Author: Carma Henry

Marva Johnson’s most significant challenge continues to be her inability to convince Florida A&M University stakeholders that she was the right choice for president. For months, prominent influencers and alumni have refused invitations to meet with the former lobbyist because of her strong ties to President Donald Trump and Governor Ron DeSantis. Likewise, alumni have been silent and distant.

  Well, folks, the Hug Heard Around the World is apparently the only story that matters this week. Forget wars, forget inflation, forget the ever-shrinking middle class. The only thing America seems capable of discussing right now is that long, slow, camera-perfect embrace between J.D. Vance and Erica Kirk — an embrace that’s somehow managed to outlast the national attention span itself.

   On November 6, the City of Fort Lauderdale plans to dedicate a historical marker honoring Diana Nyad on Fort Lauderdale Beach – the same sacred ground where the 1961 Wade-In Civil Rights protest took place. That is a line we cannot allow to be crossed!

   AZ Representative Rachel (Jones) Keshel is amongst the figures pushing the story. It alleges that the teachers are wearing the shirts to mock the death of Charlie Kirk. Evidence that they wore the same shirts for Halloween last year has gotten to her, but she says, “I want to see the evidence that the Cienega High School math department wore the same shirts last year @vailschools. Post the picture. I’ll wait.”

   Republicans are already spinning the narrative, and if history teaches us anything, it’s that a confused public blames everyone equally—even when one party controls everything. Republicans are blaming Democratic “obstruction” and claiming Democrats won’t negotiate even as Democrats offer solutions. They’re deflecting from Trump’s shutdown record with distractions and misinformation. And now Trump is threatening to end the filibuster so that Republicans no longer need to negotiate and can then take credit for ending the same shutdown they started.

     We just fell back. The season of darkness is coming on. But this year, more than any I can remember, that darkness feels existential, not just seasonal.

     Fascism is an ultra-nationalist political ideology that rejects liberal democracy and values nation and race over the individual. It is strict authoritarian rule wrapped in nationalism, and it is fundamentally opposed to American ideals of freedom, equality, and democracy. Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini were fascist dictatorial leaders in WWII. Both Germany and Italy were responsible for horrific crimes against humanity.

     The much-awaited meeting in Korea between Pres. Trump and Pres. Xi Jinping promised—according to Trump—a major trade deal. The Chinese seemed prepared to offer much less.

     How can he want more? But he does. He wants a Nobel Peace Prize. Others may fantasize privately from time to time about that coveted award going to someone else, so, as a thought experiment, kindly join me in a compare and contrast exercise, maybe thinking about the prize for 2026:

     “Protest” means to object, which is, of course, what we are doing when we hit the streets, but we’re doing something equally – or I would say more – important. We are demonstrating. What are we demonstrating? We are demonstrating support for our issue and point of view. We are saying “here is a crowd of people who agree that (insert the issue).” We want those who hold the power in our society to change something. That’s more than just objecting to the status quo – more than just “protesting.” It is articulating a vision of something more satisfactory.