Join Me on "Real Talk with Da Famous Boyzz" today!

Join Us! I will be LIVE on "Real Talk with Da Famous Boyzz" today at 6PM EST. If you're on Social Media, you don't want to miss today's show!

The Power of Social Media! #GraduateToGo @sojournerruth

Twitter has allowed me to connect with folks that I've never met before, and more recently some Atlanta celebrities. Last night, Taco Bell's, Taco Bell Foundation encouraged followers and fans to help kids graduate high school by offering $5 for every tweet sent out with the hashtag #GraduateToGo.

Being an advocate for students to go to college, and having worked in higher education for more than 10 years, I immediately jumped on the opportunity to tweet to my "Tweet Peeps." Something moved me to reach out to Big Boi, previously from the group, OutKast and encourage him to "Retweet" my tweet, "Tonight for every tweet w/ #GraduateToGo @TacoBell will donate $5 to help kids graduate high school. *Retweet*" 

Thankfully, Big Boi retweeted my tweet and the rest is history (as they say). Big Boi and I were able to encourage more than 100 people to tweet and support the mission. Thanks to his followers and mine, we helped many students think about the possibilities of graduate high school and attending college. 

The Power of Social Media!

Onward, 
Sojourner 

Tweet "Justice for Little People" : Casey Anthony "Not Guilty" Verdict

Today at work I became teary-eyed and emotional as I learned about the Casey Anthony "not guilty" verdict. I immediately went into a state of disbelief and became sad all over again about the senseless death of Caylee Marie Anthony (August 9, 2005 – c. June 16, 2008). 

For the last three years millions of Americans have been fixated on the Casey Anthony trial and glued to the television anticipating whether or not she would be found "guilty" or "not guilty" for the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee Marie.

Justice for Little People: Casey Anthony Verdict

Today the jury panel of seven women and five men acquitted Casey Anthony of first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, and aggravated manslaughter of a child. (Sentencing for misdemeanor charges of giving false information is set for Thursday.)

Did Casey Anthony get a slap on the wrist for covering up the murder of her child? Or was there not enough evidence to convict Casey Anthony of murdering her little girl?

Celebrities React on Twitter to the Casey Anthony "Not Guilty" Verdict

hollyrpeete (Holly Robinson Peete): "I am numb...but like I said on @thetalk_cbs the wheels of justice have turned... #restwithangelscayleemarie #diedinvain #caseyanthonyverdict"

Joy Behar: "I am shocked by the #caseyanthonyverdict. Though I can’t say this is the first time Florida screwed up on an important vote. #HLN"

Piers Morgan: "Not guilty of murder...but still guilty of being a shockingly bad mother. #CaseyAnthony"

Star Jones: "I believe in the jury system and accept (the) verdict, but I can’t take smiles from Casey Anthony right now. She may be not guilty but her baby is dead!"

Kim Kardashian: "What!!!???!!! Casey Anthony found not guilty! I am speechless!"

Whether Casey Anthony is truly innocent or guilty there seems to be no justice for little people. Every child deserves a happy and safe childhood. The fact is that there is a child who lost her life either by the hands of her mother or by someone else.

How did you react to the verdict?

Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention

I'm so proud of my dad, Dr. Manning Marable, author of the new Malcolm X biography, Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention. Featured on Amazon.com, "Years in the making-the definitive biography of the legendary black activist. Of the great figures in twentieth-century American history perhaps none is more famous than Malcolm X."

The video below is the first installment of the Malcomology video project, by truth2power films.

 

Visit my dad's blog at http://detroitred.tumblr.com, like him on Facebook, and follow him on twitter.

This title will be released on April 4, 2011. Pre-order now! Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

10 Things to Do While You’re Pregnant

During the 7^th month of my first pregnancy, I spent most of the weekend time sitting in the house waiting for the baby to arrive. My husband, Roland, tried to get me out of the house, but towards the end of my pregnancy I felt like a “huge bus” and didn’t want to go anywhere. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed being pregnant, but the added 60 plus pounds wasn’t flattering. Frankly, it was hard to breathe!

Only during my second pregnancy did I realize, that I shouldn’t have stayed in the house (the first time around). I had to move and be moved. In searching, I discovered several things that made my second pregnancy more fun, active, and enjoyable.

1. Bargain Shop - It's fun and quite humbling to watch your belly grow. Have fun buying new clothes to flatter your new figure.

2. Swap Clothes – Exchange or borrow maternity clothes from your friends or co-workers. One of my favorite girlfriends, Teresa, and I have shared maternity clothes during both pregnancies. We love taking pictures of each other in the clothes and comparing our mommy bumps.

3. Exercise – Walking keeps you in shape and is good for the baby. I didn’t exercise during my first pregnancy and gained a great deal of weight. I exercised and didn’t gain as much weight with the second pregnancy. This allowed my post-pregnancy body to come back a lot quicker. My sister, Malaika, signed up for yoga for expectant moms and loved it!

4. Cravings – It’s best to eat in moderation, but if you’re craving something eat it! Experiment with different nutritional foods too.

5. Photos – Take pictures documenting your growing belly. I took pictures each month and created a video documenting my pregnancy.

6. Curiosity – If you feel comfortable, share your pregnancy updates with your friends and colleagues. Sharing can help people feel closer to you and excited about your bundle of joy.

7. Courtesy – Allow people to open doors for you! It’s okay to take advantage of certain perks during your pregnancy. Publix Supermarket has several parking spots designated for new and expecting moms. Does you supermarket have designated spaces? If not, ask for what you deserve.

8. Date Night – When the baby arrives, date nights will have to be put on the back burner for a while. When you are less sleep deprived, schedule several date nights with your partner. Dress up and enjoy being out of the house.

9. Baby Shower – Showers are great events for your family, friends and you to celebrate your bundle of joy. If this isn’t your first pregnancy, then ask your family and friends to “throw you” a diaper shower. We had a diaper shower, and the diapers lasted over 3 months. Also, remember to ask for several different diaper sizes.

10. Support Groups – Join or create a new mom support group. My colleague, Lara, and I started a support group at work. It’s a wonderful way for new, expectant, and seasoned moms to get together monthly to discuss motherhood. There are also a number of support groups online, if you can’t establish one at your job.

There are hundreds of reasons to enjoy being pregnant. I’m sure if you try one of these then you’ll be on your way to a sound mind and body, memorable moments, and a healthy beautiful baby.

Follow her on Twitter: http://twitter.com/sojournerruth .

Published in Southwest Parenting

Bringing Sexy Back After Baby

Southwest Parenting Magazine
Staring in the mirror at my brown, naked body after having my son frightened the heck out of me! I was so appalled that my once somewhat shapely, high school sprinter and college homecoming sorority queen figure had gone caput. This image staring back at me in the mirror looked like Shrek, a “cute” monster. I tried to style my hair differently, wear make-up and show some newly developed cleavage, but nothing could help my 211-pound figure. Bottom line, I needed to lose weight.

Before I had my son, I weighed in with my shoes off at 163 lbs. A twenty-eight- year-old, 5’5 ½” tall woman, is a pretty huggable size. My husband liked my new post baby figure, but he wasn’t toting around the extra weight. A trainer at a nearby gym checked my Body Mass Index (BMI) and said that I was borderline obese. I cried and continued to eat. My mom tried to console me by recommending nutritional foods to eat, and sending magazines ads and literature on “Ways to Tone Your Abs” and “How to Get
J’ Lo’s Buns.” The materials started collecting dust on my shelf.

One day, I woke up and decided that I was going to beautify these new stretch marks, flabby middle, and discolored neck. I created a schedule for myself with a daily routine to bring sexy back and unleash my inner “hot mama.” Maintaining my enthusiasm, I also decided to do the following: post a calendar in my bathroom to keep track of my weight daily, create a motivational board, post positive quotes in my office, and seek advice from a professional trainer.

Kimberly Isom, a certified International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) personal trainer, advised mothers to be consistent with their workout regiment. She stated, “Exercise and eating healthy goes hand and hand to shed those unwanted pounds. Eating healthy lends itself to some very tasty options and there are several ways to substitute bad ingredients for good ones to whip up a very tasty dish. You should commit to at least two-three days of resistance training and cardio per week and clean up those cabinets for healthy food and snacks, but always remember to read the labels and stay away from the processed items, high sugar, and sodium foods. Drink plenty of water, and you are well on your way bringing sexy back!”

My son will turn two years old in June. I’m now weighing in at 145 lbs. I would like to lose 10 more pounds, but I’m a lot happier now with my weight than I was after I had my child. My best advice is to do your best and stay the course. It will take some time to get into a routine. After a couple of weeks, you will start working out unconsciously and will be looking finer than fine in no time!