400 Years Since 1619: March 2020

Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Lauren London pens touching tribute to Nipsey Hussle: “The pain s as heavy today as it was a year ago”

Lauren London penned a touching tribute to her late love, Nipsey Hussle on Tuesday, marking the one year anniversary of his tragic death.

“Time is deceptive. It’s been a year since you transitioned. The pain is as heavy today as it was a year ago. God knows I would give anything to see you again,” she posted along with a photo of herself the slain rapper.

“I didn’t think I was going to survive a second of any of this. Prayers have kept me together. The kids keep me going and Gods Grace and Mercy have carried me this far,” she continued.

“As today makes a year, I stand strong because of you. Because I know you wouldn’t have it any other way. Because I recall every late-night conversation we had about resilience and fear Because you were my greatest teacher and because you are still with us, in spirit. With every breath I take I honor you. I carry this pain with purpose. I promise I will make you proud. I promise to apply everything you taught me, in life and in death. Ermias Asghedom. There will never be another,” she continued.

“Until we are together again…I love you beyond human understanding ( but you know that already)”

View this post on Instagram

Time is deceptive It’s been a year since you transitioned The pain is as heavy today as it was a year ago God knows I would give anything to see you again I didn’t think I was going to survive a second of any of this Prayers have kept me together The kids keep me going and Gods Grace and Mercy have carried me this far As today makes a year I stand strong because of you Because I know you wouldn’t have it any other way Because I recall every late night conversation we had about resilience and fear Because you were my greatest teacher and because you are still with us, in spirit With every breath i take I honor you I carry this pain with purpose I promise I will make you proud I promise to apply everything you taught me In life and in death Ermias Asghedom There will never be another Until we are together again…. I love you beyond human understanding ( but you know that already)🏁

A post shared by Lauren London (@laurenlondon) on Mar 31, 2020 at 7:12pm PDT

Nipsey Hussle was gunned down outside of his clothing store in Los Angeles one year ago. The alleged gunman, Eric Holder has been charged in his murder.

In July, the actress posted a photo of a tattoo she got in his memory. The tattoo is a gorgeous depiction of the late rapper’s face along with the words “God will rise,” which is the translation of Hussle’s first name, Ermias.

The post Lauren London pens touching tribute to Nipsey Hussle: “The pain s as heavy today as it was a year ago” appeared first on TheGrio.

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JP Morgan Announces Policy Changes After Battling a Series of Racial Discrimination Allegations

After a couple of years battling complaints of racial discrimination by both customers and bank employees, JPMorgan Chase & Co has pledged to increase efforts to diversify its workforce and make changes to how eligibility for certain banking products is decided.

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NBA Stars Set to Compete in Televised NBA2K Tournament

It has been almost 3 weeks since the sports went away. In that time America has tried to filled that basketball-shaped hole with Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Tiger King. If you need a break from your animal companions or can only stomach so much of white people doing the most, fear not. Basketball is back.

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How To Color Your Hair At Home Without Destroying Your Bathroom

Are you among the many, many people considering coloring your hair during your confinement?!? I deeply support you fucking around with your hair color right now. (Bangs … not so much. Please do not add to your current state of distress by cutting ugly bangs.)

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‘Two Dollars and a Dream’ tells true story of Madam C.J. Walker

For folks who want to get the real story about Madam C.J. Walker while quarantining, Stanley Nelson‘s Two Dollars and a Dream is a worthy watch.

When Netflix premiered Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker, tons of people were intrigued by the subject of the first woman self-made millionaire. While the series prompted tons of praise for its entertainment value, many of the details were admittedly imagined.

Two Dollars and a Dream, the 1989 film, is launching on the WORLD Channel’s YouTube channel today. It kicks off its new initiative bringing original content to the platform. The channel will be dedicated to telling stories reflecting the mosaic of America and the global community.

Produced and directed by Nelson (Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool) the biography chronicles the life of Walker. She was the child of slaves freed by the Civil War, and is recorded as America’s first self-made millionaire.

By interweaving social, economic and political history, it also offers a view of black America from 1867 to the 1930’s. Mrs. Walker’s fortune was built on skin and hair care products. She parlayed a homemade beauty formula into a prosperous business, marketing her products from coast to coast. Her daughter, A’Leilia Walker, was an important patron of the Harlem Renaissance.

The two women lived in royal style, complete with a mansion and chauffeured limousines. This little-known story is both entertaining and informative. It combines interviews, historical stills and unique film footage including scenes from Harlem’s famous Cotton Club. The film is punctuated with the music of Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway and other masters of that era.

Nelson’s film follows Walker’s life from her birth in Louisiana in 1867 to her death at the age of 51 in 1919. The story is told within the context of the larger history of African American people emerging from the institution of slavery and trying to secure a place in the country.

Check out the trailer:

Nelson is the grandson of the late Freeman B. Ransom, the General Manager and attorney of Walker’s hair-product company and had access to company records and former employees, allowing him to provide an intimate look at Walker’s rise to success.

Nelson went on from this film to become one of the country’s leading documentarians focused on chronicling the African American experience. Some of his films include Freedom Riders (2010, winner of three Primetime Emmy Awards), Freedom Summer (2014, Peabody Award winner), and The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution (2016, NAACP Image Award winner).

In addition to honors for his individual films, Nelson has received a Peabody Award, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts Sciences and received the National Medal in the Humanities from President Barack Obama.

The post ‘Two Dollars and a Dream’ tells true story of Madam C.J. Walker appeared first on TheGrio.

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NYC Mayor Bill De Blasio Threatens To Permanently Close Places of Worship That Don’t Comply With Social Distancing Guidelines

With the rise in coronavirus cases in the New York area, measures have been put in place to slow the spread of it, including suggestions of social distancing for all groups. On Friday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio warned that places of worship would be permanently shut down if they don’t comply with the guidelines, according to Fox 5 NY.

“So, I want to say to all those who are preparing the potential of religious services this weekend — if you go to your synagogue, if you go to your church and attempt to hold services after having been told so often not to, our enforcement agents will have no choice but to shut down those services,” de Blasio told reporters in a press conference streamed online. “I don’t say that with any joy. It’s the last thing I would like to do because I understand how important people’s faiths are to them, and we need our faiths in this time of crisis, but we do not need gatherings that will endanger people.”

“No faith tradition endorses anything that endangers the members of that faith,” de Blasio continued. “So, the NYPD, Fire Department, Buildings Department, and everyone has been instructed that if they see worship services going on, they will go to the officials of that congregation, they’ll inform them they need to stop the services and disperse.”

“If that does not happen, they will take additional action up to the point of fines and potentially closing the building permanently,” de Blasio concluded. “Again, that will begin this weekend. Again, I’m sorry I have to tell you this, but anyone who’s hearing this, take it seriously. You’ve been warned, you need to stop services, help people practice their faith in different ways, but not in groups, not in gatherings that could endanger people.”

The mayor has also stated that New York City residents who break social distancing rules will be subject to fines up to $500 as the cases of coronavirus are still climbing due to the outbreak.

“You’ve been warned and warned and warned again,” the mayor said during a Sunday press conference.

“They’re going to give people every chance to listen, and if anyone doesn’t listen, then they deserve a fine at this point,” de Blasio said as reported by Politico. “I don’t want to fine people when so many folks are going through economic distress, but if they haven’t gotten the message by now, and they don’t get the message when an enforcement officer’s staring them in the face … that person then deserves the fine, so we’re going to proceed with that.”

Click here to watch Mayor de Blasio’s press conference. His warning to religious buildings starts around the 26:00 mark.

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NYC Mayor Bill De Blasio Threatens To Permanently Close Places of Worship That Don’t Comply With Social Distancing Guidelines

The mayor has also stated that New York City residents who break social distancing rules will be subject to fines up to $500 as the cases of coronavirus are still climbing due to the outbreak.

“You’ve been warned and warned and warned again,” the mayor said during a Sunday press conference.

Click here to watch Mayor de Blasio’s press conference. His warning to religious buildings starts around the 26:00 mark.

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Ex-NFL player trades in helmet for scrubs to combat COVID-19

Dr. Myron Rolle, the former NFL defensive back, is now a medical doctor helping to treat patients suffering from the coronavirus.

Rolle, 33, is a Rhodes Scholar and former college standout with the Florida Seminoles before he was drafted in 2010 by the Tennessee Titans. But after three years in the NFL, Rolle hung up his helmet and left his jersey for Florida State University’s College of Medicine, reported Blacknews.com. He is now a doctor at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, saving lives amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Rolle works today as a third-year resident in neurosurgery at Massachusetts General, known as one of Boston’s busiest hospitals. He told ESPN he still brings his game strategy to the operating room.

“I think of the operating room like a game, like it’s showtime, let’s perform. I gotta do what I gotta do because people are counting on us right now. This is our time to help very sick people. So that motivation continues to drive me every single day,” Rolle said.

Rolle added that he has been spending a lot of time working on “individuals with respiratory distress and respiratory compromise, and the numbers are staggering.” He went on: “…Our bed space, our operating rooms may even be turned into ICUs because there are so many people that are either positive with COVID-19 or suspected of having it.”

“It is hectic, that’s for sure,” Rolle added to ESPN.

Rolle told ESPN that medical personnel must wear masks while in the hospital but warns that the numbers could dwindle moving forward.

Supplies are “pretty limited right now, and dwindling,” he says in the video. He opened up a cabinet to illustrate his point.

Rolle was picked in the 6th round of the 2010 NFL draft. He never played in a regular season game.

The post Ex-NFL player trades in helmet for scrubs to combat COVID-19 appeared first on TheGrio.

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Halle Berry Isn't Concerned if You Were Unhappy With Her Son Wearing Heels

With all the general feelings of frustration that come with the COVID-19 chatter, people are doing everything they can in order to keep their anxiety about the situation at bay. In Halle Berry’s household, she and her children are combatting fear with laughs—yet their attempt at entertainment brought out the worst in…

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Tuesday's Best Deals: Anker USB-C Hub, Logitech Gaming Headset, Switch Car Charger, and More

An exclusive Bokksu discount, Toy Story Collection, Sony X950G TV, and a site-wide Olivers sale lead off Tuesday’s best deals from around the web.

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Because God Won't Give Us More Than We Can Handle, Michael Jordan Docuseries The Last Dance Will Now Premiere in April

Our prayers have been answered.

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Queens hospital worker dies due to COVID-19: ‘Rest in Power’

A Queens, New York hospital worker, known for her community activism and an “advocate for the underdog,” has died from COVID-19.

New York State Senator Jessica Ramos announced the passing of Priscilla Carrow in a tribute posted on her Twitter page. Ramos said Carrow, who was the coordinating manager at Elmhurst Hospital Center in Queens and who also worked as the deputy director of community relations with the New York Senate, would deeply be missed.

Elmhurst, like other hospitals in New York, has been hard hit with coronavirus cases.

“Heartbroken to share my neighbor Priscilla Carrow passed away due to COVID-19. She was a crucial member of our community for 25+ years, proud @CWA1180 & @queensCB4 member & former coordinating manager at Elmhurst Hospital & staffer for my predecessor Jose Peralta. Rest in power,” tweeted Ramos.

Heartbroken to share my neighbor Priscilla Carrow passed away due to COVID-19. She was a crucial member of our community for 25+ years, proud @CWA1180 & @queensCB4 member & former coordinating manager at Elmhurst Hospital & staffer for my predecessor José Peralta. Rest in power. pic.twitter.com/f4UmIfbTub

— Jessica Ramos (@jessicaramos) March 30, 2020

My condolences to her family and our community!! Thank you for your service you will be missed!! RIP!!

“My condolences to her family and our community!! Thank you for your service you will be missed!! RIP!!” wrote Michelle Dunston in response to Ramos’ tweet.

My condolences to her family and our community!! Thank you for your service you will be missed!!
RIP!!

— michelle dunston (@DunstonMichelle) March 31, 2020

CWA Local 1180, Carrow’s worker’s union, issued a lengthy statement on Facebook, saying Carrow walked her talk and calling her a “passionate leader” in the community and “one of God’s most precious children.”

“It is with tremendous sorrow and the heaviest of hearts that we announce the passing of Priscilla Carrow, Coordinating Manager at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, on Monday, March 30, 2020, due to COVID-19. She was also a dedicated, active CWA Local 1180 Shop Steward,” the statement reads.

“Priscilla first became a member of Local 1180 in August 2006. She was also a passionate leader of the Queens Borough Community Coordinating Committee, but she was so much more than that. She diligently served as a member of Community Board #4, was a member of the Queens Democratic Party, was extremely active in her community, and was one of Local 1180s most involved Shop Stewards.

“We lost one of God’s most precious children due to the coronavirus, a blessed soul who gave her all every day at work at Elmhurst – a hospital overloaded with the coronavirus – to make sure others were taken care of,” said President Gloria Middleton. “I am beyond devastated and heartbroken as is the entire Local 1180 Executive Board. Priscilla always had a huge smile on her face and kind words to offer. Please keep her family in your prayers,” the statement adds.

The union asks everyone to pray for Carrow’s two children, son Tasheen Carrow, and daughter, Keyana Reaves.

Many people responded to the post with personal stories of Carrow.

Celeste Spriggly wrote: “Condolences to Priscilla’s family she was a firecracker. Always a ray of sunshine a great soul Im in such disbelief she always would light up a room and always made me laugh. An advocate for the underdog. I will miss you Priscilla. Sleep in peace. Xoxo”

And Jim Brown said he is still processing the news.

“When I came to work today I was thrown off balance by the news. My senior shop steward…… no way. Every event, through her surgery, through her healing, she was there front and center for her community, for her Elmhurst community, for her borough, for her Union,” Brown wrote.

“She reached out to senior/executive management and politicians alike. I respect her for her efforts, I will remember her passion,… I will not forget her encouragement to do more for our union brothers and sisters. She is the first loss to this pestilence that I personally know. I just can’t believe it.”

The post Queens hospital worker dies due to COVID-19: ‘Rest in Power’ appeared first on TheGrio.

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Amazon Employee Says He Was Fired for Staging Walkout to Protest Unsafe Conditions

People should feel safe at work. People who still need to work during a global pandemic especially need to feel and be safe at work. Safety is a basic workplace necessity, and workers at a Staten Island warehouse tried to make that point by staging a walkout, which led to the firing of one of the walkout’s organizers…

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5 Ways Rev. Dr. Joseph Lowery, ‘Dean of the Civil Rights Movement,’ Changed Black History

Rev Dr. Joseph E. Lowery, a revered civil rights icon and community organizer, died at the age of 98 on Friday. His family confirmed that he died peacefully from natural causes while surrounded by his three daughters, reports NBC News.

Born on Oct. 6, 1921, in Huntsville Alabama, Lowery spent his adolescence in Alabama and Chicago. After earning a bachelor’s degree at Paine College in Augusta, Georgia, he dedicated his life to ministry and the fight to end racial discrimination around the world.

Throughout his life, the ordained Methodist minister pastored three churches in Alabama and Georgia, worked as a former aide to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and spearheaded some of the most pivotal moments in the civil rights movement. His fight for equality continued into the 21st century.

Lowery’s work earned him several awards and honorary doctoral degrees. In 1997, the NAACP crowned him as the “dean of the civil rights movement” and presented him with a lifetime achievement award. In 2009, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest honor, under then-President Barack Obama.

Tonight, the great Reverend Joseph E. Lowery transitioned from earth to eternity. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. He was a champion for civil rights, a challenger of injustice, a dear friend to the King family.

Thank you, sir.

[: MLK, Lowery, Wyatt Tee Walker] pic.twitter.com/PGHpBJJjNm

— The King Center (@TheKingCenter) March 28, 2020

Here are five ways Rev. Lowery altered the course of black history throughout his decadeslong dedication to fighting for civil rights.

The Montgomery Bus Boycott

After Rosa Parks was arrested in 1955, Lowery helped lead the Montgomery Bus Boycott with Dr. King.

“Born and raised in Jim Crow Alabama, preaching in his blood, the Rev. Joseph Lowery is a giant of the Moses generation of civil rights leaders,” Obama said about Lowery in 2009. “It was just King, Lowery and a few others, huddled in Montgomery, who laid the groundwork for the bus boycott and the movement that was to follow.”

Co-founded SCLC

In 1957, King and Lowery co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), an organization devoted to human rights. Their work helped lead to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Lowery served as the organization’s vice president and chairman of the board. He went on to serve as SCLC president for two decades from 1977 to 1997.

Helped Organized the March on Washington

Lowery played a pivotal role in coordinating the historic 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in Washington, D.C. The purpose of the march was to advocate for the civil and economic rights of African Americans.

Led the Selma to Montgomery March

Lowery led the Selma to Montgomery March in 1965 at King’s request. They were joined by thousands of nonviolent demonstrators as they marched to the capitol in Montgomery, Alabama, after a 5-day, 54-mile march from Selma, Alabama, to rally for voting rights.

Co-founded the Black Leadership Forum

Lowery co-founded the Black Leadership Forum, which played a key role in protesting apartheid in South Africa by pressuring businesses not to trade with the apartheid-era regime.

“He was a fierce advocate for voting rights and criminal justice reform, and led groundbreaking protests, including a boycott in the mid-1980s that persuaded the Winn-Dixie grocery chain to stop selling products from South Africa during apartheid,” said AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka in a statement to BLACK ENTERPRISE on Monday.

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5 Ways Rev. Dr. Joseph Lowery, ‘Dean of the Civil Rights Movement,’ Changed Black History

Tonight, the great Reverend Joseph E. Lowery transitioned from earth to eternity. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. He was a champion for civil rights, a challenger of injustice, a dear friend to the King family.

Thank you, sir.

[: MLK, Lowery, Wyatt Tee Walker] pic.twitter.com/PGHpBJJjNm

— The King Center (@TheKingCenter) March 28, 2020

Here are five ways Rev. Lowery altered the course of black history throughout his decadeslong dedication to fighting for civil rights.

The Montgomery Bus Boycott

After Rosa Parks was arrested in 1955, Lowery helped lead the Montgomery Bus Boycott with Dr. King.

Co-founded SCLC

Lowery served as the organization’s vice president and chairman of the board. He went on to serve as SCLC president for two decades from 1977 to 1997.

Helped Organized the March on Washington

Led the Selma to Montgomery March

Co-founded the Black Leadership Forum

Lowery co-founded the Black Leadership Forum, which played a key role in protesting apartheid in South Africa by pressuring businesses not to trade with the apartheid-era regime.

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As COVID-19 Closures Continue, America's Biggest Retailers Furlough Employees

If I’m honest, I’ve had a longstanding love-hate relationship with the retail juggernaut known as Macy’s. Love, because I spent decades modeling for their catalogs and e-commerce site, working with some of the coolest, kindest people around. Hate, because growing up in the Midwest, shopping at much-beloved department…

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Save 20% On Olivers Entire Collection of Activewear, Right Now

20% off Site-Wide Sale | Olivers | Use the promo code INITTOGETHER

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Venture Exec Lisa Coca: Outperforming the Competition Is the Price of Admission for Women of Color

Featuring a broad cross-section of women who have distinguished themselves across a rich variety of careers, our Portraits of Power series is a celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Black Enterprise, and of black women. It’s a place for today’s businesswomen to share their own favorite images and their own stories, in their own words. Today’s portrait is startup adviser and investor Lisa Coca.

Lisa Coca

Managing Director/Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Intel Emerging Growth & Incubation

My first job was as a financial analyst on Wall Street. I constructed the firm’s first automated model for the valuation and acquisition of more than $700 million of distressed loans.

My big break came when Beth Comstock, then Global CMO for GE, tapped me to partner with her in development of the business plan for the launch of GE Ventures. She was incredibly forward-thinking and trusted my ability to translate prior experience and skill sets in a new domain.

I’ve had to work hardest at always being better than the best. For women of color, outperforming the competition in financial services, which is dominated by Caucasian males, is not a luxury. It is table stakes.

I never imagined I would have a daughter who is so incredibly dominated by her right brain! I could not be more proud—she is amazingly artistic but it does take her 20 minutes to put on her socks in the morning. It makes me crazy!

I wish I’d learned sooner about the world of technological innovation. It is driving transformative shifts in our economy, our everyday lives, and offers women an incredible path to empowerment.

My biggest regret is not taking more risks early in my career—exploring opportunities that would have placed me in greater control of my own destiny.

If I could design my fantasy self-care day, I would go back in time to the days when I had fewer responsibilities. When I could wake up, go for a 10-mile run in Central Park, relax, meet my girlfriends for a leisurely lunch, go home and read a book and then re-group with the girls for a night out on the town!

Being a working mother keeps me up at night. I love the adrenalin rush from working and achieving success in a very competitive profession. I also appreciate the element of providing our daughters with role models … “if she can see it, she can be it”. Notwithstanding, it requires compromises. I wish I could be there for her and with her every minute, of every hour, every day.

When I’m struggling, I say to myself, you got this!

I am unapologetically tenacious in my drive for results.

Portraits of Power is a yearlong series of candid insights from exceptional women leaders. It is brought to you by ADP.

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U.S. Government Signs $450 Million COVID-19 Vaccine Contract With Johnson & Johnson

The Trump administration has made another move in the race to combat and stop the viral outbreak of COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus, around the globe. The Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) recently signed a deal for a $456 million order with Johnson & Johnson’s Pharmaceuticals arm Janssen. The order has been specified as a “new vaccine asset for 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).” It is the largest amount spent on a vaccine project to date by the administration.

A spokesperson for Johnson & Johnson didn’t provide any more details on the specific order. The deal was in an announcement from ASPR’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) in February.

This moves the partnership forward between the U.S. government and Johnson & Johnson to co-invest $1 billion into COVID-19 vaccine research and clinical testing. Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceuticals hasn’t yet started any clinical trials for a vaccine but expects human clinical studies for its vaccine candidate to go ahead, at the latest, by September 2020. The company predicts the first round of vaccines to be available for emergency use in early 2021.

Johnson & Johnson also unveiled a new collaboration with the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in developing potential preventive vaccine candidates for COVID-19 earlier this month. A company spokesperson confirmed Johnson & Johnson still hopes to announce progress on the partnership very soon.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are only two active cases of vaccines going through trials —an NIAID-backed treatment with two others in China from CanSino Biological and the Beijing Institute of Biotechnology.

Despite the global rush to get a vaccine out as soon as possible, it is highly unlikely anything will be made available to market within the year. Healthcare professionals such as Dr. Richard Hatchett, CEO at CEPI, have stated it’ll take somewhere between a year and 18 months before the world has access to a coronavirus vaccine.

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U.S. coronavirus deaths reach 3,000 mark as crisis escalates

As of early Tuesday, the United States has now lost more than 3,000 people to the quickly-spreading COVID-19 pandemic.

The most recent numbers came via the tracker at the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University. There are also 164,610 confirmed cases in the U.S. during the same timeframe.

Globally, there are more than 788,000 cases and nearly 39,000 deaths.

Meanwhile, large cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago continued to struggle to keep up with the skyrocketing numbers and find adequate health care solutions and equipment to accommodate a spike in new patients. Those three cities are all rolling out or planning to roll out, makeshift hospitals to meet the demand.

New York has converted a portion of Central Park into a temporary hospital and is also planning to use the USNS Comfort, a Navy hospital ship, to treat coronavirus cases. The Comfort, which is docked in New York harbor and expected to start taking patients as early as Tuesday, adds 1,000 more hospital beds and 12 operating rooms.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is also asking for nurses and doctors in less hard-hit states to come to New York to help with the devastating outbreak, according to USA Today.

“In this battle, the troops are our healthcare professionals,” Cuomo told the newspaper. “We need relief. We need relief for nurses working 12-hour shifts. We need relief for doctors. Help us now and we will return the favor.”

“The number of beds we had in the beginning of March has to triple by May,” Mayor Bill de Blasio added. “It’s a daunting task, but we got a big, big boost.”

In Illinois, Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center, which is the biggest conference center in North America, will be transformed into a care facility to treat up to 3,000 coronavirus patients.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom told reporters that the state would need to ramp up more than 50,000 additional hospital beds to accommodate the outbreak, and warned that the peak in California is still a few weeks away.

As large cities grapple with the need for more hospital beds, masks and equipment, state and local leaders across the country have increasingly issued stay at home orders and curfews. On Monday, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam issued a stay at home order that takes effect immediately and runs until June 10.

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Venture Exec Lisa Coca: Outperforming the Competition Is the Price of Admission for Women of Color

Lisa Coca

Managing Director/Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Intel Emerging Growth & Incubation

My first job was as a financial analyst on Wall Street. I constructed the firm’s first automated model for the valuation and acquisition of more than $700 million of distressed loans.

My biggest regret is not taking more risks early in my career—exploring opportunities that would have placed me in greater control of my own destiny.

When I’m struggling, I say to myself, you got this!

I am unapologetically tenacious in my drive for results.

Portraits of Power is a yearlong series of candid insights from exceptional women leaders. It is brought to you by ADP.

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Black Communities Are on the 'Frontline' of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Here's Why

Every new day of the coronavirus pandemic has brought with it a dizzying amount of change. Teachers explain class projects to their students over Zoom meetings, while friends and family use FaceTime to inquire about their loved ones, alternating between laughter and concern while holding pixelated drinks in their…

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U.S. Government Signs $450 Million COVID-19 Vaccine Contract With Johnson & Johnson

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Monday, March 30, 2020

Maxine Waters slams Trump in fiery tweets: ‘You incompetent idiot!’

Rep. Maxine Waters set Twitter ablaze on Monday with a series of fiery tweets aimed at President Donald Trump for what she called his “disaster” of a response to the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact in the United States.

“Trump, stop congratulating yourself! You’re a failure & you’ve mishandled this #COVID19 disaster!” Waters tweeted.

“You’re not knowledgeable & you don’t know more than experts & generals. Your ignorance & incompetence are appalling & you continue to demonstrate that every time you open your mouth!”

Trump, stop congratulating yourself! You’re a failure & you’ve mishandled this #COVID19 disaster! You’re not knowledgeable & you don’t know more than experts & generals. Your ignorance & incompetence are appalling & you continue to demonstrate that every time you open your mouth!

— Maxine Waters (@RepMaxineWaters) March 30, 2020

“Trump, you incompetent idiot! You sent 18 tons of PPE to China early but ignored warnings & called COVID19 concerns a hoax. You’ve endangered doctors, nurses, aids, orderlies, & janitors – all risking their lives to save ours,” she said in another tweet.

“Pray 4 forgiveness for the harm that you’re causing!”

Trump, you incompetent idiot! You sent 18 tons of PPE to China early but ignored warnings & called COVID19 concerns a hoax. You’ve endangered doctors, nurses, aids, orderlies, & janitors – all risking their lives to save ours. Pray 4 forgiveness for the harm that you’re causing!

— Maxine Waters (@RepMaxineWaters) March 30, 2020

The California congresswoman’s impassioned tweets to the president were likely in response to Trump’s numerous false claims about the novel coronavirus and the U.S.’s response to it. What’s more, the U.S. has now surpassed China and Italy as the country with the most virus cases and continues to grabble with scarcity in medical supplies, among other national concerns.

Water’s tweets caused “Auntie Maxine” to trend on Twitter, drawing many responses from supporters cheering on her tough message.

House Financial Services Committee ranking member Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) arrives for a Democratic caucus meeting. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

“Auntie Maxine wasnt having the BS today…,” tweeted @PricelessT1285.”

Songwriter Dianne Warren wrote, “Don’t f**k with Auntie Maxine!!”

Of course, Waters isn’t the only person to express their anger at Trump’s various falsehoods during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Trump had said that businesses would reopen by Easter, only to days later change course. Adhering to public health professionals, he ultimately extended nationwide social distancing guidelines through April 30, according to CNN.

President Trump also pushed certain drugs as a potential treatment for COVID-19 — drugs that are now at the center of at least one death and thousands of lupus patients unable to get proper medication. Trump has also been repeatedly contradicted and corrected by Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Critics, like Waters, have slammed Trump for using his world microphone to lambast the press and Democratic opponents rather than addressing the concerns of the American public during a time of fear and uncertainty.

The post Maxine Waters slams Trump in fiery tweets: ‘You incompetent idiot!’ appeared first on TheGrio.

from TheGrio https://ift.tt/39sCQdu

Stephon Marbury Working to Deliver 10 Million Masks from China to New York City Health Workers

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has been met with a mixed response from government officials on both the state and federal level. This has resulted in aid coming from unlikely places.

from The Root https://ift.tt/2QZpiQ2

Under the Trump Administration, Anti-LGBTQ Hate Groups Have Steadily Risen

The last four years have shown the Trump administration to be little more than an engine of hate. Just about every action taken by the administration has been an attack on some of our most vulnerable populations, be it immigrants, people of color or just the flat out poor. The worst of this country has taken note and…

from The Root https://ift.tt/2Uwy7mJ

What's the Best Seat Cushion for Home Office Chairs?

If your butt hurts from sitting down working at home all the time half as much as mine does, you may be in need of an ergonomic seat cushion. From what I’ve heard (and read), most of the responses are bound to include a certain mix of red and blue. A brand whose name, you might say, rhymes with nurple.

from The Root https://ift.tt/3at56he

Dr. Fauci Predicts Grim Coronavirus Outcome For U.S.

Dr. Anthony Fauci gave a grim outlook on the coronavirus outbreak Sunday, saying the country will have “millions” of coronavirus cases and that as many as 200,000 people could die.

Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, gave the prediction on CNN.

“Whenever the models come in, they give a worst-case scenario and a best-case scenario. Generally, the reality is somewhere in the middle. I’ve never seen a model of the diseases that I’ve dealt with where the worst case actually came out. They always overshoot,” Fauci, told CNN’s Jake Tapper on State of the Union.

“I mean, looking at what we’re seeing now, you know, I would say between 100 and 200,000 (deaths). But I don’t want to be held to that,” Fauci added, saying the U.S. is going to have “millions of cases.”

Fauci’s comments come after a tough weekend that saw the number of cases soar to over 150,000 citizens. The death toll has surpassed 2,400 in the country.

President Trump, who said he wanted to reopen the economy by Easter, has since backtracked from that as he realizes the gravity of the situation. On Sunday, Trump said he would extend nationwide social distancing guidelines for another 30 days.

Fauci has been fighting more than the outbreak. Last week, he called Trump’s plan to open the country by Easter an “aspirational projection.” That comment led to far-right fans of Trump to target Fauci’s claims.

Even when pressed about Trump’s incorrect statements about the disease, Fauci responded “I can’t jump in front of the microphone and push him down. OK, he said it. Let’s try and get it corrected for the next time.”

Fauci and other experts across the country believe the crisis will get worse before it improves. The recent uptick in cases has caused severe supply shortages for hospitals around the country, especially in New York. There’s a significant shortage of medical equipment and beds prompting the city to turn an area of Central Park into a makeshift hospital.

The coronavirus outbreak has affected every industry in the U.S., from food to the prison population and Native American reservations.

from Black Enterprise https://ift.tt/3aswP1K

Dr. Fauci Predicts Grim Coronavirus Outcome For U.S.

Dr. Anthony Fauci gave a grim outlook on the coronavirus outbreak Sunday, saying the country will have “millions” of coronavirus cases and that as many as 200,000 people could die.

Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, gave the prediction on CNN.

Fauci’s comments come after a tough weekend that saw the number of cases soar to over 150,000 citizens. The death toll has surpassed 2,400 in the country.

The coronavirus outbreak has affected every industry in the U.S., from food to the prison population and Native American reservations.

from Black Enterprise https://ift.tt/3aswP1K

NCAA Reduces Distribution to Division I Schools to $225 Million Down From $600 Million

The National Collegiate Athletic Association has announced that the Board of Governors has voted unanimously to distribute $225 million in June to Division I member schools to specifically focus on supporting the college athletes. The previous revenue distribution for 2020 was budgeted at about $600 million scheduled to be released in April. Due to all remaining winter and upcoming spring athletic events being canceled and/or postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic, plans were altered.

“We are living in unprecedented times not only for higher education, but for the entire nation and around the globe as we face the COVID-19 public health crisis,” said Michael V. Drake, chair of the board and president of The Ohio State University in a written statement. “As an Association, we must acknowledge the uncertainties of our financial situation and continue to make thoughtful and prudent decisions on how we can assist conferences and campuses in supporting student-athletes now and into the future.”

In the decision for the reduction of funds, the Board of Governors stressed the importance of using the distributions to aid college athletes during the uncertainty of the current environment, as well as the importance of planning carefully with less revenue. The decision also allows the membership to engage in planning while the NCAA continues to work with its contractual partners.

The NCAA stated that of the $225 million distribution planned for the schools, $50 million will come from NCAA reserves. The NCAA also has a cancellation insurance policy that is worth $270 million and the proceeds when received will be used to pay off a line of credit that will cover the remaining distribution within 12 months.

“The Association has prepared for a financial catastrophic event like the one we face now,” Drake said. “While we certainly have challenges ahead, we would be in a far worse position had it not been for this long-standing, forward-focused planning.”

For this year’s Division I distribution, $53.6 million will go through the Equal Conference Fund, which is split equally among the Division I basketball-playing conferences that meet the athletic and academic standards to participate in the men’s basketball tournament. The rest will be proportionally distributed through the remainder of all other available funds. The funds will be unrestricted to provide latitude to conferences.

“Our priority is to ensure that we are able to support student-athletes and continue to provide opportunity as broadly as possible,” said Division I board chair Eli Capilouto, president at Kentucky.

from Black Enterprise https://ift.tt/3atQNct

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Tuesday, March 31, 2020

The Montgomery Bus Boycott

Co-founded SCLC

Helped Organized the March on Washington

Led the Selma to Montgomery March

Co-founded the Black Leadership Forum

The Montgomery Bus Boycott

Co-founded SCLC

Helped Organized the March on Washington

Led the Selma to Montgomery March

Co-founded the Black Leadership Forum

Monday, March 30, 2020

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