Coalition Kicks off Votercade With Goal of 10 Million More Black Voters
By d-mars.com
The bar is set high: 10 million more Black voters.
hat’s the goal as the Transformative Justice Coalition (TJC), the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), Rainbow Push, the Hip Hop Caucus, and others set out on a bus tour across the nation to blunt voter suppression and misinformation ahead of the all-important midterm elections.
“The buses are rolling … Minneapolis is the first stop,” declared Barbara Arnwine, the president and founder of the TJC, an organization known for its contributions to critical justice issues.
“We believe voting is a celebration,” Arnwine continued during a lively news conference at the Press Club in Washington, D.C.
The conference included remarks by Attorney Daryl Jones, NNPA President, and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., Rainbow Push Coalition Executive Director Bishop Tavis Grant, Black Voters Matter Co-Founder Cliff Albright, African American Policy Forum Executive Director Kimberlé Crenshaw, National Organization of Concerned Black Men CEO Dr. Karen McRae, Virginia K. Solomón of the League of Women Voters, and Hip Hop Caucus Executive Director Attorney Tanya Clay House.
“We want people to celebrate when they vote,” Arnwine insisted.
“We call it a celebration for every time we do a votercade. We have a Celebration Village.”
Arnwine said in one city; the mayor informed the
New Poll: Black Voters
“We went to another area in the poorest zip code in Milwaukee – one of the poorest in the nation,” Arnwine continued.
“They had such a small polling site and didn’t expect anyone to turn out. But, when we finished, they had more people vote in that one day after the votercade than typically during the entire early voting season.”
Chavis, who has pushed the hashtag #10millionmoreblackvoters, reminded everyone that the midterms were just a few weeks ago.
With photos of the late Georgia Democratic Rep. John Lewis blanketing the Press Club for the news conference, Chavis called the coalition’s mission good trouble.
“We are going to all the major states, places where we know we can make a difference,” Chavis declared.
of 12 points since July.
Fielded via an online opt-in panel from September 15-19 (with a margin of error of +/-3.1%), the survey revealed that 86% of Black voters supported President Biden’s loan forgiveness plan, including 60% who “strongly supported” the policy.
By Stacy M. Brown
espite lawsuits from Republicans and other opponents, President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan appears a hit with Black voters.
HIT Strategies, which bills itself as the only millennial and minority-owned public opinion research company, found that the approval ratings for both Biden and Congressional Democrats increased by 79% to 82%, respectively, after the loan forgiveness announcement.
Researchers show 56% of Black voters believe Biden has made progress on issues affecting Black voters, an increase
“President Biden’s loan forgiveness plan represents another promise fulfilled on one of the most critical economic priorities for Black voters,” Terrance Woodbury, a founding partner at HIT Strategies, said in a statement.
“Now, the President must message this plan directly to voters and continue to illustrate how his policies are improving the economic well-being of Black America,” Woodbury stated.
An estimated 165,900 borrowers from the District of Columbia are eligible for student debt relief under President Joe Biden’s recent loan forgiveness plan, including 60,300 Pell Grant recipients.
In Virginia, 965,100 borrowers are eligible for relief, including 566,500 Pell Grant recipients. In Maryland, 747,100 enjoy eligibility, including 419,400 Pell Grant recipients.
State-by-state data released last month by the U.S. Department of Education estimated that more than 40 million
“This tour is designed to make sure we awaken a lot of the sleeping giants in our community.”
He continued:
“We believe that we can get 10 million more Black voters. That’s a large number, but we believe that number could make a difference. Democracy is on the ballot on November 8. Racial justice is on the ballot on November 8. Climate justice is on the ballot, environmental justice is on the ballot, economic justice, and equity is on the ballot, and preventing far right-wing groups from banning votes is on the ballot.”
Arnwine added that the 25-city Arc of Voter Justice Tour is designed to ensure everyone understands that citizens’ right to vote is their voice.
During the votercade, participants will register to vote and check their voting eligibility while enjoying good food, music, games, and banned books as the coalition seek to transform voting and the voting experience.
“A great democracy does not make it harder to vote than it is to get an assault weapon,” Bishop Grant demanded.
“What is so dangerous about Black and Brown people who vote? What’s so dangerous about standing in line with a bottle of water or food or showing up early to vote?”
The Bishop said the danger is that “it shifts the power scale, and the have-nots have an opportunity to have their fair share.”
“A right is not something someone gives you. It’s something that someone cannot take away from you. That’s what this is about. It’s about restoring the right and the dignity of the voter. If your vote didn’t matter, suppression wouldn’t try to suffocate it. We need 10 million more voters.”
Source: National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA)
borrowers nationwide could benefit from the student debt relief plan, and nearly 20 million might see their remaining balance discharged.
In August, Biden announced his plan to forgive borrowers up to $10,000 in debt relief and up to $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients.
“The Biden Administration’s student debt relief plan will help borrowers and families recover from the pandemic and prepare to resume student loan payments in January 2023,” administration officials stated.
They said about 90% of relief dollars would go to those earning less than $75,000 per year – and no relief would go to any individual or household in the top 5% of incomes in the United States. Officials said by targeting relief to borrowers with the highest economic
need, the administration’s actions are also likely to help narrow the racial wealth gap.
The White House noted that nearly 71% of Black undergraduate borrowers are Pell Grant recipients, and 65% of Latino undergraduate borrowers are Pell Grant recipients.
Moreover, HIT Strategies said Biden’s plan should help Democrats in the Nov. 8 midterm elections.
Researchers found that the number of Black voters who say they will vote in the midterm elections increased from 79% to 82% since last month.
Further, the number of Black voters who believe their vote has the power to effect change on the issues that matter to them increased from 64% to 67% since last month.
“During the campaign, President Biden promised to provide student debt relief,” administration officials said.
“The Biden Administration is following through on that promise and providing families breathing room as they prepare to start re-paying loans after the economic crisis brought on by the pandemic.”
Source: National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA)
coalition that voter turnout doubled after the votercade visited.
NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
Pain Management Options for Youth Sports Injuries
By d-mars.com News Provider
Youth sports are an important part of a child’s social and emotional development and fuel a healthy and active lifestyle. However, sports can result in injuries that may leave players sidelined. As parents, it’s important to be prepared before an injury happens—and that includes being informed about opioid risks.
A child might be prescribed opioids—oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, etc. -- to manage pain after an injury, or following surgery or another procedure to treat their injury. In fact, sports-related injuries are often one of the first times children and teens are exposed to opioids. Opioids have side effects like nausea and dizziness, and can also lead to addiction and dependence. As millions of children face sports-related injuries each year, the risk of opioid exposure increases -- underscoring the need for education and awareness of non-opioid options and a plan for how to talk to providers.
Treating an injury with opioids can lead to misuse. Opioid misuse is 50% higher in kids who participate in high-injury sports than in those who don’t. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that 9.7 million people ages 12 and older misused prescription opioids in 2019. Improper disposal of opioids is another factor that can lead to misuse. Almost 90% of patients with leftover opioid pills didn’t dispose of them properly, with many keeping them in their homes and some sharing them with family or friends.
Fortunately, there are safe and effective non-opioid options available for children that can help reduce, or eliminate the need for opioids after surgery. In fact, 94% of surgeons agree that non-opioid options can positively impact recovery and the ability to return to normal function following surgery.
Conversations about pain management should happen long before injury or surgery, and families should have plans in place around injuries and how to navigate opioids and alternative options. Recently, the National Safety Council and Pacira BioSciences, Inc., which sponsored this article, partnered to launch Connect2Prevent, a program that aims to educate employees and their family members on the importance of preventing opioid misuse. Launching publicly following a pilot program, enrolled participants will receive weekly lessons that provide information, action steps, and ways to connect and communicate with teens, including evidence-based motivational interviewing strategies. The curriculum is focused on identifying opioid misuse, safe storage, and disposal, stigma, talking to providers, refusal skills, harm reduction, and more. Programs like Connect2Prevent and informative discussion guides can help prepare families for these important conversations. To learn more, visit nsc.org.
With fall sports season in full swing, the risk of injury increases. Understanding safe pain management can keep young athletes recovering and staying healthy for years to come.
Source: StatePoint
