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San Francisco to Provide $1,000 Per Month to Expecting Black and Pacific Islander Moms to Combat Infant Mortality

San Francisco to Provide $1,000 Per Month to Expecting Black and Pacific Islander Moms to Combat Infant Mortality

By goodblacknews on September 16, 2020

San Francisco Mayor London N. Breed, in partnership with Expecting Justice, announced this week the  launch of the Abundant Birth Project, a pilot program that provides targeted basic income to women during pregnancy and after giving birth.

The pilot will provide an unconditional monthly income supplement of $1,000 to approximately 150 Black and Pacific Islander women in San Francisco for the duration of their pregnancy and for the first six months of their baby’s life, with a goal of eventually providing a supplement for up to two years post-pregnancy.

Expecting Justice, a collective impact initiative led by Dr. Zea Malawa at the San Francisco Department of Public Health and supported by the Hellman Foundation and the UCSF California Preterm Birth Initiative, will study the resulting health impacts of the pilot program, which is the first of its kind in the United States.

The Abundant Birth Project is a simple, yet novel, approach to achieving better maternal health and birthing outcomes: provide pregnant Black and Pacific Islander women a monthly income supplement for the duration of their pregnancy and during the postpartum period as an economic and reproductive health intervention.

Prematurity is a leading cause of infant mortality and has been linked to lifelong conditions, such as behavioral development issues, learning difficulties, and chronic disease. In San Francisco, Black infants are almost twice as likely to be born prematurely compared with White infants (13.8% versus 7.3%, from 2012-2016) and Pacific Islander infants have the second-highest preterm birth rate (10.4%).

Furthermore, Black families account for half of the maternal deaths and over 15% of infant deaths, despite representing only 4% of all births. Pacific Islander families face similar disparities.

One Down, Two To Go: Charlottesville Removes “At Ready” Confederate Statue Near 2017 White Nationalist Rally Site

One Down, Two To Go: Charlottesville Removes “At Ready” Confederate Statue Near 2017 White Nationalist Rally Site

By goodblacknews on September 13, 2020

Yesterday, city workers in Charlottesville, VA brought down a Confederate statue near the site of a violent white nationalist rally three years ago, where dozens were injured and one woman, Heather Heyer, was killed when a self-avowed white supremacist drove his car into a crowd of people protesting the rally.

The removal of the bronze figure of a Confederate soldier known as “At Ready,” is what is being seen in Charlottesville as a milestone in eliminating oppressive symbols of the Civil War from public properties shared by all taxpayers.

According to the Washington Post, Albemarle County supervisors voted earlier this summer to take down “At Ready,” even though the statue was not the focal point of the 2017 rally, but a block away from the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee that white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups said they were defending in the clash.

EDUCATION: College Board Creates Advanced Placement Curriculum on African Diaspora for High School Students

EDUCATION: College Board Creates Advanced Placement Curriculum on African Diaspora for High School Students

By goodblacknews on September 12, 2020

(Photo of high school students by AP/Jaime Henry-White via Creative Commons)

Years in the making, the influential College Board is launching an ambitious national curriculum on race with an Advanced Placement (AP) program on the African diaspora, the Washington Post reports.

Given AP’s current importance on high school transcripts and influence on college admissions, the program has the potential to make Black studies a college-prep offering in coming years.

Black students’ scores on AP tests in recent years have remained significantly lower than those for other groups. In 2019, Black students passed 32 percent of the AP exams they took, compared with 44 percent for Latino students, 65 percent for White students and 72 percent for Asian students.

The College Board collaborated on the project with African Diaspora Consortium a not-for-profit organization, as well as Columbia University’s Teachers College.

“You Are The Solution”: Dena Crowder’s 6-Minute Power Shot on Why Voting This November is So Crucial (WATCH)

“You Are The Solution”: Dena Crowder’s 6-Minute Power Shot on Why Voting This November is So Crucial (WATCH)

By goodblacknews on September 7, 2020

In today’s “Power Shot,” TEDx speaker, Power Lab performance coach and GBN’s “This Way Forward” contributor Dena Crowder explains so clearly and succinctly in three simple steps exactly how and why mobilizing to vote is so crucial this November, Good Black News is adding a fourth step:

WATCH and SHARE Dena’s video everywhere so anyone who is on the fence about voting can hop on over into the right side of history and utilize their power to affect significant change.

To quote just some of Dena’s insightful guidance:

There is no perfect, uncorrupted, ideal candidate, do not get caught up in that… Whoever wins this election is going to set the tone for the direction that we take on every single issue facing Black Americans.

We’re talking prison, we’re talking police, we’re talking human rights, we’re talking civil rights, we are talking healthcare and housing. So prioritize what really matters and vote the bigger picture.

Watch below… and share!

Teyana Taylor Directs Powerful Protest Video of Her New Single “Still” (WATCH)

Teyana Taylor Directs Powerful Protest Video of Her New Single “Still” (WATCH)

By goodblacknews on September 2, 2020

Teyana Taylor dropped a stunning and powerful music video today for “Still” from her third LP, THE ALBUM, which came out on Juneteenth of this year via G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam Recordings.

The video, produced by Teyana’s all-female led production company “The Aunties” and directed by Taylor under her pseudonym Spike Tey, highlights footage of important moments in America’s ongoing fight for social justice, with Teyana blending herself  into the iconic imagery of Malcolm X (see photo above),  Huey P. Newton and Breonna Taylor by donning their clothes and assuming their poses.

The video also includes words and footage of Malcolm X, footage of Martin Luther King Jr., John Lewis, Angela Davis, the Black Panthers, Civil Rights Movement protesters, Black Lives Matter protesters and several victims of hate crimes and police brutality including Emmett Till, Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Breonna Taylor, Tamir Rice and George Floyd, to name a few. It is, in a word, gripping. Watch below:

National Museum of African American History and Culture to Honor March on Washington 37th Anniversary Via Free Online Films & IG Posts

National Museum of African American History and Culture to Honor March on Washington 37th Anniversary Via Free Online Films & IG Posts

By goodblacknews on August 27, 2020

On August 28, 1963, more than 200,000 people gathered on the National Mall in Washington D.C. to March for Jobs and Freedom.

This month, more than 50 years later, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture will commemorate the March on Washington with a digital resource webpage exploring the historical significance of the march with collection objects, stories, videos and content related to the historic march.

This page will include voices of union leader and activist A. Phillip Randolph, Rep. John Lewis, and many unsung activists and a performance by singer Marian Anderson. The resource webpage is available at nmaahc.si.edu/marchonwashington.

To mark the anniversary day (Aug. 28), the museum will also make available the film commissioned for its grand opening by Ava Duvernay, August 28: A Day in the Life of a People. The film will be available to view on the museum’s homepage and YouTube channel starting at 10:00 a.m. for 24 hours.

Airport in NY to be Renamed in Honor of Frederick Douglass

Airport in NY to be Renamed in Honor of Frederick Douglass

By goodblacknews on August 14, 2020

Rochester, New York‘s airport will be renamed to honor 19th-century abolitionist and freedom fighter Frederick Douglass, one of its most famous and influential residents.

According to usatoday.com, the Monroe County Legislature voted Tuesday night to change the airport’s name to the “Frederick Douglass – Greater Rochester International Airport,” adding the Douglass’ name to the existing airport’s title.

Black People Let’s Stop Just Surviving – It’s Time To Thrive! 8-Minute Power Shot with Dena (WATCH)

Black People Let’s Stop Just Surviving – It’s Time To Thrive! 8-Minute Power Shot with Dena (WATCH)

By goodblacknews on August 6, 2020

Over the past few months, TEDx speaker, performance coach and GBN’s “This Way Forward” contributor Dena Crowder has offered “Power Shot” guides on Mental Health and Well-Being, Transforming Trauma, Tapping into our Own Power to Affect Meaningful Change, Divining our Worth and Transforming the Internalized Face of Power.

This week, Dena offers an eight-minute Power Shot to help Black people move beyond the survival skills we’ve necessarily developed and employed to stay alive over the centuries into ones that allow us to live fully and thrive — on our own terms. Watch:

Jay Z Partners With Long Island University in Brooklyn to Create Roc Nation School of Music, Sports and Entertainment

Jay Z Partners With Long Island University in Brooklyn to Create Roc Nation School of Music, Sports and Entertainment

By goodblacknews on August 5, 2020

The Carters are working their empowerment game on all ends. Just days after Beyoncé drops her “Black Is King” visual album on Disney+, Jay Z continues his commitment to Black and Brown people by employing his global entertainment company, Roc Nation, to teach the new generation the politics of the business.

According to a press release, Roc Nation and Long Island University, a nationally-ranked university, have engaged in a historic collaboration to form the Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment, enrolling students at LIU Brooklyn beginning fall 2021.

The Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment will prepare students for a wide range of careers in performance, entrepreneurship, all aspects of music, and sports business management.

Students will engage with university professors, alongside visiting guest artists and lecturers, while participating in immersive internships, ensuring they graduate with both hands-on experience and a network of professional contacts.

Located in JAY-Z’s hometown of Brooklyn, the Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment will provide Roc Nation Hope Scholarships for 25 percent of enrolled students. These scholars will graduate from the Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment debt-free, and will receive individualized support and mentorship.

The Roc Nation Hope Scholars will be selected from a pool of academically competitive, New York-based first-time freshmen with the highest need.

The Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment will offer undergraduate degrees in music; music technology, entrepreneurship & production; and sports management.

“Pursuing higher education is an investment in one’s future. This partnership, envisioned alongside LIU President Dr. Cline, is a true investment in our community and young people in Brooklyn, in New York City and beyond,” said Desiree Perez, CEO of Roc Nation. “We’re excited that the Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment will provide unique insight, knowledge, and experiences for students and introduce the world to the next generation of unmatched talent.”

“Our proximity in and around New York City’s epicenter of music and sports clearly positions us to offer unparalleled experiential learning and access to professional opportunities that will launch students to success,” said LIU President Dr. Kimberly Cline. “We look forward to joining with Roc Nation to offer an unprecedented educational resource that opens up the entertainment and sports world to a new and eager generation.”

The Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment will begin accepting applicants for the Fall 2021 semester this fall.

In addition to the college program, the School will offer camps for aspiring students. Young talent will be developed through summer residential camps for high school students and year-round Saturday programs for ages 10-18 in music and sports management, starting in the spring of 2021. Need-based scholarships will also be available for the camps.

NBA Legend Michael Jordan and his Jordan Brand Donate $2.5 Million to Combat Black Voter Suppression

NBA Legend Michael Jordan and his Jordan Brand Donate $2.5 Million to Combat Black Voter Suppression

By goodblacknews on August 1, 2020

Michael Jordan and the Jordan Brand are donating $2.5 million toward fighting Black voter suppression as part of a larger 10-year, $100 million effort that Jordan and Jordan Brand announced on June 5 to “impact the fight against systemic racism.”

According to Nike News,  Jordan and Jordan Brand chose partners to fight Black voter suppression based on their ability to take actions to create immediate and direct.

Donations of $1 million each are going to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) and the Formerly Incarcerated & Convicted People and Families Movement (FICPFM), and $500,000 to Black Voters Matter to support reformative practices that drive real change in the Black community.

“We understand that one of the main ways we can change systemic racism is at the polls,” Jordan said in a statement.

Black Voters Matter (Capacity Building Institute) has been successful in supporting policies that expand access to the ballot, including the restoration of voting rights to people who have been incarcerated, and the development of network of grassroots organizations that activate Black voters. Michael Jordan and Jordan Brand will support Black Voters Matter in its efforts to register and turn out voters in the upcoming elections. For more information, visit bvmcapacitybuilding.org.

Formerly Incarcerated and Convicted Peoples and their Families Movement (FICPFM) FICPFM supports formerly incarcerated individuals who are returning to society, to promote civic engagement, help them meet voter registration eligibility requirements and shift the dominant narrative on who convicted people and their loved ones are. Michael Jordan and Jordan Brand will support FICPFM to help restore the rights of disenfranchised voters. For more information, visit ficpfm.org. 

LDF, which was founded by Thurgood Marshall before he became the first Black U.S. Supreme Court Justice, is the nation’s premier civil rights law organization. It employs litigation, advocacy and public education to advance its mission to achieve racial justice, equality and an inclusive society. Over the past 80 years, LDF has fought for structural changes to expand democracy and eliminate disparities. Through its many transformative cases, such as Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that overturned the “separate but equal” doctrine that underpinned legal segregation, LDF has changed the very fabric of American democracy. Today, LDF fights to expand and protect civil rights so that our nation’s promise of racial equity and justice can become a reality for all Americans. For more information, visit naacpldf.org.