Statement From ESSENCE Communications, Inc. on the status of the 2020 ESSENCE Festival of Culture

Essence Communications Inc. has released the following statement concerning the status of the 2020 ESSENCE Festival of Culture in light of the Covid-19 outbreak:

"We know that we are all focused on the health of ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities, and with 16 weeks until the scheduled 2020 ESSENCE Festival of Culture, we wanted to provide an update to our community and partners regarding our plans in light of coronavirus/COVID-19.

Our first priority will always be the safety and well-being of our Festival-goers and everyone who contributes to making the ESSENCE Festival of Culture such an enriching, entertaining and incredible experience, and we will continue to evaluate the situation and use all available resources and intelligence to that end. We are closely monitoring the unfolding developments and updated information from the World Health Organization (WHO), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), public health agencies and our partners in the City of New Orleans and State of Louisiana.

Based on the latest information, including increasing public health interventions and measures being implemented domestically and internationally, and the considerable amount of time to assess and respond to developments between now and July, we are planning to proceed with the 2020 ESSENCE Festival of Culture as currently scheduled, July 1-5 in New Orleans. Still, as a precautionary and proactive measure and with health as the foremost consideration, we are also identifying and securing alternate dates to ensure that we can adjust as quickly and seamlessly as possible in the event that circumstances require. Should that happen, we will honor all tickets sold for prior scheduled dates.

In the meantime, we are excited to share more about our daytime empowerment programming and our nighttime concert line-up — including headliners Bruno Mars and Janet Jackson — as we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of ESSENCE and look forward to seeing everyone in July.

‘ESSENCE is a multi-cultural, multi-generational treasure in the City of New Orleans and this year, with the return to Ghana, we've come full circle,’ said Mayor LaToya Cantrell, Mayor of New Orleans. ‘However, with the commemoration of our past, we must lean on wisdom and sound judgement to shape our future. Public health and public safety will always remain top priorities. As we continue to monitor the spread of COVID-19, know that we are taking every precaution to operate in the best interest of the attendees who make ESSENCE what it is.’

ESSENCE will continue to provide updates to our valued community of Festival-goers and partners regarding any new developments."

CIVIL RIGHTS AND RACIAL JUSTICE ORGANIZATIONS DENOUNCE DISCRIMINATION AGAINST ASIAN AMERICANS

The NAACP and many other of the nation’s leading civil rights and racial justice organizations issued a joint urgent call to action against racism and discrimination targeting Asian Americans related to the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

“As our nation grapples with the coronavirus, we are deeply concerned that recent incidents of racism and discrimination against Asian Americans threaten our collective public safety. In recent weeks, Asian Americans have been subjected to violent attacks, discrimination against their businesses and xenophobic portrayal by the media and our elected leaders.

We are often reminded of the xenophobic history of our nation—from the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act to the 2019 Public Charge Rule—our nation has always treated people of color and immigrants with suspicion. Coronavirus does not discriminate based on race or ethnicity.

The World Health Organization’s declaration of a pandemic is a call to action—both to protect our collective public health and to remind us that we must stand together. We call on policymakers, the media and the public to take affirmative steps to halt and condemn xenophobia and to ensure that the health and safety of all Americans is protected.”

Advancement Project, National Office, Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, Demos, Faith in Action, NAACP, National Congress of American Indians, National Urban League, Race Forward, and Unidos US are a collaborative of nine leading national Racial Equity Anchor Organizations supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Together we work to promote racial equity, advance racial healing, and ensure that all children, families and communities have genuine opportunities to reach their full potential.

Susan Rice: We knew we were due for a pandemic

Although Pres. Trump claims that the Coronavirus pandemic is something that no one could have predicted, Ambassador Susan Rice, National Security Adviser to President Obama, said that the US government has been aware of the threat of a global health crisis for decades. She also stated that she personally briefed President Trump's then-incoming National Security Adviser Gen. Michael Flynn on the matter during the transition.

Kamala Harris Introduces Legislation to Expand Access to Disaster Assistance During Pandemics

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) on Thursday introduced the Pandemic Assistance Disaster Act, legislation to expand the ability of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide financial assistance directly to individuals during a pandemic, including the current coronavirus outbreak. Currently, FEMA can only provide individual assistance during natural disasters, such as wildfires, floods, and earthquakes.

“At a time when a global pandemic is threatening the financial stability of working families across our country, there is no reason for FEMA to treat those impacted by biological threats any differently than when a natural disaster strikes,” said Harris. “FEMA is not currently allowed to assist individuals who have been impacted by a pandemic, and that needs to change. I’m introducing this legislation to ensure the federal government can use every tool available to help the American people recover from the impact of the coronavirus.”

Specifically, at the discretion of a governor and the president, individuals impacted in any way will be eligible to apply directly to federal agencies for, among other forms of assistance:

• Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP)

• If already on SNAP, automatically puts individual at full SNAP benefits
• If not already on SNAP, provides access to SNAP, with expanded eligibility
• Benefits initially good for one month, but can be extended by the President
• Directs USDA to provide options other than an in-person interview

• Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA)  

• Eligible if an individual’s job is shut down, they lose hours, or they cannot reach their place of work because of the pandemic
  • Eligibility rules are more flexible than traditional Unemployment Insurance (e.g. individual does not have to be technically unemployed)
• State unemployment office is conduit for beneficiary
• Good for 26 weeks, can be extended by the President
• Creates a national floor for benefits at 1.5x the national weekly average
• Provides waiver to requirement to exhaust state Unemployment Insurance options

• “Other Needs Assistance” through FEMA’s Individual Assistance program
  • Includes multiple ancillary assistance, but three critical pieces for a pandemic would be:
    • Medical Assistance – assistance with medical expenses as a result of a disaster.
    • Funeral Assistance – available to families with loved ones that die from the disaster
    • Child Care Assistance – up to 8 weeks of child care expenses

Full bill text is available here. 

Republican Sen. Tim Scott votes against coronavirus stimulus package

Republican U.S. Sen. Tim Scott voted against a $100 billion stimulus package to blunt the economic impact of the coronavirus that has sent the American economy into a free fall.

The Senate overwhelmingly passed the measure with a 90-8 vote Wednesday, sending it to President Donald Trump who later signed the package.

Though the legislation provides free testing, expands unemployment benefits and provides paid sick leave to some displaced workers due to the COVID-19 virus emergency, Scott, the junior senator from South Carolina, was one of eight Republicans to vote against it.

In a statement released after the vote, Scott said the “well-meaning” legislation would have a “disastrous effects for South Carolina’s small businesses.”

Later Wednesday night he issued an updated response.

“The provisions in the bill as it relates to paid leave place a mandate on small businesses without a corresponding immediate cash flow,” he said.

“We all agree that paid leave needs to play a significant role in relief packages, but to mandate paid leave and then tell businesses they will get it back in a tax credit, is not a good path ...,” he added.

[SOURCE: POST&COURIER]