She Inspires Online Community Magazine # 2

SHE INSPIRES A COMMUNITY MAGAZINE

SPRING EDITION 2021

INSPIRING GIRLS, TEENS, AND WOMEN.

Pg. 13

Pg.08

Pg.19 POP BELLIES DELI

02

Table of Contents

06

Charms Self-Care Checklist

08

Our Style. Our Fashion

09

Introducing Ann Brantley-Jones "Body Beautifull Apparel"

12

Live Life Your Way! Lifecoach Services

13

Sex in the Chocolate City; AA Sexual Health and Awareness

15

Beauty Inside Out~Bahiyah Graham

19

Pop Bellies Deli, Eric Alexander, Owner

22

Bossy Baez, LLC. Dr. Chastity Singletary

24

JUST STRONG Activewear $ave w/ code!

26

Free & Fearless; The Battered Women's Movement History

33

Pen It. Your Style. Your Rhythm; Emerging Writer Shawnitea Wall

Pg. 24

Pg. 33

BODY BEAUTIFULL Pg. 09

35 36

She Chronicles "The Brown Paper Bag" Thank you for your support!

HE LL O. EDITOR LETTER

I am honored to share my vision and mission with you! I enjoy collaborating with the community to bring you relevant content, that promotes, celebrates, advertises, and inspires "us" on every page. The magazine is woman-created & owned.

Thank you for your encouragement and support.

Tina Cummings, Owner

She Inspires Online Community Magazine Virtual Office Rochester, N Y +1-585.353.8202 Email- sheinspiresmagazine@gmil.com https://mstinacummings.wixsite.com/sheinspiresnewyork

~ANONYMOUS

a wise woman can predict the future because she creates it.

HELLO, SPRING!

HAPPY SPRING!

Charms Self- care checklist Breathe. Take 1+ minutes to focus on your exhale and inhale.

Daily stretches. A good stretch helps with blood flow and will make your body feel a little better.

Exercise Start small with 10 minutes a day, gain momentum, and add from there.

Set an alarm to go to bed to get 8+ hours of sleep. Set the alarm for when you should start to go to bed.

Take warm baths and soak in Epsom salt. To add something extra, add eucalyptus or lavender oils.

Treat yourself with a self-massage (or a paid massage if money allows). If a selfmassage, you can focus on your neck, shoulders, legs, scalp, etc. spirit Create healthy boundaries. A friendship turned toxic? A job overtaking your entire life? Strategize how you can create some more space for yourself. Then, give yourself permission to try to do so.

Do mirror work. Go in front of the mirror and tell yourself how valuable you are. Repeat it until you believe it more and more. Never did this before? Try it out next time you're brushing your teeth.

Get into nature. Walk barefoot in the grass. Try to see a sunset or sunrise.

There is infinite wisdom in nature.

Schedule time for play/fun. Even if it's rare, plan it. You deserve time that's just for things that make you smile big.

Scream into a pillow to release some stress.

Take care of a plant. Something about seeing a living thing grow with the right amount of water and sun can remind us to take care of ourselves as well.

Worship and pray in alignment with your spiritual practice that fortifies you.

Write things you are grateful for. Gratitude can shift your focus to abundance.

https://www.dearblackwomenproject.com/todays-affirmation/self-care-tips

EMBRACE YOU!

"FOR GIRLS & TEENS"

By Tina Cummings

FEMININE HYGIENE IS A BIG DEAL~ Did you know, government assistance programs consider hygiene products, a luxury? I am on the move to collect and donate feminine hygiene products for our community; high school students, community members, shelters, and the homeless.

Did you know some, girls, teens, and women in the Rochester community lack the finances and or access to basic products that many of us take for granted? But, we can come together and help, as a part of Southern Charm Charities' mission we support and empower women in all walks of life~ “You can make a difference!~ BACK TO SCHOOL KITS FOR YOUTH KITS FOR THOSE IN NEED KITS FOR HOMELESS WOMEN KITS FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS

Our Fashion.

Our Style.

"Celebrating us on every page"

INTRODUCING ANN BRANTLEYJONES

ARE YOU THE NEXT BIG THING?

ADVERTISE YOUR DESIGNS.

BODY BEAUTIFULL APPAREL

My name is Ann Jones, and I am the owner of Body Beautifull Apparel LLC. I currently hold my Associate degree as a fashion designer and a bachelor’s in business administration. Body Beautifull Apparel exists for the sole purpose of creating a clothing line for the everyday sophisticated woman who knows who she is and what she wants. My clothing line is made of quality fabrics and great craftsmanship. I started this company because I got tired of going to stores not being able to find beautifully made clothing and fabrics for the full-figured woman. I have a style that is different from the everyday person. I do not want to shop in the same retail stores and go somewhere else to see the next woman in the same outfit. I like to stand alone in my fashion and create garments for other women who seek the same thing. I will be launching my own line in April of 2021. I will be launching my website Body-beautifullapparel.myshopify.com or Bodybeautifullapparel.com

A D R I A N N A

B O Y L E

Follow me on Facebook at Body Beautifull

I S

B O I L I N G H O T or my page Ann Brantley-Jones.

Instagram at Bodybeautifull_331

OUR FASHION. OUR STYLE. SHE INSPIRES

"I like to stand alone in my fashion and create garments for other women who seek the same thing". ~ Ann BrantelyJones

OUR FASHION. OUR STYLE. SHE INSPIRES

www.lush.com | 45

Earn daily pay.

Join the HWV Lady Bosses team!

TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR FINANCIAL FUTURE! JOIN THE HEALTH & WELLNESS "LADY BOSSES TEAM" Are you interested in promoting and selling TOTAL LIFE CHANGES weight loss and maintenance products? Skincare, energy-boosting, delicious coffee, essential products, and more?

INVEST ATLEAST $ 130.00 or more to become an IBO/ Life Changer.

Become a Life Changer and you’ll receive: $$Commission/Daily Pay Your sponsor& Independent Business Owner ( Tina Cummings) Freedom to build your own team.

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Contact: Tina Cummings @ 585.353.8202 Follow the link for more information: @https://retail.totallifechanges.com/southerncharm78/enrollment

Written by: Princess Swank, Lifecoach

During my journey of discovering that I was a life coach, I personally did not know what a life coach was. I knew how to apply what was taught to me, which later during my application I was teaching others. Becoming a life coach has been a blessing, however, at times it can be very frustrating especially when you first starting out and explaining to people that you are or becoming a life coach. Not too many people know what exactly a life coach is. Which means that I have to educate. What I may find self-explanatory, may not be for others. I also may find that others may be challenging me to see if I know what I am doing. I have had the pleasure of many people asking me questions and scenarios after announcing that I am a life coach. Some of the scenarios thrown in my direction are for therapists and/or social workers. Life Coaches help people make progress in their lives in order to attain greater fulfillment. A Life Coach aids their clients in improving their relationships, careers, and day-to-day lives. The major difference between therapy and life coaching is the focus of work.

Therapy focuses on mental health and emotional healing. Therapy assists you in healing your past, identifying any triggered feelings, and how to deal with them in the present. While a life coach focuses on setting and achieving goals in the present to advance a better future for yourself. A Session with a life coach will feel a lot different than one with a therapist- one provides structure and accountability, while the other is more open-ended.

Life Coaching sessions tend to be more direct. My coaching sessions are very direct. Clients will complete a questionnaire to identify their strengths, weakness, and goals. Clients will always have homework to accomplish between sessions. Process, action, activities, and task goals focus on what you can complete or achieve easily. Their importance lies in succeeding at what you can do easily. They reinforce the connected building blocks of the positive emotional confidence that they generate, creative intelligence, and a healthy lifestyle network.

Progressive positive process goals are simple, concise tools that are critical. They motivate you to continue succeeding by allowing you to see and experience their positive effects immediately. They are critical in everyday situations to counter stress, interference, and negative reinforcement products because they use energy in a positive way and do not allow it to be used to create any kind of negative effects or products. Natural positive process goals are simple, concise, and are extremely effective for concentrating your energy on creating positive effects that you can see and experience immediately. Good coaches and therapists generally convey the same positive objective in different ways. People are encouraged to work towards what naturally and therapeutically works best to succeed and to deal with stress.

Coaches and therapists are proactive positive mentors who identify a goal and develop a plan of action that assists you in the present and in the future.

Accepting clients starting May 1st!

Schedule a session!

Email @ princess.m.swank@gmail.com 585.284.4912

"Sex in the Chocolate City"

HIV & AIDS Awareness

The number of new diagnoses of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection among residents of Monroe County is elevated in 2020.

We have made great progress in the fight against HIV in the United States. Annual HIV infections and diagnoses have declined in recent years as have HIVrelated deaths. But the theme of 2018’s National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day – Stay the Course, the Fight is Not Over! – underscores that we still have important work to do that affects the lives of many Americans. https://www.hiv.gov/blog/hiv-african-american-community-progress-our-work-far-over

_New York State Dept. of Health 2020

Monroe County HIV/AIDS Resources HIV AMONG AFRICAN AMERICANS CDC FACT SHEET

How do you empower girls & teens!

Share your story with She Inspires.

BEAUTY

INSIDE OUT.

Above CEO of The Radiant Beauty Brand Contributing article by- Bahiyah Graham @radiantbeautyb

Bahiyah is a lover of all things of beauty, skincare wellness, and fashion. Her motto is “Bringing out Beauty from the Inside Out.” CEO of the Radiant Beauty Brand, Master Cosmetologist, and Body Sculpting Specialist.

She has a passion to change things up a notch in the beauty & fashion world. She attended Georgia Piedmont College graduated with her Cosmetology Diploma and is licensed in the state of GA since 2008. Always looking to be well rounded in her career she furthered her skills to include body sculpting & contouring, among other spa services and is planning to add makeup artistry to her list of expertise.

She also attended Bauder College for Fashion Merchandising which has bought out her inner fashion style which led her to get certified as a Fashion Stylist. She continues to elevate her knowledge in the Beauty, Fashion, and Wellness Industry by continuously attending and educating herself to provide all the latest specialties in her field. She carries many certifications and intends on gaining more.

So watch out world, Bahiyah is determined to become the best business mogul & serial entrepreneur. She is a force to be reckoned with and intends to bring many women along for the ride to continued success.

Definition of True Beauty What is Beauty?

The dictionary defines Beauty (also called prettiness, loveliness) as a characteristic of a person.

Some define it as what you look like on the outside, your physical appearance, and attractiveness. A combination of qualities such as shape, color, and sizes. Others think of it as what’s within. God has created us all with beauty. Some of us only have it on the outside only and some of us from the inside out.

What is your perception of beauty and which do you fall under? We always hear “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Confucius said, “everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it”.

Inner beauty includes your inner self. Inner beauty is the window of the soul; it's what draws others to you. It radiates from you and it defines who you are. Traits would include personality, humbleness, grace, intelligence, and integrity. A famous quote I stumbled upon “People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.” ― Elisabeth Kübler-Ross You can be one of the most beautiful people to most but your inner beauty and spirit are so ugly it counteracts you physically. There are people in this world who are beautiful in physical appearance but inside have the hearts of evilness. The way one treats others expresses your true beauty. If you treat others with malice and rudeness this displays your ugliness is in character.

“Beauty shouldn’t be about changing yourself to achieve an ideal or be more socially acceptable. Real beauty, the interesting, truly pleasing kind, is about honoring the beauty within you and without you.

It’s about knowing that someone else’s definition of pretty has no hold over you.” ― Golda Poretsky

Are you a salon owner in search of advertising your business?

Reserve a page in She Inspires!

Contact -Tina Cummings Email- @sheinspiresmagazine@gmail.com Website @ https://mstinacummings.wixsite.com/sheinspiresnewyork/new-she-inspiresonline-magazine

BLACK MEN ARE MAGIC TOO!

BUILDING BLACK POP BELLIES DELI

OWNER

EA L ERX AI NCD E R

727

Black Men Are Magic Too

70

BLACK MEN ARE MAGIC TOO @ SHE INSPIRES ONLINE COMMUNITY MAGAZINE

pop bellies deli First, I would like to honor the history of 1701 16th Street South, located in Saint Petersburg, Florida. Reds Snack Shak was a staple in the black community. As a young black male, I would have never thought that I would open a business in one of the most well-known restaurants in the history of St. Petersburg. It’s still a prominent black-owned establishment that offers delicious southern deli cuisine. Second, I would like to thank my business partner Randolph Robson, a passionate, reliable, and determined individual that brother by my side to open Pop Bellies Deli. I opened Pop Bellies Deli in 2021 with the goal of gaining economic wealth, providing a financial foundation for my children, building black, and giving back to the community. Growing up I went down the wrong road and faced many trials, tribulations, and barriers that could have kept me from my dreams and goals. We were blessed to open the restaurant in the midst of the Pandemic and our community has pulled together to keep us afloat. The importance of Pop Bellies is that it is a family restaurant where I teach my kids the importance of hard work and providing jobs for my community.

“What do you see for the future of Pop Bellies Deli?”

“In the future, we plan to expand the Pop Bellies brand by franchising. Our 5-year plan is to open 3 more restaurants in the Tampa Bay Area. Stop by and try our delicious food and amazing service.” Thanks to you guys for shining the light on the small black-owned businesses.

I hope to see you there!

Eric Alexander, Owner

BUILDING BLACK @ SHE INSPIRES ONLINE COMMUNITY MAGAZINE

#STPETESTRONG

"NOT A FAST FOOD JOINT, IT'S A FRESH FOOD JOINT".

WOMAN ON THE MOVE!

ROCHESTER, NEW YORK

Meet Dr. Chastity Singletary WRITTEN BY: CHASTITY SINGLETARY As the founder and owner of Bossy Baez, LLC I offer Body Consulting & Yoni-Care. The products we offer are 100% blended yoni herbs, waist trainers, organic tea, homemade slimming creams, lipgloss, and perfume oils. Please check out my website @https://www.bossybaez.com/ to purchase, my books, products or book a session for your sculpting needs! I also offer a training course to those who are interested in taking control of their financial future.

BOOK A CONSULTATION TODAY! (585) 498.6234

As a doctor holding a Ph.D. in Metaphysics, a Past Regression Hypnotist Consultant, a Certified ReikiMaster and a self-published author of three books focused on mental health and trauma. I pride myself on helping others. My mission is to serve the Rochester community and other communities with my skills, patience, passion, and contribution to positive wellbeing. As a graduate, I obtained a degree from Monroe Community College in Human Services and a Criminal Justice

degree

from

American

Intercontinental

University (AIU). As a single mother, business owner, victim advocate, motivational speaker, and most importantly a role model of a beautiful daughter, I work hard to pursue and accomplish my dreams.

Your all in one body and consulting needs...

IN HER WORDS...

“I am brave, I am bruised I am whom I'm meant to be, this is me Look out 'cause here I come And I'm marching on to the beat I drum”

SURVIVOR

This is Me: by Keala Settle and The Greatest Showman Ensemble I wanted to start off with a piece of a lyric from the song titled “This Is Me”. I come forth as a woman that has been wounded in the battle called “Life”, but not broken in the war. As a Domestic and Sexual Abuse Survivor and going through emotional, physical, and verbal abuse, I have learned to channel that negativity and turn it into a life lesson. Though I was not left unscathed, I do suffer from anxiety.

I am the type of person that will not be stigmatized or defined by what I have versus what I can bring to the table. I am a mother of one child. A self-published author of three books, business owner, and proud founder of a non-collegiate Sorority Theta Phi Eta. We are the Women of Deliverance. My main goal is to help women of emotional, mental, and physical abuse. I always had dreams of just becoming into my full potential I know I'm worth. I am determined to continue to pave a way for myself and my daughter. What motivated me to write books was finding a way to gain closure and bringing awareness to raw yet muchneeded topics that create conversations within our community.

Being a domestic abuse survivor, I understand the importance of just “being heard” and “being understood”. There were many times I knew my friends or family wanted to give up on me due to going back and forth with my abuser. After the last attack on my physical, emotional, and mental, I could no longer take any more abuse. I pressed charges and stood firm. My passion drives me. My knowledge and understanding of diverse situations are what will keep me humble, prepared, and in tune with community and people.

MENTAL

&PHYSICAL WELLNESS

Chastity Singletary Creative Writer, Actress, Director Email @ Bossybaez2020@gmail.com Contact- (585)-498-6234

SELFPUBLISHED AUTHOR

APRIL/JUNE 2021

SHE INSPIRES ONLINE COMMUNITY MAGAZINE

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History of Battered Women’s Movement

753 BC During the reign of Romulus in Rome, wife beating is accepted and condoned under The Laws of Chastisement. Under these laws, the husband has absolute rights to physically discipline his wife. Since by law, a husband is held liable for crimes committed by his wife, this law was designed to protect the husband from harm caused by the wife’s actions.

These laws permit the husband to beat his wife with a rod or switch as long as its circumference is no greater than the girth of the base of the man’s right thumb, hence “The Rule of Thumb.”

1200 AD Wife beating is common in Europe and is endorsed by the church as the loving husband’s means of correcting his wife’s faults.

1300 14th Century, Roman Catholic Church, Rules of Marriage, exhorted Christian husbands to “beat your wives soundly, not out of malice or rage, but out of concern. For this will be to your benefit and to her spiritual good.”

1600 Battered women shelters, as we know them today, may not have existed until the nineteenth century, but abused women in Europe knew where to hide to escape their batterers – convents may very well have been the first shelters for women trying to escape from the violence of their homes.

1767 British Common Law allows for a man to chastise his wife with a stick no greater than the length from the last joint to the end of the thumb (the rule of thumb).

1871 Alabama and Massachusetts declare wife beating illegal.

1900s Wife beating receives public attention in the United States as it relates to the temperance movement, the social purity movement and the women’s suffrage movement.

1910 U.S. Supreme Court denied a wife the right to prosecute her husband for assault because to do so “would open the doors of the courts to accusations of all sorts of one spouse against another.”

1950-60s Civil rights and anti-war movements challenge the country and lay the foundation for the feminist movement.

1970 The first battered women’s shelter opens in Chiswick, England, by Erin Pizzey.

1971 The first rape crisis center opens in the United States by the Bay Area Women Against Rape.

1973 The first battered women’s shelter in the United States opens in St. Paul, Minnesota, by the Women’s Advocates.

1974 Erin Pizzey, author of the first book about domestic violence from a battered women’s perspective, publishes Scream Quietly or the Neighbors Will Hear in England.

1976

FREE & FEARLESS DOMESTIC VIOLENCEAWARENESS & SUPPORT

Knowing our history is vital to pursuing our future. Our history needs to be our guide in making the changes necessary to end the violence.

Violence against women has been sanctioned throughout history. We need to know the struggles of those who came before us. By knowing our history we honor their spirits, we keep the flame of justice alive and it brings us to the stark reality that we have much work still to do.

https://vawnet.org/material/battered-womens-movement-brief-overview

REE & FEARLESS DOMESTIC VIOLENCEAWARENESS & SUPPORT

1976 Pennsylvania establishes the first state coalition against domestic violence and becomes the first state to pass legislation providing for orders of protection for battered women. Oregon becomes the first state to legislate mandated arrest in domestic violence cases.

1977 Emerge, the first counseling program for men who batter, is founded in Boston, Massachusetts, at the request of women working in shelters.

1978 The United States Commission on Civil Rights sponsors the Consultation on Battered Women: Issues of Public Policy in Washington, DC. Over 100 nationally represented women come together to organize around the needs of the newly formed battered women’s movement. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) is formed during the US Commission on Civil Rights hearing. However, feminists did much of the groundwork and careful organizing across the country; specifically, Betsy Warrior and Valle Jones. Incorporation papers for NCADV are filed in Portland, Oregon. Laura X begins the work of the National Clearinghouse on Marital Rape by assisting a rape crisis center in Salem, Oregon, with the trial of John Rideout – the first US husband tried for a rape he committed on his wife, Greta, while they were living together. He was acquitted, and then publicly apologized.

1979 Over 250 shelters for battered women exist in the United States.

1980 Joanne Schulman’s research shows that marital rape is legal in 44 states, cohabitant rape in 13 states and date rape in 5 states. Missouri enacted the Adult Abuse remedies law giving battered women civil protection . Missouri Coalition Against Domestic Violence is formed There are nearly 500 battered women’s shelters in the United States.

1983 Over 700 shelters for battered women are in operation across the United States serving 91,000 women and 131,000 children. St. Martha’s Hall, a shelter for abused women and their children, is opened in St. Louis Missouri.

1984 The Duluth Project is formed in Duluth, Minnesota, to develop a coordinated criminal justice response to domestic violence. The US Attorney General establishes a Task Force on Family Violence and conducts hearings throughout the country to examine the scope and nature of the problem. The report spurs Congress to pass the Family Violence Prevention Services Act – the first time federal funds are specifically designated for programs serving battered women and their children.

1985 Tracey Thurman versus the City of Torrington, Connecticut, becomes the first case heard in federal court of a woman suing city police for having failed to protect her from her husband’s violence which permanently scarred and partially paralyzed her. She is awarded a 2 million dollar judgment. The US Surgeon General issues a report identifying domestic violence as a major health problem for women.

https://vawnet.org/material/battered-womens-movement-brief-overview

FREE & FEARLESS DOMESTIC VIOLENCEAWARENESS & SUPPORT

1986 Battered women’s shelters house over 310,000 women and children. The first Domestic Violence Awareness Month is held in October. With funds from the Johnson & Johnson Corporation and a national fundraising effort called Shelter Aid, the NCADV establishes the first national toll-free domestic violence hotline.

1989 There are 1,200 battered women’s programs in the United States that shelter over 300,000 women and children. US Attorney General C. Everett Koop warns that violence is the number one public health risk to adult women in the United States.

1993 Violence against women is included as a human rights violation by the United Nations at its International Conference on Human Rights in Vienna. The World Bank recognizes battering as a significant economic problem in terms of health costs. Marital rape law and stalking law passed in Missouri 1994 The US Congress passes the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) as part of the federal Crime Bill. VAWA funds services for victims of domestic violence and rape, and provides training to increase police and court officials’ sensitivity to domestic violence. $1.6 billion was authorized for the years 1994-2000.

1995 Robert Goben becomes the first person to be prosecuted for possession of a firearm in violation of a domestic violence protection order under the Violence Against Women Act in Lemmon, South Dakota.

Christopher Bailey becomes the first person convicted of a felony under the Violence Against Women Act in crossing state lines (West Virginia and Kentucky) to assault his wife, Sonya Bailey. An anti-stalking law signed by US President Bill Clinton makes interstate stalking and harassment a federal offense whether or not the victim had obtained a protection order.

2000 The Violence Against Women Act of 2000 is passed reauthorizing funding for training and services for battered women and their children and creating new programs. $3.3 billion was authorized for the years 2000-2005.

Much of the information presented here was compiled from the archives of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV).

https://vawnet.org/material/battered-womens-movement-brief-overview

Resources for Survivors of IPV in the Greater Rochester Area

If any of the information shared in this article is reflective of the experiences you’re having with an intimate partner, you could be experiencing IPV. Regardless of the circumstances, no one deserves to experience abuse and you’re never responsible for a partner’s abusive behavior.

Support is available when you are ready to connect. Provided below is a list of providers offering support to survivors of IPV in different capacities in the Greater Rochester Area.

RESOLVE of Greater Rochester 585-425-1580 Willow Domestic Violence Center 585-222-7233 —24/7 Hotline585-348-7233 —24/7 Text Line Healing through Advocacy, Education & Law (HEAL) Program at URMC585-275HEALYWCA Rochester Emergency Housing 585-368-2292 YWCA Domestic Violence Crisis Services (Genesee County) 585-343-7513 — 24/7 Hotline Chances & Changes (Livingston County) 1 -888-252-9360 – 24/7 Hotline

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KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.

Celebrate Black History, Every Day!

https://thinkgrowth.org/14-black-inventors-you-probably-didnt-know-about-3c0702cc63d2

Did you know that the first home security system was invented by a Black nurse? Meet Marie Van Brittan Brown. Although she was a full-time nurse, she recognized the security threats to her home and devised a system that would alert her of strangers at her door and contact relevant authorities as quickly as possible.

Her original invention consisted of peepholes, the camera, monitors, and a two-way microphone. The finishing touch was an alarm button that, when pressed, would immediately contact the police. Her patent laid the groundwork for the modern closedcircuit television system that is widely used for surveillance, home security systems, push-button alarm triggers, crime prevention, and traffic monitoring.

Patricia Bath was the first African American to complete a residency in ophthalmology and the first African American female doctor to receive a medical patent. She invented the Laserphaco Probe for cataract treatment in 1986.

https://www.biography.com/scientist/patricia-bath

Become a contributing writer for She Inspires

P E N I T . ,YOUR STYLE, YOUR RHYTHM

EMERGING WRITERS TO WATCH OUT FOR Get to know author Shawnitea Wall

"As a result of my experiences, I have learned that society has a bad habit of wanting to hide things that are not so pleasing to the eye."

by Shawnitea Wall

Although writing has always been a part of my life if you would have asked me six years ago, “Have you ever considered publishing your poems?” My response would be a solid, No. My writing was very personal and private to me. It was how I survived the very dark times in my life. As a child, I did not trust a lot of the adults in my life, but I could trust my pen and paper to be the same every time. I wrote about everything; my pen and paper were my best friends and the strongest support system I had. As a result of my experiences, I have learned that society has a bad habit of wanting to hide things that are not so pleasing to the eye.

Me First was my opportunity to not only identify the problem but,a part of the solution to what has sadly become the norm. Me First does just that it gives me a chance to initiate uncomfortable conversations.

I was about eleven when my world literally changed overnight. One night, after I went to bed, I was sexually assaulted by one of my stepbrothers, which would continue for years. It was months before I shared what was happening with anyone because I was scared that he would follow through with his threat to rape my little sister. I put all that pain I felt on paper because that was the only thing that kept me from completely losing myself in the pain.

After being accused by my mother for wanting it because I didn’t scream or say anything. I felt so alone like I was not good enough for her to protect me, to save me. Writing became my escape from the darkness that was taking over my life. If I didn’t write I would not be alive because my darkness would have won.

When my son was about 18 years old read one of my poems. He suggested that I publish my poems because he felt like I could really help others. I begin to explore the idea of publishing my poem by joining various groups and communities on social media. However, there was still a part of me that was not ready for exposing those parts of my life to the world. Especially after working so hard to bury that part and just move on. Even though I knew that I was a good writer I was afraid that some of the things I write would be acceptable. It wasn’t until working at Wilson Commencement High School and Urban League of Rochester, that I begin to see the urgency to share my story. These young women and men need so much more than just knowing they could change their situation or that people that look like us could be more than just ok. They needed to know that when they were not ok that it was still ok. Me First is more than just a book of poems it’s an experience of necessary vulnerability.

Excerpt from Me First

by Shawnitea Wall

I’m sorry, I could not return the favor.

I was too arrogant to tell anyone.

How clueless I truly was.

Not sure I ever experienced that before.

So, I had to learn to

LOVE

Myself.

How could I love You?

You deserved more than

Decorated Words.

I need to learn to love

Me first.

I need to love

Me first,

But not just for You.

Call me selfish if you

Must.

I truly understand.

How naive would I be to claim

I love you,

When I don’t know

If

I love me.

SHE CHRONICLES Fill it up! I’m so tired of you in my house, in my face, I should just drop y’all off at social services!

Leave you on the doorstep, let them take care of you!

Fill it up!! I don’t want you in my house. You think you’re so special, everyone tells you that you’re beautiful! You’re no one special!

Get out of my house!

Fill it up and get out!!!! And don’t come back.

I’m only 8 where am I supposed to go?

Her mom screams, I don’t care! You just fill up that damn paper bag and GO! (The door slams)

Just imagine how the child feels? As parents, I don’t think we truly comprehend the effect we have on our children. Whether intentional or not our actions, words, and mannerisms can affect them for years to come.

Written by Tina Cummings©

Thank you to all business owners, contributing writers & the community

I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the success of our second issue!

Bahiyah Graham - Beauty Inside Out Eric Alexander- Pop Bellies Deli Dr.Chastity Singletary- Bossy Baez, LLC Princess Swank- Live Life Your Way Life coach Services Ann Brantley- Jones - Body Beautifull Apparel Shawnitea Wall- Me First, Author

3rd issue release July 1st {Reserve a page!} .