SHANEEN KNOWS

  Ladies, have you ever found yourself carrying more in your purse than you should? Do you carry an oversized purse the size of a duffle bag? What about carrying both a purse and a second bag such as a tote? I see this every day going to and from work... women with an excessive amount of items draping from their shoulders, and I'm not referring to mothers who must carry diaper bags and additional items in their purse, but women with no children in tow. It's nothing wrong with carrying a stylishly oversized handbag or a cute tote, or both... the problem is the bigger the bag, the more you put in it, and before you know it you've got your whole life stashed away in your purse! So what's really in a purse that women feel they must have with them everywhere they go? Well, being a woman isn't easy, we require a lot more than men do. I'll just get straight to it... for example, feminine products. Women need those dreadful items and it would be no fu

If you haven't heard about this story by now then you've been hiding underneath a pretty big rock. On August 26, 2016 San Francisco 49ers quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, made a power move on the field when he refused to stand up during the national anthem in protest for racial injustice and minority oppression. Although this wasn't the first time Kaepernick protested (he sat during the anthem in the first two preseason games) it was highly noticed because this time he was in uniform. Kaepernick told NFL media in an exclusive interview I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color... To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder. For anyone who thought Colin Kaepernick's actions were just preseason shenanigans, guess again. Kaepernick continued to

    Does the woman in the picture remind you of yourself? If so, Houston we have a problem!   I am a firm believer in enjoying life and seizing the moment... Work hard and play harder is the name of the game! I know how important it is to live a fulfilling life, to me, I'm not living if I'm not fulfilled. On work days, I choose to leave the office and go outside for lunch, especially during the summer months even if I pack a lunch... There's something about breathing in the fresh air, it gives me new life. Haven't you heard the saying stop and smell the roses ? Well, I really do, I stop and smell flowers whenever I see them... Or like the closing line from the talk show The View, take a little time to enjoy the view , and I always do! At some point we have to stop and relax our minds, not just when we are sleeping. It's ok to get distracted sometimes and enjoy a good laugh or have a little fun, it's good for the soul. Some even say those are the thing

Earlier this week, basketball superstar Michael Jordan, spoke out in an open letter about the gun violence that has been taking place across the U.S. specifically amongst African-Americans killed by police officers. In the letter, Jordan simply stated I can no longer stay silent , he also offered to donate $2 million dollars to help fight the cause, $1 million to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and $1 million to the International Association of Chief's of Police's Institute for Community-Police Relations. While this is a very noble act, many are wondering what took His Airness so long to speak out against something that has been happening for years. Even some of Jordan's biggest fans took to their social media pages to react to him breaking his silence. It was just a short time ago when the youth were killing each other over a pair of his Air Jordan sneakers and never once did the basketball icon utter a word publicly about it. I oftentimes heard cries from people

After reading Kobe Bryant's open letter to his 17 year-old self, it made me think about all of the things I wish I had known then, that I know now. I think about all of the mistakes I could've avoided and all of the things that I could've done better. I also think about everything that happened when I was 17 years-old that shaped me into the person I am today and all of the hard lessons that I had to endure, which have ultimately given me valuable life experiences that I will take with me for the rest of my days, and pass them on to my children, nieces and nephews. You see, when I was a teenager, I didn't really have anyone offering up sound advice. My parents were still pretty young themselves... late 30's, early 40's so they were living their lives plus I was raised as an only child. My friends provided me with advice which is laughable because we were experiencing the same exact things. Their advice was no better than the advice I could offer them. We

Last night, as Donald Trump accepted his nomination for the presidency of the United States, he gave a compelling speech about how he could save the world. He started out by assuring us that if he were to become our president We will be a country of generosity and warmth. But we will also be a country of law and order . That sure would be nice considering everything that's going on today. But then as he got deeper into his speech, he did it the trusty Trump way and expressed his views about immigrants and ISIS terrorists. You can tell that his blood pressure was starting to boil as his voice elevated and his beady eyes began to squint. Same ole Trump rhetoric, we already know who and what he doesn't like.   When referring to the people, Trump never once mentioned anything about him wanting to bring us all TOGETHER, but instead, singling out groups- the Muslims, the immigrants, the LGBTQ community, the police... never once mentioning Blacks.   I don't know, may

Kobe Bryant newly signed to the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996     Just a few short months after NBA superstar Kobe Bryant's retirement he pens and open letter to none other than his 17 year old self. Bryant opens the letter by advising his younger self to figure out a way to invest in the future of your family and friends , and he made it crystal clear, reiterating, I said INVEST. I did not say GIVE. Bryant went on to discuss how easy it is to think you are helping someone out by simplifying their life - paying all of the bills, buying them lavish cars, homes, and more but in reality by doing that you are only causing them more harm, Kobe says the day will come when you realize that as much as you believed you were doing the right thing, you were actually holding them back. In his open letter, Kobe Bryant also warns his younger self to make sure his parents remain parents instead of becoming his managers. Kobe gave his younger self some very important advice..  bef

In light of the Melania Trump/Michelle Obama speech faux pas, I have to say First Lady Michelle Obama is truly an inspiration and it's no wonder why Melania Trump chose to draw from her speech. I mean seriously, our first lady is smart and beautiful and she's taken the role of a first lady to another level, a level that will be very hard to top. From the moment she stepped onto the scene, her presence has been felt. With her memorable Democratic Convention speech in 2008 to the many initiatives she has put in place today. Michelle Obama has without a doubt made her mark and will go down as one of the greatest first ladies in history.   When I was growing up, with the exception of a select few, I didn't hear too much about past first ladies.  Sure there was Nancy Reagan but she wasn't the one everyone talked about or admired. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis is the first lady I grew up hearing about and she was long gone from the White House when I was a kid. She was b

Melania Trump, wife of Donald Trump, gave a speech at the Republican National Convention the other day that sent cyberspace into an uproar, causing her to become the butt of many hashtags and jokes, as well as the new face of memes everywhere. Mrs. Trump was accused of plagiarism, stealing pieces from a speech First Lady Michelle Obama gave during the Democratic National Convention in 2008.   As it turns out Meredith McIver, a longtime employee of the Trump organization, spoke out on the faux pas today stating it was an innocent mistake. Like a loyal employee, McIver took the wrap for it all saying that during a phone conversation Mrs. Trump discussed people who inspired her noting a person she has always liked is Michelle Obama. McIver said Mrs. Trump gave her some examples of messages she wanted to share during her speech... apparently messages like the ones First Lady Michelle Obama conveyed in her 2008 speech. McIver said she wrote the examples down and even included them

Becoming friends with your colleagues can be beneficial to your work environment for various reasons such as great office morale, positive communication, and friendly vibes. After all, many of us spend 40 hours a week or more around our colleagues, that's almost more time spent with them than time spent with our loved ones. Once in a while you'll find that one person or that group of people you call your work family . This group celebrates birthdays, hosts potlucks and you even do things with these people outside of work. I'm not just talking the after work group cocktail outings where everyone is invited, BUT the personal invites to hang out on the weekend and the after business hours phone calls to talk about what  REALLY happened in the meeting. Friendships are born and lifelong bonds are made. That's when work friendships are like finding the golden ticket! Wonderful idea right?   But what happens when a colleague is rubbed the wrong way by somethi

What's up World!   So, by now I know everyone is fully aware of #OscarsSoWhite and all the hoopla that went on over the Oscars and the lack of diversity, not one Black actor was nominated for an Academy Award for the second year in a row. Many celebs spoke out and chose to boycott the awards ceremony like Jada Pinkett-Smith and Spike Lee. I noticed a lot of my peers on Facebook also made the decision to boycott by not watching the show. Honestly, I didn't see how my not watching would make a difference in Hollywood. I didn't think Jada or Spike would notice if I tuned in to the Oscars or not. Now don't get me wrong, I certainly applaud them for speaking up on behalf of all Black actors and actresses. I believe it is important that we stand up for what we believe in. Jada's voice was heard by everyone and her words lit a fire and put pressure on some folks, even if only for that moment... Although, some think her words were a reaction to her man Will Smith being

  Supermodel, Actress and Media Mogul Tyra Lynne Banks was born on December 4, 1973 in Inglewood, California. Tyra started modeling at age 15 while she was in high school and at age 16 she got signed to Elite Model Management after being turned down by many agencies. Tyra put her college plans on hold to travel to Europe for a modeling opportunity. She moved to Milan and by her first runway season she was booked for 25 shows at Paris Week in 1991. Soon afterward, Tyra appeared on the covers of Elle and Teen Vogue magazine, Tyra is now a contributor to the Vogue Italia website. While in Europe, young Tyra Banks had become a regular on the catwalk and was featured in several advertising campaigns modeling for some of fashion's greats like Chanel, Valentino, Yves Saint Laurent, Ralph Lauren and Nike. Tyra returned home to the United States in the mid-1990's to further her career. Tyra Banks broke color barriers in the modeling world when she became the first Black woma

For more than 50 years Major League Baseball was a segregated sport until Mr. Jackie Robinson came along and changed the game. Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born in Cairo, Georgia in 1919 to a family of sharecroppers, he was one of five children. He and his family lived where no one else looked like them, they were the only black family on a block when racial prejudice was prevalent. In spite of growing up in a single-parent home, Jackie excelled at an early age. Sports was his thing and while attending school at UCLA Jackie became the first athlete to win varsity letters in four sports: baseball, football, track and basketball. He was even named to the All-American football team in 1941. Jackie's college career was cut short when financial difficulties forced him to leave college, so he decided to try out the U.S. Army. There he became one of the first Blacks to attend Officer Candidate School and he graduated second lieutenant after only two years. Jackie's Army career

Walter Jerry Payton was born on July 25, 1954. He was fondly known around the NFL and to fans as "Sweetness" because of his moves on the field and his kindness. He will always be remembered as one of the greatest running backs to ever play the game of football. The two-time MVP played with the Chicago Bears for thirteen years (1975-1982) and during his stellar career he scored 125 touchdowns (2nd most ever), 492 receptions, he accounted for a record 21,803 combined net yards and he was a consistent threat in the passing game. In thirteen years he only missed one game and that was during his rookie season in 1975. "Never Die Easy" was Walter Payton's motto. When he practiced on the field in college at Jackson State he purposely never ran out-of-bounds and always served his tacklers punishment whenever they tried to force him down or off the field. Payton attributed his motto to his college coach, Bob Hill. Never Die Easy is also the title of his posth

It's February! The one month on the calendar when African-American heritage is celebrated every year and we owe it all to one man because he brought Black history awareness to the forefront. Founded in 1926 by Dr. Carter G. Woodson, Black History Month was originally known as Negro History Week. February became the chosen month in 1976, because both Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln were born in February. Known as the "Father of Black History," Dr. Carter G. Woodson was the son of a slave born on December 19, 1875 in Canton, New Virginia. In 1895 at age 20, Woodson began his high school studies and received his diploma in less than two years. Afterward, he went on to pursue his college career at Berea College where he earned a Bachelor degree in Literature and the University of Chicago were he received his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees. In 1912, Woodson became the second African-American to earn his Ph.D. at Harvard University where he studied

Gwendolyn Elizabeth Brooks was born June 7, 1917 in Topeka Kansas and raised in Chicago. She was the first African-American to win the Pulitzer Prize for poetry. Gwendolyn Brooks is the author of more than twenty books of poems including Blacks and Children Coming Home . She discovered her gift for writing at a young age and when she was just 13 years-old her first poem was published in a children's magazine. At age 16 she had already created a portfolio of writings that included nearly 75 published poems. A year later when she turned 17 years-old she began submitting her work to the Chicago Defender newspaper poetry column. In 1943, Brooks won her first major poetry award at the Midwestern Writer's Conference and two years later her first book of poetry, A Street in Bronzeville , was published by Harper and Row. Brooks also received a Guggenheim Fellowship which is awarded through a competition to individuals who previously demonstrated exceptional capacity for

Michael Jeffrey Jordan is hands down one of the greatest professional basketball players to ever play the game! But before Jordan made it to the NBA, he was just a college kid with hoop dreams. He played for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for three years and was apart of the Tar Heels' national championship team in 1982. It was in 1984 when all the magic began, Jordan was official when he was drafted to the Chicago Bulls NBA team. The sports world had no idea this was the beginning of an era in basketball that would be unforgettable... history in the making. It didn't take long before Michael Jordan became a superstar, he was the player who had it all- high scoring capabilities, great defense and he could leap from the free throw line with his tongue hanging out for a slam dunk in your face! Jordan soon earned the nicknames "Air Jordan" and "His Airness." Michael Jordan was so great and so influential NIKE gave him his own signat