America Needs an Exorcism — and the Courage to Change the Soil
By Bobby R. Henry, Sr.
As we stand on the edge of a new year, America is not simply divided. America is possessed.
Scripture tells the story of a man overtaken by many demons who answered to one name: Legion — because they were many. If one man could hold a thousand demons, just imagine how many are roaming freely through America, Inc. today cloaked in power, normalized by repetition, excused by double standards, and protected by institutions that were never meant to serve them.
This is not about one man.
It is about a nation wrestling with its soul.
And sometimes the clearest lessons don’t come from Washington.;they come from home.
As the holidays approached, like many families, we began preparing our house. Cleaning. Decorating. Making room for guests. That preparation came with an unexpected wake-up call. We were being pestered by what we thought were harmless fruit flies. You know those little nuisances darting around your kitchen like Muhammad Ali, peppering opponents faces jabbing left and right while your guests politely pretend not to notice.
We tried everything. Vinegar traps. Soap. Sprays. Home remedies. Nothing worked. In fact, the problem got worse.
So, we called in the professionals.
And here was the shock: they weren’t fruit flies at all. They were fungus flies, born not from what we could see, but from the soil of our houseplants. Living beneath the surface. Feeding quietly. Multiplying because the roots were compromised.
To fix it, every plant had to be taken outside. Washed down to the roots. Old soil completely removed. Repotted in clean, treated soil. Messy. Uncomfortable. Necessary.
And that is America’s problem in a nutshell.
For years, this country has been swatting at political pests little lies, big lies, scandals, intimidation, corruption, and behavior that once would have ended careers. We told ourselves these were just irritations. Harmless fruit flies. Something we could outlast or ignore.
But what we are dealing with is not surface-level chaos.
It is fungus. Rooted deep in our political soil. Fed by neglect. Protected by power and thriving because too many people keep saying, “It’s not that bad.”
The turmoil surrounding Donald Trump, his enablers, his imitators, and even a Supreme Court increasingly behaving like a political arm instead of a constitutional referee is not a moment. It is not normal. And it is not harmless.
This is not something you fix with air freshener.
What started as loud rhetoric has metastasized into a culture where truth is twisted, laws are selectively enforced, intimidation is normalized, and accountability depends on who you are and who you know. If the tables were turned, we already know the outcomes would look very different and that truth alone should trouble anyone who still believes in equal justice.
America loves to talk about freedom. We said, “Let Freedom Ring,” but the question remains: for whom? Because freedom that only rings in certain neighborhoods, courtrooms, and boardrooms is not freedom it’s marketing.
We have demanded a seat at the table, not as symbolism, not as charity, but as a right earned through generations of labor, sacrifice, and contribution. Yet too often that table is guarded, invitations are selective, and justice is rationed. Diversity is celebrated in speeches; equity is resisted in practice.
During the holidays, history itself became a guest in our homes quietly reminding us of promises made and broken. Our Christmas wish list wasn’t filled with toys or slogans, but with honesty in leadership, accountability without exemptions, and courage that shows up in policy, not platitudes.
Instead, we are watching a nation rocking and reeling. Selling out or waking up its unsure which it wants more: comfort or conscience.
And while all of this unfolds, Black-owned media continues to be treated as optional.
So, let’s be clear. Support is not symbolic.
Support is not seasonal. Support is not a proclamation, a photo-op, or a press release.
True support is definitely expected when Black History Month is planned, when MLK Day is honored, when Juneteenth is celebrated, when Black Music Month is amplified and when our stories must be told with dignity, context, and truth.
Black-owned media has never just reported news; we are the protectors of our democracy. We preserve memory. We connect past sacrifice to present responsibility and future opportunity. Long before hashtags and trending topics, Black media kept the flame burning.
But we were not created to air dirty laundry, settle vendettas, or sensationalize pain for convenience. We tell the truth because truth strengthens a people.
Supporting Black media means investment. Ads. Sponsorships. Partnerships. Not applause without reciprocity. You cannot talk about economic empowerment while starving the institutions that inform, educate, and mobilize our communities.
Black media is not the problem. Black media is part of the solution and still even in a nation wrestling with its demons, light breaks through.
In Australia, amid terror and tragedy, a man of a different faith saw danger and acted. He didn’t ask who believed what. He didn’t check ideology or labels. He saw human beings and risked his life to save them.
That act reminded us that hate is learned, but compassion is instinctive. That courage belongs to humanity, not to race, religion, or party. That when it matters most, what defines us is whether we stand up for another life.
America does not need better optics as the new year begins. It needs moral clarity.
It needs memory. It needs backbone.
The professionals didn’t tell us to spray and pray. They told us to uproot, wash, remove, and replace the soil.
America must do the same. Uproot corrupt leadership. Wash away lies and misinformation.
Demand accountability at every level. Restore institutions meant to protect democracy, not partisan power.
When guests walk into a house swarming with flies, they don’t blame the flies.
They blame the homeowner.
America must decide what kind of home it intends to be.
Because if this nation truly wants deliverance, it must face its demons, name them, and cast them out — not just from the headlines, but from the roots.
History is holding the door.
It will not hold it forever.
Make this New Year free from as many demons possible and let’s replant in soil that is fresh and free from any rotten roots and fungus.
