I'm Shamontiel, a full-time, freelance editor, writer and fact-checker. I've been working in print and digital news since 2005.
In my world, a few things are mandatory every day: 10 minutes of morning meditation followed by weight training, dance fitness or pilates; walking my own dog (and neighborhood dogs); plant-based cooking (vegetarian for 20 years); and researching and reading about politics, news and culture. 

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MOST RECENT SUBSTACK POSTS

Photo credit: Regan Vercruysse/Wikimedia Commons

1. I DO SEE COLOR: 'A Different World' was a lesson in HBCU glory and the heinousness of blackface ~ Why parents of all races should teach their kids about the uglier parts of American history

2. BLACK GIRL IN A DOGGONE WORLD™: Pop quiz, can you answer these 20 celebrity dog questions? ~ Revisit some of the best pet moments on TV shows, books, music, streaming sitcoms and movies

3. I DO SEE COLOR: Pop quiz, can you answer these 20 rom-com trivia questions? ~ Revisit some of the best moments on TV shows, streaming sitcoms and movies from the '80s until 2025

4. BLACK GIRL IN A DOGGONE WORLD™: 4 gift ideas for a dog's Christmas stocking ~ Don't show up for Christmas parties without a holiday treat for the dog

5. BLACK GIRL IN A DOGGONE WORLD™: Should dog owners consider training their dogs for TV shows? ~ How did I sleep through TV sitcom "Living Single" having a dog named Sanford?

Photo credit: ChatGPT Photo Generator

6. I DO SEE COLOR: Is the vetting process for NativeCamp's online English teachers discriminatory? ~ Blaming technology bugs is easy enough to believe, but Reddit and Glassdoor sum up NativeCamp's job application process as racist

7. BLACKTECHLOGY: If built-in audio recording stops working on your smartphone, try Vocaroo ~ Vocaroo Review: Free voice memo service comes in handy for job interview questions, social media audio and complicated texts

​8. I DO SEE COLOR: With ICE harassing Chicagoans, scheduling home repairs gets complicated ~ From a handyman to a high school friend, how can Black women protect minority men from being attacked?

9. BLACK GIRL IN A DOGGONE WORLD™: Instead of delivery instructions about doors and gates, should pet owners include dog warnings? ~ Dogs can escalate and de-escalate meetups and home deliveries

10. BLACKTECHLOGY: From foot fetishes to bare-chested women, online users are generating personalized porn ~ Is photo generator software like Pixlr and ChatGPT being used more for work or play?