Oluwatoyin Salau by Taryn Finley
BLACK WOMEN DESERVE BETTER
This story appeared in Black Voices on HuffPost on June 17, 2020. Oluwatoyin Salau was only 19 years old when she was found dead near the side of a road in Tallahassee, Florida.
MAPS & DATA
COVID-19 Updates
After more than three years of daily reporting of coronavirus data in the United States, The New York Times has ended its Covid-19 data gathering. You can still keep track of virus data on their site.
WORLD
US response to the virus is met with incredulity abroad
“Don’t they care about their health?” a mask-clad Patrizia Antonini asked about people in the United States as she walked with friends along the banks of Lake Bracciano, north of Rome. “They need to take our precautions. ... They need a real lockdown."
Much of the incredulity in Europe stems from the fact that America had the benefit of time, European experience and medical know-how to treat the virus that the continent itself didn’t have when the first COVID-19 patients started filling intensive care units.
Black Owned Stock Exchange
Another First
For one former lawyer, it was imperative to give people within the Black community the opportunity to invest and create that generational wealth so he created the first majority Black and minority-owned stock exchange in the country. Hear more about this story on Black Enterprise. s
THINGS TO HEAR ABOUT
Corporal Punishment in Public Schools
Most states ban corporal pubishment in schools, but there are several states where the practice still reigns. This is detailed in the HuffPost story by Rebecca Klein.
Cornelius Fredericks, 16, in Michigan foster facility
Newly released video shows staff members holding the teen down after he threw a sandwich. He died two days later. This report is from NBC News.
Zindzi Mandela's family reveals she had COVID-19
Daughter of Nelson Mandela, Zindzi Mandela, did have COVID-19 confirmed by her family. Learn more about COVID-19 in South Africa.
What does beauty look like?
The subjectivity of beauty was out to the test by this biracial journalist, Priscilla Yuki Wilson. She asked 18 photo editors to "Make me beautiful." See the results on HUFFPOST
Is this the future of policing?
The image of the police chief joining protesters ricocheted across the internet and contrasted with clashes between officers and protesters the same day across the river in Philadelphia. Camden, New Jersey offers an example of how police forces can change and continue to evolve. NY Times reports
In South Africa, Burial Traditions Upended by Coronavirus
Restrictions on travel have disrupted a deeply important cultural practice for many Black residents in Cape Town: returning the body for burial hundreds of miles home in the Eastern Cape province. The New York Times reports on the COVID impact to funerals in South Africa.
'Driving while Black? Racial profiling just ahead'
Motorists in Michigan were met with a startling message Monday on an electronic billboard in Redford Township. "Driving while Black? Racial profiling just ahead. Welcome to Livonia." Funded by a Facebook group called Livonia Citizens Caring about Black Lives. Read the story on Yahoo.
Draconian Lockdowns Target Low-Income
Coronavirus outbreaks in Australia and Europe highlight how the shift from broad national restrictions to specific local lockdowns hits poor communities hardest. HuffPost gives a perspective on bias in other parts of the world.
COVID-19 in Africa
From Kenya to Nigeria, South Africa to Rwanda, the pandemic is decimating the livelihoods of the once-stable workers who were helping to drive Africa’s economic expansion. NY Times story details the devastating effects of coronavirus across Africa.
Dr. Marnie Hazelton
Linden Board of Education members voted to appoint Dr. Marnie Hazelton to be the new superintendent of schools, making her the district’s first woman of color to hold the position permanently. The board held a Special Meeting to hire Hazelton and she will take over the position on July 1 at a salary of $215,000 per year under a five-year contract. TAPintoLinden
Brandon Short's Stories
Former Penn State All-American linebacker Brandon Short, a retired NFL veteran, shared his own experiences with racism Monday afternoon in two powerful anecdotes that involved police drawing guns on him. Two separate incidents at two very different times of his life. Penn Live posted his story on June 30, 2020.
FREE Birthright Trip to Africa
If you are between the ages of 13 to 30, you may want to read about this. After completing the program, 98% of the Birthright Alumni confirm they have more resources, clarity, and belief in themselves to pursue their career and life goals. Their vision is for every young person in America of African descent to know the birthright opportunity awaits as they come of age. Over the past three years, Birthright AFRICA has been committed to providing a free educational trip to Africa for every youth and young adult of African descent between the ages of 13 – 30 in the United States. Learn more