African states face real challenges in trying to expand their testing for the coronavirus.
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Sunday, May 3, 2020
Saturday, May 2, 2020
Black-Owned Specialty Coffee Brand Expands Into Whole Foods and Amazon
At a time when black businesses are being disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, a black-owned coffee company announced a major distribution deal with Whole Foods Market and Amazon.
Blk & Bold, which claims to be the first-ever black-owned nationally distributed coffee and tea brand, has officially launched in Whole Foods Market and Amazon as of late April.
“The seemingly overnight shift of the retail landscape and store operations have no doubt impacted the flow of emerging brands entering and expanding in the market. This is also why the alliance with Whole Foods and other key retailers continues to showcase the support and belief in BLK & Bold as a coffee brand,” said the Blk & Bold co-founder and CEO Pernell Cezar in a statement to BLACK ENTERPRISE.
Blk & Bold launched in 2018 after Cezar and his childhood friend Rod Johnson each left their careers in higher education fundraising and retail merchandising. They launched BLK & Bold coffee from their headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa.
The brand, which had a test run of 15 locations in Whole Foods as of mid-April, is expected to continue its expansion into Whole Foods Midwest Region to over 31 locations to Nebraska, Illinois, and Iowa markets.
The product lineup consists of three whole bean coffees with features ranging from medium and dark roast blends, single-origin light roasts, and fair trade or direct trade sourcing integrity.
In conjunction with the Whole Food expansion, BLK & Bold is making its products available on Amazon.com after launching its official Amazon storefront last month.
With every cup of coffee sold, the brand donates a portion of the proceeds to several different non-profit organizations and social causes, including the eradication of youth homelessness and food insecurity.
“As our national and regional retailer partnerships grow, so do the opportunities for anyone to participate in supporting at-risk youth, the demographic in most need,” said Johnson. “Creating a pathway for everyday consumers to become contributors to the most vulnerable communities is as personally fulfilling as it is motivating for BLK & Bold’s growth.”
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Myth-busting on YouTube
In mid-March, Izabella Pena received a WhatsApp text from a friend in Indianapolis, Indiana. “He said, ‘Oh, I got your audio message from a priest in rural São Paulo,’” remembers Pena, a postdoc in Department of Biology Professor David Sabatini’s lab at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research.
Pena had recorded the five-minute audio message about risk groups and the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 for her family’s text thread after she heard one-too-many comments about how only the elderly caught the more severe forms of Covid-19. She never imagined it would spread like wildfire. “I realized the power of these tools,” says Pena of WhatsApp. “You can really reach people and share your information.”
While Pena’s message was fact-checked and scientifically correct, a lot of the information being shared on these platforms isn’t. In Pena’s native Brazil, the messaging platform WhatsApp has played an outsized role in the spread of fake news concerning SARS-CoV-2. Seeing the onslaught of misinformation, Pena first panicked. Then she fought back, choosing to use the vehicles of fake news to spread facts. “We scientists need to learn how to use WhatsApp, YouTube, and Twitter to communicate,” says Pena. “Because that’s how people are getting their information.”
At first, Pena’s misinformation-busting efforts were focused on friends and family. She recorded short audio messages in Portuguese to answer their questions and try to convince them that Covid-19 isn’t just another cold. The rapid spread of her audio messages, which alerted listeners about the importance of physical isolation and risk groups, sparked an idea: to take her science communication efforts from WhatsApp to YouTube, where she could reach a larger audience. Video also has the benefit of being a visual medium, where there’s a face attached to the information being shared. “I think that if people see you, there’s more reliability,” says Pena.
Pena uploaded her first video in late March, answering questions she had received via WhatsApp about Covid-19. Since then, she’s uploaded another five videos and is aiming to release one a week while the pandemic lasts. Many of these videos are in direct response to the messages she gets from viewers. “For example, everybody is asking when is life going to go back to normal, and I think life is only going to go back to ‘normal’ when there’s a vaccine,” says Pena. On April 10, she uploaded a video focused on vaccines, explaining what exactly a vaccine is and how they are made.
On camera, Pena is warm and inviting, delivering updated information about the coronavirus’s biology and epidemiology without clunky jargon and with an abundance of analogies. In a recent video that delved into the biology of SARS-CoV-2 and the different treatments being explored for the virus, she compared the human protein TMPRSS2, which primes the virus’ spike protein to enable the fusion of the virion to a cell’s membrane, to the scissors you use to open a tough plastic snack bag.
In using analogies, Pena is following the advice of Paulo Freire, a famed Brazilian educator and one of her personal idols. “Freire says that the best way to teach something very complicated to someone is to try to bring that concept close to their lives,” says Pena.
Trying to make complex and novel science digestible requires time. According to Pena, just writing the script and developing the analogies takes a couple of hours. “I collect all the information I need before I write the script,” says Pena, whose videos include a long list of references in the description, an unexpected sight on YouTube. “Then I film and edit the video. It all takes a few hours.”
Pena’s videos are filmed late at night because she continues to perform research during the pandemic, mostly virtually. But, she explains, “I’m part of the essential personnel in my lab.” Pena’s work in the Sabatini Lab focuses on the lysosome, the garbage disposal unit of cells that breaks down old cell parts and waste to recycle nutrients. It’s the perfect organelle for someone who has always enjoyed cell metabolism.
“I’ve always liked how chemicals in the cells are made and broken down,” says Pena. Her PhD research at the University of Campinas in Brazil investigated how metabolic problems in the brain could cause epilepsy. Since joining the Sabatini lab in 2018, Pena studies neurodegenerative disorders, like Parkinson’s and Huntington’s, and what role the lysosome plays in them. “For neurodegenerative diseases, there’s a lot of evidence that there’s lysosome influence,” she says. “There are many lysosome gene mutations associated to these disorders, so it’s a nice target to look at.”
Mostly working from home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Pena is analyzing data and writing grants and papers, balancing her research with her “after-hours job” as a science communicator. “It’s a lot of commitment and dedication, but I believe this is very important, so I’ll keep doing it,” she says. “We are living a hard time, where science and education are constantly under attack. As scientists, we need to help inform people with accurate and life-saving information”.
Recently, Pena added another job title to her resumé: vice-president of ContraCovid, an initiative to make coronavirus information accessible to Latino and immigrant individuals. “We are sharing information in four languages: English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Haitian Creole, to benefit the community here in the U.S. and abroad,” says Pena. But ContraCovid wants to do more, including creating videos like Pena’s in other languages and recruiting more scientists, so that their materials can reach more and more people.
Accessibility of information is at the front of Pena’s mind when she sits down to make a new video. “If you look at how scientists communicate with each other, it’s a bit intimidating,” says Pena. The jargon and the excess of data make it hard for the general public to locate the main takeaways. Pena focuses on stripping away the excess and delivering the message, such as the importance of flattening the curve, in an easily digestible manner.
When imagining her viewers, Pena thinks of her mother. “My mom is not a scientist, but she’s super into technology like YouTube and WhatsApp,” says Pena, who usually sends her audio clips and videos to her mom first, only uploading them once her mom gives the go-ahead. “My mom helps a lot with sharing the videos because she has lots of followers,” Pena laughs. That’s actually how her involvement in Covid-19 outreach started: with her mom wildly sharing Pena’s audio message about risk groups with her numerous followers.
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Dwyane Wade, Gabrielle Union, Issa Rae, and Yvonne Orji Team Up With Budweiser to Stress the Importance of Check-ins
After weeks of social distancing, Budweiser teamed up with a collection of black athletes and stars to revamp their iconic “whassup” commerical to remind people to check in with their loved ones.
The original “whassup” ad debuted back in 1999, becoming a pop culture phenomenon that created a widely-used catchphrase. Now, more than two decades later, Budweiser has reimaged the commercial with a modern-day twist as the country comes to grips with the coronavirus crisis and social isolation.
The campaign’s first episode launched on April 23, featuring NBA All-Star Dwyane Wade, his wife, actress Gabrielle Union, retired NBA star Chris Bosh, WNBA star Candace Parker, and DJ D-Nice.
The second ad in the campaign was released Wednesday, starring Wade and Union, along with actors Issa Rae, Yvonne Orji, Emmy Raver-Lampman, and Broadway star Daveed Diggs. In the ad, the celebrities chat about living in isolation before yelling out “whassup.” Afterward, Union asks the group how they seriously feel about the pandemic. Budweiser says the goal of the campaign is to connect people with each other in order to stave off isolation and loneliness.
“My wife and I wanted to partner with Budweiser because we believe the message is crucial,” said Wade in a statement sent to BLACK ENTERPRISE. “We both remembered the original ‘whassup’ ads and love the idea of bringing them back as a genuine PSA to connect with each other. We encourage everyone to take a moment out from their day to check-in with their friends and loved ones during this difficult time.”
As part of the campaign, Budweiser will make a donation to The Salvation Army for essential support of those in need due to COVID-19. The Salvation Army launched a nationwide hotline in April in response to rising levels of anxiety, uncertainty, and fear resulting from the pandemic.
“Thanks to modern technology, we’re able to remain virtually connected in ways that otherwise we would not have been able to within the current distance-mandated climate,” said Monica Rustgi, Vice President of Marketing for Budweiser. “In times like these, something as simple as a hello, or in this case ‘whassup,’ means a lot.”
According to Rustgi, the spot serves to remind people of the power of human connection, especially in times of crisis. “Following the unbelievable success of the original ad campaign, we found this to be a meaningful opportunity to revisit the original spot’s simplicity and focus on human connection in a time when people may be feeling hopeless, uncertain, and alone,” she said. “Our hope is that by getting people to check in, we can play a small part in bringing the world closer together during these trying times.”
Watch Budweiser’s latest ad below.
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HBO teases ‘Lovecraft Country’ from Jordan Peele
HBO just dropped the first official trailer for Lovecraft Country, a new series from Jordan Peele, JJ Abrams.
Based on the 2016 novel by Matt Russ, the series stars Jurnee Smollett-Bell (Underground) and Jonathan Majors (Hostiles). The star-studded cast also includes Courtney B. Vance, Wunmi Mosaku, Aunjanue Ellis, Michael K. Williams, Erica Tazel, Abbey Lee, Jamie Chung, and Tony Goldwyn among others.
The show will be written and produced by Misha Green, who served as co-creator and showrunner of Underground.
Due to hit the premium network in August, Lovecraft Country follows Atticus Freeman (Majors) as he joins up with his friend Letitia (Smollett-Bell) and his Uncle George (Courtney B. Vance) to embark on a road trip across 1950s Jim Crow America in search of his missing father (Williams).
This begins a struggle to survive and overcome both the racist terrors of white America and the terrifying monsters that could be ripped from a Lovecraft paperback.
READ MORE: Jordan Peele to produce HBO series ‘Lovecraft Country’
HBO breaks down the series as follows:
Atticus (Majors) is a Korean war vet who always has a pulp novel in his back pocket, and wears his heart on his sleeve despite the daily injustice of living in Jim Crow America. His father, Montrose (Williams), however is hard headed and secretive, and always believed you can’t live in a fantasy world — making him less-than-thrilled about his son’s love for pulp novels.
It’s Atticus’ uncle (Vance) who’s always been more like a father to him. Warm, funny, and well read, he was the first to introduce Atticus to the wonderful and strange world of pulp novels. As the publisher of the “Safe Negro Travel Guide” he’s been on enough adventures to understand there’s no place like home.
READ MORE: Jordan Peele says he won’t be casting white dudes as a lead in future movies
Letitia “Leti” Lewis (Smollett-Bell) hustled her way across the country as an artist protesting for civil rights and now finds herself back home to plant some roots. Her half-sister Ruby (Mosaku) is also a hustler, but her hustles haven’t paid off. Her family ties are tested when she’s presented with an offer she can’t refuse. Hippolyta Freeman (Ellis) is a star-gazer who’s been a housewife most of her life, but has dreams of getting into some adventures of her own. Her itch for adventure will eventually, literally and figuratively, take her to the stars and beyond.
Eustice Hunt (Harris), is a sundown county sheriff with a NAACP complaint file a mile long, and a marine tattoo on the back of his neck so the enemy has something to aim at, gets more than he bargained for when he crosses paths with Atticus; Ji-Ah (Chung) is a seemingly naive nursing student who is thrust into active service when war breaks out, and a rash of soldier disappearances suggests she is more than what she seems.
Christina Braithwhite (Lee) is the only daughter of the leader of a secret order calling themselves the “Sons of Adam.” She’s gone to great lengths to earn her father’s respect, but to no avail. She’s going to pave her own path to power, and use Atticus and his family to do it. Willam (Smith) is Christina’s henchman, lover, bodyguard, spy, or whatever else she may need him to be. Blonde-haired, blue-eyed, he’s the “perfect specimen” for the Aryan race.
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Monica speaks out on potential Verzuz battle with Brandy, says it must be ‘celebratory’
Verzuz battles have taken the country by storm as male music producers and songwriters go song-for-song on Instagram Live.
As music fans await the first female acts and first artists’ battle of Erykah Badu and Jill Scott to take place next week, the possibility of a Brandy and Monica pairing would be big.
The two singers’ 1998 iconic duet “The Boy is Mine” went double platinum and topped Billboard charts. Fans are asking for this event, but Monica has some reservations, Madamenoire reports.
When asked in a radio interview about a potential Verzuz session with Brandy, Monica took issue with the idea of a “battle.”
READ MORE: Erykah Badu and Jill Scott to battle on Verzuz
“The reality is, I think ‘Boy Is Mine’ is such a phenomenal record because we’re polar opposites. And I think that’s dope,” Monica told Atlanta’s V-103.
“[I]t would have to be a celebratory form of it. It would just have to be. I just don’t see it any other way,” the Grammy-winning singer said.
Monica recognized that fans have been taking sides between her and rival Brandy. She said the event would have to be in the vein of the Teddy Riley vs. Babyface session that more than half a million people tuned in for on Instagram Live.
“They knew each other’s records, they gave each other love the whole time and I think that’s what made it so dope,” Monica said about the battle of the new jack swing pioneers.
“People have put us against each other for twenty-something years,” she continued. “I’ve been trying to tell people for about 25 years you can like both! You’re going to turn this into 1998 all over again, and I have no interest in that.”
READ MORE: Brandy’s rivalry with Monica is deeper than you think
Musing of a possible Brandy and Monica clash was first brought up by Brandy’s brother Ray J. During an interview with Wendy Williams, he spoke about his sister’s abilities.
“Brandy, she could battle,” he said. “A good Brandy and Monica battle? Ooooooh!”
When Brandy was asked about a battle with Monica by Essence Magazine, she stated during a Facebook Live session that she was open to it.
“I don’t know. I’m open. I’m open for sure. I’m not closed-minded,” she said.
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R. Kelly says he’s ‘likely diabetic’ in third attempt to be released from jail
R. Kelly has twice requested a release from jail to no avail and he is now making a third attempt, citing medical concerns.
Legal representation for the disgraced singer is fighting again for his release from a Chicago lockup until his tentative trial later this year after medical tests in March showed that he is “likely diabetic,” as reported by TMZ. Kelly faces multiple federal charges of sex crimes.
A lawyer for the “Bump and Grind” hitmaker in a court document accused the Bureau of Prison of failing to disclose information of the medical information. It was also said that Kelly suffers from high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
READ MORE: R. Kelly claims he’s not a flight risk due to owing IRS nearly $2M
Kelly’s lawyer claims that he should be released because he is vulnerable to COVID-19, the fast-spreading virus that has infected more than 1 million people and killed tens of thousands in the United States.
Kelly is currently awaiting trial in Chicago’s Metropolitan Correctional Center. After the coronavirus pandemic hit America, he asked a judge for bail in April in fear of contracting the virus. U.S District Judge Ann Donnelly denied the request on April 7, concluding that she had “no compelling reasons” to release Kelly and that he was still a flight risk, USA Today reported.
A second attempt to be released was filed and denied by the same judge on April 21, this time stating that Kelly could potentially “intimidate prospective witnesses.”
The third request addressed this issue, stating that Kelly received a visit from an unnamed girlfriend, who’s listed as one of his victims, and has made no attempt to intimidate her.
READ MORE: Coronavirus hits U.S. prisons, putting imprisoned populations at risk
Despite growing numbers of convicts testing positive for coronavirus in America, Judge Donnelly said that MCC in Chicago has no confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Kelly’s trial is set to begin in October. The crooner, who has been in detention since July, faces 18 federal counts in multiple jurisdictions, including Illinois and New York. Those counts include sexual assault, child pornography, kidnapping, forced labor, racketeering, and obstruction of justice.
He faces a maximum of 30 years if convicted in Illinois and 25 in New York.
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Cincinnati high school host unique, individual ceremonies to send off graduates
The coronavirus pandemic has forced many states to cancel in-person school instruction and events, including long-awaited graduation ceremonies for millions of high school seniors.
That wasn’t the case, however, for a group of seniors at Dohn Community High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. Instead of resorting to an online send-off, the charter school offered a handful of graduates a modified graduation, according to Fox19Now.
The school’s director, Ramone Davenport, brought the ceremony to the students’ homes where seniors dressed in caps and gowns, along with masks and gloves, received their diplomas on a table adorned with the school’s colors and flowers.
READ MORE: Graduation season falls victim to the coronavirus pandemic
Davenport, who also wore protective coverings, presented the selected seniors their diplomas with high elbows instead of hugs and handshakes. Each individual ceremony featured family members who cheered from a distance, usually across the street, holding handmade congratulatory signs for the students.
“Students have worked their tails off,” Davenport told the local news station. “I think I have to keep the motivation in the spirits of them, so they can continue to get this high school diploma then go on to the next level.”
Dohn counted 250 graduates among its roster, according to WCPO-TV. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine encouraged high schools to host virtual celebrations or in-person events of fewer than 10 people amid the coronavirus pandemic, the ABC affiliate reported.
“I was honestly upset because it’s been 12 years that I waited for my diploma,” graduate Vic’ Tajia Stuckey told the news station. “But Dohn always makes it happen for us.”
Nearly all of Dohn Community High School’s 1,000 students are at or below the poverty line.
READ MORE: Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot dances on TikTok to announce virtual graduation ceremony
One of the seniors, Prince Dixon, admitted to being nervous to take part, but the nerves soon transformed into happiness.
“At first I was kind of nervous,” said Dixon, who is moving on to the University of Cincinnati – Blue Ash, which is about a dozen miles away from his alma mater. “But I see everyone supporting me and clapping me on, so I was happy at the end.”
Dixon plans to double major in electronic media and computer science, with a minor in physics.
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Mental Health Month Takes on New Meaning for Black America Amid COVID-19
Today marks the first day of Mental Health Awareness Month. And it’s fair to say that mental health and wellness is being taken more seriously amid COVID-19. As millions of Americans stay home and practice social distancing, there is a national conversation about the importance of self-care and mental wellness.
We recently spoke with Tonya Ladipo, founder and CEO of The Ladipo Group L.L.C., based in Philadelphia about the mental and physical impact the pandemic is having on people mentally. And during that conversation, she urged black people to not put their mental health on the back burner during these uncertain times.
Black Health Matters
Someone once said, “When white America catches a cold, black America catches the flu.” Others have even gone as far as to say pneumonia. A recent study by Dr. Cato Laurencin, CEO of the Connecticut Convergence Institute and Editor-In-Chief for the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities outlines the health disparities blacks are facing amid the coronavirus.
In addition to the virus, pre-existing social inequities are attributed to the decline in the overall health of black people.
To that point, Ladipo told BLACK ENTERPRISE that self-preservation is key. “We have been through so much that the need to make sure we are well is not optional.”
She also said, “They can’t take our minds. I feel as though we have to fight to protect it [our mental health] especially through COVID-19 because we’re on lockdown—and because it’s hard. We have to protect our mental health and wellness like a job right now. We have to make sure that when we come out of this—and we’re bruised and maybe having broken bones—that we’re not fully broken.”
Although black people and those living in underserved communities are being hit the hardest by COVID-19, there are a number of actionable steps that people can take to practice self-preservation during these times.
Here’s advice we’ve collected from mental health professionals.
Preserve Your Mental Wellness:
- Find a virtual therapist
- Unplug from your screen for a period of time daily.
- Turn off the news and/or mute your news push notification.
- Know your limits. — Be able to set limits and don’t overload yourself. We live in an overload culture and it’s very easy to do more and take on more. Sometimes we find our significance in the amount of things that we do and we find ourselves wearing ourselves out
- Take vacations or staycations. – Know how to step away and take a real vacation or staycation and do what reenergizes you and things that nourish your mind and body. If what you need is to be away from everyone, do that.
- Watch what you eat. – Don’t give your taste buds over what your body really needs.
- Maintain a regular cycle of 6 to 8 hours of sleep a night
- Exercise for 30 minutes.
- Journal about how you are feeling.
- Read books that take your mind to other places.
- Check-in with family members and friends.
- Take time for yourself.
- Minimize or manage the amount of stress in your life—recognize what things are stressful to you and have a way to minimize them.
To read more about how COVID-19 is impacting the black community, click here.
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Kenya Barris embraces criticism of Netflix show ‘#BlackAF’: ‘I take opinions good with the bad’
Netflix series #BlackAF has struck a chord in the Black community to become one of the most polarizing new titles on the streaming platform.
The underlying topics of colorism and Black representation in media triggered much of the backlash and Kenya Barris, the show’s star and creator, recently broke his silence to respond to the reception of his latest work in an appearance on T.I.’s expediTIously podcast.
READ MORE: ‘#blackAF’ review: Kenya Barris is done appeasing the masses
“The one thing that I’ll say in terms of the colorism [is] this (the show) is based on my family” and actress Rashida Jones is “playing a version of my wife, who’s biracial,” said Barris, who said she did a “pitch-perfect job.”
#BlackAF is a fictionalized satire of Barris, who plays himself, opposite Jones, navigating through Hollywood as a Black creative with a biracial wife and family. Barris is the creator of the Award-winning ABC series Black-ish and its subsequent spinoffs Grown-ish and Mixed-ish, which are also loosely based on his life. He is also a co-writer of comedy film Girls Trip.
Barris has six children with his wife Rania “Rainbow” Barris, who is the inspiration for anesthesiologist Rainbow Johnson, played by Tracee Ellis Ross, in Black-ish.
“I think everyone’s experience and everyone’s opinion in terms of, you know, colorism are real, and I understand that,” Barris continued, “but if you just dug a little bit under the surface, you’d understand that” #BlackAF is “biographical … and I was trying to duplicate a version of what my family was.”
READ MORE: ‘#blackAF’ review: The navel-gazing inception of Kenya Barris
The show “speaks to the idea that there is so much colorism in the world,” he added, “The ignorance I have a little bit of a problem with … but I take opinions good with the bad because if you’re going to listen to any of them, you’ve got to listen to all of them.”
Many have taken to social media to speak on their disdain for the series’ look at colorism:
One Twitter user questioned if Jones is Black, saying “it makes no sense” how America is “committed to their one drop rule.”
Americans are so committed to their one drop rule it makes no sense, because how can you tell me this lady is black… #blackAF pic.twitter.com/vdmemsyAET
— the reverend (@realestfemcel) April 27, 2020
Another suggested the show lost her support on the first episode.
One episode of #BlackAF … pic.twitter.com/4fEEHN9PIW
— Tellie (@Chaantellie) April 26, 2020
While Barris is credited for creating #BlackAF and writing multiple episodes of the eight-part series, others questioned the show’s penmanship.
Y'ALL WHY ARE 5/8 EPISODES OF #BLACKAF WRITTEN BY WHITE PPL? I'm just really not understanding the Black or the As Fuck part. Like at all. pic.twitter.com/XHqekO2wi2
— one of my dads is black. (@afromisandry) April 25, 2020
Some, however, have supported the show and showed appreciation for both the satirical commentary and representation.
One Twitter user called out critics that derided Barris for “choosing actors that (sic) portrayed his ACTUAL family” and said #BlackAF is “education on black history, yet ur (sic) concerned about colorism.”
why are ppl mad at Kenya Barris for choosing actors tht portrayed his ACTUAL family! The show is educational on black history yet ur concerned about colorism. 🤦🏽♀️ #blackAF pic.twitter.com/83MkPzMoHo
— Jojo 💋 (@jxanii_) April 27, 2020
“[B]lack people come in all shades, shapes, and sizes. Rashida Jones is a BLACK. WOMAN” and “her having lighter pigmented skin & being mixed doesn’t (sic) make her less of a black woman than any other black woman,” another user wrote.
why are people downplaying #blackAF 😭… black people come in all shades, shapes, and sizes. Rashida Jones is a BLACK. WOMAN. her having lighter pigmented skin & being mixed doesnt make her less of a black woman than any other black woman… chile whats not clicking pic.twitter.com/0HXMYSv65L
— ᴊ (@blorkshit) April 24, 2020
“I truly don’t understand all the hate this guy is getting. It’s his life, and his experiences. He should be allowed to tell his story in his own way,” another #BlackAF fan said.
Great show. I truly don’t understand all the hate this guy is getting. It’s his life, and his experiences. He should be allowed to tell his story in his own way. #blackafnetflix #BlackAF pic.twitter.com/Tj3HQMSiJG
— Herbert Sanders (@SandersLawPC) May 1, 2020
Barris as a Hollywood writer continues to make moves in real life as executive producer of the Netflix sketch comedy show Astronomy Club: The Sketch Show and wrote the forthcoming Coming 2 America sequel.
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Michelle Obama’s Critically Acclaimed ‘Becoming’ Is Coming to Netflix as a Documentary
We all knew that something great had to be in the works a couple of years ago when the Obamas penned a deal with Netflix. Nevertheless, imagine our level of excitement for former first lady Michelle Obama’s documentary, Becoming to air on Netflix May 6.
Women all around the world resonated with the stories and affirming words shared by Obama in her candid autobiographic novel. Becoming sold more than 10 million copies. In addition to book sales, Obama’s book tour was a monumental success—and the Netflix documentary is a behind-the-scenes look of the 34-city tour. Which is great news for those who weren’t able to secure tickets for the sold-out events!
In a heartfelt Instagram post, Obama announced the documentary, writing:
“I’m excited to let you know that on May 6, @Netflix will release BECOMING, a documentary film directed by Nadia Hallgren that looks at my life and the experiences I had while touring following the release of my memoir. Those months I spent traveling—meeting and connecting with people in cities across the globe—drove home the idea that what we share in common is deep and real and can’t be messed with. In groups large and small, young and old, unique and united, we came together and shared stories, filling those spaces with our joys, worries, and dreams. We processed the past and imagined a better future. In talking about the idea of ‘becoming,’ many of us dared to say our hopes out loud.”
I treasure the memories and that sense of connection now more than ever, as we struggle together to weather this pandemic, as we care for our loved ones, and cope with loss, confusion, and uncertainty.
She went on to sing the director’s praise saying, “It’s hard these days to feel grounded or hopeful, but I hope that like me, you’ll find joy and a bit of respite in what Nadia has made. Because she’s a rare talent, someone whose intelligence and compassion for others comes through in every frame she shoots. Most importantly, she understands the meaning of community, the power of community, and her work is magically able to depict it.”
On Twitter, Obama shared a clip from the documentary.
I’m excited to share that on May 6, @Netflix will release BECOMING, a documentary directed by Nadia Hallgren that shares the stories of the amazing people I met after the release of my memoir. During this difficult time, I hope you’ll find some inspiration and joy in this film. pic.twitter.com/fqsIbhXYeL
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) April 27, 2020
Mark your calendar for the release!
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President Trump Blames Obama For Lack of Coronavirus Testing
President Donald Trump is blaming former President Barack Obama for the lack of testing for the coronavirus, despite the fact it didn’t exist when he left office.
“The last administration left us nothing. We started off with bad, broken tests, and obsolete tests,” Trump asserted.
When CNN reporter Jim Acosta pressed Trump, asking “You say ‘broken tests’ — it’s a new virus, so how could the tests be broken?” Trump doubled down on his claim.
“We had broken tests. We had tests that were obsolete. We had tests that didn’t take care of people,” Trump continued before pivoting to Obama and former Vice President Joe Biden for their handling of the 2009 H1N1 flu outbreak.
The coronavirus did not exist until late 2019 and didn’t reach the U.S. until early February although the exact date is unknown.
The flu outbreak killed about 12,500 Americans, while coronavius pandemic has already taken more than 60,000 citizens.
Obama did, however, leave a detailed 69-page document showing how to respond to the threat of a pandemic. However, Trump fired the government’s pandemic response team in 2018. Trump also largely ignored the coronavirus when it hit the U.S. in February, saying it would go away on its own.
Obama has been more vocal since the outbreak hit the U.S. in February. In April, Obama compared the coronavirus response by the U.S.to climate change deniers.
Trump also refused to take responsibility for the pandemic during a White House press briefing last month, again blaming the situation on Obama.
“No, I don’t take responsibility at all. Because we were given a — a set of circumstances, and we were given rules, regulations and specifications from a different time. It wasn’t meant for this kind of — an event with the kind of numbers that we’re talking about,” Trump said.
Trump said earlier this week that the U.S. will soon ramp up testing to test 5 million people per day. However, Admiral Brett Giroir, the assistant secretary of health for the Trump administration said otherwise.
“There is absolutely no way on Earth, on this planet or any other planet, that we can do 20 million tests a day, or even 5 million tests a day.”
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Georgia Gov. Kemp Axes Driver’s Test Requirement For Teens, Only Parent’s Consent Needed
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has signed an executive order allowing teenagers in the state to skip the driving test in order to get a license. All that’s required for now is their parents’ consent.
According to CNN, all other requirements before the test must be fulfilled. Once the requirements have been fulfilled, teen learner’s permit holders will be allowed to obtain a provisional license by providing an affidavit from their parent or driving instructor stating they have completed 40 hours of supervised driving.
A clean driving record of at least one year and one day is also required. Permit holders over the age of 18 can sign their own affidavit.
The order will stay in effect until the expiration of the state’s Public Health State of Emergency, which Kemp has extended to May 13.
“During these unprecedented times, the Department of Driver Services is trying to make it as easy as a process for people to get their license and to lessen the burden on people right now,” Stormi Kenney, who owns a driving school within the state, told Fox 5 Atlanta.
Spencer Moore, Commissioner of the state’s Department of Driver Services¸ said social distancing guidelines currently make it impossible to conduct in-person tests. Additionally, there is a backlog of 30,000 applicants, with an average of 5,000 teens having taken the exam every week prior to the shutdown.
Moore added the pass rate for teens in the state is over 80%.
Kemp’s executive order also outlined how the state will loosen its social distancing requirements which went into effect last week. However, a model from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, says the state shouldn’t open up until at least late June.
Even that date assumes the state will implement aggressive testing, contact tracing, isolation, and crowd-size limits to prevent more infections. Although spaces in the state are opening, African American leaders are urging residents to stay home. African American barbers in the state are also weighing health over profits.
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Georgia Gov. Is Slammed After Coronavirus Study Shows Effect On Blacks
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is taking a lot of heat after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a study showing African Americans are suffering gravely from the coronavirus pandemic.
The study, released Wednesday, showed African Americans make up a majority of the 297 coronavirus patients reported in the study. Additionally, although African Americans weren’t more likely than any other group to die from the disease or to require a ventilator, according to the study, 83.2% of the patients with coronavirus were African American.
“That is a very high rate of infections,” Dr. Wayne A.I. Frederick, Howard University president who was not involved in the report told NewsOne.
Frederick added the high percentage of African Americans in the study most likely reflects the occupation of the patients.
“A lot of it may come from the fact that African Americans are essential employees in our system,” he said. “Everything from bus drivers to healthcare workers and cleaning services, they are on the front line, and therefore are far more likely to be exposed.”
The statistics of the study line up with national statistics showing African Americans are dying from the coronavirus at disproportionate rates in states across the country. According to New York Magazine, African Americans in Georgia make up 52% of the coronavirus-related deaths, but only 33% of the population.
Despite the statistics, Kemp has reopened businesses saying the economy needs to be restarted. Kemp has not addressed how he’s going to address the disproportionate effect the coronavirus is having on African Americans.
Now, many are speaking out on social media.
Kemp allowed bowling alleys, tattoo parlors, and nail salons to reopen for in-person business last Friday. By Monday, restaurants were allowed to begin dine-in service.
However, some are choosing to keep their stores closed.
Rapper Killer Mike, who owns a chain of barbershops in Atlanta, said he will keep his stores closed.
“At this time as a business, we aren’t comfortable opening. So we’re going to wait a while before we reopen.” Mike explained that the coronavirus has been hitting the African American community hard and they are the group that his business caters to. “We don’t want our customers and our barbers in danger.”
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