Nurah Speaks

The Covid-19 pandemic and the uncertainty of many Blacks towards the Covid-19 vaccine was a stark reminder of this nation’s historical mistreatment of Black patients and their resulting distrust in the medical industry.The Tuskegee Experiment, also called the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, is the most commonly known medical malpractice of physicians towards a vulnerable Black population in the U.S. This research was conducted 1932 to 1972 by the U.S. Public Health Service in which Black men already, infected with syphilis, were diagnosed as having ‘bad blood’. And rather than providing them the proven and effective treatment of syphilis, doctors duped these patients by instead engaging in a four decades long study in which they observed the ravages of the disease on their bodies and health. As horrific as this study was, it was by far not the most gruesome and barbaric of malpractice. In March 1945, a Black truck driver, Ebb Cade was severely injured in an accident with what was believed to be life threatening injuries. He was taken to the Manhattan Engineer District Hospital in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Despite sustaining numerous broken bones, he survived. To his great misfortune, the doctors assigned to Mr. Cade were contracted with the US Atomic Energy Commission. When it became known that a ‘well developed colored male’ was in the hospital, he was injected with Plutonium 239 by military physician Joseph Howland. Plutonium, described as the most ‘fiendishly toxic’ radioactive substance and the same compound used in atomic bombs, was injected even before doctors set his broken bones. Subsequently, researchers pulled 15 teeth and extracted several bone samples from Mr. Cade to assess how plutonium moves throughout the human body.That March in 1945 Mr. Ebb Cade made history as the first person and Black man injected with ‘the most dangerous chemical known’ without his consent or voluntary participation in a very dangerous research experiment. It can be baffling to consider what men subjected other humans beings, however the ignorant and prejudicial coloring of Blacks as inferior, barbaric or on the level with beasts provided a cover for these heinous acts. It could accurately be said of these well respected scientists and doctors that they, in fact, were the barbarians.To learn more about the diabolical history of medicine in the U.S., read 'Medical Malpractice' by Harriett A. Washington or search for Harriett A. Washington on Youtube to view her discussions on the subject.If you would like to engage with the podcast, submit your listener questions to info@NurahSpeaks.com. Listeners can also learn more by visiting NurahSpeaks.com. You can follow Nurah Speaks on X, Instagram and Facebook @NurahSpeaks and subscribe to the channel on YouTube.Don't Just Join The Movement, Be The Movement!

This episode of Nurah Speaks is a deeply personal reflection on love, loss and what I've learned from grief.In Episode 260, “Losing Ellen,” I chronicle the story of losing my grandmother, Ellen, and walk listeners through my experience before and after her passing along with what grief has revealed to me along the way.Losing my grandmother was an excruciating loss—filled with agony and heartbreak—but also with moments of profound love and deep gratitude. Those who have accompanied a loved one through their final days understand this painful irony: the trauma of loss co-occurring with all the beautiful, tender and loving moments just before.On Nurah Speaks, we do not shy away from life's hard but important truths. Death can arrive in a single moment or it can unfold slowly through a series of moments of months or even years. How we manage death— the acceptance of it as a normal part of life—can help us survive the very, very lows while honoring the love that remains.This episode is for anyone navigating grief, learning how to carry the love that remains and discovering who they are now, after loss.If you watch the live recording of this episode on the Nurah Speaks Youtube channel, I include some of my favorite photos of my grandmother with friends and family.WHEN GREAT TREES FALLMaya AngelouWhen great trees fall,rocks on distant hills shudder,lions hunker downin tall grasses,and even elephantslumber after safety.When great trees fallin forests,small things recoil into silence,their senseseroded beyond fear.When great souls die,the air around us becomeslight, rare, sterile.We breathe, briefly.Our eyes, briefly,see witha hurtful clarity.Our memory, suddenly sharpened,examines,gnaws on kind wordsunsaid,promised walksnever taken.Great souls die andour reality, bound tothem, takes leave of us.Our souls,dependent upon theirnurture,now shrink, wizened.Our minds, formedand informed by theirradiance,fall away.We are not so much maddenedas reduced to the unutterable ignoranceof dark, coldcaves.And when great souls die,after a period peace blooms,slowly and alwaysirregularly. Spaces fillwith a kind ofsoothing electric vibration.Our senses, restored, neverto be the same, whisper to us.They existed. They existed.We can be. Be and bebetter. For they existed.For more information on grief, I included two helpful links below: •https://grief.com/the-five-stages-of-grief/•https://grief.com/10-best-worst-things-to-say-to-someone-in-grief/If you would like to engage with the podcast, submit your listener questions to info@NurahSpeaks.com. Listeners can also learn more by visiting NurahSpeaks.com.You can follow Nurah Speaks on X, Instagram and Facebook @NurahSpeaks and subscribe to the channel on YouTube.Remember, don’t just Join the Movement, Be the Movement!

In this episode, I reflect on my experience running for elected office and share key lessons learned from the journey. While the outcome wasn’t a win at the ballot box, the experience reinforced that the work of service never stops.Before running for office, there are important questions that must be clearly defined and questions I confronted prior to running:Why – Why are you running, and what qualifies you to serve?I was already serving my community, and elected office offered a way to broaden my impact. I ran to serve—not for a title or personal gain.Who – Who will support you, challenge you and vote for you?I was supported by a small, committed team that stayed focused on purpose rather than political negativity. Strategic relationships built during the campaign strengthened both the effort and our community.How – How will you run and represent yourself?Introducing myself to voters required sharing my story—beginning with my grandmother, whose example of service shaped my foundation. I chose to run a positive campaign rooted in integrity, regardless of oppositional, misleading or ugly tactics. I believe the people deserve more- and I do too.What – What are you truly running for?Understanding the office and examining whether you are running to give or to achieve personal gain is essential.When – Is the timing right for you, your family and the people you seek to serve? Running for office requires careful consideration of time and readiness.This episode is shared for anyone who may one day consider running for office. Public service is about sincerity, integrity, and service to others. And for me, despite the outcome, The Work Continues!If you would like to engage with the podcast, submit your listener questions to info@NurahSpeaks.com. Listeners can also learn more by visiting NurahSpeaks.com.You can follow Nurah Speaks on X, Instagram and Facebook @NurahSpeaks and subscribe to the channel on YouTube.Remember, don’t just Join the Movement, Be the Movement!

I am elated to be back at the microphone hosting Nurah Speaks. I know it has been a while so I take this episode ‘Back From Loss’ to catch everyone up with the events of the past several months and what is new with the podcast.I want to thank everyone who has continued to support me and this project. Welcome to Episode 257!If you would like to engage with the podcast, submit your listener questions to info@NurahSpeaks.com. Listeners can also learn more by visiting NurahSpeaks.com.You can follow Nurah Speaks on X, Instagram and Facebook @NurahSpeaks and subscribe to the channel on YouTube.Remember, don’t just Join the Movement, Be the Movement!

This episode revisits a discussion about neutrality and our tendency to be noncommittal despite real challenges impacting our communities. We cannot be on the fence forever being neither this nor that, never having made a commitment or obligating ourselves to one direction or another. Indecisiveness is obstructive to our personal development. It is time now to be accountable and this comes with settling down to a good choice and solidifying ourselves with other like minded individuals engaged in the good work of creating change.If you would like to engage with the Nurah Speaks podcast, submit your listener questions to info@NurahSpeaks.com. Listeners can also learn more about Nurah by visiting her website: NurahSpeaks.com or reading her blog by clicking this link.Follow Nurah Speaks @NurahSpeaksPodcast on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.To bring Nurah as a speaker at your next event, email info@NurahSpeaks.comRemember, don’t just Join the Movement, Be the Movement!

At various points in our lives we are confronted with the decision to choose the exhausting path for truth and justice or the easy path of agreement and compromise. It is at those times we should reflect on what our choices will declare about our character. In revisiting Dr. King’s ‘But If Not’ sermon featured in the last episode, I am encouraged on my own path for truth and justice, no matter the inconvenience or costs. We should all be willing to stand for truth because, as in the example King cited, we have the biblical illustration of the three thrown into the fiery furnace and what came from holding true to their convictions. Because they - in the face of their own tormenting death - remained unwavering, not only were they unharmed but enjoyed in such time the presence of the Lord. This account serves as a caution and guide to each of us in such times of decision. Truth is not alway convenient and compromise is not always righteous. Yet our principles must be incorruptible, believing that the Most High will always be our Companion. If you would like to engage with the Nurah Speaks podcast, submit your listener questions or topic suggestions to info@NurahSpeaks.com. Listeners can also learn more about Nurah by visiting her website: NurahSpeaks.com. Follow Nurah Speaks @NurahSpeaksPodcast on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To bring Nurah as a speaker at your next event, email info@NurahSpeaks.com. Remember, don’t just Join the Movement, Be the Movement!

We must be knowledgeable about the threat to our wellbeing from the Ultra Processed Big Food industry. In Episode 253 I share five key takeaways important for listeners in summation of the series about food, food products and our health. Additionally I provide resources to help us make better decisions to safeguard our health, the health of our families and communities. You can find those below. Resources How To Eat To Live Book One -Honorable Elijah Muhammad How To Eat To Live Book Two -Honorable Elijah Muhammad Hooked: Free Will and how the food giants exploit our addictions ⁠- Michael Moss ⁠Vegucation Over Medication: The Myths, Lies, And Truths About Modern Foods And Medicines ⁠-Dr. Bobby Price Also, follow Dr. Bobby Price on YouTube and social media. ⁠Can Fasting Save Your Life⁠-Toshia Myers and Dr. Alan Goldhammer- Also, watch Dr. Goldhammer’s interviews on YouTube. What the Health (Documentary) Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead (Documentary) If you would like to engage with the Nurah Speaks podcast, submit your listener questions or topic suggestions to info@NurahSpeaks.com. Listeners can also learn more about Nurah by visiting her website: NurahSpeaks.com. Follow Nurah Speaks @NurahSpeaksPodcast on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To bring Nurah as a speaker at your next event, email info@NurahSpeaks.com. Remember, don’t just Join the Movement, Be the Movement!