In this week's Bite:
The feds coming after Diddy for his alleged crimes are exposing y'all for who y'all really are
Trump gets lucky, but he also wants you to bless him with $60 in exchange for one of his Bibles
A small, majority Black town in Alabama may have it's first election in decades
Is It Time to Break Up with Black Excellence?
With the news of Diddy’s homes being raided, a lot of the social commentary left us perplexed and disappointed. Seemingly a good portion of folks in our community are upset that this Hip Hop multimillionaire is being targeted for his alleged crimes. The outrage, however, is not because they believe he’s innocent, but because there are plenty of famous, allegedly guilty white men who’ve been allowed to roam free. “Why are they targeting Diddy when [insert famous white abuser’s name] is still free?” many asked, echoing similar feelings from when R. Kelly’s chickens came home to roost.
This left us questioning: Is the bar for “Black excellence” so low that we are willing to bypass justice just so one man (known to have exploited his way to the top) can stay rich? Does Black excellence for some of y’all really include the ability to weaponize power against your own community? Where do Black victims fit within the landscape of building up our community if they were allegedly harmed by another Black person that happens to be powerful?
Are we alone in feeling that this mindset is counterproductive? Let us know your thoughts by replying to this email.
What the Health
Menthol cigarettes are more harmful than non-menthols due to the added chemicals required to make the smoke taste smoother. Unfortunately for us, these exact cigarettes have been targeted to our community, with over 85% of Black cigarette smokers smoking menthols. While a ban in the works appears to be well-intentioned, could it also turn into a racial justice issue?
A recent survey shows nearly 73% of US citizens (including 51% of Republicans) support abortion and 8 in 10 people (including ⅔ of Republicans) believe the issue of abortion is between a woman and her doctor. These results come ahead of a pending SCOTUS decision that could restrict FDA powers to grant access to the abortion pill.
Speaking of the FDA, they recently approved a drug that aims to prevent COVID-19 in high risk patients.
Keeping Up with Biden & Harris
The Biden Administration released new guidelines for how the federal government should use AI. Under these new rules, federal agencies will be required to publicly share how they use AI and they must appoint a chief artificial intelligence officer to oversee their use and implementation of the technology.
Without much commotion, Joe approved sending 1,800 more bombs to Israel. Somebody please tell the president that we don’t need him fake-critiquing Israel out loud while he continues to enable their genocidal ambitions on the low.
Is Kamala Harris promoting a Secret Service program that spies on high schoolers for the sake of preventing mass shootings? Is this what we need?
Congress, What’s Good
Last month, the House impeached Alejandro Mayorkas for his handling of the southern border. House Speaker Mike Johnson says articles of impeachment will be sent to the Senate by April 10 after which the Senate will pick jurors for the trial. The likelihood of him being found guilty and removed from office is slim to none, however, considering Mayorkas was a BIden pick and the Senate is led by Democrats.
Johnson also expressed his desire to extend an invitation for Benjamin Netanyahu to speak before Congress. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says he won’t oppose the address despite recent comments he made calling for his removal from office.
Committee meetings are on hold for another week in observance of Easter. Y’all know these folks are going to take as much time off as possible.
Looking to 2024
An appeals court granted Donnie his biggest wish last Monday when they lowered the appeal bond (the amount he must pay to appeal) for his New York fraud case to $175M and gave him an extra 10 days to pay. If he loses the appeal, he and his team will be back on the hook to pay the full $454M judgment…unless, of course, the appeals court cuts that down in their final decision as well. Maybe he’s selling those $60 Bibles to ensure he can foot the bill no matter the outcome.
Newbern, Alabama hasn’t had an election in “several” decades due to white officials holding on to power in a town that's 80% Black. If a lawsuit is successful, the town of 133 will have an election this November.
South Carolina will be allowed to use a congressional map that’s been deemed discriminatory against Black voters this election cycle. This is due to the SCOTUS not yet ruling on the case (it was presented to them in October, but a decision is not expected until June). Because of the state’s deadline to send ballots to members of the military by April 27, the court that originally ruled the map unconstitutional granted lawmakers permission to use it.
Social Justice Round Up
NYC’s top cop, also known as Mayor Eric Adams, was taken to task on The Breakfast Club for sensationalizing crime in the city. Was he able to handle the heat? Definitely not.
Tennessee’s governor stripped Tennessee State University, an HBCU, of its board following years of complaints that funds were being mismanaged. An audit found that the board only had questionable spending habits, likely due to the school being underfunded by $2B. Nevertheless, 8 new board members, mostly from the business sector, will be confirmed shortly.
There’s a new N-word in town: “DEI.” That’s how racist politicians and trolls described Baltimore’s Black mayor as they criticized him for his response to a cargo ship’s collision with the city’s Francis Scott Key bridge.
Around the Diaspora
The crisis in the Congo is nearing its breaking point, the UN warns. Since it’s clear that the world powers won’t do anything to address this crisis, consider donating to Focus Congo, if you're willing and able.
Senegal’s new president can’t wait to get France TF up out his country.
Headed to Jamaica for carnival? Here’s a guide to some of the best fetes this week.
Getting to the Money
There’s $1B in unclaimed federal tax refunds from 2020. Here’s how to get yours before the May 17 deadline.
Culture that Pops
Trailblazing actor Louis Gossett, Jr. has passed away at age 87.
Beyoncé released her latest effort “Cowboy Carter.” Who’s feeling it?
Over online shopping? Here are 14 boutiques owned by Black women to pop into on your next trip outside.