Nurah Speaks

“Kill kill kill, pill, pill, pill, money for sex, sex for money, money over love, money over love!”   Music for urban listeners can be summed as explicit content containing harmful language promoting violence, drug use, and the objectification of individuals.  Since music has the ability to influence attitudes and behaviors, one should question why lyrical content exposing drug and alcohol abuse,...

Most discussions on mental health seem to focus on how to improve our mental health, ways to heal, ways to cope and manage.  What I see often ignored is what contributes to the erosion of our mental health.  And frankly, normalized aspects of our own culture degrade the mental wellness of our people. If we take a careful inspection of our media, our families and our education, we find aspects of e...

How do Black people measure their own progress in America?   What metric are we using; what is our gauge to assess progress?  This can be a difficult assessment if there have been no clearly established markers. All of this and more are explored in this REWIND episode of Nurah Speaks. If you would like to engage with the Nurah Speaks podcast, submit your listener questions to info@NurahSpeaks.com...

This REWIND episode was inspired by a conversation that I had with my own son.  We were discussing the dysfunction of accepting substandard results and outcomes.   In areas of health, family, educational outcomes and finances-Black Americans lead in most negative statistics.   Whether through mental conditioning or suppression, we are not generally positioned for successful outcomes. In considerat...

In this REWIND episode of Nurah Speaks I share five key takeaways that I have learned from being misunderstood. I share them here with hope that listeners will find them useful in their own journeys. The way others perceive is influenced by the culmination of their life experiences, personality and expectations. No one is exempt from being misunderstood. Tell the truth and get out of the way. Alwa...

The prom is a billion dollar industry.  Custom gowns and suits, luxury cars, ostentatious grandeur and extravagance are exhibited by a people who have the least net worth in the nation. King for a day and broke for a lifetime is not acceptable.  In their ‘coming out’ we permit excess in our children's celebration and in many cases mothers promote the excesses themselves. We are doing our young peo...

Love of others is predicated on love of self.  Respect and trust of others is also based on that which we have for self.   We may testify as if we love ourselves though our language and behaviors prove differently.  And others quickly recognize this fractured confidence and esteem in our own people and take advantage of it.  As descendants of American chattel slavery, we must accept that we have b...

Retailers know how to induce consumer spending because they understand our psychology better than we know ourselves.  They design our seasonal spending habits employing sales tactics that increase their bottom lines and increases our consumer debt. They understand the use of rapport, scarcity and other psychological principles to get consumers emptying their wallets and having them think it was th...

Before Social Media, how did we gain concepts about life: religion, politics, values and self worth?  They were demonstrated by our parents and extended family, school classrooms and playgrounds, through direct interaction, engagement, face to face and person to person interaction. Now we have our heads down in smartphones impeding our communication, taking up the space meant for us to learn how t...

Laughing it off when others ridicule you is not an indication that you are a good sport.  It is a sign of weakness, insecurity and/or a need to fit in.  There is no social club, job, appointment or team that should require mockery at your own expense.   We are often tested by others in this way to determine if we will participate in our own humiliation and mockery.  Doing so does not garner accept...

A couple weeks ago when out for a walk, I saw several police officers surrounding a young Black man in the park. I disrupted my walk routine so that I could be in somewhat proximity of the activity without causing a nuisance to the officers but near enough that I could be an independent observer while still walking.   I knew that if my son was interfacing with law enforcement and another black wom...

Last month Charlamagne tha God, apologized to Mo’nique for mocking her and dubbing her ‘Donkey of the Day’ on The Breakfast Club during her legal fight with Netflix over unfair compensation.  There is a lesson in this for us.   When one of our people is fighting for justice or fairness-unless we are lending support-we should stay out of it.   Uttering our own public condemnation or mockery of our...

“There are some efforts to celebrate a so-called ‘Negro History Week,’ and some of my people will participate. The planning of that week to teach the slave a knowledge of his past is not complete, sufficient or comprehensive enough to enable my people to learn the true knowledge of themselves.  It is important that my people learn the true knowledge of self, as it means their salvation….The Americ...

PLEASE READ the show notes to this episode. I caution the listener against hearing this episode as an attack on Marc Lamont Hill.  I believe the points wherein I disagree are important and bear sharing. However anyone who has followed Nurah Speaks understands that I do not take shots or make personal attacks on this show.  Nor is it my intention to ‘be in men’s faces,’ so to speak.   I do encourag...

PLEASE READ the show notes to this episode. For context:  Mark Lamont Hill posted a video on YouTube titled "Cam'ron Gets Strong CLAP BACK From Marc Lamont Hill For Rejecting African American Identity" .  That episode is in response to Cam’ron choosing Black rather than African American as his identity.  While I disagree with Mark Lamont Hill, this episode is not a ‘Clap Back To The Clap Back.’  I...

One thing the Katt Williams Club Shay Shay interview proved is that our tabloid appetite is strong as ever.   Our penchant for scandal shows our character leanings to rumor and propaganda.  And unfortunately sleaze sells and we are its ever faithful buyers. I challenge us to resist sensationalism and direct our minds towards that which edifies, instructs and nourishes.  Growth demands that we filt...

Truth is that which is factual, real.  It need not be convenient to be truth.  It need not be accepted to be truth.  And truth is truth regardless to our opinions or how we feel. While our modern society plays fast and loose with truth, if the mathematics do not add up, it is not the truth.    Failing to speak or acknowledge truth shows ignorance, delusion, fear, deception or a mashup of these.  R...

Setting goals is important for progress in all areas of life.   It is essential we set goals effectively to produce the best outcomes and give ourselves the greatest chance of success. This episode I share S.M.A.R.T. goals, an effective guide to goal setting.  S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym for:  Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. Listen to this episode to enhance your productivi...

This episode shares six areas of focus for achieving or increasing workplace success.  Concentrating in these areas is applicable to any field.   They are: •Preparation •Communication •Professional Courtesy •Honesty •Attitude •Organization Improving one’s skills in each area can enhance workplace relationships, improve one’s own professional image and position one for career advancement. If you wo...

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a poignant example of a man standing on faith and principles, regardless of the risks, discomfort and persecution. In his work of pressing the United States government for civil rights of the nation’s ex-slaves and in his anti-war stance on Vietnam, he made an enemy of the FBI and the U.S. President and his companions in the Civil Rights Movement deserted him.  He wa...

How possibly does one measure and repair the harm that has been done to a people enslaved and destroyed physically, spiritually, morally?  Our ancestors had their religion stripped, language stripped, cultural customs stripped, pride, ambitions, self love and self worth stripped through the most heinous brutality. We, their descendants, continue carry the burden of this devastation and it is appar...

Here I continue the mention of fathers and the significance of fathers in the lives of children.  The Center for Disease Control reports that 90% of all homeless and runaway youth, 71% of high school drop outs and 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes.   In part, this episode discusses the way fathers impact the development of identity in boys and the mental health and self esteem in gir...

Moderns laws and culture undermine the value of fathers even though research and data demonstrates how invaluable involved fathers are.   The Center for Disease Control reports that 90% of all homeless and runaway youth, 71% of high school drop outs and 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes.   Additionally, research shows that the presence of fathers improves childrens’ communication ski...

There is no biblical commandment directing us to SPEND-SPEND-SPEND to honor the birth of sweet baby Jesus. However, year after year, the season has become less religious and more commercial. Clever advertisers know the perfect strategies to persuade us to buy.  So then what should we do in this season of spending?  This episode I share tips that will benefit your wallet and your community. If you...

We are celebrating the Sixth Year Anniversary of the podcast and there has been so much shared and so much learned in this journey.   I am grateful to all who has joined me on this journey, the incredible guests, the faithful listeners and the loyal supporters.   This podcast was borne from a suggestion by a dear Brother who has since passed away but whose legacy continues to inspire, Brother Muni...