Virginia, a state long associated with racist and segregationist behavior, is now only a signature away from becoming the first state in the South to declare racism a public health crisis.
The Virginia State Senate on Tuesday, on a voice vote, approved the declaration and sent it on to the desk of Gov. Ralph Northam, who is expected to sign it.
Sponsored by Del. Lashrecse D. Aird, D-Petersburg, the resolution previously passed the House of Delegates on an almost-straight party vote, with Republican Del. Carrie E. Coyner of Chesterfield County aligning with House Democrats to back it.
The resolution addresses five specific issues:
- Expand VDH’s Office of Health Equity to be the primary watchdog for ensuring policies addressing racism are implemented;
- Make the Commission to Examine Racial Inequity in Virginia Law permanent;
- Establish training for all state elected officials, their staff members and state employees on recognizing racism;
- Create a list of definitions and terms on racism and health equity; and
- Promote community engagement across the state on recognizing racism.
Virginia, a state long associated with racist and segregationist behavior, is now only a signature away from becoming the first state in the South to declare racism a public health crisis. The Virginia State Senate on Tuesday, on a voice vote, approved the declaration and sent it on to the desk of Gov. Ralph Northam, who is expected to sign it. Sponsored by Del. Lashrecse D. Aird, D-Petersburg, the resolution previously passed the House of Delegates on an almost-straight party vote, with Republican Del. Carrie E. Coyner of Chesterfield County aligning with House Democrats to back it. Sponsored by Del. Lashrecse D. Aird, D-Petersburg, the resolution previously passed the House of Delegates on an almost-straight party vote, with Republican Del. Carrie E. Coyner of Chesterfield County aligning with House Democrats to back it. Southern state Southern state
CBS News will expand its series “Unifying America” through a joint effort with CBS television stations on Feb. 17. CBS local newscasts, digital properties and CBS News will dedicate the entire day of programming to reporting about how people from multigenerational, multicultural perspectives are uniting through conversation to overcome racism, bullying and unconscious biases.
The collaboration will include stories from local affiliates; an exploration on the state of country music on “CBS This Morning;” a profile on Hands Across the Hills by “The CBS Evening News with Norah O’ Donnell” and interviews with bipartisan group Braver Angels on “CBS Newspath.”
BYU TV and The Dodo announced Season 2 of “The Wizard of Paws” will premiere on April 28 at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT. The unscripted series follows animal prosthetist Derrick Campana across the country as he carries out his mission to help animals of any size in desperate need of customized prosthetics. This season includes Trigger, a shelter dog overlooked due to a deformed leg, and Menina, a lamb with two front-missing limbs whose best friend is a rescue cat. “The Wizard of Paws” will also be available on Nat Geo Wild, with Season 2 re-airing in the spring and Season 2 to follow later.
Read the complete article at: Variety
BYU TV and The Dodo announced Season 2 of “The Wizard of Paws” will premiere on April 28 at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT. The unscripted series follows animal prosthetist Derrick Campana across the country as he carries out his mission to help animals of any size in desperate need of customized prosthetics. This season includes Trigger, a shelter dog overlooked due to a deformed leg, and Menina, a lamb with two front-missing limbs whose best friend is a rescue cat. “The Wizard of Paws” will also be available on Nat Geo Wild, with Season 2 re-airing in the spring and Season 2 to follow later. Cartoon Network Cartoon Network
Harvard History of Science professor Evelynn M. Hammonds and University of Colorado Boulder law professor Craig Konnoth discussed ways to confront racism in medicine and disparities in the delivery of health care during a virtual panel Friday.
The conversation — moderated by Michelle Morse, assistant professor at Harvard Medical School — was part of the Health Policy and Bioethics Consortia, a monthly series organized by the Medical School and the Law School that brings together experts from separate disciplines to discuss issues relating to biomedical innovation and healthcare delivery.
Konnoth and Hammonds spoke about the historical development of medical stereotypes that impact the health outcomes of Black individuals today.
Konnoth cited a belief held during the era of slavery in the United States that Black individuals are inferior to their white counterparts — a medical myth he argued continues to harm Black people today.
Read the complete article at: The Harvard Crimson
Harvard History of Science professor Evelynn M. Hammonds and University of Colorado Boulder law professor Craig Konnoth discussed ways to confront racism in medicine and disparities in the delivery of health care during a virtual panel Friday. The conversation — moderated by Michelle Morse, assistant professor at Harvard Medical School — was part of the Health Policy and Bioethics Consortia, a monthly series organized by the Medical School and the Law School that brings together experts from separate disciplines to discuss issues relating to biomedical innovation and healthcare delivery. Konnoth and Hammonds spoke about the historical development of medical stereotypes that impact the health outcomes of Black individuals today. Konnoth cited a belief held during the era of slavery in the United States that Black individuals are inferior to their white counterparts — a medical myth he argued continues to harm Black people today. Konnoth cited a belief held during the era of slavery in the United States that Black individuals are inferior to their white counterparts — a medical myth he argued continues to harm Black people today.
Shared suffering has birthed a powerful partnership.
Drawing on their shared experiences of discrimination and marginalization, Black and Jewish leaders have formed an alliance to combat racism and anti-Semitism.
They are using the power of celebrity as a microphone to call for change, as anti-Semitic attacks have skyrocketed over the past few years and the Black Lives Matter movement has renewed calls for racial justice.
More than 170 men and women from the entertainment industry, ranging from film stars to music executives to athletes, signed a February unity statement released by the newly formed Black-Jewish Entertainment Alliance (BJEA) in full page ads in Variety and Billboard to coincide with the Black History Month.
Read the complete article at: Eurweb
Shared suffering has birthed a powerful partnership. Drawing on their shared experiences of discrimination and marginalization, Black and Jewish leaders have formed an alliance to combat racism and anti-Semitism. They are using the power of celebrity as a microphone to call for change, as anti-Semitic attacks have skyrocketed over the past few years and the Black Lives Matter movement has renewed calls for racial justice. More than 170 men and women from the entertainment industry, ranging from film stars to music executives to athletes, signed a February unity statement released by the newly formed Black-Jewish Entertainment Alliance (BJEA) in full page ads in Variety and Billboard to coincide with the Black History Month They are using the power of celebrity as a microphone to call for change, as anti-Semitic attacks have skyrocketed over the past few years and the Black Lives Matter movement has renewed calls for racial justice. More than 170 men and women from the entertainment industry, ranging from film stars to music executives to athletes, signed a February unity statement released by the newly formed Black-Jewish Entertainment Alliance (BJEA) in full page ads in Variety and Billboard to coincide with the Black History Month Entertainment Leaders Entertainment Leaders
Instagram said it will disable accounts that repeatedly send racist messages after soccer players in England expressed anger about being targeted with abuse.
The British government has also put pressure on social media companies, including Instagram owner Facebook, to do more to remove racists from their platforms.
Facebook pledged to disable accounts that send direct messages with abuse but declined to say why it had decided to act now, when players had been asking for tougher action for years. Players in England boycotted social media for 24 hours in 2019.
“We have always been committed to tackling hate and racism on our platform, it’s an issue we take very seriously,” Facebook content policy manager Fadzai Madzingira said in a statement.
Read the complete article at: Tribtown
Instagram said it will disable accounts that repeatedly send racist messages after soccer players in England expressed anger about being targeted with abuse. The British government has also put pressure on social media companies, including Instagram owner Facebook, to do more to remove racists from their platforms. Facebook pledged to disable accounts that send direct messages with abuse but declined to say why it had decided to act now, when players had been asking for tougher action for years. Players in England boycotted social media for 24 hours in 2019. “We have always been committed to tackling hate and racism on our platform, it’s an issue we take very seriously,” Facebook content policy manager Fadzai Madzingira said in a statement. Facebook pledged to disable accounts that send direct messages with abuse but declined to say why it had decided to act now, when players had been asking for tougher action for years. Players in England boycotted social media for 24 hours in 2019. “We have always been committed to tackling hate and racism on our platform, it’s an issue we take very seriously,” Facebook content policy manager Fadzai Madzingira said in a statement.
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Zach Banner will host a virtual discussion on Feb. 17 about combating anti-Semitism and racial injustice, in addition to the need for unity.
Joining Banner as panelists in the online conversation “Athletes Against Antisemitism” will be Washington Nationals first baseman Josh Bell; Washington Mystics WNBA champion Alysha Clark; Jasiri X, hip-hop artist and co-founder of activist group 1Hood; and Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, leader of the Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha Synagogue in Pittsburgh, site of the mass shooting in October 2018 that resulted in the deaths of 11 Jewish worshippers at synagogue.
The 90-minute program will take place in two parts. The first will center on the Pittsburgh community, with guests Myers and Jasiri X discussing “the current national and local crisis of anti-Semitism and white supremacy, ongoing unified efforts in Pittsburgh to combat hate and important tools, resources and next steps to engage more citizens in this movement.”
Read the complete article at: Jewish News Syndicate
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Zach Banner will host a virtual discussion on Feb. 17 about combating anti-Semitism and racial injustice, in addition to the need for unity. Joining Banner as panelists in the online conversation “Athletes Against Antisemitism” will be Washington Nationals first baseman Josh Bell; Washington Mystics WNBA champion Alysha Clark; Jasiri X, hip-hop artist and co-founder of activist group 1Hood; and Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, leader of the Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha Synagogue in Pittsburgh, site of the mass shooting in October 2018 that resulted in the deaths of 11 Jewish worshippers at synagogue. The 90-minute program will take place in two parts. The first will center on the Pittsburgh community, with guests Myers and Jasiri X discussing “the current national and local crisis of anti-Semitism and white supremacy, ongoing unified efforts in Pittsburgh to combat hate and important tools, resources and next steps to engage more citizens in this movement.”
Accusing anyone of racism is a sure way to elicit a defensive response. Suggest that institutional racism is rampant, and most white Americans will react with the same reflexive denial, insisting they neither practice nor condone it.
But institutional racism isn’t an attitude, or a policy; it’s an outcome. To diminish it and ultimately eradicate it, we first have to measure it.
So we’re asking leaders in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties to undertake an extraordinary effort: Gather the data necessary to document, and quantify, the racial inequities that infect each county’s criminal justice system, following the example of civic leaders in Washtenaw County.
The dedicated and methodical group of grassroots activists known as Citizens for Racial Equality in Washtenaw, or CREW, had no idea what they’d discover when they undertook to analyze 3,600 felony charges brought in Michigan’s sixth-largest county between 2013 and 2019.
Read the complete article at: Daily Press
Accusing anyone of racism is a sure way to elicit a defensive response. Suggest that institutional racism is rampant, and most white Americans will react with the same reflexive denial, insisting they neither practice nor condone it. So we’re asking leaders in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties to undertake an extraordinary effort: Gather the data necessary to document, and quantify, the racial inequities that infect each county’s criminal justice system, following the example of civic leaders in Washtenaw County. The dedicated and methodical group of grassroots activists known as Citizens for Racial Equality in Washtenaw, or CREW, had no idea what they’d discover when they undertook to analyze 3,600 felony charges brought in Michigan’s sixth-largest county between 2013 and 2019. The dedicated and methodical group of grassroots activists known as Citizens for Racial Equality in Washtenaw, or CREW, had no idea what they’d discover when they undertook to analyze 3,600 felony charges brought in Michigan’s sixth-largest county between 2013 and 2019.
State Rep. Sandra Scott, D-Rex, recently introduced House Resolution 78, legislation that would declare racism a public health crisis in Georgia.
“Racism and health are tied together on many different fronts: where we live, go to school, the air we breathe, our income, wealth, health care and much more,” said Rep. Scott. “It is time for Black and brown people to stand up, speak out and demand better care in all areas of our life. Declaring racism a public health crisis is just the first step. We also need Georgia’s public health department and other state agencies to collect and analyze data on health outcomes by race, develop plans to tackle racial inequities and engage communities in developing solutions to the problem.”
House Resolution 78 includes various examples of how racism impacts public health in Georgia, including the higher rates of use of force by police particularly among Black and brown communities and that sustained exposure to racism increases stress hormones, such as cortisol, which impacts the overall health of those who experience racism.
Read the complete article at: Henry Herald
“Racism and health are tied together on many different fronts: where we live, go to school, the air we breathe, our income, wealth, health care and much more,” said Rep. Scott. “It is time for Black and brown people to stand up, speak out and demand better care in all areas of our life. Declaring racism a public health crisis is just the first step. We also need Georgia’s public health department and other state agencies to collect and analyze data on health outcomes by race, develop plans to tackle racial inequities and engage communities in developing solutions to the problem.” House Resolution 78 includes various examples of how racism impacts public health in Georgia, including the higher rates of use of force by police particularly among Black and brown communities and that sustained exposure to racism increases stress hormones, such as cortisol, which impacts the overall health of those who experience racism. Sandra Scott
More than two dozen United States philanthropic organisations and corporations on Thursday launched the California Black Freedom Fund, a $100m, five-year initiative that they say will provide resources to Black-led organisations in the state that are seeking to eradicate systemic racism.
The 25 funders include the philanthropic groups of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs and JPMorgan Chase.
The bank’s involvement in the initiative follows its prior commitment to provide $30bn to combat what it called systemic racism against Black and Latino people. That announcement had followed a wave of donations to racial equity groups after global protests against racism and police brutality in the aftermath of the police killing of George Floyd.
This group said the new fund is intended to address a “history of underinvestment” by philanthropists in Black-led and power-building organisations. It currently holds $32.4m, with the rest of the money to be raised and distributed within the next five years to groups engaged in advocacy and other types of mobilisation.
Read the complete article at: Aljazeera
The bank’s involvement in the initiative follows its prior commitment to provide $30bn to combat what it called systemic racism against Black and Latino people. That announcement had followed a wave of donations to racial equity groups after global protests against racism and police brutality in the aftermath of the police killing of George Floyd. This group said the new fund is intended to address a “history of underinvestment” by philanthropists in Black-led and power-building organisations. It currently holds $32.4m, with the rest of the money to be raised and distributed within the next five years to groups engaged in advocacy and other types of mobilisation. Black Freedom Fund Black Freedom Fund
Katherine Heigl on Talking to Her Kids About Racism: ‘Can’t Pretend That It Might Not Ever Happen’
Katherine Heigl is opening up about how she talks to her daughters Adalaide Marie Hope, 8½, and Naleigh Mi-Eun, 12, about racism.
In an exclusive chat with PEOPLE for this week’s issue, the Firefly Lane star reveals that growing up with a Korean sister gave her a “naïve” view in the sense that it “didn’t feel unusual” for her to adopt two non-white children: Naleigh from South Korea in 2009 and Adalaide, who is Black, from Louisiana in 2012.
“That has been a very complicated and oftentimes stimming conversation for [husband Josh Kelley] and me,” admits Heigl, 42. “For all the obvious reasons, Josh and I felt like we had lived in a very light bubble our whole life. You don’t even know that you are because it’s just the world around you.”
Read the complete article at: People