Nextdoor Brings Neighbors Together: Tamika Mallory, John Hope Bryant and Lorraine Cochran-Johnson Talk COVID, Community & Building Better Bridges

There was a time when you knew to be home before the streetlights came on, especially if you grew up in a neighborhood where everyone knew your name. Some things have changed, yet technology has enabled us to become even more connected than ever.

September was Neighborhood Month, and with the theme of “Together for Better Neighborhoods,” Nextdoor, partnered with Atlanta’s own 11Alive for a conversation that brought community leaders together to discuss ways to rally around neighborhood businesses, elevating one another and more. 

The event highlighted topics ranging from how COVID has impacted society at large to understanding how to partner with police officers and enact community-led initiatives. The panelists touched on engaging in the political process, why economic and political power go hand in hand, and more.

• Tamika Mallory, activist and Co-Founder of Until Freedom
• John Hope Bryant, Founder of Operation HOPE
• Lorraine Cochran-Johnson, Dekalb County Commissioner District 7

Watch “Together for Better Neighborhoods” in full here.

What role do neighborhoods play in building better bridges between community and civil service organizations?

Tamika Mallory, Co-Founder of Until Freedom

The question really has to be, what are our organizations, elected officials, civil service outlets going to do to be closer to the community? How can we create light, rather than darkness in communities where people feel that they want to be part of the process.

I try to tell people when I’m organizing all the time, that we can protest and show up at the local city council meetings. The local police accountability meetings. We can still run for the local seats, whether it be the school board, district leader in our communities and protest when we see issues where we feel that our people have been treated unjustly. 

Know thy neighbor -- how can neighborhoods thrive when bridges are built instead of walls?

John Hope Bryant, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE, Inc.

Nextdoor is the one place where you get to talk to the Republican next to you, the Democrat next to you. The white person next to you, the liberal down the street, the police officer. In other words, everyone is siloed these days, if all you want to get is a certain kind of news, then social media or whoever is happy to feed it to you. So now you’re getting an echo chamber of what you already believe. So now you’re angrier, you’re more frustrated, you’re more removed from your neighbor as it relates to a resolution. But through this network, you have through the very nature of community, a way to have a real conversation. 

What are the biggest challenges that you envision in a post-COVID Atlanta?

Lorraine Cochran-Johnson, Dekalb County Commissioner District 7

Currently across the United States, 66 percent of Americans are now working remotely. In terms of the economic shift that COVID has caused, we were already seeing a trend towards online sales, but currently because of COVID-19 we’re finding that more and more people are purchasing online and we’re rethinking brick and mortar and how we move forward - as not only consumers - but as communities. So many business models will be restructured as we move forward.

Recently, I held a town hall and we had over 700 people that participated, both Zoom as well as streaming, and we looked at how to start an online business. How to source products globally, because as the marketplace shifts, if we are going to remain competitive it is time that we rethink traditional models as well as service delivery. Because we will never be the same. 

5 Ways to Help Grow and Strengthen Your Own Community

• Building stronger communities requires people to be educated on elected positions in their communities or even running themselves.
• When given opportunities and access to the political process, Black America has excelled.
• Wealth creation, home ownership and more are all important for economic empowerment.
• Jobs and affordable housing create safer, and more engaged communities.
• Local communities can be the catalyst for change on a larger scale.

Known as a place where you can “get the most out of your neighborhood,” more and more people are turning to Nextdoor to learn about their communities, get recommendations, and support local businesses. Download the Nextdoor app and tap into your neighborhood today. 

Watch “Together for Better Neighborhoods” in full here.

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Cuomo says state will have final say in vaccine approval, administration

Health care experts, scientists and state officials will vet all federally authorized Covid-19 vaccines to ensure they are safe — and not used as political tools — before being administered and will supervise distribution throughout New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday.

The governor, who has repeatedly criticized the Trump administration’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, said he’s formed an independent Clinical Advisory Task Force to review every Covid-19 vaccine authorized by the federal government and counsel the state on their safety and effectiveness in fighting the virus.

He also announced a Vaccine Distribution and Implementation Task Force — also composed of public health, immunization and government operations experts — to design a plan for how New York will distribute and administer vetted Covid-19 vaccines.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont announced earlier this week that his administration will also form a task force to prepare for distribution of vaccines in his state.

Cuomo said he formed the commissions because he’s “not going to trust the federal government's opinion” on coronavirus vaccines, particularly given the recent disputes between the White House and the Food and Drug Administration.

President Donald Trump has asserted that a vaccine could be ready before Election Day, despite pushback from senior health officials who’ve said such a timeline is unlikely. He’s also suggested that the White House may not approve tougher FDA guidelines for authorizing the emergency use of any coronavirus vaccines.

“The way the federal government has handled the vaccine, there are now serious questions about whether or not the vaccine is become politicized,” Cuomo told reporters at a morning news conference. “There's been tremendous reporting on that, and the people of this country don't trust this federal government with this vaccine process. … Between the president and the FDA, only one entity has engaged in the political process and is heading for Election Day. It's not the FDA.”

The Vaccine Distribution and Implementation Task Force will specifically look at: vaccine prioritization based on clinical guidance; distribution network capacity; qualified professionals to administer immunizations; supply procurement, data infrastructure and public education efforts.

State Health Commissioner Howard Zucker, Budget Director Robert Mujica and SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras, who have helped lead the state’s Covid-19 response, are among those appointed to the 16-member Vaccine Distribution and Implementation Task Force.

Other members include: Greater New York Hospital Association President Kenneth Raske, Northwell Health President and CEO Michael Dowling; Healthcare Association of New York State President Bea Grause; and 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East President George Gresham.

Cuomo said panel should ensure that New York has the best vaccination program in the nation.

“I think the way we have handled Covid has been a model for this country. I want New Yorkers to do the same thing with vaccines,” he said. “We should be the model vaccination program in the country. I also think there’s a tremendous advantage for any state that could be the first Covid-free state.”

The governor’s announcement comes just one month after he said his administration would reviewing if DOH would have the authority to overrule FDA approval of a Covid-19 vaccine that’s not fully vetted. He later doubled down on that assertion, saying New York would not endorse a federally backed Covid-19 vaccine until it was reviewed by state health officials.

FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said Wednesday that the agency “will not authorize or approve a vaccine we won’t be confident in giving to our families.”

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Changes expected for next debate after first-round ugliness

‘I just hope there’s a way the commission can control the ability of us to answer the question without interruption.’

Following the disastrous presidential debate on Tuesday, the group that sponsors the event intends to roll out a few changes aimed “to maintain order” during the next faceoff between Donald Trump and Joe Biden.  

The presidential debate commission wants to prevent a repeat of the chaos that erupted between the candidates in Cleveland on Tuesday night. As noted by CNBC, Trump and Biden frequently ignored moderator Chris Wallace’s rules, talked over each other, and traded jabs by name-calling. At one point, the former vice president told the ex-reality TV star, “Will you shut up, man?”

The most memorable moment from the debate came when Trump refused to denounce white supremacy, and he called on the often violent alt-right group Proud Boys to “stand down, and stand by,” which members took as the green light to live out their fantasy to fight antifa in Trump’s defense. 

As reported by NBC, Proud Boys organizer Joe Biggs posted after the debate that he was “standing by,” and that Trump “basically said to go f— them up.”

Read More: Biden breaks single-hour record for donations after contentious debate

“President Trump told the proud boys to stand by because someone needs to deal with ANTIFA… well sir! we’re ready!!” Biggs wrote.

.@GStephanopoulos: "I have to speak personally here…that was the worst presidential debate I have ever seen in my life." https://t.co/5Bl4Ob3O2t #Debates2020 pic.twitter.com/FxMlSbshiw

— ABC News (@ABC) September 30, 2020

Wallace, a longtime Fox News anchor, attempted to host an orderly 90-minute debate and at times he struggled to maintain control.  At one point he told Trump, “the country would be better served if we allowed both people to speak with fewer interruptions. I’m appealing to you, sir, to do that.”

Trump lashed out at Wallace many times during the debate and shortly thereafter on Twitter.

In the end, Biden described the political theatrics as “a national embarrassment.”

The commission said in a statement Wednesday that it will soon implement changes to its format, as the initial debate “made clear that additional structure should be added to the format of the remaining debates to ensure a more orderly discussion of the issues.” 

The commission added that it “will be carefully considering the changes that it will adopt and will announce those measures shortly.”

The group is considering giving the moderator the ability to cut off a candidate’s microphone while his opponent is talking, ABC 7 reports.

Tim Murtaugh, communications director for the Trump campaign, said the commission was “only doing this because their guy got pummeled last night. President Trump was the dominant force and now Joe Biden is trying to work the refs.”

Read More: World reacts with surprise, worry to 1st Biden-Trump debate

Trump also addressed the planned changes in a tweet, writing “Try getting a new Anchor and a smarter Democrat candidate!”

Try getting a new Anchor and a smarter Democrat candidate! https://t.co/B9heSVV1OJ

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2020

At a campaign event in Ohio, Biden told reporters he’s in full support of changes to the debate format.

“I just hope there’s a way in which the debate commission can control the ability of us to answer the question without interruption,” Biden said. “I’m not going to speculate on what happens in the second or third debate.”

In a post-debate chat with The Times, Wallace said, “As a practical matter, even if the president’s microphone had been shut [on Tuesday] he still could have continued to interrupt, and it might well have been picked up on Biden’s microphone, and it still would have disrupted the proceedings in the hall.”

The next presidential debate between Trump and Biden is scheduled for Oct. 15 in Miami. A third debate is slated for Oct. 22 at Belmont University in Nashville.

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