Today there is a crisis in Black America that is greater than the Tuskegee experiment itself. That experiment for more than 30 years deliberately used Black men as lab rats to test the effects of syphilis on men infected with venereal disease.
When we look at the diversity of the people who attacked the capitol on January 6, most of us are surprised to find that at least 57 of those assaulting the building were elected officials in their home states and cities. These are people who have lived, worked and participated in “Democracy” as we know it. These people and the thousands of others who join them, refuse to acknowledge an election run and won according to our own constitutional mandates.
So, for me, 2021 is about hope and about working for a better life for all and a better nation together as we rise from the terrible test that 2020 has been. It is about recommitting to one another and to good works to help our brothers and sisters in need. And even before we voted for inclusion, we were already making good trouble. White, Black and Brown nationwide took to the streets this past spring and summer to ask our nation — to demand of our nation — that we address the systematic racism that has plagued this country since its founding. That has torn the very fabric of our country and created so much pain and loss. With one voice, all were saying: ‘Please, at long last, fix this.’” — Ray Curry, Secretary-Treasurer, UAW
policymakers have examined and talked about the “digital divide,” the shorthand term for the disparities in internet access that has contributed to many being excluded from the benefits of the Information Age. But it has taken the COVID-19 pandemic to bring home the seriousness and urgency of the problem.
During this Covid-19 watch, it seems that there is a tremendous amount of excitement in the news as vaccines move toward federal approval and all the different states racing and running to create plans for who should get the first doses and how the vaccines will be distributed. State and federal health officials have all agreed that front-line healthcare workers who have direct contact with COVID-19 patients should be the first vaccinated, which makes all the sense in the world. Then the conversation seems to be vaccinating seniors in nursing home facilities and those patients in long-term care facilities; and that also makes sense to me.
Every election has its firsts. The 2020 presidential election was no different. In 2016, we saw the first election where social media was viewed by voters’ more than traditional media. Trump was head and shoulders better than Hilary on social media. He continued to be a master of the medium, until he got kicked off.
Let’s talk about data privacy. Before you turn the page or click on a different story, let us tell you why two pastors would take the time to write about a topic that, on its surface, might seem unrelated to ministry. This Thursday, January 28, is Data Privacy Day. While it’s probably not marked on your calendars, we’ve been paying attention to data privacy issues for some time now, so this event presents a perfect occasion to highlight the importance of protecting your personal information and how it relates to our work in the community.
Protests and unrest in 2020 sparked by the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, shined an even brighter spotlight on police brutality against African Americans.
During President Obama’s administration, congressional leaders Mitch McConnell and John Boehner had fostered an atmosphere for the Tea Party, and the GOP became known as the “party of ‘no’.” It seemed everywhere Obama turned he was met with a brick wall when it came to bipartisanship. Because Obama was the first Black man to become president of the United States, it was hard for some White Americans to accept.
What’s clear is that the scientific community and community leaders must reach out and work hard to ensure that African Americans gain the confidence to get vaccinated. This won’t be easy. But with the leadership of Dr. Corbett and others, and with a new administration getting serious about providing the resources for mass vaccination and for outreach into the communities most impacted, lives can be saved.
There was a time when the aspiration of most Black Americans was either sports or music, as other vocations were closed or limited at best. As the old saying goes, if life deals you lemons, make lemonade. So, Blacks like Joe Louis, Jackie Robinson and Berry Gordy ran with what they had to work with.
Our country will remember this year as the year of COVID-19 and the uprising in activism for Black communities throughout the country. During a financially burdensome time for all restaurants, but especially for Black business owners, we started the Black Restaurant Coalition of Los Angeles. Our organization was founded to strengthen, support, and promote restaurateurs, small businesses and the entire Black restaurant community.
This has been an incredibly difficult year, and we still have very tough times ahead. However, as we head into this season of thanks-giving, we owe it to ourselves to take a moment to give thanks, and to celebrate the triumph of Vice-President-Elect Kamala Harris. We also owe it to Kamala, who dared to dream big – who didn’t have the privilege others enjoy and worked twice as hard to get where she is. We owe it to our parents and grandparents, to all the women and men who came before us that dared to challenge a society that denied
Even now, Trump and his campaign have specifically sought to have officials toss out all votes cast in heavily African American populated cities like Atlanta, Detroit, and Milwaukee. It is a tactic used since, during, and after Reconstruction: disenfranchise Blacks and the poor.