The Trump Aftermath and Why I Wish a Mother F*cker Would

It’s been a little over a week since Trump was elected President and since then, cities all over the country have been reporting increases in hate crimes. Whether it’s in a Miami Starbucks, a Baltimore classroom, or the streets of NY Trump supporters seem to think that a Trump win is a green light to talk out their neck and spew all types of hateful, racist rhetoric. It’s as if Trump winning the Presidency has suddenly given these disgraceful cowards the balls to let out all the hate and bigotry they’ve been forced to hide all these years. It’s as if they’ve suddenly removed the waist trainer that has been holding in their fat piggish views and can finally breathe. Continue reading The Trump Aftermath and Why I Wish a Mother F*cker Would

Time For Some Action: How To Call Your Representative To Protest Steve Bannon’s White House Appointment

Find the phone number to your Representatives and call them. This, more than any other action you take today, will have the most impact. The staffers will be obligated to answer and politely listen to you. Be kind, but be firm. If they can’t do anything else because they are answering the phones, the message will be heard. Continue reading Time For Some Action: How To Call Your Representative To Protest Steve Bannon’s White House Appointment

Coming to Terms With a Trump Presidency: Trump IS Your President, Now What?

His ego centered narcissism is a direct contradiction of his ideology of wanting to make this country great again for all. He has never done anything for the greater good. His history proves that. His elitist mentality that has spanned over his 70 years doesn’t simply go away because he now finds himself elected President. Continue reading Coming to Terms With a Trump Presidency: Trump IS Your President, Now What?

A Mother’s Letter to Her Daughter on Her 1st Birthday (for Alexah)

It takes 365 days for the Earth to complete its orbit around the sun. Today signifies the completion of your first revolution. The average distance between the Earth and the Sun is 92.96 million miles. The average distance between a dream and its manifestation is the number of times your knees have bled while clinging to the ground in prayer. You are my greatest prayer manifested in human form and for the rest of my life I will remember this moment, and be grateful that you chose me to be the vessel to bring you into this world. Continue reading A Mother’s Letter to Her Daughter on Her 1st Birthday (for Alexah)

The Mamí Chronicles: The Gift of Mothering

I watch you in the morning while you are sleeping. I prepare my altar carefully so not to disturb you. I burn sage to remove unwanted spirits. They say this is how you keep the evil away. The smoke fills the air. The faint light of dawn creeps through the window highlighting the softness of your face. The stillness of the room interrupted only by … Continue reading The Mamí Chronicles: The Gift of Mothering

Habla Y Vota: The HBO Documentary On the Power Of Voting in the Latino Community

What I appreciated most about this documentary and the way it was presented is its willingness to showcase how one vote does indeed matter. By allowing us to look at the challenges others in our community face, albeit coming from celebrities, it revealed that when it comes to things like immigration, healthcare, and employment we are all equally impacted by the decisions and policies put in place by our government officials and lawmakers. There are 27 million registered Hispanic voters in this country. Could you imagine if you put 27 million people in one room how loud we would be? That’s what your vote does. It allows you to be heard. So the more of us who vote, the louder we are, and the more they cannot ignore us. Continue reading Habla Y Vota: The HBO Documentary On the Power Of Voting in the Latino Community

#NoALaJunta: Puerto Rico’s Government Appointed Fiscal Control Boards Meets for the First Time in NYC Amid Protests

  It’s a wet grey morning in New York City. It’s raining. I’m cold and I’m tired. Despite the dreariness of the day I trudge on and don’t allow these things to stop me from attending Comité Boricua’s call to action against Congress’ decision to impose the Puerto Rico Oversight Management and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA) on the Puerto Rican people. This morning the government … Continue reading #NoALaJunta: Puerto Rico’s Government Appointed Fiscal Control Boards Meets for the First Time in NYC Amid Protests

Why Police Officers Need to Be Held to Higher Standards

I have been a staunch advocate against police brutality. Not because I am anti police, but because I am anti injustice. I have written quite extensively about my views whether be it here on my blog or via my social media pages. It is my duty as a writer to use my voice as a change agent. Watching videos of Brown and Black people get murdered by the very individuals entrusted with keeping us safe are becoming as common as an internet meme being shared and re-posted millions of times. Watching the killing of our people is becoming normalized and watching someone get murdered before our eyes should never feel normal. So when people say to me “Well, how about the number of cops who get killed every day in the line of duty? I never see you say anything about them” I get angry. Not because I don’t value the lives of the officers, but because unlike unarmed civilians, cops have made a conscious decision to risk their lives by choosing to be police officers. Moreover, every time I turn on the evening news or every time I log onto Facebook or Twitter I am not being bombarded by images and videos of cops being murdered. Why not? Because it is understood that death is a possible consequence of choosing to be a cop. Therefore, if a cop is killed in the line of duty we know they have made the ultimate sacrifice in performing their job function. This is not an expectation we have for the average American. Continue reading Why Police Officers Need to Be Held to Higher Standards

Policing the Police: Who Do You Call When Cops Murder?

As I watch the news and read the first eye witness accounts and see the images on the internet, I am horrified and I am afraid of the direction this country is headed. This is all too familiar and very reminiscent to the Civil Rights movement of the 50’s and 60’s. I can sit here and discuss the countless ways our constitutional rights are being violated. I can argue about the lack of accountability in holding these police departments legally responsible for many of these senseless deaths, but the reality is that none of those things matter, at least not when it comes to the targeting and shooting of people of color. If it did there would not be such a brazen abuse of power amongst police officers not only in large cities like New York and Los Angeles, but all over the country. The fact is these officers hide behind their badge and use their shield as an excuse to be above the law. Continue reading Policing the Police: Who Do You Call When Cops Murder?

The Mamí Chronicles: A Letter to My Daughter on Her 4th Birthday

You are growing up so differently than your father and me. Your experiences are going to be different and I can only pray and wish that you always know just how beautiful and strong you are. Always know that you come from good stock. You have a family who loves you, protects you, and will always defend you…no matter what. Know that when it feels like the entire world is against you home is where you can always return to feel loved and be safe. Always trust your instincts. Treat others with the same kindness and respect that you expect for yourself and those you love. Never be afraid to stand up for yourself or for injustices. Mommy and daddy will always, ALWAYS have your back. You can bank on that. Continue reading The Mamí Chronicles: A Letter to My Daughter on Her 4th Birthday