a people’s r/evolution can’t be stopped.
VOL 37 - THURSDAY, APRIL 15
Happy Thursday, #NoteddTribe! First, thank you for all of the two-year anniversary love last week. We're so thankful to be here with you, sharing a jam-packed issue.
We'll keep the intros short this week, but don't forget to pre-order our Notedd Signature Greeting Cards. Currently, our birthday and thank you cards are available to purchase. We'll be releasing it to the general public tomorrow, so make sure you grab a card now to send to a loved one soon!
As always, #staynotedd!
COVID-19 Vaccine Outreach: We will be receiving our second dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Admittedly, we were like many who were resistant to receiving it when asked last year. However, like many things that impact the Black community, we knew that we had to conduct our own research to understand the average side effects.
We certainly advise seeking a medical professional, but we wanted to offer the opportunity to share your journey with vaccines and create a forum for our community to learn more from our community.
Use the link below and send us a "yes" in the title of the email. We'll then send you a survey to share your vaccine experience anonymously. Once responses are received, we will post this anonymous information in a thread for the Notedd community to learn from each other. We hope this will combat some of the associated stigmas and at least provide more information.
Here are the ways you can donate and support the family of Daunte Wright and the Brooklyn Center community:
Black millennials were significant contributors to the 2020 home buying surge, but rates still lag dramatically behind White people.
Tishaura Jones won the mayoral race in St. Louis. Her win continues to spotlight the political power of Black women.
As part of the first presidential proclamation for Black Maternal Health Week, Vice President Kamala Harris hosted a round table focused on racial disparities in child care and pregnancy-related deaths.
As we read and learn more about the police officer who returned to work free and clear after shooting Jacob Blake in the back seven times, it's important to highlight the story of Officer Cariol Horne. Fifteen years ago, she was fined and fired after forcibly removing a White officer who used excessive force with a handcuffed Black man. After attempting to overturn the decision for years, a judge finally ruled that the firing was wrong.
What’s Happening with Georgia’s New Voting Law?
We've been covering the passing of Georgia's SB202: a Georgia law that contains provisions including new regulations on absentee voting, new in-person voting rules, changes to runoff elections, and expansions of the state legislature's power over election administration.
Vox explains in further detail what the new law does and the debate over the bill's provisions.
We mentioned previously the lack of corporations taking a public stance on the bill which then led to companies like Delta Air Lines and Coca-Cola to reverse their previous statements into opposition of the bill.
Since the bill passed, the Major League Baseball (MLB) announced it would move its All-Star Game from Atlanta to Denver in protest. Director Antoine Fuqua and Will Smith announced plans to move the production of their Apple TV drama about slavery in protest of the restrictive new election law. Both moves are big blows to Georgia's economy.
Now in more recent events, more than 100 chief executives and corporate leaders took part in an online meeting to discuss ways to oppose state voting bills that are being considered across the country. While no final steps were determined, it's essential to acknowledge how this online meeting happened. It was because of the Black community. Kenneth Chenault, the former chief executive of American Express, and Kenneth Frazier, the chief executive of Merck coordinated a letter signed last month by 72 other Black business executives to public draw attention to the voting bills in executive suites across the country.
We will of course continue to follow this story and share what we notedd!
Autism Awareness for Adults
This month is Autism Awareness Month. Recent studies show the prevalence of autism increased from 1 in 125 children in 2010 to 1 in 54 children in 2020. Additionally, 1 in 45 adults is autistic.
One of our favorite influencers — Morgan Harper Nichols — shares the most captivating and beautiful imagery of art and poetry on her Instagram. She recently revealed that she was diagnosed with autism at the age of 30. Most children with autism "are diagnosed after the age of three, and in some cases, autismcan be diagnosed as early as 18 months of age." Although autism is most often diagnosed in toddlers, it's possible for adults with autism spectrum disorder to go undiagnosed.
In a recent XoNecole article, Nichols details her journey from what led her to believe she needed help to what has changed since learning about her diagnosis. She even asked her doctor for a referral years ago but rather was dismissed and told she had nothing to worry about.
"My parents had actually talked about autism before but it is not a diagnosis that you even considered for a lot of girls, especially back in the 90s. And more so for girls of color. And black girls, it's almost impossible. I felt tired and exhausted all of the time. Now I know that I have a lot of sensory processing issues. I didn't realize that things like loud music or bright lights wear on me throughout the day. I just thought that I was just extra tired. So, that's what led me to seek help the first time."
We encourage you to read Nichols' story, especially as too often we are turned away or dismissed for expressing concerns with our well-being. While we again are not at all medical professionals, there is a significant flaw in the medical/healthcare system for Black women. Please seek a second opinion when you can, if and when you see or feel something is wrong.
One in four Black girls will be sexually abused before the age of 18.
For every one Black woman who reports rape, at least 15 Black women do not.
22% of Black women and girls are survivors of rape.1
Shining a light on Sexual Assault Awareness Month, artist and photographer Deun Ivory and a team of fellow creatives created a visual love letter to Black women who've survived sexual abuse, called Black Women Are Worthy. The powerful short imagines a world, says Ivory, where we "prioritize Black womens' needs and we make Black women visible."
Ivory is a sexual abuse survivor, who is on a journey to become the first global network for Black sexual assault survivors that is created and curated by Black sexual assault survivors. Support Ivory's work by watching her film and learn more on how you can donate with the link below.
We had an opportunity to feature GirlTrek in a previous issue, and now it's a community of more than one million Black women strong. GirlTrek encourages women to use walking as a practical first step to inspire healthy living, families, and communities. You can join the GirlTrek movement by going on a walking date with a girlfriend virtually or see when your local community is hosting a socially distanced walk, but in the meantime, try GirlTrek's 100 Radical Acts of Self-Care. You can find various activities, from taking a bubble bath to a 24-hour digital fast. Each one can be completed safely and virtually -- all at a pace that works best for you too.
Influencer Tabitha Brown, who is often known for her vegan recipes that she walks us through on TikTok, wants you to have good night's rest — like so, like that. In partnership with the Calm app, Brown co-authored "Slowing Down With Tabitha Brown:" a sleep story narrated by her that subscribers can listen to at night to help them wind down. She shares in an Essence article on the importance of the Black community to find continued peace in what continues to be a difficult time. Brown believes that "love and joy is a solution to healing, to calming down, to feeling better, and just to being overall good in this world, as a people."
Rest in Power DMX;
Rest In Peace Gerren Taylor;
And we say his name: Daunte Wright.
Stay Informed, Stay Connected, Stay Notedd ✌🏾
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American Psychological Association, Black women, the forgotten survivors of sexual assault, February 2020