By Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA Newswire Contributor

The death of actor Chadwick Boseman from colon cancer at age 43 has brought new attention on the disease and how it disproportionately impacts African Americans. 

Boseman was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer at 38. It later advanced to stage 4. Boseman was filming movies that included completing his own stunts while undergoing cancer treatment that included chemotherapy. The actor died on August 30. His death caught many who worked closely with him by surprise. 

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in both men and women in America. It is the second most common cause of death related to the disease. African Americans are disproportionately impacted with a 20 percent greater rate than whites and an even greater degree of mortality.

Every year on average 140,000 Americans are diagnosed with colon cancer with about 50,000 succumbing to the disease. For African Americans the death rates are higher.  Diets high in animal fat and low in fiber are associated with the development of colon cancer.  Cigarette smoking, obesity, lack of exercise and vitamins C and E deficiency are also contributing factors tied to colon cancer. 

Dr. Wayne Frederick, who is the President of Howard University and a medical doctor, where Boseman graduated in 2000, commented on Boseman’s trip to Howard University’s commencement in 2018 as the featured graduation speaker. Frederick focused on the importance of knowing what one’s family history is and knowing what close relatives died of. He instructed that if you’re unclear how a close relative died you should investigate and find out.   

“When I was in medical school, we got screening guidelines that it should start at 50. What we are seeing now is individuals getting colon cancer now is much younger. It is something for us to watch,” said Dr. Frederick on Roland Martin Unfiltered on August 31. Martin broadcast a two-hour tribute in honor of Boseman on his daily show. 

“African Americans are much less likely to get the generic screening,” he added. Dr. Frederick also mentioned that popular historian Dr. Ibram X. Kendi was diagnosed with colon cancer at 36.  

In January 2018, Kendi learned he had colon cancer after a colonoscopy. Though the cancer spread to his liver, further tests revealed that Kendi was cancer free after six months of chemotherapy and surgery. In January 2019, Kendi wrote “What I Learned From Cancer,” in The Atlantic. Kendi was trying to complete another epic work “How to Be an Antiracist,” as he was being treated for colon cancer.

“In the hours of each day when I managed to submerge myself inside the writing zone, the metastatic cancer was an afterthought. The symptoms from the six months of chemotherapy, from January to June last year, were an afterthought: my marathons of tiredness, the bubbling nausea, my hands and feet tingling and darkening and drying and blistering, making them unusable at times,” Kendi wrote regarding this cancer battle. 

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

Emotional episode comes amid continued unrest over police killings of African Americans and two years after Jean’s slaying —

By Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D, NNPA Newswire Entertainment and Culture Editor

Season two of Impact of Murder kicks off with a heart wrenching two-hour episode on Botham Jean with “The Ballad of Botham Jean,” airing on Thursday, September 10 from 9-11 p.m. EDT/PDT on Investigation Discovery.

Jean was shot in 2018 inside his Dallas apartment by white, female, off-duty police officer Amy Guyger. Guyger claimed she shot Botham because she thought she had entered her own home, and he was a trespassing burglar. Like many controversial police killings of minorities, Botham’s murder sparked national outrage.

Botham Jean was a promising young Black accountant who dreamed of returning to his native St. Lucia to become Prime Minister. As his family mourned, the murder ignited protests from Black Lives Matter activists and sparked a media frenzy.

This senseless tragedy is retold by those closest to the case with gripping, emotional accounts from Jean’s family, including his mother, Allison Jean; father Bertrum Jean; sister, Allisa Charles-Findley; as well as those who worked with the family to bring justice to Botham, including lawyer Lee Merritt and prosecutor Jason Hermus.

Perhaps the most heartrending account comes from 18-year-old Brandt Jean, who mourns Botham’s death while wrestling with his anger against his brother’s killer. His request for a courtroom embrace of his brother’s murderer, Guyger, displayed an astonishing act of forgiveness and inflamed worldwide, polarizing reactions.

“I have to admit it was tough to relive my son’s horrible murder,” said Allison Jean. “However, this is an important story. I want people to know how good my son was, and how senseless his death was.”

Additional episodes in season two of Impact Of Murder on ID include: a fatal chance encounter in Stolen Dreams which premieres Thursday, September 17 at 9 p.m. ET/PT; a wrongful conviction in The Betrayal premiering Thursday, September 24 at 9 p.m. ET/PT; and the finale exploring a devastating case exploring the cycle of domestic violence in There’s No Winning in Murder debuting on Thursday, October 1 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. 

This article was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., entertainment and culture editor for Black Press USA. She is also founder & editor-in-chief of the award-winning news blog The Burton Wire which covers news of the African Diaspora. Follow her on Twitter @Ntellectual.

By Julianne Malveaux, NNPA Newswire Contributor

On the Friday before Labor Day, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its monthly report, The Employment Situation. It reported good news – the unemployment rate dropped to 8.4 percent, higher than in February before the pandemic hit. We added 1.4 million jobs last month, the highest gain since the corona recession began. But while this is progress, it is no cause for celebration.

The Black unemployment rate remains double-digit and has not dropped as rapidly as either the overall rate or the white rate, 7.3 percent. Eleven million fewer people held jobs in August than in March. And the “rebound” is not spread evenly across populations. The top 10 percent have already recovered. The bottom 40 or 50 percent are still struggling.

Democratic Vice-Presidential nominee Senator Kamala Harris told CNN that “one in five mothers is describing her children as hungry.” The lines at the food banks have not gone down, and in some communities, they are getting longer. Once thought to be relatively immune to the virus, small-town America is now being hit, and forcefully. The challenge is that there are fewer hospitals or health care facilities in rural areas.

Economic recovery is dependent on the development of a COVID vaccine, which the current President says will be ready in October or November. More realistic, such as Dr. Anthony Fauci, say a vaccine might not be ready until next summer or even later.

The bottom line is that the macro indicators may show some progress, but a deeper dive is far less optimistic. Hundreds of thousands of small businesses, including 40 percent of Black-owned companies, have closed, resulting in permanent job loss. Some of the hardest-hit industries include the leisure industries — travel, dining, and more.

Women, especially women of color, heavily populate some of these industries. While COVID hit women of color harder than others, recovery will not make these women whole.

The economy will not regain its position from early March. Indeed, the slight comeback in leisure industries has been partly a function of people enjoying safer, outdoor dining. The colder it gets, the more likely it is that people will choose to pass up dining out in favor of eating at home.

People bought more groceries between March and August, not wanting to risk the possibility of contagion. Many have cautiously begun to eat out again, but restaurants lose money when they reduce seating because of social distancing.

By mid-September, we will know whether the Labor Day weekend will spark another COVID outbreak. And if there is another outbreak, count on the economy to slow again. Congress could at least prevent some of this if the Senate passed the HEROES (Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions) Act, which would extend unemployment insurance, provide relief for cities and states, and provide money for schools.

The HEROES legislation has been caught in partisan drama, with a bipartisan group of Congressional representatives passing it, but with Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell failing to even put the legislation up to a vote. Some Republicans dispute the need for the HEROES Act because of the latest unemployment rate data. But many states and local jurisdictions will lay off public servants – teachers, police officers, sanitation workers, transportation workers, health care workers, and others, pushing the unemployment rate back up.

The August Employment Situation report has more good news than bad. It indicates that for the fourth month in a row, things are improving. But this improvement is not enough, and it could be much better if our legislators would offer some assistance, especially to those at the bottom.

Even though 45 has made the economy his issue, repeatedly proclaiming that he created “the best economy in the world” until COVID, his inability to grasp the many ways that COVID will continue to plague the economy raises issues about his sagacity and discernment.

Don’t celebrate the rebound yet. Don’t stop the pressure either. The Senate must pass the HEROES Act or face the consequences. If we want economic recovery AND economic justice, we must vote.

Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist and author. She can be reached through http://www.juliannemalveaux.com

By Frank Butler

ATLANTA – Making and practicing an emergency plan, building a kit, preparing for disasters and teaching youth disaster preparedness is the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s call to action for September’s National Preparedness Month.   “Everyone should be prepared for unexpected emergencies – especially families and businesses in the Southeast,” said FEMA Region IV Regional Administrator Gracia Szczech. “As we enter the peak  of hurricane season and continue to respond to COVID-19, we cannot let our guard down. By preparing for the hazards that are most likely to occur where you live and work, you and your family will be more resilient and better able to handle an emergency.”

The theme of the 2020 National Preparedness Month is “Disasters don’t wait. Make your plan today,” and here are four actions you can take now to prepare:

• Make a Plan: Families and individuals should plan and practice how to stay safe and communicate during a disaster. FEMA’s Ready campaign provides resources that make creating a family communications plan easy. Update your plan using the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines COVID-19.
• Build a Kit: Your kit should have essential items such as food, water, medications and cash to last several days. Don’t forget face coverings, soap, hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes. FEMA’s Ready Campaign provides a list of recommended supplies and additional items to consider for the unique needs of your household, including seniors, individuals with disabilities, and pets.
• Check your financial preparedness – Have enough insurance to repair or replace your home and its contents and pay for a place for you to stay if your home is damaged or inaccessible. Standard property insurance does not cover flooding, so purchase a separate policy through your insurance company, agent or the National Flood Insurance Program, whether you are a renter or an owner. A plan to pay your bills and access to your important records and accounts will help you get back on your feet faster and avoid problems with your credit when you need it most. FEMA has resources to help you prepare financially for the unexpected, so you can take care of your immediate needs after a disaster.
• Prepare Youth for Disasters: Make disaster preparedness exciting for children by creating a Ready kit scavenger hunt using the checklist provided in the Ready Kids section or download the Ready 2 Help card game, which teaches children five simple steps to take in an emergency.

The purpose of National Preparedness Month, managed and sponsored by the Ready campaign, is to raise awareness and encourage Americans to take steps to prepare for emergencies in their homes, schools, organizations, businesses, and places of worship.  National Preparedness Month is the perfect opportunity to share emergency preparedness information and host activities across the country to help Americans understand what it truly means to be ready.

By Deadric T. Williams and Armon Perry — (The Conversation) —

While much of the world was sheltering in place in the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, many Americans’ undivided attention was focused squarely on Minneapolis, Minnesota, where George Floyd was killed at the hands – and knees – of the police.

Floyd’s murder evoked memories of other murders by the police, including those of Walter Scott, Eric Garner, Philando Castile and Samuel DuBose. Most recently, another unarmed Black man, Jacob Blake, was shot seven times in the back in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

We are a sociologist and a social worker who study racism, inequality and families, including a focus on Black men and their interactions with law enforcement. Each of these killings serves as confirmation that concerns about those interactions are warranted.

The problem isn’t just that Black men get killed – it’s that Black families are stressed and strained by Black men’s daily encounters with police.

Studies show Black and Hispanic drivers, compared to white drivers, experience a disproportionate number of police stops and that officers show less respect to Black drivers.

Racial inequality in contact with the police may influence the lack of trust in police among Black Americans. In a recent Gallup survey, one in four Black men ages 18 to 34 reported they have been treated unfairly by police within the last month.

In our research on these interactions, we found that they have far-reaching implications for Black families. Law enforcement encounters for Black Americans stretch beyond the streets of our cities and into Black Americans’ homes, where they have a negative effect on family life.

Families suffer

Studies show that one in nine Black children has had a parent in prison. Having an incarcerated parent is associated with a host of social problems for children, including behavioral problems and academic failure.

Former inmates have to navigate many barriers to reintegrate and reconnect with their communities and families. A recent study shows that if fathers were previously incarcerated, they were more likely to report having a strained and unsupportive relationship with their child’s mother, a major factor which negatively impacts fathers’ involvement and harms their connection and relationship with their children.

Although a growing number of studies focus on incarceration and families, there is less empirical research that includes whether police stops experienced by Black fathers affect family life.

In our research, we have found the obstacles that come with economic hardship, mental illness, parenting stress and incarceration can hurt how well parents work together and the well-being of their children.

We wanted to extend our work by examining whether experiencing a traffic stop for Black fathers affected their relationship with their child’s mother. This is important because the mother-father relationship plays a large role in fathers’ involvement with their children.

In 2019, we co-authored a study that examined how Black fathers’ contacts with police affects their relationships with their children’s mother.

We analyzed data from the Fragile Families and Child Well-being study, a study surveying nearly 5,000 families from urban cities. In conducting our analysis, we focused on 967 Black families that included both fathers’ and mothers’ reports of relationship quality and cooperative parenting.

We found that fathers who reported experiencing a police stop were more likely to report conflict or lack of cooperation in their relationships with their children’s mother. They also reported the same relationship problem if they had been previously incarcerated.

Anger and frustration

Encountering law enforcement can affect family relationships in a number of ways.

In many cities, the police presence is heaviest in low-income communities where Black men are more likely to live. These communities and their residents are often economically disadvantaged with very few viable prospects for gainful employment.

For the Black fathers in these communities, not being able to fulfill the financial provider role can contribute to relationship tension with their children’s mother.

Family researchers suggest that stressful events such as law enforcement contact may also reduce individuals’ ability to manage family problems.

Family members are inextricably linked, so when Black fathers experience a police stop, it may generate feelings of uncertainty and agitation on the part of the mother and affect the way that she views the relationship, leading to anger and frustration that negatively impacts the relationship.

Reinforcing racial oppression

The disproportionate number of Black men who have contact with law enforcement does not happen within a vacuum. Some researchers underscore the historical origins of policing and criminalizing of Black males since the Civil War that continues into the present. This includes negative stereotypes of Black men as dangerous, which led to more than 150 years of lynchings, mass incarceration of Black men and more recent stop-and-frisk policies that disproportionately target Blacks.

Given the prevalence of both incarceration and police stops for Black men, law enforcement contact of any kind can become a source of additional stress and may reinforce racial oppression.

As the results of our study indicate, these experiences may carry over into their day-to-day lives, including harming their family relationships.

This article originally appeared in the New Tri-State Defender reprinted here by permission.

By Roz Edward, Atlanta Daily World

In Georgia’s daily report Sunday, the health department tallied 60 more deaths from COVID-19 over the last 24 hours, bringing Georgia’s total since the pandemic began to 6,037

As of Sunday, Sept. 6, Georgia ranked 10th nationally for the total number of deaths from COVID-19.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only heart disease and cancer have killed more Georgians this year.

The Georgia Department of Public Health reported a total of 283,199 confirmed cases of COVID-19 at 2:50 p.m. Sunday. According to the health department’s website, that includes 1,664 newly confirmed cases over the last 24 hours.

In addition, the state reported 25,523 hospitalizations — 22 more than the day before — and 4,684 admissions so far to intensive-care units.

No information is available from Georgia about how many patients have recovered.

Counties in or near metro Atlanta continue to have the highest number of positives, with Fulton County still in the lead.

Fulton County: 25,631 cases — 91 new
Gwinnett County: 25,107 cases — 88 new
Cobb County: 17,734 cases — 139 new
DeKalb County: 17,089 cases — 85 new
Hall County: 8,143 cases — 25 new
Counties in or near metro Atlanta also continue to report the most deaths from COVID-19. The lone exception is Dougherty County, site of Georgia’s first major outbreak.

Fulton County: 545 deaths — 4 new
Cobb County: 404 deaths — 3 new
Gwinnett County: 359 deaths — 3 new
DeKalb County: 315 deaths — 2 new
Dougherty County: 180 deaths

For the more reliable test for the virus itself, 10.4 percent of tests came back positive. For the less reliable test for antibodies, 7.9 percent came back positive. The overall positive rate was about 10.2 percent.

As more Georgians were tested over the last month, the percentage of positive tests inched upward from about 8 percent to more than 10 percent. However, over the last few weeks, the percentage of positives has stabilized at just more than 10 percent. According to the World Health Organization, positive test results should be no more than 5 percent for two weeks before reopening for business as usual. Georgia largely reopened for business in April and May, and since then Gov. Brian Kemp has promoted the use of face masks but has steadfastly refused to mandate them.

All Georgia statistics are available on the state’s COVID-19 website.

Globally, nearly 27 million people have tested positive for COVID-19, and nearly 881,000 people have died from it, Johns Hopkins University reported Sunday.

In the United States, more than 6.2 million people have been infected and more than 188,000 people have died from COVID-19 as of Sunday. The U.S. has only about 4 percent of the world’s population but more confirmed cases and deaths than any other country.

The post Georgia – Coronavirus claims 6,000 lives over Labor Day weekend appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.