Joke’s on Us
When many of us were celebrating the fact that there were such low numbers of the Coronavirus in Africa, we didn’t realize how many infected Black people there were in the U.S. Here’s a snapshot of the grim picture we face in some cities/states:
Chicago: 70% of patients who passed away from the virus are Black.
Milwaukee: Almost 50% of all known cases and 81% of deaths are Black people.
Michigan: Though we are just 14% of statewide population, we represent 35% of the cases and 40% of the deaths.
Louisiana: 40% of the state’s Coronavirus cases are in Orleans Parish, which is predominantly Black.
The federal government refuses to release details about the racial makeup of Coronavirus patients, so we may never have a sense of the pandemic's racial impact from a national level. What we do know, however, is that racism has already played its part in the health conditions that our communities grapple with. We also know that racial bias in the medical field can have very real consequences. This is all the reason we need to take this seriously.
Please y'all, let’s follow the CDC recommendations (especially if your state is on some BS. Hi Georgia.). Let's also urge our hard-headed friends and family members to do the same.
All the Way Up: Unemployment
Last week, a record 6.6 million people filed unemployment claims across the country. That’s double the claims from the previous week, which was also a record. The COVID-19 unemployment numbers will absolutely blow the Great Recession numbers out of the water. Economists suggest another relief bill will need to be passed by Congress in the future. Oh yeah, Black and Latin people are those most affected by unemployment. Shit's getting too real. Maybe the "rise and grind" folks on Twitter were actually trying to tell us something when they said we should spend the quarantine working on side hustles.
Rollout Game Weak
News is spreading that the small business relief promised in the CARES Act is not available as planned. This is partially due to some banks reconsidering their involvement after the Trump administration changed the terms of the loans in favor of the applicants, which means less money for Wall Street. Another issue with the rollout is that lenders are simply overwhelmed with the number of requests they’ve received since the bill passed. If you're a small business owner in need of this support, make sure you're up on game to increase your chances of cutting through the mess. Here are some tips and some more tips to help you get through.
Congress, What’s Good? It looks like another light week on the Hill with just one committee meeting posted.
2020 Watch
Trump gets real about why he thinks mail-in ballots are a bad idea: it would cause Republicans to lose power.
The 2020 Democratic National Convention (where the party officially picks a presidential candidate) has been postponed.
Biden is pressing ahead with picking his VP and Cabinet, despite…
Around the Diaspora
A Kenyan senator says "go back to where you came from" in response to news that Coronavirus vaccines may be tested on Africans and not where the virus is most prominent, like Europe, the U.S., or China.
Jamaican farm workers come to the U.S. and Canada for seasonal work despite the obvious risks.
Malawi’s leadership takes a 10% pay cut to help fight the pandemic.
Culture that Pops
If you’re looking for a way to give back, there’s a drive for masks happening today on IG Live at 6pm PST. W. Kamau Bell will be hosting and the resources will solely be distributed amongst incarcerated populations and Black and brown communities.
Speaking of putting on for the people, Jay-Z and Meek Mill’s REFORM Alliance are also donating 100K masks to prison facilities.
Ursher, Jon & Luda really did do it again. Listen to a previously unheard track from the Atlanta trio that was released during Lil Jon’s IG Live battle with T-Pain.
Nick Cannon is a man of his word. The mogul has released a first look at the Dr. Sebi documentary that he promised to finish after the passing of Nipsey Hussle.
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