Apparently, my friend (who is as straight-shooting as they come) found herself doing something she never thought would ever, ever do: rifle though her guy’s things looking for signs of another woman.

Although they weren’t in a relationship, the pair have a long history and agreed to date each other exclusively until they were ready to make it official. But as she went through his things, my friend said she knew it was a wrap. Instead of confronting him head on about her suspicions, she behaved like Inspector Gadget looking for clues. And in that moment she knew the trust was gone and no amount of reassurance could make her get over his past indiscretions.

After my friend told me about her ordeal, a Facebook acquaintance posed a question about checking her man’s phone and whether or not she should go through it to see if he was messing around. Although she didn’t suspect her guy of cheating, she was still curious to see if her beau had a wandering eye and was engaging in inappropriate behaviors with other women.

These stories are certainly not unique. Countless TV shows have depicted couples snooping through their partner’s things, or one party following the other to see if they are cheating (think Samantha Jones from SATC following Richard). Despite wanting to know without a shadow of a doubt that your partner isn’t cheating, if you have to stoop to snooping, it’s probably time to call it quits.

Trust is an essential part of any relationship, and if you cannot trust that what your partner says matches his actions, then you’ve got a big problem. Communication is the backbone of relationships, and discussing your suspicions and fears with your mate is much more effective than going undercover and snooping through his things.

But, if you still feel the urge to go on the hunt, remember this: When you go looking for something, you’ll probably find it.

Have you ever snooped through your partner’s things? How did that work out for you?

Yesterday, Laker star Meta World Peace caught Oklahoma City Thunder forward James Harden with a mean elbow to the ear after slamming down his third thunderous dunk in front of a packed crowd.

Depending on how you saw it, the elbow was either an inadvertent jab in the middle of a celebration by an amped-up player who scored against one of his team’s biggest rivals, or a vicious reminder that despite his new name and improved demeanor, Meta World Peace had not changed one bit; he’s still Ron Ron from the projects.

Writer and cultural critic Toure thinks World Peace’s elbow shows that the Laker star hasn’t really changed from the days when he was more of a brawler than baller.

Toure tweeted:

While Toure often goes on rants I don’t agree with, I chimed in and told him I didn’t think Meta’s elbow was an indication that he hasn’t changed. Because, despite our best efforts to get it right, people who are making an effort to truly change their lives often make mistakes.

But Toure wasn’t buying it:

My brief conversation with Toure got me to thinking. While I think many of us believe that people have the ability to change, when the jux goes down and someone makes a mistake or has a lapse in judgment, do we hold fast to our belief that change is possible and dynamic, or do we revert back to the “I told you so” mantra and hold that person’s bad decisions against them—forever?

These situations—when someone who was doing well suddenly relapses—happen all the time. From drug addicts and convicts, to cheating mates or vegetarians backsliding into a double cheeseburger, people sometimes f*ck up. But while messing up is damn-near inevitable, it’s how people respond to their mistake that’s important.

While I’m not inside Meta’s head, he’s come a long way since the “Malice in the Palace” and drinking Henny during halftime. Admittedly, he’s struggled with his tempter over the years, but he’s also been in counseling on and off for the better part of 20 years trying to get it right. When the Lakers won the NBA title back in 2010, many cracked jokes at his shout outs to his psychologist, but for those struggling with mental health issues, he helped to open up a dialogue about the necessity of getting help (lest you end up like DMX crying on national TV).

Since then, he’s continued seeing his therapist and has become an advocate for others getting the mental health help that they need, but should all of those efforts be erased because of a “vicious” elbow during an emotionally-charged game?

I don’t think so, but those like Toure who question whether or not Meta’s transformation is real and sustainable would have you believe so; or as Toure puts it, a zebra can’t change its spots.

But it is this sort of thinking that refuses to give convicts a (real) second chance in our society (i.e. a job, reentry support, an education), which forces many to cycle in and out of the system for years before they are able to get it right…if they’re lucky. It is also this philosophy that forces people to hide about their own ability to handle life’s challenges because admitting that they are not strong enough, wise enough, or capable enough of handling it on their own will signal some sort of chink in their armor, an admission of weakness.

While there are some people—sociopaths, for example—that cannot and will not ever change, for the rest of us, is change just an ideal we like to believe in or is it something we think is actually possible—no matter how long it takes?

I’ve been on the come up lately.  But while I enjoy getting free stuff from corporations, I hate that it is coming on the backs of terrible customer service by Black women.  In the last two months, I’ve encountered two extremely unprofessional women in customer service positions.  As a customer service professional during my 9-5, I understand that every conversation is going to be filled with rainbows and cotton candy.  But, you have to leave the extra neck rolling and snide ass comments at home.

I went to a local beauty retailer one day with the intent of purchasing some foundation.  I could have easily ordered the product online, but I wanted to make sure that the foundation matched and all that good stuff.  Long story short, the Black sales associate that begrudgingly ended her gabfest with her co-worker to help me felt the need to call me a “light bright” before walking away to go do other things with her life.

Thanks to that tacky broad, my foundation is now on the house.

While on vacation a few weeks ago, I went to a popular Texas restaurant and was pretty excited to visit, based on the rave reviews I’ve received from friends.  My anticipation quickly waned after an attitudinal waitress managed to go on a rant after I gave her a compliment. For an encore, she decided to argue with my dinner companion over a question regarding a menu item.

My next five drinks are coming out of her check, compliments of her funky disposition.

Listen, ladies.  We have a HUGE cross to bear as professional, Black women in today’s society.  It is EXPECTED that we are going to be generally rude, angry, incompetent and far less intelligent than any of our counterparts.  There are certain sectors of society that do not place Black women in the forefront of their establishments due to the negative stigma we carry.  We must fight to change this picture instead of reinforcing the imagery.  Besides, it’s not that hard to leave your drama with T-Bird outside the door when it’s time to go in and make your money.

Am I making grand generalizations? Yup.  Do I make any apologies for it? Nope.

The hard, cold fact is that sometimes you have to go above and beyond to simply prove that you’re not one of “them”.  You can be the most well read, highly educated people in the world, but if you get caught on a bad day and your neck starts to roll even the slightest bit, you automatically become “that Black woman”.

Is it fair? Nope.  Is it a part of daily life that we have to deal with? Yup.

I often find myself going out of my way to be a bit more pleasant in business interactions simply to not have to be pulled into the “put a little sugar in your tone” meetings with my manager.  Apparently, my sexy rumble strikes fear in the heart of strangers.

Do you find more pressure to go above and beyond in the workplace to prove you’re not a stereotype?

“You got that thickness the kind that make you get up making biscuits with breakfast…so gone…”

If you’ve never heard this song…yeah. But if you know like I know, you’ve heard Jill’s voice detailing how she’s lost most of her good sense at the hands (or other parts) of a man…that was otherwise no good for her…and apparently seeing and smashing other women. You could hear how that ached her, but how despite what her “mind says”, she remained. On Twitter the other day, I saw it referenced as “premium DI”, the kind that makes you ignore the throngs of women throwing the vajayjay at a dude.

Argue me down if you want, but in a moment of ratchetivity (blame the rain this weekend), every woman should be so lucky to experience that kind of “lovin’”. Good-ness. I mean, I’m not promoting looking beyond unsafe practices or sharing a man, but if we’re gonna be judgment free…and focus on the physical for a second, I understand. On love jones, Nia Long’s character described her encounter w/Larenz Tate’s character Darius’ member by saying: “It spoke to me.” When asked what it said, she simply replied, “Nina.”

Oooh chile. When all the stars line up properly, everything from the tips of his fingers on your back to the tip of his…yeah…causes shivers and waves of ridiculous ecstasy. And maybe experiencing that once will have you give him a high five or a pat on the back, but when that man repeatedly knocks it out the park, the sun shines brightly, harps begin to play loudly and you become deaf and blind to any and everything else.

The premiere of the new show Scandal closed by revealing a not so over affair between Kerry Washington’s character Olivia and the fictional POTUS. Try as she did to get away, he pinned her up against the window and just breathed on her neck. Her protest was silenced. Somebody cue Erykah Badu and pass me a fan up in here.

“I want somebody to walk up behind me…and kiss me on my neck, and breatheeee on my neck…”

It’s hard to get away from that kind of hold. The kind that will have you in the middle of a business meeting, catch a flashback and lose your place in the agenda. The kind that will have you stirring some greens in the kitchen, close your eyes and have your knees buckle at the thought of him. The kind that will have you drop what you’re doing, or even change plans to meet him, to set it off once more and again. That’s the kinda isht I’m talking about.

But that same good feeling can be the devil in drag. And it’s dangerous because you’re not just in jeopardy of losing all good sense; you’re in danger of losing all sense, PERIOD. On the physical level we can argue that all we have to worry about is protection. But what protects you emotionally? And I don’t care how hard you are, you’re really just a gem (word to L-Boogie). If a man is digging you down like that…he’s implanting himself with each stroke and the soul tie is created and strong. It becomes like an addiction.

 ”Why does my body ignore what my mind says? I try to keep it in tact but I’m here in this bed…again (I’m scared)…I need to…listen…”

And lest we talk about the emotional tie the man is creating as well…in some cases. Emotion: it’s not just for women. I’d type it again, but the bold is enough. Men are finding themselves “stuck” more and more these days too. And if you don’t believe me, look at Facebook, look at Twitter and check some of your texts. LOL. And it’s not a negative thing per se. Sex (and the linking of souls and spirits) wasn’t created for carelessness. While it seems simple enough to keep certain feelings and emotions separate, you are actually entangling and knotting yourselves together. It’s all kicks and giggles until somebody gets hurt, pregnant or infected. Then what? Be clear that if you don’t want to be closer still to someone, sexing em crazy defintely isn’t the way to go. LOL.

As adults, we are living in a world of free will, able to do pretty much what we please, but nothing is absent of consequence, good or bad. When we make the decision to take someone inside of us, we are also taking their good, bad, and ugly. And it’s at that point that you have to make the decision whether or not a good d*ck down is worth carrying someone’s deficiencies. What is really in it for you? I mean, you can call Kandi Burruss if you just need to take the edge off. LOL. But for real, this isn’t a place of judgment of action; this is a call to think before you act. And if you’re already acting, it’s a pause to potentially reevaluate the activity. Make sure that the price you’re paying is worth everything you’re carrying away. But if you’re lucky enough to get the “good good” and have an amazing relationship and partnership to boot…just win baby win!

Have you ever been d*ckmatized? Or whipped by the “power of the P”? How did you overcome? Or are you willing to admit that you haven’t? What are some thoughts/feelings about that?

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter at @lilgyrlblue and stay up on the WYCAB happenings at @whoucallinabtch

Despite our down economy, consumerism seems to be on the rise. People racking up debt on credit cards to keep up with the Joneses has long since been a practice of those trying to “fake it till they make it,” but after years of buying now and paying later and the rise of generation bling, is our incessant need to consume affecting our relationships?

Over the past few months I’ve had many conversations with my male friends who complain that women want too much, and before they can settle down, they need to make a certain amount of money in order to give their potential mate “the finer things in life.”

Once upon a time “the finer things” included a night out at a restaurant, a house if you were married, and maybe piece of jewelry from time to time—maybe.

But these days many women expect their men to shell out thousands on vacations, gifts, and drinks at the bar before they’re even fully committed. And if after all of that you make it to the altar, many women (including some of my friends) expect a huge diamond that looks like it’s kin to Plymouth Rock.

I mean, I get it. We all want to be appreciated and treated appropriately, but when (and why?) did being courted turn into being bought and paid for…on credit?

But it’s not just men spending money on women. Women have also begun showering their boos with expensive gifts, elaborate trips, pairs of Jordans (#whomp), and other things they can’t afford. Not to mention hair appointments that can run upwards of hundreds of dollars a week, shopping trips to buy designer dresses, and weekly trips to get a mani and pedi. It can all be a little much at times.

I know many like to act like the media doesn’t affect us, but it’s hard to ignore the cues we get from celebs. After Cash Money began touting “bling bling,” the word become apart of our collective lexicon, and the attitude that went with seeped into everything around us.

These days it’s commonplace for women working at MickyD’s to rock Louboutins (or a quality knock-off), and guys pulling double shifts at the Foot Locker to spend their whole check on a pair of Watch The Throne tickets or a night out with bottle service.

While these things are becoming indicative of our culture, they are also having a negative impact on our relationships.

What’s happened is that people have unrealistic expectations for their mate. Instead of being able to just be ourselves (or even have a “off day”), women are pressured to look like we just stepped off of a TV set—full hair and make up done—in order to catch the eye of a gentleman we hope will be worth our efforts, while men think they need to flash their cash just to be in contention.

It’s a vicious cycle. But how do we break it?

When it comes to dating, are you affected by our culture of consumerism?

Friday night, Twitter erupted as Toure and Piers Morgan went all Ali vs. Frazier on each other on CNN.

Honestly I’ve never given CNN much thought–especially after they botched Michael Jackson’s death–and certainly NOT on a Friday night. But when the tweets started flying about Toure and Piers Morgan’s confrontation, I had to watch.

First, a little background: The two engaged in a little tweef, or “twitter beef” (blame the homie Gabrielle of The Nu Black for that one), Thursday evening and into Friday as Toure called Morgan out for not challenging Robert Zimmerman—brother of Trayvon Martin’s killer, George Zimmerman—for taking liberties with the facts.

During the interview, Robert Zimmerman claimed his brother was one punch away from being fed through a straw and shot the teen in order to save his own life. His story reeked of hyperbole and heresy, and although Morgan didn’t go Lawrence O’donnell on Zimmerman and totally eviscerate him, he did question his story.

But apparently, Toure wasn’t impressed. After Morgan’s interview, Toure tweeted that everyone at NBC was laughing at Morgan, and he reiterated that point the next day on-air.

Morgan took Toure’s comments as fighting words and it was on.

From the beginning of the interview Toure’s demeanor, facial expressions, and tone screamed “condescending.” You could see he was fixing to tell Morgan off and nobody was going tell him any different.

After calling Morgan out for not doing a good journalistic job and allowing Zimmerman to speak unchallenged, the two began trading jabs. In true British fashion, Morgan called Toure’s points “rubbish” and told Toure that he needed to learn how to be a real journalist—never mind Toure’s been in the game for over 20 years. And Toure blamed Morgan’s lightweight handling of Zimmerman and the case on his immigrant status, telling Morgan that he doesn’t “understand America.”

While the two flexed their own egos, complete with retweeting compliments from fans and Toure saying he “killed” Morgan on his own show, Trayvon Martin’s story was lost.

Despite the case still being open and thousands marching in the streets around the world, Friday night was all about Toure, Piers and trying to protect their reps.

Although the duel was certainly entertaining, it was also a complete waste of time. Instead of being a teachable moment for both men and America at large, for many it confirmed what they already think about the other—Black people are angry as hell, and white folks just don’t get it.

Instead of bridging the gap and using their conversation to begin a very serious dialogue about race, justice, and how the media is an integral partner in achieving —and at times, engineering—positive change, it devolved into a petty argument about whose bark was the loudest, which further polarized an issue that shouldn’t be political at all.

Millions of people—black, white, and other—have come together around Trayvon Martin’s case, and despite many on the fringes hoping to turn this into yet another divisive issue, people have been unifying to seek justice for the teen, which has in turn opened the door for conversations about inequality and common-place discriminatory practices in our communities.

It’s sad that 20 years after the L.A. Riots, and while we have a black president in office, we still have to grapple with issues of racial inequality, but Toure and Piers Morgan showed us why this is the case.

Instead of listening to each other’s viewpoints, sharing ideas, and learning from one another’s differing styles, they fought, called each other names, and demeaned the other’s perspective.

And unfortunately, this is how our world works these days.

Far too often we’re so quick to “go in” on someone and tell them off, we barely listen. Instead of seeing compromise as something to strive toward, our politicians see it as a dirty word only used by those whose aim is weakness.

Although seeing two intelligent, articulate men battle it out like grade school bullies playing the dozens took a little of the wind out of my sails, I’m still hopeful Trayvon Martin’s story is compelling enough to overcome the egos looking to capitalize off of his death.

What did you think of Toure and Piers Morgan’s showdown?  

I am all for supporting African-American projects and venture in the arts.  I am a graduate of the USC School of Theatre, after all.  But, let it be known that for me, it is impossible to “Love that Girl”.  I refuse to “Reed Between the Lines”.  I only want “Let’s Stay Together” to be a classic song sung by Rev. Al Green or my President.  And I am so far out of “The Game”, I don’t even know what quarter we’re in.  I have yet to be impressed by any new-fangled “Black” TV in the last two years.

I recently had the opportunity to speak with one of the writers of “Love That Girl” at a fab party recently. (Shout out to Lady & Lord McLain for the invite, possibly my last after this encounter.)  The conversation started easily enough and somehow transitioned into my laundry list of why I feel Black television has failed me as of late and ended with ALL the problems I have with “Love That Girl” in particular.  I felt a bit bad after finishing my pseudo-rant, but the gentleman had an awesome response and simply said, “You should blog about this.”

And, here I be!

As an 80′s baby, I was raised with smart, positive, Black images on television ranging from the gold standard “The Cosby Show” to “A Different World”.  The 90′s brought on “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air”, “Living Single”, “Out All Night” and “The Steve Harvey Show”.  Even “Martin” had its place in the sun, despite the controversy it then stirred up.  There was sketch comedy on “In Living Color” and even a little drama with shows like “Frank’s Place”.  There were different aspects of the Black experience being shown and it wasn’t all the same cookie cutter, formulaic, pre-packaged “entertainment” that is currently being shown.

The most wonderful thing about these images of Black life and experience was that they were on network television.  No cable required to see good, well written shows.  But, because of the steady decline in quality and support of good work, poison in the well began to seep in with the green lighting and eventual airing of the worst sitcom of ANY color, “Homeboys In Outer Space”.

S/N: While I personally do not fault the UPN Network for the downfall of Black television, they are definitely a major contributor.

Even now, when given the option to watch a sitcom with a predominately Black cast versus a predominately White cast, I will more often than not lean towards the White show.  Why?  The writing is funny, thought provoking, believable and does not offend me.  The story lines are not far fetched.  The characters are allowed to be smart and diverse in education, employment and socioeconomic backgrounds.  The characters that aren’t well to do aren’t blaming their conditions on government.  I find that after 22 minutes of “Modern Family”, I am in a FAR better mood than I am after 5 minutes of “The Game”.

Am I more critical of Black shows? Yes, I am and I freely admit to it.  There has been such high standard set by past Black television successes that the microwaved outputs forced upon today’s viewers simply give me gas.

How do you feel about the current state of scripted Black television?  What are/were some of your favorites? Are you willing to support no matter how good or bad the final products are?

Follow me on twitter and keep up with WYCAB…

Oh to be caught in a lie. I don’t know the first thing about it though. LOL. That’s not because I’ve never told a lie, it’s because I’ve never felt the need to tell one when the TRUTH would suffice. Let me kick some grown woman game to you right quick. Lies often time sound better in your brain than out in the atmosphere. If you’re dealing with someone a little simple, then do with that as you will, but an intelligent person will not only be able to decipher a lie by what you say, but by what you DON’T say…and even by how you say what you say. Most times it’s best to just tell the damn truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I say “most” because I’m sure someone can wager an argument about when it’s “appropriate” to lie (i.e. save someone’s feelings), but all that is is another lie. Whose feelings does lying REALLY save? Don’t worry, I’ll wait.

Truth is very much underestimated. For Capricorns, we deal directly, so we understand, appreciate and prefer the same. Does that mean we always like what we hear? Hell no. But one thing we can’t/won’t do is look at you sideways for being honest. That takes character…and some folks are in limited supply. I was asked to speak on this subject this week and it was coincidental as I dealt with a former “friend” and the lies that had tumbled on down. The most interesting thing about the exchange, aside from the colorful lies, were denial and deflection. Ooooh…that grinds my gears. You will NOT get one over on me. And you also won’t make YOUR shortcomings my fault. Take responsibility. In my youth, I’d be too emotional not to show my hand prematurely. In my adulthood, I’m stealth. I’ll let you play yourself for as long as you like…and when you finally wanna step up, I’ll bring to your ass EVERYTHING I’ve seen, heard, felt and that YOU DID. Meanwhile, I’m doing something else. Almost always. Thanks to “him”, Plan B remains in effect…may not always be active, but we keep an ace in the hole because of folks like that. And most likely I’ll never speak to you again. #teamcutoff

So why lie? Being deceitful is a bitch ass trait period, but particularly in those who call themselves men. Look here, MAN UP. If you’re seeing someone else, wanna see someone else or just don’t wanna be in the situation anymore, SAY THAT. What part of the game is it (as a grown ass man who shouldn’t be playing games anyway) to lie to someone that you obviously don’t care enough for to remain with anyway? You’re playing yourself.

Cell phones. We tweeted a bit about this yesterday. My tweet: Dudes and their cell phones. Crack me up w/out fail. Nobody checkin for your dirt bro. Acting suspicious is enough. #teamnothingtohide. That got quite a few RTs. I knew it would because women everywhere are shaking their heads collectively at the cell phone glued to the hip, face down, silent action that most dudes have going on. When I was with “him” he’d leave his cell phone out…trusted me completely I’m certain. I trusted “him” too. Then one day while I was playing a game on his phone, with “him” right next to me a message popped up IN MY FACE from a broad detailing what she wanted to go down as a response to something that was already spoken about. Crushed.me. That shoulda been my cue to never, ever look back…but I was 22. Almost 10 years later, I wish I would. I allowed that one incident to to turn me into some international spy chasing the next indiscretion and losing time that I’d never regain and sanity that I’d only hope to. Almost 10 years later, I wish I would. But I am sensitive to suspicious behavior. I don’t have to see your texts, tweets, DMs, FB wall, FB inbox etc. If my spider senses tingle, I MAY ask you about it…but if I even THINK you’re lying, I’m good. Because what that tells me is your character sucks and beyond that, you have no respect for me. So, my respect for you, is in the toilet. Lying to you is the least of your worries…I’ll take great pleasure in telling you the truth. *smile*

But what about privacy? I’m a great respecter of privacy. I don’t want someone swimming all through my information either, but I’m not in hiding. If we’re together and you have questions or concerns, I’m not above putting you at ease. If you’re some crazy control freak, I’m in the wind. Everyone deserves to read their texts without the watchful eye of their significant other, but if you’re jumpy when a sista walks past you to go to the bathroom, what message does that send? Privacy is cool, secrecy is a BUST. If you feel that you have to deal in deception, just be single. And even if you are “single” but you’re dealing with someone, that doesn’t give you a pass either…that’s all the more reason to tell the gat dang truth. This is the freest I’ve felt in life. “Who gon’ check me boo?” That should be your motto. But again, that’s grown people stuff. Some of you will get it, most won’t.

Truth goes a long way. Truth can morph failing relationships into possible friendships or associations in the future. Burning bridges does nothing but set you up for awful karma and scars someone else for the next person to deal with. And more than anything, it diminishes YOU. Be a stand -up person and don’t do low life stuff you have to lie about anyway, but on the off chance that you make a mistake, do yourself and the person you “love” a favor and be honest. You may be surprised. If Adrian Wilson’s wife could take him back after seeing her HUSBAND dating another chick on National TV, there may be hope for you too. If not, you’re released to be where you wanna be. #alldonelljones

;

What are your thoughts? Are some lies okay in your book? What’s your theory on dating as it pertains to cell phones, social media and overall privacy? What would you like to say to someone who’s lied to you (in a relationship)?

;

Follow me on Twitter @lilgyrlblue. Follow US too…

;

Over the weekend, I began to feel incredibly sad and hopeless about the case of Trayvon Martin’s murder. Although the facts seem extremely cut and dry, the fact that Trayvon’s killer, 28-year-old George Zimmerman, still remains free, not having even been arrested, made me angry.

I began thinking about all of the people who were–just a week ago–tweeting, Facebooking, and donating millions of dollars to find LRA leader Joseph Kony, and why they weren’t doing to same to bring Trayvon’s killer to justice.

I mean, I get it.

American black boys and girls aren’t an “exotic” enough cause for some, and when they come up murdered and missing no one but their families seem to care. Just as many don’t the names of Oscar Grant, Aiyana Jones, Danroy Henry, Ramarley Graham, and Jordan Miles, I’m not surprised that most still don’t know about Trayvon.

But instead of remaining helpless, I decided to act.

Faced with these emotions, I took a page from the Kony 2012 playbook. I felt that if more people knew about Trayvon’s story, we could apply pressure to Florida authorities to handle the case fairly. As I began to think of ways to spread the word, it clicked: Use social media.

I took to twitter Friday night and asked all of my followers to tweet their favorite celebrities and urge them spread the word about Trayvon. Although I have just over 1,700 Twitter followers, I figured, if we all spread the word we could potentially reach millions.

Friday night I feverishly tweeted, retweeted, and shared links and other information about Trayvon. With the help of my fellow tweeters, we began gaining traction and caught the eye (and retweets) of celebs like rappers Chuck D, David Banner, and Talib Kweli. Others like Boris Kodjoe, NFL player Dezmon Briscoe, Samuel L. Jackson and John Legend also began spreading the word.

I was amazed. Even though I’m one person, it was clear I can touch someone else and they can touch someone else until out reach grows exponentially.

Because of many in social media keeping Trayvon’s story alive, mainstream news outlets are now covering the case, and it has even gotten the attention of the White House.

So what does this mean for you?

Many of you, like me, were probably disturbed by this incident and inspired to act. But where do you get started? Whether you simply post about Trayvon on your Facebook page, tell people in your neighborhood or begin volunteering with organizations that combat violence, it all helps.

But in case you want more concrete ways to get involved, here’s 3 things you can do today to help get justice for Trayvon Martin:

Hit the tweets: Join me in urging celebs to sign and share the petition to get Florida officials to arrest and prosecute George Zimmerman. They have millions of followers and can quickly spread the word.

• Tweet: Pls sign & RT the petition to bring #TrayvonMartin’s killer 2 justice. His family deserves answers http://chn.ge/xc4oze

Write a letter: Many around the web have decided to start a letter writing campaign, and some have even said they will send empty Skittles wrappers to Chef Bill Lee. Send a letter to Sanford police chef Bill Lee to express your concern about his department’s handling of the case.

• Bill Lee, Chief of Police
• Bill.Lee@sanfordfl.gov
• 407.688.5070 – Office
• 407.688.5071 – Fax

Stay informed: Knowing the facts and educating others about them is key to continuing to spread the word about Trayvon Martin. Visit JusticeforTrayvon.com for more details.

Do you have ideas about how we can mobilize to get justice for Trayvon Martin and other victims? Share!