The Skinny on COVID
The latest in numbers: 33M total cases & 600K deaths (+100K & +3K from last week)
The headlines:
Worldwide deaths from COVID in 2021 have already eclipsed the total from 2020.
States with low vaccination rates are seeing a drop in the number of new cases, but is it just a mirage?
Hospital workers in Houston sued their employer for requiring they take the COVID vaccine. A judge sided with the hospital, effectively telling the workers to get with it or get gone.
Hold Please: Aid for Black Farmers is Paused
Taking cues from their colonizing cousins in South Africa, white farmers are up in arms that Black and other POC farmers were close to receiving $4B in debt relief after decades of systemic discrimination that resulted in high debt and the subsequent loss of land. A federal judge in Wisconsin agreed and recently pressed pause on the Biden administration’s attempts to help disadvantaged and underrepresented farmers, citing unequal treatment (for white farmers) under the law.
The USDA plans to appeal the judge’s decision so that it can move forward with easing the financial burdens of our farmers. Let’s hope the judge can step out of the overbearing shadow of white supremacy for a bit to realize that this initiative is only a minor step in the right direction towards equality.
Keeping Up with Biden & Harris
“Do not come.” That’s what Kamala Harris told Guatemalan and other would-be Central American migrants last week. There’s been much debate about whether this was the best approach. What should she have done better in this situation?
Biden will return the $2B that Tr*mp earmarked for the border wall. The funding will be used to fund schools, housing, and training facilities for service members and their families.
Biden’s current Attorney General, Merrick Garland, is coming under increased scrutiny because it appears as though he’s siding with 45 in many of the cases that he inherited. Does he deserve our side eyes or is he doing the right thing?
Congress, What’s Good?
Welp. Infrastructure talks between the POTUS and Congressional Republicans have broken down completely. What’s next? 10 Senators (5 from each party) are working on a “targeted, responsible” package that hopefully both parties can get behind. Fingers crossed or whatever. Oh. A deeply divided Congress can agree on one thing: Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar asked about how we plan to keep the US and Israel accountable for their human rights violations in Palestine & Afghanistan and she received criticism from politicians on both sides of the aisle. Black women are safe nowhere. Not even in Congress.
On the schedule for committees this week:
Using policy to address mental health issues
Establishing a culture in Congress that's more civil & collaborative (y’all know which chamber is holding this meeting. It ain’t the Senate.)
Social Justice Round Up
These cops really be out here living out their super villain fantasies with no punishment. Officers at a Ohio protest for George Floyd and at a Louisville march for Breonna Taylor are accused of assaulting civilians. Will these they actually pay the price for their actions...or nah?
Food for thought: should the formerly incarcerated receive a temporary guaranteed income?
Around the Diaspora
Prayers up for South Africa. They are officially into their 3rd wave of new COVID cases.
350K people in Tigray, the northern region involved in the Ethiopian civil war, are experiencing famine. The Pope is demanding aid be sent to those in the region.
Tourism in Jamaica is expected to come roaring back this year with a projected 150K visitors this month. This is a 275% increase over the country’s total number of visitors from earlier this year.
Getting to the Money
Got melanin? Been working in the tech/digital field for a minimum of 5 years? The Executive Leadership Council’s “Decoded: Growing Black Tech Leaders” might be the program for you. This is a 5-month virtual program aimed at increasing the number of folks that look like us in leadership positions and giving us the tools to help us grow from there. Yeah it starts very soon (this Wednesday, June 16 to be exact) and yeah it’s costly, but the ELC also offers tips on how to convince your company to pay for it. Take a shot and see how far you get. Closed mouths don’t get fed.
Buying Black
Plastic utensils and red cups are classic options for hosting functions, but have you ever seen the dinnerware and tableware from Brooks and Bridges? From their dinnerware collections in beautiful brown hues down to their unique champagne flutes (our personal fave), they’ve got everything to take your intimate dinner party to the NEXT next level. Why would we ever do that, you might be asking? Because we deserve luxurious shit from time to time (aka whenever we want).
Culture that Pops
The vampire and musical genius that we all know as Pharrell is opening up a private school for low income families in his home state of Virginia.
Darnella Frazier, the young woman who filmed George Floyd’s murder, will receive a Pulitzer Prize Special Citation for her heroic deed.
This 15-year-old fashion entrepreneur has opened up two retail locations in a matter of 3 years and now has a deal with the 76ers. Black excellence knows no age limits.
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