Facebook Removes Several Anti-Quarantine Protest Events From Site
Facebook said Monday it removed anti-quarantine protest events in Nebraska, New Jersey, and California that defied government guidelines on social distancing, from its site.
According to Reuters, Facebook has received backlash for its lack of policing harmful content and misinformation related to the coronavirus. However, the social media giant said it would only take down anti-quarantine protest events if they defied government guidelines.
“Unless government prohibits the event during this time, we allow it to be organized on Facebook,” spokesman Andy Stone said. “For this same reason, events that defy government’s guidance on social distancing aren’t allowed on Facebook.”
According to a Pew Research Center poll, 66% of Americans are more concerned with lifting quarantine restrictions too quickly as opposed to too late. However, anti-quarantine protests have popped up in Washington, Colorado, and South Dakota, pushing state governments to reopen the economy.
White House guidelines indicate for a state to reopen its economy, it must record 14 consecutive days of declining case numbers. However, the U.S. Job market is suffering as nearly all jobs created since the 2008 housing crisis have been lost in just a month.
As a result, Trump has called for Democratic governors of Michigan, Minnesota, and Virginia to “LIBERATE” their states on Sunday in a series of tweets. Twitter allowed the tweets to stay on its platform, saying they did not clearly suggest harmful physical intent.
Since the outbreak hit the U.S., Facebook has donated millions of dollars to help small businesses stay afloat. Last week, Facebook announced $15 million will be used to help small business owners impacted by the coronavirus.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the leading government official on infectious diseases, told Good Morning America the protests will not work.
“Clearly this is something that is hurting from the standpoint of economics and the standpoint of things that have nothing to do with the virus, but unless we get the virus under control, the real recovery economically is not going to happen,” Fauci said on Good Morning America Monday.
“So what you do if you jump the gun and go into a situation where you have a big spike, you’re going to set yourself back,” he said. “So as painful as it is to go by the careful guidelines of gradually phasing into a reopening, it’s going to backfire. That’s the problem.”
New CDC Report Reveals Half of COVID-19 Patients Are Obese
Over 40% of American adults are overweight. A recent COVID-NET report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals that half of the COVID-19 patients are obese. Additionally, 89% of people who were ill enough to be hospitalized are reported to have at least one pre-existing health condition. Some of the underlying health conditions reported: hypertension, diabetes, chronic lung disease, and cardiovascular disease; all are prevalent in the black community.
According to a statement on the CDC website (which has since been removed):
“Severe obesity increases the risk of a serious breathing problem called acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which is a major complication of COVID-19 and can cause difficulties with a doctor’s ability to provide respiratory support for seriously ill patients. People living with severe obesity can have multiple serious chronic diseases and underlying health conditions that can increase the risk of severe illness from COVID-19.”
Key findings from the report:
From March 1–28, 2020, the overall laboratory-confirmed COVID-19–associated hospitalization rate was 4.6 per 100,000 population; rates increased with age, with the highest rates among adults aged ≥65 years.
Approximately 90% of hospitalized patients identified through COVID-NET had one or more underlying conditions, the most common being obesity, hypertension, chronic lung disease, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease.
COVID-19-associated hospitalization rates were higher among males than among females (5.1 versus 4.1 per 100,000 population).
Among patients with race/ethnicity data (580), 261 (45.0%) were non-Hispanic white (white), 192 (33.1%) were non-Hispanic black (black), 47 (8.1%) were Hispanic, 32 (5.5%) were Asian, two (0.3%) were American Indian/Alaskan Native, and 46 (7.9%) were of other or unknown race.
Other factors like stress, age, and race increase risks. NPR recently reported at length about how the data released by the CDC point to racial disparities in COVID-19 cases. One of them being genetics.
From NPR:
There are several factors, including some genetic ones, that may make African Americans more vulnerable to COVID-19. “There have been a few studies that have pointed to African Americans potentially having genetic risk factors that make them more salt-sensitive,” says Renã Robinson, a professor of chemistry who researches chronic disease at Vanderbilt University. This may increase the likelihood of high blood pressure, which, in turn, is linked to more serious forms of COVID-19. “It could be a contributing factor,” she says, but there are likely multiple causes at play.
In efforts to flatten the curve and keep people at high risk safe, the CDC promotes social distancing, healthy eating, and sheltering in.
To read more about the impact of COVID-19 on the black community, click here.
Maryland Governor Orders 500,000 COVID-19 Tests From South Korea
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals and treatment centers across the country have been struggling to keep up with the rising number of cases appearing each day. Viral epicenters like New Orleans and New York City have been suffering from a severe shortage of medical supplies of PPE materials, diagnosis tests, and N95 masks for healthcare professionals. In Maryland, the need for tests was so great that the governor decided to take matters into his own hands.
Gov. Larry Hogan negotiated a private deal with suppliers based in South Korea and ordered 500,000 coronavirus tests. Hogan made the order happen with the help of his wife Yumi, a Korean immigrant who speaks fluent Korean. The Republican governor has been very critical of the Trump administration whose members claim they are providing these materials to states.
“The No. 1 problem facing us is lack of testing,” said Gov. Hogan to theNew York Times. “We can’t open up our states without ramping up testing.”
This weekend, a Korean Air flight arrived at Baltimore-Washington International Airport carrying 5,000 test kits that would give the state the ability to make 500,000 new tests to administer to patients in need. The Food and Drug Administration and other agencies gave their seal of approval for the kits as the plane was landing. “I was frosted because my team was saying that the FDA approval was going to hold it up,” Gov. Hogan said. “I didn’t care and was going to get the tests anyway.”
The death toll in Maryland is now more than 500. So far, the state has conducted over 70,000 tests for the virus and has confirmed nearly 14,000 infections. The state plans to expand testing capacity in high-priority areas, such as nursing and group homes, expanded drive-through sites, primary care practices, and urgent care centers.
University of South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley has been named 2020 Werner Ladder Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year.
With this honor, Staley is the first person to win the coveted College Coach of the Year as well as the College Player of the Year. She becomes the first men’s or women’s honoree to have won the award after previously claiming the Citizen Naismith Trophy for player of the year, which she received two times while playing at the University of Virginia (1991 and 1992).
“It is truly an honor to receive the Naismith National Coach of the Year, and, while I’m the one receiving the award, every head coach knows you cannot be a good coach without great assistants, great support staff, and great players,” Staley said in a written statement. “So, this award is every bit as much theirs as it is mine. We are blessed at the University of South Carolina to have the best FAMS in the nation. They support us every day, on the court and off it, and it is my hope that during this trying time in our nation, when games like basketball seem so distant, that reading about this award gives those fans a little bit of joy and reminds them a little of what we can all look forward to when we come through this time on the other side. To the committee, to my staff, to our players and to our FAMS–thank you–and I can’t wait to get back on the court!”
In this coronavirus-shortened 2019-20 season, Staley and her team, the South Carolina Gamecocks compiled a 13-1 record against nationally-ranked opponents, including wins over three teams that finished the season in the top five.
The Gamecocks entered the season ranked in the top 10 of the AP and USA Today/WBCA Coaches’ Polls and ended up finishing as number 1 in both. The Gamecocks spent 10 weeks on top of the Associated Press poll behind a 32-1 record that included 26 consecutive wins to close out the season, a perfect 16-0 conference record for the program’s fifth SEC Regular-Season Championship, and its fifth SEC Tournament title.
Byron Allen’s Media Company Sues Nielsen for Breach of Contract
Byron Allen‘s lawyers are keeping the courts busy these days! According to The Hollywood Reporter, Allen‘s media company CF Entertainment is suing Nielsen over its $475,000 monthly ratings fee.
In 2017, CF Entertainment signed a contract with The Nielsen Co. agreeing to pay $41,667 a month in exchange for rating numbers for its current and future cable networks. After CF Entertainment, which was the original name of Allen‘s media company, acquired The Weather Channel in 2018, Nielsen required an amendment to the contract and increased the price to more than $475,000 a month. Allen states that the change effectively broke the original contract.
“That payment, like each one it has made to Nielsen since April 2018, was effectively a ransom that CF Entertainment had to make to keep The Weather Channel on air,” CF Entertainment’s attorney Sean Berkowitz writes in the lawsuit. “CF Entertainment will not be held hostage any longer, and it will no longer sit idly by and accede to Nielsen’s extortionist conduct.”
The Weather Channel is saying that Nielsen is engaging in “predatory pricing” because of its monopoly on ratings services. CF Entertainment filed the lawsuit last week accusing Nielsen of breach of contract and unfair competition and unjust enrichment. They are claiming they are being overcharged by more than $400,000 per month.
“Nielsen’s stranglehold on viewership data and the fact that it supplies the only currency accepted by advertisers gives it lopsided leverage when entering into ratings agreements with broadcasters such as CF Entertainment,” the complaint states. “Nielsen knows that its ratings information is essential to a network’s ability to recover revenue from advertisers, because advertisers only pay based Nielsen’s upon proof of performance. If a network cannot provide proof of performance in the form of Nielsen ratings data, the network cannot earn and receive any revenue for its advertisements.”
CF Entertainment is asking the court for a declaration that Nielsen must provide the original agreed-upon $41,667 per month rate for its service and that the 2018 amendment is void as an unconscionable contract. It is also asking for a refund of fees and an order preventing Nielsen from terminating its services while this litigation is ongoing.
Surviving COVID-19: How To Be Seen As An Essential Worker By Your Employer
Essential worker.
It’s just one of the many new terms, such as social distancing and contact tracing, that have become part of the daily reality of the nation and the world, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. The official definition of an essential worker is a person who must continue to work, despite government mandated stay-at-home directives, to perform necessary services, ranging from healthcare and public transportation to grocery store operations and food delivery.
However, while a record number of Americans lost jobs due to the crisis, many others continue to work from home. As employers struggle to avoid laying off or furloughing their workers, they are also making decisions about who to cut and who to keep, should their hands be forced by the impact of the coronavirus on their revenues. Those they deem essential to their businesses will be the last to be laid off or furloughed and the first to be rehired if those choices are made. There is no way to become “lay-off proof.” However, if you are fortunate to be among those who are still employed, increasing your visibility and showcasing your contributions to the success of your organization may be critical to be seen as an essential worker by your employer.
Confident Career Woman founder Ericka Spradley is an experienced consultant, coach, former hiring manager and career readiness adjunct professor who specializes in helping her clients maximize their visibility, discover and leverage their competitive advantage, and identify transferable skills to create broader career options. She makes the following recommendations to those fortunate to have not lost their jobs due to the crisis, and who want to increase the likelihood of being viewed as an essential worker by their employer.
RAISE YOUR HAND
You may have been comfortable keeping your head down and doing your job well, confident that the quality of your work was ample proof of your value to your employer. However, those who take such a passive approach to their career—especially African Americans, other ethnic minorities, and women—are often the ones most likely to be overlooked and bypassed for raises, promotions, and other opportunities; their contributions taken for granted or forgotten. If you are serious about being seen as an essential worker in your organization, it is more critical than ever for you to take responsibility for your own visibility, even if that means taking on roles and projects very different from the job you were doing before you began working from home.
Confident Career Woman Founder Ericka Spradley
“Volunteer for stretch assignments or projects external to the scope of your work,” says Spradley. “When you do, consider the impact of the project to the organization as well as how the opportunity will broaden your skillset and relationships. For example, if your employer has Business Resource Groups (BRGs) or Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), express interest in serving on your local chapter team or on an enterprise leadership team. In years past, I self-nominated and served both levels of the organization. Not only did I expand my skillset and increase my visibility internally, I also met individuals external to the organization when I participated in a leadership program that was only offered to employees who served with an ERG.”
Consider the needs of your organization that have become urgent specifically because of the COVID-19 crisis. Think of sources of revenue, once unimportant or untapped, that may be key to your employer surviving COVID-19. Has your company launched initiatives specifically tasked with dealing with the impact of the coronavirus on employees, customers, healthcare workers, or other key stakeholders? Don’t wait to be asked; volunteer to get involved now, and you’ll more likely be remembered as an essential worker later, when it matters.
RAISE YOUR VOICE
In addition to being seen, your ability to be heard is also critical to being seen as an essential worker, even if you are limited to virtual communication. That means being present via both video and audio on video conference calls, even if you’ve been accustomed to a behind-the-scenes role, and being seen—especially on camera—is outside of your comfort zone. That also means being heard via internal communications, including regular updates and reporting—via e-mail or a business communications platform such as Slack—about your activities to your boss and fellow team members. Remember, unlike when you all worked at the same office, they can’t see you working. What goes unseen can be easily forgotten.
“Although the medium of communication has changed now that we’re substituting teleconferences for in-person conversations, you’ll still need to consistently check-in with your leader,” Spradley asserts. “Now, more than ever, you’ll not only need to communicate your wins and your goals, but you’ll also need feedback as everything is rapidly changing. Organizational priorities 60 days ago have probably shifted, and you should definitely be aware of what they are, why they’ve changed as well as what you can do to demonstrate leadership where you are, in your role.”
The same applies to your external communications, including via social media. At the very least, your LinkedIN profile should be fully built out and up to date, and you should be active on the platform.
“We could very well be on the verge of a ‘new norm’ that requires online visibility and managing your career in ways you haven’t necessarily needed to in the past,” says Spradley, who recommends visiting www.Jobscan.com for a free LinkedIn Optimization Report. “Consider sharing and publishing your insights via Pulse on LinkedIn. My client did recently and she was surprised when her employer asked if they could distribute her article in their employee newsletter. One article on LinkedIn resulted in visibility within the walls of the organization as well as the external exposure of active LinkedIn users who could literally be anywhere around the world.”
ARTICULATE YOUR VALUE
The only way to guarantee that the story of your contributions as an essential worker is told is for you to tell it. Articulating your value to your employer is your responsibility—no one else’s.
“I recommend that you manage your career like a business, not only in this climate but consistently in any climate,” says Spradley. “A SWOT Analysis is no stranger to employers and it shouldn’t be for you as an employee.”
Being seen as an essential worker during the COVID-19 crisis—and maximizing your career opportunities and earning power in any environment—depends on your ability to articulate the following, according to Spradley:
Strengths: Know what they are and how what you do contributes to the organization’s strategy, both short term and long term, so you can communicate that.
Weaknesses: Be aware of the limitations that work against your career success, so you can create a plan to diminish them.
Opportunities: Consider external factors you can capitalize on that will increase your visibility. For example, if employee engagement has plummeted, what’s your solution for increasing engagement? If you’ve identified communication gaps that are hindering productivity and efficiency, what will you do to streamline communication and improve the process?
Threats: Take a moment to reflect on what has happened, what is happening and what could potentially happen with your role as well as with your organization. Simply knowing what could jeopardize your role might inspire you to innovatively reinvent yourself.
Black Entrepreneurs Accuse Local Government of Refusing To Purchase Medical Supplies From Their Companies
With the global outbreak of COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus, countries and major cities around the world shut down to contain the public health crisis. Chicago is one of the many cities around the world where healthcare professionals are fighting to combat the rising number of new patients showing symptoms of the virus. Medical supplies, such as PPE materials and N95 face masks have been in short supply due to the increasingly high demand. According to sources, the Illinois government refused doing business with a black-owned company despite the desperate need for the materials.
Dr. Willie Wilson is the founder of Omar Medical Supplies and his company has distributed medical supplies like plastic gloves and the like, with distribution facilities around the country since the late 90s. Each week, the company brings in millions of KN95 masks. Omar Medical consultant and CEO of Boyce Enterprise, Vetress Boyce, are accusing the government of Illinois of not doing business with their company because of race despite the roughly 25,000 COVID-19 cases within the state facing a severe shortage of medical materials.
Boyce contends that Dr. Wilson has repeatedly called the mayor and the governor but cannot receive a callback. For Boyce, the final straw was when Gov. J.B. Pritzker spent $1.7 million in taxpayer money on two flights from China to bring back PPE.
Omar Medical Supplies will still be donating 100,000 masks to Cook County Jail, which is in desperate need of the supplies according to Boyce. The company has also donated to local hospitals in need. Boyce and Wilson have yet to hear back from the governor’s office on the matter.
Celebrity Event Planner Courtney Ajinca is Helping Clients Host Virtual Events During the Coronavirus Crisis
Expert event planner, interior designer, and D.I.Y. queen, Courtney Ajinca, is a vibrant entrepreneur who doesn’t take no for an answer.
A few years ago, Ajinca got her foot in the door as an event planner while working with former “Black Ink Crew” cast member Dutchess Lattimore. She has also worked with Cynthia Bailey, Quad Webb, Rasheeda Frost & The Cromarties. And her work has caught the attention of major networks. Now, she is known for her over-the-top events. And sheltering in place isn’t stopping Ajinca from producing high-quality events during the COVID-19 crisis. Instead, she is helping clients create virtual events.
“Believe it or not, the mandate doesn’t have to stop couples from saying ‘I do’ on their intended wedding date,” said Ajinca. “They just have to be more creative and think of ways that they can observe their special day virtually.”
Since shelter-in-place mandates were put into effect across the nation, business owners and clients alike have had to be ingenious about how they celebrate special moments—big and small.
“’Ms. Corona’ has come in and shaken the world up. With events being canceled all over the world, I’ve been directly affected. This was unforeseen but I have found ways to adapt to this time. I now offer virtual weddings and event planning where I completely plan and design your event virtually and in accordance with social distancing,” said Ajinca.
She went on to say, “My heart truly goes out to each bride who has had to postpone or cancel their wedding because of this unfortunate time. So, finding a way to help them celebrate was very important to me.”
As someone who specializes in creating memories for others, Ajinca is now curating digital experiences for her clients using Zoom, Instagram, and other meeting apps. She says “The show must go on, and I will do everything in my power to make it happen.”
In the events space, Ajinca stays on top of her game by creating standards of excellence. “The events industry is ever-changing. And as it changes, I constantly evolve to create trends and push the envelope. I challenge myself with each event to do something different and something that’s never been seen. At each event, I ‘experiment’ with a new technique. I want each client to have unique event elements that are specifically created and designed for them! I’m big on having a WOW factor and pushing the envelope to curate custom event experiences that leave the client wondering ‘How did she do that?’. This is one of the top reasons why my clients keep coming back for more.”
She is also committed to helping other entrepreneurs and business owners stay afloat.
“I now offer an online masterclass and one-on-one mentorship where I give event designers my blueprint to gaining success and attracting luxury clientele in the events industry. Being at home has definitely created a new norm for me. It has enhanced my creativity so much that I feel like I am bursting with new creative ideas that are begging to be let out!” said Ajinca.
During this time, Ajinca seeks to find inspiration from all over and she encourages others to do the same. “There’s a quote by the Dalaï Lama that I’ve been living by and that is helping me to keep a level head during this time. ‘Tragedy should be utilized as a source of strength. No matter what sort of difficulties, how painful the experience is, if we lose our hope, that’s our real disaster.’ Here’s to never losing hope and pushing forward through life’s challenging moments!”
This Black Woman-Owned Farm is Adapting and Thriving During The COVID-19 Pandemic
Due to the global COVID-19 outbreak, many people around the U.S. and the world have lost their jobs as a result of the public health crisis giving rise to record-breaking numbers filing unemployment claims and small business owners struggling to keep their doors open through the viral outbreak. One entrepreneur, however, has found a way to not only adapt quickly to the pandemic but found a way to make her business thrive.
Samantha Foxx was inspired to get back to nature coupled with a need to build a self-sufficient lifestyle when she founded Mother’s Finest Urban Farms in Charlotte, North Carolina. The 2.5-acre farm has a range of animals from bees, chickens, worms, mushrooms, and specialty items. Foxx, who goes by “farm mother” and is a North Carolina native, used her background in farming and beekeeping to start the local farm to serve the community.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, her business has seen an increase in sales for new and existing customers. “People are investing more into their local farmers and seeing food as a source of wellness and having access to fresh quality produce is becoming more relevant,” Foxx told ShoppeBlack in an interview. “Larger agriculture producers can travel for long periods and produce passes through several hands before it hits store shelves. We also have had more people signing up for CSA shares and investing to help us expand and supply as much produce to our community as possible.”
Despite the fears brought on by the viral outbreak, Foxx remains hopeful using her business as a way to comfort others through a difficult time.”Food is comforting to many people and knowing where their next meal is coming from is so important,” says Foxx. “Seeing the smiles on a family’s face, when we drop off a box to their doorstep is worth all of the hard work.”
Rapsody’s ‘Eve’ Album Will Be The Focus For A Course At UNC-Chapel Hill
Hip-hop has been uplifting people since the inception of the genre and it continues to do so on an academic level! Marlanna Evans, better known as Rapsody, will have her album as part of a college course at the University of North Carolina, according to BET.
The talented and conscious hip-hop artist will have her latest album, Eve, taught as a class at UNC-Chapel Hill. The course will be headed by Tyler Bunzey, a doctoral student of hip-hop at the school. The class will be offering a song by song breakdown of her latest album as well as readings by Audre Lorde, Angela Davis, Patricia Hill Collins and more. The course will also have teachings of womanist philosophy, hip-hop history, and pop culture.
Tyler Bunzey announced it on his Twitter account. “I’m incredibly pleased to announce that I will be teaching a course at UNC this fall on Rapsody’s magnificent album ‘EVE.’ We will be examining the album track by track with readings and media to accompany each record.”
“In this course, we will explore the critical womanist stance of Rapsody’s 2019 release EVE, which features 16 songs titled with names of famous Black women throughout history. This course reads Rhapsody’s album as emerging from a greater tradition of womanist discourse dating back to the 19th century, and the purpose of this course is to explore that history. Additionally, students will look at hip-hop historical development to engage with albums from femme-identified hip-hoppers throughout the genre’s history.”
I’m VERY pleased to announce that I am teaching a course for @UNCECL in the fall on @rapsody‘s #EVE. Please RT and share, especially if any UNC undergraduates follow you! There WILL be some special guests, and it WILL be an incredible semester. pic.twitter.com/JfWhNBfs3q
