About this blog:
The Wisdom Knot Blog is where I share written reflections on culture, community, personal growth, and the creative process. These essays are an offering, sometimes sharp, sometimes soft, but always rooted in a desire to reconnect with what matters.
Further Reading & Resources for Parents, Educators, and Caregivers
Care for children does not end with awareness; it asks for intention, preparation, and community. This resource list is an offering for those looking for thoughtful books, films, and guidance to help young people process fear, uncertainty, and belonging in today’s world.
Bring Liam Closer: Reflecting on Teaching in Treacherous Times
As the new year began, I thought I would be writing about thresholds and fresh starts. Instead, I find myself thinking about a five-year-old boy named Liam, a Spider-Man backpack, and what it means for children to grow up in a time when safety and belonging feel uncertain.
This reflection comes from the heart of a teacher, and from a deep concern for how our youngest people are carrying the weight of policies and fears they did not create. It is an invitation to look closer, to resist distance, and to consider what it truly means to show up for children in treacherous times.
When a Viral Clip Becomes a Mirror: What Juelz Santana’s Comment Reveals About Us
In a recent viral clip, Juelz Santana claimed literacy “doesn’t matter” because apps can read for us, and the internet erupted. But instead of treating his comment as another moment to repost and ridicule, I found myself wondering what experiences shaped a belief like that. When an adult says reading has no value, that’s not ignorance; it’s a story about schooling, access, and the wounds we don’t talk about. This post isn’t about defending his opinion; it’s about examining how our systems shape the way people understand education and why compassion and curiosity are better tools for the conversation than mockery.
Prioritize the Pause: A Reflection for Educators on the Day Before Thanksgiving
As we move into the long weekend, known as both Thanksgiving and the National Day of Mourning, I’m inviting educators to pause and take an honest stock of where we are. This season asks us to reconnect with ourselves, replenish what’s been depleted, and remember that our work and our wellness are deeply intertwined. Before the holidays sweep us up, take a moment to breathe, reflect, and refill your cup.
When History Repeats: Haiti, Headlines, and the Plot Against Gonâve
What the Texas plot against Gonâve shows about history repeating, Haiti in the headlines, and the ongoing machinery of white supremacy.
Where the Word Ends and the Work Begins
We often speak of community like it’s a comfort, a soft place to land. But real community is also a practice. It asks us to show up in moments of tension, to stay with each other through discomfort, and to act in alignment with our values, even when it’s inconvenient. This reflection explores what it truly means to be in community, and who we’re choosing to be to one another in times of challenge.
Beyond the Rainbow: Pride, Prophecy, and the Ongoing Work of Liberation
As Pride Month ends, I’m reflecting on two freedom fighters—one from Haiti’s revolutionary past, the other from New York’s streets today. Romaine-la-Prophétesse, a gender-defying prophet of the Haitian Revolution, and Qween Jean, a Haitian trans activist leading the charge for Black trans liberation, both remind us: the struggle for freedom has always included queer and trans brilliance. Their stories are not separate—they’re part of the same lineage. This post is a love note, a lesson, and a call to remember.
Mandala Making and the Questions We Must Keep Asking
A 16-month journey closed with a practice in stillness, intention, and collective creation. This is a reflection on that moment—and the questions we must keep asking.
A Pause to Listen
After a weekend of love and stillness, I’m reflecting on the power of pausing—join me on The Wisdom Knot to explore what we find in the quiet.
We’ve Been Here Before: ICE Raids, Resistance, and the Work of Educators
We’ve been here before. ICE raids. National Guard deployments. Headlines that shake communities. But educators are still showing up—listening, teaching, resisting. This post reflects on current events, historical patterns, and why I created the Building Bridges course as one way to respond with care and strategy.
Honoring Our Roots, Passing It On: Caribbean Heritage Month Reflections
Caribbean Heritage Month is a powerful time to honor the richness, resistance, and interconnectedness of our island cultures. In this post, I highlight two cultural curators—Fiona Compton of Know Your Caribbean and Orlando Aurélien (@orlando07)—whose work helps disrupt stereotypes and deepen our collective knowledge of Caribbean history. Caribbean Heritage Month is a powerful time to honor the richness, resistance, and interconnectedness of our island cultures.
Held Together, Still
We’ve known each other through so many roles, institutions, and affiliations. What struck me most was how these relationships have lasted long after we left the institutions, and that isn’t an accident. It’s been nearly nine years of showing up for one another, pouring into each other not just professionally, but with real care, especially during the tough seasons.
A Mirror and a Guide: Remembering Malcolm X on His 100th Birthday
We are living in a time where, in public discourse, in art criticism, in viral debates online, we’re seeing Black people, sometimes unknowingly, perpetuate messages of internalized self-loathing.
Why Haitians Stay in the Headlines, A Flag Day Reflection
Haitians are always in the headlines. This Flag Day, let’s explore why and what that reveals about resistance, reverence, and our collective future.