Wakime Hauser's Blog

PLAN A

Plan B. What does that really mean? Does it mean you’re not fully confident…

Walnut

&lt My grandmother’s house always puts a smile on my face. It was the…

Court house

Walking into the courthouse in 2025 took me way back, way back to a…

NO Child left behind!!

A few weeks ago, I had the honor of speaking as part of Professor…

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Uncategorized
June 24, 2024

Empowerment in Vermont: My Transformative Weekend with 25 Powerful Men of Color

Have you ever been surrounded by 20 or more men who made you feel empowered and valuable? I have! This past weekend, I attended a men’s wellness retreat in Vermont with 25 powerful men of color. The ages and stories were amazing, tragic, resilient, and worthy of absorbing. There were multiple moments during this retreat where I encountered joy so overwhelming it brought tears of happiness to my cheeks. Every person I spoke to was as clear as my aunt’s glass windows. There were no signs of masks or hidden agendas. I am not exaggerating when I say everyone I encountered was fully open and engaged. As a man of color, it is unfortunate that we do not feel this way among each other more frequently. If I could use a word to describe what every man felt around each other, I would use “safe” or “secure.” The goal of this weekend getaway was to rest, recover, and be our true selves. What was expected and what took place were totally different. I watched men open up about what they were going through and how they were dealing with it. The masks of everyday life were removed. It was group,...

Life Style
September 3, 2023

BRICK by BRICK

Building a 1000 square foot home with standard bricks typically requires around 7000 bricks. Each brick must be carefully laid, as any mistake can set off a domino effect, possibly leading to the structure’s collapse. I have fond memories of watching my Aunt’s brick home being constructed in the late 1970s. There were pallets of bricks all around, and each day showed significant progress. Although I had to leave before completion, when I returned the following summer, the house stood solid and welcoming. To me, the phrase “brick by brick” symbolizes the step-by-step approach, often involving manual labor. In life, many seek shortcuts or hacks to achieve their goals, but true accomplishments require embracing the process. Some may even pay for shortcuts, like buying a license in a trade or skill. My Aunt purchased a driver’s license but couldn’t drive, illustrating that shortcuts don’t grant true abilities. She had to learn to drive, just as I did. I distinctly remember learning to drive from my grandfather at a young age. Starting with a riding lawnmower at age 6, I gradually gained experience until I could smoothly shift gears in a manual car by age 14. Despite these skills, I couldn’t,...

Uncategorized
August 20, 2023

Rainbows and Dodge Charger

As I ventured out into the rain, an walk I hadn’t initially wanted to do, I stumbled upon an awe-inspiring rainbow that stole my breath away. Capturing its beauty in a photograph, I pondered the profound reasons behind my affection for rainbows. My fondness stemmed from cherished memories of “The Wizard of Oz,” where the song, somewhere over the rainbow was my favorite part of the movie. It symbolized to me that something extraordinary awaited beyond the rainbow’s end. In times of trouble, as a child, I’d hum that tune, envisioning the wonders that lay ahead. But then came the moment when I was told that my admiration for rainbows was somehow “gay,” and that I, being a straight male, shouldn’t embrace them. Similarly, my adoration for the iconic TV show “The Dukes of Hazzard” and its iconic orange 1969 Dodge Charger, flaunting the Confederate flag, was tarnished. I owned all the show’s toys, including the car, flag and all, until an older cousin from North Carolina shared a different perspective, explaining that the flag represented something divisive and no black person should like that car air watch that show.. These two symbols, once laden with joyful fantasies, were marred,...

Life Style
August 12, 2024

Racist or Not?

When I moved to Greenwich, Connecticut, from the Bronx, New York, in the early to mid-80s, the world was vastly different. I listened to music on a record player and cassette deck, wrote letters to friends outside of my local calling area, and adhered to the belief that children should be seen and not heard, at least in my family’s eyes. I rarely interacted with people who were not Black or Hispanic, unless it was at school or in a store. Greenwich was unlike any other place I had been. Fortunately, I lived near one of the three projects in Greenwich, in a predominantly Italian neighborhood. Interestingly, I recently discovered that I have a significant amount of Italian ancestry in my DNA. I still remember the trepidation I felt on my first day exploring the neighborhood. I started school in the fifth grade and immediately felt like an outcast. The cultural differences were challenging, and children can be cruel. I got into several fights within the first few months and shut down academically. The situation was further complicated by my parents’ separation during this transition. I was deemed not ready for fifth grade and was held back to the fourth,...

Uncategorized
July 16, 2023

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

When I was a 21-year-old college student at Eastern Connecticut State University, I wrote a paper on affirmative action. The assignment required us to choose a civil matter and argue both for and against its necessity. As a black student, I chose to wholeheartedly support affirmative action. At that time, I wasn’t particularly academically inclined or focused on setting goals in life. Instead, I was enjoying the social aspects and party atmosphere of college. Needless to say, this topic held emotional significance for me, which motivated me to put forth a tremendous effort. I presented compelling data that made my paper highly persuasive, and I was thrilled to receive an A-, which was a significant achievement for me at the time. During class discussions, some of my classmates, who happened to be white males, voiced their disagreement with my paper. In my younger years, I automatically assumed that their dissenting opinions stemmed from racism. Fast forward 29 years to June 29th, 2023, when the Supreme Court announced that colleges are no longer required to consider race as a factor in the admissions process. As a former college student, current teacher, and small business owner, I fully support this decision. However,,...

Men healing – Round 2
- June 26, 2025
2
Shades of a Man (Podcast)
- May 30, 2025
Growth takes time!
- May 14, 2025
Men’s deserve to heal
- April 25, 2025

Men healing – Round 2

Shades of a Man (Podcast)

Growth takes time!

Men’s deserve to heal

Failure vs. Quitting!

Mr. K

How we became…

My circle, The power of the Mat!