When it comes to weaving a spell, Lauren B. Parker@laurenparker is a master of her craft. As a co-creator of #BlackGirlMagic Podcast in Portland, Oregon, this “podcast for Ladies when the world is doing too much” has generated the kind of buzz and excitement that indicates that it’s a welcome breath of fresh air on the digital audio circuit.

This past summer as my daughter was gearing up for 6th grade, my wife and I decided to make sure her math skills were sharp. I whipped out a few multiplication flash cards to make sure she was on point and we began revising. I could see her tighten up as I administered the quiz, and she soon showed me why. She struggled with her 6’s, 7’s, and barely knew any of the 12’s. This was a problem, so I decided to take action. I told her that if she got all her times tables down by the end of the week, she would get a $20 cash prize. She got excited, just as I expected, and I sat back with my hands on my head thinking “that was easy.” Problem solved. I silently observed her over the next few days, and on Friday, I gave her the test, as promised. The results may surprise you. She did worse than she had done before.

For the University of Oregon @UofO, leadership in this department comes from Jim Brooks @jimbrooks, the Director of Financial Aid and his dedicated staff. Brooks holds a Masters degree in Sociology which, initially, may ring a bit odd. Why would someone schooled in the study of social beings be put in charge of a finance game? After all, students just need someone to find them the bucks that can give them the biggest bang; a numbers cruncher, right? On the contrary, what the University of Oregon has come to value in Brooks and his financial aid team is their ability to connect to the consciousness and the human condition of the students.

For the last 3 years I’ve had the opportunity to travel with fantastic like-minded people to a very unique and special place in the high desert of New Mexico where we learn how to up cycle man-made discarded materials in order to incorporate these materials into amazingly crafted self-sustainable homes known as Earthships.

If you’re a Black owned business in Portland, Oregon right now, there is an abundant amount of money and resources reserved specifically for you. Sounds like a joke? It’s actually true. If you fit this mold, the key to claiming these benefits lies in two specific skills, paying attention and navigating the system. Before we get to this, it may be helpful if we give some historical context to how this abundance came about.

Under the Leadership of Dr. Karin Edwards, Portland Community College Cascade Campus @drkedwardspcccc continues to expand their educational platform to include inclusion for the vulnerable, marginalized and oppressed. Even one felony conviction, let alone several, can lead to critical barriers in employment, housing and education and when race is factored into the equation, these barriers can often prove insurmountable.

The future for which Fitzpatrick and PCRI work relentlessly, flies in the face of a dark and tumultuous history of corruption, embedded, institutionalized racism within and ongoing economic disparities that continue to result in devastating consequences, up to and including displacement.

The concepts of “personal responsibility” and “rugged individualism” are buried deep in the American ethos, reflecting our historic ideals of being a land of opportunity. Yet it is becoming clearer every day that the opportunity structure in America is inequitable, as lower-income communities and communities of color are too often cut off from key drivers of opportunity such as quality schools, safe neighborhoods, reliable transit, and good jobs.

Always make those above you feel comfortably superior. In your desire to please or impress them, do not go too far in displaying your talents or you might accomplish the opposite – inspire fear and insecurity. Make your masters appear more brilliant than they are and you will attain the heights of power.

Since the beginning of America’s independence, the issue of slavery has been used as a political tool to leverage white colonial progress. While many people can identify race as playing a huge factor in the American Civil War, only a few remember how the birth of our nation was founded on fears of racial integration and black freedom @onmanybacks.

That was how 23 year old rap star Aminé (@amine)' set the tone for the concert in his hometown @glitters of Portland, Oregon at the Roseland Theater. The night was filled with positive words of affirmation along with educational statements about gentrification and race. I know that seems pretty deep for someone who is famous for singing about a hot girl named Caroline but I am telling you it happened.

His name is in the mouths of his supporters and naysayers. Among the latter is The Nose, a newspaper columnist for the Willamette Week who chided Hennessee in one of his editorials saying, “Hennessee's political judgment comes from the Dick Cheney school of polish.”

In a heavy Ukrainian accent, Alex echoes a voice that many people use when describing the Pacific Northwest. The rain keeps things fresh and clean and the temperature is never too hot nor cold. The mountains, the rivers and the green foliage all make for a convivial allure that can provide mental clarity.

The Enomatic offers wine aficionados a new twist on tasting and ordering their favorite drink. Think of it as a wine vending machine—put your pre-purchased Enomatic debit card into the machine, push the button corresponding to the wine of your choice, and watch as your drink is poured directly into your glass. This wine “vending machine” just might be the spark that ignites a wine revolution worldwide.

Folks, we are living in Flossin’ times, a time of contribution. It doesn’t matter if you are a big-timer or a little-timer. What matters is that when it hits the fan, we get busy. Those who help, give not just of themselves but they give their all. We commend these people.

On one side of the office there are windows overlooking a barbershop, on the other it’s a retail store with an indoor basketball court. Looming next to the desk there is a TV that displays the few hidden spots via several security cameras.

They’ve hustled their music in the true since of the word hustlers. Their resume’ extends from, performing on the streets of downtown, to cities and states across the US and Canada. This female duo made up of Toni Hill and Sindell, otherwise known as “Sirens Echo” are staking their claim in the world of hip-hop.