Imagine a world where a cure for sickle cell disease — the blood disorder that afflicts roughly one in every 365 Black Americans — never leaves the lab, because scientists couldn’t raise the funding for further research. This is the future we’re sleepwalking into, courtesy of the Inflation Reduction Act’s well-intentioned but flawed drug pricing policies. The IRA empowers Medicare to negotiate lower prices for certain medications. Officials recently announced the final prices of the first 10 drugs selected for negotiation. But in healthcare, simple solutions often spawn complex problems. And it’s the most vulnerable — particularly Black Americans — who…
Author: Kermit Williams
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – Amazon announced on October 3 that it’s hiring for 250,000 full-time, part-time, and seasonal roles across the U.S., including 8,000 positions in Tennessee and 3,000 in Memphis. Just in time for the holidays, Amazon is creating new seasonal positions with flexible schedules, and the opportunity to work during its busiest time of year. Some of the seasonal roles may also transition into regular, full-time employment after the holidays. According to Amazon, workers will be getting at least an additional $1.50 per hour starting this month, which will bring their average base wage to more than $22…
Toni Vaz, actress and activist who will be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2025, has died at the age of 101. Vaz died at the Motion Picture Fund campus in Woodland Hills, Calif on Oct. 4, per Deadline. Vaz grew up in New York City with her four siblings and her parents, who immigrated from Barbados, Variety reported. As she grew older and decided to pursue her acting career, Vaz moved to Hollywood and landed a gig as an extra in the 1959 film Tarzan, the Ape Man. The New York native continued to find more roles in the following years,…
(Black PR Wire) The pandemic has severely impacted Black-owned businesses, with 41%shutting down, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research. These businesses arecrucial to our communities, offering jobs and preserving culture. They need our support nowmore than ever. Entrepreneur Nehemiah Davis is leading an initiative to support these businesses. Known forhis business expertise and online presence with 632K Instagram followers, Davis has organizedflash mobs to rescue struggling Black-owned enterprises. His latest focus is The Sistah Shop, aBlack women-owned retail destination in Atlanta’s Atlantic Station featuring over 100 Blackwomen-owned brands. Owner Aisha Taylor Issah was ready to close the doors.…
Vice President Kamala Harris’s dramatic entry into the presidential race in July—including selecting Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate—put a new twist on the already gendered nature of the election. A woman was now at the top of the ticket. Instead of Donald Trump’s and JD Vance’s misogynous manhood solely driving the media narrative, there was now a new story line: not only was a Black, south Asian woman the nominee, there also was a counternarrative: the egalitarian expression of manhood embodied by Walz and Doug Emhoff. From the GOP convention theme song, “It’s a Man’s World,” to…
This essay is a Cover Story selection, a weekly feature highlighting the top picks from the editors of America Media. Last June, I invited some young adult Catholics to my residence one evening for a discussion about the future of our parishes, our diocese and our church. They were in their 20s and 30s. Some were married, some still single. A few had young children at their homes here in Jefferson City, Mo., where they belonged to our cathedral parish. At the time, we were beginning a small group discernment process created by our chancery staff. The process was designed…
Testing 1 2 3
NASHVILLE, Tenn., August 18, 2020 – The local Advance Financial at 800 Jefferson Street in Nashville gave away 125 backpacks to area school students. The initiative was part of Advance Financial’s deep-rooted commitment to education. The backpacks were loaded with supplies ranging from pencils to hand sanitizer. Generous donations for the packs were made by Cigna, Greenbrier Distillery, Excalibur Group and the Advance Financial Foundation. The packs were safely distributed through the drive-thru window. “I love being part of the Advance Financial family. It’s so important to us to give back to the communities we serve,” said Martin McCollum, Operations…
NASHVILLE, TN – Nearly $5 billion in economic relief have been paid to counteract the economic impact from the novel coronavirus pandemic in Davidson, Dickson, and Cheatham counties. “It was critical to keeping Middle Tennesseans afloat and avoiding another Depression,” U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper said Monday. The largest share of that $5 billion — $1.2 billion — was paid directly to Metro-area residents in $1,200 checks, or as extra federal unemployment benefits at $600 per week in addition to state unemployment benefits. The entire $2.5 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act of Congress became law on March…