Feb. 1, 2021

 

 

“There’s a Lot Left to Be Done”

By Ben Jealous

 

 

 

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - February is Black History Month – and Black people just made a whole lot of history.

 

Joe Biden is our president and Donald Trump is not because Black organizers and voters decided that they would not be denied their right as American citizens to be heard at the ballot box.

 

 

Kamala Harris is our history-making vice president, a Black and Southeast Asian woman and the daughter of immigrants, thanks to the millions of Black people who encouraged family, friends, and neighbors to vote.

 

 

Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff are senators because Black people and their allies in Georgia turned out in November, and again in January, to signal a new day in the heart of the Old South.

 

 

All this makes me grateful that Black History Month comes in February. It encourages us to think about those who made these historic moments possible.

 

I’m thinking about the freedom fighters and voting rights activists – and the courageous ordinary people whose names don’t show up in history books, but who showed up to fight against injustice. They often faced violence and brutality that was fueled by the racist power structure’s desire to maintain power at all costs.

 

 

Does that sound familiar? Just a few weeks ago, we saw our democracy challenged by that same kind of poison. We watched a president incite his supporters to violence by denying the legitimacy of Black people’s votes. The rage among Trump’s followers was stoked by endless repetitions of the lie that so-called real Americans had reelected him in a landslide, and that the election was stolen from them by corrupt big-city machines—read Black officials and voters—and their communist allies.

 

 

Black History Month is a good time to remember that Martin Luther King Jr. and the movement he led were also smeared as communists out to destroy America.

 

 

And you don’t have to be a historian to have noticed the Confederate flags and the lynching noose brought to the Capitol on January 6 by the mob that claimed they were taking back the election and the country.

 

 

In 2013, conservatives on the U.S. Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act, which has long been considered the crown jewel of the civil rights movement.

 

 

Immediately, state legislators, especially in the old Confederate states, took advantage of the federal government’s forced retreat from justice. They passed all kinds of new restrictions on voting. People in the civil rights and voting rights movements did not give up in despair after that devastating setback. They knew that every bit of progress is met with resistance. And the greater the progress, the greater the backlash.

 

 

Right-wing politicians are already responding to Black voters’ turnout and the victories they made possible by preparing new plans to restrict voting. Some Pennsylvania Republicans who were supporters of voting by mail just a couple years ago are now trying to end it. We must defeat these efforts.

 

 

As we welcome the Biden-Harris administration and encourage them to govern boldly to advance equality, justice, and opportunity, I think back to 2009, when Barack Obama made history as our first Black president. That year, I participated in a Story Corps conversation with my mother and grandmother about their own histories of civil rights activism. My grandmother—who is still with us today at age 104—sent me off with a message that is just as true today: “There’s a lot left to be done.”

 

 

There are many ways to think about the stubborn resistance to the full inclusion of Black people in this country. Right now, I want to focus on this: The civil rights movement’s victories were especially amazing given the intensity of the opposition. Our recent election wins are even more impressive when you consider that they were won in the face of powerful political forces working to make it harder for people to vote.

 

 

Our optimism and hope are grounded in our history of overcoming.

 

 

Ben Jealous serves as president of People For the American Way and People For the American Way Foundation. Jealous has decades of experience as a leader, coalition builder, campaigner for social justice and seasoned nonprofit executive. In 2008, he was chosen as the youngest-ever president and CEO of the NAACP. He is a graduate of Columbia University and Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar, and he has taught at Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania.

Feb. 1, 2021

Should You Worry About COVID-19 Mutations?
By Glenn Ellis

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - The newest mutations of the COIVD-19 showing up in the United States will bring with it, over the next three or four weeks, the most difficult days of the pandemic we have seen so far. Studies in laboratories show that a mutation makes a person’s antibodies less effective at killing the virus. Viral mutations help a virus to disguise parts of its recognizable traits, so the pathogen might have an easier time slipping past immune protection. These mutations can also tell us what we don’t know…what lies ahead, in terms of other mutations and/or future pandemics.

The job for all of us now is to, first and foremost, survive; stay alive; and be as healthy as possible. Our second “job” is to learn and educate ourselves as much as we can; empowering ourselves with better understandings on how to ask the “right” questions; where to go for credible; factual information that you can trust; and to “personalize” the pandemic, by learning exactly what is necessary for you and your family to be safe and protected during this, and future pandemics…rest assured, there will be others. None of the experts can predict when; but they all agree that it’s not if, but when. Among the many options this pandemic is providing for us to “learn”, we are being introduced to a range of new questions, as a result of the introductions of mutant variants.

Mutations in viruses -including COVID-19 - are not new nor were they unexpected. All RNA viruses mutate over time, some more than others. We are all familiar with the how flu viruses change often, which is why you get a new flu vaccine every year. When viruses mutate, generally, they either kill the virus (a type of “virus-suicide”) or they can have no effect whatsoever on the normal behavior of the virus. To date, we are seeing variants (or mutant strains) from the United Kingdom; South Africa; and Brazil all hitting the United States at the same time, while we’re battling furiously against the rage of the initial version of COVID-19. Now, that there technically four different strains of a deadly virus circulating.

Scientists initially felt there was no cause for concern about the vaccines being distributed not being effective against emerging mutations, after hearing of a mutant strain being reported in United Kingdom. South African officials noticed that their mutant strain not only appeared to make the virus more able to spread (or transmit), and more capable of evading the immune system’s response; alarms bells sounded when the antibodies produced in people who had previously recovered from COVID did not completely neutralize a variant. This mutation phenomena became even more concerning when, contrary to all prior global clinical experience with the virus to date, this month researchers reported, for the first time that the mutant strain shows initial indications that it has the ability to evade the vaccine.

News of this has caused mixed reactions from different stakeholders.

You see, when this thing first made its’ appearance, public health experts and scientist knew it would bad, but they felt that at least it would be stable. As it turns out they were only half right; it is bad, but it is anything but stable.

Pfizer and Moderna, have been reluctant to support any changes to their respective vaccination schedules. The drug makers on grounds that the vaccines weren’t tested and so their efficacy is unknown. On the face of it, this position seems sensible; yet under current circumstances, it is dangerously overcautious. Some researchers and scientists think more lives would be saved by providing just one dose of the vaccine as soon as possible, or as others think, maybe we should provide just one dose of the vaccine to all people who face the highest risk of dying from Covid-19, whoever they are, for whatever the reason.

With all of the uncertainty surrounding mutations of COVID-19, the last thing we need to do is to minimize the potential of the vaccines to control this pandemic. We don’t have to worry that the mutation will make the existing vaccines available useless. The vaccines available now have what’s known as a polyclonal response, causing armies of antibodies to attack different parts of the virus. When the virus starts to mutate, causing changes to any of those target sites this increases the potential for the vaccine to be less effective, or not work at all.

There is growing concern among scientists who think the coronavirus could eventually change so much that the vaccines could reach a pint of providing no immunity. The more that people are protected from the virus - either through vaccination or infection – the more evolutionary pressure that puts on the virus to survive by mutating. Even though it would take years to reach that point of evolutionary mutation, could take years, the vaccine makers are confident that can modify their formulas to match a newer variant in only take weeks.

In the spirit of empowering the community with adequate information to make informed decisions, keep in mind that we are not helpless, we could wipe COIVD-19 out, if everyone wore a mask for 4 weeks.

Remember, I’m not a doctor. I just sound like one! Take good care of yourself and live the best life possible!

The information included in this column is for educational purposes only. I do not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a replacement form of treatment for physical, mental or medical problems by your doctor either directly or indirectly. Glenn Ellis, MPH is a Visiting Scholar at The National Bioethics Center at Tuskegee University and a Harvard Medical School Bioethics Fellow. He is author of Which Doctor? and Information is the Best Medicine. Ellis is an active media contributor on Health Equity and Medical Ethics. For more good health information visit: www.glennellis.com

Feb. 1, 2021

Dance
By Dr. E. Faye Williams

 

TriceEdneyWire.com – The hallmark of ‘mother-wit’ or many of the ‘old-folk sayings’ is simplicity.  ‘The Elders’ had the talent of using the simplest statements to express depth and importance in their communication.  I can’t recall the number of times I’ve heard, “Don’t let a hard head make a soft behind” or “What happens in the dark always come to light.”  Easily blown-off as insignificant, these sayings were usually valuable as cautionary admonitions.

I often weigh situations against the catalog of ‘old-folk sayings’ I have accumulated during my lifetime.  I use this practice as I assess the possibilities of the Biden-Harris administration.  Contrary to some assumptions, I don’t give carte blanc acceptance to political entities, even those with whom I agree.  Instead, I hold them more accountable for competent and responsible conduct.

I have had few reservations with President Biden’s cabinet choices or his numerous executive actions.  Not surprisingly, I’m pleased that his initial actions hold true, or attempt to hold true, to campaign promises.  My greater concern is the unlikely, but possible, onset of forgetfulness.  To that possibility, I echo the admonitions of ‘The Elders’ saying, “Don’t forget to dance with the one who brung you!!”

It is true that in the past, Black people have given our full support to politicians who forget the importance of our votes. There are innumerable candidates who, during campaigns, have fought for pulpit space in Black churches on Sundays, but, after successful elections, pretend unfamiliarity with our interests or issues.

The Biden-Harris Administration has identified “four converging crises — economic crisis, climate change, racial inequity, and COVID-19.”  Not only is there convergence in these crises, there’re also significant overlaps. President Biden has promised swift action to combat these challenges. In doing so, he MUST NOT forget his promised support to the Black community.

My readers understand the economic disparities/hardships in communities of color. According to Forbes Magazine, in May 2020 the jobless rate for Blacks was 16.8% while for whites 12.4%. The median worth of Black households in 2016 was $17,150 while for white households was $171,000. Other statistics are reported, but the bottom-line for Blacks are barriers which deny the accumulation of wealth. President Biden acknowledges these barriers and has pledged to address them.

He also acknowledges the critical impact of climate change and pledges direct and immediate action.  Hurricane Katrina is an example of a dramatic environmental disaster impacting a centralized community of color.  These communities are disproportionately located in proximity to industrial areas where exposure to bio-toxins is the norm or, in the case of Katrina, where they’re located in environmentally unstable areas.  I hope the President’s cancellation of the Keystone Pipeline permit is indicative of his recognition of the disproportionate impact of climate change/environmental issues on people of color.

Racial inequity is a problem older than the nation.  Naysayers believe it will never be resolved.  President Biden has established credibility in communities of color and pledged practices which will have a positive impact on law enforcement/judicial process, economics, and education.  Although we’ve seen nothing major, we will observe and hope.

COVID-19 has been a matter of grave concern in communities of color, especially ours, and is made more difficult by histories of unprincipled medical treatment.  I have long felt that baseless assumptions are the greatest fault in cross-cultural medical treatment.  Rather than exasperation, medical professionals must learn the nuances of cross-cultural competence and communication.

Tackling these ‘converging crises’ individually is a tremendous task.  Tackling them simultaneously is nearly impossible, with many potential missteps.  We will closely monitor the Biden Administration with hope, but will firmly hold him to promises made.  We will enthusiastically work to achieve President Biden’s agenda, but will not accept his benign or unintentional neglect.  Let’s Dance!!!

(Dr. E. Faye Williams is President of the National Congress of Black Women and host of “Wake Up and Stay Woke” on WPFW-89.3 FM.)

Feb. 1, 2021

A Reality Check

Bro. Malcolm, Bro. Martin Stressed Need For Unity 
By A. Peter Bailey

 (TriceEdneyWire.com) - As we enter Black History Month 2021 it’s time for those who consider themselves Malcolmites and those who consider themselves Martinites have too often talked the talk but not walked the walk when honoring the legacies of the two great warriors in the war against white supremacy.

Fifty-six years after the assassination of Brother Malcolm and 53 years after the assassination of Brother Martin, we have done little, if anything, to follow their guidance about the crucial need for Black unity. In a 1963 letter to 8 civil rights leaders, including Brother Martin, Brother Malcolm wrote the following: “A united front involving all Negro factions, elements and their leaders is absolutely necessary...If capitalistic Kennedy and communistic Khrushchev can find something in common on which to form a united front  despite their tremendous ideological differences, it is a disgrace for Negro leaders not to be able to submerge our ‘minor’ differences in order to seek a common solution to a common problem posed by a Common Enemy (emphasis his).  On Saturday,  August 10^th from 1-7 p.m., the Muslims are sponsoring another giant outdoor rally at 116^th Street and Lenox Avenue.  There will be no debating, arguing criticizing or condemning...This rally is designed not only to reflect the spirit of unity but it also gives you a chance to present your views to the largest and most explosive elements in metropolitan New York.”

Brother Martin was equally forceful about the need for Black Unity.  This is clear in the following excerpt from his 1967 book, "Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?“....Too many Negro organizations are warring against each other with a claim to absolute truth....This plea for unity is not a call for uniformity.  There must always be healthy debate.  There will be inevitable differences of opinion....This form of group unity can do definitely more to liberate the Negro than any action of individuals (italics his).  We have been oppressed as a group and we must overcome that oppression as a group.”

The strong appeal for Black Unity by Bro. Malcolm and Bro. Martin were ignored (except by the FBI) at the time.  They are still basically being ignored, by most of us, as of Feb. 2021.  If we continue to do so, especially those who consider ourselves Macolmites or Martinites, we will continue to be unworthy of the supreme sacrifice made by the two great warriors and other 20th century ancestors who fought in the war against white supremacy.