Dear Dean Magazine: Issue 3

DEAR DEAN 

M A G A Z I N E 

W O M E N R U L E 

A R T I C L E S B Y 7 

W O M E N W H O R O C K ! 

E L I A N N R O D R I G U E Z 

V O L . 3 | M A R . 2 2 , 2 0 2 2 

T Y R O S S 

D E S I R E E R A M O S 

T I F F A N Y C A R L O C K 

J E N N I F E R V A N L A A N E N 

K A T Y A J U L I E T L E R N E R 

F E A T U R E D B L O G 

" 2 4 4 Y E A R S A F T E R I T S F O U N D I N G , 

A M E R I C A S A Y S L Y N C H I N G S H O U L D 

B E A F E D E R A L C R I M E " 

M Y R O N ' S 

H I T O R 

M I S S L I S T 

L O V E I T O R H A T E I T 

M O V I E R E V I E W 

C E L E B R A T E 

T H E G O D D E S S 

I N Y O U ! 

M Y F A V O R I T E T H I N G S S T R E A M I N G 

N E W P O D C A S T - I T ' S O F F I C I A L ! 

M Y R O N J . C L I F T O N

T H E G O O D S 

HELLO FROM MYRON P.3 

NEW BOOK: "JAMAAL'S 

INCREDIBLE ADVENTURES IN 

THE BLACK CHURCH P.4 

WOMEN RULE 

ARTICLES BY 7 WOMEN WHO 

ROCK! P.5 

DEAR DEAN 

FEATURED BLOG P. 14 

MYRON'S 

HIT OR MISS LIST P.18 

LOVE IT OR HATE IT MOVIE 

REVIEW P.19 

MY FAVORITE THINGS 

STREAMING RIGHT NOW P.20 

NEW PODCAST P.22 

ADS P.24 

DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE | p.2

HELLO FROM MYRON 

March is Women’s History Month and like Black History Month, it is a time to focus on 

the lives - past and present - of women in this country and across the world. 

With any focus that isn’t centered exclusively on men, haters show up trying to steal the 

joy of the moment- but not here and not now. 

Try as they might, there is simply too much joy to express and receive and so this issue 

is sprinkled with those small and large expressions of joy brought to us by the most 

populous humans on the planet – women. 

We will look at the past, present, and future and we think you’ll like what you see. 

And for the first time, we have guest writers who will share a variety of women’s 

experiences on teaching during a pandemic, deciding to go to college after age fifty, an 

appreciation for Civil Rights Activist Dolores Huerta, a mature woman’s path to 

veganism, a look at women in politics, and a new mother shares a lesson she learned 

when her first child went to school – The Little Red Dinosaur will touch your heart in all 

the right ways. 

We will venture to the entertaining women in Science-Fiction and Fantasy – we are in 

one of the best times for it so you need to know where to find the best shows and 

series, and we will share a few favorite women-led podcasts that cover fun, political, 

pop culture, sports, crime, and science. 

Happy Women’s History Month. 

Myron J. Clifton 

www.deardeanpublishing.com 


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WOMEN RULE 

A R T I C L E S B Y 7 W O M E N 

W H O R O C K !

E L I A N N R O D R I G U E Z 

There's a War 

Going On Inside 

Survival of the fit, only the strong survive. No, I don’t 

mean Ukraine, Cameroon, Ethiopia, the Sudan, or 

the many other countless nations embroiled in 

conflict. I’m talking about the one happening in 

classrooms all across the country and the world. The 

war between teachers facing the storms of today’s 

realities and their struggle to provide a refuge for 

those who need it most. 

I’m sure you’ve heard it many times - being a teacher 

is truly challenging. That’s been true at any point in 

time, but the events of the past two years have 

created a maelstrom that has brought all the issues 

in public education to the surface. We’ve always had 

to navigate budget inequities, lack of resources, 

segregation, systemic racism, and food insecurity. 

Now we also have to face the effects of Covid-19: 

illness, death, isolation, loss of learning, lack of social 

interaction, and a host of mental health needs. It’s a 

war we weren't expecting to fight, but it’s a war 

we’re fighting every day. 

Each day, we fight to create a safe, welcoming 

environment where our students can learn and grow. We 

pay for notebooks, pencils, and books out of our own 

pockets. Dollar stores and Amazon Wishlists, anyone? 

We stock the fridge we’re not supposed to have (don’t 

tell the head custodian!!) with water and snacks because 

we know some of our students come to school hungry. 

We try to provide a safe space where our students feel 

comfortable in their identities, community, and world. 

Oh, and while we’re at it, we’re trying to teach the grade 

level standards, differentiate lessons based on student 

needs, and prepare them for standardized assessments 

that are more often than not set up to see them fail. 

Whenever I feel I’m struggling to make it to the next 

battle, I think about the teachers who have inspired me 

most in this fight - my grandmother, Elizabeth Class; my 

aunt, Marie Vargas; my oldest friend, Vanessa Rodriguez; 

and my 8th grade English teacher, Ms. Farsetta. I think 

about the other teachers in the trenches beside me. 

Most of all, I think about who each one of us is fighting 

for, every day - our students. For them, we will keep 

fighting. 

Students are struggling to navigate their reentry into 

the school building and extracurricular activities 

after an extended period of time learning from 

home. It’s not just the students - teachers, school 

staff, administrators, and parents are all re-learning 

how to interact with one another. Yes, we are all 

fighting in the same war. But, inevitably, the onus of 

weathering this war (and in turn, the blame for the 

failure to do so) has fallen on the teachers on the 

front line. 


T Y R O S S 

Si, Se Puede! Remembering The Life and 

Contributions of Dolores Huerta: 

Co-Founder of the Chicano Civil Rights Movement 

In the 1960’s times were changing. Black and brown 

people, women, were tiring of inequitable treatment, 

pay and discrimination. In the South, there was Martin 

Luther King, and Rosa Parks. But while headlines were 

dominated by tales of marches and sit-ins in a Jim Crow 

south, 3000 miles away another movement was going 

full steam. The Chicano Civil Rights Movement. 

While most think of Cesar Chavez, and his organizing 

of farmworkers in California, an equally important, 

impactful but lesser known name, was by his side every 

step of the way. Dolores Huerta. 

Born in a small New Mexico town in the ‘30s, Huerta 

was built for the movement. Her father Juan 

Fernandez, a farm worker and miner by trade, was a 

union activist. After her parents’ divorce, her mother 

Alicia moved with her children to Stockton, CA. Where 

the single mom worked two jobs, before becoming an 

entrepreneur. 

Huerta respected her mother. And her work ethic. One 

that would be instilled in a young Dolores. After getting 

her Associate’s in teaching, it wouldn’t be long before 

seeing the lack of proper nutrition among her students 

(mostly Hispanic), would compel Huerta to quit and 

seek to make a difference. 

In 1955, Huerta co-founded the Stockton Community 

Service Organization. Led voter registration drives and 

fought for economic equity in the Latino community. It 

is at CSO that she would meet Cesar Chavez, also a 

member. 

Her life, and the lives of millions, would be changed 

forever. Seven years later, Huerta and Chavez would 

form the National Farm Workers Association. 

In 1965, the NFWA would become the United Farm 

Workers Union. Dolores served as Vice President for 

over four decades. 

(Continued, next page) 


S I , S E P U E D E ! . , C O N T I N U E D 

Seeing how hard the farmers worked, and how abysmal 

the working conditions were. No toilets, breaks or 

drinking water. Sub-standard pay. Huerta helped 

organize the Delano Strike of ’65. Over 5000 workers. 

Negotiating contracts and fighting for a safer work 

environment. 

Despite push back from the growers, violence on the 

picket lines, Huerta didn’t back down. Front and center, 

side by side with her brothers. In 1988 she was beaten 

so badly by San Francisco police, that she had broken 

bones and ribs. Despite having rifles pointed at her, 

sulfur sprayed at those protesting and cars barreling 

through the crowd, Huerta never gave up. And neither 

did those she was fighting with – and for. 

Being a woman in the movement wasn’t easy. And being 

in charge of it, even worse. She faced criticism from 

outside the movement, as well as in it. Accused of being 

a bad parent. Chastised for being divorced. She was a 

feminist. And unapologetic. She frequently quoted her 

friend, Coretta Scott King. “We will never have peace in 

the world until women take power. Huerta was there 

when Scott King visited Chavez when he was jailed in 

Salinas. And in 2016, Huerta gave a candlelight vigil in 

honor of Dr. King and his wife, at Fresno City College. 

She called teachers the “soul of a nation”. Knowing that 

education was key to equity and equality. By opening 

and enriching the minds of students so that they would 

go into the world and make it better. 

The first Latina inducted into the National Women’s 

Hall of Fame in ’98, she received the Eleanor Roosevelt 

Human Rights Award. Presented by then President 

Clinton. And in 2012, President Barack Obama would 

give Huerta the Presidential Medal of Freedom. 

It was Huerta’s phrase, Si, se puede (Spanish for Yes, we 

can), that inspired Obama’s campaign slogan. 

Still alive at 91 years young, Dolores Huerta continues 

to empower and inspire. Believing that the movement 

is for all. Men, women and children. That the entire 

family should be involved. “Every moment is an 

organizing opportunity, every person a potential 

activist, every minute a chance to change the world”, 

and she’s right. I can do it. You can do it. WE, can do it! 

She may not be the face of the Chicano Civil Rights 

Movement, is certainly the backbone and the heart. 

From securing AFDC and disability insurance for 

farmworkers in CA in ’63, to leading a strike that led to 

the Agricultural Labor Relations Act of ’75. The ALRA 

granted the right for farm workers to form a union and 

collectively bargain. 

Huerta believed that women belonged in all areas of 

civic and political life. She worked hard to see more 

women, especially Latino women, in positions of policy 

making power. 


D E S I R E E R A M O S 

I'm 56 and Just 

Wrote My First 

Essay as a College 

Student 

It’s a postcard of a day on the California coast and I, 

middle-aged and retired, could be hiking the 

neighboring state park, kayaking in dramatic ocean 

caves, or tasting world-famous Anderson Valley 

Pinots. Instead, I am sweating over a 500-word, MLA 

formatted syllabus review essay for English 200, 

College Composition. It is the first assignment and 

first class of my new career as a college student. Who 

am I? What am I even doing here? 

As a young woman I never considered college. My high 

school experience was fractured and frustrating. I 

struggled with the pace of instruction and of my fellow 

students’ ability to learn. I found success in nontraditional 

education environments that were selfpaced 

and eventually returned to a traditional high- 

school in my junior year. While I graduated early and 

at the top of my class, that was thanks to classes in 

drama and theatre arts. None of my classes were 

structured or demanding. So the thought of continuing 

my education was ridiculous. Instead, I went to work. 

Over the years I collected the titles that told the tale 

of my success: Corporate Senior Manager, Event 

Manager, Performing Arts Theatre Manager, Emcee, 

Mother. But never College Graduate. And truly, I 

never thought about it until my daughters went to 

college. I was envious of their college experience and 

the achievement marked by their degree. Maybe, I 

began thinking. Maybe. 

Then during the Collective Pause of the early 20s I 

binge watched season after season of The Great 

Pottery Throwdown, a charming pottery competition in 

England. I had always wanted to play with pottery but 

had never had the opportunity. With nothing but acres 

of free time I started with a class at the local art center 

and was immediately hooked. From there I learned 

our local community college offered classes in pottery 

as well. And the thought began…what if. What if I 

could explore this new passion and finally get a college 

degree? 

So, here I am. Fifty-six years old, writing an essay 

about a syllabus for the most basic of basic college 

classes. I am excited and energized but also 

apprehensive and nervous. Can I keep up with the 

workload? Will the material be relevant? Will the 

professor and other students be intimidating? What 

am I even doing here? Then I stumbled on this line 

from the syllabus: “You will give yourself grace.” And 

just like that, I knew. I will give myself grace. I will 

enjoy the process, the conversations, the successes, 

and the missteps. I can do this. 


T I F F A N Y C A R L O C K 

Women In Politics 

I am in awe of women in politics at every level of 

government, but especially during this Women’s 

History month. 

Kamala Harris shattered the multi-faceted glass 

ceiling, becoming our first Black, first South Asian, 

first female vice president. Her work is having great 

impact, as the responsibilities with which Pres. Joe 

Biden entrusts her are unparalleled. 

While it seems we have come so far, we have so much 

further to go. Love it, live it and enjoy it as we make 

history, but always remember the power in our votes. 

Too many women have fought for our rights. 

We dishonor them if we do not exercise the one right 

Republicans are desperately trying to keep from us — 

our constitutional right to vote. 

Speaker Nancy Pelosi is steering the Congress with 

strength and precision. Sen. Amy Klobuchar is 

leading on voting rights in the Senate. Reps. Shontel 

Brown and Lauren Underwood are excelling as 

congresswomen, delivering tangible results for their 

constituents. 

Mayor Michelle Wu was elected as the first Asian- 

American female mayor in Boston, and Tish James is 

exemplary as New York Attorney General. We 

recently witnessed history when Pres. Biden 

nominated Ketanji Brown Jackson to be the first 

Black woman to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court. 

Looking ahead to the November midterm elections, I 

would be remiss if I didn’t mention there are no Black 

women in the Senate. This can change by electing Val 

Demings (FL) and Cheri Beasley (NC). Furthermore, 

no state has ever elected a Black woman as its 

governor. Stacey Abrams (GA) and Deidre DeJear 

(IA) could be firsts. 

Voting this year (and every year) is extremely 

important for women, as Republicans are trying with 

all their considerable might to strip away our 

reproductive rights. 


J E N N I F E R V A N L A A N E N 

4 Years a Vegan 

elevated. 

This year I turned 51 and it was 4 years since 

being vegan. I saw one video that wrecked me 

and the next day I stopped eating any animal 

products. It was one of the EASIEST decisions I 

have ever made. Was it challenging? It wasn't 

until pro meat eaters started telling me I wasn't 

going to get enough protein, or tell me how we 

were meant to eat meat, what happens to all the 

animals if we don't eat them, god made animals 

for us to eat...and the list goes on...funny thing, 

most of those folks have dogs or cats. 

I tread carefully on my journey because I don't want to be 

a "preachy" vegan because that has a negative impact on 

how others might think being a vegan should be. I 

welcome open dialogue, questions, and hope that one day 

the human race realizes that you don't need animal 

products to survive. 

I wish I would know what I know now when I was a child....I 

would have made this decision much sooner. 

As I continued the journey of compassion, I began 

to realize how much of my home products, 

makeup products and clothes used animal 

products, so I began reading labels and googling 

anything(even my tennis shoes used glue from 

animal derived products I didn't know, and 

eventually updated any product I could that did 

not use animal products. In my first year as a 

vegan I remember how much I slept better, how 

my skin started to glow and even found out how 

many animals I saved in my first year of being 

animal cruelty free (365). 

Not only that, the positive impact I made on the 

environment saving over 400,000 gallons of 

water. 

As I begin my 4th year as a vegan and my 51st 

year on this planet, I am definitely stronger, have 

more energy, my skin tone is more even (a good 

skin routine is also very helpful...a strong SPF for 

sure), and my admiration I have for organizations 

and people that fight for animal rights is highly 


K A T Y A J U L I E T L E R N E R 

The Little Red 

Dinosaur 

One of 25 tiny dinosaurs laying around the house, 

small and unimportant, from a lot of gifted toys on my 

sons second birthday. One of 25 tiny dinosaurs that 

get noticed only when accidentally stepped on or 

during clean-up at the end of a long and busy day. 

It's funny how little things in life can be completely 

insignificant one moment and hold deep meaning the 

next. Motherhood -- it should have come with a sign 

that read: "WARNING: Great Worry and Heartache 

Ahead!" 

This particular morning I picked the little red 

dinosaur up off the floor and offered it to my son to 

keep in his pocket while at school. He was noticeably 

vulnerable and emotional since the moment he woke 

up, dreading the reality of having to leave me again. I 

told him he could hold on to this little red dinosaur 

and know that he was safe and that it was a tiny piece 

of home. "Mama will come back to pick you up after 

lunch," I reasoned with him. "Just a few fun hours with 

your new friends." 

And maybe that is true. Maybe they adjust and forget 

and are okay a few minutes after we leave. But what 

about us? 

What do we do as we drive away with hearts that 

have been shattered into pieces, plastered with guilt, 

fear and embarrassment for crying in the parking lot 

while passing by other parents who have never ever 

seemed stronger and more put together. 

Why didn't anyone warn me about this when I was 

pregnant and planning for childcare? Why do we talk 

about all the emotionless details of parenting and 

skip over the reality of a new mother's raw aching 

heart? 

I wanted to trust the teachers words, but on this day 

all I saw were tiny, innocent, fresh-on-this-planet 

faces desperately trying to construct the masks of 

bravery and tolerance we force them to wear outside 

the safety and comfort of home. 

(continue, next page) 

He put the little red dinosaur down on the breakfast 

counter and quickly said, "no!" So I figured my red 

dinosaur strategy was silly and left it there next to his 

half-eaten breakfast upon leaving the house. 

My sons fourth day of preschool was much harder 

than I thought it would be. The teacher told me that 

every child cries in the beginning and not to worry. 


T H E L I T T L E R E D D I N O S A U R , C O N T I N U E D 

When we reached the classroom my son had a full-on 

emotional breakdown, reaching his arms out for me 

while the teacher held him tightly. He cried out to me: 

"Mama! I need you! Come back! Don't leave me!" 

I had reached the door when his cries got even louder 

and then it happened. "Mama, I need my red dinosaur! 

Please! I need the little red dinosaur!" 

My heart sunk down, down, down into the deepest, 

darkest depths of the Earth. 

I could see it in my mind at home on the counter. Why 

didn't I just trust my instincts and put in in my purse? I 

cannot believe that I don't have that stupid dinosaur to 

quickly put in my sons anxious hands. The little red 

dinosaur that I accidentally stepped on barefoot that 

morning at the bottom of the stairs and wanted to 

throw away now had my stomach twisted up in knots. 

I came home to a quiet house, perfect for getting my 

work done and cleaning up for those measly 4 hours 

my son would be gone. 

But instead, I just sat there at the breakfast counter 

looking at the little red dinosaur, crying. "I know, I'm a 

wreck - don't judge me," I jokingly said out loud to the 

.50 cent plastic toy and feeling wildly unsettled like the 

rage of ocean waves crashing back and forth on each 

other in all directions right before the beginning of a 

storm. 

Just when we think one stage is hard and another will 

be easier... it never ends, does it? On this day I realized 

parenting moments will change but it will always be 

hard. You will always worry. I cried thinking of the 

moments in my own childhood where I complained 

about doing thing with my parents, wanting to go see 

my friends. Did I hurt their feelings? 

I sobbed thinking about how I just left home after my 

18th birthday to move to California with friends and 

never moved back. I can still see my parents faces in 

tears in the rear view mirror of my car as I drove away. 

"I'm so sorry," I said to the quiet room. I didn't know the 

heartache they felt then. But I do now. 

I know my son won't remember any of the details from 

this day and soon he will no longer cry at drop-off and 

enjoy his time with friends at school. But it sure does 

hurt when little memories and things once thought silly 

grow a special meaning and you can't take it back. There 

is no do-over with parenting. Just a long winding road of 

ever-changing learning and growth. My heart has been 

magnified as a mother and it makes life more beautiful 

and tragic at the same time. 

On the fifth day of preschool... my husband took him and 

every day forward until he was adjusted. They made it a 

"thing." My husband would drop him off, my son 

wouldn't cry, and instead, he would run to the window 

to watch his dad drive away, but not before stopping to 

wave from the car back up at him in the window and 

honk the horn 3 times for "I Love You." 

Months later, I remember feeling so relieved that the 

stage of starting school was done and my son (and I) 

were adjusting well. And then, as if my just heart just 

hadn't had enough, my daughter was born. 

DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE | p 13

D E A R D E A N 

FEATURED BLOG 

" 2 4 4 Y E A R S A F T E R I T S 

F O U N D I N G , A M E R I C A S A Y S 

L Y N C H I N G S H O U L D B E A 

F E D E R A L C R I M E "

M Y R O N J . C L I F T O N 

The Senate finally passed a bill that makes lynching 

a federal crime. 

The Emmet Till Anti-Lynching Act will soon be signed 

into law by President Joe Biden. 

That it took 67 years and more than two-hundred 

attempts to get the Senate to agree on something so 

crucial to Black American’s humanity, history, and 

future, should not take away from the historical hard 

work of so many champions of justice. 

There are many historical Black folk who have 

demanded, worked, voted, marched, and protested to 

elected officials to get this done – and up until now, 

all have been met with closed doors, hard rejections, 

and requests for patience and… more patience. 

Most recently introduced in the House of 

Representatives by Rep. Bobby Rush, and introduced 

in the Senate by Senator Corey Booker and then 

Senator Kamala Harris, the bill passed a Senate 

narrowly held by Democrats, proving again that 

voting and high democratic voter turnout will move 

the country forward. 

The signing event will be must-see television, and we 

hope that it can even be shown in cities and States 

that are currently banning lessons that involve 

atrocities perpetrated by white Americans against 

Black Americans. 

signed. The faces – and bodies – of those citizens who 

had life brutally stolen from them in the name of 

justice should be as broadly known as the horribly 

iconic photo of Emmet Till. 

Lynching is America’s original terrorism. 

It was murder, not justice. 

Terror, not due process. 

It was white Christians lynching Black Christians. 

And most of all, it was white supremacy expressing 

itself in the most violent way it could and with the 

approval of local, state and Federal laws and officials. 

There were upwards of five-thousand recorded 

lynchings, with the main targets being Black men, 

women, children, babies, and seniors. We know there 

were countless more lynchings, burned cities and 

homes, and terrorism visited upon Black families than 

what is recorded so the recorded number should be 

seen as a very low estimate. 

So we acknowledge the efforts of those who worked 

to make this happen, and we will not allow our earned 

cynicism to dampen the satisfaction of completing 

this part of our collective journey to equality. 

We have fully earned this step in our journey to full 

humanity. 

Every step in recognizing Black folk’s humanity is 

equally worthy of applause and appall. 

All Americans should respectfully honor the memory 

of lynching victims as the bill is acknowledged and 

We acknowledge Emmet Till and his family for the 

work they have done since Carolyn Bryant Donham 

lied on him and her family murdered him. 

We acknowledge the work of the NAACP, the 

Congressional Black Caucus, and all the local 


F E A T U R E D B L O G , C O N T N I U E D 

activists, parents, siblings, churches, neighbors, 

teachers, and preachers who have worked to make 

this happen. 

We acknowledge the caregivers, counselors, and 

aunts and uncles, who picked up the pieces of 

brutalized families and neighborhoods and rebuilt 

souls and spirits minute by minute and person by 

person. 

We acknowledge the decades of Black journalists and 

writers who kept the stories and subjects of the 

stories centered and alive. 

And we acknowledge Black Americans and our Elders 

who deeply know the trauma of the knowledge of 

lynchings, and who know so much more than they’ll 

talk about because they carry unimaginable trauma 

even now. 

We lost loving people, parents and future parents, 

doctors, teachers, scientists, laborers, lawyers, and 

incalculable amounts of… love and kindness to the 

horror of lynching. 

Obama/Biden were rescuing the economy and also 

saving millions of jobs. 

Mass media and critics too often downplay their 

significant achievements while playing up smaller 

more ceremonial achievements just so they can say 

how unserious the team is. 

But let there be no misunderstanding: President 

Biden & Vice President Harris are again showing their 

adeptness, versatility, skill, and strategic thinking as 

they navigate nation and world in crisis. 

That they and the democrats got such significant 

legislation passed at this moment in time, shows the 

record number of voters who elected them were 

right. 

We will never get back Emmet Till or the thousands 

of other lynching victims, but for the first time in our 

nation’s history the Federal government now agrees 

with what we and our ancestors have always said: 

Black Lives Matter. 

You can learn more here. 

We will never forget them. 

The Biden/Harris administration and the democrats 

are delivering on their campaign promises and also 

on campaign promises from candidates in the past 

whose efforts were blocked by republicans. 

The administration proves time and again they 

multitask at exceptional levels, in various disciplines, 

and across the nation and globe. Managing the global 

response to Russia’s invasion and devastating 

bombing in Ukraine, working with friends and others, 

the team is operating at levels unseen since… 


"A BEAUTIFULLY 

WRITTEN STORY 

THAT OPENS YOUR 

EYES TO OTHER 

POSSIBILITIES TO 

HOW THE WORLD 

WAS CREATED. 

THERE IS SO MUCH 

TO TAKE IN, YOU 

CAN’T JUST READ IT 

ONCE TO REVEAL 

ALL THE HIDDEN 

MESSAGES." 

R E V I E W , H E R L E G E N D 

L I V E S I N Y O U

MYRON'S 

HIT OR 

MISS 

list 

MISS 

We miss Breonna Taylor 

two years in memory. May 

she not be resting in 

peace, but thriving in 

another life, in joy and 

safety surrounded by love. 

HIT 

The Senate finally passed the 

Emmet Till Anti-Lynching Bill that 

makes lynching a Federal Crime. 

You will either LOVE or HATE being 

on this list. It's time to call out the 

good, bad and the ugly as it happened 

on Twitter. We saw it live with our 

own eyes, and now it's time to review 

the best and the worst... saddle up! 

MISS 

Tiny group of truckers in D.C. who are driving in circles, getting 

stuck in traffic, and expressing offence that drivers and flipping 

them the bird. Welcome to D.C., suckers. 

Continued next page 


HIT 

VP Kamala Harris and Speaker Nancy Pelosi standing 

behind the President as he gives his first State of The 

Union speech. It is the first time two women were in the 

number 2 and 3 positions of power in the U.S. 

MISS 

Disney and its awful CEO, Bob Chapek – was caught 

giving Disney money to every republican in Florida 

who wrote/sponsored a bill that criminalizes being gay 

and penalizes teachers for even saying the word 

“Gay.” After being called out on his duplicity, the CEO 

said Disney is pausing political donations. 

MISS 

Political hostage Brittney Griner, held captive in 

Russia. The WNBA and Russian Basketball star was 

detained in Russia for allegedly having a vape pen 

with marijuana or something. I certain her arrest has 

nothing to do with her being Black, Queer, and the 

most well-known American basketball star there… 

right before the war in Ukraine… 

MISS 

States ending mask 

mandates. Money 

rules. 

HIT 

Court of Appeals Judge 

Ketanji Brown Jackson is 

the first Black woman 

nominated to the 

Supreme Court. 

it or hate it 

MOVIE REVIEW 

Love 

TURNING RED 

Turning Red is a delightful coming of age story of a teen girl, “Mei” Lee, played by Rosalie Chiang, who turns into a 

giant red panda when she gets her first period, and then when she loses control of her emotions. Written by and 

directed by Domee Shi – the first woman to direct a feature for Pixar - Mei is living her best teen life until having 

her first period when suddenly her world – home, school, and with friends – is turned into something annoying 

and frustrating. 

Supported by loving friends, Mei undergoes begins noticing boys – a delightful boyband consumes the girl’s 

attention – experiencing moodiness and independence, questioning her parents, and wondering about her place 

at home, school, and with her delightful aunties who come into town to attend to Mei and the family secret. 

Turning Red is a long overdue coming of age about girls’ natural biological changes that are treated with care, 

humor, honesty, and love. It is a movie for girls and boys because puberty – in all its forms – is important to 

understand as part of the natural human world and not something to be scorned or ashamed of. 

Turning Red delivers on every level and should be required viewing for pre-teen girls and boys.

MY FAVORITE THINGS 

STREAMING RIGHT NOW... 

WOMEN IN SCI-FI AND FANTASY 

Amazon Prime: The Expanse: The 

series is among the best sciencefiction 

on television, with a large 

cast of wonderful characters, and 

with multiple women who deliver 

outstanding performances. The 

impressive cast includes Cara Gee 

as Carmina Drummer, Frankie 

Adams as Roberta Draper, 

Dominque Tipper as Naomi 

Nagata, Nadine Nicole as Melba, 

and the woman who could rule us 

all right now and we’d be grateful, 

Shohreh Aghdashloo as Chrisjen 

Avasarala 

Paramount: Star Trek Discovery. 

Another Star Trek series you say? 

Yes, and you’ll enjoy a fresh 

adaptation of the familiar Trek 

universe. Sonequa Martin-Green 

as Captain Michael Burnham is 

already one of the best captains 

and best characters in the Star 

Trek universe. Also.. Michelle 

Yeoh! With Emily Coutts, Blu del 

Barrio, Oyin Oladejo, and Mary 

Wiseman – each excellent in their 

role. 

HBO: Watchmen – 1 Season 

One of the best reimagining 

extension of a comic book series 

ever. Two of Hollywood’s best 

actors - Regina King and Jean 

Smart carry the series to 

unexpected heights of wow and 

wonder. 

Lovecraft Country, 1 Season: 

A wonderful takeover of the 

Lovecraft universe and one that 

was long needed to erase the 

racist stain that infected it. A 

perfect ensemble cast led by the 

incredible Jurnee Smollett, Wunmi 

Mosaku, Abbey Lee, Jamie Chung, 

and Aunjanue Ellis, watch and be 

awed. 

The Wheel of Time, Season 1: 

Women with connection to the 

One Source wield variations of 

power to control the world, 

demons, and men who would 

attempt to channel the power. 

Rosamund Pike, Zoe Robins, 

Madeleine Madden, Kate 

Fleetwood, and the wonderfully 

surprising Sophie Okonedo bring 

the colors of the factions of 

powerful women to life in a world 

once broken by a man. 

Apple TV: Foundation, Season 1: 

The long-awaited series of the 

science fiction books that started 

them all. And Apple+ delivers a 

rich, nuanced, galaxy-spanning 

empire that is worth the wait. You 

will be enthralled by the 

performaces of Lou Llobell as Gaal 

Dornick, Leah Harvey as Salvor 

Harvey, Laura Birn as Demerzel, 

Kubbra Sait, and the awesome 

T’Nia Miller. 

The CW: Naomi, Season 1: 

Kaci Walfall is Naomi is comic 

book-loving teenager with 

superpowers she is trying to figure 

out where they came from and 

what it means to be a 

superpowered teenaged Black girl 

– Black girl magic.. as an actual 

superpower is beautiful to behold. 

Women-led Podcasts 

Unapologetically She: Eliann, Chantay, Katie, Sara, Lauren-Ashley deliver 

topical, political, and cultural hot takes mixed in with their drink of the week. 

Frangela: The Final Word : Angela Shelton, Frances Callier 

The Blerdgurl Podcast: Karama Horne 

Therapy for Black Girls: Dr. Joy Harden Bradford 

Science Vs. : Wendy Zuckerman

“BLM-PD IS A PAGE TURNER! GREAT 

CHARACTERS, VIVID VISUALS & 

WRITING THAT BRINGS EMOTIONS. 

LOVE THE BOOK AND THE FACT THAT 

IT ALSO PROVIDES REAL-LIFE 

EXAMPLES OF WHAT IS HAPPENING IN 

OUR WORLD TODAY. LOVE THE 

FEMALE PERSPECTIVE THROUGH 

LEADERSHIP, INTELLIGENCE, 

RESILIENCE, FRIENDSHIP & POWER." 

R E V I E W , B L M - P D

NEW PODCAST 

V O I C E 

M E M O S 

STARTS 

APRIL 

1ST! 

no joke. 

CLICK TO MEET 

THE HOSTS! 

MYRON 

JENN 


M y r o n J . C l i f t o n i s s l i g h t l y o l d e r t h a n f i f t y , l i v e s i n S a c r a m e n t o , 

C a l i f o r n i a , a n d i s a n a v i d B a y A r e a s p o r t s f a n . H e l i k e s c o m i c b o o k s , 

t e l l i n g s t o r i e s a b o u t h i s l a t e m o m t o h i s b e l o v e d d a u g h t e r L e a h , a n d 

t a l k i n g t o h i s f r i e n d s . 

W E B S I T E | B O O K S H O P | T W I T T E R 

NEW! 

I N P A R T N E R S H I P W I T H 

B U Z Z W O R D C O N S U L T I N G 

D E A R D E A N M A G A Z I N E I S D E S I G N E D & C U R A T E D 

Katya Juliet Lerner 

I N T E R E S T E D I N A D V E R T I S I N G ? 

Send an email to words@deardeanpublishing.com 


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Her Legend Lives In You: 

The Untold Creation Story Honoring The 

Goddess And Our Daughters. 

Available on

Dear Dean Magazine: Issue 3

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