What is progressive credentialism?

Progressive credentialism is the gradual increase in barriers to entry through things like certifications, licensing, and higher education for certain jobs, professions, and business opportunities.

Some commonalities you often see with progressive credentialism:

• Prohibitive monetary costs
• Bureaucratic chokepoints
• Restrictive rules and requirements
• Privileged access and connections are rewarded

The rationalization for progressive credentialism has typically been to vet the level of skill or qualification within a profession.

The result however is it keeps many people in a state of arrested development.

It establishes a barrier to entry that disqualifies or disenfranchises lower class people who might not have the assets or resources to pass through the barrier. …

Many black people don’t trust the coronavirus vaccine and vaccinations in general.

And for good reason.

The western medical establishment has a documented history of mistreatment toward Black people.

Black people having a distrust for the health industry should be expected.

Almost no one should be more critical of the westernized health system than Black people.

The United States medical establishment has a history of abusing black bodies

Not only is history abundantly clear about the crimes that have been committed against black people, but modern-day health outcomes continue to reflect the reality of a racist healthcare system.

Back to slavery, black bodies have been used by medical professionals with no regard for their humanity or sovereignty. …

9/11 was the defining moment of our generation.

It changed the entire world order and set the tone for the next two decades.

In many ways, it was the turning point for the 21st century.

Everyone was impacted by it, not just Americans.

It changed the way cultures viewed and interacted with each other.

It changed global travel.

It changed entire regions and toppled world leaders and nations.

Despite the fact that a global pandemic and a terrorist attack are two completely different events, there are also a lot of parallels. Particularly in how global institutions respond.

Deferring to the experts

In a crisis, people need answers. …

In an age of content and digital marketing, more and more people have become content creators.

From written content to videos, to pictures, to podcasts, more and more individuals and brands are publishing content every day.

Some people are building entire businesses off of content alone.

And while being a content creator can be thrilling, it can bring certain pressures with it as well.

Constantly being on social media and presenting yourself to the world can impact your mental health.

Remember these tips whenever you feel your mental state might be slipping.

You are in control of what you share

Whether you have 1000 followers or 1 million, remember that you are in control of what you share with the world. …

Monk mode gave me discipline when I was drowning in life.

Monk mode gave me hope when I was suffering.

Monk mode gave me a sense of achievement and fulfillment even when things seemed to be falling apart around me.

Monk mode gave me peace of mind.

What is ‘monk mode’?

Monk mode is a term that was made popular by the online self-improvement community.

Monk mode is basically a time of increased discipline, focus, productivity, living with intent, and committing yourself to a goal.

Depending on your actual goals it can mean lots of things.

• A lot of people who do monk mode challenges choose to abstain from something they consider a distraction or vice, like smoking, eating out, drinking alcohol, or watching TV. …

Every piece of content I write is a bullet. Every piece of content has the potential to be great.

Every piece of content has a chance to be seen. A chance to teach. A chance to inspire.

Every time I put my fingers to my keyboard in WordPress or Google Docs or here on Medium, I believe that my words can reach millions.

And sometimes they have.

With your words you can teach, market, sell, illuminate, argue, shame, build, destroy, and so many other things.

Every writer is a mercenary and every piece of content is ammunition.

From a writer’s perspective

I’m a paid writer. I get paid to write for clients, I blog on my own websites, I blog for the marketing agency I work with, I blog here on Medium, and I help dictate content strategy and direction as for our agency’s clients. …

America has a policing problem.

Many people in America have always distrusted the police, but it seems to have become almost mainstream to be anti-cop.

People have lost trust in the institution of the police and I can’t blame them. There are many valid reasons to be anti-cop and far too many examples of police brutality, misconduct, and abuse of power for me to try and tell anyone in America they shouldn’t hate or distrust cops.

The negative feelings towards the police in this country are completely justifiable.

The criminal justice system has brought this upon itself.

The culture of American law enforcement agencies is broken

Fixing America’s police problem is not just about legislation and policy enforcement, it’s about fixing a broken culture that’s been instilled into the nature of law enforcement since its inception. …

Like many people in the country, I’m aware of the story of Kyle Rittenhouse and all the drama surrounding the protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin following the death of Jacob Blake.

Unlike many people in the country, I took the time to do a bit of research and watch the footage surrounding the shooting to get a better understanding of exactly what happened in the tragic events that unfolded.

I write this piece knowing that many people don’t want to see an objective and ideologically detached analysis of the events that took place, but I feel drawn to cover this in an attempt to battle ignorance and misinformation. …