Author: Carma Henry

     “The FBI assesses hate crime incidents against Asian Americans likely will surge across the United States, due to the spread of coronavirus disease … endangering Asian American communities,” read a report compiled by the FBI’s Houston office and sent to local law enforcement across America. “The FBI makes this assessment based on the assumption that a portion of the US public will associate COVID-19 with China and Asian American populations.”

     The IRS will base the payments   The IRS will base the payments on the adjusted gross in-come of taxpayers’ 2019 return. If a 2019 return hasn’t been filed (the deadline has been extended for two months), the IRS will use information from the 2018 return. If the return doesn’t contain direct deposit information, or if the IRS doesn’t have returns from 2018 or 2019, a paper check will be issued later.

     “States MUST start tracking and reporting race data in connection with #Covid_19. As of Friday morning, African Americans made up almost half of Milwaukee County’s 945 #Covid_19cases and 81% of all 27 deaths in a county whose population is 26% Black,” wrote attorney Kristen Clarke of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law on April 3rd.

     At least three more pastors have lost their lives to the new coronavirus in just over a week, leaving more churches across the nation mourning in the fallout from the pandemic.

     “African Americans never really recovered from the housing crash and economic meltdown and that reality is going to be a very important factor for Black people, especially since the U.S. may be going into some form of depression,” said Mr. Fletcher, former president of TransAfrica Forum and a senior scholar with the Institute for Policy Studies. “I saw a report last week that shows the Washington metropolitan area could lose 35 percent of small businesses. Add a layer of race onto that—lower savings rates and pro-fit margins and most small biz not able to sustain themselves for three months and the problem becomes clear.”

      My 22-year-old little sister tested positive for COVID-19 almost two weeks ago. She’s a healthy, active EMT who recently passed her exams to become a firefighter – someone who’d be considered low risk. 

     Aaron and his wife, Billye, donated $250k to the school individually. Aaron’s foundation, Chasing The Dream, donated another $104k to the school. The Aarons are long time fundraisers for the United Negro College Fund.

Many scientists and doctors around the world agree that a vaccine is not necessarily the solution needed to fight COVID-19 because a lot of research suggests that vaccination can do more harm than good. For this reason, a new documentary series called The Truth About Vaccines has been launched, and will be free to view online from April 22-30.

       This week Broward County made it mandatory to wear a face mask in stores, gas stations, and while riding public transportation, etc. Anyone outside their home must wear something covering their mouth and nose.

       Since this is all happening, The New Mount Olive Baptist Church, Mount Olive Development Corporation, Alpha Kappa Alpha-Zeta Rho Omega Chapter, Feeding South Florida hosted a food drive for those in the community who were in need of additional community resources.