RIP to RBG
Remember the horror we all felt when Thanos got the final infinity stone? Many of us are feeling the same exact way with the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg because it feels as though our democracy is sure to face a huge blow. But Justice Ginsburg was more than just a body who helped maintain a sense of balance among Supreme Court Justices. She was a woman who fought hard for gender equality in society and had no issue being “that bitch.” She also had an interesting legacy on race. She fought for voting & abortion rights and claimed Thurgood Marshall was #goals, but she only had 2 Black clerks throughout her career and we cannot forget her strong reaction to Kaepernick's anthem protest that she eventually recanted. All this said, RBG was human and it’s important to note her actual contributions in addition to the democratic symbol she became. May we remember her for her work and use her passing as motivation to pull up in November.
Calling BS on DeJoy
A federal court’s ruling confirmed what we all knew with the recent USPS changes: Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is deliberately trying to impact the election for Trump’s advantage. A judge sided with 14 states who filed suit against DeJoy and ordered all changes to halt. USPS employees will now be able to return to their original work schedules to ensure mail gets delivered on time and any mail sorting devices that were removed need to be replaced to restore the original pace of mail delivery. Bloop.
COVID-19: By the Numbers
We’re inching towards the 200K mark in the US death toll and nearly 31 states are seeing increases of 10% or more in the number of new cases. Here’s a detailed report of how the U.S. is doing. Are we the only ones that hate it here??
Congress, What’s Good?
With the passing of Justice Ginsburg, Congress is, of course, spiraling in opposite directions. Senate Republicans are quickly joining ranks to make sure they have the votes to appoint another Justice to the highest court. Meanwhile Democrats are praying for a hail Mary to hold the vote off until after Trump’s out of office (you might remember the Republicans were adamant about this leading up to the 2016 election). So far, the Dems have gotten 2 Republican senators to agree to holding off the vote, but they need a minimum of 4. It’s very likely that Mitt Romney will become the 3rd, but it’s not clear if they’ll get the last person.
Speaking of lifetime judicial appointments, the Senate pushed through 6 conservative federal judges last week instead of passing more COVID-19 relief.
This week's agenda preview:
Defending communities from cyber threats
Obamacare in the age of COVID-19
Oversight of the Civil Rights division of the DOJ
2020 Watch
Last Friday was the first ever National Black Voter Day. Did you participate?? If not, here are some things you can do to make sure we’re set up for success on election day.
Mississippi’s vote by mail restrictions are frustrating the people who wish to vote safely amid the pandemic.
Following the trend of other large brands that are stepping up for the 2020 election, Footlocker will allow its stores to become voter registration sites. The retail chain is making this move in an effort to target the 18-24 year old demographic.
Around the Diaspora
After gaining its independence from Britain in 1966, Barbados has finally said “Nah fam” to Queen Elizabeth. The island nation will remove her as its Head of State and officially become a republic in 2021.
Nigeria and Ghana are in a trade war and it’s getting ugly.
Botswana is just now allowing women to own land without the involvement of a man. It’s so nice of them to join us in the new millennium.
Getting to the Money
Shaquille O’Neal has teamed up with American Express to give out $10M in grants to small Black business owners.
Buying Black Highlight
Whether you’re celebrating a birthday or looking for a way to unwind, La Fête du Rosé is trying to become your go-to for any and all occasions that require bubbly.
Culture that Pops
Black creatives showed up to collect their Ws at the virtual 2020 Emmy awards. Here’s a list of all of us that won.
Barack Obama’s post-presidency memoir is OTW.
Charlamagne is rolling out a new podcast platform geared towards Black audiences with iHeartMedia.