DJ D-Nice Is Hosting A Virtual Prom Party For Seniors Impacted By COVID-19
Due to the COVID-19, or the novel coronavirus, pandemic, schools from kindergarten all the way to college campuses have had to close, causing many institutions to cancel all their upcoming events. Many students have been forced to cancel their plans for important milestones including graduations and prom.
In light of the pandemic, many organizations have teamed up with notable celebrities for special virtual commencement speeches and celebrations. Luckily for the class of 2020, one DJ plans to keep the party going for prom while in quarantine.
DJ D-Nice became an unlikely breakout star during the coronavirus quarantine with his lively sets on Instagram Live garnering thousands of people to party with him virtually. Now the DJ is teaming with the social network platform, Houseparty, to treat the class of 2020 to a virtual prom party to remember.
Houseparty is a new platform with a mission to create the best “face-to-face” interactions for people to connect wherever they are. Teens and tweens alike from around the nation will be able to take part in the virtual event and attend prom free of charge exclusively through the social media platform.
The virtual prom will take place on May 7 at 8 P.M. EST with co-host Zack Bia. DJ D-Nice will have a special setlist for the prom audience and anyone who opens Houseparty at that time can pull it into DJ their own private prom with up to eight friends.
Joe Biden Could Be Paving The Way For A Non-Black Vice President
Joe Biden’s presidential campaign has announced its running-mate selection committee Thursday and the lack of diversity has people wondering who his pick will be.
According to NewsOne, the committee is made up of Los Angeles Mayor and campaign co-chair Eric Garcetti, Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd, and former White House and Senate counsel Cynthia Hogan.
The only black person on the committee is Delaware Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester. Now, many are wondering if Biden’s pick for vice president will be a white man or woman.
This could create some hurdles for the former vice president as South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn, has been urging Biden to choose a black woman for his vice president.
Many believe Clyburn is the reason behind Biden winning that state’s primary over Bernie Sanders. The Washington Post said Clyburn “changed everything” for Biden.
“According to Edison Research exit poll data, 56% of South Carolina’s Democratic primary voters were African American, and they overwhelmingly supported Biden, who won 61% of their vote,” the post wrote. “Sixty percent of black voters cited the Clyburn endorsement as an important factor in their decision.”
Clyburn suggested Kamala Harris, Stacey Abrams, Democratic Reps. Marcia Fudge of Ohio, Val Demings of Florida, and Karen Bass of California as potential choices, as well as Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
In March, when asked if he thinks Biden will pick Abrams as his running mate, Clyburn said, “I doubt it,” insinuating that she didn’t have enough experience. “There’s something to be said for somebody who has been out there,” Clyburn told the Financial Times.
Last week, Biden told KDKA-TV that it’s “very important that my administration look like the nation,” and doubled down on his pledge to pick an African American woman for the Supreme Court, saying it “doesn’t mean there won’t be a vice president as well.”
Biden said he hopes to choose a running mate by July.
White Supremacists Urging Members To Spread Coronavirus To Blacks, Jews, Cops: FBI
African Americans have been hit hardest by the coronavirus, contracting and dying of the virus at disproportionate rates. Now the FBI reports that white supremacists, neo-Nazis and other extremist groups are encouraging followers infected with the coronavirus to spread the deadly disease to Black people, Jews and members of law enforcement.
The alert, which was sent to local police departments, said that extremist groups were directing members to use spray bottles to spread infectious fluids, People reported.
The groups also advised members to leave “saliva on door handles” at FBI offices throughout the country, spit on elevator buttons and spread the virus in “nonwhite neighborhoods,” the brief states according to MSNBC.
“White Racially Motivated Violent Extremists have recently commented on the coronavirus stating that it is an ‘OBLIGATION’ to spread it should any of them contract the virus,” the FBI brief said.
The discussions between extremist groups took place on a Telegram app channel that focused on “siege culture,” EUR Web reported.
The FBI declined to comment on the alert but issued a statement saying, “FBI field offices routinely share information with their local law enforcement partners to assist in protecting the communities they serve. These products are intended to be informative in nature, and as such, they contain appropriate caveats to describe the confidence in the sourcing of information and the likelihood of the assessment. Additionally, when written at a local level, these products will note that the perspective offered may be limited to the field office’s area of responsibility.”
As Two-Thirds of Americans Work From Home, Pluses and Minuses Emerge
A new survey reveals that 66% of American employees are now doing their jobs from home at least part of the workweek due to the coronavirus pandemic. The finding is further proof of how the outbreak has totally changed our lifestyles in many ways.
Some 365 workers nationally were surveyed by the ratings and review firm Clutch to get a sense of their working-from-home habits and what they like and dislike about the remote work. The bottom line is more people than ever before are working from home, prompting companies to make new adjustments.
Among the top findings were 44% of Americans are now working from home five or more days a week, up from 17% before the pandemic. Not having a commute (47%), a more flexible schedule (43%), and not having to dress up (33%) are the three biggest perks.
However, difficulty collaborating with co-workers (33%), frequent interruptions (27%), and problems sticking to a routine (26%) are the three biggest challenges of remote work. Also of note, 22% of respondents say find it difficult to stop working at the end of the day.
Overall, about 39% prefer working in an office, versus 40% working remotely.
Kristen Herhold, a senior content writer and marketer at Clutch, says what her surprised her the most about the survey was that just 10% of respondents say they struggle with a poor Wi-Fi connection working from home. “I thought it would be much higher,” she explained, “especially since office Wi-Fi tends to be much stronger than home Wi-Fi.”
Another interesting finding is the obstacles working from home creates when it comes to interacting with co-workers. At the office people can visit colleagues at their desk and get answers quickly. Now, workers must wait until colleagues open their email or see their message.
Herhold’s advice to people who say it’s difficult to collaborate with co-workers while working remotely is to take advantage of the many collaboration tools available, such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype, Google Hangouts, and Slack.
“These help employees communicate more seamlessly and get some face-to-face interaction in real-time, rather than waiting for a response to an email or phone call,” she says.
Another dynamic American workers may have to accept is working from home perhaps will continue for a while. Experts predict that social distancing will last many more weeks or even months.
Clutch suggests that businesses talk with their employees about their successes and struggles with remote working to help make their daily work as productive as possible.
A great credit score is not always easy to come by. Student loans, credit card bills, missed payments, and now COVID-19, can all affect one’s credit score. During these uncertain times, many have faced unexpected financial burdens that will have long-term effects.
Kareem McMurrin, owner of Bar Financials, has more than seven years of experience helping individuals plan financially for their futures. Featured on outlets such as Fox Soul, McMurrin has identified sound practices that can help people plan, build, or re-build financially even through volatile circumstances.
BlackEnterprise.com talked to McMurrin about how to protect credit, recession-proof credit scores, and what not do financially during a pandemic.
What should Americans who received a stimulus payment know about the payment?
According to reports in December 2019, 69% of Americans have less than $1,000 in case of any emergency. From the very beginning of this COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve most importantly been made aware of what it actually takes to even prepare for or survive through such [an event]. Using your stimulus check to start an emergency fund would be a great idea that would help relieve stress and help prepare for uncertainties.
How can people protect their credit during the COVID-19 Pandemic?
The single biggest thing anyone can do is pay all your bills on time if possible. Do your best to make your payments on time, even if you’re only meeting your creditors’ minimum requirements.
During times of crisis, you will see an increase in fraudulent activity. Monitor your debit and credit card usage by setting transaction alerts and view your statements. Be aware of spam emails acting as known companies baiting you to click on links. Do not provide anyone your credit card information or Social Security card information over the phone unless it is a trusted source that you know.
Is there a way to recession-proof your credit score?
Contact your lenders for help if you know you can’t make your required monthly payment. When you contact your lenders ask about hardship options that are available and do this as soon as possible. You don’t want to wait until you’ve already missed a payment. Due to the continuation of COVID-19, many lenders are putting policies in place to help everyday consumers pay their bills.
There are many options available. Lenders may, for a short, temporary time, be able to lower your interest rate or payment or put a hold on your payments for a disclosed period of time. Lenders may also be able to place your loans in deferment or forbearance. You don’t have to make loan payments when a loan is in deferment or forbearance. Making contact could be very beneficial due to the fact the lender will not report late payments to the credit bureaus.
What are three things we should not do financially during an economic downturn?
You’ll want to avoid becoming a cosigner on a loan, taking out an adjustable-rate mortgage, and taking on new debt—all of which can increase your financial risk.
If you’re a business owner or an employee, avoid new or extra expenses. Do not take on new debt until the economy has shown a complete recovery at a considerable rate.
Think about the long term. Acknowledge your emergency savings situation and develop a plan to prioritize your expenses.
Historic D.C Restaurant Gets Approved for Coronavirus Relief Loan
The restaurant industry has been hit hard by the COVID-19, or novel coronavirus, pandemic. Due to restrictions against large gatherings, many restaurants have been forced to close or offer takeout service only. Since the roll out of the stimulus package and its various relief programs aimed toward small businesses, there has been a lot of controversy about how the loans have been distributed—including a lack of money sent to marginalized communities.
Luckily, for one historic restaurant, a coronavirus relief loan came just in time.
Ben’s Chili Bowl is a well-known historic restaurant located in Washington, D.C., that was trying to adapt to the new reality but was struggling to stay afloat. Thankfully, a loan from the Paycheck Protection Program came through. The U Street institution can stay open and continue to feed its loyal patrons.
Sage Ali, a member of the Ali family that owns the restaurant chain, says that the business’ bank informed him that the application for the loan was approved for the second round of PPPs since it was rejected the first time around.
“Things are good … and we’re very thankful for that,” Ali said in an interview with Shoppe Black.
As of right now, the chain has not received the money but Ali said that it should cover at least two months of the payroll for the four restaurants that the family owns. During the COVID-19 pandemic, only the original restaurant has remained open for takeout and delivery.
Although the loan will save the institution, Ali says adapting to the new reality will still be a challenge given the restaurant’s history as a popular gathering spot for locals. “As you know, the Chili Bowl has been a real community gathering place, and we’ve created where the community goes,” said Ali. “Even beyond the DMV, it has become a global community gathering place.”
Kamala Harris Unveils Legislation To Create Task Force Combating Racial Disparities Amid COVID-19
The novel coronavirus has caused the U.S. to use many of its resources to address the economic fallout brought on by the public health crisis. The viral outbreak has heightened the urgent need to address long-standing inequities in our healthcare system. Now California Sen. Kamala Harris announced on Thursday that she intends to bring forth new legislation to create a special task force to address and combat racial disparities brought on due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Harris has introduced the COVID-19 Racial and Ethnic Disparities Task Force Act to bring together healthcare and other policy experts, community-based organizations, and federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial leaders to confront the racial and ethnic disparities of the coronavirus pandemic head-on.
The bill would require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish an interagency task force of policy experts, community leaders, and government officials to make data-driven recommendations to federal agencies about directing crucial resources—like testing kits, testing supplies, and personal protective equipment (PPE)—to communities with racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 infection, hospitalization and death rates. The task force’s work would also be able to guide a more equitable government response to the COVID-19 pandemic and future public health crises.
“People of color are being infected and dying from coronavirus at astounding rates,” said Sen. Harris in a press statement. “This is in part due to persistent lack of access to healthcare, bias in our healthcare system, systematic barriers to equal pay and housing, and environmental injustice. It is critical that the federal government proactively work to right historical wrongs that have led to racial inequities for generations. The COVID-19 Racial and Ethnic Disparities Task Force Act is a necessary step to fully understand the impact of this virus in the hardest hit communities, and make targeted investments that correspond with their unique needs.”
How Caribbean Nations Are Combatting The COVID-19 Pandemic
The spread of COVID-19, or the novel coronavirus, has not only impacted the United States but the entire world—even the paradise of the Caribbean. Each country has been countering the pandemic differently with some being met with success and others overwhelmed by the number of patients.
The Caribbean has been of particular interest because of its climate, size, and the distance between people. Some islands have managed to eliminate their cases while others have been preparing for the worst.
Because of the Caribbean’s climate and environment, social distancing measures were easier to implement in some countries because people traditionally live further apart as compared to denser populated locations. Also, some islands were very quick to respond to the pandemic, shutting down public facilities and gatherings quickly. Countries like St. Lucia have been able to see 100% recovery within patients and other nations, like Barbados, have seen a low death toll in comparison to the United States and European nations.
The public health crisis has ended leisure travel for the foreseeable future until the virus can be contained, leaving islands dependent on tourism uncertain about the future.
Barbados has initiated a countrywide shutdown similar to those seen in cities like New York with all hotels and tourism services coming to a complete halt. The government has created programs to help companies slowly transition back once the viral outbreak has been contained. The job market has been the most impacted by the virus. In Jamaica, 160, 000 workers have lost their jobs in the country since the start of the pandemic.
“We recognize the socio-economic impact this will have on jobs and people’s livelihoods not just here but globally,” said Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, the Hon. Edmund Bartlett to BLACK ENTERPRISE in an email statement. “The island’s tourism has been significantly impacted since various countries have implemented travel restrictions; a number of airlines have significantly reduced their flights; cruises have been cancelled and a number of local attractions and hotels are scaling down their operations, with some closing.”
Africans In China Say Government Is Forcing Them To Recant Stories
Africans living in China are sharing videos on social media of Chinese businesses discriminating against them due to the coronavirus. Now Chinese government officials are forcing them to recant their experiences.
According to Blavity, Kenyans, Nigerians, Ugandans, and others living in China have been attacked or refused service in Chinese cities due to unfounded claims that Africans are carrying the coronavirus.
A video posted on YouTube, showed a pregnant African woman and her partner being turned away from Nan Hua Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital in Dongguan in late March.
The couple went to the hospital for an ultrasound and were turned away because they were foreigners. When they posted the video on social media, Chinese officials quickly found them and had them record another video thanking the Chinese government for its help.
However, according to the man in the video, only known as Derrick, things went a bit differently than described in the second video.
In an interview with Atlanta Black Star, Derrick said the Chinese government contacted him after the first video went viral and brought his wife to another hospital.
He shared audio from a recording where you can hear a Chinese government official explain that they wanted the couple to shoot the second video. The shopping trip described in that video ended up being fake as well. After being brought to a mall, Derrick told Atlanta Black Star that government officials left them to pay for everything and provided no assistance.
Several days later, the Chinese government again contacted the couple and asked them to make another video to call the first video a misunderstanding.
“They first asked me to put it off the internet, which I told them not in a position to do ’cause it’s everywhere now. They then took us to another hospital and we got a free pregnancy scan,” Derrick told Atlanta Black Star. “After they ask me to thank the government and deny what happened to us previously and we just call it a misunderstanding. I refused to deny that fact so they edited the original video and turned the blame on me for not understanding what the nurse was telling me,” Derrick added.
Another Ugandan, only identified as Darasa, told Buzzfeed she was denied entry into a 7-Eleven and other businesses because she is black.
“The 7-Eleven employees locked the door as Darasa approached and began spraying disinfectants, she said, only cracking it open wide enough to spray disinfectant around her feet. The McDonald’s nearby also wouldn’t allow her inside, nor would the supermarket,” a BuzzFeed reporter wrote Wednesday.
Darasa posted about the incident on Facebook and was quickly visited by two Chinese police officers who threatened her and told her to delete the video after taking photos of her.
These aren’t the only incidents that have taken place since the coronavirus outbreak.
A McDonald’s in Guangzhou was forced to apologize after putting up a sign banning all people of African descent. The incidents have become so commonplace that Ugandan politician Bobi Wine has offered to airlift mistreated Africans back to Africa.
Meet the Black Woman Behind the Afrikana Film Festival in Richmond, VA
When you think of film festivals, what regions immediately come to mind? While Richmond may not be a place that’s currently on the film radar, Afrikana Film Festival founder Enjoli Moon is working to transform that image.
“The Afrikana Film Festival is a concentrated celebration of black culture that allows Richmonders a chance to come out and see people they haven’t seen in a while and have conversations that are on their minds and hearts,” says Moon. “It’s also an opportunity to introduce people to Richmond. We have filmmakers that are coming from everywhere and they have a chance to see the richness of our city and the beauty of our people. It’s a great opportunity for cultural connectivity.”
This year marks the five-year anniversary of the multi-day Afrikana Film Festival. Attendees have a chance to experience three to four days of black cinema presented throughout the Richmond downtown arts district.
“Afrikana is not like any other festival,” says Moon. “Conversations are a huge part of the festival. There’s always a conversation after a film to have an engaging dialogue with the audience about the thematics of the film. You’ll also be able to enjoy a full day of film, networking parties, and a trolley ride that takes filmmakers around the city to see historical Black Richmond.”
How did Moon come up with the idea for the Afrikana Film Festival? “The vision came out of nowhere but it was the strongest sense of clarity I ever had,” says Moon. She didn’t travel around to other film festivals because she didn’t want to be intimidated or influenced by what everyone else was doing. Moon wanted to do something that was authentic to what she represented and the historical relevance of the city she was in.
All film festivals aren’t created equally and all founders don’t have the same resume of credentials supporting their work. Moon isn’t your traditional film festival founder. She had no background in film or money at her disposal. But thinking about service over film allowed the Afrikana Film Festival to be well received.
“The skills that I brought to the film festival that has been most beneficial are my commitment to hospitality and service,” says Moon. “I think about people in a way that allows me to anticipate their needs. This has been a huge part of my success.”
In addition to making an impact through the Afrikana Film Festival, Moon is the co-host of Richmond’s elegant international sensation event, Dîner en Blanc. It’s described as a magical event that brings guests together from diverse backgrounds to “experience the beauty and value of the city’s public spaces by participating in the unexpected.”
For anyone else wanting to create something new or do something different, Moon offers these words of wisdom: “Don’t let the fact that you don’t have enough resources or a certain background stop you. Learn as you go. You become an expert by doing.”
