Removing the Guardrails of Democracy I grew up reading comic books, and although Marvel was always my first love, somewhere over the past decade I developed a much deeper appreciation for the DC Universe and the ideas buried beneath many of its characters. The new HBO series Lanterns, which I highly recommend, brought me back…
There is a reason people who want absolute power eventually become interested in who gets to vote. Voting is not the entirety of democracy. It never has been. Democracies also require independent courts, a free press, functioning legislatures, civil liberties, peaceful transfers of power, and citizens willing to hold government accountable. But the ballot remains…
Personal Reflection The person I am today, or at least the person people have come to know, was not always this version of me. Today, I am an avid reader, an academic, and, I hope, an inspiring scholar-practitioner. I take scholarship seriously, perhaps more seriously than some people around me understand. But my current identity…
We Are Learning a Painful Lesson If nothing else, everything happening around us should instill in people with clear minds and genuine empathy a renewed sense of hope. Not because this moment itself is particularly hopeful. In many respects, it is disturbing, exhausting, and deeply revealing. The hope comes from the fact that the stakes…
When Representation Is Not Solidarity There is something I have been wrestling with more lately, and I need to get it off my chest. Perhaps I am speaking to the choir. Maybe I am just speaking to myself. Either way, I am increasingly irritated, perplexed, and, frankly, pissed off when I see Black and Brown…
One of the lessons I have learned over more than two decades in leadership positions is that leadership reveals something about who we are. One hundred percent. Titles can give us authority, but they do not imbue us with character or integrity. I have worked with talented people who seemed to believe that the quickest…
There is a sentence in a recent social media post that has stayed with me for days: “The fear lives in the maybe.” I have thought about those words often because they capture something many Black Americans understand instinctively but struggle to explain to people who have never had to live it. The “maybe” is…
A reflection on opportunity, leadership, and why I still believe talent is our nation’s most overlooked resource. Before you read this post, I hope you’ll take a few minutes to watch my recent presentation, “Learning to Lead Without Losing Yourself,” delivered as one of six featured Sprint Speakers during the closing session of the 2026…
The Problem With Always Being Nice Most people think being polite is a good thing. In most situations, they are right. Basic courtesy makes life easier. It helps people coexist, work together, and navigate disagreements without unnecessary hostility. There is certainly nothing wrong with being kind, considerate, or thoughtful toward others. The problem arises when…
It’s a strange thing to be lectured, albeit tacitly, about the importance of representation in the workplace. Over the course of my professional career, I have had exactly one supervisor who looked like me. One. My experience has been far from unique. For many people across countless professions, the norm is to work alongside and…
To what extent are we creating the very behaviors we later criticize in new professionals? Over the past several years, I have heard countless conversations about changes in the profession. Experienced professionals often express frustration about what they perceive as a lack of initiative, reduced critical thinking, increased dependency on supervisors, and hesitation in decision-making…
Tonight, I looked at my gis laid out and realized they tell a story I don’t always take time to honor. They are more than training uniforms. They are reminders. Each one represents a different chapter of my life. Different cities. Different seasons. Different people I once stood beside. Over the years, I’ve moved a…
On August 22, 2026, I will attend the 15th annual Hope For More Foundation Fashion & Hope event. At first glance, it looks like what many charity galas aspire to be: fashion, glamour, local celebrities, runway showcases, and philanthropy wrapped into one evening. But underneath the lights and polished presentation is something more important. The…
They say change is the one constant in life. That sounds simple until life actually starts shifting underneath your feet. A relationship ends. A job changes. A friendship fades. Your faith evolves. Your body changes. Your peace gets interrupted. Suddenly the version of life you thought was stable no longer feels familiar. Life be Life-ing….
Why Brotherhood Still Matters Recently, I stepped away from the usual pace of life to celebrate the birthday of a friend and fraternity brother. A brilliant brother who is killing it in the franchising realm, I had the chance to sit with him and learn more about the lessons he has learned as a successful…
Here we are… Through out this blog piece I reference back to several videos I made previously leading up to and following the most recent presidential election. Enjoy. I recorded my “Interest Convergence” episode about six months ago. It opens with a cold open: Eddie H. interviewing a white supremacist, Jared Taylor, who says the…
This morning as I organize and unpack ?… I looked at my gis laid out and realized they tell a story I do not always take time to honor. They are more than training uniforms. They are reminders. Each one holds a chapter of my life. Different cities, different seasons, and different people I once…
Recently, I noticed a phrase gaining traction, and I want to offer a thought on it. I keep hearing some version of the talking point, “Not all Republicans are racist, but all racists tend to be Republican.” I am paraphrasing, but that is essentially the gist. It is catchy, but it is also a sloppy…
Before getting into today’s topic, I encourage you to check out the latest episode of the Boogie Down Scholar Podcast. In that episode, I talk about this issue and walk listeners through how we arrived at this moment. This blog post expands on my podcast episode. What we are seeing in conservative media is a…
Scholars who want to hear the fuller conversation should also check out my Boogie Down Scholar podcast and YouTube episode on this same topic. I recorded an in-depth discussion with a friend of the show where we unpack how the math crisis shows up in real classrooms, real families, and real policy debates. The episode…