WSSN Stories

By Lou Yeboah

Well, ain’t no need of wondering… I’ll tell you why… It’s too Dangers to avoid!  Besides the Bible says Jesus is our example in all things. Jesus preaching ministry began with a single line: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” [Matthew 4:17]. For three and a half years of public Ministry, Jesus never stopped preaching repentance. [Matthew 9:13]. All that Jesus taught related to repentance and the Kingdom in one way or another. Even in the last message He gave to the church, it was a message of repentance.

I want you to know that a message on “Sin, Hell and Repentance is a Signpost.” It is an opportunity for you to consider where you are going and to change direction if necessary. While the words Hell, Sin and Repentance may have been dropped out of some pulpits, they have not dropped out of the Word of God. All preachers should preach repentance. Ministers who avoid the subject of repentance are denying and defying Jesus. I am only a messenger commissioned to convey a message from God.  Don’t hate the messenger. Whether the opportunity seems to be favorable or unfavorable. Whether it is convenient or inconvenient, whether it is welcome or unwelcome, as a messenger of God I am to show people in what way their lives are wrong. And convince them, rebuking and correcting, warning and urging and encouraging them, being persistent and inexhaustible in patience and teaching [2 Timothy 4:2]. For He said to me, “daughter of man, I have made thee a watchman…: therefore hear the Word at My mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die, and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity, but thou hast delivered thy soul [Ezekiel 3:17-21]. I tell you, ain’t no need of wondering.

The message in the mouth of every biblical messenger was repentance. Every prophet was preaching the same message: “Repent!” Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Isaiah and Joel preached it: “Repent!”  Scripture commands it [Ephesians 5:11].  The question is will you take heed? For the times of ignorance God overlooked; neglected us, gave no revelation, and sent no messengers, nor messages to instruct us, nor to show us our follies and mistakes. He left us to our own stupidity and ignorance: but now He commandeth all men everywhere to repent. That is, he hath given orders, that the doctrine of repentance, as well as remission of sins, should be preached to all nations. [Acts 17:30-31]. As Proverbs 8:32-36 says, “Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.” For as many as the Lord loves, He rebuke and chastise; be zealous therefore, and repent.” [Revelation 3:19]. “For if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. [1 John 1:9].  A message on “Sin, Hell and Repentance is a signpost, behold it!

“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.” [Deuteronomy 30:19]

Black futures depend on well-resourced schools and thriving communities

To have a truly prosperous future for California, our Black students and communities must thrive. The Schools & Communities First initiative is a once in a generation opportunity to help address structural inequities that have plagued communities throughout the state for decades.

Black and other communities of color have been hit the hardest by decades of disinvestment from schools and local services, all while corporations have exploited property tax loopholes to avoid paying their fair share. These communities in particular stand to gain by reclaiming $12 billion every year for our classrooms and neighborhoods.

In honor of Black History and Black Futures month, the 100+ Black Leaders for Schools & Communities First is comprised of some of the state’s most prominent and important Black figures, including educators, clergy, youth activists, small business entrepreneurs, non-profit directors, workplace leaders, philanthropists, and elected officials. Black futures depend on reclaiming the resources we all need to thrive, and to build a future for California that we can all be proud of.

“Right now, our schools and local communities face structural roadblocks to delivering on the promise of a world-class education and safe, healthy neighborhoods – corporations have avoided paying their fair share for years while school funding has fallen farther and farther behind. The Schools & Communities First initiative would reclaim $12 billion every year for our schools and local communities by closing corporate property tax loopholes.” – Tony Thurmond, California State Superintendent of Public Instruction

“We’ve made a lot of progress in our city, but there’s still much more work to be done. We can’t afford to continue allowing corporations to avoid paying their fair share while our students and neighborhoods struggle to get by.” – Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs

“I’ve seen firsthand the devastating impact 40 years of disinvestment has had on communities of color and our schools. Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement (COPE) was founded for a very specific reason: to leverage the strength of religious leaders to protect and revitalize our communities that we live, work, and worship in. That’s why our organization supports Schools & Communities First.” – Pastor Samuel Casey, Founder and Executive Director of Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement (COPE)

Stop Unjust Financial Burdens on African-Americans and Others

By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., NNPA President/CEO

It is a serious financial problem that far too many African-Americans – from impoverished individuals to working-class families – face these days in the bewilderingly complicated health-care market: Getting hit with an unexpected bill after a hospital stay or visit to the emergency room. 

Known as “surprise medical billing,” these unexpected costs arise when a patient goes to a hospital for emergency or non-emergency care, only to find out afterwards that one of the medical providers who administered care was not covered in the patient’s insurance network. 

This outrageous situation benefits one group and one group alone: powerful insurance executives, who have managed to get off the financial hook for such bills, even as insurers shrink insurance coverage networks to wring more and more profits out of the system. But this predatory practice is overwhelming to a family already dealing with the emotional and financial burdens of a medical crisis, typically adding thousands of dollars in unexpected expenses that can wipe out savings accounts or otherwise strain tight household budgets. So, what can be done to stop and end surprise medical billing? 

The good news is that both Republicans and Democrats in Congress agree that legislation is needed to protect patients against unexpected medical charges. But as with many complicated issues confronting Congress, lawmakers have been divided on the details of such legislation. Part of the paralysis in Congress stems from confusion and disinformation, as insurance executives and their allies try to frame the debate to their advantage. When Congress tried to address the issue last year, for example, the insurance lobbying machine swung into action, attempting to place the blame for surprise bills on out-of-network medical providers who end up having to charge patients when insurers refuse to cover a medical bill. 

Big insurance almost got its way in that legislative debate when a handful of lawmakers threw support behind a legislative proposal that would shield insurance companies from paying what they ought to pay. The legislation, championed by Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), specifically called for setting benchmarked rates for out-of-network medical providers. But far from solving the problem, this approach would make matters worse. It not only frees insurers from their responsibilities. It fails to compensate providers for the cost of the care that they actually provide. And that, in turn, means either patients will get stuck with the bill or medical providers will have to absorb big losses that ultimately jeopardize their ability to stay in business. 

Fortunately, the proposed bill stalled after the medical community warned that the benchmarked rate favored by the insurance industry would allow insurers to exert a new troubling level of control over health-care prices and the larger health-care delivery system. Now, as Congress begins to take up the issue once again, health insurance companies that evaded significant scrutiny last year seem to be drawing close scrutiny now, both inside and outside of Washington. Speaking to a group of faith leaders and policymakers in South Carolina, an important stop for the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, Reverend Al Sharpton criticized the surprise medical billing legislation backed by insurers and stressed the urgent need to deal with the continued lack of access to adequate health insurance coverage for minority communities. 

“Washington is getting it wrong,” he wrote in an opinion piece published after his South Carolina trip, adding that the bill introduced by “Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) to `solve’ the surprise billing problem would literally insulate insurance companies from covering these costs, at a time when profits for insurance companies have reached record highs.” 

In the U.S. House of Representatives, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D-Ma.) predicted that health insurers would do little more than look out for their own interest if they were given the authority to set rates for out-of-network providers. “My concern with giving too much weight to such a benchmark rate is that we already know insurers are looking for any way they can to pay the least amount possible,” he said.

“They will work to push those rates down, regardless of what it means for community providers like physicians, hospitals, and our constituents who they employ.” 

There were similar concerns in the U.S. Senate, where Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.) warned that insurers began gaming the system in California once benchmarking rates became the law of the land in that state in 2016. 

“Insurance companies cancel contracts and then they have the negotiating power and they establish” their own rate, he said, adding that such benchmarking of rates would likely put hospitals “out of business.” 

It’s worth noting that lawmakers are raising such concerns despite the considerable backing the insurance-industry legislation has had from two powerful lawmakers: Senator Alexander, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions; and Frank Pallone, the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, whose jurisdiction includes health care issues. More than that, Senator Cassidy introduced legislation that would eliminate surprise medical billing by establishing an arbitration system between insurers and providers — rather than sticking the disputed medical charges to patients. And that legislation is gaining strong bipartisan support, as is a similar bill in the House that is being advanced Representatives Representative Phil Roe (R-Tenn.) and Representative Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.), both of whom are doctors. Surprise medical billing is a problem we can no longer ignore, particularly at a time when roughly two-thirds of Americans say that they are concerned about their ability to pay for an unexpected medical expense for themselves or for a family member.

And this practice it is especially hard on African Americans and other people of color in the U.S. who already face significant barriers to health care and who generally receive lower quality of care than the rest of the nation. Congress has an opportunity to make things right by ending the practice of surprise medical billing. Black Americans and all others in America shouldn’t be saddled with exorbitant bills that they had no reason to expect – and that impose an unjust financial burden.

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Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. is President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) representing the Black Press of America. He can be reached at dr.bchavis@nnpa.org.

LOS ANGELES, CA—- The Pan African Film and Arts Festival (PAFF) wrapped its 12-day marathon of offerings from around the Diaspora.  It celebrated its 28^th anniversary in grand style with a string of highly-anticipated films, which included a comedy by the multi-hyphenated host and entertainer Nick Cannon; a feature, executive produced by NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal; plus, a special screening of the action-packed series, “Queen Sono,” out of South Africa, presented by Netflix along with a wedding! The festival was held from February 11 – 23, 2020 at the Cinemark 15 Theatres, located at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza in Los Angeles. 

PAFF is the largest Black film festival in the United States and the largest Black History Month cultural event in the nation. Here are the festival stats: PAFF has selected a record-breaking 225 film, representing 52 countries in 26 languages – that is, 86 feature films; 128 short films and 11 new media selection. Plus, ArtFest will feature more than 100 fine artists from around the world. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has designated PAFF as an official qualifying film festival for live action and animation short films.

The festival has cemented its role as a hub for breakthrough and award-winning Black films and filmmakers from around the world. PAFF is dedicated to the cinematic promotion and cultural exploration of peoples of African descent. It is PAFF’s goal to present and showcase the broad spectrum of Black creative works, particularly those that reinforce positive images and help destroy negative stereotypes. PAFF believes film and art can lead to better understanding and foster communication between peoples of diverse cultures, races, ethnicities, and lifestyles in an entertaining way.

The festival handed out a variety of juried prizes, including Best Narrative Feature, Best First Feature Film, Best Documentary Feature, Best Documentary Short, and Best Narrative Short as well as audience favorite awards during an awards ceremony at the close of the festival.

In honor of the late actress and co-founder Ja’Net Dubois, who unexpectedly passed away during the festival, prizes were re-named in her honor. Dubois was best known for her role as Willona in the TV series, “Good Times.” 

And so, without further ado, here’s a list of winners from the Pan African Film Festival. 

AND THE WINNERS ARE …

Best Feature Narrative Award

The Mercy of the Jungle (Rwanda) Directed by Joël Karekezi

Honorable mention

Knuckle City (South Africa) Directed by Jahmil X.T. Qubeka

Best First Feature Narrative Award

A Taste of Our Land (Uganda) Directed by Yuhi Amuli

Honorable Mention

Mr. Weekend (US) Directed by McKenzie Woodward

Best Documentary Award

One Child Left Behind: The Untold Atlanta Cheating Scandal (US) Directed by Jodi Gomes

Honorable Mention

PUSHOUT: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools (US) Directed by Jacoba Atlas

Best Short Narrative Award

White Gold (South Africa) Directed by Luke Bradford

Honorable mention

My Father Belize (Belize) Directed by Leon Lozano

Programmers’ Best Narrative Feature

She Ball (US) Directed by Nick Cannon

Programmers’ Best Short Narrative

Sixteen Thousand Dollars (US) Directed by Symone Baptiste

Programmers’ Best Documentary Award

parTy boi: black diamonds in ice castles (US) Directed by Micheal Rice

Programmers’ Best First Feature Narrative Award (Tie)

Coming From Insanity (Nigeria) Directed by Akinyemi Sebastian Akinropo

Gonarezhou The Movie (Zimbabwe) Directed by Sydney Taivavashe

Special Programmers’ Award

The Cuban (Canada/Cuba) Directed by Sergio Navarretta

Ja’Net Feature Narrative Award

HERO – Inspired By The Extraordinary Life & Times of Mr. Ulric Cross (Canada/Trinidad and Tobago/Ghana/UK) Directed by Frances-Anne Solomon

Ja’Net Short Narrative Award

Code_Switch (US) Directed by Sigin Ojulu

Ja’Net Documentary Award

My Friend Fela (Brazil/Nigeria) Directed by Joel Zito Araújo

Ja’Net First Feature Narrative Award

Zulu Wedding (South Africa) Directed by Lineo Sekeleoane

Special Ja’Net Award

Foster Boy (US) Directed by Youssef Delara

LOS ANGELES, CA—- Visionary founder of The Diaspora Dialogues Koshie Mills is bringing together hundreds of black women from around the world to celebrate sisterhood at the 3rd Annual International Women of Power Luncheon in Los Angeles.

The event will be held at the Arbat Banquet Hall on Saturday, March 7, from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The star-studded event will also host over 300+ African American and African women for an elegant afternoon with Champagne cocktail reception, 3-Course Luncheon, Live performances, Awards presentation and a few surprises. 

This year’s theme is centered around women who are Innovators and Change Agents in Entertainment, Business, Fashion, Music, Beauty and Diaspora.

Confirmed & Invited Honorees, Presenters, Performers, Host include Amara La Negra (Love & Hip Hop Miami),Kimberly Paige (Chief Marketing Officer BET Networks), ILwad Elman (2019 Nobel Peace Prize Nominee),Normani (American Musical Artist), Tiffany Pearsons (Founder, Shine On Sierra Leone), Tracee Ellis Ross(ABC’s Black-ish), Lisa Leslie (WNBA Champion), Angela Bassett (Black Panther), Cynthia Erivo (Oscar Nominee, Harriet), Kelly Rowland (Music Artist), Lynn Whitfield (OWN’s Greenleaf), Stacy Barthe (Singer-Songwriter for artists: Nipsy Hustle, Beyonce), Logan Laurice (Dear White People), Bresha Webb (A Fall From Grace), Folake Olowofoyeku (Bob Hearts Abishola), Megalyn Echikunwoke (Almost Family; A&E’s “Damien”; “Night School”), Rosario Dawson (Jane The Virgin; Luke Cage), Cree Summers (Actress), Antonique Smith(Marvel’s Luke Cage), Gina Yashere (Co-Creator, Writer, Producer of CBS’s Bob Hearts Abishola), Gabrielle Dennis (Bobby Brown Story).

For ticket information visit www.IWOP2020.eventbrite.com.

By Megan Brown, Navy Office of Community Outreach

SAN DIEGO, CA—- Nearly two years ago, Seaman Percy Williams joined the Navy because his older brother was joining at the time and he did not know if he wanted to go to college. Now, he is serving aboard the USS Boxer.

Williams is an operations specialist who is responsible for collecting and processing tactical data and displaying it for the ship and aircraft to see.

“My favorite part about the job is being important, being vigilant and always being aware of what is going on,” said Williams.

Williams is a 2018 Grand Terrace High School graduate and native of San Bernardino, California.

According to Williams, the values required to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in San Bernardino.

“San Bernardino taught me teamwork is essential for the mission to be completed,” said Williams.

With more than 90 percent of all trade traveling by sea, and 95 percent of the world’s international phone and internet traffic carried through fiber optic cables lying on the ocean floor, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity and security of the United States is directly linked to a strong and ready Navy.

Boxer is an amphibious assault ship that has recently returned from a Western Pacific-Indian Ocean-Persian Gulf deployment. It is the sixth ship to carry the name Boxer.

Amphibious assault ships are used to transfer Marines, equipment and supplies and can support helicopters or other aircraft. They also are capable of accessing 75% of the world’s beaches.

According to Admiral Mike Gilday, the Chief of Naval Operations, the focus of today’s Navy is squarely on warfighting, warfighters and the capabilities needed for the Navy of the future.

“I am confident we will maximize the Navy we have today while delivering the Navy that our nation will rely upon tomorrow,” said Gilday. “And we will do so with urgency. Our fleet will be a potent, formidable force that competes around the world every day, deterring those who would challenge us while reassuring our allies and partners.”

There are many opportunities for sailors to earn recognition in their command, community and careers. Williams is most proud of finishing his first deployment successfully.

“It is not really an easy task,” said Williams. “Deployment brings a lot of stress and negativity and it is hard to stay positive. However, I did a good job of staying positive and focusing on the task at hand.”

For Williams, serving in the Navy is a tradition passed down from generations and one Williams hopes to continue.

“My uncle was in the Navy, great uncle was in the Air Force, another great uncle served 20 years in the Navy, my sister is in the Army, and my cousin is station in Lemoore, California,” said Williams. “Everyone in the military has different stories so when I joined I was able to create my own story to be able to tell them.”

As a member of the U.S. Navy, Williams, as well as other sailors, know they are a part of a service tradition providing unforgettable experiences through leadership development, world affairs and humanitarian assistance. Their efforts will have a lasting effect around the globe and for generations of sailors who will follow.

“Serving in the Navy means being a part of something bigger than myself,” said Williams.

By Michael Vallante, U.S. Small Business Administration’s

During Black History Month, we celebrate the achievements of African Americans and recognize the central role they, as individuals and communities, contributed to U.S. history.

At the U.S. Small Business Administration, our role is to support entrepreneurs in achieving their dream of owning a business.

We celebrate the incredible contributions that Black businesses make to their local communities and the American economy. We hear from Black businesses of the socioeconomic and capital funding challenges with starting and expanding a business.

Our goal is to work with Black entrepreneurs to overcome these entrepreneurship challenges.

When an entrepreneur starts their own business, they create new jobs in the community. In fact, small businesses generate two of every three net new jobs and deliver essential goods and services to our community.

Here are the top 10 resources that small business owners can utilize today to make their entrepreneurship dream a success:

10 SBA Resources for Entrepreneurs:

1. Funding: Starting or scaling up a business requires capital. Our online Lender Match program connects entrepreneurs with financial institutions that provide business loans backed by the SBA. SBA-Guaranteed Loans can be used for most business purposes, including operating capital and financing equipment and other long-term fixed assets.
2. Business Plan Development: Small Business Development Centers offer free, one-on-one counseling, low-cost training services, market research and more.

• Mentoring: SBA’s resources, such as SCORE provide free mentoring and education to business owners to learn from others who have been through the entrepreneurship journey. SCORE is a network of thousands of volunteer business counselors around the country who mentor and educate small business owners. SCORE provides free in-person and online counseling as well as educational workshops.
• Scaling Up their Business: SBA’s Emerging Leader’s program is a no-cost “mini MBA,” that assists entrepreneurs take their business to the next level.  We encourage entrepreneurs to reach out to their local SBA office to find where this program is being offered and apply.

• Assistance to Woman Entrepreneurs: Black women are starting their own business at record rates.  Women’s Business Centers assist women in starting and growing small businesses. They provide a full range of services for women entrepreneurs at all stages of planning, implementation and growth.

• Support to Veterans with Starting their Own Business: Boots to Business is an entrepreneurial education and training program available to active duty service members (including National Guard and Reserve), veterans and their spouses in starting or growing their business.
• Taking their Business to the International Market: Export Assistance Centers help small businesses entering the international marketplace.  Entrepreneurs can learn how to export, participate in foreign trade missions and trade shows, translate websites, and design marketing campaigns.

• Accessing Government Contracts: The Mentor-Protégé Program is designed for small businesses to learn from an experienced government contractor.  Women-owned business certification helps provide a level playing field for women business owners, as the government limits competition for certain contracts to businesses certified as women-owned.

• Online Resources: SBA.gov includes online resources and information about upcoming webinars to assist entrepreneurs in overcoming common business challenges.
  
• Local Support: SBA District Offices can connect you to local SBA resources, mentors and training. Visit www.SBA.gov for more information. 

As the Regional Administrator for the Pacific Rim for SBA, and as Associate Administrator for the Office of Field Operations for our agency, SBA recognizes the contributions of the Black community, the job-creating entrepreneurs and their families for their daily sacrifice to keeping local economies thriving. We encourage you to reach out to SBA.

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Michael Vallante, U.S. Small Business Administration’s Associate Administrator for the Office of Field Operations, overseeing the 68 district offices and nine Regional Administrators; and Regional Administrator for Region IX, overseeing the agency’s programs and services in California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii and Guam

By Naomi K. Bonman

Just a couple of weeks ago we loss NBA legend and MVP, Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna Bryant. On Tuesday, February 18, the Hollywood world is mourning the sudden death of Ja’Net Dubois. She was 74-years old and passed away peacefully in her sleep in her Glendale, California home.

According to TMZ, a cause of death was not immediately given and Dubois’ family stated that she hadn’t complained of any pain or illness in the days leading up to her death.

A few years ago, I had the pleasure to meet and photograph Ja’Net Dubois at the Pan African American Film Festival (PAFF) in Los Angeles on multiple occasions. She was seen across multiple red carpets at various events. For those who do not know, Dubois co-founded PAFF in 1992. PAFF showcases “the broad spectrum of Black creative works, particularly those that reinforce positive images and help destroy the negative stereotypes”.

Ms. Dubois played the role of Willona Woods on the 70s sitcom “Good Times”. She went on to become a two-time Emmy Award winner for her voice-over work on the animated series “The PJs” and in 1969 she won a Peabody Award for the CBS children’s movie “J.T.”.

Throughout the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s, Dubois appeared in almost every hit TV series, which include: Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper, Cold Case, Everybody Loves Raymond, Touched By An Angel, The Wayans Bros. and Moesha.

The actress was also featured in big screen films, which include: Heart Condition (1990) alongside Denzel Washington, Waterproof (2000) alongside with Burt Reynolds, and recently She’s Got a Plan (2016).

In addition to her acting career, Ja’Net released an album showcasing her vocal talents in 2008 entitled, “Hidden Treasures”.

Ja’Net Dubois is survived by her three children: Rani, Burghardt, and Yovanne Dubois.

CORONA, CA—- Meet legendary Yolanda Holder, a professional ultramarathon walker and a long-distance endurance athlete.  At age 61 she is breaking boundaries in the ultra-marathon world.  On January 25, 2020, Yolanda became the first African American Woman to finish a 50K Race Walk placing 6^th in the Women’s National Championship 50K Race Walk and the 2020 National 50K Age Group Champion and won a purse of $1000.

In 2019, Yolanda became the first African American Woman and second African American to earn a United States Race Walk Centurion #94 and the oldest person to race walk 100 miles in under 24 hours (23:52:17).  Also, in 2019 at the Six Days in the Dome in Milwaukee, she set a World and American Age Group Record (60-64) 413 miles in six days.

Yolanda’s list of accomplishments as a walker that competes with runners in long.  She’s a two-time Guinness World Record holder for “Most Marathons Completed in a Calendar Year”, finishing a staggering 106 marathons/ultras in 2010 and breaking her own record in 2012 finishing 120 marathons/ultras.  She is the first American Woman and African American to Run or Walk over 100 marathons in a calendar year and the first woman in the world to ever do it twice.

Yolanda’s accomplishments are amazing, at the 2017 Sri Chinmoy Self Transcendence 3100 Mile Race she set a World Record first Pedestrian (walker) to walk the entire race finishing in 51 Days, 17 hours and 13 seconds.  She is also the first African American male or female, runner or walker to ever compete in this brutal footrace. The Sri Chinmoy 3100 Mile Race called “The Mount Everest of ultramarathons” by The New York Times, this is the longest certified footrace in the world that is held in the heat of the summer in New York. The athletes can test themselves in a f format unlike any other ultra-marathon event. In order to meet their goal of 3100 miles in 52 days, they must log an average of 60 miles per day. The race starts at 6am and the athletes have until midnight when the course closes for the night.  Yolanda is known as the Walking Diva and she took 52 outfits looking very stylist as she finished each day.

Yolanda is a master’s athlete at her athletic peak setting and breaking World and American records with no plans on stopping.  What’s special and close to her heart is “Extreme Walk 4 Diabetes”, an annual event she founded in honor of her parents. Losing both her parents to this horrible disease she promotes healthy living through Walking 4 Your Health.  Walking a mile or more daily and making small changes to your eating habits can help control not only diabetes but all diseases.  She practices what she preaches for over two years daily, she walks a mile or more, a headstand, a plank, drinks waters, and writes down what’s she’s grateful for.  Her purpose in life is to inspire and motivate everyone to take care of their health by moving your body daily.

Yolanda is a wife, mother of two grown children, inspirational speaker, and author.

If you would like to hear more of Yolanda’s amazing story she’s available for speaking engagements and can be reach at yolandaholder@gmail.com or on Facebook.

By Khalil Abdullah

Everyone in the United States plays a race or ethnic card some time, or at least everyone responding to the census. Despite the scientific view that race is an artificial social construct, unmoored from biological reality, is there a box that best describes you?

Whether you plan to respond to the census online, in writing, or by telephone, one question you’ll have to answer will be how you self-identify.

What are the race and ethnic categories on the census form?

Your racial choices are: (1) White; (2) Black or African American; (3) American Indian or Alaskan Native; (4) Asian – with numerous boxes as subsets; and (5) Some other race. The questionnaire also asks, separately, if the respondent is “of Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin,” but instructs that, “for this census, Hispanic origins are not races.”

What if I’m not White or Black? I’m Egyptian and my neighbor is from Iran. What are our options and who determines the categories?

You and your neighbor fall into what is called the MENA classification: Middle Eastern and North African. There was a proposal to add MENA to the 2020 form, but the Office of Management and Budget, which makes the assigned identity group determinations about the census, decided to keep the same basic categories that were on the 2010 census form.

So, if I’m MENA, what box best describes me?

That’s a personal choice. Many MENA residents, and others, end up checking “Some other race,” the third-largest race category after White and Black or African American.

But I thought Hispanics and Latinos were now the second-largest racial group in the United States according to their population. So how do you get “Some other race” as the third-largest group?

As far as the census is concerned, Hispanics and Latinos are ethnic classifications not racial classifications. Some will check the “White” box and some will check the “Black” box or write in Afro Latino, for example, as an addition. Many will check the “Some other race” box. MENA respondents also frequently check the “Some other race” box as well. They don’t see themselves as Black or White, and in most cases, they are not of Hispanic or Latino origin.

Have census categories changed over time?

Yes. Mulatto, octoroon or quadroon once were options on the census form to describe African Americans of mixed heritage. One estimate calculates that 500,000 of these individuals checked the “White” box on the 1920 form. In later years, public demand and pressure resulted in the OMB removing “Negro” as an option for American-born residents of African descent. The term still appeared on the 2010 decennial census, but on the 2020 form the choices are “Black” or “African American.”

What if I was born here, but my parents are from Africa?

There is a lot of subjectivity involved in making these choices. For some, Black has come to mean anyone who is a descendant of the African diaspora, regardless of where they were born or live. One Somali man, a longtime resident and U.S. citizen, married an American woman who identified as Black. When asked how he describes his U.S.-born children, he said, “Well, now that I think about it, I guess they are African American.”

What if I am of mixed heritage? My parents are African American, but I know some of their ancestors were from Europe. They were Irish, for example, Dutch or German. Other ancestors, we think, were Native American.

The questionnaire is set up so that you can “Mark one or more boxes AND print origins.” We know America has had a complicated history (https://tinyurl.com/EMS-FAQ), as more people are discovering through genomic testing. One adult census respondent recalls discouraging his mother, who identifies as Black, from checking every major race category box on the form.

Why would it have mattered if she had? What difference does the box I check make or any information I may add?

For one, you have a better chance of “owning” who you are. Therefore, you are less likely to be misrepresented by a census employee who, without that information, would make a determination about your identity. So, in that sense, checking every box would be a more accurate contribution to understanding our country’s history. Individual census data is sealed for 72 years, but in the future your descendants or distant relatives will be able to look you up by name on the census form you respond to this year. In fact, the census is among the primary tools genealogists and researchers use to trace family histories. You might also reflect on that first constitutionally mandated census in 1790. To achieve a political compromise, those held in bondage were counted only as three-fifths of a person, and their names were not recorded on the census. Even as late as 1860, the last census before the Civil War, some owners reported the age and sex of their captives, but not their names.

But how does filling out the census or not filling out the census affect my immediate financial or economic condition?

For practical purposes, as a measure of population, census data is used to determine how the federal and state governments allocate funds and resources, in addition to determining the number of seats states get in the U.S. House of Representatives. Data can be a double-edged sword. Some data are critical to attempts to address structural disparities among America’s peoples, but data also can be used as a guide to steer resources away from those deemed political adversaries. How and why data are used is an important conversation, but it’s a different conversation from whether it is in your interest to respond to the census. However, unless you are clear about who you are by identity, you may be grouped with a different race than your preference. That was why the individual discouraged his mother from checking every box. He wanted to make sure that if there were resources linked to her identity, those resources would be allocated to and benefit the community with which she primarily identified.

This article is a monthly column by Ethnic Media Services aimed to educate about the need to respond to the 2020 U. S. Census.