Among homelessness and drugs, Shadid Muhammad found himself and a purpose when he found art

Originally posted on Neat Nashville:
Ashshahid Muhammad, 39, originally from Memphis, grew up in the streets for many years, before eventually finding himself through art. At the age of 13, Shadid, as most call him, was involved in a robbery. He was convicted and sentenced to eight years in prison but only served six. He…

My Plea to My White Friends and Family in South Carolina

If you are friends with me IRL or online, my political leanings are not in anyway hidden or tamped down. They rarely have been. I’ve been opinionated and passionate about politics for almost forty years (true story). There are many of you who do not agree with me politically about very much. Typically, we just […]

Tweet of the Day: You Can’t Handle the Ruth

Omg yes – Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is holding this shirt up. Need it. pic.twitter.com/U2UdhdccdH — Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) March 17, 2015

Stories From the Streets of Nashville

A 5 year-old kid wandered in our office today. By himself. Saying he was hungry. We fed him from all the things we had brought for our own lunches. Our office is in the projects off Lafayette and yesterday I took a woman grocery shopping. She had fifteen dollars to spend for the next 7 […]

Raised Online – Self-Efficacy in the 5th Grade

This is not a post about the evils of children being online too much, or how dangerous it can be or even a post lamenting shorter attention spans and a lack of real-world adventure. This is a post about how my oldest son Riley has benefited from the internet in ways that were unthinkable when […]

Help Me Raise Money Cheeses!

Originally posted on Riley's Backpack:
I know no one is going to get the Cheesy amount, but I can try! All the info is on this website Link To Fundraiser

Creating a Space Where There Was None

Tenx9 Nashville hosts monthly storytelling events in Nashville and around the world. I am deeply honored to be a part of this community of people. Our motto is an Irish saying, “It is in the shelter of each other that the people live.” The joy, insight and beauty of true stories leaves my heart larger […]

LA MEDIA NARANJA

Originally posted on Margaret Ellis :
There is an expression in Mexico, “La Media Naranja.” Literally this means half the orange, but like most things in español, it isn’t a literal translation. It simply means, the better half, or soul- mate. It sometimes seems that the world is full of people who are looking for the…

BE WARNED: This is a Process Blog Post.

Here is your all-important BACKSTORY:  In July, poof! There was no more job that I love (coordinating ongoing content for small businesses). My position and department were eliminated. And I have three wonderful kids that expect to eat regularly. You wouldn’t believe how often they are hungry. In August, my beloved Papa passed away after […]

October is EVERYTHING

Why yes, it is my birthday month. And the Nashville AIDS walk, the Nashville Zombie Walk, Halloween (!!!!!) — complete with pumpkin spiced anything and everything. It is also Artober. I am a fan of all of these things. The weather is perfect. PERFECT. Here are some handy dandy guides to help you maximize THE […]