Insight ::: 5.04.20

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Insight News

May 4, 2020 - May 10, 2020

Vol. 47 No. 18• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com

COVID-19

Task force to combat racial, ethnic disparities WASHINGTON, D.C. – Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) on Thursday (April 30) announced the COVID-19 Racial and Ethnic Disparities Task Force Act, legislation to bring together health care and other policy experts, community-based organizations, and federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial leaders to confront the racial and ethnic disparities of the coronavirus pandemic head on. The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the urgent need to address longstanding inequities in our health care system. Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL), chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust, will introduce companion legislation in the House of Representatives. “People of color are being infected and dying from coronavirus at astounding rates,” said Harris. “This is in part due to persistent lack of access to health care, bias in our health care system, systematic barriers to equal pay and housing, and environmental

injustice. It is critical that the federal government proactively work to right historical wrongs that have led to racial inequities for generations. The COVID-19 Racial and Ethnic Disparities Task Force Act is a necessary step to fully understand the impact of this virus in the hardest hit communities and make targeted investments that correspond with their unique needs.” “We know that COVID-19 is already taking an oversized toll on communities of color,” said Kelly. “It’s critical that we examine these disparities at the highest possible levels of our government and develop solutions to address, reduce and end them. Fundamentally, we need this analysis to give us hard, in-your-face proof of what we’ve known for generations to drive policy change.” Along with Harris and Kelly, this legislation is co-sponsored by Sens. Tina Smith (D-MN), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Michael Bennet (DCO), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Mazie K.

Sen. Kamala Harris Hirono (D-HI), Doug Jones (D-AL), Amy Klobuchar (DMN), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Gary Peters (D-MI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Debbie Stabenow (DMI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI). The bill would require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish an interagency task force of policy experts, community leaders, and government officials to make data-driven recommendations to federal agencies about directing crucial resources – like testing kits, testing supplies, and personal protective equipment (PPE)—to communities with racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 infection, hospitalization and death rates. The task force’s work would guide a more equitable government response to the

COVID-19 pandemic and future public health crises. “The novel coronavirus pandemic has sickened and killed Black and Latino people at disparate rates, and equitable support is not reaching the nation’s hardest hit regions,” said Marc Morial, president and CEO, National Urban League. “We need to convene health care and policy experts with local leaders in order to allocate the necessary resources to meet everyone’s needs – especially in communities that have historically suffered from unfair and insufficient response from the government during times of crisis. The National Urban League is proud to support this legislation that will deliver much-needed federal support to our communities during these challenging times.” The COVID-19 Racial and Ethnic Disparities

Task Force would provide weekly resource allocation recommendations to FEMA and Congress including data on patient outcomes including hospitalizations, ventilation, and mortality disaggregated by race and ethnicity, identification of communities that have high levels of racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and death rates, recommendations to FEMA about how best to allocate critical COVID-19 resources like PPE, ventilators, testing kits, testing supplies, vaccinations (when available), staffing and funding to these communities and best practices when communities are able to effectively reduce racial and ethnic disparities. It would also provide oversight and recommendations to federal agencies about how to disburse COVID-19 relief funds— for instance, the Education

Stabilization Fund and the Paycheck Protection Program created under the CARES Act—to address racial and ethnic disparities with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic and report to Congress on structural inequalities preceding the COVID-19 pandemic and how they contributed to racial and ethnic disparities in infection, hospitalization, and death rates. It would offer recommendations to combat racial and ethnic disparities in future infectious disease response. At the end of the COVID-19 public health crisis, the act would establish a permanent Infectious Disease Racial and Ethnic Disparities Task Force to continue to identify and address racial and ethnic disparities in our health care system and improve future infectious disease response.

Peace! Of My Mind

What’s inside always comes out when agitated Commentary by James Trice Founder and CEO Public Policy Project During this uncertain, stressful and painful time, what are we doing to prepare ourselves for when it’s over? I know that we have no idea what this pandemic will leave in its wake and how we will be individually and collectively in the world, but no matter what happens I am certain that things will change. For some of us the change will be drastic and for others change will be minimal, but change is coming. We are all being agitated like dirty clothes in a washing machine. Clothes cannot get truly clean unless they go through the agitation cycle of the washer. Similarly, we cannot change unless we go through the agitation cycle of life. If you have ever observed the water coming out of the washer during the rinse, you can see how dirty the water is. The dirty water lets us know how dirty our clothes were before they went into the machine. Agitation of the washing machine reveals what’s inside of the clothes. The coronavirus pandemic is agitating all of us and is revealing what’s inside of us individually and collectively. An April 6 New York Times article read, “Movement restrictions aimed to stop the spread of the coronavirus may be making violence in homes more frequent, more severe and more dangerous.” The report goes on to say: “now, with families in lockdown worldwide, hotlines are lighting up with abuse reports ...” I challenge each of us to use this time as a mirror to

Harry Colbert, Jr.

Served as managing editor at Insight for past four years

Harry Colbert, Jr. named next North News editor

James Trice intentionally take a look at who we really are and see ourselves truthfully and honestly. Take time to observe our actions and listen to how we talk to each other during this lockdown. This crisis will reveal the thoughts you hold deep about your family members, friends and loved ones. How are you “different” now than you were before the pandemic? What is coming out of you that you didn’t intend to come out? What thoughts about people around you are emerging to the forefront of your mind that you’ve suppressed or believed you no longer thought? Whatever it is it will be revealed during this crisis. Please understand that agitation (conflict) between people are as much a part

of building meaningful and long-lasting relationships as is harmony. It is what we do during times of conflict that define the relationship and who we are in it. Sometimes during a time of agitation, we must learn to back up, be quiet and breath. In other words, stop and listen to what the other person is saying and let go of where we stand on an issue to actively listen. What is coming out of us during this agitating time? When we see it, we must confess that it is who we are. If who we are is painful to ourselves and/or to others around us then take this time to make a change. But we can’t change what we do not see or refuse to acknowledge. This is a perfect time to take notice of who we actually are and what we actually think.

Pillsbury United Communities has named Harry Colbert, Jr. as the next editor of North News. Outgoing managing editor of Inisight News, Colbert is an award-winning journalist, has contributed as a reporter, columnist/commentator and editor for such outlets as the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s The Village, Suburban Journals (St. Louis), St. Louis American, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Joplin Globe (Mo.), Metro Networks (St. Louis) and KDHX (St. Louis). Colbert joined Insight News as a contributing writer in 2010. While at Insight, he has covered Barack Obama on multiple occasions during his presidency, interviewed countless dignitaries and celebrities and won awards for writing and photography. In June of 2016, Colbert was named Insight’s managing editor. Colbert’s journalistic accolades include four Minnesota Newspaper Association awards (first place for General Reporting, two second place for Columnist and one third place for General Excellence), three National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Merit Awards (2018 Best Column, third place, 2017 Best Special

Edition, second place [as both writer and managing editor] for an edition dedicated to the passing of Prince and 2016 Best Use of Photography, third place, for his coverage of the North Minneapolis uprising following the killing of Jamar Clark by Minneapolis police officers) and three National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Salute to Excellence nominations (two for Best Commentary [2018, 2019] and one for Best Business Reporting [2019]). “We are ecstatic to welcome Harry to our team. Harry intersects a deep commitment and passion for the North Minneapolis community, and we believe he will continue to authentically tell the stories of this resilient place,” said Adair Mosley, president and CEO of Pillsbury United Communities. “I’m both humbled and honored to have been selected to lead North News in its next phase of news gathering and sharing,” said Colbert. “Kenzie (O’Keefe) has done an outstanding job piloting the ship in its inaugural phase under Pillsbury United.” The outgoing managing editor thanked the people he calls “family” at Insight News for allowing him to serve the community

for

more than 10 years. I must offer an extreme ... extreme ... debt of gratitude to Al McFarlane and Batala McFarlane and the entire family at Insight News,” wrote Colbert in a message on his Facebook page. “The McFarlanes have treated me like family; and together we were able to do great works. Insight News is a legacy establishment that will continue to serve the Twin Cites AfricanAmerican community with the same vigor and dignity in which it has for the past 47 years. It has been my honor to serve as managing editor for the past four years – a part of my 10-year tenure with Insight News. I look forward to the same longevity and success with North News.” Colbert will begin officially in his role May 11. He replaces O’Keefe, who will now lead Pillsbury’s policy and advocacy work. Insight Editor Al McFarlane praised Colbert’s body of work and contributions to the success of Insight News and McFarlane Media. “Harry Colbert, Jr. Is a credit to our race, and a true champion for community and humanity. Our city will benefit greatly from his leadership of North News,” McFarlane said.


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