Sybil Wilkes ‘What You Need To Know:’ Biden Recognizes True Black History and More!

1. Biden Administration Recognizes True Black History

Biden Administration Recognizes True Black History

What You Need to Know:

President Joe Biden will sign a proclamation Tuesday, establishing a national monument at three locations, honoring Emmett Till and his mother, Mrs. Mamie Till Mobley, on what would have been Emmett’s 82nd birthday. Emmett Till was 14 years old when he was abducted from his uncle’s Mississippi home, tortured, and killed. He was falsely accused of touching a White woman working as a clerk in her husband’s store in 1955. The woman, identified as Carolyn Bryant, later recanted the accusation.

After his August 1955 death, Mrs. Till Mobley worked to keep Emmett’s story alive. Both mother and son are credited as catalysts for the Civil Rights movement. Their national monument will be located at three sites, one in Chicago and two sites in Mississippi.

2. New York City’s Journey to Reparations and Health Equity

New York City’s Journey to Reparations and Health Equity

WRITTEN AND CONTRIBUTED BY KHAMERON RILEY

What You Need to Know:

The administration of Mayor Eric Adams in New York City is advocating for federal reparations to address health and wealth disparities among Black New Yorkers. This proposal is outlined in a report titled Analyzing the Racial Wealth Gap and Implications for Health Equity, jointly produced by the city’s Department of Health and the Federal Reserve Bank.

The report aims to provide closure for historical federal, state, and local policies that have contributed to the lack of equitable access to wealth and wealth-building opportunities for Black Americans.

The Health Commissioner, Dr. Ashwin Vasan, and his team have put forward three key recommendations: a new approach to public health policy, improved data collection on wealth and health outcomes, and increased community involvement in healthcare decisions.

3. Stroke Risk Doubles for African Americans Who Smoke

Stroke Risk Doubles for African Americans Who Smoke

What You Need to Know:

Stroke risk more than doubles for African Americans who smoke compared to their nonsmoking peers, according to a new study.

“That risk becomes higher as the number of cigarettes smoked per day increases. The more you smoke, the more you stroke,” lead author Adebamike Oshunbade said in a news release. He is a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson and a fellow at the American Heart Association’s Tobacco Regulation and Addiction Center.

Researchers reviewed more than a decade of data from participants in the Jackson Heart Study, the largest in the U.S. assessing cardiovascular risk factors among African Americans. It included 5,306 participants ages 21 to 84.

4. Florida Now Teaching That Slavery Benefited Black People 

Florida Now Teaching That Slavery Benefited Black People 

WRITTEN AND CONTRIBUTED BY COY MALONE

What You Need to Know:

The State of Florida will now teach students that Black people benefited from slavery because it taught them useful skills.

The Florida State Board of Education’s new standards for African American history is part of a 216-page document about the state’s 2023 standards in social studies, posted by the Florida Department of Education. Per the document, “Instruction includes acts of violence perpetrated against and by African Americans but is not limited to 1906 Atlanta Race Riot, 1919 Washington, D.C. Race Riot, 1920 Ocoee Massacre, 1921 Tulsa Massacre, and the 1923 Rosewood Massacre.”

The Florida Education Association, a teachers’ union representing about 150,000 teachers, called the new standards “a disservice to Florida’s students and are a big step backward for a state that has required teaching African American history since 1994.”

5. Moves That Can Help You Save Big on the Massive Cost of College

Moves That Can Help You Save Big on the Massive Cost of College

WRITTEN AND CONTRIBUTED BY CATRINA M. CRAFT, CPA

What You Need to Know:

Higher education often costs more than most families can afford. Here are some cost-saving strategies that may help:

1. Apply for financial aid, then appeal for more
Every year, high school graduates miss out on billions of dollars in federal grants because they don’t fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. Some schools may also require you to fill out the CSS Profile on the College Board website to get access to non-federal financial aid.

2. Seek out private scholarships
Consider sources of merit-based aid, as well, especially if the financial aid package you received does not meet your needs or your student does not qualify for need-based aid. More than $6 billion in scholarships is awarded to college students each year.