In the Case of the Black Man’s Life Expectancy...
Many Black men tend to be reluctant when it comes to going to the doctor’s office and it’s led to them having the lowest life expectancy in the country. Historical and other societal factors aside, NPR seems to think they’ve got it figured out: Black men need Black doctors. It may seem simple, but hear them out. Researchers conducted a study in which they randomly assigned doctors of varying races to Black men. The findings showed that subjects with Black physicians were more likely to take steps to address preventable or chronic conditions (think prostate cancer and high cholesterol) than the others. Sometimes Black doctors were 72% more effective than their non-Black counterparts. The core reason why? The men with Black doctors felt more connected to physicians who looked like them. We know, we know. It’s not too surprising, right?
Well, if you happen to be a Black man and/or love Black men, have the discussion with them (or yourself) to make sure the proper medical care is in place that suits their (or your) personal needs. Many lives may depend on this simple thing.
Trump’s OJ Simpson Moment
Donald Trump created the political equivalent of OJ’s “If I Did It” spectacle when he stated that he would welcome insight from a foreign government if they had dirt on an election opponent. He even doubled down on this sentiment when pressed by the interviewer about the FBI director being in direct opposition of him on the issue. Perhaps the very stable genius had brief memory loss of the actual investigations on his 2016 campaign’s ties to Russia, but he certainly added fuel to the House’s fire. After much criticism and speculation, Trump started to walk back his prior comments. Did he let us get a glimpse of the truth or is his troll game just on 100,000?
Btw. The House did vote to hold Attorney General William Barr in civil contempt last week. They will now take their subpoena for the full Mueller report, free of any redactions, to court for a judge to enforce. Do you think we’ll finally get to see the full output of Robert Mueller’s two year investigation?
Dictionary.com is Now Invited to the Cookout
One of the most popular online dictionaries is updating their definition of the word “black” following calls from a social media campaign. The site will be reordering the adjective sense of the word that refers to people so that it is not close in proximity to any connotations that happen to be negative. In another change rooted in respect and recognition, they will also be capitalizing the word “Black” whenever it is in reference to people and/or to the Culture.
Congress, What’s Good?
There seems to be a light week coming up with only two items on the schedule: granting extensions to certain participants in the Medical program under the Social Security act and appropriating 2020 funds for the Departments of Commerce, Justice and Science.
2020 Happenings
Pete Buttigieg is definitely a rising star, but the Black community is not really messing with him. Not yet at least. Last week, he unveiled an initial plan for the community and it’s all about Black American prosperity. Plus there’s a Frederick Douglass tie in.
Fox News conducted a poll on hypothetical matchups of Trump and each of the top Democratic candidates for next year’s election. 45 loses in pretty much all of them.
The first Democratic debate sessions will be on June 26 and 27 and not every candidate will be in attendance. See who made the cut.
Around the Diaspora
Social media is in an uproar over Sudan’s military crackdown of citizens seeking democracy, but complete context of the crisis can be difficult to follow. Hasan Minhaj has an engaging recap on the political and economic factors that led to this moment. Also, Fast Company provided a great list of organizations to donate to. Make sure you put your money where your concern is.
Another Ebola outbreak reared its head in the Congo last August and it’s now spread to Uganda. Why won’t the World Health Organization declare it an international emergency?
St. Vincent & the Grenadines has become the smallest country to have a place on the United Nations’ Security Council. As part of the council, they will be tasked with helping maintain international peace and security.
Culture that Pops
Did you hear? Literally everybody and they mama is talking is talking about it. Huey and Riley (of The Boondocks) are back.
The three woman mathematicians who inspired the film “Hidden Figures” have a street at the NASA Headquarters named after them.
Nas and Will Smith luh da kids so much that they’ve invested in a financial literacy app to help teenagers manage their money.