Brave

New York Times reporter Jens Erik Gould did a self evaluation of his role in journalism. His soul searching resulted in a decision to begin reporting on people living tremendously couragous lives in the face of overwhelming adversity. He wanted to report about these people, and thus began the Bravery Tapes project. I haven''t seen this human side of journalism for a very long time and it is welcome. Click the link below that says the Bravery Project and view the lives of these incredible individuals. My Valentine's Day gift to you is to help you see past all the charity fatigue and media content overload. See a world in which everyday people make bravery a way of life. The Bravery Tapes Jens Erik Gould in Good  Image is of a tall white male in a t-shirt and fatigues walking away from a stone hovel with a woman of color  a young girl and an toddler standing at the open door How Questioning My Role in Journalism Lead Me to Bravery Tapes : Click Here :D

I am not a fan for appropriating the photos, history, or any portion of one movement to represent another. In this case however, there is an insidious agenda that has been creeping across our conservative regions since the Supreme Court's unfortunate decision on the Voting Rights Act. Under the guise of religious freedom, various attempts to reestablish Jim Crow laws are being made. Ostensibly targeting the LGBTQUAI community and using religion to gain the endorsement of devout Christian minorities, the true purpose behind these attempts is to restore discriminatory laws that work against all marginalized populations. It is a frightening thing to see for me, a person who was child at the beginning of the changes that so many of us died to make a reality. This is not a fight for freedom of religion. It is a surreptitious attempt to inject a viral infection of hate back into American life. I don't want that back. I don't want to go backwards. I don't want our freedoms an

Miss International of 2012, Ikumi Yoshimatsu has been quietly fighting a year long battle against some very powerful people. While the problem with media coverage of everything is you never quite get the entire story, I think The Independent does a good job of summing things up with this headline: " Miss Japan Ikumi Yoshimatsu joins battle against mafia in the media" Ms. Yoshimatsu did not want to sign with a powerful talent agency. An executive in that agency won't take no for an answer. And what followed was a year of threats, harassment, and fear for Ms. Yoshimatsu and her family. For more details on the incidents themselves and her decision to file criminal and civil charges click this link here  IKUMI YOSHIMATSU 吉松育美  Image Description a  young Japanese woman with long dark hair tearful and raising a hand to her face  while seated in front of a microphone. Ms. Yoshimatsu is now in hiding. Going public with her plight has cost her everything. Here she is