Nurah Speaks

Maya Angelou will be the first black woman featured on a U.S. quarter. These quarters will be ready for distribution late January, early February of 2022. Years ago, the Obama administration announced that Harriet Tubman will be the face of the next twenty dollar bills. Yet insider.com has reported that the Tubman twenties may not be produced until 2030. Blacks in America have graduated from being literal currency to being featured on currency. Still, the question must be asked: what value will this redesigned money have on the lives of Black people? Will it contribute to meaningful change or will these solely be symbolic gestures? Certainly symbolism has its place but we are beyond symbols and monuments that do not move the dial forward in our possessing and exercising civil rights. If you would like to engage with the Nurah Speaks podcast, submit your listener questions to info@NurahSpeaks.com.  Listeners can also learn more about Nurah by visiting her website: NurahSpeaks.com or reading her blog b

Social etiquette is culturally accepted set of standards and protocols that help us function harmoniously with others. They are guidelines for behavior that support healthy relationships and boundaries and when honored, demonstrates respect for others and ourselves. If you would like to engage with the Nurah Speaks podcast, submit your listener questions to info@NurahSpeaks.com.  Listeners can also learn more about Nurah by visiting her website: NurahSpeaks.com or reading her blog by clicking this link. Follow Nurah Speaks @NurahSpeaksPodcast on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To bring Nurah as a speaker at your next event, email info@NurahSpeaks.com. Remember, don’t just Join the Movement, Be the Movement!

Our social media following is not a true measurement of our significance or our relevance. That is better measured by the impact or change that we can make in the lives of those who are closest to us in the ‘real world’. It is certainly a tool that can be used to amplify the work that we are already doing however. We must substantiate ourselves with a local footprint first before we seek a broad following because the question can easily be asked…what have you done? And without the ability to point to your real world wins, you are not operating on a firm foundation. Social media can help us detach from reality. But we must work beyond the 240 twitter characters to truly authenticate our real world value. If you would like to engage with the Nurah Speaks podcast, submit your listener questions to info@NurahSpeaks.com.  Listeners can also learn more about Nurah by visiting her website: NurahSpeaks.com or reading her blog by clicking this link. Follow Nurah Speaks @NurahSpeaksPodcast on Facebook, Tw

Why is the young black woman’s artistic expression saturated with sexuality? Dry humping, grinding and gyrating on stage is not a display of talent yet this is the route of so many. And whether we realize it or not, we propagate a plantation-like mentality in which our bodies are the product brought to market more than our actual talents. As it was then, it remains today that we are the most unprotected and unprovided for women that we are now trading our dignity for followers, clicks and dollars.  Let us pause to consider what are we producing in the hearts and minds of our future generations.   If you would like to engage with the Nurah Speaks podcast, submit your listener questions to info@NurahSpeaks.com.  Listeners can also learn more about Nurah by visiting her website: NurahSpeaks.com or reading her blog by clicking this link. Follow Nurah Speaks @NurahSpeaksPodcast on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To bring Nurah as a speaker at your next event, email info@NurahSpeaks.c

Richard Williams is a genius. He produced the gods who ruled over tennis and changed the game forever. He is a brilliant black man. FULL STOP. Some of the press for the film depicting his life as a father and tennis coach is highlighting our culture’s disdain and scorn for Black men. We know Richard Williams because he gave us Venus and Serena. However, recent articles published with the release of the film deals with his alleged failings as a husband. One such article ‘King Richard' And The Delicate Dance Of Exalting A Flawed Black Man puts attention on the conflicts in his marriage suggesting the film is idealized and lacking authenticity for not addressing his and Oracene’s marital issues. Can a Black man, can this Black man be celebrated without qualification? “He did great, but…” The title, '...the delicate dance of exalting a flawed black man….is written as if you can find any man without flaws. There needs not to be a delicate dance to exalt a flawed man because all men - and women - have flaws.

Enjoin one another to good. Persuade one another to do their best, be their best and seek our the best. In our current ‘I do as I please’ culture, it can be unpopular to promote virtue and accountability. Yet based on the current trend of the Black community’s outcomes, we need an intervention today! Let’s start with you and me. When we see our friends and family making choices ill suited for success, love them enough to tap them on their shoulder and encourage a different conclusion. There will be no community improvement without an improvement in the people. If you would like to engage with the Nurah Speaks podcast, submit your listener questions to info@NurahSpeaks.com.  Listeners can also learn more about Nurah by visiting her website: NurahSpeaks.com or reading her blog by clicking this link. Follow Nurah Speaks @NurahSpeaksPodcast on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To bring Nurah as a speaker at your next event, email info@NurahSpeaks.com. Remember, don’t just Join the Movement, Be the Mov

No one likes being misunderstood. Misunderstandings can lead to conflict, disappointment, sadness, resentment and conclusions much, much worse.  How you and I manage being misunderstood will be the difference between keeping or losing our own peace of mind. In Episode 172, I share five key takeaways that I have learned from being misunderstood myself. I share them here with hope that listeners will find these takeaways useful in their own journeys. The way others perceive is influenced by the culmination of their life experiences, personality and expectations. No one is exempt from being misunderstood. Tell the truth and get out of the way. Always make clarity, not ego, the goal. Misunderstanding may occur due to your own failure in communication. If you would like to engage with the Nurah Speaks podcast, submit your listener questions to info@NurahSpeaks.com.  Listeners can also learn more about Nurah by visiting her website: NurahSpeaks.com or reading her blog by clicking this 

The pig is a sick animal that consumes garbage, animal excrement and decaying flesh. Its tissue is riddled with mucous, worms, parasites and viruses that impact the health of its eater. Even the World Health Organization has concluded that processed pork is a contributor to cancer.  It is simply not a meat fit for human consumption. It is time we follow the science and cancel the swine from our diets. This episode includes detailed information about the pig and how our bodies are impacted when we eat it. Below I have included links to books, articles and videos that will educate you more about pork and why we should abstain from this damaging meat. https://muhammadmen.com/product/how-to-eat-to-live-book-1/ https://muhammadmen.com/product/how-to-eat-to-live-book-two/ http://www.friendsofsabbath.org/Further_Research/Health/The%20Adverse%20Influence%20of%20Pork.pdf https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALCizrpQNpc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQg0VRawBHs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNAuhtZuuDM https://

We have acclimated to a mediocre and inferior means of living- in nearly every aspect of our existence in North America. From areas of health, family, educational outcomes and finances-Black Americans lead in most negative statistics.  Whether through mental conditioning or forced enslavement, we are not generally positioned for successful outcomes. In consideration of our condition, we must rethink the standards by which we are living. If we take a close examination, many of us are conditioned to mediocrity and subpar circumstances.   I would suggest that we raise our standards and habituate ourselves to those standards. If we accustom ourselves to the basic principles of success, success will then become the norm. If you would like to engage with the Nurah Speaks podcast, submit your listener questions to info@NurahSpeaks.com.  Listeners can also learn more about Nurah by visiting her website: NurahSpeaks.com or reading her blog by clicking this link. Follow Nurah Speaks @NurahSpeak

Grammy’s and academy awards are no qualifiers for leadership. Our entertainers are not the authority in matters of national, political, governmental, education and societal affairs. Why then are they sought to speak on behalf of the Black community when there are those who are qualified among us to address these matters? Celebrities (athletes and entertainers) are paid to play games, dance, play make believe and amuse us in general. How then do we accept their insights on signifiant matters of state when we have those on the ground doing the actual work of promoting change? Let the comedians make us laugh. Let the singers make us dance. Let the athletes make us cheer.  And let the leaders, whose experience qualifies them, speak for us. No other group like the Black community permits their performers to address matters of importance as if they are authorities in those fields. Why do we? If you would like to engage with the Nurah Speaks podcast, submit your listener questions to info@NurahSpeaks.co

We must not let the frustrations of our past mistakes stain the joy our young people have in pursuing their own dreams and ambitions. We unfairly place the burden of our errors at their feet and pour out a cascade of our grief and regrets. It is selfish and unjust of us to do. Instead of discouraging our children with a litany of our failures, lift them up and push them towards what’s possible for their lives. If you would like to engage with the Nurah Speaks podcast, submit your listener questions to info@NurahSpeaks.com.  Listeners can also learn more about Nurah by visiting her website: NurahSpeaks.com or reading her blog by clicking this link. Follow Nurah Speaks @NurahSpeaksPodcast on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To bring Nurah as a speaker at your next event, email info@NurahSpeaks.com. Remember, don’t just Join the Movement, Be the Movement!

Propaganda is the systematic dispersion of information (truth or untruths) to persuade opinions, attitudes and ultimately the behavior of people. It is a tool used in education, retail marketing, religion, entertainment, politics and healthcare.   Strategists use propaganda to create followers, manipulate emotions, behaviors and the financial investment of its targets. This episode shares ways to manage propaganda to get at the truth in all matters.  We cannot afford to be intellectually lazy in this day or we can fall victim to those who are skilled manipulators for the purpose of their own agendas. If you would like to engage with the Nurah Speaks podcast, submit your listener questions to info@NurahSpeaks.com.  Listeners can also learn more about Nurah by visiting her website: NurahSpeaks.com or reading her blog by clicking this link. Follow Nurah Speaks @NurahSpeaksPodcast on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To bring Nurah as a speaker at your next event, email info@NurahSpe

More and more I see requests on social media for followers to post pictures of the interior of their homes and for games which require followers to insert information that could be used for fraudulent purposes. Episode 166 features ten social media best practice tips for listeners to employ to protect themselves, their property and their loved ones. 1 Refrain from posting the interior of your home 2. Be conservative with your posts 3. Do not post intoxicated, either from substances or strong emotions 4. Do not play the games that ask you to list key details about yourself or family that could also be used to hack your accounts. 5. Use strong passwords such as sentences, phrases and use two factor authentication. 6. Protect your children by refraining from posting them in their bathing suits, beds and bedrooms and with identifying information such as their school or sports team. 7. Know your employer’s social media policies. 8. Do not accept every friend request. 9. Refrain from posting your personal fears a

To every extent possible we must exert control over that which influences our young people. They are too valuable and our future too precious to defer the responsibility and direction of their lives to outside persuasion. If we want a future of prosperity, longevity and security-the work is ours to do today to make sure that happens. Parenting and guidance of our young people is an active - not a passive - job. If you would like to engage with the Nurah Speaks podcast, submit your listener questions to info@NurahSpeaks.com.  Listeners can also learn more about Nurah by visiting her website: NurahSpeaks.com or reading her blog by clicking this link. Follow Nurah Speaks @NurahSpeaksPodcast on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To bring Nurah as a speaker at your next event, email info@NurahSpeaks.com. Remember, don’t just Join the Movement, Be the Movement!

Standard Bearers are those who uphold values or ideas. They are those who champion the values and ideas in which they believe. They possess the strength to endure changing trends; they have the discipline to remain consistent and on message and the fearlessness to speak to that which is unpopular or unfavored by the masses.   If you want to be a leader and be successful, you must possess the qualities of a standard bearer. In this episode, I share a staunch example of a steadfast sister, Sharazhad Ali, a bold woman speaking on behalf of the Black family for over 30 years. She epitomizes what it is to be a standard bearer.  You can find links to videos featuring her here: https://youtu.be/nG8H4Jyd_no https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9XQ4ia2j0k If you would like to engage with the Nurah Speaks podcast, submit your listener questions to info@NurahSpeaks.com.  Listeners can also learn more about Nurah by visiting her website: NurahSpeaks.com or reading her blog by clicking this link

When we conduct ourselves without standards, we devolve into chaos - as evidenced by the outcomes in our community.  There must be some acceptable standard for language, dress and behavior - especially in public. We are so worn down that we’ve acclimated to our substandard conditions and argue with those who encourage us to do and be better.  It makes the words of Henry Berry true: “We have as far as possible closed every avenue by which light may enter the slave’s mind. If we could extinguish the capacity to see the light, our work would be complete; they would then be on a level with the beast of the field and we should be safe.” If you would like to engage with the Nurah Speaks podcast, submit your listener questions to info@NurahSpeaks.com.  Listeners can also learn more about Nurah by visiting her website: NurahSpeaks.com or reading her blog by clicking this link. Follow Nurah Speaks @NurahSpeaksPodcast on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To bring Nurah as a speaker at your next e

Do not mistake correction for condemnation, they are not the same. To receive correction is to receive guidance when we have erred. We need not assume any judgement has been made upon us. Too many of us are uncomfortable, agitated and distrustful when receiving counsel that does not align with our attitudes, beliefs or behaviors. I have personal experience with working youth and some adults who perceive instruction as aggression and correction as an attack One remedy to this is rearing our children to respect authority and habituating them to training and coaching in their youth. Those who have not are easily identified by employers, teachers, mentors and coaches.  They are often the most difficult to train and the least receptive to guidance.   If you would like to engage with the Nurah Speaks podcast, submit your listener questions to info@NurahSpeaks.com.  Listeners can also learn more about Nurah by visiting her website: NurahSpeaks.com or reading her blog by clicking this link. Fol

A New Jersey school principal told her faculty that pajamas, do-rags and bonnets are ‘their culture’, referring to the school's black pupils. If this would upset us, what argument do we have with Mo’nique? She is giving no less than what I received growing up from the women responsible for shaping and cultivating me into womanhood. The rearing, training and chiding (when needed) that I received in my youth conditioned me to appreciate mentorship and guidance as an adult. It is simple. We need to do better and stop hating the person giving the correction. We may want to ‘do as we please’ but if what we please defies decency and etiquette then we ought to be challenged. We should want more for ourselves than forcing society to accept our regressed attitudes and behaviors. This is not our culture. It is emblematic of our fall from grace and our own self regard. These words can be tough to hear for women who are so encouraged to ‘live your life’ and ‘do what makes you happy’. We are being misguided and are mi

Juneteenth, also known as ‘Freedom Day’, ‘Emancipation Day’ and ‘Liberation Day’ is the day that marks the enforcement of the freedom of slaves in Galveston, Texas. It was on June 19, 1865 when Union General Gordon Granger enforced the freedom of slaves still held in bondage despite the January 1, 1863 signing of the Emancipation Proclamation and the congressional passing of the 13th Amendment on January 31, 1865. On June 16, 2021 Congress passed legislation to make Juneteenth a federal holiday and President Joe Biden signed it into law on June 17, 2021. This episode is a recording of remarks I gave at a Juneteenth event June 19, 2021, an event facilitated by the Black & Brilliant Events Team in Glassboro, New Jersey.  My subject is ‘Priority’. What are our priorities in this day and how do we address them? Be sure to share your thoughts and comments on this episode. Remember to subscribe to Nurah Speaks and share it with family and friends. If you would like to engage with the Nurah Speaks podc

Nurah Speaks is back with another fresh episode, this time talking about the ‘I Got It’ mentality?  Don’t know what that is? It is the compulsion of us Black women to reflexively say, “I got it” when offered assistance or support.  We say, “I got it” sometimes without even assessing if help is warranted for the given circumstances. Some of us are so in the habit of not needing anyone that we turn away aid when we could actually use it.  This episode examines why we do that and the implications of this behavior. If you would like to engage with the Nurah Speaks podcast, submit your listener questions to info@NurahSpeaks.com.  Listeners can also learn more about Nurah by visiting her website: NurahSpeaks.com or reading her blog by clicking this link. Follow Nurah Speaks @NurahSpeaksPodcast on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To bring Nurah as a speaker at your next event, email info@NurahSpeaks.com. Remember, don’t just Join the Movement, Be the Movement!