Frankly Speaking with Tyra G

Iylanla Vanzant says in her, Until today,  published in 2000, " When you are the light, you cannot complain about the darkness. The only thing you can do is shine. You must shine brightly in everything you do, and everywhere you go. That is your job. When you are light, you must realize that without the darkness, you would have no meaning.

Until today you may have believed that the light must come to you. You may have complained about the darkness around you and how it seems that you are the only one trying to make the darkness brighter. Just for today, be devoted to being the light. Give of yourself without the expectation of receiving light or recognition or rewards in return."

Meet my young guest, Ms. Lauren Pittman, who is devoted to shining her light without complaining about the darkness.

Be inspired; I was. Share.

Our theme these two months is Courageous Conversations.

It's Big! And sometimes uncomfortable. To get a return on our investment, we must invest in our authenticity and vulnerability. We will have to be perfectly imperfect and receive, in love, information about issues that may be uncomfortable to think about, deal with, anticipate, and forgive. We will contemplate, evaluate, learn about, be surprised by, and celebrate.

We discovered during previous shows that the ability to have a courageous conversation is often a process, a journey, not an event. It does not always just happen when it logically should; sometimes, one must grow into it. And sometimes courageous conversations happen in and stay in our heads or our hearts. Sometimes our courageous conversations are dressed in silence.

We all have times or seasons when it requires courage to make it from one moment to the next, take the next step, or say the next word. And sometimes, we let fear, shame, and guilt demonize our potential to overcome.

But for now, we are pausing in a place where we can be mirrors for one another; our goal is to understand better topics that don't make it into polite conversations or the dinner table. We will look beyond and behind terms like human trafficking, domestic violence, child abuse, opioid poisoning, homelessness, and developmental and intellectual disabilities into their potential causes, effects, victims, stakeholders, and necessary courageous conversations.

Join my guest, Ms. Susan Young, mother of a trafficking survivor, as she courageously shares a kaleidoscope of related emotions, lessons that had to be learned, myths that had to be busted, and her growing commitment to join the army to prevent human trafficking.

Be inspired.

Per the U.S. Bureau of Census, 1300 new stepfamilies are formed each day. Forty percent of families in the U.S. are blended with at least one partner having a child from a previous relationship before marriage. The number of kids living in blended families has been stable for nearly thirty years. Children of Hispanic, Black, and white backgrounds are equally likely to live in this type of family. A little over a generation.

You will increase your chances of successfully bonding with your new stepchildren by thinking about what they need. Age, gender, and personality are not irrelevant, but all children have some basic needs and want that once met, can help you establish a rewarding new relationship.

My guest at the Frankly Speaking table today is, like all of you, a phenomenal woman. She is like many of you a wife, a mother, entrepreneur, coach, inspirational speaker, and author. She is raising two young authors who recently had their first book signing at Barnes and Nobles. She has abundant faith, a can-do attitude, and a commitment to service. She will walk us into a space that Frankly Speaking has not intentionally explored as a topic before.

Take a listen, learn things, and be inspired.

Did you know?

The NAACP was founded on February 12, 1909, the centennial anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln?

In the decades that followed, mayors of cities across the country began issuing yearly proclamations recognizing Negro History Week. By the late 1960s, thanks in part to the civil rights movement and a growing awareness of black identity, Negro History Week had evolved into Black History Month on many college campuses.

President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month in 1976, calling upon the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

Each year beginning on February 1, an entire month of events are planned nationwide honoring the contributions of African Americans.

Beginning in the early 20th century, a growing number of black industrial leaders and black entrepreneurs emerged as their families relocated from farms to cities, and from the South to the more industrialized Northeast and Midwest.

Along with the emergence of new music genres -- like ragtime, blues, and jazz --, the Harlem Renaissance in New York City also signaled a blossoming of the visual and literary arts. The Harlem Renaissance was an intellectual, social, and artistic explosion that took place in Harlem, New York, spanning the 1920s.

The Movement also included the new African-American cultural expressions across the urban areas in the Northeast and Midwest United States affected by the African-American Great Migration, of which Harlem was the largest. The Harlem Renaissance was considered to be a rebirth of African-American arts.[ Though it was centered in the Harlem neighborhood of the borough of Manhattan in New York City, many black writers from African and Caribbean colonies who lived in Paris were also influenced by the Harlem Renaissance.

Well into the century, blacks continued to break the color barrier in sports, business, and politics and have recently challenged the traditional bastions of wealth and power at the local, state, and national levels.

This week FRANKLY SPEAKING is celebrating a kaleidoscope of African Americans who have made and are making deposits into our rich history.

Click below and be inspired.

To create our common thought space for this show, I ask one of my favorite questions, “What if?” Those two words are pregnant with possibilities. So, what if you believed the most outstanding service you could offer in life is to be a light on the path?

What if your life becomes a shining symbol for others. What if you let everything you do be of service to someone. What if you stand tall in the knowledge of who you are. What if you stand proudly during tough times.

Your affirmation might say, “Today, I am devoted to shining the light of compassionate support and service on those who may be in need.”

Joining us at the table is a charming, articulate, and selfless young woman who exists to serve, protect, and empower others in need. Please meet Ms. Ambreen Rizvi, CEO and Founder of Brigade of Mercy…Compassion Without Borders and so much more.

Listen, and be inspired.

Consider this:

“On any given night, approximately 41,000 unaccompanied youth ages 13-25 experience homelessness.

The average age a teen enters the sex trade in the US is 12 to 14 years old. Many victims are runaway girls who were sexually abused as children.

Many "latchkey" children experience stressful and even dangerous situations without ready access to adult guidance and support. It is estimated that as many as 10 million American children care for themselves before or after school. Many latchkey kids begin their self-care responsibilities The US teen birth rate (births per 1,000 females aged 15 to 19 years) has been declining since 1991.at about 8 years of age.

Youth drug abuse is a high-profile public health concern, with at least 1-in-8 teenagers abusing an illicit substance in the last year. Drug use among 8th graders increased 61% between 2016 and 2020. By 12th grade, 62% of teenagers have abused alcohol.”[1]

Often young people face life's challenges with little or no support. They are often victims of social media bullying, where their self-esteem can drain away. We can look into their eyes, but can we hear their silent screams? Young brains are supposedly not fully developed until age 26.

Second Story transforms the lives of children, youth, and their families by providing safe havens and opportunities for them to grow and thrive. Their programs provide support at critical turning points in their lives. Founded in 1972 as “Alternative House” in Fairfax County, Virginia, Second Story helps children and youth stay safe, make positive decisions, achieve educational success, and overcome personal crises.

Take a listen to my guest Benn, Vice president of residential Services,  get smarter, and subscribe.

[1] Composite sources are Youth Underground, CDC, Drug abuse Statistics, NCJC.gov, and the Washington Times.

Consider this:

“On any given night, approximately 41,000 unaccompanied youth ages 13-25 experience homelessness.

The average age a teen enters the sex trade in the US is 12 to 14 years old. Many victims are runaway girls who were sexually abused as children.

Many "latchkey" children experience stressful and even dangerous situations without ready access to adult guidance and support. It is estimated that as many as 10 million American children care for themselves before or after school. Many latchkey kids begin their self-care responsibilities The US teen birth rate (births per 1,000 females aged 15 to 19 years) has been declining since 1991.at about 8 years of age.

Youth drug abuse is a high-profile public health concern, with at least 1-in-8 teenagers abusing an illicit substance in the last year. Drug use among 8th graders increased 61% between 2016 and 2020. By 12th grade, 62% of teenagers have abused alcohol.”[1]

Often young people face life's challenges with little or no support. They are often victims of social media bullying, where their self-esteem can drain away. We can look into their eyes, but can we hear their silent screams? Young brains are supposedly not fully developed until age 26.

Second Story transforms the lives of children, youth, and their families by providing safe havens and opportunities for them to grow and thrive. Their programs provide support at critical turning points in their lives. Founded in 1972 as “Alternative House” in Fairfax County, Virginia, Second Story helps children and youth stay safe, make positive decisions, achieve educational success, and overcome personal crises.

Take a listen to my guest Benn, Vice president of residential Services,  get smarter, and subscribe.

[1] Composite sources are Youth Underground, CDC, Drug abuse Statistics, NCJC.gov, and the Washington Times.

In recent months, the notion of family planning as a means of fighting climate change has emerged from the eco-warrior fringe and entered the mainstream public conversation.

Last winter, on the Facebook page, BirthStrike, a group of about 650 people based in Britain, have pledged to forgo having children because of “the severity of the ecological crisis.”

One post BirthStrike post shared the following:

“For several months after her daughter was born in 1991, Lori Day had terrifying anxiety dreams about failing to protect her baby. Decades later, the recurring nightmares about her daughter’s safety have returned, triggered by the prospect of catastrophic climate change", said Day, 56, an educational consultant in Newburyport, Mass.

Though Day used to yearn for grandchildren, she wrote to the BirthStrike group page on Facebook that her environmental concern has grown, and she is now relieved that her daughter does not plan to become a parent. “I would be worried sick,” Day said. “It would haunt me.”

Are you planning a family? Do you believe that climate change is one more thing to worry about as a potential mother, grandmother? If yes, that one more thing becomes one more thing to add to your list of what? A ticking biological clock? Fertility issues? Genetic challenges? Addiction? Marriage? Cancer? Heart disease? Gender issues?

Yeah, we as women “got it going on” in the space called worry.

So, let’s zoom out or in depending on your perspective lens and reflect, maybe restore, or reposition our thoughts if not behaviors with someone who knows, who lives up close and personal with the vulnerabilities women wear and how they manifest physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Dr. Gloria Ivy Crowe, dedicated and expert OB/GYN, joins us for another informative and authentic conversation to help women better understand how to care for the unique and notable people they are.  Click below and learn things.

This month’s theme, "Stories We Grew up with," expands our appreciation of who we have become due to the stories we have been told and the ones we have told ourselves growing up. We look at how these stories have impacted our thoughts, our dreams; ultimately, I believe everyone has a story and is a story.

Author Richard Kearney says in his book On Stories, "telling stories is as basic to human beings as eating. More so, in fact, for a while, food makes us live; stories are what make our lives worth living."

Isak Dinesen says, “To be a person is to have a story to tell. —"

Author David Denborough, Ph.D. writes, “Who we are and what we do are influenced by the stories that we tell ourselves. There are many different events in our lives, but only some of them get formed into the storylines of our identities. Whatever storyline we have about our lives makes a difference in who we are and how we act.”[1]

Be inspired by listening to Ashwani Jain answer the question, what story do you tell yourself when the White House Calls? And how his answer changed the trajectory of his life. Click below.

[1] https://psychcentral.com/blog/the-power-of-our-personal-stories/

Question:

Who fights to recognize the power of our stories, reward creators, and allows the industry to produce, distribute, and protect creative content that audiences love?

Answer:

The Motion Picture Association; the leading advocate of the film, television, and streaming industry around the world. Their members are Disney, Netflix, Paramount, Sony, Universal, and Warner Brothers. "Free speech empowers creators to entertain and inform, to challenge and inspire. Copyright ensures creators can benefit from their works and protects against piracy. Combined, these fundamental rights enable creators to thrive and bring great stories to global audiences. Combined, these fundamental rights enable creators to thrive and bring great stories to global audiences.”[1]

Meet Karyn A. Temple, Motion Picture Association Senior Executive Vice President, and Global Counsel. One of the world’s leading authorities on copyright, Ms. Temple will oversee all of the Association’s legal affairs and content protection efforts around the world. Listen below and learn things about Karyn's professional journey.

[1] https://www.motionpictures.org/what-we-do/