Atlanta Mayor Keisha Bottoms Sends Sharp COVID Warning After Shoppers Line Up to Buy New Air Jordans
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

May 5, 2020

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Bottoms Sends Sharp COVID Warning After Shoppers Line Up to Buy New Air Jordans

After Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp reopened many businesses within the state, a group of Atlanta shoppers ignored the basic protocols of social distancing to become one of the first to obtain the latest pair of Nike Air Jordans, according to Atlanta’s 11 Alive.

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who has been extremely vocal against Gov. Kemp’s decision regarding the lifting of some of the restrictions that allowed certain businesses to open, took to Twitter to cite a Forbes article that stated that The Risk Of Exposure To COVID-19 In Georgia Has Increased By More Than 40% Since The State Reopened For Business.

Charlie Gile, who is a producer at NBC News, posted this clip on his Twitter account showing the scene at the Greenbriar Mall Atlanta this past Saturday at a Jimmy Jazz store.


According to Forbes, “Georgia ranked as the 16th worst state in the US for risk of exposure to COVID-19 on April 21, three days before Kemp began allowing businesses to reopen. At that time, the incidence rate for Georgia was 180.7. Five days later on April 26, Georgia’s IR had risen to 211.5, a 30.8% increase.

Data shows daily incidence rates in Georgia from April 26 through May 2. The “risk of exposure to COVID-19 increased every day during this time period. From April 21 (two days before businesses in Georgia began to reopen) to May 2, IR in Georgia increased from 180.7 to 256.8, an increase of 42%.”

New Orleans Cancels Famed Jazz Funerals Due To COVID-19 Pandemic
by Dana Givens

May 5, 2020

New Orleans Cancels Famed Jazz Funerals Due To COVID-19 Pandemic

New Orleans is known for its unique culture and its connection to jazz. One of its most famous cultural celebrations is how it honors the dearly departed with its legendary public jazz funeral processions.

Families of the deceased will march alongside musicians playing a somber song and after the burial, a new line forms and the sorrowful tunes turn into a joyous celebration where the public joins in and dance in the street to celebrate the life that has moved on. Now, a nearly century-old tradition has been temporarily suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Public traditions like these are now on hold as health officials try to contain the coronavirus outbreak. The annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, usually held in the last weekend of April, was canceled due to the public health crisis.

“For the first time in the city’s history, a task force was assembled to oversee the “death care” of those who passed away due to the virus,” Collin Arnold, director of emergency preparedness for New Orleans and a member of the task force, said to USA Today. The devastation left by the virus has forced the city to make difficult requests like extra refrigerated trailers for the dead.

“We’re a very tight-knit community of music and festivity, and I think that extends to our funerals, our jazz funerals and second lines,” Arnold continued. “And unfortunately those really can’t occur right now. This is an unprecedented event, and you just have to look at the numbers to know this is necessary.”

The absence of the public celebration can be felt by locals who are still mourning loved ones they have lost. “You can trace the impact of the health crisis in New Orleans by the silence of the city — no brass bands, no funerals, no church services happening,” said Tulane University ethnomusicologist Matt Sakakeeny. “Mourning is happening in the homes.”

2020 Census: Ashlee Marie Preston Weighs in on What’s at Stake for the Black Community
by Lydia Blanco

May 5, 2020

2020 Census: Ashlee Marie Preston Weighs in on What’s at Stake for the Black Community

Being counted in the census is more important than people think. As the deadline for the 2020 census approaches, media personality and Census Ambassador Ashlee Marie Preston shares what’s at stake in the 2020 census, how COVID-19 is affecting the campaign, and the importance of outreach to African American communities during this time.

Over the years, many members of the black community have not participated in the census. As a result, communities with large populations of black people have not received the proper funding for resources.

In the last census, more than 9% of black Americans were not counted.

Responding to the census helps direct billions of dollars in federal funds to local communities for schools, roads, and other public services. Results will also be used to determine the number of seats each state has in Congress and political representation at all levels of government.

This time around, countless organizations and advocates like Preston are making it their business to encourage people to get counted. Preston also shares how people can stay politically engaged amid COVID-19 and beyond the census as the 2020 presidential election approaches.

What’s at Stake

 


 

Related: African American Organizations Join Forces For 2020 Census Campaign 

The census questionnaire is available online, by phone, or by mail. The 2020 census questionnaire takes about 10 minutes to complete depending on the number of people in your household. If you have not received a questionnaire in the mail, you can be counted online. The information that you submit online is privacy protected.

What you need to know before you get started:

  • You must complete your questionnaire once you begin. If you leave the questionnaire and return later, you will have to start over.
  • Do not use the web browser buttons (back, forward, or close browser). Use the buttons within the questionnaire to navigate.
  • For best results, use the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, or Safari. Enable cookies.

 

To be counted in the census, click here. To learn more about how COVID is impacting the black community, click here.

Octavia Spencer Donates Breathing Monitors to New York And Alabama Hospitals Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

May 5, 2020

Octavia Spencer Donates Breathing Monitors to New York And Alabama Hospitals Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Octavia Spencer is the latest Hollywood star stepping up to help those in need amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis. The actress donated breathing monitors to assist hospitals in her home state of Alabama and the state of New York, according to NBC News. 

The actress, who recently portrayed Madam C. J. Walker in the Netflix limited series Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C. J. Walker, partnered with Mikucare, a baby monitor company, to provide contactless monitors that can detect nuanced changes in breathing patterns and indicate potential onset before other symptoms present. The two-way talk and video functions also allow patients and medical personnel to communicate from a safe distance.

Spencer made the announcement on her Instagram account:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

I, like many of you, have felt helpless in knowing how to help during this time. Seeing what is happening in the communities that I love, I have teamed up with @Mikucare to donate monitors to nursing and medical facilities in Alabama and New York to provide much needed relief to nurses as they navigate care for COVID-19 patients. Miku’s contactless respiratory monitoring offers the ability to detect nuanced changes in breathing patterns. With the understanding that respiration is one of the earliest indicators of illness, Miku’s breathing monitoring can indicate potential onset before other symptoms present. Miku’s two-way talk and video functionality also provides patients and medical personnel a method to communicate safely and effectively with those who have contracted the highly contagious virus. Please everyone do your part to stay safe and stay home in order to protect yourself and the ones you love most and I hope we can all find ways – small and large – to give back to our neighbors, family, and those on the frontlines. @baptist_health @montefiorehealthsystem

A post shared by Octavia Spencer (@octaviaspencer) on

by Jeffrey McKinney

May 5, 2020

Stimulus Checks Offer Meager Financial Relief to Distressed Small Business Owners

Scores of small businesses are dashing to banks to get a piece of the second-round funding from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) after the initial round was quickly drained.

And while many of the entrepreneurs are scurrying for financing to help combat the coronavirus pandemic and stay in business, a new national survey reveals they are getting hardly any or just a tad of financial help from economic stimulus payments sent to citizens.

The federal government is providing individual American adults with $1,200 and married couples with $2,400. Parents get an extra $500 for each child they have under 17. Those making over $75,000 will get lower amounts. Singles making $99,000 or more and married couples with children making $198,000 get zero.

Some 55% of Americans planning to spend their stimulus checks on essential and non-essential goods will do so at big-box stores or chains, a survey by The Ascent shows. A Motley Fool firm, The Ascent reviews financial products including credit cards, savings accounts, mortgages, and other items to help people make informed decisions on money matters.

In April, The Ascent surveyed 1,592 Americans to learn how they’re managing their finances and spending their stimulus checks. Some 37% of survey respondents reported they will use the checks to pay bills and 26% will put the money into savings. Just 22% of those surveyed will spend the checks to buy household necessities or non-essentials. Here is how those people said they will use the money:

  • 14% will make most purchases at a local small business.
  • 30% will make most purchases online.
  • 55% will make most purchases at a big-box store or chain.

The results are another blow for many small businesses, including black-owned businesses, who recently have shut down or been struggling to remain open. Smaller businesses still open are dealing with hurdles like less traffic flow and other coronavirus-related issues that make operating increasingly difficult.

Obstacles for small businesses have been lingering since April 3 when the $350 billion PPP lending program was launched as part of the $2 trillion coronavirus economic stimulus package. After the funding was exhausted in just about two weeks, Congress approved an extra $310 billion in PPP loan money. The program includes forgivable loans of up to $10 million for small businesses forced to close because of the COVID-19 crisis. The loans help cover payroll and other operating costs through June 30.

The Internal Revenue Service has distributed 88 million stimulus check payments, totaling $158 billion as of April 17, the Wall Street Journal reported. More checks will be sent to Americans this month.

On May 3, SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza and U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Steven T. Mnuchin issued a new statement on PPP.

“Since Round 2 of PPP loan processing began on April 27, 2.2 million loans have been made to small businesses which surpasses the number of all loans made in PPP Round 1. The total value of these 2.2 million loans is over $175 billion. Notably, the average loan size in Round 2 is $79,000, yet another indicator that the program is broadly based and assisting the smallest of small businesses.

“The Paycheck Protection Program is providing critical support to millions of small businesses and tens of millions of hardworking Americans.”

Carranza and Mnuchin added that nearly 500,000 of the loans were made by lenders with less than $1 billion in assets and non-banks. Several firms on the BE 100s 2019 Banks list fall into that category. The lenders also include Community Development Financial Institutions, Certified Development Companies, Microlenders, Farm Credit-lending institutions, and Fin Techs. Over 850,000 loans—about one-third of the 2.2 million loans—were made by lenders with $10 billion of assets or less.

The second round of PPP funding has already surpassed its halfway point.

San Diego Sheriff’s Department Investigating Incident of Man in KKK Hood While at Vons’ Grocery
by Derek Major

May 5, 2020

San Diego Sheriff’s Department Investigating Incident of Man in KKK Hood While at Vons’ Grocery

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department is investigating an incident involving a man wearing a Ku Klux Klan mask while shopping in a California Vons’ grocery store.

According to Essence, the incident took place on Saturday afternoon. The sheriff’s department condemned the incident and is investigating.

“The Sheriff’s Department is investigating,” Santee Mayor John Minto said Sunday. “I hope they will have more information for us tomorrow.”

Local officials have also condemned the incident, saying hate will not be tolerated. East County Supervisor Dianne Jacob called the situation “abhorrent.”

“This blatant racism has no place in Santee or any part of San Diego County,” Jacob said in a statement Sunday. “It is not who we are. It is not what we stand for and can’t be tolerated.”

Vons also released a statement, saying store employees asked the customer to remove the mask several times. Vons is also reviewing operations to ensure another incident does not happen.

“Unfortunately, an alarming and isolated incident occurred at our Vons store in Santee, where a customer chose an inflammatory method of wearing a face covering.” the release said. ” Needless to say, it was shocking.

“Several members of our team asked the customer to remove it, and all requests were ignored until the customer was in the checkout area. This was a disturbing incident for our associates and customers, and we are reviewing with our team how to best handle such inappropriate situations in the future.”

The incident was quickly shared on social media and according to the Times of San Diego, protests are being organized at the Vons location.

African Americans have been expressing their concerns about wearing face masks during the coronavirus pandemic. Sens. Kamala Harris and Cory Booker have asked the Justice Department to publish guidance to help local law enforcement.

Several supermarkets around the country have implemented policies requiring customers to wear face masks, but some have resisted.

Trevor Noah is Paying His Furloughed Crew’s Salaries Out of Pocket During COVID-19 Crisis
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

May 5, 2020

Trevor Noah is Paying His Furloughed Crew’s Salaries Out of Pocket During COVID-19 Crisis

If only more bosses were better leaders! Comedian and talk show host Trevor Noah is paying the salaries of his furloughed workers while the ongoing coronavirus pandemic continues to hurt the economy, according to The Daily News.

The Daily Show with Trevor Noah host is doing his television show remotely but he is making sure that the crew of 25 that works with him are being paid. He is doing so by paying the staff members out of his own pockets while everyone waits for the rest of the world to return to some type of normalcy. Although all 25 crewmembers aren’t working with him remotely, he is still paying their normal salaries.

Noah had informed his crew members that he will continue to pay their current salaries until production begins to ramp back up in the television industry.

“These are the people who have been on the show with Trevor from day one and help him put on the show,” a source reportedly told Variety magazine. “Trevor is personally covering their salaries until the production business opens again. He respects his crew tremendously and feels it’s only right that they get through this together.”

Comedy Central announced last week that, as long as he films The Daily Social Distancing Show with Trevor Noah from inside his apartment, the show will be 45 minutes long instead of its traditional half-hour. It is the first time in the franchise’s history that it has expanded beyond its typical half-hour format.

The Daily Show with Trevor Noah currently reigns as the No. 1-rated show in late-night among viewers in the 18-34 age range. Noah’s March 26 interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci has garnered more than 43 million views.

Back in 2014, Noah became the senior international correspondent for The Daily Show, and in 2015, he took over when long-time host Jon Stewart left. Noah is signed on to remain in this position until 2022.

by Lydia Blanco

May 5, 2020

Young Men and Boys of Color Can Now Receive Free Remote STEM Content and Literacy Support

Millions of students are out of school, but class is still in session. And as students log on to online portals, a number of educational leaders are doing their part to ensure that black boys do not get left behind.

The Sims-Fayola Foundation recently announced that they are partnering with FYR is LIT (Fueling Youth Reading is Leaders in Training) to provide online tutoring services for young men anywhere in the country whose literacy development has been impacted by school closures or e-learning due to COVID-19.

The Sims-Fayola Foundation is a Denver-based nonprofit with a mission to improve the life outcomes of young men and boys of color and to increase the capacity of those who work with them. Through this online offering, young men will be encouraged to continue their learning and be introduced to STEM.

Related: Barack Obama and Eric Holder Address Challenges Young Men of Color Face Amid COVID-19

As outlined by the organization in a statement:

Individual tutoring sessions led by LIT Tutors will be tailored to the students’ literacy and reading needs based on their intake assessment conducted by master teacher, Dr. Leslie Hamdorf, and Orton Gillingham, an associate candidate.

Tutoring sessions last for 40 minutes and will use the Zoom software to connect the LIT Tutor and the student. The Orton Gillingham approach is both diagnostic and prescriptive, so the format of the session will be as follows: letter annunciation and phoneme awareness, spelling rules, writing practice, and read aloud.

Tutoring Step-by-Step Sign-Up Process:

  • Step 1: Submit an inquiry by emailing us using the button below.
  • Step 2: Virtual intake assessment conducted by Dr. Hamdorf. This assessment lasts between 25-45 minutes.
  • Step 3: Match student with a LIT Tutor and agreement for the number of sessions decided.
  • Step 4: Begin online tutoring sessions with LIT Tutor.

If you are interested in literacy tutoring for a young man you know, click here to submit an email request to the Sims-Fayola Foundation.

 

by Dana Givens

May 5, 2020

House Democrats Propose Widespread Student Loan Forgiveness Bill Due To COVID-19

The COVID-19, or the novel coronavirus, has caused severe economic fallout that has crippled the lives of Americans around the country. While the Senate has passed a stimulus package with initiatives to help Americans through this outbreak, many feel that the current package does not do enough to curb long-time economic side effects as a result of the massive job loss from the pandemic. Now House Democrats have come together to propose a new way to save the economy from the pandemic’s effects by canceling student loan debt for millions of borrowers.

Many student loan borrowers have been greatly impacted by the coronavirus and are left with no income to pay off their debt. While service providers provide some limited options such as interest rate freezes and temporary forbearance, many are not eligible for various reasons. Depending on how long the quarantine goes, it can have severe consequences on borrowers.

The Student Debt Emergency Relief Act has now been sponsored Rep. Ayanna Pressley and others to address the mounting student debt that has been crippling Americans. “During this unprecedented crisis, no one should have to choose between paying their student loan payment, putting food on the table or keeping themselves and their families safe and healthy,” said Pressley according to Yahoo Finance. “We must prioritize debt cancellation for the 45 million student loan borrowers who are struggling to pay off their debt during this difficult time.”

The bill would cancel $30,000 in federal student loans and how student loan forgiveness to be tax-free, meaning debt cancellation would not be taxed as income. It would also give the government power to assume borrower’s monthly payments so users would have more options to remain on track for their loan payoff in addition to suspending all involuntary collections such as wage garnishments.

Detroit Chefs Provide 20,000 meals For City’s Homeless Shelters
by Derek Major

May 4, 2020

Detroit Chefs Provide 20,000 meals For City’s Homeless Shelters

The coronavirus pandemic has forced restaurants across the country to close its doors, but Detroit chefs are still cooking to help the city’s homeless.

According to The Grio, chef Maxcel Hardy, the owner of COOP Caribbean Fusion restaurant in Detroit, is helping the Horatio Williams Foundation kitchen to feed families living in shelters. Hardy and other Detroit chefs have prepared more than 20,000 meals in 33 days for the city’s homeless.

“We’re just trying to do what we can to make sure that we take care of most vulnerable folks here in Detroit, that being our homeless population,” said Hardy, a lifelong Detroit resident.

The Metro Detroit area has been one of the most affected areas in the country. More than 8,500 residents in the area have tested positive for the coronavirus, the majority of which are African Americans.

Additionally, Detroit has a high poverty rate, meaning that many of the city’s residents don’t have the money or the means to eat well. This can give homeless residents a higher chance of catching the virus.

“If you’re malnourished and you’re not eating right, you’re not going to have a fighting chance against COVID-19,” Hardy said.

The Horatio Williams Foundation kitchen has been a welcomed resource during the pandemic. The kitchen has fed more than 9,000 people so far, averaging more than 400 people per day. The kitchen also operates on weekends.

Chefs like Hardy know that if they don’t help the homeless residents in Metro Detroit, there may be no one else to help them.

“It goes to who we are as Detroiters, because we know if nobody else will do it and look out for us, we look out for ourselves,” he said.

African American celebrities have also chipped in to help those less fortunate. Beyoncé has donated $6 million to coronavirus relief efforts through her non-profit. Rappers Meek Mill and Jay-Z and Madonna have joined together to help the prison population.

×