Blog - Laurie A. Watkins

Leading With Dignity

People want to be treated well, and when they are, it brings out the best in them. Given all the recent news stories of people having their dignity violated, there has never been a more important time for dignity to be recognized. It can be key to understanding...

Progress in a Time of Turmoil

If you’ve used social media, even casually, over the last couple weeks, you have likely seen a whole lot of women having opinions. Between a social media “challenge” that turned out to have much deeper meaning, a lack of access to birth control from employers, and...

If You’re “Not into Politics,” Your Privilege is Showing

If you have a friend on Facebook that frequently declares, “why can’t we all just get along?” or “I’m staying out of politics,” their privilege is showing. Maybe, just maybe, this person truly does not care who runs our country and how they do it. Or, perhaps, they...

Return to School During COVID-19

As COVID-19 cases continue to surge around the country, with new hot spots developing, schools and school districts around the country are being forced to reevaluate their learning plans for the 2020-2021 school year. In President Trump’s plea for schools to reopen,...

8 Ways to Handle COVID-19 Anger

We have all seen a video of someone having an angry outburst in a store or outside in the street. We have certainly seen plenty of anger on social media. Let’s not sugar coat it here… There is a whole lot going on to be pretty mad about these days. We are living...

Managing Loneliness During COVID-19

During this time of social distancing, it is very easy to feel extremely isolated and lonely. It is more important than ever to take care of ourselves and our loved ones. While it may be natural to focus our attention on the elderly, or those living alone, everyone...

Wearing a Mask During COVID-19: Willful Ignorance or Selfless

2 Truths and A Lie: 1. Anyone can get Coronavirus. 2. Coronavirus cases are still spiking in many states. 3. You do not need to wear a mask if you are not high risk. OK, number 3 is the lie. Absolutely, you need to wear a mask even if you are not high risk. I keep...

Equal Rights for All Doesn’t Mean Less Rights for You (It’s not Pizza!)

Have you noticed that holiday on your calendar this week? Maybe you never realized it before but now people are talking about it. THANK GOODNESS. It is more important than ever to acknowledge Juneteenth. Juneteenth is a representation of how equality and justice...

Community Care in the Time of Coronavirus

In the past two weeks, a lot has happened in the United States. What is happening right now is heartbreaking. What happened with George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and many before them, is atrocious, horrific, and inhumane. It should never happen, anywhere. We are better...