Author: Carma Henry

       This week, in the waning days of his administration, President Biden announced he would use his authority under Section 12(a) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to permanently withdraw 625 million acres from leasing for oil and gas drilling and exploration off our nation’s coasts. The protected waters include the entire eastern Atlantic coast, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific coast of California, Oregon, and Washington, and portions of the Northern Bering Sea in Alaska.

       The conflict of interest for Kushner now that his father-in-law is about to return to the White House is obvious. Kushner continues to advise Trump, maintains relations with Middle East dictators and with the Netanyahu administration in Israel, and is regularly on the phone with people in and out of government who want advice on Middle East policy. By law, Kushner should be a registered foreign agent of Saudi Arabia, but don’t count on his doing anything of the sort.

     Is Putin conducting genocidal acts on Ukrainians? Looks like Israel is, ironically, attempting some sort of genocide against Gazans, with Hamas trying their version of a genocidal attack against Israel on 7 October 2023. How about China’s aggression against the Uyghurs or Myanmar’s against Rohingyas?

     The words are those of Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, quoted in a recent UN report about Israel’s ongoing devastation of Palestinian hospitals and its virtually total destruction of the occupied territory’s healthcare system, including the arrest – the abduction – of hundreds of doctors and other medical professionals, who often wind up being tortured and sometimes murdered.

      Our political mourning period cannot last forever. John 10 also says the sheep will recognize the political shepherds, the media shepherds, the educational shepherds, the workplace shepherds, and all other true leaders and protectors of all the sheep in the flock, including the Black sheep.

        Gina Merritt, an African American woman affordable housing developer from Washington, DC, is shaking up the real estate industry while already having raised $310 million since 2021. Her firm, NREUV, leads innovative projects across the U.S., creating 1,200 housing units with amenities and a focus on community needs.

        Blu Jean Louis, the founder and CEO of Empire Tax Services, a Black-owned financial services company, is expanding her reach and impact with the opening of her company’s first physical office in downtown Kokomo, Indiana. Located at 106 W. Mulberry Street, this milestone marks the company’s evolution from a virtual business to a community-focused hub offering essential financial services and support. Despite this exciting new chapter, her company will continue to accept virtual clients nationwide, maintaining the accessibility and flexibility that have been key to its success.

       The legendary basketball player turned billionaire businessman added the nation’s highest civilian honor to his resume on Saturday when President Joe Biden awarded him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

       Richard Parsons, one of corporate America’s most prominent Black executives who held top posts at Time Warner and Citigroup, died Thursday. He was 76.

This MLK Weekend in January 2025, The Color of Wellness is proud to launch The State of Black Family Health, a powerful event series designed to advocate for health equity, amplify underrepresented voices, and create lasting change in Black communities across the country. Kicking off in Tampa in January 2025, the series will also make stops in Detroit (April 2025), Columbia, SC (August 2025), and Gainesville, FL (November 2025).