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.

In some major U.S. cities, there appears to be a reduction in crime, but in the nation's capitol, Washington, DC, crime continues to rise.  From gun violence to robberies, carjackings and blatant theft, DC seems to be plagued with a surge in crime that one could argue is reminiscent of the city's crime wave in the 1990s.  Washington, DC 5C07 Commissioner VJ Kapur has been trying to address and combat crime in his part of the city, and he answers the question, why elected officials can't reduce crime?

Kapur is a first-term commissioner serving in a part of northeast DC that is experiencing rapid residential growth, business development, and an increase in crime. On this episode of The Offshoot, Kapur not only answers the question about politicians not reducing crime but he also offers solutions. He has put forth a proposal that he states will reduce crime, improve traffic flow, and make streets safer for families.  The cliche is all politics is local. There's also the adage no man is an island.  Kapur acknowledges that solving/reducing crime is not a one-man job, which is why he explains reducing crime in DC is going to require elected officials to change some priorities.