Sybil Wilkes ‘What You Need To Know:’ Eclipse Day, The Flu, and More

1. Look! Up in the Sky!

Look! Up in the Sky!

What You Need to Know: 

By the time many read or hear this, millions of people will be on their way, while millions more will be in position to view the “Total Eclipse of the Sun,” Monday, April 8, 2024. 

What Will Happen?
The moon will pass between the sun and observers on earth, casting a shadow on earth. During a total eclipse, the moon lines up perfectly to fully obscure the sun-resulting in “totality.” The result is a shadow that will cross North America, from Mexico to Canada. According to NASA, although a partial eclipse will be visible throughout the 48 contiguous U.S. states, the total solar eclipse will be visible along a narrow path, stretching from Texas to Maine.  Thus, one of the names given this event: “The Great North American Eclipse.”

2. Latest Flu: Enough to Make You Sick

Latest Flu: Enough to Make You Sick

What You Need to Know:

The American agriculture industry is on high alert as cases  of the highly infectious Avian Influenza, or Bird Flu, hit poultry farms, dairy producers and now, humans. The nation’s largest egg supplier had to destroy nearly two million chickens after birds at one of its Texas facilities tested positive for Bird Flu. 

In addition, the first U.S. case of a human suspected of catching a form of Bird Flu from a cow, was reported by the Department of Health and Human Services. Officials report, the patient, a dairy farm employee who worked near infected cows, experienced only minor symptoms. A science journal reported the worker was not hospitalized as he developed conjunctivitis, a mild eye infection that occurs when Bird  Flu “jumps into humans.” This news arrived as the Bird Flu spread beyond Texas to five other states: Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio and Wyoming. 

3. The Toll On Our Health When We Try to Be Superwomen (There’s Research)

The Toll On Our Health When We Try to Be Superwomen (There’s Research)

What You Need to Know:

As Black women navigate life, we are tasked with balancing work, family, wellness, and many other responsibilities. While managing these things, we often develop invisible capes. They symbolize our innate and inherent trait, the ability to be superwomen. Although this role is multifaceted and notably impressive, over time, it puts a lot of wear and tear on the physical, mental, and emotional health of Black women collectively. This conceptual framework is commonly referred to as The Superwoman Schema (SWS); it explores the experiences of women, with an emphasis on Black women, as we attempt to exceed societal expectations and defy stereotypes, as stated by the National Library of Medicine.

According to Berkely News, SWS is characterized by a few things, including the following:

-Feeling obligated to present an image of strength
-Suppressing one’s emotions.
-An intense drive to succeed.
-Feeling a strong obligation to help others.
Resistance to being vulnerable.

4. NYPD Will Pay $17.5 Million For Forcing Muslim Women to Remove Their Hijabs

NYPD Will Pay $17.5 Million For Forcing Muslim Women to Remove Their Hijabs

WRITTEN AND CONTRIBUTED BY COY MALONE

What You Need to Know:

New York City will pay $17.5 million for a class action lawsuit led by two Muslim women whose religious rights were violated when police forced them to remove their hijabs for mugshots.

The preliminary settlement was filed on April 4 in a Manhattan federal court and still needs to be approved by a district court judge. More than 3,600 people are eligible for payouts.

Jamilla Clark and Arwa Aziz filed the initial suit in 2018 after they were arrested in 2017 and were forced by New York Police Department (NYPD) to remove their Muslim head coverings. Both women were arrested for violating orders of protection in Manhattan and Brooklyn, respectively, and both women called the charges bogus.

5. Sacrifice

Sacrifice

WRITTEN AND CONTRIBUTED WILLIE MAE MCIVER

What You Need to Know:

SACRIFICE is a part of the Christian faith. From a biblical perspective, sacrifice is when we give a portion of our time, energy and earthly possessions for God’s work and for His people. Our willingness to sacrifice is an example of our devotion to God. Back in the day, in the Old Testament, sacrifice came in two forms:  unbloody and bloody.  “Unbloody” being things like first-fruits and tithes. “Bloody” being things like the killing of creatures, burning them and offering them up to God.  People offered sacrifices to God as an atonement for their sins.

Once God made the ultimate sacrifice, allowing His son to die and rise again for our sins, the meaning of sacrifice shifted away from atonement for sins to more of being of service to God and others, becoming a LIVING SACRIFICE.