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Now That We Know There’s a Maternal Mortality Crisis, How Can We Help Fix It?
If you are outraged by the maternal health crisis—and you should be—where black women are dying disproportionately from preventable childbirth-related causes and mistreatment, here’s what you can do: Get Involved. I caught up with Elizabeth Dawes Gay, co-director of the Black Mama’s Matter Alliance (BMMA) this week, and she was clear: “There is something that…
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'Stacey Abrams Won That Election': Eric Holder Stays Ready to Scrap Against Anti-Democratic Principles
Eric Holder has been one of the most consistent Democratic operatives in the last two decades. And by operative, we don’t mean the stereotypical, smarmy, back-of-the-room dealmaker and fixer (see Donald Trump’s inner circle), we mean repping Democratic principles and getting in the mix when those principles are threatened, most notably as the first African-American…
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Those Left Behind: Charles Johnson Wants to Support Families Reeling After Black Women Die in Childbirth
Because Kira Johnson was so amazing (she spoke five languages, skydived, raced cars), she has been the face of what many are now coming to see as a crisis in black maternal health. Kira Johnson put a face on what activists have known for years—that black women’s rates of death during or up to a…
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Fox’s The Resident Partners With Activist to Shine Light on America’s Maternal Mortality Crisis
“Lea Davies wasn’t a priority.” So said Dr. Devon Pravesh (Manish Dayal) on Monday night’s episode of The Resident, a fast-moving, gripping procedural drama on Fox starring The Good Wife’s Matt Czuchry, Malcolm Jamal Warner as Dr. AJ Austin, and Shaunette Renée Wilson as Dr. Mina Okafor. Monday’s episode, “If Not Now, When?” is dedicated…
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Nipsey Hussle’s Community Legacy: 10 Hip-Hop Artists Continuing The Marathon
The life of Ermias “Nipsey Hussle” Asghedom was celebrated Thursday before a crowd of over 21,000 at the Staples Center after he was fatally shot in South Los Angeles on March 31. Following his tragic death, the Eritrean-American who was born and raised in L.A. has been praised as a local philanthropist who was heavily…
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Finally! Wendy Williams Files for Divorce From Husband Kevin Hunter After 2 Decades of Marriage
In what seems like the longest time coming, talk show host Wendy Williams has reportedly filed for divorce from her husband of nearly 22 years, Kevin Hunter. Williams’ attorney confirmed to Page Six that the 54-year-old face of the nationally syndicated The Wendy Williams Show (which Hunter executive produces) finally kicked ole boy to the…
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Black Maternal Health: When the Village Itself May Be Too Toxic
The recent intense media focus on high rates of maternal mortality in the U.S.—especially for African-American women—has been a mixed blessing. It has raised much-needed awareness about the rising rates of maternal deaths and disability happening during pregnancy, birth and postpartum. Yet those startling statistics have added more stress and burden on women who absorb…
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Tickets to Nipsey Hussle Memorial at 21,000-Seat Staples Center Gone in Minutes
Los Angeles plans to give recently deceased rapper Nipsey Hussle a farewell fit for a hometown king. Accordingly, the community entrepreneur and Eritrean-American will have his memorial service at the 21,000-seat Staples Center. The New York Daily News reports that the complimentary tickets for the service “sold out” shortly after they went onsite at 10…
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Washington State Bans Free Books to Prisoners for No Logical Reason
In a move that flies in the face of more than 45 years of practice with no incident, the Washington State Department of Corrections has moved forward with a policy denying books to prisons under the guise of safety. Book Riot reports that the Washington State DOC “quietly rolled out a new policy via a…
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Rigged Shows How an Organized, Well-Funded System of Voter Suppression Doesn’t Bode Well for Black Folks—or Democracy
You know how the extrajudicial killings of Trayvon Martin, Mike Brown, and Philando Castile moved so many of us to action—whether it was creating art, taking to the streets, or being more involved civically? Right. Well, there was another turning point in American history that spurned some to action as well, even though to most,…
