On July 13, 2015, Sandra Bland, a Prairie View A&M graduate, died in Waller County Jail following an encounter with police during a traffic stop. Ann Johnson, an art professor from Prairie View, along with other artists, created a tribute to Sandra Bland and other Black women who have died as a result of police violence. During undergraduate school, I drove through Waller county twice a month to get back and forth from Texas A&M@College Station to Houston. Now, I know how fortunate I was to never get a traffic ticket on my travels. Years later, I’m aware and I'm an activist writer so that others stay safe.

Anybody who knows me well will tell you that coffee is part of my daily diet. If you want to know how much of my writing gets done and where my deep thoughts about the world are rooted, I would say, sometimes on a Starbucks napkin. And, of course, where you dwell is a prediction of your future. Almost 10 years ago, at a small Starbucks, in Pearland, I met my animated husband AJ. And, immediately, after he put a ring on it and married me, he put me on a Starbucks budget. Whatever! Needless to say, I rebuked such a notion. And, yes, if we have time, we go to Starbucks at least twice a day. They know my name and they know my drink!

Last year, my husband and I attended his MBA graduation from Boston University at Amherst. Since it was so cold, I couldn’t think of glamour. So, I threw on a cap and my Texas A&M hoodie and covered up (what strangers could perceive as school betrayal) with a grey jacket. Now, as you look behind me, the sky is beautiful. And, I wanted to capture that moment with the cloudy sky in the background. But, Photo Bomb AJ had other plans. Even though it was his graduation weekend, who told him to get into the act? Time to go back home.

On that day, I was headed into the MLK building to do my office hours. But, I needed to stop in the restroom first and make sure that I looked professional. Immediately, I realized that I was still wearing my sunglasses, as I touched up my pink lip-gloss. At that moment, I do what any self-introspective American must do. I decided that the covered window would provide the most awesome black background for a Kim Selfie. I tilted my head to the right side and I snapped a couple of pictures. And, if you look close, you can see the sink and the unisex use of the bathroom. Yuck! Men, please be courteous and put the seat down. Your co-workers are NOT your wives. Anyway! Post-selfie-it was time to teach my young people some African American Literature.

In November 2017, the Houston Branch of the NAACP celebrated a 100 years of activism. This was an exciting time to celebrate giving back to the community. And, of course, I attended the centennial event with Hubby AJ and my parents. Us banquet goers had a good time celebrating how far Black people have come and how much further we need to go. And, I must brag at this moment and say, Texas Southern University (TSU), my alma mater was in full-effect. Many activists have come out of TSU to become trailblazing organizers, attorneys, politicians, and philanthropists. 

Let the arduous journey continue . . . I’m ready!