Personal Empowerment | Tyra Garlington

Its Women’s History Month: What did the first woman to present a case to the United States Supreme Court wear?

Posted on March 6, 2018 by Tyra Garlington • 0 Comments

Mrs. Jewel Stradford Lafontant was the first woman of any color to present a case before the United States Supreme Court. That occasion presented her with an unusual problem. Lawyers presenting cases before that august body have always, by tradition worn white tie, striped trousers, and tailcoats. Mrs. Lafontant consulted with various males in her profession, but none of them had the slightest idea of what a woman in that position might wear. One suggested that she appear before the Supreme Court in a long white evening gown. In the end, Mrs. Lafontant solved the problem herself by designing an……
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Please Meet Charlotte E. Ray

Posted on February 20, 2018 by Tyra Garlington • 0 Comments

It’s February again. I thought I would highlight some less obvious African Americans who have contributed to the tapestry of our American history. As the first woman admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia and the first African-American woman certified as a lawyer in the United States, civil and women’s rights activist and teacher Charlotte E. Ray truly earned her place in history. She was born in New York City on January 13, 1850, to Charles Bennett Ray and Charlotte Augusta Burroughs Ray. Charles was a minister at New York’s Bethesda Congregational Church, and editor of the Colored American, an abolitionist……
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Let Me Introduce Garrett Morgan

Posted on February 13, 2018 by Tyra Garlington • 0 Comments

Born in Paris, Kentucky, on March 4, 1877, Garrett Morgan was the seventh of 11 children. When Morgan was in his mid-teens, he moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, to look for work. Jobs at several sewing-machine factories soon captured his imagination and determine his future. Learning the inner workings of the machines and how to fix them, Morgan obtained a patent for an improved sewing machine and opened his own repair business. Morgan experimented with and finally tested a hair straightener products for African Americans. When that worked, he quickly established the G.A. Morgan Hair Refining Company and sold the cream……
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Do more than just exist. We all exist. The question is: Are you living?

Posted on January 30, 2018 by Tyra Garlington • 0 Comments

A while ago, I realized the course my life had taken up had been the product of other people’s ideas, opinions, and decisions. I knew all too well that life was short, yet every day I was just going through the motions and doing what I was “supposed” to do, instead of what was right for ME. I was in line. I was comfortable. And I was utterly distracted from what matters most in life. But, fast forward to today, and as I awoke this morning I marveled at my life. Where once I awoke with inner resistance at the……
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Are you ready to adjust your focus?

Posted on January 23, 2018 by Tyra Garlington • 0 Comments

“Ten years from now, it won’t really matter what shoes you wore today, how your hair looked, or what brand of clothes you wore. What will matter is how you lived, how you loved, and what you learned along the way. Deep down you know this already, right? Yet today, just like the majority of us, you are easily distracted and derailed by the insignificant. You give too much of your time to meaningless time-wasters. You step through days, skeptically, with inner resistance. You take your important relationships for granted. You get caught up in hurtful drama. You give in……
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Legacy is for the living.

Posted on January 9, 2018 by Tyra Garlington • 0 Comments

“Legacy is about life and living. It’s about learning from the past, living in the present, and building for the future. Did you know that: The best place to plant a young tree: is in a clearing in an old-growth forest and not an open field. Why Tyra, I’m glad you asked. Ecologists tell us that a young tree grows better when it’s planted in an area with older trees. Now, this is the good part. The reason, it seems, is that the roots of the young tree are able to follow the pathways created by former trees and implant……
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When the most wonderful time of the year isn’t …

Posted on January 2, 2018 by Tyra Garlington • 0 Comments

“Lights, lists, carols, crowds, family, the perfect gift, friends. This is often the stuff of a magical holiday. But for those living with loss, they can signal a minefield of emotions, triggers, and questions. Facing the holidays after a loss can be daunting for a child, teen, or family. Young people living with loss, no matter where they are developmental, can find the holidays as especially conflicted due to the fact that they in large part do get swept up into the energies of the season. Many often report feeling guilt or shame about wanting to participate fully in the joy and hope of the……
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Do you do more than what is expexcted?

Posted on December 26, 2017 by Tyra Garlington • 0 Comments

“Do you go the extra mile? Do you do more than what is expected? Do you expect the best? These questions pertain not only to your relationship with the world but also how you treat yourself. Do you go the extra mile when it comes to you, or do you think that the least is enough for you? There are people who believe that struggle, servitude, and sacrifice are the best they can hope for in this life. They look for ways and reasons to be okay with the things they believe are not okay with your lives. Other people……
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How will their “second story” read?

Posted on December 12, 2017 by Tyra Garlington • 0 Comments

Picture this: “David has been homeless since the age of 12. He first started “couch surfing”, but by age 17 David ran out of places to visit and ended up on the streets. Even while living on the streets, David worked hard to stay in school. A social worker eventually connected with David and let him know about the youth shelter where he currently lives. Penny says he has been hopping trains for a few months now. Jimi has been traveling for the better part of two years. She took a few months to “kick it” in Los Angeles, but she says it’s……
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Trauma; not for women only?

Posted on November 28, 2017 by Tyra Garlington • 0 Comments

We are looking at women’s health as dynamic and diverse and codependent on so many other factors. We are talking about multiple health perspectives to include: physical, emotional, spiritual, mental, and financial health. This week we are looking at Trauma. It can impact all of these areas. So, have you ever, or do you know someone who has experienced an unexpected heart attack, stroke, rape, domestic abuse, torture, genocide, war, mass killings, human trafficking? Horrible? YES! Traumatic? Definitely! Now, listen to the following: Darlene is a young woman in her early twenties who has never married and has three……
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