Rowe has been warning anyone who would listen that our skills gap in the trades was widening to a chasm so large that the economic effect on U.S. manufacturing companies, in particular auto and steel industries but also defense, construction and energy sectors, was going to be nothing short of catastrophic.

Few listened. Rowe appeared before Congress. Twice. He sent an open letter to then-President Barack Obama. Crickets. Nonetheless, Rowe persisted. His alarm bells were not hyperbole. In fact, the gap has continued to widen. Last week, the Tech Times reported that the construction sector alone needs 349,000 net new workers just to keep pace with demand in 2026.

In April, the property services firm JLL issued a report showing that by 2030, 2.1 million skilled trades positions for electricians, HVAC technicians, plumbers, welders, pipe fitters and equipment operators were at a high risk of going unfilled. These are the key jobs needed to build homes, offices, buildings, energy infrastructure and artificial intelligence data power centers.

Some raw facts from the American Builders and Contractors Association are even more chilling: 39% of electricians in this country were 45 years old or older. Another disturbing stat: For every five plumbers leaving the workforce, only two apprentices are entering. As baby boomers age out, the industry faces an estimated shortage of up to 550,000 plumbers, according to the Merrow Report.

Same with auto mechanics. Currently, the United States is facing a shortage of 600,000 auto mechanics, according to that same report.

All these shortages are creating a downward and slippery slope for both consumers and builders alike, including higher costs and growing safety risks. And it creates wait times for services that extend beyond days into weeks, months and even years for larger projects.

Dina Powell McCormick, president of Meta, said that she first saw the impact of this escalating problem when she joined her husband, Sen. David McCormick, a Pittsburgh Republican, when he was running for office in 2022 and 2024.

Both listened to the growing concerns of small, medium and large business owners of manufacturing facilities and their worries over the expanding skills trade gap.

Last year, Rowe spoke at the Energy Innovation Summit in Pittsburgh, the first of its kind in bringing leaders and workers in the trades together with the intellectual capital at Carnegie Mellon University, along with the industries that need them both for energy and AI data power centers. Rowe bluntly addressed the problem in a panel. McCormick was listening, and it was then that she knew she wanted to help bridge that gap.

The problem, Rowe warned a somewhat stunned audience, wasn’t just in traditional manufacturing. All the tech companies that were clamoring to build infrastructure for AI were running into the same challenge. They couldn’t find “skilled workers to not just build the data power centers needed to power the future but also (to) keep them humming,” Rowe said.

But it wasn’t until she became president of Meta earlier this year that McCormick’s ability to “do something” could finally be realized. Last week, McCormick and Rowe, as CEO of mikeroweWORKS Foundation, announced America’s Workforce Academy. The new effort is a training initiative aimed at connecting workers with skilled trade careers tied to data center and infrastructure development.

In a dual interview with the Washington Examiner, McCormick said that it’s an honor to partner with Rowe. “He is the greatest evangelist for the American worker, and he has been for 18 years,” she said of his decadeslong efforts to inspire people to get into the trades. Rowe’s foundation runs a scholarship program trying to fill the gap between the massive demand for plumbers, electricians, welders and fiber technicians, and the growing shortage.

“What Meta is launching today is America’s Workforce Academy,” she said, “a program that within five weeks gives you paid training, a credential that you have for life, and a guaranteed job on a Meta job site or anywhere else you want to take that credential.”

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, among others, has a mission for America’s Workforce Academy to fast-track the certification process to make job site-ready graduates, McCormick said.

“This is an opportunity for people like Uber drivers, waitresses, grocery store clerks and anyone out there who is living paycheck to paycheck,” she said. “The challenge has always been, how do they take the time off unpaid to learn a trade? How do they pay for the expensive training and do all that without a guaranteed job? Well, that is what we are solving with America’s Workforce.”

Rowe said that the whole “supply-demand thing” has evolved in the past six years, since he first talked about micro- and macroeconomics. “The idea that whatever the solution will ultimately entail is going to involve government at the highest levels, private industry at the highest levels, small business at every level, and guidance counselors and parents at the most granular level,” he said. “And then ultimately (it’s) the worker, him or herself, who’s going to have to decide for themselves what the definition of a good job really is.”

Rowe has been in the space of reframing the conversation of work. Some of his work has centered on debunking stigmas and stereotypes. However, a lot of it has to do with just showing people the enormous totality of opportunities that actually exists in the trades.

“People just don’t know, and the third leg of the stool — which Meta is addressing perfectly, I think — is to remove all the friction,” Rowe said.

Rowe succinctly lays out the problem, calling it vocational training on steroids. “You don’t have to pay for a flight. You don’t have to pay for your transportation. You get a stipend, you get paid to learn over a five-week period, and when you come out the other end, you’re certified, you’re work ready, (and) you’re guaranteed a job within the metaverse, and if you leave, your skills go with you.”

Rowe said that he cannot find a chink in the armor. “It’s a great way to grease the skids for those people who are grappling with that primary barrier, but there are other barriers too. This is maybe the most important way, I think, to get the supply freed up, but it doesn’t mean (that) there’s not a role for trade schools.”

Applicants accepted into the program get tuition, lodging and airfare fully covered. The locations for the first wave of programs are in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Columbus, Ohio; Houston, Texas; and Indianapolis, Indiana.

Rowe said what Meta is doing is showing the broader scope of how this is being done, and that it’s available to young people at trade schools all across the country.

McCormick explained that the people they are investing in are feeders for trade schools if they want to get more advanced training for specific roles. “This is a program, though, (that) because you get a certification from the National Council on Construction, Education and Research, that makes you job site ready,” she pointed out.

The program empowers workers with safety credentials to get on a job site and be paid while they work. “Then you can go into electricity, you can go into fiber training, pipe fitting, welders, and you can even go on and get more training at trade schools,” she said.

Rowe said that we need to look at workers in the trades throughout our history with clear eyes and see them as the American heroes that they are. Rowe pointed to their work during World War II, when workers, many of them women, came together to physically build the arsenal that defeated tyranny worldwide.

McCormick agrees. “Today, if we don’t build the infrastructure that’s going to fuel American AI leadership, then we’re going to lose this race,” she said. “And that means they’re on a different kind of frontline in America today. And I think that we should show them the respect and dignity of what that work really means.”

McCormick said it is important to note that America’s Workforce Academy is bigger than Meta. “This is a problem that’s way bigger than any one company. We hope that we will build a national coalition to invest even more,” she said.

Rowe said that it’s too early to take a victory lap. “But I’ll tell you that the thesis that informed ‘Dirty Jobs’ 23 years ago and kept it on the air to this day is the exact thesis that’s informed this endeavor,” he said of his iconic show, which has him working in just about every job imaginable, from garbage man to being 10 feet underground in a sewer.

“It starts with appreciation and gratitude,” he said. “It’s being fueled today by a level of practicality that wasn’t necessarily in the works 20 years ago, but it is now. So this is an effort for our times.”

Rowe said he was thrilled to be part of this. “It’s only a matter of global hegemony, but it also trickles all the way down to anyone who has ever pledged allegiance to our flag and thought about pursuing something that looks like happiness and wanted to do it in a way that made sense to their brain and to their talent.”

If it weren’t for “Dirty Jobs,” Rowe may not be part of this today. In fact, today may not have even happened. “I’m really grateful that there are enough macros out there in the world right now paying attention to get this thing elevated to where it ought to be,” he said, adding, “It is only a matter of national security.”

Written by Salena Zito

Official website; https://twitter.com/SalenaZito

As with most college reunions, the university did not miss the opportunity to solicit donations from its graduates — giving that helps maintain the “margin of excellence,” as its marketing materials put it.

While I can appreciate the school’s interest in soliciting graduates to fatten its coffers, I was struck by the lengths that our country’s hallowed institutions of higher learning go to protect their enormous endowments. These college presidents appear to believe that there is a special right reserved for elite institutions to receive the highest rate of returns on their investments and pay the lowest tax rates on those profits.

In many ways, colleges these days look more like major corporations rather than not-for-profit places of learning. The top 20 richest colleges — all but three of which are private — sit atop over $500 billion of savings. Harvard’s and Yale’s combined endowments alone total nearly $100 billion, more than the annual GDP of some countries.

Unlike private businesses, however, these schools enjoy cush tax breaks that allow them to shield their money from the government. The wealthiest colleges pay a mere 8% tax rate on the profits that the endowments make from their investments. Compare that to the average corporate rate of 21%.

At the same time, universities receive significant handouts from the government in the form of federal grants. The eight Ivy League schools alone collectively received over $6 billion in grants annually. While ostensibly intended to advance important research, these giveaways often pump taxpayers’ money into the left’s radical DEI agenda.

Under former President Joe Biden, the U.S. Department of Education doled out more than $40 million to promote a diversity program. In 2024, the City University of New York received $19 million for its “equity center.”

Why should hardworking families, many of whom cannot afford to attend these uber expensive institutions, be on the hook for funding their liberal ideology? It seems obvious to me that these wealthy schools should contribute to our country’s economy, not the other way around.

When I was in school, my alma mater’s informal motto was, “In the nation’s service,” and other schools similarly shroud themselves in patriotism, especially when it comes to fundraising. One would assume then that they would gladly pay a fair rate on their tremendous profits. Instead, they fight tooth and nail to protect those gains while hoarding every dollar of federal grants that they can get their hands on.

Schools spend lavishly to protect their darling status. Last year major research universities spent $38 million lobbying federal policymakers, more than a 30% increase over the previous year.

President Donald Trump has not shied away from pulling back the curtain on federal funding to hold schools more accountable to students and weed out the liberal wokeism that is pervasive at most colleges today. In addition to the president’s focus on some of the nation’s most prominent universities, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act finally raised taxes on the profits earned by these large endowments from a paltry 1.4% to the 8% noted above.

One can guess why colleges upped their lobbyist spending last year — they did not want their precious nest eggs to be targeted. It’s nimbyism in academia.

Our national debt — which exceeded the size of the U.S. economy this year for the first time since immediately after World War II — is spiraling out of control. Getting on a sustainable path to pay it down will require greater tax revenue alongside real spending cuts. No sector should be excused, especially not the liberal bastions of higher education.

That’s the trouble, though. Like lawmakers in Washington — who are utterly reluctant to cut federal programs, even as they drive our country deeper into the poorhouse — no college or university wants its ox to be gored.

If academia chooses to use patriotic slogans in its marketing materials, then it should help get our national debt onto a sustainable trajectory and pay its share of taxes. Why should liberal schools be rewarded for peddling their woke ideology while the government forces ordinary Americans to pay a higher tax rate on their investment returns?

Democrats rally around their “tax the rich” mantra. If they are serious about it, they should start with higher education. Of course, they won’t, because these schools are purveyors of their liberal orthodoxy. But Republicans should follow Trump’s lead and finally hold academia to my old school’s motto: in the nation’s service.

Written by Ken Buck

Official website; https://x.com/BuckForColorado

A lot of Black men understood early that Obama was going to face pressure most presidents never had to deal with. You could feel it before he even entered the White House. Folks questioned where the man was born. They mocked his name. Some acted uncomfortable simply because a confident Black man with intelligence and composure suddenly stood in front of the entire world commanding attention. Brothers watching all this unfold knew exactly what was happening even when television tried pretending otherwise. Many of us grew up understanding how quickly society can become threatened once a Black man carries himself with confidence without asking permission from anybody.

What impressed me most about Obama was the restraint. Now let us be honest as Black men for a second. There were countless moments where many brothers would have snapped publicly dealing with the level of disrespect he faced. People interrupted him. Mocked him. Lied about him daily. Tried reducing everything about him down to anger, race, or conspiracy theories. Yet the man stayed composed over and over again. That taught many young Black men something important without him even saying it directly. Emotional control is power too.

See, many brothers grow up being told we must remain calm in situations where others are allowed to lose control freely. One emotional reaction can cost us jobs, opportunities, freedom, or even safety. Obama understood that reality deeply. He knew certain people desperately wanted him angry because anger would have fed stereotypes already sitting inside their minds. Instead, he often answered pressure with preparation, patience, humor, or silence. Watching that level of discipline inspired many brothers quietly whether they admit it or not.

The thing I respected was that Obama never came off weak either. Some people confuse composure with softness because modern culture worships loud behavior. Obama never needed fake toughness to command respect. He walked into rooms filled with world leaders and looked completely comfortable standing there. The brother understood who he was. Young Black men needed to see that badly during those years because too often society pushes brothers toward extremes. Either you are expected to be overly aggressive or completely passive. Obama showed another lane entirely.

And let us talk honestly about what it meant seeing a Black family inside the White House carrying themselves with dignity. That mattered deeply inside Black households across America. Seeing Obama speak proudly about his daughters. Seeing the respect between him and Michelle Obama. Seeing structure, education, love, and discipline connected to a Black family on the world stage changed how many young brothers viewed themselves mentally. Some people will never fully understand how powerful that image became for Black America.

For years society pushed narratives about broken Black homes constantly. Television loved showing dysfunction while ignoring millions of hardworking Black fathers raising families quietly every day. Obama represented another image entirely. The brother looked like somebody grounded. Somebody thoughtful. Somebody trying to lead while still protecting his family from the madness surrounding politics. A lot of older Black men respected that because many came from generations where carrying yourself with dignity mattered heavily.

Another thing young brothers connected with was Obama making intelligence look powerful. Let us keep it real. In some environments, young Black boys get pressured into hiding intelligence just to fit in socially. Some brothers grow up feeling like education somehow makes them less authentic. Obama changed that mindset for many people. The brother read books openly. Spoke carefully. Thought deeply before answering questions. He made professionalism look strong instead of corny. Teachers noticed it. Parents noticed it. Young Black men noticed it too.

Even the way Obama handled criticism taught lessons. There were politicians and media personalities saying outrageous things about him constantly. Some crossed lines previous presidents probably never would have experienced publicly. Yet Obama rarely lowered himself into emotional chaos. That patience frustrated many people because they wanted him rattled publicly. They wanted to see the angry Black man stereotype come alive on television. Instead, Obama stayed disciplined.

Now that does not mean everybody agreed with every political decision he made. No president escapes criticism. Some brothers wanted him to move differently on certain issues. Others wished he addressed race more directly during particular moments. That conversation is fair. But this article is bigger than political debates. This is about recognizing how the man carried himself under unbelievable pressure while the entire world watched his every move.

A lot of Black men saw pieces of themselves in Obama’s balancing act. Going into workplaces where you know people question your intelligence before you even speak. Feeling pressure to remain composed while others get emotional freely. Understanding one mistake can follow you longer because you are Black. Obama navigated all of that publicly on the biggest stage imaginable. That reality connected deeply with many brothers trying to survive similar pressures in everyday life.

I also think older Black men felt emotional watching Obama because they came from generations that never believed they would see a Black president during their lifetime. Some lived through segregation. Some marched during Civil Rights years. Some grew up watching Black men denied opportunities openly. Then suddenly there was a Black family living in the White House carrying themselves with grace while representing America globally. That meant something beyond politics.

Young brothers especially needed that example though. They needed to see a Black man operate with confidence, intelligence, patience, humor, and emotional discipline without constantly proving masculinity through aggression. Obama gave many young men permission mentally to think bigger about themselves. College suddenly felt more reachable for some. Public speaking looked cool again. Reading books did not seem lame anymore. Representation matters whether people admit it or not.

One thing I always respected was how Obama never seemed desperate for validation. The brother looked secure inside himself. He could joke naturally. He could speak seriously when needed. He could stand firm without screaming. That type of confidence inspired many Black men because true strength usually speaks calmly.

Now before somebody jumps straight into policy arguments, understand this piece focuses more on the cultural and emotional impact Obama had on many Black men across generations. Brothers respected how the man handled pressure because life already teaches many of us how heavy pressure can become.

And honestly, I would like to know what moment during Barack Obama’s presidency connected with you personally the most. Was it election night? A speech? Watching him interact with his family? Or maybe it was simply seeing a Black man carry himself with grace while the whole world waited for him to fall apart publicly?

Staff Writer; L.L. McKenna

Politics explained through the lens of justice and equity. Offering perspective that informs, challenges, and empowers.

One can contact this brother at; LLMcKenna@ThyBlackMan.com.

Key Takeaways

• Podcasts offer flexible, accessible learning for career advancement.
• Listeners can choose from a wide variety of topics, helping boost both industry expertise and personal development.
• Consistent podcast engagement ensures professionals stay updated on the skills and trends essential to thriving in their fields.

In an era of constant workplace evolution driven by technology and market demands, professionals need practical strategies to stay ahead. One of the most effective resources today is the podcast about career growth, which provides on-the-go learning opportunities accessible to anyone with a smartphone. Podcasts have become a staple for ambitious individuals looking to enhance their knowledge, adapt to change, and stay competitive in their respective industries.

Podcasts offer more than just convenience. They connect listeners directly with thought trendsetters and real-world stories from diverse professions. By tuning in, you can absorb critical insights into industry-specific challenges, personal branding, and emerging job opportunities. With so many options available, you can personalize your learning journey to match your career aspirations and interests.

Whether you’re seeking to navigate the impact of artificial intelligence or broaden your understanding of business trends, podcasts act as a dynamic tool for professional development. They present complex ideas in digestible episodes, allowing you to gain new perspectives while commuting, exercising, or even relaxing at home.

With research indicating that over half of Americans have listened to a podcast in the last month, the medium’s influence on professional growth is undeniable. For more information on the broader impact of podcasting in the workplace, see this insightful Forbes article.

The Rise of Podcasts in Professional Development

The podcasting landscape has exploded in the last decade. Reports from Edison Research reveal that by 2025, 75 percent of Americans aged 12 and older will have listened to a podcast. This surge coincides with the need for ongoing professional education outside traditional classroom environments. Podcasts nicely fill this gap, delivering content to put new ideas into practice within your daily tasks and immediate strategies

Benefits of Incorporating Podcasts into Your Career Strategy

Bringing podcasts into your regular routine can transform your professional journey. Here are just a few key advantages:

• Flexibility: Access insights while multitasking, during a commute, lunch break, or workout.
• Diverse Perspectives: Hear from a global roster of experts, influencers, and innovators.
• Cost Savings: Many top-quality podcasts are completely free, offering world-class advice at no financial risk.

Top Podcasts for Career Advancement

If you’re ready to jump into the world of podcasts, start with these recommended options:

• Friends With Money: This podcast explores the impact of AI on the workplace and equips listeners with strategies for adapting to technological change. Find more on this topic here at The New York Times.
• The Talent Development Hot Seat: Tune in for expert tips on embracing technology and building a robust personal brand, two essential skills for modern professionals.
• Biz: Focuses on anticipating industry changes years in advance and actionable advice for securing your career in a shifting landscape.

How to Effectively Utilize Podcasts for Career Growth

1. Curate Your Playlist: Choose episodes and shows that align with your sector and personal goals.
2. Set a Listening Routine: Dedicate specific times in your week for professional listening to establish consistency.
3. Engage with the Content: Pause to take notes and seek ways to immediately put new ideas into practice within your daily tasks.

Integrating Podcast Insights into Your Career Plan

• Network: After gaining knowledge, reach out to guests or hosts on professional platforms like LinkedIn to establish connections and continue the conversation.
• Apply What You Learn: Don’t just listen passively. Take the time to pilot new strategies and measure their impact on your role or team.
• Share and Collaborate: Bring valuable insights back to your team or network, sparking discussions or workshops to foster a growth-focused culture.

Staying Updated with Emerging Trends

Subscribing to diverse podcasts and industry newsletters ensures you don’t miss breaking trends or insightful episodes. Engaging with online podcast communities helps surface trending topics and encourages peer-to-peer learning.

Expanding Your Podcast Learning Toolbox

In addition to listening, many professionals now take advantage of supplemental materials offered by popular podcasts: show notes, worksheets, and recommended reading lists allow for even deeper learning. Participating in live Q&A sessions or social media discussions about your favorite shows can also deepen your understanding and expose you to broader perspectives within your industry. Try synthesizing lessons from multiple podcasts to build your own framework for critical topics such as leadership, managed change, or creative problem-solving. For further accountability, join a virtual mastermind or book club focused on podcast content, where you can share insights and set growth-oriented goals with other motivated learners.

Podcasts as a Networking Catalyst

More than just a one-way broadcast, podcasts have become networking springboards. Many hosts encourage listener participation, whether through submitting questions, attending live recordings, or joining associated communities on platforms like LinkedIn, Slack, or Discord. Sharing takeaways or episode recommendations within your company, or even posting thoughtful commentary on social media, can spark valuable conversations with colleagues and peers. This not only builds your thought leadership but also increases your visibility within your wider professional network. Over time, these frequent engagements can lead to invitations to collaborate, participate in panel discussions, or appear as a podcast guest, boosting both your reputation and reach.

Conclusion

Incorporating podcasts into your professional life is a proven strategy for future-proofing your career. By selecting targeted content, establishing a learning habit, and actively participating in podcast-driven discussions, you will remain agile and prepared for whatever the evolving job market brings.

Staff Writer; Greg Brown

Yet, between managing patient loads, documentation, and administrative responsibilities, staying current with family medicine Continuing Medical Education (CME) requirements often falls to the bottom of the list. It is not optional but a licensing requirement, a professional standard, and a direct factor in patient outcomes.

The right family medicine CME program should fit your schedule, match your specialty, and deliver content you can apply immediately in practice. Let’s learn what these CME courses cover and how to choose a program that works for you.

What Family Medicine CME Actually Requires

Understanding your CME obligations is the first step toward meeting them without unnecessary stress or wasted time.

• American Medical Association (AMA) Category 1 Credits and Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Points

Family medicine physicians must earn AMA Category 1 Credits to maintain licensure and satisfy MOC requirements each cycle. Programs offering both AMA credits and MOC points provide the most efficient path to full compliance.

• American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) Accreditation

AAFP accreditation ensures courses carry prescribed credits recognized by most state licensing boards. Verifying this accreditation should be your first step when evaluating any program, as non-accredited courses may not satisfy renewal requirements regardless of clinical quality.

• Board Certification and Recertification Requirements

Initial certification and ongoing recertification are separate but equally important obligations. Structured board prep aligned with current clinical guidelines reduces exam preparation time. Many physicians prefer programs that combine ongoing credits and board prep for efficiency.

Meeting your family medicine CME requirements efficiently starts with knowing exactly which credits count and which platforms are authorized to issue them.

Key Clinical Areas Family Medicine CME Course Should Cover

Family medicine is uniquely broad, and a strong CME program should reflect that breadth without sacrificing clinical depth.

• Primary Care and Ambulatory Medicine

Family medicine CME content covering best practices, clinical controversies, and emerging developments in ambulatory medicine keeps physicians current. This ensures they stay up to date on the conditions they manage most frequently each day.

Evidence-based updates in hypertension management, diabetes care, and preventive screenings are essential components of any well-rounded family medicine CME program worth your time. Physicians who stay current in these areas consistently demonstrate stronger diagnostic accuracy and better patient outcomes across their practice.

• Behavioral and Mental Health in Primary Care

Family medicine physicians routinely serve as the first clinicians patients reach when facing anxiety, depression, substance use disorders, or other behavioral health conditions. CME content in psychopharmacology and addiction medicine equips primary care physicians to screen, manage, and refer these patients with greater clinical confidence.

This is an area where knowledge gaps carry real consequences, given rising rates of mental health presentations in primary care settings nationwide.

• Dermatology for Primary Care Physicians

Skin conditions account for a significant volume of primary care visits, yet dermatology receives limited attention in most family medicine residency training programs. Practical, case-based dermatology CME helps physicians accurately diagnose and manage common conditions without making unnecessary specialist referrals.

Syndrome-based content using real patient cases and clinical images translates directly into stronger diagnostic confidence at the point of care.

• Neurology, Pain Medicine, and Perioperative Care

Neurological presentations, chronic pain management, and perioperative considerations are areas where family medicine physicians frequently need updated, evidence-based clinical guidance. Family medicine CME programs that cover these topics, particularly those developed in collaboration with academic medical centers, provide practical frameworks.

These frameworks improve patient outcomes in complex and often ambiguous clinical scenarios. Faculty from institutions such as Harvard Medical School and Johns Hopkins bring credibility and clinical authority that generalist content cannot replicate.

• Geriatrics, Palliative Medicine, and Care Transitions

An aging US population means family medicine physicians are managing increasingly complex geriatric and end-of-life care needs across their patient panels. Family medicine CME courses in geriatric medicine, palliative care, and patient care transitions prepare physicians to handle these cases with greater clinical and ethical clarity.

The often-overlooked shift from pediatric to adult care is another area where structured CME courses deliver immediate, practical clinical value.

The most effective family medicine CME programs build a connected clinical picture that reflects how patients actually present in real practice settings.

What to Look for in a Family Medicine CME Course Provider?

Not every family medicine CME course provider is equipped to serve the full clinical breadth that family medicine demands.

• Video CME for Deep Clinical Learning

You can engage with expert-led lectures and clinical demonstrations at your own pace. This format excels for board prep and complex material where visual learning strengthens comprehension.

• Audio CME for the On-the-go Physician

Content can be consumed during commutes or between patients without screen time. This removes the scheduling barrier that makes traditional conference learning impractical.

• All-access Subscription Platforms

These combine video, audio, and board prep in one place rather than requiring individual course purchases. Regularly updated content ensures your CME investment stays clinically relevant year-round.

• Specialty-Specific Content Depth

Programs should cover primary care, behavioral health, geriatrics, and pain medicine, not just a general catalog with a specialty filter. True depth separates useful CME from credit padding.

• Faculty Credentials and Institutional Partnerships

Content developed by clinicians at leading academic centers carries greater authority. Peer review and freedom from commercial sponsorship are key markers of trustworthy CME.

• Flexible Credit Options Across Multiple Accreditations

Look for providers offering American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM), American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), and American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) credits in one platform. This consolidation simplifies documentation and reduces administrative workload at renewal time.

Providers with long-standing track records, verifiable accreditation, and credentialed faculty deliver greater value than newer, less specialized alternatives.

Find the Right Family Medicine CME Program for Your Practice

Family medicine physicians deserve continuing education that matches the breadth and complexity of what they manage every day. From board exam preparation to primary care updates, the right program covers every corner of family medicine. It should also address geriatrics, behavioral health, and dermatology with genuine clinical depth and accuracy.

Platforms like Oakstone offer accredited family medicine CME content developed by faculty from the country’s most respected medical institutions. Accredited CME programs worth your time are peer-reviewed, clinically grounded, and built for genuine professional growth.

Ready to meet your CME requirements while advancing your clinical knowledge? Explore accredited family medicine CME programs built for physicians who take patient care seriously.

Staff Writer; Jerry Moore

The era of the Greatest Generation, the Silent Generation, and the Baby Boom Generation, each distinguished by a significant record of sacrifice, has concluded. Currently, society must adapt to the eras of Generation X, the Millennials, and Generation Z. These generations are often perceived as possessing numerous suggestions and solutions to various problems, challenges, and situations. Yet, they have contributed comparatively less in terms of sacrifice for their community. Is it to attribute the limited sacrifices of Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z regarding the Black community to their own shortcomings when contrasted with previous generations? The straightforward answer is no.  The true origin of the decline in sacrifices dates to the 1960s, a period when African Americans actively campaigned for their civil rights. During the Nashville student movement in 1960, university students organized boycotts and sit-ins, as in numerous instances, adults gradually withdrew from such efforts.

W. Clement Stone stated, “You are a product of your environment.” During and after the civil rights era, did the adults in Black America adequately teach and exemplify for Black youth how to advocate and sacrifice for the Black community without resorting to a mindset of flight due to perceived high costs, according to some adults’ opinions? Some would argue that the answer is no. In the 1960s, the Baby Boom generation took the lead. Meanwhile, some of their parents and other members of the Silent Generation retreated when the stakes became too high, which indirectly influenced and guided many within the Baby Boom generation to adopt this course of action and belief. This attitude was ultimately passed down to their children and grandchildren, comprising Generation X, the Millennials, and Generation Z.

I do not intend to demean or criticize our ancestors or our Elders of today, as I believe they endeavored to the best of their abilities in most matters. During our struggle for civil rights, many progressive Black Americans opted to leave, and in some instances, to entirely abandon the Black community, the Black church, the inner city, and most cultural aspects associated with Black people, in pursuit of access and acceptance into suburban America. Over the years, White flight has remained a predominant concern because it has significantly and adversely affected most urban centers across the United States, particularly in predominantly Black neighborhoods. Nevertheless, most Black Americans or Americans in general seldom take the time to examine the profound void created by Black flight, as they prioritize suburban living, suburban education for their children, and real estate investments with the potential to appreciate considerably within their lifetimes. While I strongly believe that Black Americans should have the freedom to reside wherever their financial means permit, such liberties should not be at the expense of the broader Black community. As Black Americans, we ought to consistently strive to maintain a connection with and be associated with our brothers and sisters. In the words of Donny Hathaway, always remember “he ain’t heavy, he is my brother.”

The opportunity to assume leadership or serve as the central figure in a movement appears infrequent for young Black men, both within and beyond the Black community. Many contend that Black men across all age groups tend to avoid leadership positions, are often perceived as lacking discipline, and are considered less capable of leading. Additionally, they are frequently regarded as less vocal and less prepared than their young Black female counterparts. Whether consciously acknowledged or not, the NAACP’s appeal for Black student-athletes to boycott predominantly white institutions (PWIs) predominantly serves as a call for young Black males to assume leadership roles, given that men’s football and basketball generate most of the revenue at most collegiate institutions, thereby subsidizing all other men’s and women’s sports. By stating the facts, I am not attempting to exacerbate the ongoing gender conflict that perpetually divides the Black community. I merely wish to emphasize that young Black men continue to possess a vital role in leading within our community. Are our young Black men currently adequately prepared and capable of assuming leadership positions? My response is in the affirmative.

I must acknowledge that, in my lifetime, I served as a proud member of the NAACP. However, regrettably, not all relationships are built to last. The NAACP’s appeal to young Black student-athletes can be likened to politicians’ visits to our community every two to four years without establishing a formal relationship. Often, they remain largely unfamiliar and absent from the daily lives of our younger generations, possibly due to the black flight phenomenon and the diminished importance of community membership. While I understand the NAACP’s invitation to channel our athletic talents elsewhere, their statement inadvertently diminishes us to mere athletes, overshadowing our intellectual capacities. The NAACP might have better served its purpose by advocating for a boycott of all PWIs in the states where voter redistricting is underway, involving students, student-athletes, professors, and Black professional athletes alike.

If we aspire for our young Black sons and daughters to embody selflessness and perfection in their sacrifice for the Black community, it is imperative that older Black adults assume leadership roles and demonstrate to youth what genuine sacrifice and commitment to the community entail, both in words and in action. Adults should never ask or direct youth away from their dreams without first exhausting all possibilities with them for how we can help them achieve them.

Affirmation:

I pursue my dreams with urgency and purpose, knowing my actions today shape my community tomorrow.

Quote to live by:
“Dream big—but don’t let your dreams linger too long, because your sacrifice will always outlive your vision.”

Affirmation:

I am not just talented, I am intellect, leadership, and legacy in motion.

Quote to live by:
“I am more than what I produce; I am a thinker, a leader, and a force capable of changing the direction of my community.”

Affirmation:

I honor my community by staying connected, giving back, and lifting others as I rise.

Quote to live by:
“Success means nothing if it costs connection, never forget, he ain’t heavy, he is my brother.”

Staff Writer; Jamie Seals

May also connect with this brother on Twitter; mychocolatemind.

Also drop an email at; JSeals@ThyBlackMan.com.

The weaponization of compassion has launched a de facto competition of who can be thought to be the most “compassionate” (or, at least, not thought to be uncompassionate). The result of this arms race has been chaos, destruction and depravity.

It’s easy to lose sight of just how often this pernicious dynamic takes place, so it’s worthwhile to point out a few of the disastrous policies that were promoted (and, in some cases, continue to be promoted) as being “compassionate” and to call them out for the societally corrosive lies they are.

1. It wasn’t “compassionate” to close our mental hospitals. The impulse was understandable; plenty of those facilities were substandard. But the results were catastrophic. Until fairly recently in this country’s history, the “homeless” population consisted largely of small numbers of unattached males who drifted from place to place seeking work. But since the 1980s, the homeless population of the U.S. has exploded. Nearly three-quarters of a million people are homeless, and the number jumped 18% from 2023 to 2024. California has 187,000 of the country’s homeless; more than 70,000 are in Los Angeles County alone.

2. It isn’t “compassionate” (nor is it respect for “individual autonomy” or “dignity”) to leave the homeless to live as they do. Homeless encampments are hotbeds of filth (including human urine and feces), crime and diseases like leptospirosis, typhus, hepatitis, tuberculosis and even plague. Across the country, cities are dealing with the economic impact of shuttered stores and declining downtowns attributable to the presence of ever-growing numbers of homeless.

3. It isn’t “compassionate” to hand out needles or create places where addicts can use drugs. Leaving aside what should be an obvious argument that we shouldn’t be encouraging, much less facilitating, the use of dangerous drugs, two-thirds of America’s homeless have a diagnosed mental health illness. A third have a serious substance abuse problem. Approximately half suffer with both. Open-air drug use exacerbates those problems and creates others.

4. It isn’t “compassionate” (or “equitable,” for that matter) to eliminate teaching math, giving grades, standardized tests, advanced academic programs for gifted students or graduation requirements, or to lower entrance qualifications for college and graduate school. It punishes high-achieving students and sends the message to lower-performing students that they aren’t capable of meeting basic standards. That, then, undermines public confidence in the graduates of our high schools, colleges and professional schools.

5. It wasn’t “compassionate” to stop enforcing our immigration laws.

6. It isn’t “compassionate” to allow violent criminals back on the streets.

7. It isn’t “compassionate” to subject children and teenagers with gender dysphoria (and other emotional disorders) to permanent alteration of their bodies with medical and surgical interventions before they are old enough to understand the implications of those decisions.

None of these decisions have had beneficial impacts on their intended populations. Worse still, they are all deeply destructive to other individuals, groups and society at large. Everyone affected should be able to protest the consequences of these failed policies without getting smeared with the false accusation that they “lack compassion.”

Another reason to eliminate “compassion” as a basis for public policy — which we’re seeing daily with painful clarity — is that these policies end up being vehicles for massive fraud. Anyone can set up a 501c3 nonprofit, claim to be working for a charitable purpose, and deceive donors into giving money that does little but line the CEOs’ pockets. And when government grants are involved, there is little oversight (take Minnesota, for example) and more incentive for grift, bribery and payback in the form of pouring money into the campaign coffers of politicians who hold the grants’ pursestrings. What we end up with is a situation where neither the nonprofits nor the politicians have an incentive to solve the underlying problems, since they’re getting rich from their continued existence.

Why has the United States become a nation where “compassion” trumps all other considerations?

Scholars like Helen Andrews argue that the emphasis on “compassion” over logic and methodical analysis is a function of what she calls “the great feminization.” Women, Andrews claims, are hardwired to be maternal, and thus more likely to be persuaded by something that tugs at their empathy than by that which appeals to their reason.

I’m not so sure. First, women have functioning brains, and they are certainly intellectually capable of dispassionate analysis. Second, an awful lot of men seem to be just as hornswoggled by appeals to their “compassion” as are misguided women. And third, I don’t understand how it is “feminine” or “maternal” to witness the collapse of huge sections of our cities into third-world slums; or to know that drugs are pouring into the country, children are being trafficked for sex, and young women are being raped and murdered because the borders are unenforced; or to see people stabbed to death on public transportation, pushed in front of trains or run down by crazed lunatics at Christmas parades because criminals aren’t incarcerated; or to watch as multiple generations of disadvantaged minorities struggle because of schools with weak disciplinary and academic standards; or to want children and emotionally troubled teens to be chemically castrated or surgically sterilized before they’re old enough to drive a car, drink a beer or understand the concepts of sexual satisfaction, fathering, giving birth to or nursing a child, none of which they will experience if they are “transitioned.”

None of this is “compassionate.” It’s objectively irrational. It’s wantonly destructive. It is the deliberate disregard of monumental, systemic, catastrophic failure, the evidence of which is irrefutable. There’s something seriously wrong with anyone who continues to defend these policies and programs, and I’m not persuaded that it’s a matter of chromosomal biology or evolution.

I don’t profess to have a complete solution. But a good start would be to demand meaningful metrics when we discuss proposed (and existing) policies and programs. What matters isn’t “compassion”; it’s consequences.

Written by Laura Hollis

Official website; http://law.nd.edu/directory/laura-hollis/

Hughes connected with people because he sounded natural. Nothing about his style felt forced. Reading him almost feels like hearing an elder speak plainly while music hums somewhere in the background. He understood working class Black life in a way many writers could never imitate. Folks struggling to pay rent, mothers trying to stretch meals, young men chasing dignity, migrants leaving Southern towns searching for a better shot up North, all of that lived inside his poetry. He did not create fancy language just to impress professors. He wrote in a way regular people could carry with them.

That mattered deeply during the Harlem Renaissance. Black artists during that period were fighting against ugly stereotypes pushed across America. Racism shaped nearly every part of daily existence. Hughes stepped into that climate with honesty instead of fear. He wrote about dreams, disappointment, loneliness, survival, music, and race without pretending life was easy. Yet there was still warmth in his voice. He never completely surrendered hope, even while describing painful realities many white Americans wanted ignored.

One reason his poetry still lands today is because the struggles he described never fully disappeared. Young Black men continue wrestling with unfair treatment, pressure, financial stress, and questions about identity. Hughes understood those emotions long ago. A poem like “I, Too” still hits readers hard because exclusion never completely vanished from American life. The language looks simple on paper, but the feeling behind it carries weight. Anybody who has ever felt pushed aside understands that poem immediately.

Another thing helping Hughes remain so recognizable is education. His work became part of school systems throughout America. Children encountered his poetry early in life, sometimes before learning about many other Black writers. Once that happens across generations, a literary figure grows larger than literature alone. Students memorize lines. Teachers repeat them yearly. Families discuss them. Over time the writer turns into a permanent cultural presence.

Music also strengthened his legacy. Hughes loved jazz and blues. That rhythm slipped naturally into his writing. His poems moved with energy instead of stiffness. You could almost hear instruments floating through certain lines. Black artistic traditions have always blended together anyway. Poetry, gospel, soul, spoken word, and rap all pull emotion from similar places. Hughes understood that connection before many scholars even took those forms seriously.

Now to be fair, there are people who strongly believe Maya Angelou deserves the crown instead. Honestly, it is hard arguing against her impact. Angelou carried a presence that immediately captured attention. When she spoke, people listened carefully. Her poem “Still I Rise” became bigger than literature. Folks used those words during hard seasons in life, graduation ceremonies, speeches, and moments requiring courage. Black women especially embraced her because she spoke openly about healing, pain, motherhood, survival, and self respect.

Angelou also arrived during an era dominated by television and mass media. Millions saw her interviews and public appearances. Visibility matters whenever people discuss fame. Some younger readers today may recognize Angelou quicker than Hughes because clips of her speeches still circulate heavily online. Yet Hughes carries tremendous historical weight because he helped build the modern foundation Black poetry stands upon.

Writers like Gwendolyn Brooks deserve much more attention too. Brooks became the first Black person awarded the Pulitzer Prize in poetry. Her work captured neighborhood life with incredible detail. She understood ordinary people deeply. Scholars continue praising her brilliance because she balanced emotional honesty with technical skill beautifully.

Nikki Giovanni brought another kind of energy altogether. Giovanni sounded fearless. Younger audiences especially connected with her confidence and direct approach. She discussed Black identity, politics, love, family, and pride without sounding distant from everyday people. Some poets only feel powerful on paper. Giovanni could walk into a room and command attention immediately.

The discussion grows even richer once names like Paul Laurence Dunbar, Amiri Baraka, and Claude McKay enter the picture. Every one of those men shaped Black literary history in meaningful ways. Dunbar especially faced enormous obstacles during his time. America barely acknowledged Black intellectual achievement then, yet he still carved out space through pure talent and determination.

Still, influence and fame are not always identical. Some writers receive tremendous academic respect without becoming widely recognized by everyday people. Hughes managed to bridge both worlds. Professors studied him seriously while ordinary folks embraced him naturally. That combination rarely happens. Usually artists lean heavily toward either scholarly admiration or public affection. Hughes somehow earned both.

Timing also played a role. Hughes emerged when Black America desperately needed visible cultural voices. Large numbers of Southern families were relocating North hoping for better opportunities and safer lives. Communities were changing quickly. Music, politics, fashion, and identity were all evolving together. Hughes documented much of that emotional transition through poetry. Because of that, his work feels tied directly to major chapters in American history.

At his core, Hughes understood something important about Black life. He knew our people carried sorrow and beauty together. He knew laughter survived alongside hardship. He understood music could heal wounds temporarily, even when society kept reopening them. Most importantly, he believed ordinary Black existence deserved artistic respect. That perspective changed literature permanently.

So who is the most famous Black poet? The safest answer remains Langston Hughes. His words traveled through classrooms, speeches, conversations, music, activism, and generations of families trying to understand themselves inside America. Other legendary writers absolutely belong beside him in the conversation. Some readers may personally prefer another voice, and that is completely fair. Greatness comes in different forms. But when people combine recognition, historical impact, cultural memory, and long term influence together, Hughes still stands near the very top. His poetry never felt trapped in the past. Even now, decades later, the brother still speaks.

Staff Writer; Jamar Jackson

This brother has a passion for poetry and music. One may contact him at; JJackson@ThyBlackMan.com.

That promise remains unfinished.

This year, Brown Day arrived during a season of commencements and reflection. On May 16, 2026, Bennett College celebrated its centennial commencement, honoring one hundred years of Black women pursuing excellence against extraordinary odds. As Bennett’s 15th president from 2007 to 2012, I was especially honored to return for the centennial celebration and witness another generation of Black women stepping boldly into their futures.

To stand on Bennett’s campus was to witness the power of educational persistence — generations of women who insisted on learning, leadership, and achievement even when the nation offered them unequal schools, unequal resources, and unequal expectations.

That history matters because we are once again debating the meaning and purpose of education in America.

We hear constant alarm about declining test scores, learning loss, teacher shortages, and struggling schools. But too often these conversations avoid the deeper question: who actually receives a quality education in America, and who does not?

Brown rested on a radical premise for its time — that Black children deserved the same educational investment as white children. Not leftover resources. Not overcrowded classrooms. Not crumbling facilities. Not diminished expectations. Equal opportunity.

Yet decades later, educational inequality remains deeply embedded in American life. School districts are still shaped by segregated housing patterns and unequal tax bases. Schools serving Black students are more likely to experience staffing shortages, aging facilities, fewer advanced courses, and harsher disciplinary systems.

And here lies the contradiction. Many of the same political voices lamenting declining educational outcomes are simultaneously attacking the institutions that help students learn. They denounce falling test scores while censoring history, restricting honest conversations about race, undermining teachers, weakening diversity initiatives, and reducing educational resources for students who need them most. The ongoing weakening of the Department of Education sends a chilling message about national priorities.

We cannot claim to value excellence while starving the conditions that make excellence possible.

Declining scores do not emerge in isolation. Hunger affects learning. Housing instability affects learning. Underfunded schools affect learning. Poverty and inequality affect learning. Educational outcomes reflect the conditions under which children live.

This is why HBCUs remain so important. Institutions like Bennett continue to nurture Black intellect, cultivate leadership, and affirm Black humanity, often while operating with fewer resources than predominantly white institutions. They remain places where students are encouraged not simply to survive, but to excel.

Many HBCU graduations also occur near Mother’s Day, and that connection should not be overlooked. Behind countless graduates stands a mother or grandmother who stretched limited resources, worked exhausting hours, deferred her own dreams, and insisted that education mattered. Black educational achievement has always been sustained not only by institutions, but also by sacrifice.

Brown opened doors. America has yet to decide whether it is truly committed to what lies beyond them: equal opportunity, equal investment, and equal possibility.

Written by Julianne Malveaux

Official website; https://www.juliannemalveaux.com

The “We the People” reference did not apply to certain groups, such as Native Americans, Blacks, women, and poor whites. These marginalized groups were consistently denied inclusion as equal citizens deserving of rights. As decades and centuries passed, incremental steps toward inclusion were taken to make the nation a more “perfect union.” Those incremental steps, which were met with aggressive and cruel resistance, included the abolishment of slavery (13^th amendment), defined citizenship (14^th amendment), prohibiting race as a qualification for voting (15^th amendment), prohibiting citizens the right to vote due their sex (19^th amendment), ending school segregation (Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court ruling), forbidding discrimination in public facilities (Civil Rights Acts of 1964), abolishing literacy tests and other forms of voter suppression tactics (Voting Rights Act of 1965), and prohibiting discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing (Fair Housing Act of 1968).

“We the People” eventually evolved into becoming more inclusive in practice, thanks to individuals like Charles Hamilton Houston, who is known as “the man who killed Jim Crow.” Houston was an attorney who trained a generation of lawyers, including Thurgood Marshall, to systematically dismantle segregation laws in court. Despite the string of legislative victories that ended the legal application of the Jim Crow system, the legacies of cruelty, injustice, and inequality have never ended. There will always be a gap in society between the goal we are striving to achieve (an all-inclusive society) and our current position (a society that continues to embrace the exclusion of others). As we saw the gap start to effectively close with each incremental step taken, it gave us evidence and even hope that America has the willingness (under duress) to follow its moral compass. A society without a moral compass eventually evolves into a nation where wrong becomes right and what was once considered right becomes ignored.

You can change government laws, but new laws do not change a person’s hard heart and narrow mind. In its recent ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court seriously wounded the Voting Rights Act (VRA) in Callais v. Louisiana. The 6-3 conservative majority’s decision ruled to eliminate one of Louisiana’s two majority-Black districts, limiting the scope of the VRA provision that creates majority-minority districts. The decision opens the door to redistricting across the South that will likely decimate Black and Latino representation in Congress, as well as state legislatures and municipal governments.

Two nonpartisan election handicappers identified seven districts that could be at risk of being redrawn to favor Republicans following the Callais v. Louisiana decision. Both Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball, which is published by the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, said the court’s ruling – which deemed Louisiana’s current map an illegal racial gerrymander and ordered it to be redrawn—could ultimately jeopardize all of the Democratic seats in Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and South Carolina. In Alabama, where Democrats hold two of the seven congressional districts, both Reps. Shomari Figures and Terri Sewell could be at risk if the state were to redraw its map. The only Democrats representing Mississippi, Tennessee, and South Carolina –Rep. Bennie Thompson (Miss.), Rep. Steve Cohen (Tenn.), and Rep. James Clyburn (S.C.) –could be in jeopardy. Thompson, who represents Mississippi’s 2^nd Congressional District and is the only Black member of the state’s congressional delegation, said Black residents make up 38% of Mississippi’s population and should retain at least one House seat. He said the ruling “has moved us back over 60 years.”

For decades, a dedicated movement of conservative activists, legal scholars, and politicians campaigned to overturn Roe v. Wade. This effort involved building a conservative judicial majority, passing state-level restrictions, and securing federal judicial appointments. Ultimately, the goal was achieved with the Dobbs v. Jackson decision in 2022. Overturning Roe v. Wade was a 40 to 50-year concerted campaign focused on appointing “pro-life” judges.

Anti-abortion groups became a powerful base for the Republican Party, with abortion becoming an effective rallying cry for political mobilization. Conservative networks like the Federalist Society worked behind the scenes in prioritizing judicial nominations and targeting candidates who supported federal abortion rights. While all the public attention and debate centered on overturning abortion rights, many people didn’t realize that dismantling the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act were next in the conservative pipeline. The long-term judicial strategy of conservatives was a counterpunch to Charles Hamilton Houston’s work in dismantling Jim Crow through the courts.

From his first job as a young aide in the Reagan Justice Department, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts was intensely determined to dismantle the VRA. The culmination of John Roberts’s 50-year crusade to destroy the VRA also dealt a severe blow to the true spirit behind the words “We the People.” America, where is your moral compass?

Written by David W. Marshall

Official website; https://davidwmarshallauthor.com/

One may purchase his book, which is titled; God Bless Our Divided America: Unity, Politics and History from a Biblical Perspective.