Author: Carma Henry

      When you think of an opioid overdose victim, you are likely to assume it is a white man from the mid-west, because that’s what we see on television and documentaries about drugs in America. But the truth is the opioid epidemic doesn’t see race, and older Black men are losing their lives at an alarming rate.

The firing of Coach Brian Flores seems to have kindled a fire among the Black community. Yes, the same type of fire we’ve seen many times before. When will the lesson be learned that without unity and strategy, we will continue to be the barrel’s bottom? Why won’t Coach Flores and other African American coaches join the ranks with Coach Deion Sanders and enhance the athletic programs at our predominantly Black high schools and HBCU’s?

     The message of President Abraham Lincoln’s November 19, 1863, Gettysburg Address is still relevant in 2022. The message is to resist the evil forces which threaten America; if not, the government of the people, by the people, for the people will perish from the Earth.

James “Ronnie” Hayes is the President/Owner of Higher Power Electric, Inc. (HPE). HPE is a full-service, licensed Electrical Contracting company providing quality electrical repairs, upgrades, and installations for new and existing residential and commercial properties. Ronnie’s experience and expertise in the electrical industry spans over 45 years. He is exceptionally adept in electrical theory and practical application. His outstanding customer satisfaction ratings are eclipsed only by his personal commitment to excellence, wherein he stands behind the integrity of his workmanship. Other electrical tradespersons often seek his advice and expertise when faced with challenging electrical issues.

Miami Dade College (MDC) will once again provide free tax preparation services to low-income individuals, the elderly and non-English speaking residents throughout Miami-Dade County as part of the Internal Revenue’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA). Limited services will be provided by appointment only from Feb. 7– April 13, 2022 at North, Kendall and Wolfson Campuses.

     If you love food and wine, here is a treat you won’t want to miss. In a matter of weeks some of the area’s best chefs will have an opportunity to cater to your tastebuds. For 21 years the South Beach Wine & Food Festival (SOBEWFF) has been held in South Florida. It has been named by BizBash as the number one food and restaurant industry event in the United States and Canada for eight years in a row. Over the years, this event has featured celebrity chefs with a star-studded line up of personalities and dishes. It has also raised $31.8 million for the Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at FIU which graduates more undergraduate Black, Hispanic and international students than any other hospitality school in the country.

If confirmed, Cook would become the first African American woman to serve in that role.

     A new Gallup poll released on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day revealed that Americans’ political party preferences dramatically shifted by the end of 2021 from a nine-point Democratic advantage to a five-point Republican edge.

   Single mothers hold an extremely respected role in society. They work hard to provide for their child or children and show their strength every day. Several icons, celebrities, and role models come from single-parent homes. But even with the amount of respect and gratitude single mothers receive, no parent can escape criticism. Certain parental issues specifically affect the children of single parents and a large number of problems within these households go unnoticed and un-talked about.

     Anything that gets conservatives’ tighty-righty-whities in a bunch they want banned from the classroom, the libraries and, apparently, the right-wing social media platforms that pretend they’re all about protecting free speech.