Our democracy has been challenged in the past few years. We have also seen serious threats to the very promise of democracy. Most of us are aware that in 2021, over 400 bills restricting access to the vote were proposed in 49 states. As we engaged in our first redistricting process in a decade, politicians gerrymandered district lines to keep power within their own hands rather than the hands of their constituents. And one year ago today, our nation experienced an act of unprecedented d...

Are you tired of being sick and tired? Mass shootings? Covid? Inflation? How much more can we take. Sometimes, we just need to talk it out and get it off our chest. Don't worry Being Blunt gotcha as I want to unload my opinions too. Come join me real quick and let's talk about Covid-19; the Slap; Mid-Terms Elections; and Angry Americans. I won't keep you long. I just need 5 minutes (truthfully, its 10 minutes) but who's counting. Refe...

Southern, the largest HBCU in the country at the time, had black faculty and a black president, but the purse strings were still being held by white elected officials. Figures showed only half as much money per pupil was being spent on students at Southern as was being spent on students at the predominately white LSU. Three or four weeks into the fall 1972 semester, students' dissatisfaction mounted. There was a vibe of unhappiness, The students wanted more teachers, more input into the curr...

Happy New Year Family!!!! I am back. Join me as I recap 2021 on the Being Blunt Podcast. Being Blunt is back with all new topics to keep you informed, and alert on local, national, and international issues. I can't lie. 2021 was challenging. I am glad to see parts of it in my rear-view mirror. When I embarked into this podcast, I gravitated to the role as a new era activist. I enjoyed reporting out to the community I love about the injustices and the polit...

When Haiti won its independence nearly 200 years ago, it came at a hefty price -- an estimated $21 billion today. The country spent the next century paying off the debt to its former slave owners, France. The island of Hispaniola, shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic, was once the richest colony of the New World. The western third of the island — today’s Haiti — was known as Saint-Domingue and was a major destination of the transatlantic slave trade. In this episode, you will he...

Now that this anti-abortion bill is a reality in Texas, the state has one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country. The measure bans abortions as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. It allows private citizens to enforce the law by suing abortion providers and anyone else who might have helped. Since the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the law to take effect, make no mistake about it, Roe v. Wade is in jeopardy. The Being Blunt Podcast will dive into this case and talk about st...

Highlights from the conversation: [01:45] Sean Blount · Management position with the US Department of Agriculture · Developed his podcast from a “happy hour” with his colleagues [05:45] Critical Race Theory – how it’s impacting the space Critical Race Theory, or CRT, is a theoretical and interpretive mode that examines the appearance of race and racism across dominant cultural modes of expression. It is an academic framework on how we look at laws and policies that have shaped America a...

The legalization of marijuana has spread around the country in recent years. Currently 33 states allow it for medical use and 11 for recreational. Yet scientists and researchers say a paradox about it endures: There has been broad public experience with pot, but the medical community still doesn’t know enough about the health effects — and what it does know is often obscured by enduring myths. Opponents say marijuana poses a public health and safety risk, and some are morally against le...

Just what is critical race theory anyway? Critical race theory is an academic concept that is more than 40 years old. The core idea is that race is a social construct, and that racism is not merely the product of individual bias or prejudice, but also something embedded in legal systems and policies. The basic tenets of critical race theory, or CRT, emerged out of a framework for legal analysis in the late 1970s and early 1980s created by legal scholars Derrick Bell, Kimberlé Crenshaw, and Ri...

Are you aware how important Juneteenth is to our community? Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. The symbolic and spiritual significance of a federal Juneteenth holiday can't be diminished. There are many who have fought for this moment, and we bow to the work of our elders, tireless advocates like Mrs. Opal Lee, the Grandmother of Juneteenth," who has dedicated the last four decades of her life to this cause. Ju...

Foreign affairs deals with international relations and with the interests of the home country in foreign countries. As a new junkie and practicing political analyst, my thoughts about the military and the billions of dollars we spend had me thinking. Can't we use some of the of those billions to help the poor, while investing in the health and wealth of our communities? After all, soldiers have died on the battlefield for years to see a better America. We just...

House Republicans, who love to complain about “cancel culture,” have canceled Rep. Liz Cheney for the “crime” of living in the real world. However, Liz is not really the problem. Check out my new 5 minute podcast where I talk about the real source of the problem. Politics in 5-Minutes Links: Liz Cheney ousted: GOP ties party to Big Lie that Trump won in 2020 (usatoday.com https://now.tufts.edu/articles/local-governments-favor-white-and-wealthy https://campuselect.org/wp-content/uplo...

This episode is my relaunch of the Being Blunt Podcast and a sneak peak into my mind and how I process the issues facing our community. At time, I have to laugh to keep from crying, but I feel the need to talk it out with my peeps who are who are ready to get off the sideline and make a difference. I appreciate you waiting for me to pull it all together. I hope and pray you will trust me to bring you all the shades of Being Blunt to you. This would include posi...

What is Yoga? Is it just an exercise? Is it a religion, a philosophy, an ideology? Or is it something else entirely? The word "Yoga" literally means “to unite or integrate”. It is a powerful practice to unite mind, body, and spirit. The Black community has and continues to be exposed to layers of trauma at an unparalleled rate. A consistent yoga practice can start to alleviate some of the trauma as well as increase self love, self acceptance and self compassion. Study have also shown ...

What is Yoga? Is it just an exercise? Is it a religion, a philosophy, an ideology? Or is it something else entirely? The word "Yoga" literally means “to unite or integrate”. It is a powerful practice to unite mind, body, and spirit. The Black community has and continues to be exposed to layers of trauma at an unparalleled rate. A consistent yoga practice can start to alleviate some of the trauma as well as increase self love, self acceptance and self compassion. Study have also s...

Happy New Years - the Being Blunt Podcast is back with a new conversation that we can't wait to share with our community. Making a New Year's resolution is a great idea, as it means you are taking time to evaluate yourself and your life over the past year and discover what you would like to see change during the next year. However, is this really the best methodology to change your life for the better? Rituals have the power to ground and stabilize us, and keep us...

Gifting can be defined as giving some kind of experience or asset that one person transfers to another while receiving nothing or less than fair market value in return. What we give friends and loved ones for holidays or special occasions is as much a reflection of the times as it is of personal taste. For this episode, Being Blunt sits down for a light-hearted discussion with a talented friend to get some gifting tips for the every-day shopper. However, we had to ke...

Biden Wins Presidency, Ending Four Tumultuous Years Under Trump Joseph R. Biden Jr. achieved victory offering a message of healing and unity. He will return to Washington facing a daunting set of crises. In this episode, BEing Blunt will share their thoughts about the outcome, highlights, and the challenges ahead. We also included a bonus round of FILL-THAT-CABINET (Jeopardy-Style). Show Notes: National Popular Vote - Status of National Popular Vote Bill in Each State | National Popul...

Voting is an American Principle and a basic Democratic right that should be protected, promoted, and practiced. In this episode, Nandi and Sean are going to talk about some of the attacks on voting and the history of voting on the heels of an important upcoming election. So sit back and enjoy Being Blunt!!!! Urgency to Vote - https://nowthisnews.com/videos/politics/exclusive-obama-on-the-urgency-of-2020s-senate-down-ballot-races?jwsource=cl Register to Vote - https://votesaveamerica.c...

Show notes Resources What You Should Eat To Add Years To Your Life https://medium.com/wake-up-call/eat-this-and-add-years-to-your-life-6b785e195b25 How Poor Diet Contributes to Coronavirus Risk https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/20/well/eat/coronavirus-diet-metabolic-health.html Plant Pure Nation Documentary https://youtu.be/yBKnG9Y0owQ Fed Up Documentary https://youtu.be/ceRFvhlcsiY McGovern Report http://zerodisease.com/archive/Dietary_Goals_For_The_United_States.pdf