Author: Carma Henry

Carma Lynn Henry Westside Gazette Newspaper 545 N.W. 7th Terrace, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33311 Office: (954) 525-1489 Fax: (954) 525-1861

“Workplace health and safety is a priority for us every day; all three companies have been taking steps to keep the COVID-19/coronavirus out of their facilities and during this national emergency, we will do even more working together,” Gamble, who convened the leaders of all three companies, stated in a press release. “We are focused on doing the right thing for our people, their families, our communities and the country. All options related to protecting against exposure to the virus are on the table.”

     Marc H. Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League; Melanie Campbell, President and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and Convener of the Black Women’s Roundtable; NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson and Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder and President of the National Action Network, insisted that coronavirus response legislation must take racial equity into account.

     As we transition into Spring Break, many were filled with preconceived plans to enjoy the week-long vacation on the beach or travel via plane. However, those plans were dashed from under their feet at the first sign of the pervasive Coronavirus which has swept the World by storm. Now, as it becomes a more prominent issue across the globe, people have been forced to recluse themselves into their homes, so as to not risk infection.

     “As we deal with some of the most challenging times in modern history, it is important that we understand the significance of the Black Press in reporting on and recording our history,” said National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Chair, and publisher of the Houston Forward Times, Karen Carter Richards. The NNPA is the national trade association representing America’s Black Press.

     “I am so worried about the potential impact of the corona-virus on people experiencing homelessness—not just because of the harm to people who are especially vulnerable, but also because of the very real potential for even more stigma and criminalization,” said Maria Foscarinis, Executive Director of the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty. “This crisis makes crystal clear that ensuring stable housing not helps the people most directly affected, it also benefits entire communities,” she added.