C E L E B R AT I NG B L AC K AC H I E V E M E N T T H ROUG H OU T F LO R I DA
Volume 9 – Number 45 JULY/AUGUST 2020
CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF WOMEN’S RIGHT TO VOTE
EDUCATION
THE GREAT EQUALIZER FOR SUCCESS
CONGRESSWOMAN VAL DEMINGS: BORN FOR THIS
A LOOK AT HER JOURNEY
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EMOTIONALLY PREPARING YOUR CHILD TO RETURN TO SCHOOL
MASKUP! STOP THE SPREAD ONYX MAGAZINE KICKS OFF COMMUNITY CAMPAIGN
$3.50 onyxmagazine.com
FEATURED CONTRIBUTORS
Patricia Brown Denis is a writer and educator in Tampa. An avid reader, Patricia is the author of the ONYX Reads column.
Laura Dorsey, is the CEO of LLD Consulting, an associate editor of ONYX Magazine and author of the ONYX Magazine Money Matters series. Laura lives in Upper Marlboro, Md.
contents 7 ONYX Magazine Salutes Congressman John Lewis and Rev. C.T. Vivian 8 MaskUp! Stop the Spread. ONYX Magazine kicks off billboard campaign 10 Health Tip: How to properly wear masks 12 Special Report: How to get mutual aid to those most in need 14 Education: The new normal. Making the best out of online learning 15 Elevate: And how are the children? 17 On the Quad: Stories that impact Black college students 18 Money Matters: Education, the great equalizer
Harvey Fialkov is a freelance sports and feature writer based in South Florida.
Sharon Fletcher Jones is a writer, coach and a creator at Women of a Certain Age (certainagewomen.com) in Orlando, who also pens feature stories for ONYX Magazine.
20 On the Rise: Is social media a friend or foe of the protest? 22 Arts & Culture: Lessons of the Highwaymen 24 Your Library: Ready to Read 26 ONYX Reads: Books for young people 28 Val Demings: Born for this 30 Black History: Celebrating 100 years of women’s right to vote 32 Parenting: What parents need to know about e-cigarettes 34 Real Estate: How to support anti-racism with your home buying dollars 36 Health & Wellness: Fighting the COVID 15
Quintavia McKay is a senior Broadcast Journalism student at Florida A&M University from Miami. She enjoys writing stories about women empowerment, community and news.
Trina Ryan is a blogger and ONYX Magazine features writer in Orlando. She is the in-house editor and executive assistant to the CEO at the Orlando Museum of Art.
38 Medically Speaking: Shifting resources to address the Black public health crisis 41 Family: Emotionally preparing your children for the back-to-school season 42 Closer Look: The move for Black lives has always been spiritual 44 Commentary: A culture shift can only happen with reparations and truth telling
8 Kevin Washington, Ph.D., is an academician and psychologist who leads the Department of Psychology at Grambling University in Baton Rouge, La. Kevin is the author of ONYX Magazine’s Elevate series.
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FEATURE
ONYX Magazine Launches Community Campaign
Cover photo by AdobeStock
COMMUNITY
ONYX Magazine Launches “MaskUp! Stop the Spread” Billboard Campaign By Harvey Fialkov
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s Florida reopens restaurants, bars, vacation rentals, theme parks and beaches, the invisible enemy—aka COVID19—thought to be vanquished, instead, has grown stronger, attacking anyone in its path. While COVID-19 seems to be an equal-opportunity killer virus, there’s no question that African Americans have been a favorite target as a quarter of Americans who have died were Black. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that African Americans make up roughly 13 percent of the U.S. population but account for nearly 23 percent of this country’s COVID-19 patients. So rather than play the victim, Orlando-based ONYX Magazine, recognizing how the ongoing virus has disproportionately affected African Americans, has launched a grassroots billboard campaign: “Mask Up! Stop the Spread” to remind people of color and those with underlying health conditions to remain vigilant and don masks when venturing into public places. The 30-day initiative with Clear Channel Outdoor was unveiled on July 1 in a press conference . “It’s been said that when America catches a cold, the African American community catches pneumonia,’’ said Rich Black, the publisher of ONYX Magazine. “Many African Americans in our communities don’t have insurance or funding that could assist them if they’re out of commission. So, we have to be proactive and do what we can do on the front end to survive COVID. We have formed a united front to defeat the enemy and not allow the disease to cross-contaminate.’’
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The campaign’s launch was held in front a spaced-out, masked up crowd of media and community members on the steps of Orlando’s City Hall. Passersby also stopped to hear the critical messages from speakers. “If we don’t mask up, then we continue this pandemic, we continue to infect those that we love. The very life you save might be your mamma’s. COVID is not just real, it kills,” said Orlando City Commissioner Regina I. Hill, District 5. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer noted health disparities and said now is the time to do something about it. “We know that it (COVID-19) has disproportionately impacted people of color and we know absolutely that simple face coverings are one of the more critical tools in combating the spread.” “Orange County continues to see a surge in new cases and the pandemic has adversely impacted communities of color all across America, and this community is no different,” said Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings. “We’re doing our best to educate the community that the coronavirus is still around and that wearing a mask can help keep you and your neighbors safe and healthy,’’ said Bakari F. Burns, commissioner of District 6 in Orlando. Prior to the billboard campaign, ONYX Magazine, in conjunction with Hill, distributed informative door hangers and yard signs, spreading the message that just because the government has “opened up” to stimulate the economy, African Americans must continue to protect themselves and their loved ones by taking intelligent precautions.
“COVID-19 has taken the lives of hundreds of thousands in the African American communities,’’ Hill said. “We must continue to take preventative and safety measures to protect ourselves and surroundings from this deadly virus. We must continue to wear masks and not allow ourselves to become relaxed.” ONYX Magazine and Hill also conducted a fourpart virtual community town hall series on how COVID-19 is impacting the Black community. Expert panelists advised on healthcare, economics, employment and business ownership and how they are impacted in the pandemic. Paula Hoisington, co-chair of ONYX Magazine’s MaskUp! Stop the Spread campaign, thanked the sponsors and reminded the audience that we have to remain community-minded about slowing the spread of the virus. “We stand here together speaking to our Black and Brown community, with people that look like us, please mask up, said Hoisington, who also is the chair of the Central Florida Urban League Board of Directors. “Each one reach one, each one teach one, the importance of masking up.” So, Mask Up! Stop the Spread!
MaskUp Sponsors
D. Shenell Reed contributed to this article
Local businesses are supporting the campaign and will be featured on the billboards and will share the message with their constituents: MaskUp! Sponsor Orlando Health; Stop the Spread Sponsor Orange Blossom Family Health; Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer with City of Orlando Parramore Kidz Zone; Orange County Government; Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, founder, the 5000 Role Models of Excellence; Orlando City Commissioner Regina I. Hill, District 5; Orlando City Commissioner Bakari Burns, District 6; African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida; Bailey’s Medical Equipment & Supplies; Bank of America; Bronze Kingdom African American Art Gallery; Central Florida Urban League; Crealde School of Art/Hannibal Square Heritage Center; The CORE HORUS Construction Team with Jones High School; Dick Batchelor Management Group; Downtown City Arts; Downtown Development Board; The Experience Christian Center; Orange County Health Department; and Orlando Magic; United Foundation of Central Florida.
Rich Black, ONYX Magazine Publisher
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer
Rich Black, Commissioner Bakari Burns, District 6, and ONYX Magazine Advisory Committee Chair Dee Parker
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings
Commissioner Regina I. Hill, District 5
Paula Hoisington
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