PR Governor Pedro Pierluisi Declares State of Emergency Over Gender Violence
A few weeks ago, Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi declared a state of emergency as a response to killings and abuse targeting women and transgender people on the island. The declaration will remain for another 17 months.
Gender violence has been an issue in Puerto Rico for several years, but the devastation of Hurricane Maria in 2017 and the ongoing pandemic have worsened the situation. According to the Gender Equality Observatory, in 2020, there were 60+ direct/indirect femicides, six transfemicides, and 26 cases were still under investigation at the time of the report (Januray 2021). …
California Governor Gavin Newsom Appoints Alex Padilla to Fill the Vacancy
According to the Census Bureau, there are approximately 21.72 million Black women who make up the United States population. If political representation were perfect, almost seven Senate seats would be filled by Black women. Despite this, Black women have no representation in the upper chamber of Congress. This is because the current sole Black female Senator, Kamala Harris (CA), was sworn in as Vice-President on January 20 and consequently vacated her Senate seat.
The lacking representation for the demographic group is appalling and a symbol of the disparities that we have yet to resolve in America. Black women are one…
Joseph R. Biden is Sworn in as the 46th President of the United States
At noon today, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were sworn in as President and Vice-President of the United States. This is the second time that the US has a Catholic President, John F. Kennedy being the first. Kamala Harris also makes history as being the first female Vice-President and the first Black, South Asian, and Caribbean VP. Vice-President Harris was sworn in by the first Latina on the Supreme Court, Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
In President Biden’s inaugural address he stated,
“Today, on this January day, my whole soul is in this: bringing America together, uniting our people and uniting our…
Lawmakers Call on Trump to Resign
On December 18, Trump promoted a demonstration on the United States capital city when he announced, “Big protest in [Washington] D.C on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!” On this date, Congress was set to undergo a ceremonial count of the votes from the 2020 Presidential election. This action would further finalize and affirm the results of the election.
Trump today pressured Vice-President Mike Pence in an effort to overturn the election in his favor, falsely claiming that the VP has the power to change the results of the election. At a rally this morning, Trump’s sons and his…
Black People at the Forefront of American International Policy
On 23 November, President-Elect Joe Biden introduced Linda Thomas-Greenfield as the nominee for the United Nations (UN) Ambassador position. In her remarks, she stated,
“America is back, multilateralism is back, diplomacy is back.”
This reversal back to the olden days of international cooperation led by the United States will be overseen by Secretary of State nominee Antony Blinken. A long-time diplomat with two decades of experience, Blinken is prepared to implement necessary policies at the international level. His experience as Deputy Secretary of State and Thomas-Greenfield’s as Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs solidify the representation of domestic interests…
Racism is a leading issue in the United States and worldwide, and as spectators or victims, we want to help. One of the most popular and effective ways is to donate to anti-racism organizations. But we are in the middle of a pandemic that has killed more than 300,000 people in the US alone and has caused an economic recession. Donating is not an option for everyone right now. Thankfully, using our wallets is not the only way to help end a culture and system of racism.
Here are 9 more:
1 — Acknowledge White Privilege
A Poem (Villanelle)
The US Attorney General (AG) serves as the prime lawyer of the federal government and heads the Department of Justice. The AG Cabinet position hasn’t been as critical for previous administrations. This year some of the largest racial demonstrations in a century took place and have pressured the incoming Biden Administration to nominate an Attorney General that addresses systemic racism in America.
According to reports from The Associated Press, this is President-elect Biden’s shortlist for the next Attorney General of the United States:
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (NY-D)
Since the George Floyd protests of 2020, more than 48 Confederate monuments have been removed due to demands by protesters. These statues and other symbols represent the foundation of oppression and systemic racism in the United States. However, Lawrence A. Kuznar, Ph.D. Professor of Anthropology at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, argues that “removing Confederate statues amounts to whitewashing [American] history” and should be utilized to “educate children on the cost forebears paid for our freedom.” Is there some truth to this? …
