Master Productivity And Efficiency With This Google Workspace Training
Google is known for executing massive rebrands every few years or so. Last year, they killed Google Play Movies & TV to make way for Google TV. They also retired Adwords and replaced it with Google Ads. G Suite, which is their slate of productivity apps, wasn’t immune to this overhaul streak, as it had been upgraded to Google Workspace.
The rebranding is very apt, considering how the platform features tools that thousands of organizations across the globe use. Aside from Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides, it also comes with apps that make remote working a breeze.
Given the multitude of programs available within the Workspace environment, it can be hard to explore each app. Fortunately, the 2021 Ultimate Google Workspace Certification Bundle offers training on tools like Ads, Sheets, Trends, Apps Scripts, Analytics, and more. You can grab it on sale for an extra 20 percent off for a limited time.
Packed with 36 hours of training, this package is designed to help you be a master of productivity and efficiency. Experts like Joshua George and Laurence Svekis will guide you through making the most out of the apps in the Workspace.
Expect to learn how to master Google Ads, create custom functions to boost your workflow efficiency, use shortcuts on Sheets, and perform keyword research using Trends. You’ll also gain a fundamental understanding of Google Data Studio to monitor your website’s performance, optimize listings better with Google My Business, create beautiful presentations via Slides, and analyze web traffic with Google Analytics.
By the time you finish, you’ll be the most productive worker out there. Get the 2021 Ultimate Google Workspace Certification Bundle for $24.02 (reg. $2189) with code WELOVEDAD.
28-Year-Old Daughter of Jam Master Jay Earns Over $1 Million With 5 Side Gigs; Opened New Pizza Shop This Weekend
Tyra Myricks, daughter of legendary DJ Jam Master Jay, is taking side gigs to the next level. The 28-year-old has used her skills and creativity to bring in seven figures a year. She’s currently managing a full-time job and five business ventures.
Although she has a full plate on her hands, Myricks isn’t showing signs of slowing down anytime soon. In fact, she opened a New York City-style pizza shop in Los Angeles on Saturday. She collaborated with Tyanna Wallace, daughter of the late Biggie Smalls, to bring her vision to life.
“It’s not an easy game,” Myricks tells Business Insider as she describes the life of an entrepreneur. “Everybody on the internet shows the glorious side, but nobody shows the treacherous side where it’s hard to get up in the morning.”
Myricks Landed An Opportunity With Drake’s Company
Managing one side gig is a balancing act for many people. But Myricks has mastered her schedule in order to meet the demands of five side gigs.
First, Myricks structures her day around her day job. She’s the director of design, merchandising, and development for OVO. This multi-million dollar lifestyle brand was co-founded by Drake about ten years ago.
In 2017, Myricks moved to Los Angeles after receiving an offer from Drake to work for OVO. Now, she’s earning six figures a year as a director at OVO. The company sells high-end streetwear fashion. OVO has received partnerships with Toronto Raptors NBA team and has collaborated with Canada Goose and the Major League Baseball.
How Jam Master Jay’s Daughter Manages Multiple Side Gigs
The other income that Myricks generates comes from her own entrepreneurial passions. While in high school, Myricks created a fashion line called Wealth. The business helped her fund her college education. Now, she’s focused on growing the company with her business partner. In 2019, she launched her first women’s Spring/Summer collection, The Source reported.
At the crack of dawn, you may find Myrick stopping by The Method to prepare the gym for opening. She’s the co-owner of this wellness and fitness center. Myricks opened The Method as the first Black-owned gym in downtown Los Angeles during the pandemic.
Before she hits the bed, Myricks does work for the branding agency she co-founded. This is where she allows more of her creativity to flow. She devotes the final hours of her evening to working on websites for celebrity client merchandise.
The Launch of Juicy Pizza
Myricks has a head full of ideas but she doesn’t manage her side gigs on her own. Strategic partnerships have been key to her success. She tapped Tyanna Wallace to create a one-of-a-kind New York-inspired pizza shop that LA was missing. Tyra shared her secret ingredients with TMZ, revealing her clever way to obtain real New York water in her dough. The menu also includes famous New York-style dishes as pizza toppings. You can try jerk chicken pizza, oxtail pizza, beef and broccoli pizza, and the list goes on.
The hot spot, Juicy Pizza, is named after The Notorious B.I.G 1994 track, Juicy. She wanted to name the establishment after Biggie because she believed he is a true representation of Brooklyn. The pizza shop also includes an exclusive cannabis lounge in the back. The place will sell merchandise from Myricks’ design collection. She’s catering to celebrities with her back patio area where they can eat pizza and enjoy free cannabis.
Myricks is sharing her success with others through her EntrepHERneur Tour community organization. She’s working with another partner to provide resources to aspiring entrepreneurs. Myricks has built multiple six-figure revenue streams. There’s no doubt that she can help others jumpstart their first venture.
This Single Mom Retired By 50, And Built a $1.3 Million Net Worth While in the FIRE Movement
FIRE enthusiast Jackie Cummings Koski retired at age 49 with a net worth of $1.3 million.
The single mom started with $20,000 in her retirement account, People reported. When Koski discovered the FIRE movement, she boosted her portfolio to over $1 million. At age 46, she became financially independent. Then, she reached her FIRE goals at age 49 and retired early.
FIRE stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early. The financial and lifestyle movement is designed to promote aggressive savings and investing goals. After adopting consistent money savings and growth habits, participants have the freedom to choose how they live their lives. Many individuals in the movement achieve FIRE in their 30s, 40s, and 50s with enough money to live comfortably during their lifetime.
Koski says that simple savings habits can make a big difference over the long term. She tells her students that they can achieve their millionaire goals by saving $50 a week for 40 years. Koski reached her financial goals early by studying money, committing to her goals, and investing.
“You’re not going to be saving or investing unless in your mind you believe it will make a difference,” Koski told Market Watch. “It may take a while to really get your head around things like me, but it happens, and when it does, it is very, very powerful.”
How Koski Retired At 49 While in the FIRE Movement
After going through a divorce in 2004, Koski became committed to learning about money.
She realized that all the major financial decisions were managed by her husband, leaving her with many financial knowledge gaps that she wanted to overcome. Koski’s wake-up call occurred when she realized that her retirement account was $20,000 and her ex-husband’s account was worth $120,000.
“I just didn’t know and I never asked,” Koski explains to People. “Shame on me.”
This motivated Koski to join a local investment club to learn more about investing. She also contributed the maximum amount to her 401K and Roth IRA. Then she opened a Health Savings Account and focused on her budget. Koski was on a mission to retire by 55. But after pursuing FIRE In her 40s, she was able to accelerate her progress. Koski left her full-time job and started teaching others how to achieve financial freedom.
The $1 Million Game Plan
One of the most important steps that Koski took to achieve financial independence was to calculate her net worth. This is the sum of your assets minus your liabilities.
“Once you know where you’re starting, you can move the needle in the right direction,” Koski told Business Insider.
When Koski calculated her net worth in 2013, she realized she had accumulated a $500,000 net worth. One year later, her net worth jumped to $600,000 as she started to follow the principles of the FIRE movement.
After determining her net worth number, Koski calculated her expenses. She determined that she would need $1 million net worth to enjoy a $40,000 annual lifestyle in retirement. Using the 4% rule, Koski determined how much she would need to save to achieve her goals.
Koski continued reading books and leveraging tips used by other members. Although many individuals solely focus on making more money, Koski kept her eyes on her expenses. She lived in a lower cost of living area in southwestern Ohio to keep her monthly mortgage around $800. This helped her achieve her FIRE goals in less than 10 years without ever earning more than $95,000 a year.
When Koski delivers financial literacy presentation, she often shares her background as motivation. She grew up in poverty with a single father. He was raising six children with only a sixth-grade education. Although she didn’t learn about money growing up, it didn’t stop her from expanding her knowledge later in life. She changed her surroundings and immersed herself in the FIRE movement to achieve her goals. Now, she’s the author of a financial empowerment book, “Money Letters: 2 My Daughter” and Founder of Money Letters, LLC.
“I figured if I could do this after starting with nothing, it was my duty to share what I’ve learned with others,” Koski tells Business Insider. “It is now my life’s work, and I finally get to follow my dream of creating a financially literate society. And that is something I never want to retire from.”
South Carolina Senator Mia McLeod Makes History As First Black Woman to Run for Governor; Member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority
Democrat Mia McLeod made history last week when she announced her run for Governor. The South Carolina senator is the first Black woman to enter the gubernatorial race in the state. No Black woman has ever held the governor’s seat in the United States.
If McLeod wins the election, she would become South Carolina’s second female governor. She would also be the first Black governor in the state elected to this office, The Associated Press reported.
“I want to be the person that is running not because I’m a woman, and not because I’m Black, but because I am so connected to and so much like the people that I represent,” McLeod told The Associated Press ahead of her 2022 campaign launch last week. “It’s a tremendous responsibility, but it’s one that I’m excited about.”
McLeod Is On A Mission To Make History As Governor
McLeod grew up in Bennettsville. It’s a city in South Carolina located on Great Pee Dee River. According to her website, McLeod is a fifth-generation South Carolinian and small business owner.
“I’ve spent my life standing up for people and places that our Governor and too many of our state’s Republican “leaders” have neglected,” says McLeod. “As a mother of two young men, I can’t describe the heartbreak I feel when they tell me that South Carolina doesn’t represent their interests or value their voices. Watching so many of our talented young people leave our state for better job opportunities in neighboring states is disheartening. It’s time to change that.”
McLeod’s campaign priorities include education and health. She shared concerns about the deteriorating schools and lack of a hospital within the last six years.
McLeod Is Ready for the Next Level
The 52-year-old has a wealth of experiences under her belt to prepare her for the road ahead. McLeod has been an entrepreneur for over18 years, carrying on the small business legacy of her family. In 2002, she launched McLeod Butler Communications, LLC. Prior to that, McLeod served as Governor Hodges’ Director for the State Office of Victim Assistance. She’s also worked as a college educator.
McLeod was elected to the state House in 2010. Six years later, she claimed a spot in the Senate. She became the first Black woman to win her state Senate race. McLeod won the race by more than 24 points. But the challenge ahead may be even greater as she aims for the governorship in a state that is largely conservative.
“As Governor I’ll invest in our people, our economy and our infrastructure so that we can strengthen our communities and improve the quality of life for all South Carolinians,” McLeod shares on her website. “Together, we’ll make South Carolina the best place to live, thrive, and raise a family!”
McLeod is a South Carolina Education Policy Fellow and Liberty Fellow. She’s also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. She currently resides in Northeast Columbia and has two sons, BJ and Cam.
Kemp Makes History As First Black Student to Receive Ph.D. in Mathematics from Indiana University
Last month, Dr. Dóminique Kemp reached a milestone that few individuals achieve in mathematics education.
The Indiana University student became the first Black graduate to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics, Indiana Daily Student reported. Nearly a century ago, Elbert Frank Cox was recognized as the first black person to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics. He received his degree from Standford University in 1925 and spent most of his career as a professor at Howard University.
Few have been empowered to further their mathematics education since that time. But Kemp wants to change that. He’s on a mission to inspire and empower the next generation of mathematicians.
“I think a lot of students don’t go into math because it seems daunting to face the spectre of isolation, but I can play a part now that I have a degree,” Kemp told the Indiana Daily Student. “I want to create more awareness of Theoretical Mathematics because I think it made it harder for me because growing up I had no idea there was such a thing as Theoretical Mathematics research.”
Kemp Earns Ph.D. in Mathematics
Kemp grew up in Lansing, Michigan. He was homeschooled during his teen years and attended Stanford University to pursue an undergraduate degree in Mathematics.
In 2015, Kemp started his Ph.D. program at Indiana University Bloomington. During that time, there were no Black professors in mathematics. For the last three years, he was the only Black student enrolled in the Ph.D program. That’s why it was important for Kemp to be actively involved on campus. He knew that his presence would inspire other students to consider mathematics as an educational path.
“I was the closest the students got to having a Black mathematics professor here at IU when I was an associate instructor,” Kemp said. “In 2018, I believe, I became the only one in the Mathematics Ph.D. program when the last of the other two Black students departed from the program.”
Kemp Wants to Close the Confidence Gap
Kemp devoted time to tutoring students in mathematics. His experience at Indiana University exposed him to the power of representation. It also shed light on the lack of awareness of STEM career paths in the Black community. Kemp is ready to expand his impact as a mathematics researcher. He’ll be spending time at the University of Wisconsin over the next four years. He will also attend the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton for his postdoctoral position in 2023. Kemp knows that his path can have a positive impact on the next generation of math scholars who may be discouraged.
“Doing graduate school has really opened my eyes to the problem of underrepresentation of Blacks in the STEM field. And now it has become a big deal to me,” Kemp told The Herald-Times.
Kemp also shares that his degree accomplishment will always supersede any other accomplishment. He is proud of what this degree represents. “I started off with very little encouragement and very little hope and it never seemed like it was going to happen until 4 or 5 months ago when I had job offers,” Kemp shared with the Indiana Daily Student. “So just to be striving in the midst of so much discouragement I don’t think anything else I do in life will compare.”
Chrisette Michele Creates The Inner Peace Academy to Help Visionaries Realign With Their Purpose
Chrisette Michele is a Grammy Award-winning R&B recording artist most known for her wedding anthem, “A Couple of Forevers” and her hit with Rick Ross, “Aston Martin Music.” Michele has made a groove in the music industry that spans from 2007 to the present. She’s worked with the likes of John Legend, Anthony Hamilton, Musiq Soulchild, Jay Z, Kierra Sheard, T.D. Jakes, and Tyler Perry. She’s also toured with Maxwell, Solange, India.Arie, and Marsha Ambrosius.
Her philanthropic efforts include work with UNICEF, Girls Inc., VH1’s Save the Music, Amnesty International USA, and many local charity organizations from Las Vegas to Atlanta.
Michele has supported the Obamas at the White House from Obama’s run at the DNC to his leaving office at the last dinner. He has mentioned her as one of his top favorite R&B singers and has chosen her to sing before he speaks on multiple occasions.
Michele has flown to Iraq, Kuwait and many other regions to support and uplift the American troops. She has a heart for encouraging the broken, the hard-working and those in great service positions.
With a passion for cultivating safe-space community and cross-cultural understanding, she has found her footing in the speaking space and hit the ground running in recent years. She’s had the opportunity to speak into the lives of students at Harvard, Spelman, Temple, Howard and so many more.
In 2020, Michele created the Inner Peace Academy, a space where men and women can gather to explore purpose, and hear positive uplifting messages through her Academy podcast “Peace & Pages.” Her “Peace Makers Tribe” garners wisdom and insight from her journey as a public figure who has experienced the glory and the pain of celebrity. If you are looking for a story of someone who understands how to find inner peace and an outer glow after adversity, look no further than the encouraging writer, singer, speaker and sister-friend, Chrisette Michele.
Chrisette Michele
BLACK ENTERPRISE: Please tell us about your Inner Peace Academy and what inspired you to create it?
Michele: I’d been coaching entrepreneurs for years through “Rich Hipster University” and I began to notice a shift in entrepreneurs who wanted to make money, to entrepreneurs who wanted to make money on purpose.
I was beginning to see a shift in the business owners I’d coached who built foundations that gave them financial security. They wanted more than financial success, they wanted to make an impact in the world and they wanted to walk through finding their purpose without feeling judged for their success.
The Inner Peace Academy is for those who aren’t afraid of the hard work it takes to create peace on the inside and then navigate how to bring that peace into the life they live and the world they serve.
It’s an honor to sit with people, teams, artists and entrepreneurs and help them navigate inner and exterior success with the satisfaction of knowing what they do is truly meaningful.
BE: How does your new podcast, “Peace & Pages” coincide with the Inner Peace Academy?
Michele: I’m an artist first. A major part of my artistry comes from writing. Whether books, music, poetry, essays or talks, I’m always writing. I decided to take the most vulnerable parts of my writings and say them aloud as spoken word in podcast form.
My intention is to be the permission to creatives and entrepreneurs that says, you can be ridiculously flawed, have ugly experiences, make terrible mistakes and keep pressing. I want people to know that inner peace is available even in the moments where the world tells you peace is not available.
Business is for the mature. Entrepreneurs are made to feel they have to have it all together all the time. My podcasts eclectic mix of poetry, meditative tranquil tracks and essays about the ups and downs of life in the public eye are a beautiful backdrop to the winding-down evening of a hard-working entrepreneur, dreamer, and purpose-driven business owner. You’ll feel heard. You’ll feel seen and you’ll feel understood. The podcast and the academy are both intended to empower the perspective as it moves from what feels like a rat race to what can be a purpose-driven life of inner and outer alignment.
Chrisette Michele
BE: Any advice on the first step someone should take to realign with their purpose?
Michele: Sure, get honest about what isn’t your purpose. Feel. As difficult as that may be. I didn’t feel for about a decade. I was broken, rich and disenfranchised. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy reintroduced me to my thoughts. As I began to lay my thoughts out on the carpet in front of me, my therapist helped me look at them in a safe space. I admitted what felt good and what didn’t. I cried for the first time in many years.
Get brave enough to examine everything around you and choose what is and isn’t a part of your purpose. What doesn’t feel good? What doesn’t resonate? You’ll have to get brave enough to feel and respond to your feelings.
It’s difficult and it takes time. I love to walk individuals through that process. We often need a friend or a coach to be by our side as we navigate that truth. The hardest part is often, trusting ourselves. We’ve been around ourselves for such a long time. We’ve created a life that we see every day. It can be jarring to decide that some of it doesn’t feel good, but our spirit knows. We’ll have to be brave enough to feel and as business owners, we’ve often been trained not to feel.
Feeling my way to purpose asked me to feel my thoughts, acknowledge and accept their effect about a decade. I was broken, rich and disenfranchised. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy reintroduced me to my thoughts. As I began to lay my thoughts out on the carpet in front of me, my therapist helped me look at them in a safe space. I admitted what felt good and what didn’t. I cried for the first time in many years.
I feel a little guilty when I walk people through feeling their way back to purpose, but it’s liberating and it rebuilds the purpose-driven entrepreneurs foundation.
BE: What’s next for you in 2021?
Michele: Moody by Chrisette Michele. This fall I’ll launch an online shop for those of us who need support with managing our moods. To function as a full-time business owner and creative can be a difficult task at times. I am a firm believer that peace can be created. I want to provide the tools to help people do so, no matter how busy life asks them to be.
The Moody Shop is connected to my InnerPeace.Academy website. I think it will show a lot of us how available “making peace” really is. It’s my dream to put creating peace at people’s fingertips.
You can learn more about the Inner Peace Academy by visiting my website InnerPeace.Academy. Clients ask me all the time, “Are you gonna keep doing this when you go on tour?” The pandemic allowed me to meet so many beautiful faces and support so many purpose-driven entrepreneurs, I’ve decided to keep a team on staff specifically to keep doing this no matter where the road takes me, as long as God says so.
Bipartisan Negotiators Strike Deal On Infrastructure Package, Face Tough Pitch To White House, Congress
A group of bipartisan Senate negotiators reached a deal on an infrastructure bill that would cost billions without raising taxes, but it faces a tough road to gain the Biden Administration and other lawmakers’ approval.
Both sides of the political spectrum have made their demands on the bill. Conservatives are opposing $300 billion in new spending. At the same time, Democrats are demanding more than double the amount for traditional infrastructure as well as climate-related investments.
The group, which is made up of five senators each from both sides, has yet to release the details of its infrastructure package but believe the package can be fully paid for without a tax increase.
“Our group -comprised of 10 Senators, 5 from each party–has worked in good faith and reached a bipartisan agreement on a realistic, compromise framework to modernize our nation’s infrastructure and energy technologies,” the senators said in a statement, according to ABC News. “This investment would be fully paid for and not include tax increases.”
It’s still not clear how much the package will cost, but it is expected to be significantly more than the $378 billion that was pitched by Republican negotiators, which was rejected by the Biden administration.
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) told reporters the group briefed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on the bill and he’s “open” to it. However, the bill still has to appease Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and President Biden.
White House Spokesperson Andrew Bates said the White House will work with the bipartisan group on a path forward.
The Infrastructure Report Card gave the U.S. a C- infrastructure grade. The problems include an estimated 6 billion gallons of treated water lost each day in the U.S. due to water main breaks; 43% of U.S. public roadways in poor or mediocre condition, and 10,000 miles of levees across the country whose location and condition are unknown.
Biden’s initial plan was set to cost $2.3 trillion, but he scaled back the cot to $1.7 trillion after in an effort to get Republicans to consider the plan.
Democrats face a tough road in passing Biden’s bill. They could approve the bill with an evenly divided Senate, but all Democrats would have to sign on and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) has insisted he wants a bill that’s been agreed on by both sides.
White Woman Caught Defacing Portion of Monument Showing The Only Black Member Of Lewis And Clark Expedition
Amid reports of heightened race relations in Portland, Oregon, a witness caught a white woman vandalizing a monument commemorating the only Black person who aided in the Lewis and Clark expedition.
The witness recorded the woman as she spraypainted unintelligible words on the statue Tuesday night, News Onereports. It was the second time the monument had been defaced in three months.
Located in Mount Tabor Park in Portland, the bust depicts a slave named York who helped Meriwether Lewis and William Clark explore the West Coast in 1804. It was a biker who rode by and took photos of a white woman holding a can of spray paint after vandalizing the monument.
“I’ve been prejudiced against Black people and Hispanic people,” the woman shouted after being approached by the biker. She claimed that she would pay for the damages she caused if asked, before shouting out “Fu*k you all!”
She said the bust of York upset her because it was put up “to replace a white man with a fu*king Black man. That’s not fu*king unity.”
Had an interesting encounter during a bike ride this morning. A person was defacing the Bust of York statue on the top of Mt Tabor. pic.twitter.com/LbLYut9RGr
The white woman was referring to a previous statue of Harvey Scott, the editor-in-chief of the Oregonian newspaper, Williamette Weekreports. Scott was a fierce advocate against women having the right to vote. His statue stood where York’s bust was installed but was toppled over last year during nationwide protests following the killing of George Floyd.
York’s statue was placed there by an unidentified person back in February, Daily Mail reports.
The biker who witnessed the woman defacing the statue described her as “upset” and “shaking.”
“I got the sense that she was really upset about a black statue being there, more than anything. Which is really scary,’ the witness said. “I was really upset. What do I do? Do I grab the can away from her?”
By Thursday there was no word on if the woman was arrested for vandalizing the monument and admitting to it on camera.
Serena Williams’ Daughter Twins in a Mini Version of Her Mom’s Australian Open Outfit
Olympia Ohanian may be tiny, but she is already making a mark like her mom, tennis legend Serena Williams.
On her own Instagram account–where she’s described as an “Adventurer”–the little fashionista struck a pose in an adorable outfit that resembles Serena’s memorable attire that she wore at this year’s Australian Open.
Apparently, Olympia’s father Alexis Ohanian, Serena’s husband, did not honor Serena’s private request to save the shared post until she could pose in her catsuit next to their photogenic daughter.
“Awwwww mannnnnn I asked you to save this post until I was next to her side my side in my same outfit 🙄🙄. Oophhh I guess I’ll have to pull the plug from your phone tonight. And you wake up wondering why you have no battery 🤷🏿♀️🤷🏿♀️ LOL, “ Serena said in response to series of Instagram photos he posted.
The mother and daughter have worn similar outfits before. Back in March, Olympia participated in her first fashion campaign with her mother. Olympia’s role included dancing while twinning, right down to striking a similar pose at the end of the advertisement.
Where does Serena’s fashion inspiration come from? During a post- interview after the Australian Open last year, the tennis star said that the late track legend Florence Griffith Joyner has inspired her stylish presentation. At that time, she sported the Nike unitard on the court.
“This year we thought of what can we do to keep elevating the Serena Williams on the court.”
Serena, Olympia, and Alexis seem to embrace integrating fashion, branding, tennis and having a little family fun. And that is the stuff that sweet memories are made of.
Philadelphia Twins and First Generation College Students Graduate as Valedictorian and Salutatorian
Jonathan and Janaya Boston McCray, twins from North Philadelphia, have graduated from William W. Bodine High School’s class of 2021 as valedictorian and salutatorian, according to Philadelphia’s ABC6. The report added that the twin scholars, the first-generation college students have full rides to cover college costs.
Janaya is headed to Temple University to study to become a veterinarian. She also played basketball. Her brother, who ran track, opted to travel a little further to pursue pre-law studies at Howard University, located in Washington, D.C.
“We motivate each other at all times like we compete for grades and everything,” Janaya told ABC6.
Since Jonathan and Janaya took the first and second academic spots in their class, the twins have every right to feel proud of their accomplishments.
“Good Morning, Facebook Family and Friends! I am pleased to announce that I will graduating as Valedictorian and my twin sister Janaya will be graduating Salutatorian. We will be giving graduation speeches. The hard work paid off. I have to give all honor and praise to God 🙌🏾🙂. I will never thought I would be graduating first in my class in High School,” Jonathan posted on his Facebook page in May.
The siblings graduated on June 10, their 18th birthday.
Mic pointed out that Black youth have been represented in the news and on television shows as thuggish, “welfare queens,” unmotivated, or simply not intelligent. And according to The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC)’s findings from a paper published called ‘Schooling, Stereotyping and the Limits to Educational Opportunities,’ even immigrants and racial and ethnic minorities who are youth in Ontario, Canada were stereotyped inside and outside of the classroom.
Stereotyping anyone, especially developing youth, is careless and unfair. Stories such as Jonathan and Janaya’s remind the world that inspirational excellence is all around us, and that includes Black academic excellence.
