Nurah Speaks

There are some key life skills that our girls and young women should know before leaving our homes. If when we see them, and they are not showing a capacity to manage basic care tasks, it is a sign that we need to continue our training of them, or begin the process. We cannot fault them for what we have not taught them. “Help us to make our beautiful young girls that which they should be. You are...

Do we notice how they insert our adverse economic, health or educational outcomes whenever the leaders of this nation have a new political argument? For the COVID 19-vaccine-they said we should be vaccinated because the Black Community has substandard health outcomes due in part to the poor access to quality care. For the abortion debate-they said restrictions are an unfair penalty against Black w...

This episode is dedicated to exhibitionistic oversharing being masqueraded as transparency and that has become the norm in our culture. Where have we gotten the idea that making our personal lives an all-access event is a virtue? There is still great value in privacy and boundaries. Don’t let social media and reality television convince you otherwise. “The worst kind of crime has been committed ag...

Consistent, collective activity is our best means to achieve change in a meaningful way. We are mistaken to believe our emotions are a compelling force. Activity, not anger is what compels change. We should be concerned with entities that give us platforms for our emotionalism rather than our collective action. “I say, you should have your own Black police who have a Black heart like yours-a feeli...

“Where have you been Nurah?” For some time now I have had the feeling that something was missing from the podcast but I could not quite put my finger on it. I had a dissatisfaction, a nagging if you will that the podcast was incomplete. So stepped away to figure things out. And what I discovered is that I was not including a vital part of my foundation in the show, and that is the words and wisdom...

Businesses that have once been sure hires for our young people are not so sure anymore. Hiring managers do not want to deal with the hassle that comes from dysfunctional youth who are not able to follow instructions, who do not arrive to work on time and prepared for their shifts and who lack the capacity to navigate petty isms amongst colleagues. Our young people must possess the functional life...

More and more I am see social media posts of mothers disparaging ‘The Village’ during their family’s crises with thier out of control children. My question to that is, “Are ‘you’ a part of the village? Have you been volunteering or are you a member of a social organization, church, mosque, civic group?” It is easy to condemn the village as inaccessible when we live in silos or in isolation. It can...

There is so much good that comes from giving. And there are so many forms of giving that we have no excuse to forgo making meaningful impacts in our community. Whether it is time, skills, or resources-giving has a way of helping the giver just as much as the person(s) being helped. Your confidence and self esteem will grow, you’ll have more joy in life and you will have more gratitude. Charity is...

The gender war in which we are currently engaged is doing harm to us, our young people and our community.  On countless podcasts and YouTube channels Black women and Black men are ripping each other apart, saying the vilest of things and criticizing one another in the harshest of manner. Few discussions lend to a productive contribution to the culture. These programs are mostly fodder for entertai...

This episode challenges the ways that we segment ourselves into sub-demographics and how those divisions impede our collective progress. This installment specifically addresses Black Feminism and encourages listeners to broaden their understanding of the fullness of harm done to our people (Black Descendants of American Slavery) and how we manifest that harm through our interactions within the Bla...

Black creators are among those removing their content from Spotify. Artists and podcast hosts are concerned about COVID and vaccine misinformation they say is allowed on the platform. The boycott was kicked off after attention was brought to Joe Rogan’s podcast. I am in disbelief that Black creators are mobilizing around the tenor of content produced by Joe Rogan rather than that produced by Black...

Regulators are monitoring and governing the language used by high profile entertainers. Parents and legislators are monitoring and governing the language used in text books and school curriculum. Who is going to monitor and govern the language record executives are dumping in the minds of our most impressionable? Are we so insignificant that we not concern ourselves with the enthusiastic invitatio...

Infants born during the pandemic scored lower on developmental skills as compared to those born before the pandemic. Suicide attempts spiked for youth ages 12-17 during the pandemic…and are still rising. Had the nation’s health experts considered the impact of COVID-19 public health strategies on our youth? Did they consider the mental health toll that their language and use of morbid imagery coul...

Stay alert to the divisive language employed by talk show pundits and political leaders concerning the COVID-19 vaccine. Don Lemon called the unvaccinated stupid and idiots.  Howard Stern said the unvaccinated should not be admitted to hospitals for treatment but instead ‘go home and die.' Our community cannot afford to widen rifts that already separate us and we do not need more reasons to be at...

Maya Angelou will be the first black woman featured on a U.S. quarter. These quarters will be ready for distribution late January, early February of 2022. Years ago, the Obama administration announced that Harriet Tubman will be the face of the next twenty dollar bills. Yet insider.com has reported that the Tubman twenties may not be produced until 2030. Blacks in America have graduated from being...

Social etiquette is culturally accepted set of standards and protocols that help us function harmoniously with others. They are guidelines for behavior that support healthy relationships and boundaries and when honored, demonstrates respect for others and ourselves. If you would like to engage with the Nurah Speaks podcast, submit your listener questions to info@NurahSpeaks.com .  Listeners can al...

Our social media following is not a true measurement of our significance or our relevance. That is better measured by the impact or change that we can make in the lives of those who are closest to us in the ‘real world’. It is certainly a tool that can be used to amplify the work that we are already doing however. We must substantiate ourselves with a local footprint first before we seek a broad f...

Why is the young black woman’s artistic expression saturated with sexuality? Dry humping, grinding and gyrating on stage is not a display of talent yet this is the route of so many. And whether we realize it or not, we propagate a plantation-like mentality in which our bodies are the product brought to market more than our actual talents. As it was then, it remains today that we are the most unpro...

Richard Williams is a genius. He produced the gods who ruled over tennis and changed the game forever. He is a brilliant black man. FULL STOP. Some of the press for the film depicting his life as a father and tennis coach is highlighting our culture’s disdain and scorn for Black men. We know Richard Williams because he gave us Venus and Serena. However, recent articles published with the release o...

Enjoin one another to good. Persuade one another to do their best, be their best and seek our the best. In our current ‘I do as I please’ culture, it can be unpopular to promote virtue and accountability. Yet based on the current trend of the Black community’s outcomes, we need an intervention today! Let’s start with you and me. When we see our friends and family making choices ill suited for succ...

No one likes being misunderstood. Misunderstandings can lead to conflict, disappointment, sadness, resentment and conclusions much, much worse.  How you and I manage being misunderstood will be the difference between keeping or losing our own peace of mind. In Episode 172, I share five key takeaways that I have learned from being misunderstood myself. I share them here with hope that listeners wil...

The pig is a sick animal that consumes garbage, animal excrement and decaying flesh. Its tissue is riddled with mucous, worms, parasites and viruses that impact the health of its eater. Even the World Health Organization has concluded that processed pork is a contributor to cancer.  It is simply not a meat fit for human consumption. It is time we follow the science and cancel the swine from our di...

We have acclimated to a mediocre and inferior means of living- in nearly every aspect of our existence in North America. From areas of health, family, educational outcomes and finances-Black Americans lead in most negative statistics.  Whether through mental conditioning or forced enslavement, we are not generally positioned for successful outcomes. In consideration of our condition, we must rethi...

We must not let the frustrations of our past mistakes stain the joy our young people have in pursuing their own dreams and ambitions. We unfairly place the burden of our errors at their feet and pour out a cascade of our grief and regrets. It is selfish and unjust of us to do. Instead of discouraging our children with a litany of our failures, lift them up and push them towards what’s possible for...

Propaganda is the systematic dispersion of information (truth or untruths) to persuade opinions, attitudes and ultimately the behavior of people. It is a tool used in education, retail marketing, religion, entertainment, politics and healthcare.   Strategists use propaganda to create followers, manipulate emotions, behaviors and the financial investment of its targets. This episode shares ways to...