2020 Books


The Kickstarter campaign is live now and will be available through Tuesday, December 31st at 6am Central Standard Time.


Dr. Doresa Jennings with her newest book cover

By Nationwide  

Dr. Doresa A. Jennings has launched a campaign on Kickstarter and is seeking to raise a minimum of $2,000 for the second book in her Steam Chaser series which follows six Black characters (Shar, Terrence, Ebony, Akiya, Marcus, and Chase) as they learn more about Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM). In the books, the characters discover contributions that Black Americans have made to our everyday lives through the STEAM fields.

Dr. Jennings has been an educator for over twenty years, and she has experience working at NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration). As a result, she is uniquely positioned to bring to life the world of STEAM for young people.

The new book, entitled The STEAM Chasers: The Blackness of Space!, is part of a middle school book series that delves into themes of social justice along with an exploration of science, technology, engineering, art, and math. The characters are relatable and bring six distinct Black American voices to the middle school reader.

The purpose of the Kickstarter campaign is to get as many copies of the STEAM Chasers: The Blackness of Space book in the hands of kids in homes, libraries, and schools as possible. The campaign is also aiming to raise funds to produce the book in an audio format to be accessible to students with learning and/or physical differences that require them to have an audiobook accommodation. Rewards offered include digital posters, digital copies of the book, print copies of the book, signed printed copies of the book, and "STEAM Chaser kits" that include logoed duffle bags and other STEAM themed items. Backers can also sponsor books to be given to libraries, classrooms, and schools of their choice.

Here is a link to the campaign:


The first book, The STEAM Chasers: We Made That, is already available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble online, Books-A-Million online, and other retail establishments. The book is available in print, ebook, and audio formats.

About The STEAM Chasers

The STEAM Chasers book series will introduce middle school readers to Shar, Terence, Ebony, Akiya, Marcus, and Chase as they go on an adventure learning about the contributions Black Americans have made to our everyday lives through STEAM. The Blackness of Space will introduce readers to twenty Black Americans that have helped to contribute to our knowledge of space science, astronomy, astrophysics, flight, and space exploration. This education is done in a fun and unique way, with the characters having an amazingly magical experience at Space Camp (held at the U. S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL).

Meet the STEAM Chasers:

Shar is one of the bravest kids one will ever meet. Her quick wit and bold commentary help to keep her friends focused on the task at hand. Her love of chemistry is infectious, and she is always ready for an engaging experiment. Terrence is often the voice of reason for Marcus and Chase, yet he still knows how to have a great time. His love of the environment and animals often manifests in him being an all-around kind and gentle soul. He is an expert in model building and mechanical design. Ebony loves all things astronomy, astrophysics, and rockets. She also expertly navigates living in two homes at the same time, something many children face today. Akiya is a walking encyclopedia who is a prolific reader and loves geography and learning about other cultures. Marcus loves all things drone and emerging culture. He is the youngest person to obtain a drone license in his city and is a constant practical joker along with his cousin Chase. Chase is a computer genius who loves programming and app design. He Is also known for a bit of ethical hacking. He and his cousin are known as "The Lightning and Thunder" - a nickname well earned.

The purpose of this series is two-fold. The first is to introduce all middle school readers to the world of S.T.E.A.M. and provide a blue-print that even upper elementary and middle school students can begin to follow to find their place in Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Math. The second is to introduce all students to contributions to all aspects of S.T.E.A.M. that have been made by Black Americans. While the first book in the series, We Made That explored the world of Black American Inventors and Thinkers, the second book, The Blackness of Space, delves into Space Science, Human Space Flight, Astronomy, and Astrophysics.


Chest Pain: Can Chest Pain Be Caused By Trapped Grief?

By Oliver JR Cooper 

If someone was to find that there is pain and tension in their chest, the first thing that could come to mind is that there is something wrong with their heart. It could also be a challenge for them to breath, which could mean that they will believe that there is something wrong with their lungs too.

After coming to this occlusion, it wouldn't be a surprise if they were to end up being consumed by anxiety and even fear. The next step might be for them to go and see their doctor or they could end up going to a hospital.

All Clear

To their amazement, they may be told that there is actually nothing wrong with this area of their body. This assessment may have been made after a number of different tests were conducted.

Or, they may be told that they have Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy (broken heart syndrome), which has caused their left ventricle to become enlarged. In this case, they may be told that everything will soon return to how it was and they could be given medication.

The Cause

If they were to ask why their heart has responded in this way, they may be told that this is what usually takes place when someone experiences a fair amount of physical and/or emotional stress. One could then be asked if they are going through or have recently been through a stressful time.

After thinking about what has been taking place in their life, they may say that there isn't anything that they can pinpoint Then again, they may say that they have recently gone through a break up or that they are in a relationship that is not going well.


However, even if one has recently gone through a break up, they may struggle to understand how this would affect their heart. What could add to this is that one might not have even felt sad after it came to an end.

So, while it would have been a stressful time, it wouldn't have been something that stopped them from being able to carry on as normal. This could show that one doesn't have a strong connection with their body.


If they were able to connect to their body, they would probably find that they are in a lot of emotional pain. There will then be the physical pain they are in and there will be the emotional pain to go with it.

Perhaps one was able to connect to their emotions before or maybe this is how they have been for a very long time. If they have been this was for a quite some time, it could mean that they are also carrying pain from other break ups.

A Different Response

Alternatively, one could be acutely aware of the emotional pain that is in their body. It is then not going to be hard for them to see how their emotional body has impacted their physical body.

Still, one might still find it hard to comprehend how a break up could cause them to experience so much pain; pain that is so intense that it ends up manifesting into a physical symptom. Ever since it ended, they may have spent a fair amount of time crying.

Another Angle

Irrespective of whether one is in tune with how they feel in this part of their body, there is the chance that the pain also relates to what took place during their beginning of their life. This will then explain why there is much tension in this area of their body.

What has occurred throughout heir adult years will then have gone on top of what occurred throughout their early years. The beginning of their life may have been a time when they were neglected, meaning their needs were rarely met.

A Build-Up

Through being rejected and abandoned during this time, it would have caused them to experience a lot of emotional pain. As the presence of the people around them wasn't there, this pain would have stayed within them.

Disconnecting from it would have been the only way for them to stop themselves from being overwhelmed. It was then not something that they chose to do; it was something that just happened to ensure their survival.

Life Goes On

The years would then have passed and what took place would have been forgotten about, yet the pain would have stayed there. This pain would have been lying dormant until something happened in their life to bring it up to the surface.

If the pain in someone's chest is the result of emotional pain that is trapped - or frozen - in their chest, it is unlikely that this will be solved by taking medication. The only thing that this will do is stop this energy from being released from their body.


Said another way, it will simply mask the symptoms; creating the impression that everything is fine. One way that someone can release the tension that is in their chest is to connect to the pain and then to cry it out.

If someone is out of touch with their emotions and can only connect to the physical pain, it can show that their body is carrying a lot of trauma. This is likely to be why they are disconnected from themselves.

Once they start to work through this trauma, their emotional self will gradually start to open up. This is something that can take place with the assistance of a therapist or a healer.



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