I just wanted to celebrate Nipsey’s life in the only way I know how my way. The gun violence is not the way to settle our disagreements we’ve got to find a better way to settle our affairs. It was on my heart to celebrate his life and speak on what’s obvious. He’s impact was much bigger then we could imagine and that was proved today with his celebration of life. I pray and send my condolences to his family and friends and hope what he started continues. R.I.P. Nip🙏🏽

Having a grown conversation with my homie Rev. Nelson White. He gives us a 18 year perspective of being married and shares some foundation and structure to make relationships better. In this social media era that we’re in we gotta get back to the basics and understanding the roles we’ve got to play to make the relationship work. We discuss a few hot topics and break them down get to get some clarity.

Gun control policy is one of the issues of the decade. The debate goes on in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) as to if firearms is more of an asset or a liability. D.C. doesn’t have gun shops to purchase firearms but does allow residents to obtain a gun in other states as long as they follow the proper procedures. Virginia is very lenient in their rules and even has an advocacy group fighting for the removal of gun control laws. Maryland has pretty stern regulations on owning a gun. Even with such strict restrictions on guns, Maryland routinely ranks among the most dangerous states in terms of violent crime statistics. DC is on record pace with 33 homicides year to date. In the mist of recording we got the news of Nipsey Hussle being shot 6 times then finding out he passed away from his injuries. It was sad to get the news but, went to the topic of discussion. Gun violence has been going on for a long time and enough is enough. R.I.P. Nipsey

There has been a discussion on which is better Public vs Private school and Skill Trade vs College. The admission scandal has been a discussion for years and it finally come to light. I was fortunate with speaking with two educators as we have a discussion on the dynamic of education in this country. We looked at the statistics of 77 percent of private school grads complete college on time, compared to 64 percent of public school grads have some finical and economic challenges to graduate on time. There’s a difference of opinion and many variables come into play in regards to making a decision on our kids education. Trade school should be advertised more and secondary education is good but, now it’s just not enough. Taking inventory of what the kids want to do should be done earlier on in middle school to put them on the right path for secondary education after high school.

Incarceration in the United States is one of the main forms of punishment and rehabilitation for the commission of felony and other offenses. The United States has the largest prison population in the world, and the highest per-capita incarceration rate. In 2016 in the US, there were 655 people incarcerated per 100,000 population. This is the US incarceration rate for adults or people tried as adults. The total number of persons in U.S. adult correctional systems was an estimated 6,613,500. From 2007 to 2016, the correctional population decreased by an average of 1.2% annually. By the end of 2016, approximately 1 in 38 persons in the United States were under correctional supervision. In 2018 2.2 million Americans have been incarcerated, which means for every 100,000 there are 655 that are currently inmates. This costs the United States government $80 billion dollars a year.

NAARC Cure The Streets is a model that has now gained momentum and become a movement in the City. There are 2 targeted locations in wards 5 and 8 here in the nations capitol. After 60 hours of intensive training their 19 members are dedicated to supervising, educating and interrupting gun violence in the targeted neighborhoods. There are 25 active high-risk clients currently working with CTS Outreach members. Cure The Streets has 13 community partners which help sponsor 62 community events. In the last 6 months it’s been 11 responses to shooting with no fatalities. Over 5,000 flyers have been distributed spreading the message that gun violence is wrong. There has been 15 formal mediations between individuals with conflict which could’ve resulted in retaliatory gun violence.

Although drunk driving incidences have reportedly declined by half over the last thirty years, drunk driving remains a serious problem in Maryland and in the United States. The most effective way to comprehend the nation's lingering drunk driving problem is to acknowledge some of the sobering statistics:

In 2015, nearly one-third of all traffic related deaths in the United States involved a drunk driver in 2015.

On average, one person in America dies every 51 minutes in a drunk driving crash.

Approximately 800 people are injured each day in a drunk driving accident, about one person every two minutes.

Two-thirds of people are involved in a drunk driving collision at some point in their lifetimes. In October of 2016, the Maryland General Assembly passed "Noah's Law," named after a Montgomery County police officer who was killed by a drunk driver during a traffic stop. With the passage of this legislation, enforcing stricter drunk driving penalties including usage of an ignition interlock device, Maryland's drunk driving laws are among the toughest in the United States. Still, the statistics show that Maryland's rates of injury and death in drunk driving incidences continues to hover around the national average.

There is a father absence crisis in America.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 19.7 million children, more than 1 in 4, live without a father in the home. Consequently, there is a father factor in nearly all social ills facing America today. In 2017 the U.S. Census Bureau collected data that represented children living without a biological, step, or adoptive father. Statistics show 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes (US Dept. Of Health/Census) – 5 times the average.

90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes – 32 times the average.

85% of all children who show behavior disorders come from fatherless homes – 20 times the average. (Center for Disease Control)

80% of rapists with anger problems come from fatherless homes –14 times the average. (Justice & Behavior, Vol 14, p. 403-26)

71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes – 9 times the average. (National Principals Association Report)

The state’s black voters might forgive racist conduct by Gov. Ralph Northam simply because he is a Democrat, said Gregory McLemore, vice chairman of the Virginia Democratic Black Caucus.

“We need to support our fellow Democrats. United you stand, divided you fall,” said Mr. McLemore, a city council member in Franklin, Virginia. “I can’t [forsake] Gov. Northam for acting white in America.” The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts has offered to hear from one of the women accusing Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax of sexual assault, saying in a statement that office “resources” are available to her and underscoring that victims can come forward without being compelled to testify at trial. District Attorney Rachael Rollins explained in a statement Wednesday that her office is “a safe, survivor-centered environment for anyone to disclose a sexual assault.”

I wanted to take some time to highlight the Founder and CEO of Japaris Clothing Co Jermaine McKnight. He’s a product of Southeast, DC and taking the city by storm with his new clothing line. This is a candid conversation about growing up in SE going through adversity and turning negative situations into positive ones. He’s assisted me with the marketing for my show and has agreed to become a sponsor helping me growth the show from where it now. I’ve appreciated all his support and encouragement that he shows me it’s a mutual respect between us both! 2019 will be a year of major possibilities both or our endeavors. Japaris Clothing Co. https://www.shopjaparisclothing.com/ Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/JaparisClothing/ Instagram: @japarisclothing