African Americans have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19, or novel coronavirus, crisis mostly due to underlying health conditions and existing racial inequities within the healthcare system. This has left older African Americans over the ages of 50 as some of the most vulnerable to the virus with many lacking proper access to technology to keep up with the news cycle and are more likely to have less access to support resources to protect themselves against the pandemic.
Since the start of the pandemic, AARP has been closely monitoring news on the virus and delivering useful information and resources to older Americans, specifically those from marginalized communities. “The data is clear and has been clear for decades: African Americans, Latinos, and other minority groups live sicker and die younger,” says Stephen Thomas, a professor of health policy and management and director of the Maryland Center for Health Equity at the University of Maryland School of Public Health to AARP. “We cannot close our eyes or put up blinders to the disproportionate impact of this disease on racial and ethnic minority communities.”
To combat the outbreak among the community, AARP has collaborated with the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) to host a virtual information session and first African American press briefing to provide information and additional resources for African Americans over the age of 50 regarding COVID-19. The topics ranged from ways to prevent transmission to consoling loved ones who have lost someone to the virus.
Speakers at the virtual event included Dr. Ben Chavis, president and CEO of the NNPA, Shani Hosten, AARP Multicultural Leadership AA/B Strategy Lead, Reginald Nance, AARP New York, Associate State Director Multicultural Outreach, Dr. James Hildreth, President of Meharry Medical College, Rita Choula, AARP Public Policy Institute Director of Caregiving, and Cristina Martin Firvida, AARP, VP Financial Security & Consumer Affairs.
Southern Charm‘s Kathryn Dennis is apologizing after she went on a racist rant against two women of color, including likening one to a monkey.
Over the weekend, activist and radio host Mika Gadsden called out Katie Shields, owner of the nail salon Mylk Bar, for hosting a Trump event in Charlestown, S.C.
“In Charleston you learn, fairly quickly, that the face of White Supremacy resembles that of the boutique-owning, gatekeeping glitterati. This is Katie Shields, owner of Mylk Bar in Mt. Pleasant. She’s organizing a Nautical MAGA rally with her friends. Katie is reprehensible,” Gadsden tweeted.
In Charleston you learn, fairly quickly, that the face of White Supremacy resembles that of the boutique-owning, gatekeeping glitterati. This is Katie Shields, owner of Mylk Bar in Mt. Pleasant. She’s organizing a Nautical MAGA rally with her friends. Katie is reprehensible. pic.twitter.com/0CWSWRS0gz
Jewelry boutique owner Pauline Rodriguez of Charleston also took on Shields and her event as she objected to Mylk Bar’s association with the Trump event. That drew the ire of Shields, who responded to Rodriquez and Gadsen, who came to her defense.
“She was attacked by Katie Shields’ network of wealthy, monied affluent white women,” Gadsden said in an exclusive interview with theGrio.
(Credit: Mika Gadsden)
Dennis, a member of one of South Carolina’s prominent political families, the Calhouns, used a monkey emoji in her responses to Gadsden.
“Kathryn was one of the folks that were antagonizing Paulina online and so I shared what Kathryn was doing and tagged her to hold her accountable. That’s when Kathryn set her sights on me and started to directly insult me and subsequently hurled a monkey emoji at me as I was defending Paulina.”
Gadsden says that it’s more than just about an emoji but the systematic racism that allows some to operate without impunity.
Dennis has since taken to social media to apologize and say that she will “do better”.
I want to acknowledge that using a monkey emoji in my text was offensive, and from the bottom of my heart I sincerely apologize to anyone and everyone I hurt. Although the context was not my intention, there are no “if ands or buts” that excuse me… part 1
Gadsden isn’t inclined to accept her apology, especially since there was a concerted effort to punish Rodriguez economically for speaking her truth.
“They threatened to take away her ability to take care of herself and her livelihood. They threatened to take away resources,” she says.
“That’s how the white women who are the arbiters of white supremacy, who are the orchestrators of a lot of this pain, thee white women, that’s how they attack us. Their violence usually comes in the form of economic pain.”
Gadsden is also mindful of the mass shooting that took place at the Emanuel African Methodist in Charlestown on June 17, 2015. Dylan Roof killed nine Black people while they were in Bible study. It is a wound that is still fresh.
“What we saw in the state, what we saw in the city was everyone just grab hands, hold hands and walk across the bridge in this performative show of solidarity and what happened was Black trauma was never addressed. What happened was Black folks were never afforded the space to be outraged, to be upset, to be angry, to cry, and mourn amongst themselves,” she says.
Gadsden continues by saying that particular trauma was exploited by those who put a premium on respectability politics. That is not how she moves in life and reinforces why she won’t accept the apology from Dennis.
Mika Gadsden (Credit: Mika Gadsden)
“They called for peace and all this harmony when in my estimation that was a time to galvanize communities and demand more and what I’m saying is that my justice, justice for my people, my liberation should not have to cost Black acquiescence,” she says.
“That cannot be the price and so I’m tired. I’m tired of these reality show stars saying blatantly and explicitly racist things. I’m tired of them being afforded platforms, more television shows, more programming. This lady will be rewarded.”
Gadsden acknowledges that there is space for Dennis and others to grow but is not invested in being their personal teacher. Her priority is protecting her community from harm.
“There’s enough books and resources, Google is free for them to act right and we’re in the cradle of slavery down here. So, if they don’t know better by now, they don’t want to know,” she says.
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s new podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!
Only a few months after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made history (and international headlines) with the announcement that they were voluntarily stepping down as senior members of the Royal Family, Lifetime has already greenlit a tv movie about the ordeal commonly referred to as “Megxit.”
The film, tentatively titled Harry & Meghan: Escaping the Palace, will be a fictionalized account of the events surrounding their decision to step down from their royal duties and step away from the increasingly volatile British media. They have since relocated to California.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex arrive to the annual Commonwealth at Westminster Abbey on London, England. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
TVLine reports that the biopic’s synopsis says it will chronicle “the couple’s controversial conscious uncoupling from the crown, after the birth of their son Archie.”
The movie will also detail “the struggles of the new parents and unique challenges of being part of the royal family, which ultimately led Harry and Meghan to give up their royal ties to forge a new life on their own terms.”
Aside from this brief overview no further details such as casting choices, the film’s production or release date, have been announced. This is likely due to the coronavirus pandemic which has halted productions across the entire film and television industry.
Harry & Meghan: Escaping the Palace is the third installment from a series of timely Lifetime movies about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The first two movies about the couple were Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance which aired in May of 2018 (five days before the royal wedding) and Harry & Meghan: Becoming Royal which aired in May of 2019.
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s new podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!
Boosie Badazz otherwise known as 37-year-old Torrence Hatch Jr. is no stranger to controversy. The Baton Rouge, La. born rapper has very little filter and basically tells his 8.7M followers any thoughts that come straight out of his brain.
Therefore, its no surprise that he finds himself on the wrong side of social media when he shares his takes on hot-button subjects. That was the case when he weighed in on DwyaneWade‘s 12-year-old transgender daughter, Zaya Wade, by saying that Dwyane “was going too far” and not to have Zaya “cut his d**k off.”
Dwayne Wade, Zaya Wade and Gabrielle Union at Truth Awards in Los Angeles on March 7. (Photo: Instagram)
Boosie then said after the inevitable fallout from his comments that he was going to talk to Jay-Z to intervene and settle any dispute between Boosie and Dwyane. Those comments suggested that 1. Boosie could get Jay on the phone 2. That Jay-Z cared to intervene and 3. That DWade would even consider hearing him out. Boosie felt the need to clarify in an interview with VladTV that was posted this week.
“People got it wrong,” Boosie told Vlad. “The owner of my reality show, he know Jay. We started losing advertising, he like, ‘Imma call Jay. Jay can put you on the line with Dwyane Wade and y’all do some shit. We clear this shit up and go get the bag. We need to clear this shit up. Whoopty woo. Jay can make it happen.’ He the one who can make it happen. He from New York, my boy from New York. I was just like, no, bruh. No, I ain’t…I stand what I stand on. I don’t feel I said nothing wrong to apologize for.”
At the time, Boosie said his mother got on his case about it with the phrase ‘Who am I to judge?’ It resonated somewhat as Boosie then made a song with that title. Here are just some of the lyrics:
Some say I’m crazy, I say I’m just real
If crazy’s what you get then that’s what it is
I don’t care who I offend with these tears
I know when I said it that that shit was real
To his credit, if any credit can be given, Boosie, the father of eight, says that those are his beliefs and that he feels he has nothing to apologize for.
“I just feel like children are too young to make those decisions like that and I believe in traditional values that’s all. And people took it the wrong way. I wasn’t trying to harm nobody, I don’t have nothing against nobody or nothing like that.”
(Note: Gender reassignment surgery is not permitted in the U.S. until the age of 18).
Boosie trended on Twitter today as old comments about his sons and their virginity trended. Boosie says that he had, ahem, a woman provide oral sex to his 14-year-old son for his birthday.
In shades of T.I., when the story of him monitoring his daughter’s virginity broke, Boosie later told TMZ he was just kidding. However, this is what he actually said at the time:
“I’m training them boys right,” Boosie said. “A grown, super grown woman checked his ass out, checked all my nephews out.”
Social media obviously found these comments reprehensible, to say the least, and many couldn’t understand why he felt the need to comment on Zaya when he himself was promoting child molestation.
People can’t handle Dwayne and Gabrielle allowing their child to live out loud but are completley fine with Boosie’s stupid ass getting grown women to molest his underaged kids?
So much can be unpacked here but the main issue is that Boosie has a platform to the tune of 8 plus million followers. So someone is interested in his thoughts.
During the coronavirus epidemic, he’s used that platform to encourage women to pose topless for money, promoted several products, lined up women for a post-corona pool party, and offered discounts on ghostwriting rap lyrics among other things.
For a man who’s served time in a murder case, has diabetes (but still smokes cigarettes) and beat kidney cancer, you’d think Boosie might find some more positive ways to use his enormous reach. But you’d also wonder why, despite his problematic thought process and his lack of a mainstream hit, we’re still giving him this much attention.
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s new podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!
Mother’s Day weekend can be bittersweet for a myriad of reasons. Over the holiday weekend, actress Lauren London had a candid sit down with herbalist and author Queen Afua about what this holiday and motherhood, in general, has been like since her partner, Grammy-winning rapper Nipsey Hussle was slain last year.
In a clip from their conversation which took place via Black Girls Rock’s Instagram page, the two women discuss what parenthood looks like while grappling with the loss of a loved one.
“They’re ancestors now,” began Queen Afua. “We can call him up and they will speak through us, support us and encourage us. What do you say to the loss?”
Nipsey Hussle and Lauren London arrive at the Warner Music Group Pre-Grammy Celebration on February 7, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images)
“I say that I am with you. I stand with you. I can relate to your pain,” responded London. “Today, for me, I would have had Nip here a couple years ago or a year ago to say ‘Happy Mother’s Day,’ bring my flowers, and [now] I don’t. So in that space where I don’t have him physically here, I nurture it into myself. I will embrace the love that I do get from my family.”
“The flowers that I do get that come from my cousins, my mother or my brother. I fully embrace that, right. I will fully be present with my kids today because time is not promised,” she continued. “I will light a candle for my beloved. I will do the things that honor him that I know that he respected. And yeah, I feel more importantly, when there’s an empty space, when there’s a loss, you just do things in their honor and that fills up a little bit of the hole.”
Who are you?
-
Ever since I saw the first preview of the movie, Overcomer, I wanted to see
it. I was ready. Pumped. The release month was etched in my mind. When the
time...
6 Summer Side Quests For You And Your Pup
-
[image: pup, walking, pets]Off-leash hours, the breeze from the backseat,
napping belly-up in a sunbeam — it’s definitely a good time to be a dog.
Kick off...
7 Networking Tips to Meet Your Career Goals
-
Building your network is vital no matter where you are in your career
journey. For first-time job seekers, networking can help you gain
opportunities in ...
Why 2024 Is A Great Time to Take An Alaska Cruise
-
Alaska is unlike any other cruise destination. Given its history, culture,
geography and wildlife…it’s a real learning experience. Here are some of
the mos...
Master the Art of Asking Epic Travel Questions!
-
I’m blessed to have built a career in travel journalism over the last 12
years. Putting myself in the position to field hundreds of questions weekly
acro...
5 Tips to Know Before Arriving in Iceland
-
Reykjavik, Iceland, isn’t just a city full of snow and extremely cold
weather, but a city with some of mother nature’s most gorgeous landscapes
and attra...
Coconut Oil Supplements – How Helpful are They?
-
What are Coconut Oil Supplements? Even though coconut oil has been used in
the health and beauty industry for decades, it has recently been taking the
wo...
Master the Art of Asking Epic Travel Questions!
-
I’m blessed to have built a career in travel journalism over the last 12
years. Putting myself in the position to field hundreds of questions weekly
acro...
RV tire blowout part 4 – final
-
Recap – We had a major tire blowout on I-75 in Florida on our way back to
Georgia. I spent the night at Camping World’s parking lot. Drove back to
Georgia....
What We’re Reading | 2021 Staff Favorites
-
2021 is coming to a close. We laughed, we cried, and we read through the
chaos of living through another year of the pandemic. In honor of another
amazing ...
15 Reasons Atlanta is Not a Real Place
-
From strip club chicken wings to Water Boy scams and Lake Lanier, there's
absolutely no other place like Atlanta.
Read more...
Everyday Life With Crypto: 5 Unique Gift Ideas
-
This year crypto is more than a buzzword! With over 18465 cryptocurrencies
already making their movements in the market, investors are getting
innovative...
