Always Black. Never Sorry.
VOL 39 - THURSDAY, APRIL 29
How y'all doing, #NoteddTribe? If you're like us, you're also walking in your power like Regina King did at the 93rd Annual Academy Awards.
This year's Oscars was a great way to start the week. We were all graced with a traditional red carpet filled with notable fashions and historic wins for Black women and women of color. Despite the snubs and routine disappointments for categories such as Best Actress, Best Actor, and Best Short Documentary, Mia Neal and Jamika Wilson made history as the first Black women to win an Oscar for their talented hair and makeup work on "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," while Chloé Zhao became the first woman of color to win Best Director for her film "Nomadland."
Watching the Oscars also felt like watching things go back to normal, but despite the CDC's recent mask guidance and the vaccination rollout, let's remember to continue to do our parts. Speaking of vaccines, we received more responses to our thread. Learn more about the Tribe's vaccine experience, including their symptoms and recommendations -- wherever you are in your vaccination journey. Additionally, feel free to share your experience anonymously by using the below survey link.
Let's get right to it, as there's a bunch to cover this week. As always, #staynotedd -- not only with the news but also through the pages you write in our new journals. You can now check out our new Stationery Shop inventory!
Usually we keep this section pretty tight with the top five articles, but instead, we expanded to the top ten this week to cover most of what's happening.
The US Census Bureau finally released its final count of the country's population. Here are the six biggest takeaways and the top questions answered on how reapportionment may impact you.
As we analyze and celebrate the success of President Biden's first 100 days, we must give Madam VP Harris her flowers too. (If you missed the Presidential address, you can find the key takeaways here, including the announcement of a $15 minimum wage for federal contractors.)
Cheri Beasley, the first Black woman to be North Carolina Supreme Court chief justice, announced her 2022 Senate bid. If she wins, Beasley will become the state's first Black senator.
Vanita Gupta is the first woman of color to be confirmed as Associate Attorney General.
A provision in the recent COVID-19 relief bill set aside $1 billion over ten years, encouraging states to establish mobile crisis units with mental health practitioners trained in de-escalating to stand in for the police.
Here's what is really going between Apple and Facebook and how you may be more in control of your data.
The Justice Department announced the investigation into the Louisville Police Department, Minneapolis Police Department, and the hate crime charges for all three white men who killed and were involved with the death of Ahmaud Arbery.
Meet the first Black woman to own a spring water bottling plant in New York.
History is in the making as Ebony Wine & Spirits is the only Black-owned winery In North Carolina.
Read this op-ed from the ACLU on how states are passing laws targeting peaceful protesters.
COVID-19 Vaccines and Your Period
Have you seen recent coverage on the COVID-19 vaccine affecting women's health, particularly menstrual cycles? We initially caught this news earlier this month, and despite it not affecting us, we thought it was still necessary to share what the experts are saying now with more research on this topic.
For context, the initial vaccine trials did not track data on menstruation symptoms. However, 25% of women who had a COVID-19 infection reported a change in their period pattern (heavier or lighter, longer or shorter). Furthermore, it was reported that this change lasted for 1-2 cycles and then returned to normal. Currently, no research at this time links heavy, irregular, and painful periods to the vaccines. Still, experts are starting to study this closely as there are growing reports of women experiencing changes in their cycle as a side effect.
It's essential to consult with a health care provider should you experience any symptoms that persist more than a few menstrual cycles or if something overall does not seem right after receiving your vaccine. Here is a list from Dr. Danielle Jones, a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist based in Texas, that the Huffington Post captured in a recent article. Additionally, theSkimm spoke with an OB/GYN as well for more information.
Take an over-the-counter supplement.
Apply heat by taking a warm bath or using a heating pad.
Make sure you're staying hydrated.
Reduce your stress levels.
Report your post-vaccine period symptoms.
In Solidarity
Yesterday, we participated in Denim Day, honoring sexual assault survivors in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. As mentioned in our IG post, Black survivors have been a critical part of defining moments to call out sexual violence. However, statistics show that Black women, particularly Black trans women, are the most uniquely vulnerable to sexual violence due to both racism and sexism.
According to a May 2020 report from TIME'S UP, "Black Survivors and Sexual Trauma,"
As many as six in 10 black women report being subjected to coercive sexual contact by age 18;
Black women report experiencing sexual harassment at work at three times the rate of white women; and
Half of all Black transgender women are survivors of sexual violence, and two-thirds of Black transgender people said they would be uncomfortable asking the police for help.
Check out this brief list of direct actions to show up for Black survivors every day. You can also participate in Ms. Magazine's first-ever Black Survivor Week of Action to support Black survivors and learn how to share this information with your community. As mentioned in the article, there is still a long way to go in the movement to address sexual violence, but there's power in at least taking the first step: support.
Sexualization of Black Girls and Women
We will talk more about this next week, but Ma'Khia Bryant deserved to live her live as the 16-year-old child that she was.
As Associate Professor and Authoress Brittany Cooper shared, "people [you can fill in the blanks] turn Black girls into grown women before they even are able to vote." Here's a snippet of this conversation on Joy Reid's "The Reid Out."
You can also support these organizations on the ground who are fighting for justice in Columbus, Ohio, where Ma'Khia was murdered.
As we wrap up our month focused on well-being, here are some honorable mentions to try and add to your routine. Next month, we'll be sharing suggestions on all things: Beauty!
Vida created her reusable hot + cold therapy packs, Beloved Packs, as a simple and effective tool for pain and stress relief. Vida's mission is to promote healing of the mind, body, and soul. The website shares that it's lovely for backaches, stiff joints, cramps, pre + postpartum pain, arthritis, bumps and bruises, cystic acne, tense shoulders, or just to relax after a long day. Fun fact: The brand name inspiration stems from the Hebrew meaning of Vida: Beloved One.
One of our favorites is Refinery29's Unbothered, another fellow community celebrating beauty, strength, and power in our community. They recently shared a collection of inspirational posts to help us take care of ourselves during moments of continued tragedies and trauma, and provided reminders that WE do not need to apologize for who we are or accept any form of gaslighting. Additionally, they stared resources and tips when you peacefully protest and how to negotiate your salary.
Writer Joy Osahon shares in a recent XoNecole article the importance of reframing "self-care" as micro-practices. Through this framework, it's easier to adapt and incorporate these small but mighty well-being tactics that you can eventually scale up to the grand type of practice. You can start now using the link below.
Say His Name: Andrew Brown Jr.
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