In the winter of 2018, Gwen Kansen, a 33-year-old self-professed liberal, met a man called Elias in a bar. Within minutes, she knew he was intense. His phone screensaver was of Pepe the Frog a symbol of the alt-right movement. His style reminded her of a Confederate soldier, and he wore badges proudly proclaiming his hatred for political correctness.

It was not long before he disclosed he was a member of the Proud Boys, a far-right, male-only political organization. Still, Kansen didnt put an end to the date. They drank rum and cokes; spoke about music, books and exes; and that night, he walked her home. The two had a brief fling. Later, Kansen wrote an article about coming to terms with her so-called liberal beliefs while still choosing to entertain the affair.

The article was met with backlash. People spammed her Twitter, questioning her morals, dating standards and self awareness. How could a so-called liberal woman choose to date a member of a group known for its anti-Muslim and misogynistic rhetoric, associations with extremist gatherings, and a white nationalist agenda? The consequences of this group are real-life harm: death threats, racial slurs, violence and even murder, and yet Kansen saw it as an opportunity to dabble in a forbidden experience.

The story might sound extreme, especially following a summer of listening and learning. Following the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, many white Americans have spent the past year taking part in a social justice movement online and on the ground, combating systemic racism and opposing police brutality. Bookstores sold out of race education books, social media timelines were consumed with Black Lives Matter support, and protests drew diverse crowds.

Stop treating protests like Coachella: influencers criticized for capitalizing on movement

But then we saw the election results. Trump won the support of 74 million Americans this year including 55% of white women and 61% of white men. Even in liberal hotbeds like New York, California and Washington, Trump maintained 48%, 47%, and 36% of the white vote.

Given continued white support for a man who has refused to denounce white supremacy, lied about the severity of the coronavirus, and hasnt been shy about his sexist and misogynistic beliefs, can liberal white Americans really be doing the groundwork their social media profiles would have you believe?

I thought maybe the [Proud Boys] were four steps away from the Nazis, Kansen said by phone one Monday evening. I now realize maybe theyre one or two.

When speaking with Kansen, I was curious to know her definition of liberal. Im a Democrat. Ill be friends with anyone, like anyone from different sides of the political spectrum. I guess that makes me liberal, she said. Liberals are more open to experiences.

Maybe they are. But a woman of color would be physically threatened if their date exposed their Proud Boy membership over a few drinks. Kansen, a white woman, did not feel at risk and so it was partly her privilege not her tolerance that gave her a hall pass to entertain a member of a white supremacist group.

Although she compares them to the Nazi party, she still felt a relationship with a Proud Boy was fair game. If youre saying that Im more interested in myself than I am in having integrity towards a cause then yeah, youre right, she said. Kansens date isnt one most would consider progressive, but she liked him, and so what she saw as her liberal duties slid. Kansens ability to set aside the mans differences extreme ones that contribute to a systemic problem liberals claim to want to dismantle is not so uncommon, especially among family members and longtime friends: 35% of Biden voters in 2020 reported they have a few close friends who supported Trump.

Does this simply come down to being more accepting of others political views? A superior mastery of compartmentalization? Or does it stem from a place of selfishness, as ultimately it is not their wellbeing that will suffer?

And what should it leave us to believe about the inner workings, impact and true beliefs of self-professed liberals who behave in ways that dont align with those beliefs?

Amanda Booth first witnessed the phenomenon of labeling yourself progressive online while endorsing different values in real life when her white co-workers mentioned buying property in East Austin. The area is popularly known as a redlined neighborhood, primarily housing Austins Black and brown community. Recently, the East Side has undergone major renovations with new modern houses, trendy bars, and local coffee shops, as gentrification pushes out the original inhabitants of the area.

But when Booth, a 24-year old content designer in Austin, confronted her co-workers by explaining that Black and Hispanic people were being displaced from the area, her remarks were met with silence. Both of these guys proudly express themselves as being more on the progressive side of the Democratic party, Booth said. Mind you, both of them have houses on the East Side now.

Its not enough to believe in racial justice and that Black people deserve things. White people need to begin giving up their privilege. The least they can do is try to plug into Austins anti-displacement efforts. But I dont really see those people doing that, Booth continued.

Online, her co-workers share a lot of anti-racist rhetoric. They share videos by Black activists and quotes like Its not enough to be not racist. You have to be anti-racist. But Booth thinks people are watering anti-racism down if they are putting in very little practical effort to match their online beliefs.

Blackout Tuesday: black squares dominate social media and spark debate

There is this cognitive dissonance where they are like, Oh yeah, our city is so segregated. Our systems are built on racism and anti-Black sentiment. But then they dont give up anything, she says. They feel like realizing it, or accepting their privilege, is enough.

Very high-profile examples of police shootings coupled with the breathtaking rise in incarceration, maternal and infant mortality, and coronavirus deaths in the Black community have inspired a great awakening for people especially white people seeing it for the first time. But what if this has led to a shift in posturing, without a real shift in accountability?

People intellectually understand white privilege and can see it, but also like how it makes their life easier, explains Shannon Cavanagh, an associate professor in the department of sociology and a faculty research associate at the Population Research Center at the University of Texas at Austin. Those guys who buy in East Austin because its cool and hip and cheaper than living on West 6th Street might be displacing a faceless Black family but there is a Whole Foods now and a cool bar scene, she says, adding: They wanna do the right thing but its hard financially mostly and the status quo actually works for them.

The fake indicator of progress of acknowledging privilege publicly while working against it privately has tricked many white liberals into thinking they are actively bettering conditions for people of color. Social media holds an immense influence in this way of thinking. Its simple to tweet that youre doing the work, add #BLM to your bio, attend a protest and donate to a bail fund not without posting photos and screengrabs, of course but once it comes down to the real, hard work, the momentum stops. Oftentimes, our social media presence reflects how we want to be perceived, rather than our authentic selves, or our real day-to-day experience. Being woke is on trend at the moment, and everyone is tapping in, virtually at least.

The issues that helped awaken folks to systemic racism police killings, mass incarceration, Covid deaths are fundamentally structural and require a structural response, Cavanagh explains. Racism is baked into our medical system, educational system, housing, employment sure, white people need to do more individually but our institutions are the things that really need to change.

Despite racism being a structural problem, individual actions still matter. But, Cavanagh warns, people may believe in equality while opting out of decisions that are hard for them personally. Voting can be thought of as a relatively low-cost act of solidarity and commitment to justice, unlike cutting off ties to your racist mother, she says.

The events of the last decade or so much of it illuminated and amplified by social media have made white people confront systemic racism in a new way. Or it might all be performative social media is a performance and being racially woke is a new flavor.

Whether it be cutting off relationships with people who vote to uphold white nationalist beliefs (after trying to educate them, of course) or opting for a neighborhood that wont place you as a gentrifier, there are several ways that white liberals can practice what they post. By giving up privilege, higher salaries, houses in gentrified parts of Texas, and other situations that convenience them, white liberals could prove that theyre actually doing the work, beyond lip service and black squares. Maybe thats why white people keep voting for Trump they are invested, financially but also psychologically, in keeping the society tipped in our favor, Cavanagh says.

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White clicktivism: why are some Americans woke online but not in real life? - The Guardian

Picking up from last weeks two-on-one cliffhanger, the beginning of Tuesdays The Bachelorette found Tayshia Adams in the middle of Bennett and Noahs bickering, which she dubbed teenage boy drama. Bennett brought up the fact that every time he speaks with Noah its like speaking to a 14-year-old. On the other hand, Noah didnt appreciate Bennett telling him he had a 0 percent chance of being with Tayshia in the end. The fact that I have to sit here and listen to you guys talk about this is ridiculous, Tayshia said.

When Tayshia asked about Bennetts box, his gift of remembrances to Noah, she asked if Bennett wanted to talk alone, especially since she felt he had questioned her integrity. She didnt feel he had the right to tell anyone she wouldnt end up with someone. The guys were on the show for her not him. Instead of digging a deeper hole, Bennett apologized but felt the drama being stirred was coming solely from Noah. His attempts to school Tayshia on self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management fell flat, but Tayshia took his words in stride nonetheless.

While alone with Noah, Tayshia told him she was glad to be able to uncover who he was with each conversation but had grown confused about him due to the drama, in which he seems to be the common denominator. Noah pushed back, blaming Bennett for having a condescending attitude, something he felt Tayshia should be more aware of in case she ends up with him and has to deal with that crucial aspect of his behavior. I think you deserve more than that, he said. I dont think people should be talked to like theyre less.

SEE The Bachelorette episode 8 recap: Tayshias men bare all as Bennett vs. Noah reaches a tipping point

When the moment of truth arrived, Tayshia, after thoughtful explanations of the pros and cons of each particularly Bennetts worrisome condescension and Noahs uncertainty of being ready for marriage she asked Bennett to leave. Visibly surprised, Bennett apologized again, but the damage had been done. Even so, Tayshia admitted she hoped she made the right call. Not the goodbye I expected at all, she said. Sending Bennett home didnt feel right. He couldnt understand. He was trying to figure it out and it just felt so weird. It just did not feel right, especially when hes such a good person. I just hope Im making the right decision. Rejoining Noah, Tayshia reminded him that Bennetts departure wasnt his victory and stopped short of giving him the rose, choosing instead to make him wait along with the others at the rose ceremony.

At the cocktail party, Noah brought the guys up to speed on Tayshias big decisions. When Tayshia arrived, she emphasized the fact she was glad to put the drama aside and was simply excited to see everyone. As difficult as that two-on-one was, it was so important for me to address it, she said. Im happy that its done and its in the past because I really just want to focus on the relationships I have left. At the rose ceremony, she notably spared Noah and eliminated Demar, Ed and, in somewhat of a surprise, early favorite Spencer.

The next day, guest host JoJo Fletcher informed the seven remaining guys that hometown week is approaching. Zac particularly became emotional at the thought of Tayshia meeting his parents, whom he described as his heroes. With tears flowing, the sheer reality of it all hit him hard. JoJo also dropped off a date card, a one-on-one with Ben, which began as a playful treasure hunt around the resort. At dinner, Tayshia aimed to peel back the layers of Bens insistence of being perfect and guarded. Having grown up with expectations of perfection, he admitted longing for more emotionally, giving credence to his reluctance to be open and vulnerable. He also shared how important his sister is in his life, especially after she helped him during a low point when he contemplated suicide. Happy that Ben took positive steps toward progressing their relationship in what she felt was a breakthrough moment, Tayshia gave him a rose. Their evening ended with a private concert by country singer/songwriter Adam Hambrick.

The group date consisted of Zac, Brendan, Ivan, Noah, and Riley, who were each faced with taking a polygraph test. Tayshia, who noted telling the truth was important to her having been divorced, competed first and drew surprises when the polygraph caught her in a lie regarding whether or not she regretted sending anyone home. (Brendan suggested Bennett). Highlights of other tests: Brendan suggesting he wasnt ready to meet Tayshias family; Rileys real name is a mystery; Noah misses his mustache; and Zac was once a cheater, which could be a potential dealbreaker in Tayshias eyes.

SEEThe Bachelorette episode 7 recap: Tayshia bonds with Ivan over race and fires back at the guys

At the after-party, Tayshia was on the search for answers. Cheating does not sit well with me and thats nothing I will tolerate, she told Zac. Loyalty is such a big deal to me and I literally cannot invest in someone again and have that happen. I will not date a cheater. Zac admitted he cheated on his first girlfriend but he also humorously revealed it happened in the sixth grade. Zac then proceeded to tell Tayshia hes falling in love with her and she told him she felt the same. Riley particularly revealed he changed his name due to deep-rooted family issues. For me, trust is everything, she said. I cant get families involved if I dont trust the men. At the end of the night, she opted not to give a rose because she simply needed more time to determine where things stood with everyone.

When Tayshia returned to her suite, she was startlingly met at the door by Bennett. He again apologized for questioning her integrity and went further by saying he loved her and hoped perhaps he could return to the competition. She admitted she was speechless and confused about the situation and would give him an answer the next day.

Next week, the drama intensifies as back-to-back episodes Monday and Tuesday are likely to produce major bombshells and tears. Will Bennett stay? Will Noah go? And get ready for The Men to Tell All too. Buckle up!

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The Bachelorette episode 9 recap: Just when you thought he was out, one guy (tries to) pull himself back in - Gold Derby

Photo: MANDEL NGAN (Getty Images )

Breakups can be difficult, especially when one side didnt see it coming.

President Trump is really struggling with America telling him that theyve moved on. Hes still trying to make America love him again and its just not working. At some point, the president has to realize that it doesnt matter how many court cases he brings, or how many times he claims voter fraud, America has moved on. Its probably best that the president do the same.

But who are we kidding? That would imply that the president for the next month and a half has a sense of self-awareness and no one has ever said that this president is good at reading the room. So now, after all 50 states have certified the election results making Joe Biden the next president of the United States, 17 states are following Texas lead and want the Supreme Court to overturn Bidens win because they dont like it.

In what can only be considered the largest case of Let me speak to your manager in the history of America, on Wednesday, some 17 states all won by Trump have decided to join Texas Attorney General Ken Paxtons bid to file a lawsuit that could effectively reverse President-elect Joe Bidens projected Electoral College victory, CNBC reports.

The 17 states are the sundown state, racist state, the state of racism, we are a racist state, Blacks arent welcomed here state, Mississippi, racism state, Alabama, hatred of coloreds state, Florida, the state of not caring for Black people, the police will beat you for no reason state, we love guns state, smuggling moonshine state, fuck your masks state, pickup trucks state, and West Virginia.

Trump has been begging for his racist coalition to form racist Voltron and go destroy some shit and racist state attorney generals finally listened. Meanwhile, Paxton, the Texas Attorney General who started all of this shit, is under indictment for state felony securities fraud charges CNBC reports.

G/O Media may get a commission

The whole thing is bullshit. Legit and utter bullshit. None of this is going anywhere but who doesnt love friends who support their exhaustive theories around breakups? Basically, these 17 states plus Texas are all of Trumps fuck love girlfriends.

Hes even having lunch, a private lunch, with several Republican state attorney generals Thursday.

According to the White House, Trump is reportedly hosting the private lunch to discuss issues important to their citizens and the country, CBS correspondent, Weijia Jiang, tweeted on Wednesday.

This is a basic bitch brunch in which everyone gathered will get drunk off mimosas made with really cheap champagne and tell the president how wrong America is for leaving him.

But, dont worry, America. Even the Supreme Court cant make us get back together with him.

President Trump has been pushing this claim on Twitter (which has basically auto-formatted all of the presidents tweets to include a this nigga is lying disclaimer) that he won Florida and Ohio, yet somehow lost the presidency which has never happened in the history of America.

His lawyer even claimed it in a Supreme Court filing on the presidents behalf.

President Trump prevailed on nearly every historical indicia of success in presidential elections. For example, he won both Florida and Ohio; no candidate in historyRepublican or Democrathas ever lost the election after winning both States, John Eastman, Trumps attorney wrote in this filing.

The Washington Post has confirmed using a secret research interframe called Google, which I believe is a French word for Encyclopedia, and found that Richard Nixon won both Ohio and Florida and lost to John F. Kennedy.

Nixon earned 219 electoral votes, including 10 from Florida and 25 from Ohio. Kennedy won 303 electoral votes and the presidency, the Post reports. Trump was a 14-year-old, somehow drawing hundreds of thousands of dollars a year from his fathers real estate business in New York.

Burnsauce, which is whitespeak for Gotcha, bitch.

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GTFOH Trump Watch: Hes Taking This Breakup Really Hard - The Root

The reboot of Saved by the Bell, released on NBCUniversals Peacock platform just in time for Thanksgiving, gave me all the feelings a reboot is supposed to (and that so few actually do): the nostalgia of revisiting an old favorite; the thrill of remixing said favorite in new and surprising ways; and the anticipation of what this hybrid voice could say and do next.

The 10-episode season is a faithful-enough rendition of the early-90s touchstone. Its still set at the fictional Bayside High School, and most of the original cast has returned as aged versions of their classic characters. Zack Morris (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) is the governor of California; Jessie Spano (Elizabeth Berkley Lauren) is a Bayside guidance counselor; Slater (Mario Lopez) coaches the football team. Many of the new faces also have a direct connection to the first Saved by the Bell: Both Zacks son Mac (Mitchell Hoog) and Jessies son Jamie (Belmont Cameli) attend the 2020 version of Bayside, forming a bridge between the shows two generations. But crucially, this new series isnt just a reboot of Saved by the Bell.

This retooled version was developed by Tracey Wigfield, a onetime 30 Rock producer who went on to create the delightful NBC sitcom Great News. A mother-daughter workplace comedy set at a local New Jersey news station, Great News ably channeled 30 Rocks meta satire and antic ethos. A Season 2 subplot echoed Peter Thiels legal war on Gawker, while Nicole Richies narcissistic coanchor proved a worthy successor to Jenna Maroney; Tina Fey guest-starred as a pantsuited girlboss. And yet Great News was cruelly canceled before it could fully hit its stride. Quirk is a hard sell when its not wrapped in a more palatable package, especially on broadcast TV.

Enter the Trojan horse of IP. Saved by the Bell may look and sound like, well, Saved by the Bell, but it feels and acts like an extension of the 30 RockGreat News lineage. Thats because it is. Just as Jessie and Slater create a visual link to their previous work, so does John Michael Higgins, who played a blowhard boss on Great News and now portrays Baysides ineffectual Principal Toddman. Queen bee Lexi Haddad-DeFabrizio (Josie Totah) easily assumes the mantle of resident blond egomaniac, complete with her own reality show. Most of all, the jokes are a telltale mix of dense, niche, and absurd; running through the football teams many losses, Slater lists opponents East Beverly, South Beverly, and the Beverly Johnson School for Models, which sounds not unlike the Sheinhardt Wig Company.

In other words, Saved by the Bell targets a nostalgia both broader and shorter term than a yearning for elaborate pranks and sky-high hairdos. Great News went off the air just three years ago, but the kind of show it representsan original premise, executed with verveis an endangered species. But what if the very cause of this categorys death could also be its saving grace? Depending on your level of cynicism, thats the thrilling possibility and/or acceptable compromise of Saved by the Bell. Maybe recognizable voices like Wigfields can continue to thrive in adjusted form. And just as importantly, maybe reboots like Saved by the Bell dont have to be joyless exercises in cosplaying the monocultures glory days.

Saved by the Bell arrives slightly past the peak of 90s nostalgia as epitomized by resurrected sitcoms, efforts that have been by turns successful (Fuller House), half-hearted (Murphy Brown), and troubled (Roseanne). Its also part of the larger move to diversify aging properties by changing the protagonists identity, giving a small-c conservative trend a progressive face. This approach can yield dividends, like One Day at a Time reinventing itself as a multigenerational story about a Cuban American family in L.A. It can also seem borderline ludicrous; somehow, it just made sense when the film production that shut down a major Los Angeles testing site turned out to be the gender-swapped remake of Shes All That.

Superficially, Saved by the Bell fits this model to a T. Lexi is trans; the football teams new quarterback is female; the remixed theme song is performed by Lil Yachty. Unlike so many cosmetic rebrands, Saved by the Bell has an organic explanation for demographic shifts: Due to budget shortcuts, already underfunded schools in California are closed outright, their student bodies integrated into more affluent institutions like Bayside. Our new heroine Daisy (Haskiri Velazquez), an overachieving idealist who takes charge of Baysides student government, was originally a student at Douglas. Her best friend Aisha (Alycia Pascual-Pea) is the aforementioned quarterback, while their former Douglas High classmate DeVante (Dexter Darden) signs up for the school musical.

The collision of Douglas and Bayside generates plenty of story, but also serious themes, as befits Saved by the Bells legacy as a font of Very Special Episodes. When DeVante is accused of pushing another student, his disciplinary hearing becomes a case study in racial stereotyping and a rigged legal system; when Aisha starts dating a wealthy classmate, their class disparities start to make her uncomfortable. Remarkably, Saved by the Bell becomes one of TVs better meditations on educational equity and the challenges of integration, as much a cousin of the hit podcast Nice White Parents as a descendant of its namesake.

Sometimes, the shows goofball tone can be an odd match with its hand-me-down baggage. Velazquez inherits the record-scratch-freeze-frame device once operated by Gosselaar, but the fourth-wall breaks can sometimes feel forced, breaking the fast-paced dialogues momentum. And as delightful as it is to watch Nomi Malone herself deliver 30 Rockshaped punch lines, the older generation doesnt always feel as suited to the new sensibility as younger actors who were cast with it in mind. Mostly, though, the shows silly streak helps its message-forward medicine go down. Well-meaning Bayside parents form an advocacy group whose name abbreviates to P.I.T.Y.; Lexis aforementioned reality show is a spot-on spoof of Becoming Caitlin, wrapping earnest exposition in a fitting successor to Queen of Jordan.

For reboot skeptics, the winking self-awareness also helps fight IP fatigue. Saved by the Bells premise isnt nearly as meta as a TV show about making TV like 30 Rock or Great News, but postmodern jokes are still par for the course. Sometimes they double as class commentary, like when Daisy cant believe Bayside students eat lunch every day at a full-blown restaurant. Sometimes theyre a nod to an entire genre, like the running bit when background players look increasingly older and unlikely to be in high school, just like its leads. (Velazquez is 25; Hoog is 21). Whatever the gist, these cracks assure viewers that Saved by the Bell is perfectly aware of what it is and what trends its a part of. If the writers can relax enough to laugh at the chaos of a fractured industry desperate for nostalgia grabs, so can we.

Its difficult to balance sincerity and irony as Saved by the Bell does. It may be easier to outsource its approach to reinvigorating stale IP. After all, Saved by the Bell does have a creative signature, the sort of distinctive voice Hollywood prizes in theory and steamrolls in practice through its relentless focus on brands and franchisesits just not using said signature as its initial hook, like a Taika Waititi movie smuggled inside a space opera about a thunder god. (Never mind that, when it comes to trusting auteurs, Thor: Ragnarok is the exception that proves Marvels rule.) The necessity of such a bait and switch can be depressing; is the only way to earn green-lights and eyeballs these days through a de facto sleight of hand? But if reboots are Hollywoods future, Saved by the Bell shows one promising way to adapt.

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This Is How to Make a Reboot in 2020 - The Ringer

The Bold And The Beautifuls (B&B) Liam Spencer has been written into a corner. Fans used to root for their favorite, Steffy or Hope, to win him over but these days he doesnt seem like much of prize. Could he be the worst man on daytime TV?

His most recent gaffe was jumping the gun when he thought he saw Hope kissing Thomas. However, she didnt betray him at all. What Liam saw was a deluded Thomas kissing a mannequin. But in his mind it more than justified cheating on her with Steffy.

Want B&B spoilers? Check out Bold And The Beautiful Spoilers For The Next Two Weeks (December 7 18, 2020)

Kiss or no kiss, the Steam hookup was inevitably going to happen. The moment Steffys new man Finn came into the picture, Liam realized she was slipping out of his reach. He was just waiting for Hope to screw up so he could reel Steffy in again. He cant fathom being relegated to the role of ex-husband in either womans life.

Liam lacks maturity on many levels. Not only did he leap to the wrong conclusion about Hope and Thomas, but he also made the situation a thousand times worse by his own dirty deed. Of course, this has been Liams modus operandi for years and its one of the reasons fans have dubbed him The Waffler and The Flip Flopper. Sleeping with Steffy was just the most current in a long line of spineless actions committed by this character.

Want B&B plotline predictions? Check out Bold And The Beautiful Plotline Predictions For The Next Two Weeks (December 7 18, 2020)

Hope caught him kissing Steffy when Lope was engaged in 2011. When she broke up with him, he barely waited a day before he jetted off to Aspen with Steffy and married her. Two years ago, he got Hope pregnant while still married to Steffy. And shortly after Steffy gave birth to their daughter Kelly, she discovered him making out with Hope in a dressing room at Forrester Creations.

This past January, Liam proposed to Hope but she told him she had to think about it. As she approached the cliff house to say yes to his proposal, she once again saw him kissing Steffy. In the end, his excuse was that Thomas had manipulated the situation. But couldnt he have just as easily pushed Steffy away?

Want more B&B spoilers? Check out Bold And The Beautiful Spoilers For December 2020

There have been many unfaithful and wishy-washy men on soaps over the years; however, most of them have enough self-awareness to realize they are cads. Liam pretends to be a good guy, yet he has proven time and again that he loves himself more than he loves either Hope or Steffy. But does this make him the worst man on daytime television? He sure comes close.

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VisitFame10 Soapsfor more soap opera spoilers!

Bonnie is a freelance writer who has a passion for Stephen King novels, Outlander, sci-fi movies and soap operas, especially the Bold And The Beautiful and the Young And The Restless. Her favorite pastime is getting together with a good friend and having a laugh.

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We Weigh In: Is B&B's Liam Spencer The Worst Man On Daytime TV? - Fame10

By Voleer Thomas | For The Guardian

Gainesville native Kimberly Brown is determined to inspire the black community to use a tool to help individuals relieve traumas they have experienced.

I want to help with mental health, especially since it is seldom discussed in our communities, Brown said.

Brown in June launched Kimberly Kares located at 1731 NW Sixth St., Suite A, to provide more opportunities for the black community to utilize mental health and therapy services.

Her desire to work in the mental health field began when she was an intern at the Alachua County Jail and was inspired by her supervisor who was a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW).

She was compassionate and did a lot of therapy, Brown said. Some of the inmates she worked with didnt come back. Thats what sealed the deal for me.

After receiving her undergraduate degree in criminal justice and pre-law at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Breach, she pursued and received her Master of Social Work at the University of Central Florida in Orlando.

A few years later, Brown became a licensed clinical social worker and a child and adolescent trauma professional.

Brown formerly worked as a childrens counselor at Childrens Home Society in Gainesville and currently works as a medical social worker at the University of Florida for pediatrics.

Although counseling children is her specialty, Brown also sees the importance of working with adults.

Children are my niche, but I do see adults, Brown said. There are people that have adverse experiences as children and things dont go as they should as adults.

Brown said she loves seeing the recent increase of awareness from black people learning about therapy and the importance of seeking mental health help.

Nothing makes me feel greater, Brown said. It makes me know I made the right decision.

Brown is also an author who recently published two books this year that are titled Bella Noelles Affirmations and Bella and The Brain In: Exploring My Feelings.

The latter book was co-authored by her seven-year-old daughter, Bella Smith.

The affirmation book describes how Bella the fairy helps a child name Susie become happy again by telling her about the importance of affirmations and the book also comes with a page for a child to write in their own affirmations.

It is important for children to see characters that look like them, Brown said.

Her other book helps children navigate how to understand their feelings by using the character called "Bryan the Brain" to help another character named "Bella" process her feelings while she moved to a new town. The book also has coloring pages in the end.

Brown said it is important for children to learn techniques such as meditative breathing and positive thinking to help them cope with challenging emotions.

A lot of issues adults face started as a child, Brown said. It [the book] simplifies big scary words and creates self-awareness. By the time theyre adults they can use these calming skills.

Brown hosted webinars in the past with collaboration with other social workers to increase the accessibility of mental health. She plans to host them once every two months.

Thats my way of giving back free of cost, Brown said. Its important to take care of ourselves during this climate. We cant let it eat us up inside to the point were no longer self-aware. Its okay to be angry, but I dont want us to not take care of ourselves because of it.

Brown offers a free consultation over the phone to find out the best treatment for the client.

Her individual one-hour appointments are $90 and her family sessions are $100.

However, Brown provides a sliding scale for clients up to 50% off the full fee.

She said she wanted to provide treatment at a discounted price to help make therapy affordable for people living at a lower income level.

I will always work with them, Brown said. I want to maker sure my services are accessible to whoever needs it.

Brown uses a HIPAA-compliant software called SimplePractice to help with scheduling appointments and sharing documents with clients.

Brown is on therapy directories such as Therapy for Black Girls, Psychology Today and Trap Therapist to help as many people with their mental health as she can.

Its all about visibility, Brown said. There are therapists that look like you. For our culture, it is okay to seek help. You can go to church and still seek a therapist.

To schedule an appointment with Brown, email her at info@kimberlykarescounseling.com or call her at 352-562-0336.

For more informatio, visit http://www.kimberlykarescounseling.com

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Making therapy accessible - Gainesville Sun

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This has been the year none of us asked for or wanted.

From a global pandemic, countless natural disasters, growing social and racial unrest, and a substantial political divide to balancing working from home and remote learning, navigating the uncertainty has been challenging.

The good news is that we still have a chance to salvage the year. Here are the 10 best waysone for each week left of the yearto finish strong:

If 2020 has taught us anything, its that you must protect your time. Your ability to prioritize and focus your attention (despite countless distractions) is crucial. How and with whom you spend your time and your productivity while doing so, demonstrate your focus and commitment to whatand whomatters most. When you mastertime-management, youll learn to say no, do, decide, delegate or delete tasks, batch routine tasks, eliminate distractions, embrace mono-tasking, get to knowand workyour own rhythms, and build in breaks to recharge.

Most think ofself-awarenessas knowingyourself. Self-aware leaders have a clear understanding of their strengths, weaknesses, thoughts, beliefs, motivation, and emotions. They are honest about what they want, their skills, and what matters most to them. They also have an accurate perception of what sets them apart and can then use their unique talents to magnify their impact in an environment that best suits them. Conversely, they also understand and acknowledge their blind spots and areas needing improvement.

But self-awareness is not just about knowing how you move through the world; its about knowing how your energy affects others. This perspective allows you to understand that everything is connectedyour interactions with other people, how they perceive you, your attitude, and your responses to them in the momentand all can be enhanced through better self-awareness.

Emotional intelligence is rooted in them, business leaders swear by them, and they remain in high demand. Im speaking ofsoft skills, those frequently misunderstood and undervalued skills that power career success.

Last year,LinkedInreleased its annualGlobal Talent Trends report, which explored the four big trends fueling the future of the workplace. Topping the list? Soft skills.

This finding underscores a fundamental truth: At its core, business is about relationships. No matter your job function or title, to succeed, you must interact with other people. And those who find a way to combine their hard skills with soft skills create environments that empower and ignite their teams, delight their customers, and fuel sustainable growth.

Far too often, we assume that everyone thinks, behaves, and communicates the same way we do. Worse, we make the mistake of focusing our sales pitches and communication about us rather than our intended audiences.

No matter your industry or profession,four words have the power to change your results instantly: Its not about you.

The finest leaders understand that by putting others first and adopting a service mindset, they can improve their communication and connection, establish trust, deepen relationships, and build business.

Curiositycan be defined as a strong desire to know or learn something. But its so much more than that.

When youre curious, youre open. Open to exploring new ideas, experiences, and possibilities. Open to meeting new people and learning new things. Open to leaving behind outdated mindsets and limiting beliefs to make room for your highest and best self. And its that opennessthat curiositythat fuels growth.

Career contrariansshare the ability to adopt an often unpopular perspective and make it work for them. Instead of conforming to conventional or practical approaches, education, or paths, and they seek alternative means to career fulfillment. This means they realize that there is more than one path to success (and its probably non-linear), are comfortable being uncomfortable (even, and especially, when they fail), trust their gut, play the long game, eliminate the negative self-talk, and understand that taking an alternative path may inspire someone else to do it, as well.

The benefits oflisteningare numerous. Active listening demonstrates respect, builds trust, and makes people feel valued. It creates a virtuous cycle: we naturally gravitate toward those who listen to us, and when we feel heard, we open up and share. Active listening also allows leaders to learn about things both good and bad, so they can discover new ideas and opportunities as well as detectand get creative about solvingpotential problems when theyre still in their infancy.

Fear is a powerful emotion. It often masquerades as a cloak of protection, keeping us from doing things that may cause us harm. But sometimes, the real damage comes from the inaction that fear enables.

We avoid at all costs those things that make us uncomfortable, but there is no growth in the status quo. Sooner or later, that caution and those fears that prevent you from getting hurt or put on the spot stagnate you.

Everything youve ever wanted is sitting on the other side of fear; its time to stop hiding and go for it.

Wisdom is the ability to think and act using knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense, and insight. But it transforms into something truly powerful when it is shared.

Why? Because all the wisdom in the world is meaningless without application.

Yet many leaders eschew this and choose instead to hoard their insights, fearful of giving them away. They dont understand a simple truth:sharing your wisdom doesnt diminish your impact; it amplifies it. And today, the best way to magnify your message is to harness the power and reach of social media.

In 2020, you likely experienced some degree of pivotingdoes your career story align and support that change of trajectory? Everyone has a unique story, but not everyone leverages its power. Properly crafted,your career storyhelps to differentiate you from your competitors, highlight your value, and to draw others to you. It provides a common thread that weaves together your personal and professional experiences, as well as your transferable skills, making it easy for others to connect the dots. Because once you have your story, it changes everything, including how others perceive, pay, partner with, and promote you.

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The 10 Best Ways To Make The Rest Of 2020 Suck Less - Forbes

WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., Oct. 28, 2020 How do you feel about the pandemic and COVID-19? West Liberty Universitys Creative Arts Therapy (CAT) Club offered the campus a chance to share their feelings about the pandemic this past Friday.

Students, staff and faculty were invited to enjoy an art activity or two on the quad, planned by the CAT Club. Activities included throwing paint balloons and writing out how you feel about the pandemic on a canvas.

TheCATclub wanted to helpthe WLU communityfind away toexpress frustrationwiththepandemicin a healthy way.So,club memberscame up withtheideaof fighting COVID-19 through art, explained Dr. Susan Ridley, who is an assistantprofessor of Creative Arts Therapy and program director at WLU.

The weather cooperated and the quad was sunny and warm, perfect for enjoying creative fun in the sun. Participants could also buy a raffle ticket for various prize baskets. About 40 people participated.

This was our first club activity and I suggested the idea as a way to express ourselves about COVID-19 and especially the resulting isolation that is a part of the pandemic. Its a great way to get the frustration out, said Manuela Hoffmann of Wheeling who is in her second year of the four-year degree program. She also is the vice president of the club.

Im very hands-on person, and the ability to do art through activity like this is therapeutic. It opens the doors for understanding and connects you to others.

Other officers in the CAT Club include: Savannah Allen, president, Juliana (Juju) Haug, secretary and Lindsay Manor, treasurer. The students look forward to planning more art therapy activities in the near future.

I love the Creative Arts Therapy program. It helps yourself and others, Hoffmann said.

Art Therapy is a mental health profession that uses art media and the creative process to explore feelings, reconcile emotional conflicts, foster self-awareness, manage behavior and addictions, develop social skills, improve reality orientation, reduce anxiety, and increase self-esteem.

WLUs creative arts therapy program is housed in the College of Arts and Communication and it first enrolled students in the fall of 2013.

WLU is the only public university in the state offering an undergraduate degree in art therapy and will soon add a masters degree in art therapy and counseling to its offerings.

Its new masters degree was recently approved by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (HEPC) and is now being examined by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). The HLC is expected to visit in February for an on-site look at the program.

Once approved by the HLC, the two- year masters program is expected to enroll students in the fall of 2021. The Master of Arts in Creative Arts Therapy degree program will include60-credit hours andprovide the education needed forstudentsto apply for credentials as an art therapist with the American Art Therapy Association (AATA), expressive arts therapy certification with the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association (IEATA) andWest Virginia licensed professional counselor (LPC) designation.Students will be required to complete post-graduate supervision hours and pass professional examinations.

For more information on creative arts therapy at WLU, please contactDr.Ridley at 304-336-8251 or[emailprotected], or visit the webpage westliberty.edu/CAT.

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Creative Arts Therapy Club Reaches Out to Campus - West Liberty University News & Media Relations

I drink of my sisters, and I take into myself all the power of 2021.

Image: blumhouse productions / columbia pictures

Call the corners, drink of your sisters, slap on a cat-eye, and have at it with the glitter: The Craft: Legacy is here and its spectacular.

Wait, you have good news? For this Halloween? Its surprising, I know.

'The Craft: Legacy' is here and it's spectacular.

In a year rife with misfortune, Blumhouses follow-up to The Craft seemed bound for failure.

Of course, revisiting a cult classic is always divisive, but first reactions to writer-director Zoe Lister-Jones Craft continuation were especially apprehensive. Concerns over the trailer varied, including "not enough Love Spit Love," "not enough Fairuza Balk," "not enough black," etc. Still, one sentiment appeared universal: Halloween already sucks this year, why ruin The Craft too?

And yet, when the credits rolled on my first at-home Legacy viewing (oh, I've watched it three times already), the furthest thing from my mind was what this successor could've or should've been.

A spunky little sister to Andrew Flemings 1996 goth-chic masterpiece the Craft director executive produced the new film as well, and it shows The Craft: Legacy is a worthwhile continuation of the outcasts-win universe fans already worship. But it also has enough magic to stand on its own as a fun, inclusive, and important gem that feels especially needed in this tumultuous time. That you don't need to have seen The Craft to appreciate its Legacy is a bonus.

Michelle Monaghan stars as Lily's mom Helen, opposite David Duchovny as Lily's mom's boyfriend Adam.

Image: blumhouse productions / columbia pictures

In this spooky-yet-sparkly sequel, Cailee Spaeny stars as Lily, a natural-born witch not yet in control of her powers. When Lily enrolls at a new school, she meets Frankie, Tabby, and Lourdes, played by Gideon Adlon, Lovie Simone, and Zoey Luna, respectively.

Together, the young women form a coven and vow to abide by all the laws of witchcraft introduced in the first film. Manon, binding, invoking the spirit, random butterflies and snakes it's all there. But the context in which our new heroines explore spell-casting is appropriately updated.

With the punk-rock pleather exchanged for a more ethereal, Euphoria-esque wardrobe and the '90s indie jams switched for 2020 artists like Princess Nokia (a soundtrack choice one character literally and rightfully screams with joy over), The Craft: Legacy assumes a recognizable Instagram aesthetic from the jump. The central characters take on familiar Gen-Z lingo too, and make enough contemporary references to firmly cement the film's status as a solid 2020 time capsule. It's very entertaining to watch, a snarky combo of over-the-top visuals and off-the-cuff wit typical of a generation born into the internet age and its consequences.

Please contact me directly if these girls need anything. At any time. For any reason.

Image: blumhouse productions / columbia pictures

Continuing the modernization, the magic itself is also improved. Not only are the special effects far more effective in The Craft: Legacy (thank god), the girls are also able to wield more power than their predecessors as a result. For example, Lily learns early on that she has a knack for telekinetically yeeting dudes across school hallways, and makes liberal use of it.

Keeping with the great tradition of being both totally obsession-worthy and kind of a mess, The Craft: Legacy never takes itself too seriously.

Good thing for the coven, too, because the central conflict of The Craft: Legacy is a somewhat higher stakes affair than the schism chronicled in the original. I won't get into too many details, since it's certainly better left unspoiled. But suffice to say, it's somewhere in the ballpark of Black Christmas meets Mean Girls meets a very specific scene from Halloweentown.

If all that sounds like it could be a little soapy, that's because it is. Keeping with The Craft's great tradition of being both totally obsession-worthy and kind of a mess, The Craft: Legacy never takes itself too seriously. Even in its most profound messaging (the girls barrel through social justice topics like all very online witches do), the tone is light yet sensitive, relaxed but sincere.

That the movie's more complicated conceits, notably including a discussion of informed consent as it relates to witchcraft, land as well as they do is a testament to both Lister-Jones' excellent writing and the tremendous talent of her young cast.

Spaeny's Lily is the earnest everygirl you want to root for; Luna's Lourdes is a formidable leader with warmth to spare; Simone's Tabby is a magnetic force with the best line in the movie; and Adlon's Frankie never met a scene she couldn't steal. Not to mention, Nicholas Galitzine's Timmy essentially, this chapter's Chris Hooker (played by Skeet Ulrich in the original) delivers a villain-turned-love interest as captivating as any other I've seen.

More daydream than nightmare, The Craft: Legacy delivers an enchanting outing that honors its origins while maintaining the ease and self-awareness characteristic of a timelessly great scary movie. Come for the love of what was, stay for the promise of what could be, and if it still doesn't jive with you? Well, maybe you aren't the weirdo ruling this witching season.

The Craft: Legacy is now available to stream through Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, iTunes, YouTube, and more.

Link:
'The Craft: Legacy' is the sparkly savior your Halloween needs: Review - Mashable

The University of Oregon Senate passed a Resolution Against Racism and Systemic Oppression on June 10, 2020. The resolution states that the university has much more work to do eliminating microaggressions, recognizing privilege and learning from the effects of structural racism and White nationalism on all People of Color. In turn, the resolution charges Senate leadership with determining how best to implement the changes that are listed in the motion.

The last line of the resolution reads in red font, The Senate hereby commits itself to revisiting each action presented in Section II of this resolution by the end of the 2020-2021 Academic Year. Four weeks into the school year, diversity and inclusion efforts are already well underway.

Yvette Alex-Assensoh, vice president for equity and inclusion and political science professor, is working with the Senate to follow through on everything listed in the resolution.

An important aspect of the Senates work is self-awareness and discovery, Alex-Assensoh said. The Senate is doing the right thing by starting off with themselves and then working together to move forward to institutional change.

According to Alex-Assensoh, it is important to be aware of the data around equity and inclusion at UO. She said such data will help the Senate to understand where the university is strong as well as where there are opportunities for improvement.

The lack of diversity is a situation of institutional underperformance, she said. This work is lifelong, and we are operating in ways that prepare us to engage, in an ongoing way, the work of equity, antiracism and inclusion.

Diversity and inclusion efforts are not just now emerging with the passing of this resolution. Fifteen years ago, the university launched the Summer Academy to Inspire Learning to get low income and underrepresented high school students to attend college. UO Economics Professor Bill Harbaugh said he helped start the program in 2005 when the Senate passed a different resolution regarding diversity.

It was all talk with no action, Harbaugh said. We thought, This is bullshit. Were going to actually do something.

SAIL brings local high school students to campus for a week-long summer camp run by faculty volunteers. This summer, the camp was conducted online, which Harbaugh said allowed them to reach students from all over the state. During the school year, SAIL staff members go to local high school classes and give presentations about what college is like and why its important.

The statistical analysis that we have been able to do suggests that students who come and stay in the program are about twice as likely to go on to college as the control group, Harbaugh said.

As for the UO economics department, Harbaugh said he noticed the majority of students in the major are White males.

I dont pretend to understand why that is. I love economics, I think everybody should love economics, he said.

However, there have been efforts to diversify the major, including the Women in Economics group and a discretionary fund used to increase offers to underrepresented graduate students during recruitment. The effects of gender differences and racial discrimination are being taught in introductory economics classes, and Harbaugh said hes trying to add a course on the economics of poverty into the curriculum.

It'll be interesting to see what the Senate does to follow through on all the promises theyve made, Harbaugh said. I think theres always things that could be done to improve.

Taha Mirghorbani is an undergraduate business major from Iran. He said business is a language that everyone speaks, and its important to look above the barriers of gender and race, even though they still exist.

I think the majority of the students at the University of Oregon arent necessarily considered ethnically diverse, Mirghorbani said. However, we have a lot of second-generation immigrants, and certainly there is that minority of immigrants like myself who are here for the first time ever and are trying to figure out stuff.

Mirghorbani said White privilege manifests itself in the sense that the majority of students who get into selective business programs have a background that helps them get there. He also mentioned that people from outside of the United States dont have those same connections.

We can always just be a little bit more direct about the matter of inclusivity, Mirghorbani said. Its important to be patient with internationals or people who come from outside the country. Give them the benefit of the doubt.

Lundquist College of Business Dean Sarah Nutter and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee Chair Joshua Beck have been working to improve diversity in their department as well, although it was not the Senate resolution that prompted them to do so.

We recognized as a college, I think ahead of the game, that we needed to address and work on this, Beck said. So we have been.

Beck said the department has been very vocal about calling out and condemning racism. He said they are redoing the business schools website to improve student access to resources such as clubs, scholarships and mentors. Another diversity scholarship was added to help diverse students advance, and theres been a push for faculty to include more case studies with people from diverse backgrounds.

Were doing things like implicit bias training and teaching workshops on how to approach diversity, equity and inclusion in the classrooms, Beck said. Instead of trying to avoid those conversations, were really trying to engage those conversations in a thoughtful way.

Nutter said its all about actions the school can take to move the needle. For example, a new business course called Cross Cultural Business Communication will be offered in Winter 2021.

We definitely know we have a ways to go in diversity, and thats across gender and almost any other demographic you can think of, Nutter said. Its something that were actively working on.

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Following up with UO's progress on combating racism and systemic oppression - Oregon Daily Emerald