Penny pinching can become a college student’s way of life given that tuition, meal plans, room and board, textbooks and plenty of other associated costs can cost a couple thousand dollars. This could make any additional or unexpected expense a bit of a burden. This has recently been the case for the students of Fort Valley State University. The institution re-enacted the campus requirement of students paying for laundry facility use after allowing students to wash and dry free of charge for the 2017- 2018 school year. The full school year of no charge usage was primarily due to the university’s transition from physical coin currency to a more up to date alternative.
In the 2018- 2019 academic year, Fort Valley State will not only require students and campus residents to pay for laundry cleaning, but a new payment method will also be taking effect. As stated in a notice to students on behalf of the university: “Fort Valley State University replaced the system that produces university identification cards and processes dining and vending purchases at the beginning of the semester.” Students will now have two methods of payment for campus commodities: Wildcat Cash and Dining Dollars.
Wildcat Cash is like a debit or prepaid card. A student can only use what they have available, meaning one must put money into the account in order to be given access. Students’ Wildcat Cash will be used to pay for laundry and later vending machines and campus dining venues. Dining Dollars come included with certain meal plans and can only be used for the dining venues.
Despite the recent change for a smoother process, the feedback from the on-campus students expected to pay for this change has been anything but a smooth transition. Many students have taken to various social media platforms to express their disagreement with the updates.
FVSU should let laundry be free regardless; tuition and the meal plan went up so why should we pay for laundry; I don’t get it! #FVSU
In addition to the laundry policy changes, students seem to be even more upset with the additional price increases within the school year’s tuition and room and board fees.
this wildcat cash to wash idea ain’t it #FVSU I think when we said we should use our ID we meant IT SHOULD’VE BEEN INCLUDED IN HOUSING 🤣 i’ve seen more people stress about washing their clothes more than their classes in just a few days 🤣
With no change in sight from Fort Valley administration, for now, students are forced to adapt to the new changes and price increases. With Fort Valley State University being a increasingly popular and changing institution, there’s no telling what the future could hold for the students and administration alike concerning their differences on the changes being made. For the time being, students can expect to simply be patient and wait for possible changes in the future, but rest assured the HBCU Pulse team will be the first source to provide updating coverage once it becomes available.
Many celebrities attended the Emmys last night in their designer gowns and suits, but Blackish star Jenifer Lewis stole the show with her wardrobe selection. Lewis received attention for sporting her Nike gear and her beautiful afro on the red carpet last evening in support of Nike’s ad campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick. She shared with Variety.com that she wanted to find a way to support the cause, so she decided to wear a customized red and black Nike sweater to say thank you to Nike for acknowledging racial injustice.
After Nike released the ad campaign with Kaepernick’s quote they received a lot of criticism. Some people were upset and they proceeded to burn their Nike clothes to protest the ad. There were also a few different variations of the ad with other celebrities that were circulating through social media, although nothing can top the original, they were just as inspiring.
Jenifer extended her support to the new generation, “I speak to the millennials tonight to tell them they are not alone in standing up. We’re right behind them.” to encourage young people to continue to fight for what they believe is right. Their elders are there to have their back!
For more from Katiana, visit her blog “Dramatic Emotions” at
It’s hurricane season in the Southeast region of the United States and several North Carolina and South Carolina HBCU’s are taking the extra steps to keep students safe. Meteorologist are forecasting that Hurricane Florence will be the most intense storm to hit the region since Hurricane Hugo in 1989. Hugo was a hurricane that swept into the United States from Cape Verdia that hit category 5 status, with winds of 160 miles per hour. Hugo cost the region over 9 billion dollars in damages and claimed 61 lives. If the past is any indication, Florence will be a major problem once it touches down.
“This will likely be the storm of a lifetime for portions of the Carolina coast, and that’s saying a lot given the impacts we’ve seen from hurricanes Diana, Hugo, Fran, Bonnie, Floyd, and Matthew,” wrote the meteorologist on duty for the National Weather Service office serving Wilmington, N.C. “I can’t emphasize enough the potential for unbelievable damage from wind, storm surge, and inland flooding with this storm.”
Several HBCU’s have already made preparations to cancel classes and sporting events in the wake of Hurricane Florence. Check out the updates below!
North Carolina A&T
NCAT made swift preparations in the wake of this category 4 hurricane. An article on the school website confirms that the Hurricane is set to touch down in the Carolinas on Thursday. Starting today at noon classes and most activities for the Aggies will be cancelled, with the loan exception of the Fall Career Fair that scheduled from 9 AM to 3 PM. School officials say that normal campus operations will resume on Sunday, September 16th and the class schedule will return to normal Monday, September 17th. Facilities such as the Dining Hall (Cafe) and Residence Halls (Dorms) will be open as scheduled depending on the impending status of the storm.
NCAT Police Chief Charles Wilson states, “As we prepare for the possibility of high winds and heavy rains later this week, we ask all students, as well as university employees, to monitor campus e-mail, the university website and our campus emergency alert system to ensure they have the latest information from the university.”
Fayetteville State University
Fayetteville State issued a statement on yesterday stating that the campus will be operating in Condition 2 protocol in preparation for the Hurricane. Operations on campus will be cancelled from Wednesday, September 12th through Sunday, September 16th.
A statement on the Fayetteville State website reads:
“Residential Students: Residence halls will close on Wednesday, September 12th at 4 pm. Residential students who elect to remain on campus will be consolidated into one shelter. The designated shelter for residential students will be the Rudolph Jones Student Center. The shelter will be opened from September 12-16, 2018. The Office or Residential Life will notify residential students regarding other shelter details.”
Bennett College
University officials at Bennett yesterday afternoon issued a statement on the school website cancelling classes for the remainder of the week starting today, September 12th. Residence Halls (Dorms) will remain open for students who can’t travel home and students must notify Resident Directors if leaving campus for safety purposes. Faculty and staff will operate as normal on Thursday, September 13th but can take a personal day or annual leave if they don’t feel as if it’s safe to come to campus.
Elizabeth City State University
Elizabeth City cancelled classes yesterday at noon and all on-campus activities up until Sunday, September 16th have been cancelled. Residence Halls (Dorms) will be closing on Wednesday, September 12th at 5 PM. If students are unable to leave the residence halls, they will report to the Vaughn Center at 5 PM today. Elizabeth City State University, Winston Salem State University and the City of Rocky Mount have also announced that all events for the 21st Down East Football Viking Classic scheduled for September 12 – 15 have been canceled.
“Our priority is focusing our attention on the safety and welfare of the student-athletes, support groups and those that worked hard to bring forth this terrific event. We look forward to returning The Down East Viking Football Classic to Rocky Mount in 2019”, said ECSU’s Director of Athletics, George L. Bright. The game may be rescheduled at a later time in Elizabeth City. All Tickets purchased for the game can be returned where purchased for a refund.
Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem State University, as reported by the Winston-Salem Journal, will be cancelling classes for the remainder of the week in preparation for Hurricane Florence. Along with the East Football Viking Classic being cancelled, the volleyball game vs. Fayetteville State has been rescheduled for October 11th and WSSU will not be attending the track meet at Lenoir-Rhyne University.
Man, when I tell you time flies by! Just this time last year I was overthinking about my first time flying. I’d just learned that I was an HBCU All-Star a month before and school had started. I’d also just found out that I’d be working with the Tom Joyner Foundation as a Gameday Ambassador for the FVSU Football team. It’s safe to say it was an amazing time in my life last year. However, the only thing I could think about was my trip to Washington. What did the HBCU All-Star program hold for me? Would everyone in the GroupMe be as nice in person? The most important thing I was wondering was if I have to meet Donald Trump and be forced to take a picture with him. I was already prepared to mean mug so hard I’d put Kodak Black and all the Migos to shame (although we saw Omarosa and Betsy Devos, we didn’t see him).
Now, I’m sitting here a year later looking at a new class of HBCU students that have been accepted into the program coordinated by the White House Initiative on HBCU’s. These HBCU students, now called Scholars for HBCU Competitiveness, have been chosen to represent their institutions and HBCU’s on the national scale. They also are charged with bringing information and opportunities from the private sector back to their schools. The U.S. Department of Education website states:
In the course of their one-year term, Competitiveness Scholars will learn and share proven and promising practices that support individual and HBCU competitiveness, with the goal of strengthening prospects for career and life success. Competitiveness Scholars will assemble September 16-18 at the 2018 National HBCU Week Conference held at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, in Washington, D.C. During this national convening – the theme of which is HBCU Competitiveness: Aligning Institutional Missions with America’s Priorities – they will participate in workshops designed to improve leadership, encourage ongoing personal and professional development and discover areas of innovation and entrepreneurship. As the embodiment of unique competitive advantages HBCUs provide students, Competitiveness Scholars are afforded opportunities to highlight their exceptional contributions to institutions, ignite new passions and explore ideas critical to lifelong growth and development. Competitiveness Scholars are recognized for the 2018-2019 academic school year. Throughout this period, the Initiative will provide outreach and engagement activities, as well as information and resources that can be disseminated to fellow students. They are expected to fully take advantage of the opportunities provided, engage with one another and showcase individual and collective talents across the HBCU spectrum. Competitiveness Scholars will receive their recognition during the conference on the evening of September 17, at the Initiative’s Excellence in Innovation and Competitiveness Awards.
I can personally vouch for the program and how it’s an amazing, life-changing opportunity for HBCU Students! I got to meet 62 of my amazing peers from other universities, making a lifelong friend in the current Miss FAMU Imani Cooper, We were afforded amazing opportunities such as exclusive internships like my internship with ASPiRE TV this past summer. I got a chance to travel to two HBCUS (Southern University & FAMU) and not be a complete stranger! I was able to use my initiative of Engagement and Communication to bring Jake Allen, Miles Stroter and Sergio Joachim from the BET show The Quad on campus and even launched this website to facilitate in better communication on my campus. And, most important of all, I grew as a man.
I wish the new HBCU Scholars the same success, fun and growth that I experienced this past year. HBCU Pulse will be a place where positive news about the Initiative will be broadcasted. And, if any of the new cohort is listening, you have an ally in me! Feel free to reach out to me on social media @authorrandallb or at my email [email protected]. I’m excited to see what the new members of the All-Star family accomplish!
Here are the students a part of the new cohort of Scholars of HBCU Competiveness! Big shout out to Adelia McKinny, the new Scholar for my HBCU Fort Valley State University!
LIST STUDENTS NAMES IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER BY HOMETOWN STATE ALABAMA Birmingham- Erin Black, Fisk University, Nashville, Tennessee Demopolis- Caleb Washington, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Alabama Selma- Terrance Platt, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Alabama
AFRICA Harare, Zimbabwe- Basil Masaisai, Wiley College, Marshall, Texas ARKANSAS Little Rock- Kevontae Carter, Philander Smith College, Little Rock, Arkansas BAHAMAS Nassau- Bercario Bodie, Saint Augustine’s University, Raleigh, North Carolina CALIFORNIA Long Beach- Akili Smith, Bowie State University, Bowie, Maryland FLORIDA Tallahassee- Devin Harrison, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Tallahassee, Florida West Palm Beach- Zakiaya Telfort, Alabama State University, Montgomery, Alabama GEORGIA Augusta- D’Ariel Walker, Voorhees College, Demark, South Carolina Austell- De’Janae Tookes, Jarvis Christian College, Hawking, Texas Fairburn- Antonio McMillian Jr., Savannah State University, Savannah, Georgia Riverdale- Adelia McKinley, Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley, Georgia Stockbridge- Serena Hughley, Spelman College, Atlanta, Georgia ILLINOIS Chicago- Faron Rush, Grambling State University, Grambling, Louisiana Chicago- Sade Shofidiya, Savannah State University, Savannah, Georgia Chicago- Philip Thompson, Talladega College, Talladega, Alabama KENTUCKY Louisville- Jallen Leavell, Tennessee State University, Nashville, Tennessee LOUISIANA Baton Rouge- Oscar McClain, Southern University Agricultural and Mechanical College, Baton Rouge, Louisiana Lafayette- Thea Celestine, Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland Lafayette- Justin Edwards, Howard University, Washington, District of Columbia Monroe- Jimmie Herring, Southern University Law School, Baton Rouge, Louisiana New Orleans- Brianna Golden, Southern University Law School, Baton Rouge, Louisiana New Orleans- Chevel Powell, Dillard University, New Orleans, Louisiana MISSISSIPPI Edwards- Hezekiah Williams, Hinds Community College-Utica, Raymond, Mississippi Gulfport- Reagon Johnson, Tugaloo College, Tugaloo, Mississippi Pearl- Jamireia Hampton, Mississippi Valley State University, Itta Beta, Mississippi MISSOURI Florissant- Kamron Robinson, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia Kansas City- Michael Weaver, Kentucky State University, Frankfort, Kentucky Saint Louis-Reid Chunn, Harris-Stowe State University, St. Louis, Missouri NEVADA Las Vegas- Erinn Williams, Wilberforce University, Wilberforce, Ohio NORTH CAROLINA Concord- Ijemdinma Ozodigwe, Winston-Salem State University, Winston Salem, North Carolina Denver- Torey Haynes, Shaw University, Raleigh, North Carolina Elizabeth City- Rachel Sutton, Hampton University, Hampton, Virginia Elizabeth City- Briana Rountree, Elizabeth City State University, Elizabeth City, North Carolina Greensboro- Erykah Briggs-White, Fayetteville State University, Fayetteville, North Carolina Hunterville- Kailyn Price, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University, Greensboro, North Carolina Newton- Chelsea Powell, Winston-Salem State University, Winston Salem, North Carolina OHIO Cincinnati- Daniel Lee, Central State University, Wilberforce, Ohio OKLAHOMA Tulsa- Michael Ware, Jackson State University, Jackson, Mississippi Tulsa- Myshal Morris, Langston University, Langston, Oklahoma PENNSYLVANIA Philadelphia- Jabir McKnight, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Lincoln University, Pennsylvania Philadelphia- Jameerah Ali, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina SOUTH CAROLINA Abbeville- Deandre Hurley, South Carolina State University, Orangeburg, South Carolina Greenville- Kourtney Smith-North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University, Greensboro, North Carolina Mount Pleasant- Raekwon McFadden, Morris College, Sumter, South Carolina Orangeburg- David King, Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, Georgia Spartanburg- Jordan Rice-Woodruff, Benedict College, Columbia, South Carolina Spartanburg- Sabrena Brink, Claflin University, Orangeburg, South Carolina TENNESSEE Nashville- Tyler Binion, Bennett College, Greensboro, North Carolina Memphis- Irah Gates, Rust College, Holly Springs, Mississippi TEXAS Beaumont- Nneka Ede, Prairie View Agricultural and Mechanical University, Prairie View, Texas Houston-Cydney Stevenson, Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, Louisiana Houston- Opara Elizabeth, Texas Southern University, Houston, Texas Houston- Viesha Gedfrey-Phelps, Texas Southern University, Houston, Texas San Antonio- Alicia Perry, St. Philips College, San Antonio, Texas Spring- Maduforo Eze, Prairie View Agricultural and Mechanical University, Prairie View, Texas
VIRGINIA Alexandria- Mona Lisa Paulk, Livingstone College, Salisbury, North Carolina Hampton- Jose Thomas, Hampton University, Hampton, Virginia Richmond- DeVon Jackson, Virginia State University, Petersburg, Virginia Vicksburg- Lisa Johnson, Jackson State University, Jackson, Mississippi WEST VIRGINIA Belle- Edgar Lopez-Torres, West Virginia State University, Institute, West Virginia Bluefield- Robert Brown, Bluefield State University, Bluefield, West Virginia
These are 3 words that I use to describe Animal Planets show The Vet Life. Premiering in 2016, This show stars 3 dedicated black vets who aid pets as well as exotic animals, change lives, and heavily impact their community by running Cy-Fair Animal Hospital located in the suburbs of Houston, Texas. Dr. Diarra Blue, Dr. Aubrey Ross and Dr. Michael Lavigne are 3 veterinarians who all attended Tuskegee University and graduated from Tuskegee’s School of Veterinary Medicine. These three buddies and business partners help each other run a full-time practice as well managing their families. What’s their goal? To inspire and expand the career visions of kids everywhere and show that there are many great careers in helping animals. The Tuskegee-trained trio are a great example to every African-American student who is interested in the Veterinary science field.
Three seasons in, they have done so many major surgeries, that are mostly televised for the viewers to get an opportunity to see a day in a life of a full-time Veterinarian. From family bonding to removal of bladder stones, this entertaining show is very interesting to watch. I’m very excited to see what The Vet Life will have in store for viewers like me in the upcoming seasons.
You can stream full episodes of The Vet Life on https://www.animalplanet.com/tv-shows/the-vet-life/ or on Saturdays at 10/9c on Animal Planet. Check your local listings for more details. I will be providing recaps of the show here on HBCU Pulse so stay tuned!
I have some of the best updates regarding the new changes FVSU has announced, thanks to the first Town Hall meeting. SGA hosted their very first town hall meeting on Wednesday and they spilled the tea about all the things the Wildcats have been curious about!
Wildcat Dining
SGA Director(Destiny Early)
Many students are concerned about improving the cafe and Destiny gave the guests the real deal about the changes she has in store. With the busy schedules that some students have it can be difficult to eat at the cafe in a timely manner. Which is why there has been an interest in making the cafe hours longer. Unfortunately, that would not be possible any time soon because FVSU is under a contract with Sodexo and this means that the hours are not negotiable at the moment. She didn’t go into too much detail about that, but all this means is that the students are going to have to make it to the cafe during the hours or utilize the other food services they provide on campus. She plans on broadening the food options for the students as well, students are encouraged to use the suggestion box in the cafe for any ideas that they may have. Make sure to be on the lookout for more vegan/ vegetarian options this semester as well, this is a win for the plant based community on campus because now the cafe isn’t just limited to the vegetables at the other stations because they have their own station! There is also an app for the students to download called the “Bite”, it’s an app created by Sodexo and it shows the menu for the cafe throughout the semester! How awesome is that? Now you don’t have to call up your friends to see what’s in the cafe or waste a swipe if you find that they aren’t serving what you’d like that day. download the app here!
Residential Housing
SGA Director (Michael Gregory)
For the students that have noisy roommates or maybe they just don’t want to walk all the way to the library, now they’ll be able to study in peace. Residential Life is going limit the use of the clubhouse on Mondays and Wednesdays strictly for studying!
Throughout the rest of the week students also can look forward to playing on the brand new game systems that will soon be available for student use in the clubhouse and the student amenities center. It’s impossible to have everyone’s voice heard on campus that is why there will now be a Residential Hall Association. It will include two senators in the building who will represent the residents of that building so that everyone’s voice can be heard when they have their monthly meetings. FVSU now lets you rent bikes for free, more information on how to go about doing so will be released to the students later on in the semester.
Mr. Charlie Weaver (Chief Information Technology Officer)
WiFi connection throughout the campus is important for students to get their online assignments done in a timely fashion. Mr. Weaver recognizes this and he addressed the concern about the weak signals in some of the resident buildings. The students can finally put their frustrations to rest because there will be more routers placed throughout the residential buildings, 500 routers to be exact. I think this is important because how else would the FVSU community be able to read HBCU Pulse?
Academic Affairs
SGA Director(Courtney Smalls)
The Director of Academic Affairs emphasized lack of student participation on campus she believes that students need to be more active campus. Students aren’t being open with their needs to the FVSU faculty, in order to get things done there will need to be an increase in engaged students. “ You have not, because you asked not.” She’s looking forward to bridge the gap between faculty members and students so that they can be able to engage with one another, which will make it a more comfortable environment for everyone.
On a good note, many of the students seem excited about the new changes on campus. I can’t wait to see the other changes Fort Valley State University has in store!
For more from Katiana, visit her blog “Dramatic Emotions” at
If you have iPhone you should be utilizing your bedtime app, instead of the blaring, annoying alarm that’s standard. You could be hearing a calm, soothing morning sounds to wake yourself up. For me, it is a lot more pleasant than other alarms I’ve used in the past. Plus no one likes to be annoyed at 6 o’clock in the morning.
After you stop the alarm, leave your phone alone! The first hour into your day is important and sets the tone for how your day will go. Most of us wake up and the first thing we do is check our messages, mentions likes and occasionally our emails. But the best thing you can do for yourself is to not be so connected to your cell phone for the first hour of your day. Starting your day off with stretches, deep breathing, meditation, yoga or maybe even a run is more beneficial for your body and productivity.
After 6-8 recommended hours of sleep, you should do something to energize your mind and body and maybe even something that gets your blood pumping and gets your heart rate up. Also, consider waking up maybe an hour earlier than you usually do. Waking up at 6 AM will be beneficial to your morning routine and your productivity. If you’re reading this, you are either an aspiring college student, a college student or a former college student. No matter what, you’re all adults. I know you saw waking up at 6 am and got sick to your stomach. It’s time to really grow up! there are only 24 hours in a day. You should be making the best out of all the hours you are awake. You don’t need to sleep past 8 am. GET UP!!
On the bright side of things taking responsibility for your time and productivity, you will most likely be up and at ‘em before any of your roommates or your family members in your home are. You can have quality “Me time” without worrying about being interrupted. Personally, this is my favorite part of the day. It’s a time where I can just focus on myself and my needs. Most people are afraid to be alone with themselves and their own thoughts. I think its empowering. Getting to know myself has been one of the bravest things I’ve done. I’ve been able to find out who I am and what I want without others trying to deter me from how I feel.
In the morning as soon as I wake up I lay in bed and think about how grateful I am and put the focus on the things I’m proud of and anything that makes me happy. After I wake up to what I call “Happy thoughts” I jump out of bed and turn around and make my bed. Yes, I make my bed first thing in the morning! You must start the day off by being productive. Plus, who wants to get back in bed and mess it up after it looks clean and neat again. No one in their right mind!
After I get moving a bit, I make sure to hydrate myself with some refreshing water. Hydration is important for health and wellness and should be a part of your daily routine. Next, I do morning stretches while looking in the mirror. I do most of my morning routine while looking in the mirror because mirrors are manifestation tools and there are various techniques to help you manifest all that you truly desire into your current reality. Stretching while looking in the mirror also increases your confidence by familiarizing yourself with your full body, and gets your body moving first thing in the morning. When I feel like I’ve stretched enough I turn on soothing music to get in the right state of mind to meditate. After meditating until I feel zen, I take any stress I may be feeling out on the yoga mat.
Yoga is not only a great way to get you ready for the day but it is highly meditative and a great form of exercise!
With almost 2 hours of “me-time,” I like to reflect on any thoughts I’ve had in my journal I express how I’m feeling, what I’m grateful for and what I’m excited for. Writing is extremely therapeutic to me. After I take time to focus on myself and my current needs. I refresh by showering and getting ready for the day, this, of course, includes a dance break or a mini-concert, sometimes a combination of both. I feel its best to put yourself in a good mood in the morning. It makes your days better!
After the fun is over its time to get serious and plan out your day. Write down the top 3 important things you need to do and go from there. Being prepared is being productive and that’s how we get things done! but before you go out and conquer the world make sure you eat a balanced breakfast full of your favorites food! I love starting my mornings with a homemade smoothie or maybe some fresh fruit. It doesn’t matter what you eat, as long as it makes you feel great and will last you until lunch. Breakfast is important, fueling your mind starts with fueling your stomach you wont be focused on hunger if you’re eating and drinking water throughout the day. One of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite movies Hairspray states “I’ll eat some breakfast, then change the world”.
Before redirecting my life and developing a morning routine, I was very lost and unsure of myself and what I could do. Through diligence and discipline I have inadvertently redirected the course of my life. I wasn’t always a morning person or productive at all, during my first and second year of college I was the one who got up 30 mins before class started and expected myself to be ready to learn and take in the information presented to me. I wasn’t ready to learn or focus my brain and body were barely energized and I was still sleepy because I got too much sleep! Crazy right.
I wanted to feel better. I knew something had to change. One day I came across a Ralph Smart video on YouTube about taking charge of your mornings and developing a morning routine and it has single-handedly changed my life experience for the better. I can tell you going to bed at a decent time, waking up early and having structure and a bunch of self-care every morning keeps me loving life, feeling focused and having all the energy to go to class, go to work and have a social life without taking any naps or feeling overloaded.
Developing a morning routine also reduced my anxiety by a milestone. I’m very grateful for all that I’ve learned and used to shape my new life. That is why writing a piece like this is beneficial and grateful Randall has given me the opportunity to share what I know and I hope you find this useful in your daily lives.
We all like lists so here’s a list of things you can do with your extra time in the morning.:
Read
Write down your dream from the night before
Exercise
Meditate
Yoga
Full body stretches
Make a nice breakfast
Make a smoothie or smoothie bowl
Plan for your day ahead
Your morning routine sets the precedence of how your day will go. You don’t want to rush through your day so don’t waste your mornings, get up early and show yourself some self-love and self-care. Before you get through the hustle and bustle of life. You are worth it.
Make sure to subscribe to Jeranie on YouTube @LiterallyJeranie
Listen, I work hard. This whole year I’ve been grinding 24/7 trying to make my dreams for HBCU Pulse and my media ambitions come true. I was even sideline at the FVSU vs. FAMU game for ESPNU Campus Connection this past Saturday. On this Labor Day, I told myself that I would take a break. Then, this story comes across my timeline. Even though this story is a year old, I couldn’t let this day pass by without talking about it. It’s astounding in itself but, after research, I saw that no big name news organizations talked about this when it was a hot story. The most reputable organization that talked about it was the Atlanta-Journal Constitution and it’s only because it happened in Clayton County. I learned from Curly Nikki, a black blog. So, a year later, let me throw my hat in the ring and share this great news.
In 2017, Colisha Hicks and her fiancé Fatz purchased at Citgo in Clayton County, Georgia. Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that ClayCo is 65% black but not many black entrepreneurs. “We should have something to contribute to our people and let our people know that we can do the same thing that everybody else does,” Fatz told Atlanta’s 11 Alive. “The youth when they see us they’re shocked. That makes us feel good.”
The story went viral on social media after a Facebook post by Torrey Tomlinson on July 29, 2017. The gas station, located at 7434 Tara Blvd in Jonesboro, Ga, is one that will serve the community. The couple that owns the station plans to donate proceeds of the profit to the community. This is an example of the #BuyBackTheBlock movement being about action and not just a hashtag! If we want financial freedom we must put our money where our mouths are and invest in saving our communities! If not, our black dollars will continue to circle out of our communities while we’re pushed out.
Isn’t a sad day when you can’t state your opinion? You have to selective, foreseeing the possible consequences or backlash for what you post or tweet. It’s a sad state of affairs that we put so much emotion into everything that a simple critique is taken as a personal diss that requires a response that has nothing to do with what was said, but a comeback about how your AVI looks or your intelligence. What has our discourse become?
Admittedly, I’m not the biggest fan of Eminem but I don’t hate him. For at least a year I thought Eminem was the dopest artist out. I’ve heard all of his classic albums and I’m one of the rare people you’ll run into that actually enjoys his Recovery album. I even still listen to “Not Afraid” and “No Love”! However, I hold on to the opinion that everything post Recovery (“Rap God” and “Beserk” on) has been trash based on Eminem standards. It just doesn’t seem as if he has the same motivation as he once did. In his prime, the wordplay that Eminem possessed was far above other rappers. He wasn’t lyrical but the way that he flipped bars and used metaphors and double entendres was something that we could talk about in a college class. Yet, as time went on, he turned more pop and he lost the rawness that his previous rhymes possessed.
He knows this! If you listen to Kamikaze, his surprise album that dropped this morning, you’d hear this! Eminem is past his prime on this album. Now, he’s mad that we want more from one of the games greatest rappers. In his career, Eminem always picked on people that were never on his level. He dissed Will Smith, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Nick Cannon and other pop stars who couldn’t go bar-for-bar with him. His skills were far ahead of the Benzino’s and Ja Rule’s of Murder Inc. fame. He never gave credence to real challengers like Cannabis and even admitted that he was gonna diss Lil’ Wayne and Kanye West over jealousy. It seems as if history repeats itself.
Now he’s dissing mumble rappers, DJ Akademiks and Charlamagne Tha God. He even had bars for Joe Budden, who has said multiple times that he’s retired from rap. Joe even said he wouldn’t come out of retirement if Jay-Z wanted him to do a verse on his album! What points is Em winning for doing this? Granted, Kamikaze isn’t a bad album but these cheap disses and gimmicks is beneath Eminem. We’re really dissing people for valid critiques of albums you even think aren’t your best?
Eminem isn’t even the biggest problem. It’s his “Stans”, who literally are the embodiment of his hit song “Stan” who hang onto everything that Em does like he’s above reproach and doesn’t need critique. This new album isn’t bad but he does sound like Michael Jordan playing for the Wizards. Jordan could still dunk but he wasn’t throwing down windmills in 2003 like he did in 1993. He still had skills but his movements were slower. His minutes per game decreased. He couldn’t go that aggressively on defense. He was a shell of what we once viewed him as. If that isn’t the best comparison for what Eminem has become I don’t know what is.
So, I take to Twitter to share my opinion on this after listening to the album myself. I posted the Tweet below.
It’s sad how much Eminem has lost it! He’s like Michael Hordan when he came back to the Wizard status! He even sounds out of breath while he’s rapping! Joe Budden should come out of retirement for this one but he won’t! 😂😂😂
The responses that followed said nothing of my critique. People were automatically triggered by what I said. They decided to harp on the autocorrect mistake of my iPhone putting “Hordan” instead of “Jordan” instead of giving me a real critique. They insulted my intelligence and swore I was a mumble rap listener. I’m literally listening to Big K.R.I.T right now as I write this! They’re far off!
You’re tripping mate lmao the bars were probably too difficult for you that the whole punchline went over your head but that’s cool, Marshall makes music for intellectuals only.
Really? All I did was give a musical critique and that got you triggered enough for you to give a racial slur? This is where we’ve gone in our discourse. This is why our artists aren’t allowed to get better. Their fans, or stans, shield them from any criticism and make you out to be crazy for speaking your mind. I’m not gonna respond to these ignorant individuals outside of this because I’ve have too many ties that I’m not gonna let unravel because of petty Twitter but just know I stand on my opinion.
Eminem is out of his prime! He needs to go back to what made him great or hang it up completely.
People are interesting. I mean really. The way we carry ourselves, regard our lives and cultivate relationships is something that made me want to major in sociology before I realized I was born to be a media maverick. As a writer, I’m a natural observer. Sometimes I tend to just sit back and scan a room, focused on finding the stories that individuals are telling only using their body language. Often, I scan the room and see the usual sight in a collegiate environment, people cliqued up with people they know. Individuals that they’re comfortable around. I never see people leave their cliques to meet new people unless it’s a requirement.
I always wondered why that occurred. Is it because we’re so comfortable being with people who we’ve built trust and a friendship with? Or, does it go deeper? In my observations, I found that it does indeed go deeper. As people, we have a type of subliminal competition that controls the way s that we act in a social environment. If we see someone different we alienate them. If we see someone walk into a room with an ounce of self-confidence we chop them down. We’ll mumble to our friends within our clique, “Who do they think they are? They must think they’re better than everyone else or something?” Often times, these individuals don’t even have to talk. They don’t even have to look your direction for you to blast your insecurities on them. The favorite line, “He/She looks mean!”
As far as I know, this has been something that has been said way before me. Misconstrued perceptions of how people act based on their appearance have been around forever. Going deep, you can talk about social prejudice in the forms of racial and gender stereotypes. But we ain’t about to go that far! I track this mainstream saying among our generation back to 2013 when I first saw mention of Rihanna having what they call a “resting b*tch face”. A “resting b*tch face” is basically when you’re not showing emotion on your face. It’s inadvertent. Sometimes you just do things subliminally that you don’t realize. However, it’s become something that we’ve taken and ran with as a generation. Rihanna become the face of peoples insecurities and she didn’t even try to!
I got the inspiration to write this article after I was scrolling my school Fort Valley State University’s hashtag on Twitter when I ran across the tweets into three young women that had similar tweets about their social interactions on the yard at FVSU. One of them bought my book last year (The Diary of Aaliyah Anderson: Volume II available in the FVSU Campus Bookstore! @Midnight__Wish bought it! Not that this matters in this article, just thought I should point it out). The tweets are below.
I wonder if people don’t talk to me on campus because I look mean. I’m sorry if I have a resting bitch face. I’m really a sweet person. #FVSU
While these tweets very well could be just jokes, because I’m sure these beautiful young women could care less who does and doesn’t want to hang around them because of what folks “think” they are, it brings up an interesting conversation. As a student leader, I’ve had several young women come up to me and cite how it’s hard to find friends or guys to talk to because people think they mean just because of how they look. For some reason, people even think this about me. Randall Barnes! The person that everybody asks questions on campus when they want to know something! My Twitter be overflowing with questions like I just work for Fort Valley yet I’ve had people tell me, “I thought you were mean and arrogant when I first saw you.” What? Do I get a say in this? I guess not.
Let’s just be honest, your perception of these individuals are the reason why you think they’re mean, arrogant or have a “resting b*tch face”. If you were to meet some of the people you judge out of spite they might be the coolest people that you’ve ever met. That person might even be a lifelong friend or somebody that can improve your life. Yet, you don’t even get to that point of meeting them because you think they’re prettier than you or you think they think they’re better than you. Seriously? Aren’t we adults here? Let’s be open to meeting new people. More importantly, let’s stop projecting our insecurities on people!
