Spring 2022 Issue

I NDI E I NCOGNI TO Spr ing 2022

M AGAZI NE

DR. TROY BYER THI S I S TROY ACTOR - WRI TER DI RECTOR - DOCTOR Cr eator of M indology Fitness

24

Celebr ating Women's Histor y M onth

Synthia Saint James A L ook I nto Her M ulticultur al World I NDI EI NCOGNI TO.COM

A K ase Qtr Publication

WOMEN'SHISTORYMONTH

2

Alt h ea Gibson

2

INDIEINCOGNITO.COM

Editor ial Team

Editor's

LETTER

W

hat do we really believe in? Is it Unity, Compassion, Understanding or Equality.

Sadly, the answer can be Yes and No. It all depends on who is asking the question and to whom do these things apply. In our world today, we are bombarded with constant turmoil, violence and destruction, that it is difficult to embrace the goodness that surrounds us.

Jo-Lynn Herbert

Keyanna Harper

Sound Off

New Gen Voices

Dominique Jones

Paulette Jackson

Mamma's Wellness

That's Your Opinion

My heart aches for the people of Ukraine, but that holds true for all who are going through devastation in their lives. Yet, at the same time, my heart finds time to smile and swell with pride at the goodness that still exists. Those who give of themselves for the benefit of others.

What do I truly believe in?

I BELIEVE IN US !

CELEBRATING

WOMEN'SHISTORYMONTH Kat h er in e Joh n son C. Fish er @cfisherwritesxt

Pion eer in g NASA m at h em at ician

In 1953 Johnson took a job with the all-black West Area Computing section at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics' (NACA's) Langley laboratory, where she was assigned to a project in the Maneuver Loads Branch of the Flight Research Division.

There, Johnson contributed to NACA's (which later became NASA) first forays into space travel. She worked on the trajectory analysis for Alan Shepard's May 1961 mission Freedom 7, America's first human spaceflight. And in 1962, as John Glenn prepared for his orbital mission, he asked engineers to "get the girl," Johnson, to run the same calculations as the computer. If they matched, he said, he was "ready to go." That flight was a turning point between the US and the Soviet Union in space, and Johnson played a critical, but long underappreciated, role.

The celebrated NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson, who you may know from the book or film Hidden Figures, passed away today at the age of 101. Johnson is perhaps best known for helping NASA prepare for the orbital mission of John Glenn, but that was far from her only achievement or contribution to space exploration.

Johnson was born in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia in 1918. Her clear mathematical aptitude placed her several grades ahead. At 13, she was attending the high school on the campus of the historically black West Virginia State College. By 18, she was enrolled in the college. After graduating with the highest honors, Johnson took a teaching job at a black public school in Virginia. In 1939, Johnson was selected as one of three black students to integrate West Virginia's graduate schools. She enrolled in West Virginia University's graduate math program but left to start a family and later returned to teaching.

"At NASA we will never forget her courage and leadership and the milestones we could not have reached without her. We will continue building on her legacy and work tirelessly to increase opportunities for everyone who has something to contribute toward the ongoing work of raising the bar of human potential," NASA said in a statement .

Suheul Lopez represented by Kase Qr

T RO Y BYER "T he day we accept that what happened to usactually happened for us, isthe day we graduate from survivingasVictimsof life to thriving asVictorsof life." Dr Troy

.

.

The Life Of Dr Troy

by Tony Smith In our last issue, we did a feature on Jazette Lane English and her Wellness Summit in Washington DC. On the dais for the summit was Dr Troy Byer. At Jazette's suggestion, I reached out to Troy and asked if she would like to discuss being featured in our magazine. After reading our links and previous issues, she first gave us major kudos and said she'd be honored to be featured. What follows is a revealing chronicle of her life and times. I call it a story of reconciliation, redemption and finally, purpose.

Here is the powerful Q&A with Dr Troy Byer

Q& A Q. Wh at ar e a cou ple of you r f on dest ch ildh ood m em or ies? On e t h at ?s h ear t w ar m in g an d on e w h er e you w er e ju st a silly lit t le k id?

A. Other than being on Sesame Street, I had a very traumatic childhood. I was physically, sexually, and emotionally abused by my mother and her boyfriend.

By the age of eleven, my mother had locked in arrangements to sell me to a 45-year-old man in exchange for a washing machine and a dryer - that was the dowry. Thank God Child Protective Services took me away from her and placed me in foster care before the ceremonial exchange happened. I lived in foster care until the courts located my biological father.

At the age of twelve, I moved from NYC to Idaho to live with my dad and his family. Unfortunately, in many ways, he was worse than my mother in terms of abuse. He tried to auction my virginity off to his friends. So, really, I jumped from the frying pan into the fire. Still, I assert, my parents were my greatest teachers. They gave me a front row view of everything I did not want for myself in this life. The pristine clarity has been priceless. Again, being on Sesame Street was truly the highlight of my childhood.

Ironically, my brother and I Landed the role on Sesame Street because our next-door neighbor was Alvin Ailey, and he had his finger on the pulse of what was happening in terms of production in New York City. When he heard about Sesame Street, he said to my welfare recipient mom Why don't you take your kids to audition for the show so they may get the job.

My brother immediately was cast for the show, and I had to go back because during my first audition I was terrified of Big Bird because he was half man and half bird and that was very confusing to me at the time. I went back a second time. I proved that I wasn't afraid of Big Bird and that was the beginning of my acting career which began at the ripe age of 4.

The other highlight was spending time at my grandmother 's house in the Bronx. My aunts and cousins were my best friends and we loved each other immensely. I also enjoyed hanging out with my next-door neighbor/babysitter who was then named Karen Johnson but today we know her as Whoopi Goldberg One of my least favorite highlights was also the fact that the Wayans brothers also lived in the Chelsea projects and their father Mr. Wayans would teach us bible lessons once per week - he was Jehovah?s witness, and my mother was convinced my brother and I were possessed so every week we had that little pink Bible in our hand as Mr. Wayans led the lessons.

Q. Do you h ave ch ildh ood f r ien ds t h at you ?r e st ill in t ou ch w it h ?

A. Yes and no. Until five years ago, I had remained best friends with a girl that was 6 months older than me. We had been friends since I was birth - seriously.

Our mothers were close. But about five years ago she explained to me that she was only still my friend through the grace of God, so I gracefully dismissed her from my life and never looked back. I believe people come into our lives for reasons, seasons, and lifetimes.

Her seasons were complete As for other Life timers, I am still very close to the ladies I met and befriended the summer before 8th grade - when I moved to Idaho.

I don?t have a lot of new friends. Most of my friends are friends that I've had for a minimum of 10 years. I understand the value of finding a human being that is worthy of my love and the sentiment is reciprocated.

I do not take my empowering relationships for granted - at all. I am also very selective when it comes to making new friends or allowing new energy into my space.

I have a very powerful relationship with my higher Self and God, And, I know that the gifts that flow through me are expressions of God - I?m just blessed enough to be a vessel.

Q. Wh at w as t h e gen esis of M in dology?

A. As a child I did a lot of crying and I remember thinking that one day I'm going to find a way to stop myself from crying before someone calls me a crybaby yet again. But what I was really saying is that I want to find a way to regulate my unwanted emotions. And that's what Mindology Fitness is all about - it's about finding organic ways to regulate unwanted emotions such as sadness, anger, depression and so much more

So the joy that comes from loving what I do just brings me closer to God and there is no greater feeling in the world to me than being close to God.

Q. How or h ave you r pr ior it ies ch an ged?

I don?t allow anyone to waste my time. I don?t waste anyone?s time. Time is the one commodity that you can?t get back. When it?s gone, it?s gone.

While I was in grad school, I was very mindful about collecting data that involved the use of neuroplasticity, neuroscience and other ways to alter conscious behavior using the subconscious mind. So, today Mindology Fitness is a fitness program that is designed to give you the tools you need to ensure your peace of mind is always in your hands.

Q. Was t h er e a sem in al m om en t

t h at ign it ed you

desir e t o ch an ge car eer pat h s?

This reality hit me when we pushed my grandmother 's casket into the wall and I remember thinking, ?oh my God, what if she has one more thing, she wants to say to me or someone else!? I then remember thinking, ?it?s too late. Time up. Game over. She is absolutely 100% all out of time.? And there's just so much I need to do and say before I run out of time. I don't waste time. I waste money sometimes, but I never waste time.

A. Yes, when I was 42 years old, I had what Carl Jung

Q. How did you r exper ien ces in en t er t ain m en t

refers to as the Dark Night of the Soul. It was on my birthday, and I had this incredible meltdown because I realized that at 42, I was still waiting for a casting director, a production company or studio to validate my existence as an actress, director or a writer. I felt like I had no control over my destiny in terms of my professional or financial wealth. I was also in a relationship with someone I was in no way proud to be with.

h elp sh ape you r m ission f or M in dology?

Q. Wh at

A. My experiences in the entertainment industry

abou t ?

help shape my mission ONLY in the sense that I know how to produce quality videos and I know how to create great content.

A. I am VP of Social Impact for a billion-dollar NFT

As I sat on the floor sobbing, I knew I had to get up and do something or just plan on staying down and depressed forever. My sister and my assistant showed up to take me out to dinner and was inconsolable. They were horrified to see me in that condition. They tried to help me get it together, but I knew had to ride it out and feel the pain. I felt as if I was in spiritual labor.

A. None really. My only real challenge is marketing

I was giving birth to the new me. The next morning, I registered for college, and I declared that I was going to earn a doctorate in Clinical Psychology and I was then going to make a huge difference in the mental health industry. I sacrificed many life pleasures to fulfill that commitment. But I did it and now - I validate my own existence. I have complete control over my professional and financial success.

Q. Wh at st r u ggles pr esen t ed t h em selves as you bu ilt you r bu sin ess?

I need to hire a marketing team for sure.

Q. Wh at joys com e f r om doin g w h at you love?

The joy I experience comes from knowing that I do what I do because my currency is the feeling I get, knowing that I am fulfilling my passion. I love that what I do makes a difference for others, and it makes a difference in terms of the amazing relationship I get to have with myself. Every day before I open my eyes, I declare clear who I AM and what I intend to give the planet that day.

n ew pr oject s of you r s ar e you excit ed

company. My job is to give a percentage of our company?s earnings to charities my team and I deem worthy.

I am also in the beginning stages of building Mindology Centers across the country. The centers will be ?gyms? for the mind. You go to Planet Fitness to work out your body. You got to Mindology Fitness to work out your mind.

I also have a reality show in the works that will allow me to help people find peace during challenging times.

Q. As you em bar k on t h e n ext

ch apt er of you r lif e, w h at ar e m ost look in g f or w ar d t o?

Funding charities, expanding Mindology Fitness Centers, healing hearts, and getting married to my beautiful, amazing life partner .

ACTRESS, WRITER, DIRECTOR, GUEST STAR, PRODUCER

TROY BYER

FILM OGRAPHY

After landing a bit part in Francis Ford Coppola's The Cotton Club(1984), Byer moved to Los Angeles, where she became a regular on the ABCprime-time soap opera Dynastyin 1986, playing Jackie Deveraux, the daughter of Diahann Carroll's character Dominique Deveraux.

She went on to earn ShoWest's Newcomer of the Year award for her leading role in the feature Rooftops(1989).

Since then, Byer has acted in features such as Disorderlies (1987), The Five Heartbeats (1991) as Babydoll, Weekend at Bernie's II (1993), Eddie (1996) starring Whoopi Goldberg, Robert Altman's The Gingerbread Man (1998) starring Kenneth Branagh and Robert Downey Jr., and John Q (2002) starring Denzel Washington.

In 1997 she made her screenwriting debut with B* A* P* S, starring Halle Berry.

Unhappy with how her script had been changed during the course of filming, the following year she decided to direct her next screenplay ,Let's Talk About Sex (1998), also playing a starring role. Byer made a trailer and took it to the Sundance Film Festival, where she handed it out to film executives. The film was quickly picked up by Fine Line Features. She next wrote and directed Love Don't Co$t a Thing(2003) for Warner Brothers, based on the hit 1987 movie Can't Buy Me Love.[2] full filmolgraphy

SYNTHIA SAINT JAMES

Although most noted for designing the first Kwanzaa stamp for the U.S. Postal Service, Synthia SAINT JAMES?art and celebrity has been utilized in numerous promotional campaigns for such companies as Royal Caribbean International, Johnson & Johnson, Maybelline, Coca Cola USA, Essence Communications, Barnes and Noble, and AARP. Her public art designs include a 150-foot ceramic tile mural for an airport?s international baggage claim, elevators doors for a lobby of a government building, stained glass windows for a landmark library, and a four-story mural for an affordable living complex.

Her artworks have been essential to the decor of U.S. Embassies through the Art in Embassies Program since the 90?s. A partial listing: Caracas, Venezuela; Gagnoa, Ghana; Accra, Ghana; Abidjan, Cote d?Ivoire; Abuja, Nigeria; Democratic Republic of Congo, Kinshasa; Asmara, Eritrea; Singapore; Lome, Togo; Valleta, Malta; and Juba, South Sudan.

World renowned visual artist and author, Synthia SAINT JAMES proudly announces the publication of her first art book My Multicultural World-now available on Amazon in hardcover, paperback and eBook formats.

Graced with sixty-five full color reproductions - a medley of her bold and brilliantly rendered paintings - she personally shares the inspiration behind each of her creations.

Click Here to Purchase: https://amzn.to/31MmGOh

Indie Incognito

Ou r Wom en's Hist or y M on t h f eat u r e.

You may not know her name, but you have seen her paintings everywhere from gift bags in Macy?s Department Store to a 2'8"x150 foot tile mural for Ontario International Airport. Synthia Saint James is an internationally known artist whose illustrations are on over 60 book covers including the literary works of African American women authors like Alice Walker, Terry McMillan, Iyanla Vanzant and Julia Boyd.

Saint James has completed over 50 commissions for major organizations, corporations and individual collectors, including Brigitte Matteuzzi's School of Modern Jazz Ballet (Geneva, Switzerland), Essence Magazine's 25th Anniversary, The Girl Scouts of the USA's 85th Anniversary, Attorney Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr., Coca Cola for "The Lady of Soul Awards", the International Association of Black Professional Fire Fighters, in tribute to the 12 black fire fighters lost in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, etc.

Some of her most celebrated collectors include Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr., Alice Walker, Jenifer Lewis, Glynn Turman, Regina Taylor, Brenda Russell, Charles Fuller and Vanessa Bell Calloway.

Awards created by Synthia SAINT JAMES include the "We See You Award", the "Mosaic Woman Award", and "The Lifetime Achievement Award" especially commissioned for His Excellency Nelson Mandela by Africare.

Shop for Synthia Saint James' Lim it ed Edit ion Items of art. Check out her online gallery here and use the code KQP10 for 10% off..

Shop for Synthia Saint James' Feat u r ed It em s of art. Check out her online gallery here and use the code KQP10 for 10% off..

.

"First Family"

"Prayer Shawl"

M ar k " M ook a" Ren n ick Owner / Producer / Prairie Grass Expert Born in Peoria, Illinois. Avid voracious reader of political science, history. "Mooka" was raised near Galesburg, Illinois, the site of the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debate. ?I want to be an artist. Period," says Rennick, who in his limited spare time plays in a politically charged spoken-word ensemble,The Abolitionists, and plays bass in various local bands.

"Mooka" has recorded many artists for the Shrapnel Records.

Amongst those are Michael Lee Firkins,Ritchie Kotzen,Greg Howe,Eric Gale.

In addition to Shrapnel Record Artists, "Mooka" has worked withRamblin Jack Elliot,Tom Waits,Chris Duarte,Michael Schenker,Larry Coryell,Commander Cody,andZeroas well as many other industry pros.

MOOKA

"Mooka" Rennick, as a musician (bass player, primarily) who toured with Commander Cody's Billy C. Farlow in the late 1970s. After trying to balance life as a touring musician with that of a studio owner/producer, he left the road for his - at that time - garage-style studio near Sonoma State University, which is what initially brought him to the area from his native Illinois. "I started with the Beach Boys' 'Clover' mixing desk and a 1-inch 8-track machine," recalls Rennick. "Then I got a 2-inch 16-track, and by 1979 I had bought a 24-track 2-inch machine from Wally Heider's Studio when they went out of business. So, 'Boom,' I'm in the studio business - because I had the hardware.[2] In 1981, Mooka teamed up with chicken-ranch owner Clifton Buck-Kauffman and relocated Prairie Sun to his 12-acre farm. The studio became known as a residential recording facility, combining vintage analogue devices with the modern digital recording technology. The studio evolved to become a complete audio destination: living areas, rehearsal space for pre-production, tracking/overdubbing rooms, and mixing/mastering suites. The sole permanent resident of Prairie Sun is studio cat Bubba Feats.[1] .

PRAIRIE SUN HISTORY The roar of a chainsaw marked the genesis of the legendary Prairie Sun Recording Studios, founded in 1978 when Mark "Mooka" Rennick bore a tremendous hole through the living room wall of his rental house. "We needed a control-room window," recalls Mooka, who at the time was studying East Indian music at Sonoma State.

In 1981, after being ?encouraged?to relocate by beleaguered neighbors, Rennick partnered with Clifton Buck-Kauffman, an art collector and co-founder of the annual Cotati Accordion Festival, and moved Prairie Sun to the Buck-Kauffman family's 10-acre former chicken ranch just off west Highway 116. Named for the Prairie Grass Restoration Project in Rennick's native Illinois, the facility has accomplished the difficult task of appealing to local bands with small budgets and little experience while garnering established national acts via industry word-of-mouth.

COTATI, California ? February 2022 ?Just north of San Francisco, on a rural ten-acre ranch in the heart of Sonoma County wine country, Prairie Sun Recording Studios has been steadily recording some of the biggest names in music since 1980. From The Grateful Dead, Carlos Santana and Journey to Nine Inch Nails, Wu Tang Clan and Tom Waits, numerous Grammy Award-winning records have been tracked, mixed, and mastered at this former chicken hatchery repurposed four decades ago by Mark ?Mooka?Rennick as a world-class recording complex comprising three very well-appointed studios..

Now in its fourth decade of operation, the studio is known as a residential recording facility with a technical bent toward vintage analog-recording equipment as well as state-of-the-art digital technology. Van Morrison, Greg Allman, Kate Wolf, Mickey Hart, Primus, Faith No More, the Melvins, Ramblin?Jack Eliot, and surf music creator Dick Dale all have recorded at Prairie Sun or used its post-production facilities. Producer and engineer Steve Albini (Nirvana, Pixies, Led Zeppelin) has done work at PSR, as has Sonoma County artist Tom Waits, whose Bone Machine album, winner of the 1992 Grammy for Best Alternative release, was co-produced by Waits and his wife, Kathleen Brennan, entirely at Prairie Sun. Artists that Prairie Sun has recorded include:Tom Waits,John Hammond Jr.,AFI,...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead,Primus,Racer X,Groundation,The Mountain Goats,Steel Train,UFO,Rob Wasserman,Norton Buffalo,Neko Case,Booker T. Jones,High on Fire,Carlos Santana,Charlie Musselwhite,Steve Kimock, Kehoe Nation,Larry Coryell,Joe Louis Walker, Raw Sun, Volker Strifler,Ramblin' Jack Elliot,Dick Dale,Doobie Brothers,Elvin Bishop,Eric Gales,Faith No More,Gregg Allman,Journey,Steve Smith,Michael Schenker,Huey Lewis and the News,Nine Inch Nails,The Tubes,Paul McCartney,Wu-Tang Clan,Van Morrison,Roy Rogers,Marty Friedman,The Cuts,Kenny Loggins,Chris Duarte,Gavin BryarsrecordedTom Waits' section ofJesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yetat Prairie Sun

Prairie Sun has worked with labels in the music industry from major to independent:Birdman Records,4AD,Drive-Thru Records,BGP,Capitol Records,Epic Records,Geffen Records,Island Records,Relativity Records,SBK,MTV,Mint Records,Blind Pig Records,Columbia Records,Epitaph Records,Interscope Records,MCA Records,National,Geographic,Roadrunner Records,Relapse Records,Luaka Bop, Kamikaze Records, Surf Dog,Atlantic Records,Necropolis Records,Relix Records,Rykodisc Records,Warner Bros. Records, Ze Flat Tire Music,Shrapnel Records,Virgin Records, Young Tree Inc.,Point Blank Records,Tone Center ,Magna Carta.

The Killers, record Land Of The Free" updated at Prairie Sun in Cotati, Ca for NBC Fourth Of July special.

Wh at Is Lit ecoin LTC? KRYPTON CURRENCY MAY 18, 2021 I have been fascinated by crypto for a long time now, and I enjoy sharing what I have learned about it on

Wh at Ar e t h e Dif f er en ces Bet w een Lit ecoin an d Bit coin ?

SO U N D O FF with

JO-LYNN

More and more businesses allow crypto as a payment method, and LTC is one of the most popular cryptos for due to its low fees and popularity. Many different merchants have been accepting LTC payments for a long time now.

One such merchant is Travala.com, which allows users to book hotels with LTC. One big step in Litecoin adoption happened in 2021 when PayPal made it possible to use LTC at 28 million businesses ..

.

ToughNickel.

Since Litecoin is based on Bitcoin's source code, the cryptocurrencies are very similar. They both use a proof-of-work protocol, which means they can be mined. But one difference between the coins is that LTC blocks are created faster. While the Bitcoin network needs 10 minutes to mine a new block, Litecoin needs only 2.5 minutes. This means that transactions with LTC are much faster and also cheaper.

Both coins have a limited supply, but Litecoin has a higher max supply. Bitcoin has a max supply of 21,000,000, while Litecoin has a max supply of 84,000,

Wh at Is Lit ecoin ?

Another difference is that LTC is still being worked on and further improved while BTC really isn't. One recent improvement is the implementation of a code called MimbleWimble. BTC offers anonymous transactions but no privacy because all transactions can be seen on the public blockchain, which means that all your friends could trace all your purchases if they knew your BTC address. Thanks to MimbleWimble, LTC users have optional privacy for their transactions..

Litecoin, or LTC, is a peer-to-peer cryptocurrency that enables fast and cheap transactions between individuals anywhere in the world. It was founded in

Litecoin is based on Bitcoin, and they have many similarities but also some differences..

Wh at Is Lit ecoin's Relat ion sh ip Wit h Bit coin ?

If you are familiar with the crypto world, you know that BTC is, in many ways, outdated. Many other cryptocurrencies can do everything that Bitcoin can but better. One such crypto is LTC, but there are also other currencies that are better than LTC. However, there is one thing that only BTC will ever be.

It is not just any cryptocurrency; it is the first cryptocurrency. BTC has established itself as the most valuable digital currency and it will remain unrivaled in that regard. For that reason, LTC doesn't aim to replace BTC but instead tries to be its sidekick. Bitcoin is digital gold, and Litecoin is trying to be digital silver..

2011 by Charlie Lee, who later became an employee at

Wh at Can You Do Wit h LTC?

Coinbase. LTC is based on Bitcoin's source code but has a few differences. The most noteworthy is that LTC has faster and cheaper transactions.

Litecoin was always a promising altcoin and has stood the test of time so far; it has kept a place near the top

Litecoin is aiming to become digital silver..

.

LTC is available on almost every exchange, and ever since its early days, it's been a very useful tool for sending value. If you send Bitcoin from one wallet to another, you have to pay $10+ just for the network fees. But if the wallet you are sending it to allows swapping coins, you can swap the BTC on your exchange to LTC and send Litecoin to your wallet for only a few cents in network fees. Then you could swap it back. The fees you have to pay your exchange for swapping are usually less than the transaction costs of Bitcoin. This works for other cryptocurrencies with high fees, too..

This article is accurate and true to the best of the author?s knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.

10 cryptocurrencies by market cap. Many other © 2021 Kr ypt on Cu r r en cy

cryptocurrencies are forks of Litecoin; the most famous example is Dogecoin.

BY KRYPTON CURRENCY Litecoin is one of the oldest cryptocurrencies..

Intimidation, violence, threats and coldness are abusive acts of failure. Once an individual feels a natural intermittent compassion determined to show a difference, other individuals will feel it who will then make a conscious decision to make resolutions.

Listening to music makes me feel like I?m reading a beat of a lifetime. I can listen to a voice, a lyric or tone that brings such an embodied experience that is not forgotten. I am sure these experiences are felt throughout life from different streams of happiness, first time experiences, memories, joy, and love: we hold those truths deep in our heart?s for dear life.

Effortlessly, of what comes natural To be still yet active I s an amazing journey I s a test beyond comprehension I t takes time, realization, and acceptance To act accordingly to a natural gift That becomes a flower in bloomafter all the doubt is gone of what comes natural To be still yet active I s an amazing journey I s a test beyond comprehension I t takes time, realization, and acceptance To act accordingly to a natural gift That becomes a flower in bloomafter all the doubt is gone

Other experiences tend to be hardened and deadened allowing a stillness of darkness filtered with a premise of intimidation, hate, violence, threats and coldness.

The same holds true for systematic hatred. Knowing possessions, opportunities, and knowledge are being held for dear life to capture a better life. Descendants of this mindset do not benefit from this because they are kept in the dark, not being taught history of truth, living their lives on lies. I am profoundly convinced parents forget their children grow up to make their own decisions which surprises their families, especially parents.

Of course, I have a professional story to back that up: A client expressed that her father, ?is a straight forward racist,?decided and refuses to have her children visit their own grandfather based on his lifestyle. As a therapist and a woman of diversity, I am grateful to see adult children of parents who are racist claiming a different lifestyle based on personal decisions of safety, respect, confidence, compassion while proving hate is a personal choice.

Weapons are used for mass destruction that results in non-random decisions. I tend to stay away from politics and statistics because truth is widely known, researched, and publicly available yet ignored, not influencing change at the rate of time or space needed to impact the foundation of systematic racism.

Active involvement in diverse communities in diverse capacities to the least to the highest seat of the land, does. I believe in humanity as well as human beings; therefore, as individuals?mindsets transform the system will transform at the speed of significance.

I also believe observation is the most unused human capability in our race which minimizes possibilities of freedom for all.

I believe in psychological mindsets; therefore, when it meets reality and the body system which captures it then the conscious gets it, a magnificent impact has occurred. You will feel and see the difference.

I am so inspired when individuals feel a spark and pursue their new-found reality.

To start where you are IS your beginning.

I love it!

I love reading nonfiction books. Nothing is hidden as the external universe is the driving force.

Transformation arrives in spurts as a mental bell, spontaneous, unexpected forces, as a shock has occurred. AHA moment occur at a rapid speed within itself that is captivated by whole-body senses and the best thing about it, it doesn?t allow you to ignore it. This becomes the driving force to guide you for the rest of your life.

Writing is much like that spurt moment of experiences demanding full body attention. A person starts writing to when their soul has something to express beyond expectation. After I completed ?Jo-Lynn?s Written Expressions?in 8 months,my body, mind, and soul were depleted but at peace.

I felt as though I was being driven to write. The purpose of writing was to satisfy a higher force I could not conceive on my own. So, writing allows freedom, honesty, epiphanies; if you?re humble and wise. The ability to lead increases acceptance of new lessons, new revelations, new decisions, and new lifestyles will come.

Listen to your body spark, observe your environment; allow it to guide you to a conscious journey to bring positivity, love, change, and compassion to humanity.

Jo-Lynn Herbert is the founder of Jo-Lynn's Expressions and the Indie Incognito "SOUND OFF" editor. .

The Need for Black Women In St em Careers.

By keyanna har per

Seeing more women of color in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) careers would be great; with the hiring of women of color low in these jobs, it's refreshing to know that black women and girls are finding their way into these fields!

Black women and women of color are valuable because they bring inspiration for little ones who think "science" means being a white male like Albert Einstein or Stephen Hawking. The media shows only those men as representative scientists/ Mathematicians throughout history.

This subject has been challenging to talk about; after reading several articles and finding references to back up this subject. Is there a place for black women in these areas? Where are we in Computer and Information, Research Scientist and biomedical engineering?

These industries are one-sided, and the tech industry is dominated by white men, with black women making up only 3% of stem jobs. When black women are repositioned There's a need to push businesses like STEMBoard, which is a multi- million dollar company founded by Aisha Bowe. This company is minority owned and used to solve complex issues for US government and private sectors she has created a space for people of all backgrounds to show their gifts. Aisha Bowe a former NASA rocket scientist.

Aisha was an aerospace engineer who started her degree in a community college; Aisha's mission is to help youth break stereotypes and stop internalizing false narratives about their capabilities. She wants the youth to be aware and believe in themselves enough to pursue STEM careers She is showing minority youths what doors open in these careers.

These opportunities lead to outstanding life accomplishments and groundbreaking areas where very few Black and Brown women are introduced.

As black women are the most educated women they earn less and are less likely to be consider for high-paying tech jobs. You would think black women would quickly break into stem jobs. We all see the world is changing rapidly, with digital currency, NFTs and Metaverse vastly ushering in new technological fields. Are we training our girls to look only in places where we think they fit better? Honestly, we don't know what area we can hold and not blow it out of the water if giving the chance, but if we expand our knowledge in those hidden fields, the door will open for our younger girls and young women to look beyond what they are told they can do.

Black women are faced with very unfair advantages in the stem industry. Organizations like Black Girl Code understand the disparities with black and brown women in stem and actively build the relationships between our young girls and stem. All young people need to be prepared to become educators, researchers, and innovators the world is looking for and being the leaders in this career path because the lane is open for us to be a part of.

Diversity is essential in this field; people of all backgrounds need a quick seat at this table.

Black people have always been leaders in the innovator realm? women like Dr. Shirley Jackson, an African American physicist, the first black woman to earn her doctorate in nuclear physics. Her theory paved the way for caller Id, call waiting, and the fiber optic cable.

The real women behind the 2016 movie Hidden Figures showed gifted Black women fighting to be a part of innovation at NASA in the '50s when being black was challenging.

Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson were Mathematicians, scientist and engineers changing the world. Sadly, not many people knew that these women paved the way for us because they were left out of textbooks.

Women of color like these fight against all odds to find their place in an area where no one wants them.

It's 2022, and we still fight for that space to be noticed for our gifts. Black Girls Code and STEMBoard takes the first steps in bringing our young girls into tech across the nation. The future is very bright for our girls to kill in the field. It's not an easy task; I've heard the stories about how counterparts judge women of color as if they know nothing, using stereotypes And underlining racist views of black women. Not thinking if they have gotten this far, they have what it takes. It always takes that black woman to put her big girl panties on and give them a run for their money.

Black women are magical, resilient, bright as the sun in the sky. Our girls will be replacing those who said they could not be a part of the STEM careers in the years to come.

Alice Augusta Ball earned her Bachelor ?s Degree in pharmaceutical chemistry and pharmacy from the University of Washington and went on to receive her Master ?s Degree in chemistry from the University of Hawaii. Her research was so successful that over 8,000 leprosy patients could be discharged from hospitals and isolation facilities to return to their families.

Has it become more important in today?s music and entertainment industry to be popular and have that ?certain look?than to display real talent and staying true to the artistry?

That is what makes the world go around, different folks, with different talents and gifts making a name in this land and having those gifts hopefully inspire and motivate others.

Has it become acceptable to wear designer brand clothing and do away with a person?s own sense of style instead of following the latest trends?

There must be a line drawn where it is more than acceptable to be your true authentic self and having that shine through. Truly gifted people withstand the test of time and outshine what may be popular or ?in?by today?s standards.

When I speak of talent, I do not just mean music, it can be dance, theatre, art, etc. Isn?t it okay to spring forth your God given gifts and let that speak for itself? Or do we continue to let society tell us what is acceptable and what is not?What true talent really should be about is expressing what is inside of you that you want to say through whatever art form you choose; music, design, theatre, writing, etc.

Do not be afraid to share your gifts with the world, which is why God placed them there for all to experience with you. Those that deeply appreciate talent, will stand with you in support, but what is more important is those of us who are creatives, believe in what we do and do it for the love of it, not solely to become popular, make sense?

Now, if you become popular during your journey, it is okay.

WOMEN'SHISTORYMONTH Dolores Huerta, Civil Rights Activist

Amy Tan, award-winning memoirist and author

Michael Kovac via Getty Images

Alberto E. Rodriguez. via Getty images

Dolores Huerta started advocating for women?s rights following a brutal

Amy Tan attends a 25th anniversary screening of "'The Joy Luck Club" in 2018.

attack sustained during a peaceful and lawful protest of the policies of then

Amy Tanis both a beloved writer and trailblazer in the literary world. Her seminal, bestselling 1989

Vice President George H.W. Bush in 1988. For two years, the award-winning

novel The Joy Luck Club offered a portrait of Asian-American family life that was both specific to the

civil rights activist and labor leader toured the country on behalf of the

community and universally felt.

Feminist Majority?s Feminization of Power: 50/50 by the year 2000 Campaign.

In 2002, Huerta founded the aptly named Dolores Huerta Foundation, an

In the years since the book?s publication, Tan has wrestled with criticism that The Joy Luck Clubwasn?t the be-all-end-all portrayal of Asian-American experience.

organization that offers members programs such as the ?Weaves Movements Together,? an initiative dedicated to raising awareness of women?s rights and gay rights, as well as immigrant rights and labor rights.

?When The Joy Luck Club came out, it did feel like there were many expectations from all areas ? not just in the Asian-American unity,? Tan told writer Nicole Chungin 2017.

In die In cogn it o is Th ou gh t Pr ovok in g

M AM M A'S WELLNESS

by Dominique Jones

In addition to disproportionately losing our sistas from pregnancy related causes, the data shows we are also losing them to homocide at rates significantly higher than that of other races. Pregnancy and childbirth are such sacred experiences and our sistas deserve to be loved on and cared for. Check out this article and please check in with the mamas and mamas-to-be in your life to make sure they are okay.

If you are pregnant and suffering from domestic violence please seek help before it?s too late. You are not alone and you do not have to suffer in silence! #pregnancy#maternity#childbirth#domesticviolence #domesticviolenceawareness#domesticabuseawareness

by Tony Smith

Chilean Adoptees in Sweden Searching for t heir Root s and Wait ing for Just ice Opinion By Ramona Wadi

January 28, 2022 "Sometimes I feel robbed over a life I should have had.

Over a family I might have had. I don?t feel like a whole person."

Since 2017, Judge Mario Carroza has been investigating the illegal adoptions from Chile which are estimated to number over 20,000 from the 1950s to the late 1990s. The judicial investigation so far has revealed that several professionals in trusted positions, such as doctors, social workers, religious persons and judges, were complicit in the trafficking network.

So sophisticated was the network, that 19 juvenile court, 28 health centres, 24 religious or private homes, as well as 72 buildings in Chile were used as nurseries to host children pending their adoption. Mothers, meanwhile, were fed lies by professionals, including that their children were deceased, in order to sever any possibility of searches and reunification.

The US-backed Chilean dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet is well known for the neoliberal experiment unleashed upon the country. Against a backdrop of torture and disappearances which alerted the world to human rights violations in the country, the Pinochet dictatorship sought to embellish its image.

Promoting a veneer of welfare was an integral part of its propaganda, and children became the unknown victims of an intricate trafficking network which facilitated the illegal adoption of minors to foreign countries.

Between 1971 and 1992, it is estimated that over 2,100 Chilean children were illegally adopted to Sweden. In October 2021, Swedish Social Affairs Minister Lena Hallengren announced an investigation into the adoptions. This comes after several years of the Swedish media reporting about irregularities in adoption documents..

Read:Australia?s Collaboration with the CIA in Chile Remains Shrouded in Secrecy Initial research in Chile pointed towards the Swedish Adoption Centre as facilitating the adoptions between both countries. Diplomatic relations between Sweden and Chile during the Pinochet dictatorship was marked by a right-wing campaign to combat the image portrayed by Chilean exiles which was vocal about the human rights violations in the country. The Sweden-Chile Society, which espoused fascist ideology and collaborated with Chile over the surveillance of exiles, was instrumental in facilitating ties between the dictatorship and the Swedish Adoption Centre.

Adoption became a policy for the Chilean state ? a means through which Pinochet could establish diplomatic ties in countries where large communities of Chileans had sought exile.

Adoption became a policy for the Chilean state ? a means through which Pinochet could establish diplomatic ties in countries where large communities of Chileans had sought exile. Between 1978 and 1988, the dictatorship institutionalized forced adoption through the National Plan for Minors Charlotta Haggren was adopted to Sweden on January 1, 1974. She was the pilot case for adoptions from Chile to Sweden, according to Anna Maria Emgren ? a Swedish woman who worked for the Swedish Adoption Centre and whose name has been linked to several illegal adoptions. i

SUHEIL LOPEZ

Represented by Kase Qtr

Oscar s Pr odu cer Def en ds

En t er t ain in St yle

Divisive Ch an ges: ?You Have t o Th in k Abou t Th is As An En t er t ain m en t Pr oper t y " Will Packer

Christian Zilko Mar 5, 2022 12:28 pm

Richard Shotwell/ Invision/ AP

It?s never too early to plan ahead, especially when you are expecting guests in your home. Your family and friends know and might love your style, but it can be important to spice things up now and again to impress your visitors. Factors such as lights, music and food can affect your guests experience in your home.

To remain stylish and keep your party going, consider these tips for fun and festive home entertaining.

Back to Basics.

Staying organized is key while entertaining guests in your home. Try to plan out every detail before the big event, which can allow things to go more smoothly on the big day. As you think out your plan ahead of time, making lists can be a helpful way to stay organized and ensure you get everything done. List out your guests, what needs to be picked up from the store and possible decorations you might need to buy or craft yourself. The possibilities can seem endless, but it?s important to have a plan in place before you start putting things together.

Ligh t u p t h e Par t y.

Transforming your home can be made simpler by changing the lighting. It?s typical for lights to be dimmed for parties to set a more relaxed mood.

Other ideas include using candles, lamps or even hanging lanterns if you are entertaining outside.

Make sure it?s bright enough so everyone can see, but dimmed enough to set the mood for the evening?s events.

Set t h e M ood w it h M u sic.

Pick music that matches your theme and inspires that same feel throughout the house. If you?re going for a fun, energetic atmosphere, try something with a quick tempo, such as pop. If you?re wanting to relax, go for subtler, soothing tones. Try making your playlist before you entertain and listen to it a few times through, that way you can know what to expect and how guests will react to your music selections.

Think about Theme.

En joy it .

There are numerous ways your style can be shown while entertaining. One way is to pick a theme or theme-related food dishes. One way to show your theme is through decorations. Placing them throughout your home can give the party some life and help guests get into the overall theme of the party.

Through all the anxiety and stress of entertainment planning, make sure you take time to enjoy yourself during the time guests are in your home. Some guests will notice if you?re not having a good time.

Smile and remember to be present in the moment.

Find more entertainment tips at eLivingToday.com.

Source: ELiving Today . .

. .

Will Packer is still a month away from making his Oscar-producing debut, but his tenure has already attracted plenty of controversy. The show will omit eight categories (documentary short, film editing, makeup and hair styling, original score, production design, animated short, live-action short, and sound) from the live broadcast, opting instead to tape them awards earlier and edit them into the live show.

The decision immediately prompted outrage from cinephiles and Hollywood insiders who see it as a snub of the artisans who make movies possible.

Packer, the prolific producer behind blockbusters including ?Girls Trip? and ?Ride Along,? has a different view. In a new interview with Variety, he says decisions that prioritize viewership will be good for the Academy?s long-term health. ?One of the things I wanted to do early on was to make a decision to treat this as an entertainment property,? Packer said. ?You have to make a decision: is it something we?re going to say is for Hollywood by Hollywood, and that?s good enough? Or, are we going to say we want to get as many people under the tent, so to speak, to now celebrate and watch the most amazingly talented artists and craftspeople in the world? Well, I lean more towards the latter " The decision immediately prompted outrage from cinephiles and Hollywood insiders who see it as a snub of the artisans who make movies possible.. Packer, the prolific producer behind blockbusters including ?Girls Trip? and ?Ride Along,? has a different view. In a new interview with Variety, he says decisions that prioritize viewership will be good for the Academy?s long-term health.

While Packer is open about focusing on the entertainment value of the broadcast, he does not believe that the winners and nominees in those eight categories will have their experiences diminished. ?Nobody is going to be shortchanged by this decision to try to make the show more efficient, expedited, and make more people watch the show,? he said. ?I?m going to have every one of the nominees have a moment. All the nominees for all the categories will hear their names in that show. The winner will have their speech. You?ll hear from theminthe show. Most viewers will not be able to tell the difference.?

That defense is unlikely to please everyone and Packer seems to be at peace with that. He recognizes the difficult position of overseeing a show that is struggling to stay relevant while maintaining its industry gravitas. But he believes he has found the right balance. ?I respect everybody?s opinions and I?ve got my own opinions, and mine isnotmore important than anybody else?s. But I am in a position where I?m able to put mine into action,? he said. ?It?s a celebratory night during a time when the world, at large, is going through a tough moment. So I want to keep the focus on the celebration.?

Sign Up:Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.

THIS ARTICLE IS RELATED TO: Awardsand tagged ABC, Oscars 2022 Will Packer

For eign er s, Black s, Blon des, Sh or t ies...

How Sm all Bu sin esses Can At t r act an d Ret ain Em ployees Source: ELiving Today

But then we would have to face so many other double standards prevailing in the international policies as well -- so let us not go there.

Image by 12222786 from Pixabay

M en bu ild t oo m an y w alls an d n ot en ou gh br idges.

-- Joseph For t New t on I have noticed long time ago how those individuals who are overly into their survival games are also those who are likely to be racist.

But, what intrigued me even more was the discovery that they are also among those who like making fun of foreigners, blondes, short people, or people with any other characteristics which they saw as"odd".

It's like at some lower level of their brain's assessment of their environment, they were experiencing those people as"not belonging".So, to them something like racism is stretching over all those who appear somehow"different".

I am not going into the political aspect of it, which might make me completely wrong in the eyes of many, but all those Americans who are opposing Mexicans' presence in their country, are forgetting how they, or their ancestors, were also foreigners on this continent at one point.".

The point I am trying to convey is that racism is not a unique phenomenon involving Whites and Blacks, but to many folks"race"covers more than that. Could we observe something opposite going on with all those racially obsessed folks with an overactive amygdala -that part of the brain sensitive to threats to the survival.

They get irritated by those who"don't look like a part of the herd",so they shouldn't be around stealing their jobs, their privileges, and even"spoiling thelooks"of the herd.

Unlike those lions and cheetahs being fed and not worrying about competition, people's amygdala can't be quieted down so easily.

Take another example where we are very different from animals in those matters of survival. When a lion is chasing a zebra and after a while running out of stamina, he will stop, giving up on that meal -- and so will zebra. But something else happens which you would hardly ever see happen with humans in a situation translated to human life.

Namely, zebra, now maybe only some hundred yards away from the exhausted lion, continues peacefully to graze, as if nothing happened. We, on the other hand, would have lost appetite for a weak, still traumatized by the experience maybe for the rest of our life -- and tormented by our own dark imagination of"what could have happened back there".

So, even though those folks of a different color are not really stealing food from our table, our dark imagination powered by an irritated amygdala is making us believe exactly that.

read complete article...

(Family Features) Small business administrators are typically among the most competent multi-taskers, but even the most talented jugglers occasionally end up with too many balls in the air. Attracting and retaining employees doesn?t have to be part of your juggling act; in fact, having the right team can make the rest of your business run smoother.

As a small business administrator, you may wear many hats, such as running the front desk, ordering supplies, managing accounting, onboarding and more. When you have extra hands to allocate the work, your business is likely to be more efficient and productive. Make employee retention a priority for your business with these practices: Cr eat e a posit ive w or k cu lt u r e When employees enjoy coming to work each day, it shows. Your customers recognize it, and your internal team can feel it, too. A positive work culture encourages excellence, forgives mistakes, and leaves plenty of room for having fun. You can create a positive culture by making sure expectations are clearly defined and giving feedback that is consistent and fair.

Pr ovide an appealin g salar y an d ben ef it s pack age A competitive salary that aligns with expertise is an obvious edge in hiring top talent. You can become a more attractive employer by offering a benefits package that includes paid time off, insurance and other extras.

Voluntary benefits, such as those provided by Unum and Colonial Life, offer customizable solutions for businesses and their employees. These benefits can provide flexibility to employees by catering to certain stages of life and lifestyles and to employers by offering various funding options like 100% employee-paid or employer-employee shared funding. With low premiums, many small business owners can achieve significant returns and invest in benefits to attract talent and retain loyal employees.

.

.Allow f or f lexible sch edu les In large part due to the pandemic, employees have learned to juggle their work and home lives like never before. The businesses who recognize this need have an edge, particularly for employees who need flexibility to care for family members. The degree of flexibility you can offer may vary depending on the business model. Communicating with your employees and working to make reasonable accommodations can go a long way toward attracting strong candidates and retaining current employees.

Pr ovide oppor t u n it ies f or gr ow t h Employees typically look for opportunities to learn and grow through additional responsibility, compensation and rewards for performance that encourage long-term commitment. Working with employees to understand their career goals is an important step on a path for growth that is mutually beneficial .

Find more solutions to help small businesses at Unum.com and ColonialLife.com or download The Essential Small Business Benefits Guide to learn how to add voluntary benefits to reduce total benefits costs.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

. .

Em pow er in g Gir ls Globally

by Su ppor t in g Equ it able Access t o Edu cat ion

Racism 's Su r pr isin g An im alist ic Nat u r e

(Family Features) Sometimes forgotten amidst the pandemic that upended the world is a global learning crisis that forced more than 1.6 billion children out of school.

VAL KARASMAR 1, 2022 Rather, as we are about to see, it may be viewed as an excessive expression of our lower, animalistic brain centers which imposed their survival instinct upon people's reasoning powers -- making slavery"fashionable"and morally acceptable.

This immense loss of learning and development resulted in permanent setbacks for an entire generation ? disproportionately affecting girls, according to a joint report between UNICEF, UNESCO and the World Bank.More than 10 million girls who left school temporarily as a result of the COVID-19 lockdowns may never return. Dropping out of school can negatively impact girls for their entire lives. In terms of child marriage, this pandemic could force 10 million more girls to marry by 2030.

Even Jesus, who is viewed as an embodiment of divine love, spoke about"need for a better relationships between masters and slaves" --not condemning slavery altogether as immoral and inhuman.

We ou gh t t o t ake in t o a ser iou s con sider at ion t h e m en t alit y of t h ose basically br u t al epoch s w h en slau gh t er in g an d t or t u r in g of h u m an s w as an

Keeping Girls in School Act.

accept ed par t of t h eir m or al code.

This bipartisan act would empower girls around the world by authorizing the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Nowadays, if you are not a doctor, a funeral undertaker, or a homicide investigator, the scene of human"insides"may put you in a shock and traumatize you for a while. But looking at the weapons that were used in the past tells us a horrible story about the human butchering being a part of cultural"normalcy".

Even in times of crisis, girls have an equal right to quality education and learning. You can play a role in ensuring girls all around the world have the opportunity to fulfill their potential. An organization like UNICEF USA has resources to help girls receive a quality education.

Advocat e f or t h e Keepin g Gir ls in Sch ool Act One way to take action in the fight for girls?education is by urging members of Congress to co-sponsor and help pass the ent to enter into innovative and result-based grant programs that reduce barriers adolescent girls face in receiving educations. By investing in girls?educations, barriers such as child marriage, harassment, violence, care burdens and negative gender norms keeping girls from long-term, quality education can be put to an end.

Evidence shows enrolling and keeping girls in school results in a positive impact on their health and economic prosperity as well as the improvement of the security of their communities and countries can be put to an end.

Image by Cherylholt from Pixabay

I h ave a dr eam t h at on e day lit t le black boys an d gir ls w it h be h oldin g h an ds w it h lit t le w h it e boys an d gir ls.

-- M ar t in Lu t h er Kin g

Dissociat in g Racism Fr om Slaver y When we mention slavery, most of the people, particularly those of African descent instantly associate it with racism. Well, let's get a little deeper into it, so maybe the connection won't look so strong anymore.

Namely, there was a time in a very distant history, when Whites were enslaved by Arabs and Blacks. Then, people of the same skin color were enslaving each other -- like Egyptians who enslaved Hebrews, Mezzo-American tribes/nations were enslaving those of the same color whom they defeated in war.

And yes, Romans had white slaves, themselves being white. I must have missed some other examples, but the mentioned ones should suffice to raise the question about Whites enslaving Blacks being some unique phenomenon based on the skin color.t

With that understanding, slavery stops being such an unusual feature of the past ways of life -- all due to the human awareness being largely polluted by the crude survival instincts of the lower, animalistic portions of the brain.

You certainly don't need a lecture in human biology, but just for sake of a little reminding, we are biologically more animals than humans. And that would be so much easier to swallow if it stayed at all organs and basic vital functions being shared with the animal kingdom.

However, virtually everything of us, except for the frontal lobe of the brain, is plain animalistic by nature, and as such mainly concerned about our survival.

In some people more than in others, those animalistic instincts are more prominent in their overall mentality, so that's how we come to this fact that some people, more than the others, are more irritable by anybody appearing"different" --as if that difference somehow means a threat, or at it's milder form --"doesn't belong to their environment".

In t r o Young Promiss, also known as YP, is a San Diego, CA native whose passion runs deep for the art of music. She is best known as a talented lyricist with a captivating West Coast hip-hop style. YP specializes in hip hop music and is definitely one of the best female rap artists on the rise today.

She began writing music at the young age of 12 and since then her educated wordplay has become very animated, vivid and intriguing.

Being inspired by artists like Lil Wayne, Nipsey Hussel, Tupac, Lauryn Hill and Jay-Z she has set off to take over the music game. Young Promiss carries herself boldly by being an example of strength, motivation and positive vibes. From 2004 to 2008 she graced many stages in Los Angeles County like the famous, Key Club, and even opened a show for Cypress Hill. Be on the lookout for upcoming shows and events featuring and starring Young Promiss worldwide.

YP has released multiple singles and albums on several different music platforms such as Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, Google Play, Spotify, iTunes, TikTok, Tidal and Apple Music. YP is ready to lead the female hip hop movement in a way it has never been done by being the ultimate icon like no one else has ever been.

Fiercely independent. Brutally Honest. Refreshingly Transparent and ready to

WORK ALL DAY I found Young Promiss to be a visionary and forward thinker. She understands that the grind is not for the weak or the meek. In our first conversation, I sensed a tad bit of hesitancy in being open. Letting her guard down with me was going to take a minute. That's cool and how it is supposed to be. Taking that time to develop our rapport, has led to an amazingly revealing and inspiring Exclusive Q&A with me for this issue.

Q& A Young Promiss and Tony Smith with a raw Q&A

Q. Can you t ell u s abou t you r ch ildh ood?....

A. I was born and raised in San Diego, CA. Our family is from the gang populated & drug filled streets of Southeast, San Diego. My mother and father were both drug addicts and from what I have learned majorly involved when it came to the hustle and flow of street life. My mother is originally from New Orleans, LA and my father from Detroit, MI. In the early 80's around 1988-1989 I was removed from my family's home after a drug bust or major police activity of some sort. I was barely three years of age and my baby brother was a newborn infant who was just born November 1988. We were put into an orphanage at first along with our other brother and 2 older sisters. Praying to see my mama again and crying nightly while experiencing my first sexual assault by a 13 year old boy, we were then separated and put into the system. Luckily, my baby brother and I remained to stay together as we never saw anyone else again. With the world against us now, we hopped from home to home of all ages and races of couples and single people wanting to adopt.

The system continued to try to separate us but I held on and stood strong in keeping my brother. At the tender age of four, I took on the full role of his protector and mother. Through years of moving and returning back into the system we were eventually fostered for a year by a family who had one daughter. The day the court sent us home with them began the worst times of my life.

The family lied about how many people lived in their home, their lifestyle, and full intentions on fostering and adopting us.The mother and father had one daughter but there were 6-8 other adults and kids living in the home with us at all times. At 5 years old, I became a slave and a ridiculed target for their entire family and so was my brother. The mother was an evil, bitter, angry beast on a daily basis and she enjoyed our unhappiness. She lied to everyone I knew including church pastors, school teachers, coaches and even the courts.

I made complaints of the abuse in the first year of adoption but somehow I was never taken seriously and the family was able to permanently adopt us. I never got to speak with my caseworker, Grace, again and I knew my life was going to be hell moving forward. I was right and she even exceeded my fears by allowing me to be beaten by anything she could find and on most days for reasons she fabricated to justify beating me or my brother. She allowed me to be molested by her oldest nephew for almost 11 years. She starved us, blindfolded and beat us, made us get undressed and get in the shower to be whipped by electrical cords, and even went as far as melting down and deforming 3 of my brother 's fingers. This is so tough to sum up. There was barely any good. There was so much bad and so much ugly. No love and no good memories at all.

Q. Wh o w as you r m ost pow er f u l in f lu en ce as a

Q. How did you com e t o r ealize m u sic w as t h e w ay

ch ild?

for w ar d?

A. I really wasn't close to anyone or had a chance to

A. I wasn't allowed to speak much in the foster home so I

be able to be like other children. I had no real mentors because my home life was to be hidden. I sought hard for influence. Influence would find me. I was always a seeker of love, truth and knowledge. I fell in love with music at a very young age of 7 or so.

Tupac Shakur was powerful to me. Very real, rough, raw, talented, influential and genuinely for the people. I studied his music and life. As I got older, around the age of 11, I fell in love with the game of basketball and Michael Jordan became a major influential leader type in my life. He lived a life of great talent and pressures and was also a person who had a purpose to make those around him greater. These two basically served the same purpose in my life teaching me very vital characteristics of what I knew in my heart I had a calling for, world leadership and change.

dived heavily into writing at a very young age. I wrote poems and diary type entries and used to keep several journals. I also was forced to join the church choir where I did find my love of singing and music in general. I eventually started writing over beats like Usher 's My Way song. But due to home life, no care or nurture of my gifts my hip hop love was hidden. I still continued to write and create rap songs on the low and tried getting my hands on anything I could to keep me tapped into the hip hop game. I listened faithfully to Tupac, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Lauryn Hill, Lil Wayne, 50 Cent and many more. Late in high school I began freestyling at school DJ/Music days and knew that I had the hip hop bug. I would rap about anything and my school friends just loved it.

Q. Wh en did t h e h ip h op bu g h it you ?

A. It hit me hard in the early 90's. As I mentioned, Tupac was top of the list for me. He brought truth and real human emotion to his music and real life situations of adversity, poverty, drugs and what it takes to balance it all. Truthfully the way Tupac hit my head and heart I almost honored him as the father I never got to meet. Although I desperately hoped, wished and prayed my mother would return, I felt her presence through his music. On some of my worst days with the foster family we would all load up in the car, scars on many parts of my body, tears in my eyes and the radio would be playing "Keep Ya Head Up". Till this day I can barely listen to it without crying a few tears. So many of his truths in his music saved my life and breathed strength into me.

Q. Tell u s abou t get t in g you r f ir st m ix t ape don e...

Q. How do you pu t w or ds t o paper ?

A. I got my very first mix tape done finally in 2004. A

A. My creative process is so much different now. I

year after graduating high school and leaving the foster family for good. The Mix tape was called "Show Me Luv". It had over 25 tracks and displayed a mix of mainstream beats and remixes to male and female hip hop artists' songs. I was between homes at the time debating my college run and future. I had a friend we called N.I.L.E. (N* gga Intentionally Livin Easy) who was a hip hop head from the producer side. I would stay at his house on nights he could sneak me in. His father was forcing him to go into the Air Force and he broke me the news so we chilled and talked about our futures. I wanted to rap and he wanted to produce and do sound engineering. We had two weeks until his departure so we went on creating my first mixtape. The experience was so much fun. At age 18, almost the most fun I had experienced in my whole life. We spent many late nights dodging his mom and dad. We ate like starving college kids and we struggled with not being able to be too loud. ( I'm smiling really big while writing this.) We remixed Ciara, Snoop, T.I. and other artists' songs. It was mostly free styled as far as the raps went but he went in on the engineering. We both were pleased with the outcome. a great accomplishment for us both. We made a cheap cover and put it to wax. I made my first 10 sales at my job with LG.

left the music game for almost a decade and life handed me a hell of a fight. I returned to the music game in February 2020, with a whole new vision ready to hit my music with much more precision. I had so much more to write about but also had to find my groove in it all again. I had to relearn writing schemes, breathing, self recording and vocal mixing.

Had to find my sound all over again. I actually began searching and buying beat packs from particular producers to study and play with. I would then basically aim for clever hooks or just write entirely to one beat without a hook to catch a concept or vibe. I would do that all throughout my work days and off days until I eventually felt comfortable creating again. Once I knew what I was aiming for instrumental and project wise it was game over.

With the memory I have, I can hear a beat 5 times in one day and never play it again for weeks. A concept will then come to me down the road and I would think back to that beat that held that feeling and go to work.

Q. How did you develop you r st yle an d f low ?

A. My difference has always made a difference in my life and others. Although ridiculed at home for everyone outside the home cherished me for, I was able to search, find, and be confident in the true me early on in my life. I have always been a smart kid, a stand out and a class clown at the same time. I got my swag from my love of fashion and being able to make anything look good on me. Developing my individuality is what really helped me to create my own lane with the way I flow. I lived a diverse life so was able to learn respect for multiple cultures and learn to expand my horizons in life on my own. I'm positive being an open-minded, open hearted person helped me develop the truth I give back to music. It's a big mix of all that I went through. I do everything with heart and I have a very vivid memory which allows me to perform with major passion as well. Basically when I record, I see the video and stage performance in my mind already. That makes for a fire delivery almost every time.

Q. If you h ad t o sacr if ice on e sk ill, it w ou ld be?

A. Sacrificing a skill is not something I would want to do. So if I absolutely had to, my skill of time management would be the last to go. I have become a master of this and like the world knows "time is money". Being able to manage time the way I do has been so helpful while managing to build my Work All Day Records Empire. It has also been so handy in allowing me to be able to balance out my committed relationship and raising a 10 year old boy while working several jobs in crazy America today

Q. Wh er e is you r car eer h eadin g?

Q. If or w h en you w r it e a n ovel abou t you r lif e, w h o w ou ld you dedicat e it t o?

A. I'm shooting for the stars planning to land and settle on the moon. That is a daily goal and mindset for me which means I aim to work hard and reach heights I can't see. I was delayed for so long in my life and finally cleared up the toxic messes of people, places and things. My dreams and passion for leadership, humanity, and being a world famous rapper have been in full effect every single day. If I am able to keep the dedication and momentum I've maintained for the past 17 months I see me landing a huge record or television deal. I am born to create so now that I have more accessibility to do so I see me becoming prominent and known all over the world for music, fashion, and even motivational speaking. As long as purpose keeps calling I'm going to keep answering the call.

A. The novel will absolutely be written and has been

Q. How do you see you r sou n d, an d you r br an d?

Q. How did you r lif e ch an ge w it h t h e on slau gh t of Covid 19?

started a few times throughout my life without completion. The dedication will be to my mother, Debra Ann Singleton simply because she gave me life. I know she loved me to death. I was taken from her and her life was taken from her before we could meet again. Finding out by a stranger at the age of 19 that she was murdered when I was 14 was heartbreaking and life altering. I vowed to be what she had me to be. I completely know I am walking in her shoes and living a life that she would be so proud of. I released a song in May 2021 for her dedication around Mother 's Day called "Before I Die". It has over 35,000 streams on Spotify. I will keep her alive in every way.

A. I write and record music sometimes 3 times a week and still impress myself with the growth. I have worked with many artists who don't even play their own music or study it to perfect their craft.

This is mandatory for my process. That said, I see me developing a sound like no one else that completely sets me apart from any dead or alive hip hop recording artist. As far as my brand, I see it being the cause effect in many cities, states and countries. Once people get to know the full me and my brand they will see that it is shaped and designed to give others a free demonstrated playbook to make it in life. Work All Day Records " Where Dreams Get Caught". It's mostly mental. I created WAD Squad Clothing for the inspired.

People have purchased my merch and said wearing it gave them extra motivation to go harder. I'm addicted to rising and I believe my story and brand will hit the right hearts and minds and will get those people addicted to the same.

A. With all of Covid's damage and destruction it actually was a major blessing to my entire life. I returned to the music game one month before the president called a state of emergency in the US. Honestly, due to my horrors of trusting systems I was quickly yet briefly in panic mode. I was working a good job with good benefits and was an essential worker so I was able to keep my job. Things slowed down for almost everyone and everything everywhere. That there was my sign and confirmation that it was time to put into play my mental athleticism and go for my passion at a time most were falling down equally to ground zero. I lived in Northern California at that time and it was an unstructured mess. We were locked down and I was so happy to be able to just methodically plan, save money and focus on the comeback of my rap career. I adjusted by going to the store once a week only if necessary and other than that it was to and from work only. Every free minute at work and home I was able to put things to paper and study writing and recording techniques, bringing my artistic side back to life. In about 5 months I was in the lead of the indie industry and making big waves.

YOUNG PROM ISS (YP) CEO & ARTIST WORK ALL DAY RECORDS. @killuhyp_ondabeat Twitter.com/@killuhyp youtube.com/c/YOUNGPROMISS open.spotify.com/artist/7MgmfCXko9w8ALHIgHfxbo?si=lNBs6lY9S1CkowylVJJhgw music.apple.com/us/artist/young-promiss/1508612495

Why a r egion that voted against Zelenskyy now embr aces him .

By Martin KuzSpecial correspondent @MartinKuz

Residents here doubted that the political upstart could deliver on his promises of economic reform, fend off Russian President Vladimir Putin?s ceaseless pressure, and guide the country closer to Western Europe. Since then, nothing about Mr. Zelenskyy?s uneven performance in office had changed attitudes in ?the soul of Ukraine,? as Lviv is known ? until Feb. 24, when Russian tanks rolled over the border. l icon. ?He has made Ukraine proud,? says Yuriy Polovyy, a retiree anAny vestige of skepticism about the president has vanished as Russia escalates its attacks and civilian casualties mount in cities throughout the

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to the nation via his phone in the center of Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 26, 2022. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

eastern two-thirds of the country. His blend of

Little debate existed until two weeks ago about where President Volodymyr Zelenskyy could least expect a warm welcome in Ukraine. In Lviv, an elegant, cosmopolitan city of cobblestone streets, cafe culture, and manicured parks on the country?s western flank, residents viewed him more as chief jester than commander in chief. In 2019, Mr. Zelenskyy, a former actor who played the role of president in a popular comedy series on Ukrainian TV, ran for the real-life position and crushed the

and internationad violinist in a string ensemble who

incumbent, Petro Poroshenko. He carried every region of the country except Lviv, an area of 2.5 million people that shares the name of its largest city, where he captured only one-third of the vote. .

defiance toward Moscow and compassion for Ukrainians has won over his toughest audience at home and transformed him into a national treasure voted for Mr. Poroshenko in 2019. He carries a plastic bag loaded with warm cabbage rolls and containers of borscht from a cafe as he walks home across the city?s central square. A patch with the country?s coat of arms adorns his black wool cap. ?He is our president ? the president for all Ukrainians.?

INDIE

M USIC

TRU.P

h 1t r ecor ds.com /

M ich elle Lam ber t

m ich ellelam ber t .com /

Rielly M or t on

k aseqt r .com