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Black Children Rank Last on Milestone Index

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Wade Henderson deplores "structural racism" that hampers Black children. (NNPA Photo by Freddie Allen)

Wade Henderson deplores “structural racism” that hampers Black children. (NNPA Photo by Freddie Allen)

By Freddie Allen
NNPA Washington Correspondent

WASHINGTON (NNPA) – Despite great progress that grew out of the Civil Rights Movement, “a web of stubborn obstacles remains” that prevents children of color, especially Black children, from reaching their full potential, according to a recent report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

“Differences in opportunity are evident from the earliest years of a child’s life. Too often, children of color grow up in environments where they experience high levels of poverty and violence,” the report stated. “Such circumstances derail healthy development and lead to significant psychological and physiological trauma.”

The report titled, “Race for Results: Building a Path to Opportunity for All Children,” featured the foundation’s new “National Race for Results Index” that tracked 12 key milestones, including fourth grade reading proficiency, birth weight, the share of children who live in two-parent families and the proportion of children living in poverty.

Black children scored a 345 on the new index, the lowest among all children and 359 points lower than their White peers. Asian and Pacific Islander children scored the highest on the index with 776.

Blacks scored below the national average on every Race for Results Index Indicator accept for “children ages 3 to 5 enrolled in nursery school, preschool or kindergarten” and “children who live with a householder who has at least a high school diploma.” Black children scored 63 percent on the preschool/kindergarten measure compared to the national average of 60 percent and tied the national average for children living with a high school graduate at 85 percent.

“For African American children the gap between where they are and where they should be continues to reflect a level of structural inequality that is difficult to eradicate,” said Wade Henderson, the president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. “Without a focused effort generated both by the private sector and the government we won’t really have a meaningful response to the problems.”

Those problems, some decades old, were often perpetuated and institutionalized by the federal government and deeply rooted in American society.

Following the Great Depression, as the Federal Housing Administration acted to lift White families out of poverty by encouraging home ownership and providing FHA-backed loans, the agency blocked Black families from those same opportunities through a process known as “redlining.”

When Black veterans returned home from World War II, they continued to face discrimination from the federal government that would have lasting negative impacts on homeownership and wealth in the Black community.

“While White veterans used the G.I. Bill to great advantage, discriminatory practices systematized through government structures often prevented non-Whites from accessing G.I. Bill benefits, either for college or to obtain mortgages,” stated the report.

The report explained: “People of color whose valor helped defeat fascism abroad were being denied pillars of the American Dream by racist processes and practices at home.”

The vestiges of structural racism that deprived Black families of the American Dream, continues to plague the Black community today.

Black children scored below their White counterparts in every measure related to family resources and below the national average on three out of four measures related to family resources. Those measures included: delaying childbearing until adulthood, living in a household with a person who has at least a high school diploma, living in a two-parent family and living in a family with income at or above 200 percent of the poverty line.

The report noted that institutional discrimination continues to plague the South, where most Blacks still live. Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas, South Carolina earned the lowest marks for Blacks on the index.

“Obviously demographics are not destiny,” said Henderson. “On the other hand, the demographic trends pointed out in this report are likely to create a reality for the American economy, that without the interventions that we’ve talked, about will reduce us all to something less than what we want as a nation and that’s the motivation I hope will encourage the investments that we need.”

And those investments will become even more important as the labor force becomes more diverse and the nation’s economy becomes more dependent on the contributions of people of color.

According to the Race for Results report, “If the United States had closed the racial achievement gap and African-American and Latino student performance had caught up with white students by 1998, the gross domestic product in 2008 would have been up to $525 billion higher.”

The Annie E. Casey Foundation report made a number of recommendations, including collecting more data and using it to develop targeted programs and investments for the children with the most need and expanding programs that have proven track records. The report also recommended connecting communities of color to new jobs and opportunities.

During the panel discussion on the report, Angela Glover Blackwell, founder and CEO of Policy Link, said that she hopes the report will get the nation’s attention.

“We know what works,” said Blackwell, “We know how to make [early childhood education] available to all children. What we lack is the political and public will to demand it and to make it so.

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Black Church Assaults Continue

NNPA NEWSWIRE — R.H. Boyd, since 1896, has published Sunday School books, church hymnals, Vacation Bible School marketing materials and study guides for the nation’s 8.5 million African American Baptists. Boyd Publishing is one of two independently Black-owned publishing companies that produces and prints Christian inspirational resources for African American churches and communities across the country.

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The incident is the latest in a string of events across the nation involving African American churches and incidents perceived to be racist.
The incident is the latest in a string of events across the nation involving African American churches and incidents perceived to be racist.

Tennessee latest city to witness what some are calling intimidation tactics

By Ashley Moss, Texas Metro News

A confederate flag was left hanging from a tree on the property of a Nashville company that publishes Sunday School materials for the nation’s Black churches, including many congregations in Dallas/Fort Worth and across the South.

Neighbors discovered the homemade flag – made from a square cardboard box and colored on all sides with red, white and blue paper-mâché to look like a Confederate flag with brown rope tied around it and hanging from a tree at R.H. Boyd Publishing Company in Nashville late Wednesday.

R.H. Boyd, since 1896, has published Sunday School books, church hymnals, Vacation Bible School marketing materials and study guides for the nation’s 8.5 million African American Baptists. Boyd Publishing is one of two independently Black-owned publishing companies that produces and prints Christian inspirational resources for African American churches and communities across the country.

LaDonna Boyd

“Clearly someone is trying to send a message,” said LaDonna Boyd, president and chief executive officer at R.H. Boyd. “We will certainly make sure we get to the bottom of whoever did this. We will press charges and bring (the perpetrator) to full justice.”

Thursday, Metropolitan Nashville Police’s Specialized Investigation Division combed the Nashville neighborhood that is home to Boyd Publishing and the nearby historically Black Meharry Medical College, one of the nation’s oldest medical schools training African American doctors, searching for evidence in the case.

“Obviously, this is a great concern, which is why we involved our division,” said Kris Mumford, public information officer for the Metropolitan Nashville Police. When it comes to something like this in a neighborhood, with a box, with a Confederate flag hanging from a tree, we obviously want to investigate what’s going on.”

In the Dallas area news of the latest assault was widely discussed.

Rev. William Dwight McKissic

The Rev. William Dwight McKissic expressed concern about race relations in America.

“Something has happened to the fabric and framework of our country. We are beginning to border on what we saw in the 50s and 60s.  I remember it.  I was there to witness it,” said McKissic, pastor of megachurch Cornerstone Baptist Church in South Arlington, which is aligned with the National Baptist Convention of America.

The incident is the latest in a string of events across the nation involving African American churches and incidents perceived to be racist.

In late July, the FBI launched an investigation after someone wrote “KKK” and racial slurs on an air conditioning unit at a Black church in North Highlands in the San Francisco Bay area.

In 2019, the federal bureau began investigating a series of fires at Black churches in Louisiana, calling them suspicious and saying they likely are hate-related.

Rev. Frederick D. Haynes III

In Dallas, last month, the Rev. Frederick D. Haynes III said a group of nearly 1,000 Blue Lives Matter protestors had parked without proper permission on his church’s parking lot, under a massive multi-story banner reading “Black Lives Matter.”

Haynes said that he is not surprised about this latest occurrence.

“I think we can expect more of this,” he said. “There has been an environment set by the White House to express hatred.”

Bishop William L. Sheals

Across the country African American pastors said they were concerned.  Bishop William Sheals said the country is experiencing an “ugly spirit in this year in 2020.”

“We have got to defeat it in prayer, but we have also got to defeat it in marching to the polls,” he said. “We must disobey this law. We must follow a higher calling. This is spiritual warfare…from high places.

Sheals pastors one of metro-Atlanta’s largest Black congregations, Hopewell Baptist Church of Norcross, GA.

Mumford said Metropolitan Nashville Police Department responded to a call from Boyd at about 5 p.m. of a device hanging from a tree on a lot adjacent to and owned by Boyd Publishing.

Alarmed that the box might contain an incendiary device, police flew helicopters over the property and officers swarmed the area. Seven police cars circled the property, Boyd said.

By late Wednesday evening, a police bomb squad unit had accessed the box, determined no bomb materials were inside and had it perched in the backseat of one of the police cars. It is now classified as a suspicious package.

Mumford declined Thursday to reveal any more of the box’s contents saying the case was an ongoing investigation.

Meanwhile, detectives spent Thursday seeking video from nearby Meharry and other homes and businesses, Mumford said, in the hopes of identifying a suspect. She said the culprit could face several charges for intimidation, trespassing and possibly a hate crime.

“Someone did get a picture of the perpetrator’s car and apparently they came at night and hung it up,” said Ms. Boyd. “Hopefully we will be able to find out who did this.”

Boyd plans to press charges and said that in 2020, incidents like this need to be taken seriously, and are a reminder of the need to be aware of one’s surroundings.

“There’s all kind of foolishness going on, all around the country, and obviously this was very intentional because of the place that they put it, in a predominantly Black neighborhood, right next to Citizens Bank, Meharry Medical College, Fisk University, and right down the street from Tennessee State University,” she said.

The property, which stands at the intersection of Jefferson Street and 21st Avenue in Nashville, is home to R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation, one of the oldest Black-owned businesses in the country.

Founded in 1896 by the Rev. Dr. Richard Henry Boyd, the long standing organization provides Christian and inspirational resources for African-American churches and communities across the country.

The company generated more than $3 million dollars in revenue for the fiscal year ending in December 2018.  Right across the street from R.H. Boyd is Citizens Savings Bank & Trust Company, founded in 1904 and considered the oldest, continuously operating, minority-owned bank in the United States.

Ms. Boyd, who is just the organization’s fifth President and CEO, sprang into action and immediately called the police, also getting the word out on social media.

At the federal level, hate crimes are defined as crimes committed on the basis of the victim’s perceived or actual race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability. In most states hate crime laws include crimes committed on the basis of race, color, and religion; many also include crimes committed on the basis of sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, and disability.

Experts with the U.S. Department of Justice estimated that an average of 250,000 hate crimes were committed each year between 2004 and 2015 in the United States. The Department reports incidents each week on its website but says the majority of cases are not reported to law enforcement.

“I do not play about my family’s businesses, our heritage, our safety, the safety of our staff and the entire team, certainly the safety of the community,” Boyd said. “We are hopeful that these perpetrators will be caught, and we want to make sure that they get the due penalty for all of these crimes that they committed, and we will certainly be on the lookout for any other things that may pop up.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463.

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“Parenting During This Pandemic Requires An ‘Anointing’ Many Already Possess,” Said Louisiana Counselor

NNPA NEWSWIRE — In 2013, Green published the second edition of The Parent Anointing which clarifies the unique position God establishes to help adults parent and rear children. Green offers this advice for those seeking solutions and strategies through this pandemic. “The parent who moves in the anointing follows God, the Heavenly Father,” she said. Within the pages of The Parent Anointing and during private sessions, Green urges parents to reflect on God as the ultimate parent and become that reflection.

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Louisiana-based family counselor Barbara W. Green said one way to deal with the crisis is to recognize God’s gift to parents.
Louisiana-based family counselor Barbara W. Green said one way to deal with the crisis is to recognize God’s gift to parents.

By Candace J. Semien, Jozef Syndicate Reporter, The Drum Newspaper

With today’s coronavirus pandemic, parents and grandparents are facing a crisis never before seen. From dealing with health fears, sharp shifts to virtual learning, job losses, and political protests, parenting youth today–in a world that’s vastly changing–has become more challenging and overwhelming.

Nearly half of parents of children under age 18 said their stress levels related to the coronavirus pandemic are high, according to a new survey by the American Psychological Association.

“For many parents, it can feel overwhelming to face competing demands at home and work along with possible financial challenges during this unprecedented crisis,” said Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, APA’s chief executive officer. “Children are keen observers and often notice and react to stress or anxiety in their parents, caregivers, peers, and community. Parents should prioritize their self-care and try their best to model healthy ways of coping with stress and anxiety.”

Louisiana-based family counselor Barbara W. Green said one way to deal with the crisis is to recognize God’s gift to parents.

“A crisis comes for the purpose of reflection, re-turning, and restoring,” said Green. “It takes the Anointing to recognize what to do in a crisis. This anointing is a parent anointing. It is the special, God-given ability to parent that many people already have,” she said.

In 2013, Green published the second edition of, “The Parent Anointing,” which clarifies the unique position God establishes to help adults parent and rear children. Green offers this advice for those seeking solutions and strategies through this pandemic. “The parent who moves in the anointing follows God, the Heavenly Father,” she said.

Within the pages of The Parent Anointing and during private sessions, Green urges parents to reflect on God as the ultimate parent and become that reflection.

“The parent anointing is the ‘reflection’ of love of the Father God upon His children. When a parent operates in the anointing (calling and instruction) of the Heavenly Father, the child sees the goodness of God reflected in the love which the parent has for the child,” she said.

She used John 17:22-23 to explain. It states, “And the glory which You gave me, I have given them, that they may be one, just as we are one. {Unity} I in them, and You in me .{Reflection} and that the world may know that You sent me {Representation} and have loved them as You have loved me {reflective mirroring}.”

The parent anointing is not reserved for biological parents only, Green said. A parent is also a nonbiological adult who cares for and guides a child or teen. For all parents, the anointing is reflective from God through the parent to the child and it is present in three significant ways: faith, purpose, and significance.

The way to survive any crisis is to resist the temptation to become selfish, Green said “If a family is to get through a crisis it is through unified effort in looking out for one another. Not survival of the fittest but fitting all to survive. And, if the family is to survive, it must be done through one accord, not discord. The family that strives together, remains together, in purpose. And (when) the purpose is to glorify God, the family has achieved added value on earth, and in Heaven, to survive the crisis.”

Green also tells parents to hold on to faith. “It is the one, sure way to please God. More than 2,000 years ago, the Glory that was given to family was oneness in faith. It is the major supplier of anointing.”

She reminds parents that God watched over His son to “perfect the things that concerned Him and, in turn, the Son never did anything without consulting His Father, first. ‘I do the will of the Father who sent Me,’ Christ said.”

The anointing gives parents the power to be like Christ and consult the Father in every decision and do God’s will, especially through this pandemic, she said.

For families to endure, grow, and defeat stagnation during this time of crisis, these three things are needed:

  • Purpose Singularity where one person may have the same purpose as another but remains singular in how they achieve their purpose.
  • Unity in the agreement of the importance of strengthening the family structure.
  • Glory and credit for overcoming obstacles the family members may face during these trying times.

Circling back to John 17, Green said, “It is then, that the child will say, ‘the lessons my parents gave me I have given my children that they may be one just as God and I are one. And I have loved them in the same manner as my parents and God loved me’.”

From her Inner Reflections’ office in Baton Rouge, Green counsels individuals, families, and groups in person and virtually. The Parent Anointing is available in her office and through independent bookstores, Amazon, Barnes and Noble. She is also the author of a children’s book on generational prayers (The Great One) and a collection of life-affirming short stories (a charge to keep).

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NNPA President to Give Keynote in Forum on Social Justice Activism in Sports

NNPA NEWSWIRE — The participating panel of sports executives includes Arizona Cardinals Owner Michael J. Bidwell, Arizona Coyotes President & CEO Xavier A. Gutierrez, Phoenix Suns President & CEO Jason Rowley, Arizona Diamondbacks President & CEO Derrick Hall, and Arizona State University Athletic Director Ray Anderson.

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National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) President Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.
National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) President Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) President Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., will deliver the keynote address for an upcoming social justice activism in sports forum hosted by the HeroZona Foundation in Phoenix, Arizona.

The forum, titled “One Team,” is scheduled to take place at 8 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 8, at the Kimpton Hotel Palomar Phoenix.

The invitation-only event is supported by the RED Development, City of Phoenix District 8, Greater Phoenix Leadership, Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Kimpton Hotel Palomar Phoenix, MINT Social, Golden Rule Live, and the NNPA.

The forum, which will be live-streamed to the public at Facebook.com/HeroZonaOrg, will include prominent Arizona sports leaders, including executives from the NFL’s Cardinals, MLB’s Diamondbacks, and NBA’s Suns.

The participating panel of sports executives includes Arizona Cardinals Owner Michael J. Bidwell, Arizona Coyotes President & CEO Xavier A. Gutierrez, Phoenix Suns President & CEO Jason Rowley, Arizona Diamondbacks President & CEO Derrick Hall, and Arizona State University Athletic Director Ray Anderson.

The panel plan to discuss systemic racism in America and how major and minor league organizations can enact social change.

“Since the Black Lives Matter movement was reignited in May, major sports teams have ardently expressed their support for the cause by using their reach to advocate for change,” said U.S. Desert Storm Veteran Alan “AP” Powell, the founder of the HeroZona Foundation, a non-profit organization that works to empower Heroes in the community through entrepreneurship, employment, and education.

The group works with veterans, first responders, and those who bring social good to future generations and under-served communities. The foundation’s mission is to create opportunities for the men and women who serve their country and community each day.

“With such massive platforms, it is imperative that the community hear from these leaders on what steps they are taking to ensure that their organizations are not only standing up against racial injustice but also taking concrete actions to fix the systemic issues at hand,” Powell stated.

The event will be moderated by ESPN host and CNN columnist LZ Granderson, while Chavis will deliver the keynote. “The NNPA acknowledges and supports the active engagement of professional sports athletes and leaders who publicly stand up or kneel down for the cause of racial and social justice, equality and freedom,” Chavis declared.

“The Black Press of America affirms that Black Lives Matter!”

For more information about the Bridge Forum, the HeroZona Foundation, and stream the upcoming event, visit http://www.thebridgeforum.com.

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FOOD: THE BAKE — Accidental Parfait

NNPA NEWSWIRE — It was a lava cake gone very, very wrong. But when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade — or a chocolate parfait.

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(Photos: Talia Brown)
(Photos: Talia Brown)

By Paris Brown, NNPA Newswire Contributor

Originally, this recipe was not a parfait.

It was a lava cake gone very, very wrong. But when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade — or a chocolate parfait.

The first mistake I made was that I didn’t correctly butter my pans, so the cake wouldn’t come out of the pans.

The second mistake I made was that I didn’t know that there’s a big difference between lava cake batter and cake batter. So, I ended up making a bunch of regular chocolate cake.

When I realized my mistakes, I trashed the lava cake idea and decided to do an easy parfait or trifle. I whipped up some buttercream and whipped cream and started layering. I also made some simple syrup for my cakes to moisten and sweetened them. And it’s way better than my failed lava cake. It’s just like the saying, “The third time’s the charm!”

Enjoy this treat made accidentally!

(Photos: Talia Brown)

(Photos: Talia Brown)

Ingredients

Cake:

  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 3/4 cups sugar
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp espresso powder
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 2 room temp large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup strong coffee

Buttercream:

  • 2 cups unsalted butter room temp
  • 6 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4-6 tbsp milk
  • Whipped Cream (store-bought is fine too):
  • 1 pint heavy cream
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar Simple Syrup:
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
  2. Butter and flour pans.
  3. Combine flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder together in a large bowl. Set aside.
  4. Beat the butter, eggs, and vanilla together until combined. Add some of the flour mix and mix. Then add some of the milk and mix. Continue to alternate until everything is fully combined. Then add the coffee a little bit at a time. Fill prepared pans and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely.
  5. Beat the butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar a little bit at a time. Add milk and vanilla extract. Set aside.
  6. Whip the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
  7. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine water and sugar and heat till it boils. Cool.
  8. Pour simple syrup over the cake, but don’t over saturate it.
  9. Cut the cake into small rectangles. Put a layer of cake in a trifle bowl or small clear ramekins. Add a layer of buttercream and continue layering, ending with cake. Top with whip cream.
  10. Enjoy!!
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IN MEMORIAM: John Thompson, Coaching Legend and Unforgettable Mentor, Dies at 78

NNPA NEWSWIRE — John Thompson was a coach who set the bar high for his players on and off the basketball court. He coached Patrick Ewing, Allen Iverson, Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutumbo. He became a mentor to many long after they left Georgetown and competitive basketball.

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John Thompson (Photo: Georgetown University)
John Thompson (Photo: Georgetown University)

By Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA Newswire Contributor

John Thompson was the first Black coach to win the NCAA Championship. In 1984, he led the Georgetown Hoyas to victory over the Houston Cougars. In 1985 Thompson was named Coach of the Year.  He coached at Georgetown University from 1972 to 1999. 

Thompson was a coach who set the bar high for his players on and off the basketball court. He coached Patrick Ewing, Allen Iverson, Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutumbo. He became a mentor to many long after they left Georgetown and competitive basketball. 

Thompson had a preference for players that had a passion for the game on the court. He once said, “you can calm down a fool before you can resurrect a corpse.”

He emphasized the power of habit, attitude and state of mind with his players. “If you think you are beaten you are. If you think you dare not, you won’t,” he once said. 

“Big John Thompson is the single most important African American man in the history of D.C. sports,” Sia writer Clinton Yeats. In 1999 he was selected to be in the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. 

In 27 seasons, Thompson compiled a coaching record of 596-239. Most importantly to Thompson, 97 percent of his players stayed four years and left Georgetown University with a college degree.

Thompson was born in Washington, D.C. and went on to play in the NBA for the Boston Celtics.

Thompson is survived by his three children, John Thompson III, who also coached basketball at Georgetown, Ronny Thompson and Tiffany Thompson. Thompson’s autobiography is due out in January 2021. 

Lauren Victoria Burke is an independent journalist for NNPA and the host of the podcast BURKEFILE. She is also a political strategist as Principal of Win Digital Media LLC. She may be contacted at LBurke007@gmail.com and on twitter at @LVBurke

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OP-ED: Black Americans and COVID-19 Clinical Trials

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Black Americans have to be involved at all levels of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. We cannot afford to be silent, detached, denied, or prevented from being at the decision-making tables in terms of COVID-19 public health policies, research, clinical trials, remedies, and vaccine development. Our lives and future are at stake.

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Black American engagement is crucial and critical in the development of a COVID-19 vaccine — including participation in clinical trials — to make sure that the new vaccine is effective to prevent Blacks and others from COVID-19 infections. (Photo: iStockphoto / NNPA)
Black American engagement is crucial and critical in the development of a COVID-19 vaccine — including participation in clinical trials — to make sure that the new vaccine is effective to prevent Blacks and others from COVID-19 infections. (Photo: iStockphoto / NNPA)

By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., President and CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association

The unrelenting spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) throughout the United States of America in 2020, continues to pose an unprecedented public health crisis for all Americans, but in particular for Black Americans and other people of color who are disproportionately negatively impacted by COVID-19.

As the trusted voice of Black America, the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) in March of 2020 established the NNPA Coronavirus Task Force as a means of increasing public awareness about the overall preexisting health disparities in Black America and the disproportionately fatal consequences of COVID-19 for Black Americans and other people of color.

In fact, the NNPA and our Coronavirus Task Force were the first to issue a national “State of Emergency” declaration on April 3, 2020 to warn Black Americans and others about the evolving dangers and public health risks of COVID-19.

Earlier this year, there were just too many myths and other misinformation circulating primarily via social media falsely asserting that “Black people and people of African descent were immune to COVID-19 because of the presence of melanin.” Of course, that assertion is not true. Yet, unfortunately, too many people in our communities began to risk infection to COVID-19 because of falsehoods and misinformation.

The media has a responsibility to research and report the truth.

This year marks the 193rd year of the Black Press of America. Since Freedom’s Journal was first published in March of 1827, the Black Press has remained on the front lines of publishing and speaking truth to power by demanding freedom, justice and equality.

All of this brings me to state categorically, “Black Americans have to be involved at all levels of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. We cannot afford to be silent, detached, denied, or prevented from being at the decision-making tables in terms of COVID-19-based public health policies, research, clinical trials, remedies, and vaccine development. Our lives and future are at stake.”

The good news is that today there are many Black American physicians, infectious disease scholars, clinicians, medical researchers, nurses and others on the front lines as first responders and as leaders inside the major pharmaceutical companies that are striving to develop a safe and effective vaccine for COVID-19.

We are profoundly aware that within our communities there has been a historical and contemporary distrust of medical research. However, the challenge today is for more Black Americans to be involved at every point of the development of a COVID-19 vaccine to ensure that the medical rights and interests of Black Americans are thoroughly protected, respected, and addressed effectively and truthfully.

In other words, Black American engagement is crucial and critical in the development of a COVID-19 vaccine — including participation in clinical trials — to make sure that the new vaccine is effective to prevent Blacks and others from COVID-19 infections.

Three years ago, the NNPA, Howard University and Pfizer collaborated to do a national landmark poll and study of awareness of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) among Black Americans. This was important because Black Americans are disproportionately impacted by SCD across the nation.

Included in that NNPA-Howard University-Pfizer poll was the issue of Black Americans’ willingness to participate in clinical trials with respect to SCD. We were pleased to learn and to document that 76% of the Black American poll respondents had positive or neutral attitudes toward SCD clinical trials, and a majority indicated a willingness to participate in future clinical trials for SCD, given appropriate knowledge and recommendations from health care professionals.

It is urgent that in the strategic rush to develop an effective COVID-19 vaccine for all people, that Black Americans are not left out of the process. The health of our families and communities necessitates our involvement to raise all the questions that need to be raised, and at the same time to participate responsibly in the COVID-19 clinical trials.

Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. is the President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) and can be reached at dr.bchavis@nnpa.org

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