Issue 2: This is America
Land of the free and the COVIDIOTS
Blaxplaining is a very Black and somewhat informed take on today’s cultural and political news. It will include everything from a digest of this week’s top headlines, cultural observations, and policy analyses, as well as music and article recommendations.
What’s Happening?
All states have now relaxed social-distancing to varying degrees, even though cases are rising in states like Texas and Minnesota. In the absence of a federal-mandated reopening plan, a national testing strategy, and the federal government in general, states are out here winging it on what to do to reopen, and states like Florida and Georgia are even presenting inaccurate data to justify getting the ball rolling. It’s almost like we are out here fighting a pandemic on our own.
Trump, the theoretical but totally disputable leader of the United States, announced that he has been taking hydroxychloroquine (now say that five times fast) as a preventative measure for the coronavirus despite the FDA’s warnings against it. A study from The Lancet, a prestigious medical journal, found that the anti-malarial drug is not effective for treating Covid-19, and it can increase the risk of death for affected patients. After Trump’s declaration, retail sales for the drug have soared and have caused concern about the potential shortage for patients who use it to treat other serious conditions.
Another 2.4 million Americas filled for unemployment in the last week now bringing the nine-week total to 38.6 million. Senate Majority Leader Mitch “Mitch-ass” McConnell vowed to House Republicans that the $600 weekly boost in unemployment benefits will not be extended and that his top priority is focusing on liability protections for companies. Because company profits matter more than human lives, amirite?
The National Guard took a major L this week with the Trump Administration ordering a hard stop for the 40,000 National Guard members currently helping states with Coronavirus on June 24 -- just one day shy of the 90-day threshold for many members becoming eligible for key federal benefits. What’s also messed up is that the National Guard members will have to self-quarantine for two weeks before returning to civilian life, so states can lose their assistance as early as the beginning of June.
We are now 162 days from the 2020 election, and it needs to come much sooner. But in the meantime there are still some primaries going on. Make sure you’re registered and frequently check your registration status!
#FUBU
Let justice be served: the FBI opened an investigation police shooting of Breonna Taylor as Kentucky prosecutors filed a motion to drop charges for her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker. In Georgia, the man who filmed the shooting of Ahmaud Arbery was arrested on charges of murder and attempted false imprisonment.
Rest in Peace: Wilson Roosevelt Jerman, former White House butler who served under 11 presidents, has died due to coronavirus complications.
You can now draw with all the colors of the world with Crayola’s inclusive shade range collection. Yaay for inclusivity!
Anifa Mvemba, the Congolese Designer of the brand Hanifa, debuted her collection on Instagram Live with 3D models. This is a game-changer for the fashion industry, and you can expect that many designers will take the same route to showcase their collections moving forward. Just remember who did it first!
The Caucacity
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar suggested that “ethnic demographics” are the reason for the country’s high death toll that now stands near 100,000. Nah, not the lack of federal response, but it’s the minorities’ fault. They might as well go on ahead and blame Obama for this one too.
Presumptive Democratic Nominee and Former VP Joe Biden made a fool of himself after he went on the Breakfast Club and told host Charlemagne tha God that “if you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t Black”. He later apologized, but the point is that we don’t need another White Man telling us how to be Black, even if there may be a point to his comment. Here’s the full interview below:
Things I Liked This Week
If you wonder if America is ever going to go back to its world-power status, read this Atlantic piece.
If you’ve been struggling with the same protective style since pre-lockdown, read this thoughtful piece about a Black women’s struggle to let go of her braids during quarantine.
I celebrated my 27th birthday this week and as a gift to myself, I made a playlist of my favorite songs from the last 27 years. Check it out.
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Happy Memorial Day!
Until next week,
Tyler