NAN’s Virtual Townhall Meeting Provides Answers

Nearly 3,000 people participated in National Action Network’s first virtual townhall meeting. The event, held on Sunday, March 29, 2020 and moderated by Reverend Al Sharpton included leading health experts, academicians and U.S. Representative Hakeem Jeffries, who talked about the stimulus bill that Congress recently passed that provides some economic relief to Americans.

The 90-minute townhall included Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association;  Dr. Jennifer Caudle, Family Medicine physician and associate professor in the department of Family Medicine at Rowan University—School of Osteopathic Medicine; and Dr. William F. Tate IV, Dean of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences and professor at Washington University St. Louis.  Participants in the webinar had the opportunity to ask questions. If you missed the webinar, you can watch it here. The next townhall meeting is scheduled for Sunday, April 19, 2020.  Stay tune to www.nationalactionnetwork.net for more information.

Civil rights leaders calling on Congress to address impact of Coronavirus on Black Americans

The nation’s leading civil rights organizations have requested an urgent meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer regarding racial equity in the coronavirus response proposal.

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 often say, when white America catches a cold, Black America gets pneumonia, and never has that metaphor been more apt,” Morial said. “Urban communities of color are likely to suffer the brunt of the health and economic impacts of the coronavirus crisis and any legislative response must contain targeted relief.”

“We’re concerned about the impact it will have on children who are out of school and don’t have the broadband internet access they need for digital learning at home,” Campbell said, “And comprehensive paid family leave for all is needed now more than ever.”

“Low-income workers, who are disproportionately African-American, are the least likely to have paid sick leave,” Johnson said. “Black workers are more likely to face short-term layoffs or total loss of employment. How is the country going to address their plight?”

Sharpton noted that urban neighborhoods and communities of color often lack access to quality health care facilities.

“What efforts will be made to make testing freely available in urban and poor communities?” Sharpton asked. “We need to make sure that the relief offered in any coronavirus response plan does not bypass the communities most in need.”

The leaders said discussions would include the possibility of making some provisions of the response plan permanent.

Update On Presidential Primary

The primaries have concluded and the field of 16 presidential candidate for the Democratic Party has come down to the last two men standing former VP Joe Biden and his opponent Bernie Sanders. Sanders had been ahead of Biden until his come back last week in South Carolina and the seven other states which has restored Biden’s lead as front runner for the Demo’s party candidate. The question circulating among many who are talking about this important race is, “Who can beat the current occupant at 1600 Pennsylvania?” Many millennial voters feel that this could be another internal problem and fixed for Biden to win even though voter turnout has been favorable for Sanders. Mostly do to this promise of student tuition reduction or forgiveness, health care for all and his other more fashionable campaign promises but can Bernie beat 46-1? Sounds good and even looks better on paper, however, if the DEMO’s loose the House and can’t gain any seats in the Senate the fight will be how will Sanders keep or fulfill any of these campaign promises. No matter who is the DEMO candidate, the most important matter is in November to GET OUT and VOTE. Another four years of who is in leadership could be a disaster! Stay tuned, the fight has just begun. KEEP THE FAITH!

 

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