Nurah Speaks

Nurah Speaks is a catalyst for change. It is a conversation piece, an information center, inspiration, guidance and love in words. Nurah Speaks listeners are informed, conscientious and committed community members on the front lines of change. I am grateful for all of the listeners and subscribers of the podcast and especially to those who have commented, rated the show, sent emails, provided critical feedback, contacted me on social media and those who have pulled me aside to share their thoughts on the show. I am thankful that the podcast is meeting its intended goal of tugging on the soul and consciousness of our people. There is so much work that needs to be done and ‘if we each do a little, no one has to do a lot.’ Those were the words spoken by Judge Charles Dortch, a guest on the show.  I have had the honor of featuring the great Judge Dortch and so many other wonderful folks doing incredible work in their communities. I urge you to listen or ‘re-listen’ to the those interviews because there is

It is with pleasure that I welcome Mandene Muhammad to the Nurah Speaks audience. Brother Mandene is the founder of Legacy Men’s Boutique, a store providing high end men's clothing and accessories at affordable prices located in the heart of Bronzeville Chicago. Additionally he is a member of the Coalition for Remembrance of Elijah Muhammad (CROE) and a producer at CROETV studios. He also hosts a weekly radio show ‘Elevated Talk’ on the historic WVON ‘Talk of Chicago’ every Tuesday evening. Brother Mandene and I discuss many subjects in this episode including his journey from behind the camera and working off stage to now sitting before the microphone hosting his own weekly radio show and being center stage in his business. He speaks to the need of abandoning one’s comfort zone for the sake of personal and professional growth. This was a conversation long time in the making and I appreciate Brother Mandene for joining me in this episode. His efforts in providing quality media and his acts of service via hi

Episode 156 challenges our unhealthy tie to dysfunction and deprivation within our community. We have accepted these unfortunate conditions within our community as norms and we ingrain these in our children and the cycle continues. We have to confront these unhealthy norms and challenge our thoughts and behaviors if we want better for our coming 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.com. Remember, don’t just Join the Movement, Be the Movement!

We are wrapping up Women’s History Month with this week’s guest Wendy Tabor. Wendy is the President of the Tri County section of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW). She’s also a Registered Nurse, Entrepreneur, a dedicated community servant and an overall beautiful soul. Wendy and I touched on a variety of topics in this interview including: How her upbringing influenced her path in leadership and entrepreneurship  The history of the NCNW and the Tri County chapter’s community service goals Her experience with the COVID 19 Vaccine The NCNW was founded in 1935 by Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune and for more than fifty years, Dr. Dorothy Height served as president. Currently Johnnetta Betsch Cole serves as the elected chair. This was a great conversation with a woman who is passionate about service. If you would like to get involved or lend your support, you can contact Wendy by email: NCNWTriCounty@gmail.com. Follow the NCNW Tri County chapter @NCNWTriCounty on Facebook  and Instagram. If you

A boss says, “Go.” A leader says, “Let’s go!” There are important delineations between a leader, someone in charge, and a boss, someone who is also in charge. The delineations lie in the perspective they have of their role, how they operate within their authority or power, how they relate to their members/employees and how they take responsibility for the outcomes of the operation. In episode 154, I share key differences between bosses and leaders and important ways those in authority can help and support the team members that they lead. Here are some examples:   A boss takes credit.  A leader gives credit.   A boss commands.  A leader influences.   Bosses hold others accountable.  Leaders hold themselves accountable.   Remember, every boss is not a leader and every leader is not a boss.  Take a listen to this episode and let it inform how we engage with those with whom we work - whether on the job, in a civic organization, a family or your church or temple. Let me

Earlier this month a mother reported her 13 year old son was severely bullied and forced to drink urine at a school mate's sleepover. It is alleged that a video of the incident was circulated among his classmates. The story is unbelievably horrific and difficult to read. The trauma this child experienced and the anguish of his mother is unimaginable. Bullying and cruelty among children is not uncommon. We must take steps to protect our children from the sort of abuse that becomes nightmares. The greatest control that we have is in the protection we provide within our own homes. Sleepovers are fun, exciting and a great way for children to bond. They are also means for perpetrators (other children or adults) to victimize children.  I encourage parents and guardians to think very carefully before allowing their children to spend the night outside their homes. A link to the story follows with links to other incidents of abuse at sleepovers. Please be advised, the content in some of these links may be trig

We are back with another LIVE streamed episode of Nurah Speaks with this week’s guest Dr. Nicole Muhammad, founder of Sew Elevated. Sew Elevated is a luxury women’s fashion brand created to empower and elevate the women who wear her designs. In this conversation Dr. Nicole Muhammad discusses developing a consciously driven brand, the diverse partnerships needed to launch her line and a behind the scenes look at developing Sew Elevated. She shares important insights that will benefit listeners no matter what their vocation, interests or goals.  This episode was streamed live on Facebook and can be viewed on the Nurah Speaks Facebook page. Be sure to follow Sew Elevated on Instagram @SewElevated and Facebook to stay up to date with the brand and definitely visit the website SewElevated.com. 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

Angela Lewis is this week’s phenomenal guest on the Nurah Speaks Podcast! Angela hails from St. Louis and is a former pro basketball player, championship coach, international speaker and author. Angela is the founder of Ignite Her Game Academy where she teaches girls about more than basketball. She delivers life skills using the game as an analogy for life. As basketball opened a world of opportunities for Angela, she wants the same for the girls in her programs. She has been featured on the Black News Channel, in the St. Louis Business Journal and on over 20 podcasts. Angela is committed to helping prepare the next generation of young women to lead the next and she started Ignite Her Game Academy to ensure they have the life skills to conquer any challenge. Visit her website angelarlewis.com and follow Angela on Twitter and IG @angela_r_lewis and on Facebook @angelalewisbasketball. If you would like to engage with the Nurah Speaks podcast, submit your listener questions to info@NurahSpeaks.com.  Lis

Jamil Muhammad is the Executive Producer and Host at C.R.O.E. Television Productions, based in Chicago, Illinois. He hosts the signature programs Muhammad & Friends and the Munir Muhammad Show. C.R.O.E. Television Productions was created by the Coalition for Remembrance of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad (CROE), a non profit organization whose aim is to deliver informative political, social and economic programming to the public. Jamil Muhammad walks in the footsteps of his father, Munir Muhammad, a previous guest on the Nurah Speaks Podcast and co-founder of CROE. Brother Munir served as the Executive Producer and Host for nearly 30 years. C.R.O.E. TV has programs that air daily in Chicago and Jamil Muhammad can be relied upon to share relevant and meaningful content with viewers. He welcomes guests with insights in various matters including local and national politics, policing and mass incarceration, physical and mental healthcare, business and economics, education, international relations and so much

Welcome to the Black History episode that nearly wasn’t!  I decided right after the new year, I would not be doing a 2021 Black History episode. Frankly, I really dreaded another month coming in where we pretended at having cultural pride in our Blackness. Coming from a year of national unrest following the tragic killings of countless Black men and Black women by state actors, we have asked for little more than love from those who so obviously object to our very existence. Our tactics include demonstrable outrage, eloquent chiding, drafting of legislation and extreme affection. Yet none of these has been convincing to halt the exclusion of us from civil freedoms and the withholding of our human rights. Instead I propose we cease with our vain efforts and direct this unconditional love to ourselves, where the real change needs to start. If we want genuine respect and true freedom, justice and equality, it will only be ours once we enjoin love and unity with self. Love and honor from others is not pos

This week’s Nurah Speaks guest is Sister Colette Muhammad of ‘Canning with Colette.’ Sister Colette is a registered member of the Nation of Islam and learned the proper canning of foods in the Sisters’ class and now she provides these classes to others. In this episode, Sister Colette shares why canning is an important food preservation technique that benefits both our physical and financial health. Her mission is to take away the stigma, anxiety and fears associated with canning in the black and brown community specifically. She wants others to embrace this skill not only as a necessity as it relates to the time and what must be done, but also as a joyous experience of self accomplishment in doing for self. This was an informative conversation especially in light of the recent pandemic and economic hardship of many across this nation. Be sure to follow Sister Colette on Facebook SisterColette Muhammad and Instagram @SisterColette and visit her website KitchenSplendor.co where you can register for her cann

Although racism is a terrible and cruel thing, it is not the most pressing of our present challenges. Our greatest and gravest issues since Emancipation and Jim Crow have been a destructive and self deprecating mindset that inhibits our desire to meets the needs of our people. Our tee-shirts and caps claim “Black and Proud,” however a great measure of our political and social activism does not demonstrate pride and confidence in our own abilities which makes the sting of racism that more painful.  Racism would be much less a factor in our lives if we capitalized on our skills and know-how and the trillions of dollars passing through our hands annually. 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

I am joined this week by Sister Aquila Ali.  Aquila is a member of the Coalition for Remembrance of Elijah Muhammad (CROE) and is an integral part of their media production team.  Unfortunately for black women in media, the bar has been set very low in terms of image and content.  However Aquila continues to endure as an example of character and integrity In this conversation, Aquila chronicles her journey in becoming a member of CROE and a student of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, her role within the media production team and she shares what she believes black women must understand about the root of our confidence. You are going to enjoy this conversation and it will surely enlighten listeners to the unexplored prominence that women have in the Nation of Islam. To learn more about CROE and the Honorable Elijah Muhammad visit CROE.org.  Make sure you watch and subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC--UCt5LqFF3IW5fLn5lH2g and follow on facebook @CROETV.   Email

On this MLK Day of Service be reminded of the fullness of Dr. King’s movement.  We cannot let him be another figure we memorialize in distortion.  He was more than his passive resistance.  He was a fierce opponent of injustice, standing in full defiance to racism, poverty and unjust war. On this 26th MLK Day of Service, 53 years after his tragic assassination, be reminded that the justice he sought then, we still seek today.  The work must continue and it must continue with us. 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!

In an era popular with youth task forces and social programs serving ‘at risk’ youth, we must ask what we can do to head off delinquent behaviors in our young people. In this episode, I suggest that ‘Family Is The Best Social Program’ and I have research that I share to support this assertion.  The research indicates that, “Children born to unmarried mothers generally receive lower human capital investments because the contractual partnership between the parents is less stable, and sometimes nonexistent (**Becker, 1981).” In other words, we increase the likelihood of unfavorable outcomes for our children when we do not anchor them in families to provide them the needed moral, social and economic supports.  Frankly, we cannot reasonably expect to make a healthy community when a large segment of our children are conceived by people who dislike their child's other parent or with whom they do not want to create a family. Families are the beginning of life lessons that cultivate us to interact within

In this week’s episode we hear from Dr. Sandra West.  Dr. West is an optometrist having over 27 years of practice. She also happens to be my own personal physician. I met Dr. West several years ago when I scheduled a routine vision exam and to my surprise and pure delight the doctor was a Black woman.  Interestingly enough, when I attended a business conference in New Orleans several months later, we found ourselves meeting again as attendees of the same conference. I invited Dr. West to the show not because she is my personal physician but because of what I knew she could offer Nurah Speaks listeners.  Not only does Dr. West explain when we should begin vision checks, but also what our doctors are checking for and some of the latest technology aiding optometrists today.  Additionally she shares insights into her own childhood, how she was raised by dynamic parents and what parents can do today to prepare children for future success.   Dr. West is an advocate for STEM and vocationa

Some may wonder why I close each show with the words ‘Stay in peace!’   As peace is literally my religion and my way of life, it is also my message. And in such a trying time as this-it is more important than ever that we focus on efforts to increase or maintain our peace by focusing on self care. So - as we close out 2020 with Episode 146, I share ways in which we can attend to our own self care needs. Manage Your Stress-Take on COVID stress with activities that can give you relief and enjoyment. Be sure to avoid increased alcohol consumption and never use it to manage stress. If you need to, seek professional counseling. You are not alone. Do Not Overtax Ourselves or Our Children with Remote Learning-Remote learning certainly has its challenges for parents who are either working outside the home or inside the home. If there are concerns or limitations, be sure to communicate with your child’s teacher or school administrators, if necessary. In cases where you see your or your child’s stress r

When the world settles into its new normal, Nurah Speaks will still be here!   Therefore, I am actively preparing for the 2021 season of the podcast.    I have several goals for the upcoming year including:  featuring 13 insightful guests, refining the podcast, increasing listener engagement, and more. If you have ideas, show topics, or guests you'd like featured, please feel free to email me info@NurahSpeaks.com.   If you have questions, 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!

We cannot be on the fence forever being neither this nor that, never having made a commitment or obligating ourselves to one direction or another.  Indecisiveness is obstructive to our personal development. It is time now to make a choice. 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!

Real ‘Juvenile Justice’ is having a culture that promotes stability and wellness for our most vulnerable population, our children.  The injustice is that the modern norms of our culture promote dysfunction that we expect social workers, clinicians, judges and juvenile justice staff to repair. Studies show that most children within the juvenile justice systems have experienced adversity in their childhood as evidenced by ACEs (Adverse Childhood experiences) surveys. Adverse Childhood experiences are preventable. But unless we promote stability and safety to the families in our communities we will keep relinquishing our children to the care of the state to fix what could have been prevented by advocating for strong families. 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 @NurahSp