The flat roads of Indiana are Winter’s obligatory haul from Cincinatti to Chicago. Boredom makes you ponder choices; Validation comes from waves of memories, The gratitude I feel for you, Dad. Christmas in Ohio – Your presence was the gift; As sad as the message was. Driving past dried-up farms, I see your cancer as […]

I grew up, well and bold, In Trinidad, A doctor’s princess in a Crisp school uniform. Circumstance changed that. Mom got custody; In a Mississippi classroom, Racial epithets had a seat. But I rose again to run in lily fields, Enlightenment on my face; I’ve marched with freedom fighters in the Struggle for our race. […]

As a writing and media studies professor at Florida International University in Miami, I follow in the footsteps of my progressive professors at Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Ind., and Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Below is an assignment I gave during my Spring 2020 Global Media and Society class. (I divided my 100 students […]

Art lovers typically visit a gallery or museum to indulge their senses. But when it comes to Vicki Rosenthal, art comes to you. Rather, it walks with a conscience. Rosenthal, a social worker, has evolved as a creative storyteller and businesswoman. Once painting on stretched canvas, she now paints social justice messages on canvas shoes. […]

“Ripped from the Headlines: The Free Speech Forum” takes place June 28 in Fort Lauderdale.  RSVP here and read on for the latest on free speech issues and the stellar lineup of forum speakers. Trump is the so-called leader of the free world, but there is nothing free about it when it comes to journalists. […]

When I first wrote about artist and MASS District co-founder Stephanie Leyden, for the January issue of Lifestyle magazine, I called her the fairy godmother of the local art scene. Since then, I’ve learned she’s all that and a bag of chips. Or, should I say, a raucous time at Elbo Room on Friday nights. […]