Author: Carma Henry

This Black History Month, give Black women the gift of empowerment by investing in organizations dedicated to Reproductive Justice (RJ). Black women have been at the forefront of every progressive social movement in America; it’s long past time for America to invest in the one movement that centers the needs and rights of women of color — especially Black women: the Reproductive Justice movement.

     America’s democracy has survived a Civil War, two major wars, countless terrorists’ attacks, and an insurrection. Consequently, how is it possible that the world’s greatest democracy is threaten with destruction by a lie that, “the 2020 presidential election was stolen?” This lie has exploded like a nuclear bomb. The aftereffects of this lie have caused Republicans and their base to pose a serious threat to democracy.

     As millions of Blacks and African Americans celebrate Black History Month in February 2022, HBCUs are under attack with bomb threats, since the second week in January 2022. It is now February 6, 2022, and no one has been arrested, and over 14 HBCUs have been threatened. The FBI has been engaged with an investigation, but still at this time no one has been apprehended.

     By contrast, the Founding Fathers were very meticulous on requirements to be President of the United States. According to Article II of the U.S. Constitution, the President must be a natural-born citizen of the United States, be at least 35 years old, and have been a resident of the United States for 14 years.

     Florida A&M University’s Truth Hall women’s residence is scheduled for demolition. The cleared area near the Will Packer Performing Arts Amphitheater will become green space.

     America – and most notably Black America – is back to work, declared President Joe Biden as he announced one of the most robust job reports in modern times.

     Senior graphic design student Kah’Milah Ledgester won Target’s 2021 HBCU Design Challenge. Participants designed t-shirt artwork and graphics for the Target 2022 Black History Month campaign for the challenge. Ledgester’s design won a top three prize.

Pompano Beach Arts has announced the new dates for the City’s inaugural Jazz Fest.  The star-studded festival kicks off Friday, April 15, 2022, at The Great Lawn along the beach for an evening concert with 10-time Grammy® Award-winner Arturo Sandoval.  On Saturday, April 16, experience an immersive musical extravaganza at the Pompano Beach Cultural Center. During the afternoon, the center’s Arts Plaza will be filled with the sounds of legendary artists including Sammy Figueroa, Brian Lynch, Magela Herrera, Ashley Pezzotti, in addition to emerging and student artists under the direction of Grammy® Award-winning professor Dr. Ed Calle. In the evening, Grammy® Award winning singer Cécile McLorin Salvant takes the stage inside the center’s theater.

     I’m so excited to be writing this blog on the last day of January, as I have not missed a month of writing about national parks in 20 years. Every day I post prolifically about them on social media. Since I wrote last December, my husband Frank and I changed residence in Jamaica, moving from our friend’s placid gardens in the countryside to the high energy mountains above Kingston. When we first walked in and saw the view from the balcony we immediately told the agent, “Cancel the other appointments. We’re taking this.”

     Hallandale born, Fort Lauderdale raised, Reshad Akeem Hope has been selected as one of the Navy’s “Hometown Heroes”, a program that highlights the Navy’s newest incoming officers. It is a sort of boot camp for Navy officers. It is NOT for the faint of heart.