According to a study by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (DPH), Black and African Americans make up less than 13 percent of the general population but account for more than 49 percent of newly reported HIV/AIDS cases compared to Whites and Hispanics.
When hip hop icon and fashion designer Kanye West wore a black, long-sleeved shirt with “WHITE LIVES MATTER” emblazoned on the backside in white block letters at his Yeezy fashion show in Paris on Oct. 3, it started a national conversation on racism that intensified four days later when West broadcast on Twitter that he was going to go “death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE” in a since deleted tweet.
JPMorgan Chase is helping to drive sustainable changes through its five-year $30 billion racial equity commitment. With a business-led approach, this commitment aims to help address key drivers of the racial wealth divide in Black, Latino and Hispanic communities by investing in them directly.
“This has been a 30-plus year journey,” Congresswoman Jackson Lee declared. “We had to take a different approach. We had to go one by one to members explaining this does not generate a check.” Congresswoman Jackson Lee said this week that there’s now enough votes in the House for passage of the historic piece of legislation.
Every ten years in the United States, new political lines are drawn to create “more equitable districts” at every level of government. In 2020 – 2021, for the first time a Citizens Redistricting Commission is drawing lines for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.
On Monday, May 31st CNN Films premiered the showing of DREAMLAND: The Burning of Black Wall Street. This cinematic documentary executive produced by LeBron James, celebrates, and shares the rich cultural history that existed in the Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma at that time one of the wealthiest Black communities in the United States, earning it the name, “Black Wall Street.”
“Since it became law more than a decade ago, the Affordable Care Act has been a lifeline for millions of Americans. The pandemic has demonstrated how badly it is needed and how critical it is that we continue to improve upon it,” President Biden stated.
It goes without saying that 2020 was a difficult year for everyone, but especially Black communities across California. Our communities were disproportionately impacted by both the health and economic crises wrought by the coronavirus pandemic
President-Elect Joe Biden’s administration plans to support legislation offered by District of Columbia Democratic Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton that would ensure federal agencies advertise with minority-owned businesses, including the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA).
Chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus Karen Bass has amplified the call for justice countless times within Capitol Hill. The major benchmark Bass headed this year was the drafting and passing of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, unveiled on June 8; a “bold, comprehensive approach to hold police accountable, and change the culture of law enforcement and our communities,” said Bass. Her willfulness to take a wide and powerful stance showed the nation that she is more than qualified for one of the seats as U.S. Senate; Bass represents a new era of women in power.
Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Mississippi), who began his grassroots political activism being a civil rights champion through the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) while a student at Tougaloo College, will receive the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) 2020 National Leadership Award.
Senator Kamala Harris accepted the nomination for Vice President of the United States, she stated, “I do so, committed to the values she taught me. To the word that teaches me to walk by faith, and not by sight. And to a vision passed on through generations of Americans—one that Joe Biden shares. A vision of our nation as a Beloved Community—where all are welcome, no matter what we look like, where we come from, or who we love.”
Color Of Change and Michael B. Jordan are launching the #ChangeHollywood initiative to answer calls for action across the industry with infrastructure that will create concrete, measurable solutions towards racial justice. The collaboration between an actor-producer on the inside and racial justice advocates on the outside begins with a roadmap for change that lays out tangible ways to invest in anti-racist content and authentic Black stories, invest in Black talent, and reinvest police funds to support Black communities. Throughout the initiative, companies, executive leadership, staff and talent will be provided with recommendations as well as forthcoming resources to support follow through, including directories, templates, analysis, taskforce convenings, writers’ rooms, consulting sessions, and emerging ideas.
Within the conversation between legislators supporting the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, the general tone was this day was long overdue. The House Judiciary Committee passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, by a vote of 24 to 14. Capitol Hill has responded to the demands for police reform, the goals are set to ensure equality, community safety, and to hold those accountable who abuse power and act out excessive use of force.
Opponents of the ban fear that it would give police another reason to profile African Americans.