After watching the Netflix series A Different World: New Generation, I observed and listened to the reactions of the Black community regarding the changes in the physical appearances of the actors, as well as our collective perception that the series’ plot lacked depth and originality, without giving much thought to the statistical data that roughly only 20-40% of Black Americans who are children of college graduates go on to graduate themselves, while 20-30% of Black children from non-college graduate households attain a degree. If we do not acknowledge that the college graduation rates for Black children with college-educated parents are not significantly higher than those from homes where parents did not graduate, then we are missing depth and complexity. I wonder how much more depth we truly need as a community. Should we seek entertainment when we watch television? Or should we challenge ourselves to see entertainment for what it truly is, understanding that some deeper meanings can only be appreciated with a little extra perspective—like a third eye—developed through a mind trained to recognize subtle depths that might not be immediately obvious?

Things will never be the same.

We are all familiar with the statement The more things change, the more things stay the same. Yes, I will be the first to admit that our level of respect in the Black community for our elders, ancestors, Black men, and Black women has changed, and I am afraid that if we don’t make drastic changes quickly, things will never be the same. Longevity and a long life have traditionally been valued in our community, along with the natural changes that come with aging—like grey hair, hair loss, weight fluctuations, a changing physique, wrinkles, and shifts in appearance. These aspects were once embraced and even revered, reflecting the wisdom and experience that age brings. Historically, our community appreciated and celebrated Black women in roles like Big Momma or auntie.

However, today, even prominent women such as Jasmine Guy, Jill Scott, Viola Davis, Michelle Obama, and Leslie Jones, among many others, face ridicule both inside and outside the community for not fitting our narrow aesthetic standards as they age.  Seasoned Black women and men might start questioning whether aging is as remarkable as their ancestors suggested if their community no longer finds them aesthetically appealing. Historically, we treasured Big Momma and our aunties equally, regardless of their appearance, and we held the men in our community in high regard despite their decline in vitality. Some community members might argue that because we have largely failed to recognize the beauty in our Savior (Isaiah 53:2-4), we may also fail to see beauty in one another as we ought to. Moving forward, our community must acknowledge, embrace, and appreciate the ongoing physical changes everyone will eventually undergo.

Don’t say anything at all.

Even within the Black community, we live in an era where people seek visibility, voice, and viral fame for their opinions and ideas, often without regard for the facts. Has our desire for fame, recognition, and riches overtaken the lessons we were taught as children to value and esteem others? The great, soulful singer Jeffrey Osborne reminded us all, “If my brother or sister is in trouble, so I am.” How have we descended to such a low point that we now perceive our community, our brothers and sisters, as burdensome, leading us to justify exploiting them in some manner or form for personal gain?  Our personal and community desire for worldly gain has caused us to loudly criticize the image, reputation, and social influence of Black women when they don’t match our beauty standards.

Similarly, Black men who speak their mind are often labeled as sassy, and our LGBTQ+ sisters and brothers are frequently viewed as unworthy of recognition because, to many of us, we feel we must voice our opinions without all the facts. Remember childhood, when we learned an important lesson: if you don’t have anything nice to say, it’s better to stay silent. Those moments shape how we connect with others even today. I’m not asking that we become mute to injustices, sin, or wrong, or that we stop speaking truth to power. For the sake of our community, I am asking that we stop speaking without facts and stop speaking in ways that strip away anyone’s humanity for riches and viral fame. Sometimes silence is the best option.

Time to Operate Differently

Are we in a different era than before? Yes, we are. A clear sign is that our love for ourselves and our community is either weak or missing. The dynamic duo of Donny Hathaway and Roberto Flack raised the question in 1972 by asking, “Where Is the Love?” Today, I ask once again: Where Is the Love? For yourself, your community, and your God—like time, many believe it has shifted or grown tired. Yes, time brings about a change, but with change comes the chance for new opportunities. Since today gives all of us a new opportunity, I challenge all my Black queens and kings to operate differently: queens, go back to being a girl’s girl who uplifts her sister and brother. Keep aiming high when others go low. Kings, I urge you to stay consistent, present, and vocal, as your family and community rely on you to embody these qualities and more.  The cost is too high for us to go back to our old ways or stay the same. Change is possible, and we all need it.

Finish story here; It’s A Different World from where you come from.

In what was considered no surprise, media reports circulated that Russian, Iranian, Chinese and other foreign actors were actively attempting to interfere and influence the November mid-term elections. Although the reports suggested that foreign governments are involved, the Chinese government makes no comment, completely ignoring the allegations.

As for the Russian and Iranian governments, irrespective of each other, denied the allegations and countered that American politicians, podcasters and influencers had done an outstanding job of undermining confidence in the US electoral system without any outside help. Those governments mockingly pointed out the last several years certain sectors of the US political establishment had in an unending crescendo alleged vote fraud and tainted elections.

Was it any wonder, the Russians, Iranians and others asked, that American voters had lost confidence in its government’s ability to hold open and fair elections. They pointed to prominent  US leaders who continually undermined their own electoral process. Before one vote was cast some US politicians proclaimed the election would be stolen.

As election day neared reports started circulating that various voter suppression tactics were occurring. That insidious attempts to confound and confuse voters had been hatched. Fake ballots were mailed to voters with misleading and false information. Fake candidates, false polling places and polling times appeared on the ballots.

After mail in voting started there were reports of a significant amount of returned mail in ballots being destroyed in areas where Democrats usually did well. Democratic leaders appealed to the FBI to investigate. Their requests fell on deaf ears. The incidents only served to raise more voter concern about election fraud and insecurity.

AI generated fake campaign ads flooded internet websites with misleading and misinformation as well as outright election lies. Appeals to the White House, Congressional leaders and FBI went unanswered. Voters’ mistrust and anger reached an all-time high.

Individuals and vigilante groups decided to take matters into their own hands. Without any legal authority such individuals and groups started to actively and aggressively patrol polling places.

They demanded individuals preparing to vote to provide documents that indicated their identity and their citizenship. Their actions intimated voting officials who were supposed to know better but remained silent in fear of confrontation.

Some voting officials and voters challenged the individuals and vigilantes. Verbal and physical altercations took place. The pushback became widespread and at times violent.

After procrastinating, the White House finally intervened and ordered Homeland Security personnel to take complete control of all polling places. To enforce its decree the number of polling places were substantially reduced.  It significantly reduced the confusion and violence at polling areas.

Voting also became even less convenient after the White House issued an executive order  prohibiting all mail in voting. The White House insisted that the move was made necessary for national security.

Protests directed at the White House’s moves spread throughout the US. Initially, the protest and then the counter protests were peaceful, but later turned violent. Each side blamed the other for the violence. The violence had moved from polling areas to the streets of America. It was widespread and intensified.

If that was not enough, reports spread throughout the media that some divergent groups anonymously injected AI programs into mainframe electronic state, county and local voting machine systems. The AI programs over rode valid election ballots replacing them with fake ones and in other cases erased ballots altogether.

A question which no one asked was if it really was some divergent groups that used AI? Or did AI go rogue? No one asks because everyone was too busy pointing fingers.

The various state, county and local election officials did not discover the hacking until they began counting early ballots and realized the vast discrepancy in ballots cast and ballots counted. The election was now in complete chaos and confusion.

Both major parties accused the other of the chaos and confusion. A grotesque attempt to rig and steal the elections was alleged and each party blamed the other.

Polls prior to the election showed Democrats winning the House and possibly the Senate. Democrats were alarmed and outraged. Republicans countered that the polls were not accurate but were fabricated by the left leading media.

The nation was in uncharted territory. Republicans called for the current makeup of the House and Senate to remain as it was prior to the election. Democrats vehemently rejected the notion.

Democrats turned to the Supreme Court to decide what should happen. The Supreme Court by a 5-4 decision ruled that the issue was a partisan political issue that should be decided by the House and Senate. Dissenting judges lambasted the decision as a gross malfeasance of judicial duty.

Republican leaders of the House and Senate announced that both houses would meet on Tuesday January 2, 2027, to negotiate a plan forward. Democrats balked at the idea.

Democrats argued that it would be illegal for the current members of the House and Senate to be involved since many of them would have lost if the elections had actually been fair. Republicans countered that since the states were unable to certify new House and Senate members things had to remain as they were.

The issue however became mute.  On the morning of December 31, 2026, the nation woke to the news that overnight the Capitol Building had been completely destroyed. Preliminary indications were that a fire must have broken out in the building and ignited gas lines near and under the building causing massive explosions that completely demolished the building. The nation was in shock.

Although initially there were no indications that foul play was involved, Republican leaders and right-wing talking heads pointed fingers at Antifa, leftist organizations and Democrats.

The current occupant of the White House directed his Justice Department to be relentless in finding the culprits reasonable for destroying the Capitol Building. The Justice Department immediately raided the offices of various progressive and leftist organizations as well as the offices and homes of Democratic leaders, activists and anyone who had raised issues with the current regime. It was an unprecedented action.

What was surprising to some was that scores of leaders, podcasters and influencers associated with the movement that brought the regime into power were also grabbed up in the Justice Department’s sweep. It was an epitome of  a revolution eating its children.

On the evening of  December 31, 2026, the current occupant of the White House in a prime-time television address spoke at length to the American public.

He started with a long recount of attempts by Democrats, other critics and their flunkeys  in the media to go after him. He mentioned how they had stolen the 2020 election and the failure of his then vice president to do the right thing. He mentioned how certain news outlets daily promulgated fake news and were responsible for the current poisoned political climate.

He then announced with the destruction of the Capitol Building and the chaos of the mid-term elections, he was calling for new Congressional elections. The Congressional election as well as the next presidential election would be pushed back to November 2032. It would allow states to create new Congressional maps based on the 2030 census.

It would also give enough time for a new Capitol Building to be built.  The new Capitol Building he pointed out would be the largest, most elegant legislative building ever. It would feature a golden dome and gold-plated fixtures throughout the building. It would be the envy of nations around the world. No one would have ever seen anything like it in the history of the world.

To reimage the nation’s capital to be the most prestigious in the world and history, the Lincoln, Washington and Jefferson monuments would be demolished and replaced with new magnificent monuments reflecting America’s greatness.

To prevent more violence and insurrection he ordered US troops to protect all federal property as well as public areas. Since a viable Congress was unable to exist at the current time, the Executive Branch transferred all Congressional powers to the Executive Branch. It was done by the issuance of Enabling Laws.

The current occupant of the White House ended his address indicating the actions that he was taking would ensure that the US would remain the greatest nation in the history of mankind. He ended his remarks by wishing everyone a Happy New Year and encouraged the nation to bring in the new morning for America by celebrating and partying like it was 1999.

Staff Writer; Al Alatunji

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

Women’s college basketball fans will be fortunate to be able to see both Strong and Watkins play in college this season because neither were eligible to enter the 2026 WNBA Draft as underclassmen. The WNBA is not like the NBA, where talented college freshmen, can leave for the NBA Draft, often called “one and done”. According to the collective bargaining agreement between the WNBA and its players’ union, all NCAA players who graduate from a four-year college within three months of the draft, or are four years removed from high school graduation, or turn at least 22 years old during the year in which the draft takes place are eligible to renounce any remaining NCAA eligibility and opt in to the WNBA draft. However, International draftees must be at least 20 years old during the year in which the draft takes place. It is peculiar that the international draftees can be 2 years younger than those women’s basketball prospects in the U.S.

It is easy to forget about how men’ college basketball would have been affected if superstar high school basketball players like a LeBron James or a Kevin Garnett had been “forced” to attend college? That is not a question that could have been answered 2004 but in 2005, the NBA enacted a new age limit that requires “that an amateur player of American origin be at least nineteen-years-old on December 31 of the year of the NBA draft and that at least one NBA season must have passed when he graduated from high school, or would have graduated from high school, and the NBA draft”. There were many strong feelings about the NBA’s age limit from those who passionately follow college and professional basketball. During the 2000s and 2010s, some of the NBA’s best players were draftees who never played a minute of men’s college basketball including James, Tracy McGrady, and Dwight Howard who are all in the Basketball Hall of Fame or will be.

The growth of women’s basketball over the past decade has made this an even more legitimate question now. In the past two seasons, the league has added Golden State, Portland, and Toronto. By 2031, there will be new WNBA teams in Detroit, Cleveland, and Philadelphia. It is also important to point out the instant success of the Golden State Valkyries, who immediately established themselves as some of the better teams in the WNBA just two years since joining the league which is a sign of the greater women’s basketball talent pool. The major injury to USC’s Juju Watkins back in 2025 was a terrible thing for her but may have never happened if she could also have left for the WNBA after her freshman year like her male counterparts. NIL is an important incentive for the top women’s college basketball players to be paid in college but many would benefit from the choice of being able to start their WNBA professional careers early.

Staff Writer; Mark Hines

While Confederate troops never captured or entered the U.S. Capitol during the Civil War, the first time the Confederate battle flag entered the halls of the U.S. Capitol was during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. The image of the battle flag inside the Capitol building was an insult. Its presence during the Jan. 6 attack highlights the attack’s connection to the larger issue of America’s history of white supremacist violence, anti-democratic rebellion, and efforts to deny equal political power.

It didn’t end with the battle flag. Crosses, Christian flags, prayers, Bibles, religious slogans, and Christian-themed clothing were seen and heard throughout the Jan. 6 gathering and attack. The presence of a cross and makeshift gallows bearing a noose while the crowd chanted “Hang Mike Pence” was significant because together they merged religious symbolism, political violence, and a threat of execution.

The noose illustrates the ugly side of U.S. history. It evokes dark memories of lynching—the racial terror used for generations to intimidate, torture, and murder Black Americans, especially during and after the Jim Crow era. During that time, the noose functioned both as an immediate threat toward politicians branded as “traitors” and as a symbol with a long association with white-supremacist violence.

The Christian cross, as the primary symbol of Christianity, did not represent divine love and Christian discipleship in this hostile environment. Rather, the cross was used for political purposes. Scholars and religious-liberty advocates describe this as Christian nationalism: the belief that the United States is specially ordained as a Christian nation and that political power should preserve a preferred religious and cultural identity.

What exactly is a “Christian nation,” and how can people who chant, “USA,” turn around and target hatred toward their nation’s government? Distrust and hatred toward the federal government are not new.

Those who subscribe to the latest MAGA movement are the same group who previously supported the Tea Party, states’ rights, segregationists, the Dixiecrats, and Jim Crow. They are also the same group who support the idea of a Christian nationalist movement. When it relates to the term “Christian nation,” the nation they love is not a physical nation. In the Bible, “nations” generally refers to distinct ethnic groups, foreign peoples, or non-Jewish (Gentile) populations rather than modern political countries with fixed borders.

The confusion comes when people often interchange words such as nation, state, and country. A nation is a collective sociocultural group of people who share a common lineage, culture, or language and are united by a common identity. A state is a political and legal entity with a permanent population, defined borders, and an independent government. Everything about Christian nationalism, from its symbols, cultural identity, and violence, points back to its Confederacy roots.

There is a reason why the MAGA movement feels like a cult. Confederate Christianity fused Protestant faith with Confederate nationalism. Confederate Christianity is a term for the religious ideology that portrayed the Confederate States and its defense of racial slavery as compatible with—and even mandated by—Christian faith. It was a political theology promoted by many Southern clergy, politicians, and laypeople before and during the Civil War. Its central claim was that slavery was divinely sanctioned, biblically supported, and entrusted to white Southerners as a social order they were morally bound to preserve.

From this perspective, abolitionists were viewed not only as political opponents, but enemies of God’s intended order. Advocates commonly cited biblical passages that describe slavery or urge enslaved people to obey masters. They did this while minimizing or rejecting biblical themes of human equality, liberation, justice, and the moral authority of the Golden Rule, which the Black church has promoted throughout history.

Confederate Christianity is what we refer to today as Christian nationalism. Today’s Christian nationalists continue to carry the tradition of being hypocritical in their support of the Bible and the U.S. Constitution in its entirety. This is especially true when both documents speak up for justice and freedom for the marginalized. But in Texas, Christian nationalists are experiencing an identity crisis.

Texas Democrat candidate for U.S. Senate, James Talarico is showing white evangelical voters that Christians can be liberal. White evangelicals have been a solid voting bloc for Republicans because they have repeatedly been told that there is no such thing as a liberal Christian. Most white evangelicals believe you cannot ever vote for a Democrat because they hate you,” explained April Ajoy, a former Christian nationalist turned liberal Christian, on her YouTube channel.

The Republicans have a lot to be concerned about politically if Talarico can expose the myths and untruths behind white evangelicals putting away their Confederate flags in addition to voting for a Democrat. Will they see that before there was James Talarico, there was Raphael Warnock as a Black U.S. senator and pastor with the same Christian message and example?

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.

How Adoptive Strategies Transform Intensive Outpatient Programs

Adoptive strategies in IOPs are transformative primarily because they integrate Evidence-Based Practices. These practices include techniques such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Motivational Interviewing, which are tailored to meet the unique needs of individuals with Substance Use Disorders (SUD). By focusing on personalized treatment plans, IOPs can address specific challenges faced by participants, such as co-occurring disorders, which are mental health issues occurring alongside addiction. One effective option for this is an Intensive Outpatient Program that focuses on these aspects.

Another pivotal component of these strategies is the Harm Reduction Model, which prioritizes reducing the negative consequences of substance use rather than insisting on abstinence. This approach can be particularly effective in helping individuals who are not ready or able to commit to complete sobriety, thus keeping them engaged in the program and motivated to continue their journey toward recovery.

Moreover, adopting Trauma-Informed Care ensures that the treatment environment acknowledges and respects the impact of trauma on individuals’ mental health and substance use. This care model helps create a safe and supportive setting, essential for fostering trust and encouraging progress in recovery.

Key Components of Effective Adoptive Strategies in Treatment

Effective adoptive strategies in IOPs often include a comprehensive Relapse Prevention Plan. This plan is tailored to each individual’s triggers and risk factors, offering coping strategies and support systems to prevent relapse. Additionally, incorporating Peer Recovery Specialists, who have personal experience with recovery, provides participants with relatable mentors who can offer encouragement and guidance.

Another vital component is the integration of Recovery Support Services, such as family counseling and community resources, which help build a robust Recovery Capital. This term refers to the various resources individuals can draw upon to support their recovery journey. Enhancing Recovery Capital can significantly improve long-term outcomes by providing a strong support network.

Behavioral Activation, a therapeutic approach focusing on increasing engagement in positive activities, is also crucial. By addressing behavioral patterns and encouraging participation in rewarding activities, individuals can experience improved mood and reduced substance use.

Measuring Success: Outcomes of Enhanced Intensive Outpatient Programs

The success of enhanced IOPs can be measured through various outcomes, such as reduced relapse rates and improved mental health. Programs integrating adoptive strategies often report higher engagement levels and lower dropout rates, indicating a more effective treatment process. According to a recent SAMHSA report, incorporating Evidence-Based Practices like CBT and Motivational Interviewing can lead to significant improvements in treatment adherence and recovery outcomes.

Furthermore, the use of Clinical Supervision ensures that therapeutic interventions are provided consistently and effectively, contributing to positive program outcomes. This supervision allows for continuous refinement of treatment plans based on participant progress and challenges.

The integration of SMART Recovery, a self-help program focusing on self-empowerment and self-reliance, is another measure of success. Programs that adopt SMART Recovery principles often see participants develop stronger self-management skills, leading to more sustainable recovery.

Real-World Applications of Adoptive Strategies in Behavioral Health

In real-world applications, adoptive strategies in IOPs have shown success across various settings. For example, programs that incorporate Dual Diagnosis treatment, addressing both mental health and substance use disorders, have demonstrated improved outcomes for individuals with complex needs. This approach is supported by research from NIMH, which highlights the importance of treating co-occurring disorders simultaneously.

Additionally, programs employing Trauma-Informed Care have reported creating more inclusive and supportive environments, which are crucial for participants with histories of trauma. This care model not only enhances trust but also encourages deeper engagement in the recovery process.

Finally, the use of personalized Relapse Prevention Plans and Recovery Support Services has led to more significant and sustained recovery outcomes. By addressing individual needs and enhancing recovery resources, IOPs can offer more comprehensive and effective support for their participants.

Conclusion

The integration of adoptive strategies within Intensive Outpatient Programs has proven to enhance recovery outcomes significantly. By incorporating personalized treatment plans, Evidence-Based Practices, and supportive care models, IOPs can better address the complexities of addiction and mental health challenges. These strategies not only improve engagement and reduce relapse rates but also empower individuals to build a sustainable recovery journey. For those seeking effective and adaptable treatment options, an Intensive Outpatient Program that embraces these strategies can offer a path to recovery and improved well-being.

Staff Writer; Craig Poole

King Solomon told me in Proverbs 14:12:  “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

The reboot of the iconic TV show from the nineties, A Different World, reminds me of this scripture.

Beloved actor, director, and writer, Debbie Allen is the executive producer; and she added Felicia Pride to be the writer and producer.

I have no idea who Pride is, but from her writing credits I know why.

I am very disappointed in the reboot and especially of Allen.  She is legendary for producing very thoughtful, substantive shows.  Shows that make you think.

The reboot is my worst fears coming true.

The original A Different World followed students at Hillman College, a fictional historically Black university, navigating academic life, friendships, and campus challenges. Known for its authentic portrayal of Black college culture, it addressed social and political issues seldom seen on mainstream TV. Praised for strong performances, cultural impact, and thoughtful writing, it remains a significant hit in syndication.

One of the most iconic, memorable episodes from the original is by far the “If I Should Die Before I Wake” episode. It is the twenty-third episode of A Different World’s fourth season which was first broadcast on April 11, 1991.

Challenged by a speech-class assignment Josie (played by Tisha Campbell) reveals that she is HIV-positive, prompting her fellow students to re-examine everything they thought they knew about AIDS.

This episode explored the issue of AIDS from angles that were very evocative, powerful, loving, and yet real.  Everything that the reboot is not!

I am sure you can find this episode on the internet.

In the reboot’s first episode, Kadeem Hardison’s character Dwayne, goes off into this anti-Trump rant without mentioning Trump by name.  “…This is a watershed moment.  This country that we [referring to Blacks] built is trying to erase our Black history, our gains, our culture.  They [he never tells us who they are] want to demoralize us.  They want to deport us [American citizens cannot be deported] , they want to jail [only if you commit a crime]  us, they want to shoot us down in the streets [this is not happening].  But you, you all are their greatest threat [how]. You, future leaders who care about justice and community and each other.  I know you will stand up.  I know you will fight, build and you will change the world.  Now let’s get to it.”

I knew I was in trouble at this point.  I literally had my finger on the off button to turn the TV off; but forced myself to continue watching.

This diatribe is straight out of the liberal playbook.  This emotional rant is like the tinkling cymbal or the sounding brass; full of sound and fury signifying nothing.

I watched three and a half episodes before I had to shut it down.  I refuse to watch another episode of the reboot, EVER!!!

During the fourth episode all of a sudden out of nowhere you are thrust into a scene of two males being naked in bed together.

ENOUGH!!!

Not on my TV.  I was disgusted and extremely disappointed in Debbie Allen for putting this on the air.  There are so many needed and necessary storylines that should and need to be addressed on the reboot, but homosexuality is not one.

Allen is a known liberal, but I never viewed her as part of the extreme radical elite liberal part of the Black community.  Felicia Pride is definitely part of this fringe element within the Black community.

As to be expected, the homosexual community is high fiving all over the place.

According to Pride, “…This is the world we live in…That’s how I approach storytelling. It’s from a truth perspective. Queer people are all around us, and they need to be a part of our storytelling. So it was a no-brainer for us.”

Maleah Joi Moon, who plays Deborah Wayne, stated, “…We have fully embodied queer characters on this show so that everybody can feel represented…And I feel like that is something that we kinda toss to the wind a lot. But there is safety, and there is preciousness in representing people, and I think that’s a huge pillar of our show…”

This is why I am encouraging my followers to not watch this liberal garbage.

Renee Harrison’s character, Candace, was asked by one of her classmates how she juggled all of her responsibilities on campus.  Her response was repulsive, “…I have an unapologetic  commitment to being that bitch…”

Really?

So now Debbie Allen is promoting the rachet notion that a Black girl at a prestigious Black university thinks of herself as a bitch.  Really?  You put that on TV?

Where are the conservative voices on the show?  HBCUs were founded on the best traditions of the Black church, yet this founding principle is totally ignored in the reboot.

In the original show, there were real, honest debates from left to right on various topical issues of the day.

In the reboot, there is enough cleavage on this show to supply milk to the whole continent of Africa for years.  This never happened on the original show.

Bill Cosby, the creator of the original show, would never have allowed that to happen.  There are a couple of reasons why this type of buffoonery never happened on the Cosby Show or A Different World.

Cosby had a PhD in education; and second, he hired famed Black psychiatrist, Alvin Poussaint as a media consultant on scrips and storylines for both shows.

It seems like Allen hired Snoop Dog as her consultant!

Then when I did a little digging around and talked with some of my Hollywood friends about the reboot,  the reason for the shows radical extreme liberal foolishness became crystal clear.

Pride, along with Allen’s blessings stated the obvious, “…We had an all-Black writers room: seven writers plus myself, plus our support staff.  About half of the room went to HBCUs, a lot of D9 [Divine Nine sorority and fraternity] representation…We had an all-Black directing team that were all women and queer.”

As with most Black liberals, the goal of the show is not to produce great content for a great show, but to push a radical liberal extreme ideology upon the Black community.

Cosby and Poussaint would never have allowed the reboot to prostitute the integrity of the original show.

And let me say for the record, of all the work I have done with high profile people, I am most proud of my work with Bill and Camille Cosby during some of their most trying times of their lives.  And to see firsthand the number of prominent Blacks who turned their backs on them was disgusting, but I digress!!!

And to Jasmine Guy.  She is one of the sweetest, nicest people you will ever meet and know.  I will go through hell and back for her.  Nuf said!!!

Once again, Blacks have failed the Claudette Covin test.

Colvin was the Rosa Parks before Rosa Parks.  She could not become the face of the civil rights movement because she was a fifteen-year-old unmarried girl who was pregnant.

In other words, the Black community and its leaders enforced a standard within the Black community.  Not binding by force of law but binding by community standards that were self-imposed.

Blacks had to wait almost a year before Rosa Parks came along.

What is the Colvin test?

The Colvin test is when one has all the right skill set and background but is the wrong person for the mission at hand.  Legally, Colvin’s arrest for refusing to give up her seat had the same fact pattern as Rosa Parks’ case.

Debbie Allen and Felecia Pride are definitely not the right persons for the mission at hand, thus they failed the Colvin test.

The garbage they have put out with their reboot is a different world from where I come from!

Staff Writer; Raynard Jackson

RJ is a Pulitzer Award nominated columnist and President & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC, a Washington, DC based global public affairs consultancy.  Feel free to visit his website at: www.raynardjackson.com.  You can follow Raynard on Twitter @ RealRaynardJ or Gettr @ RaynardJackson.

An old barber back home, man they called Percy, told me once you can read what a person loves by what he keeps up. Same idea as a garden. You water it before the dry spell hits, not standing over brown stalks come August. With our own kin we forget that part. A brother stops calling and you let it ride. Your cousin turns bitter and you figure he will come around on his own. Daddy goes quiet in his chair and you promise yourself there is still time, next month, next holiday, soon. Then the phone rings on a Tuesday morning and time is gone.

Let me be plain about the money first, since a lot of us flinch from it. Research from Boston College found a striking divide among older households: about 34 percent of Black households had a will, compared with 79 percent of white households. That gap is not small. White families in this country hold close to 6 times the median wealth of Black families. That wealth divide has many causes, but one piece of the problem is what happens when families die without clear instructions for transferring the assets they managed to build. When somebody passes with no valid will, state law generally determines who inherits. His house, often the biggest thing he ever bought, can end up divided among multiple heirs who cannot agree. From there can come title problems, legal fights, unpaid taxes or even a forced sale that wipes away much of what four decades of labor built. I have watched this happen on my own street. A good brick home that raised three children was sold for pennies because nobody wanted to sit down and plan while Daddy was living. The grief was real. What came after was avoidable.

Here is the part that eats at me, though. The will, hard as it feels, is actually the simple piece. What you cannot get a notary to stamp is the inheritance that matters more.

There is an old warning among people who preserve family history that oral stories can disappear in as little as 3 generations if nobody deliberately keeps passing them down. Your grandfather is walking around with things nobody ever wrote down. He knows what town his people ran from, and why they left in the dark. Somewhere in him is a song his mama hummed at the washtub, one you have never caught and never will unless you sit down and ask. Bury him with all of that still in his head and it goes under the dirt with him, every bit. Something about burying an elder keeps eating at me. We act like we lost one person, when sometimes we also buried everything that person knew and never handed to another soul.

So ask him. Sit with your uncle and let the recorder run on your phone. You’ll feel foolish for about ten minutes, and then he’ll start, and you’ll realize you never truly knew the one who raised your mother. My own father and I lost years to a stubbornness neither of us could name. One summer I got tired of carrying it, drove down, sat on his porch, and said the thing I should have offered a decade before. He cried. I had never seen that. We got six more years after that porch, and I would trade a great deal of what I own for one of them.

This is the reconciliation nobody wants to preach on. We hold our finest words back for the eulogy, like the dead are in any shape to hear them. He needed that Thursday, over fried fish, with his heart still going. So tell him now, out of your own mouth, while it lands on ears that work. Making peace at the graveside might soothe you some, but it does the man himself no good at all. Why sit on a grudge until the only place it gets spoken is a church full of folks dressed in black?

Photographs matter more than young folks give them credit for. Print them. I mean that. Too much of your life is trapped inside a device that may be broken, replaced or inaccessible a few years from now. My grandmother kept a shoebox, and after she passed, that beat-up box held us together better than any sermon could. We sat on the floor and laughed and fussed over who was who in the pictures, and for those couple hours she was back in the room with us. A child needs to see the faces he came out of. He needs proof he belongs to something bigger and older than whatever this week is throwing at him.

And the encouragement. Lord, the encouragement. Too many of our boys come up having never once heard a grown man look them in the eye and say he is proud of them. A lot of us were raised rough, taught that going soft was something the world would make us pay for. Maybe that was true for our fathers. For our sons it is doing real damage. One honest word from an older head can turn a young life clean around. I watched a hardhead become a deacon because one person would not quit on him, said it to his face over and over. Does not cost a dime. No lawyer has to be in the room. Just takes some nerve to open your mouth.

I am not knocking a fine homegoing, understand. Our people made an art out of the funeral for good reason. For generations, segregation and racism denied Black families equal dignity in too many parts of American life, so we built and protected our own traditions around death and mourning. The repast, the choir tearing the roof off, the long line of shined-up cars. All ours, every bit. Still, no amount of glory at the end makes up for being absent through the middle. A gold casket is a sorry way to apologize for ten cold years.

So what am I asking you to do? Write the thing, yes. Put the names down, get the property titled right, tell somebody where you keep the papers. Handle that this month. Then do the harder work, the part no form has room for. Phone the relative you fell out with. Pull the photos off the cloud and into a frame on the wall. Press a hundred dollars and a hard truth into your grandbaby’s hand. Sit the old woman down and get her talking while she is still here to do it. And tell a grown man to his face, out loud, that you love him, while he is still around to grumble something back.

We judge a life by how many folks pack the church at the end. That is the wrong measuring stick. Your legacy is not the flowers on the casket, and it is not the length of the program. A deed with the right names on it, so your grandchildren keep a roof over their heads, that is legacy. So is your mother’s laugh saved on a phone where some child can play it back long after you are gone. The quarrel you settled face to face instead of leaving it to curdle at the repast, that counts too. And the scared boy who straightened his life out because one evening you sat him down and told him he mattered. None of that waits on the undertaker. It is work for the living, and the living start today.

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.

Regardless of what traditions are important to you, if you want your big day to feel like you, and to really bring in that big family love, then it’s critical that you toss out those generic wedding ideas and use this guide instead:

What to Consider When Selecting the Venue

The venue you choose will set the stage for your big day. That’s why you’ll want to choose a wedding venue rental that for one, looks beautiful throughout all seasons (and has the space to accommodate everyone you want to invite) and two, that doesn’t restrict you on which vendors you use, so that you can book specialist vendors that allow you to celebrate your heritage, your way. For the best experience, make sure that the venue you choose only hosts one wedding at a time, so you know that your big day is yours and yours alone.

Ensure You Include Those Essential Cultural Rituals for Your Big Day

Weddings, unlike other events, are the celebration of two different families coming together, sometimes from different communities or cultures. That’s why communication at the start is so important.

Write down all the traditions each of you will want at the wedding (and make sure to get some family input). This could classic things like jumping the broom, tasting the four elements, or the classic “tying the knot”, or it could be heritage specific. If you want to celebrate your Ghanian heritage, for example, you might want to add Opon-akyi bo, the knocking ceremony, as an essential pre-wedding event.

Mixed Heritage? Create a List

If you and your spouse are from different backgrounds, for example, your family has been in the United States for over a hundred years, and your spouse grew up in Zimbabwe, your traditions are going to look different. That’s why it’s important to create a list of all the traditions you want to include, Once you have those lists, you can:

1. Identify what’s the same and what’s different.
2. Create a timeline that places when all the different traditions and elements will occur.
3. Decide which traditions you want to incorporate, blend, or leave out.

Feel free to mix and match as well. You could get married and have your photos taken in the white dress and suit, for example, and then for the reception change into traditional kente attire, or even the other way around!

Don’t Forget the Small Little Traditions, Jokes, and Histories

The little details matter, which is why it’s so important to bring in those little traditions and histories from both sides of your families. Put up photos of your family’s own wedding days as part of the celebration, use that good luck charm your mom gave you, name the tables based on old family jokes or stories. There are so many unique ways you can make the wedding feel homely, and like you, so start brainstorming!

Staff Writer; Terry Barker

It’s not the economy, stupid, that’s souring Americans on the GOP. It’s energy prices, which are causing pain at the pump and making voters, even Republicans, bristle under GOP leadership. To turn the midterm races around, the Republican Party has to make the strong case that pain at the pump is worth it to subdue a nuclear-ambitious Iran, whose leaders have chanted “Death to America” for 47 years.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) claims people are “drowning in Donald Trump’s failed economy,” adding that “they can’t thrive and can barely survive.”

Let’s roll out the data from the impartial U.S. Census Bureau that prove these are lies. Median income rose to a new high in 2025, $87,138. The biggest beneficiaries of the 2025 surge were minorities, women and workers at the bottom rungs of the economic ladder. Hispanic, Black and child poverty rates hit all-time lows, while earnings for those in the bottom 25% of the economy rose. Adding a dose of hyperbole, Trump presidential adviser Steve Moore calls 2025 “a miracle year.”

In 2025, GOP policies also narrowed the pay gap between women and men to the smallest yet, and women captured virtually all the year’s employment gains. (Try telling this to women voters, who overwhelmingly favor Democrats.)

Despite these undeniable gains, voters are rapidly shifting trust to Democrats to handle the economy. In the latest NPR/PBS News/Marist poll, voters trusted Democrats over Republicans 42% to 34%. It’s the major reason Democrats are predicted to take the House and possibly the Senate.

What explains this disconnect between impressive economic gains and plummeting poll numbers on Trump’s handling of the economy? First, a drumbeat of Democratic statements parroting the same message: Americans are “drowning.”

Polls reveal that voters say their own economic situation is good, but they are being convinced by this rhetoric that other people are not doing well. A Navigator Research poll in August of voters in the Midwest swing states, who are being pummeled with TV and social media ads against the GOP economy, found that 63% rated their own financial situation good or excellent, but 65% rated the national economy negatively. Voters’ shifting attitudes about the economy are the result of deceptive political ads, not reality.

Second, the lasting and painful impact of Bidenflation. Inflation for the 12 months ending August 2026 was miniscule, averaging 3% for all goods and services except energy. But in the first two years of the Biden administration, inflation had soared to 9%, and the Biden-era prices are still up there. Curbing inflation doesn’t lower prices, it just halts the increase. It will take time for wages to catch up, even in a dynamic economy. Until then, shopping for groceries will still be painful.

Third, gas prices are soaring. Iran’s effective shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s oil is exported, pushed gas to $4.48 on average at the pump as of Monday. Ouch.

Even some Republican candidates are losing fortitude. Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers posted on X, “The war with Iran needs to end, and end quickly. When it does, energy costs will plummet.” The Iranian mullahs are loving it.

The administration needs to make the case to these weak-kneed candidates and to the nation that defeating Iran’s nuclear ambitions is essential for the safety of the world and the security of the U.S.

Gas supplies were also interrupted during World War II. But the public didn’t beg Franklin Roosevelt to stop fighting. The real burden on the public then was not high prices but extreme rationing. Civilians were given stickers for their vehicles, allotting them a small amount of fuel, strictly for essential errands or to drive to work at a war plant. Almost no one complained. Austerity was a patriotic duty to defeat the enemy. Carpooling was encouraged, and posters announced that “When you ride alone, you ride with Hitler.”

That was the greatest generation. But there’s greatness in America even today.

If Republicans lose control of Congress, it will not be because of a bad economy. Blame inept, soulless messaging. Republican candidates and the president need to present the facts and ask voters to rise to the occasion.

The Trump administration needs to sell the public on why the price of gas is high and start talking about the price of freedom. Urge the public to sacrifice for victory against a nation determined to destroy us.

Written by Betsy McCaughey

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

To be fair, Speaker Mike Johnson and the House of Representatives have been giving it the old college try. But most of the proposed legislation that has passed the House has gone into indefinite limbo in the Senate.

The Senate’s most visible failure (and the one that has probably created the greatest fury among voters) is its abject refusal to pass the SAVE Act, which mandates voter ID and proof of U.S. citizenship to vote (and which a majority of Americans, regardless of party affiliation, support and feel is needed to protect the integrity of our elections). That disgrace can be laid squarely at the feet of Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), who has had two years to drum up the votes in the Senate, and who claims that he just can’t do it. Meanwhile, he drones on and on in his public speeches about how Republicans in Congress are fulfilling its campaign promises.

Nonsense. Thune spends more time justifying all the vacation the senators take than passing legislation that Americans sent him and the rest of Senate Republicans to Congress to enact.

Frustrated with Congress’ inertia and the price of gas — with all the attendant cost increases that causes — no small number of conservative voters are threatening to stay home.

That would be a mistake of catastrophic proportions.

Yes, Thune needs to be gone. As do a number of other feckless Republicans. But, to borrow Aragorn’s famous line from the film “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” it is not this day. Or, more precisely, it is not this election.

The chance to “stick it to the Republicans” who have let us down time and time again will come in the next primary election. These challenges can be successful; just look at the Texas primaries, when voters sent a clear message to Sen. John Cornyn by tossing him out in favor of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

But when elections present a choice between weak Republicans and Democrat candidates whose preferred policies read like prescriptions for economic collapse or the sequel to “1984,” staying home is not a viable option.

Democrat candidate Abdul El-Sayed, for example, who is running for a U.S. Senate seat in Michigan, has advocated for defunding the police and abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, wants single-payer (government-provided) health care and has expressed support for Hamas and Hezbollah. He is cozy with America-hating podcast preener Hasan Piker, whose most recent inflammatory headline involved telling Democrat Chuck Schumer, “I will throw you in prison, OK? I want to put you physically behind a prison. I want Chinese-style communism to happen inside of the Democratic Party right now. … I want to do Cultural Revolution sh*t.” (If that’s what Piker wants for members of the Democratic Party, one can imagine what he would wish for Republicans.)

Socialist Melat Kiros is running for a congressional seat in Colorado. She, too, wants to abolish ICE and impose “Medicare for all.” Darializa Avila Chevalier, running for the seat in New York’s 13th congressional district, sounds like a straight-up communist, calling for the abolition of ICE, prisons and borders, as well as nationalizing utilities, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies, housing — and, presumably, all manufacturing, since she wrote, “Seize the means of production.”

She has socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s backing.

When communists are gunning for government control, you can’t just sit on the sidelines. And a lot of American voters already do.

For example, according to studies conducted in the runup to the 2024 elections, 49% of self-identified Christians had no plans to vote. That translates to more than 100 million Americans. The reasons given were things like “One vote cannot make a difference,” “I’m not really interested in politics” and “I don’t like any of the candidates.”

One hundred million people is a staggering number. And that was in a presidential election year; even fewer Americans tend to vote in the midterms. FairVote.org reports that while approximately 60% of registered voters turn out in presidential election years, that number drops to around 40% in the midterm elections. This isn’t to say that all Christians consider themselves politically conservative or vote Republican. Many do not. But a significant number of those voters are more conservative and could change the outcome of elections if they showed up. We need them now more than ever.

Ire at Congress is understandable. But sending Democrats to Congress by staying home will not “teach Republicans a lesson.” To the contrary, we the people are the ones who will lose out.

Today’s Democratic Party is in the throes of extreme left-wing lunacy — a fact that even public liberals like late-night talk show host Bill Maher are astounded by. The party is running candidates who proudly espouse economically destructive and politically oppressive policies. These candidates cannot be allowed to win.

In addition to the command-and-control economics, if Democrats regain control of Congress, they will federalize abortion on demand throughout all nine months of pregnancy — just as Democrats who control state legislatures have done in states like New York and Massachusetts.

They will also reopen the border and let millions more migrants pour in, just as was done during the Biden administration. Indeed, the migrants themselves are clearly anticipating this possibility, as another “caravan” is presently making its way into Mexico from Honduras with the intention of pushing into the United States.

There has been enormous progress shutting down illegal immigration under President Donald Trump. More than 600,000 illegal immigrants have been deported since January of 2025 (some estimates place the number closer to 900,000), and nearly 2 million more have left the country voluntarily (“self-deported”). The number of “encounters” at the southern border — people attempting to cross illegally — is down, on average, 90% each month under Trump versus under former President Joe Biden, and for month after month, zero people who were caught were simply “released” and told to show up later for a hearing, as was the common practice under Biden. And the current administration has made locating tens of thousands of unaccompanied children — many of whom end up in forced labor or sex slavery — a huge priority.

Is there more to do? Much. Do we want lower gas prices and an end to the conflict in Iran? Certainly. But those goals can be accomplished in the next two years, as can the objective of getting rid of more squishy Republicans.

A Congress controlled by Democrats will undo what progress has been made — and make things much, much worse.

Written by Laura Hollis

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