Talk to any Black man, of any generation, and he will tell you that he isn't being heard. Throughout most of the 20224 political season, it seemed that everything was being talked about, everything was on the table, except for the issues and concerns of Black men. That changed about six weeks ago. All of a sudden, corporate media and the leading pundits of the networks, started talking about Black men "abandoning" the Democratic party in support of the man atop the Republican party's presidential ticket.

Young Black men were getting most of the attention. The pundits, almost giddy, were and still are eager to talk about a community that so often they portrayed in negative perspective. They were gleeful to talk to young Black male, who clearly wasn't up to par on politics, about the 2024 presidential race. They were happy to showcase a young Black man who was ready to give his thoughts on the Democratic nominee for president. But in practically every snippet, the media hawks missed some things. They didn't have or put things in context. They didn't try to learn what was behind a given opinion. This completely missed who Black men are as a group - as a people who are as diverse in their opinions as they are in their looks.

Yes, there will be some Black men to support the Grand Old Party and its leader, but there are for more Black men who are supporting the Democratic nominee. Corporate media likes to talk about how the support for the Republican party has grown. If so, it's incremental.

On this episode of The Offshoot, I talk with three Black men, and I ask them what is the media missing? What is the real rational that Black men, particularly young Black men, give for supporting and voting for a political party and it's leader despite facts that seems contrary to their lives. What is driving their politics? Those questions get answered, and the answers to those questions are not what mainstream media is publishing.

The war between Israel and Hamas has a lot of people talking and it has an equal, if not greater, amount of people not talking ... at least not publicly.  In the Black/African American community, there has been a lot of the later. Why? That's a question no one individual or groups of individuals can answer as if there is a homogeneous Black community in which one persona or consortium can speak for. But, however, there is a deeper issue within the conflict that some Black Americans are speaking to, and on this episode of The Offshoot, Rev. Graylan Hagler of the historic Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ in Washington, DC is talking. 

The war between Israel and Hamas is one that needs the attention of Black/African Americans purely for the fact that there is a humanitarian crisis at hand, said Rev. Hagler.  Palestinian children, women, civilians of non-Jewish and non-Muslin faiths, along side people in the Jewish community and Palestinian community, are becoming casualties of the war.  Though the war is taking place thousands of miles from any city within the U.S.A., any city with a large Black population, Rev. Hagler, said what is happening in Israel could happen in the States, hence the need to be aware and pay attention to what the war is all about.

Land, said Rev. Hagler, is what the war is all about, and land is a topic most Black Americans can identify with. Additionally, he points to extremism.  Even in 2023, there are new stories, particularly coming out of the southern part of the States, in which the land of Black people was taken.  Hagler speaks to this and much more on this episode of The Offshoot.  He provides a bit of history and he draws a correlation to activities in this country ... particularly the Insurrection of January 6.

With seven children, Bridget Desmukes and her husband, Jeffrey, wanted to give all their offsprings the best education.  They wanted to ensure that their children learned about the world, business, the economy, languages and other cultures. Additionally, they wanted their children to have positive social experiences with other children and educators while at school.  They had their children in the District of Columbia Public School system, which for a while seemed to support their children's needs. 

The support was not quite there. Some of the children were being bullied, and they were not getting the medical support they needed to manage their sickle cell anemia. On top of that, the educators were not recognizing and challenging their kids intellectually.  Those things, and much more, prompted  Bridget and her husband to remove their children from public schools and to educate them at home.  

Bridget is an advocate for homeschooling, nurse life, a wellness coach and a mental health counseling student, and for a few year now, all seven children, have been getting a unique home education that includes learning foreign languages, advanced math and reading, critical thinking, and economics.  The children are very bright, and Bridget comes on The Offshoot podcast to share what it is like to homeschool her children.  She is an advocate for homeschooling who has been able to advance her children's education beyond that of children in public schools.  

Should more parents home school their children? Hear what Bridget has to say on this episode on The Offshoot.  With a passion for helping young women overcome the stereotypes, she speaks to the pros and cons, the joys and challenges of homeschooling. She wants her children and all children, especially young Black girls, to embrace their strengths and individuality. That's part of her homeschooling curriculum.  Homeschooling is growing in popularity, and if you're unsure about public school versus home school, listen to this episode of The Offshoot.