Narrative Network

Mom, my shero

Posted on March 3, 2015March 6, 2016 by Sylvia Wong Lewis

mother and daughter — Mother and daughter, media mavens, Theresa B. Leeke and Ananda Leeke.

Mom, my shero
By Ananda Leeke, Guest Writer
(In honor of Women’s History Month)

Musician. Feminist. Sorority Leader. Educator. Traveler. A former paper girl with a newspaper route and dreams of working as a radio DJ in Indianapolis, Indiana. These are just a few words that describe my mother, Theresa B. Leeke. She is my Women’s History Month shero because of her passion for information, media, and technology. She decorated the landscape of my childhood. It started with her listening to an early morning radio show, WTOP-AM. The show provided updates on local news, politics, traffic, weather, and school closings. My mother was in the know 24/7/365.

Her passion embraced the headlines of the Washington Post newspaper and the evening news on television. It also greeted me each week when JET Magazine, the Indianapolis Recorder newspaper, and the Catholic Standard newspaper arrived in the mailbox. Each month her favorite magazines, Ebony, Essence, and Ms. appeared on my family’s kitchen table. Because of her voracious media appetite, my brain inhaled it all!

When I turned 13, I developed a healthy appetite for lipstick, fashion, entertainment, and women’s issues as a result of reading my mother’s Essence and Ms. magazines. I also discovered my own favorites– Mademoiselle, Glamour, Right On!, and Vogue. All of the articles I read inspired me to expand my wardrobe while I was a seventh grader. I begged my parents for money to purchase outfits, shoes, and accessories. But my mother told me I would have to make do with what my parents already purchased unless I found a job. She suggested I become a paper girl like she was when she was a girl. This would allow me to earn my own money and spend it the way I liked. The power of being able to earn and spend my own money was exciting. So I took the leap into the paper girl world.
Nowadays, my mother’s passion for information, media, and technology is still going strong. Her favorite news sources have expanded to include CNN and MSNBC; the Washington Post, Washington Afro-American, Washington Informer, Prince George’s Journal, Catholic Standard, and Indianapolis Recorder newspapers; and WHUR-FM and WTOP-AM radio stations. Her magazine collection includes Prevention, Real Simple, and The Oprah Magazine.

She has one laptop for her music and work as the director of liturgical music and gospel choir director for her Catholic church. Her second laptop is used to access the Internet, email, online banking, Amazon.com, and her work with Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. and the Phyllis Wheatley YWCA. YouTube is one of her favorite places to visit online. She enjoys watching videos featuring gospel music singers and musicians. They help her prepare and select music for her church’s weekly Masses and concerts. Facebook is her online community du jour. She uses it to stay in touch with family, friends, former students, sorority members, and colleagues. Her Facebook status updates give voice to her spiritual inspirations, feminist perspective, support of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, and sense of humor.

(Based on an excerpt from Digital Sisterhood: A Memoir of Fierce Living Online.
Ananda Leeke is CEO of Ananda Leeke Media l Author l Artist l Creativity Coach l Yoga Teacher Go to: www.anandaleeke.com.)

Chinese New Years 2015

Posted on February 19, 2015March 6, 2016 by Sylvia Wong Lewis

Happy Chinese New Year 2015! I am honored to acknowledge my Chinese ancestors who migrated from China to Trinidad and Guyana in the British West Indies as indentured workers. After the abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, workers from China and India were engaged to replace the enslaved Africans. To learn more about this hidden Caribbean and Asian history, I recommend two amazing texts: Indentured Labor, Caribbean Sugar: Chinese and Indian Migrants to the British West Indies, 1838-1918 by Walton Look Lai, (John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 1993); and The Coolie Speaks: Chinese Indentured Laborers and African Slaves in Cuba, by Lisa Yun, (Temple University Press,2008).

My Chinese Trinidadian maternal grandmother taught me many of her traditions — from Buddhism, cooking, gardening, palmistry, face reading also known as physiognomy to astrology. I was born in the year of the Dragon, considered the most powerful and lucky signs in the zodiac. I learned from an early age about all of the Chinese astrological animals.

This is the year of the Goat. Celebrate if your birth year is listed here: 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, or 2015. Your lucky colors are brown, red and purple. Lucky numbers are 2 and 7. Your lucky flowers are carnations and primrose. In Chinese astrology, goats are very different from Western Capricorn goats. Chinese goats are delicate thinkers, creative and love team activities. To learn more, click here.

Although it’s not a national holiday, New Yorkers will celebrate big time with a parade in NYC Chinatown, Sunday, February 22, 1-3pm. Please join me!
Here’s link.

How do you celebrate Chinese New Years?

February food passions

Posted on February 8, 2015March 6, 2016 by Sylvia Wong Lewis

February foods hold many passions for me. Blessed with diverse cooking genes, I’m always torn between Creole foods served during Trinidad Carnival and Louisiana Mardi Gras, and/or Chinese New Year’s food. In the end, my mother’s Chinese Trinidadian Dahl won out. With New York’s frigid weather and a recent cold, this steaming hot, flavorful vegan pea soup hit the spot. Dahl, Daal, or Dal are common spellings for this aromatic soup.

Dahl is simple, easy and a great introduction to Indian cooking. All you need are some split peas, vegetable broth and Indian spices. This recipe is on the thick side because Trinis usually serve it with rice. You may add broth at the end to make it soupier. Use Chana Dal peas, when cooking for Diabetics (for better glycemic index). They look like yellow split peas and are found only in Indian grocers. My sister adds more vegetables and also uses coconut milk, a tradition for many. There are many ways to prepare Dahl. This recipe is a good starter. Let me know how it goes.

For a great introduction to Trinidad’s diverse culinary scene in New York check: “Roti, Shark, and Buss-up Shot-Get to know the Trinidadian food of NYC,” click here.

For one of my Mardi Gras recipes, check out a guest post on friend Patricia Patton’s site that featured my Vegan Creole Gumbo Recipe. Click here for details.

I will write about Chinese New Years in a future post. But to read my past holiday post, click here.

Trinidad Dahl Soup Recipe

Equipment: 5 qt. soup pot, medium fry pan, large bowl to wash peas, colander to rinse peas; optional potato masher or immersion blender. Total prep & cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes or less. Serves 6.

Ingredients:
1 T vegetable oil
1 chopped medium onion
4 garlic cloves, smashed or split
6 cups vegetable broth
2 cups split peas=1 cup yellow, 1 cup red
1 Bay Leaf
1 Scotch Bonnet Pepper or Habanero
1 T Tumeric
1 tsp. Ginger powder
1 tsp. Cayenne
2 tsp. Ginger chopped
1 T Brown Mustard seeds
1 T Cumin seeds
1 T Coriander Seeds
1 tsp. Sea Salt, to taste
Garnish: 1 cup Cilantro, chopped and sprigs, 1 Lemon.

Prep & Cook: Wash peas in cold water, drain in colander, chop onions, smash garlic, mince ginger, measure out all seasonings and put all aside.
Add peas to pot, add 5 cups of broth (reserve 1 cup for adding at end), 2 whole, smashed garlic cloves, 1 Bay Leaf, 1 whole Scotch Bonnet or Habanero Pepper, Tumeric. You should have at least 2 inches of liquid above peas. Bring to boil. Lower the flame to a medium heat, cook about 40 minutes, or until peas are tender. Almost finished!

To set up the soup for the finish, remove and discard Bay Leaf. Remove and put aside Scotch Bonnet or Habanero pepper. Use masher or immersion blender to puree it to your preferred creamy consistency. I usually skip that part or use a hand masher. Maintain a very low heat.
In fry pan, cook the rest of the ingredients in oil: chopped onion, remainder 2 garlic cloves, ginger powder, chopped ginger pieces, Cayenne, until onions are translucent. Add all the whole seeds as last items-Mustard, Cumin, and Coriander. Mix seeds into onion-garlic mixture just for a few seconds. Scrape contents of fry pan into soup and stir. Add pepper back to pot. Add salt and additional broth and water, to desired consistency. Heat to bubble, turn very low for about 10 minutes. Stir, and taste. Done!

Serve and garnish each bowl with Cilantro and a squeeze of Lemon. Eat with rice or Nan bread. Enjoy!

Philanthropy for Schomburg

Posted on February 1, 2015March 6, 2016 by Sylvia Wong Lewis

Philanthropy that is creative is wonderful! Book collectors Ruth and Sid Lapidus donated their personal collection of slavery memorabilia (over 400 items!), $2.5 million PLUS got the New York Public Library (NYPL) to match their financial gift to maintain their collection @SchomburgCenter. This was the Schomburg’s largest gift in its history! (July 14, 1905)

Quietly, at the recent Harlem dedication ceremony featuring rock star historians Professors Annette Gordon-Reed and David Blight, NYPL Trustees and Schomburg supporters, the @SchomburgCenter became the first public library in the world to open a center for transatlantic slavery study. Thank you, Ruth and Sid Lapidus!

During remarks, Mr. Lapidus, 76, intimated with a sense of humor that his book collection ‘obsession’ was occasionally encouraged by his wife of 55 years that filled their Harrison, NY home. He also explained options for anyone collecting books and pamphlets focused on the theme of liberty during the American Revolution for 50 years: “You could sell, donate or keep it in the family. I decided to creatively give it away,” said the Brooklyn native who was raised in New Rochelle.“I looked at the Schomburg’s slavery collection and mine and realized that I had more in my personal collection than they did,” said Lapidus, whose cache includes 18th century British, French and American slavery books and documents. “Part of me is sad to let go. But the other part of me knows that this is the best home for these materials,” Lapidus said. What will he do with all of that extra shelf space? “That was only a quarter of my stash. I will continue to collect. The dealers know what I like,” said the retired partner of Warburg Pincus, a New York-based private equity firm.

Fortunately, those of us who are Schomburg lovers, we are on the receiving end of this beautiful, wonderful gift from the Lapidus family. Thank you, again Ruth and Sid Lapidus!

The other highlights of the evening, of course, were the speakers.
Annette Gordon-Reed of University of Oxford-Queens College (UK), Harvard and Radcliffe, is one of the foremost scholars of Thomas Jefferson and author of the controversial book, Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: An American Controversy (University Press of Virginia, 1997).
David Blight is professor of American History and director of Yale’s Gilder Lehman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition. He is writing a new biography about Frederick Douglass, to be published in 2015.Together they shared stories and took questions from the audience on the joys and challenges of writing about the “complicated family lives” of historic figures during slavery. I posted an excerpt of their conversation on my YouTube channel. Check: “Annette Gordon-Reed & David Blight @Schomburgcenter.”

To learn more about the Lapidus Center for the Historical Analysis of Transatlantic Slavery, click here.

8 tips on recruiting at college fairs

Posted on January 18, 2015March 6, 2016 by Sylvia Wong Lewis

I was invited to participate at a Seven Sisters College career fair. The timing couldn’t have been better. Exciting new projects are shaping up. Extra hands are needed for summer internships and part-time work. However, recruiting college students and millennials (Gen Y, Gen Z, Hipsters) require a different approach than prospecting for seasoned professionals. A five-year career plan is probably the last thing on their minds. These youthful applicants’ amazing business skills can more than make up for their limited job experiences. I appreciate their love of meaningful work and entrepreneurship. In addition, this new generation is accustomed to diversity and technology, important strengths for my small business.

One LinkedIn study outlined how successful big companies proactively appealed to millennial goals of “good work/life balance, compensation/benefits, and strong career path.” For study details, click here. As a woman entrepreneur, I try to adapt big business ideas. I also listen to millennials themselves for guidance. For recruiting tips from a millennial, click here.

Here are my 8 tips for recruiting at college job fairs:

1. Meaningful work – Forget the mundane tedious data entry jobs for a millennial. They want to make a difference. Line up projects that demand a fresh and creative approach. Show photos of your company in action. Describe real client deliverables to illustrate real-time business challenges.
2. Branding – A college job fair is a good opportunity to refresh your own marketing materials such as banners, posters, and flyers with your company logo. Millennials pay attention to branding. So give yours a boost.
3. Communications – Printout hard copies of your job openings and descriptions to give away as handouts. College career development offices prepare their students for job fairs. Many of the students will arrive at your booth well prepared with a list of detailed questions. Be ready to communicate.
4. Digital Engagement/Network – Post your job opportunity on the college career development website and your own social media. Be ready to accept hand-delivered resumes and fully engage with prospects. Emphasize your connection to the host college, especially if you are an alum. Check your LinkedIn networks to find any connections to the host.
5. Creative Perks – Do offer and promote creative perks such as comp film tickets and coupons to local NYC eateries. Students love freebies. Opportunities to meet and interact with amazing people especially celebrities are fabulous perks too.
6. Focuses on Soft Skills – Soft skills should be your biggest focus at a college job fair. Pay attention to important business soft skills such as: people skills, teamwork, decision making, problem-solving, taking ownership of assignments, and time management. Do they have good follow-through? Can they meet deadlines? Can they multitask?
7. Value Volunteerism, School Projects – I have worked with some awesome Gen Y and Gen Z’ers who speak multiple languages, produce films, and run small farms as part of their class assignments or volunteer activities. These are valuable skills that they can bring to your business. Do inquire about their special talents and interests.
8. Value their tech skills – Millennials grow up with technology and multiple mobile devices. They know short cuts that can help your business in ways you would never think about. This youthful population segment knows a lot about survival in today’s tight economy. Those are skills worth your time and investment.