57
Quadvest Donates 1,500 Face Masks to Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital
Quadvest, a local privately owned water and sewer utility company in Montgomery County, Texas, has taken the lead to donate 1,500 N95 surgeon masks to the Methodist Hospital in The Woodlands to help during this crisis with the COVID-19. With the communities experiencing this unprecedented time in history, Quadvest is flattening the curve and assisting healthcare providers and those who are most at risk.
NABJ Announces ESPN’s Michael Wilbon as Honorary 2020 Convention Chair
National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) President Dorothy Tucker has announced that Michael Wilbon, one of the nation’s most respected sports journalists, will serve as the NABJ honorary chair for the 2020 joint convention with the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ).
NALEO Educational Fund Calls on Congress to Step in on Census 2020
Strong oversight by Congress is paramount to salvaging the 2020 Census
The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund today released a statement from CEO Arturo Vargas on the Census Bureau’s request for a 120-day statutory relief of critical legislative deadlines amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) public health crisis:
Houston First Corp. Rallies With Resources And Events To Support Hospitality Community
To support local businesses during COVID-19, Houston First Corporation has launched several initiatives and programs including a comprehensive landing page called, A New Way To HOU, dedicated to sharing information, opportunities and collaboration. The organization is also rolling out a #MissingHOU campaign, encouraging community engagement.
Individual Stimulus Checks Begin to Arrive, What Should You Expect?
The IRS will base the payments on the adjusted gross income of taxpayers’ 2019 return. If a 2019 return hasn’t been filed (the deadline has been extended for two months), the IRS will use information from the 2018 return. If the return doesn’t contain direct deposit information, or if the IRS doesn’t have returns from 2018 or 2019, a paper check will be issued later.
Gov. Abbott Unlawfully Exceeded Authority with Executive Order Limiting Jail Releases, Argues New Lawsuit
Governor Abbott unlawfully exceeded his constitutional authority by issuing an executive order that suspends the rights that individuals, who are presumed innocent, have while facing criminal prosecution, according to a new lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Texas, Texas Fair Defense Project, the ACLU’s Criminal Law Reform Project and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.
CAHS Mourns The Loss Of Mr. Benny Lockett
Prairie View A&M University, notably the College of Agriculture and Human Sciences, has suffered a tremendous loss. On Wednesday, April 8, 2020, PVAMU alumnus, Mr. Benny Lockett, passed away. Lockett most recently served the university as a Board of Trustee member after serving for years as the former Associate Administrator for the CAHS Cooperative Extension Program. Following active duty in the United States Army and brief employment with an Information Technology Company in Dallas, Benny Lockett joined the Cooperative Extension Program administration in 1977.
Scholarship Classic 2020 — New Date, Same Location, Same Cause
As COVID-19 continues to spread across the United States and affect and claim the lives of African Americans and countless others, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. (CBCF) has rescheduled the Scholarship Classic originally slated for June. Your health and wellness are paramount!
U.S. Carbon Emissions Are Actually Dropping
Increased natural gas consumption helped bring down U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2019, according to a recent report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Tune In: Aspire TV's "One Sided Love" Film Block
Independent Film Series, In Partnership with Damn Write Originals, Airs Every Tuesday at 8pm ET on Aspire TV
Tomorrow night, Aspire TV, in partnership with Damn Write Originals, will present the second installment of its new weekly independent film series, the 2020 Urban Indie Film Block. The network’s 2020 programming block features the best of urban short films by up and coming filmmakers, and presents passionate stories that touch upon a variety of themes and genres including romance, friendship, drama, human connection, comedy and even action and sci-fi.
Understanding the risky combination of diabetes and the coronavirus
While most people are anxious about the coronavirus, people with underlying conditions such as diabetes may be especially so.
Texans' Whitney Mercilus takes school shopping for groceries
Smartie Pants Academy receives foo
Houston Texans' Outside Linebacker Whitney Mercilus partnered with his foundation WithMerci for a grocery shopping spree for Smartie Pants Academy. Mercilus and his foundation focus on helping families of children with disabilities, and Smartie Pants Academy is a long-time partner of the WithMerci Foundation.
Harris, 22 Senators Reintroduce Resolution Designating April 11-17 as Black Maternal Health Week
On Monday, U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) led 22 of her colleagues in reintroducing a resolution to designate April 11-17, 2020 as Black Maternal Health Week to raise awareness about the Black maternal health crisis. The resolution was led in the House of Representatives by Congresswoman Alma Adams (D-NC).
Harris County Attorney ready to take on price gouging
Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan has set up a website for residents to file complaints about price gouging.
Mothers on low incomes left out of pandemic support, say Baker Institute experts
COVID-19 impact on child development addressed in new brief
Government relief packages have failed to provide adequate support for low-income mothers, say experts at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, and that will have a long-term impact on their children.
Governor Abbott, Goldman Sachs, LiftFund Announce $50 Million in Loans For Texas Small Businesses
Governor Greg Abbott today announced that Goldman Sachs and the LiftFund, along with other community development financial institutions (CDFIs), are partnering to provide $50 million in loans to small businesses in Texas that have been affected by COVID-19 as part of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program. These loans, made through the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), will primarily be used for payroll so that employees can continue to receive paychecks and small businesses can retain their employees and will be partially or wholly forgiven.
New website gives specific location of COVID-19 cases in Fort Bend County
Fort Bend County today launched an updated website that gives the exact zip code, precinct and jurisdiction of people who test positive for COVID-19. To see the data, go to the response hub and look at the map on the right side of the dashboard. The map lands on cases by zip codes. Underneath the map, there is an arrow to toggle to jurisdiction and precinct.
Prosecutors agree that death row inmate is not eligible to be executed because of intellectual disability
Prosecutors said Monday that a man who has been on death row for almost 20 years cannot be executed because he is intellectually disabled,
Governor Abbott Continues to Mismanage the Unemployment Crisis in Texas
Under Abbott’s Leadership, Over 1 Million Texans Have Filed for Unemployment
This past month, more than 1 million Texans filed for unemployment, more than the total number of Texans who filed for unemployment in all of 2019. The Texas Workforce Commission failed to upgrade its “outdated and broken” unemployment benefits system. Abbott’s hand-picked Commissioners were “well-aware of [these] shortcomings.” This failure leaves unemployed Texans “locked . . . out of the system.”
Beyond the Rhetoric: They Blame it on Us?
It is absolutely shocking! In Illinois, 43 percent of people who have died from the disease and 28 percent of those who have tested positive are African-Americans, a group that makes up just 15 percent of the state’s population. African-Americans, who account for a third of positive tests in Michigan, represent 40 percent of deaths in that state even though they make up 14 percent of the population. In Louisiana, about 70 percent of the people who have died are black, though only a third of that state’s population is.
Loni Love Welcomes #ClubQuarantine's D-Nice and Star of The Clark Sisters Biopic Kierra Sheard to #QuarantineWithLoni
In light of COVID-19, Emmy and 2x NAACP Image Award winner Loni Love has been providing fans an opportunity to escape for an hour a day. #QuarantineWithLoni is an Instagram Live series (via @ComicLoniLove) in which Love brings on fans to chat about how they are dealing with the 'stay at home' order. Many fans have checked in with her from around the world giving various perspectives of regulations within their country. To add some fun, fans look forward to playing the popular 'Shoutragous!' game as seen on "The Real" that requires blurting out things related to a specific topic before time runs out!
Tru by Hilton™ Lake Charles donating rooms
Lake Charles hotel participating in Hilton and American Express front-line medical professionals room donation program.
Hilton (NYSE: HLT) and American Express (NYSE: AXP), recently announced in partnership with Hilton’s ownership community, will donate up to 1 million hotel room nights across the United States to front-line medical professionals leading the fight against COVID-19.
New Guidance about COVID-19 Economic Impact Payments for Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Beneficiaries from Social Security Commissioner Andrew Saul
“The Treasury Department launched a new web tool allowing quick registration for Economic Impact Payments for eligible individuals who do not normally file a tax return, and also announced that it would begin making automatic payments. However, for some people receiving benefits from the Social Security Administration--specifically those who have dependent children under the age of 17--it is to their advantage to go to this portal to ensure they also get the $500 per dependent Economic Impact Payment. I encourage them to do this as soon as possible, and want to provide the following details:
5 Ways Pitchers Can Stay Sharp And In Shape During The Long Interruption
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused either the indefinite suspension or cancellation of baseball seasons. Meanwhile, social distancing measures and stay-at-home orders have prevented players from working out in public facilities or participating in outdoor team activities like they normally would.
How Staying Safe By Telehealth Also Means Keeping Cyber-Secure
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted social distancing as a safety measure across the country. How this new normal affects general health care can be seen in the rise of telehealth services, as people are encouraged to use them to limit in-person interactions with medical staff and help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Work Smarter: How to Use a Mobile Hotspot for iPhone and Android
Is your smartphone your primary connection to the Internet or do you need a reliable backup for Wi-Fi? You’re not alone: T-Mobile says mobile hotspot usage on its network is up 60% as more people are staying and working from home.
Watch 'The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel' Sat. April 11th at 8/7c on Lifetime
From executive producers and GRAMMY Award winners Queen Latifah, Mary J. Blige, Missy Elliott and executive producer Dr. Holly Carter comes the authorized musical tale of the incomparable gospel singers, The Clark Sisters. The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel recounts the story of the highest selling female gospel group in history and of their trailblazing mother, Mattie Moss Clark (Aunjanue Ellis).
Keep your immune system in top shape with these tips
For years, Dr. Ahmad Garrett-Price has been counseling patients about the need to keep their immune systems strong, emphasizing exercise, nutrition and sleep.
Kroger Houston Announces Partnership with Local Restaurants
Kroger Houston Division today announced their partnership with several local restaurants in an effort to support local businesses.
UNCF Update
We hope this finds you and your family well and staying safe. We write today to share a few updates and ask for your pledge to support it. To those of you who have already pledged your support, thank you. The COVID-19 crisis has certainly impacted all our lives and plans in unprecedented ways.
Space Center Houston Provides Free Interactive Virtual Learning Experiences for the Everyday Explorer
The nonprofit Space Center Houston is adding to its wide range of virtual learning experiences for the everyday explorer to be a part of what’s happening now in space exploration. The center will take you beyond the museum walls and bring science learning to you – making science and space exploration accessible for everyone.
T.D. Jakes Presents: 'The Light,' An Easter Production
Special Production Retells Resurrection Story Through Various Music Genres
In the midst of worldwide hardship, The Potter's House will host its first digital-only Easter celebration to bring encouragement to millions around the world. A special Easter production titled The Light will be streamed online, broadcast on BET and distributed audibly through the iHeart Radio app.
Economic Assistance Available for Small Businesses Impacted by COVID-19
The Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) is offering two loan programs to provide small businesses immediate relief so they can keep their operations running. Both programs are being managed by the Houston-Galveston Area Local Development Corporation (H-GALDC).
Carrying the Cross of COVID-19 this Good Friday
One of my favorite annual rituals for Holy Week is the Via Crucis—the Way of the Cross. Held at the Roman Colosseum, where early Christians were fed to lions by pagan Romans, the pope presides over a recitation of 14 Stations of the Cross—14 wrenching moments that Jesus withstood on his way to his crucifixion. For instance, the first station denotes the moment Jesus was condemned to death, the second marks Jesus bearing his cross, the tenth recalls the Son of God being stripped of his garments, all the way to the final station, where Jesus is laid in the tomb. At each station, a meditation is read, as well as the reciting of the Pater Noster and Ave Maria.
Ranchero King Buffet sponsors free drive-through Easter meal, grocery giveaway
Like all restaurants in Houston, Ranchero King Buffet is closed to help fight the spread of COVID-19. That isn't stopping owner Elias Duran from giving back this Easter weekend. Duran, Pepsico, Goya Foods, Cadence Bank, Hot Wings and Latino Learning Center are teaming up to give away free Easter meals and grocery items to anyone who shows up between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday, April 11.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Announces Incoming Shipments and Distribution of PPE
Governor Greg Abbott today held a press conference to provide an update on personal protective equipment (PPE) distribution throughout the state of Texas. The Governor also announced that Texas received 2.5 million masks in the past 24 hours, and will receive an additional 3 million masks by April 11th.
KweliTV Launches on Comcast’s Xfinity X1 and Xfinity Flex
KweliTV, an ad-free subscription video on demand service that celebrates independent black stories from across the globe, is now available on Comcast’s Xfinity X1 and Xfinity Flex.
State of Emergency Declared: Coronavirus Is Airborne
Black America Sounds Alarm As Experts Reveal Cornavirus Is Airborne
Medical experts have also sounded the alarm that the virus could well be transmitted through the air. “Currently available research supports the possibility that (COVID-19) could be spread via bioaerosols generated directly by patients’ exhalation,” Harvey Fineberg, who heads a standing committee on Emerging Infectious Diseases and 21st Century Health Threats, wrote in an April 1, 2020 letter to Kelvin Droegemeier, the head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP)
Mayor Turner Appoints – Mary Benton New Director of Communications
Mayor Sylvester Turner has appointed Mary Benton as the new Director of Communications effective immediately. Benton brings valuable years of experience in media relations, strategic communications, crisis communications, and social media strategy.
National Education Nonprofit Offers Free Virtual Workshops during COVID-19 Pandemic
New Tech Network offers distance-learning workshops around social and emotional learning, curriculum design, student assessment and more
As communities across Texas face school closures due to the COVID-19 health crisis, New Tech Network (NTN) — a national education nonprofit and leading design partner for comprehensive K-12 school change — is offering four free virtual workshops to support teachers and school leaders to ensure academic continuity and authentic learning outside the classroom.
Houston First Employees Back On the Job Supporting the City
Houston First Corporation (HFC) is pleased to announce all employees are back on the job and drawing on all of the organization’s resources to support Houston during the pandemic crisis.
Coronavirus & Masks: What You Need to Know About the New Cloth Face Covering Recommendations
To wear a mask or not to wear a mask? This question has been up for debate since the beginning of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
HISD announces new food distribution sites for week of April 13
The Houston Independent School District will continue food distribution efforts at 25 sites throughout the district during the week of Monday, April 13.
How Your Team Colors Lift Spirits In These Trying Times
Fashion has always been a powerful way to express ourselves, and the colors we wear, psychologists say, reflect our personality.
Luck Productions Releases Weekly Online Interactive Cooking Series
Every Friday Starting April 10, 2020 Beginning at 6 PM Central
Luck Presents: Prime Cuts Benefitting Austin Food & Wine Alliance
Judicial Watch Sues to Force North Carolina to Clean Its Voter Rolls
Lawsuit Alleges North Carolina has Nearly One Million Inactive Voters
Judicial Watch announced today that it filed a lawsuit against North Carolina and two of its counties for failing to clean their voter rolls. According to Judicial Watch’s analysis of voter registration data, many of North Carolina’s 100 counties have large numbers of ineligible voters on their rolls. Judicial Watch also alleges that the States’ own data shows that North Carolina has nearly one million inactive voters on its rolls (Judicial Watch v. North Carolina and North Carolina State Board of Elections, et al. (No. 3:20-cv- 211)).
Broad Coalition of Civil Rights Groups Oppose the Department of Labor’s National Interest Exemption Suspending Critical Affirmative Action Regulations for Federal Contractors Responding to COVID-19
On April 7, 2020 a broad coalition of 56 civil rights and workers’ rights organizations led by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) to oppose the Department’s decision to temporarily exempt and waive affirmative action obligations under new supply, service, and construction federal contracts for coronavirus relief.
AFT Slams New Trump Rule Exposing Frontline Workers to COVID-19
American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement after President Trump announced new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines revoking the recommended 14-day quarantine for frontline workers who have been exposed to—and may be infected with—COVID-19. The AFT represents hundreds of thousands of essential employees covered by the CDC’s rule.
Local Pastors Join Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware In Urging Governor Carney for Racial Breakdown in State Coronavirus Cases
Communities of Color that are most vulnerable to COVID-19 need a comprehensive response plan to the disease in Delaware
As of today, Delaware is one of many states that has yet to release demographic data on the race or ethnicity of people who've tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
(BPRW) BET Rallies to Support Communities of Color Most Impacted By COVID-19 Pandemic With New Television Special, Relief Fund, Digital News Programs, and Community Partnerships
“Saving Our Selves: A BET COVID-19 Relief Effort,” Special Co-Hosted by Kelly Rowland, Terrence J, and Regina Hall, Set to Air On Wednesday, April 22, 2020 At 8 PM EDT ; Special Guests for the Special Include DJ Khaled, Charlie Wilson, Chance the Rapper, Kirk Franklin, Fantasia, Melvin Crispell III and Many More; BET Has Partnered With United Way to Create a Relief Fund to Receive Financial Donations That Will Be Disbursed to Local Charities That Provide Food and Emergency Assistance to Those Who Need Help Most ; #BETCOVIDRELIEF