Author: Carma Henry

Coronavirus Report:

     In Cook County, at least 134 detainees have tested positive for the virus. On Monday, the Cook County Sheriff’s office announced that 33 more people tested positive for Covid-19, bringing it 134 confirmed cases.

     We each have a social responsibility to do our part to stop the spread of and combat this deadly disease. Though we are all hopefully practicing social distancing, this pandemic has brought us closer. As a community, we are resolved to help each other and provide assistance where it’s needed.  

     With no coordinated National Strategic Plan to battle the coronavirus, and the most cases on the planet, President Trump has failed. Each day the numbers get worse, with 350,000 American cases, and over 9,700 deaths. It took Trump and his administration 70 days from the first time he was notified of the coronavirus, and its grave implications to treat it as a public health crisis.

At present the CDC has noted that those with chronic lung disease, moderate to severe asthma, serious heart conditions, those immunocompromised including cancer treatment, severely obese, diabetic, with renal failure, or liver disease are at higher risk for severe illness. That warning should be clearly heard by the African American community. We are 2.2 times more likely to have diabetes, 20% more likely to have high blood pressure, and 30% more likely to be obese. The incidence of COPD (lung disease) in our women is 34% higher than in White women. Bottom line, if we acquire the virus, bad things are more likely to happen. That’s pass number one.

     Today, the same cannot be said of young women. In 2020, the song “Ain’t No Sunshine” would probably have the following lyrics:

     This lawsuit seeks the immediate release of all medically vulnerable people from the Metro West Detention Center. For those who remain in the jail, the lawsuit asks a federal judge to order the City of Miami and Metro West jail to immediately adopt the comprehensive measures outlined by the Center for Disease Control to protect the safety and health of those people inside the jail.  

In celebration of National Financial Literacy Month, OneUnited Bank, the nation’s largest black-owned bank, is proud to announce its 10th Annual “I Got Bank!”  National Financial Literacy Contest where ten children will win a $1,000 savings account.  To support families who are home schooling their children due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the Bank is offering a free “I Got Bank” E-Book.

   Another $10 million has been designated for the Minority Business Development Agency within the Department of Commerce to provide grants to Minority Business Centers and Minority Chambers of Commerce to provide counseling, training, and education on federal resources and business response to the COVID-19 for small businesses.

Now, weeks later, many Black churches are using conference calls, Facebook Live, Instagram, YouTube and other video conferencing technologies to hold services. A serious complicating factor for all churches is the inability to pass the collection plate. The revenue collected every Sunday pays salaries and the mortgage at many Black churches. Online fundraising has become an answer but for many churches, in-person cash donations are more effective.