Author: Carma Henry

    Indeed, we can’t avoid seeing ourselves. As psychologist John Gartner has pointed out, Trump is not only a malignant narcissist, but — as has been clear in his second term — he’s slithering ever more deeply into dementia. Yet people still support him — enough people to let him win elections. Why?

     “Little Black boy,” Williams said, “you were worth it, and you always were. Without any titles, you were enough. You were always enough. You deserve to accept love, and you deserve to be protected.”

    On a cold January afternoon outside City Hall, Zohran Mamdani stepped into that unfinished struggle. As he raised his right hand and took the oath of office as mayor of New York City—the first Muslim ever to do so—he embodied a quieter American tradition: the insistence that conscience belongs in public life.

    Julius Caesar crossing the Rubicon and marching his legion on Rome did not destroy the Roman Republic all by himself. The erosion of the republic and rise of the Empire occurred over decades, if not centuries, and built upon many little cuts and changes, often touted as necessary and proper, needed and good, that all added up to ending “government by the people” and replacing it with one Ruler above the law. These folks were later known as Caesars, who pretended (fake news) to rule with a Senate of the people’s choice but really ruled as dictators. But the infrastructure of the “highway to hell” or Empire erected on the death of the Republic was built inch by inch.

Being An Elected Leader Means Being Accountable And Having A Conscious

    The US has overthrown the Maduro regime in Venezuela, captured its leader, Nicolas Maduro, and occupied the country. Continuing a long history of US interventions in Latin America, Trump has vowed to “run the country until such time that we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition.” The US policy of regime change had been telegraphed for months, as Trump ramped up attacks on supposed Venezuelan drug boats, imposed an oil blockade, and ordered a CIA drone strike on a Venezuelan dock alleged to be used for loading drugs. Now those clear violations of international and US law and false allegations about Venezuela’s role in the fentanyl trade are ending with an occupation and US control of Venezuela’s oil-based economy.

    We did not imagine that Trump would seek to overturn the constitutional order following his failed coup of January 6, 2021; that he would seek to upset the global economic order by weaponizing tariffs; that he would appoint such a large cast of unqualified, incompetent loyalists to key government posts; that he would use the department of justice to go after real and imagined personal enemies; and that he would seek to bring to heel every institution of civil society—the press, judges, universities, law firms, entertainers—just as any dictator would. Finally, we could not imagine that the leader of our country would be so lacking in common human decencies—that he would be so devoid of empathy and compassion, so focused on retribution, so single-minded in acquiring wealth for himself and his billionaire supporters, so openly racist and homophobic.

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of The Spady Museum and the 100th anniversary of the construction of The Spady House, the 2026 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Brunch will be a Silver Jubilee, featuring the theatrical talents of CORE Ensemble and a keynote address by guest speaker William “Bill” Nix.

The Old Dillard Foundation brought culture, unity, and rhythm to the heart of Fort Lauderdale with its annual Kwanzaa Soirée, held at MOV Fusion Bar & Grill Restaurant. Sponsored by Cigna Health Care, the Broward Cultural Arts Division, and The Westside Gazette, the event was an inspiring celebration of African heritage, community values, and the collective spirit of Kwanzaa.

       Several Caribbean countries were shaken by a series of earthquakes during the first two days of the new year, according to the Trinidad-based Seismic Research Centre (SRC) at the St Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI).