It's simple: people work better together than alone. To believe that you can stand alone and navigate the world by yourself might be a liberating experience, but at the end of the day it usually adds up to a poor day at the races.

The n-word is overused, misused and socially abused on sites like Facebook and Twitter all the time. And while we act as if Rihanna has done something extraordinarily taboo, I challenge you to check the Instagram accounts and tweets of many other hip-hop artists and friends.

"I hate hearing when people say that they are the only black in their department and that they say it boastfully. That shouldn't be something to be proud of."

While we are celebrating the just the survival of an R&B artist admitting he has had a desire for another man, what we are avoiding is the actual discussion of if we are ready for an actual openly gay black artist in our mainstream world.

Over the years, it seems as though Beyonce has gotten lighter as she has gotten older. No, this is not genetics and let's not act pretend her skin color in her first Destiny's Child album cover matches that of her latest album 4.

While we don't always agree, I continue to respect his work as well as the work of Mr. Tavis Smiley. Does the fact that I do not agree with him mean that I must now demonize his efforts?

Who's calling the shots on your block to save the lives of children and the community? What can you do to be known as a shot caller for change?

This is not about delusion. It is not about pretending that problems do not exist. This is about re-adjusting our gaze. This is about getting excited and celebrating what we have going for ourselves as a community.

As a teenager, I left California in order to escape a life of crime, death, or seemingly inevitable imprisonment. I recently returned to help a church raise money for their programs that keep kids in school and decrease the dropout rate through the Student SWAG program.