African Americans

Rep. Waters Statement on the Murder of George Floyd

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43) issued a statement on the murder of George Floyd of Minneapolis, MN. George Floyd was an unarmed African American man who died in police custody after Minneapolis police officers forced him to the ground and one officer pinned his knee on George Floyd’s neck for five minutes.

Reopen Los Angeles? Communities of Color Will Pay the Price, Says Wesson

“People of color are being hit by this pandemic physically, mentally, and financially,” Wesson begins. “A long history of unequal access to health care has left Black, Latino, and the working poor in a position to be disproportionately killed by the virus. As we begin to reopen, we need to take a hard look at ways to protect those who will be the most negatively impacted.”

Joe Biden’s Plan for Empowering Black America

Biden said he plans to hold financial institutions accountable for discriminatory practices in the housing market, and he will restore the federal government’s power to enforce settlements against discriminatory lenders. Additionally, the plan calls for Biden to strengthen and expand the Community Reinvestment Act to ensure that the nation’s bank and non-bank financial services institutions are serving all communities.

Housing the Homeless: COVID-19 Has Forced California’s Hand

Earlier this month, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that California was the first state in the nation to secure Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding to place unsheltered people in hotel rooms at no cost to them. The state’s action is providing safe isolation for tens of thousands of homeless Californians during the global COVID-19 pandemic.    

AARP and NNPA Join Forces for Riveting Webinar on Saving Black Lives During COVID-19 Pandemic

“People are stressed and worried, not only about caring for themselves but protecting and caring for someone in the home or someone long distance,” Choula stated. 

“It’s very important that there is increased conversation with nursing facilities through virtual visitation and phone calls, which is what AARP is advocating.” 

Save Black Lives from COVID-19

“We are the number one target for this disease. We have pre-existing conditions, and yet we’re told to go home when we visit the emergency room. We know that there must be some form of regulation in place for testing and getting testing sites and equipment into the community,” said Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-Michigan).

Black Communities Deserve Health Equity During COVID Crisis

Data revealed from pockets of the country have made clear that the pandemic is having a disproportionate impact on Black Americans. The Trump administration’s lack of transparency and failure to release racial data on a national level has undermined efforts to develop a targeted response to the crisis. As a result, too many of our communities are left without fair and equitable access to testing, care and treatment. 

IN MEMORIAM: Earl Graves Sr., Black Enterprise Founder Dies

“At 9:22 p.m. this evening, April 6, my father and hero, Earl Graves, Sr., the founder of Black Enterprise, passed away quietly after a long battle with Alzheimer’s,” Earl Graves Jr. wrote on Twitter. “I loved and admired this giant of a man and am blessed to be his namesake. Love you, dad.”

Black Americans Pick Alternative Hairstyles in light of Social Distancing

Social distancing has made hair care incredibly difficult. The worst thing for Black hair is lack of moisture. Running low on supplies while having to stay in a confined space causes my hair to transform into a large frizz ball like in the short film “Hair Love.” Now that beauty shops and hair care stores are closed, my hair has become a bunch of frizzy puffs.

The Homelessness Crisis – We Are Better Than This

There are half a million people, mostly men, mostly white, but way too many African Americans. African Americans are 13 percent of the population and 40 percent of the homeless. The homeless are primarily concentrated in California, New York, Florida, and Texas, but you can find them in almost any community. Two-thirds of the homeless are sheltered on a given night, but a third are sleeping on the streets, on park benches, in alleys, under awnings. To quote the late great Congressman Elijah Cummings, “we are better than this.”