Starting Your Dreams Later In Life and Embracing the Detour

Jenee Darden speaking at Creative Mornings I know it's been a while since I've posted anything but that's because of my job. I'm working as a reporter covering Oakland and I host an arts segment on the radio where I get to interview amazing artists from around the Bay Area. Plus I'm publicizing my book  and building my speaking career!  You know what's funny? I thought this would all happen by the time I was 27-30.  Nope. That wasn't God's plan for me. I'm finally beginning to do the things I've wanted to do and I'm almost 40 years old. Some people reading this who are 40 will say 40 is still young. But some younger people reading may think 40 is nearly ancient. But I'm writing this post for those who like me, thought their career and personal dreams would come true much early in life. I'm here to tell you not to give up.  You know, death inspires life. A number of my relatives and friends have passed away, ranging in
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A Treat for our "Post Racial" Society

I was so consumed by the MLK/Obama festivities last week that I totally missed this crazy story. Apparently a bakery in New York's Greenwich Village was selling racially-offensive cookies to commemorate the Inauguration of Pres. Obama. There's an example of the twisted dessert to your left. Ted Kefalinos of Lafayette French Pastry called the cookies "Drunken Negro Face." That's creative. According to the Gothamist, when pushing the cookies, Kefalinos allegedly told customers that Obama is "following in the same path of Abraham Lincoln" and "he will get his."
Much of the hype is over the cookies' image. They are offensive but I have a problem with is the baker's alleged "he will get his" comment ( I'll let the Secret Service tackle that one). There's been so much talk during Obama's rise to the White House that we live in a "post-racial" society. No we don't. Since when is this country post race? This cookie along with the baker's alleged comments disproves that idea. So does the New Year's killing of the young Oakland man by the BART police. And I can type a host of examples. Just because our president is black doesn't mean that racism isn't an issue. If people start to believe the society is post-racial will this lead to more slashing of affirmative action programs? Will complaints of racial discrimination on the job be ignored? While I'm proud that Americans looked past Obama's skin color and elected him, I know there are some people who aren't thrilled over the idea that leader of the most powerful country in the world is a brotha. We live in a great country, but it's not perfect.

Baker Ted Kefalinos has since apologized for "offending" people with the cookies. Oh and it gets worse. Remember the plane that recently crashed on the Hudson River because geese flew into the engines? Well the crash inspired the baker's other creation, "Dead Geese Bread." His heart must be made of biscotti.


Photo Credit: Gothamist
Also See: The Assimilated Negro

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