LZ Granderson

“I haven't dunked since Bill Clinton was in office, so I'm just happy for anyone who can do so without a trampoline.”

“Believe me, I recognize the cultural and anatomical challenges and respect the sacrifices women make in order to balance family and a career, or family with no career, or career with no family.”

“The ugly truth is it's the spineless parents who parade their undisciplined children around like royalty that make people dislike kids.”

“Teachers are not glorified babysitters with summers off. Their profession fuels all others, and on a normal day that is amazing enough in and of itself.”

“If children can't handle competition when it's necessary, or take some criticism, or never strive to be better because their parents inadvertently programmed them to believe they are already the best even when they're not, then they are in for some serious shocks and bumps down the road.”

“Just because we want our favorite team to win does not mean there's any lack of toughness when a player chooses family first.”

“As a newspaper reporter, I covered and was around a fair number of crime scenes involving juvenile delinquents, and few things bothered me more than listening to their parents. Crying, ranting, proclaiming how great their children were despite being kicked out of school or previous run-ins with the law.”

“The Dr. King holiday is not just for black people, African-Americans or people of African descent.”

“With technology and social media and citizen journalism, every rock that used to go unturned is now being flipped, lit and put on TV.”

“Instead of this fruitless debate about having it all, men and women should focus on what make us happy. Instead of comparing our lives with people we don't know who are making sacrifices we don't see, we should try to find the right balance between home and work life.”

“There is no way to physically always be there for your children and always be at the office and always be present for your significant other and then take care of yourself. The laws of physics necessitate that somebody or some thing is going to get the short end of the stick.”

“My mother can certainly be rough around the edges at times, but she also taught me to have compassion for people who have been wronged. She taught me to empathize with those who have made mistakes.”

“It seems everyone knows a college degree is important, but few have a plan to keep it affordable.”

“As a parent, I can empathize with how difficult raising children can be. There are challenges, especially within the framework of divorce, when parental guilt can sometimes blur what should be the best decision.”

“The more time we invest imitating others, the less that's available to discover and be ourselves.”

“Some of us have become so addicted to pointing fingers at others for all the wrong that happens in our lives that self-assessment has become synonymous with blaming the victim.”

“Women may think men have it all, but only because we've been socialized to express the emotions that are tied to this reality differently, which is to say, men are not to express the emotions that are tied to it.”