. Davis) — Mon, 05 Jan 2015 06:37:00 +0000

It was midnight when I decided to look for my copy of "The Vow," the fabulous novel written by my girls Denene Millner, Angela Burt-Murray and Mitzi Miller - because, of course, I must re-read it before the film adaptation "With This Ring" starring Jill Scott airs on Lifetime in about two weeks.

After scouring every bookshelf in my house and even scrounging through at least five huge boxes of books I haven't opened in at least three years, all I could come up with was like every OTHER book these talented three wrote - from "The Angry Black Woman's Guide to Life" to their "Hotlanta" series and even Denene's first one "The Sistahs' Rules."

Sigh... So, with a nod to book publicist extraordinaire Gilda Squire's earlier Facebook post today, I'll be at a bookstore tomorrow happily purchasing another copy of "The Vow." Because my friends and their work are worth it.

Now, I did unearth a few finds that I could not leave in the boxes: Paula Giddings' "When and Where I Enter" changed my life in college. Just thumbing through the portions I'd underlined made me realize that revisiting this gem would definitely help me in my current book projects. "Reaping the Whirlwind" includes important information about my revolutionary grandfather - a passion project. "Mystery of the Dark Tower" by the talented Evelyn Coleman will be great to read to my big girl. And I was so intrigued by "When Washington Was in Vogue" when I received it a decade ago - as it was lost for more than 75 years before it was published - that I always knew I wanted to read it. Plus historical fiction is definitely my thing.

So, I hope you're starting off the year with some good reads - and some satisfying writing (if that's your thing). Here's to book loving and more Enjoyceinglife in 2015!

The Sex-Trafficking Investigation That Took Me Home

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce E. Davis) — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 03:22:00 +0000

Sitting next to DeKalb County Sergeant Torrey Kennedy in his huge black SUV, I wondered why we were getting off the highway at Panola Road. This was the exit near the neighborhood where I spent the last few formative years of my childhood in Lithonia, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta.

I'd soon learn that nearly every night - and I think this was a Tuesday - 30-40 young women are being sold for sex in a handful of low-grade motels that dot this exit. To say I was alarmed is an understatement.

"I don't know you. I'm not your pimp. I'm not your friend. I'm not a family member. I'm not using you. I don't want anything from you. My sole purpose, every day I wake up and put this gun and badge on is to help young ladies like you."

I was scribbling Sgt. Kennedy's words in my notebook as fast as I could. As usual I was recording with my iPhone and iPad, but I still don't trust technology 100%. And I certainly wasn't going to rely solely on any digital device as I reported my first investigative piece - especially when I recognized that the heart of the story I was there to get was happening right in front of me.

Sgt. Kennedy, an officer in DeKalb County's Internet Crimes Against Children unit, was trying to get a young woman sitting on a bed in handcuffs to trust him. She was being arrested on suspicion of prostitution and he was offering her the opportunity to enter into a program that could save her life. There were so many reasons she wouldn't even give him her name, and neither would her pimp who was also being arrested right outside the door of that seedy motel.

As I write in the piece published in the November 2014 issue of Ebony Magazine, all of this happened numerous times until about 3:00 a.m. The night I spent on this sting changed my life. There were upwards of 150 police officers from a dozen agencies making a concerted effort to catch as many people involved in sex trafficking as they could right down the street from where I grew up.

Nearly 30 years earlier, my family left our split-level ranch style home a few exits closer to Atlanta in Decatur, Georgia, to be among the first African-American middle class folks to move into this Lithonia community. I can remember there only being a gas station on the exit during this time when my junior high thoughts of a career in journalism were beginning to intensify. Since then I've written hundreds, maybe thousands, of articles and now there is a Walmart, Publix, Lowes, Ruby Tuesdays, and a nearly a dozen fast food joints in this neighborhood. A few years ago, just two exits down, a sprawling mall sprung up that is frequented by a plethora of upwardly mobile Black residents - judges, doctors, celebrities and those who aspire to similar status.

I wonder if these professional African Americans know what is going on adjacent to their neighborhoods; that there are Black girls - many underage - who are being trafficked nightly. I was certainly blind to the fact.

But not anymore. My eyes were opened wide during this investigation that lasted several months. I learned that the issue is complex, I have a lot more to learn, and the people who are in this fight to stem the tide of sex trafficking in Atlanta - the epicenter of the epidemic in this country - are motivated by their belief that the lives of these girls matter.

Here's what I was up to circa 1988 at 17 years old - a few years older than the average girl that's being trafficked (age 12-14 in Georgia). Who could have known that 25 years later - just a short drive from the living room where these lovely memories were made - a hub would develop where Black girls are victimized nightly by predators?

So I'm in this thing now, too. Because once you've been where I've been, seen what I've seen, learned what I've learned, you just can't step back. There's too much work to do. And everybody has to be involved. Everybody.

I'll be having this conversation periodically on this blog, via social media and through other opportunities. I'd love for you to join the discussion and get in the fight. Please share your thoughts on the article, what you know about sex trafficking, Black girls and sex trafficking, what you're doing to prevent girls from being trafficked, or how you're helping them out of these situations. Your stories are empowering. Your knowledge of resources to help girls is invaluable. So please share.

And stay encouraged. We can stop sex trafficking. We can save lives. Even if it's just through one action at a time.

#DoSomething #StopSexTraffickingNow #BlackGirlsLivesMatter

Remembering Myself: How Sheila E. and King Drove Me Home

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce E. Davis) — Thu, 18 Sep 2014 05:10:00 +0000

I am totally in love with a new opportunity I've recently accepted. I knew something was coming, but not in the way it showed up. This new thing feeds some of my most basic needs; those that never fail to stimulate me. I'm constantly challenged, learning at an accelerated pace, digesting tons of information, and being forced to make whip-fast decisions based on my experience and instinct about topics of which I will forever be passionate.

But right now I'm transitioning into the fullness of this bright, shiny new penny - and I've allowed this temporary ambiguous place to frustrate me to no end. I mean sometimes I'm so angry at the seemingly slow development of this new blessing that I find it hard to allow the things that usually soothe me to work. Trying to stay in a state of gratitude these days often takes concentrated effort.

I just wish the transition was over, it was six months from now and everything was all worked out. But soon come. My left-brain knows that. Yet somehow my Capricorn patience is nowhere to be found.

Listening to two interviews on NPR tonight with a new group called King and the incomparable Sheila Escovedo (Sheila E.) discussing her book chronicling her 40 years as an artist, a thought started bubbling into my consciousness. Hearing them discuss their creative process was just beautiful and stress relieving. I was inspired. To write.

Maybe this is it, I thought. I need to write. Not for my gig. Not for a magazine. But for me. I realized that I had not written a piece on this blog since April. And I've been blogging regularly in some way, shape or form for at least 10 years. And before that I was scribbling for decades in tons and tons of journals.

As I realized that I needed to get back to exercising this muscle outside of external deadlines, other revelations began to unfold. I have always been drawn to the newest thing in my life - sometimes to the point of near obsession. That's why I like social media, e-mail and even snail mail. Every post or open mailbox is an opportunity for something new (the holy grail for an information junkie). This new opportunity is no different. It's been frenetic days, late nights and lots of weekend work for several months now. And that's cool sometimes because I tend to thrive in those spaces.

But there are other dreams and priorities in my life for which I'd worked hard about a year ago to examine, distill and create activation plans. Some I'd began working on. While those ambitions are not new, I still love and want to pursue them.

During this transition and even when the ambiguity lessens with my new opportunity, I need to revisit my other important dreams - and reengage with those plans. The first step though is writing. Reconnecting with my first love is like going home, but there is a difference. Usually I'm so particular about Enjoyceinglife - taking time to get the right photos, videos, links, words, etc. I keep forgetting this is a space I created to challenge myself to write differently than I do professionally.

So this post started out stream of consciousness. And it remains that way - mostly. I mean I am still me, so I did spell check and add in a little extra here and there. But I just can't spend hours blogging these days. However, I do need to write for myself more often. Like Sheila E said about playing her drums, it's nourishment, like a plant being watered every day.

And I've been thirsty for months.

Keep on Enjoyceinglife. It's so rewarding.

Thank You Tananarive Due For Your Time at Spelman College

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce E. Davis) — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 16:40:00 +0000

Celebrated author, filmmaker and Spelman College professor Tananarive Due has done it again with the Octavia E. Butler Celebration of Arts & Activism! And it's all going down today - on the campus of Spelman College. But if you can't make it, the 5:00 pm panel will be LIVE STREAMED via this link. The full schedule also includes a Black Science Fiction Short Film Showcase and Tales of the Conjure Woman, a reading with Tananarive and Nnedi Okorafor, and a social justice talk back with Adrienne Maree Brown.

The 5:00 p.m. panel includes award-winning authors Junot Díaz, Nnedi Okorafor, Dream Hampton, Adrienne Maree Brown, John Jennings and Bree Newsome. Several of these authors participated in a virtual speculative fiction writing workshop earlier. Here is a video of the workshop.

And on a personal note, I have had the pleasure of covering most of Tananarive's fantastic events in the two years she's been the William and Camille Cosby Endowed Professor in the Humanities at Spelman. I've also had numerous conversations with her about everything from parenting, politics and natural hair to her incredible creative output in various mediums and the development of my own process around storytelling.

I am beyond grateful for the time she spent with the Spelman community and with me. I will really miss her as she moves on to higher heights.

So, if you missed any of her events over the last two years, here are some recaps below, most of which I'm proud to say I had a hand in producing. I'll add a few more through the end of the year to this space. Keep following Tananarive everywhere - Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Website - because she's gifted and giving - a powerful combination!

And I hope you're Enjoyceinglife because it's dazzling.

Octavia E. Butler Celebration of the Fantastic Arts at Spelman College 2013

Video: Tananarive Due's Fantastic Spelman Experience

Let the Music Play: A DJ Spins Scholarship on Campus

Black to the Future: Era of the Artist-Entrepreneur: Blair Underwood

Photo Gallery: Octavia E. Butler Celebration of the Fantastic Arts

Video: Black to the Future A Conversation with Blair Underwood

In Due Time: New Cosby Chair Brings Real World Experience to Class

Full Panel Video: Octavia E. Butler Celebration of the Fantastic Arts 2013

True Story: Back in the Mid-90s, Talib Kweli Gave Me a Mixed Tape....

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce E. Davis) — Mon, 14 Apr 2014 05:16:00 +0000

True Story: In the mid-90s, I lived in Brooklyn, right around the corner from Nkiru Books, where a pre-BlackStar Talib Kweli used to work. I'm sure I bought books, magazines, incense and jewelry from him, since I regularly patronized what was once the oldest African American-owned bookstore in Brooklyn.

On one of my visits, he gave me a mixed cassette tape and told me to check out he and his boy Mos Def. He asked me to let him know how I liked their flow.

I never listened.

In 2000, several years after they released their classic "Mos Def and Talib Kweli are BlackStar," they bought Nkiru and turned it into a nonprofit organization and center to promote literacy and cultural awareness for people of color.

#MissedOpportunity #NeverFoundCassette #YouNeverKnowWhoIsInYourSphere

#LessonLearned

Here are some of my faves from these talented artists. Please share yours and keep Enjoyceinglife. It's dope.

"Definition" - BlackStar

"Get By" - Talib Kweli

"Ms. Fat Booty" - Mos Def

"The Blast" - Hi Tek and Talib Kweli

"Umi Says" - Mos Def

"Respiration" - BlackStar featuring Common

The Magnificent Michelles: Two Powerful Women Making History

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce E. Davis) — Fri, 28 Feb 2014 15:38:00 +0000

My daughter and her one of her besties made me proud as "The Michelles" in a Black History Month play at her school. Her friend portrayed First Lady Michelle Obama, who has been key to the nation's heightened awareness of good nutrition and wellness practices especially as it relates to childhood obesity through her Let's Move initiative. And she just made history unveiling new federal standards for food marketing to children that she played a role in bringing to fruition.

During the performance, my baby slayed with a firm salute to the audience as United States Navy Vice Admiral Michelle Howard, who has a slew of firsts under her belt:

Vice Admiral Howard was the first African-American woman to achieve three star rank in the U.S. Armed Forces and the first African-American woman to command a U.S. Navy ship, the USS Rushmore. In 2006, she was selected for the rank of rear admiral (lower half), making her the first admiral selected from the U.S. Naval Academy class of 1982 and the first female graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy selected for admiral. On December 13, 2013, she was nominated to become the U.S. Navy's first female four-star admiral and the first female to be nominated for the position of Vice Chief of Naval Operations.

The show, informed by Tom Joyner's Little Known Black History Facts, included everyone from early 19th century African military genius Shaka Zulu to Claudette Colvin, the first person arrested for resisting bus segregation in Montgomery several months before Rosa Parks.

Learn more little known Black history facts and keep in Enjoyceinglife!

Facebook Made a Movie of Me. And I Like It!

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce E. Davis) — Wed, 05 Feb 2014 03:53:00 +0000

If you're one of the 1.23 billion Facebook users, the social media titan has a personalized gift for you to celebrate their 10th anniversary: It's a movie. All about you. And I really liked mine - so much that I felt I needed to post it on my blog, which I've had two years longer than my 6-year-old Facebook account. Please check out my movie (all 62 seconds) and let me what you think:

Post by Joyce E. Davis.

Okay, I wish I could have just posted the video, and not the entire Facebook post. But such is social media. Some things you just have accept - until they change them. Regardless, digital storytelling matters. So if you get a Facebook video, please feel free to share the link in the comments. I'd love to see your Facebook story!

Enjoy a cool slideshow ^^ of the many faces of Facebook (I came in around Slide 4 / 2007) and keep Enjoyceinglife! It sure is social.

Black History is All Around You

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce E. Davis) — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 22:21:00 +0000

On this first day of Black History Month, Feb. 1, 2014, I had nothing special planned to celebrate. Sure there are lots of activities and events all over Atlanta that we'll definitely be taking advantage of throughout the month.

My daughter's after school program started early by assigning parts in January for a February play based on Tom Joyner's Little Known Black History Facts segment. I'm certainly proud that my second grader will be portraying Michelle J. Howard, the first African American woman to achieve three star rank in the U.S. Armed Services. She's also the first African American woman to command a U.S. Navy ship, the USS Rushmore, who just become the Navy's first four start general in December 2013.

So we're definitely prepped for celebrating the amazing legacy of people of African descent, but I didn't necessarily get up this morning with a lets-kick-off-Black History Month plan, partly because it's #365Black around here. But then I saw this Google doodle on Facebook and, of course, I had to share:

Slowly but surely it crept into my consciousness that I really wanted to be intentional about celebrating Black history today. But honestly, it's Saturday and despite working from home for several days this week (while entertaining my precocious cabin-fevered 7-year-old, who accompanied me to work on her third snow day), I was exhausted from strain and competing deadlines. I just didn't have it in me to go all out finding a Black History Month event today.

Blessedly the ancestors came to my rescue. After several hours of letting my big girl play on the iPad, I whipped open her math workbook and this is the first page I landed on:

So by learning about Selma Burke, we got our Black history in - with important relevance - as well as 45 minutes of money lessons, too. Every time my daughter sees a dime now, there will be an element of pride in her spirit. She was so inspired by Burke that she ran upstairs remembering she had a stack of Publix Black History Cards, like this one below:

Of course, my daughter has no idea that I interned during the summers of 1990 and 1991 at The Atlanta Daily World, which at the time was the oldest Black daily newspaper in existence. That's a good lesson for her another day this month. By the time she returned with the cards, I'd stumbled across these notebooks I hadn't seen in years:

I gave her a brief history of literary legend Zora Neale Hurston and pioneer George Washington Carver. As soon as I mentioned the word peanut regarding Carver, she regaled me with her own knowledge of the inventor, making her mother - the child of two Tuskegee Institute (now university) alumni extremely proud. We'll have a great reading project later in the month with the notebooks' detailed biographies of Washington and Hurston. I look forward to telling my child that I share Hurston's history as a Howard University alumna and former editor at HU's school newspaper, the Hilltop).

An hour later, we were in the midst of one of our frequent our neighborhood walks and we stopped by this marker, which we'd seen before. But today, after reading about the historic Rose Hill African American community, we took the time to have an important discussion about the effects segregation and racism on neighborhoods.

We ended the evening watching a recent edition to the annals of Black history through "The Gabby Douglas Story" on Lifetime. Douglas is the first American gymnast to ever win gold medals for both the individual all around and the team competitions during the same Olympic Games. I was thoroughly impressed by the age appropriateness of the TV movie and even more by the observant comments made by my smart girl. Posted a few:

I'm kind of glad I had no plan when I woke up this morning. Some of the best days happen when you let the Divine lead the way. Stay engaged and enriched this Black History Month. And keep Enjoyceinglife. It's precious.

Got Any Historical Fiction Recommendations?

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce E. Davis) — Sun, 26 Jan 2014 01:58:00 +0000

I'm on the hunt for well-written historical fiction. If you have suggestions, please share them. A couple I've read that I really enjoyed and learned a great deal from are both written by the talented Jewel Parker Rhodes: I was captivated by Rhodes' deft writing style in "Douglass' Women" and how she was able to draw me into the complex relationship between Frederick Douglass, his wife, and his mistress by moving the story forward through each chapter being told from one of their viewpoints. Their disappointment in each other - and themselves - was palpable. I felt their pain.

"Voodoo Dreams," Rhodes' imaginative version of the legendary voodoo queen Marie Laveau, transported me to 1800s New Orleans with incredibly rich descriptions. I'd like to work on setting such scenes where the reader feels they're living during the same time with the characters. Another author who I think sets great scenes - but with a very different style - is J. California Cooper. It amazes me how I get the perfect visual of the setting of her short stories through her sparse descriptions. I'm not sure how my scene setting style will develop.

Next up, I'll be reading Tananarive Due's "The Black Rose." Researched and outlined by Alex Haley, and spun into what reviewers call "accomplished" and "tremendous storytelling" "enlivened by rich characterizations," the novel is the sweeping fictionalized narrative of the life of Madam C.J. Walker.

"Born to former slaves on a Louisiana plantation in 1867, Madam C.J. Walker rose from poverty and indignity to become one of America's first black female tycoons," according to Due's website. She was "the head of a hugely successful company, and a leading philanthropist in African American causes."

Obviously this will be an exciting and informative read for me, as I continue my journey into my historical fiction project. Speaking of Haley, I did read "Roots" back when I was in elementary school, maybe fifth grade or so (yes, I was ambitious). Needless to say, I'll be revisiting this American classic.

So, if you have any recommendations for great historical fiction - particularly if they are about the Civil Rights Movement - I would appreciate you sharing them. I received some fantastic advice recently from a wise and accomplished author to not avoid reading examples that are as close as possible to what you'd like to write. I'm taking that advice because I truly believe that only I can write the story that's in me. So, please share! Thanks - and keep Enjoyceinglife!

Even a 3-Year-Old Can Learn the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce E. Davis) — Mon, 20 Jan 2014 23:18:00 +0000

What a rewarding day! If you don't think your children - even the primary age ones - are listening, check out what my 3-year-old niece knew about Martin Luther King Jr. On the way to our MLK Jr. Day of Service activity, my 7-year-old daughter gave an impromptu Civil Rights Movement quiz to my niece. Both had me beaming with pride.

Me: "So we're going to help clean up a community garden today to celebrate Dr. King's birthday. He helped people, so to celebrate his national holiday, we're going to help people.

3 YO: "If we're going to help people that means we're volunteers. I learned that on Sesame Street."

Hooray for smart children and for Sesame Street!!!!

7 YO: "I've got a pop quiz for you. What award did Martin Luther King win?"

3 YO: "The Nobel Peace Prize!"

Astonished, my daughter and I screamed as my niece explained that she learned about the Nobel Prize creating a collage in her preschool class. She even gave an accurate definition of the word collage when my daughter incorporated that question into her quiz.

7 YO: "Okay, okay, here's another Martin Luther King Pop Quiz. Did the man that shot Martin Luther King go to jail?"

Me: "Uh, lets not talk about that. Lets keep it positive. Do another question."

Self-check: Remember there is a big difference in maturity and knowledge between 7 and 3.

7 YO: "Okay. Here's another pop quiz: Did Rosa Parks go to jail for sitting in the front of the bus?"

3 YO: "Yes!"

My daughter goes on to explain in detail how Dr. King taught people - especially those who didn't look alike - to be kind and fair to each other. She even related examples from the Movement like blacks and whites not being able to use the same facilities to her multicultural collection of friends at her school today. I'm elated as we pull up to the Attwood Community Gardens and Urban Farm, where we spend the next 90 minutes raking and hauling leaves, cleaning up the grounds of this valuable neighborhood resource.

I hope you did something fantastic to celebrate Dr. King today even if it was just meditating on his message and legacy. We don't always make it out to an activity on the holiday, but today we did - and we were more blessed than those we helped.

A moving soundtrack elevated our whole day: There was great programming on all of the airwaves from independent to mainstream. After hearing Dr. King's speeches, remembrances of Movement activists, and reflections of others, we were still singing Stevie Wonder's "Happy Birthday" anthem to Dr. King as we walked into the garden.

Even if you don't think your children are listening to you, keep teaching them through conversation and experiential learning. They are paying attention to those important lessons - and they're passing them on.

Keep on Enjoyceinglife. Sometimes it's quite amazing.

#MLK2014

›

When Your Disadvantage is Your Advantage

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce E. Davis) — Thu, 09 Jan 2014 06:32:00 +0000

So I'd been avoiding Longform.com for at least a year, and was considering succumbing to checking it out when, recently, I ran across several news items about Internet trends that included the increase in long form journalism. And then someone whose opinion I greatly respect basically gave me the final push - on Facebook, of course. So last night, I listened to my first episode, an interview with Joe Sexton, senior editor at ProPublica and a former reporter and editor at the New York Times. I was riveted and immediately hooked.

I don't know if I'm on some kind of faddish tear or if Longform will become part of my regular life. I mean I've only listened to one of the hour-long podcast interviews with incredibly thoughtful and talented magazine writers about their process and experience. But I did peruse at least 30 descriptions of episodes, so I know the great storytelling and insight that awaits me if I decide to go down this rabbit hole.

Honestly I have the same feeling I do when I watch an episode of a promising TV series: If I was in a different place in my life, I'd make sure I was in the same place at the same time each week to catch it. Or I'd record it and make time to watch it. I've watched one episode each of Downton Abby, Homeland, Newsroom, Scandal and others just for this reason. I feel like I just can't get caught up because of other things I'm prioritizing in my life.

It's so late that I can't even access the words to describe how stimulated and satisfied I feel listening to Longform.com - and considering how the lessons I'm hearing apply to my creative approach.

Now I'm listening to the Longform interview with author and New Yorker staff writer Malcolm Gladwell, and I feel like a disrespecting distracted spouse even writing this blog post while it's playing. The real reason for this post is because I wanted to figure out a way to capture the Longform episodes I really dig and those that can be extremely helpful. I considered posting them to Facebook, Twitter, my Tumblr account and even on Linked In. But I realized that the most enduring and personal social media space I'm most committed to maintaining is this blog.

I created Enjoyceinglife to assist, or even better, to challenge myself creatively. And I rarely use it for that purpose. But as Gladwell says, I'm reconsidering my disadvantage to be an advantage.

You know how it is in the beginning of the year. I'm going to do this. I'm going to do that. Well I am. And Longform.com is part of my brave doing. For me.

Be good to yourselves folks. And keep Enjoyceinglife.

Zora & Ida: 2014 Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce E. Davis) — Tue, 07 Jan 2014 18:08:00 +0000

I was pleasantly surprised today to see Google honor the iconic writer Zora Neale Hurston with a Google "doodle" on what would have been her 123rd birthday. Inspirations to me since I was in high school, Hurston and Ida B. Wells-Barnett, another incredibly talented, journalistically-driven writer, have been on my mind lately as I encourage myself to pursue my own creative destiny.

I'm always bursting with pride when I remember that Hurston was the co-founder of "The Hilltop," Howard University's award-winning student newspaper, where I cut my teeth as a budding young journalist. It's wild to think that I was writing and editing at such an important historical organ, which she created. That's some kind of responsibility. Even more, it is motivating to know that at one time, we were in the same place in our careers.

The other day a friend reminded me that nearly a decade ago we had quite an adventure traveling to the Zora Neale Hurston Festival in Eatonville, Fla. I got a chance to speak to legendary sculpture Elizabeth Catlett and I met the incredible artist Carrie Mae Weems. For the last 18 months, I've been editing articles about and video interviewing lecturers in Spelman College's Ida B. Wells Barnett Lecture Series. I've even blogged on Enjoyceinglife about the impact series lecturers like Melissa Harris Perry had on me.

I'll spend more time this year studying the journeys of Hurston and Wells-Barnett, who are like my historical mentors. I marvel at their research prowess, bravery, tenacity, and especially their commitment to life-changing work. Learn more about Hurston and Wells-Barnett. Happy 123rd Ms. Hurston! Your work is enduring.

Keep Enjoyceinglife in 2014. This is our year!

When Your Mother Quotes Shel Silverstein....

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce E. Davis) — Fri, 20 Sep 2013 03:31:00 +0000

Sometimes I blind copy my mother on emails to my daughter's teachers. Or I share details with her about the politics at work. Not all the time. But sometimes. After all she's been through all this and her insight - when I want it and she wants to give it - is invaluable.

This week has been insane - you know the kind you have all the time when everything is on 10 and you feel like you're making decisions by the seat of your pants. You have to trust your gut in every situation that comes your way because you don't have time to research the countless hair-on-fire emergencies that are obviously being pitched at you by a major league devil intent on stealing your joy.

When I call my momma during these times, she can hear it in my voice and we normally don't stay on the phone long. Cause I'm in the thick of it. Trying to make it to the breather that must be on the horizon.

Well today, after being blind copied on several emails about a situation at my child's school, my mother responded with these sage words of wisdom:

"Yes, for all your parenting consistency. Now, for me: I learned a poem last night. Wanna hear it? OK----

All the Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas
Layin’ in the sun,
Talkin’ bout the things
They woulda-coulda-shoulda done…
But those Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas
All ran away and hid
From one little did.

------Shel Silverstein

That's my brain sustaining lesson."

Yes, that is my mother who sat my one-year-old daughter on the desk of the Governor of Georgia

during this formal commendation. And which Friend of the Georgia Libraries had the nerve

to literally help Gov. Sonny Perdue sign this commendation? You're right again. My child.

She has no choice but to love reading, now does she?

I love Shel Silverstein. Always have. I bet my momma, who spent decades volunteering in libraries and even serving on county and state boards for years, introduced me to his genius. Yep, he's a bit morbid. But he is mad creative and wicked witty. He's like a freaky scientist in his laboratory of boundless imagination. I love the freedom I feel he allowed himself in his work. My daughter, who's nickname should be Princess Boundary Pusher, digs Silverstein, too. Of, course.

My momma - the psychiatric social worker-attorney, who long ago retired her make-it-happen parenting role and is now happily settled into I-can't-take-on-your-project-cause-I'm-enjoying-my-grandchildren role - is still parenting. And I'm so appreciative. Thank you, Momma. So glad you still know what I need - and how to give it to me.

Keep on Enjoyceinglife - with your loved ones. They're priceless.

Denied but Empowered: Women Respond to Marginalization at the March on Washington

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce E. Davis) — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 16:46:00 +0000

I had no idea that the founding of the National Organization for Women grew from the immediate and strategic response of women civil rights leaders to the marginalization of women during the 1963 March on Washington for Freedom and Jobs.

Anna Hedgeman (who'd directed a civil rights campaign for March organizer A. Phillip Randolph) vociferously advocated for women to be included as speakers during the march - and was denied. Here's an excerpt from Hedgeman's letter to Randolph included in an article about women's involvement with the March from the Anna Julia Cooper Project:

...she prepared a letter to Randolph that she read aloud at the final meeting of the Committee on August 16, 1963. Her letter begins:

“In light of the role of the Negro women in the struggle for freedom and especially in light of the extra burden they have carried because of the castration of the Negro man in this culture, it is incredible that no woman should appear as a speaker at the historic March on Washington Meeting at the Lincoln Memorial.”

Anna Hedgeman

In the letter, she proposes that Randolph’s proposed remarks on women be delivered by a woman, suggesting Myrlie Evers and Diane Nash as possible speakers.

While no woman ended up giving a speech, her advocacy for women’s inclusion led to Daisy Bates being allowed to provide brief remarks, in which she gave awards to five other black women in the movement and made a pledge “to the women of America” to be active in fighting for civil rights and equality. It also resulted in Rosa Parks being presented onstage, “almost casually,” Hedgeman notes, and the inclusion of women on the dais.

Apparently the night after the march, Hedgeman, Dorothy Height (president of the National Council of Negro Women) and other women held a meeting that led to a series of events resulting in founding of the National Organization for Women. More insight from an interview that journalist Gwen Ifill conducted recently with historian William Jones:

Gwen Ifill: Before she died, I interviewed Dorothy Height about that day. And she writes about it in her book.

And it became clear that women were marginalized on that stage and didn't even speak at the March. How did that happen? Women were certainly the foot soldiers of the movement.

William Jones: That's right. And they were really central to organizing the March and organizing all of the demonstrations of the civil rights movement.

A. Philip Randolph, Martin Luther King and other leaders believed that women shouldn't be in positions of -- as spokespeople of the March.

Gwen Ifill: It was that -- it was that up-front?

William Jones: They were very -- well, they were pretty forward about it.

There's an interesting -- a really interesting story is that Anna Arnold Hedgeman, who was the only woman on the organizing committee of the March and who had worked very closely with A. Philip Randolph since the 1930s, she went to Randolph and she said, you know, you really need to invite a woman to be in the official leadership of the March.

And she suggested Dorothy Height. And A. Philip Randolph didn't answer her, but several weeks later, he went -- they went to a meeting, and Anna Hedgeman found that she was still the only woman in the leadership of the March, and she really -- she wrote a very angry letter to Randolph protesting this.

Dorothy Height (far right)

Some people suggested actually picketing Randolph when he was preparing for the March. And Hedgeman and Dorothy Height and other women decided to not make an issue of it right at the March. But then, the night after the March, they actually called a meeting at the national headquarters of the National Council of Negro Women, which was the organization that Dorothy Height headed.

And at that meeting, they actually planned a series of meetings that, as I explain in the book, actually culminated in the formation of the National Organization of Women. And it really became a catalyzing moment in the rebirth of a feminist movement in the United States.

Gwen Ifill: And women of color were behind it, which is -- gets lost.

William Jones: They were at the center of this, yes.

Gwen Ifill: Which gets so lost.

Daisy Bates

One of the best things about all of the media coverage surrounding the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom is the increased visibility of little known stories surrounding the historic event that led to specific and long term impact. This level of reporting makes me so proud to be a journalist. I've learned a great deal and am continuously appreciative of those who are telling these stories. Even more important, I am forever indebted to those who made brave sacrifices for me to continue the work they started.

Here are a few articles that will provide you with a great deal of information on the role of women during the march as well as those who made contributions to the progress of civil rights.

Unsung SHE-roes: The Top 8 Female Civil Rights Activists You Should Get to Know (YWCA)

50 Years Ago, March on Washington Had More Radical Roots Than Remembered Today (PBS NewsHour)

While Unsung in '63, Women Weren't Just 'Background Singers' (NPR)

The ERA and the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington (Feminism 2.0)

Women of the March on Washington Slide Show (Bet.com)

When You Remember the March on Washington, Remember Anna Hedgeman (Anna Julia Cooper Project)

VIDEO: Civil Rights Pioneer Gloria Richardson, 91, on How Women Were Silenced at 1963 March on Washington

Don't Let Racists Scare the Faith Out of You

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce E. Davis) — Sat, 20 Jul 2013 05:45:00 +0000

I've dropped a few tears here and there during this entire Travyon Martin tragedy. But tonight it got unexpectedly ugly. The breakdown I had is the kind you only want to have alone, where no one can see just how out of control you are. What, you ask, can trigger this level of despair in a recovering control freak such as myself?

These vile racist social media posts about President Obama's commentary on Trayvon Martin and racism.

What terrifies me is the very real possibility that sometime in her life, my beautiful, smart and witty child may encounter one of these people and have to be wise enough to free herself from a life-threatening situation. Can I teach her to observe and listen for the nuances in approach, body language, conversation, and environment to recognize when she's dealing with such a person - especially if they are not so obvious in their warped perspective?

What are my qualifications to instill in her these necessary skills? I didn't march with Dr. Martin Luther King like my mother, or fight and sue for civil rights like my grandfather, or face frequent racial strife like my elders or even my contemporaries who grew up in more challenging situations than me.

The shortened life of Trayvon Martin and the powerful national conversation that is escalating via Obama's commentary has forced me to take stock of my own "privileged" experienced. I've had a few uncomfortable conversations and encounters about race with people who didn't look like me. But I can't say that I ever felt I was in danger of bodily harm. And that is certainly a blessing.

But I am concerned that even if we - me, her father, and those experienced elders we enlist to help - do our best to educate my daughter, will learning those skills protect her?

These hateful comments shook me to my core - so much so that they almost scared the faith right up out of me. But that's when I started to pray - in the midst of that soul-crushing fear. Listen, I'm not a preachy person or a Bible thumper. There's lots of spiritual work I need to do. And I don't think that Christianity is the only way for everybody. But honestly, I would just be lost without my faith because I don't know everything and I am not in control. Just like many of you, when I send my child off to school, camp, dance, chess, whatever- I hope and pray she's there, safe and happy when I pick her up.

Raising a child of color in this world littered with every kind of landmine imaginable can be frightening. So parents, people, don't let racists - or any dangerous folks - scare the faith out of you. In the battle between faith and fear, let the former win. And don't beat yourself up for having a crisis of faltering faith. Embrace your humanity and you'll recognize and appreciate it in others, which hopefully can diffuse scary situations.

As always, keep Enjoyceingife. It's a gift.

Fair Vs. Light-Skinned

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce E. Davis) — Thu, 18 Jul 2013 00:32:00 +0000

After I used the word “fair" to describe black women who had light brown complexions, an interesting conversation developed in my office today about the usage of the terms “fair" and “light-skinned."

After a 15-minute discussion, our group of a half-dozen women from mid-30s to mid-70s and of various shades (cream to cocoa) realized that our perceptions and reactions to the uses of these terms were based in our age, experience and region of upbringing in the United States. Even the etymologies of the words and the influence of how our parents used them were explored.

This was an excellent, positive and understanding conversation. I wish more complex subjects were explored in this manner. We enjoyed, appreciated and honored each other’s opinions. And then, we went back to work.

I hope you're Enjoyceinglife in all it's wonderful shades! #WordsMatter

Parenting Advice: What to do when someone pulls a gun on you....

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce E. Davis) — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 11:31:00 +0000

Three hours after the Trayvon Martin verdict was delivered, I finally remembered that a gun had been pulled on me once. At my front door. By a police officer.

I'd called to report a break in that happened while I was upstairs in the home I own in a working-class, all-black neighborhood. While I was preparing for bed, an intruder had removed a screen and opened a window to enter into my kitchen downstairs. When the alarm went off he apparently fled (though not immediately). Thanking God that my child was not in the house, I was afraid to come downstairs. After waiting for 20 minutes on hold with 911 on my landline, I dialed emergency services on my cell. Forty minutes later, with both phones to my ears, I answered the door.

An African-American police officer had his gun pointed at me. I don't remember the conversation. I do remember being frozen in my PJs and night hat, not wanting to move a muscle, and answering "Yes, sir" and "No, sir" to his questions. Much later I wondered if he really could have thought that I was the intruder. And just now I'm wondering what his experience must have been like policing a relatively high crime neighborhood for him to respond to a breaking and entering call by aiming his gun at the person whose doorbell he rang.

I have a habit of blocking out - submitting to self-imposed amnesia - traumatic events in my life. Lots of high school experiences, along with that night with the policeman and his frightening gun, live somewhere locked inside my subconscious. Those imprisoned memories escape sometimes when they are unleashed by emotional occurrences that render my defenses useless.

Yes. I could probably use some (more) therapy.

This Trayvon verdict triggered a prison break - jogged a purposefully banished memory of my own interaction with someone who'd pointed a gun at me. Someone who looked like my brother. It's still fuzzy, but whatever my reaction was to this threat, I survived it because of any and all of the following: God's protection, my parents' coaching, my common sense, the policeman's effectiveness and maybe even luck. I'm thankful for all.

But I'm also scared, saddened and disappointed that I and every other parent of a child of color - especially those raising black boys - has to teach their children what to do if someone means to do them harm because of the color of their skin and their gender.

I'm smart and I'm not naive. But I honestly was not thinking I'd have to hammer this point home as hard as my parents did with me and especially my brother in the eighties.

I'm up for the challenge and the responsibility because 1. It's the cost of parenting a black child, and 2. I really don't have a choice. You have to teach these hard lessons and pray, pray, pray to God that the stars align and your child will live to thrive, be happy, pursue their passion, and make a difference in this world.

I was all twisted up inside tonight listening to MSNBC commentator Joy Reid, an African American parent of two sons age 11 and 13, discuss what to tell her children about the verdict. Her pre-teen son actually asked her what he should do if someone was following him and I identified with her feeling of helplessness as she struggled to come up with an answer.

I also identified with my mother's response to the verdict: "I'm in total sadness, and motherly grief." As a parent, I was immediately moved by her words. The level of parental grief felt by Trayvon's parents must be a powerful hurt scraping the depths of their souls. I don't know how they bear the loss of him or this verdict.

Parenting in general is no joke. In my book there is no more important and rewarding responsibility you can undertake. Some of the most serious parenting lessons that black parents MUST teach their children are those about how to be safe in this racially charged society. I think having to have these hard discussions makes some of us stronger, but they can also be damaging to our spirits.

Race matters, people. It always has. And I don't see it changing in my lifetime or that of my daughter's. So to stay encouraged and vigilant, we have to keep ourselves around positive people, influences and organizations who are committed to justice, #Justice4Trayvon and everyone.

Listening to this panel on the Melissa Harris Perry Show discussing what it means to raise black children today, I am more conscience than ever of the need to stay engaged, active and prayed up. Because, like several of my Facebook friends who posted about arming their sons with a list of what to do when pulled over by the police, I have to be thorough in preparing my child for the dangerous situations she'll probably encounter.

Below is an article where a parent discusses how he is continually educating his black son about staying safe in this world. Please share what you're teaching the children you parent, as well as the actions you're taking to stay positive, effect change, and continue Enjoyceinglife.

Peace.

Guess how long it took for women tennis players to get equal pay at Wimbledon?

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce E. Davis) — Wed, 03 Jul 2013 11:41:00 +0000

Nearly 40 years. From 1968 to 2007. From activist-athletes Billie Jean King to Venus Williams. That's how long it took for women tennis players to receive equal awards for winning Wimbledon.

If you get a chance to watch the fabulous documentary "Venus VS," directed by wonderful filmmaker Ava DuVernay and airing on ESPN, you will be moved. King's and Williams' brave stances and activism resulted in a groundbreaking change in women's rights that took entirely too long to come to fruition. The film, a part of ESPN Film's Nine for IX series, chronicles the important physical, emotional, traumatic and socio-political challenges that Williams faced and overcame during her rise to the pinnacle of women's tennis. It was just riveting. I learned so much.

Here are a few tweets I sent during the premiere via @Enjoyceinglife:

"'Venus VS' came from Venus' ultimate game -@Venuseswilliams & her relationship to #Wimbledon."-filmmaker @AVAETC @espnw @ESPNFilms @30for30

Why does it take so long 4 people 2 recognize there should b equality across the board?-filmmaker @AVAETC on @Venuseswilliams @ESPN @30for30

How must it feel 2 b 1 of those 1999 male tennis players watching urself saying women players should b happy being paid less? @ESPN #VenusVS

I think we are in a bygone era of athletes & activism...branding & endorsements discourage that. - #VenusVS dir. @AVAETC @ESPN

Wow. RT @PoliticalJones: RT @30for30: 2013 marks the first #Wimbledon without @VenusesWilliams since 1996. #VenusVS @ESPNStatsInfo @ESPN

@NewsHour: How has the world of sports changed 4women over time? @AVAETC & @cbrennansports sit down w/ @gwenifill http://to.pbs.org/1az5FE2

"How can it be that #Wimbledon finds itself on the wrong side of history?" @Venuseswilliams n @TheTimes abt #Tennis #EqualPay #VenusVS @ESPN

It took from 1968 to 2007 - nearly 40 years - for #Wimbledon to award #EqualPay to #women #tennis players. Great doc @AVAETC! #VenusVS @ESPN

See a preview of the documentary here. And keep Enjoyceinglife!

New UNCF Branding Swaps Community Activist Language For Wall Street Lingo

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce E. Davis) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 21:35:00 +0000

The message of the UNCF's new #BetterFutures campaign "is straightforward. Public service announcements...feature stories of real students who speak about their college aspirations. "My name is Sidney, and I am your dividend," one young woman says, holding up a stock-market ticker." - "United Negro College Fund Updates Its Slogan, and Its Brand," The Chronicle of Higher Education

The United Negro College Fund has adopted a new message for potential donors: Think of students as investments.

Articles on NPR and in the Chronicle of Higher Education explore how the UNCF is modernizing their iconic tagline - "A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste," by adding "But a Wonderful Thing to Invest In." While ending any sentence in a preposition bothers the writer in me, I'm wondering if their intended target audience - younger, wealthier donors - will be engaged by their new "Invest in Better Futures" campaign.

Even though I'm annoyed that the Chronicle seems to have misspelled Sydni's name in their article, check out their coverage and NPR's if you get a chance. The Chronicle piece has interesting stats about how the UNCF spent four years developing their new campaign based on research from their UNCF Case Study / Stock for Social Change (video below) like $10 invested in education for African-American students today will produce $102 worth of benefits for society.

The NPR piece includes has some early UNCF ads (like one below directed by Spike Lee with a voice-over from Samuel Jackson) and asks readers about how they'd solicit donations for the UNCF. Some of the campaign suggestions in the comments are creative.

I'm a fan of good storytelling. I'm not sure if the new ad I watched tells a story, but it does offer a different perspective on philanthropy based in return on investment. I guess the ad is not aimed at me because while I still consider myself young, I'm definitely not wealthy, so I'm not in their target audience.

I'd love to hear your ideas. Or just your feedback on what you think of their new campaign.

For those who don't know much about the UNCF, here's a bit of primer from the articles: One of the 150 largest philanthropies in the country, the UNCF is the recipient of $150-$160 million a year in donations. More than half of the students who receive scholarship money from the UNCF are the first in their families to attend college, and most come from families with incomes of less than $25,000 a year. The organization founded in 1944 aims to expand its 300,000-donor base to hand out more scholarships and grants to minority students, especially as college costs rise and many historically black colleges and universities face financial struggles.

On an odd note, watching their new ad (below), I noticed the featured student walking past an urban art mural, "Never Give Up," that is in my neighborhood. Life can be so surprising sometimes. Keep on Enjoyceinglife. It's rarely boring.

Click here to see all of the videos in the #UNCF's #BetterFutures PSA campaign.

What is the best fictional biography you've ever read?

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce E. Davis) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 15:35:00 +0000

What is the best fictional biography you've ever read?

I’m doing some research and would love suggestions.

The best I've read so far is “Douglass’ Women” by Jewell Parker Rhodes. Phenomenal!

So what’s yours? Thanks for whatever recommendations you can provide.

And keep on Enjoyceinglife - with a good book - whenever you get a chance!

My Daughter Gave Me the Middle Finger

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce E. Davis) — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 15:31:00 +0000

"Mommy, what does this mean?" I looked in the back seat and my rising second grader was giving me the middle finger. I calmly replied, "It's like a curse word that means forget you, or I don't care about you. It's not nice and don't do it again."

I thought for a second and added, "I'm so glad you asked me what it meant. Did someone do that to you?"

"A girl at camp told me it meant God is bad," she explained.

"Well, I've never heard that before. But like I said, it's not nice, so don't do it again."

"Okay," she said. I watched her pondering my response. A minute later she announced, "I don't believe her, Mommy. I believe you."

And then she segued right into sharing how yet another red robin had landed on a tree outside her bedroom window.

Yesterday, she snuck some candy (stuffed in a wallet placed under her tunic and in her leggings!) to camp. When I caught her (walking funny), I initially defaulted to the standard punishment - no doing whatever it was she wanted to do that evening (bike riding, iPad playing, TV watching), and writing a few sentences about what she did wrong, why it was wrong, and the better choice she'd make next time.

As she was writing, another approach crossed my mind - one that was informed by my own misbehavior 35 years ago. I regaled her with my criminal past: the story of how I was caught by my mother at about the same age stealing one Now & Later candy out of the pack from a grocery store. I hid it in my sandal. Of course, it fell out while we were walking and I suffered dire consequences.

The take-away for my teary-eyed child was the importance of trust and integrity, and how deception is the cousin of lying. I could tell I made a good decision about my reaction to her infraction because of her genuine interest in my story and her verbal response: "I will never, ever, ever, ever do it again."

She's clever and crafty, like her mama. So I don't necessarily believe that she'll never dabble in the untruths or misrepresentations again. But it won't be in the same way. She's learning about values. And that's a win in my parenting book.

Lessons for the last two days: Every question from your child can be a learning opportunity for you both. And, utilize the best approach to get the lesson learned.

Keep on Enjoyceinglife. It's rewarding.

I Can't Believe I Rejoined MySpace

noreply@blogger.com (Joyce E. Davis) — Wed, 29 May 2013 03:42:00 +0000

"If I'm not communicating, I'm not awake."

I have absolutely no idea what got into me today. Well that's not exactly true. No. 1: A co-worker raved about how the new MySpace was really great with all these bells and whistles and stuff and I just could not resist. Now I deleted my MySpace account years ago. But one visit to the souped up Justin Timberlake-owned music site resulted in me signing up, connecting it to a few of my other social media accounts, and promptly posting this tweet to Twitter:

No. 2: Andre Benjamin is still like Kryptonite to me. I was already weak from the new visually stimulating MySpace. When JT threw this Dre playlist on me, I was done.

But that was not the end of my social media exploits today. Oh noooo. I was on a roll. When I saw a friend's engaging About.Me profile on Twitter, it triggered my own long-held interest in creating one, too. Twenty minutes later I had the framework for what I completed this evening.

But did I stop at MySpace and About.Me? Somehow I got sucked into signing up for Quora when I was adding Facebook friends in About.Me and one had a Quora profile link. Friends can be so dangerous. I had to Google Quora to find out its exact purpose. The premise seems cool, a community-curated Q&A site started by two former Facebook employees.

I have a problem, folks. A social media problem. In the last week or so, the magazine lover and information junkie in me has signed up for FlipBoard (which I am really digging) and reengaged with the fabulously updated Flickr. Now I already have Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Google+, YouTube, Pinterest, and Storify. And I know I'm forgetting some site. Oh yes, this blog. I think I need an intervention.

But the truth is I don't want one. And that may be a problem as well. Aside: Working with the incredible journalist and author Tananarive Due at Spelman College has been such a joy over the past year. But I think the best thing she's said to me so far was at our first get-to-know-each-other lunch:

Paraphrasing -> "Sometimes I get the same high from social media that I get from reading a good story."

That quote is burned in my brain because I feel the exact same way. I love to communicate across various platforms - and not just digitally. Check out my About.Me page and you'll see what I mean. And life is really my intervention. Often when I develop an interest in a new social media platform, I ditch another one or two. I recently deleted numerous apps on my phone, unsubscribed from at least a dozen email newsletters, and I've been on an unfriending binge for the last few weeks.

And for the most part I've got my priorities in tact. There have been days in a row (!!!) when parenting and work-related deadlines have prevented me from real-time posting (thank you HootSuite). While I did sign up for three social media platforms today in the span of my lunchtime, I still managed to conduct an interview, write an article, and update Inside Spelman.

I have to admit that I am suffering a bit from a shortened attention span (horrible for a writer who loves to read). But I've got a plan: As much as I hate to do it, I'm going to be more purposeful and organized about my social media engagement - and more frequent disengagement. This approach is part of a larger assessment I'm working on this summer.

So who thinks I can do it? Who thinks I can post less on social media?

I hope I'm not the only one with my hand raised.

Keep on Enjoyceinglife. It's a blast.