#Public

[xtruss]

The Beginner’s Guide To Celebrating Juneteenth

What To Know:

Is Juneteenth a solemn day of remembrance or a party: It just depends on what you want. Juneteenth festivities are rooted in cookouts and barbecues. Others may choose to treat Juneteenth as a day of rest and remembrance by doing community service, attending an education panel, or taking time off.

What kind of public Juneteenth events are happening: You can expect festivals, concerts, and fashion shows. There are also plenty of organizations and universities hosting panels on Juneteenth’s history. And, for the first time since Juneteenth was federally recognized, the National Park Service is making entry into all sites free on the holiday, meaning several parks will host Juneteenth commemorations.

Celebrating Juneteenth when you aren’t Black: Dr. Karida Brown, a sociology professor at Emory University, said there’s no reason to feel awkward about wanting to recognize Juneteenth just because you have no personal ties or you’re not Black. In fact, embrace it. “If you want to bring some authenticity to your recognition of Juneteenth, educate yourself … That goes longer than a celebration,” Dr. David Anderson, a Black pastor and CEO of Gracism Global, said.

— By Terry Tan | June 18, 2024

Crystal Baziel holds the Pan-African flag Monday, June 19, 2023, during Reedy Chapel A.M.E Church's annual Juneteenth Family Fun Day, in Galveston, Texas. Many Americans are celebrating Juneteenth, marking the day in 1865 when the last enslaved people in the U.S. learned they were free. For generations, Black Americans have recognized the end of one of history's darkest chapters with joy, in the form of parades, street festivals, musical performances or cookouts. Jennifer Reynolds/The Galveston County Daily News via AP

For more than one-and-a-half centuries, the Juneteenth holiday has been sacred to many Black communities. It marks the day in 1865 enslaved people in Galveston, Texas found out they had been freed — after the end of the Civil War, and two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.

Since it was designated a federal holiday in 2021, Juneteenth has become more universally recognized beyond Black America. Many people get the day off work or school, and there are a plethora of street festivals, fairs, concerts and other events.

People who never gave the June 19 holiday more than a passing thought may be asking themselves, is there a “right” way to celebrate Juneteenth? For beginners and those brushing up on history, here are some answers:

Is Juneteenth a Solemn Day of Remembrance or More of a Party?

It just depends on what you want. Juneteenth festivities are rooted in cookouts and barbecues. In the beginnings of the holiday celebrated as Black Americans’ true Independence Day, the outdoors allowed for large, raucous reunions among formerly enslaved family, many of whom had been separated. The gatherings were especially revolutionary because they were free of restrictive measures, known as “Black Codes,” enforced in Confederate states, controlling whether liberated slaves could vote, buy property, gather for worship and other aspects of daily life.

Last week, the White House kicked things off early with a concert on the South Lawn for Juneteenth and Black Music Month. Singers Gladys Knight and Patti LaBelle were among the the lineup of well-known artists from gospel, rap, jazz and other genres. The atmosphere was primarily festive with Vice President Kamala Harris, the first Black vice president, dancing on stage with gospel singer Kirk Franklin.

Dancer Prescylia Mae, of Houston, performs during a dedication ceremony for the massive mural "Absolute Equality" in downtown Galveston, Texas, Saturday, June 19, 2021. The dedication of the mural, which chronicles the history and legacy of Black people in the United States, was one of several Juneteenth celebrations across the city. Stuart Villanueva/The Galveston County Daily News via AP

“Today as we celebrate Juneteenth, together we are reminded of the promise of America,” Harris said in opening remarks. “A promise of freedom, liberty and opportunity, not for some but for all. In many ways the story of Juneteenth and of our nation is a story of our ongoing fight to realize that promise.”

Others may choose to treat Juneteenth as a day of rest and remembrance. That can mean doing community service, attending an education panel or taking time off.

The important thing is to make people feel they have options on how to observe the occasion, said Dr. David Anderson, a Black Pastor and CEO of Gracism Global, a consulting firm helping leaders navigate conversations bridging divides across race and culture.

“Just like the Martin Luther King holiday, we say it’s a day of service and a lot of people will do things. There are a lot of other people who are just ‘I appreciate Dr. King, I’ll watch what’s on the television, and I’m gonna rest,’” Anderson said. “I don’t want to make people feel guilty about that. What I want to do is give everyday people a choice.”

What If You’ve Never Celebrated Juneteenth?

Anderson never did anything on Juneteenth in his youth. He didn’t learn about it until his 30s.

“I think many folks haven’t known about it — who are even my color as an African American male. Even if you heard about it and knew about it, you didn’t celebrate it,” Anderson said. “It was like just a part of history. It wasn’t a celebration of history.”

For many African Americans, the farther away from Texas that they grew up increased the likelihood they didn’t have big Juneteenth celebrations regularly. In the South, the day can vary based on when word of Emancipation reached each state.

What Kind of Public Juneteenth Events are Going on Around the Country?

Search online and you will find a smorgasbord of gatherings in major cities and suburbs all varying in scope and tone. Some are more carnival-esque festivals with food trucks, arts and crafts and parades. Within those festivals, you’ll likely find access to professionals in health care, finance and community resources. There also are concerts and fashion shows to highlight Black excellence and creativity. For those who want to look back, plenty of organizations and universities host panels to remind people of Juneteenth’s history.

For the first time since Juneteenth was federally recognized, the National Park Service is making entry into all sites free on the holiday. Several parks will be hosting Juneteenth commemorations this week.

President Joe Biden signs the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, June 17, 2021, in Washington. From left, Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif, Rep. Danny Davis, D-III., Opal Lee, Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., obscured, Vice President Kamala Harris, House Majority Whip James Clyburn of S.C., Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas. AP Photo/Evan Vucci

Are There Special Foods Served on Juneteenth?

Aside from barbecue, the color red has been a through line for Juneteenth food for generations. Red symbolizes the bloodshed and sacrifice of enslaved ancestors. A Juneteenth menu might incorporate items like barbecued ribs or other red meat, watermelon and red velvet cake. Drinks like fruit punch and red Kool-Aid may make an appearance at the table.

Does How You Celebrate Juneteenth Matter If You Aren’t Black?

Dr. Karida Brown, a Sociology Professor at Emory University whose research focuses on race, said there’s no reason to feel awkward about wanting to recognize Juneteenth just because you have no personal ties or you’re not Black. In fact, embrace it.

“I would reframe that and challenge my non-Black folks who want to lean into Juneteenth and celebrate,” Brown said. “It absolutely is your history. It absolutely is a part of your experience. ... Isn’t this all of our history? The good, the bad, the ugly, the story of emancipation and freedom for your Black brothers and sisters under the Constitution of the law.”

If you want to bring some authenticity to your recognition of Juneteenth, educate yourself. Attending a street festival or patronizing a Black-owned business is a good start but it also would be good to “make your mind better,” Anderson said.

“That goes longer than a celebration,” Anderson said. “I think Black people need to do it too because it’s new for us as well, in America. But for non-Black people, if they could read on this topic and read on Black history beyond Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks, that would show me that you’re really serious about growing in this area.”

If you’re struggling with how to “ethically” mark the day, Brown also suggested expanding your knowledge of why the holiday matters so much. That can be through reading, attending an event or going to an African American history museum if there’s one nearby.

“Have that full human experience of seeing yourself in and through the eyes of others, even if that’s not your own lived experience,” she said. “That is a radical human act that is awesome and should be encouraged and celebrated.”

Julien James carries his son, Maison, 4, holding a Pan-African flag to celebrate during a Juneteenth commemoration at Leimert Park in Los Angeles Saturday, June 18, 2022. Many Americans are celebrating Juneteenth, marking the day in 1865 when the last enslaved people in the U.S. learned they were free. For generations, Black Americans have recognized the end of one of history's darkest chapters with joy, in the form of parades, street festivals, musical performances or cookouts. AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes

What Are Other Names Used to Refer to Juneteenth?

Over the decades, Juneteenth has also been called Freedom Day, Emancipation Day, Black Fourth of July and Second Independence Day among others.

“Because 1776, Fourth of July, where we’re celebrating freedom and liberty and all of that, that did not include my descendants,” Brown said. “Black people in America were still enslaved. So that that holiday always comes with a bittersweet tinge to it.”

Is There a Proper Juneteenth Greeting?

It’s typical to wish people a “Happy Juneteenth” or “Happy Teenth,” according to Alan Freeman, a comedian organizing a Juneteenth comedy festival in Galveston, Texas for the second straight year.

“You know how at Christmas people will say ‘Merry Christmas’ to each other and not even know each other?” Freeman said. “You can get a ‘Merry Christmas’ from everybody. This is the same way.”

— Terry Tang Reports on Race and Ethnicity Issues, including Asian American and Pacific Islander Communities, for The Associated Press. She is based in Phoenix and previously covered breaking news in the Southwest.

[manleycollins]

Journal Entry #67 - Celebrating Another Year Around the Sun

JOURNAL ENTRY #67 Name: Manley M Collins Social Security Number: 5 7 9 – * * – 6 5 4 1 Date of Birth: 06/21 Place of Birth: Washington, District of Columbia Country of Birth: United States of America Date: May 1, 2021

TOPIC: Celebrating Another Year Around the Sun

I am working with Amtrak and Megabus scheduling trips to New York City on the regular so it was going to be a big celebration as usual. Boston Housing Authority had my hopes up as I had my interview and sent in the paperwork for a two bedroom apartment, but since I did not meet the requirements of the two bedroom (actually having two people), I was returned to the studio and one-bedroom waiting list. Boston Housing Authority had me get three Certificate of Homelessness.

I found Walmart….thank goodness.

I stayed at HI New York City for my 2021 birthday week in New York City. I went to Dave and Buster's Times Square. I went to the Juneteenth After Party with DJ Q at TimeOut Market New York, 5th Floor, 55 Water Street in DUMBO, Brooklyn.

I kept my Harvard University Extension School profile updated every time I filed my FAFSA.

I was involved with University of Phoenix Alumni Advocacy Network or Marketing, but I had to cease working with them until I found how life was going to help me use my doctoral degree.

I shared my graduation photos to help DeVry University celebrate its 90th anniversary.

I started encountering all types of service issues with Lyft's BlueBikes from smartphone app not working to bikes not docking to overcharging.

Strava and Nike were getting the craziest GPS maps of trips on everywhere I was going across Greater Boston on foot and bikes. I did use MBTA (T) public transportation when I am too far out or the day is very late in the evening/night.

I tried Apple TV+ trial subscription, but I actually found no content that I like.

UberEats and DoorDash started sending me on grocery runs or orders.

Therapy and Psychiatrist with Arbour Counseling Services topics were (Previous Journal topics - I just was repeating them to new people verbally)

Suspension from Federal Express work New routine Monday felt gravity and maybe bloatedness Lawsuits life crazy thoughts and pushed through while doing my workout Federal Express corporate doctor for Psychiatric/Psychological Evaluation #1 Want to beat up somebody at work (Federal Express) for not listening and not caring Talked to a long time friend Housing interview Walmart errand

On New York trip, Thursday evening, I had a panic attack at the Jane Hotel, which was a closed space in total darkness and 50 square feet. Nothing in my system except medicine. Question: Maybe close to family???? Slept with light on all other nights.

Traveling all over….other people are traveling….why life thought I was crazy?

Got a message while exploring the library to rebuild my music collection…just because I got the technology parts to do it.

Answers to complaint - Justice Dept heads to District Court - spoke to federal attorney

Release of information to Partners healthcare

US Dept Transportation tries to do mail security on trying not to send them anything through the mail or website.

Preparing to Commencement in Atlanta, Georgia

Photo shoot and social media - felt good buying and putting on MAC Cosmetics and beard dye.

Saw movie Moonlight and Waves on Showtime TV.

Feeling heavy like gravity trying to pull me to the floor.

Reminiscencing over stuff and events during my 30s through YouTube

New individual met in person

Good week overall

Not watching a lot of television and movies

Civil suit results

Birthday weekend in New York City

Blog and Picture release

Southampton Lawsuit BPHC

Fitness Gym

Upcoming Doctor's appointment

Saw a Federal Express colleague yesterday while on a DoorDash or UberEats run and it was kind of awkward

Rough sleep last night assuming based on lawsuit, NYC, and picture release.

Finished Mango Languages (learning French) provided through District of Columbia Public Library. Purchased Busuu language app subscription through the Apple store to continue French language learning.

Met with Psychiatrist

Lost emails and email cleansing on all major accounts.

Picture releasing and storytelling

Hospital emergency room visit for strained muscle or lymph node or hernia.

First time seeing Boston's Fourth of July fireworks from Boston Common

Came to Boston to not be bothered, but folks are doing, "don't listen, don't care."

Colon cancer screening Responses to civil suit Laundry Walmart Unexpected income Apple unexpected transaction Federal Express Calm week Emotional in the beginning Email cleansing Doctor's Appointment

Other topics from Summer of 2021:

I had United Healthcare with Federal Express for medical care and it was accepted by Massachusetts General Hospital. However, I never understood behind the scenes what was happening with MassHealth (BMC Community Health Plan now WellSense) and United Healthcare. I got a new MGH Primary Care Physician and Psychiatrist.

I sent a physical card to my ex-girlfriend for the passing of her mother. She is happily married and her children are doing well.

I was trying to schedule professional photography session because my University of Phoenix commencement was coming up in Atlanta, Georgia. Initially, it was Joe Henson, but he closed the New York City studio so I ended up with Beaupix in Burlington, Massachusetts. During the process, I discovered hennaking . com had a plant-based beard dye and beard or moustache care. I did repurchase and got update on getting my MAC Cosmetics foundation and concealer.

For UberEats and DoorDash, I saw that I needed to purchase a powerbank for my Apple iPhone because I always had to end my day when my phone dies.

I researched Boston nightclubs by TimeOut and Google.

After Federal Express suspension, they sent me in the direction of Paid Medical Leave while on Leave of Absence. Federal Express tried to do Suspension with Pay, but that was short lived….James "Jim" McSweeney took or hold badge. Gary, another new manager, took cellphone locker key. I had to sign a document to see corporate doctor for Center of Cognitive Wellness. I was assigned to a Health Human Capital Management Federal Express person - Cynthia "Cindy" Roten. I ended up applying for Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) with Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave. I got denied, then I appealed, and I got approved for a specified time period. I am still on United Healthcare.

I booked my flight with Delta Airlines, rented a car with Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and lodged at Marriott Towne Suites. See photoblogs and tweets for media.

I had the opportunity to apply for Lifeline or the America Rescue Plan for my telephone and data or network plan. I got denied initially due to my address so I had to work the information through AT&T. AT&T knows I will pay whatever price for dependable, reliable, and quality service…yes, 90% of my telecommunications experience, I always purchase the highest cost plan. I believe this is due to having a professional background in telecommunications and educated through my degrees regarding telecommunications.

I sent information to TLC TV Dr. Pimple Popper / Dr. Lee for the small mole on my back for Season Two (2). I never got to audition or feedback on the information sent.

I started researching new places to eat (when I was eating every meal). I saw the Haley House. I went to Haley House, but the food was super heavy food - rice, beans, eggs, etc. for breakfast.

I attended Shakespeare in the Common supporting Commonwealth Shakespeare Company 25th Anniversary play named the The Tempest. It was good. Weather cooperated well. I even talked to a young lady from Arizona.

I was scheduling appointments to use the computer at the Boston Public Library.

I met a friend and went to J.P. Licks, then walked the park from Boston to Cambridge to Beacon Hill in circle.

I was attended virtual service with First Baptist Church of the City of Washington, DC.

I donated street money to Pine Street Inn, St. Francis House, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Boston Police Foundation.

[remotecog]

Christmas Day 2022 is For Good, For Success & Enjoy

Source: remotecog.com

Christmas Day 2022 is the biggest festival for Christians. The Christmas season falls in all the Christian communities around the world in December. Like every year, Christmas 2022 will be filled with many amazing events and shopping offers. This article will expose what is waiting for you. Christmas Day 2022 will gather in different countries including America, France, Australia, and Canada.

Are you thinking about how to spend the upcoming big day holiday? There is no reason to worry at all. I can give you a guide on what to do during the Christmas holiday.

No doubt, the entire month of December might be filled with parties & many more joyful moments. But whatever you do, share it with family and loved ones. You can enjoy Christmas a little more.

Christmas Day 2022 is a federal holiday in the USA. So, deals are open on hotels, flights & stores. Let’s enjoy it.

When is Christmas Day 2022? Is It Bank Holiday?

25th December 2022

Before the start of December, the mood of the festival starts all over the world. Especially in the Christian community, a festival mood is observed much more. Christmas falls on December 25 every year. Preparations for the celebration begin a month in advance.

Christmas is celebrated on December 25th every year. Although the date of Christmas 25th December is correct every year. The day (Saturday, Sunday, etc.) does not remain the same. Christmas 2022 is Sunday according to the calendar this year. The day may be any one of the weeks but the Christmas date is fixed as 25th December.

Many changes made to the 2022 and 2023 bank holidays in the federal states. This change was made as some public holidays fall on weekends (Sundays).

So Christmas 2022 moved to another day instead of 25th December. Many people doubt whether December 25 will be observed as a bank holiday. No doubt December 25 is not a bank holiday.

When is Christmas Bank Holiday 2022 in USA?

Usually, December 25th is a bank holiday in the United States. However, since December 25, 2022, is a Sunday, this day has been excluded as a bank holiday.

Why is December 25 not a bank holiday in the US? The reason is very simple. 25th December is not considered a bank holiday this year mainly due to two reasons. Firstly, 25th December is Christmas Day which is a public holiday. The second 25th of December is a Sunday which is a weekly public holiday.

For these two reasons, the Christmas bank holiday 2022 in the USA moved to 26th December. 

11 Federal Bank Holidays 2022 in the US

Federal Reserve Bank and American National Bank publish bank holiday schedules. The list is published on American Bank‘s website. According to the list, these 11 dates is federal states bank holiday. 

1 January, Saturday: New Year’s Day.

17 January, Monday: Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

21 February, Monday: President’s Day.

30 May, Monday: Memorial Day.

20 June, Monday: Juneteenth.

4 July, Monday: Independence Day.

5 September, Monday: Labor Day.

10 October, Monday: Columbus Day.

11 November, Friday: Veterans Day.

24 November, Thursday: Thanksgiving Day.

26 December, Monday: Christmas Day.

History of Christmas Day

Christmas Day 2022 is an annual Christian festival. This festival is celebrated on the occasion of the birthday of Jesus Christ on 25 December. It is not known whether this day is the actual birthday of Jesus. According to early Christian belief, Jesus entered Mary’s womb exactly nine months before this date.

According to this calculation, the date 25 December is considered as the date of Jesus’ birth. But there is another opinion too. Alternatively, the birthday of Jesus Christ is considered a historical Roman festival.

Although Christmas Day is a Christian observance by nature. But many non-Christian communities also celebrate Christmas in mass now. In some cases, the organization also discusses pre-Christian and secular ideas. Christmas Day 2022 is no exception.

Gift-giving, music, Christmas card exchanges, and church worship are the most popular traditions. Displays of Christmas trees, lights, garlands, and holly are all part of modern Christmas celebrations.

In some countries, the legend of Father Christmas is a very known character. He is popular for giving gifts to children. Father Christmas is famous as Santa Claus in North America, Australia, and Ireland.

Chrysostom has a long history. So I published it here in short form. The detailed history of Christmas will be presented to you in another blog.

Where Did Christmas Come From Originally?

When did Christmas start? There is a difference of opinion on this matter. The history of Christmas is also varied across countries, races, and regions. Not only that, Christmas is not celebrated on the same day in all regions.

In Western countries, people’s death days are given more importance than their birthdays. This distinction arises because Christmas refers to the birthday of Jesus Christ.

Now Christmas Day 2022 is being celebrated around the world. Christmas Day is celebrated on 25th December in most countries of the world. I will try to give the original idea of modern Christmas. This idea is based on the brief historical tradition of celebrating Christmas.

How did the Romans celebrate Christmas Day?

December 25 is the Christmas Day 2022. Let’s go back 300 years. Christmas was still celebrated then. At the end of the Roman Empire, their religion was Christianity. It was introduced by Emperor Constantine during his reign.

Before that, the religion of the Roman Empire was paganism. They had many gods and goddesses. They had different gods for every aspect of their lives.

Each of the gods ruled over certain subjects. Neptune was their sea god, as was Mars. Minerva was the goddess of wisdom and war tactics.

Zeus was the king of all gods. Zeus was the god of the sky. They did not believe in Jesus Christ as God. So, the Romans did not celebrate Christmas.

At that time in midwinter, they celebrated a religious festival like their own. It was not Jesus’ birthday. They celebrated Sternalia. Sternalia was like Christmas to the people of Rome.

They considered Saturn as the one-time ruler of the earth. The Romans celebrated Saturnalia for Saturn. Saturn was considered the father of Neptune and Jupiter. Similarly, Saturn was considered the grandfather of Minerva and Mars.

All arrangements were still pretty much the same as modern Christmas. At that time all educational institutions were declared closed Like Christmas Day 2022.

Some believe that Christmas Day originated from this idea. There are many concepts like Romans. Many regions or different ethnic groups also practice that concept. Again another class considers that as the origin of Christmas.

Different dates are associated with these different concepts. But the most popular is 25th December which is celebrated in most countries of the world.

What Do People Do On Christmas?

Joy in the festival is unlimited. There is no rule of thumb as to what you can and can’t do. There are also no set rules for what you should and shouldn’t do. But whatever you do, let it be for good. Be it for yourself or others.

Holiday Parade

Join the Holiday Parade during the Christmas holidays. This is a great opportunity to enjoy this special holiday season with joy. Why only the 4th of July holiday parade?

The streets of small towns like Middleburg, Virginia have many events during holidays. Many celebrities are also present there. Join them in the parade and have a great time.

Christmas 2022 Shopping

You Can go holiday shopping for Christmas day 2022. On the occasion of Christmas, there are huge discounts on shopping. Stores are too busy at this time. Christmas shopping starts in early December.

Stores also sell products at special discounts on Christmas shopping. It follows Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

You can do some inexpensive shopping for you and your loved ones before Christmas. Both online and offline stores also have various offers during this time.

Traveling

Get away from nature at Christmas to make the holiday memorable. It will also make an amazing holiday, both mind and body will be good. Where to travel on the Christmas holiday 2022?

Top 10 places to travel during Christmas 2022 in the USA

New York

Asheville, North Carolina

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Charleston, South Carolina

Newport Beach, California

Whitefish, Montana

Chicago, Illinois

Park City, Utah

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Charlotte, North Carolina

Christmas Day at Disney World

On the occasion of Christmas, Disney World is getting ready with various events. Various events at different Disney parks. You can visit these places with your family and loved ones and enjoy your vacation.

Click the button below to know the details of Disney World events.

Christmas Disney Words

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Who Is Santa Claus?

Santa Claus is an ancient symbolic figure of Christmas. Santa Claus is called the Father of Christmas. This character is especially known in almost all countries for giving gifts to children.

Why Is It Called Christmas day?

Christmas Day usually means December 25th. But even a December 25 on the calendar page has a definite history. Christians believe that Jesus Christ was born on December 25. Therefore, the birthday of Christ they celebrate is called Christmas.

Do People Go To Church On Christmas Day?

No! Now few people go to church on Christmas. Once upon a time, people used to go to church on Christmas Eve to pray for the birth of Christ. They would light candles and pray there, pushing the crowd in thick piles. After the prayer, they exchanged greetings with each other. But nowadays Christmas is just for fun, entertainment, movies, and Disney World. Now, most churches are closed on Christmas Eve.

[yasbxxgie]

Twenty-eight years ago, famed science-fiction author Octavia Butler published her apocalyptically prescient bestselling novel Parable of the Sower, which illustrated what America would look like when climate change, economic instability, and a white Evangelical Christian fascist movement took hold and converged.

Sound familiar?

The eeriest part about this novel is the way in which cultural and political norms were slowly erased. There was no major war, no invasion; instead, a sense of collective lethargy set in across the nation, and things went from bad to worse. Religious fundamentalism seized the country, slavery was reintroduced, water was scarce, and all the social safety nets that the government once provided were rolled back in favor of privatization. If you could afford police protection, health care, the creation of roads and bridges, great—if not, you were out of luck. Butler was clearly ahead of her time. She combined her brilliant imagination with a keen understanding of human behavior to illustrate where the U.S.A. was headed if we continued our ostrich behavior of sticking our heads in the sand and pretending that what was unfolding before our eyes wasn’t happening.

Right now, America as we have come to understand it is unraveling. In this radically new normal world, doctors and health care workers are accosted for trying to keep the public safe, poll workers are threatened for counting votes, anyone who aides a pregnant person seeking an abortion in Texas can be sued, mass shootings are commonplace, and historic climate events are happening weekly. Former Secretary of State Madeline Albright famously said regarding fascism, “If you pluck a chicken one feather at a time, people don’t notice it. So I am concerned about chicken plucking.”

We all should be very concerned.

Contrary to what people think, America’s democratic erosion didn’t begin with Donald Trump; it began with the birth of the Tea Party as a response to a Black man having the audacity to think he could be president. It was the first time in modern history when White Americans were demanding to see the president’s birth certificate because in their minds even though Black Americans were brought here by their ancestors and built this nation, we certainly didn’t have a claim to it — let alone be permitted to run it.

President Barack Obama wanted to believe in the best of Americans as opposed to the reality of who they truly are. Better put: Obama is who America aspires to be while Trumpism is who America is and sadly has always been.

We are a country that made Juneteenth a federal holiday while criminalizing the teaching of critical race theory. We are a country that goes around the world scolding underdeveloped nations about democracy and women’s rights while refusing to pay women in this country equal to men and disallowing people with uteruses to make decisions about their own bodies. We’re a country wrought with blatant contradictions and saddled with elected officials who spend their energy gaslighting the public into believing all is okay and that if you just use paper straws and vote, all will continue to be well.

The reality is much starker.

Under Democratic presidents and congresses, we have witnessed the gutting of the Voting Rights Act, the demolition of Roe v. Wade, and a rise in White supremacist groups. As our country grapples with multiple climate disasters, we have Democrats like Joe Manchin who are “uncomfortable with climate language” in a historic infrastructure bill and actively deny Black and Brown Americans access to the ballot in favor of upholding the filibuster. You see, it’s too easy to just slap the blame of where we are right now on Republicans and Republicans alone. The reality is that you teach people how to treat you, and most people will do their worst if unchecked — insert Trump’s criminal presidency and the January 6 insurrection as examples.

Like children, politicians need boundaries and accountability; otherwise, they will run amok.

The 243-year American experiment is facing an existential threat like we have never seen before. Voting alone will not save us. We turned out in record numbers during a pandemic, and instead of celebrating our resilience, Republicans are punishing Americans for daring to believe they have a voice in their democracy.

How can you change what you refuse to face? How can you build tactics for what you choose to willfully ignore because the reality is just too hard to swallow? Democracy isn’t stagnant. If done correctly, it evolves as often as the people do. It expands. It grows.

America is changing. The ground we once thought was stable is shifting beneath our feet. It’s scary and it’s painful like all births, but we must push through if we are to survive. Lauren Olamina, the heroine in Butler’s Parable series, said this, “All that you touch you change. All that you change changes you. The only lasting truth is change. God is change.” What we change into, however, is still very much up to us, but only if we take our heads out of the sand and decide to get to work.

[alt|h/t]

[themeatlife]

The Tightrope of Being Asian American

I’m not sure how much sense I’m going to make, so bear with me.

Let me start by saying that the events of the March 16 Atlanta spa killings shook me a little bit.  Six of the eight that were murdered at those shops were of Asian descent.  And all three shops that were attacked were Asian-owned.  Combine that with the rising wave of hate against Asians and Asian Americans in the past year, things aren’t very safe for the Asian communities in America right now.  In fact, a report from Stop AAPI Hate, a group dedicated to raising awareness to hate crimes against those of the AAPI community, states there were almost 3800 reported instances of harassment, discrimination, and assaults against those in this community.  And that only represents a fraction of the actual number of cases around the country.  Before the attack in Atlanta, much of the physical violence were against elderly Asian Americans.  But as much as that was disturbing, it wasn’t a murderous rampage.  Until now.

I’m not going to deep dive into the motive behind the attack in Atlanta.  You can try to justify his reasoning all you want, or say that he was “having a bad day.”  All I’ll say is if you go in and shoot up only Asian-owned businesses, obviously there is some sort of resentment or racism built in there.  And if the suspect cites sexual addiction as a motive, then the sexualization of Asian women has something to do with the killing.

There is a history of targeting Asians in the United States.  There are some things not covered in history class.  Some of the biggest: Asian immigrants were characterized as the “yellow peril” in the back half of the 19th Century.  The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and later the Asian immigrant ban in the 1924 Johnson-Reed Act were the results of this paranoia against Asians (and ultimately kept Asian populations in the United States low and drove some to establish enclaves like Chinatowns in American cities).  These weren’t repealed until the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965.  This is stuff I actually had to look up on my own, I didn’t learn a lot about this in school.  And probably the worst offense in American history (and actually has been covered to some extent in public schools) is the Japanese-American internment during World War II.

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But even more recently, former President Trump and his anti-Asian rhetoric.  I’m going to try and not turn this into a Trump bashing blog post, but if you don’t see anything wrong with the former President calling COVID-19 the “Chinese Virus,” or don’t see how racist calling it “Kung Flu” is, or how concerning it was for Trump to direct his ire toward an Asian American member of the press, then you are turning a blind eye to what is happening as a result of these words.  Reported anti-Asian hate crimes don’t increase nearly 150% year over year simply because of the pandemic alone.  Words matter and people take their cues from the top.

All of this is in stark contrast to this “model minority” myth perpetuated about those of East Asian and South Asian descent.  A myth not only dangerous in pitting other racial groups against the Asian community, but also pitting low and working class Asian Americans against their middle and upper class cohorts.  That somehow Asians in lower income brackets are not as hard working or deserving.  A view that more than likely influenced that man in Atlanta.

On a more personal level, it has been a struggle.  I love this country.  This is where I was born and raised.  This country is what I know.  And yet it has been a constant push to prove not only that I am from here but that I belong here.  It’s one thing for an eight year old to ask me “where are you from?” in elementary school and expect me to respond with an Asian country.  It’s another thing for a grown adult to ask the same questions and expect a similar answer.  And when I reply with “Oklahoma” there is this initial shock.  So I’m not supposed to be from Oklahoma?  “Where are you really from?"  When this happens I start to flash back to growing up, when people would make fun of my eyes or mockingly use Asian racial slurs. A more recent example that brought me back to this, when the Birther conspiracy against former President Obama permeated.  So a minority president has to prove how American he is?  Even though his birth mother was an American citizen when she gave birth to him?  I was born in Hawaii and don’t have a “long-form” birth certificate (that I know of), does that make me less American?  Do I have to constantly prove I belong here?

Moving forward, where do we go from here?  What do we do?  This is a good reference.  But to start, report stuff you see happening.  Not just against the Asian community but for whoever might be on the receiving end of violence and injustice.  

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For me, my wife and I have always taught our kids that if you see something, say something.  In the early summer last year in the wake of the killing of George Floyd and to explain some of the protests happening in this country, we tried to give our kids a little extra education.  We watched documentaries with them about Juneteenth, the Tulsa Race Massacre, and some of the history of race discrimination in general in America.  We had some difficult conversations and (I hope) we provided some perspective for them.  We wanted them to recognize some of the injustices but also to be able to tell when something is going south.  They don’t bring up any of their own personal instances or don’t talk about any of them so (hopefully) they aren’t going through some of the things that we went through growing up.  Or maybe they are just better at handling them than we are.  I think the biggest thing is attacking discrimination and racism for the next generation.  Maybe we can’t get to the current or past generations, but if we get to these younger generations maybe we can make a difference for the future.

For you non-Asian folks that may be reading this, check on your Asian American friends. Right now is a very vulnerable time.

Be well, everyone.

[phroyd]

TULSA — Six members of the advance team preparing to staff President Trump’s rally here Saturday tested positive for the coronavirus, underscoring concerns about holding a massive indoor event in a city where cases are spiking.

The campaign made that announcement, saying quarantine procedures had gone into effect for the infected staff members and those in “immediate contact" with them, as hundreds of supporters filled downtown streets in anticipation of the president’s rally — his first since the virus brought much of public life to a standstill in March.

Upon entering the rally grounds, attendees were handed blue face coverings and directed through a maze of metal fencing, which led to a touchless temperature screening conducted by volunteers in purple smocks.

City police erected black fencing and other barriers around the 19,000-seat BOK Center, a private venue leased by the Trump campaign. Shortly before noon, the campaign directed officers to arrest a protester who had sat down within the barricaded zone, according to the police department.

The protester, Sheila Buck of Tulsa, said she had a ticket to the event. She was wearing a shirt that read, “I can’t breathe," among the final words uttered by George Floyd as a police officer in Minneapolis knelt on his neck.

Adding to the fortified atmosphere, about 250 National Guard soldiers were on hand to supplement local authorities. Some were armed after the threat level was elevated, said Lt. Col. Geoff Legler, a spokesman for the Guard. Initially, the plan was to equip them only with batons, shields and pepper spray.

The president is heading to Tulsa at a precarious moment for his presidency. Recent polls show him trailing former vice president Joe Biden nationally and in a number of critical swing states, suggesting he has suffered politically from his handling of the coronavirus — which has killed more than 120,000 Americans — and his response to roiling demonstrations over racial injustice and police brutality triggered by Floyd’s killing last month.

The protests and the pandemic collided with Trump’s visit to Tulsa, where the number of new coronavirus cases continues to mount. The county reported 136 new cases on Saturday — marking another high for both single-day and average cases — while the state as a whole reported 331 new infections.

Most police officers, National Guard soldiers, food vendors and the vast majority of people in line chose not to wear face coverings, though Trump-branded masks dotted the crowd. The Confederate flag also appeared — all the more striking because Oklahoma was not a state at the time of the Civil War.

Margene Dunivant and her son Christian Lynch, both of Tulsa, sat on the edge of the crowd, taking in the scene.

“Everybody here is just full-on American and American Dream and hard-working, and just believes in everything America,” said Dunivant, 52. “Nowadays, it’s like you put on a Trump shirt and you’re considered racist, and it’s just wrong. We’re good people, and we love everybody."

A clashing view was also on display in Tulsa, where counteractions were planned with such names as “Dump the Trump Rally” and “Rally Against Hate.” Antipathy to the president — and objections to his insistence on gathering thousands of people indoors for a campaign event — fused with the outpouring for Juneteenth, the holiday celebrating freedom for enslaved black people.

“It’s irresponsible to say the least,” said Mareo Johnson, a pastor and the founder of Black Lives Matter Tulsa. His organization was involved in organizing a Saturday demonstration at John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park, less than a mile from the president’s rally.

His message to the city’s black residents, he said, was, “Stay focused on what Juneteenth represents.”

The commemoration held added significance in Tulsa, a city scarred by racist violence in 1921, when a white mob killed an estimated 300 black residents and devastated an area of the city known at the time as “Black Wall Street.” The Tulsa Race Massacre unfolded in the Greenwood neighborhood, where the words “Black Lives Matter” were painted on a road in bright yellow paint on Friday.

The events — freighted with political and historical meaning — turned the city into a magnet, leaving epidemiologists and public health officials fearful about the spread of the virus.

Susan Schoonover and her husband Brian said they woke up at 3 a.m. to drive the 15 miles from their home in Glenpool, Okla. Standing in line to see Trump, Schoonover sparkled in a tutu, tube socks and a red, white and blue head piece, clad for her first Trump rally. The pair purchased a cardboard cutout of Trump from Amazon to display in line, and they said it has been a hit with other attendees.

The parents of four left their children at home “just in case,” they said, citing recent unrest in cities across the country. As for the pandemic, they did not discount the threat of the coronavirus and planned to take some precautions. If they were to contract the virus, however, “it’s not a death sentence,” they said, because both are in their early 30s. Older people with underlying medical conditions are especially vulnerable, but young adults have also been badly sickened, including by an inflammatory syndrome linked to covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

Robin Wilson, 64, said she was not concerned about contracting the virus inside the stadium despite a heart condition that put her in a wheelchair two years ago.

“I’m here because I love my president,” said Wilson, who used to work in insurance, “and I feel that he’s misrepresented by the mainstream media. And I believe that this is history in the making today, and I wanted to be a part of it.”

Brian Clothier, 61, found a more eye-catching way to illustrate his view of possible risks from the coronavirus. He wore an adult diaper over his pants, where he placed a sign saying the underwear would “stop the spread,” in a reference to the disputed notion that flatulence can be linked to coronavirus transmission.

By early Saturday, lines had formed around three major entrances to the arena, and state troopers and tactical teams in military-style fatigues were massing at the conference center across the street on the southwestern side of the downtown stadium.

The event was able to proceed after the Oklahoma Supreme Court on Friday rejected a bid to require the BOK Center to enforce social distancing guidelines spelled out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and endorsed by members of the president’s own coronavirus task force. The campaign said it would hand out masks but not require them.

The Trump campaign had originally scheduled the rally for Friday, Juneteenth, but postponed a day following an outcry. The president, after admitting not to have known about the significance of June 19 for many African Americans, claimed in an interview with the Wall Street Journal to have made it “famous.” Some feared the one-day delay would not prevent conflict.

“My fear is that we will see Charlottesville 2.0 in Tulsa,” said Karlos K. Hill, chair of the African and African American studies department at the University of Oklahoma, referring to the deadly “Unite the Right” rally in 2017.

In addition to crowds gathered for the rally and Juneteenth activities, an estimated 4,500 people were expected at an exposition space across town for the Oklahoma Gun Show and the Spring Home and Outdoor Living Expo. Discover Tulsa advertised the chance to see more than “70,000 square feet of guns this weekend."

Trump on Friday threatened protesters preparing to greet him in Tulsa, warning on Twitter: “Any protesters, anarchists, agitators, looters or lowlifes who are going to Oklahoma, please understand, you will not be treated like you have been in New York, Seattle or Minneapolis. It will be a much different scene!”

The Trump campaign has repeatedly touted figures suggesting as many as 1 million people have signed up for the event, vastly outstripping the arena’s capacity.

A curfew that had been in place Thursday was rescinded for Friday night after discussions between Trump and Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum (R), who has called the president’s decision to hold the event in his city a “tremendous honor” while declining to attend it. The state’s Republican governor, Kevin Stitt, has embraced the president’s move, saying of concerns about the coronavirus, “We’ve got to learn to deal with this,” while his health commissioner warned in a statement this week that “individuals looking to attend Saturday’s event, or any other large-scale gathering, will face an increased risk of becoming infected with covid-19 and becoming a transmitter of this novel virus.”

Though there was no curfew in place Friday, a “secure zone” was established around the site of the rally to “keep the area clear of individuals that are only present to break the law and disrupt the rights of people assembling peacefully,” according to the Tulsa Police Department.

Andrea Anderson, an FBI spokeswoman in Oklahoma City, said the Bureau was supplying investigative resources to state and local partners to “ensure public safety and security.”

Phroyd

[seriousbusinessforhumans]

©JUNETEENTH.com

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. Note that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation - which had become official January 1, 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on the Texans due to the minimal number of Union troops to enforce the new Executive Order. However, with the surrender of General Lee in April of 1865, and the arrival of General Granger’s regiment, the forces were finally strong enough to influence and overcome the resistance.

Later attempts to explain this two and a half year delay in the receipt of this important news have yielded several versions that have been handed down through the years. Often told is the story of a messenger who was murdered on his way to Texas with the news of freedom. Another is that the news was deliberately withheld by the enslavers to maintain the labor force on the plantations. And still another is that federal troops actually waited for the slave owners to reap the benefits of one last cotton harvest before going to Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation. All of which, or none of these versions could be true. Certainly, for some, President Lincoln's authority over the rebellious states was in question.  Whatever the reasons, conditions in Texas remained status quo well beyond what was statutory.

General Order Number 3

One of General Granger’s first orders of business was to read to the people of Texas, General Order Number 3 which began most significantly with:

"The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer."

The reactions to this profound news ranged from pure shock to immediate jubilation. While many lingered to learn of this new employer to employee relationship, many left before these offers were completely off the lips of their former 'masters' - attesting to the varying conditions on the plantations and the realization of freedom. Even with nowhere to go, many felt that leaving the plantation would be their first grasp of freedom. North was a logical destination and for many it represented true freedom, while the desire to reach family members in neighboring states drove some into Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma. Settling into these new areas as free men and women brought on new realities and the challenges of establishing a heretofore non-existent status for black people in America. Recounting the memories of that great day in June of 1865 and its festivities would serve as motivation as well as a release from the growing pressures encountered in their new territories. The celebration of June 19th was coined "Juneteenth" and grew with more participation from descendants. The Juneteenth celebration was a time for reassuring each other, for praying and for gathering remaining family members. Juneteenth continued to be highly revered in Texas decades later, with many former slaves and descendants making an annual pilgrimage back to Galveston on this date.

Juneteenth Festivities and Food

A range of activities were provided to entertain the masses, many of which continue in tradition today. Rodeos, fishing, barbecuing and baseball are just a few of the typical Juneteenth activities you may witness today. Juneteenth almost always focused on education and self improvement. Thus, often guest speakers are brought in and the elders are called upon to recount the events of the past. Prayer services were also a major part of these celebrations.

Certain foods became popular and subsequently synonymous with Juneteenth celebrations such as strawberry soda-pop. More traditional and just as popular was the barbecuing, through which Juneteenth participants could share in the spirit and aromas that their ancestors - the newly emancipated African Americans, would have experienced during their ceremonies. Hence, the barbecue pit is often established as the center of attention at Juneteenth celebrations.

Food was abundant because everyone prepared a special dish. Meats such as lamb, pork and beef which were not available everyday were brought on this special occasion. A true Juneteenth celebrations left visitors well satisfied and with enough conversation to last until the next.

Dress was also an important element in early Juneteenth customs and is often still taken seriously, particularly by the direct descendants who can make the connection to this tradition's roots. During slavery there were laws on the books in many areas that prohibited or limited the dressing of the enslaved. During the initial days of the emancipation celebrations, there are accounts of former slaves tossing their ragged garments into the creeks and rivers and adorning themselves with clothing taken from the plantations belonging to their former 'masters'.

Juneteenth and Society

In the early years, little interest existed outside the African American community in participation in the celebrations. In some cases, there was outwardly exhibited resistance by barring the use of public property for the festivities. Most of the festivities found themselves out in rural areas around rivers and creeks that could provide for additional activities such as fishing, horseback riding and barbecues. Often church grounds were the site for such activities. Eventually, as African Americans became land owners, land was donated and dedicated for these festivities. One of the earliest documented land purchases in the name of Juneteenth was organized by Rev. Jack Yates. This fund-raising effort yielded $1000 and made possible the purchase of Emancipation Park in Houston, Texas. In Mexia, the local Juneteenth organization purchased Booker T. Washington Park, which had become the Juneteenth celebration site in 1898. There are accounts of Juneteenth activities being interrupted and halted by white landowners demanding that their laborers return to work. However, it seems most allowed their workers the day off and some even made donations of food and money. For decades these annual celebrations flourished, growing continuously with each passing year. In Booker T. Washington Park, as many as 20,000 African Americans once attended during the course of a week, making the celebration one of the state’s largest.

Juneteenth Celebrations Decline

Economic and cultural forces led to a decline in Juneteenth activities and participants beginning in the early 1900’s. Classroom and textbook education in lieu of traditional home and family-taught practices stifled the interest of the youth due to less emphasis and detail on the lives of former slaves. Classroom textbooks proclaimed Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863 as the date signaling the ending of slavery - and mentioned little or nothing of the impact of General Granger’s arrival on June 19th.

The Depression forced many people off the farms and into the cities to find work. In these urban environments, employers were less eager to grant leaves to celebrate this date. Thus, unless June 19th fell on a weekend or holiday, there were very few participants available. July 4th was already the established Independence holiday and a rise in patriotism steered more toward this celebration.

Resurgence

The Civil Rights movement of the 50’s and 60’s yielded both positive and negative results for the Juneteenth celebrations. While it pulled many of the African American youth away and into the struggle for racial equality, many linked these struggles to the historical struggles of their ancestors. This was evidenced by student demonstrators involved in the Atlanta civil rights campaign in the early 1960’s, who wore Juneteenth freedom buttons. Again in 1968, Juneteenth received another strong resurgence through the Poor Peoples March to Washington D.C. Rev. Ralph Abernathy’s call for people of all races, creeds, economic levels and professions to come to Washington to show support for the poor. Many of these attendees returned home and initiated Juneteenth celebrations in areas previously absent of such activities. In fact, two of the largest Juneteenth celebrations founded after this March are now held in Milwaukee and Minneapolis.

Texas Blazes the Trail

On January 1, 1980, Juneteenth became an official state holiday through the efforts of Al Edwards, an African American state legislator. The successful passage of this bill marked Juneteenth as the first emancipation celebration granted official state recognition.  Edwards has since actively sought to spread the observance of Juneteenth all across America.

Juneteenth In Modern Times

Today, Juneteenth is enjoying a phenomenal growth rate within communities and organizations throughout the country. Institutions such as the Smithsonian, the Henry Ford Museum and others have begun sponsoring Juneteenth-centered activities. In recent years, a number of local and national Juneteenth organizations have arisen to take their place along side older organizations - all with the mission to promote and cultivate knowledge and appreciation of African American history and culture.

Juneteenth today, celebrates African American freedom and achievement, while encouraging continuous self-development and respect for all cultures. As it takes on a more national, symbolic and even global perspective, the events of 1865 in Texas are not forgotten, for all of the roots tie back to this fertile soil from which a national day of pride is growing.

The future of Juneteenth looks bright as the number of cities and states creating Juneteenth committees continues to increase. Respect and appreciation for all of our differences grow out of exposure and working together. Getting involved and supporting Juneteenth celebrations creates new bonds of friendship and understanding among us. This indeed brightens our future - and that is the Spirit of Juneteenth.

History of Juneteenth ©JUNETEENTH.com

[disillusioned41]

Democracy Now! Jun 12, 2020 

Uprising & Abolition: Angela Davis on Movement Building, “Defund the Police” & Where We Go from Here

The uprising against police brutality and anti-Black racism continues to sweep across the United States and countries around the world, forcing a reckoning in the halls of power and on the streets. The mass protests following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25 have dramatically shifted public opinion on policing and systemic racism, as “defund the police” becomes a rallying cry of the movement. We discuss the historic moment with legendary scholar and activist Angela Davis. “One never knows when conditions may give rise to a conjuncture such as the current one that rapidly shifts popular consciousness and suddenly allows us to move in the direction of radical change,” she says. “The intensity of these current demonstrations cannot be sustained over time, but we will have to be ready to shift gears and address these issues in different arenas.”

Democracy Now! Jun 12, 2020 

Angela Davis: Toppling of Confederate Statues Reflects Reckoning with Slavery & Historical Racism

The destruction and removal of racist monuments in cities across the United States during recent weeks is part of an overdue reckoning with “historical racisms that have brought us to the point where we are today,” Angela Davis says. “Racism should have been immediately confronted in the aftermath of the end of slavery.” 

Democracy Now! Jun 12, 2020 

Angela Davis Slams Trump Rally in Tulsa, Massacre Site, on Juneteenth Celebration of End of Slavery

President Trump will resume holding indoor campaign events starting with a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on June 19, a day known as Juneteenth, that celebrates African Americans’ liberation from slavery. The rally also falls on the 99th anniversary of the Tulsa race riots, one of the worst acts of racial violence in U.S. history, in which white residents killed hundreds of their African American neighbors. Legendary scholar Angela Davis says it’s important to recognize that Trump “represents a sector of a population in this country that wants to return to the past … with all of its white supremacy, with all of its misogyny.” Given the historic uprising against racism and state violence, “We cannot be held back by such forces as those represented by the current occupant of the White House,” she says. 

[eabhaalynn]

Punisher and Why it is my Album of the Year... Already

Every few years, we come across a singer-songwriter who is so devastatingly assured in their talent that they come to be generation defining. Their songs are synonymous with the era they’re written in, with the themes they discuss. Names like Bob Dylan, Stevie Nicks, and Amy Winehouse come to mind. This weeks’ release of “Punisher,” the sophomore album by Californian indie-rock icon Phoebe Bridgers has solidified her name on that list.

From her first note of her first album ‘Stranger in the Alps’ in 2017, we could see -or perhaps more fittingly, hear- that Phoebe is a force to be reckoned with. Her distinctive, haunting vocals from that album have made the soundtrack to many summers since, and many films to match. ‘Motion Sickness’details the emotional abuse of a relationship the then twenty-two-year-old musician had with Ryan Adams, an established voice in the alternative rock scene. In the years since, numerous allegations of sexual misconduct against Adams have come to the public’s attention. This only further points to the bravery of Bridgers’ in writing and releasing such a poignant track so early on in her career.

Thematically, Stranger in the Alps touches on death, depression, emotional abuse and heartbreak, without ever verging into the cringe or the cliché. Bridgers’ raw, honest vocals and song-writing skill make it a strangely comforting experience to listen to, and an album that is as melodically beautiful as it is lyrically heart wrenching. You would be forgiven for thinking that it’d be too impossible an act to follow, especially for an artist so early on in her career.

“The future’s unwritten, the past is a corridor.” – Smoke Signals, 2017

Ms Bridgers swiftly followed her solo debut with 2018’s Boygenius and 2019’s Better Oblivion Community Center. The former, a collaboration with Julian Baker and Lucy Dacus, played into the strengths of all three musicians, resulting in a fusion of indie-rock and folk-rock, and giving Phoebe ample opportunity to release more of the distinctive poetic lyricism that have become synonymous with her name. The blend of the three genres and voices is a beautiful and haunting EP that has aged with Ms Bridgers and become a defining moment for her career.

The latter, Better Oblivion Community Center, is a duo consisting of Phoebe and long-term friend and collaborator Conor Oberst. Their self-titled debut album loosely is themed around a dystopian wellness centre of the same name. The record is coherent, creative and once again plays to the strengths of both musicians, their voices complement each other beautifully, despite or perhaps because of the contrast in their styles. The album is undoubtably a feat of production, and plays into elements of electronic and country music, for the first, though evidently not the last time in Phoebe’s discography.

“So sick of being honest / I’ll die like Dylan Thomas” – Dylan Thomas, 2019

Which brings us swiftly on to 2020, the year of COVID, contradictions and confusion for all of us. Punisher, Phoebe Bridgers’ sophomore album was released on June 18th, at the perfect intersection of lockdowns lift and the beginning of summer. The release itself coincided with a time of social upheaval across the US and further afield, prompting Bridgers to move the official release date a day forward from ‘Juneteenth’, the official end of slavery in the US. Across her social media profiles, she prompted her fans to donate to organisations seeking racial justice.

"I'm not [delaying] the record until things go back to 'normal' because I don't think they should,” – https://twitter.com/phoebe_bridgers

The album opens with the instrumental track, ‘DVD Menu,’a seventy-second long, vaguely ominous string-led instrumental reminiscent of the video-game themes the artist would’ve grown up with in the early 2000s. It provides the perfect anticipatory build up into lead-single ‘Garden Song,’ a prospective looking, dreamy love song. Initially released on February 26th, 2020; Garden Song acts somewhat as a sequel to Stranger in the Alps’ Smoke Signals. It follows thematically, melodically, and continues Phoebes’ established lyrical poeticism. Like Smoke Signals, Garden Song is slow, but enthralling. The melody makes you want to listen, the lyrics make you want to fall in love.

Following on from this is second single, and third song, ‘Kyoto,’ in sharp contrast to the slow, strong self-awareness of the earlier songs, Kyoto presents a whirlwind of emotions, an aural dissociation of sorts. Kyoto is fast-paced, guitar led, and even difficult to follow. Almost anxiety-inducing, Kyoto is an exciting accomplishment of alt-pop. Phoebe’s strong descriptive lyrics manage to change themes between and even within verses, suggesting a struggle between her inner and her outer self, and how this same struggle bleeds into her relationships with others.

In musical circles, a ‘Punisher,’ is a name for an overzealous fan. The titular track of the album places Phoebe herself in this role. The song imagines a conversation between Phoebe and an artist she clearly admires very much. It is the first piano-led track of the album; and marks a contrast with the prior songs as she is able to outwardly express her emotion and feelings in the song’s narrative for the first time. While this is essentially a song to a stranger, it is marked with Phoebe’s distinctive emotional lyrics and vocal; and retains the same charge of emotional attachment that has become so characteristic of her discography.

Following this is ‘Halloween,’ a song that plunges us immediately into Phoebe’s narrative and lived situation. Utilising picking on guitar strings to produce the holiday season of the song’s setting sonically, Ms Bridgers takes us into her loveless relationship just in time for ‘cuffing season,’ and the all too familiar feeling of holding on to something that isn’t there, just because of the time of year. The melancholy is only furthered by the repetition in the song’s latter half by Conor Oberst, collaborator and Better Oblivion Community Centrebandmate.

Fan-favourite, and a personal favourite of mine, ‘Chinese Satellite,’ reflects on loss, and grief. Musically, it builds, starting slowly with a single guitar line and Phoebe’s vocals. By the end of the first verse, both the guitars and vocals have been layered, producing a haunting effect only furthered by the synth and drums of the latter half of the song.

Lyrically, Phoebe starts out questioning her circumstances, wondering why this unnamed event has occurred. She later turns this uncertainty onto herself, questioning her own lack of faith. Finally, she remembers memories of herself with the person who has been lost, and in retrospect, she yearns for the belief that she will see them again. This yearning that closes the song is accompanied by a drum, once again paired only with her voice, that is sonically reminiscent of a heartbeat. Chinese Satellite has provided a great comfort to me personally in a time of great loss, and while I know I am calling it extremely early I do not doubt it is my song of the year.

“Moon Song” follows, and it is a love song to someone facing issues with their own self-esteem. With beautifully raw production, the tough scratch of an acoustic guitar provides contrast to the soft and kind vocals. The song provides some of the best lyrics of the album, or perhaps of her entire discography, and in doing so, manage to make a fairly specific story of love through mental illness and self-deprecation accessible to Ms Bridgers’ broad audience.

‘We hate ‘Tears in Heaven’ / But it’s sad his baby died’ – Moon Song, 2020

This theme of a somewhat doomed relationship continues into ‘Savio[u]r Complex,’in this similarly acoustic ballad, orchestral strings pitched above Phoebe’s voice play further into the melancholy and toxicity described throughout the songs’ lyrics. Her use of metaphor and allegory throughout the song helps retain the accessibility of the otherwise characteristically dark lyrics, her strong descriptions throughout playing into the same emotions of Stranger in the Alps’ ‘Funeral.’

‘ICU’ initially released as ‘I See You’ due to the timing of the COVID crisis, was the final single released before the album, on May 19th,2020.  It is a typically Phoebe Bridgers’ breakup song, one that acknowledges the love that she’s losing. Starting with a soft scream, literally, the songs’ vocals are raw over a distorted synth background. Sonically, the song is a mesh of all of the components of the songs preceding it, building to a climax before dropping out just in time for the final verse. This is, in my opinion, the best single, and one of her best to date.

Penultimate song ‘Graceland Too’ swings the album in a bluegrass direction, and in doing so, provides an ode to the influences Bridgers has taken from the genre. Its title references Elvis Presley’s ranch and tourist attraction of the same name. The song features her Boygenius bandmates in its latter half, resulting in an admirable melody not dissimilar to their EP.

The album closes with ‘I Know the End,’ an anthemic ballad that falls just short of six-minutes long. It begins telling different stories, centring around episodes of low-mood and depression, the causes of which are implied consistently to be related to the stresses of touring and the musician’s lifestyle. These stories are told over a guitar-led melody, initially pitched to be much quieter than the vocals. A feat of production, the messy string melody gains traction as the song progresses, building over the first half of the song in pitch, volume and number of instruments. Around the two-minute mark, the song is split by an instrumental, and when vocals return, they bring with them an increasing sense of urgency. The latter half of the song details a road trip Phoebe takes and pays heed to the sights and sounds she encounters throughout.

The song, and thus the album, concludes with a chorus of vocals repeating ‘The End is Near,’ over a chaotic melody of all sorts of instruments and assorted sounds, before descending into shouts and screams from Phoebe and friends in the last number of seconds.

I don’t even believe I need to clarify this, but just in case you have any doubt, this album is my favourite of the year so far. 10/10

[stephenmccull]

In Rural America, Twisting Arms to Take a Covid Vaccine First Takes Trust

CAIRO, Ill. — Lee Wright was hard at work, constructing a nail salon near the city’s abandoned hospital, when Jody Johnson stopped by to introduce himself on a recent afternoon.

Johnson, who works for the University of Illinois Extension program, chatted with Wright casually in the summertime heat. For Johnson, it was the first step to building trust in this city of fewer than 2,200 people as extension programs across the U.S — long valued in many rural communities for helping farmers and supporting 4-H clubs — expand their service to include educating the public about covid-19 vaccines.

Wright, 68, was unvaccinated and planned to remain so, even though he’d followed other public health guidelines during the pandemic. When it came to getting the shots, he decided to leave his fate to his faith.

“Doctors are good. Don’t get me wrong,” Wright said. “But we got to have something that we can really depend on.”

Johnson didn’t talk to Wright about the vaccines that day. He just listened instead. “No one wants to feel ashamed or belittled because they’re not doing something,” Johnson said later.

Only 16% of residents here in Alexander County are fully vaccinated against covid-19, the lowest rate in Illinois, according to the state health department. And case counts of coronavirus infections are rising. So the Cooperative Extension System, which is tied to a network of land-grant universities, plans to spend the next two years talking about vaccines in this community and elsewhere. It may take that long or more to persuade enough people to get vaccinated.

The extension system has a tradition of bringing research-based information to communities on a wide variety of topics, including water quality, food safety and disaster preparedness. With its roots sunk deep in rural America, where vaccines have been slow to catch on, the system is now using state and federal funding to pay for immunization education efforts tailored to specific communities.

Already 4-H clubs have been making masks and face shields. In Illinois, the agency has a covid resource guide for families, business owners and farmers. The office covering the southern portion of the state is now looking to hire someone in the community to help get out the word on why vaccinations matter. Johnson also wants to team up with local churches, civic groups and business owners to get the job done.

“This is not our first global pandemic,” said Carissa Nelson, a spokesperson for 4-H programs in Illinois. The organization’s agents and club members nursed patients during the 1918 flu pandemic that devastated the world.

This time around, the extension service’s strategy could also help in these rural communities and the urban areas it serves. But local leaders say there’s no quick solution for improving vaccination rates in Cairo or across the country. Getting people vaccinated is a nuanced challenge in every community. In Cairo, a long history of racial tension dating to the Civil War still stings. Like many rural towns across the U.S., the community also feels underappreciated and misunderstood.

Vaccine apathy is common here, where infection rates remained low until recently.

“We haven’t had great turnouts,” said Tyrone Coleman, president and co-founder of the Alexander and Pulaski NAACP chapter, which has helped organize vaccine clinics in Cairo.

In June, he invited the health department to the city’s Juneteenth celebration at St. Mary’s Park. More than 300 people attended. But the event’s pop-up clinic hosted by the state didn’t have many seeking vaccinations during its six hours of operation.

“We only had two,” Coleman said.

More than 15,000 people lived in Cairo in the early 20th century, helping it earn the nicknames “Little Chicago” and “the Gateway to the South.” Old factories, antebellum homes, an ornate library and a vacant hospital remain as reminders of the city’s majestic past. The city’s library prominently displays the work of Samuel Clemens, the American writer best known as Mark Twain. After traveling through Cairo, Twain wrote about the city in his 1884 novel “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.”

In the novel, Cairo represents freedom and the chance for a better life.

But the hospital shut down in 1987. The only grocery store in town closed years ago, public housing was torn down in recent years, and the only nursing home closed during the pandemic, forcing residents to find a new place to live without much notice. On top of all that, flooding has threatened to wipe the city out more than once.

Today, fewer than 2,200 people, the majority of them Black, live here. And locals say the population has continued to drop with all the closures. The city is often mislabeled by the press and travel guides as abandoned.

“Cairo is not a ghost town,” said Ronnie Woods, a local pastor and retired schoolteacher. “It’s not dead at all.”

Tourists still stop by to see the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. But they don’t typically see the rocky riverbank where residents fish for their dinner. Beverly Davis, 60, heads there often with rod in hand and gives much of her catch away to other members of the community. The scenic waterfront, though, is carpeted with driftwood and dead fish that washed ashore.

“I guess it’s meant to be like this,” Davis said, standing on the riverbanks among the fish carcasses. “’Cause if not, it would be better.”

But many residents continue to believe their city will return to its past glory. “The world hears that this is a negative part of the country, and it’s not,” Johnson said. “We’ve got too many good things and people here.”

On this day, the only outdoor basketball court in the city, anchored by a single hoop, was busy in a rural community that was fighting to stay alive long before the pandemic hit. The men on the court didn’t seem worried about catching covid.

“I haven’t had covid, so I feel like I don’t need to get vaccinated right now,” said Jeffery DeWitt, 24. “I’ll just take it as it goes.”

Wright’s son, Roman Wright, 36, said much the same thing while helping his dad build the nail salon across town. He works for the prison system, and one of its facilities nearby reported covid cases. But he hadn’t contracted the disease. Like his father, he said he didn’t plan on getting the shots.

“I’m like my dad,” Roman Wright said. “I was born and raised in church all my life. So I say we believe in God. I know my parents pray for me. We pray for each other and we just believe in God.”

Woods, the pastor, has a different point of view. He keeps his vaccination card in a plastic sheath and carries it with him wherever he goes.

“I have strong faith,” said Woods, 66. “And at my age, my risk factors, I just felt that God placed science there to help us.”

But Woods said it’s going to take work to persuade others in Cairo to get vaccinated, even if they know someone who died of covid. A prominent doctor was among the dead in the community. “It’s going to take more than explaining, it is going to take a cultural shift because people are just not trusting,” he said.

That’s one reason Johnson is searching for a local voice to lead the extension service’s vaccine education program over the next year. As a 51-year-old white man who grew up in a predominantly white community 45 miles outside of Cairo, he recognizes that local residents would be more likely to share their thoughts with someone who lives here. Plus, he spends most of his time talking with community leaders and public officials. He is searching for someone who will spend time with locals who don’t hold titles and positions.

“Everybody doesn’t think like me,” Johnson said. “So we need to take that into consideration.”

KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.

USE OUR CONTENT

This story can be republished for free (details).

In Rural America, Twisting Arms to Take a Covid Vaccine First Takes Trust published first on https://smartdrinkingweb.weebly.com/

[gordonwilliamsweb]

In Rural America, Twisting Arms to Take a Covid Vaccine First Takes Trust

CAIRO, Ill. — Lee Wright was hard at work, constructing a nail salon near the city’s abandoned hospital, when Jody Johnson stopped by to introduce himself on a recent afternoon.

Johnson, who works for the University of Illinois Extension program, chatted with Wright casually in the summertime heat. For Johnson, it was the first step to building trust in this city of fewer than 2,200 people as extension programs across the U.S — long valued in many rural communities for helping farmers and supporting 4-H clubs — expand their service to include educating the public about covid-19 vaccines.

Wright, 68, was unvaccinated and planned to remain so, even though he’d followed other public health guidelines during the pandemic. When it came to getting the shots, he decided to leave his fate to his faith.

“Doctors are good. Don’t get me wrong,” Wright said. “But we got to have something that we can really depend on.”

Johnson didn’t talk to Wright about the vaccines that day. He just listened instead. “No one wants to feel ashamed or belittled because they’re not doing something,” Johnson said later.

Only 16% of residents here in Alexander County are fully vaccinated against covid-19, the lowest rate in Illinois, according to the state health department. And case counts of coronavirus infections are rising. So the Cooperative Extension System, which is tied to a network of land-grant universities, plans to spend the next two years talking about vaccines in this community and elsewhere. It may take that long or more to persuade enough people to get vaccinated.

The extension system has a tradition of bringing research-based information to communities on a wide variety of topics, including water quality, food safety and disaster preparedness. With its roots sunk deep in rural America, where vaccines have been slow to catch on, the system is now using state and federal funding to pay for immunization education efforts tailored to specific communities.

Already 4-H clubs have been making masks and face shields. In Illinois, the agency has a covid resource guide for families, business owners and farmers. The office covering the southern portion of the state is now looking to hire someone in the community to help get out the word on why vaccinations matter. Johnson also wants to team up with local churches, civic groups and business owners to get the job done.

“This is not our first global pandemic,” said Carissa Nelson, a spokesperson for 4-H programs in Illinois. The organization’s agents and club members nursed patients during the 1918 flu pandemic that devastated the world.

This time around, the extension service’s strategy could also help in these rural communities and the urban areas it serves. But local leaders say there’s no quick solution for improving vaccination rates in Cairo or across the country. Getting people vaccinated is a nuanced challenge in every community. In Cairo, a long history of racial tension dating to the Civil War still stings. Like many rural towns across the U.S., the community also feels underappreciated and misunderstood.

Vaccine apathy is common here, where infection rates remained low until recently.

“We haven’t had great turnouts,” said Tyrone Coleman, president and co-founder of the Alexander and Pulaski NAACP chapter, which has helped organize vaccine clinics in Cairo.

In June, he invited the health department to the city’s Juneteenth celebration at St. Mary’s Park. More than 300 people attended. But the event’s pop-up clinic hosted by the state didn’t have many seeking vaccinations during its six hours of operation.

“We only had two,” Coleman said.

More than 15,000 people lived in Cairo in the early 20th century, helping it earn the nicknames “Little Chicago” and “the Gateway to the South.” Old factories, antebellum homes, an ornate library and a vacant hospital remain as reminders of the city’s majestic past. The city’s library prominently displays the work of Samuel Clemens, the American writer best known as Mark Twain. After traveling through Cairo, Twain wrote about the city in his 1884 novel “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.”

In the novel, Cairo represents freedom and the chance for a better life.

But the hospital shut down in 1987. The only grocery store in town closed years ago, public housing was torn down in recent years, and the only nursing home closed during the pandemic, forcing residents to find a new place to live without much notice. On top of all that, flooding has threatened to wipe the city out more than once.

Today, fewer than 2,200 people, the majority of them Black, live here. And locals say the population has continued to drop with all the closures. The city is often mislabeled by the press and travel guides as abandoned.

“Cairo is not a ghost town,” said Ronnie Woods, a local pastor and retired schoolteacher. “It’s not dead at all.”

Tourists still stop by to see the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. But they don’t typically see the rocky riverbank where residents fish for their dinner. Beverly Davis, 60, heads there often with rod in hand and gives much of her catch away to other members of the community. The scenic waterfront, though, is carpeted with driftwood and dead fish that washed ashore.

“I guess it’s meant to be like this,” Davis said, standing on the riverbanks among the fish carcasses. “’Cause if not, it would be better.”

But many residents continue to believe their city will return to its past glory. “The world hears that this is a negative part of the country, and it’s not,” Johnson said. “We’ve got too many good things and people here.”

On this day, the only outdoor basketball court in the city, anchored by a single hoop, was busy in a rural community that was fighting to stay alive long before the pandemic hit. The men on the court didn’t seem worried about catching covid.

“I haven’t had covid, so I feel like I don’t need to get vaccinated right now,” said Jeffery DeWitt, 24. “I’ll just take it as it goes.”

Wright’s son, Roman Wright, 36, said much the same thing while helping his dad build the nail salon across town. He works for the prison system, and one of its facilities nearby reported covid cases. But he hadn’t contracted the disease. Like his father, he said he didn’t plan on getting the shots.

“I’m like my dad,” Roman Wright said. “I was born and raised in church all my life. So I say we believe in God. I know my parents pray for me. We pray for each other and we just believe in God.”

Woods, the pastor, has a different point of view. He keeps his vaccination card in a plastic sheath and carries it with him wherever he goes.

“I have strong faith,” said Woods, 66. “And at my age, my risk factors, I just felt that God placed science there to help us.”

But Woods said it’s going to take work to persuade others in Cairo to get vaccinated, even if they know someone who died of covid. A prominent doctor was among the dead in the community. “It’s going to take more than explaining, it is going to take a cultural shift because people are just not trusting,” he said.

That’s one reason Johnson is searching for a local voice to lead the extension service’s vaccine education program over the next year. As a 51-year-old white man who grew up in a predominantly white community 45 miles outside of Cairo, he recognizes that local residents would be more likely to share their thoughts with someone who lives here. Plus, he spends most of his time talking with community leaders and public officials. He is searching for someone who will spend time with locals who don’t hold titles and positions.

“Everybody doesn’t think like me,” Johnson said. “So we need to take that into consideration.”

KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.

USE OUR CONTENT

This story can be republished for free (details).

In Rural America, Twisting Arms to Take a Covid Vaccine First Takes Trust published first on https://nootropicspowdersupplier.tumblr.com/

[covid19worldnews]

Virginia COVID-19 cases rise by 1,026 on Monday

You can now call WHSV for the latest COVID-19 case numbers in the health districts we cover, as well as the case numbers in Grant, Hardy and Pendleton Counties, W. Va. Our COVID-19 hotline will be updated daily. To listen, you can call 540-433-9191 ext. 101 Monday-Friday.

As of Monday, November 2, Virginia has had 183,418 total cases of COVID-19, including confirmed lab tests and clinical diagnoses, according to the Virginia Department of Health.

That total reflects a 1,026 case increase since Sunday, out of 16,444 tests newly added to the system, which comes out to 6.2% of the newest tests coming back positive. Three additional deaths were reported on Monday, leaving the death toll at 3,658.

For a comprehensive summary of COVID-19 cases and testing in Virginia, you can visit the Virginia Department of Health’s website and view their COVID-19 dashboard.

On Tuesday, October 13, Gov. Ralph Northam held a COVID-19 briefing to discuss upcoming plans for handling the coronavirus pandemic. Northam also addressed voting in the commonwealth, and the fiber cut that has caused the websites of the Virginia Department of Health and the Department of Elections Citizen Portal, among others, to slow and crash this morning.

Northam also addressed CARES Act funding towards schools and the Rent and Mortgage Relief Program. Northam said Juneteenth, a holiday to celebrate the emancipation of those who had been enslaved in the U.S., is now a permanent statewide holiday.

This was the governor’s first briefing since his and First Lady Northam’s COVID-19 diagnosis.

On Tuesday, September 15, Gov. Northam held a COVID-19 briefing and discussed the 2020 election. Northam expects a high number of absentee voters this year; as of Sept. 15, the department of elections has received 790,000 absentee ballots by mail. Absentee ballots will begin to be sent out to voters on Friday, Sept. 18. Unlike past election years, you do not need to provide a reason to receive an absentee ballot. You can call or visit the website of your general registrar for your county or city to request an absentee ballot, or go online to vote.elections.virginia.gov.

On Tuesday, September 1, James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va. made the decision to move classes online until at least Oct. 5. Also on Tuesday, Gov. Northam held a COVID-19 briefing to discuss COVID-19 numbers in the state and urged residents to fill out the 2020 Census. Virginia will not make any new COVID-19-related decisions before the Labor Day weekend.

The Virginia DMV announced on September 1 that credentials that would originally expire in August, September and October would now have an additional 60 days to renew. November expiration dates have been extended through the end of November.

On Tuesday, July 28, Gov. Northam held a live COVID-19 briefing on his social media platforms to discuss the coronavirus in Virginia. According to Northam, cases remain stable in 4 out of 5 Virginia regions. Hampton Roads, however, continues to have a steady rise in cases, where more people are gathering in crowds and not maintaining social distancing guidelines.

Northam said that some restaurants have had their licenses revoked for violating COVID-19 guidelines since his July 14 briefing as well.

For the Hampton Roads area, an executive order was placed on Friday, July 21. The order states restaurants must close by midnight and indoor dining is only allowed at 50% capacity. There are no alcohol sales permitted after 10 p.m., and private gatherings of more than 50 people are prohibited. The executive order will last for at least two to three weeks until numbers begin going down.

On Tuesday, July 14, Gov. Northam held a COVID-19 briefing on his Facebook page urging the commonwealth to keep practicing social distancing and to follow the mask mandate. Gov. Northam said that the Virginia Department of Health and Virginia’s ABC teams will begin to conduct random visits to businesses and restaurants throughout the state to ensure that these organizations are following the latest COVID-19 guidelines. Licenses for these businesses can be revoked if they are not following the guidelines.

On Wednesday, July 1, the commonwealth moved into Phase 3 of Governor Ralph Northam’s ‘Forward Virginia’ plan for reopening, which allowed nonessential retail businesses to fully open, restaurants to fully open without bar seating, gyms to open at 75% capacity, entertainment venues to open at 50% capacity and gatherings of up to 250 people.

State officials are basing any decisions about moving into each phase, as well as any potential fallback to previous restrictions if spikes happen, on 7-day and 14-day trends in the data.

For the past several weeks, those trends have been good news: with increasing test capacity, decreasing percentage positivity (the number of cases confirmed as a ratio of the amount of testing), and decreasing hospitalizations — though other states around the country have seen new spikes.

Most tests are PCR tests that take several days to process, and the majority of people still only get tested when symptomatic. Symptoms can take up to two weeks to develop, so test results reported each day reflect what the situation in Virginia looked like several days before. Antibody tests process results faster, but test whether someone has had the virus in the past: not necessarily if they currently have it, and their reliability is lower.

Virginia has been meeting the governor’s benchmark of steady PPE supplies and open hospital capacity for more than a month now, with 3,715 hospital beds available. Currently, no Virginia hospitals are reporting any supply problems, and no licensed nursing facilities are reporting PPE supply problems such as needing N95 masks, surgical masks and isolation gowns.

The commonwealth increased from around 2,000 tests a day in late April to the 5,000 range in the start of May, and was steadily hitting around 10,000 a day by the end of May, which Dr. Karen Remley, head of Virginia’s testing task force, said was the goal for Phase 1. Over the most recent weeks, testing has stayed in the range of around 8,000 to 15,000 a day.

The executive order requiring Virginians to wear face coverings when entering indoor businesses that went into effect across Virginia on May 29 will remain in effect indefinitely into the future.

By November 2, the Virginia Department of Health had received reports of 169,512 confirmed cases and 13,906 probable cases of COVID-19 across the commonwealth.

“Probable” cases are cases that were diagnosed by a doctor based on symptoms and exposure without a test – also known as clinical diagnoses.

Those positive test results are out of total tests administered in Virginia, which included 2,663,155 PCR tests and 210,040 antibody tests (The Dept. of Health announced in May that they would break testing data down by diagnostic and antibody tests.)

A lot of the testing has been conducted through health department-sponsored community testing events around the commonwealth, through which state health officials have said the goal is to get tests into areas in the most need, and those events do not turn anyone away, regardless of symptoms.

Overall, considering testing numbers and positive results, about 6.4% of Virginians who have been tested have received positive results. At the start of May, that percentage was standing steadily around 17%, but with increased testing and decreased case rates, it’s come down over time. However, some localities have higher percentages, as outlined in our “local cases” section below.

At this point, 12,674 Virginians have been hospitalized due to the disease caused by the virus, and at least 3,658 have died of causes related to the disease.

The hospitalization and death numbers are totals confirmed by the Virginia Department of Health, which are always delayed by several days due to the logistics of medical facilities reporting information to local health districts, which then report it to the state health department.

The hospitalization numbers are cumulative — they represent the total number of people hospitalized due to the disease throughout the pandemic and not the total number currently in the hospital. For current hospitalization stats, the VHHA offers more helpful data.

The state website shows a lot of detail by locality, including hospitalizations and deaths for each city or county, and are broken down by zip code here, if you want to track cases on a neighborhood level.

The department’s breakdown and location map, available to the public here, shows the number of cases confirmed each day, number of people tested, total hospitalizations, total deaths, demographic breakdowns, and testing numbers, as well as breakdowns by health district.

Here’s a breakdown of cases for our region as of 10:00 a.m. November 2. You can find the breakdown for the entire state in the chart at the bottom of this article.

Numbers sometimes decrease day to day when the health department determines that a test initially reported in one locality was actually for a resident of another city, county, or state.

Central Shenandoah Health District: 7,089 total cases

• Augusta County – 719 (+1 from Sunday)

• Bath County – 27 (+1 from Sunday)

• Buena Vista – 129

• Harrisonburg – 3,136 (+1 from Sunday)

• Highland County – 10

• Lexington – 258 (+1 from Sunday)

• Rockbridge County – 155

• Rockingham County – 1,822 (+2 from Sunday)

• Staunton – 426

• Waynesboro – 407

Outbreaks: 39, with 13 in long-term care facilities, 2 in a healthcare setting, 19 in congregate settings, 1 in a correctional facility, and 3 in an educational setting, 1 in K-12 | 2,770 cases associated with outbreaks

Total tests: 85,300

Local percent positivity: 8.3%

Lord Fairfax Health District: 4,134 total cases

• Clarke County – 125

• Frederick County – 1,229 (+14 from Sunday)

• Page County – 489 (+1 from Sunday)

• Shenandoah County – 1,011 (+12 from Sunday)

• Warren County – 627 (+6 from Sunday)

• Winchester – 653 (+10 from Sunday)

Outbreaks: 50, with 17 in long-term care facilities, 9 in healthcare settings, 17 in congregate settings, and 3 in a correctional facility, 3 in a college/university setting and 1 in a child care setting | 1,149 cases associated with outbreaks

Total tests: 78,786

Local percent positivity: 5.2%

Wondering about the number of people who have recovered from COVID-19 in Virginia? Recovery information is not required to be sent to the Department of Health, so there is no accurate way to track that data for every single confirmed case. Individual health districts may track cases as “active” and “non-active,” but that data is not published anywhere in aggregate.

But there is a way to track the number of patients who were hospitalized due to COVID-19 and have since been discharged – effectively tracking how many people have recovered from the most severe cases.

The Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association updates their own dashboard of data each day on hospital-specific statistics, including bed availability, ventilator usage, and more. Their online dashboard indicates that, as of November 2, at least 20,124 COVID-19 patients have been discharged from the hospital.

Unlike the VDH data that reports cumulative hospitalizations, their data on hospitalizations reflects people currently hospitalized for COVID-19 (whether with confirmed or pending cases), and that number is at 1,031.

The data used by the VDH to report cumulative hospitalizations is based on information reported in hospital claims. On the other hand, the numbers reported by the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association are based on a current census from hospitals, which provides a separate data set.

Here at WHSV, we cover Grant County, Hardy County and Pendleton County. The below information is the most recent data from each counties’ health department.

There are 25,235 total cases in West Virginia as of Nov. 2.

Hardy County: 109 total COVID-19 cases (+1 from Sunday)

Pendleton County: 79 total COVID-19 cases

Grant County: 200 total COVID-19 cases (+81 from Sunday)

The Virginia Department of Health COVID-19 website is updating with the latest statewide numbers somewhere between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. each day.

The numbers that appear on that list are based on the cases that had been submitted to the department by 5 p.m. the previous day, so there is always some lag between when local health districts announce positive test results and when the department’s numbers reflect those new results.

Our Virginia counties are primarily served by the Central Shenandoah Health District, which covers Augusta, Bath, Highland, Rockbridge and Rockingham counties, as well as the cities of Buena Vista, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Staunton and Waynesboro; and the Lord Fairfax Health District, which covers Shenandoah, Page, Frederick, Warren, and Clarke counties, as well as the city of Winchester.

Gov. Ralph Northam said during his Sept. 15 COVID-19 briefing that $42 million in CARES Act funding has been funded for additional PPE distribution, and the Virginia National Guard is continuing to help with COVID-19 testing events.

Northam expects a high number of absentee voters this year; as of Sept. 15, the department of elections has received 790,000 absentee ballots by mail. Absentee ballots will begin to be sent out to voters on Friday, Sept. 18. Unlike past election years, you do not need to provide a reason to receive an absentee ballot. You can call or visit the website of your general registrar for your county or city to request an absentee ballot, or go online to vote.elections.virginia.gov.

On Tuesday, September 1, James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va. made the decision to move classes online until at least Oct. 5. Also on Tuesday, Gov. Northam held a COVID-19 briefing to discuss COVID-19 numbers in the state and urged residents to fill out the 2020 Census. Virginia will not make any new COVID-19-related decisions before the Labor Day weekend.

The Virginia DMV announced on September 1 that credentials that would originally expire in August, September and October would now have an additional 60 days to renew. November expiration dates have been extended through the end of November.

On Tuesday, July 28, Gov. Northam held a COVID-19 briefing on his social media platforms to discuss the coronavirus in Virginia. According to Northam, cases remain stable in 4 out of 5 Virginia regions. Hampton Roads, however, continues to have a steady rise in cases, where more people are gathering in crowds and not maintaining social distancing guidelines. An executive order for the Hampton Roads area was placed on Friday, July 21, meaning the area’s restaurants must close by midnight and indoor dining is only allowed at 50% capacity. There are no alcohol sales permitted after 10 p.m., and private gatherings of more than 50 people are prohibited.

On Tuesday, July 14, Gov. Northam held a COVID-19 briefing on his Facebook page urging the commonwealth to keep practicing social distancing and to follow the mask mandate. Northam said that the eastern region of the commonwealth has seen an increase in the percent positivity rate of COVID-19 cases. The Virginia Department of Health and Virginia’s ABC teams will begin to conduct random visits to businesses and restaurants throughout the state to ensure that these organizations are following the latest COVID-19 guidelines.

Virginia officially entered Phase 3 on Wednesday, July 1. Nonessential retail businesses are permitted to fully open, along with restaurants, as long as there is no bar seating. Gyms can be open at 75% capacity, and entertainment venues can be open at 50% capacity. There is a 250-person gathering limit.

Executive Order 63 will remain in effect for the foreseeable future, making it mandatory for almost all Virginians to wear face coverings when entering businesses. You can learn how that can be enforced here.

Executive Order 55, the ‘Stay at Home’ order first signed by Northam on March 30, is now a ‘Safer at Home’ order, encouraging Virginians to continue staying home whenever possible as the safest way to prevent COVID-19′s spread and specifically telling Virginians vulnerable to the virus to stay home except for essential needs.

Virginia’s state of emergency, which was originally set until June 10, was extended by Governor Northam on May 26 to run indefinitely.

The Virginia Supreme Court’s judicial emergency, which suspended all non-essential, non-emergency court hearings, expired on May 17 and court hearings across most of Virginia resumed on Monday, May 18. But a few weeks later, on June 8, the Supreme Court of Virginia acted on Gov. Northam’s request to halt all eviction proceedings through at least June 28.

DMV offices in Virginia began gradually reopening on Monday, May 18, and continue to open up more customer service centers around the state for appointments to handle business that can only be carried out in-person.

Extensions have been granted to people with expiring credentials for themselves or their vehicles, like licenses and registrations, and Virginia State Police have not been enforcing inspections.

More information on Virginia entering Phase 3 can be found here.

Most people don’t suffer much from COVID-19, but it can cause severe illness in the elderly and people with existing health problems.

It spreads primarily through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Those droplets may land on objects and surfaces. Other people may contract the virus by touching those objects or surfaces and then touching their eyes, nose, or mouth.

The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 can cause mild to more severe respiratory illness. In a small proportion of patients, COVID-19 can cause death, particularly among those who are older or who have chronic medical conditions. Symptoms include fever, cough, and difficulty breathing. Symptoms appear within 14 days of being exposed to an infectious person.

To lower the risk of respiratory germ spread, including COVID-19, the Virginia Department of Health encourages the following effective behaviors:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer only if soap and water are not available.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.

• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

• Stay home when you are sick.

• Avoid contact with sick people.

• Avoid non-essential travel.

There is currently no vaccine to prevent or antiviral medication to treat COVID-19. The best way to avoid illness is preventing exposure, which is why governments around the world have implemented Stay at Home orders.

For the latest factual information on COVID-19, you’re encouraged to check both the Virginia Department of Health and the CDC.

Copyright 2020 WHSV. All rights reserved.

https://www.covid19snews.com/2020/11/02/virginia-covid-19-cases-rise-by-1026-on-monday/

[jess-dw-sherman]

Media Switch-Up: Instagram

Why I picked Instagram, and how it is new for me:

To preface this analysis – I have had an Instagram account for over 9 years. However, I very rarely post and stopped using it regularly at least 7 years ago. I’ve posted maybe one or two photos per year and am following essentially only my friends. Since this week’s topic of study was video, I thought it would be interesting to look at some of the newer functions of Instagram. When I got an account, it was a photo-only platform, and I don’t use the Story or IGTV functionalities. Additionally, I’ve never made an effort to look at what companies use Instagram or followed any that inspire me, so I wanted to analyze the platform’s users and the corporate presences that are the most successful.

In terms of usage, I maybe look at Instagram a couple of times a week. I am also notoriously bad at answering Direct Messages from friends (to be honest, I really don’t look at them at all and currently have 17 unread messages…). I thought it would be interesting to see how it is used by people outside of my group of friends, contacts, and occasional content I see from companies and public figures.

Wide range of content and some interesting functionalities

I thought I’d look at the discover section to see what would come up. It seemed mostly influenced by what I follow or have watched already, like a lot of cat videos or LGBTQ-related topics). There was also a selection of very random videos that I don’t completely understand, including one I forgot to screenshot but it seemed like a guy pretending to be a column in the NYC subway. 

Author’s note: I do love cats and seeing people be confident in who they are, so I enjoyed these adorable posts.

Looking further into the different functionalities on the platform, I liked that Instagram has new options for content. 

Shopping

I had no idea there was an entire shopping section, as it hadn’t occurred to me that that was a regular thing people do, other than the sponsored content you can see on your newsfeed. Looking at it, it is actually well organized and easy to use. This is a really interesting option for companies that sell products that appeal to a large range of consumers, especially since the headlining content on the Shopping homepage is titled “Buy on Instagram: shop without using a website.” It’s convenient that companies can link products to their account, so it would be easy for users to find them either through the shopping page or if they follow the company page. 

IGTV

Instagram TV looks like it’s similar to YouTube. You can post videos that are up to 10 minutes long, and many of them seemed to be from companies or public figures and less personal content. It looks to me like a way for users to post longer videos (rather than the short ones available in regular posts).

Reels

I also had no idea what Instagram Reels were. Upon further inspection, it is a new functionality that was released only a couple of months ago and allows users to post shorter videos than IGTV. Honestly, this seems like a way for Instagram to compete with TikTok but it hasn’t been around long enough to see if it really makes an impact, although it is nice to have so many content format options (photo, clips, full videos, shopping, and more) all contained in one platform.

Who is using Instagram?

While I knew it would be interesting to do what - I hope - is insightful and useful analysis of Instagram since it is so widely used and has been around for a long time, one positive was that it was really easy to find clear statistics on many different demographics (much easier than for my previous Media Switch-Up on Medium!).

By Country

One thing I found interesting was the number of people who use Instagram by country. According to statistica.com, the U.S. is by far the country that uses Instagram the most at 130 million accounts, followed by India at 100 million. Considering the difference in population size between those two countries, a much larger percentage of Americans use Instagram than Indians. Europe also seems significantly less interested in Instagram, with the top EU country (at least until December of this year) being the U.K. at 27 million users, Germany with 25 million, Italy with 23 million, and France with 21 million.

Leading countries based on Instagram audience size as of July 2020

By Age

The age breakdown of users was less surprising. The largest categories of users are between the ages of 25-34 (33.3%) and 18-24 (29.3%), and the smallest group are users over the age of 65 (2.2%). On a personal note, I was a little bit happy to see that only 6.9% of users are ages 13-17 because I am still on the fence about how I feel in terms of young kids posting photos and videos of themselves without a full understanding of the permanence of their posts.

By Gender and Race

In terms of gender, usage seemed essentially equal for men and women, varying only by a few percentage points for each age category (see chart above). However, I think that in terms of the racial breakdown of users, it’s important to note that the Black and Latinx communities are more likely to use Instagram versus White people

On demographics

All of these factors would be important for a company to consider when developing their strategy and their content. Usage by country was most surprising for me – I thought the app was much more popular around the world. When considering Instagram in a corporate digital media strategy, it would be important to know that your reach with content on this platform may be very effective in the U.S., but much less so outside of America. 

Most popular accounts on Instagram

Instagram’s account is the most popular on their site. While this may seem unsurprising – I thought that it was some sort of automatic follow situation, an easy account for new users to follow, or one of the first suggestions that new users see when they create their account – the company has actually marketed their account in an interesting way, by using it is a platform to promote for interesting accounts. A lot of the topics in their Story sections are social/cultural topics, such as Share Black Stories, Latinx Heritage, Pride 2020, Juneteenth, and their 2020 vision. There was also an assortment of positivity topics, such as Made us Smile, Guides (on a variety of subjects), Try This at Home, and Self-Care Tips.  

The most popular accounts after Instagram are all celebrities, with the top five being Christiano Renaldo, Ariana Grande, The Rock, Kylie Jenner, and Selena Gomez. I’m not sure what I expected, but I did find it interesting that there are no other companies or organizations that fall in the top 20. While those 5 are all celebrities and these are their individual accounts, the variety in those 5 personas was also remarkable, and I feel reflects the diversity of users and interest that the platform includes.

Companies on Instagram

I don’t use Instagram to follow companies, although I have bought a couple of spontaneous (possibly ill-advised and unnecessary) products through sponsored content. Statistically, companies in the fashion industry are the most successful Instagram. Considering the style of a lot of photos that users post on Instagram, and the popularity of style influencers, this was not surprising. The top 5 companies on Instagram are Nike (by a large margin), Victoria’s Secret, Huda Beauty, Chanel, and Gucci.

From my research online, it looks like Lego is one of the most popular corporate accounts. I do love Lego, so I decided to follow them and was excited to look at their content.

Lego account contains mostly fun content (though I’m not sure what serious content people would be expecting in relation to Lego) and posts at least once a day, if not more. Their content is mostly video content and they have really taken advantage of the longer video format that IGTV offers. I am a big fan of Lego (and am now following them) because I found some of their content to be delightful, like how they stress test their Duplo products and a cute video on sustainability encouraging users to pass on their Lego sets to others.

I work in finance and banking and I was not surprised to see that my industry is not even included in the graph above, probably because these are not topics that people think of when they’re using Instagram. Most banks and large financial services companies do have an account, although they vary in the degree to which they take advantage of the platform’s different features. One account that I do like is Goldman Sachs and I discovered a new feature when I looked at one of their stories: apparently, you can link content directly to Spotify! This is a great feature if you want to promote things like podcasts or music, and it did make me wonder if you can do the same things with other platforms like linking things to YouTube (Answer: not yet, but maybe soon?).

Final thoughts

Overall, this analysis has changed the way I view Instagram. I thought it was mostly photo-based, but they’ve adapted to changing interests from consumers and seem to be focusing on promoting videos, making it very easy to edit them and post your content in multiple formats. I know that companies that I’ve worked for in the past tend to only post photos, but I think they need to expand into video content if they truly want to engage their followers. Videos of these things would be much more engaging. I also think that the videos seem much more real – you only post the best photo you have, but a video shows your followers feel like they are at the actual event. Clips of people speaking lets viewers feel closer to the person, rather than just reading something they said and seeing a headshot. I’m actually really excited to start thinking of ways that I can make videos for my current job (Employer Branding) because it seems like a great way to showcase things like events, speeches, and our employees.

[omfgtrump]

The Tale of Two Viruses: Part 17

Let’s start off with a little fun. Let’s play “What’s Your Favorite Quote.” This week there were some doozies.

According to traitor John Bolton, The Don told Chinese President Xi that he “should go ahead with building the (internment) camps, which was exactly the right thing to do.*” 

Rumor has it that The Don asked Xi for his blessing to put asylum seekers in camps and separate children from their families. Xi responded: “Great minds think alike.”

Bolton also quoted The Don asking Xi for help to get reelected. “Make sure I win,” he asked.  Isn’t that an impeachable offense? Remind you of something else? Maybe Ukraine?

Regarding his race-baiting decision to hold a rally on Juneteenth in Tulsa (which was changed because of blow-back), The Don said: “I did something good. … I made Juneteenth very famous. Nobody had ever heard of it.”  Spoken like a true narcissist!

After the Supreme Court decided to defend LGBT rights and voted against undoing DACA The Don said “Do you get the impression that the Supreme Court doesn’t like me?”. Come on Don, your own wife despises you!

During his rallying in Tulsa, after claiming that he prevented 100’s of thousands of deaths from Covid-19, he lamented the fact that cases were on the rise and said “When you do testing to that extent, you will find more cases. So I said to my people, ‘Slow the testing down, please.’”.

Rumor has it that he later said: “How are ever going to convince people the virus is going away if we keep testing people. Fire those people!”

Despite outcry from scientists and political leaders around the country warning that the rally in Tulsa could be a super spreader event, The Don’s bottomless need for adulation won the day.  Rumor has it when he heard that he was creating a super-spreader event, he smiled and said “I’m someone who is always doing ‘super’ things, that’s why a million people are coming from all over the country to see me.”

With cases in Oklahoma skyrocketing, so was worry. One lawyer appealed to the State Supreme court to block the rally because it was a public health hazard. The Supreme court said, “Meh?”

Bruce Dart, the Director of the Tulsa Health Department was panicked and said: “We’re coming up on a perfect storm of disease transmission and frankly, it’s a perfect storm that Tulsa can’t afford.”

When The Don heard that, he reveled in the description of the rally as perfect. He boasted: “For the record, I just love, love, love storms. Remember what a great job I did in saving Puerto Rico after the hurricane? Remember my perfect form when I threw paper towels at the people?”

When asked if he was concerned that people could die from attending his rally, where there would be little social distancing and little mask wearing, The Don was rumored to say: These people are “warriors” and their love for me is so amazing- that’s what’s important.

The entire scene event had the feel of a spectacle taking place in a Roman coliseum with Caesar orchestrating the festivities, but instead of lions as the enemy, there was an invisible one.

How do you describe an event where the president of the U.S. asks people to come to a rally where the spread of a deadly disease is 100% guaranteed? To me, it is the dystopian confluence of narcissism and nihilism, which merges an insatiable need for attention and adoration with a complete disregard for others and all moral principles because human life is meaningless. Or continuing the Caesar analogy: Hail Caesar and fuck it if you die hailing him!

This event lays bares The Don’s psychopathology in stark relief. Did it make a few Republicans uncomfortable? Oh come on, Mitch, Lindsey, and Marco. Just a little? Your man asks people to die for him so he can get some applauds, renewed chanting of “lock her up,” call Biden “Sleepy Joe,” say testing for Covid-19 is just so boring while thousands continue to die?

The Don did not mention the deaths form Covid-19 once; nor did he mention the tragic recent murders of black men and women by the police. He did spend countless minutes addressing his humiliating stumble down the ramp after his West Point address; he then performed a magic trick showing the crowd how he could drink a glass of water with one hand. (He had recently faltered at an event and had to prop up the glass with the other hand in order to drink.) After watching him do that how could you not want to vote for the guy?

Turns out the rally didn’t go so well. Only 6,200 people showed up to the 19,000 seat arena. Plans for a huge outdoor event from the expected overflow of his fanatic followers were rapidly dashed when there was no one outside. Tantrums ensued.

What happened? How did the campaign get it so wrong? How did they miscalculate so badly? The Don’s campaign tried to pawn the disappointing turnout to radical protestors who interfered with attendance.

Turns out Mary Jo Laupp, a 51-year-old from Fort Dodge, Iowa, said she had been watching black TikTok users express their frustration about Mr. Trump hosting his rally Juneteenth.  She vented her own anger in a late-night TikTok video on June 11 — and provided a call to action.

“I recommend all of those of us that want to see this 19,000-seat auditorium barely filled or completely empty go reserve tickets now, and leave him standing there alone on the stage,” Ms. Laupp said in the video.

When she checked her phone the next morning, Ms. Laupp said, the video was starting to go viral. It has more than 700,000 likes, she added, and more than two million views.

I can only imagine the shit-eating-grin on representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez when she tweeted “Actually you just got ROCKED by teens on TikTok.”

  *As of 2018, it was estimated that the Chinese authorities may have detained hundreds of thousands, perhaps a million, Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz and other ethnic Turkic Muslims, Christians as well as some foreign citizens such as Kazakhstanis, who are being held in these secretive internment camps.)

  from WordPress https://ift.tt/2B6vK39 via IFTTT

[kansascityhappenings]

Watch Live: President Trump holds first in-person rally since March in Tulsa

TULSA, Okla. (KFOR) – For the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began widely affecting states across the country, President Donald Trump is holding an in-person campaign rally.

Live coverage will begin at approximately 5:30 p.m. CT.

President Trump has not held a rally since early March, which is when all in-person campaign events were canceled in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 in communities across the United States.

Earlier this month, the Trump campaign announced that it would resume in-person campaigning with a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

“There is no better place than America’s Heartland to restart our Make America Great Again Rallies,” said Michael Glassner, Chief Operating Officer of Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. “President Trump is fired up and ready to rebuild, restore, and renew the American Dream. There’s no doubt that the Great American Comeback is here, and we are looking forward to the tremendous crowds and enthusiasm behind President Trump.”

The plan to hold the rally in Tulsa on June 19 immediately drew criticism from activists across the country for being ‘tone deaf.’

“This isn’t just a wink to white supremacists- he’s throwing them a welcome home party,” California Sen. Kamala Harris tweeted after the announcement.

This isn't just a wink to white supremacists—he's throwing them a welcome home party. https://t.co/lUXpnUoFQU

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) June 11, 2020

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

“To choose the date, to come to Tulsa, is totally disrespectful and a slap in the face to even happen,” said Sherry Gamble Smith, president of Tulsa’s Black Wall Street Chamber of Commerce.

June 19 is known as Juneteenth, a holiday that commemorates the end of slavery across the United States.

Even though the Emancipation Proclamation became official on Jan. 1, 1863, slaves in parts of Texas were not officially freed until June 19, 1865 when Union soldiers landed in Galveston and enforced the order.

Juneteenth holds a special meaning in Tulsa, a city that has been rocked by racial unrest and violence.

Tulsa Race Massacre

The Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma was once called “Black Wall Street,” a 35-block radius in the segregated community thriving with hundreds of black-owned businesses.

But, on June 1, 1921, the entire area was burned down after a black man was accused of assaulting a white woman.

White residents attacked the community, killing hundreds of black residents and injuring 800 others.

Despite it being one of the worst instances of racial violence in the United States, the massacre was mostly swept under the rug.

US President Donald Trump on June 16, 2020. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP)

Following the criticism, Trump announced that he was rescheduling the rally to June 20 “out of respect” for Juneteenth.

“We had previously scheduled our #MAGA Rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for June 19th — a big deal,” Trump tweeted. “Unfortunately, however, this would fall on the Juneteenth Holiday. Many of my African American friends and supporters have reached out to suggest that we consider changing the date out of respect for this Holiday, and in observance of this important occasion and all that it represents. I have therefore decided to move our rally to Saturday, June 20th, in order to honor their requests.”

Even though the date was moved, the campaign couldn’t escape additional criticism about the risk of spreading COVID-19 in a state that has seen a sudden increase in cases.

Trump had previously stated that around 1 million people had signed up to attend the rally, even though the BOK Center in Tulsa can only hold 20,000 attendees.

The BOK Center had previously canceled events through the end of July to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The Trump campaign, in recognition of the risk, has tried to protect itself from lawsuits by requiring attendees to sign a liability waiver.

“By clicking register below, you are acknowledging that an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present,” the campaign advised those signing up for the rally. “By attending the Rally, you and any guests voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19 and agree not to hold Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.’ liable for illness or injury.”

Leaders with the Oklahoma Republican Party said the Trump campaign will be checking the temperature of attendees at the door, provide optional masks for everyone to use, and have hand sanitizer available.

The overflowing crowd is expected to be moved to the Cox Center nearby.

from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports https://fox4kc.com/news/watch-live-president-trump-holds-first-in-person-rally-since-march-in-tulsa/

from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2020/06/20/watch-live-president-trump-holds-first-in-person-rally-since-march-in-tulsa/

[plusorminuscongress]

New story in Politics from Time: President Trump’s Tulsa Rally Highlights His Record of Racial Division

After months off the campaign trail, President Trump will re-launch his re-election bid Saturday night before a boisterous crowd. More than 800,000 supporters registered for tickets, according to his campaign manager. Many have been camped out outside the arena for days. Yet long before they arrived, the rally was enveloped in controversy because of the timing and location.

It’s one thing to cram 19,000 people into an indoor arena in the midst of a pandemic—without mandating the use of masks. It’s another to schedule the event for June 19, a date used to commemorate the delayed emancipation of American slaves, and to pick a location seven blocks from the site of the infamous 1921 race massacre in Tulsa, Okla., when white rioters, aided by Tulsa police and the Oklahoma National Guard, looted and burned more than 1,200 black homes and businesses, killing an estimated 300 people.

Peter van Agtmael—Magnum Photos for TIMEVolunteers from “True Hero” hand out free face shields to Trump supporters in line for the next days rally with the President in Tulsa, Oklahoma on June 19, 2020.

In the midst of a national reckoning over systemic racism. Trump’s campaign selected one of the most controversial locations and dates it could have chosen. At best, holding the rally in Tulsa once again revealed the massive blind spot Trump and his aides have when it comes to race in America. At worst, it was a deliberate provocation by a campaign and a candidate that seems determined to press on the nation’s raw nerves and deepen racial divisions as a matter of strategy.

Tulsa was chosen because it is in “America’s Heartland” and there’s “no better place” to restart the rallies, said Michael Glassner, the Trump campaign’s chief operating officer. Trump himself told the Wall Street Journal that the rally was pushed back a day after a Black Secret Service agent explained the meaning of the Juneteenth holiday to him. Trump told the Journal that he “did something good” and made Juneteenth “very famous.”

“Nobody had ever heard of it,” the President of the United States said of a holiday recognized in 47 states and the District of Columbia.

As wide-spread protests against police brutality and systemic racism push into a fourth week around the country, Trump’s response has laid bare the depth of the country’s racist legacy and added urgency to calls for a wider national reckoning. Sixty percent of white Americans and 82% of Black Americans think Trump has made the country more divided, according to a poll released Wednesday by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The percentage of white Americans who disagree with Trump’s handling of race relations has increased from 55% in 2019 to 62% in 2020, the poll found. Optimism among Republicans is down. This month, the poll found 63% of Republicans thought the country was headed in the wrong direction, compared with 42% in May. And Trump’s own poll numbers have sagged further.

Yet while many allies concede it is hurting his re-election prospects, the President’s fomentation of racial division continues. In recent days, Trump has slapped down a push inside the Army to strip the names of Confederate officers from ten U.S. military bases, writing on Twitter that his Administration “will not even consider” renaming them. In a week when an Atlanta police officer was charged with shooting a Black man during an altercation and more localities moved to ban chokeholds and open up police disciplinary records to public scrutiny, Trump told Fox news host Sean Hannity that police officers are “under siege” and “have not been treated fairly in our country.”

Ruddy Roye for TIMEReverend Al Sharpton speaks to attendees at the Juneteenth celebration in the Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma on June 19, 2020.

Trump’s campaign defended his record on race, saying he was responsible for low unemployment among Black Americans before the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing funding for historically Black colleges and universities, and signing criminal justice reform measures into law. Trump has “built a record of success for Black Americans,” senior campaign adviser Katrina Pierson said in a statement. “As the party of Lincoln, Republicans are proud of the history of Juneteenth, which is the anniversary of the last reading of the Emancipation Proclamation,” Pierson added.

Many protesters who have taken to the streets in recent weeks say Trump’s divisive instincts have exposed the racist currents still rife in America. Levi Berlin, 23, a lifestyle and fashion photographer, has attended multiple protests in Washington, D.C., handing out snacks and water. Trump “made people like me and the millions of other people in other states that went out and protested have a reason to go out there and fight for change, because I see it now,” Berlin says of systemic racism. “It’s not just a myth. It’s not just, ‘Oh, we’re just being paranoid.’ We know for a fact. It’s there. It’s in our office. It’s running our country.”

By Brian Bennett on June 20, 2020 at 05:00AM