People put so much emphasis on perfection when thinking about Jada Pinkett-Smith and celebrities/politicians in general. I think about all of the naysayers saying that she can't be an expert on interpersonal relationships or give advice through channels like the Red Table Talk series because of her recent admission of supposed infidelity in her marriage. But she is a human being. That is one thing that has frightened me in all of my professional journeys. People believe that if you fail in one aspect of your life then you don't have the right to give advice to anyone in another area or even in that area of life. It is a perceived notion that you must be perfect all around, have a perfect image everywhere so that you can advise. People are trying to cancel her saying that she can't give anyone advice on anything anymore because of this new revelation. This revelation that is new to us. But who are we really? My question comes in how can people grow if the mistakes they make are continuously used against them. One reason why I haven't fulfilled many of my passions publicly is because I am fearful of people's reactions to my past or mistakes I have made and how that would affect their opinion of me in my new endeavors. I empathize with Jada. I do not know the intricacies of her marriage. I don't know her personally nor do I know much about her life other than what is shared by her. I know that I appreciate her perspective on lots of issues and that I do value what she has to say about her personal experiences because they are hers. People can choose to agree or disagree but I personally have an issue with "cancel culture" as we all are one mistake away from alienation. That culture demonizes people for decisions they've made in their personal life that may be contrary to their public persona. It's frightening for me as a woman who sometimes has a small public platform, but often times has the ear of people. To think that if one past indiscretion is discovered that all good deeds will go undone. We as a people do not give people grace. Many times we are judged by our worst as opposed to the sum total of our good deeds. We are judgemental creatures by nature. I just wish that more grace were given especially in situations where you do not have a personal stake. It's hard for people to be in the limelight especially when folks are waiting to tear you down.
As a 12th grade teacher and counselor I like to give a positive perspective of our city's young people. During this season of gratitude I'd be remiss if I didn't take pride in the brilliance of our children, especially the older ones. With so much death and despair gaining news coverage we tend to forget the kids that are on the right track doing, the work to make themselves better. Each year our high school seniors spend the fall applying to colleges far and wide hoping for a chance to start a new journey in just a years time. With dreams of a career in engineering, medicine or even animal husbandry (yes this is a thing) they cast fear aside and shoot for their ultimate goals in spite of current circumstances. We often don't recognize the teens working long shifts at local stores after a full day of school just to have a sense of responsibility. The teens that sit up all night fretting over projects and assignments due the next day aren't always on our radar, but ...
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