The Skinny on COVID
The latest in numbers: 28M total cases & 513K deaths (+400K & +14K from last week)
Some headlines:
Johnson & Johnson’s single dose vaccine has just been approved by the FDA. In some places, it’ll be available as early as today.
This Black neighborhood in Birmingham, Alabama hasn’t received a single vaccine dose, while they are abundant in the city’s white neighborhoods. This brings us to a very real question…
Is COVID on its way to being a disease of the poor?
Keeping Up with Biden & Harris
Joe Biden is under fire for an unexpected airstrike against Iranian forces in Syria. The POTUS claims self defense, but critics question whether he had proper justification.
The first Black VPOTUS welcomed the Congressional Black Caucus to the White House. During Black History Month. Do y’all think the ancestors were proud?
WH Senior Advisor Cedric Richmond predicts progress on reparations within the timespan of Biden’s first term. We’re holding you to that, bro.
Biden & Co. seek to correct the Paycheck Protection Program’s (PPP) issues that caused Black- and other minority-owned businesses to miss out on crucial funding.
Congress, What’s Good?
The House passed Biden’s $1.9T stimulus plan. Here’s what’s inside. It goes to the Senate next, where they’ll need 51 votes (all Democrats + VP Harris) to pass it. Passage would be a hard-earned victory.
Oh yeah, the Senate parliamentarian ruled that the $15 minimum wage could not be included in the stimulus deal, despite it already being in the House’s package. In order for the Senate to pass a stimulus, the minimum wage provision will most likely be removed. They can ignore the ruling and push forward with the House’s bill as-is, but moderate Dems & Republicans would pose significant challenges. Between this ruling and Dems who don’t wanna get in formation, these hiccups are making the task of getting a stimulus through the Senate more difficult than it already is. The goal is still to get a bill passed by both chambers to Biden before March 14, which is when the current federal unemployment benefits expire.
Something else that may happen quickly is the House’s vote on the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. The bill was reintroduced by CA Representative Karen Bass and NJ Rep. Jerrold Nadler last week and could be up for a vote as soon as this week.
This week, the following is on the agenda for Congress...
Health & safety protections for agricultural and meatpacking workers
The future of telehealth, aka virtual healthcare visits
How the financial system widens the racial wealth gap
Criminal Justice Round Up
Last week marked the 1-year anniversary of Ahmaud Arbery’s death. His mother filed a $1M civil suit against local authorities & his murderers.
A recent study found that 1 in 3 Black men are barred from jury duty due to state laws that restrict people with certain crimes on their record from serving on a jury. This, in turn, contributes to the difficult task of having enough Black people to serve as jurors for other Black folks who find themselves as defendants in court. What haven’t white supremacists thought of? It’s seriously tiring when you realize allllllll the ways our oppression has been institutionalized.
Los Angeles’ District Attorney George Gascón, only in office for 3 months, is officially facing a recall effort from law enforcement, other prosecutors, and the families of crime victims. Gascón has faced continued backlash for his attempts to enact criminal justice reform, which these groups feel favor criminals over victims.
Alabama is working to make life difficult for BLM protesters.
Around the Diaspora
These Black fashion designers in Italy debuted a Black Lives Matter-inspired collection at Milan Fashion Week to increase diversity on Italian runways.
Despite less frequent media coverage, the war in the Tigray region of Ethiopia rages on with no apparent end in sight.
Gunmen in Nigeria kidnapped over 300 schoolgirls last week in Nigeria. Other students have just returned home after being abducted a few weeks earlier.
Getting to the Money
Revolt is looking for an Integrated Marketing Manager. If you live in LA, NY, or MIA (or are willing to relocate), this may be the job for you.
The Communications Network is compiling a list of Black creatives across multiple disciplines to squash the myth that Black creatives are mythical creatures. If you have a current or upcoming need for creatives for your job or business, consider some creatives on this list. If you are a Black creative, add your name to the list to cast a wider net for landing new gigs.
Work in marketing? Check out the African-American Marketing Association’s job board for opportunities nationwide.
Buying Black
It’s often difficult for Black-owned spirit brands to make a name for themselves when there are so many white-owned and/or large corporations filling up our cups. Let’s help even the score by checking out a brand on this list of 120+ Black-owned liquor companies.
Culture that Pops
To all the Black mamas aiming to be your highest selves, find your online community with mater mea. Dubbing themselves as the “Black mom Google,” mater mea is a website that wants Black mothers to feel seen in all areas of life including raising children (of course), work, and self care. Get into it.
The Barack to Viola Davis’ Michelle has just been announced for the upcoming Showtime series on our Forever First Lady.
Black actors made a lil splash at last night’s Golden Globe Awards ceremony, taking home trophies for “Best Animated Movie,” “Best Actor in a Drama,” “Best Actress in a Drama,” and “Best Supporting Actor.” Check out the full list of winners here.