Michigan Chronicle
Maintaining Mental Health Amidst The COVID-19 Crisis
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Michigan Chronicle
Vol. 83 – No.36 | May 13-19, 2020
Shooting Death in Georgia of Ahmaud Arbery is Defined as a “Modern Day Lynching” By Lauren Victoria Burke NNPA Newswire Contributor
Months after the U.S. House passed a new lynching law, which has been held up by the Republican led U.S. Senate, and a day after investigative journalist Ida B. Wells was posthumously awarded a Pulitzer Prize — a lynching story dated February 23, 2020 is in the news. The shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery, 25, went viral on social media on May 6, months after his murder. The video shows Arbery jogging down a street in Brunswick, Georgia. It appears to demonstrate the involvement of Ahmaud Arbery three men — two on a pickup truck and another filming the scene from behind. Arbery’s death took place on February 23rd about three miles from where he lived. Arbery was an avid jogger and played football. The two men on the pickup truck have been identified through numerous media reports as Greg McMichael, a retired investigator in the Brunswick District Attorney’s office, and his son Travis McMichael. They appear to follow Arbery from behind as he is jogging down a suburban street. Travis McMichael, the alleged shooter, is seen confronting Arbery and part of a struggle ensues in and outside of the camera’s range. The sound of shotgun fire is heard. Arbery is then seen on video collapsing after the sound of the gunshot in front of the truck. Brunswick District Attorney Jackie Johnson recused herself because one of the men seen in the video of the fatal shooting pointing a gun at Arbery worked in the district attorney’s office. During an exclusive interview on Roland Martin Unfiltered on May 7th with Arbery’s mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones confirmed there was no support of her from anyone in the small Georgia community after her son died. That is changing. Since the viral video has been widely seen everyone from LeBron James to former Vice President Biden and President Trump has commented on Arbery’s death. “Initially I was told there was a
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Racial Disparities and Coronavirus in Michigan By Whitney Gresham
W
hile New York City may be at the epicenter of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the nation, Michigan may very well have the most disturbing fallout from the disease as it continues to ravage the state despite Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s best efforts to fight it. As of Monday, more than 40 percent of COVID-19 deaths in Michigan were African Americans who only comprise 13.6 percent of the state population. Cases in Macomb County rose to 5,245, Oakland reported 6,913 cases and Wayne County, inclusive of Detroit, had 124 new cases reported. The virus has now infected more almost 40,000 Michiganders and killed nearly 3,500. And the recent tragic death of five-year-old Skylar Herbert, who became the youngest person in Michigan to die of COVID-19, according to Michigan Health Department statistics, made headlines across the nation. The scrutiny provided a lurid new visibility to the lethality of the disease, but also to its devastating impact on the state’s black population in particular. It provides a window into the rationale behind Governor Whitmer’s establishment of the first state appointed group in the nation to look into the impact of COVID-19 on people of color. The Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities will serve as an advisory body within the Department of Health and Human Services to study and develop strategies to address these disparities that stem from a history of systemic inequalities. During her announcement last week, Governor Whitmer explained she expects the task force to provide her with recommendations on how to ad-
dress the disparities and work alongside her and other state officials to slow the spread of COVID-19, particularly in people of color. “This virus is holding a mirror up to our society and reminding us of the deep inequities in this country,” she said. “From basic lack of access to health care, transportation, and protections in the workplace, these inequities hit people of color and vulnerable communities the hardest. This task force will help us start addressing these disparities right now as we work to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in Michigan.” The task force, chaired by Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II, will include Department of Health and Human Services Director Robert Gordon or his designee, Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh S. Khaldun and 24 members appointed by the governor reflecting the diverse geographic, economic, racial, cultural, gender, and occupational composition of this state. The Task Force also may consult with outside experts in order to perform its duties, including experts in the private sector, organized labor, faith community, government agencies and at institutions of higher education. “This is something that’s proven particularly lethal in communities of color across the state of Michigan and frankly, across the country,” said Gilchrest during a recent interview with WOODTV in Grand Rapids. “And that’s why we have to look into this. I felt this personally; 15 people in my life have passed away from COVID19 and I have other extended family members or friends who are either hospitalized or tested positive. And this is hitting home for more and more people in our state.”
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Along with providing technology to thousands of students and families, Triumph Church is also feeding them daily. It has partnered with the community group New Era Detroit to provide “Crisis Care Packages” to families that have been impacted by the coronavirus.
In midst of the COVID-19 outbreak, which forced Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to end the school year early for all students in Michigan on April 2, Triumph Church wants to ensure students in Detroit continue to learn.
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“The most irritating thing about all of this coverage is that folks in the media are acting as if this is a new thing that just came about,” Dr. Sanford said. “The narrative around it has very much
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Triumph Church Provides Support To Community By Darlene White
Tatiana Grant opens new Marketing & Communications Firm
Gilchrest said the task force is dedicated to the memory of little Skylar. “Skylar lived in a predominant black neighborhood,” he told NBC News. “This task force will serve in her memory to ensure that we can limit the exposure for as many people, as many families as possible.” Other cities such as Cleveland and Oakland, Calif., have issued task forces to study the disproportionate deaths of black people in their communities from the pandemic. Michigan appears to be the first to do so at a state government level. Public health experts say the issue of the growing amount of cases of COVID-19 in predominately black areas stems from the higher reliance on public transportation, having jobs at essential businesses as opposed to working from home, and lower income which leads to more trips to the grocery store and other outside establishments putting them in risk of contracting the virus. And less access to healthcare and emergency treatment in these areas has led to the spread of misinformation relating to COVID-19 and a delay of proper preventive practices. Dr. Tiffany Sanford, Chief Medical Officer for the Wellness Plan Medical Centers of Greater Detroit predicted as much to the Chronicle a month ago. However, she said her hope is that the focus of the Task Force provides a deeper analysis of how structural inequality and institutional racism is driving the crisis in our community.
“I want to help our youth in the community in whatever way possible,” said Solomon Kinloch, pastor of Triumph Church. Kinloch stepped up in his leadership and decided that his church would help the community during the crisis by providing free laptops and tablets to low-income families of the Detroit Public School Community District (DPSCD). “I felt that our kids deserved just as much as any other district would provide for their students,” Kinloch said. “My hope is that the spirit of generosity would become conta-
Solomon Kinloch, pastor of Triumph Church gious and others will step up to the plate to help our youth.” The laptops and tablets are on a first come, first-served basis while supplies last and recipients have to pre-register at www.TriumphCh.org. The giveaway will occur every Friday until May 29 at Triumph’s east campus at 2760 East Grand Boulevard in Detroit.
“Since 1920, Triumph Church has helped a community navigate through the stormy waters of the Great Depression, measles, mumps, polio, Civil Rights and so much more,” Kinloch explained. “It’s important that we demonstrate our faith to help calm fears and give our community a sense of reassurance that we will get through this by His grace and mercy. The church has always represented a place of safety and sanctuary – a house of hope in times of calamity.” Kyra Cook, 28, of Detroit says, Triumph Church has
been a blessing her household in many ways. “I am a single mother with five children, and we are all working remotely, so you can imagine how hard it can be to share one tablet with everyone needing to do work,” explained Cook. “We don’t have the money to just jump up and go out to buy a new computer, especially during this pandemic, so when I got the word of the free laptops, I was too excited. Triumph is truly a blessing. I love that they care about our children’s education.” Alexandria Griffin, 44, of Ferndale says she was happy to know that the church is providing groceries to families in need. “It’s great to see people coming together to make things happen, not only to help our youth with the tools that they need for education,
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