Black Businesses Denied Loans And Cities Foreshadow Eviction Crisis
Plus, a (pre-pandemic) Black-owned PPE biz steps up, Black bookstore owners & social workers speak out, Haiti braces for hurricane season, NAACP releases a new poll + more.
Speak Patrice Presents: Coronavirus News for Black Folks is an independent newsletter that aims to empower our community by sharing coronavirus (COVID-19) news and stories as they relate to the Black Diaspora.
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BLACK-OWNED BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: TRIBAL WAVE
Photography by Tribal Wave
Tribal Wave was founded by Deji Babalola, a certified registered nurse anesthetist, and Hairat Babalola, a senior manager for the Washington Redskins. The Maryland-based married couple launched the company — before the coronavirus pandemic — because, as a healthcare worker, Oladeji noticed a gap in the medical apparel industry.
“I found very few options of ethnically-inspired medical apparel,” he told Coronavirus News for Black Folks. So the couple created their own. “Our apparel and masks are African-inspired with traditional Ankara patterns and our medical scrub hats are lined with satin for hair protection and built to ensure there are no germs or particles,” said Oladeji.
“It’s been an honor serving and encouraging the health care workers of color, professionals who work tirelessly to provide quality care to their patients, especially as people of color are disproportionally suffering,” he continued. “We also plan on partnering with professional apparel makers in Nigeria and of the diaspora because we believe in supporting the African diaspora and economical ecosystem through partnerships.”
Head to the Tribal Wave website for more information.
📍MUST READ
Few Minority-Owned Businesses Got Relief Loans They Asked For
“Just 12 percent of the owners who applied for aid from the Small Business Administration — most of them seeking loans in the $650 billion paycheck program — reported receiving what they had asked for, while 26 percent said they had received only a fraction of what they had requested. Nearly half of all owners said they anticipated having to permanently close in the next six months.”
RELATED: 95 percent of African American owned businesses have no chance of receiving a loan, report says
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UK railway ticket office worker dies from Covid-19 after being spat on
“‘Belly and her colleague begged to be let to work from inside the building with a protective barrier between them and the public for the rest of that day…Management said they needed people working outside and sent them back out onto the concourse for the rest of their shift.’”
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Trump Is Courting Black Voters. His Failures on the Virus Are a Problem.
“Mr. Trump has only fleetingly addressed the virus’s outsize impact on black Americans, and made no apparent effort to aggressively tackle the racial disparities, even as he continues his online appeals to black voters. Taken together, his lack of response, combined with political overtures, have cast into sharper relief his insensitivity about the unique concerns facing black Americans.”
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COVID-19 data sharing with law enforcement sparks concern
“‘The information could actually have a chilling effect that keeps those already distrustful of the government from taking the COVID-19 test and possibly accelerate the spread of the disease,’ the Tennessee Black Caucus said in a statement.”
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Housing advocates make case for providing lawyers to renters facing eviction
“‘Baltimore’s eviction rate is one of the highest in the nation and black and brown residents are impacted at a much higher rate than their white counterparts and that was before the pandemic…’”
RELATED: Providing lawyers to Baltimore tenants facing eviction could pay for itself
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NEW POLL REVEALS COVID-19’S IMPACTS ON AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES (NAACP Poll)
“64% of African Americans agree they are less likely than Whites to be offered Coronavirus/COVID-19 testing and 60% agree they are less likely than Whites to have everything done to save their lives in the hospital; 80% of African Americans think that President Trump has done a poor job of responding to the Coronavirus pandemic, with 59% saying the same about the federal government…”
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Inside historic black bookstores' fight for survival against the COVID-19 pandemic
“They’ve struggled to loosen Amazon.com’s vice-like grip on people’s wallets. And they’ve run into a potentially business-obliterating threat: gentrification and the unaffordable rent and property taxes that come with it. Black booksellers were already experimenting with new ways to get more black books in people’s hands, from pop-up stores to internet sales. Now, to survive COVID-19, they’re getting creative.”
RELATED: 'Economic duress is nothing new': Can America's oldest black bookstore survive the pandemic?
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'Perfect storm': Haiti COVID-19 peak set to collide with hurricanes
“In Haiti, emergency shelters are set up in preparation for hurricane season and shelter protocols will be updated to allow for social distancing, according to the World Bank. But charities warn of COVID-19 spreading in overcrowded situations if people seek shelter during a hurricane.”
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‘Bodies Pile Up’: Why Brazil Is About to Become the Next Coronavirus Epicenter
“Brazil’s black population is concentrated in the country’s poorest areas, including the favelas in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, where many lack even the most basic sanitation facilities and where social distancing and self-isolation are simply not possible.”
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‘I Wish I Could Do Something for You,’ My Doctor Said
“I am one of the lucky ones. I never needed a ventilator. I survived. But 27 days later, I still have lingering pneumonia. I use two inhalers, twice a day. I can’t walk more than a few blocks without stopping. I want Americans to understand that this virus is making otherwise young, healthy people very, very sick.”
💡SOLUTIONS
9 financial resources for women and minority business owners affected by the coronavirus
“CNBC Make It compiled a list of nine programs that are allocating grants for small businesses, some of which include mentorship opportunities as well.”
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Urban League of Philadelphia offers funds to families at risk of foreclosure or eviction
“The nonprofit has $50,000 to give away to ‘the most vulnerable,’ Andrea Custis, president and CEO of the Urban League of Philadelphia, said in a statement.”
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Magic Johnson giving $100 million in loans to minority-owned businesses
“The company said the initiative is meant to address concerns that women and people of color have been overlooked by the PPP, which has drawn criticism for granting loans to large businesses such as Shake Shack and Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, as well as Johnson’s old team, the Los Angeles Lakers. All three companies have returned the money.”
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On the way to the store, a mask giveaway to protect African Americans from coronavirus
“With no clear federal plan to address the most impacted communities, and with local government efforts stretched thin, black activists across the country are trying to fill the gap.”
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Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce sets up relief program to help businesses of color
“So far, the relief effort has received commitments of $30,000 to help mom and pop stores — and small businesses of color.”
🇺🇸NATIONAL
Howard University Graduate Makes History as Air Force Thunderbird
“All across the country, U.S. Air Force Thunder Birds have been performing flyovers to honor the workers on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. One of the team's newest members is a Howard University graduate and the first black, female officer.”
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“Columbia University history professor Chris Brown was out with his 11-year-old son in Hartford, Vermont, when the incident occurred, according to Valley News. Brown owns a second home in Hartford, and his family has been staying there since Columbia’s classes went virtual due to the pandemic.”
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Tlaib: With COVID-19, 'hot spots' means African American spots
“U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib said Saturday night that when she sees the statistics on COVID-19 in minority communities, she sees systemic racism — and when she hears a common term for heavily affected areas, she hears evasion.”
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Black social workers face stress, racial inequities during COVID-19 pandemic
“We are now at high risk while also being the helpers. We can become our clients so quickly…”
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Cycle of Arrests Leads Woman to Jail at a Dangerous Time
“The coronavirus was probably already spreading through a jail in Montgomery, Ala., when Diamond Davis, a 27-year-old pregnant woman, was detained there on a recent Sunday. The reason? She had failed to show up for a number of court hearings on traffic-related violations and other charges.”
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The Brief New Normal of a Reopened Houston Strip Club
“‘It wasn’t a party — it was more like a fundraiser…The customers couldn’t even come close to the stage, but people were still tipping and donating to the girls. I was amazed at how many people were still supportive despite all of the rules.’”
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Jesse Jackson: 'The gated community does not protect you from the pandemic'
“Despite lockdown and Parkinson’s disease, Jackson is still working with gusto at the Rainbow Push Coalition, a progressive organisation he founded in 1996. It has convened thousands of black doctors and lawyers and released a manifesto suggesting that high-risk groups, including African Americans, be prioritised for coronavirus testing.”
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Black communities have been hit hard by the coronavirus. Some think black Americans are to blame.
“Social science research has found that this narrative of black personal responsibility can be linked to ‘racial resentment,’ the idea that black people no longer face much racism and their disadvantages stem from a poor work ethic.”
📰 LOCAL
MAINE — Racial disparity in Maine’s COVID-19 cases deepens
FLORIDA — DeSantis should extend eviction moratorium
CALIFORNIA — Los Angeles’s ‘Eviction Ban’ Doesn’t Protect Tenants
Grocery workers protest end to ‘Heroes Pay’ and call for tougher safety measures
GEORGIA — Morehouse Study Shows Impact Of Coronavirus On Georgia’s Black Population
MICHIGAN — 'I'm borne down': She's lost more than 30 friends and acquaintances to the coronavirus
MISSOURI — COVID-19 and Black STL
VIRGINIA — Black lawmakers ask Gov. Northam to delay reopening Virginia
ILLINOIS — Willie Wilson Plan To Open Churches ‘Ridiculous’ And Puts Black Lives At Risk, Pritzker Says
PA, DE, NJ — Racial disparity grows as the coronavirus disproportionately claims Black lives in Pa., Jersey and Delaware
MASSACHUSETTS — BECMA against reopening as black business see brunt of economic impact
🌍INTERNATIONAL
After days of drifting at sea, Royal Caribbean cruise ship arrives in Jamaica with workers
“Jamaica’s concerns over cruise ship workers spreading the novel coronavirus is shared by other governments in the region, each of which has negotiated its own set of protocols with the cruise companies.”
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'A second sense of grief': coronavirus hits cultural travel boom for black Americans
“‘It’s not just a matter of ‘I can’t go to Barbados for Crop Over and see Rihanna’,’ Greaves-Gabbadon said. ‘These journeys mean so much to us on a cultural level, that when you take them away, it’s rough.’”
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African School founder delivers books to homes during lockdown
“Some of the books available to borrow are literature on the history of Africa, African-America and the Caribbean, short stories, poems, plays, biographies, novels and essays. There is also a small music book section with reggae, blues and jazz.”
💭OP-ED
Congress must make sure eviction bans will not lead to housing crisis
“A study conducted by the American Civil Liberties Union revealed that in over a dozen states, landlords filed eviction cases against black women renters at double the rate or higher of white renters. The evictions occurring in the wake of the crisis will simply perpetuate racial and economic disparities.”
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As A Black Woman In This Country, I Feel I Need To Bear Arms
“As a leftist Black woman, I desperately wish we had strict gun control. However, I’m uncomfortable not having a firearm. Many who share aspects of my politics are surprised when I express this, seeing it as contradictory. But my views are rooted in the reality of the world I live in now, not the world I long for.”
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When the World Unravels, Braid Your Own Hair
“Some people have resorted to the drastic, shaving and dyeing and bleaching and growing out, sprinting toward the unknown. But for the most part, all I wanted is for something to resemble the way it appeared to me before.”
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COVID-19 and the Future of Black Journalism
“Layoffs leave voices floundering or temporarily silenced. The black community relies on the circulation of ideas and stories to identify problems, establish solutions and create blueprints for advancement.”
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Stress was already killing black Americans. Covid-19 is making it worse.
“Stress is a normal part of life. But when it is a persistent, daily experience, it exceeds our ability to cope. The resulting physical response leads to increased incidence of high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, diabetes and other health problems. Now layer covid-19 on top of that.”
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Milwaukee’s black community is being treated as collateral damage for Wisconsin’s economic recovery
“If COVID-19 infections are declining, why would we end the very methods used to stop the spread of the virus? Of course, the Republican legislators understand this. They simply do not care.”
⚠️ NON-CORONAVIRUS NEWS, BUT IMPORTANT…
'I just want justice': Father of victim, NAACP say assault in Des Moines was racially motivated
“A Des Moines man says he was assaulted by three white men early Saturday morning in a racially motivated attack on the city's south side, and members of the NAACP at a news conference Sunday advised black residents to be on high alert in light of recent incidents both locally and nationally.”
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Colorado Police Searching For Man Who Wore KKK Hood To Grocery Store
“This isn’t the first time this month that someone has strolled into a grocery store wearing a KKK hood. Another man alarmed shoppers at the Santee, Calif. Vons when he was photographed doing his shopping wearing his own KKK hood.”
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“Fischer also said that officers will now be required to have the chief of police sign off on all “no-knock” search warrants before they are sent to a judge for approval.”
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Missouri Officers Sued In Alleged Assault Of Elderly Black Woman And Her Son
“Marvia Gray, a 68-year-old Black woman, is demanding justice after she says Des Peres, Missouri police officers brutally beat her and her only son, Derek, over a false claim that they had stolen a TV from a local Sam’s Club back in March.”
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Black Deliveryman Says He Was Blocked and Interrogated by White Driver
“After wiping tears from his eyes with a black bandanna, Mr. Miller called the police to make sure he could safely leave.”
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Cuffing of Black Miami Doctor Was Justified, Review Finds
“…Though the review also determined that the officer had violated department rules by yelling at the doctor and not wearing a face mask.”
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What No One Tells Black Women About Heart Disease
“‘There’s also an overlooking or dismissiveness about potential diagnoses…Providers might be thinking, you’re 32 years old, there’s no way you can be having symptoms that afflict someone who’s 50.’”
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“‘When I'm running, people give me two looks,’ Walton said. ‘Why is this black guy running? What is he running from? What did he do?’”
WE WANT TO SHARE YOUR COVID-19 PANDEMIC EXPERIENCES:
Amid global social distancing efforts sparked by the coronavirus outbreak, select businesses and services deemed essential have remained open to keep our society functioning. Many of these jobs are often low-paying with little-to-no benefits and mostly performed by Black and brown women. “Essential & Black” is an ongoing interview series that spotlights the Black essential workers risking their lives to protect ours and to support themselves and their loved ones during this pandemic.
Here are some previous Essential & Black stories:
A Pregnant Hospital Worker in Delaware Who Prefers Work to Home But Feels Invisible
A Security Guard in Harlem, NY Who Feels Betrayed By Her Employer
A Pharmacy Technician In Rochester, NY Who Lives Paycheck to Paycheck
Are you a Black essential worker? Are you on the front line of the pandemic? Would you like to share your story for a potential feature in the newsletter?
Submit your story here: https://forms.gle/UTGTD9i9mXG1oNwY6
Not an essential worker? We still want to hear from you! Do you have an interesting story to tell about life during the pandemic?
Submit your story here: https://forms.gle/ygicBGtUYPrnJRUL7
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Stay safe and take care ✊🏿💗