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Monday, May 25, 2020

‘Insecure’ episode 7 recap: Molly doesn’t unpack her oversized baggage and it bursts at the seams

The last episode dropped us off with an avoided encounter between Issa and Molly. Issa pulled up to her favorite Ethiopian spot for some takeout and Molly was perched at the counter, doing the exact same thing. You know, because besties and old habits die hard.

From Issa’s point of view, we saw that she saw Molly and decided not to go in. In this episode, we see that Molly sees Issa approaching the restaurant and she braces herself for impact. But by the time she looks over, Issa is rushing to get back into her car. Molly has to be devastated to know that Issa would rather avoid her and eating dinner, than talk.

When Molly gets home, to our delicious Asian Bae (who has earned the right to be called by his name), Andrew was on the phone speaking in his native tongue! We love to hear it! Sidebar, the man who plays Andrew, Alexander Hodge is Australian. Could you imagine if his character was also Australian? Wow.

“That b*tch ran away from me like I was an actual job!” Whoa. Way harsh Molly! It was as if she thought of that joke as soon as Issa ran away from her at the restaurant. She couldn’t wait to throw that shade towards her best friend formerly known as Issa, when she got back home to Andrew.

Another side note, we love a cardigan as a dress and yes to Molly’s Mary J. Blige boots. Molly might be tripping as a friend, but she’s giving 10s across the board with her fashions…and that wet and wavy.

Molly’s packing for a baecation with Andrew, where she’ll meet his brother and sister-in-law. Fun, but like, also not. She has to run into work for a quick meeting before their flight and ends up snapping on her assistant. “You don’t get paid to make me look dumb,” Molly said. We all felt the sting and knew immediately that her anger at Issa was still festering and had started to boil over. And when that happens, who knows who’s going to be on the receiving end of that?

Yvvone Orji and Andrew Hodge are pictured in a screenshot of Insecure, Episode 7.

Aww, remember flights? Andrew is too cute with his distinction of Economy plus. We can all agree, yes give us all the plusses–every single thing we’re supposed to have. Honestly, it’s a way of life. Andrew is getting more and more plusses from Molly for sure!

Oh yes, hey Kim Fields with the TMI. Cute haircut.

Want to know how you’re in the honeymoon phase of your relationship? One minute, you can be trying to avoid small talk with a very recent divorcee and the next, you’re getting finger popped in Economy plus. Good for you Molly. And now that we’re off the plane, we’re in Mexico. Why is Insecure triggering us so much?! Oh trips. We miss you. Signed, everyone.

There’s nothing quite as sweet as being called “the” by your boo’s family members; like, “Oh that’s ‘the’ Molly?” Molly has to feel good about that one. For as long as we’ve gotten to know Molly, we’ve known a woman who wants love so urgently and fully, so to the path of something real with Andrew, you know Molly’s pleased with herself about how she’s showing up in that relationship.

Oh great, Andrew’s brother is Action Jackson on vacation with the itinerary. But also the sister-in-law is doing a lot around Molly’s physique. The pressure is on…or is it? Our favorite “lustbirds,” Molly and Andrew definitely ended up doing their own thing later that night…literally.

READ MORE: ‘Insecure’ breakout star Jean Elie teases new project in development

They teased one another about bringing something sexy with them and when they made the big reveal, we see that Molly brought some slinky lingerie and Andrew pulled out all the sex toys stops, including booty balls and a “pink butt thing.” 

OOH OK ANDREW! He said, “I’mma be a freak until the day until the dawn!” And they surely “pumped pumped” until the early morning. Their love-making made them a bit late for the hike the next day with brother and sister-in-law, but it was worth it. Our boy went the fearless route and it made Molly feel vanilla, but in typical Andrew fashion, he made sure Molly felt good in a moment she was ready to feel like she wasn’t enough. “You know what’s sexy is finding out what you’re really into,” Andrew said before pulling Molly into him for a kiss.

Yvvone Orji and Andrew Hodge are pictured in a screenshot of Insecure, Episode 7.

Molly’s wet and wavy looks great. So does her cute little workout Nike fit. And can we just say yes for Molly for trying new things and making memories with bae. OMG the feels of it all. It’s very special to be able to share adventurous memories with someone you have feelings for. It’s the building blocks of a memorable relationship. We see you Andrew! But do we have to run the 3 miles to the top? Side note, Kim Fields must have said no to zip lining because she was definitely jogging down the trail.

Later that night while Molly and Andrew are chilling in the room, Andrew realizes that he’s missed a few calls from Nathan. He called Nathan back and quickly realized that Issa was with him. Molly was immediately intrigued and irritated. But why was Molly mad that Issa was with Nathan again? Molly brought more shade towards Issa when she told Andrew that Issa is messy and she sarcastically added, “So what? Now it’s just Groundhog’s Day?” It’s almost as if Molly’s never had an issue or something happen with someone she was dating and gave him a second chance or even needed one herself. She also acts as if she holds the key to Issa’s relationships.

It was the end of last season when Nathan and Molly had a run-in and Nathan had flowers for Issa. He was coming to explain to Issa why he ghosted her and Molly took that opportunity away from him and the option away from Issa. Molly is stuck on being against Nathan. And Issa, tbh.

READ MORE: #SelfCareSunday: Why giving yourself space is so important after a friendship ends

But here comes Andrew being the bae that he is and he explains to Molly that when Nathan ghosted, he was dealing with “mental health stuff.” Andrew is the perspective that Molly needs. He softens her and gets her to open her mind to a new way of thinking that doesn’t automatically make her right all the time. It feels like, right now, Molly is only seeing Issa through a murky lens–as if everything she does is bad. When you’ve stopped being able to see the good in a person, it may be safe to say that friendship has sailed.

Oh the hot and sexy portion of the relationship in the beginning. Everything leads to sex. Molly pulls out her lingerie and tells our bae to “eat this *ss.” OK MOLLY! Get yours sis! What we think is going to be a chill day in the pool, turns into a Molly day in the pool. Molly’s so on edge, she doesn’t know she’s on edge/ an unfortunate interaction with towel lady at the pool over her not having a key card made Molly big mad because her experience of the incident was racist. She got back to Andrew upset and when he asked, Molly shared that she was fine, but it was a racist incident. 

Yvvone Orji and Andrew Hodge are pictured in a screenshot of Insecure, Episode 7.

Claiming to play “devil’s advocate,” Andrew’s brother said that he didn’t believe it was about race and told Molly that she “could be making your life harder by assuming.” And when Andrew speaks up for Molly to his brother, he does so in Chinese, to which Molly suggests they speak English because she doesn’t speak their language. Molly tells him that he doesn’t get it and he tells her that she gives it too much power. “You got to know when to pick your battles,” Andrew’s brother said to Molly.

Oh no he didn’t! Molly accused them, like all of them–sister-in-law, brother and Andrew of picking and choosing “people of color” when it benefits them. When Andrew questioned what Molly said, “That’s not true. I don’t think like that,” she told him that he’s different. Andrew’s brother made a point of saying that Molly is picking and choosing who gets the benefit of the doubt. Molly was done after that. Brother was ready to debate and Molly was ready for blood.

 “Andrew, get your fucking brother!” Molly screamed at a low pitch, between her teeth. 

At the end of the day, Andrew had to straddle the fence between his brother and his girl. He followed Molly out of the pool, but their sleepless night wasn’t quite the honeymoon makeup sex we expected. The next morning, Andrew ditched his brother and sister-in-law and to let Molly sleep in and to spend time with only her. He even brought her a smoothie. Andrew is just…swoon. Clearly, Molly is still hung all up in her feelings. She only knows 0-100 and nothing in between. “Did I f*ck things up?” Molly asked. She didn’t. Andrew spoke to his brother and everything is fine. He apologized. Andrew made a good point, saying his brother could be an *sshole at times, but that’s his brother, so they don’t let anything like that stick. They work it out.

Again, Andrew is bringing Molly a new way of thinking. Andrew helps her to see she shouldn’t let it fester. She can easily apply this advice to her relationship with Issa and how she festers in negativity there. Her baggage has gotten too heavy. She’s not able to control when she snaps.

Yes, Molly with the action of calling Dr. Rhonda immediately and not even waiting to when baecation is over. We love to see it. Letting go is one of Molly’s recurring problems and the first step is realizing there is a problem. Good for Molly. We are making progress. In the words of our good sis, Kelli, “You know what that’s called? Growth.”

The post ‘Insecure’ episode 7 recap: Molly doesn’t unpack her oversized baggage and it bursts at the seams appeared first on TheGrio.



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Man arrested after grabbing Black reporter, yelling obscenities during live shot

A Chicago man was arrested after he grabbed a TV reporter during a live broadcast on Saturday night.

Gaynor Hall was giving an introduction to a story about damages that Shorewood, Illinois had sustained from a recent windstorm. During the live shot, a man ran up to Hall, grabbed her, and shouted “f*ck her right in the p*ssy” at the camera.

READ MORE: Tamron Hall opens up on her responsibilities as a Black reporter

The station, WGN, quickly moved to cut the shot and later apologized to viewers for the language while assuring viewers that Hall was “fine.” 

In a Facebook post, Hall wrote, “Thanks to your help, he was identified and arrested. Thank you all so much for your kind words and support. I am ok and I appreciate you more than you know.” 

Gaynor Hall assault theGrio.com
Gaynor Hall assault

She also wrote a message directly to the man, “It was not funny. You violated my personal space. You grabbed me. You scared me. Was it worth it?

The man was not wearing a face covering, amid the coronavirus pandemic, exposing Hall to possible infection. 

His comment proved to be a copy cat prank from a viral “news” clip that hit the internet in 2014.

The clip that inspired the recent Hall incident showed a man clad in a black hoodie responding to how a local area was being affected by an oil spill, “I was sitting on my front porch, grabbed a beer,” the man says, “and “f*cked her right in the p*ssy!”

But, the report was not real. Instead, it was a viral hoax. However, the man who accosted Hall was very real. 

On Twitter, she shared the link to her Facebook page with the caption, “Tough night.”

READ MORE: #RacistInChief trends after Trump tells Asian reporter to ‘ask China’

Viewers have offered support to Hall with hundreds of comments on her post filled with sympathy, prayers, and support. 

In December 2019, a female reporter was sexually assaulted in Savannah, Georgia. While covering a race, a man ran past Alex Bozarjian and patted her backside.

She later said, “To the man who smacked my butt on live TV this morning: You violated, objectified, and embarrassed me. No woman should ever have to put up with this at work or anywhere.” 

The post Man arrested after grabbing Black reporter, yelling obscenities during live shot appeared first on TheGrio.



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Meet The First Black Dean of the Oldest Law School In The U.S.

A. Benjamin Spender

The Marshall-Wythe School of Law at the College of William & Mary based in Williamsburg, Virginia, is home to the oldest law school in the country and a part of the second oldest college and the first university to open in the United States.

The legendary school has making history again, electing its first African American dean.

The school announced the appointment of A. Benjamin Spencer to dean at the university. Spencer was already working as an accomplished civil procedure and federal courts expert with great experience in higher education. Prior to his new role, Spencer worked as the director of the Francis Lewis Law Center and as the associate dean of research at Washington and Lee University. He also served as a captain in U.S Army Reserve and argues appeals on behalf of the army.

Because of Them We Can reported that President Katherine A. Rowe spoke on Spencer’s appointment, saying, “William & Mary is thrilled to welcome Ben Spencer as our next dean of the law school. Since the beginning of the search process we sought a leader who values all three aspects of the law: the academy, the bar, and the bench. Ben brings that broad view of legal practice, together with a deep appreciation of the ethos of the citizen lawyer that has inspired the oldest law school in the country since its founding.”

Spencer said he is excited about the new role. “It was not until the hiring committee from William & Mary approached me back in 2003 that I gave any thought to becoming a law professor,” he said.

“I am tremendously excited that after all these years, I am finally able to join this wonderful community of impactful scholars. I am particularly enthusiastic about the university’s commitment to a whole-person, whole-university approach to learning and its commitment to understanding and meeting the most pressing needs of our time.”



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Migos’ Quavo is Now a High School Graduate

Quavo

Quavious Keyate Marshall better known as rap group Migos’ Quavo, can now be referred to as a high school graduate according to The Grio.

The Atlanta-based rapper has announced on his Instagram account that he had officially received his high school diploma in the midst of the coronavirus lockdown.

“Finally Can Say I Graduated High School Class Of 2020
We Lit 🔥
Now What College Should I Go To? 🧐

Before becoming successful as a recording artist, Quavo, who was once a star quarterback at Berkmar High School in Lilburn, Georgia, reportedly dropped out early to pursue his career in music full-time.

According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, in 2009, the rapper was a senior quarterback who reportedly threw three first-half touchdown passes during a homecoming game. His performance helped to lead the team to win their first game of the season.

In celebration of getting his diploma, he, along with the rest of his group, released a single featuring YoungBoy Never Broke Again called “Need It” on Friday.

As the quarterback for Berkmar High School, the rapper held the record by completing 28 passes in a game back in 2009. He ended up finishing the football season in his senior year, but he dropped out of Berkmar several months before graduation.

“I’m actually involved in sports,” he told Business Insider late last year. “I played in and I’m a student of the game. I love the game. I’m from the game. The game been taken away from me due to decisions I made in the streets, the decisions I made in life, and I chose another route in rapping.”

Migos is Quavo, Kirshnik Khari Ball better known as Takeoff and Kiari Kendrell Cephus better known as Offset. The members, who are related (Quavo is Takeoff’s uncle, and Offset is Quavo’s cousin), were originally named the Polo Club.



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Another Black Private Equity Banker Pays Off HBCU Student’s Tuition at Graduation

Frank Baker Tuition

Frank Baker and his wife Laura Day Baker, gifted Spelman College $1 million to offset the tuition for 50 high-achieving graduates that had tuition balances and needed help.

Baker is co-founder and managing partner of private equity firm Siris Capital, and Day Baker is an interior designer and philanthropist.

“We are all aware of the headwinds that people of color — especially women — face in our country, the challenges of which are made even more apparent by the economic and health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Frank and Laura Day Baker said in a statement.

“We hope that this gift will help lessen their financial burden as they start this promising next chapter in their lives and encourage them to persevere over life’s challenges.”

Baker has spent $250,000 this year to cover the tuition of students so they can graduate with no balances owed and he will spend no less the $1 million dollars the next three years to give other Spelman graduates the same benefit.

“The people who my heart really goes out to are women in their senior year who can’t afford it anymore and have to drop out,” Baker told Forbes.  “These are the most resilient people because if they run out of money their senior year, you know they were out of money their sophomore year and just made it work.”

This generous donation comes a year after Robert Smith agreed to pay off the student loan debt for all graduating seniors at Morehouse College.

“Robert was fortunate enough to go to Cornell and Columbia and him giving to Morehouse was a nod to the recognition that the majority of African-Americans going to college are graduating from historically black institutions,” said Baker, who graduated from the University of Chicago, in an interview.

“We need to make sure these schools continue to be viable. We are all part of the same community. It doesn’t matter if I went to the school or not.”

 



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Meet This Museum's All-Star Arachnids and Insects

Camel spiders and giant hornets and shimmering butterflies, oh my. An arachnologist gives a behind-the-scenes tour at the California Academy of Sciences.

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This Beauty Company Wants To Give Away 10,000 Hours In Free Therapy For Women Of Color Impacted By COVID-19

DPK Beauty

Since the spread of COVID-19, or the novel coronavirus, pandemic hit the country, many people have been forced to adjust to a new reality with the new stay-at-home order restrictions across numerous states and the closure of “non-essential” brick-and-mortar business closures. The severe economic loss has deeply impacted many across the nation causing millions of Americans to suffer from mental health issues. These two beauty entrepreneurs are looking to give back to women by reminding them to put their mental health first.

DRK Beauty was founded by Wilma Mae Basta and Danielle Jackson. The company specializes in digital content and community platform with the mission to support, celebrate, and empower women of color. In light of the novel coronavirus pandemic, the founders launched the DPK Beauty Healing initiative dedicated to providing 10,000 hours of free therapy to women of color across the country who have been severely impacted by COVID-19.

“The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on black and brown communities is creating a mental health disaster that will carry on for generations to come,” said Wilma Mae Basta, founder & CEO, DRK Beauty, in a press statement. “Current mental health support for women of color is frankly not enough. So we decided to launch this initiative which is already providing much-needed help in our community.”

 

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Our mental health is….NOW! According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, approximately 1 in 5 adults in the United States experience mental illness in a given year. However, the number of those who have equal access to mental health services is staggeringly low, especially for women of color. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ In a study conducted by CLASP (The Center for Law and Social Policy) statistics showed that 19.1% of Black young women and 16.1% of Hispanic young women report that they did not seek mental health treatment because of confidentiality concerns. Confidentiality concerns, socio-economics, lack of resources and representation are just a few of the structural barriers that prevent these women from getting the help they need. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ With DRK Beauty Healing we hope that our mental health initiative will spark conversation and change in our community. We have always envisioned DRK Beauty being a place of nurturing and support. Now with the help of others, we can begin the healing process. Stay tuned for more details. #DRKHeals #empowerment #healing #communityled #mentalwellness #healthyliving #clearmindset #socialservice #ThisIsDRKBeauty #lifestyle

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Biden reinforces plan for Black America after Breakfast Club backlash

Earlier this month, Joe Biden the presumptive Democratic nominee for president released his plan for Black America called, Lift Every Voice.

But, after a rough weekend following a contentious appearance on The Breakfast Club, the Biden campaign reposted highlights from the plan to Instagram. 

READ MORE: Joe Biden releases ‘Lift Every Voice’ plan for African Americans

The Biden campaign used a series of slides to highlight a few promises to the African American community.

According to the post, “The Biden Plan for Black America” will close the wealth and income gap by investing in African American workers, businesses, and communities. The plan also states that a Biden administration would make health equity a reality and promises to expand access to high-quality education and tackle racial inequity. 

The plan will deal with the prison industrial complex claiming it will strengthen America’s commitment to justice by reducing the number of people incarcerated and ending incarceration for drug use alone.

Joe Biden theGrio.com
DETROIT, MICHIGAN – MARCH 09: Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden tries to calm his supporters as demonstrators disrupt his rally at Renaissance High School. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

The final points on the post showed a commitment to ensuring that people’s right to vote is protected and included a comprehensive clean energy future agenda. 

Comments under the post are both supportive and suspicious.

Many of the comments restate Biden’s unfortunate comment on The Breakfast Club. During his interview with Charlamagne tha God, he suggested that undecided voters “ain’t Black,” if they are considering voting for Donald Trump

The Trump campaign seized on the remark calling it “racist,” and selling t-shirts with “You Ain’t Black,” across the front. 

For their part, the Biden campaign is focusing on the fact that even before The Breakfast Club interview, they had a plan for Black America and are using this opportunity for people to become familiar with it. 

Rappers like Ice Cube and Diddy continue to suggest “holding the Black vote hostage,” until both candidates develop a comprehensive plan for Black America.

Many users are replying to their tweets with a link to the plan.

 Other Twitter users say that they are “staying home is a vote for Trump,”  causing a back and forth between different schools of thought on voting one’s best interest.

READ MORE: Charlamagne Tha God responds to Biden ‘You ain’t Black’ backlash

The “ain’t Black” comments prompted an apology from Biden.

I shouldn’t have been such a wise guy. I shouldn’t have been so cavalier…I have never, ever taken the African American community for granted,” he said, per Yamiche Alcindor. “No one should have to vote for any party based on their race, background, religion, or any demographic information.”

 

The post Biden reinforces plan for Black America after Breakfast Club backlash appeared first on TheGrio.



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If You Can't Vote by Mail This Year, Don't Panic

With the right precautions in place, going to the polls isn’t so dangerous.

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What It’s Like to Be First to Fly a Brand New Spacecraft

Robert Crippen is the only living NASA astronaut to have flown on a new spacecraft for the first time. The Crew Dragon flyers will join his elite club this week.

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Don't Be Fooled by Covid-19 Contact-Tracing Scams

Fraudsters have found yet another way to take advantage of the pandemic.

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The New 'Tenet' Trailer Dropped in 'Fortnite'

Christopher Nolan's latest movie will screen in Epic Games' online universe this summer.

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Covid-19 Makes the Case for More Meatpacking Robots

The coronavirus has hit meat processing plants hard. But not in Denmark, where automation makes for safer slaughterhouses.

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Today's Cartoon: Dream Office

A workplace without rules and controls, without borders or boundaries.

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Sunday, May 24, 2020

Coronavirus in Sudan exposes new leaders

Some medics have refused to work and elderly people have been dying, writes Zeinab Mohammed Salih.

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Trump mulls opening historically black college in Detroit: ‘It’s an interesting idea’

While Black American voters largely remain unimpressed and oftentimes bewildered by the Trump administration, the president isn’t giving up on wooing them. 

From the Super Bowl ad highlighting his work on criminal justice reform to the “Black Voices for Trump” centers pushing “Woke” merchandise, President Donald Trump appears to have a never-ending trick bag of stunts to entice Black voters. 

Now comes word that during a meeting with Black Michigan leaders on Thursday, Trump is mulling bringing a new historically Black college to Detroit after prompting from a state elected official. 

Meanwhile, Black Twitter is wondering how a college can be “new” and “historic.”

READ MORE: Frank Baker gifts $1 million to fund scholarships, graduates’ tuition at Spelman College

To make it make sense, one must turn to the mastermind behind the idea, Michigan Rep. Karen Whitsett, D-Detroit, who is looking to boost value to her city via a new higher learning that aims to educate Black students, Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. 

Detroit is the Blackest city in America by percentage.

Video footage captured from the meeting shows Whitsett touting her idea to President Trump. The two appeared at a meeting at a Ford Motor Company plant, where ventilators and personal protective equipment are being built, near Ypsilanti, Mich.

“I would love to see a historically black college in the city of Detroit, and I think you’re just the president to do it,” she said during a roundtable discussion.

Trump immediately appears to be intrigued by the plan. 

“It’s an interesting idea,” he said. “They’ve got a lot of money now. They’re all set. Maybe we can work something out. We’ll talk about that.”

The president then suggests John James, a Black Republican from Michigan and candidate for a Senate seat, “start working on” what he calls a “great” idea.

News of the meeting was quickly met with backlash on social media, namely due to the lack of historical context around a “new” Black college.

READ MORE: Trump campaign seizes on Joe Biden gaffe with ‘#YouAintBlack’ t-shirts

Journalist Roland Martin called the discussion “laughable.”

Another Twitter user noted a “contradiction” in the idea of creating something that is both new and historic.

Even Trump’s motives were questioned by Xanté Wallace, a city councilman for Prairie View, Texas, and himself a graduate of Prairie View A&M University, an HBCU in the same city.

Even by federal definition, Rep. Whitsett’s plan cannot be introduced, as historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU’s) are those established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964, according to the U.S. Department of Education, and the Higher Education Act of 1965.

Of the 107 HBCUs in existence, few are in the North as most are concentrated in the South. Detroit was the site of Lewis Business College, an HBCU also known as Lewis College of Business.

The college opened in 1928 and shuttered in 2013.

The post Trump mulls opening historically black college in Detroit: ‘It’s an interesting idea’ appeared first on TheGrio.



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Coronavirus in South Africa: Outbreak closes AngloGold Ashanti mine

The Mponeng mine, the world's deepest, only resumed operations in April following a national lockdown.

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NAACP Poll Shows African Americans Have Little Faith In Trump’s Coronavirus Response

coronavirus

A recent NAACP poll shows African Americans have an unfavorable opinion on how President Trump and his administration have handled the coronavirus response.

According to the survey, conducted by the African American Research Collaborative, 80% of the national sample of African Americans rated Trump’s performance negatively while 19% have a positive view. Eighty percent of respondents polled also said they want the country to hold off on reopening the economy until safety is assured.

African Americans, however, viewed their local governments more positively. Sixty-three percent viewed their mayor’s response positively; 62% said their state’s governors were handling the crisis well.

The survey polled 604 African Americans from May 1 through May 7 using online and phone responses. Its margin of error was 3.9 percentage points.

The approval ratings for governors that have kept states closed were viewed more positively than in states that have reopened quickly, potentially putting thousands of black lives in jeopardy. In New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, 72% of respondents gave governors a positive rating. However, in Georgia and Florida,  states that have already reopened, 42% of respondents viewed their governors negatively.

People who took part in the poll were also asked who they trust using a 10-point scale. Doctors and nurses received the highest average from respondents at 7.85. Local hospitals and public health officials followed at 7.24 and African American elected officials were third at 6.96.

President Trump was one of the lowest on the list at 3.05.

Forty-one percent of respondents also said they are either working from home or know someone who is. This is an uptick from a March study that showed less than 20% of African Americans were telecommuting. However, 36% said they had lost a job or had seen a cut in hours or know someone who had.

The coronavirus has had a significant effect on African Americans who are more likely to live in high-risk areas, work low-wage positions, and have less health coverage.



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Trump hits the golf course as U.S. reopens, coronavirus death toll nears 100,000

STERLING, Va. (AP) — President Donald Trump played golf Saturday for the first time since he declared the coronavirus pandemic a national emergency more than two months ago, leading to the shutdown of much of American society. His return to the course was the latest sign that he wants the country back to pre-outbreak times, even as the U.S. death toll from the virus nears 100,000, twice what he once predicted it would be.

Trump also planned Memorial Day visits to Arlington National Cemetery and the Fort McHenry national monument in Baltimore, followed by a trip to Florida’s coast on Wednesday to watch U.S. astronauts blast into orbit.

The golf outing came a day after Trump said houses of worship are “essential” and he demanded that governors allow them to reopen during the holiday weekend. It also followed guidance from Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus task force coordinator, that it was OK for people to be outdoors this weekend as long as they took appropriate safety precautions.

Trump pulled away from the White House on a sunny morning wearing a white polo shirt, white cap and dark slacks. Photographs that appeared later on Twitter showed him swinging a golf club and driving alone in a cart on the course at his private Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia.

The motorcade for President Donald Trump arrives at Trump National Golf Club, Saturday, May 23, 2020, in Sterling, Va. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The White House had no comment on the president’s activities at the club, but said he and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had discussed the pandemic’s effect on the global economy on Saturday.

The golf trip was the president’s first visit to one of his money-making properties since March 8, when he visited his private golf club in West Palm Beach during a weekend at his Florida home. The World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a global pandemic on March 11, and Trump followed with the national emergency declaration two days later.

Trump is an avid golfer who has been overheard telling his White House guests how much he missed playing the game.

On Friday, Birx said it’s OK for Americans to play golf, tennis or other sports this weekend “if you stay 6 feet apart.” She also said the Washington metropolitan area had the highest positivity rate in the country. The capital city’s coronavirus death rate is higher than all but four states: New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Connecticut.

The U.S. leads the world with a reported 1.6 million coronavirus cases and more than 96,000 deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Trump has ordered U.S. flags on federal buildings and national monuments to half-staff through Sunday in memory of Americans lost to COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

American flags fly at half-staff, following orders from President Donald Trump to honor COVID-19 victims, near the Washington Monument on the National Mall, May 22, 2020 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Trump levied frequent criticism of Barack Obama’s regular golf outings when he was president.

“Can you believe that with all of the problems and difficulties facing the U.S., President Obama spent the day playing golf. Worse than Carter,” Trump tweeted in October 2014 during the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, comparing Obama to former President Jimmy Carter.

The post Trump hits the golf course as U.S. reopens, coronavirus death toll nears 100,000 appeared first on TheGrio.



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The DHS Prepares for Attacks Fueled by 5G Conspiracy Theories

The claim that 5G can spread the coronavirus has led to dozens of cell-tower burnings in Europe. Now, the US telecom industry is on alert as well.

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Hip-Hop Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick Granted Early Release From Prison

Kwame Kilpatrick

Former Detroit Mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick, has been granted early release and will be freed 21 years early next month to home confinement, according to the Detroit Free Press.  Kilpatrick, 49, was originally scheduled to be released in the year 2037 after being convicted on 24 counts of public corruption including bribery, racketeering and fraud.

William Barr, the U.S. Attorney General, has ordered the federal Bureau of Prisons to release as many inmates as possible to home confinement due to COVID-19.  The coronavirus has been seen to spread rapidly in prisons where the opportunity to social distance is severely limited.

The Ebony Foundation have been champions of freeing the former disgraced mayor, partnering with several other black leaders to petition for Kilpatrick’s release. The National Baptist Convention of America, the NAACP, the National Business League, and several pastors of Black churches across the country had petitioned President Donald Trump to grant clemency to Kilpatrick.

“He said that he was being released,” state Rep. Karen Whitsett, D-Detroit, who has been pushing for Kilpatrick’s freedom said, adding: “I’m elated for him. … An out is an out. … He’s done his time. And I think, ‘My God, when is long enough long enough.’ ”

Whitsett, also told the Detroit Free press, that she confirmed with the White House that Kilpatrick is among 3,000 inmates who will be released. Whitsett had previously tested positive for the coronavirus in March and has credited Donald Trump for promoting hydroxychloroquine which she believes saved her life.

Current Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan was asked during a press briefing for his thoughts on the situation.

“Known him since he was in high school. When he was teaching at Marcus Garvey and going to law school at night at DCL, he’d study in his father’s office which was next to mine and his twins would play on the floor in my office,” Duggan told Fox 2 Detroit.

Duggan said his connection to Kilpatrick is “very personal.”

“He has a lot to contribute and if, in fact, the reports [of his early release] are true, I’ll be doing anything I can to help him get a fresh start,” the mayor said.

 



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It’s True. When America Catches a Cold, Black America Gets Pneumonia

coronavirus

Just as 9/11 defined the new millennium, the novel coronavirus will certainly be the story of the decade. 

The global pandemic has caused a devastating public health crisis, initiated a global economic disaster, and in the United States, pulled back the curtain on the deep-rooted racial inequities that persist. Just as COVID-19 is a deadly virus, so is the disease of racism, particularly systemic racism.

We now have data to support what many of us already knew, when America catches a cold, black America gets pneumonia. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting that the coronavirus discriminates. It certainly does not. But the conditions that allow the disease to flourish have a 400-year history rooted in racism—inadequate housing, over-policed neighborhoods, limited access to fresh foods, uninsured or under-insured health needs, poor-quality schools, and low-wage (aka essential) jobs.

Essential workers are the people who make the world go around. For this writing, I’m not speaking of our front line healthcare workers (although we are truly indebted to their service and tireless and heroic efforts), but the other folks who work in designated essential roles. They are the people we take for granted until we can’t. They are the people who fight on the “front lines” and don’t have the option to shelter in place. They are the folks who work public transportation, process meat, ring up and bag groceries, make and serve our breakfast sandwiches, pick up our trash, sanitize and clean our offices, and the private security staff. They are the people for whom Dr. Martin Luther King marched and died.

The data is clear, African Americans are dying from the coronavirus at higher rates than other populations. As more data and anecdotal evidence became available and published it simply confirmed what I expected, black folks continue to get the short end of the stick. From the story of a young woman in New York who died from the virus because she couldn’t get tested, to the young man who was brutalized by the police in New York for not wearing a face mask, to the security guard who was shot for asking a patron to put on a face mask.

The real story is what are we going to finally do about these inequities. When are we going to correct these wrongs? When are we going to ensure that work pays, especially for essential workers?  When will we create a healthcare system that focuses on wellness, where physicians determine treatment, not insurance companies? When will our school systems be accepting of ALL children, have high expectations of ALL children, and teach all of them to succeed, not simply teach them to pass a test? When will the water in Flint’s majority African American community be as safe to drink as the water in Bloomfield Hills? And when will an African American man be able to jog through his community without fearing for his life?

Martin Luther King Jr. was wholly focused on the issues of poverty and labor before his assassination in 1968, 52 years ago. “With patient and firm determination we will press on until every valley of despair is exalted to new peaks of hope, until every mountain of pride and irrationality is made low by the leveling process of humility and compassion; until the rough places of injustice are transformed into a smooth plane of equality of opportunity; and until the crooked places of prejudice are transformed by the straightening process of bright-eyed wisdom.” 

Fifty-two years later we ask, how long is until? 

If this pandemic has not demonstrated the inequities that drive our system of capitalism and that none of us will be well until all of us are well, I’m not sure what it will take for us to get it. Black America has suffered the brunt of the ills of our society for far too long. Let us not waste this crisis. Let’s stop talking about equity and just do it!


 

This is an opinion piece that does not necessarily reflect the views of BLACK ENTERPRISE.



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7 Best Portable Grills (2020): Charcoal, Propane, Electric, Infrared

We barbecued for weeks to find the right charcoal and propane gas grills you can lug to the beach, park, or campsite.

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The Eerily Dark Willis Tower Tops This Week's Internet News Roundup

Last week, a flood knocked out power to the building formerly known as Sears Tower, creating an apt visual metaphor for 2020.

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Razer Opus Review: Magnum Opus for Gaming Audio

A challenger has appeared: the company's newest gaming headset takes aim at high-end headphones.

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Informal Transit Is Crucial for Some. Can It Weather Covid-19?

The pandemic highlights the vulnerability of workers for private transportation services, which are essential to mobility in global south cities.

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A Grad Student Solved the Epic Conway Knot Problem—in a Week

Lisa Piccirillo encountered the more than 50-year-old question by chance at a conference. Her solution relies on a classical tool called the knot trace.

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Eid al-Fitr celebrations in Africa - amid coronavirus

With mosques closed in some countries because of coronavirus, Eid felt a bit different this year.

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Now's The Perfect Time to Start Using a Password Manager

Time has no meaning, and we're all stuck in front of screens. You may as well secure your life while you're always online.

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Netflix’s Plan to Auto-Cancel Subscriptions Is Radically Sane

If you haven't used your account in two years, the streaming giant will stop charging you. Imagine that.

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Inside the NSA’s Secret Tool for Mapping Your Social Network

Edward Snowden revealed the agency’s phone-record tracking program. But thanks to “precomputed contact chaining,” that database was much more powerful than anyone knew.

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African solutions to the coronavirus crisis

African firms tell the BBC how they are solving problems caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

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The Egyptian couple trapped on never-ending honeymoon

A Dubai-based couple are still stuck at a deserted resort, more than two months after their wedding.

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Coronavirus and children: 'I can't hug my mum any more'

Life for children whose parents work on the frontline against Covid-19 has changed.

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Saturday, May 23, 2020

HOT 97, WBLS, and Food Bank for New York City Donate Over 225,000 Meals to Those in Need

Hot 97

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the world, putting the most vulnerable communities at risk for infection and economic hardship.

According to a poll published by The New York Times, 49% of New York City residents are concerned about how they will afford food during the pandemic. As a result, the number of people turning to the Food Bank For New York City’s emergency food network has increased by 50%. To help provide meals for New Yorkers in need, WQHT-FM HOT 97 and its sister-station, WBLS-FM 107.5, teamed up with the Food Bank For New York City to provide 225,000 meals to the hungry.

Last month, the organization launched two GoFundMe campaigns with the goal of raising funds to support 200,000 meals in total, reported NY1. However, the initiatives surpassed the goal.

“To see everyone come together and support in such an authentic way was really special. People want to help each other. We’re lucky to be able to make it happen,” said HOT 97 radio personality Ebro Darden in a statement. In addition, Grace Foods, the Caribbean’s leading food manufacturer and distributor, also donated 1600 lbs of food.

Food Bank For New York City
(Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Food Bank For New York City)

“The WBLS listening family really rallied around this! We proclaimed it to be Food Bank Friday, got the word out on-air that we were close to the goal, and the donations came pouring in,” said longtime WBLS radio personality Shaila.

“We are so grateful for the outpouring of support from HOT 97 and WBLS, who rallied their listeners and supporters to ensure that our fellow New Yorkers have food on their tables,” said Dr. Camesha Grant, the Vice President, Community Connections & Reach. “Thanks to your support, Food Bank For New York City will be able to provide meals to many families in need through these very difficult times.”

Since the pandemic began, Food Bank says it distributed nearly 12.5 million meals throughout the state. The org has also partnered with the NYC Health + Hospitals network to provide food and emergency grocery bags for more than 30,000 healthcare workers



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