Tag: Dr. Andrale D. Jean Louis

Before You Call Him an Immigrant, Remember: He Is Somebody’s Son

There are photographs that inform us. And there are photographs that disturb something inside us. These images did the second. A Haitian man appears overwhelmed, his face buried in his hands. In another frame, he is on the ground as people around him try to assist. The accompanying headline describes a Haitian man breaking down […]

The Woman You Become After You Stop Begging to Be Chosen

There is a particular kind of exhaustion that comes from constantly trying to prove your value to people who have already decided not to see it. You explain more. You give more. You wait longer. You forgive faster. You make excuses for behavior that would concern you if you saw someone else tolerating it. And […]

Stop Shrinking: You Do Not Have to Earn the Right to Take Up Space

There comes a point in your life when you realize something both uncomfortable and liberating: you have spent far too much time trying to make other people comfortable with your greatness. You softened your voice. You downplayed your accomplishments. You walked into rooms overqualified and still wondered whether you belonged. You apologized before offering your […]

When the Mentor Gets to See the Harvest

There are moments in life that quietly bring everything full circle. Recently I found myself sitting with four of my books in front of me, preparing to sign and mail them to someone who knew me long before the titles, the degrees, and the accomplishments: one of my mentors from my early years in the […]