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Posts tagged as “coronavirus”

Beyoncé’s BeyGood Foundation Partners with NAACP to offer Grants for Housing Relief During Pandemic

Beyoncé’s BeyGood Foundation Partners with NAACP to offer Grants for Housing Relief During Pandemic

By goodblacknews on January 8, 2021

Yesterday on Instagram, Beyoncé’s BeyGOOD Foundation announced applications are open for housing relief via naacp.org.

The application is available on the NAACP website and will end on Thursday, January 21st at 11:59PM.

“The NAACP is committed to helping ensure African Americans maintain their wealth and financial security during this unprecedented time of COVID-19,” the site reads. “We are partnering with BeyGOOD to provide one hundred grants up to $5,000 each to families who are delinquent in their home mortgage or rental payments.”

“When we were faced with the pandemic caused by COVID-19, BeyGOOD created a plan to make a difference,” the BeyGOOD site says. “We assisted organizations across the country that were providing people with basic needs like food, water, household supplies, and COVID testing. We also provided mental health support.”

To read more about the grants and to apply, visit https://www.naacp.org.

Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett is Key Scientist in Development of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine

Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett is Key Scientist in Development of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine

By goodblacknews on December 15, 2020

[Photo: Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett via commons.wikipedia.org]

The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) recently reported the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett has been instrumental in developing is highly effective, and will likely ship for national distribution to millions of Americans this weekend.

According to abcnews.go.com, when Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert and a leader during the coronavirus pandemic, was asked a blunt question during a forum hosted last week by the National Urban League about the input of African American scientists in the vaccine process, Dr. Fauci did not hesitate when giving his answer.

“The very vaccine that’s one of the two that has absolutely exquisite levels — 94 to 95% efficacy against clinical disease and almost 100% efficacy against serious disease that are shown to be clearly safe — that vaccine was actually developed in my institute’s vaccine research center by a team of scientists led by Dr. Barney Graham and his close colleague, Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, or Kizzy Corbett,” Fauci told the forum. “Kizzy is an African American scientist who is right at the forefront of the development of the vaccine.”

To quote the abcnews.go.com article:

Corbett is an expert on the front lines of the global race for a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, and someone who will go down in history as one of the key players in developing the science that could end the pandemic.

She is one of the National Institutes of Health‘s leading scientists behind the government’s search for a vaccine. Corbett is part of a team at NIH that worked with Moderna, the pharmaceutical company that developed one of the two mRNA vaccines that has shown to be more than 90% effective.

Even before Corbett took on one of the most challenging tasks of her professional career, she was a force to be reckoned with. As a student,she was selected to participate in Project SEED, a program for gifted minority students that allowed her to study chemistry in labs at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and eventually landed a full ride to the University of Maryland Baltimore County, according to The Washington Post.

Corbett spent her summers at laboratories and earned a summer internship at the NIH, the very place where she would be instrumental in developing a vaccine for the coronavirus.

After graduating, Corbett enrolled in a doctorate program at UNC-Chapel Hill, where she worked as a research assistant studying virus infections and eventually received a PhD in microbiology and immunology, according to her LinkedIn page.

Her work with such pathogens began when she joined the NIH’s Vaccine Research Center as a postdoctoral fellow in 2014.

To read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Health/kizzmekia-corbett-african-american-woman-praised-key-scientist/story?id=74679965

“Me Too” Founder Tarana Burke Making Activism More Accessible Via “Me Too Act Too” Site

“Me Too” Founder Tarana Burke Making Activism More Accessible Via “Me Too Act Too” Site

By goodblacknews on October 15, 2020

[Me Too Founder Tarana Burke photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images]

The Me Too Movement against sexual violence and sexual harassment gained widespread attention three years ago. In 2020, the movements against racial violence, police brutality and the ongoing struggle with the coronavirus pandemic have also emerged as dominating issues of our times.

According to the Huffington Post, Tarana Burke, founder of the Me Too Movement and a longtime activist, knows people are outraged ― and overwhelmed. So Burke and the Me Too organization, in collaboration with creative data marketing agency FCB/SIX, are launching a new digital platform called “Me Too Act Too” that allows activists, experienced and new, to educate themselves and get involved.

To quote from Huff Post:

“I think one of the mistakes that we make on the movement side is that there’s so much judgment around what it means to be an activist or what it means to be active. And if you’re not doing it a certain way, then you’re not really contributing. And that’s not true,” Burke told HuffPost.

Me Too Act Too is a crowd-sourced digital platform that gives “survivors, advocates and allies tools to work toward a world free of sexual violence,” according to the organization. The website is meant to be an accessible tool for people who may not see themselves as career activists or who do not have the ability to devote a large amount of time to this work.

Tedx Speaker Dena Crowder Offers 6-Minute Guide on Transforming Trauma (WATCH)

Tedx Speaker Dena Crowder Offers 6-Minute Guide on Transforming Trauma (WATCH)

By goodblacknews on May 30, 2020

Ahmaud Arbery.

Breonna Taylor.

George Floyd.

Three people we have recently witnessed dying violently, people who died solely because as African Americans, their lives are not valued in this country.

Tragically, this horror is not new. Arbery, Taylor and Floyd are now part of a sickeningly long chain of Black people in the United States to lose their lives to systemic racism, brutality and hate.

A recent article in USA Today titled “George Floyd Video Adds to Trauma: ‘When Is The Last Time You Saw a White Person Killed Online?'” addresses what those who have been experiencing it already know: African Americans are suffering greatly from constantly watching these acts of racial violence play out month after month year after year.

To quote:

“African Americans face harmful mental health effects every time high-profile incidents of racism and police brutality go viral, especially when little changes in the aftermath.”

Combined with a global pandemic, healthcare disparities and a financial crisis, African Americans are currently coping with exponential levels of trauma that will likely not dissipate any time soon.

So what can we do to protect ourselves as we bear these trying times, especially when community and family gatherings are so severely limited?

Last week, in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, Tedx speaker, performance coach and GBN’s “This Way Forward” contributor Dena Crowder offered a three-minute video as an aide for mental health and wellness.

Today, Dena offers a six-minute “Power Shot” with guiding words and an exercise to help release and transform trauma into energy to fuel us forward. Watch:

(Dena Crowder: DenaCrowder.com; IG: dena.crowder)

Dena Crowder (photo courtesy Dena Crowder)
Tedx Speaker Dena Crowder Offers 3-Minute Guide On Our Mental Health and Well-Being During the Pandemic (WATCH)

Tedx Speaker Dena Crowder Offers 3-Minute Guide On Our Mental Health and Well-Being During the Pandemic (WATCH)

By goodblacknews on May 22, 2020

May is Mental Health Awareness Month in the U.S., and in the age of the coronavirus pandemic, many of us are finding our mental well-being challenged in unexpected, extraordinary ways.

Black and Brown Americans are hit hard by both – first by disproportionately suffering the physical and financial effects of the COVID-19 crisis, on top of being, according to Medical News Today, more likely to suffer higher rates of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) than White Americans.

According to studies by the American Psychological Association (APA), minorities experience a significant degree of marginalization and discrimination, which can stifle socioeconomic growth as well as access to healthcare, including formal mental health support.

So, in the spirit of aiding those who don’t have the opportunity, access to, or much time for mental healthcare, Tedx speaker, performance coach and GBN’s “This Way Forward” contributor Dena Crowder has put together a three-minute “Power Shot” with some guiding words and a quick breath exercise that can help you re-center in these overwhelming times:

Enjoy… and breathe!

(Dena Crowder: DenaCrowder.com; IG: dena.crowder)

Dena Crowder (photo courtesy Dena Crowder)

Beyoncé ‘s BeyGOOD Foundation Pledges $6 Million to Mental Health Organizations Supporting Essential Workers During Covid-19 Crisis

By goodblacknews on April 26, 2020

Beyoncé has been lending her time to several Covid-19 relief efforts. She appeared on the Disney Family Singalong to support Feeding America and health-care workers, appeared in a fun hat on the Global Citizen broadcast and used her platform to speak about how African Americans are disproportionately affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

According to Vulture, last week Beyoncé’s BeyGOOD initiative announced it is pledging $6 million to help fund organizations that tackle an often-overlooked element of the coronavirus pandemic: the mental-health toll on communities and essential workers.

In a statement, the organization announced that it is partnering with UCLA and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey’s #startsmall efforts to provide “to organizations providing mental wellness services.”

BeyGOOD also will also partner with the National Alliance on Mental Illness to provide local support in Houston, New York, New Orleans, and Detroit. The statement from BeyGOOD on Beyoncé’s website states:

“Beyoncé’s BeyGOOD recognizes the immense mental and personal health burdens being placed on essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. In our major cities, African-Americans comprise a disproportionate number of workers in these indispensable occupations, and they will need mental health support and personal wellness care, including testing and medical services, food supplies and food deliveries, both during and after the crisis.”

Kanye West and Chick-Fil-A Partner to Distribute 300,000 Meals to Families in Need During Covid-19 Crisis

By goodblacknews on April 22, 2020

Kanye West and fast-food chicken restaurant Chick-Fil-A have partnered to distribute 300,000 meals through the Los Angeles Dream Center to those in need during the Coronavirus pandemic.

According to foxnews.com, over 300,000 meals have already been served through the Los Angeles Dream Center since mid-March.

“Every morning I wake up and stand in the parking lot with our dedicated staff, I am blown away that day after day, week after week, there is enough food to provide to folks that need it,” Matthew Barnett, Dream Center co-founder, said in a statement to Fox News.

The Dream Center’s doors open seven days a week, from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., to provide food and other essential items.

Because of Kanye West’s support, Fox reported, Barnett said they were able to expand their drive-thru meals to delivering to vulnerable seniors who need to remain isolated in their homes.

Chick-Fil-A came under fire when it was revealed that they had been donating funds for years to anti-LGBTQ Christian organizations. Once they faced public backlash, Chick-Fil-A promised to discontinue their support of the groups, in a November 2019 statement about their new giving strategy. In 2020, Chick-Fil-A promised to focus on promoting youth education, combating youth homelessness, and fighting hunger.

Though West and Chick-Fil-A have been politically controversial in recent years, working to feed Americans grappling with the new reality of food shortages, lost jobs and quarantined living, seems like a positive step for both.

SNL Star Michael Che Pays Rent For His Grandmother’s Entire Building After She Passes From Covid-19

By goodblacknews on April 16, 2020
Michael Che (photo via commons.wikipedia.org)

“Saturday Night Live” star and writer Michael Che has turned his grief into action to help others.

After his grandmother died from the coronavirus this month, on Instagram Wednesday Che offered to pay rent for all the residents in the apartment complex where she lived.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_BRjZXpkMd/

Che’s grandmother Martha died April 5 after contracting COVID-19. “I’m obviously very hurt and angry that she had to go through all that pain alone,” Che wrote at the time. “But I’m also happy that she’s not in pain anymore.”

During “SNL’s” home edition last weekend, Che paid tribute by signing off “Weekend Update” as “Martha’s grandbaby.”

Former New York Knicks Star Stephon Marbury Sets Up Deal to Deliver 10 Million N95 Masks to NY Amid Covid-19 Crisis

By goodblacknews on March 30, 2020
Former NBA star Stephon Marbury (photos via Backgrid, Twitter)

According to nypost.com, former New York Knicks star Stephon Marbury wants to deliver something the city needs even more than an NBA title — 10 million N95 masks for hospital workers and other first responders on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.

To quote:

Marbury, who played in the NBA 14 years before moving overseas to become a legend in the Chinese Basketball Association, told The Post he’s made arrangements with a mask supplier in China willing to sell New York 10 million masks “at cost” for $2.75 each – well below the roughly $7.50 that N95 retailers have been quoting the state.

The Coney Island native said he got the idea last week after learning of the state’s lack of protective gear and the astronomical price its been paying for masks. So the now-retired, former point guard decided to reach out to Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, a presumptive 2021 mayoral candidate who has backed Marbury’s local charities in the past, to let him know he’s ready to dish his biggest assist yet.

“At the end of the day, I am from Brooklyn,” Marbury said during a call from his Beijing home. “This is something that is close and dear to my heart as far as being able to help New York.”

“I have family there in Coney Island, a lot of family … who are affected by this, so I know how important it is for people to have masks during this time.”

With China now beginning to recover from the pandemic, Marbury’s mask contact has more N95s than that country currently needs, according to Brooklyn Borough Hall. The gear would be delivered 2 million at a time over five weeks.

Read more: https://nypost.com/2020/03/29/stephon-marbury-plans-to-deliver-10-million-masks-to-ny-amid-coronavirus-crisis/

Rihanna’s Clara Lionel Foundation Donates $5 Million to Aid and Support Global COVID-19 Response

By goodblacknews on March 22, 2020
Rihanna (photo via commons.wikipedia.org

Rihanna‘s Clara Lionel Foundation announced yesterday that it will donate $5 million to aid in the global coronavirus response.

The foundation will team up with on-the-ground partners to serve marginalized communities in the United States, Caribbean, and Africa to prepare and protect against the spreading virus. Justine Lucas, Executive Director of the Clara Lionel Foundation, said in a statement, “Never has it been more important or urgent to protect and prepare marginalized and underserved communities–those who will be hit hardest by this pandemic.”

The Clara Lionel Foundation’s partners include Direct Relief, Feeding America, Partners in Health, The World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, the International Rescue Committee, and others.

Funds will support:

• Local food banks serving at-risk communities and the elderly in the United States;

• Acceleration of testing and care in countries like Haiti and Malawi, as well as the mobilization of resources and additional capacity and support for Native communities;

• Protective equipment for frontline health workers and diagnostic labs, the establishment and maintenance of intensive care units, and acceleration of the development of vaccines and other therapies across the globe;

• Healthcare worker training, virus prevention and containment in countries that will be on the frontlines of the COVID-19 response; and,

• Distribution of critical respiratory supplies.

The Clara Lionel Foundation stated on its website that it “believes that one of the most powerful weapons we have against COVID-19 is preparedness. Protecting our frontline health workers and marginalized communities around the world requires getting ahead of it fast and the time to act is now.”