As brick-and-mortar retailers lament diminishing profits, they fail to realize how their racism is driving away Black customers. — Am I the only one who doesn’t care that much about retail stores closing or going out of business? Traditional Retailers Going Through Hard Times For instance, just recently, Bed Bath and Beyond announced that they were closing 150 stores across the U.S. because partly due to the pandemic, the chain has endured massive financial losses…

When Black people’s common human experiences are ignored, it serves to dehumanize them One of my intentions for 2023 is to find other platforms to showcase my work. Medium has been my home for nearly four years. I love the connections and the support that readers and other writers have…

Because New Year’s Resolutions suck. I’m a work in progress. As the new year begins, I reflect on the challenges and surprises I dealt with in 2022. I don’t usually make New Year’s resolutions as I feel they’re a recipe for failure. Our cultural mindset around New Year’s resolutions is…

Christmas brings out the goodwill and Scrooge in me As a child, I loved Christmas. What was not to like about waking up at the crack of dawn to a bunch of toys stacked underneath a Christmas tree? My sister and I played with our new toys all day and…

Coffee dates are low pressure and simple. So why are some people bashing them? What’s up with people bashing coffee dates all of a sudden? Within the last few weeks, there have been several articles debating the merits of this type of date. …

The barriers in getting evaluated for autism leave me no choice but to self-diagnose I recently wrote about my therapist believing that I’m neurodivergent, or more specifically, autistic. I’m still processing what that label means for my life going forward. I haven’t been officially diagnosed with the condition. In researching…

’Tis the season for forced socialization that I won’t be sucked into. — I’m done with corporate holiday celebrations. Seriously. Before COVID, when I commuted to an office five days a week, my employers, either explicitly or implicitly, decreed mandatory attendance at holiday parties. …

My coping with neurodivergence Sometimes, I don’t know how I manage to function in the world. For instance, there are times when just thinking about making a phone call fills me with dread, even when the people I’m calling are friends or family. I sometimes agonize for days over taking…

Because I see the writing on the wall at Medium. Over the past few weeks, I’ve written about my disillusionment with Medium as detailed here: Where Do I Fit In On Medium? Recent managerial changes on the platform have been troubling for many writersmedium.com I am not the only writer on this platform who has expressed their discontent. I don’t wish to repeat what I wrote in the above…