November 23, 2020
To help you navigate these uncertain times, we’ve compiled timely news and resources related to small business, education and connectivity. We hope this provides both information and comfort as we continue to weather these challenges.
T.D. Jakes Foundation in Action
Last week, T.D. Jakes Foundation President & CEO Hattie Hill was proud to participate in the 2020 Women on Boards Dallas event to discuss the need for more women on corporate boards. This year has truly been an inflection point on how businesses operate, so conversations like these will be critically important to continue into 2021. To learn more about 2020 WOB, click here.
Today, in the United States, there are approximately 2.6 million Black-owned businesses—a number has risen by more than 30 percent in the past decade. Click here to visit the T.D. Jakes Foundation’s helpful resource guide to help those looking for ways to support Black-owned businesses.
Need additional resources around STEAM? The T.D. Jakes Foundation has compiled a list of STEAM resources for the arts, coding, and engineering and even resources specifically for kids and teachers. Check out our STEAM resources here.
Education Updates
To combat and reverse serious learning loss caused by the pandemic, focus groups conducted by Dallas ISD, which included teachers and campus leaders, will explore three different options for the 2021-2022 academic school year. These potential options include enhanced summer learning, an intersession calendar or a school-day redesign. The exploration comes after data shows a potentially devastating impact the pandemic is having on the academic progress of students. Learn more on the plans via Dallas ISD.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced that he will allocate $420 million in federal CARES Act funding to reimburse Texas school districts and charter operators that had to purchase e-learning devices and Wi-Fi hot spots for remote learning during the pandemic. Since moving to online instruction in March, school systems across the state have spent millions of dollars to address connectivity needs for their students, oftentimes dipping into emergency funds to do so. Learn more via Dallas Morning News.
A new survey by YouGov for Forbes Advisor shows that many Americans support the cancelation of student loan debt. As President-elect Joe Biden makes his transition into office, he in under pressure from U.S. citizens and government officials to consider student loan forgiveness. Currently, Biden is promoting a House of Representatives proposal to forgive $10,000 in debt per borrower as part of a COVID-19 relief plan. Read the full story in Forbes.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Midshipman 1st Class Sydney Barber will become the first Black woman to serve as brigade commander at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. This is the top leadership post for midshipmen, and she is the 16th woman to serve in the position in the 44 years women have been allowed to attend the Naval Academy. Learn more about her barrier-breaking accomplishments via NPR.
Today’s coronavirus pandemic is continuing to expose the longstanding health disparities that exist in America, with communities of color disproportionately impacted by Covid-19. Research shows that Black and brown patients often have their pain and health concerns dismissed by doctors due to implicit and explicit biases. To fight racial bias in healthcare, tech entrepreneur Kimberly Wilson created the HUED app that connects Black and Latinx patients with “culturally competent” doctors of color. Find out more about HUED in CNBC Make It.
Racism and social inequality don’t just affect adults, they have had a profound impact on the mental health of children of color, especially amidst the pandemic. Read this article via CNN to learn more about important resources available to parents in the areas of mental health, racial and social inequality.
Last week was Transgender Awareness Week, a time dedicated to raising the visibility of transgender people and the issues they face. In 2020, trans people still face unfathomable levels of discrimination and prejudice every day. November 20 served as National Transgender Remembrance Day, where we remember the more than 36 transgender and gender non-conforming people who were violently killed in the United States. But despite these injustices, the trans community has also celebrated some major milestones in recent years. Learn more about the accomplishments of the transgender community via Refinery29.
COVID-19
Pfizer has filed for emergency use authorization with the Food and Drug Administration, and Moderna is expected to file for one soon, following announcements of high efficacy in their COVID-19 vaccine candidates. “If these two vaccines do get approval, emergency use authorization, there will be about 40 million doses ready to be delivered in December,” said Francis Collins, the director of the National Institutes of Health, regarding the vaccines’ submission of authorized use by the Food and Drug Administration. Read more on the story via U.S. News & World Report.
Together, we can and will get through this.
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