With a president that won't use his power for peace, a legislative branch that's loyal to an incompetent fraud, and an elected body that refuses to keep the government running for more than a couple days at a time, now seems like a great time for all new everything. Starting with the 3 branches of government.
What the Health
Don’t get it twisted. Reparations will be good for our pockets, but they also have the ability to reduce the health disparities that impact our quality of life.
Courtney B. Vance (husband to thee Angela Bassett) wants Black men to stop suffering with their mental health challenges in silence.
Catch this trailer for a documentary that’s highlighting the challenges Black women face when bringing new life into this world.
Keeping Up with Biden & Harris
The situation in Gaza continues to be extremely dire with the help of US weapons and US passivity. After Israel fired on a group of Gazans seeking aid, Biden decided to “save the day” with a safer way for Palestinians to get help: airdropping 38K meals. In a place of roughly 2M starving people, Biden’s airdrop ain’t nothing but a drop in the bucket. Also, quite a few people on social media reported that the food was expired. Bravo, Joe.
Delivering his next State of the Union address on Thursday, we wonder how Joe will address those who say he’s enabling g*nocide and those who say he’s too damn old.
Kamala wants an immediate—but temporary—ceasefire in Gaza.
Congress, What’s Good
Remember those government shutdown deadlines that were previously March 1 and March 8? Well now they’re extended to March 8 and March 22. If no deal is passed by those dates, short term or otherwise, then we’re looking at a shutdown. We really just need to start this government thing all over from scratch, don’t we?
After Alabama’s ruling that threw IVF treatments into question, much of the GOP expressed support for it, stating they’d do what they can to make sure it’s protected. Last week, a Republican senator blocked a bill that would protect IVF clinics at the federal level and the GOP-led House has talked the talk, but not walked the walk. So much for loving and protecting the American family.
In an unexpected move, Mitch McConnell is finally sitting his ass down somewhere. Currently in his 46th year as a Senator, he will finish out the remainder of his term, but finally step down as the Senate Minority Leader. No word yet on if he’ll run for reelection in 2026.
Topics up for discussion in committee meetings this week:
The White House’s role in pandemic preparedness
The “divisive” and “ineffective” nature of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion efforts on college campuses (LOL)
Looking to 2024
It’s Super Tuesday, which means, 24 states + American Samoa will hit the polls. States voting today include: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.
The Supreme Court must be on Trump’s payroll. After he was booted from yet another primary ballot in Illinois, the SCOTUS ruled unanimously that keeping Donnie on some ballots and not on others would lead to chaos. In the ruling, the 6 conservative justices also set out to protect other insurrectionists should they decide to run in future elections. It really does pay to be white and powerful.
Nikki Haley managed to beat Trump in DC’s primary election. Being the petty man that he is, Donnie announced in response that DC Republicans had claimed her as their “swamp queen.”
In Michigan, over 100K “uncommitted” Democratic voters sent a very clear message to the POTUS. Refusing to vote for Biden in the primary, these voters claim he will only get their support in November if he changes course on Palestine. If he does not, those withheld votes could cost him the state and the election as a whole.
Social Justice Round Up
Folks are still out here trying to throw us deep(er) into an Orwellian reality:
The University of Florida fired its entire DEI department
A potential bill could have Mississippi closing 3 of its 8 public universities by 2028. To no one’s surprise, 3 HBCUs were mentioned among the potential candidates for closure.
A paramedic involved in the death of a patient, (in this case, we’re talking about Elijah McClain) only received a prison sentence of 5 years.
Around the Diaspora
Though there’s still a long way to go, cobalt miners in the Democratic Republic of Congo are taking matters into their own hands with regard to the human rights violations they’re facing.
A prison break in Haiti has Port-Au-Prince under a state of emergency.
Guyana wants to be the Caribbean’s sugar daddy, literally.
Getting to the Money
Ever heard of OneTen? OneTen is a job network that aims to close the opportunity gap for Black talent. They specifically take a skills-first approach to helping job seekers find stable careers, so no degree is required to join their network. Check them out at OneTen.org and see if they might be a good resource to help you make your next move.
Culture that Pops
Regina King as Shirley Chisolm and seasons 1-5 of Martin? Yes, please. Check out what else is new & Black on Netflix this month.
Do yall know Mychal the Librarian, the Mr. Rogers-like TikTok personality that quit his job after being bullied for having “dark energy?” Soon, we’ll be able to catch him on a new PBS show for kids that’s based in…you guessed it. The library.
Marian Anderson, the first Black opera singer to sing at New York’s Metropolitan Opera has an auditorium named after her in her hometown of Philly.