This week, our nation mourned the passing of Linda Brown Smith, a prominent civil rights activist, who as a little girl, became famous as the central figure in the ground-breaking Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court case. When she was just 9 years old, her father, Oliver Brown, joined with 12 other Topeka-area black families in attempting to enroll their children in whites-only schools. After their children were denied enrollment, the group filed the historic class action lawsuit that … [Read more...]
Musical Memories: Oh, People
Patti LaBelle has been a favorite vocal artist of mine since I began teaching at East Topeka Jr. High School in 1972. When among my friends, especially those who are educators, I frequently say, “My students at East Topeka Jr. High School taught me how to teach, but they also taught be more than that. They taught me we were more alike than different.” We often hosted community lunches at the school, where families would bring food to share. The majority of our students at the school … [Read more...]
A Celebration of Life Through Storytelling
I’ve learned from my own life that storytelling is a powerful tool for healing old traumas and wounds and for embracing the joy of fond memories. Writing as a means of creative expression helps us uncover gems of hope and serenity buried within our soul. It enables us to navigate difficult times and understand our underlying triggers and motivations for why we behave the way we do. Sharing personal stories with one another fills the space between us, inspires us, helps us forge stronger … [Read more...]
The Poignancy of Anne Murray’s “Snowbird”: A reminder of life’s changing seasons and sadness over what might have been
Springtime has been quietly creeping back into the West Texas landscape these past few weeks and, I must admit, its arrival comes none too soon for me. The warmer weather that accompanies the vernal equinox brings with it returning flocks of migratory birds whose noisy cacophony in the early mornings and around twilight is like that of Midwest retirees, just off the plane following an extended stay in the Florida sun and eager to catch up on the local gossip. Spring has always been my … [Read more...]
A Mea Culpa from the New York Times: “Overlooked,” Celebrating Women’s Lives after 169 Years
In a recent special edition entitled “Overlooked,” the New York Times acknowledged that the thousands of obituaries they have published since 1851 have mostly chronicled the lives of men. Promising to do better going forward, the newspaper created “Overlooked” to highlight the major contributions that women have made to our country. Why now, I ask? I’m sincerely curious. Does hindsight’s rear-view mirror perspective allow us to see more clearly, by easing hard truths from the past? Do new … [Read more...]
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