SHANEEN KNOWS

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