Things we need to take a good look at: today's eclipse (...safely. Let's not be like Donnie in 2017.), the fact that Black women are still 3 times more likely than white women to die in childbirth, why people are still being deported to Haiti right now, and J. Cole's maturity or foolishness (depending on who you ask).
What the Health
Black Maternal Health Week kicks off this Thursday, April 11. It’s unfortunate that, even in 2024, Black people are nearly 3 times more likely to die in childbirth than our white counterparts. One way that Black families have been able to get around this reality is with the use of doulas. If you are in California and are in need of a doula, check out this directory. For Black doula’s elsewhere, take a look at this national database.
Heart attacks also seem to hit Black women harder than they do other groups. Unsurprisingly, misogynoir, or bias against Black women, plays a role.
The bird flu has reached dairy cows and hens and the USDA is claiming that consumers should be safe to continue consuming milk and eggs. Still, health experts have some recommendations to follow to be on the safe side. That includes only consuming pasteurized products, fully cooking food, and not consuming anything in its raw form.
Keeping Up with Biden & Harris
The White House planned an iftar (the meal Muslims eat after sundown during Ramadan) and so many invitees RSVP’d with a FOH that the event was ultimately canceled. Good for them.
Israel intentionally killed 7 employees from the World Central Kitchen, an aid group operating in Gaza with the IDF’s permission. Of course, Joe Biden is playing big mad now, but he could have put a stop to all of this long ago.
BTW, did you know that many of the arms sent to Israel are part of a 10-year, $38B deal Obama signed in 2016? Yes, everyone’s favorite also has a hand in this genocide and should be acknowledged accordingly.
Congress, What’s Good
Congress returns to work this week with a few priorities to address:
Getting more funding/weapons to Ukraine (a Dem priority) and to Israel (a GOP priority)
The impeachment trial of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, likely to be squashed in the Senate
Funding for the repair of Baltimore’s (and it’s DEI mayor’s) Key bridge
House Speaker Mike Johnson will also be fighting for his life (we would say “not literally,” but you never know with these GOP thugs). He’s been under fire for working with the Democrats to fund the government a couple weeks ago and we all know this Republican-led House ain’t scared of kicking a Speaker to the curb.
Committee meetings are also back on. Here’s a few of the meetings that’ll be on the agenda this week:
How small childcare businesses support working parents
Looking to 2024
Alaska and Wyoming are up next in the primaries. Who happens to know a resident either of these places? Let them know they need to get ready before this, Saturday, April 13.
Donnie paid that $175M bond to ensure his assets are not seized as he appeals the $454M fraud judgment, but—as most things are with him—the circumstances around the payment is sus. A court hearing on April 22 seeks to get to the bottom of it.
Joe Biden raised $90M last month, garnering a total of $187M in campaign funds for the first quarter of the year. In comparison, Trump raised over $65M last month with $50M coming from a single fundraising dinner.
Social Justice Round Up
Louisiana’s Governor Jeff Landry wants the state’s Board of Regents to pass a rule that student athletes must be present for the playing of the national anthem or lose their scholarships. Coaches from LSU, Louisiana’s largest university, say their teams have never been present for the anthem.
A recent lawsuit from 6 prisoners in NY who sued to watch today’s eclipse on religious grounds raises awareness of other cases in which prisons violate inmates’ racial, gender, sexual, and religious identities.
Ain’t nothing changed: A police officer in Florida is shown in body cam footage opening up a sealed bottle of liquor and planting the empty bottle in the car of a man he claimed was driving under the influence.
Around the Diaspora
Zimbabwe’s drought is so severe, its government has declared a state of disaster. It is expected that nearly 3M will face hunger in 2024 alone. Feel led to help make an impact? Consider a donation to the World Food Program.
Advocacy groups are asking countries to stop deporting people to Haiti amid the ongoing violence in Port-au-Prince. Hey the US & DR, they’re looking at you.
Food deliveries will resume in Sudan after a 2-month delay.
An uninvited guest will be back on Caribbean beaches for yet another year: sargassum. The seaweed has been impacting the livelihoods of local business owners and fishermen for years. Are there ways the region can turn these lemons into lemonade?
Getting to the Money
Are you an (aspiring) social media manager looking for a new gig? Check out this recent LinkedIn post with roles right up your alley.
Also, have you ever sent a cold email to inquire about job opportunities? One LinkedIn influencer seems to think it could return fruitful results.
Culture that Pops
Congratulations are in order for the South Carolina Gamecocks and their coach Dawn Staley. Not only did they beat Iowa in the NCAA DI women’s basketball championship, they also went undefeated with a 38-0 record for the 2024 season.
These sisters opened up the first bookstore dedicated exclusively to culinary practices of the diaspora. Learn more about their story and the brick and mortar location they plan to open in Brooklyn this year.
Meet the 14-year-old who created a watch to detect signs of a stroke.
After dropping a response to Kendrick Lamar over the weekend, J. Cole apologized, saying it didn’t sit right in his spirit.