You might not think it at first but I’d argue that my former life as a reporter has held me in good stead to pursue my next career as a future social worker. Yes, really, and here is why! Some 25 years ago as a 15 year old school pupil with an endless supply of […]

View Full Article - Journalist Turned Social Worker?

Senator Kamala Harris was without peer during the fourth Democratic presidential primary debate. In fact, it’s difficult for me to identify Sen. Harris’ strongest moments because she optimally accomplished so much with each statement. I think the quality of her performance Tuesday night calls for a point-by-point breakdown. So, I’ll try my best. First, a […]

View Full Article - What the Media Left Out About the Last Democratic Debate

Senator Kamala Harris has been at the top of her game over the last week. Leading the wave, Sen. Harris has been first, clear, compelling and unrelenting in condemning Donald Trump, Brett Kavanaugh, William Barr, Mike Pompeo, and Rudy Giuliani. She has communicated her message versatilely, eloquently, and effectively. Speaking and tweeting with conviction, concision, […]

View Full Article - Kamala Harris is the Fighter Our Country Needs

A while ago I posted a meme which said, “Better to have lost in love than to live with a psycho for the rest of your life.” I liked it, of course, otherwise, I wouldn’t have posted it. Eleven others did too, some commenting on Facebook, “Amen to that,” and “Definitely!!” Then this: “Hate it. […]

View Full Article - The Power of Language and Labels

The brutal killings of Rohingyas have been confirmed by the international diaspora as being – “The Worlds most persecuted minority”. Rohingya progeny is found in Myanmar with the consistent brutal violence and forced fleeing which has become their daily existence. A very minute spec of Humanity (The Rohingya`s) in the 21st century is in crisis and […]

View Full Article - The Call of the Rohingyas: A 21st Century Holocaust

I can’t be a racist. Some of my best friends are African American. I work with African Americans every day. As a social worker, I fight for social justice, and that includes racial justice, so I’m not a racist. I certainly don’t want you to think I’m a racist. My family never owned slaves—they were […]

View Full Article - I Don’t Think I Am Racist

Alabama made headlines last week over a dispute between the Democratic City of Birmingham and the Republican state legislature on whether the city can pass a law to increase its minimum wage higher than the federal mandate. Last summer, the Magic City passed a law raising it’s minimum wage to $10.10 an hour by 2017.  The […]

View Full Article - Alabama’s Legislature Continues to Wage War on the Poor

If you’ve read about Caitlyn Jenner, Rachel Dolezal, or just about any story of social importance lately, you have heard a lot about identity. Caitlyn Jenner identifies and is a transgender woman. Rachel Dolezal identifies as black but as Kimberly McKee, et al, aptly state, one can not simply choose to identify as a different […]

View Full Article - What is Identity Anyway?

As a Social Worker, I am committed to social justice. However, as I have always been on the frontline doing day-to-day work with individuals and families, I left political intervention and macro social work to others. I have spent too much time thinking and feeling that someone would come along and help improve the state […]

View Full Article - Our Social Responsibility in Combating Oppression

My thoughts have been spiraling since the elevator footage was leaked.  I’ve been trying to imagine what I would say to Janay Rice as a friend or the conversation we would have if she were to walk into our office in search of help or support. I would do my best to remind you that […]

View Full Article - If Janay Rice Was My Friend, I Would Tell Her…

In the wake of #Ferguson, we can all agree that something needs to be done. I think we can all agree that we need to stand in a way we haven’t for many years. We need to take responsibility for what is going on in our communities. We need to do better and there are […]

View Full Article - After #Ferguson: Taking a Stand in Governance

The climate of social work is changing. Over the last several years while businesses have moved towards embracing greater social missions, more and more social workers have begun to embrace the field of business and entrepreneurship. From conversations about money and finance to the increase of social workers starting their own for-profit ventures, social workers are expanding their […]

View Full Article - For the Love of Money: 5 Observations on Social Workers & Money from the 2014 NASW Conference in Washington, D.C.

This is a Letter to the Editor that I received from a member of the social work community. Although I disagree with the opinion and facts of this reader, I believe this Letter to the Editor provides a perfect example of how conservatives and non-minorities conduct their analysis of the events in #Ferguson. I will […]

View Full Article - Letter to the Editor: A Social Worker’s Thoughts on the Killing of Michael Brown

From the time we had our first memories, many of us can still remember what we wanted to be when we grew up. Childhood was a time when dreams did not have boundaries and were not obscured by societal challenges and barriers many of us would come to know as we got older. Somewhere along […]

View Full Article - Be Anything You Want to Be and Learn How To Define What You Want

School shootings are on the rise and are seemingly becoming a common occurrence within today’s society. Yesterday, an Oregon high-school freshman was gunned down at school after the shooter entered through the gymnasium.  The shooter was later found in restroom with a self-inflicted fatal gunshot wound. In looking at this week’s tragic events, I would […]

View Full Article - Another School Shooting…. Millennial Anger?

How do you feel when you sit down to unwind in front of the television at the end of the day and you are bombarded with ads that tell you to “Stop the Hands of Time with Mrs. Smith’s Anti-Aging Formula 801”?  Or, you may want to try a little cosmetic surgery to lift that […]

View Full Article - Ageism and the Anti-Aging Industrial Complex: What Does Wisdom & Beauty Look Like?

The South Winds Women’s Center in Wichita, Kansas has been open since April of 2013, and they just celebrated their 1st year of being open. Opening the clinic was a long and difficult journey that took a lot of fundraising and hard work from the Trust Women Organization and their director Julie Burkhart. Burkhart worked with […]

View Full Article - Abortion in the Heartland: What’s the Solution

There has been much talk recently about who can legitimately call themselves social workers. What training is required? Which licenses are needed? And, there have been many discussions about the variations of social work licenses that exist in different states. License or no license, we know that many social workers are “hiding” in non-clinical environments […]

View Full Article - Getting Social Workers Out of the Closet

Some things simply aren’t written into our public school curriculum. There aren’t established standards for compassion, integrity, authenticity, and standing up for what you believe in. However, this doesn’t mean opportunities for such teachable moments do not present themselves, but they’re often avoided due to fear or retaliation. Fear of offending someone, fear of negative […]

View Full Article - Advocate or Vacate: LAUSD Students Protest for Science Teacher

Catholic University of America’s (CUA) National Catholic School of Social Service (NCSSS) has long been a well-respected social work program, with the Gourman Report placing it in the top 11%. Its web site states: “Our commitment to supporting traditional social work values while responding to today’s educational and practice developments continues to make ours a […]

View Full Article - Social Work School Separates from National Association of Social Work