When Kindness Goes Too Far People with good hearts often become safe places for others. We listen, forgive, give second chances, and try to understand before we judge. Those qualities are good, but not everybody handles kindness with care. Some people appreciate generosity, while others learn how to take advantage of it. We can keep
A Good Heart Still Needs Boundaries Read More »
The Pattern Behind the Technology There is a pattern in the history of surveillance that deserves our attention. New methods of identification and monitoring are often introduced to solve legitimate problems involving crime, fraud, war, or public safety. Yet some of these methods first developed in places where governments had extraordinary power over the people
From Colonial Fingerprints to Predictive Policing: When Surveillance Comes Home Read More »
Four Years of Silence Benjamin O. Davis Jr. entered West Point in 1932 with a dream of becoming a military pilot. As a young Black man, he already understood that talent alone would not protect him from racism. His father, Benjamin O. Davis Sr., was one of the few Black officers serving in the Army.
Benjamin O. Davis Jr.: The Cadet They Tried to Break Read More »
Why Shoppers Are Asking Questions Walking into Goodwill and seeing a used coffee mug priced at six dollars can make you wonder what happened to the old thrift-store bargain. The question becomes even stronger when donated clothing, furniture, or electronics are priced close to what we might pay somewhere else. Most of us donate because
When Donated Goods Start Looking Like Retail: What Really Happened to Goodwill? Read More »
The Question Behind the Rumor Every so often, a claim makes its way around that Historically Black Colleges and Universities are secretly owned by white people. I understand why somebody might ask the question because the history of HBCUs includes white missionaries, philanthropists, religious organizations, state governments, Black churches, formerly enslaved people, and Black educators.
Who Really Owns HBCUs? The Truth Is More Complicated Than the Rumor Read More »
Looking Rich and Being Rich Are Two Different Things There is a big difference between having money and needing everybody around you to believe you have money. These days, that difference can be hard to see because we are constantly shown wealth through things that catch the eye. We see the luxury car, expensive watch,
When the Loudest Flex Comes From the Weakest Pockets Read More »
Why a Simple Favor Can Become a Lot of Work Most of us have probably asked somebody at one time or another, “Can you introduce me to so-and-so?” It sounds like a small favor because we are only asking one person to connect us with another. But when you really think about it, we may
Make the Yes Easy: A Better Way to Ask Someone for an Introduction Read More »
The Words We Use Set the Tone We often think good communication depends mostly on the big things we say, but sometimes the smallest words have the greatest influence on how a message is received. A single word can make somebody feel hopeful, disappointed, worried, defensive, or curious before we have even finished the sentence.
“As It Turns Out”: How a Few Words Can Change a Conversation Read More »
The Moment Something Changed Sometimes one conversation can change the way we look at money, education, opportunity, and even the rules we thought everybody was following. I remember hearing a professor explain how some financially knowledgeable families make decisions differently because they understand how financial systems actually work. He talked about marriage, income, college costs,
When I Realized the Rules Were Not Experienced the Same by Everybody Read More »
The World Was Not Designed Around Your Peace Modern life gives us more convenience, information, entertainment, and connection than any generation before us could have imagined. At the same time, much of the world around us was never designed with our peace of mind as the first concern. Businesses need customers, employers need workers to
The World Is Competing for Your Attention: Protecting Your Peace in an Age of Too Much Read More »