WSSN Stories

Seven out of 10 African American youth between ages 12 and 17 who smoke use menthol cigarettes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).? 

And a higher percentage of Black adults who smoke began using menthol cigarettes (93%) — that’s more than two times higher than the number of White adults who did the same (44%), according to the CDC. 

The two top-selling mentholated cigarette brands in the United States are Newport and Kool.  

Anti-Tobacco advocates say these numbers are alarming. So, two of the nation’s top organizations committed to decreasing the use of tobacco in the United States are taking legal action to end the consumption of menthol by African Americans, calling them chemically unhealthy and deadly. They want it eliminated from all tobacco products. 

The two groups, the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council (AATCLC) and Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) formally announced their joint lawsuit against the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) during a ZOOM news conference on June 17. 

“We are suing the United States’ Food and Drug Administration for their failure to enact public health policy that protects the health and welfare of African Americans,” said Carol McGruder, co-chair of AATCLC. 

Represented by Pollock Cohen, LLP, a New York City-based firm, the complaint requests that the court compel the FDA to act on the organization’s own conclusion that it would benefit the public health to add menthol to the list of prohibited cigarette flavors in the United States. 

The AATCLC and ASH’s lawsuit also asks the court to carry out its duties under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. That action would also result in the removal of menthol-flavored tobacco products from the marketplace. 

In California, there is no statewide ban on the sale or possession of flavored tobacco products. However, a growing number of communities in the state are banning the sale of them. So far, more than 30 jurisdictions have placed restrictions on the sale of mentholated cigarettes. San Francisco County was the first county in the state to ban menthol cigarettes in the summer of 2017.  

In an effort to protect the public and design a healthier future for all Americans, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (Tobacco Control Act), was signed into law on June 22, 2009, by President Barack Obama.? 

“When the Tobacco Act was signed, all characterizing flavors were banned from cigarettes. All except menthol,” McGruder said. “Menthol was inexplicably given a pass. Characterizing flavors are the building blocks to nicotine addiction. As we witnessed last year with the nicotine baby epidemic, flavors seduce children (and) nicotine hooks them.” 

The Tobacco Control act gives the FDA authority to regulate the manufacture, distribution, and marketing of tobacco products, including: 

• Restricting Tobacco Marketing and Sales to Youth 
• Requiring Smokeless Tobacco Product Warning Labels 
• Ensuring  “Modified Risk” Claims are Supported by Scientific Evidence 
• Requiring Disclosure of Ingredients in Tobacco Products 
• Preserving State, Local, and Tribal Authority. 

Pollock Cohen law firm’s Christopher Leung, an attorney representing AATCLC and ASH, said he hopes the lawsuit “saves tens of thousands lives” and that it would correct “a terrible wrong perpetrated against the Black community.” 

“Over 10 years ago, U.S. Congress directed the FDA and the Department of Health to quickly address the harm caused by menthol cigarettes,” said Leung, who specializes in public-interest litigations. “In that time the FDA and the Department of Health have done nothing. Our lawsuit compels these agencies to do what congress directed them to do.”? 

Tobaccofreekids.org has reported that 45,000 African Americans die each year from a smoking-related disease. 

African American and Latino smokers —76.8% of whom smoke menthol cigarettes — likely prefer brands with menthol because the tobacco industry markets those products to young people and Black people, according to the FDA’s “Preliminary Scientific Evaluation of the Possible Public Health Effects of Menthol Versus Nonmenthol Cigarettes” study of 2013. 

Several studies have documented how major tobacco companies have target-marketed menthol cigarettes to African Americans, beginning in the 1950s.  

“By continuing to delay, the FDA and the U.S. government are failing to protect the health of U.S. Citizens, particularly, African Americans,”? Kelsey Romeo-Stuppy, ASH’s managing attorney said during the virtual press conference. “The U.S. is also falling behind the global trend as countries around the world are increasingly banning menthol.”?? 

Some African American leaders, including the Rev. Al Sharpton, have cautioned that making menthol cigarettes illegal will only create room for an underground market, which could expose Blacks to more criminal convictions and increase law enforcement surveillance — particularly in neighborhoods where there are more cases of police use of excessive force. Sharpton opposed a ban on menthol cigarettes in New York City last year that did not pass.  

Menthol has been laced in tobacco products for almost 100 years. It is a substance naturally found in mint plants such as peppermint and spearmint, according to smokefree.gov.?A synthetic version of the compound can also be manufactured.  

Smokefree.gov is a website operated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) under the direction of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Smokefree.gov’s main objective is to assist efforts to reduce smoking rates in the United States, significantly among (certain) populations.? 

AATCLC educates the African American community about tobacco use and cessation, partners with community stakeholders, and public health agencies to inform and affect the direction of tobacco policy, practices, and priorities, as it affects the lives of Black people. 

Founded in 1967 and based in Washington, D.C., ASH is the country’s oldest anti-tobacco organization, dedicated to reducing tobacco-related deaths down to zero. ASH does not attack smokers. Its vision is to combat tobacco.? 

AATCLC and ASH are non-profit entities. The Public Health Law Center, an organization that collaborates with other groups to reduce and eliminate the use of tobacco, supports AATCLC and ASH’s lawsuit. 

“This landmark litigation is the culmination of a decade of pioneering work by the health champions of the African American Tobacco Control Leadership and other Black-led organizations,” Doug Blanke, the Executive Director of Public Health Law Center, said in a written statement. “It has the potential to reverse the leading cause of death in the Black community.” 

By Jake Pickering

The Washington Redskins National Football League franchise is a disgrace!  In the year 2020, Washington team owner Daniel Snyder cannot possibly continue to rationalize keeping his ridiculously racist team name in the face of widespread, righteous public condemnation of Snyder’s racist recalcitrance.

Our nation’s capitol’s team name “The Redskins” will be retired before this football season begins, if Representative Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) has anything to say about it:  “The time [for the name] has ended.  There is no way to justify it.  You either step into this century or you don’t.  It’s up to the owner of the team to do that.”

In 1997, Washington, D.C.’s National Basketball Association franchise willingly changed its name from “The Bullets” to “The Wizards”.  So what’s Daniel Snyder’s problem (other than being a bigot)?

As silly as some of these monikers are below, any one of them would be preferable to Washington D.C.’s current NFL team name.  Take your pick, Mr. Snyder.

• Washington Redcoats
• Washington Rednecks
• Washington Redrums
• Washington Red Dawns
• Washington Red Foxes
• Washington Red Lines
• Washington Red Rovers
• Washington Red Tides
• Washington Red Riding Hoods
• Washington Red Sparrows
• (Melania Trump can be the team mascot)

Discrimination by someone who perceives you to be infected with coronavirus is an experience nearly a quarter of all U.S. residents have in common — particularly racial minorities. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 1 in 3 Black, Asian and Latino people have experienced at least one incident of COVID-related discrimination, compared to 1 in 5 white people, according to the Understanding Coronavirus in America tracking survey conducted by the USC Dornsife Center for Economic and Social Research (CESR).

The study also determined that the overall percentage of people who experienced a recent incident of COVID-related discrimination peaked in April at 11% and steadily declined to 7% at the beginning of June, though racial disparities persist.

In early June, Asian Americans were more than 2.5 times as likely as whites (13% vs. 5%) to experience a recent incident of COVID-related discrimination. Blacks and Latinos were nearly twice as likely.

The prevalence of discrimination also varies by age. Adults between the ages of 18 and 34 were three times as likely as seniors 65 and older to report a recent incident of coronavirus-related discrimination.

“The early spike in the percentage of people who experienced COVID-related discrimination was attributable – in part – to discriminatory reactions to the growing number of people wearing masks or face coverings at the early stage of the pandemic,” said Ying Liu, a research scientist with CESR.

“Asian Americans were the first racial/ethnic group to experience substantial discrimination, followed by African Americans and Latinos. We also found that in some earlier weeks of the pandemic, people who were heavy users of social media were more likely to report an experience of discrimination.”

A long history of blaming Asians for outbreaks

The findings proved unsurprising to Nayan Shah, professor of American studies and ethnicity and history at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.

“Blaming Asian immigrants and Asian Americans for outbreaks of disease has a long history in California and in the United States,” said Shah, author of Contagious Divides: Epidemics and Race in San Francisco’s Chinatown. “Every time politicians and people lash out with taunts, vitriol and violence, public health and democracy suffer. The U.S. is racing to have the highest case numbers and deaths in this phase of the pandemic, because basic precautions of wearing masks, physical distancing, and respecting each other in public is being willfully ignored.“

The Understanding Coronavirus in America Study regularly surveys a panel of more than 7,000 people throughout the country to learn how COVID-19 impacts their attitudes, lives and behaviors. To measure incidents of discrimination, respondents were asked if “people thinking they might have the coronavirus” acted as if they were afraid of them, threatened or harassed them, treated them with less courtesy and respect, or gave them poorer service at restaurants or stores.

Data from the study, supported in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and USC, is updated daily and available to researchers and the public at: covid19pulse.usc.edu.

Social stigma of COVID-19 declines

As the overall prevalence of coronavirus-related discrimination has declined, so has the social stigma associated with being infected or having been infected.

In early April, about 70% of the country thought people who had COVID-19 were dangerous and nearly 30% thought formerly infected people were dangerous. By early June, the percentage of Americans who considered infected people to be dangerous had dropped to under 30%, while only 5% thought people who’d recovered from the virus were dangerous.

“As growing numbers of people knew family members, friends and coworkers who were infected with COVID-19, we saw a decrease in the stigma associated with the virus,” said Kyla Thomas, a sociologist with CESR. “We also saw a steep decline in the percentage of people who perceived coronavirus infection as a sign of personal weakness or failure.”

About the Understanding Coronavirus in America Study

A total of 7,475 adult U.S. residents who are members of the Understanding Coronavirus in America Tracking Survey participated from March 10 to June 23, 2020.

Margin of sampling error (MOSE) is +/-1 percentage point for the full sample.

Results from early June are based on a sample of 6,408 respondents who participated in wave 6 of the tracking survey, from May 27 to June 23, 2020. MOSE is +/-1 percentage point for the full wave 6 sample.   For racial and ethnic groups in the wave 6 sample, MOSE ranges from +/-2 to +/-5 percentage points. For age groups in the wave 6 sample, MOSE ranges from +/-2 to +/-3 percentage points.

The survey questions, topline data and data files, and a press room featuring this release and other information are available at: https://uasdata.usc.edu/page/COVID19+Corona+Virus.

Interview by Naomi K. Bonman

For the past few months, COVID-19 has drastically changed the world as we once knew it. Gatherings, birthdays, and major milestone celebrations have turned into drive-by or Zoom celebrations. In the midst of everything, a new platform, Skypod, has been helping loved ones to stay connected while #lockeddown.

Skypod is an innovative new cloud platform that allows you to record and upload personal videos, photos and other digital files to be delivered to one or more recipients and made viewable at a later date. A safe, secure, digital time capsule that can deliver memories and messages to your loved ones both during, and after life.

I recently interviewed the founder and CEO where he chatted more on his vision and mission behind the company.

Hi, Richard! For those that may be unfamiliar with you, can you give the readers a brief background of who you are, where you come from, and what you do?

I grew up in a multicultural family in public housing. My biological father passed away when I was very young, and my mother struggled to build a better life for us. I literally picked roaches from my cereal box in the morning, all the while wishing for a better life.

My whole childhood, I carried with me a deep desire to break out of the systemic poverty and inequity my family faced. I also carried with me a giant void in my heart from not having known my biological father.

After barely graduating high school, I enlisted in the US Army National Guard where I graduated top of my class in avionics school. After graduation, I was fortunate enough to build several successful businesses. While the success I achieved through business was welcome, I still carried with me a feeling that I was meant to do more with my life. I wanted to help other people find safe, affordable places to live, so I started buying multifamily buildings in Chicago and managed them using a neighborly, service-oriented approach. I’ve always put people over profits and that helped to develop mutually beneficial relationships with tenants.

I think my life’s goal has always been to help people around the world share messages, pictures, and videos with loved ones both during and after life. The strong desire stemmed from not having even a single letter or picture from my father. That’s what led me to Skypod.

What inspired you to launch Skypod, and what is it?

I was traveling a lot for my businesses, and every time I was in a plane above the clouds, I would think of my family and wonder whether I had created enough memories with them. What messages would I want to pass down to my kids? What words of wisdom would I want them to hear from me?

The more I thought about these questions, the more I wanted to develop a way to pass along those memories and messages both during and after life. That was the genesis for Skypod. Skypod is a safe, secure, encrypted digital time capsule platform. Its patent-pending technology lets people fill digital time capsules with messages, pictures, and videos which are delivered immediately but only made viewable to their loved ones at a time and date of their choosing, days or even years into the future.

Essentially, Skypod does for people’s memories and messages what wills and trusts do for people’s material possessions—it allows them to share things that matter both during and after their own life.

How can Skypod be useful amid the COVID-19 pandemic?

During these unpredictable times, Skypod wanted to help as many people as possible, especially the people who have been most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. To that end, Skypod has donated $3 Million in credits to the first 30,000 first responders, healthcare workers, doctors, nurses, and people who have fallen ill with coronavirus. To spread awareness and get these free Skypod credits in the hands of frontline workers and coronavirus patients as quickly as possible, we’ve created the Skypod Challenge.

To participate in the Skypod Challenge and help us spread the word, we are asking the public to share on their Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts a photo of someone they’ve lost and wish they could hear from again. We ask them to mention that Skypod is giving away $3 Million in Skypod credits to the first 30,000 first responders, healthcare workers, and coronavirus patients who sign up for a new account at www.Skypod.com/Together and add the hashtags #SkypodChallenge and #SkypodTogether. Finally, we ask them to nominate three other people to do the same to further help spread the word about Skypod’s donation.

What makes Skypod different from other platforms out there that may be similar? Why should people join?

Great question. Skypod uses patent-pending technology that maximizes user control, security, and experience to create digital time capsules that preserve, protect, and pass down memories and messages unlike any other platform.

Our platform is safe, secure, encrypted, and backed up. Before Skypod, precious memories were stored in phones, laptops, tablets, papers, and shoeboxes, which could easily be lost or destroyed. Skypod encrypts these important messages and memories and stores them for our users. They are then delivered immediately but only accessible by the people the creator designates at the date and time the creator chooses.

With Skypod, our technology allows people to create age-appropriate messages with separate times and dates to be accessed, months or even years in the future. This can create months or even years of anticipation with family members as they wait to access their digital time capsules, knowing their loved one left several messages for them to open.

Finally, other platforms are not as advanced as Skypod in that they require users to go through third-party approval to access information from loved ones. Our team developed patent-pending technology to protect your digital time capsules and automatically grant access to the recipients you designate on the date and time you set.

Even before COVID-19, the best way for people to build wealth and to keep it was to always start their own businesses. What is your advice for our 2020 graduates who may not be certain about what their career futures may look like? How can they start building a profitable business for themselves?

I have several pieces of advice for 2020 graduates. Build memories. Hear your grandparents’ and parents’ words of wisdom. Those words will come in handy later in life. Follow your passion, wherever it takes you. And know that you can do anything you put your mind and heart to. Your mind is the most powerful tool you have. And your heart provides the fuel that will push you beyond your limits.

Also, get started. Don’t wait until the “right time” to start. The economy will never be perfect. There will always be challenges in life, but don’t allow anything to stop you.

There are thousands of reasons to push your dreams aside and wait for “the right time.” But if you’ve done your due diligence and are passionate about making your dream a reality, roll up your sleeves and get started.

With respect to how to start a profitable business, my best advice has more to do with people than processes. There’s no one way to start and grow a business that will work for everyone.

But if you combine passion with hard work, you can figure out the details as you go. That can be challenging for new graduates. But it’s true. Keep it simple. Put your heart and soul into your business, surround yourself with good people and you’ll be able to overcome obstacles as quickly as they appear. The sooner you start, the sooner you can begin to help people with your business.

Here is some other advice I wish someone told me when I was just getting started.

You’re good enough.

I know this to be true because you’re investing time to learn from people who have created businesses before you. That tells me a lot about you. So let me be the first one to tell you: you’re good enough. Always remember to invest in yourself.

Avoid the naysayers.

If you listen to the naysayers, your dreams will die inside you. Avoid those people. And, if you can’t, don’t let their negativity stop you. Instead, fully dissect your idea, look for obstacles along the way, make a plan, and take small, smart steps forward.

It’s not about the money.

Many young business owners make two mistakes when it comes to money. First, they try to build the business that will make them the most money. Second, they try too hard to pinch pennies as they grow. Both of those are costly mistakes.

Instead, build the business you’re most passionate about, and surround yourself with the right people. Make the best investments you can with the money you have available. If you do, others will be much more willing to invest in you, too.

Be bold and unafraid to ask for help.

You’d be surprised how many successful people are willing to give free advice and free help. All you need to do is be bold and ask.

Your company is donating $3 Million in credits to first responders. Can you tell us more about that?

It’s easy…

Frontline workers and coronavirus patients all around the world can claim their free Skypod credits by signing up for a new account at www.Skypod.com/Together. The first 30,000 eligible new accounts will receive $100 in free credits to share their messages and memories.

No credit card is needed, and no strings attached.

Because Skypods can be created for as little as $1.99, these free credits can be used to create multiple digital time capsules for their loved ones.

My partners and I wanted to make a difference during these challenging times.

And we wanted to give back to the people most impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. This is Skypod’s way of giving back and offering hope to the dedicated men and women who are putting their lives on the line every day, as well as the patients they serve. We want to provide some peace of mind that their loved ones can hear from them no matter what happens.

What other ventures are you working on?

My partners and I are always looking for ways to give back to people in need. Some of our current ventures involve partnering with nonprofit organizations to donate free Skypod credits to the people they serve.

We are currently working on forming partnerships with hospices, Alzheimer’s foundations, and other organizations that work with people suffering from cancer and other terminal illnesses.

Our goal is to ensure everyone can preserve memories that matter for their loved ones.

How can people join Skypod?

We make joining simple. People can start creating and sending digital time capsules at Skypod.com.

If you want to join the Skypod Challenge to help us give away $3 Million in Skypod credits, spread the word on social media and ask any eligible friends or family to visit www.Skypod.com/Together. There, they can claim their $100 in free Skypod credits and start creating digital time capsules for their loved ones absolutely free.

How can people stay connected with Skypod on Social Media?

Stay connected and follow Skypod on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

By Keith Mccarter

To battle systemic racism and eliminate police abuse of power resulting in the wrongful death of Black Men across America, every law enforcement department must commit to hiring 30% Black Men to serve as officers within their department.  This will assist with the systemic racism in the field of employment and provide prospective to other officers by letting them know that wrongfully killing a Black Man will not be tolerated.

There are basically two levels of government-State and Federal.  Each level has three branches.  The first branch is the legislative which create the laws.  The next level is the executive level which enforces the laws.  The third level is the judiciary which basically punishes people for breaking the laws.  When it comes to Black Men, the police believe it is their right to function as both levels of government-the executive and the judiciary by enforcing and punishing for an apparent violation of the law no matter how minor.  These actions are illegal and will no longer be tolerated.

To eliminate the problem of the historic and purposeful poor treatment of Back People in America, Black people must focus on being elected to the Legislative branch of the federal government.  By doing this, we gain the capacity to write better laws and to eliminate the bad laws which affects the nation as a whole.

All Black Men must allocate 5% of their income to furthering the interests of American Black Men.  Whether you use your money to buy a child in your neighborhood a computer for his school or donate to a congressional campaign to help a Black Man get elected into a federal office, both are acceptable.  Allocating 5% of your resources are mandatory but where you allocate it is a personal choice.  We must help ourselves while simultaneously holding America accountable for the past, current and future wrongs of purposely embedding racism as normal practice withinin society and public organizations. 

Choose a weapon.  In this age of technology we, the public now have a weapon that is more powerful than the weapons carried by the law enforcement officers.  Most people carry phones and most of those phones have cameras.  We need to make it a practice to film any and every police action involving our people.  Keep a safe distance and use the zoom on the camera.  Often times the officers get agitated and attempt to block the view of the camera.  This is why everyone from every angle must record the incident.  If there was any question as to the treatment of the suspect, publish the video to your social media listing the date, time and location (City and State) DTL.

Punishment must be delivered swiftly to bad law enforcement officers.  Each city and county must have the courage to create policy to punish officers for misconduct.  One such policy could be as follows:  Any officer who hits or cause harm to a subdued suspect-handcuffs or otherwise, is automatically suspended without pay for one month.  After two such suspensions the officer is permanently relieved of duty and banned from working in law enforcement.

Each of us must publicly say what they will do to support this Manifesto Humanity.  Me, as the author of this Manifest vows to support this Manifesto and its aim of bettering humanity by:

Assist a maximum of 10 people every month in writing proper and effective law enforcement complaints at no cost. (Any Location)

Use a minimum of 5% of my income to help Black Men get elected into the Federal Legislative System.

Record every police encounter I come across until the suspect is either taken safely into custody or released.

On your social media, make it known.  What will you do to support the aims of this Manifesto Humanity.  Even though this Manifesto Humanity was born out of the happenstance of the Black plight here in America, everyone can take action in support of the aims of this document.  Humanity has no Race nor creed.

Preface: 1905 the last full-blooded Aboriginal Tasmanian Died.  They were a dark skinned people who lived on an Island outside of Australia.  In 1803 there were up to 15,000 living in their closed community.  The British arrived and killed off all but 400 by 1835 by way of unlawful and malicious killings and by purposefully introducing deadly diseases.  Prior to this, they were completely isolated from the huMan race for 8,000 years.  Of the remaining 400, most were jailed and by 1905, they no longer existed.

Unless something is done, this will be the fate of the American Black Man.  In the beginning of our American Experience we were brought to America as slaves. After the apparent abolishment of slavery Black men were sent to prison systematically.  This still continues.  Many laws were created for the sole purpose of sending African Americans to prison.  This still continues.

Blacks have been treated much more harshly by the legal system.  A Black Man is sent for prison for far longer than their white counterpart who commits the same crime.  This still continues.  When the African America populous commits a crime the legal goal is to send them to prison for as long as possible.  When the American Caucasian populous commits a crime the legal goal is to rehabilitate them and to avoid prison time.  This continues today.  Case and point, African Americans became hooked on cracked cocaine which literally desecrated the culture.  Not only were the small time dealers sent to prison in large numbers but the addicts were left with no social support structure.  On the other hand, with the recent opium epidemic,  the legal solution has been to rehabilitate those who has become addicted and the doctors openly prescribe the drug, and others,  to the patients to help them overcome their habits.

The most telling fact which pinpoints the animus of the matter is the following.   For the opium crises, drug companies are being sued to get the money to help with addict recoveries.  Whereas for the crack cocaine the actual suppliers of the crack cocaine was the America Central Intelligence Agency whose goal was to raise money to buy firearms in third world countries without detection.  There was no legal recourse for the addicts of crack cocaine and the ultimate perpetrators, US CIA, evaded responsibility. Keeping these facts in mind, I have created a Manifesto which, if implemented by Many people, will prevent the American Black Man from becoming extinct.

By Chida Rebecca 

The Netflix series #blackAF?ended its first season this spring, but its episodes live on, accessible to anyone who wants to watch them on the digital streaming service.  

It stars Kenya Barris, creator of critically acclaimed?Black-ish?(and its spinoffs?Grown-ish and Mixed-ish), as a fictionalized version of himself. Barris and his co-stars in?#blackAF uncover the “messy, unfiltered, and often hilarious world of what it means to be a ‘new money’ Black family trying to ‘get it right’ in a modern world where ‘right’ is no longer a fixed concept.”  

In episode two of #blackAF, parents Kenya and Joya (Rashida Jones) decide to attend a festival where they seek to relive their twenties, deciding to go for a Molly do-over after a non-eventful first experience with the drug. 

Though rich in satire, that episode —- like the others — presents 2020’s African American family life as frenzied, hyper-honest and decidedly untraditional.

Maybe #blackAF’s aim is to get as close to reality TV as possible in its spoofing of Black Hollywood’s rich and famous. But even if it is just exaggerating faux-reality, uncensored drug use on the show still raises the question of how much responsibility media companies should bear when they jazz up their story lines with dangerous behavior for the sake of authenticity, comedic relief or dramatic effect.  

“The responsibility we have as Black artists is the same as a doctor, a lawyer, a business leader or educator: To uplift our community,” said Rickerby Hinds, professor and chair of the Department of Theater and Digital Production at the University of California Riverside.  

“And while that may sound like a cliché, it has proven to be the formula for the success of other communities,” said Hinds. “If we continue to “get mine” and get out, then our communities will continue to be the most affected by negative issues.”  

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), “[Molly or]?3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine?(MDMA) is a synthetic drug.” 

Initially popular on the nightclub scene, Molly (slang for molecular) is “chemically similar to both stimulants and hallucinogens, producing feelings of increased energy, pleasure, emotional warmth, and distorted sensory and time perception.”?? 

NIDA adds that “MDMA increases the activity of three brain chemicals” by producing increased activity and acts in the reward system to reinforce behaviors (Dopamine); it increases heart rate and blood pressure — which is especially problematic for individuals with heart and blood vessel problems (Norepinephrine); and it affects appetite, mood, sleep patterns, and other functions, triggering hormones that affect sexual arousal and trust. The release of the large amounts of (Serotonin) likely causes the emotional closeness, elevated mood, and empathy felt by those who use MDMA,” the NIDA adds.? 

Molly, the powdery substance, is usually sold in capsules. Sometimes dealers mix in other dangerous drugs like the deadly synthetic opioid Fentanyl, which is also used to lace marijuana cigarettes and other drugs. The death rate from Fentanyl overdoses is rising fastest among African Americans, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). 

Though?blackAF’s?second episode begins with Kenya and Joya’s emphatic opposition to drug use, they end up sauntering into their musical night out – VIP style and high “AF.” The evening culminates with Joya being escorted out of the festival on an ambulance gurney.? 

The show may have been entertaining, but experts say the reality is this: In “real life,” individuals battling depression and desiring escapism can become subliminally intrigued by even lighthearted portrayals of drug use — and they may become curious about its enjoyable effects. 

This is also true for opioid use.  

Because of the increasing prevalence of Opioid use — due in part to people who voluntarily take them at first and then become addicted  — over the last few years, the federal government as well as states around this country and community-based organizations have been placing emphasis on curbing the abuse of that particular class of prescription drugs.  

While media coverage has largely presented opioid abuse a white rural epidemic, it is steadily growing in Black communities both in terms of use and the ways Blacks are disproportionately penalized for use and possession.  

“The impact of opioid use in the Black community has been under-reported,” says Dr. Lenore Tate, a Sacramento-based psychologist who operates a private practice.  

“Although the rate of opioid use is higher for Whites than it is for Blacks, death rates from opioid abuse and overdoses have been steadily increasing in the Black community for the past five years,” says Tate, who has served as a consultant to the California Legislature on public health.  

According to the Addiction Center, Molly has served as a gateway drug for 92% of its first-time users ushering them to using other substances including marijuana, amphetamines, cocaine, and heroin, one of the most well-known opioids.  

Whether it’s MDMAs like Molly; opioids like Percocet, OxyContin or Vicodin — or other harmful drugs, substance abuse continues to rise in the United States.  

Across the United States in 2018, more than 10 million Americans misused opioids, according the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. About 67,000 people around the country died from overdoses.  

In California, there were a total of 2,199 opioid overdose deaths in 2017, according to data compiled by the KFF, the Centers for Disease Control and the National Center for Health Statistics. Blacks accounted for 147 of those fatalities; Hispanics, 483; and White deaths totaled 1,397.  

Opioid abuse also contributes to the high rate of homelessness in California, the highest in the United States, according to the California Department of Public Health.  

With such staggering statistics, shouldn’t the world of entertainment use more discretion with the content it creates??? 

Tate points out that the media may present an image with only “a kernel of truth,” but that may be enough to “subtly distort reality” for some viewers who might associate a specific group with those “shared attributes or characteristics.”  

From negative portrayals of Blacks in America’s first 3-reel silent film, “The Birth of a Nation,” and similarly controversial depictions in 1970s era Blaxploitation films to violent “gangster rap” videos of the 1980s and the reality TV explosion of the 1990s until now, some experts say the media has been a major force in shaping how Blacks are viewed by the American public.  

 “The media has historically had a significant impact in contributing to racism through reinforcing negative stereotypes, glamorizing substance abuse, sexuality and criminal activity,” Tate explains. 

For content creators like Tamera Hill, a San Diego based screenwriter, producer, and director, the power of the creative pen carries a lot of weight and should not be taken lightly. 

 “A writer’s purpose is to persuade, inform, and entertain. I’ve always treated the gift of writing as an oath to God and my community,” she said.  

“We have a plethora of platforms now and our voices can be heard,” Hill continued. “I choose not to waste it on frivolous stories that do not build, encourage, or inspire. Media is a powerful tool. Our words turn into images and affect culture and trends in our community. We are responsible.”? ? 

Instead of leaving the substance abuse prevention messaging to Hollywood, programs like the MAT (Medication Assisted Treatment) Access Points Project are educating individuals about the dangers and prevalence of opioid use.  

The public awareness campaign titled “Choose Change California” provides information on opioid use disorder and a list of centers across the state where people addicted to opioids can go for Medication Assisted Treatment and community-based wraparound services. The campaign is a collaboration operated by Sacramento- and Fresno-based The Center at Sierra Health Foundation and funded through the California Department of Public Health MAT Expansion Project. 

By California Black Media? 

Former California Assembly Speaker and San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, Jr., is not dead.  

On the June 28 broadcast of the 2020 BET Awards, the network included Brown’s image and name in a video montage of famous African Americans who have died within the last year. The tribute included Diahann Carroll, Bill Withers, the Rev. Joseph Lowery, Pernell Whitaker and others.  

“I can confirm that Mayor Willie Brown is very much alive and not deceased,” said Amelia Ashley-Ward, publisher of the Sun-Reporter, San Francisco’s longest running African American newspaper and a California Black Media partner.  

Ashley-Ward said she had spoken to Brown earlier in the evening. He received roughly 200 back-to-back calls after BET aired the tribute, according to Ashley-Ward.  

Brown, 86, still lives in the Bay Area. He served in the California Assembly for a little over 30 years from 1964 to 1995 — 15 of which he was Speaker of that lower house of the California legislature.  

After that, San Franciscans elected Brown mayor in 1995. He served in that capacity until 2004. 

Its more than likely that BET intended to honor one of Brown’s namesakes, another famous African American with California ties: Pro-Football Hall of Famer Willie Ferdie Brown. The NFL cornerback played 16 seasons in the league for the Denver Broncos and the Oakland Raiders. After that, he also coached the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders from 1979 -1988.  

Coach Brown died in October of 2019 in Tracy. He was 78.   

The minority community’s relationship with the medical and scientific world has not been built upon trust. This is particularly true with African Americans. Brutal and unethical historical practices in medicine subjected African American bodies to dissection and autopsy material without their consent. 

In addition, sterilizing Native American women without their consent, and the infamous Tuskegee syphilis experiment, led to a justifiable fear and luck of trust by people of color regarding clinical trial participation in the U.S.Recent publications have also indicated African Americans are overly represented in experimental and procedural studies that did not require informed consent. 

These are studies conducted under emergency situations when subjects cannot make an informed decision. Part of the explanation given was that African Americans represent the largest proportion of geographical catchment in areas where such experiments are done. These are primarily in inner city metro areas where academic medical centers are located. On the contrary, African Americans constituted less than 5% of patients in cancer-related clinical trials that led to 24 of the cancer drugs approved between 2015 and 2018. The underrepresentation of African American in oncological clinical trials extends to cancers that have higher rates of occurrence in the African American community. 

If we follow the same logic for studies that did not require consent, studies on medical conditions that affect African Americans at a disproportionately higher rate (like multiple myeloma) should have a proportionate or higher ratio of African American subjects in the clinical trial.

The system is not serving justice and must change. Clinical trials can provide earlier access to care options that can prolong life and prevent disease. Opinions differ in terms of the benefit of vaccines to society. I strongly believe in the positive impact of vaccines. The world eradicated small pox and controlled polio, measles, yellow fever, pertussis, etc., with vaccine intervention. We must remember how human health was affected in the pre-vaccine era, when millions died with each major epidemic.

I grew up in a developing nation where infectious disease accounts for the majority of preventable deaths. I witnessed first-hand the impact of mass vaccination. I cannot imagine what the population demography would have looked like if public health was not armed with mass vaccination strategies for major childhood illnesses. As we progress in the fight against COVID-19, a safe and effective vaccine would give us the means to resume normal life.
Vaccine trials will show the result of preventing disease, or modifying the course of a disease, in a population that has the highest burden of disease.

People at the highest risk of the disease – like healthcare workers, frontline workers, and African American and Hispanic communities – must be included in the study design that identifies requirements for participating in the trial. But protocols will not increase participation in the study unless the trust and fear barriers for clinical trial participation are addressed.

When it comes to COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials, early educational intervention to the underrepresented African American and Hispanic communities can improve the knowledge gap. Logistical factors that will curtail access to clinical research sites have to be considered. For example, trial managers should think about creating access to transportation, or taking clinical trial sites to where the target cohorts reside.

While building trust takes a long time, involvement of non-medical community leaders to champion care in their respective communities will have a positive influence. Primary care physicians who have longstanding relationships with communities should be involved in recruitment and the explanation of research protocols as they have built rapport with their communities.

Having quantitatively and qualitatively proportionate racial, cultural, and ethnic representation on the team of clinical investigators – and among the teams who monitor the observance of rules of clinical investigation – can couple with a compassionate support staff during clinical trials to improve the trust factor. While medicine is a universal human science that assumes each of us should have commitment and care based on our common humanity, historical reasons in America have made race a major factor in care delivery. As such, we must bridge the gap so the community that needs care the most can benefit from early clinical trials and scientific progress to change the course of COVID-19 pandemic.