I admit that I haven't done much research on this subject, but intuitively something tells me that self-published authors whose works are targeted toward readers who are young adults do much better marketing their books than self- published authors whose target audiences are the age 40-plus crowd. Why? Because young...

Being relatively new to the Boston area, I didn't fully realize the significance of the marathon beyond it being an international race with a good history. I never experienced Patriot's Day as a paid holiday from work and was confused by a clear calendar on that April day when I...

The media debate about the newly released song "Accidental Racist" by Brad Paisley and LL Cool J demonstrates that race remains a prickly topic for conversation -- even in song lyrics. Race is an old topic that requires a new conversation and I, for one, am glad that Paisley and...

Reflecting on the first 10 lessons I learned about being an author published in my previous post, I noted that I had learned more about what not to do than what to do. So, once again, with the upcoming release of a new book, I am attempting to integrate additional...

I have been blessed to be a published author both by the traditional process of an agent and a publishing company who managed the editing, marketing and every other aspect of the book process; and I have self-published where I managed every aspect of the process. From both processes, here...

The Boston Globe reported that Harvard University school officials who completed their investigation of approximately 125 students who cheated on a take-home exam in Spring 2012, recently doled out punishments ranging from students being asked to leave for two semesters to disciplinary probation to some cases being dismissed. In the...

The inauguration of a president for a second term who is a black American and the public ceremony on the celebration of Martin Luther King Day, invites us to give pause and reflect on race relations in America. The discussions of four years ago on whether or not we have...

It began over a month ago with a two- to three-line invitation in the bulletin to attend a "non-partisan" meeting on the presidential election and its significance for the Catholic vote. Then, in last week's Sunday bulletin, a full one-page flyer inserted in the bulletin entitled "The Catholic Vote" urged...

Due to the many ugly and divisive posts written during the Republican and Democratic conventions, another one of my real-life friends posted this week that she was signing off Facebook until after the elections. As in my actual life, my Facebook friends cross party lines. But unlike my real-life friends,...

The baby-boomer-civil-rights-advocate part of me cringed when I first heard news anchor Brian Williams use the nickname 'Flying Squirrel" for Gabby Douglas. Was it racially offensive? What did Gabby think of the nickname? What did her mother and family think about it? Then the other diversity-inclusive-global-identity part of me began...

They say that the universal language is a smile. And I would add another universal language--food, at least as it is portrayed on the Food Network's show Chopped. On Chopped talented chefs compete for a grand prize of $10,000 by defeating three other chefs in three rounds of cooking: an...

A few years ago, I ran into a nun whom I hadn't seen in more than 10 years. She immediately asked me if I was still Catholic. It struck me as an odd question for a "how have you been" casual conversation. Soon into the conversation I quickly came to...

Over ten years ago, when facilitating a diversity training session, I used as an example of racial socialization how black parents caution their sons not to wear hoods when walking in white neighborhoods. This example was questioned by white members of the audience and even considered by some as being...

The recent release of the Pew Research Center publication, The Rise of Intermarriage provides a number of insights on the status of race relations in America. The report analyzes the demographics and economics of those who "marry in" and "marry out" of their race. The reports notes an...

When CNN first announced Roland Martin's suspension for tweets sent during the Super Bowl that sparked criticism from the gay community, I believed the tweets to be homophobic and offensive toward gay people, but I also wanted to understand his intentions in tweeting those remarks. Intentions do not mitigate impact,...

The Manhattan Institute recently released a report that concluded that racial segregation in U.S. metropolitan areas is at its lowest in a century. Examining the period of 1910 to 2010, the authors analyzed neighborhood patterns and concluded that segregation has hit an historic low. Using a common measure...

For the past several months, Catholics across the country were put on notice that a new English translation of the liturgy would take place. On Sunday (Nov. 27) at Mass it happened. We were provided with cards outlining the new words of worship. However, like the well programmed Catholic robots...

When my dad became terminally ill, at my insistence, he and my mom moved into our home. It was easier for my sisters and me to support my mom and take care of my dad under these circumstances. My sister and her family lived only minutes from us, which made...

My Mom has lived with my husband and me for fifteen years now. At 85 years old, she is still parenting me, even though I am approaching the "young old" stage of my life. She still scrutinizes my wardrobe and offers what she deems to be helpful advice on my...

I have participated in numerous discussions about the themes presented in The Help since reading the book in 2009 and seeing the movie two weeks ago. All of the discussions have been engaging. Over lunch, I have discussed with co-workers, the pain experienced by black women raising white children during...