In the Mix with Aaliyah Miller

Was Bruce Jenner’s interview with Diane Sawyer a game changer for the transgender community? I’ve been asking myself that question since I’ve seen the headlines. I can’t definitely say yes or no. Although I didn’t watch the much anticipated interview I’ve been following the media coverage leading up to it as well as the post-coverage. What's a positive take away? People are talking about transgender issues. Since 2013, Google has seen a spike in the interest over headlines that include the term transgender. While some may not like this new attention, it also doesn’t seem to be an issue going away easily either. The narrative is slowly changing, but a negative takeaway is that mainstream media coverage still has too many conversations filled with ridicule and disgust towards transgendered individuals. There remains a lack of empathy and education about transgender individuals. As a society we need to stop ignoring the “pink elephant” in the room and pretending t...

While we love to share and praise each other in social media the space has also proven to be an effective tool where "hateration" spreads like wild fire. "Public shaming" aka #socialshaming via social media is taking hold in a big way. Granted it's not really a new phenomenon. We have plenty of examples from history. One example that comes to mind is Nathanial Hawthorne's novel, " The Scarlett Letter ." I even think the crucifixion of Jesus can be considered an example too.   However, thanks to social and our 24-7  news cycle, public shaming on social media has the power to take an everyday person an make them an instant celebrity, potentially black list the person, make them a pariah, and in some cases ruin their professional life as well as their personal relationships. All this takes place within 24 hours or less. Yikes. A recent victim to an instantaneous rise and fall would be Trevor Noah , last week the South African comedian was getting...

History has many lessons to teach us if we take the time to reflect and seek an understanding. The national observation of Women's History Month comes to a close after today. During March we pay tribute to women and acknowledge their influence in shaping the nation. Women continue to add to America's narrative and that is something we must remember and celebrate the other 11 months of the year.  With a focus on women's history I'm pleased to share an interview with Molly MacGregor, the executive director and co-founder of the National Women's History’s (NWHP) Project . The organization recognizes and celebrates the diverse and historic accomplishments of women by providing informational services and educational and promotional materials. The enduring goal of the NWHP is to “make history” accurate by continuing to recognize and celebrate women’s authentic contributions through its current and future projects.     Q: Why did you co-found the National W...

This past Sunday, the Hartford Courant published, " Are We Coming or Going? " It was the cover story of the opinion section. I finally read the piece today. I myself am a proud "Nutmegger," but I wanted to see how my fellow residents viewed the state of Connecticut. I wasn't that surprised by the commentary but it did reinforce how I thought people were feeling with their love and hate relationship of the state. In a nutshell here are where the people's gain and pain points with Connecticut. Pro-Connecticut residents pointed to benefits such as: A great landscape Arts and culture Good schools Entertainment options Critical Connecticut residents pointed out drawbacks such as: High taxes Lack of job creation Utility costs Bad public transportation Bad schools Who's right? As I went back over the comments, I saw myself agreeing with both perspectives. I identified with both points-of-views.  Connecticut has good schools, some ...

I look forward to having different experiences.  While some individuals may prefer a routine that doesn't deviate from their usual patterns and practices, I like to experience different things because it helps shape my world view. I'm at my best when I'm able to see life from multiple perspectives, which helps me to be more empathetic to others. These past two weekends I had the opportunity to hit the road and enjoy activities I wouldn't normally do. Two weeks ago I attended the Philadelphia Flower Show (PHS) with my mom and sister. This past weekend I attended 2015 PAXEast  (PAX) with my husband and his friends. I don't think you can get much more different than gardening and gaming, but some things I learned from checking out these two events is that they have more in common than the letter g.  Here are five take aways I thought were worth sharing. Commonalities Between PHS and PAX Both events displayed creativity and innovation in their respected fi...

Lee & Low Books’ infographics I'm a Hollywood outsider that didn't that didn't watch the 2015 Oscars broadcast. I don't think I've watched them for the past five years. I do my best not to watch most if not all award shows. Every once and awhile I slip up and get sucked back in. It's a relapse that comes from all my years of being a die hard T.V. viewer. Although I didn't watch I did follow a bit of the action on Twitter. It's my go to, to stay in the now when it comes to news, celebrity and politics. It was on fire with Oscar buzz from the night's nominees, award winners, and the dynamic speeches. Patricia Arquette got her props last night at the awards and on social media. Although I don't watch the Oscars, the media attention, influence, and significance it has in our lives doesn't escape me. Media matters. After all, I was following many conversations and news updates via Twitter for about an hour. It's why I feel lik...

After some serious thought and with the support of my hubby I've decided that it's worth my time and money to head to the Consuming/Culture: Women and Girls in Pixels and Print conference. Whoot, Whoot! While I was snowed in this weekend I took the time to register for the conference and book my flight. I reviewed the agenda and am looking forward to the opportunity to meet other women and learn about their research on topics focused on gender inequity and how the problem manifests itself in society. One of the conference highlights is that Angela McRobbie will be a keynote speaker. She is a thought leader that has written many papers addressing post-feminism and the impact and influence media has on women in society. I reviewed many of her published papers as part of my thesis research. It will be cool to hear from the woman that influenced my own research as well as many others when it comes to women and gender studies. This will be the first time I present at an ac...