Ahmaud Arbery, a black man was shot to death while jogging by two white men, no arrest made

A Georgia man was chased and shot to death while he was jogging, his mother said. Police say Ahmaud Arbery was followed by two white men who thought he had committed a crime. An attorney for Arbery's family says that no indictments have been made because one of the alleged assailants is a former investigator for the local district attorney's office.

Sen. Harris Announces Legislation to Establish Task Force to Combat Racial and Ethnic Disparities in COVID-19

U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) on Thursday announced the COVID-19 Racial and Ethnic Disparities Task Force Act, legislation to bring together health care and other policy experts, community-based organizations, and federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial leaders to confront the racial and ethnic disparities of the coronavirus pandemic head on. The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the urgent need to address long-standing inequities in our health care system. Representative Robin Kelly (D-IL-02), Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust, will introduce companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

“People of color are being infected and dying from coronavirus at astounding rates,” said Sen. Harris. “This is in part due to persistent lack of access to health care, bias in our health care system, systematic barriers to equal pay and housing, and environmental injustice. It is critical that the federal government proactively work to right historical wrongs that have led to racial inequities for generations. The COVID-19 Racial and Ethnic Disparities Task Force Act is a necessary step to fully understand the impact of this virus in the hardest hit communities, and make targeted investments that correspond with their unique needs.”

“We know that COVID-19 is already taking an oversized toll on communities of color,” said Rep. Kelly. “It’s critical that we examine these disparities at the highest possible levels of our government and develop solutions to address, reduce and end them. Fundamentally, we need this analysis to give us hard, in-your-face proof of what we’ve known for generations to drive policy change.”

Along with Harris and Kelly, this legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Doug Jones (D-AL), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Gary Peters (D-MI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Tina Smith (D-MN), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).

The bill would require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish an interagency task force of policy experts, community leaders, and government officials to make data-driven recommendations to federal agencies about directing crucial resources—like testing kits, testing supplies, and personal protective equipment (PPE)—to communities with racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 infection, hospitalization and death rates. The task force’s work would guide a more equitable government response to the COVID-19 pandemic and future public health crises.

The COVID-19 Racial and Ethnic Disparities Task Force Act is endorsed by the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations, Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, California Rural Indian Health Board, Center for American Progress, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), Color of Change, National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF), National Council of Asian Pacific Americans, National Indian Health Board, National Hispanic Medical Association, National Medical Association, National Urban League, Third Way, and UnidosUS.

“Our country has long faced racial and ethnic disparities in virtually every facet of American life. COVID-19 has not only shed a light on these disparities but exacerbated them.  Senator Harris's legislation will not only address the current inequities we see in the response to COVID-19, but it will begin to address the structural issues causing these disparities that have persisted for generations,” said Danyelle Solomon, vice president of Race and Ethnicity Policy at the Center for American Progress.

“The novel coronavirus pandemic has sickened and killed Black and Latino people at disparate rates, and equitable support is not reaching the nation’s hardest hit regions,” said Marc Morial, president and CEO, National Urban League. “We need to convene health care and policy experts with local leaders in order to allocate the necessary resources to meet everyone’s needs --  especially in communities that have historically suffered from unfair and insufficient response from the government during times of crisis. The National Urban League is proud to support this legislation that will deliver much-needed federal support to our communities during these challenging times.”

“A federal task-force on racial disparities in the COVID-19 pandemic is essential for Black and Brown communities that are dying at alarming rates across the country. This pandemic makes it more clear than ever before that inequality in communities of color threatens stability for communities of every color nationwide. Identifying ways to specifically support and flatten the curve in our communities will serves as a protection for the entire country,” said Rashad Robinson, president, Color Of Change, the largest online racial justice organization in the country.

“I applaud Senator Harris and her colleagues for this proposal. Without comprehensive data on health outcomes and racial disparities, we are flying blind in our response to the pandemic. Early data from the CDC already shows that, among those with ethnicity specified, Latinos account for a quarter of overall confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and a shocking 40% of all cases among those under the age of 18,” said Janet Murguía, President and CEO of UnidosUS. “That’s why the task force proposed in this bill is so critical to protecting public health and stopping the spread of the virus. It will ensure that we don’t turn a blind eye to the racial disparities revealed by the more robust data collection mandated by Congress and compel the federal government to target and surge resources to hot spots and communities at risk and save precious lives.”

The COVID-19 Racial and Ethnic Disparities Task Force would:

Provide weekly resource allocation recommendations to FEMA and Congress including:
Data on patient outcomes including hospitalizations, ventilation, and mortality disaggregated by race and ethnicity.

Identification of communities that have high levels of racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and death rates.

Recommendations to FEMA about how best to allocate critical COVID-19 resources like PPE, ventilators, testing kits, testing supplies, vaccinations (when available), staffing, and funding to these communities.

Best practices when communities are able to effectively reduce racial and ethnic disparities.
Provide oversight and recommendations to federal agencies about how to disburse COVID-19 relief funds—for instance, the Education Stabilization Fund and the Paycheck Protection Program created under the CARES Act—to address racial and ethnic disparities with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Report to Congress on:

Structural inequalities preceding the COVID-19 pandemic and how they contributed to racial and ethnic disparities in infection, hospitalization, and death rates.

The initial federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts on racial and ethnic disparities in infection, hospitalization, and death rates.

Recommendations to combat racial and ethnic disparities in future infectious disease response.

At the end of the COVID-19 public health crisis, establish a permanent Infectious Disease Racial and Ethnic Disparities Task Force to continue to identify and address racial and ethnic disparities in our health care system and improve future infectious disease response.

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries: Tara Reade allegation against Biden 'needs to be investigated seriously'

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), a member of House Democratic leadership, said allegations of sexual assault leveled against former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, must be investigated.

“It’s got to be taken seriously because this is a serious allegation raised by a serious individual and needs to be investigated seriously. We’ve probably got to hear from him [Biden] at some point directly,” Jeffries said Wednesday on WNYC when asked about allegations brought by Tara Reade, who worked for Biden when he was in the Senate.

Jeffries added that he still had to “delve deeper” into the allegations and was “not really in a position to say what is the appropriate mechanism” as he had been prioritizing responding to the coronavirus.

Reade came forward last month with allegations that Biden sexually assaulted her in 1993 while she worked for the then-Delaware senator. Her claim began to pick up traction when a former neighbor of Reade's came forward to say that Reade told her about the allegation in the mid-1990s, marking the first time the accusation was corroborated on the record.

[SOURCE: THE HILL]

Congressional Black Caucus telephone town hall: first responders & front line workers

Please join The Congressional Black Caucus for their next telephone town hall in our "Speak up & Speak Out" series on May 4 at (7 PM Eastern) for first responders and front line workers. They want to hear your issues, concerns, and answer your questions about response legislation proposed by the CBC.

The role of the CBC at this historic moment is to identify, fight for, and win the best legislative change and the maximum level of resources possible to help the Black community not just survive the pandemic, but prepare to thrive in the aftermath. In order to develop the best legislation possible, we need to make sure we are as close as possible to the pulse of our people around the nation, wherever they may be.

Many Black organizations, elected officials, and individuals are responding to COVID by convening and leading numerous efforts around the country. As the only body of federally elected officials, the CBC is in a unique position to help lead Black America through the COVID-19 pandemic and associated economic crisis. As we combat the pandemic, we must also continue our focus on the 2020 census and new attempts at voter suppression.

If interested in participating please register for the event here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/speak-up-speak-out-a-virtual-town-hall-meeting-for-first-responders-tickets-103933540016

NOTE: After RSVPing, you will receive instructions to RSVP for our zoom forum. In order to participate, you must complete a second registration to receive a zoom link.

UNCF joining May 5 #GivingTuesdayNow Campaign

UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is joining the #GivingTuesdayNow campaign to encourage philanthropy  in light of the many challenges facing minority higher education including the coronavirus health pandemic. UNCF works tirelessly to benefit historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in part, by changing the narrative of HBCUs across the nation and helping  equip minority students with the resources necessary to transition into and graduate from college, and ultimately succeed in the workforce.

“The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on UNCF students is felt very keenly,” said Dr. Michael L. Lomax, president and CEO of UNCF. “The majority of our member HBCUs are closed for the remainder of the school year making things very precarious for our member schools and those earning their degrees. Many students need tablets and laptops to be able to access classes online. And some need basic support, like food and other financial resources, since the jobs they had to help them make it through school have all but vanished.”

UNCF HBCUs need help during the best of times, and UNCF works to provide the support they need to help more students pursue their educational endeavors and graduate from college prepared for leadership roles, competitive employment, and active participation in society.

“The foundation of UNCF was built on the act of giving, and participation in #GivingTuesdayNow shows our steadfast commitment to educating our students and providing resources to our HBCUs, especially in this time of unprecedented crisis,” Lomax added. “UNCF and our member colleges and universities have persevered through many other turbulent times, and we cannot let this disaster wash away decades of progress and HBCU legacies.”

#GivingTuesdayNow, a global day of giving that harnesses the collective power of individuals, communities and organizations will occur May 5 as a response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Five Reasons to Give to UNCF During this Critical Time:

• Our students are at greatest risk of not being able to continue their educational efforts due to financial need.
• The lack of technology gets in the way of both our HBCUs and their students’ ability to ensure online classroom connectivity.
• Part-time jobs that students rely on to get through college are all but gone right now. 
• The nation’s HBCUs have been producing almost 17% of all African American graduates and 25% of African American graduates in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics — the critical industries of the future.
• To ensure that UNCF continues to have the resources to do its important work of supporting HBCUs and our students during this global crisis.  

Help UNCF make a difference in a student’s life.

1.    Donate today by visiting UNCF.org/Donate

2.    Share your donation on social media using the #GivingtuesdayNow

3.    Spread the word about UNCF’s mission

4.    Follow #UNCF on Facebook, Twitter @UNCF and Instagram

For more information about UNCF, visit UNCF.org and stay connected via social media.

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About UNCF
UNCF (the United Negro College Fund) is the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students’ education and development through scholarships and other programs, supports and strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 17 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at over 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized motto, ‟A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” ® Learn more at UNCF.org or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @UNCF.

About #GivingTuesday #GivingTuesday is a global giving movement that has been built by individuals, families, organizations, businesses and communities in all 50 states and in countries around the world. This year, #GivingTuesday falls on November 28. #GivingTuesday harnesses the collective power of a unique blend of partners to transform how people, think about, talk about, and participate in the giving season. It inspires people to take collective action to improve their communities, give back in better, smarter ways to the charities and causes they believe in, and help create a better world. #GivingTuesday demonstrates how every act of generosity counts, and that they mean even more when we give together.