Crystal Clear Observations

  I have always been a fighter. The tendency to challenge things brewed in my belly as a child. Having your favorite brother killed in a hit and run accident as a child does something to you. You constantly seek justice whether intentional or not. Life circumstances have molded me into an advocate for others. Often when others around me lack the tools or resources to advocate for themselves, I accept the challenge and forge forward. Fighting for something today will always beat falling for anything tomorrow. Do I ever get tired of fighting? Absolutely but half of the battle is knowing when to join in the ring or throw in the towel. Equip yourself with knowledge so that you can be successful in any battle. 2021 definitely tried my voice, my well-being, my abilities and my patience. It was a year of raising my voice and taking a strong stand for what is right. And luckily, it was a stand worth taking. Moving into a new year, I would like to encourage anyone reading this to always strive

 "We're going to issue a BLM statement." These words spoken by a company leader to a Human Resources professional sound good, right? Apparently it made people feel good and they felt they did their part in an angry world. Issue a statement on race, pacify a woke workforce and move on in business as usual mode. As a Human Resources professional, I can honestly say that I have been appalled and disappointed in the actions (or lack of) executed by my colleagues in the wake of the George Floyd verdict. Despite ethics and employment law training, I have watched so called leaders stay quiet and tap dance around critical workplace issues concerning discrimination. It's enough to make me seriously ponder a career change. I have sat on countless calls and zoom meetings where I can count the number of employees and students who look like me. I have participated in a "diversity" training where the video shown had NO ONE that looked like me. I have participated in inter

 Losing my brother Carlton in 2020 was by far the most devastating and painful thing that happened to me. Within a matter of weeks of becoming ill, my older brother was gone. Of all 5 brothers, I was closest to Carlton. Those who grew up with me and attended high school with me know the full story. While I am not ready to openly talk about that incident, Carlton's death opened a lot of painful wounds about that dreadful day in August of 1987. Luckily, reopened wounds do close again. Carlton was an amazing artist with a troubled past. His artwork became his ministry and he would not only do commissioned pieces for businesses, celebrities, politicians and dignitaries but would donate portraits to people who could not afford to pay to bring them joy. I have no doubt that his talent was God given because he truly had remarkable talent.  Despite his personal setbacks and challenges and our long periods of no communication, he still managed to be my biggest cheerleader. Our family has ne

  Furloughing an employee is never an easy decision. Often, these are financial based decisions to save a company money now and return the employee at a later date. This allows the employee to collect unemployment, pursue other options or wait to be called back. The way that you execute your furlough will determine if your impacted employees return. Don't jeopardize losing top talent due to faulty furlough processes. The cost of talent acquisition will certainly increase after the pandemic as the best workers will already be gainfully employed. Below are some reasons your employees will not return post furlough and some costly mistakes to avoid. 1) You attempted to use furlough as a thin veil for lay off. By definition, a furlough is an unpaid break from work while a layoff is a termination from employment. Some employers may try to take this route to avoid public perception or to avoid wrongful termination lawsuits. Employers should beware that employees are savvy and are knowledg

"Never lose an opportunity of seeing something beautiful"                                                     Ralph-Waldo Emerson I got away to my little hidden gem in East Texas this weekend to refresh, recharge and protect my mental health. The best part of a solo trip is not having to explain to anyone why you don't feel like talking or why you want to sit somewhere and focus on an outlet that you love (reading, drawing, cooking, etc.) without any interruptions or explanations. Just you...in that peaceful moment. I haven't always loved the outdoors but in my adulthood, I have found that I am at peace with nature. The more I reflect on it, the woods was my childhood safe space as I lived right up the street from a ballpark surrounded by a wooded area. I literally could escape from heated arguing at home or stressful situations by wandering in the woods. Of course in my adolescence, the woods set the tone for forbidden exploration sparked with puberty h

I am tired of seeing promising young lives end in hashtag advocacy. I am tired of people being killed simply for being the wrong skin color. I am tired of those operating from the core of their perceived entitlement and privilege continue to minimize the pain and anger felt by those who don't have exclusive memberships to those clubs. We are living in a time where an unarmed man is less likely to make it to jail breathing and be due judicial process but a disrespectful White woman can publicly tear up a legal citation, mock the court, be held in contempt and is released by a state Supreme Court.  Not since James Byrd in Jasper, Texas have I truly been sickened by a racist fueled murder like the way I felt this week when I viewed the video of Ahmaud Arbery. This man went out for a jog and was gunned down within moments of confrontation after being labeled a "thief" running away from a house in his own community. My husband could be Ahmaud. A retired Army soldier, h