Let me tell you where that feeling comes from, because it is not simple jealousy and it is not some cheap swipe at a legend. I grew up on this man. Half my generation did. Back when he cracked backboards in Orlando and later owned the paint out in Los Angeles, he felt like one of ours who escaped the maze without leaving his soul behind. Enormous, hilarious, unbothered, giving to a fault. A Newark boy raised partly on army bases who bloomed into the friendly colossus we wanted our sons to study. So watching him beam beside the FBI director, accepting an honorary badge from an institution with a complicated history in our communities, well, that touched a nerve I did not see coming.

Sit inside the picture a minute. A whole lot of us carry a tangled history with badges and bureaus, some of it fresh, much of it handed down through fathers and grandfathers who learned the lesson the hard way. Federal authority has not always treated people who look like me with the dignity they deserved. Ask the elders who remember what those three letters meant to Dr. King, to the Panthers, to organizers who woke up watched. That memory did not evaporate. It lives in the marrow. And here stands a hero we claimed, in a season this raw, smiling wide as he accepts a shield like it came with the party gift bag. Shaq has maintained ties with law enforcement for years, and maybe he intends nothing political by any of it. Still, from where I sit, the picture raises questions about whether men who reach that level of fame can fully appreciate how differently the rest of us experience the world. A gesture can look harmless from one vantage point and stir an entirely different feeling in somebody standing closer to the pavement.

Now let me play fair before anybody accuses me of hating on greatness. The Diesel has built a business empire worth an estimated half a billion dollars, with income flowing from endorsements, broadcasting, restaurant ventures and other investments. His business interests stretch across Papa John’s restaurants, the Big Chicken franchise, and Authentic Brands Group, which owns Reebok. He also serves as president of Reebok Basketball. Add a television contract worth millions annually, and the empire keeps humming long after the final buzzer. Barely a week back he was participating in a charity event in Manhattan, then spinning records as DJ Diesel before a college football crowd in Chapel Hill the very next morning. His calendar reads like a fever dream. On paper the whole arrangement looks like a bedtime story for any child raised on nothing.

The success is genuine, and I salute every brick of it. What gnaws at me lives elsewhere. It is not the size of the bank account. It is the distance.

Picture the average working cat clocking in at a warehouse outside Memphis or steering delivery routes through Atlanta before dawn breaks the trees. Rent climbed again this year, same as last. Groceries now cost what a car note used to run in the nineties. His daughter needs braces the dentist quoted at $4,000, his mother needs her blood pressure pills refilled, and one paycheck has to spread across every last inch of that arithmetic. Overtime is not a luxury. It is oxygen. He loved the Big Aristotle too, understand. Bought the sneakers, quoted the movies word for word, defended the fella in barbershop arguments whenever some youngblood dared call him overrated.

Now that same devoted fan scrolls past a clip of Superman buying a stranger 10 pairs of shoes or quietly covering somebody’s grocery bill at the register, and two feelings surface at once. Pride, no question. Sliding beneath it, a dull ache the brother cannot quite put a name to.

I know that ache. I have parked in those barber chairs my entire life. I have listened to grown men run the numbers of survival out loud, laughing to keep from weeping, splitting a Friday check between the landlord, the pharmacy counter, and the children’s growing feet. Nobody sitting in those rooms ever begged a hero to swoop down and save them. What they wanted was quieter and far harder to give. They wanted to trust that the ones who climbed out still knew their names, still felt the pull of the block, still remembered the smell of the neighborhood in late August. Presence, not a wire transfer. A canyon separates being helped from being known.

Question whether the big fella gives, and you would lose that debate fast. He hands out kindness like peppermints from a church usher. Back in 2020, a 17 year old Dallas student named Kylon Owens needed a suit sharp enough for prom, and Shaq teamed up with JCPenney to make it happen. Kids get shoes. Families get surprises they never asked for. His generosity has reached people who might otherwise have gone without, and I have no reason to doubt the sincerity behind those gestures. That habit of giving is a beautiful thing about him, and I refuse to spit on it for one line of this column.

Yet here sits the honest question I keep turning over in my hands. Is cutting a check the same as staying tied to a place? Dropping fresh Jordans on a wide eyed kid warms a heart for an afternoon, sure enough. But the shoes wear out, and the light bill still lands at the end of the month. A new pair does nothing for the woman pulling doubles just to keep the power on, or the family that watched one hospital trip erase a whole year of saving. Prices climb and the paycheck does not budge. No gift fixes that. Charity is one way to show love, but staying close asks something different. It means listening long enough to understand a struggle you no longer have to endure yourself.

The Newark kid himself has spoken about rejecting the celebrity label completely. He considers himself a regular dude who happens to be famous. I hear the sentiment, but regular dudes do not lose a potential $20 million business deal over a flat Earth joke and still have a fortune to fall back on. He has spoken openly about losing that opportunity. Most of us could not absorb even a fraction of a blow like that. We bite our tongues because the rent is real and the boss signs the check. One wrong sentence at work might leave a man wondering how he will feed his children next month. Shaq has financial security most working men will never know. He can weather a setback that would bury an ordinary household, and that is the whole point.

Here is what really worries me about all this. When the ones who break free stop feeling the grit under their old sneakers, representation turns into a show. We point up at the highlight reel and call it proof that we too can win the whole thing. Meanwhile the daily grind risks becoming invisible to the very champions we hoisted onto our shoulders in the first place. A famous face on a screen is not a hand a person can actually grip. Being proud of a figure rests lighter on the heart than being truly known by him. One costs nothing. The other asks him to keep coming back.

None of this crowns the gentle giant a villain, and I want that understood. Any human breathing has earned the right to enjoy the harvest of his own labor. He suffered through 19 bruising NBA seasons, built a remarkable business career, and established a level of financial security that few professional athletes ever reach. His charitable work has made a genuine difference in people’s lives. I would not swap my own compass for that ride, yet the Lord knows I grasp the appeal of never sweating a utility bill again as long as you live.

My hope stays simple and stubborn all at once. I want the ones we raise onto our shoulders to hold tight to the exact texture of the lives that raised them first. Not the airbrushed version fit for a documentary. The true grain of it. The overtime shift that steals the weekend. The side hustle worked in a cold garage. The whispered prayer over a skinny account balance the night before payday. Everyday Black men helped build this legend, roaring for him in living rooms and gyms and corner stores stretching from the Carolinas clear down to the Gulf. They handed him three decades and change of loyalty, buying his jerseys, cheering his victories, and defending his name whenever the basketball arguments got heated. Those Black men deserve more than a slice of his fortune tossed their way. They deserve his ear. Every so often, they deserve his honest company at the table.

Superman can afford to give forever without feeling the dent. I only wonder if he still hears us down here. And whether some part of him, every now and then, looks back at the young man who had to scratch for every dollar he made, and misses him.

Staff Writer; Lee Walker

This brother is a fitness trainer with 12 years of experience, focused on building strength, clarity, and real health within the Black community. Through his writing, Mr. Walker hopes to uplift younger Black men and men in general through honest conversations about fitness, financial pressure, fatherhood, discipline, mental wellness, and the importance of brotherhood.

Have questions? Reach me at LeeW@ThyBlackMan.com.

Key Takeaways

• Stop the task safely and clean or flush the exposed area right away.
• Report the incident as soon as possible, even if the injury appears minor.
• Seek prompt medical evaluation rather than waiting for symptoms.
• Document what happened, including the material involved, exposure route, and protective equipment used.
• Use the workplace exposure control plan to guide follow-up and prevention.

A possible blood exposure at work can be stressful, particularly when it happens during a busy shift or an emergency. Knowing the basic steps before an incident occurs can help workers respond calmly and protect their health. Completing online bloodborne pathogens certification can also help employees understand common exposure routes, prevention practices, and reporting expectations.

These steps can be relevant to healthcare professionals, laboratory staff, first responders, custodians, childcare workers, teachers, personal service workers, and others who may encounter blood or other potentially infectious materials. Each workplace should have procedures that match its own risks, equipment, and reporting structure.

Why a Clear Response Plan Matters

After an unexpected puncture, cut, or splash, it is easy to feel uncertain about what to do first. A simple response plan reduces that uncertainty. It helps workers focus on immediate cleaning, timely reporting, and medical follow-up instead of trying to assess the entire situation alone.

Even a small injury deserves attention when blood or potentially infectious material may be involved. The type of fluid, how it contacted the body, and whether the skin was broken all affect the assessment. The workplace protections for bloodborne pathogens outline the importance of exposure control plans, safer work practices, protective equipment, and employer follow-up after covered exposure incidents.

What Counts as a Possible Exposure?

A possible occupational exposure can occur when blood or certain other potentially infectious materials enter the body through a puncture, a cut, a splash to the eyes, nose, or mouth, or contact with non-intact skin. Non-intact skin can include skin that is chapped, cracked, scraped, cut, or affected by dermatitis.

Common examples include:

• A needlestick or puncture from another sharp object.
• A cut from a sharp object hidden in trash, laundry, or cleaning materials.
• A splash of blood to the eyes, nose, or mouth.
• Blood contacting an open wound, rash, or damaged skin.
• Handling contaminated materials without the required protective barriers.

Intact skin is generally a stronger barrier than broken skin, but a worker should still follow workplace procedures whenever there is uncertainty. The goal is not to diagnose the risk alone. The goal is to report the facts promptly so the appropriate people can assess the incident.

The First Five Minutes After Contact

1. Stop the task safely. Step away from the hazard if possible, while avoiding actions that could cause another injury or expose someone else.
2. Clean the area. Wash cuts, punctures, and skin contact with soap and water. Flush the eyes, nose, or mouth with clean water.
3. Avoid harsh methods. Do not use bleach or other caustic chemicals on the skin. Do not scrub a wound aggressively.
4. Report the incident. Notify a supervisor, manager, charge nurse, safety officer, or other designated contact immediately.
5. Get medical guidance promptly. A qualified healthcare professional can evaluate the exposure details and determine appropriate next steps.

The CDC advises workers to wash punctures and cuts with soap and water, flush splashes to the nose, mouth, or skin with water, irrigate eyes with clean water or saline, report the incident, and seek medical care promptly. Its guidance on blood and body fluid exposure risks also explains why timely reporting supports both treatment decisions and prevention efforts.

How to Report the Incident Clearly

Reporting is not about assigning blame. It begins the workplace response process and creates information that may prevent a similar event from happening again. Give a clear, factual account while the details are fresh.

• Record the date, time, and exact location of the incident.
• Describe the task being performed when the contact happened.
• Identify the object or material involved, if known.
• Explain where the material contacted the body.
• Note whether the skin was cut, cracked, or otherwise damaged.
• List the gloves, eye protection, face protection, or other equipment in use.
• Include witnesses and relevant equipment details when applicable.

What Medical Follow-Up May Include

Medical follow-up should be confidential and based on the specific exposure. A healthcare professional may review the exposure route, the material involved, vaccination history, the source information available under applicable rules, and whether testing or additional follow-up is appropriate.

Workers should not wait for symptoms before asking for medical guidance. Some time-sensitive preventive options may depend on a prompt assessment. Follow all instructions provided by the evaluating clinician and workplace process, including any recommended follow-up visits, testing, precautions, or documentation.

Employer Duties After an Exposure

Employers with covered occupational exposure risks should maintain an exposure control plan and make sure workers know how to use it. Following an incident, the employer should direct the worker to the designated reporting and medical evaluation process, protect confidential medical information, and review what contributed to the event.

A useful review looks beyond individual actions. It may identify a full sharps container, missing protective equipment, unclear cleanup procedures, inadequate training, poor lighting, unsafe disposal practices, or equipment that could be replaced with a safer option.

Common Mistakes That Can Make the Situation Worse

• Waiting until the end of the shift to report a puncture or splash.
• Assuming a tiny scratch or brief contact does not matter.
• Ignoring exposure to the eyes, nose, or mouth.
• Applying bleach, strong disinfectants, or other harsh substances to a wound.
• Handling a sharp object with bare hands instead of following site procedures.
• Failing to document how the incident occurred.
• Returning to normal duties without checking workplace instructions.

How Different Workers Can Prepare

Healthcare and Laboratory Staff

Know the location of sharps containers, eyewash equipment, exposure contacts, and reporting forms. Use safety-engineered devices when provided, dispose of sharps immediately, and follow facility procedures before handling contaminated materials.

Teachers, Childcare Workers, and Personal Service Workers

Keep gloves and cleanup supplies accessible. Understand who receives incident reports and how to handle blood cleanup without direct hand contact. Small workplace preparations can make a stressful event easier to manage.

Cleaning, Maintenance, and Public Safety Staff

Inspect work areas before collecting waste or wiping surfaces. Use tools and approved containers for sharps rather than reaching into bags, bins, or tight spaces with unprotected hands. Report exposures even when the source person or object is unknown.

Questions Readers May Have

Should a worker report a minor scratch?

Yes. The supervisor and evaluating healthcare professional can determine whether the event meets the workplace definition of an exposure incident and whether follow-up is needed.

What if the source person is unknown?

Clean or flush the area, report the incident, and seek medical guidance. An unknown source does not eliminate the need for prompt action.

Can a worker return to the same task?

That depends on workplace procedures and the advice provided during the evaluation. Follow the directions of the designated supervisor and healthcare professional.

Conclusion

Blood exposure incidents require a practical response, not panic. Clean the exposed area, report the event immediately, seek prompt medical evaluation, and document the details. When workers understand the plan and employers review incidents carefully, the workplace is better prepared to prevent future exposures.

Staff Writer; Doug Short

Anthropic’s Dario Amodei published an essay last week called “We Must Pace the Frontier.” He proposes that the major AI companies slow down together and prove it by giving outside evaluators “desks in our offices, access badges, and company laptops.” He names METR as the kind of group that should get them. Sam Altman committed OpenAI to the same arrangement within a day.

David Sacks, President Donald Trump’s former AI czar, answered on Friday. “Stop pretending antitrust law has t o be suspended so you can form a cartel,” he wrote. “Stop pretending METR is independent when it is intertwined with Anthropic’s investors and staff.” If they insist on their own regulatory framework, “we’ll know this was just another bid for regulatory capture.”

The strongest evidence for his case is in Amodei’s essay. Amodei wants Congress to require “transparency” and “third-party auditing,” and he writes that “for antitrust reasons, it’s helpful for the U.S. government to mediate or at least enable these discussions.” The head of one of the two dominant firms wants Washington in the room while competitors discuss how fast each will move, because he knows the conversation is otherwise a Sherman Act problem. The essay says nothing about product liability. Audits are fixed costs a large company absorbs easily and a startup cannot. Liability scales with what a product does, and that would cost Anthropic.

On Sept. 8, researcher Jacob Coxon announced he had resigned from Anthropic because the industry is “gambling with our lives.” The post drew 165 million views, and within days Sen. Bernie Sanders introduced a bill creating a cabinet-level agency to police AI. The Wall Street Journal published its exclusive 18 minutes before Coxon posted. Coxon had worked at Anthropic for no more than four months.

The first three accounts to amplify him run groups funded through the Survival and Flourishing Fund, which directs the giving of Anthropic investor Jaan Tallinn. Coxon took a 2022 scholarship from Good Ventures, the foundation of Dustin Moskovitz, who led Anthropic’s Series A. Of 3,500 reposting accounts Parker Thayer sampled, 76% were foreign. Moskovitz has spent more than $1 billion on AI safety advocacy. The people who own Anthropic also fund the movement demanding that Anthropic be regulated.

If Congress builds a federal approval process keyed to model size, Anthropic clears the threshold and startups do not. The experts advising that agency will come from nonprofits the same donors fund, and the evaluator with the badge will be METR. The competitor most exposed is Meta, whose open models Anthropic and OpenAI can neither acquire nor outspend. Those models trail the best closed ones by about four months, a gap that closes on its own unless Washington keeps it open.

Anthropic is targeting a public offering next month, and CNBC reported the filing will list backlash against AI as a risk factor. Anthropic lost between $10 billion and $15 billion from 2021 through 2025, and OpenAI is on track to lose about $14 billion this year. Meta made over $60 billion in profit last year. For companies that have never turned an annual profit, a regulatory moat built and staffed by taxpayers is the cheapest advantage available.

Before any of this is written into the U.S. Code, somebody in a hearing room ought to ask who hired the man wearing the badge. Anthropic, to its credit, published the essay admitting it is the one who hired him.

If this piece sounds like AI played a role, it did. I asked Anthropic’s own Claude to pull the threads together, and Claude concluded it looks like a well-orchestrated campaign for regulatory capture and wrote everything above with only a few edits from me.

Written by Erick Erickson 

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

Let’s begin with the Supreme Court’s decision concerning mail-in ballots.

The Trump administration asked the justices to permit new Postal Service requirements before the midterm elections. The rules would have required states to provide voter information through a federal portal and use federally approved ballot envelopes with identifying barcodes. Ballots from states that failed to comply could have been denied Postal Service handling.

The Supreme Court declined to lift a lower-court injunction, allowing states to continue operating under their established mail-in voting procedures. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented. Justice Brett Kavanaugh agreed that the restrictions should not take effect for this election but suggested that the federal government’s underlying legal arguments might receive a different hearing if the rules were proposed sufficiently early for a future election.

The ruling is significant because it distinguishes election security from election disruption. The government has a legitimate interest in protecting ballots and maintaining public confidence. States, however, had already begun administering the election. Altering procedures at that stage could have confused voters, overwhelmed election officials, and jeopardized ballots cast according to rules citizens had been told to follow.

The court did not settle every question concerning federal authority over mail-in ballots. It decided that these particular restrictions would not govern the 2026 midterms. That is institutional restraint: recognizing that even a policy advanced in the name of integrity can damage confidence if imposed after voting has begun.

A second federal ruling tested executive authority in another arena.

U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor blocked a Trump administration rule that would have ended the nearly 50-year “duration of status” system for international students, exchange visitors and foreign journalists. Under the proposed system, most students and exchange visitors would have received fixed stays of no more than four years, while foreign journalists generally would have been limited to 240 days. Extensions would have required additional government approval.

The administration argued that fixed limits would improve enforcement and reduce abuse. Universities and professional organizations maintained that the rule would interrupt lengthy academic programs, hinder scientific research and create uncertainty for foreign correspondents.

Saylor concluded that the Department of Homeland Security had not adequately justified such a consequential change or sufficiently considered less restrictive alternatives. His order is not the final word on the policy. It preserves the existing system while the legal challenge continues.

Together, the ballot and visa cases illustrate the judiciary’s constitutional role. Courts are not supposed to decide whether policies are politically popular. They must determine whether executive agencies possess the necessary authority, follow lawful procedures and account for the consequences of their actions.

The third test is unfolding far beyond an American courtroom: around Saudi Arabia and the waters connecting the Red Sea to global commerce.

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement announced a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia and has intensified attacks on Saudi military and energy infrastructure. Houthi advances toward the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the seizure of strategically important territory have increased the danger to one of the world’s most important shipping corridors. Saudi Arabia’s east-west oil pipeline built partly to bypass the Strait of Hormuz has also been forced offline following attacks blamed on Iran-aligned forces.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sought greater American military assistance. President Donald Trump declined to authorize direct U.S. strikes but agreed to provide intelligence-sharing and targeting assistance. That limited response reflects the difficult balance between supporting a strategic partner, protecting international commerce and avoiding another expanding American war in the Middle East.

Too little assistance could embolden the Houthis, endanger Saudi civilians and further disrupt energy markets. Too much direct involvement could draw the United States into another open-ended conflict involving Yemen, Iran and competing regional forces. Restraint in foreign policy does not mean passivity. It means matching force to a clearly defined objective and understanding where military escalation might lead before it begins.

The fourth test involves America’s shifting political coalitions.

Tucker Carlson, formerly Fox News’s leading host and now an influential independent conservative voice, has defended Democrat Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed’s criticism of the post-9/11 wars. Carlson stopped short of a conventional endorsement but sharply criticized Republican nominee Mike Rogers and argued that El-Sayed was correct to question the cost and wisdom of American interventionism.

El-Sayed and Carlson remain far apart on domestic policy, culture and the proper size of government. Their convergence on foreign intervention demonstrates that the traditional left-right political map is becoming less reliable. Antiwar voices on the progressive left increasingly overlap with an “America First” faction on the right.

Such alliances can broaden debate, but they also require intellectual honesty. Agreement on one issue does not erase profound disagreement elsewhere. Political restraint means resisting the temptation to convert a moment of common cause into a false claim of complete unity.

The fifth and potentially greatest test comes from AI.

AI can accelerate medical research, increase productivity and expand access to knowledge. It can also create convincing propaganda, automate cyberattacks, compromise private information and place increasingly consequential decisions in systems whose behavior their creators cannot always anticipate.

Recent reports from major AI developers have described autonomous systems taking actions beyond their assigned tasks. Researchers disagree about whether such incidents suggest an existential danger or more manageable technical failures. The disagreement is genuine, but uncertainty is not a justification for indifference, especially when these systems may affect weapons, financial markets, communications and essential infrastructure.

Trump has dismissed warnings about rogue AI and argued that excessive regulation could weaken the United States in its technological competition with China. Technology executives and safety researchers counter that capabilities are advancing faster than governments and even developers fully understand.

Both concerns deserve examination. America cannot afford to surrender technological leadership, but leadership without safeguards can become recklessness. The objective should be enforceable human oversight, clear responsibility when systems cause harm, rigorous security testing and limits on delegating lethal or irreversible decisions to machines.

These five developments concern different institutions, countries and technologies, yet each presents the same civic question: Can power be exercised without being pushed immediately to its maximum?

Election safeguards must not disenfranchise lawful voters. Immigration enforcement must not disregard academic research or press freedom. Military support must not become an undefined war. Political agreement must not conceal genuine differences. Technological competition must not outrun human control.

Institutional restraint is not weakness, surrender or indecision. It is the discipline to distinguish what government can do from what it should do, and what it should do from what it should do right now.

That discipline is what allows a constitutional democracy to confront danger, disagreement and rapid change without destroying the legitimacy it is trying to preserve.

Written by Armstrong Williams

Official website; http://twitter.com/Arightside

Our top pick is ICANotes for behavioral health private practices that want the fastest, most audit-ready documentation in a single purpose-built platform – because it was designed exclusively for mental health from the ground up, not adapted from a general ambulatory EHR. It pairs menu-driven SOAP, BIRP, and DAP note templates with an AI ambient scribe to get you to note completion in under three minutes, and it wraps charting, billing, telehealth, e-prescribing, scheduling, and a patient portal into one ONC Cures Certified system so you’re not juggling four subscriptions. There’s also a 30-day free trial with no credit card required – a low-risk way for a solo practitioner to test-drive it without an IT team or a long-term commitment. For small practices where affordability and a gentle learning curve come first, TheraNest is the strongest alternative. And if your practice has very specific documentation preferences and needs an EHR that bends to your workflow rather than the reverse, EHR Your Way is the pick to shortlist.

This guide is deliberately selective. Rather than padding the list to fifteen options, we evaluated seven US-market platforms – purpose-built or specialty-focused – against four criteria that matter most to independent and small-group practices: documentation speed and template quality, all-in-one functionality, ONC certification, and ease of adoption without dedicated IT support. Whether you treat anxiety, depression, trauma, mood disorders, or substance use, the shortlist below is meant to help you self-select quickly.

What to look for

Before the rankings, here’s the framework we used. If you take nothing else from this article, use these four criteria to structure your own evaluation and demos.

Documentation speed and template quality

This is where a mental health EMR earns or loses its keep. Look for specialty-specific note formats – SOAP (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan), BIRP (Behavior, Intervention, Response, Plan), and DAP (Data, Assessment, Plan) – rather than generic medical templates you have to bend into shape. The best platforms in 2026 add AI-assisted or ambient scribe features that draft the note from the session itself. The practical test: can a clinician realistically finish a note in under five minutes?

All-in-one functionality

A true all-in-one platform covers charting, billing and revenue cycle management (RCM), telehealth, e-prescribing, scheduling, and a patient portal natively. The alternative – stitching together three or four separate subscriptions – costs more, breaks more often, and duplicates data entry. Behavioral health billing workflows in particular (superbills, insurance claims, ERA/EOB reconciliation) are far smoother when they live inside the same system as your notes.

ONC certification

ONC Cures Certification signals that a platform meets federal standards for interoperability and data exchange. It matters more than small practices assume: it supports Medicaid and Medicare compliance, cleaner audits, and the ability to share records with other providers. This is worth confirming directly with any vendor, especially as the regulatory landscape keeps shifting – legal commentary has flagged that HIPAA compliance expectations are set for meaningful change, and interoperability standards are tightening alongside them.

Ease of adoption without IT support

Most private practices don’t have an IT department. So we weighted whether each platform is cloud-based SaaS (all seven here are, meaning no local server), whether onboarding is self-service or guided, and whether you can trial it before committing. A free trial and a short learning curve are decisive when a solo clinician is the one doing the setup. We also factored in user ratings and verified customer reviews from independent software review platforms as one input among several.

At a glance: the 7 platforms compared

The 7 best mental health EMR platforms for private practices in 2026

No single platform is right for every practice – the right choice depends on your size, your specialty, and how much you value out-of-the-box speed versus deep customization. The seven below are the strongest options we found across the four criteria above. Item #1 is our overall top pick for the typical behavioral health private practice; the remaining six each excel for a specific practice type or use case, so read the “who it’s best for” line and self-select.

#1. ICANotes – Best for behavioral health private practices needing a purpose-built, all-in-one ONC-certified platform

The most complete purpose-built behavioral health EHR for practices that want fast, audit-ready notes without stitching together separate tools.

ICANotes was founded in 1999 by a practicing psychiatrist, and that origin story isn’t marketing garnish – it’s the reason the platform’s clinical logic feels native to mental health rather than retrofitted onto a general medical system. If you want to see how the specialty-first approach plays out in day-to-day charting, ICANotes is built exclusively for behavioral health providers: therapists, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and nurse practitioners across solo, small-group, and multi-site practices. That focus is what lets it offer SOAP, BIRP, and DAP note templates with genuine specialty depth, rather than the thin, one-size-fits-all forms you get when a primary-care EHR bolts on a behavioral module.

The headline is documentation speed. Between the menu-driven template system and an AI ambient scribe that drafts notes from the session in real time, most clinicians can complete a note in under three minutes once they’re up to speed. And because it’s ONC Cures Certified and truly all-in-one – charting, billing and RCM, telehealth, e-prescribing, scheduling, and a patient portal in one cloud-based system – you’re not paying for or maintaining a patchwork of subscriptions. The 30-day free trial with no credit card required is the practical detail that sets it apart for independent practitioners: you can actually test the workflow before committing.

Key specs:

• Menu-driven SOAP, BIRP, and DAP templates built exclusively for behavioral health
• AI ambient scribe for real-time note generation during sessions
• ONC Cures Certified all-in-one platform (charting, billing/RCM, telehealth, e-prescribing, scheduling, patient portal)
• Cloud-based; no local server or IT team required
• 30-day free trial, no credit card
• Pricing not publicly listed; positioned as mid-market for behavioral health specialty platforms

Pros:

• Sub-3-minute note completion via menu-driven templates plus AI ambient scribe
• Purpose-built for behavioral health – specialty templates general EHRs can’t replicate
• True all-in-one: removes the need for separate billing, telehealth, or e-prescribing tools
• ONC Cures Certified – supports interoperability and Medicaid/Medicare compliance
• Low adoption barrier: free trial, cloud-based, no IT dependency

Cons:

• Interface is functional but less visually modern than some newer entrants
• The menu-driven system has a learning curve; the biggest speed gains come after initial familiarization
• Pricing requires a sales conversation – no public per-seat rate for quick comparison
• Feature depth is behavioral-health-oriented; practices with heavy primary-care overlap may find it narrower than a broad ambulatory EHR

Who it’s best for: Solo practitioners through multi-site group practices in behavioral health that want the fastest audit-ready documentation in one ONC-certified platform, and are willing to invest a few sessions in learning the template system to unlock the speed.

#2. TheraNest – Best for small to mid-sized therapy practices wanting affordable core scheduling, billing, and notes

A clean, approachable platform that covers the essentials at a price solo and small-group therapists can actually swing.

TheraNest is built for therapy practices that want the core toolkit – notes, scheduling, billing, telehealth, and a client portal – without the complexity or cost of enterprise systems. Its tiered pricing scales with your active client count and starts at a lower entry point than many competitors, which is why it’s a common first EHR for clinicians moving off paper or spreadsheets. The interface is intuitive, and the Wiley Practice Planners integration adds real clinical depth to treatment planning.

Where it stops short is specialty template depth. TheraNest’s therapy templates are solid for standard progress notes and treatment plans, but they don’t reach the specialty-specific granularity of a purpose-built system like ICANotes. E-prescribing isn’t native either, so psychiatric providers who prescribe will need a third-party add-on.

Key specs:

• Session notes with standard therapy templates (progress notes, treatment plans, psychotherapy notes)
• Integrated billing and insurance claim submission
• Online scheduling and client portal
• Built-in telehealth video sessions
• Wiley Practice Planners integration
• Mobile app; tiered pricing by active client count; free trial available

Pros:

• Clean interface with a relatively short learning curve
• Affordable entry-level pricing for solo and small practices
• Solid core coverage of notes, scheduling, billing, and telehealth
• Wiley Practice Planners integration adds treatment-planning depth
• Responsive customer support noted in user reviews

Cons:

• Less specialty template depth than purpose-built behavioral health platforms
• Reporting and analytics are basic compared to enterprise tools
• E-prescribing requires a third-party add-on
• May not scale smoothly for larger multi-site group practices

Who it’s best for: Small to mid-sized therapy practices prioritizing affordability and a gentle onboarding experience over deep customization. Note that its ONC Cures Certification status should be verified directly if interoperability is a requirement for you.

#3. Ensora Mental Health – Best for budget-conscious small practices wanting foundational behavioral-health workflows

A low-cost, no-frills option that covers the behavioral-health basics without asking you to pay for features you’ll never touch.

Ensora Mental Health targets solo practitioners and very small practices that need core documentation and billing at the lower end of the market. You get behavioral-health-specific progress notes and treatment plans, integrated billing with ERA/EOB management, scheduling with appointment reminders, a client portal for paperless intake, and telehealth – a complete-enough stack for a lean practice. Onboarding is deliberately simple, which suits clinicians with no IT background.

The trade-off is depth. This is a foundational platform, so you won’t find the advanced documentation automation – an AI ambient scribe, for instance – that higher-tier systems offer, and customization for non-standard workflows is limited.

Key specs:

• Behavioral-health-specific progress notes and treatment plan templates
• Integrated billing and ERA/EOB management
• Scheduling with appointment reminders
• Client portal for intake and communication
• Telehealth integration
• Budget-friendly pricing; free trial or demo typically available

Pros:

• Strong value for solo and very small practices
• Behavioral-health-focused templates without enterprise complexity
• Simple onboarding; minimal IT knowledge required
• Appointment reminders reduce no-shows without extra tools
• Client portal supports paperless intake

Cons:

• Foundational feature set; lacks advanced automation like ambient scribing
• Limited customization for non-standard documentation workflows
• Basic reporting
• Less suitable for larger group practices or complex billing needs

Who it’s best for: Budget-conscious solo and small practices that want core behavioral-health workflows and nothing they’ll never use. Ensora sits within the Therapy Brands portfolio, which has undergone consolidation, so it’s worth confirming current features directly with the vendor.

#4. PIMSY – Best for substance-use disorder and behavioral-health clinics needing highly configurable documentation and reporting

A configuration-first platform for clinics whose documentation and reporting needs go well beyond standard therapy notes.

PIMSY is aimed at behavioral health and substance use disorder (SUD) clinics – including outpatient, intensive outpatient program (IOP), and residential settings – that need forms and workflows they can shape to their exact clinical style. Its standout is configurability: you can build documentation to match complex treatment protocols for mood disorders, eating disorders, or SUD, and its reporting suite is genuinely robust for outcome tracking, compliance, and payer requirements including Medicaid managed care.

That power comes with setup cost. The configuration depth means a steeper onboarding process, and the interface can feel like a lot for a solo clinician who only needs basic notes.

Key specs:

• Highly configurable clinical forms and documentation workflows
• Compliance and outcome-tracking tools for SUD and behavioral health
• Robust reporting for clinical and operational metrics
• Billing and RCM with Medicaid/Medicare support
• Scheduling and staff management
• Client portal and telehealth; pricing by demo/quote

Pros:

• Exceptional configurability for exact-match documentation
• Strong reporting for outcomes, compliance, and payer needs
• Well-suited to SUD programs and IOP settings
• Supports complex billing including Medicaid managed care
• Active development with regular updates

Cons:

• Deeper configuration means a steeper setup and onboarding
• Less ideal for solo or small practices wanting out-of-the-box simplicity
• Interface can feel complex for basic-notes users
• Pricing requires a sales conversation

Who it’s best for: SUD and behavioral-health clinics – especially IOP and step-down programs – that need documentation to reflect complex protocols. Its IOP-focused features are a genuine differentiator for structured care settings.

#5. EHR Your Way – Best for practices needing deeply customizable documentation workflows

The pick for practices with strong opinions about how their notes and intake should work – an EHR that bends to you rather than the reverse.

EHR Your Way is built around a flexible form builder and configurable workflows, so practices with unique note formats, specialized assessment tools, or established intake processes can replicate them almost exactly. If you’ve tried off-the-shelf EHRs and found the templates too rigid, this is the category answer. It’s cloud-based with no local infrastructure, and implementation support during onboarding is responsive.

The catch is upfront effort. Customization takes time to configure correctly, and the out-of-the-box templates are less clinically detailed than a purpose-built system like ICANotes – you’re trading turnkey depth for flexibility. Its AI-assisted documentation features are also less developed than the market leaders.

Key specs:

• Fully customizable note templates and form builder
• Flexible workflow configuration for intake, assessment, and progress notes
• Billing and insurance claim management
• Scheduling and client portal
• Telehealth integration
• Cloud-based; pricing by quote

Pros:

• Unmatched template and workflow customization at this price tier
• Replicates existing paper or legacy digital workflows closely
• Good fit for non-standard note formats and specialized assessments
• Cloud-based; accessible from any device
• Responsive implementation support

Cons:

• Customization requires upfront configuration time
• Out-of-the-box templates less clinically detailed than purpose-built platforms
• AI-assisted documentation less developed than leading competitors
• Smaller vendor footprint may mean slower feature releases

Who it’s best for: Established solo or group practices with well-defined documentation preferences that want an EHR to match their style – including practices serving specialized or adolescent populations with bespoke assessment needs.

#6. Kipu – Best for addiction treatment centers and behavioral-health programs needing operational depth alongside clinical documentation

A program-grade platform that runs the operational side of treatment – admissions, utilization review, billing, alumni – not just the notes.

Kipu is purpose-built for addiction treatment centers, residential programs, and larger behavioral-health organizations with IOP and PHP components. Beyond SUD-specific and behavioral-health documentation, it brings deep operational functionality: admissions, utilization review, insurance authorization, Kipu RCM for revenue cycle management, and alumni/CRM tools for patient engagement and retention. Its compliance documentation supports JCAHO and CARF accreditation workflows, which matters a great deal to treatment programs.

For a pure outpatient therapy practice, though, this is overkill. The feature set is optimized for residential and IOP programs, the pricing sits at the higher end, and implementation is more involved.

Key specs:

• Purpose-built for addiction treatment and behavioral-health programs
• SUD-specific and behavioral-health documentation templates
• Kipu RCM: integrated revenue cycle management and billing
• Utilization review and insurance authorization tools
• Alumni and CRM engagement tools
• Compliance and outcome tracking for accreditation; pricing by quote

Pros:

• Deep operational functionality beyond documentation
• Strong RCM and billing built for SUD/behavioral-health complexity
• Compliance support for JCAHO/CARF accreditation
• Well-established with a large customer base in addiction treatment
• Telehealth and patient engagement included

Cons:

• Overkill for solo practitioners and small outpatient practices
• Higher cost than simpler private-practice platforms
• More complex implementation requiring dedicated onboarding
• Optimized for residential/IOP rather than outpatient therapy

Who it’s best for: Addiction treatment centers and practices that sit at the intersection of private practice and structured programming – for example, an outpatient practice that also runs an IOP. For pure outpatient therapy, a simpler option will be more cost-effective.

#7. NextGen Behavioral Health – Best for practices wanting a broader ambulatory EHR with integrated behavioral-health functionality and interoperability

A mature, interoperability-strong ambulatory platform with dedicated behavioral-health modules – the right call when you need to share records with health systems.

NextGen Behavioral Health delivers behavioral-health documentation modules inside a broader ambulatory EHR framework. Its differentiators are interoperability and certification: it’s ONC Cures Certified with strong health information exchange (HIE) capabilities, plus mature e-prescribing including controlled substances (EPCS), integrated billing and RCM, and a robust analytics suite. If your practice has some primary-care or multi-specialty overlap, or you regularly exchange records with hospitals, that breadth pays off.

The trade-off is that it isn’t purpose-built for behavioral health. The behavioral modules live within a general ambulatory system, so you get less specialty-specific template depth than ICANotes or PIMSY, plus more platform complexity and cost than a small standalone practice usually needs.

Key specs:

• Behavioral-health documentation modules within a broader ambulatory EHR
• ONC Cures Certified with strong interoperability and HIE
• Integrated billing, RCM, and practice management
• E-prescribing including controlled substances (EPCS)
• Telehealth and patient engagement tools
• Robust reporting and analytics; pricing by quote

Pros:

• ONC Cures Certified with strong interoperability credentials
• Comprehensive ambulatory platform for needs beyond behavioral health
• Mature, well-supported platform with a large user base
• Strong e-prescribing including controlled substances
• Robust analytics and reporting

Cons:

• Not purpose-built for behavioral health – less specialty template depth
• Higher complexity and cost than most small practices need
• Onboarding requires vendor support; not self-service
• May feel like more platform than a small private practice requires

Who it’s best for: Practices that prioritize interoperability with health systems or operate in a multi-specialty environment. For a standalone behavioral health private practice, purpose-built options will generally deliver a faster, more tailored experience.

Frequently asked questions

Which is best for a solo private practice with no IT support: a purpose-built system or a general EHR?

For a solo clinician without IT help, a cloud-based, purpose-built behavioral health system almost always wins. ICANotes, for instance, is cloud-based with no server to maintain and offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card, so you can set it up and evaluate it yourself. Ensora Mental Health and TheraNest are also strong low-lift choices if simplicity and price are your top priorities.

What’s the difference between a general medical EHR and a purpose-built mental health EMR?

A general medical EHR is designed for physical-health encounters and adds behavioral-health features as secondary modules, which usually means shallow, generic templates. A purpose-built mental health EMR like ICANotes is designed from the ground up for behavioral health, with native SOAP, BIRP, and DAP note formats, psychiatric e-prescribing logic, and workflows that match how therapists and prescribers actually document. The practical result is faster, more clinically accurate notes and fewer workarounds.

Which platforms include billing and insurance claim management versus requiring an add-on?

Most platforms here include native billing and claim submission – ICANotes, TheraNest, Ensora, PIMSY, and NextGen all cover it, and Kipu offers full RCM. The nuance is depth: PIMSY, Kipu, and NextGen handle more complex billing scenarios (including Medicaid managed care), while simpler platforms cover standard insurance claims well. Always confirm behavioral health billing workflows during a demo, since payer requirements vary.

Which EMR platforms support telehealth for behavioral health private practices, and how do they differ?

All seven platforms in this guide offer telehealth, but integration depth varies. ICANotes, TheraNest, Ensora, and Kipu build video sessions directly into the workflow so scheduling, the visit, and the note stay in one system, while broader platforms like NextGen fold telehealth into a wider engagement suite. If you deliver a lot of virtual care, prioritize a platform where telehealth and documentation live together rather than in separate tools.

Does ONC Cures Certification matter more for a small practice or a larger one?

It matters for both, but for different reasons. ONC Cures Certification supports interoperability, data exchange, and Medicaid/Medicare compliance – and audit readiness benefits even a solo practice. ICANotes and NextGen Behavioral Health are ONC Cures Certified; for the others, verify current status directly, especially as HIPAA and interoperability expectations continue to evolve.

Which platforms offer a free trial, and which require a sales call first?

ICANotes offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card required, and TheraNest and Ensora typically offer a trial or demo. PIMSY, EHR Your Way, Kipu, and NextGen generally require a demo and a quote rather than open self-service trials, reflecting their more configurable or enterprise-oriented setups. If testing before you buy is important, prioritize the trial-friendly options.

What should a private-practice therapist look for when choosing between these EMRs?

Work the four criteria in order of your priorities: documentation speed and template quality, all-in-one functionality, ONC certification, and ease of adoption without IT support. A solo therapist usually weights speed and easy onboarding highest; a group practice or SUD clinic weights configurability, RCM, and reporting more. Shortlist two or three, run trials or demos, and time how long a real note actually takes in each.

The bottom line: how to choose

For most behavioral health private practices, the best mental health EMR software for private practices is one built specifically for the specialty rather than adapted from a general medical system – and that’s why ICANotes is our overall top pick. Choose it if you want the fastest, most audit-ready documentation, a genuine all-in-one ONC-certified platform, and a no-credit-card free trial to test before committing; just budget a few sessions to learn the menu-driven templates. Choose TheraNest if affordability and a short learning curve top your list, or Ensora Mental Health if you’re a very small practice wanting foundational workflows at the lowest cost. Choose EHR Your Way if you have specific documentation preferences and want an EHR that molds to your workflow, and PIMSY if you run an SUD or IOP program needing configurable forms and deep reporting. Choose Kipu if you operate a treatment center that needs admissions, utilization review, and RCM alongside charting, and NextGen Behavioral Health if interoperability with health systems or a multi-specialty environment is your priority.

Two trends will shape these decisions through 2026: AI ambient scribing that drafts the note from the session itself, and tightening interoperability and compliance requirements that make ONC certification more valuable even for the smallest practice. Whatever you shortlist, run it through the four criteria from the methodology above, book a trial or demo, and time a real note – that single test will tell you more than any feature list.

Staff Writer; Larry Poole

Imagine a quaint little shop where the owner, an artist at heart, spends hours painting a mural on the wall to draw in passersby. This creativity is what makes a physical store memorable. Similarly, in the vast virtual marketplace, the design of your online storefront can play a pivotal role in setting you apart from competitors. Your ecommerce platform needs to be more than functional; it must be a masterpiece of digital artistry and innovation.

Crafting a Visual Symphony

Visual appeal is the cornerstone of effective ecommerce merchandising. Your storefront is often the first interaction a customer has with your brand, and we all know that first impressions are lasting. The design should evoke emotions and tell a story that aligns with your brand’s identity. Consider using bold colors, innovative layouts, and captivating images that speak to your audience’s desires.

Remember the word “crouch”? Picture someone crouching in front of a magnificent display window, trying to take in every detail of the intricate design. That’s the kind of engagement your online storefront should inspire. It should invite your customers to explore, to linger, and to eventually make a purchase.

The Role of Interactivity

Incorporating interactive elements into your online storefront can be a game-changer. Think of it as engaging your customers in a conversation rather than a monologue. Interactive elements such as virtual try-ons, 360-degree product views, and personalized recommendations can enhance the shopping experience, making it more engaging and memorable.

Consider the work of an artist who doesn’t just create static paintings but designs installations that viewers can walk through and interact with. This artist understands the power of engagement, much like the savvy ecommerce merchant who uses interactive tools to draw customers deeper into their digital world.

Personalization: The Heart of Connection

In the realm of digital commerce, personalization is more than just a trend; it’s an expectation. Today’s consumers crave experiences tailored to their preferences and past behaviors. By leveraging data analytics and AI, you can offer personalized product suggestions, tailored content, and exclusive deals that resonate with individual customers.

Imagine visiting a boutique where the shopkeeper knows your name and your favorite items. This personal touch makes you feel valued and understood. In the context of ecommerce, personalization can create a similar connection, transforming one-time shoppers into repeat customers.

The Technical Aspects of Design

While creativity and personalization are crucial, the technical foundation of your storefront cannot be overlooked. Fast loading times, mobile optimization, and seamless navigation are critical components of successful ecommerce merchandising. Your beautifully designed storefront will fall short if it doesn’t function smoothly across all devices.

Think of gingival health—it’s not just about a beautiful smile but also about the underlying health of your gums. Similarly, the aesthetic appeal of your online store must be supported by robust technical health to ensure a seamless customer experience.

Leveraging User-Generated Content

User-generated content (UGC) is another powerful tool in ecommerce merchandising strategy. Encouraging your customers to share their experiences with your products can add authenticity and build trust. Featuring customer reviews, photos, and testimonials on your storefront can create a sense of community and credibility.

Picture a local artist whose loyal patrons display her artwork in their homes and share their photos on social media. This organic promotion not only extends her reach but also enhances her reputation. In the same way, UGC can amplify your brand’s visibility and foster a loyal customer base.

The Power of Storytelling

At the heart of every compelling storefront is a story. Storytelling is an art form that can transform your ecommerce platform into a narrative journey. Through compelling product descriptions, engaging blog content, and immersive video, you can weave a story that captivates your audience and draws them into your brand’s world.

Reflect on how a well-told story can move us, much like a gripping novel or a powerful film. This emotional connection can be a decisive factor in a customer’s purchasing decision and can set your brand apart in the crowded ecommerce landscape.

A Journey of Endless Possibilities

As we navigate the dynamic and ever-shifting terrain of merchandising in ecommerce, we must continually innovate and experiment with new design elements and strategies. Your storefront is a living, breathing entity that should evolve in response to changing consumer preferences and technological advancements.

In the world of ecommerce merchandising, the possibilities are as boundless as your creativity. Whether you’re a seasoned merchant or just starting on your digital journey, remember that your storefront is not just a place to sell products—it’s a playground for your imagination and a canvas for your vision.

In conclusion, creativity in ecommerce merchandising is about more than aesthetics; it’s about creating an experience that resonates with your audience on a deeper level. By blending artistry with technology, personalization with interactivity, and storytelling with technical excellence, you can design a storefront that not only stands out but also leaves a lasting impression.

So, as you embark on your ecommerce journey, embrace the spirit of the artist and the curiosity of the explorer. Your storefront is a testament to the power of creativity, and with each design choice, you have the opportunity to inspire, engage, and ultimately, to succeed.

Staff Writer; George Walker

Right now, in September, Chuck is telling the world that the 2026–27 season could be his last on Inside the NBA. The way Chuck tells it, he and Ernie Johnson are now a package deal, with Barkley saying that if Ernie decides he is done after next season, he is done too. That kind of loyalty tells you something real about a person. This is not a man sounding desperate for one more contract or clinging to relevance. Chuck has made it clear that when the time comes, he intends to choose his own exit, on his own terms, without begging permission from a single executive.

Study Sir Charles track record and a pattern shows up that makes bosses nervous. Over the decades the brother has made just about everybody mad at one time or another. Republicans, Democrats, team owners, guys he used to bang bodies with, the suits running the networks. His politics wandered all over the map too. For years Barkley was widely identified with the Republican Party, and in 2006 he publicly broke with it. By 2007 he was calling himself an Independent, even while supporting Democratic candidates, including Barack Obama in 2008. Back in the day he called the whole political game a scam where the rich use the poor as chess pieces. Then came the fire aimed at the left, the charge that Democrats roll into our neighborhoods every election with big promises while too many schools, neighborhoods and poor communities remain stuck in the same problems.

Just last month Chuck waded into the fight over transgender athletes and argued plainly that transgender women should not compete in the WNBA. Plenty of people cheered him. Plenty of people cursed his name. Either way, out it came.

Now hold on. I am not writing this to argue that the man is always right. He is not. Some of his opinions I would fight about all night on my porch. Loose with his words, wrong on occasion, stubborn even after the facts turn against him. All Chuck. So let me be clear about the actual lesson, because it slips past most of us easily. The value is not in agreeing with him. The value sits in how the brother got rich, got powerful, got beloved, and yet protected the one thing most successful cats quietly surrender.

His own voice.

That surrender happens quietly, and it happens to too many of us. A young dude earns the promotion, the corner office, the blue check, the sponsorship, and slowly he starts editing himself. He starts laughing at jokes he hates. Little by little the lesson sinks in, which opinions get rewarded and which ones get you uninvited from the room. Nobody even makes a threat. A man simply weighs the cost of honesty and decides the bill runs too high. Ten years slide by and there is no recalling what he truly believes about anything, only what performs well.

Sir Charles refused that bargain. Ask yourself why this matters for us in particular. For generations, Black men have been handed a narrow script. Be grateful. Be quiet. Be easy to swallow. Do not frighten the ones holding the checkbook. The Round Mound of Rebound looked at that script, balled it up, and pitched it in the trash on live television, night after night, across a quarter century. That is a lesson a whole lot of young brothers need to witness for themselves. You can be difficult and still be wanted. You can challenge the powerful and still eat well.

There is a distinction here, though, and I want my people to catch it. Independence is not the same as clowning for applause. Some characters online spout wild nonsense purely to farm clicks, then call it free thinking. That is a different animal entirely. The Auburn legend speaks his mind because he believes it in the moment, and getting embarrassed later does not scare him. When he believes he crossed a line, he has shown himself capable of apologizing. When the thinking shifts, you hear about it out loud. That is not weakness. That is a grown person treating his opinions as things built by hand rather than things assigned to him.

I keep thinking about the fellas coming up now, glued to their phones, watching every public figure get punished for a single honest sentence. The message they soak in is brutal. Head down. Say nothing real. Protect the brand. And the fear makes sense to me. Bills are due and cancellation is not a myth. Yet a slow death lives inside that kind of safety, a hollowing out that no salary repairs. You can win every argument by dodging every one of them and lose yourself completely anyway.

What the figure from Alabama modeled is a middle path most of us were not taught. Speak your truth, absorb the heat, protect your relationships, and refuse to grovel. Chuck stayed tight with people who disagreed with him plenty. He openly criticized the very network signing his checks during the fight over NBA television rights and still kept speaking his mind. And the fortune built along the way never required him to become a puppet. That mix is rare, and agreeableness had nothing to do with it. It grew from a stubborn refusal to hand over the steering wheel of his mind.

So as this funny, exasperating, unforgettable presence starts talking seriously about stepping off the stage, I hope some of us are truly paying attention. Not to the hot takes. Those fade by summer. Pay attention to the posture instead. A working class kid out of small town Alabama walked into rooms that were never built for him and flat refused to make himself smaller to fit. When it is all said and done, the man kept his own mind. No boss ever got to hold the pen for him.

That is the inheritance worth claiming. Everything else is just noise between the highlights.

Staff Writer; Lee Walker

This brother is a fitness trainer with 12 years of experience, focused on building strength, clarity, and real health within the Black community. Through his writing, Mr. Walker hopes to uplift younger Black men and men in general through honest conversations about fitness, financial pressure, fatherhood, discipline, mental wellness, and the importance of brotherhood.

Have questions? Reach me at LeeW@ThyBlackMan.com.

A cardinal tenet of Christianity is that it is imperative for salvation to forgive those that trespass against us. It is one of the more challenging tenets of Christian faith.

For some Christians to address that challenge they believe it is best they forget so they can forgive, forgive and forget. If one forgets the transgression that was directed at them, forgiveness is easy since they don’t recall being transgressed against.

We may want our hearts as required by Christian faith to be righteous. However, there are certain things that cannot and should not ever be forgotten. Forgiven yes but forgotten never. To forget in itself would be a sin. To forget those who suffered and died for no reason other than their skin was darker than blue is a sin.

Sunday morning September 15th started out as just another typical Sunday morning. People throughout the city of Birmingham, Alabama, like places across the US were either at Sunday morning service, traveling to service or preparing themselves to head to their place of worship.

As for 11-year-old Carol Denise McNair, and 14-year-old Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Dionne Wesley and Carole Robertson they were already at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. They along with 200 members of the church had attended Sunday school classes prior to the start of the 11 am morning service.

It would be a similar scene in churches throughout the US. Sunday school classes followed by the main church service at 11 am. Attendees to the Sunday school classes would be grouped by age and a teacher would be assigned to lead a class in instruction about the Bible and tenets and practices of Christianity.

Sunday school classes had ended and Carol Denise McNair, Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Dionne Wesley and Carole Rosamond Robertson who were youth choir members were busy putting on their choir robes and preparing themselves for the morning church service. The youth choir would lead the church in song for one of the musical presentations at the 11 am service.

It was Youth Day at the church. There was an element of joy and excitement in the air.

Carol, Addie Mae, Cynthia and Carole talked while putting on their robes. They prepared themselves for the morning service in the church basement ladies’ bathroom.

Like other typical girls, 11 and 14 years of age, they talked about their regular school teachers and classmates. Public schools had been in session just a few days in Birmingham after the summer recession.

The girls busied themselves discussing their new teachers, new and old classmates as well as the subjects they were taking. Eleven-year-old Denise had just started the 5th grade. Addie Mae, Cynthia and Carole had just started junior high and were in the seventh grade. While talking Addie Mae helped Carol tie her robe’s dress sash.

Typical girls their age, they talked about the latest fashion. What was in and what was now out of style.

They talked about shows on television. They talked about the latest movies in theaters.

They spoke about the latest songs that were topping the music pop record charts. They talked about what was happening in their lives at that time.

They also spoke about the future. Like girls typical their age they share their dreams, hopes and plans for the future. The future belonged to Carol, Addie Mae, Cynthia and Carole.

It was a typical September Sunday morning in America. Then just like that it wasn’t.

At 10:22 am a massive explosion ripped through the church. The blast destroyed the church’s rear wall.

The explosion was so violent that it blew a passing motorist out of his automobile. It destroyed automobiles parked on the street outside the church.

Properties located more than two blocks from the church had their windows blown out. Bricks and mortar from the church was sprayed everywhere.

The blast caved in the church’s interior walls and destroyed all but one of the church’s stained glass windows. The only stained glass window left in tack depicted Jesus leading a group of children.

It demolished the basement ladies’ bathroom. The bathroom where Carol, Addie Mae, Cynthia and Carole were preparing for the 11 am church service.

The explosion resulted in 22 injuries. The bodies of Carol, Addie Mae, Cynthia and Carole were found beneath the rubble created by the blast.

Like a thief in the night, the explosion stole the future of Carol Denise McNair, Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Dionne Wesley and Carole Rosamond Robertson. They would not give their musical rendition later that day at the 11 am church service. There would be no 11 am church service.

Carol would not be given the chance to graduate from fifth grade to sixth grade. She would not be given the opportunity to eventually attend junior high with Addie Mae, Cynthis and Carole.

Carol, Addie Mae, Cynthia and Carole would not have the opportunity to attend their high school prom. To join with others in celebration upon their graduation from high school.

Years later, they would not have the opportunity to recollect exactly where they were when they learned that John F. Kennedy, the President of the US had been assassinated. Where they were and what they were doing when the news came over the radio and television that Malcolm X had been killed. That the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had been murder.

To reminisce where they were when they learned that Robert Kennedy had been shot. What they were doing when the planes went into the World Trade Center buildings on 9/11.

Carol, Addie Mae, Cynthia and Carole would not get the chance to listen and dance to the Four Tops’ “Reach Out I’ll Be There”, “Baby I Need Your Loving”, “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)”, “Still Waters Run Deep” and “It’s the Same Old Song”.

They would not get to hear the Temptations’ “Beauty is Only Skin Deep”, “My Girl” and “Ain’t too Proud to Beg”.

They would miss out on the opportunity to hear the Supremes sing “Where Did Our Love Go”, “Stop! in the Name of Love”, and “Love is Like an Itching in My Heart”. They would not get to hear Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell duet “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and “If This World Were Mine.”

Carol, Addie Mae, Cynthia and Carole would not get the chance to watch The Beverly Hillbillies, I Dream of Jeannie, Bewitched, and The Flip Wilson Show.

They would be denied the opportunity to experience the anticipation, excitement and joy of opening college acceptance letters. Of attending college and graduating.

Denied the opportunity after graduation to embark on careers. Perhaps becoming teachers, college professors, lawyers, doctors, nurses, scientists, business owners, council members, state legislators, mayors and members of Congress. Carol, Addie Mae, Cynthia and Carole would not be given that opportunity.

Carol was a friend and classmate of Condoleezza Rice. Condoleezza Rice went on to become the first female Black US Secretary of State and the first woman to serve as National Security Advisor.

Perhaps, Carol would have become an aide to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Then again, maybe Condoleezza Rice might have been an aide to Secretary of State Carol Denise McNair.

Carol, Addie Mae, Cynthia and Carole were not given the opportunity to be bridesmaids in the weddings of family and friends. They would not be given the chance to date and marry becoming brides themselves.

They would not be given a chance to experience the wonder, magic and joy of motherhood. They would not have the opportunity to see their children attend kindergarten, graduate high school, college and have successful careers of their own.

To see their children have children making them grandmothers. Their children’s children make them great grandmothers.

Carol, Addie Mae, Cynthia and Carole would not be there to take care of elderly parents and family. They would not be there to assist their grandparents and eventually their parents take their final breaths prior to transitioning to sit at the foot of Jesus.

They would not be there to celebrate the joy and comfort the sadness of other family members and friends during good times and tough times. Friends that they may have known from childhood, college or career. Carol, Addie Mae, Cynthia and Carole would be denied all of that.

They would be denied being able to see Roots, Soul Train, Amen, 227, Laverne & Shirley, Love Boat, The Cosby Show, Dallas, Dynasty, Good Times, Hills Street Blues, Sanford and Son and The Jefferson. They would not get to see Martin, Law and Order, ER, In Living Color, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, 60 Minutes, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Donnie Simpson’s Video Soul, Bobby Jones Gospel, BET Gospel and West Wing.

They would not get to watch The Wire, Sex in the City, Suits, House of Cards, Power, Game of Thrones, Greenleaf, Sistas and Queen Sugar. They would be denied the opportunity to see Shameless, Red Shoe Diaries, The Handmaid’s Tale, Harlem, Being Mary Jane, And Just LIke That, Godfather of Harlem, Bel Air and Run The World.

They would not hear Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing”, Luther Vandross with the group Change singing “The Glow of Love”, Stevie Wonder, Al Green, Isaac Hayes, Patti LaBell, Michael and Janet Jackson, The Jackson Five, Sounds of Blackness, Beyonce and so much more, so much more.

They would not get a chance to experience the profound joy of seeing President-elect Barack Obama raise his hand and take the oath of office becoming the first Black President of the US.

To see Kamala Harris become the first Black and woman to become Vice President of the US. Of seeing Venus, Serena and Coco. Joining with family and friends doing the Boogaloo, Robot, Worm, Cabbage Patch, Running Man, Harlem Shake and Electric Slide.

The opportunity to see and experience all of that and so much more was stolen from Carol Denise McNair, Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Dionne Wesley and Carole Rosamond Robertson.

The explosion that stole the future of Carol Denise McNair, Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Dionne Wesley and Carole Rosamond Robertson was the result of no less than 15 sticks of dynamite being placed beneath the stairs of one of the 16th Street Baptist Church’s entrances. Immediately, church members and others knew exactly what had happened.

The terrorist bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church was the third bombing in 11 days in Birmingham after a federal court order mandated the desegregation of Alabama’s school system.

The church had been targeted because many of the civil rights protest marches that took place in the 1960s began at the steps of that church. It had long been a significant religious center for the city’s Black population and a routine meeting place for civil rights activities.

The horrific church bombing was viewed by many in the US and throughout the world as not just an attack on Black people but the very body of Jesus itself. Roughly 2000 years earlier while Jesus was on the cross a Roman soldier took a spear and thrusted it into the body of Jesus.

Now roughly two thousand years later no less than 15 sticks of dynamite had been used to once again attack the body of Jesus.

But why are we recalling this incident which happened so very long ago? Isn’t it time to move forward to stop looking back at the past. Isn’t it time to turn the page?

Are we too busy looking behind us that we are unable to see and enjoy today and tomorrow? Can we just forget about the past?

The answer is an explicit and emphatic “No!” Yesterday is so very much who and what we are today. The past is today and today is so much the past.

In so many ways we never left the past. The same attitudes and forces of bigotry, discrimination, intolerance, racism, hate and evil never vanished. They remain just as alive, just as ugly and vicious as that fateful September 15th Sunday morning.

Those who have such attitudes might not march around as cowards hiding behind and covering their heads and faces with soiled white sheets. Instead like cowards they hid behind keyboards and keypads emitting their insanity, ignorance, racism and evilness.

Just as sadly and unfortunately, there remain so many people in the US who are unable or just refuse to see in the faces of Denise McNair, Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley and Carole Robertson their child, their grandchild or great grandchild. Their inability and/or refusal makes them just as indirectly compliant today as so many others had been on that September 15th Sunday morning that they might as well had planted the dynamite under the stairs of the church themselves.

It is important for Black people to remember their history and teach their children and their children’s children their history. That the history is passed down from one generation to the next.

Such an act is not about seeking revenge or retribution. It is not about the continuation of hate, inhumanity and evil. But it is about making sure that such inhumanity and evil never ever happens again to them or anyone else.

If Carol Denise McNair who was born on November 17th had lived she would have been 73.

Addie Mae Collins who was born April 18th, Cynthia Dionne Wesley who was born April 30th and Carole Rosamond Robertson who was born April 24th would be 77.

Carol Denise McNair, Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley and Carole Rosamond Robertson lived. Their lives, like all lives, were sacred. They were like all children, regardless of race, gender, country of birth, religion, creed, languages they speak, children of God.

To that end, we remember and will not forget Carol Denise McNair, Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley and Carole Rosamond Robertson.

Staff Writer; Al Alatunji

Question or comment regarding this article? Feel free to send a message to: Alatunji@ThyBlackMan.com.

Across the country, reading achievement continues to decline. Nearly 40 percent of fourth graders read below the basic level and roughly a third of eighth graders are reading below basic, the highest share ever recorded.

Taken together, these numbers reveal a national literacy crisis that threatens economic opportunity, educational equity, and our nation’s future competitiveness.

Reading is not merely another subject in school. Reading is the foundation upon which all learning rests. A child who struggles to read struggles to learn history, science, mathematics, and civics. A young person who cannot effectively read and analyze complex information faces barriers to college completion, workforce success, and informed participation in our democracy.

That is why the growing literacy crisis is fundamentally an opportunity crisis. Behind every percentage point is a child whose future opportunities hang in the balance. Persistent achievement gaps mean that Black and Latino students continue to bear a disproportionate share of the consequences when reading instruction falls short. If we are serious about economic mobility and educational justice, literacy must be at the center of the conversation.

For more than two decades, many schools embraced Balanced Literacy approaches that sought to cultivate a love of reading by putting books in students’ hands and encouraging independent reading. The approach was well-intentioned, but too often foundational skills instruction, particularly phonics and decoding, suffered.

The evidence is increasingly clear that explicit, systematic instruction helps more children become successful readers. States and school districts that are embracing these principles deserve credit for moving in the right direction. But millions of students are already in middle school, high school, and even college struggling to read complicated texts, analyze difficult arguments, and complete entire books.

What is our plan for them?

Too many students arrive in high school lacking the reading stamina necessary to engage deeply with literature, history, or complex informational texts. College professors increasingly describe students who struggle with lengthy assignments that previous generations navigated more comfortably.

To be clear, Balanced Literacy alone cannot explain these trends. Increased screen time, constant digital distractions, shortened attention spans, and the dominance of algorithm-driven content all influence students’ reading habits and learning experiences.

Yet recognizing these factors cannot become an excuse for inaction.

Instead, it should compel us to think more broadly about literacy.

The challenge before us is not simply helping children sound out words. It is helping them develop the capacity to wrestle with complex ideas, sustain attention, evaluate evidence, and build knowledge through reading. It is helping them become informed citizens and lifelong learners.

And that requires a comprehensive, systemic strategy.

We need high-quality literacy instruction beginning in early childhood settings and extending throughout elementary school. We need to strengthen early intervention so that struggling readers receive support before learning gaps become entrenched. We must carefully examine the quality and effectiveness of programs serving our youngest learners, including Head Start and other early childhood initiatives.

At the same time, we need a national commitment to literacy recovery for older students. Districts and states should be developing evidence-based strategies that help adolescents strengthen comprehension, vocabulary, knowledge-building, and engagement with complex texts. Students who fell behind during the pandemic and those who continue to struggle deserve intensive support, not lowered expectations.

We should also have serious conversations about the role of technology in children’s lives. Restricting unnecessary screen exposure, particularly in the early grades, should be part of a broader effort to rebuild reading habits and attention spans that support learning.

More concerning than the decline in reading scores is the absence of a clear, large-scale strategy to address the growing crisis. Every year that a struggling reader falls further behind increases the likelihood that they will face lifelong educational and economic disadvantages.

The recent reading results from New York City are a warning. The national NAEP results are an even louder one. Together, they tell us that incremental change is not enough.

We know more about how children learn to read than ever before. We know that literacy is the gateway to opportunity. What remains to be seen is whether we have the collective will to act with the urgency this moment demands.

Our children cannot afford for us to wait.

Written by Marc Morial

Official website; http://twitter.com/MARCMORIAL

My Mom held onto our hands and took us out of the place. I was born in Louisiana, but as a young person, I can remember a lot of situations I now know as racism. In many ways, Louisiana hasn’t changed. Louisiana has always been a place where color matters.

Many in our family are of various colors—but we have always had the One-Drop rule in Louisiana. That means if you had one drop of Black blood, you are Black. The one-drop rule was a legal principle of racial classification that was prominent in the past. It asserted that any person with even one drop of Black blood was Black. Of course, we were called Negro or colored in historical terms.  Because my mother had no Black blood, but my Dad is Black, so my Mother’s children were called colored.

That leads me to a story where after growing up, I became the first Black person in the State of Louisiana to run a viable campaign for the U.S. Congress I was named the winner, and had the race called back and told I had lost by a tiny bit.  I became known as Louisiana’s Congresswoman in Exile.  Cleo Fields won the seat later with some changes in the District he was able to do while he was in the state’s legislature. He didn’t last long before they took the seat from him recently.

I mention that background to say when I ran, I wanted to share with you a bit about how I, a Black woman, was still referred to.  One night after speaking for a mixed crowd, a man walked up to me and said, “Young lady, that was the best speech I ever heard, but it must be awfully difficult to have all that education and still be colored.” I thanked him because he was telling the truth, however, he said it.  During the same period, a person who knew me said another man told him he never thought he’d have to choose between a “nigger“ woman and a Republican (I’m a Democrat), but he believed he was gonna vote for the “nigger” woman (That’s me!) I appreciated the fact that he would vote for me despite my color! I never learned how the first gentleman was going to vote!

I don’t think Louisiana has changed a lot.  I know for the first time there is a Black man who is running for the United States Senate on the Democratic ticket.  Just as I ran first for the United States Congress, he is the first to run for the United States Senate. Not that Louisiana has changed a lot,  but it sounds like he has a pretty good chance to win. His name is Jamie Davis, so please keep him in your prayers.

Now the point I started to make is that things have changed in some places and some Black people have a real chance of winning important seats—if only we’d come out in great numbers—so please look out for the seats in which Black people are running, but be sure to check out what they stand for. The one Black male on the Supreme Court has been deceptive. With the Black woman, it’s been different. “Just look at the Supreme Court now!” Obviously, I am talking about Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, and if she were not on the Court, we wouldn’t have anybody there who votes fairly for us other than Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Justice Elena Kagan. We thank God for them.

Now, in the last Presidential election, too many of our White sisters voted against our interests and theirs, but I believe many are ready to get it right and rebuild what we lost.

Written By Dr. E. Faye Williams

Official website; http://www.efayewilliams.com/