This Favor Fridays with Tony™ — on the 13th day of Black History Month — we honor the favor that turns survival into proclamation, and endurance into testimony. Today, we spotlight Frederick Douglass, a man who understood that sometimes favor doesn’t just free you — it commissions you.

Today on Tony Tips Tuesdays™, we’re talking about what it really means to write with cultural authenticity—why it matters, how to do it responsibly, and how to avoid turning lived experiences into stereotypes or scenery. And because today marks the 10th day of Black History Month, we’ll also spotlight a Black literary giant whose work remains a masterclass in writing culture truthfully, unapologetically, and on its own terms.

Soldier of Light Against Darkness™, one of the greatest acts of courage is not rebellion—it is refusal. Refusing to bend. Refusing to blend in. Refusing to become what the system expects you to be in order to survive it. Throughout Black history, courage often looked like staying clean in environments designed to soil the soul. And that kind of courage still matters today.

Today on Tony Tips Tuesdays™, we’re going deeper into the craft of writing hidden desires—the emotional engines that quietly drive decisions, sabotage relationships, and eventually force characters to confront themselves.