For Dreamers, Thinkers and Achievers
By Cheryl Mattox Berry Once in a blue moon, a song comes along that touches your soul and makes you want to dance and shout. In other words, it makes you happy. Pharrell’s Oscar nominated song, Happy, from the Despicable Me 2 movie does just that. I heard the song for the first time during […]
Continue ReadingBy Cheryl Mattox Berry As we observe Women’s History Month, I encourage you to embrace girls and women of all hues – from white to ebony. I was reminded of how the media tend to forget women of color, especially those with darker skin tones, during the buzz leading up to Oscar night. Everyone was […]
Continue ReadingBy Cheryl Mattox Berry You’ve no doubt heard the saying “You can’t always get what you want,” but are you one of those girls who thinks it doesn’t apply to you? I’ve got news for you: It most certainly does. Contrary to how you might have been raised, you’re not entitled to anything. You’ve got […]
Continue ReadingBy Cheryl Mattox Berry Sometimes, you act before you think. Then, there are times when you don’t realize that you did something wrong. As the saying goes, “When you know better, you do better.” Here is the latest installment of “Rules to Live By.” If you see yourself in any of them, work on correcting […]
Continue ReadingBy Cheryl Mattox Berry The holiday season is my favorite time of year. I love decorating the Christmas tree, singing carols, hearing the story of Jesus’ birth at church and shopping for presents. While I enjoy buying gifts, it’s nice to receive them, too. I never complain about something someone has taken the time to […]
Continue ReadingBy Cheryl Mattox Berry From rappers to athletes, everyone has been weighing in on use of the n-word since the story broke about alleged bullying and crude language being used by Miami Dolphins players. Many Milliennials, children born between the 1980s and 2000s, don’t see what the fuss is about. They say the word is […]
Continue ReadingBy Cheryl Mattox Berry Before you pile food high on your plate Thanksgiving Day, take a few minutes to count your blessings. In fact, take a good 10 minutes. Your life may not be perfect, but you have a lot to be grateful for. First and foremost, thank your Creator for breathing life into you […]
Continue ReadingBy Cheryl Mattox Berry Let’s examine the so called “no-snitch rule.” It basically says if you see something, say a murder, beating, rape, robbery or bullying, you better keep your mouth shut. What exactly does that accomplish? Nothing. By remaining silent, you grant perpetrators license to keep doing what they’re doing. And what they’re doing […]
Continue ReadingBy Cheryl Mattox Berry During a conversation with one of my childhood friends, we got on the subject of relatives and how some of them can inflict the worst emotional pain. She mentioned that her late uncle used to hurt her feelings every time she saw him because he called her “Black Jack,” a play […]
Continue ReadingBy Cheryl Mattox Berry Although graduation is months away, the senior high girls in my mentoring group are already trying to figure out how to earn the top recognition for community service. There are many ways to rack up community service hours. The easiest way is to volunteer at schools, community centers, faith-based programs, nonprofit […]
Continue Reading