Browsing: Growing the Voices of Our Future

Jackson almost didn’t compete in the 500m at the Olympics; however, her teammate Brittany Bowe gave up her spot, allowing Jackson to replace  her. Not only is she the first Black woman to win an individual medal in speed skating, but she is also the first US woman to win a speed skating gold at the winter Olympics since Bonnie Blair did in 1994. It is amazing to see women, specifically Black women, making monumental achievements in history.

 The retirement of Stephen Breyer creates a critical decision for the President to make. Biden confirmed the nominee would be the first Black woman on the high court on Thursday. A list of potential nominees circulated in Washington before Breyer’s retirement plans became public. Officials in the White House Counsel’s office started to build files on multiple candidates. Biden said he would make his decision by the end of February.

McConnell’s statement implied that African Americans were not Americans. Which offended many people of color? He faced much backlash from his controversial statement, and at the end of the news conference, he returned to the mics, and clarified that he meant to say the omitted word was “all.”

     On Saturday night, an FBI hostage rescue team breached a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas. They safely recovered the three remaining captives after a nearly 11-hour hostage situation. According to the authorities, the suspect is dead. Four people, including a rabbi, were initially taken hostage. One of the hostages were released unarmed around 5 p.m. Two law enforcement officers told CNN that investigators believe the hostage taker may have been motivated to release Aafia Siddiqui. Authorities are not revealing the suspect’s identity due to the ongoing investigation.

On New Year’s Day a good Samaritan died while trying to help a man who fell onto subway tracks during a gang assault in New York City. The assault victim, a 38-year-old male, was approached by multiple individuals in the Fordham Road subway station in the Bronx. According to police, the gang “displayed a knife and began assaulting him.” At a certain point, the victim of this assault landed on the subway tracks. Officials are not sure if he fell or was pushed. However, a 36-year-old witness went down to the to help the victim, but he was unfortunately stuck by the oncoming train, causing his death.

     Going into year three of Covid-19 can cause some people to be quite anxious about when it will come close to an end. Though the chance of getting Covid-19 is still very prevalent, vaccinations and boosters, along with protective behaviors like social distancing and mask-wearing, can reduce the risk of infection and severe illness. Being able to stay sane during Covid is very important because your mental health can take a toll on your physical health.

     America: the only country where racist teens can live free, while Black teens stand in courtrooms taking pleas. American society normalizes a racist phase so much that young racists do not expect repercussions afterward. Society allows racist teens to pass off socially unacceptable behavior as a “mistake” and grants them a “get out of jail free card”. Meanwhile, people of color (POC) do not receive that same luxury. This societal double standard results from white privilege.

When traveling for the holidays, it is critical that you take the necessary preventative measures to avoid getting infected. Getting your vaccinations or booster doses is a great way to safely avoid serious illness. Dr. Peter Hotez, Dean of the school of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, stated that even before the holiday season, parts of the country are reporting increased hospitalizations and deaths. Getting the booster shot and vaccine is so vital especially during this season. So, travel safely and responsibly.

The spread has been very fast in South Africa, Britain, and other countries. Government officials have emphasized that even if these variants can pass by some of the protection provided by vaccines, vaccinated people will tend to have milder disease or no symptoms at all once infected, making vaccines  the number one choice, aside from masks and social distancing, to protect people.

As the individuals were releasing balloons, a vehicle approached, and someone began to shoot in the crowd