Need a Vacation? These Countries Are Relaxing Their COVID-19 Travel Restrictions
by Dana Givens

September 2, 2020

Need a Vacation? These Countries Are Relaxing Their COVID-19 Travel Restrictions

As COVID-19 continues to spread over the globe, the travel industry is learning to adapt to the new changes. However, as more countries ease their travel restrictions, many Americans are looking to see when they can plan their next vacation. Luckily for eager travelers, more countries are opening their borders for the fall season.

Numerous countries have announced they will begin reopening procedures in the fall. Popular destinations like Brazil and Mexico have already opened their borders earlier this summer with the hopes of attracting American travelers. Costa Rica has announced it plans to resume leisure travel in September for American travelers from only six states, including New York, Vermont, and Connecticut.

“In these six states there has been a very positive evolution of the pandemic and their epidemiological indicators are of high quality,” Gustavo Segura, Minister of Tourism for Costa Rica, tells CNN.

The EU remains off-limits to American travelers, however, they are free to travel to Armenia and Croatia with a mandatory 14-day quarantine in addition to providing a negative test result 72 hours or less before departures. Ghana and Nigeria have also announced they plan on reopening borders for international travelers in September as well.

The Caribbean hosts a lot of options for American travelers, including Barbados, Bermuda, Jamaica, and Antigua, which are all open for leisure travel. St. Lucia entered a new re-opening process as they reported to have one of the lowest rates for COVID-19 cases both in the region and globally.

“We are encouraged by the figures that currently show Saint Lucia is leading the way in the Caribbean region with the lowest number of Covid-19 cases per capita…These results will show potential visitors that our responsible approach to re-opening and providing a safe environment for a holiday is a good reason to choose Saint Lucia,” said the Honorable Dominic Fedee, Minister of Tourism for Saint Lucia, in a press statement.

“We have safely welcomed more than 2,000 visitors to Saint Lucia since reopening July 9 and to know that they have had a positive holiday experience here gives us optimism for the future.”

Powerful Black Business Leaders Endorse Joe Biden and Kamala Harris
by Derek T. Dingle

September 2, 2020

Powerful Black Business Leaders Endorse Joe Biden and Kamala Harris

As the contentious race for the White House enters its most critical phase, a political action group composed of high-powered black executives and business leaders endorsed today former Vice President Joe Biden and his running mate, U.S. Senator Kamala Harris, for president and vice president, respectively.

Making the first presidential endorsement since its inception two years ago, the nonpartisan Black Economic Alliance (BEA) PAC will place its full support behind the Democratic ticket to defeat President Trump to ensure “strong leadership at this pivotal turning point in our nation’s history.”

BEA Executive Director David Clunie states in a release: “We have no doubt that Vice President Joe Biden has what it takes to heal our country and create a path toward a more inclusive and just America. He is the proven, dependable leader we need in the White House to put the nation on a new path toward equity and unity during these tumultuous and uncertain times.”

He adds that the Democratic presidential contender is aware of the need to “fundamentally change existing policies that have enabled the structural inequities due to racism to persist for decades. To achieve economic and social mobility, Joe Biden understands that we need to guarantee a living wage, close the Black-White wealth gap, invest in Black-owned small businesses, and expand access to capital.”

Congressman Cedric Richmond (D-LA), co-chair of Biden’s presidential campaign, told BLACK ENTERPRISE that the organization’s backing represents “a big endorsement.”

“We don’t ever want the impression or the thought to go out that African American issues are just police reform and criminal justice reform,” Richmond maintains. “Economic empowerment is a big deal and that covers a whole range of things from wealth creation, homeownership, entrepreneurship, all of those things. And the Black Economic Alliance digs into that tremendously. That’s their wheelhouse.”

The organization’s focus is driving economic progress for African Americans in three core areas – “work, wages, and wealth.” – through public policy, advocacy, and political engagement. Formed during the 2018 midterms, BEA has poured millions into campaigns and endorsed candidates in highly competitive races in which  Black voter turnout will make the difference in outcomes.

To achieve its objectives, BEA has assembled a collection of powerhouses like board co-chairs Charles Phillips, CEO of tech colossus Infor,  and N. Anthony Coles, chairman and CEO of biotech firm Cerevel Therapeutics as well as advisory board members Dick Parsons, former chairman of Citigroup; Carla Harris, vice chairman, Global Wealth Management at Morgan Stanley: and Susan Rice, former US Ambassador to the United Nations who had been considered for Biden’s running mate.

BEA most certainly will be critical in fundraising – reportedly, the Biden is expected to surpass a record-breaking $300 million for August – and black voter mobilization efforts given its ties to key civil rights organizations like the NAACP and National Urban League as well as other grassroots organizations.

Asserts Richmond: “Their leadership is phenomenal, and it’s been an ongoing relationship. So it’s not just an endorsement because we’ve been talking to them a lot to help craft policy, In fact, members of the group have “had a seat at the table” and have been aligned with the Racial Equity Plan from Build Back Better.

Clunie states that BEA is confident that a Biden Administration will reflect “the diversity of the United States, and he’s already made a strong first step in that direction” with the selection of Harris as his VP pick. Moreover, the organization will urge Biden, if elected, to appoint African Americans to top posts at key economic agencies, including the Treasury Department and Council of Economic Advisors to further push for an expansive economic agenda for Black Americans.

 

 

19 Black Families Acquire 90 Acres Of Land To Create A Safe Haven for Black People
by Dana Givens

September 1, 2020

19 Black Families Acquire 90 Acres Of Land To Create A Safe Haven for Black People

Ashley Scott, like many Black Americans, felt distraught after witnessing the deaths of multiple unarmed Black civilians, including Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd by police officers and white vigilantes.

As protests for reform and action took place across the country, Scott decided to take a different approach, creating a safe haven where Black people can be given space to heal. She later teamed up with her friend, Renee Walters, to start the Freedom Georgia Initiative, a community safe haven specifically created for Black people looking to deal with their racial trauma.

In an op-ed essay for Blavity, Scott expressed that she felt powerless after witnessing the deaths of Arbery and others at the hands of police officers and sought out professional help to learn how to process her trauma.

“I sought counseling from a Black therapist, and it helped. It helped me to realize that what we as Black people are suffering from is racial trauma,” wrote Scott in the essay.

“We are dealing with systemic racism. We are dealing with deep-rooted issues that will require more than protesting in the streets,” Scott wrote. “It will take for us as a people, as Atlanta rapper and activist Killer Mike so eloquently put, ‘To plot, plan, strategize, organize, and mobilize.’ So that’s what I and my good friend Renee Walters, an entrepreneur and investor, did.”

Scott purchased 96.71 acres of land in Toomsboro, Georgia, for a new initiative: have 19 Black families create a self-sustaining community after attending several local city council meetings and learned about local zoning laws. “As a realtor, I’ve been sitting in on zoning and city council meetings. At first, I attended wanting to get a few new clients, but seeing the progress of the newly created city of Stonecrest, Georgia, inspired me,” she added.

“It motivated me to look more deeply into local politics and how cities are created. My research into cityhood gave me insight that this is how we change our communities and build real Black power.”

Breonna Taylor’s Ex-Boyfriend Offered Plea Deal to State That Taylor Was Part Of An ‘Organized Crime Syndicate’
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

September 1, 2020

Breonna Taylor’s Ex-Boyfriend Offered Plea Deal to State That Taylor Was Part Of An ‘Organized Crime Syndicate’

While waiting on the results of an investigation into the death of EMT worker Breonna Taylor, prosecutors offered her ex-boyfriend a plea deal to implicate Taylor as a part of an “organized crime syndicate,” according to The Hill.

Lead attorney Sam Aguiar, who is representing Breonna Taylor’s family, revealed that the Louisville prosecutors offered her ex-boyfriend, Jamarcus Glover, who is facing multiple drug-related charges, a plea deal if he were to say that she was a part of the deal. Glover turned down the plea deal and pled not guilty to the charges against him.

Aguiar posted on his Facebook page about the prosecutor’s failed attempt to have Glover become complicit with their attempts to cover up the crime that was committed against Taylor.

“Commonwealth Attorney Tom Wine tried to give the Elliott Ave. defendants a plea deal on July 13 which would have identified Breonna Taylor as a “co-defendant” for actions related to the arrests on April 22, 2020. Umm…when was Breonna Taylor ever a co-defendant? And oh by the way, the cops killed her a month and a half before April 22 and four months to the day before the date of this effort to get a plea deal (which was rejected). This goes to show how desperate Tom Wine (in case anyone was wondering whose office distributed one-sided information…) is to justify the wrongful search of Breonna Taylor’s home, her killing and arrest of Kenneth Walker”

Thomas B. Wine, the prosecutor who recused himself, released a statement saying that Taylor was never a defendant in the Glover case and had an explanation for what Aguiar posted.

“The plea sheet that Sam Aguiar posted on Facebook was a draft that was part of pre-indictment plea negotiations with Mr. Glover and his attorney. Those drafts were never part of the court record and are not court documents. We were aware of the information in the warrants as well as the jail phone calls where Mr. Glover implicated Ms. Taylor in his criminal activity. When I was advised of the discussions, out of respect for Ms. Taylor, I directed that Ms. Breonna Taylor’s name be removed. The final plea sheet provided to Mr. Glover’s counsel is attached and clearly does not include Ms. Taylor as a Co-Defendant. This plea sheet was emailed on July 21, 2020 to Mr. Glover’s attorney. The offer was withdrawn when Mr. Glover failed to surrender himself to court.”

Trump Defends White Teen Who Killed Black Lives Matter Protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin
by Derek Major

September 1, 2020

Trump Defends White Teen Who Killed Black Lives Matter Protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin

President Donald Trump wasted no time defending the Kenosha teenager who is charged with shooting three protesters, killing two and severely injuring a third, following the police shooting of Jacob Blake.

“We’re looking at all of it,” Trump said during a press conference Monday, according to The Daily Beast when asked by a reporter if he would “condemn the actions of vigilantes like Kyle Rittenhouse.”

“That was an interesting situation,” Trump continued. “You saw the same tape as I saw and he was trying to get away from them, I guess, looks like. And he fell and then they very violently attacked him and it was something that we’re looking at right now, and it’s under investigation.”

The incident happened last Tuesday in Kenosha, Wisconsin, following the police shooting Blake seven to eight times in the back. Blake’s shooting sparked a slew of protests and civil unrest in the city and Rittenhouse borrowed a friend’s assault rifle and traveled from Illinois with a group of counterprotesters, who said they were defending property.

The president‘s comments came hours after Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden gave a speech blaming Trump for the social unrest that has occurred on his watch.

“This president long ago forfeited any moral leadership in this country,” Biden told reporters. “He can’t stop the violence because for years he’s fomented it.”

In a statement following Trump’s press conference. Biden doubled down on his claim.

“Tonight, the President declined to rebuke violence,” Biden said in the statement. “He wouldn’t even repudiate one of his supporters who is charged with murder because of his attacks on others. He is too weak, too scared of the hatred he has stirred to put an end to it.”

Biden and Trump have spent the past two weeks trading shots while their political parties held their respective conventions.

Democrats used the convention to paint a picture of the country healing, coming together through a coordinated plan to defeat the coronavirus pandemic and the economic fallout. Meanwhile, Republicans spent their convention calling Biden an environmental extremist, in favor of government-run healthcare, defunding the police, and dismantling the border wall—none of which is true.

 

Elon Musk Passes Mark Zuckerberg To Become World’s Third Richest Person
by Derek Major

September 1, 2020

Elon Musk Passes Mark Zuckerberg To Become World’s Third Richest Person

Tesla CEO Elon Musk passed Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg Monday to become the third-richest man in the world.

Tesla has continued its unrelenting rally after undergoing a forward stock split. Musk is now worth $115.4 billion while Zuckerberg is worth $110.8 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Additionally, Jeff Bezos’ ex-wife, MacKenzie Scott, became the world’s richest woman, passing L’Oreal heiress Francoise Bettencourt Meyers. Scott received a 4% stake in Amazon as part of her divorce from Bezos and is now worth $66.4 billion.

Musk has seen his worth skyrocket, growing by $87.8 billion this year as Tesla shares surged almost 500%. Tesla has become a favorite among amateur investors on online trading firm Robinhood Financial, which has been one of the largest beneficiaries of the boom in retail investing during pandemic lockdowns. Last month, more than 40,000 Robinhood accounts added Tesla shares during a single four-hour time period.

Even South Korean retail investors have jumped into Tesla as their investors hold about a 1% stake in the American car company. The company’s $464 billion value exceeds retail giant Walmart and is the largest U.S. company by revenue.

Last week, Musk joined Zuckerberg, Bezos, and Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates in the rarefied hundred billion dollar club as tech stocks rose.

However, as these four continue to see their wealth rise on a level that would make Scrooge McDuck jealous, companies have announced massive layoffs. More than 10 percent of the country is unemployed. People who used to be employed are now waiting in line at food panties, choosing food over healthcare and rent while waiting for the government to agree on a second coronavirus relief package.

The rising income inequality has led to some, including Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) to discuss taxing the richest Americans, although President Donald Trump hasn’t even entertained the idea.

White South Carolina Police Officer Fired For Repeatedly Saying the N-Word (Video)
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

September 1, 2020

White South Carolina Police Officer Fired For Repeatedly Saying the N-Word (Video)

A white police officer who was recently suspended for uttering a racial epithet several times during an interaction with a Black man in South Carolina was fired on Monday.

Sgt. Chad Walker, a 14-year veteran with the Columbia Police Department, was terminated for his excessive use of the N-word. The Columbia Police Department released a statement after conducting an investigation into the police officer’s actions.

According to an earlier report by the police department, on Saturday, Aug. 29, at 11 PM,  a police sergeant entered an establishment named Bar None and found several violations of the Governor’s Executive Order to stop serving, selling, and drinking alcohol. Sgt. Chad Walker went in to enforce the order and while doing so, in conversations with patrons and employees, a Black man is heard calling him the N-word while he was leaving the establishment. In response, Sgt. Walker used the racial slur several times, arguing that he could use the word.

The department released the body cam video of the incidence.

The CPD’s Board has reviewed the findings presented by the officer’s chain of command, which included a review of the video.

“The Department’s discipline philosophy takes into consideration the degree of harm caused by the violation(s), the employee’s experience, intentional/unintentional errors, and the employee’s past record. Careful consideration is given to all applicable factors in the disciplinary review process and every effort is made to determine consequences that consistently and fairly fit the specific incident.

“As a result of the findings of the Board and consistent with our disciplinary philosophy, Sgt. Walker has been terminated, effective immediately.

Chief W.H. ‘Skip’ Holbrook says, “We will continue to hold each other to the professional, ethical, and moral standards expected by our citizens and place the highest priority on maintaining public trust. As I’ve stated before, when setbacks occur and mistakes are made, we must be willing to acknowledge them, fix them, learn from them, and continue to move forward together.”

Trump Calls Right-Wing Terrorists Who Stormed Portland ‘Great Patriots’
by Derek Major

September 1, 2020

Trump Calls Right-Wing Terrorists Who Stormed Portland ‘Great Patriots’

President Trump is being criticized for humanizing domestic terrorists while blasting Black Lives Matter protesters and inciting police violence.

On Sunday, Trump called for federal forces to quell protests in American cities while a group of pickup-driving Trump loyalists was captured firing paint and pellet guns at protesters in Portland, Oregon. The clash between protesters and Trump-loyalists led to a man being shot and killed.

Trump called the members of the caravan “Great Patriots” while not commenting on the March On Washington that took place last weekend, which called for his removal.

Additionally, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden “unequivocally” condemned the Portland shooting and has since accused Trump of “fanning the flames of hate and division in our society and using the politics of fear to whip up his supporters.”

“We must not become a country at war with ourselves; a country that accepts the killing of fellow Americans who do not agree with you; a country that vows vengeance toward one another,” Biden said. “But that is the America that President Trump wants us to be, the America he believes we are.”

Trump is scheduled to visit Kenosha, Wisconsin, the scene where Jacob Blake was shot in the back seven to eight times and where white teen Kyle Rittenhouse shot three people, killing two of them. However, Gov. Tony Evers wrote in a letter to Trump, saying, “I am concerned your presence will only hinder our healing. I am concerned your presence will only delay our work to overcome division and move forward together.”

In response, the White House is blaming Democrats for what’s happened.

“The only people to blame for the violence and riots in our streets are liberal politicians and their incompetent policies that have failed to get control of these destructive situations,” White House spokesman Judd Deere said in a statement to The Washington Post. “This president has condemned violence in all its forms. Americans want peace in their streets and for their children to grow up in safe neighborhoods, and only President Trump has shown the courage and leadership to achieve law and order and deliver results.”

Author Ruth Ben-Ghiat, who studies authoritarian regimes, believes the violence is all a part of Trump’s plans to appear like a competent and strong leader.

“Now he’s trained his aim on Black Lives Matter protesters and Antifa,” Ben-Ghiat told the Post. “So what is happening now with an escalation of violence is something beneficial to Trump. Strongmen leaders incite crises so they can pose themselves as the law-and-order solution.”

Thousands Petition To Replace Confederate Monument With Late Actor Chadwick Boseman
by Dana Givens

September 1, 2020

Thousands Petition To Replace Confederate Monument With Late Actor Chadwick Boseman

Black Lives Matter protesters are calling for the removal of Confederate statues around the country.  Community organizer DeAndre Weaver took it one step further, creating a petition on Change.org to replace a Confederate statue with Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman in his hometown of Anderson, South Carolina. The actor recently passed away from colon cancer.

“Mr. Boseman made it a mission to give back to his community. Not only with his appearances at his alma mater Howard University but financially as well,” reads the petition, which has almost 30,000 signatures. “Upon the release of his film Black Panther, Mr. Boseman took it upon himself to rent out a theatre in his home town of Anderson South Carolina to show the film for free. So that young boys and girls could be inspired by the film without the financial barrier. Mr. Boseman is without question an American treasure and his accolades go on and on. It is only fitting that his work is honored in the same place that birthed him.”

The organizer goes on to refer to the current statue of a Confederate soldier atop a platform that resides in front of the county courthouse with an inscription that reads “the world shall yet decide, in truth’s clear, far-off light, that the soldiers who wore the gray, and died with Lee, were in the right.”

“Many will agree that Mr.Boseman is without question worthy of such a monument in his home town, but I would like to go a step further,” he added. “I believe that Mr. Boseman is worthy of the spot that is currently occupied in the town square. For those unfamiliar with Anderson, where the confederate monument is currently located is in the center of the town. One cannot go downtown with[out] seeing or passing by this monument.”

White Woman Uses Racist Slurs and Calls Police on 3 Black Women at L.A. Beach (Video)
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

September 1, 2020

White Woman Uses Racist Slurs and Calls Police on 3 Black Women at L.A. Beach (Video)

Three Black women were allegedly accosted by a woman on a California beach who used racial slurs while accusing them of assaulting her. The incident is similar to the incident involving Amy Cooper, the white woman who called cops on a Black bird watcher in Central Park in NYC earlier this year.

According to ABC7, the Black women, who were only identified as Brittany, Jessyka, and Raquel, said they were at Dockweiler State Beach when the incident occurred on their Sunday morning run. The woman started to hurl racial slurs at them and can be seen on video claiming to call the police. She states that one of the women accosted and hit her when there is no evidence of any of them doing so.

“I’m calling the police. This woman just hit me,” the woman says in the video.

“You guys are so violent. You Africans are so (expletive) violent,” the woman also said. “You’re an African, right? I’m trying to get a description.”

One of the women posted the bulk of the encounter on her Instagram account.

“My blood is boiling my friend Britt @bcalicurl just had to go thru this racist attack…This lying, evil, racist woman this morning….Britt JUST recorded this in *correction* El Segundo, CA this morning from this evil KAREN.”


The El Segundo Police Department released a statement, according to NBC Los Angeles, saying that after an initial investigation, it was determined that the incident occurred in the city of Los Angeles.

“Since then, a disturbing video has been posted on social media showing that woman using racially charged language toward the individual recording,” El Segundo police said in the statement. “Although this incident did not occur in El Segundo, that behavior has no place in any community. El Segundo stands against racism and is committed to making sure everyone who lives, works, and visits feels welcome.”

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