Author: Carma Henry

       The success rate of teens who age out of the foster care system is staggering. Only 30% of foster youth who graduate with a high school diploma will enroll in post-secondary education and only one in two foster care children who age out of the system will have some form of gainful employment by the age of 21.  

As rich as Black community culture is, we often miss the opportunities to shine a light on sexual crimes and exploitation that plague our communities. This Women’s History Month, we are celebrating and shining a light on community Shero and Founder of Hosanna 4 Youth, Angine Moss. Hosanna 4 Youth is a 501 c (3) non-profit organization that offers programs, community outreach and fundraising to provide support for victims of molestation, incest, rape, sex trafficking and domestic violence. According to Rainn.org, “Of the sexual abuse cases reported to law enforcement, 93% juvenile victims knew the perpetrator, specifically, 59% were acquaintances, 34% were family members and seven percent were strangers to the victim.

Kristin Jacobs was a member of the Florida House of Representatives, representing District 96 in Broward County, from 2014 until her passing on April 11, 2020. Representative Jacobs was the prime sponsor of House Bill 53 in 2018, which created the Southeast Florida Coral Reef Conservation Area.

Coronavirus Report:

     AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine candidate has shown 79% efficacy against symptomatic disease and 100% efficacy against severe illness and hospitalization, the drugmaker announced Monday.

     The COVID vaccine isn’t a threat if you’re considering becoming pregnant. In fact, studies show that it offers powerful protection. Misconceptions and false information are working against healthcare workers as they race to get the vaccine into the arms of the public.

       The Coronavirus pandemic has brought into sharp relief the issues of health disparities and differences in health outcome between Blacks/African Americans, and the general US population. It has produced greater burdens in disease and economic outcomes for minority communities, when compared with others. This is not a new trend; it is a longstanding issue observed across many disease spectrums. Cancer has marked disparities between Blacks and others with respect to disease management and survival.

The Spady Cultural Heritage Museum, in collaboration with Arts Garage, will welcome Pat “Mother Blues” Cohen and Dr. Joan Cartwright to hold a special concert and “Talk Back” session, as the focus of the 2021 Juneteenth Celebration.

Wednesday, March 31, at 4 p.m. Tamarac’s District 1 Commissioner Marlon Bolton will partner with the City’s Housing Division to hold a Virtual First-Time Homebuyers Purchase Assistance Workshop to educate residents about programs available to help them take a step toward home ownership.

Florida A&M University (FAMU) alumna Caryn Wilson is the New York Times (NYT) weekend audience editor.