Happy 2018, Amsterdam News readers! I do hope your new year is already filled with promise, a sense of hope and a recommitment to self-care and happiness. There are a few things I am going to work on in this new year to hopefully better myself and my community.
Reading: Each year I pledge to read 12 novels. I usually start off strong and falter somewhere around July. There is so much great literature being written right now by young writers of color. I am happy to say that Rivers Soloman’s “An Unkindness of Ghosts” will be my first novel of the new year. I usually purchase books and share them with friends once I am done. However, this year I am also going to utilize my local public library to support our public institutions and also save a little money.
Writing: I am in the midst of writing my second manuscript, but I am also going to try to keep a journal to chronicle my thoughts and the events going on in the world. Our voices are needed now more than ever, so whether you plan to publish your writing or simply write for yourself, it is necessary. Having something our future generations can read in the decades to come will be vital in their understanding of how we changed the world and the internal struggles and triumphs we experienced.
Self-Care: However, you define self-care, do it! I realized that I am pretty good at maintaining personal and professional relationships, but consistently allow my personal self-care to take second shelf. As I approach my fourth decade on this Earth, I realize that my exercise and meditation habits must become a focused priority for me to continue to support and help others.
Financial Awareness: There are so many small organizations doing incredible work to make our society better. Whether it’s a local bail fund or an aspiring political candidate who wants to work to better our communities, being more conscious and deliberate as to how I save and spend my money will give me the financial security to support those who are doing the real work every day.
News Intake: It is my job to read and know the news inside and out. However, in 2018 I am giving myself permission to take breaks from the barrage of news coming from Washington, D.C. and check out every now and again.
These resolutions are just a few things I’m working on in 2018. If you have any thoughts or ideas you would like to see me write about this year, please don’t hesitate to tweet me at @Dr_CMGreer and share your thoughts. As always, I would like to thank publisher Elinor Tatum for providing me this opportunity to communicate with you, our loyal readership. Here’s to a fabulous and prosperous 2018.
Christina Greer, Ph.D., is the 2018 NYU McSilver Institute Fellow and an associate professor at Fordham University, the author of “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream” and the host of The Aftermath on Ozy.com. You can find her on Twitter @Dr_CMGreer.