ONE YEAR LATER

The Follow-Up to Articles That Appeared in BAVUAL's Spring 2022 Issue

"MY TAKE": FOR MOM AT 99

Queenie Birkett, that remarkable black woman who chose to raise a great family over her own wants, passed away in February, three months before her 100th birthday. Among her many accomplishments, she leaves a son who founded BAVUAL.

"THE DRIFT": THE RENT IS TOO DAMN HIGH

With inflation at one point at its highest in 40 years, African Americans, always the first to feel the brunt of an economic downturn, remarkably saw their unemployment rate fall to a record low 5 percent. Alas, the rent is still too damn high and has led to a homelessness epidemic, especially in California.

"THE NEXT 10 YEARS": THE DECADE OF THE AFRICAN QUEEN

One of our profile designees, Stacey Abrams, lost her race for governor of Georgia, but she is not out of the political game. This loss was balanced in part with Ketanji Brown Jackson's ascension to the U.S. Supreme Court, though Republican senators did their best to stop her. Societal progress for black women remains slow but steady.

"PRO AND CON": IS "WOKENESS" HELPING OR HURTING?

The cultural phenomenon called "woke" has spread like wildfire since we first published this debate - and all for the wrong reasons. What is basically the Golden Rule - treat all people as you would treat yourself - has become a rallying cry for MAGA Republicans to let their bigoted freak fly. The disgusting vitriol appears directed at women and ethnic and racial minorities, especially at the LQBTQ+ community. Denial of abortion as health treatment, book bans, persecuted teachers, and other petty harassment in red states is the order of the day. There appears to be no let-up, and, in fact, expect the awfulness to increase as the 2024 election approaches.

The Spring Issue, our first special issue devoted to the decade of the 2020s and its emphasis on the rise of the African woman, was also our first 100-pager and the first to carry a commercial ad, from Generac Power Systems. Our cover featured the artwork of the talented artist, Angie Braun.