self development Archives

In self development June 25, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

YEWANDE MARQUIS: HOW DO YOU STUNT FOR THE ‘GRAM BUT STILL KEEP IT REAL?

It’s easy to underestimate the power of social media to negatively influence our thoughts and desires. We scroll and like and scroll and comment and keep scrolling and liking all day, but we leave with our minds loaded with all that we had just seen and read.

Today I posted some pictures on social media. I looked good and took some “Instagram-worthy” pictures I thought would make sense to share. I wanted a befitting caption to accompany the photos, but also didn’t want to put something pretentious or some other unrelated inspirational quote. The only thing that came to mind and was quite apt for how I felt at the time were lyrics to the song, Anchor by Bethel Music: Holding onto hope, holding onto grace, fully letting go, I surrender to your will. Though still unrelated to my pictures, I paraphrased and posted.

As I edited my pictures, I got the guilty feeling that I was posting pictures that weren’t necessarily reflective of my mood, upholding the fact that social media promotes a façade and the idea of keeping up appearances. I honestly wasn’t in the brightest of spirits, but still wanted to drop one for the ‘gram. As the likes and comments poured in, it occurred to me that someone out there would see my photos and be led to think that I have it good, with no serious worries. Who knows, someone struggling with a difficult situation may have seen my picture and sniggered, thinking Oh, she’s chilling and living her best life. If only that were true. But this is the reality of social media and, admittedly, I am an enabler.

Ah this person is getting married too, na wa o.

When did he relocate to Canada? Everybody is leaving Nigeria.

Wow, I remember when this girl started this business and now she has blown. Me I’m still here saying I want to start something.

See how pretty this girl looks and she lost so much weight.

Aww, they look so in love. When will I get my own love like this? *Types comment*: Couple goals <3 <3

This one is always travelling up and down the world, living their best life, she must have plenty of money.

These are some of the many thoughts that flow through my mind when scrolling through my Instagram feed, and I know I am not alone. But what this does is that it feeds our insecurities, creates a feeling of dissatisfaction such that if we’re not strong and self-assured, our insecurities soon come to the fore. It’s a black hole, and if you’re not careful, you’ll fall into the trap of developing feelings of envy, inadequacy, unhealthy comparison, and feeling sorry for yourself based on what you see. These feelings could grow into an ugly monster.

We have made social media into this virtual reality where we view the world through tinted lenses, leading to false aspirations and triggering a fear of missing out, or the feeling that life is passing you by.

This leaves me wondering why we are comfortable keeping up appearances and showing off the good times to convince others that we are indeed living our best lives, but aren’t comfortable showing the other side – the glamorous, dishevelled, anxious, unhappy, dissatisfied sides to us. For those who are brave enough to, they are ridiculed for putting their business out there and for not hiding their dirty laundry. On the flip side, I don’t think the ridicule and shaming, especially from people who barely know you and know only your online persona, is worth it, as it could take its own emotional and mental toll on you.

At a time in my life when I was very unhappy, I took to Twitter to vent about my frustration. My tweets reeked of sadness and a cry for help. Some folks reached out, which I was very grateful for. Others asked me about it months later. In hindsight, I cringe when I think of what it must have been like reading my tweets, as I must have come off as a very sad person, which is not a pretty look, and certainly not one that is reflective of who I am today. When I see similar tweets on my timeline, I wonder if the tweeter is doing well. But if I’m being honest, those are not the kind of tweets I expect to see when I open my Twitter feed, and I don’t think I am completely wrong to say that others feel the same way.

I realise that social media, for a lot of us, is somewhat of an escape from our reality. We don’t just check-in from time to time to see what others are up to, we also check-in for entertainment and to share snippets of our lives. So, my conclusion is that we don’t necessarily want to see the sad parts of others’ lives and know about their struggles, especially if we don’t know them personally. The same way we wouldn’t feel comfortable sharing the not so glamorous parts of our lives online for everyone to see.

That is, we don’t like to put ourselves out there, which is fine. Unless it’s a success story where we share the challenges we have faced after the fact. In that case, maybe we might be more receptive to posts like these. I am all for sharing on social media, after all, it’s a great way to keep up with friends. But where I start to see a problem is where people go out of their way to prove a point and portray an image that isn’t necessarily reflective of their reality. I honestly wish people would not put up pretentious and deliberately misleading posts to garner likes and comments. I believe the extra attention promotes a false sense of importance and an unhealthy reliance on internet strangers for validation. This ignores an underlying internal issue that needs to be addressed. Social media has its good sides, but this is one of its darker sides.

I’m curious to hear your thoughts on this. How do you stunt for the ‘gram but keep things “real”? How do you strike a balance in your social media usage to avoid going over the edge and crossing the thin line between being your authentic selves and altering the appearance of your reality for validation? You are welcome to share your opinions and leave comments.

Source: Bellanaija

In self development June 24, 2019 By Women of Rubies

MEET JAPAN’S FIRST FEMALE PHOTOJOURNALIST WHO IS STILL SHOOTING AT THE AGE OF 101

At 101 years old, renowned Japanese photographer, Tsuneko Sasamoto continues to express her artistic voice and capture stunning images. Considered to be her country’s first photojournalist at the age of 25, Sasamoto has been documenting history for over 70 years, including pre- and post-war Japan. Her photographs highlighted the country’s dramatic shift from a totalitarian regime to an economic superpower, and the social implications that arose from it.

Sasamoto shooting in her 20s.

Sasamoto shooting at 97 years old.

Tsuneko Sasamoto on the cover of her book, Hyakusai no Finder.

Sasamoto remains enthusiastic about her profession, continuing to impact her chosen field. In 2011, at the age of 97, she published a photo book called Hyakusai no Finder, or Centenarian’s Finder. When she turned 100, she opened an exhibition of selected images.

Photo credit: Satoko Kawasaki

Now, Sasamoto is currently working on a project called Hana Akari, or Flower Glow, an homage to her friends who have passed away. She is completing this series despite breaking her left hand and both legs last year. Determined to not let it get the best of her, she has attended physical rehabilitation three times a week to get better. When speaking to NHK World shortly before her 100th birthday, Sasamoto offered sage advice.

Photo credit: Satoko Kawasaki

“You should never become lazy. It’s essential to remain positive about your life and never give up,” Sasamoto told NHK. “You need to push yourself and stay aware, so you can move forward. That’s what I want people to know.”

Photo credit: Satoko Kawasaki

Via My Modern

Credit: designyoutrust.com

In self development June 24, 2019 By Esther Ijewere

SUBTLE SIGNS OF EMOTIONAL ABUSE YOU MIGHT BE OVERLOOKING

WHAT IS EMOTIONAL ABUSE?

Just like physical abuse — emotional abuse is an attempt to control another person. Rather than hitting or kicking the other party, however, the perpetrator uses emotion as their weapon of choice. The abuser might be aware or unaware, but they generally are keenly aware of a deep-rooted insecurity (which drives them to belittle, harass and demean their partner, spouse or family member).

A typical emotional abuser might accuse a spouse of cheating when they’re feeling insecure about their lovability, or they might be compelled the blame their partner for something unrelated or insignificant; inspiring conflict that more-often-than-not proves their darkest prophecies true. They might also constantly trying to control every move, he /she becomes an incessant criticizer and might verbally attack the other person when they feel as though they are not being “obeyed”.

Emotional abuse looks different, however, from partner-to-partner and case-to-case. Being able to spot the signs of emotional doesn’t just start with an understanding of the concept, it starts with understanding what an abuser can look like, as well.

WHAT AN EMOTIONAL ABUSER LOOKS LIKE.

Unfortunately, there’s no one hard-and-fast recipe for what an abuser looks like. There are, however, some central signs to look for and some facts that can help deepen your understanding of their behavior. Though it may not seem it at first glance, abusers feel powerless. Rather than fessing up to their securities, they over-compensate and conceal the truth behind a nasty wall of overbearing attitude and behavior. A personality profile which often looks a little something like this:

Need to be correct or in control.
Very jealous.
Doesn’t trust anyone.
Extremely insecure.
Verbally abusive.
Blames others for everthing.
Cruel to animals or children.
Very possessive with partners and “things”.
Has a history of aggression.
Hypersensitive to criticism.
Suffers from untreated mental health problems.
Needy with unrealistic expectations.

At first, it’s easy to rationalize and respond to this type of abuse in a logical way. Over time, however, that becomes harder to do as your resilience is worn down by the constant stress of conflict and confrontation. Knowing what abuse is, and knowing what an abuser looks like isn’t enough, though. You need to be able to spot the signs of abuse, especially the more subtle ones.

THE SUBTLE SIGNS OF EMOTIONAL ABUSE YOU MIGHT BE OVERLOOKING.

Physical abuse comes with obvious physical signs that are instantly recognisable to the trained and untrained eye alike. Emotional abuse doesn’t work that way, however, and many of the signs (warning or otherwise) aren’t so easy to spot — or fess up to.

Opposing

Opposing occurs when the abuser argues against anything and everything you say. They challenge your perceptions, your opinions and your thoughts; they’ll even challenge how you carry yourself or live your life. Emotional abusers don’t care whether you’ve volunteered your thoughts or not, they treat you like an adversary and say “no” whenever they can.

Denying

Abusers love to deny the things that they’ve said or done. They’ll deny a conversation took place, and deny entire events altogether. They deny their abuse and, often, when confronted, resort to declarations of love and caring where once there was only scorn or vitriol. This manipulative behavior leads the abused party to doubt their own memory, perceptions and even experience — leading eventually to an extreme and persistent pattern more commonly known as gaslighting.

Blocking

Blocking occurs when an abuser switches topics, in order to avoid a conversation or confrontation that they don’t like. Abusers might also use accusations or blame to block you from the point you’e trying to make, and they do it with an ease that is almost breathtaking.

Undermining & interrupting

Those who abuse are fundamentally broken people, who are incapable (in the current moment) of facing their own inadequacies in any kind of meaningful way. Because they can’ face their own insecurities, they focus on the insecurities of others; working hard to undermine any sense of self-esteem or self-confidence the other party might have remaining. They’ll tell you that you don’t know what you’re talking about and even interrupt your sentences.

Minimization

One of the more subtle techniques used by emotional abusers is minimization. This practice isn’t just about making someone feel small — though that’s definitely a major part of it. More realistically, it’s the downplaying of important things, or the rendering of meaningful things as insignificant. It doesn’t matter if you’e expressing your emotions, feelings, views, problems or experiences. To the emotional abuser: it’ all worthless, and nothing to be fussed about.

Unreachable expectations

Emotional abusers are all about tearing their partners down, even when they appear to be building them up. Unreachable expectations are one of the way abusers zero in on their prey and destroy the last facets of their self-esteem. They do this by putting their partner on a ridiculous pedestal, which then allows them to react with constant disappointment and disdain. Feeling disappointed, the abuser then feel empowered to amplify their behavior, heaping even more scorn over an already scorn-filled relationship.

Walking on eggshells

The term “walking on eggshells” refers to the tendency of victims to to judge everything in their environments against how their abuser will react to it. If you find yourself making decisions based entirely around whether or not they upset your partner — you might be dealing with an emotionally abusive situation.

Isolation

Abusers need isolation in order to successfully destroy the self-esteem of their partners. For this reason, they work hard to isolate their victims from the activities and people that they love, leaving them rudderless and without help, perspective or guidance in the midst of a very turbulent unravelling. If your partner is keeping you from seeing or contacting your friends and family, then you’re in danger of dissociating from the critical support system that you need.

This article was written by E.B Johnson. Full piece here

Cover Photo: Laci Jordan

Source: Leading Ladies Africa

In self development June 22, 2019 By Women of Rubies

AT AGE 103, JULIA ‘HURRICANE’ HAWKINS SETS NEW TRACK AND FIELD RECORD

At 103, Julia “Hurricane” Hawkins has cemented her title as the oldest woman to compete on an American track after finishing the 50- and 100-meter dashes at the National Senior Games in New Mexico.

Event organizers say the Louisiana resident holds the world record for her age group of 100 and over in the 100-meter dash.

In this photo provided by the National Senior Games Association, 103-year-old Julia Hawkins, of Baton Rouge, La., competes in the 50-meter event at the 2019 National Senior Games in Albuquerque, N.M., Monday, June 17, 2019. (Brit Huckabay/NSGA via AP)

She didn’t beat her previous time Tuesday but crossed the line in just over 46 seconds in Albuquerque.

On Monday, she was clocked at 21.06 in the 50-meter event, which appears to be a new Senior Games record for the women’s 100-plus age division. There’s no record of a past female competitor in that contest.

The retired teacher says staying active keeps her sharp and she hopes she can serve as an inspiration to others.

In this photo provided by the National Senior Games Association, competitors in the 90+ age division, including 103-year-old Julia Hawkins, of Baton Rouge, La., far right, wave to the crowd after their 50-meter race at the 2019 National Senior Games in Albuquerque, N.M., Monday, June 17, 2019. (Brit Huckabay/NSGA via AP)

Credit: abc22now.com

In self development June 21, 2019 By Women of Rubies

AFRO-DOMINICAN WRITER ELIZABETH ACEVEDO BECOMES THE FIRST WRITER OF COLOR TO WIN THE CARNEGIE MEDAL

Dominican American writer, Elizabeth Acevedo added some color to the Carnegie Medal’s lily-white roster when she won the award this week.

Acevedo is the first person of color to receive the honor in its 83-year history, according to The Guardian. The Carnegie Medal is the top honor for children’s book writers in the United Kingdom.

Acevedo won the prize for The Poet X,a novel about Xiomara, a Dominican girl who uses slam poetry to “understand her mother’s religion and her own relationship to the world.”

“Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking,” read a synopsis on Acevedo’s website.

“But Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers — especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, who her family can never know about.”

Acevedo was inspired to write the book while she taught middle school English in Maryland. Katherine, a former student, refused to read assigned books because “none of these books are about us.”

“I felt like this student had given me a challenge, or at least permission to write a story about young people who take up space, who do not make themselves small, who learn the power of their own words,” the writer said in her acceptance speech.

A need forrepresentation inspires Acevedo to keep writing.

“I write for us. I write for us to see ourselves depicted with tenderness and nuance and ferocity and unflinching honesty,” she told Hip Latina in May. “I hope young Latinx readers, particularly if they are Afro-Latinx, see that they are allowed to be the heroes, they are allowed to live loudly and colorfully and with their whole selves. I hope they know they are seen and loved and that I’m rooting for, and cheering on, their triumphs.”

Her second novel, With the Fire on High, was released in May and centers around Afro-Latinx cuisine. Acevedo’s culture provides her with plenty of material.

“I have no other basis for comparison in regards to my identity, except for my own upbringing, but I think what being my parents’ child ultimately does is make me aware of the different ways we can tell stories,” she said.

“The jokes and riddles and folktales I grew up with at home become entwined with the hip-hop, first generation, hood stories of the world I live in outside of the house. My writing is an homage, and hopefully upliftment, of the many intersections my body houses.”

Acevedo is currently working on her third novel, Clap When You Land. The story about “sisterhood, love, and loss” will be released in 2020.

Credit: blavity.com

In self development June 20, 2019 By Women of Rubies

EMOTIONAL STORY OF HOW MARY SURVIVED RAPE DURING THE WAR PERIOD IN SOUTH SUDAN

Mary is a survivor of rape in South Sudan, and her story is a point of interest following the disasters in the region.

Initially, her husband was shot, and then, soldiers killed her young sons, ages 5 and 7. What’s more, they snatched her daughter from her hands, leaving her with nobody.

Mary hails from the Nuer tribe in South Sudan.

Recently, the people have been experiencing a power struggle between the country’s President Salva Kiir, of the Dinka tribe, and his Vice President, Riek Machar, a Nuer.

They fought this war based on ethnic reasons, and the Northern part of the country has been turned into a wasteland.

According to the United Nations, 50,000 people have been killed, and close to 4 million people face famine, 2.2 million fled their homes, and they have all told the story of severe maltreatment, torture and manslaughter.

Among these people who suffered the adverse effects of the war, Mary and her family members were some of the people who sought freedom and looked forward to gaining refuge. They were at a U.N. peacekeeping base in Bentiu when they encountered Kiir’s forces on the road in June 2014.

According to Mary, 27, the soldiers told her that they perceive the Nuers to be rebels, and the reason her sons were killed is that they don’t want them to grow up becoming fighters.

“We don’t kill the women and the girls,” the soldiers told Mary.

“They said they would only rape us. As if rape were different than death,” Mary adds.

Mary retreated to a safe house in neighboring Uganda run by Make Way Partners, an American Christian organization that provides housing, medical care and schooling for South Sudanese orphans and victims of human trafficking.

Following the murder of her husband and sons, five soldiers forced her to watch them rape her 10-year old daughter, Nyalaat.

“I couldn’t even see my little girl anymore. I could only see blood.” Mary says. After they had raped her daughter, they played a game of taking turns with mother and daughter, raping them both.

Within a few hours, Nyalaat died and Mary says that she wanted to die too. However, Mary didn’t give up. She rather made it to a U.N. camp for civilians displaced by war.

This didn’t stop the soldiers from attacking evebtuaeve. The violence continued, and the soldiers were still able to make their way into the camp and rape all the women they were able to get their hands on.

Mary adds:

“IT HAPPENED TO ALL OF US: LITTLE GIRLS, GRANDMOTHERS. THEY DIDN’T CARE. IF YOU CALM DOWN WHEN THEY ARE RAPING YOU, THEY WON’T BEAT YOU. BUT IF YOU RESIST, THEY WILL BEAT YOU, EVEN SO MUCH TO USE THE GUN IN YOU.”

DR MARIJUANA PEPSI, WHO REFUSED TO CHANGE HER NAME, EARNS HER PH.D AFTER COMPLETING DISSERTATION ON BLACK NAMES

Marijuana Pepsi Vandyck (yup, that’s her real name) graduated from Wisconsin’s Cardinal Stritch University in May with a Ph.D. in Leadership for the Advancement of Learning and Service in Higher Education. She wanted to prove to the world that, despite having a rather unique name, she could make it in life.

“People make such a big deal out of it, I couldn’t get away from it,” Vandyck told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Marijuana Pepsi is her legal name — and no, she doesn’t smoke and she’s not a huge fan of soda.

“Vandyck” was added after she married her current husband Fredrick in 2017. The 46-year-old, who grew up between Chicago, Illinois, and Beloit, Wisconsin, says she used to question why her mom gave her such an odd name (her sisters are named Kimberly and Robin).

“It makes it difficult sometimes,” Vandyck previously admitted to TODAY.

Her mom apparently believed her name would take her places. And in reality, she has gone places. Vandyck lives on a farm in Pecatonica, Illinois, with her husband (they have four children — her 16-year-old son, as well as three children and a grandchild on her husband’s side). In addition to teaching and running a performance coaching company, Vandyck started an annual scholarship award for African American students enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

But it wasn’t always easy. Vandyck was constantly teased growing up, especially in junior high. She dreaded when teachers conducted roll call.

“Every single class, the teacher is taking attendance out loud, and as they slowly get down through the J’s, I’m just like here it comes. ‘Marianna? Marijuana?’ And all the students turn to see who it is,” she said.

Vandyck used these situations to her advantage and wrote her thesis on the topic: “Black names in white classrooms: Teacher behaviors and student perceptions.”

For her dissertation, she spoke with other Black students who had unique names. They also opened up about those tense moments when teachers would pause on their names during roll call.

Today, she is proud to call herself Dr. Marijuana Pepsi. In a way, she thanks her mother, and she admits her name may have given her a sense of resilience.

“I’ve grown into my name because I am a strong woman,” she told TODAY. “I’ve had to be.”

Credit: blavity.com

In self development June 20, 2019 By Women of Rubies

16-YEAR-OLD NORTH CAROLINA STUDENT WHO GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL IN THREE YEARS, RECEIVES OVER $1 MILLION IN SCHOLARSHIPS

A North Carolina teenager is heading to college for free after she received more than $1 million in scholarships.

Ny’Quasia Brown has been on the road to since middle school. She began taking high school courses when she was in the eighth grade, and consequently, she’s graduating high school after only three years. As she prepared to graduate, Brown began applying for scholarships to pay for college. Due to her efforts, she secured $1.5 million in scholarshipsfrom 87 schools.

“It was very overwhelming,” Brown told WCNC. “It just felt like all of my hard work had honestly paid off.”

The 16-year-old overcame several obstacles to get to this point. She was raised by a single mother while her father was incarcerated.

“He’s my best friend, he’s my other half. And with him gone I know I have to fill his shoes that he would want me to,” Brown said. “I do everything I do because of him and my uncle.”

Brown admitted there were challenges, but she knew she had to keep going. She also worked two jobs and played basketball along with her studies.

“I know it gets hard, it gets very hard. You miss that other parent, but you can’t lose the vision,” Brown said. “Because at the end of the day you have to think, ‘what would that parent want you to do.'”

The White Oak High School senior credits her mother and godparents for ensuring she keeps her priorities in check.

“I feel so lucky because some people don’t have any parents,” Brown said. “My mom made sure I don’t feel any less than a child with two parents.”

The young scholar also has a network of friends who act as accountability partners.

“I have my five friends that when I’m down and say ‘guys I can’t do this’ they always push me to continue,” Brown said. “We’re gonna be great.”

Brown had an array of choices, but she already had her mind made up, according to HBCU Buzz.

“I’ve always wanted to go to an HBCU (historically black college or university),” Brown said. “When I started doing my research, I looked at colleges that ranked high in the nation where I knew I could also get a great education.”

She is headed to North Carolina Central University (NCCU) to study political science and has dreams of becoming a lawyer. Her mom, Crystal Gill, believes she can do it.

“Ny’Quasia is very independent and has a mind of her own, and I support her,” Gill said. “I see her being a successful attorney. She will be phenomenal and make changes in the world.”

Her principal, Dr. Christopher Barnes, spent years watching Brown work toward her goals.

“My first interaction with Ny’Quasia showed me she was a very vocal and confident freshman,” he recalled. “She has become intense and determined about success beyond high school,” Barnes said. “Her ability to know what she is after, where she is going and how to get there is admirable. She is a mold-breaker.”

Brown has simple advice for students who want to follow in her footsteps.

“Leadership is very important; take advantage of every opportunity you are given,” she said. “Place God first. Utilize your full potential. God has blessed me with a community and family that have supported me when I couldn’t do it for myself. Always remember that you have to sow a seed.”

Credit: blavity.com

In self development June 19, 2019 By Women of Rubies

STUDY SHOWS THAT SINGLE BLACK MOMS ARE DOMINATING CORPORATE AMERICA IN SPITE OF SOCIETAL BARRIERS

Analysis of new surveys on single mothers in America have revealed that Black single mothers have made huge advancements economically in the last decade, particularly in corporate America.

Both The New York Times and Forbes released reports in the last week highlighting findings from Current Population Survey data and the 2018 Motherly State of Motherhood Surveyshowing that a number of federal and state policies during the Obama presidency made it somewhat easier for single mothers to work.

The number of single mothers in the country’s workforce has grown by four percent and best-selling author Christine Michel Carter wrote in Forbes that the number of single black motherswho earned more than $75,000 grew 106 percent between 2012 and 2017. This was 30 percentage points higher than single white mothers, according to the survey.

During that same time period, single Black mothers have been able to secure higher income growth than all other single mothers by two percentage points.

Analysts have attributed these gains to a variety of policies enacted during the Obama administration and said it resembled growth seen during the Clinton administration in the 1990s.

Both periods saw an improving economy and low unemployment numbers. But what makes the most recent advances for single mothers strange is that there has been a decrease in federal efforts to provide a safety net.

Carol Burnett, executive director of the Mississippi Low Income Child Care Initiative, told The New York Times that the federal safety net has been “evisceratedand work requirements have increased.” But some studies showed that the introduction of Obamacare helped more single Black mothers get to work, and states that adopted Medicare expansion saw significantly more single mothers working.

Researchers in The New York Times report and Forbes had rival theoriesas to what lead to the recent economic gains, but some said the decreased federal safety net has forced certain states to enact policies that protect and help single mothers like paid leave and public preschool.

Single mothers, especially Black mothers, had no choice but to work with less help coming from the federal level and the growth of America’s gig economy was making it a bit easier for them to do so.

“Even with increased wages and even with the changes that are being made around leave policy and the like, employees are still at the mercy of their employers,” University of Michigan associate professor Kristin Seefeldt said to The New York Times.

“The way we think about workers, it’s on us to take care of our personal and family issues. It’s embedded in our culture that it’s not the employer’s job to do that.”

The studies showed that warehouse work, nursing opportunities and gig economy jobs were increasingly becoming avenues for single mothers to make money. A number of states also increased the minimum wage, something that has had a massive effect on increasing the wealth of single Black mothers.

Although the studies found that Black mothers were four times as likely to be single parents than any other race, millennial Black mothers were more optimistic about handling motherhood and a career than any other race.

“Perhaps these single black mothers have discovered the secret to achieving work-life balance, juggling successful careers and parenthood,” Carter wrote.

“Taking a deeper look at the largest generation of single mothers in the work force to date, over 23% of black millennial moms feel they can combine a career and motherhood, citing it’s possible to combine them creatively (compared to 14% of all millennial moms).”

Credit: blavity.com

Photo Credit: Google

In self development June 18, 2019 By Women of Rubies

“I WILL EXPOSE THE MAN WHO SEXUALLY ABUSED ME AT THE RIGHT TIME” -IFU ENNADA

Ifu Ennada, Big Brother Naija ex Housemate and business woman, has said the man who sexually abused her will be exposed soon.

While disclosing this during an interview with NAN, the budding entrepreneur said she stopped talking about the incident because she did not want to be seen more as a victim than the businesswoman and entertainer that she is.

The reality star who got infected with a Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) in the process added that her abuser was a popular name in the entertainment industry.

“I stopped talking about it because I didn’t want people to see me as just a victim. There is so much to it,” Ennada said.

“I am above that but at the right time, I will expose my abuser. He is even in Abuja.”

The movie producer, who also owns a haircare product line, had in 2018 released ‘Tears of a Broken Virgin’, a short film detailing her story in order to raise awareness on rape culture in the society.

On how she supports rape victims, the entertainer cum entrepreneur said she offers free consultation services.

“I do private consultation with a lot of these women and encourage them the way I can. Also, I speak to young women at events for free to help them become better,” she said.

“I hope to do more especially now that I have new, proper management. I hope to out and help more women.”

Credit: fabwoman.ng

Connect with us